There was a building sense of relief on Ken and Fennekin's faces as their truck finally made it onto the homestretch into Pewter City, finally turning off Route 52 for the run straight down Intercity Route 2 right into town. After this "Delivery straight from the Distortion Realm" Ken just wanted to get to the Poké Mart and unload his cargo. He, Fennekin, and Truck #2,013 had all taken their licks on this run.

Ken had a lot on his mind. He glanced down at the cup holder on the passenger's side where a pair of Poké Balls now sat, thinking about that vicious Spearow that whooped Fennekin. Yet now he'd caught it and had to train it. This isn't how he thought his first day on the open road would have gone. After his cake walk delivery to Vermilion City earlier in the day this had been a real wake up call. Ken flipped his radio back on.

"Vulpix 3 to dispatch, got your ears on?" Ken asked.

The radio buzzed with a reply.

"This is dispatch, how can I help you Vulpix 3?"

"Just checking in, I'm a little later than I'd like but we're going to get that load of Poké Balls into Pewter on time," Ken said. "Do they know we're coming in."

"Affirmative Vulpix 3," the dispatcher replied.

"Thank you, over," Ken said.

By the time it entered Pewter City Truck #2,013's blue-and-gold paint job had gained a significantly browner look from all the dust Ken had driven it through that afternoon. The truck rolled past the stylish glass entrance to the city's Pokémon Center before pulling up to the Poké Mart. Ken turned down an alley and drove in behind the store, as a RatEx driver Ken had made many deliveries to various Celadon City area Poké Marts and they always took deliveries in the back. He shifted his truck into reverse and his truck's backup alarm began to sound, its signature "beep beep beep" reverberating off the alley's walls. Ken put his head out the window to make sure he was on track before parking right against the store's rear loading ramp.

"And done," Ken said with a relief as he shifted into park.

"Fen fen," Fennekin added, just as happy as his trainer to put this run behind them.

Ken looked down at the dashboard clock before turning his truck off. It read 6:45 p.m. They'd made the deadline despite everything else. A sly smile made its way across Ken's face.

"You wait here, I'll handle the drop off," Ken said. "Guard the truck."

"Fen," Fennekin replied.

Ken climbed out of his rig and walked up to the store, ringing the buzzer at the back. A male employee quickly answered it. He looked up at the big rig.

"I assume these are our new balls to restock our shelves," the employee said.

"Straight off the boat from Kalos to your door," Ken said. "Thank you for shipping with GS, we always do our very best."

Ken opened up the back doors of the container and prepared to start unloading the crates. The employee was looking on.

"This has been bugging me all day," Ken noted. "What do the pink-and-white ones do?"

"That's the Heal Ball," the employee replied. "They introduced them in Sinnoh a few years ago. They fully heal a Pokémon once you catch it. I snagged a Shinx in the forest with one the other day. They work great. Shinx certainly liked her ball."

The balls were soon offloaded and the delivery finalized.

"Would it be alright if I leave my truck here for a moment?" Ken asked the employee. "I've got to hit the Pokémon Center."

"Yeah, that's fine," the employee said. "We're open until 10 p.m. and we're not scheduled to get any more deliveries this evening. Please move it afterward though, we don't allow overnight parking."

"Thank you," Ken said.

Ken climbed back into his truck. He picked up Spearow and Fennekin's Poke Balls. Fennekin looked on as he did.

"The Pokemon Center is just next door," Ken told his partner. "I'm going to check the radio and then we'll get you healed up."

Ken reached up for the microphone.

"Dispatch, this is Vulpix 3 and those Poké Balls are delivered in Pewter," Ken said. "You got anything else for me to haul this evening."

"Vulpix 3, what's your cargo area?" the dispatcher asked in response.

"I've got a shipping container on the back," Ken said.

"Roger, but then that's a negative on a next assignment," the dispatcher said. "We've got no outbound container loads from Pewter City tonight. I've got one with gravel from the quarry but that's not going to fit in your truck. Let me see what I've got instead."

Ken shrugged. They likely wouldn't be making any more runs tonight but had been a long day. Maybe it was for the best to call it a night.

"Vulpix 3, still got your ears on?" the dispatcher asked.

"Yes I do, over," Ken said.

"Alright Vulpix 3 I've got two loads for the price of one," the dispatcher said. "There's a luxury furniture factory in Cerulean City and it has two shipments due out tomorrow morning that should both fit in your container. The first is bound for a store in Rota and the second is going to Stone Town. They'll shut down for the night before you can get there but the factory reopens at 7 a.m."

"Copy that dispatch, I'm going to go 10-7 for a few hours then," Ken said. "Leave the factory a message, we'll be there first thing in the morning to get those loads. I'll deadhead my rig over the pass."

"Roger Vulpix 3, have a good night," the dispatcher said.

"10-4, good night," Ken said.

Ken looked over to Fennekin.

"What do you think bud, was that enough excitement for today?" Ken asked his partner.

"Fen, Fennekin kin Fennekin," the little fox replied.

"Let's hit up that Pokémon Center then find a place to park this rig," Ken said.

Ken and Fennekin proceeded across the street before walking through the main entrance of the Pokémon Center. The antiseptic smell of the yellow, green, and blue lobby reminded Ken a bit of a dentist office. He looked over at three young trainers watching a Pokémon battle on television where a Braixen was battling a Piplup in what appeared to be one of those Pokémon Contest battles.

Ken kept walking. He hadn't been to one of these centers in probably a decade, the only time he'd ever gone was if he and Sandra were hanging out and she needed to refresh her team. Spotting a nurse clad in pink and white he proceeded to the desk.

"Hello, my name is Nurse Joy," the nurse said. "Can I help you?"

"Howdy, my name is Ken Worth and I've got a pair of Pokémon who could use a healing if you've got the time."

"We certainly do," Nurse Joy replied, pulling out a tray. "Please put their balls on here."

"You've got it," Ken replied. "Fennekin, return."

While Fennekin wasn't too fond of his ball but Ken took it out and pulled returned his partner back into it before placing it and Spearow's ball on the tray. Maybe a moment back in the ball would reinforce to Fennekin that he shouldn't go picking fights. Nurse Joy took the Pokémon over for healing before quickly returning.

"We'll have your Pokémon healed up in no time," Nurse Joy said.

"What do I owe you for this?" Ken asked. "I'm new to the trainer thing and this is my first time using one of these."

"Oh, there's no charge for healing Pokémon," Nurse Joy replied. "It's free at all Pokémon Centers anywhere in the world."

"Really?" Ken asked. "How do you manage that?"

"Exactly as expect, it's your tax dollars at work," Nurse Joy replied. "Our role is a vital one and we provide all kinds of services to trainers young and old. We have a dining area if you'd like. There's also always lodging and laundry services available, they are free for the younger trainers but there is a cost for adult ones to help balance off their expenses."

"I should be good on those but I'll keep it in mind," Ken said. "These are nicer than I remember them."

"How long have you been a trainer?" Nurse Joy said.

"About 10 hours, give or take a few minutes," Ken said. "I drive a truck and my company's owner mandates them for protection."

"GS Transport?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Yup," Ken replied.

"We get a lot of drivers from your company coming in here," Nurse Joy noted. "Some of them are quite talented trainers. One made the quarterfinals a few years ago at Indigo Plateau. Are you gunning for the Pokémon League yourself?"

"Not really," Ken said.

"Gym battles are good way to earn your Pokémon's respect especially if you get them to a higher level," Nurse Joy said. "Registration is free service and even if you aren't working toward the championships being licensed for battle with the league has benefits. Most of the other drivers have done it, I think some try the occasional battle for bragging rights but a few are aiming for more. I can do it register you right now."

"Eh, why not," Ken said. "I doubt I'll be in any gym battles anytime soon though. I'm driving to Cerulean City tomorrow."

Nurse Joy made a few quick keystrokes on the front desk's computer.

"Alright, congratulations you are now a properly registered and ranked trainer," Nurse Joy said.

A familiar chime sounded

"And even better, you're Pokémon are healed," Nurse Joy added.

"Thank you for your help," Ken said.

"We hope to see you again," Nurse Joy replied as he handed Ken back his partners.

Ken walked out of the center and started making his way back to the truck. He called Fennekin back out of its ball.

"Fennekin, drop the hammer," Ken said before giving the ball a toss.

Fennekin reappeared in a flash of white light. He looked both refreshed and annoyed at the same time, giving his trainer a mild glare before Ken glared back at him as if to note "you did that to yourself."

Before long the two were back in Truck #2,013 with the rig making its way out of downtown Pewter City into an industrial area on its outskirts. Modern trucks came with two varieties of cabs where the driver sits, the day cab and sleeper cab. The smaller day cab is for trucks that are intended for shorter runs, making trips where a driver could plausibly reach their destination and return home within the course of a day. Sleeper cab trucks, like Ken's, were intended for longer runs and featured a bigger cab. The extra space was designed to serve as a small living area for the driver, allowing them to drive anywhere across the region with a safe, comfortable spot to sleep at their disposal without spending money on a motel room. Given how long drivers would spend in their trucks manufacturers took lengths to make sure their accommodations were hardly spartan if albeit still very tight. While this truck had some mileage on it Ken was still looking forward to his first night aboard his rig.

Ken had looked up this destination well before he ever got his job at GS and he was somewhat pleased he'd finally get a chance to try it out, the city's TU Truck Stop. TU was a chain of truck stops with locations all over. It currently promoted itself with the tagline "Travel United" but its name actually used to stand for "Travel Unova." The chain got its start in Floccesy Town as a restaurant that offered safe overnight parking to truckers bringing in equipment to supply the local railyards and subway trains. The idea got popular and soon it spread throughout its native region before going global. Today it was one of major chains of truck stops alongside the similar companies Flying P, Furfrou, Amour's, and Alola, with the latter being infamous for its tacky tropical theming despite being based in Johto.

Pewter City's TU was on the edge of town, sandwiched between some warehouses and a farmer's fields. Ken pulled into the truck parking lot and found an open space to park for the night. TU's tended to be rather advanced by truck stop standards. Ken turned his truck off and hopped out before walking over to the power pedestal alongside his spot. The setup wouldn't have been out of place at a campground as Ken opened a container on the side of his truck to reveal an electrical wire that he then hooked up to the pedestal. The setup would allow Ken to run his truck's electrical equipment inside, like the television, air conditioning, and lights, without needing to waste fuel idling its engine all night. He signaled to Fennekin to follow him as he headed into the structure's main building.

Truck stops served an important role for truckers. While their rigs were usually well-equipped there were certain things they didn't have, like showers, that only a truck stop could provide. There were more like a Pokémon Center than one would expect, here too one would find laundry and dining facilities. Most truck stops featured restaurants or cafeterias and this one was no exception. There was also a store drivers could shop at. Taking a note from Pokémon Centers, a proper battlefield was located behind the structure, perhaps for drivers with a little road rage to work out their differences. A main lobby, highlighted by a large television, served as an area for drivers to interact. A tractor pull contest was on right now and several people watched intently while others engaged in small talk.

"You hear about that fool with NQA who jammed a 750 straight up the runaway truck ramp at the top of the Pikachu Trail," one driver said.

"Yeah, sucker plowed his truck all the way up it," another driver responded. "They'll be up there all night pulling that truck out."

Ken got a nervous look on their face. Only now was he realizing that he would be driving over the Pikachu Trail for the first time to reach Cerulean City, and to get there bright and early he'd have to do it at night. He and Fennekin continued out of the lobby into the store. The business felt like a bizarre cross between a regular convenience store, an auto parts store, and a Poké Mart. One aisle featured human snacks on one side while the other was lined with truck parts like radio equipment and GPS systems. The bright glow from the refrigerated drinks area shown over everything, its shelves filled with all varieties of soft drinks, energy drinks, juices, and bottled waters. Fennekin was surprised at the variety, he'd never seen a store like this.

Given most of the clientele were truckers there was a large variety of items geared toward helping drivers stay awake on long hauls ranging from the common, such as a whole section of fresh brewed coffees with various strengths, to wilder products with names like "Five-Hour Power." Ken took note of one called "Focus Energy," like Spearow's move, that featured a raging Vigoroth doing said move on its packaging. High-powered drinks were not what Ken was looking for as he walked into an aisle featuring Pokémon-focused items, picking up some bird seed meant for flying types. At a second glance he also decided to grab one of those trainer belts that could hold Poké Balls. Why not go all in on this trainer thing, he hoped to be driving for GS for quite a while after all. After checking out the pair returned to their truck.

The kitchen in Ken's truck was small but adequate as he prepared himself a TV dinner in the microwave. Shifting focus to his Pokémon he put out two dishes and filled both with food before topping Spearow's with seed and calling out the bird. Spearow's eyes got very big at the site of its full bowl.

"I promised you a grand dinner and I deliver," Ken said to his newest Pokémon. "Delivery is kind of my job. Dig in folks."

Spearow and Fennekin both had a smile on their face as they wolfed down their food. Ken looked up at the weather and the gathering clouds. They'd get a little rain but it would likely pass before Truck #2,013 got back on the road.

After dinner Spearow requested to go back into its ball and Ken obliged. Fennekin relaxed on the bed while Ken sat in the driver's seat in the front reading up on some of the basics from that book on Pokémon training he bought in Vermilion City before deciding to turn in.

"You want to sleep in your ball?" Ken asked Fennekin.

"Kin," Fennekin replied. "Kin ne Fennekin."

"Well I can tell you right now we're not sleeping in the same bed," Ken said. "That's cute now but if you evolve it would get creepy fast. I got an alternative idea though."

Ken reached up and pulled down the bunk above his bed.

"You can have the top bunk," Ken said.

Fennekin smiled with approval as Ken picked him up and placed him on the top bed.

"Good night bud," Ken said as he turned out the lights and called it a night.

Ken rolled over and relaxed, drifting off into a mild sleep. After this wild day he was going to treasure all the rest he could get. It would be a short night but hopefully he'd be well rested to take on that run over the pass. What he didn't know as he slumbered was just how much the next 12 hours might define his career or how much they would push him, his Pokémon, and their truck to the breaking point.

At another Flying P truck stop just outside Cerulean City driver Peter Biltmore had pulled his GS Truck #9 off the road to call it a night himself. With a special cargo aboard, he felt like driving under the cover of darkness would be a good way to run a bit quieter. A run over the Pikachu Trail at night would give him almost the whole road to himself. Just outside the truck stop a red convertible sat next door in the parking lot of a bank. The disappointment on Team Rocket's Robert and Ellee was palpable. As their Purrloin sat in the backseat Ellee called their allies.

"Yeah, his truck is ailing but he pulled in at a truck stop before it gave out," Ellee said. "He's going to get going again and since he went north I think he's headed for the mountains instead of I-Route 52 like we thought. We're headed for Pewter to be ready if he comes through. Stonewall and Jackson have got the wrecker they boosted in Fuchsia City and they'll pursue. When this gear jammer dumps it we'll be there to pick up the pieces and get those cases."

"No way that rig makes it over the mountains with the brakes leaking like sieve," Robert said.

AUTHOR NOTES

There's a hidden pun in cover image for this fanfic. If you can catch it send me a private message or mention it in a review if you'd like to give feedback on the fic. After this chapter the action picks up a bit.

Going 10-7 means "out of service."

The truck stop brands all sort of jokingly references to real life ones here in North America. TU, Flying P, Furfrou, and Amour's are supposed to be Pokémon versions of TA, Flying J, Husky, and Love's. Alola isn't based on anyone real, I just thought it would be funny. There was some fun stuff at the truck stop showcasing the other trucking companies of this world (Glaceon Independent Grocers and their refrigerated rigs, Tauros Trucking, etc.) and some fun with what license plates would be here but it all got cut for time.