There's a certain majesty to seeing something gigantic accomplishing something precise, like when a Dragonite flies at top speed just inches above the water. This morning the massive GS Transport Truck #653 was similarly flying along right at the speed limit but still under the precise control of driver Ken Worth as the 750 Eeveeliner blasted down Intercity Route 11 bound toward southeastern Kanto.
The day was already looking up for Ken and Fennekin as the roads were dry and traffic was light this early in the morning. The pair managed to get past Vermillion City well before rush hour and that left them largely in the clear for an on-time delivery to the Stone Town's Evolution stone mine. Most of their route today was rural and that meant it was an easy morning to set the cruise control and roll on down the road.
Truck #653 had a split cargo today with a blue GS container positioned behind the cab and adorned with the company's logo. The container was filled with conveyor belts for the stone sorting equipment at the mine. Behind it was a Luxio brand skid-steer loader; the small piece of construction equipment had a blue and black livery to match the Spark Pokémon for which it was named. The loader was pointed toward the truck's cab. Inside the cab there was little noise except for some rock music that Ken had tuned in on the radio.
"I'm unbeatable!" shouted the singer. "Walking down this endless highway. Nothin' but my friends beside me."
Hearing that lyric made Ken glance over to Fennekin for a second.
"Never give in, we'll never rest, an advanced battle is the ultimate test," the singer continued. "From the earth, the land, the sea and sky; they can never win, but they sure can try."
Once the song finished Ken started scanning for another station.
"Why is it that all the popular fast-paced songs are about Pokemon battling?" Ken asked.
"Kin," Fennekin replied. "Kin ne kin."
Finally Ken found another station.
"You're listing to the Sinnoh Sound, a Kanto Radio Broadcasting network, with all the style from the northern regions," said the DJ. "Coming up next we've got a classic instrumental that would just perfect for a stroll through the quiet streets of Twinleaf Town or on the grassy shores of Lake Verity."
A cute little beat started to play.
"You like that one?" Ken asked Fennekin.
The little fox listened for a moment than gave a bark of approval. Ken decided to stick with this one for a bit. A lot of truckers were music fans with the normal radio being a welcome bit of relaxion, or some much needed noise to stay awake near the end of the shift, amidst the long miles most drove.
While the music was a nice touch Ken's focus was on the road. The shoulders were green and grassy, forming a gap between the asphalt and the woods alongside the road. Suddenly something orange caught his attention, a fast glance revealing it was a young girl trainer in a carrot-hued coat. The trainer was well off the road but still in the shoulder area as she tossed out a Poké Ball revealing a bipedal blue and black Riolu. As Ken drove past, he noted the trainer's target was a small blue Shinx; likely trying to catch it. Ken was puzzled for a moment by the Sinnoh Pokémon, he was still trying to learn all the non-Kanto entries in the National Dex and only recognized the Shinx, but rather than focus on that he reached up and grabbed his truck's CB radio microphone.
"BIP I-11, Marker 12, catch low," Ken said over the radio. "This is Vulpix 3 and it's going to be in the eastbound lane."
At first glance that sounded like gibberish but for Pokémon world truckers it was a fast code for a vital message. "BIP" calls on the radio stood for "Battle in Progress" and it was intended to give a warning for any drivers in the area to be alert. The "I-11" and "Marker 12" represented the road where Ken was driving, I-Route 11, and the position on it were the battle took place. "Catch low" meant a trainer versus Pokémon battle that posed little danger.
BIP calls came in three types. In addition to "Catch" there was also "Train," for a trainer against trainer battle, and "Wild" for when two wild Pokémon fought each other. The danger level was one of the most important parts of the call and came in four levels; low, medium, high, and divert with the driver making the call needing to gauge the risk it posed. "Divert" was a straight up instruction to reroute all trucks away from the area without exception in the event of an intense battle; after a driver in Unova was injured a few years ago when a rogue Incinerate attack from a Darmanitan hit his load of fireworks efforts were made to mitigate the risks as best as possible. A BIP call was usually followed a few moments later by a radio call of "Battle Clear" from another truck passing later to announce that the fight had concluded.
Pokémon battles alongside the I-Routes or other major roads were permitted but rare. Most trainers have the good sense not to fight where traffic can pose a wild card risk and Pokémon also try to avoid ones in a dangerous setting but sometimes circumstances just play out that way. It wasn't uncommon for BIP call to be followed by a request for more information and that is indeed what happened next, although with low risk battles the exchange was usually lighthearted.
"This is Dewgong 1. What's battling Vulpix 3? Anything cool?"
"It looks like a Shinx and a mini-Lucario," Ken said.
"This is Piplup 7 and the name you are looking for is Riolu. It's Lucario's pre-evolution."
"Roger that Piplup 7," Ken said.
"Give me 20 Pokémon Dollars on the Riolu," joked another driver. "That Shinx is going down!"
One of the most common uses of the CB radio by truckers was to warn each other of obstacles. Everything from a police officer with a radar gun to a vehicle stranded on the side of the road was likely to prompt a call out. The "Battle Clear" call came in moments later, with the trainer apparently catching the little cat, as Truck #653 dashed off into the distance.
Route 13 and I-Route 13 are a notable point where the usual trainer's path and the seperate highway diverge greatly. The standard walking route parallels the sea, and it is a wonder to look at, but soft soil in the area made building a road for vehicles there impossible, forcing the highway further inland and through a more mountainous route. The road however is still very scenic, with much of it running through a beautiful canyon, sometimes crossing over a river on an extended viaduct and passing through several scenic tunnels. The walking trail is much shorter so it takes a similar amount of time to traverse both routes.
Trainer Jackson Donington was making good time on his Mach Bike as he raced toward his fifth gym battle in Fuchsia City. The budding trainer, wearing a blue and gold shirt, slowed when suddenly a jolt came from his backpack, given he had a pair of Pokémon eggs in there that was good sign. He pulled off the road and pulled out the first egg. The brown egg with a white center shook as he placed it on the ground. Suddenly the egg turned white then morphed into the shape of the Pokémon hatching. As the glow subsided Jackson found himself looking at a newborn Eevee.
The Eevee had heart-shaped markings on its tail indicting it was female, a rare hatch for the normally male species that made it more valuable. Quickly Jackson pulled out his Rotom Phone and scanned the creature. It's moves were swift, baby-doll eyes, helping hand, and mud-slap; a promising start. However, a quick check of its IVs revealed a docile nature that wasn't ideal for battling. It wasn't what he was looking for but Jackson quickly pulled out a Poké Ball and caught the little creature. This Eevee wouldn't find its way onto his team but with being female and already knowing the fairy move baby-doll eyes made it perfect bait to trade to another trainer; with a combination like that it was poised to grow into a Sylveon that some other trainer would no doubt love to have as either a teammate or a pet. It was worth keeping but not for long.
Jackson liked water type Pokémon, as you might expect from a Cerulean City native, and his team already boasted a powerful Vaporeon alongside his starter Blastoise. He was trying to breed the Eeveelution with his imported Mudsdale in the hopes of creating another powerful one for his squad. While this Eevee didn't meet his standards he looked into his bag to reveal a second Eevee egg before setting off again. He'd get another shot. Moments later the process repeated as Jackson pulled over when the second egg hatched.
Just as the glowing egg morphed into a new Eevee Jackson took note of the standard, fox-like markings on its tail. This one was male with its move check revealing swift, growl, tail whip, and mud-slap. Its special attack stat was solid but its bashful nature was a deal breaker. There was nothing remarkable about it and it probably wasn't even worth the time to try and find someone to trade for it. Jackson cared for the Pokémon on his team but this one wasn't going to be one of them and he didn't see any reason to waste resources on it. It was probably best to leave it as such, Route 13 was a popular route where many trainers came to battle. Surely another one would come along shortly later in the day and catch it; a free, wild Eevee was a pretty rare sight after all. Pokémon were born with incredible instincts that humans could only dream of; they are very capable creatures and come out of their eggs ready to battle, breed, and live so abandoning a newly-hatched one, while not the most kind choice, wasn't an automatic death sentence for the creature.
The Eevee looked up at Jackson with a cute little smile. It didn't warm his heart. To the little Eevee's shock he climbed back on his bike and started pedaling away without even catching it. Eevee tried to chase after him but the zippy Mach Bike soon outran him as he tired. Eevee could only watch as Jackson rode off into the distance. With his head hung low he started walking in the other direction; perhaps hopeful someone else would come along. Unfortunately for Eevee someone did but it wasn't another trainer. A rather hungry looking Noctowl that Jackson hadn't seen had watched the situation play out and now found itself eying up a potential breakfast.
The bird took a flying dive at Eevee but missed when the little Evolution Pokémon ducked, having heard the approach with its large ears. Eevee shot its first swift attack at the bird and while it only slightly slowed it down it was enough for the little guy to find a second wind and run into the woods trying to lose its hungry pursuer. What neither Pokémon saw was a familiar pink Pokémon floating down from a tree and having taken an interest in the pursuit. Mew looked at the little Eevee as it ran off and decided to give it a helping hand. It had to do something. The little creature was running straight through the woods toward I-Route 13 and it didn't take a genius to see how a small creature and a highway was a recipe for disaster waiting to happen. Mew flew high into the sky and glanced down the road before it noticed a familiar looking truck in the distance and quickly thought of a plan.
By this time Ken and Fennekin's truck was now southbound on I-Route 13. The time was just before 9 a.m. and with little traffic that wasn't much that could slow them down. Unfortunately at almost the same moment Ken started dreaming of an early delivery he noticed a sign he dreaded reading "Weigh Station Ahead: Next Right."
In the trucking world most companies want their trucks to carry as much cargo as possible on each run, since more cargo obviously equals more money with less expense. However, trucks get heavier as they carry more items and a heavy truck can cause issues and additional wear and tear on the roads they traverse. To stop companies from being reckless, and damaging thoroughfares, regional governments all set weight limits to stop trucks from running overloaded. The limits had some variance, with Unova and Galar's limits being more relaxed while Alola's one was very restrictive, but in general most were in the same ballpark. Over the limit loads were sometimes allowed too but only under strictly controlled circumstances.
The process of monitoring truck weights was the purpose of the weigh stations. When they were open drivers had to pull off and get their trucks weighed to make sure they were legally loaded up. Drivers all knew where the all the regular stations were but their times of operation varied and they were often placed on chokepoint routes to minimize any ability to avoid them. Truckers had given them the colorful nickname "Torchic coops" although Ken could never figure out how they came to that. The stations also served as a nice chance to inspect trucks to make sure they were safe to use on the road.
Ken wasn't too worried about the weight of Truck #653 today, his cargo wasn't heavy enough to even come close to the limit, but he would rather not lose the time for the stop. At this early hour he might get lucky and find it closed. To Ken's disappointment as the weight station came into sight the electric sign at the front was marked "Open." He had to stop. Ken reached for the radio.
"This is Vulpix 3 and heads up, the Torchic coop at Marker 28 is open for business," Ken said. "Prepare to stop."
"This is Dewgong 1 and I hear you," said another driver in response. "That's Weighmaster Dwight's station and that's unusual. Normally he doesn't turn the sign on until about 9:15 a.m."
"I guess he started early this morning," Ken said. "Over."
Truck #653 flipped on its blinkers and pulled off I-Route 13 into the weigh station. He noticed there was a car parked behind the station, meaning a staff member must be there, and slowly maneuvered his truck onto the station's massive scale. A man in the station looked puzzled before walking out toward Ken's truck. Suddenly the radio cackled as another GS truck shot past the station at highway speed.
"Dewgong 1 to Vulpix 3, I see you in the coop there but the open sign IS NOT on right now," the driver said. "Repeat, it is not on."
"It was when I drove past," Ken said. "Freaky."
Ken wondered what could have happened with the sign as he gathered the paperwork for his loads. What he didn't see was the small Elekid at the foot of it who had been shocking its wiring, giving it a minor short circuit and the electrical power to display the phantom open message. After Ken's truck entered the station the Elekid ran back into the woods with no one noticing it before, in a flash, it morphed back into Mew and silently floated into the trees. Meanwhile Weighmaster Dwight had a puzzled look on his face as he stepped up to the truck. A visual inspection at least revealed nothing wrong with it.
"You're a bit early, I'm not open yet but as you're already on the scale I can give you a check anyway," Dwight said. "What are you hauling and why did you pull in?"
Ken handed him the paperwork.
"I've got a half-container of conveyor belts and a little loader," Ken said. "I'm headed to Stone Town. I thought the sign said the station was open, maybe the sun reflected off it funny or something."
"Alright," Dwight said, quickly looking over the paperwork. "We'll it's never a bad idea to have your truck checked anyway. Let me check the scales and we'll get you back on the road quickly."
As Ken worked with Dwight Fennekin thought he heard something and looked out the window. He didn't see anything unusual and turned his attention back to Ken. As the weighmaster went over to check the scales no one's attention was on the woods neighboring the station as Eevee bust out of a bush literally running for his life with the Noctowl still in pursuit.
The truck immediately caught Eevee's attention as some much-needed cover. While the ground clearance to the wheels was too high to be of use the Luxio loader on the back wasn't. Eevee took a desperate leap up onto the cargo platform then scurried under the loader where the Noctowl couldn't follow. Over at the scales Dwight took little notice as the displayed weight of the truck suddenly increased by 14.3 pounds or 6.5 kilograms, depending on the unit of measure in use. The scales had a little play in them and an amount that small made no difference. He took no notice of it. Ken's truck was easily under the limit.
Eevee breathed heavy as it hid under the loader with the Noctowl no longer able to pursue it. The bird at last gave up the chase and flew off. However the little fox's troubles might be just beginning as Dwight returned Ken's paperwork to the truck. He handed it back to the driver.
"You're good to go bud, drive safely," Dwight said.
"Thank you," Ken replied.
Eevee shimmied out from under the loader and was just about to hop off the truck when there was a sudden hiss as Ken released the brakes followed by the sound of the truck's motors as he shifted into gear. With a shudder the big rig started moving. In the cab Ken and Fennekin had no idea their manifest now included an extra, unauthorized passenger.
"We didn't lose too much time with this stop," Ken said. "Hang on. I think we can still make up some of the lost time."
"Fen fen," Fennekin barked in agreement, eager to get to their destination like his trainer was.
Ken quickly accelerated back to highway speed as he reentered I-Route 13. The quick attacking Eevee hood ornament at the front of the truck glistened in the sun while the real Eevee now at the back of the truck looked panicked before he instinctively grabbed for one of the chains holding the Luxio loader in place. Ken's leadfooted departure from the weight station meant the truck was now going too fast for the little Pokémon to safely jump off, all he could do was hang on and hope for the best. The road beneath it seemed to whizz by.
Truck #653 was still about an hour out of Stone Town. Would Eevee be able to hold on that long? Would Ken or Fennekin catch on to their unintentional hitchhiker? Or would the little Pokémon's first ride on a truck end up being his last?
The design of I-Route 13 is loosely based on Interstate 70 near Denver, Colorado. It's a scenic drive that connects the city to the nearby ski resorts.
A construction equipment manufacturer being named Luxio is intended to be a mild pun on the fact there's a real-life brand called Bobcat who makes little skid loaders like this one.