The second chap for this. I tried to format this in a way to be more readable and to split the scenes when some time passes but sadly it didn't work for some reason so I had to put it into text to make sure it showed. Anyways, enjoy!
~Wally Verdant~
One push-up after the other. Sweat was pouring from his brows as he pushed his body up under the relentless forces of gravity and budding psychic might. With a grunt of supreme effort, he forced his quivering muscles to comply one torturous last time before giving in to exhaustion. Instead of falling to the ground as would have been expected, he was caught by an invisible force, turned on his back, and gently put down. A flash of Light illuminated the surroundings and when it faded away, Ralts was lying on his chest. She looked a bit exhausted too and her breathing was hurried but she smiled at him adoringly nonetheless. He returned her smile with tender affection.
"Thank you for assisting with my training, little one. You are the main reason I'm progressing so quickly."
It was true too. It's been close to 6 months since he came to this world and merged with Wally. They'd both begun to hone themselves more seriously while steadily streamlining their methods. He introduced her to the thought that control was supreme for psychic energy and had her do control drills like telekinetically floating objects in specific patterns and compressing her energy as much as she could before pointing it in a specific direction. The less splash damage she caused, the better her control was. As for strengthening the amount of energy she had and could use, he had her exhaust herself by putting as much pressure on a small spot as she could for as long as she was capable of. He then had the glorious idea of using that pressure to train himself and thus, their collaborative training strategies took form.
Once he caught his breath a bit, he sat up carefully to not startle his little one. His Aura was flowing into her to aid her recovery and growth as he found it was best to use Nurturing when they just finished up their training to maximise the effects. She opted to slowly slide down from his chest into his lap and lay there bonelessly as she enjoyed the feeling of his Aura working wonders inside of her. From what she communicated, it felt comfortable to be healed and nurtured by Aura and she liked to nap during his treatment. At least when she wasn't hungry yet.
Their regimen was working, and that was despite the fact that they were fumbling around pretty much blindly. While he received some instructions as to how to use and refine his affinity and Aura, there was no user manual for his talent. Only the barebones 'How to'. They had to discover what worked and what didn't and then they had to slowly perfect their approach. In the future, with the experience he was gaining right now, things would be easier. Right now though? They were working their asses off for what seemed to be rather minor gains. 'Well, not really.' He acknowledged. Her Potential over the last few months had gone from light green to the deepest of greens, just on the verge of transitioning to blue. That was already prodigious from what he'd read online. His Talent was extremely effective once they learned how and when to use it best. Thankfully, his reserves were plentiful so they had enough leeway to experiment and improve.
As for her stage, she naturally advanced to Rookie around a month ago even though they didn't focus on density or volume of her energy at all. He was of the opinion that control trumped all in terms of energy and even if he was wrong, it wouldn't really hurt her to fine-tune her capabilities in that regard. Now, she was sitting firmly in the middle of the Rookie stage and her stamina increased accordingly. Their training had somewhat synched up as her psychic prowess grew, and his frame was far more sturdy than it was just some months ago. He wasn't as ridiculous as Ash who casually lifted a frickin Larvitar as if it weighed nothing among other just as or more ridiculous feats, but he had the build of a fit teenager who cared for his body and paid attention to his diet. A big step up if compared to the scrawny little kid he was before.
He caressed Ralts's little head in her sleep while guiding his Aura through her body which elicited some cute sleeping noises from her. 'Yeah, she's adorable.' He affirmed once more. He wasn't the only one of that opinion. His dad was forced on a business trip just before he met her so he hadn't seen her until he returned. He knew of her because they kept contact with daily calls and some texting. Mostly dad jokes that made him cringe and laugh at the same time. He expressed his worry over the fact that he was still recovering and that taking responsibility for what was basically a baby at the time would be a bit much, but as soon as he returned and she greeted him with a shy little wave at his prompting, his dad was over the moon.
'Grandpa. Call me grandpa. Grand... Pa...'
With a fond and exasperated little smile, he recalled the ridiculous scene of his dad lying on his stomach in front of Ralts while trying to coax the little psychic Pokémon to use telepathy to call him gramps. She was so confused, it was adorable. He looked down and saw her eyes open drowsily. She sat up on his lap and stretched while yawning before wiping the sleep out of her eyes. Levitating off his lap, she positioned herself on top of his head and nudged him eagerly. It seemed she was ready for the next increment of their exercises. A just as eager smile spread on his lips as he stood up and took his position. Squats with psychic energy pressuring his body and Aura flowing through it to counteract any possible lasting damage was unsurprisingly pretty effective. As was holding the horse stance under the same conditions to strengthen his legs and core. 'The grind never stops.' Was the philosophy he chose to apply.
Luckily, there weren't many kids in this city. Five others were the same age as him and that meant they weren't enough to warrant classes. Instead, the children of Littleroot Town, Oldale Town, and Petalburg City met in Oldale twice a month for socialising and personal tutelage while education took place mostly online. With his intellect and the mindset of his previous life, the assignments were literally child's play. Even before his transmigration, Wally was a fantastic student which was the main reason for his Baby-stage Pokémon privilege. His quick and efficient work on those assignments allowed for lots of time to invest into experimenting, training, and reading.
This lifestyle suited him just fine as he wasn't exactly extroverted in his previous life, but his parents were a bit worried that he wasn't interacting much with other children. They didn't force it upon him, but they did express that maybe, he should try a bit more to get along with them. 'Hmm, May and Brendan are of the same age. The former is Norman's daughter and the latter is the son of Professor Birch. They should be a bit more mature and knowledgeable than other kids. Let's try and get along with them to pacify mum and dad.' Unknown to him, one of those two was observing him from afar as he was sweating a river while following the hallowed philosophy of 'Grind-set'.
~May Common~
'He's at it again...' She wondered to herself as she sat there in the shade of a tree with her knees drawn to her chest. Her chin was balanced on top of them as she watched the strange boy. She'd begun this particular hobby a month ago when she first noticed him. She was just playing around trying to find sticks that had exactly the same length when she heard a grunt of effort. Curious as to where the sound came from, she went searching and soon found the young boy doing push-ups with an adorable little Ralts sitting on his back and cheering him on.
Too shy to approach but too curious to let him be, she settled and watched him. Her curiosity led her to ask her dad about him and he told her that she knew him already. He was that sickly little boy who barely looked the same age as her. At first she denied the possibility. How could this frail little boy be the same one she saw sweating all over the forest floor? That was when he told her that some months ago, something happened that had him hospitalised and as soon as he was out, he began training himself like a madman. Even Viggo, dad's Vigoroth who categorically refused to evolve into a naturally lazy species, praised his drive.
So she began her hobby of boy-watching. 'Maybe I can approach him when all the children meet up next week?' She mused thoughtfully, her eyes never leaving the trembling form of the fascinating boy.
~Wally Verdant~
He looked into the mirror and felt conflicted. On the one hand, he had some muscle definition by now and his body couldn't be described as scrawny anymore. Not by any means. On the other hand, it seemed that he had a genetic predisposition to look like a pretty boy. His somewhat haphazard green hair was naturally glossy even though he didn't use any excessive hair care products. His skin was absolutely flawless and smooth, which wasn't too uncommon in children he supposed. His bluish grey eyes had a gentle lilt to them, making him seem approachable in combination with his soft features. A defeated smile spread on his lips as he shrugged and accepted the truth. 'Mom's a gentle beauty and Dad is a pretty boy. This was never going to end any differently, was it? Oh well, it is what it is. At least it fits with the Fairy Affinity. Which may be another reason for my soft looks actually.'
He quickly finished dressing himself and sneaked down the stairs after gently collecting the still-sleeping Ralts, a small pillow, and a soft blanket. Instinctively, she snuggled into his embrace and he smiled down at her while resisting the urge to tease her awake. He'd let her sleep until breakfast. She'd wake up from the smell anyways. After making sure that she was comfortably nestled into the corner of the kitchen counter, he began to prepare the first meal of the day. Looking into the fridge brought a wry smile to his face. He finally had one of the much discussed questions of his previous life answered. While there were farms for mundane animals, Pokémon meat was consumed by both, humans and other mons. The methods used to acquire that meat were kind of wild though.
Basically, through specialised training and adapted moves like hypnosis and various different boost moves in tandem with healing moves such as Wish, Synthesis, Heal Pulse and the like, farming meat has become a painless and non-lethal practice. All certified farms had a large roster of consenting Pokémon rotating in and out to offer their meat in exchange for compensation adjusted by species, strength, and age. There was an entire grading system for all kinds of meats in place. When people tried to abuse this system by reducing the resting time or things like that, the League cracked down on them with all their might. Those regulations were law ever since and no one tried to skirt them for fear of being visited by one of the Elite Four or the Champ himself. Of course things were probably different on the dark side of the law, but as long as people existed, there would be some who choose to exploit others to further their own agendas. It was one of the unavoidable truths of life.
He banished all those unnecessary thoughts and decided to simply enjoy cooking. Despite his fondness of his home country, Joseppe preferred to mix up his breakfast foods from all kinds of cultures. He had a mean recipe for French Toast for example. 'One of the few things they did right.' He would say when he placed his plate on the table. Today wasn't the time for such fancy dishes though. Instead, he'd prepare some omelettes with a side of potato fritters, crispy Tauros bacon, grilled Moomoo-cheese, and lightly seared Tamato Berries.
As he'd expected, as soon as the strips of bacon began to sizzle, Ralts stirred. She preferred sweet foods but she had no problem with anything else except for extremely spicy things. Those, she couldn't stand. A flash from the corner of his eyes alerted him to the fact that she missed the counter with her Teleport. Instinctively, he caught her and placed her on his shoulder as he continued frying fritters to perfection while berating her.
"How often have I told you to look before you Teleport? Your Psychic Perception isn't acute enough yet to fully rely on it. Please be more careful."
A quick flash of something that might have been a sorry gave way to her ravenous cravings and he had to suppress a laugh. She was a bit of a glutton but that was alright. He liked to cook, so feeding her wasn't a chore. With the nutrient capsules he received from Beni, she had everything she needed to grow well so he could concentrate on catering to her tastes without worry.
The tantalising scent of fresh and warm breakfast quickly caused his parents to rise from the dead. Their morning coffee was already prepared and he was just plating the last portion when they near-tumbled down the stairs. Like the zombies they were, they groaned and stumbled to their assigned seats. Mindlessly, they began to consume their life elixir. In an imitation of their dramatic movements, Ralts raised her own cup. It was filled with creamy cocoa, self-made Vanilluxe whipped cream, and some marshmallows. She carefully observed them and timed her cup's descent with his parents, much to his amusement. Now that they were somewhat alive, his dad looked at him seriously.
"You don't have to cook for us. You know that, right?"
He shrugged and grinned at the man. He was a good father and Wally's previous sickly nature caused him to permanently worry about him. Now that he was more healthy and robust, the worry somewhat faded but that didn't mean he could just turn it off.
"I know. I just felt like it. Now dive in. Enjoy the offerings of your filial child. Also, tell me if you like it or not. I'm still tweaking the recipes so I'd like some feedback."
He nodded sedately and shared an affectionate smile with his wife.
"Aren't we blessed to have such a filial son? Let's not turn down his efforts."
She smiled back lazily, but didn't answer verbally. Instead, she took a bite of her omelette and gave him a thumbs up. Amused by their antics, he settled down and took in his own portion while simultaneously helping Ralts with her's. She could easily help herself with telekinesis but when she was in the mood, she liked it when he fed her. He didn't really mind. She'd probably grow out of that habit soon anyways and he'd end up missing the adorable smile she gifted him when something tasted especially good. The harmonious scene ended with his parents thanking him for cooking and emphasising that he really didn't need to. Dad was quickly on his way to Rustboro to close a deal that would earn him some free time and mom took some time out of her schedule to take him to Oldale Town. For today was the dreaded day. The day where he'd have to socialise. While his mother got ready for the little trip, he looked down at Ralts and asked her with some faint worry in his voice.
"You sure you're ready? There's going to be a fair few kids and some adults present. It's going to be 20-30 people. That's the most you had to endure for a longer period of time since we found each other."
Her horn pulsed as she looked up at him and it sent to him her determination with a soft undertone of nervousness. He had told her that he wanted to befriend some kids to make sure his parents didn't worry too much and she obviously didn't want to ruin things. He cuddled her a bit before smiling at her.
"As if a cutie like you could ever do anything but draw all the attention and make everyone love you. If you're sure you wanna come then I'll take you."
And that was that. She settled in his arms and accepted the affection he was passively radiating as well as the Aura he was constantly circulating through her body as long as they were in contact with each other. While the effectiveness was a far cry from what they achieved after a strenuous training session, in the end every little bit counted. Add to that the fact that with his reserves it didn't really cost him anything, and there was really no reason left not to nurture her.
"Let's go, Wally. If we hurry a bit, we'll be in Oldale in an hour or so."
'Yeah, Route 102 is way longer than the games had one believe. Same with everything else. Hoenn is fucking huge. All the other regions are too.' He mused and was glad that Ralts was a future psychic powerhouse with access to long-range Teleports as long as the markers she set were strong enough. Getting around would quickly become a hassle if that wasn't the case. As he followed his mom out of the 'city', he wondered if the two targets to befriend would even end up being present. One half of that question was quickly answered by someone behind them.
"Heeey! Heeey! Wait for me, please!"
A young girl called out, and the voice seemed somewhat familiar. Once he turned around, he found out why. Running in their direction was a young girl with mouse-brown hair. She sported side-tails, though they were not as pronounced as they were in media. Which was understandable since she was a bit younger. She was dressed in pretty much the same outfit she wore in the games. Red shirt, black shorts. No miniskirt though. In exchange, the shorts were a bit longer, reaching almost down to her knees. Woven into her hair was a large red ribbon that bobbed with each step she took.
They waited for her to reach them with some confusion. Why did she stop them? Did she want to travel with them? Why would she? Her dad could simply send her with a gym trainer or something. 'Maybe she doesn't want to be bored and hopes another kid would help with that? Or maybe she saw Ralts and fell in love? I can't fault her for that. She's a little cutie.' while the little one in his arms was released a surprised squeak from being cuddled closer and receiving a sudden burst of affection, he looked at May Common who had finally arrived. She was bent over and breathing heavily from the strain, but she quickly recuperated and pushed herself into an upright position to stretch a hand in his direction with a bright smile on her face.
"I'm May Common and you are Wally Verdant. I like watching you!"
It took him a full three seconds to register her words. That was about as long as it took his mother to burst out laughing and May to acquire a full body blush. 'Huh?...' He thought to himself and waited with a deadpan for an explanation. It came from her laughing father who had wandered up to them while she was busy making a fool out of herself. The man wasn't that impressive physically, but he could sense some kind of... Pressure for a lack of a better word emanating from him. It gave his presence a certain gravitas.
"What she means is that she accidentally found you training at the city's border and was fascinated by what she saw so she always stays a bit and watches when she happens to spot you again. She was a bit too shy to actually try and approach you, though now that she did, I think it was a good call not to do it alone."
There was clear mirth and affection in his voice when he teased her and despite grumbling and making piteous noises, she wasn't actually angry at him. She didn't even seriously fight his hand that was messing with her hair. He decided that he probably should say something too since while slightly less creepy, he wasn't really comfortable with little girls staring at him from the shadows while he essentially tormented himself into becoming stronger.
"Uhm... Nice to meet you, I guess? You know my name already. Little Ralts here doesn't have one yet since she wants to choose when she evolves but I tend to call her cutie pie or my little one. If you want to watch me train, or maybe even join, I'd be more comfortable if you'd do it from somewhere I can see you. I've read that women who stare at you from the shadows are dangerous."
He thought the teasing lilt in his voice was well hidden, but Norman caught on and smirked slightly at him while his daughter once again exploded in embarrassment.
"That's not what I'm doing! Well, yes it is, but don't make it sound like that! It sounds weird if you put it like that..."
She lost steam at the end when he looked at her with a deadpan.
"That's because it is weird."
He wasn't without mercy though, so when he saw her genuinely becoming upset, he sighed and allowed a half-smile onto his lips.
"Thankfully for you, I'm weird too so it doesn't bother me much. Just... Don't do it again? I don't have anything against you joining up with us though."
She looked hopeful now, but before answering anything, she was looking at her dad first. Good call. The man wasn't just her dad but the local Gym Leader too. One of the main eight of the region even. And in such a small city, that position was kinda the highest authority. Instead of bothering to vote for anyone, more often than not, the Gym Leader took up a similar position to a Mayor, making him the highest ranking official. That was a lot of political power for a single person but from what he'd read online, scandals involving misuse of power or stuff like that were surprisingly rare in this world. He just didn't know if the people in power were more ethical here or if they were simply better at hiding their misdeeds.
"Sure, join him whenever. If what Viggo implied is true you're seriously impressive, little man. Maybe you can kindle the fire of motivation in my girl? She's talented and bright, but she's also very lazy and a bit of an airhead."
'Way to throw your daughter under the bus, old man...' He thought to himself as he looked at the man speechlessly. Ralts's horn pinged and she sent him an impression of sympathy for the emotional damage the girl just suffered as well as her willingness to help. He was a bit surprised but didn't think much of it and simply shrugged.
"You're your own person. I won't stop you. If you wanna help, just do it."
He told her and she smiled sweetly before slowly floating out of his arms and towards May, who was still looking at her dad as if he betrayed her. Which he kinda did.
"Ralts?"
She floated in front of May's face and pulled her attention before softly touching her cheek. Her horn released another subtle glow and since he didn't receive much, just an echo of comfort, it must have been directed at May. The little girl smiled at her while surreptitiously rubbing her eyes to stave off tears.
"Thanks... Uhm... Can I hug you?"
Ralts hesitated for a moment and looked back to him. Wally shrugged and indicated once again that the decision was hers. He did add something though.
"If she agrees, please be careful. She's pretty young and can't infuse much energy into her body yet. That means it's quite frail despite all the training we've done."
She nodded enthusiastically and Ralts finished her contemplation. Which led to the scene of a content May hugging Ralts in front of her chest while walking with them. Norman decided to accompany them as he took time off today to accompany his daughter to Oldale Town. The formidable Normal-type Trainer smiled brightly when he saw May hug Ralts close. His thoughts were his own as he didn't offer them up. In the end, their journey continued with pleasant conversation interspersed. Still, it felt strange to be escorted to what was basically a glorified playdate by a Gym Leader.
~Norman Common~
'So this is the little fellow who has Viggo and May so excited... Interesting.' The way his eyes sharpened when he looked at him the first time hinted at decent senses and his general conduct was exceedingly calm. In front of a Gym Leader, he showed none of the anxiety or excitement that was usual in children his age. The way his eyes softened when he looked at his Ralts showed that he had a deep love for Pokémon. It was very likely that he'd become a trainer. 'And if my instincts don't misguide me, he'll be an exceptional one.' He was glad that he decided to take the day off. It allowed him to get a read on a potential future powerhouse.
Hoenn was in need of young strong trainers. There were some with good potential, but the last true monster that had arisen was Steven Stone, who had recently taken the official Champion position. There were some decent ones that came after him, but they lacked the raw aptitude and grit. The former wasn't entirely necessary as long as one had enough of the latter but sadly, most of those pampered little kids grew into subpar adults who were content to stew in mediocrity. He had a strong feeling that wouldn't be the case with this one. 'He'll need lots of polishing but I'll be damned if he isn't a diamond in the rough.'
He was also quite thankful for his unintentional action of inspiring his daughter. He hadn't lied when he told the young man that she was lazy and an airhead. She never showed an interest in becoming a trainer and in fact expressed a dislike for Pokémon several times. Then she observed young Wally during training and did a 180. Suddenly, Pokémon were cute, especially Ralts, and training them seemed like so much fun. It was the first time she ever indicated that she might follow his footsteps to go on a journey and he couldn't be more glad. His thoughts were interrupted by Wally asking a question with a frustrated undercurrent.
"I've read that to count as a City, the place has to have a certain level of development. No matter how I look at it, Petalburg City does not meet those requirements. Why is it called a city? I haven't found a clear answer online and it is admittedly driving me a bit crazy."
'Hmm... Well, it's not really restricted information. More like an open secret. I guess I can give him a hint.' He thought to himself before answering.
"Let's see if your brain is as good as I've heard. It has something to do with administrative offices and Gym Leaders."
His eyes narrowed in thought. He didn't ponder for long though.
"So... Since you are the equivalent of its Mayor and the Gym Leader of this Petalburg, its called a city? So there needs to be a Gym Leader? No, wait. Official positions count too, so its a matter of Trainer Rank? What's the rank necessary to elevate a little village like this one to City status? I'd guess... Ace? It shouldn't be higher. Most Gym Leaders are high level Aces with only a few breaching Authority territory..."
He contemplated out loud to himself, and Norman smiled. 'He really is a bright one.' Out loud, he gently corrected the little guy and wondered if he'd understand the implications.
"Not every Town whose Gym Leader is one of the main eight is upgraded to City level."
Immediately, his eyes snapped to him. It was clear that he grasped what he was saying. While there was a fair amount of respect in his eyes before, now it reached a new level. His daughter didn't seem to like being out of the picture much though since she intervened with some annoyance in her tone.
"What are you two talking about?"
He thought about how to respond for a moment before deciding to make this a small lesson. With a serious expression, he began to explain.
"League-affiliated Trainers, like Pokémon, are separated by rank. Those ranks are good indicators of their strength as trainers since the requirements are pretty strict. Officially, there are 10 of those with one realm above them that you'll reasonably only find in myths. The official ranks are Civilian. Rookie. Regular. Advanced. Elite. Veteran. Ace. Eminent Authority, which often gets shortened to just Authority. Champion. And finally, Master. Every increase in rank offers more privileges, but there are also duties and responsibilities to fulfill at higher ranks. The stronger you are, the more serious are the threats you may have to deal with."
He decided to be honest with them. It was better to be informed before deciding on a path than just learning afterwards that it clashes with your expectations.
"Natural catastrophes, aggressive Pokémon tides, criminals too strong for regular law enforcement, and other problems and crises that may happen can have you conscripted by the League until the problem is dealt with if you are in the general area when an emergency is announced. Most cases aren't as immediate though, and they'll be posted on an official League Quest Board. Both, conscription and commissioned work pays quite well and are often used to bolster the travel budget of trainers. Sometimes, the reward may even involve rare resources or Pokémon. It's also a decent method to build connections."
He added as an afterthought and noticed that while his daughter seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the information he gave them, Wally was deep in thought. 'Ah, I hope he'll grow into the monster I can see sleeping inside of him.' Seeing a Monster grow into their potential was extremely satisfying for someone like him. At the same time, there was a faint yearning in him. Someday in the future, he might rise into the echelon of Masters himself. A hint of excitement for the future bubbled up within him. He knew his own potential and his luck were pretty good. If he really pushed himself and his team, they might manage to reach Champion Rank before he was 50 years old. That would really boost his chances of one day reaching towards the stars. Tyrant and Obstacle had the best chances to push through that barrier with Mother-in-law being a close third. Caroline really didn't appreciate the humour when he christened his Snorlax with that nickname... His dire thoughts were interrupted by his daughter dealing a blow that dealt pure emotional damage.
"Wait. So you're not just saying you're the strongest to brag in front of us? You actually are strong?!"
The completely genuine shock in her voice almost brought him to tears while the snort of amusement originating from the little future monster made his eyebrow twitch with annoyance. 'It's Karma, I suppose...' He thought to himself before answering.
"Yes, my dear. Your dad is really strong. Didn't you see me train Tyrant and Obstacle? Those two didn't convince you?"
She shrugged with a grin that made him sigh fondly. This precocious brat was his daughter and he loved her beyond measure, but sometimes she got on his nerves.
~Wally Verdant~
"Oh, it's the sissy! Look, guys! The one who cried for his mommy when he stumbled and hurt his knees is back for more!"
'And just like that, I remembered why I dislike children.' He mused but didn't really mean it. Kids had the potential to be incredibly fun and accepting, but the opposite was true too. They could be just as narrow-minded as they could be accepting and just as cruel as they could be fun and friendly. He smiled lightly at the sturdy boy who was his age but looked at least 12 and corrected him calmly.
"I didn't cry for my mommy because I fell. I cried for her because I forgot my inhaler and nearly died because I couldn't get enough air into my body. You see, some people have more important problems than finding new victims to bully just to feel better about themselves."
'Just because I'm older mentally and should be the bigger 'man' doesn't mean I'll let this bratty chubster walk over me.' Seeing that his stance shifted towards aggressive, he tightened his hold on Ralts who had narrowed her eyes beneath her fringes and warned him.
"Look, you see that I have a Pokémon with me. You seem to be of the opinion that everyone and everything smaller than you is also weaker than you. That's not true. There are Pokémon out there that are less than half a metre in height and they can completely destroy monsters ten times as tall and hundreds of times their weight. Stature doesn't always dictate strength."
He faltered at his words before looking at him hesitantly. His clenched fists were working with manic energy before he seemed to come to a conclusion. Determination entered his eyes and Wally almost sighed as he readied his stance to respond to whatever physical altercation was about to happen. Which was why the boy took him completely by surprise when he suddenly uncertainly but with enthusiasm inquired.
"Are you talking about mi... Mü... Mythical Pokémon? I've seen some videos online and they were so awesome! Do you know something about them? Can you tell me?"
His sudden excitement didn't just startle him but the others too. When questioned what was going on, the boy explained his reasoning and surprisingly, it was actually somewhat sound.
"He's using many big words and he talks better than us, so he has to be smart. If he's smart, he knows more than me. If he knows more than me, he knows more about those Pokémon."
Despite his friends trying to persuade him to continue with his bullying with phrases like 'show the nerd his place' and stuff like that, he stayed obstinate and simply looked pleadingly at him. Wally sighed as he relaxed and let a helpless smile spread on his lips.
"Fine. let's introduce ourselves first. Last time was my first time here and it... didn't end well. My name is Wally and I want to be a trainer in the future. This little cutie is Ralts. She's my first partner and she'll accompany me all the way."
Shyness, embarrassment, and joy hammered into his mind by Ralts's empathic sharing but he didn't pay it any mind beyond squeezing her gently.
"I'm Mark. I wanna be an adventurer!"
He called out with supreme determination. Adventurers were basically trainers who concentrated on questing instead of entering the gym circuit. The quest board Norman mentioned was their lifeline and they endeavoured to build their reputation up enough to be considered for the shortlist for private and government funded expeditions into the wild. The Pokémon world was incredibly vast and well travelled routes were only a minuscule part of it. Most of the world was still very much by definition a wild area. Adventurers lived a very dangerous life and they were much more likely to die out there since they dared to take risks that most professional trainers didn't take.
"That's a noble dream, young padawan. Now, come with me and let me instill you with my wisdom."
He decided what the hell, why not. He was here to make some friends so that his parents didn't worry about his antisocial nature. There was no reason why he couldn't befriend his former one-time bully and try to make a decent human being out of him. On a side note, he had witnessed May wanting to step in with an angry expression on her face only to back off when he started talking. She knew him officially for barely two hours and was already about to defend him? That was cute.
"Uhm... Does that mean you'll teach me?"
Mark asked while looking and sounding somewhat confused. Wally nodded sedately, making the young boy light up like a Christmas tree. Before they could leave for a place without quite as many annoying children around, they were stopped by an enthusiastic voice overlapping with another, one male and one female.
""Hey, wait!""
One of those voices, he knew as May's. The other, he didn't know but once he turned around to look at them, he recognised the fellow. If he didn't have a twin in this world, then this was Brendan Birch. The two callers looked at each other with some surprise before laughing it off and running to catch up to them. The Birch boy had observed their interaction and he was impressed with how he dealt with it so he wanted to be friends. And just like that, he had three friends and his parents didn't have to worry anymore.
-This is a scene-breaking line-
"... And that's how I grow my Fairy Affinity. You think you can use any of that? Honestly, I think we can probably just meditate together or something since our bond is becoming more and more stable. If I just include you and your pool of Fairy-type energy in my practice, it might help you along."
Ralts was quickly growing to be more and more intelligent, so he decided to fully include her in decisions pertaining her training. As for their bond, it was pretty much permanent by now. She also learned to connect a bit more deeply with others, allowing them to perceive her emotions. Not even close to what she had with him, but it was starting to look like the precursor of proper telepathy. What she sent him now was a mix of determination and enthusiasm. She understood that if she wanted to become powerful, she couldn't just concentrate on her psychic typing. In fact, emphasis on the Fairy typing would have made more sense with his predetermined affinity.
They decided to balance things out though. It just made sense. Both typings were pretty strong and plenty special on their own but together, they would shine. While defensively, the combo wasn't the best, her offense was substantial. There was only one type that resisted both her types and as they recently discovered, she had an egg move that gave her coverage for that one. The typing that would become the bane of her existence was the Steel Type and her egg move was Mystical Fire. As of yet, she couldn't conjure much more than a bit of heat and a small, bright yellow ember between her little arms, but she'd get there. From what he'd read, Fairy, Psychic, and Ghost Types liked to use this move since imbuing those energies into the conjured flames worked especially well.
"Okay, I have a basic idea of what we are going to attempt in my head. Let's try it."
With an affirmative little cheer, she teleported into his lap. He marveled at the fact that she was perfectly positioned to start meditating. Her control over where and how she appeared was growing quickly, as was the speed with which she invoked the move. He sent her his pride through their empathic bond and she smiled up at him with those adorable dimples that made her joyful expression a national treasure. Then it was time to concentrate. In tandem, they fell into a meditative trance and he started circling his Fairy Type energy while including her. She actively assisted pulling the energy through a similar path in her own body. For some reason, it felt as if his Aura was trying to merge into this exercise, which was strange. Aura, for the most part, was an unreactive pool of life force that wouldn't do much on its own without direction. Except for putting unbearable pressure on your body if your reserves were beyond a certain threshold and completely inert apparently.
He ignored the sensation for the moment and took care to isolate his active Aura Pool from their energy. To intensify their partner training, he deepened their connection to the point where he could feel their energy mingling. It was similar to the sensation he had when he was using Nurture. That was when he had a flash of inspiration. 'Now that I think about it...' he activated the talent and carefully added some Aura that was influenced by it to the equation. Immediately, he could feel their energies bubbling with more vigor, making him crack a small smile. 'So it works like this too...' Comfort and joy at their deepening bond radiated from his little Ralts as they continued to circle Fairy Type Energy in combination with a healthy dose of Aura through their bodies. Keeping the conglomeration of different yet similar energies under control was mentally taxing, but definitely worth it. Since this was the first time they tried this, they quickly reached their limits though.
He took a deep breath to calm himself when he resurfaced and Ralts, who despite being tired herself, looked at him with worry. He sent her a wave of reassurance and affection to calm her down.
"Don't worry. It doesn't hurt or anything like that. It's just that we added another component on a whim and while it worked, it also increased the difficulty of the exercise. Let's take a nap before eating something, ok?"
She nodded and yawned, showing that she could use a bit of a lie-down too. With a light laugh, he tapped the top of her head gently and lied down with her lying on his chest. Her head was tucked beneath his chin as was often the case when they slept. Before he could completely sink into the comfort of sleep, he could have sworn he heard a very young voice murmur 'Pa...pa...' into his ear. It was probably just his imagination...
-This is a scene-breaking line-
"[Teleport] now. Follow up with [Confusion]."
He commanded and his darling obeyed, avoiding the Zigzagoon's Tackle. Their training in tactical awareness paid off because she landed in the middle of several pebbles. She immediately imbued them with a sizable amount of psychic energy to weaponise the small rocks and directed them to precisely slam into the poor fellow who had just regained his bearings. She tried to target weak spots but her control over objects wasn't quite there yet so most of the pebbles landed on the rather durable fur. Two managed to find a better target however. They hit an eye and the tip of the Trash-panda's snout respectively which made him wince pitifully.
He wasn't ready to admit defeat just yet, though. With an almighty 'Ziiiig!', He got a second wind and dashed towards Ralts. His sudden surge of speed and the slightly glowing head sent a thrill of alarm through their bond, but Ralts managed to keep her cool. Instead of giving in to the panic, she opted to snap a branch towards his left front paw, making him stumble and hit the ground with his attack, leaving a small crater in his wake. Lying on the ground with some confusion as to how he got there in his eyes was their sparring partner. She didn't give up her chance and used his befuddled state to set up her next move. She pressed down on his form with a weaponised version of the fake gravity zone they developed for training. Compressed to a small area like this, the pressure was quite heavy and it left the Zigzagoon to struggle just to keep breathing. Seeing his state, she dispelled her attack and waited for him to get up. By the time he recovered, Ralts could have ended his existence several times over and he knew it, so he admitted defeat in good grace.
"Thank you for sparring with my partner. That last move you used should be a precursor of [Headbutt]. If you practice it diligently, you should be able to get the move down pretty quickly. It's a part of your natural move pool after all. Now, come here and let me heal you before giving you your reward."
He toddled over a bit unsteadily and received his Aura Treatment while Ralts got the same by leaning onto his free arm peacefully. Just as he was finished with lil Ziggy's treatment, his tiny partner poked his arm.
[Hungry... Papa...]
Yeah. Turned out, it wasn't his imagination. She managed to take her first steps on the path of a true telepath. A remarkable achievement since only the most talented of her line managed to reach that threshold before their first evolution. Coincidentally, her Potential had reached the middle stages of Light Blue that same night. And of course the first thing she learned after becoming telepathic was to ask for food, the little glutton. He sent her a wave of affection and some of his Aura to tide her over and scratched her right between her horns just where she liked it.
"Alright, my pint-sized glutton. Just let me give little Ziggy his reward. Then we'll go home and sate your appetite."
She didn't react negatively to his light teasing and instead answered cheerfully and affirmatively before teleporting to the top of his head where she used his haphazard hair to stabilise herself. He rummaged through his backpack for a while before finding what he was searching for. He presented to Ziggy his reward, which were some roasted Miltank steaks for him and his family. He was part of a colony that was allied with Norman and his gym. That was why he was pretty strong in comparison to most wild specimens of his species. Wally didn't know his Potential, but he was a young one and had reached the Rookie stage a while ago. They had met while he and Ralts were resting after an intense training session. The little guy tried to use [Baby-Doll Eyes] to get some food from him and he made him a trade offer instead. Sparring matches for food and treatment. He agreed and the rest was history.
He wasn't their only regular sparring partner but so far, he was the strongest. The only one getting close was a Taillow, who was defeated by Ralts and decided to use her as a measuring stick by clashing again and again with her. Her ability to fly in tandem with her speed and the creative use of [Quick Attack] made her a tricky opponent.
Back to Ziggy, it wasn't just them who profited from their deal. Beyond the high quality food he received for his efforts, he was growing stronger at a faster pace too, especially since he got a bit of Nurturing on the side. No reason not to give the little guy a hand after he was thrashed so often. Their first few matches were closer but recently, Ralts dominated and rarely lost the initiative in their clashes.
On their way back into the idyllic Petalburg City, they met a fair few trainers who were training intensely since they were about to challenge Norman. It was that season after all. The League circuit entered its middle stages. They got a few trainers all year round simply because some chose to tackle Norman later and some earlier, but for most he seemed to be somewhere around the middle of their journey. There were also those who had fast travel methods like [Teleport] or a quick flyer and opted to 'speed-run' their badges to have more time for targeted training or fund acquisition. The latter were mostly those who had already experienced a circuit or two. They usually went for 1-Star Badges which were also called Senior Badges. A rare few chose to go for 2-Star Badges, the Elite grade.
The year before, there was one guy who earned both of those already and tried to get the 3-Star one. That was a spectacular battle, and Wally had watched it on TV. He forgot the name of the challenger but he was a cocky guy expecting an easy win with his well trained Blaziken and Machamp. He left humbled after he arrogantly challenged Norman to use his strongest Mon and was swept from the field by Tyrant. An absolutely monstrous Slaking that was Norman's official Ace and the backbone of his team. No other Pokémon of Norman stepped onto the battlefield that day.
"Mom! I'm home!"
He called into the house, but received no answer. Shrugging, he went to the kitchen to prepare a snack for Ralts. It wasn't unusual that his Mom was gone for some hours of the day. She mostly worked from home since she was a web designer for the same firm Dad was working for, but that wasn't to say that she didn't leave the house at all. He was just carefully adding some Moomoo milk to the mix when someone called out in panic and crashed close to their house. He was startled and the bottle slipped from his hand but luckily Ralts was paying attention. She caught it and quickly turned it up to not make a mess. He sent some gratitude towards her, making her smile brightly, before he turned to the door with some weariness in his eyes. He knew who it was and he knew what happened. 'Having friends is such a hassle...' He groused in his mind without truly meaning it and trotted out of the house to find a girl with soulful teary eyes sitting on the ground besides the path with a bike lying close to her.
"How often do I have to tell you to be more careful, May. And for Arceus sake, start wearing a helmet. If you crash with your bike and smash open your head, I won't be able to help you."
He grumbled as he walked up to her and gently took her into his arms to bring her in. She squeaked with some embarrassment but stayed silent and obedient otherwise. Once inside, he put her onto their couch and received the first aid kit Ralts floated over to them. With practiced movements, he silently and gently cleaned the abrasions she suffered, making her hiss from the sting.
"Seriously... You have to stop being so careless. This is the third time I have to patch you up after a crash with your bike. Hold still, and don't forget: Not a word to anyone. You pinky promised."
She nodded quickly and gestured for her mouth to be zipped. With a weary smile, he sent his Aura to take care of the sprain in her left ankle and wrist. He also healed the hairline fracture close to her elbow and closed the abrasions since they were clean now.
"There. All done. Now, either you'll be more careful or no more meals at casa Verdant. I don't want to have to patch you up every time you decide to drive your bike through instead of to my house."
She pouted outrageously at him before she whined.
"Nooo you can't do that! I wanna eat sweets with Ralts and compare which ones are best! Also, I don't drive my bike through your house. Just into."
She said that as if it was any better. 'What am I gonna do with that one... I thought Mark would be the problem child of our group but that fellow is surprisingly obedient once he trusts you. May is a menace though. Was she like that in any of her media appearances? I can't remember much of her to be honest. Just that she preferred contests over battling, I think?' He mused as he let her stew a bit while he finished up what he wanted to make.
[May... Sad...]
Ralts informed himand indeed, she was pouting on the couch with crossed arms. He shook his head and continued with what he was doing. She could stay sad for a while. If she didn't learn some caution she'd end up seriously injured sometimes in the future and if he wasn't close by, she'd be in a bad place. 20 minutes later, he brought out the iced Pecha Pudding Cake he made. He only wanted to ready a small piece and store the rest to prepare later but now that he had to feed two gluttons and himself, he decided to just prepare the entire thing and be done with it.
"Eat up and stop pouting. Learn from your mistakes and do better next time."
She looked surprised when a big piece of cake and a mug filled with self-mixed cocoa-moo were suddenly placed in front of her. Wide-eyed, she looked at him before a small smile appeared on her lips and she nodded slowly.
"Mhm..."
She made an affirmative sound before picking up her fork to demolish her serving. 'Seriously. Such a hassle.' He thought fondly and leaned back while enjoying the fruits of his work to the joyous sounds of Ralts and May. This peaceful scene was what his mom stumbled into and she quickly received her own share. Smiling softly, she joined them and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere.
-This is a scene-breaking line-
He smiled proudly at his little princess, who was situated in his arms while he leaned against his bed. She worked so hard and her progress was beyond anything he'd expected. 8 months, it's been since he came to this world and 6 months since he met her. Half a year, they spent together and formed a bond closer than he ever had with anyone. Softly, he told her with his proud smile firmly in place.
"You are at the very limit of the Rookie Stage and we pushed your Psychic typing to the limits of what you are capable of with the reserves you have while the Fairy typing went a fair bit beyond that to be honest. The growth of your Energy Pool has slowed down to a crawl. Your control and focus are as developed as possible with our improvised exercises. You are now capable of controlling six separate complicated choreographies for different objects and you can change them up on a fly. Your horns are even more developed than recommended, though that's not a bad thing as we've heard from Beni. Every article I've read on the topic and Beni's sister, who is an expert on Psychic types, agree. You are beyond ready for evolution."
That was when he noticed that she was muting their bond. He scrutinised her and now that he paid attention to it, he could feel her tremble slightly in his arms. He frowned as concern lanced through him. Was something wrong? Gently, he asked the little girl who had a permanent place in his heart.
"I can see you are not thrilled about that. Is something wrong? Can you tell me why you seem to shake in fear when I talk about evolution?"
She stared at him somewhat apprehensively for the first time in a long while with her small arms pressed against his chest to support her posture. Instead of outright use of telepathy, she sent emotions to him. Uncertainty, terror, apprehension, and many more. Most of them were of the negative variety. She then deepened their bond and communicated her raw mental state. She feared she'd lose her status as his little darling. She didn't want their relationship to change and thus she didn't want to evolve. If he didn't understand just how intense her fear was he would probably just smile indulgently at her simplistic worldview, but he felt she needed some serious reassurance. So instead of making light of her emotions and behaving like an absolute ass, he pressed his forehead to her's and did his best to transmit the raw honesty in his statement. Softly, he told her.
"You have nothing to fear. You invaded my heart and made yourself at home there. You call me papa, so let me acknowledge it at least in private. You will forever be my little princess and nothing could ever change that. So don't let such silly thoughts and preconceptions burden your mind. Just concentrate on becoming the best version of yourself that you can possibly be."
She sniffled slightly and sent the pure love of a child towards its parent through their bond.
[Forever... Papa?]
She asked him and damnit, he couldn't keep his eyes dry at the raw and desperate hope in her mental voice.
"Yes. I would never abandon you out of my free will."
He confirmed and instinctively channeled Aura into his voice. Even without knowing most rules, he knew one thing for certain. Aura didn't lie. This was a binding Oath and he had every intention to fulfill it. Pure joy flooded their bond when those words were spoken and she did her very best to hug him with those tiny appendages of hers.
"Now, if you do not want to evolve, I won't force you. I will never do something like that. I think you could be an amazing battler once you have some experience under your belt, but if you want to stay a Ralts? I won't object."
She shook her head and looked at him seriously.
[Evolve... Help papa...]
Her intentions echoed through his mind and he smiled wrily and felt he needed to clarify.
"Please do not choose to do things you don't really want just to make me happy. That's the opposite of what I want. Stay true to yourself and choose what you want to do."
[Help... Papa...]
She simply stated again and supported her point with the strongest wave of stubbornness he had ever received from her. Her 'fierce' glare was beyond adorable so he allowed himself an affectionate smile.
"As you wish, piccola principessa."
He told her as she soaked up his affection and sent plenty back with her determination to be of use present in the background. After a little but intense cuddle session, he told her the details.
"I've talked with Beni and she told me that usually, I should try and get you to an energy-rich environment of your typing or buy some natural treasures to help facilitate your evolution since it's a good chance to increase your Potential, so I asked her if she knew someone who sold a psychic type treasure. Lo and behold, she knew someone. And what she enabled me to buy is truly special."
He turned to pull the sealed box from under his bed. The thing inside this small case was the most expensive thing he had ever begged for by far. All of his own savings and the firm promise that he would pay his parents back twofold was what it took. He opened the box and pulled out a... Spoon. But it wasn't a normal spoon. This inconspicuous piece of cutlery was capable of distorting reality. A Champion-stage Alakazam infused it with psychic energy for a whole year, transforming it into an incredibly potent focus and catalyst for Psychic-type Pokémon. But that wasn't all. No. He focussed on keeping the energy completely nonviolent. It was the perfect tool to facilitate early evolutions. With an eager smile, he presented the silvery spoon to his curious little princess.
"Since I'll be your battery for Aura and Fairy-type energy, this thing will be your reservoir of Psychic-type energy. I meant it when I told you that I want you to be the very best version of yourself that you can possibly be."
The excitement radiating from him influenced Ralts and she smiled back with just as much enthusiasm.
"Wanna start immediately?!"
He asked her and she nodded with vigor. After taking some deep breaths to calm himself down, he took a meditative position and placed his little princess on his lap. He then handed her the spoon and she flinched a bit before looking at it in awe. The energy was well contained, making it almost impossible to be noticed without incredibly acute senses, but now that she was holding it she realised just how big the reservoir inside was.
"Get used to the sensation and then we'll start. You fulfill all the prerequisites and more. All you need is that little push and I think we can manage that."
She nodded with determination radiating into their bond. Quickly, she adjusted her mind to enter a meditative state and instinctively drew on his Aura and energy as per usual. He allowed her to pull as much as she needed and gently pushed for more. The speed of their mutual cycle increased and the Psychic-type energy from the spoon began to be pulled into the confluence of their combined assets. His mind strained a bit from the sudden addition of a new source of energy but he pushed through and adapted to the newfound well. He had no doubt that were it anything else but the most gentle of energies, he wouldn't have been capable of what he was doing here.
The well practiced routine in combination with pathways strengthened by uncountable repetitions made the experience a smooth one and it didn't take long for three types of energy to meld together into an indistinguishable stream. That was the moment they felt a change. The smallest of barriers broke inside of Ralts and she began to glow. While gentle at first, the glow soon intensified and an invisible wind began to pick up. A Maelstrom began to build around them as the tiny glowing body began to draw in the energies like a ravenous void. 'Doing this in my room might have been a bad idea...' He suddenly realised. The thought didn't linger because everything else but making sure that his little princess was safe didn't matter at the moment.
He didn't spare any thought to his own wellbeing as he fed more and more energy into her. Slowly, he began to tire but paid it no mind. Just when he was beginning to feel real exhaustion, the pull suddenly stopped. Instead, he received a potent feedback strengthening his mind and, to a lesser degree, his body. This was the result of a bond. When a Pokémon bonded to a human, they influenced each other symbiotically. A Pokémon's growth facilitated their bond partner's growth and vice versa. If he was being honest, he had forgotten about that little detail. His little princess was more important. 'Speaking of...'
He looked down at her still softly glowing form and frowned slightly. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about her silhouette seemed off. Suddenly, the numb bond reignited with vengeance. New sensations and a completely foreign feeling of active proprioception entered his mind and he was surprised that it didn't overload from the information that was fed into it. He fought off a sense of vertigo before looking at her carefully. He was right. She looked mostly like a general Kirlia. Height wise, she was just a bit ahead of the curve, but that wasn't too unusual. The pearl white 'dress' she was supposed to wear had some barely noticeable silver accents that seemed to give her a faint regal air and the corners were more frilly than usual.
That wasn't what drew the majority of his attention though. No, that privilege was reserved for her horns, if they could even be called that anymore. Instead of the two usual rounded extensions on the top of her head, there was technically only one. That wasn't because it was smaller, but because it spanned all around the top of her head. It also wasn't of the same material as before, taking on a more ethereal and seemingly fragile appearance. The structure seemed crystalline in nature and was slightly see through. He could honestly say, it was truly beautiful to look at, especially with the faintly glittering pinkish dust that collected in the air around it. Whenever a beam of light was caught in the delicate crystal, it refracted into a multitude of colours.
'my little princess has a beautiful crown...' he thought to himself, feeling somewhat at a loss. He didn't know why this happened, but it probably wasn't bad? He didn't want to panic so he tried to think positive thoughts. They would definitely need a professional opinion but from what he could see, she probably triggered an aberrant mutation. All he could hope for was that it was a beneficial one. Suddenly, a dreamy voice echoed in his head and interrupted his thoughts.
[Greetings, Father.]
A deep sense of loss suffused him when he heard her address him. Why wasn't it papa anymore?... No. He couldn't accept this. Sternly, he addressed her.
"Nope, try again."
She snapped out of whatever state she was in and turned her head to him in confusion.
[What do you mean, Father?]
He shook his head and looked at her intensely. She genuinely didn't seem to know what he meant so it seemed that he had to spell it out.
"We promised each other forever. But it wasn't forever Father. No. It was forever Papa."
His statement didn't seem to compute for a long moment before her eyes widened and she blushed adorably.
[But... But... I couldn't! This form of address lacks decorum! How could I ever express the boundless respect I hold for you by calling you pa-... Papa!]
She sounded embarrassed, indignant, shy, and hopeful at the same time and it was beyond cute. He turned her around and grasped her now properly developed hands. With a meaningful smile, he chose his next words carefully.
"I promised you one thing primarily. To never abandon you out of my own free will. But included in that promise is another. To never let our relationship drastically change. You will forever be my piccola principessa. My little princess. And I will forever be your Papa. Nothing will change that for me. I can feel the respect you hold. There is no need to show it in a way that makes us both miserable."
Her blush had receded mostly and she was looking at him with an almost uncomfortable level of affection and devotion. She lowered her eyes slightly as if she was in thought, but quickly looked into his eyes again fervently.
[Papa... Forever Papa...]
She confirmed his words and the sheer amount of emotion she put into the word Papa was very nearly overwhelming. Finally, she simply smiled a serene smile and hugged herself close to him. He enjoyed the sensation of peace radiating from her for a moment before looking around and wincing at the thrashed appearance of his room.
"Letting you evolve in here really wasn't our brightest idea yet, little princess. We'll have to clean up and hope that not too many books suffered under our outburst."
There was some humour in his voice but most of his emotional range at the moment was taken up by dread. His parents would definitely learn that she evolved in his room. When asked why he was so careless, he couldn't just say that he'd thought it would be like the anime and the games, right?