xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Ecruteak City Pokémon Center, 2:43 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The normal hustle and bustle of the Ecruteak City Pokémon Center, consisting of trainers of different ages and genders with their Pokémon as Nurse Joy and her Chansey were manning the front desk. In a corner of the room, Keats, dressed in a green hoodie with grey pants and sneakers, was sitting on a tarp on the floor with a sign that read, "pootentul cereal killa 4 traid, will tak a knee thing 4 her," with a tired expression on his face.

"This isn't working..." Keats muttered in annoyance as Rotom floated next to him.

"Gee, what do you think, zzzzt?" Rotom said as Keats turned to the side to look at the floating phone. "Seriously, learn to spell!" The phone Pokémon thought, judgmentally.

"It's an accurate description!" Keats exclaimed towards Rotom, trying to defend what the sign said.

"What makes you think anyone would be willing to trade Zzzzurzzzzkit if you admit it's a violent Pokémon?" Rotom said.

"They say "honesty is the best policy," so all I am doing is being truthful." Keats said while holding up the sign. "Anyone want a Surskit?!" He echoed throughout the center.

"Keats! Be quiet! You said you'd behave yourself if I let you set up that spot in the corner." Nurse Joy shouted in Keats' direction as he winced. "Don't care if he is Marie Dibiase's brother, that's no excuse for bad behavior." She thought with a glare towards the husky framed trainer.

"Sorry ma'am..." Keats apologized. "Hopefully she's not close with any of the Joys from the Alola region or else I'm boned if I have to make any more road trips to Pokémon Centers." He thought, nervously.

"Have you given it any thought of what you want to trade for, zzzzt?" Rotom said as the phone Pokémon caught Keats' attention.

"Huh?" Keats muttered in response.

"What do you want for Zzzzurzzzzkit?" Rotom said. "He's seriously not thought about it, hasn't he?" The phone Pokémon thought.

"Uhhhh... I'm... Not entirely sure?" Keats said as he put down the sign on the floor.

"Still have to push him in the right direction..." Rotom thought. "Okay, let me azzzzk, what Pokémon do you like?" The phone Pokémon questioned as Keats raised an eyebrow.

'"What I like?"' Keats repeated.

"There are trainerzzzz who catch every single one they come across, others find Pokémon that they need to fulfill a purpose, and some search for Pokémon that they personally want because they like them." Rotom explained as Keats just looked on. "Give it some thought." The phone Pokémon continued.

"Last time I caught a Pokémon that I wanted to capture, I caught Raichu and Diglett. And only one of those ended up working out." Keat said as he sat with his hand on his left cheek, propped up on his crossed legs.

"And one wound up being compatible with you, zzzzt." Rotom stated as Keats begun to think about what the phone Pokémon said.

"Hmmmm... Pokémon that I would like..." Keats thought in contemplation. "Pyukumuku." He said as he looked at Rotom.

"You're probably not going to find zzzzomeone with one here in Johto." Rotom said as Keats slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

"Okay, okay... Not a Pyukumuku..." Keats said as he went back to thinking. "Hmmmmm..." He thought, still unsure of how to answer. "...Well... I like moves like "Spikes" and the whole toxic status thing. Anything like that?" Keats said towards Rotom.

"That'zzzz not an answer though. Plenty of Pokémon can do moves like those." Rotom explained as Keats looked at the floor, back to thinking once again.

"Can you tell me any other moves that operate off the same logic?" Keats questioned as Rotom opened up some pages on its screen.

"For movezzzz that cause chipping damage, you have; "Fire Spin," "Infestation," "Sand Tomb," "Whirlpool," "Leech Seed" and "Curse."' Rotom said. "In order, they're a Fire move, a Bug move, a Ground move, a Water move, a Grass move and a Ghost move. But "Curse" only works as a chipping technique in the handzzzz of a Ghost type Pokémon. If a non-Ghost type Pokémon uses it, they get a speed decrease and an offensive and defensive buff." The phone Pokémon explained.

"Okay..." Keats thought as he listened.

"For other moves like "Spikes," there's "Toxic Zzzzpikezzzz."' Rotom continued.

"I know that one, I put that move on Dragalge." Keats said as he pointed at the floating phone Pokémon.

"That move can leave a layer of zzzzpikezzzz on the opponent's side of the field but instead of damage, it inflicts the poison effect when the opponent swaps out." Rotom said. "Another move that works like "Spikes" and "Toxic Spikes" is called "Stealth Rock."' It continued.

"Rock type move?" Keats asked.

"Correct, zzzzt." Rotom said. "It leaves a series of stalagmites on the opponent's side of the field that do damage on entry. Depending on typing, the Pokémon that appears can determine the damage dealt as well." It said as it displayed a video of the move in use.

"How so?" Keats questioned.

"If a Pokémon that'zzzz Flying type or Ice type is hit by "Stealth Rock," it does considerably more damage than if a neutral typing, and especially a stronger typing, was hit by it." Rotom explained further.

"...So, if I put down a ton of layers of "Spikes" and "Stealth Rock," I might be able to end a battle quickly." Keats thought with curiosity.

"There's also weather effects, zzzzt." Rotom said as Keats raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?" Keats muttered.

"Remember when you fought that woman at the PokéPotluck with a Maractus and that guy with the Palpitoad, zzzzt?" Rotom questioned. "Both used moves that trigger changes in the weather. "Sunny Day" causes intense sunlight to appear, and "Rain Dance" causes a sudden downpour of rain." The phone Pokémon explained.

"And neither do damage." Keats replied.

"Correct, but "Sandstorm" and "Hail" do, zzzzt." Rotom said. '"Sandstorm" causes a massive gale of sand to coat the field, causing any non-Ground, Steel and Rock type to take damage as long as the storm rages. As for "Hail," it's a different scenario." It explained further.

"What do you mean?" Keats asked.

"When it's snowing, Ice type Pokémon get a boost in defense but when "Hail" is active, it causes damage to anyone who isn't an Ice type on the field, zzzzt." Rotom said, explaining the move "Hail" and effects of snowy weather on Pokémon.

"...This is getting more and more complicated for me..." Keats said with a wince, not sure if he is going to be able to recollect all of this new information.

"Did any of that help you at all with trying to figure what to trade Surskit for, zzzzt?" Rotom said.

"...I mean... Cool moves?" Keats said with a shrug of the shoulders as Rotom made half-closed eyes on its screen.

"Then let'zzzz circle back and let me ask again; what Pokémon do you want for Surskit?" Rotom asked, getting back to the original topic of conversation.

"...Okay... I got one I can think of." Keats said, finally figuring out a Pokémon he would want. "A Slowking." He stated as Rotom's eyes widened.

"Why a Zzzzlowking?" Rotom asked. "Seems a bit too intelligent for you, if I'm being honest." The phone Pokemon thought.

"I remembered that PokéDex entry for Oranguru back in Alola. The thing likes to face off against Slowkings in battles of wits on the beaches. I want one so if I ever decide to swallow all of my pride and go back to Alola to face that judgmental prick of a Pokémon, I got a fair fight!" He said with an incredibly petty look on his face.

"...That's a very dumb reazzzzon." Rotom said as Keats made an embarrassed expression. "And I don't think anyone would trade a Slowking for a Surskit... That's like trading a Steelix for a Luvdisc..." The phone Pokémon thought.

"Sh-shut up..." Keats said in a sheepish tone. "Maybe I need to be more of the initiator." He thought as he scratched his face.

As Keats sat on the tarp and waited for someone to potentially approach him for a trade, a teenage trainer with a blue pompadour, a blue leather jacket, white shirt, black pants and shoes approached the front counter where Nurse Joy was.

"Yo, Nurse Joy, how's my Octillery and Hitmontop?" The punkish trainer said towards Nurse Joy.

"Hello Odell. Your Pokémon are right here." Nurse Joy said as she picked up two Pokéballs that had a blue top with a pair of red lines on it.

"Awww yeah, time to go challenge the Ecruteak City gym, baby!" Odell said with a loud shout as he grabbed his Pokémon.

"Oh, come on, that guy gets to scream in here, but I can't?!" Keats complained as he caught Nurse Joy and the trainer named Odell's attention.

"Hold on a sec, you look familiar?" Odell said as he looked at Keats. "...Hey, I know you. You're Marie Dibiase's brother! The guy who clogged all the toilets at once here!" He continued as Rotom looked at the husky framed trainer.

"That took forever for Chansey to handle..." Nurse Joy thought, semi-judgmentally.

"...Well... Not recently..." Keats muttered as he looked away.

"The heck are you doing in the Pokémon Center? You're no trainer!" Odell said in a mocking tone as Keats furrowed his brows.

"Might come as a bit of a surprise..." Keats said as he put his sign down, stood up and walked over to the counter to confront the punkish teen. "I am a trainer, been for a while now." He said with a smile as Odell made a face towards a surprised Nurse Joy.

"Pffffff!" Odell sputtered as he tried to contain his laughter.

Making an offended expression as Rotom floated over, Keats was taken aback by the chuckling. As Odell covered his mouth to calm himself down, more laughter suddenly begun to spread throughout the Pokémon Center as Keats turned his head towards the waiting area as he saw that other trainers were also stifling their disbelief that Keats is a Pokémon trainer.

"Uh..." Keats muttered as he looked around at all of the different trainers, quietly mocking him.

"...Wow..." Rotom thought as the phone Pokémon also surveyed the room.

"Man, that's a riot! Hehe!" Odell said as he wiped a tear from his eye as Nurse Joy just silently looked on. "Ain't no way in hell you of all people are a trainer." He said with a tone of disbelief.

"Look man, I have Pokémon! And I raise them! And battle with them and-and..." Keats said in a defensive manner before beginning to stutter his words.

"As if." Odell stated bluntly. "Why you even here anyway?" He questioned.

"If you must know, I am trying to trade a Surskit." Keats said as he pulled out Surskit's Timer Ball from his pocket.

"And whose Surskit is it? Cause I am highly doubtful it's yours." Odell questioned as he folded his arms.

"It is mine, you asshole!" Keats exclaimed as Odell rolled his eyes.

"Joke's starting to lose its luster." Odell thought with an unimpressed look on his face as he put his pair of balls into his pockets and prepared to walk away.

"Oh no you don't!" Keats said as he grabbed Odell by his forearm. "I've won a tournament in the Unova region, and I have beaten Mega Evolving Pokémon. I'm a damn decent trainer and I don't deserve to be treated like that by a guy whose hair looks like it houses his brain!" He exclaimed in anger as Odell pulled his arm away.

"What you say about my hair?!" Odell said as he fixed his pompadour after being insulted.

"Enough!" Nurse Joy shouted as she caught the attention of both trainers. "If you have an issue that needs to be settled, settle it out back on the field between your Pokémon." She said with a stern tone as Odell and Keats locked eyes.

"I can go with that." Odell said. "Should be quick and still make it in time for my gym challenge." He said with confidence as he smirked at Keats.

"...One on one." Keats said with as calm of a tone as he could muster. "I only brought two Pokémon with me, and one is Surskit, which I want to trade at full health..." He thought as he clenched his fists.

"After you... "Trainer."' Odell said in a sarcastic tone as he motioned for Keats to go first towards the battlefield.

Heading outside through the backdoor, Keats and Odell reached the Pokémon Centers backyard field with the pair of opposing trainers heading towards their individual spots. Reaching into his pocket, Odell pulled out a blue Pokéball with red lines on top.

"That'zzzz a Great Ball, by-the-way. It's better than a regular Pokéball but less than that of an Ultra Ball" Rotom said towards Keats as it floated next to him.

"Thanks for the information." Keats thought with disinterest.

"Come on out, Graveler!" Odell exclaimed as he threw his Great Ball.

Out from the beam of light was a bipedal creature with the body of a round boulder. Sporting four arms with three-fingered hands, various bumps across its body and tiny feet, it glared in Keats' direction as he recognized the Pokémon before Rotom scanned it for the PokéDex entry.

'"Graveler, the Rock Pokémon, a Rock and Ground type. A slow walker, it rolls to move. They are so brutal; they smash aside obstructing trees and massive boulders with thunderous tackles."' Rotom said, reading off Graveler's Dex entry before going into Keats' pocket.

"...I think I'm in over my head..." Keats thought as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a regular Pokéball. "Venonat, you're on call!" He exclaimed as out came his Bug and Poison type Pokémon.

"Venonat!" Venonat exclaimed as she landed on the field.

"First time using her in battle, let's just hope this works out..." Keats thought with a bead of nervous sweat dripping down the side of his face.

"I'll let you have the first move!" Odell said with confidence.

"Graveler!" Graveler grunted.

"Venonat, use "Poison Powder!"' Keats ordered as Venonat proceeded to shake her body, expelling a cloud of toxic purple particles in the direction of Graveler.

"Dodge!" Odell ordered as Graveler put its arms together and proceeded to roll away from the oncoming gas. "Now use "Defense Curl!"' He shouted.

"Gravelerrrrr!" Graveler said as it proceeded to roll into a ball once again as a clear aura appeared around its body, raising its defenses before standing up.

"Venonat! Use "Poison Powder," one more time!" Keats ordered again. "Just have to get the poison off on it then I can play the passive game!" He thought.

"Nanat!" Venonat exclaimed as she spread more toxic air out of her body and in the direction of Graveler.

'"Rollout" attack!" Odell ordered as Graveler tucked itself into a ball a third time.

"Gravel!" Graveler exclaimed.

Rolling with such intensity, Graveler proceeded to go through the poisonous gas cloud and headed straight for Venonat, ignoring the fumes. With Graveler slamming its rolling body into the Bug and Poison type Pokémon, Venonat was hit with such force that she was sent flying in the direction of Keats as the husky framed trainer raised his arms to catch her.

"Bugh!" Keats muttered as he was knocked to the ground with Venonat in his arms.

"Venooo-nat..." Venonat said in pain before passing out, her eyes swirling into unconsciousness as Keats held her.

"Ha!" Odell said in a triumphant tone as Graveler raised its four arms in a celebratory fashion.

"Graveler!" Graveler grunted in a satisfied manner before being recalled into its ball.

"Didn't even work up a sweat!" Odell said as he looked over at Keats, still on the ground and holding his unconscious Pokémon. "Loser." He thought with a smirk as he walked away towards the inside of the Pokémon Center.

"...Return..." Keats said as he pulled out Venonat's Pokéball and recalled her. "And my losing streak continues..." He thought as he continued to lay on the ground, Rotom popping out to check on him.

"Hey, you alright, zzzzt?" Rotom asked out of concern.

"...What's my record now?" Keats asked, not even looking at the phone.

"Huh, zzzzt?" Rotom muttered in confusion.

"My wins, losses and ties..." Keats said.

"Oh... Nine wins, six losses and three tiezzzz." Rotom said, reading off Keats' trainer card for his current ratio of victories, defeats and draws. "And that's removing the victory over Bevin you had with Anik's assistance..." The phone Pokémon explained as Keats put his hands over his face.

"Uuuugggghhhhh..." Keats grumbled in aggravation. "So, in other words... I haven't won a battle since I fought those randoms back in Alola on the beach the same day I caught Dragalge..." He said in a bothered tone. "...What should I do to feel better now? Throw toast at the ceiling or make undercooked pasta...?" Keats asked.

"Up to you, zzzzt..." Rotom said as Nurse Joy stepped outside, approaching the downed trainer and phone Pokémon.

"That was relatively quick." Nurse Joy said as Keats sat up.

"Come to join the mockery?" Keats said as he pulled out Venonat's Pokéball and Surskit's Timer Ball. "Now I need to stay here to find someone to trade with and heal Venonat..." He thought as he looked at the balls.

"No, I came to check on your Pokémon." Nurse Joy said calmly as Keats raised up Venonat's ball, the medical expert taking it from his hand. "You weren't kidding about being a trainer now, weren't you?" She asked.

"At the rate things look, I can't say for certain I'm a trainer or just some nimrod running around with Pokémon." Keats thought as he looked at Nurse Joy, silent.

"Sorry if I ever came off as rude to you aside from the scolding." Nurse Joy said towards Keats. "Nurse Joys are to remain impartial to all trainers, no matter the circumstance. Taking care of their Pokémon is a job without bias." She said as Keats stood up.

"Maybe that's a viewpoint that Johtonian Nurse Joys have. Certainly didn't get that vibe in Alola." Keats thought as he looked at Nurse Joy.

"Guess it's back to the tarp while Nurse Joy heals up Venonat." Keats said towards Rotom.

"Actually, I have a question." Nurse Joy said, catching the attention of Keats and Rotom. "You were looking for someone to trade with, correct?" She asked as Keats nodded.

"...If you're asking to trade your Chansey with me, I'm going to have to decline. I don't need massive eggs around my home." Keats said with a disinterested tone.

"Erh... No." Nurse Joy said with a bothered expression. "I was going to make a suggestion." She said as she motioned for husky framed trainer and floating phone Pokémon to follow her back inside.

Stepping through the doors back in, Nurse Joy greeted her Chansey as the round, egg carrying Pokémon took the Pokéball from the medical experts' hands. Following her down a hallway in the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy led Keats and Rotom into a small room that contained a large machine that consisted of a monitor and two chutes.

"What's this?" Keats asked as he looked at the machine.

"This is the "Wonder Trader."' Nurse Joy said as she looked at Keats.

"Wow, zzzzt!" Rotom said with an excited tone. "I didn't know this was here!" The phone Pokémon said as it turned towards a visibly confused Keats.

"Huh?" Keats muttered. "The heck is a "Wonder Trader?"' He thought.

"A Wonder Trader is a machine that allows for "surprise trades" with individuals from around the world at complete random." Nurse Joy explained. "Typically, when a trainer wants to trade a Pokémon, but they don't have someone in person to trade it with, a Wonder Trader is the next best thing." She said as she approached the machine, pressing a button to turn it on as a logo that consisted of Pokéballs making a helix appeared and said "Wonder Trader" in bold letters in front of the helix.

"Okay?" Keats said, still confused. "How does it work?" He asked.

"In the Wonder Trader, trainerzzzz from all over the world put a Pokémon into the system." Rotom said. "Then the Pokémon gets registered and when another trainer is looking to trade one of theirs. It will trade the Pokémon for one of the Pokémon in the system that another trainer offered up." The phone Pokémon explained further.

"I'm going to check on Venonat. Let me know when you're done." Nurse Joy said with a welcoming tone as she left the room as Rotom turned towards Keats.

"Don't mind me asking but what's with that comment that guy zzzzaid about "clogging toilets?"' Rotom asked as Keats sighed in frustration.

"I used to come here when I had to take a dump if I didn't feel like going in the woods." Keats said. "That was back around the time Swalot evolved and covered up so much of the bathroom with his body. When I really had to go, I came here." He continued. "It wasn't always easy..." Keats said with a serious look in his eyes.

"Wait... It took close to a half hour to walk here. How did you make it here if you had to go that badly, zzzzt?" Rotom said as it started to come to a grim realization.

"...I didn't make it all the time..." Keats said as Rotom just stared at him.

"...What is wrong with you?" Rotom thought as Keats walked over to the Wonder Trader.

"So, how does this work exactly?" Keats asked towards Rotom, changing the topic.

"Huh? Oh, right, zzzzt!" Rotom said as it floated over to where Keats was. "First, you select the "Surprise Trade" button and then place your Pokémon in the left side chute." The phone Pokémon said. "Then once the ball goes in the system, a new Pokéball will appear from the other chute containing a new Pokémon." Rotom elaborated further.

"Wait... Wait, it contains a new Pokémon?" Keats questioned. "And it's... Completely random?" He said.

"Correct, zzzzt." Rotom said.

"...So... I'm trading Surskit and I don't get a say in what I get once I put her in?" Keats said with a slightly bewildered look on his face. "...I could be swapping an attempted killer for a wet blanket or another sociopath." He thought.

"...Yeeeezzzzz..." Rotom said as it started to realize what Keats was getting at.

"I have as much confidence in this as I have facial hair." Keats said as he shook his head.

"...But you do have facial hair, zzzzt." Rotom said as Keats made a disturbed expression as he suddenly grabbed the hair on his face, as if just realizing he had a beard. "Did you suddenly forget?" The phone Pokémon thought before Keats reached into his pocket and pulled out Surskit's ball.

"There's other people around the planet who are also using this machine for trades, correct?" Keats asked towards Rotom.

"Yezzzz." Rotom said.

"So... Are there going to be Pokémon here that were being traded from trainers that they weren't compatible with too?" Keats said before shifting over to the left side chute.

"That izzzz also correct." Rotom said. "That is a fair concern, actually." The phone Pokémon thought.

"Hmmmm..." Keats mumbled. "We could possibly... Get anything from here... Right?" He said.

"Yezzzz. It's a massive gamble." Rotom said towards Keats with a concerned tone.

"...Do we have any other options?" Keats questioned.

"The same optionzzzz as before. Letting Surskit loose to attack people or hoping someone will take it off your hands." Rotom said as Keats walked back towards the door, opening it up and preparing to go back into the main foyer of the Pokémon Center.

"I think we should just go back to trying to find someone here and-" Keats said towards Rotom until he stopped talking upon hearing something in the direction of the foyer.

"Yo, what's this sign saying?" A random male trainer's voice said.

"Someone's trying to trade a dangerous Pokémon?" A random female trainer's voice chimed in.

"Who the heck would take that offer!? Hahaha!" A different male trainer's voice said as Keats quickly shut the door and walked back into the Wonder Trader room.

"Forget it, let's gamble." Keats said with an aggravated expression on his face as he walked over to the Wonder Trader machine. "It's been nice and terrible at the same time, Surskit. To whomever gets you, godspeed." He thought as he looked at the Timer Ball.

"Shouldn't have set up a sign that was too honest." Rotom thought as it looked at Keats.

Taking a deep breath, Keats proceeded to place Surskit's ball into the left chute and then pressed a button on the monitor that proceeded to digitize the ball into energy and send it into cyberspace. Inside the machine, Keats and Rotom saw a counter that registered Surskit into the Wonder Trader.

"Welp... It's gone now..." Keats said as Rotom floated next to him. "Now what?" He said towards Rotom.

"We wait until a zzzzudden trade transfer occurs." Rotom said.

"Uh-huh..." Keats muttered. "Is there any idea of what we could get from someone?" He questioned.

"Could be anything, really, zzzzt. From something as weak as a Magikarp to as strong as a Garchomp." Rotom said as Keats folded his arms.

"If it's a Dragon type, let's send it back... I have enough at two." Keats said with an unimpressed tone. "A Slowking would be nice... A Pyukumuku. A Miltank maybe..." He thought as he stood around, patiently.

"Perhaps we can get something strong to fight the next stolen Pokémon belonging to the Snagems. Like a Gyarados or a Metagross. I don't know how they'd work with Keats as their trainer but if worse comes to worse, they might be willing to help if they know they have a tough opponent in the near future." Rotom thought, hoping for the best.

A few minutes had passed as Keats and Rotom waited for the Wonder Trade to finally happen. As the screen lit up, Keats and Rotom looked over at the Wonder Trader as a digitized beam of light had emerged from the right-side chute.

"It's here!" Keats exclaimed as he approached the Wonder Trader, grabbing the different-than-normal Pokéball that sported a green top lid with a yellow dot and four red dots on the front.

"That'zzzz a Friend Ball!" Rotom said loudly. "It's a ball designed to increase the likability of the Pokémon with its trainer." The phone Pokémon explained.

"Isn't that a Luxury Ball?" Keats said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, actually they have the same effect, but a Luxury Ball is said to work better than a Friend Ball." Rotom said. "It's also dramatically more expensive." The phone Pokémon said.

"I bet that obnoxious girl Snagem was using only Luxury Balls for her other Pokémon because they were costly. Her scam in Alola must have been lucrative." Keats thought with frustration as he examined the ball. "So... What's in it?" He asked towards Rotom.

"I won't be able to regizzzzter it until you let it out." Rotom said as Keats sighed.

"Alright then, let's see what's inside." Keats said as he opened up the ball and out came a beam of light.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Rarest Level Ranch, 4:47 p.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Back at the Pokémon daycare, Adam had his head down on the front desk as he was growing increasingly impatient as he stared at the red egg in the incubator next to him. Noticing his agitation, Marie approached him as she put a hand on her shoulder.

"They aren't coming." Marie said bluntly as Adam stood up and slammed his hands on the counter.

"I can't believe this! What the actual heeeelll!" Adam screamed in anger as Marie looked on.

"This is the seventh time this year, I'm used to it at this point." Marie thought as she watched her husband rage.

"Why are people even allowed to become trainers?! Huh?! If they're just going to leave Pokémon Eggs that belong to them at ranches, they should learn some damn responsibility and come pick them up! Not just dump them on us!" Adam complained as he and Marie turned away from the direction of the Pokémon Egg, unbeknownst to them that the egg had started to glow.

"Easy there, eas-" Marie said as she put her hands on Adam's shoulders before noticing the light starting to shine. "Huh?" She muttered as Adam walked over to the living room, grabbed a pillow and covered his own face with it.

"Mrrrfhghgh!" Adam screamed, muffled by the pillow.

"Uhhhh, Adam?" Marie muttered as she tried to get her husband's attention to no avail.

"I don't even know what the heck bred this damn thing but whatever it was, I'm going to find it and shove it up their-" Adam ranted after taking the pillow off his face and turned to face the egg, finally falling silent after seeing it glowing with bright lights.

"Well... You're about to find out what bred this egg..." Marie commented as they watched the red egg hatch.


Personally, I like the concept of the Surprise/Wonder Trade. You never know what you're going to get; Mankey's named "Farquaad," Shiny Sigilyph's, something that's just named with a URL instead of something normal. It's... Actually, kind of disorienting. I lost a Scyther once with a Metal Coat, I was going to use a different Pokémon and mis-clicked without paying attention, and the guy sent me a Raticate with a website for a name. It suuuuucked... Oh and so is Keats' win/lose record right now! After deciding to head to the Pokémon Center to find a sucker- I mean trainer to trade with. Keats met a guy named Odell who challenged him to a battle and lost a one on one against his Graveler. Down on his luck, Nurse Joy took pity on our still learning protagonist as she led him to the Wonder Trader room in the center. Gambling away Surskit for a random trade, all we know that Keats has is a Pokémon within a Friend Ball. And what of the red egg at the ranch? That hatched as well! So many reveals to come! My god! I want my Scizor back, damn it!

Keats' Pokémon (on-hand):
1. Venonat.
2. ?

Keats' Pokémon (in rotation):
1. Porygon.
2. Pineco.
3.
Dragalge.
4.
Cloyster.
5. Timburr.
6.
Swalot.
7. Raichu - Alolan Form.
8. Stunky.
9. Druddigon.

Released/Traded Away:
1. Diglett - Alolan Form.
2. Surskit.

Author's Note: (Much like what I did for "Spikes" operating on the logic that it can attack and be a support move. I chose to make "Hail" operate as a chip damage weather move that's separate from the new snow weather introduced in Scarlet and Violet. The defense buff from snowy weather still works the same but, for the sake of a writing element, "Hail" operates as a move to be activated, for those wondering.)