Disclaimer: Pokemon is owned by the Nintendo, Hakunon/Fate is owned by the all-powerful Mushroom(Nasu), and all that stuff.
The next day Maizie discovered that Hakuno only had a single set of clothing when Hakuno asked for a spare set. She still didn't have any source of funds in this world. She wasn't sure but she feels she should be offended that she almost fits perfectly wearing the same clothing as someone 3 years younger.
Maizie also decided to take her to 'someone that can help.' Hakuno tilted her head wearing someone else's clothing felt weird as Maizie had led her to an old lady in a rocking chair.
"This is Gran-" A tut was the only thing she said before a wad of silk covered Maizie's mouth.
"Oh dearie, I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Hakuno felt a surge of panic, her eyes darted to the rafter as a small green spider crawled from its hidden alcove. She stepped back before the old lady chuckled seeing Maizie try vainly to remove the webbing. "Ah don't worry, you're the kid Kurt found aren't you?"
Hakuno gave a slow nod before the old lady stood up, and poked her a few times, inspecting her. Hakuno's eyes never left the Spinarak.
"Bah, don't mind ole Bobbin Jr she a feisty youngin'." The old lady nodded, confirming something as she lifted Hakuno's arms. "This is some fine fabric youngin' where d'ya get it?"
"Home." There was a bitterness in her voice that she wasn't expecting…
The lady hmmed before motioning Bobbin to come down, Hakuno didn't flinch when the Spider crawled on her arm, "I see, well Maizie" The young girl finally got the glob of webbing off, "I got a few ideas, come by in about… four days." Hakuno was confused but Maizie smiled at her.
"Don't worry bout it~" The younger girl checked her phone, "Oh crap! I'm going to be late!" Hakuno blinked as the girl dashed, leaving her at the old lady's house.
The old lady cackled.
The Old Lady, who never to tell Hakuno her name, told stories about her time 'evading the overreaching Pokemon League' for the next few hours. She said it would be safer if she came across any criminals to handle them herself 'Cause the Jenny's are as competent as Magikarp useless buggers they are'.
She had insisted Hakuno stay and listen to her stories until Kurt came around to pick her up who had to argue with the Old Lady for her freedom.
It… could have been a worse day, she did make friends with the Spinarak she had. The Bug/Poison type Pokemon was friendly… as long as you didn't imply he or her Trainer was old. Sadly the Spider didn't want to join her, it seemed to like its simple life.
The next two days passed by in the blink of an eye, Hakuno would help Maizie with breakfast, learning a bit more about the world with its similar but different ingredients, and then while Maizie was at 'Trainer' School Hakuno would head to the library.
There was a day Kurt asked for some assistance, All she was allowed to do was fetch the Apricorns from the tree and receive the strange pack of rocks the mailman delivered. She did spot the pink gnome a few times trying to peak into the house, but either Shuckle or Kurt himself would scare it away.
After Maizie's classes finished she drilled into Hakuno as much exploration-related information as she could, she had already read through the old copy of the 'Johotonian Pokedex' the library held so other than Common Knowledge aspects, she would be able to figure out the answers for her test.
Hakuno soaked the information like a sponge, while it was all coming from a girl younger than her, Maizie was dedicated to going on her journey. She had a drive in her that she wanted to prove.
"Why?" It was their second day of cramming, and Hakuno was curious about what drove the younger girl to leave home.
"Why what?" Maizie tilted her head, she fiddled with the Pokeball that held 'Teddy' her Teddiursa. The small bear Pokemon was staring at a picture book on Maizie's lap.
"Why are you going on a Journey?" Maizie frowned at the question.
"'Cause I want to, it's like," She paused as she looked for the words, "A right of passage almost? Not saying not doing one is bad or anything just… If you want to do anything related to Pokemon need to have a few badges under your belt. And if I want to become a Pokeball smith I need to know how to work with them."
Hakuno gave a slight nod, She had gotten to know Maizie decently over the past… three days, and there was one aspect that Hakuno could easily empathize with.
She was lonely.
And she higher valued her Grandfather and her two Pokemon.
Teddy was her shy Teddiursa, he rarely approached Hakuno, but when he did it was only to sniff her before fleeing. According to Maizie Teddy won't be fighting too much until he gains some more confidence.
Pokey was her Slowpoke, apparently incredibly bright for a Slowpoke apparently being able to use Psychic moves as young as he was counted as 'gifted' for a Slowpoke. Even if all he could do was pluck an Apricorn off the tree and let it fall… on its head. For a Slowpoke it was a prodigy.
"Are…you thinking about going on a Journey?" Hakuno gave a light shrug, at the least she had to go to another town to get a single Gym badge to have some type of identification. After that…
It would depend.
Hakuno thought she heard Maizie mumble something as she wrote in her notepad but didn't catch it. The younger girl glanced at Hakuno's notes before sighing.
"Oh, so you actually want to use a taut line knot for your tent, a Slip Knot is for when you like, are using a fishing pole or docking a boat."
"Chan, Chansey~" Hakuno yawned as she felt the nub poke her, the Egg Pokemon shook her, and Hakuno blearily opened her eyes.
She yawned as Chansey chirped happily, pushing her up. "Hm?" The buddle of Serenity motioned for her to follow them. This was a first, but Hakuno nodded as she followed deeper into the Pokecenter.
She did learn a few things about Pokecenters that were considered 'common knowledge', they heal Trainer's Pokemon for free, and during the 'Gym Circuit' they offer free housing on a first come first serve basis. With Azalae town being smaller than most cities, it was less busy than the ones in large cities.
"Chan, Chan, seeeeey." Chansey knocked on a door, there was a muffled voice as Chansey slammed the door open. Hakuno heard stuttering and someone falling out of their chair.
Inside the room was Kurt and Nurse Joy along with two she did not recognize. A woman in a blue police uniform, with teal hair, and a boy around her age in a bug-catching outfit with light purple hair carrying a bug net. The boy was the one who fell off his chair and is currently splayed on the ground.
Hair colors in this world are weird.
"Hakuno, this is Officer Jenny and Gym Leader Bugsy." Officer Jenny gave a curt nod while Bugsy smiled and waved shyly as he got up.
"Hello." Hakuno nodded slightly, Kurt motioned for her to sit at the table with them. Bugsy flushed when Hakuno's eyes landed on him. If she recalled, Gym Leaders were on the level of Mayors for trainers if she remembered correctly.
Jenny coughed in her hand, "I believe the first thing we should say is, that you're not in trouble Ms. Kishinami." Hakuno's tilted her head, was there any reason she should be in trouble?
"Uh yeah!" Bugsy half-shouted, "Ah yeah, um. Our Celebi usually isn't as active as the others, and we were not prepared for your arrival as we should have been." Hakuno nodded, she could faintly see some writing on his hands as he shifted his bug net.
"Be that as it were, Nurse Serena Joy and Pokeball Smith Kurt Bonguri should have informed the local governing bodies as soon as you were discovered, not two days later with a request for a DNA test." Hakuno watched Nurse Joy give a strained smile as she ignored Officer Jenny's pointed look.
"We had to ensure that our ward, did not have any genetic differences be that disease or dietary as we told you," Serena Joy said her voice even, "Once we cleared her of everything then we felt it was pointed to contact you due to the larger than average time difference."
Officer Jenny growled, "In… any case, we ran your DNA and found no known link in the International Database."
"However!" Bugsy's voice echoed and he cringed, "The specific Type Energy unique to Celebi was found on you, confirming your status as a Drifter. And as such, as the local League Representative, I am here to ask if anything is threatening to come that you know of."
Hakuno shook her head, "No…?" With her utterance, Bugsy's shoulders relaxed as he sighed a breath of relief. Did Celebi send people back in time to warn the populace?
"I still don't believe you are truly a Drifter." Officer Jenny disapprovingly said, "There has never been a case where we were unable to find either a descendant or an ancestor."
"You mean to say since you started testing correct Officer Jenny?" Nurse Joy clarified, "Ms. Kishinami from what she has shared with us, has come from either a time in the very distant future or very distant past. The residual Temporal Energy from Celebi is proof."
Jenny scowled, "Well, Ms. Kishinami, Please, tell us about your time so we can help acquaint you with our current time."
"She only has to share what she wishes to," Kurt added, "Unless she is being suspected of a crime then she does have rights." Officer Jenny clicked her tongue.
Hakuno mulled it over, she could be honest, but was there any merit to it? The only major thing she had trouble wrapping her head around was well..
Pokemon.
But... she has already started to figure them out, the Johtonian Pokedex was a major help in that regard. Some of them were… interesting.
She glanced at Bugsy, a nervous pleading look on his face, "Please tell us what you can."
Hakuno sighed, "There… is not much to it, I don't have much memory other than the previous Two Months when me and my… ally were fighting to survive. My… friend managed to get me to run and then… I woke up in Kurt's home." Officer Jenny's ears perked up at that.
"Oh? What region, if there is illegal human trafficking even if it's in the future, it would help us greatly." Jenny's eyes narrowed slightly, and Hakuno tilted her head in response.
"I do not know what… Region the School was, my earliest memory was watching a classmate be killed and my … Ally saving my life. We spent the next few weeks surviving before… she died and I woke up in the forest." Officer Jenny's face got softer as she grumbled.
"I see…" She didn't seem to believe her, but Hakuno has had zero experience with the Police, was this how they all acted? If so, she must ensure she doesn't follow the old Spinarak lady's advice. Or… perhaps she should? That old lady has never been caught.
"Is that all now Officer?" Kurt asked as Jenny gave a slow nod, before standing up.
"It is… acceptable, for now. Like all previous Drifters and Fallers, we will keep an eye on you and ensure you follow our time's laws and regulations, if you have any questions or concerns please inform either Nurse Joy or Myself. And hopefully, we will not have to meet again."
"Ah wait!" Bugsy clutched onto his bug net, he reached inside the net and his arm disappeared, he brought out a tan and red backpack with a Pokeball-shaped buckle and placed it on the table.
How?
"Your care package, I look forward to seeing your eventual challenge!" He quickly followed Officer Jenny as she left, Hakuno blinked as she glanced at the backpack. How did they store that in a see-through bug net?
Nurse Joy sighed as they left, and Kurt closed the door. "Sorry about that Hakuno, most Officer Jenny's are nice and such but ours is a bit strict after what happened last year." Hakuno tilted her head, "Ah right, Team Rocket moved in and began to cut off the Slowpoke's tails the previous head of police was working with them. It caused a whole departmental stink and a captain from Celedon came down with her daughter."
Kurt grumbled, "And Officer Jenny has more authority than she should due to her daughter's… relationship with our Gym Leader."
Joy tutted, "Ah, young love… if only her mom weren't a…" She glanced at Hakuno who was now holding the duffle bag and trying to understand how it fit in the bug net. To Hakuno it felt like a normal backpack, it had a large central pocket and a few smaller pouches on the front.
"Does your Time not have Minimized Storage containers?" Hakuno shook her head, hesitated, and unbuckled the central pocket, inside was nothing but a void.
Hakuno glanced at the room it was secure… no one would be able to overhear the truth. She had debated on telling them for the last few days, they were honest when dealing with her and she wasn't being candid with them.
And… Nero did say she liked how she could trust others.
"Otherworld." Hakuno corrected, it was time to tell them the truth. "I think… I should tell you the truth."
Kurt licked his lips, the child's story sounded fake, as truthful as a Sudowoodo, but her eyes confirmed her story. Hakuno has only been in this land for a few days now, and during the time she has lived in his home, he has gotten a grasp on the stoic girl's mannerisms.
Overly curious, polite, and lonely. There was always a slight detachment she had with Maizie and himself. Even that crazed grannie Josephine noticed it. He sighed, "It doesn't change how we see you. You are still a child that we will help." No child should have to face what she did, Hakuno's eyes bore into him.
The two adults in this room have done things that would put her self-defense and make it look like a child's Pokemon battle. Poachers targeted Celebi and always thought the easiest way was to go after the Pokemon Centers first. He doubts Hakuno knows how powerful Chansey who holds her hand is how many unruly Pokemon and People the Egg Pokemon have held back.
He did have ideas that she was from another world, but… her story was vastly different than what he was expecting.
"As… you didn't come from an Ultra Wormhole, you are still classified as a Drifter," Nurse Joy and he shared a look, she seemed to believe her as well. "But… Celebi saved you from what might have been your death, that just means we got to care for you even more."
"Why?" Her tone was still clinical. The girl told them a tale about an evil Computer World and her only friend was a Hero from history like she was talking about the weather.
"Because kids shouldn't have to deal with that." Kurt grumbled, "Children should go on a journey, find out who they are what they want to do with their life. They shouldn't have to worry about World Ending threats."
Nurse Joy slumped onto the table, "Kids like you should be worried about what boy you're asking on your first date or figuring out what gym to go to. Although, we did have those kids that took down Team Rocket…"
"Kids growing up too darn fast," He remembered right after the war kids would get an actual chance to grow up. "While I don't understand the whole," He waved his hand a bit, "Computer things, you're a kid that needs help, and we Johntonians pride ourselves in helping each other."
He watched Hakuno's expression stiffen, before doing a slow nod. "I see…" Her voice was finally lighter. Good.
Then… he glanced at Joy and she nodded to him, "We both recommend you start your Journey as soon as you can."
Hakuno slowly nodded, things were headed this way, wasn't it?
"Your thirst for knowledge is more than what this small town can give you, while I do not have the funds to sponsor you as I and her Father are already assisting Maizie, I can at least supply you with some items that are might not be covered by your Care Package."
"The Joy Clan also won't be able to sponsor you directly." Nurse Joy's voice was much smaller than Hakuno had heard, "However, I will put a word into with my family to assist you when you need them to, I will personally see to it that you can join a training camp with whichever Gym Leader you face first."
"I see… how long does a Journey take?"
Kurt sighed, "Technically, there is no 'time frame' It can last for as short as a month to as long as decades depending on how you view it, some decide to live their life free and only settle down towards their final years."
"I wouldn't recommend that though," Nurse Joy's voice seemed calmer as a soft blue light originated from Chansey, "Take a few months, use the time to explore, talk to people, make friends have a childhood. Then if you want to come back here we can see if we can't find you a local job." Hakuno glanced at the bag and then at her hands before sighing.
"Celebi won't come after me?" The Mythical Pokemon had summoned her to this world for some reason, if she didn't find a way for it to explain what it wanted then would it be upset? How could anything she befriended contend with something on the level of a Divine Spirit?
"Ah, if Celebi wants to come in and chat then it could go anywhere. They aren't a violent bunch. For all we know they might have brought you here because you had something shiny on you or it liked your hair, Celebi is fickle." Her Portable Terminal could be shiny in the right light…
Telling her story made a weight come off her chest, "Although, until you trust someone you shouldn't mention being from another world. If that falls into a few ears then the International Police might visit you." Nurse Joy pointed out.
"I see…" Hakuno nodded, at least she had told the two people that has helped her the entire time she had been in this world. She trusts them. Perhaps… One day there could be more she trusts, perhaps… even her Pokemon Team.
Her heart twinged at the remembrance of her rock.
Saber… always told me to try and be happy, she wouldn't… want me to dwell, would she? As long as she is in my heart, there might be a possibility for us to see each other again. Pokemon are magical surely there might be one hidden in this world that could Summon her once more.
She would love for me to be able to regale her with my own stories next time we meet.
Author's Note: And now Hakuno has finally told her truth! Something about Hakuno that I think makes her interesting is how trusting she is to people compared to the other Wizards from Fate/Extra. She is a good judge of character.
Anyways~ Cya next time.