Disclaimer: Pokemon is owned by the Nintendo, Hakunon/Fate is owned by the all-powerful Mushroom(Nasu), and all that stuff.
Chuck's office was perhaps the most cramped room Hakuno had ever seen. She was honestly surprised the man was able to squeeze behind his desk. Boxes and boxes of paperwork covered around 80% of the floor, stacked to almost be as tall as she was.
"Take a seat, pass me your little guys." Hakuno frowned but her eyes landed on the only device that was not some type of exercise machine or box of papers, covered in multiple layers of dust, or on Chuck's desk, it was barely noticeable and hidden in the corner but it looked the device that the Healers in the Pokecenter used for quick and lighter injuries.
It couldn't help with anything serious, but it could do good for a quick patch and help the Pokemon with exhaustion. She nodded slightly before handing Nomia's friend ball to him, and Chuck placed both Nomia's and Weaver's Pokeballs into it. The machine hummed to life.
Ren was still looking at her like an alien, it might be true but she didn't know that, and had to sit uncomfortably close to the martial artist as the loveseat was barely wide enough for two people.
It might be true, but Ren didn't know that.
Chuck sighed, "Birds above and Beasts below, that was Cool."
"Cool?" Hakuno tilted her head.
"You mean terrifying Dad," Ren muttered. "You try facing a Legendary and not wanting to piss your pants…"
"Not Legend, Mythical." Hakuno wasn't too sure about the difference, but Elpis was very insistent that there was one, and it was incredibly important.
Chuck laughed, "No I mean cool! I haven't felt that powerless in years! Do you know how rare it is to see something so close to the peak of power? It just ignites my passion!" The man stood up, his eyes lit up like flames, "It makes me want to go on a journey again and fight!"
"Dad, you said that about your fight with Team Rocket and other Teams…" Ren sunk into her seat, "It's what stopped me from going on mine…" She barely heard that last part. So Ren wasn't allowed to go on her own Journey? She kind of felt bad for the girl that trounced her.
"So…" Chuck cleared his throat and his gaze got serious, "Are you a danger? Seeing Celebi appear and protect a trainer I gotta report this to my higher-ups."
"Dad?" Ren's voice was laced with confusion.
Hakuno frowned, "I… just want to live in peace." That's what she truly wanted, she wanted to make memories and to train Nomia and any other Pokemon she captured right, she wanted to see the world and encounter all new things she couldn't while trapped in that Lunar Prison.
Chuck eyed her up and down. Hakuno wasn't sure why but he nodded, "Alright. I trust you, I got a good feeling bout 'cha. I still gotta give my higher-ups notice and they might want to speak to you in the future."
That could be… annoying, more so if certain people wanted to use her to get to Elpis.
"I understand." But she had done this to herself, she had known that Nomia's fainting was inevitable and should have prepared more mentally for that situation. Hopefully, the next time she faints she will be able to keep her composure better.
"Hmm.." He paused as he mulled something over, "Do ya got friends to help ya? I know that old Spider, Kurt, and Joyce are lending ya a hand but we from the previous generation can't drop everything and start running around the Region even if we wanted to ya know?"
Hakuno shook her head, "Just me and Nomia, we will meet up with some friends for a while but…" She didn't know how far Maizie, Vincent, or Sarah would want to travel with her. But hopefully, they would for a town or two.
Chuck frowned, "I get it, think about it kid don't want to disappoint your Patron. Going at it alone has its charms, but part of it is building friendships that can never break."
She did in a way want to have parts of the journey alone with just Nomia, and any other Pokemon that joined her, but didn't mind having help on the occasion, she was looking forward to spending time with the two from Palmpona and Maizie. She did miss Maizie, her first friend in this world knew a lot more about this world than she or Parcae could ever glean from just searching online, she will have to find some time in their respective Journies to join up.
"I understand."
Chuck nodded, "Alright, well Ren I'm trusting you as her Guard for this camp alright? Ya still got Tops right?"
"Of course Dad," she groaned, "Tops hasn't left my side since I was a kid."
"I don't want my little lotus to get hurt, you know?" he shrugged, "Now Hakuno mind letting me speak to my daughter alone? Once your little tykes all healed up, I'll send Ren out with her."
Hakuno noticed that the entrance to the gym was empty, and the seats in the front were not too comfortable. In a way, she felt almost naked without having Nomia, the only times she hasn't had the little gremlin beside her was when she was being cared for in the Pokecenter…
It had been a while since she had been alone with Parcae, she pulled out her old Terminal, the sole existence still mostly tied to her previous life, she was lucky the device was developing its own, sort of personality.
"What do you think of them Parcae?"
Instead of their automated voice, Parcae replied in text form, "Victor Kishinami, if you intend to keep the Portable Terminal's existence hidden, please refrain from speaking when you are the sole person in view of numerous cameras after speaking to the Gym Leader unless you wish for me to disable and edit the recordings.
Huh, Hakuno hadn't even noticed the cameras… "It's fine, I doubt I will be able to hide your existence for too long, having some believe that you are from a deceased Parent, and the league most likely knows you exist." Parcae technically was from her parent as the Moon Cell did create her and she doubts Kurt would have known to hide the device's existence from Joyce Joy, Officer Jenny, or Bugsy.
She didn't enjoy hiding them too much, and with Ren being her 'Guard' for the training trip then she doubted Hakuno would be able to hide the device.
"Understood, shall I create an alibi?"
Hakuno sighed, "No, no more…" Hakuno didn't want to use the word 'illegal' in front of cameras…
"I believe Elpis would tell me to 'read between the lines'." Hakuno wasn't too sure but the text looked smug. "Recommendation, once you obtain your Second Gym Badge would be most tactical to allow the general populace to know of your possession of a 'RotomDex'. Would recommend mentioning either Alola, Galar, or Paldea as those three regions are most known for the specific technological branch of Pokedex."
Hm… "Alright." Maybe she will go to one of those Regions after spending time in Johto, she did want to see more of this world after all. Alola sounded nice, a region that was mainly in a perpetual summer with plenty of beaches. Although it would depend on her team, she doubted that they would allow every Pokemon into every Region.
"Has Elpis left a message?"
"Negative, their conduit has also gone quiet, do you wish to place an inquiry to them?"
Hakuno shook her head, "No need," Elpis did mention that she should wait until after the week to talk to her again. She did believe that she was keeping a distant eye on her though, the Green Fairy was a bit protective.
"Possible answer; Elpis wishes for Victor Hakuno to make small mistakes that would allow you to grow as a Human and become more entwined in this land in a relatively safe environment. Gym Leader Chuck and his daughter will arrive in approximately 1.5 minutes."
Elpis wants her to grow… makes sense.
Hakuno stood up from the uncomfortable chair and pocketed Parcae, she brushed her leggings and put her jacket back on, she could still faintly hear the rain outside the sliding glass doors.
"Already ready kid?" Hakuno nodded to Chuck, and the large man was all smiles again, "Alright, you kids are a bit behind the rest but you're in luck, the last spot that may or may not be conveniently left alone is located in Area Three of the Safari Zone."
Ren looked up at her dad, "Baoba is really letting that happen this year?"
"Of course! I had to smooth over a few things with the League to get that place built least he could do after shutting down that Cacturne infestation. Darn things breed like Rattata. Oh, here's your Tinkatink." Chuck scrounged in his pocket before pulling out Nomia's Friend Ball and tossing it to her.
"Sweet…" Ren's smile was cramped when she eyed Hakuno, "Alright, so Dad made me your teacher for the week, so… proper introductions are in order, I'm Ren Shijima, daughter of Chuck Shijima." She did a small bow.
"Hakuno Kishinami, looking forward to working with you." She was looking forward to seeing what she could learn from the teenage martial artist.
Elpis felt her real self frowning as she could feel the draconic energy rolling off the Dragonite as it slowed down and landed in her domain. The pressure it gave off wasn't anything serious but she also knew that the person it carried had multiple ones far stronger than it.
Alone none of them could even touch her, but together they could injure her unless she did things that she would not wish to do unless she had no choice. And even if she did take him out, the other Legends and Myths would not abide by it.
One Champion she could handle, but an army of Leagues and her fellow myths? Not a chance.
And the man wearing the garish cape knew that.
"Celebi."
"Champion Lance."
"You're kind and you specifically are usually fairly quiet, preferring to lay low in your domains, why have I been receiving reports of you entering a Pokemon Center, and appearing at the doorstep of one of my Gym Leaders?" His glare was nothing, and the little Dragon beside him's attempt at a growl reminded her of Nomia.
Honestly, Parcae was more annoying to deal with than Lance, but that strange Porygon-like existence was at least with her current favorite human. One day she will figure out how to pierce that temporal protection.
"Do you not keep an eye on your child?"
Lance rolled his eyes, "Of course I do, but we both know you can not have children, your existence is solely a gift from Lord Dialga."
"I have done what you humans called… adopt." Hakuno might not enjoy having her information given out, but the man who shattered her Grassy Terrain would inform the Champion of her existence anyway.
He eyed her suspiciously, "You haven't kidnapped another Professor from the past have you?"
"That wasn't me! It was that stupid one over by his 'Lake of Life' What Tauros shit it is to lure a Suicune every year to bless the lake and claim it's part of your Domain." She growled, she hated that Celebi was so pompous and full of themself. Not as bad as Mew was, but that might be because there were only three of those guys flying around way less than the amount of Celebis even if they are born once a generation or two.
"Back on topic, you not only interrupted a child's Pokemon Battle but you antagonized one of my Gym Leaders. And I have reason to believe it was you who broke into one of the Palmpona Pokemon Centers which is a crime even you shouldn't do, the bastions of healing may be for everybody but interfering with one is a whole separate matter." She totally wasn't interfering or antagonizing, it's not her fault if that man with fists for brains was scared from a simple wave of her hand.
Humans are stupid sometimes.
If she wanted his Gym Leader dead he would have been. His little frog wouldn't have been able to stop her for more than a second.
"I was checking in on my Child, a friend of my Child can communicate with me wherever and whenever they want and they informed of their current plight." She could feel a ping from Parcae right now annoyingly.
But, this 'Training Camp' was a good way for her Child to grow, and hopefully evolve into a more confident Human.
"You're serious?" His brown eyes stared into her own, "You are serious. The Guardian of Illex has decided to rear a human?"
"Deadly and I will protect her even if it means You." Her forest shook in her anger, and millions of legs scurried away from her shrine, "My Child will learn and grow, and from the stories she has told, I believe one day she will be a true Champion."
Not that the 'Champion' of Johto/Kanto understood the difference in tone to her word usage.
The man laughed, the audacity, "Good! Let her. I will look forward to her challenge, keep your appearance to a minimum though, and do not attack humans. Remember the pact we agreed to? Even if she is your 'Child' you must abide by it."
She waved her hand, "I know. I will not overly interfere with Humanity and I am still the Guardian of the Forest, I will still protect the ones who travel in my domains until they break the Rules. I will keep my appearance to a …reasonable level. But if someone were to attack her more so if trying to get to me through her then…"
There was no way she wouldn't appear if her Child was hurt or in danger of dying, but… conflict is the way of life for Pokemon and Humans alike, it lets them grow and evolve. She does intend to only show up if her Child is in mortal peril, the annoying Parcae will have to inform her unless she happens to speak to her conduit at the time.
Leaving a conduit was the best idea she had. Nobody else seemed to have realized that it existed, probably due to Parcae's effort to keep Hakuno hidden, she didn't know the device could even devour Porygon until her conduit found the scraps in its database.
The red-headed man huffed, "Fine, I hope you don't mind me looking into the child you are talking about. Chuck mentioned a child but I doubted that was the actual cause. She has to truly be special for the Pokemon of Peace and Tranquility to place her trust in."
Foolish man, "Children are important, the next generation of Trainers will eclipse the current, is that not why you lost to those kids a few years ago?"
A few years to humans was a few seconds to her if she so willed it, but she recalls the forest whispering the names of the boys and girls who quickly eclipsed the powers. She had a feeling that certain other legends or myths had a hand in their power but alas she did not know as the others are more tight-lipped about things.
"But do not worry, I will make sure she spins an interesting tale for us, something to carve into Lord Dialga's Roar that will make her a figure of known renown. She must be able to stand on her own strength." At least, that is what she believed.
Elpis fully believed in Hakuno, after all.
Who else could command fragments of the past and obtain dominion over the Moon? Who else had souls of monsters, heroes, and kings, gently pushing the cracked but never broken Lunar Child?
Author's Notes: Uh, well.
Training Camp starts next chapter! Lance and Elpis had a bit of a talk, and Elpis won't interfere a ton with Hakuno's travels, still will be present but won't rush to protect her from basic injury or making dumb mistakes.
I intend for Elpis to be more of a shoulder to cry on than a knight to protect her child. Nomia's job is to attack and protect Hakuno.
And there will be situations in which Elpis won't be able to interfere, or they believe that Hakuno will grow from it. Hakuno has to learn and deal with her own mistakes. If it's fatal, then Elpis could come over, but again there is always a chance even Elpis could come late or be blocked from teleporting to said location or put in a place where even if they did come it would just be worse.
But for obvious sake, I don't intend for Hakuno to die as this story is about her after all. But, Hakuno has been maimed before in Extra and CCC, so it is within the realm of possibility for permanent injuries, physical or mental, to occur.
Also, Chuck's a good egg, but definitely not the smartest, or best dad, from all my recollection he is a very absent partner preferring to train and get stronger while eating sweets, that he isn't supposed to, then spending time with his wife and family.
Cya laters!