Chapter 2 A New Friend

 

I walked out of Nacrene city’s pokemart with bags of Pokémon food, it looks like kibble but basically, it’s mashed up berries with additional vitamins/supplements based on the dietary needs of a specific species of Pokémon. Over the course of this last month, I’ve been helping out where I can at the daycare but there’s was very little to do since it’s the league’s off season and not many were on the road needing their Pokémon looked after.

 

"I'm a heartbreaker... My name... Charles. I wanted to get the attention of a girl I like, so I learned a new style of Pokémon battling. Its name... Triple Battle! Want to learn about it?"

 

“Sigh… there he goes again. “

 

Charles as it turned out was also a trainer and a sponsored one at that, the battle house in Opelucid city paid for the upkeep of his Pokémon. In exchange he popularizes a new form of battling they’ve been pioneering to new trainers.

As for myself I didn’t really see the appeal of having triple battles having so many Pokémon battle at the same time is very chaotic.

 

Seeing as Charles would be busy for at least an hour or so I made my way to a familiar red roofed building with a Pokéball logo on top. I made my way past the automatic doors and was greeted by a pink haired woman behind the counter.

 

“Hello nurse Joy are the computers available?”

“There’s still one left Alec, make sure to follow the rules, okay?”

 

I read the sign before walking in the media room.

 

Media room rules:

 

No loud noises

No food or drinks allowed

No running

You may only visit approved pokénet sites.

Electric type Pokémon aren’t allowed outside their pokeballs in this room due to sensitive equipment.

 

Huh… wasn’t expecting that last one but I guess it makes sense, electric types do love to chew on cables and feed off the electrical outlets.

 

Making my way towards one of the available PC’s I sit down and log into a guest account.

This was the first time I got to use one of the computers in the Pokémon center usually they’re reserved for licensed trainers.

 

The PC also had a Pokédex app clicking on that I saw there were 143 recorded species of currently known Pokémon in this region so basically every species of Pokémon aside from the mythicals and legendaries. It makes sense that they’d rather have trainers leave those type of Pokémon alone. Clicking on a random entry I noticed the Dex app holds information for size, typing, dietary needs, known routes where they’ve been spotted, abilities and moves the Pokémon can learn.

As I flipped through all the known Unovan Pokemon it all seems to align pretty much from what I can remember playing the games. Until I visit the entry for Cottonee and Whimsicott. Only a singular typing for grass?

 

I started up the internet browser YES I am calling it that, the people here have this strange obsession with using Poke as a prefix for everything.

 

Seeing the search bar pop up I tried typing in the following:

Fairy type

 

The first listed page result was from a website called Poképedia, according to this webpage it seems like the fairy typing has just been discovered by Professor Sycamore in the Kalos region. League researchers from all the different regions were currently busy updating their Pokédex entries to reflect this new discovery.

 

Okay, Let’s see here… Team Plasma.

 

As reported by this article team Plasma is a Pokémon rescue organization mainly focusing on protecting and sheltering Pokémon from abusive trainers. That’s it. No calls for liberating all Pokémon so far.

 

As I was getting engrossed in all the publicly available information, I received a tap on the shoulder.

 

“Sorry Alec but a licensed trainer is waiting to use the media room.”

 

Disappointed I stand up and thank her for the hospitality.

Walking out of the Pokémon center I walk back to the city square where I spot Charles almost being done with his demonstration battle. I sit on the edge of the fountain when suddenly a piranha like Pokémon surfaces from the water’s edge.

 

“Basc…”

 

Charles’ Basculin looks up at me

 

I start playing with his red striped Basculin making waves in the water with my hands. This poor fella keeps getting benched for battles because its movement is crippled on dry land. As I was stroking his dorsal fin. I suddenly feel a wave of emotion swell up inside me.

 

A feeling of shame and uselessness.

Seeing no reason for me to spontaneously feel those emotions I started looking closer at Charles’ Basculin, maybe…?

 

“Don’t worry about not getting to battle as often pal, you’re the headliner of his team everyone knows that. Right now he needs to work in those new fossil Pokémon he got from the Nacrene museum.”

 

“Basc Basc!”

 

Looking at the Basculin between my hands those feelings abated somewhat.

Well, this was going to be interesting. I knew that some humans did develop minor psychic abilities in this world nothing even close to what a psychic type Pokémon could do but hey I wasn’t one to look a gift Rapidash in the mouth.

 

 

Back at the daycare I was busy brushing the Pokémon with a brooming kit which was a quick and easy job because during the off season the daycare experienced almost no business. Rich people who wanted to have their Pokémon taken care of would typically leave their Pokémon at fancier daycares.  After I finished doing what little chores there were I decided to go on a stroll trough town.

The daycare was situated between route 3 and an old town called Chelmsford, its most distinguishing feature was an old belltower with wild Darumaka living in it. Usually, the Darumaka line can be found near old ruins of past civilizations, but it seems the belltower was considered old enough to attract a few of them to come live in the town.

 

The townsfolk had a good relationship with these Darumaka leaving out food and berries on their doorstep. While in exchange the Darumaka helped out with odd jobs here and there

 

I wasn’t here for the Darumaka though. Making my way towards the building just behind the town’s gate I knocked on the door.

 

“Hold on for a minute!”

 

I heard the sound of rustling clothes and rustling keys after waiting for a while the door opens and a disheveled looking blue haired woman appears in front of me. It was my first time seeing officer Jenny in civilian wear peeking behind her I saw a room that was a complete mess cotton balls all over the floor and what looked to be around 3 days’ worth of takeaway food on her dinner table.

 

Seeing as she wasn’t in uniform, I decided to address her more casually.

Miss Jenny I am here for my exemption exam.

 

Since I was a 10-year-old and Primary school was still compulsory even in this reality the local schoolboard and Karena hashed out a deal that I wouldn’t have to attend unless I scored poorly on these exams.

  

Primary education had the following subjects:

Math

Pokémon studies

Language

Topography

Gym

 

Believe it or not Gym was the toughest exam I could only pull off 28 laps on a pacer test which was barely a passing grade. The other subjects I aced of course.

After I was done running laps in her yard, I noticed a floating puffball leering at me from the window.

 

“Miss Jenny is that a Cottonee yours?”

 

“No that’s a stray one that got separated from its cluster. It is known to happen when winds become too powerful the younger Cottonee aren’t as skilled at riding the currents, so they get separated.

A local ranger found it and brought her to me what we usually do is wait a year for the same current to bring Cottonee’s family back in the area.”

 

An idea started forming in my head.

 

“Miss Jenny, can I play with her since I am finished with all the written tests?”

 

“That’s a wonderful idea Alec”

“I have little spare time to spare since I am the only constable in this town”

 

Having gained permission, I went back inside the house and neared the windowsill the Cottonee tried hiding behind a draped curtain but sensing its strong emotions I could pinpoint its approximate hiding spot. Not to mention the trail of cotton balls that stopped just before the blinders.

 

Loneliness and shyness emanated off the small creature, I offer my hand to her (palm up) about four or five inches away from the curtain.

 

“Hey there Cottonee, I heard you are going to be stuck here for a while without your family. Since we both don’t have any relatives would you like to be friends?”

 

“Nnee…”

 

A white, circular Pokémon appeared from behind the curtain, it has orange, oval-shaped eyes, and furled, notched leaves on the sides of its body.

 

“Okay then, to celebrate our newly minted friendship lets go out for a spin on the town it must be boring being stuck in this place most of the time.”

 

“Nnee…?”

 

“It’s going to be okay the weather is calm and if it starts picking up, I’ll hold you.”

 

“Nnee…!”

 

The adorable puffball floats into my arms.

 

“May I?”

 

“Nnee…!?”

 

I push my face into her wooly coat and sniff in the floral scent.

 

“Sorry but you’re so soft I couldn’t resist.”

“Okay let’s go explore the town my first bestie!”

Cottonee followed behind me afloat while holding a puzzled expression.

What followed was me and Cottonee walking around town eventually trying out the town’s specialty moonlight dumplings. I got one for myself and after noticing Cottonee hungrily looking at my plate I shared my leftovers with her. She didn’t eat much though after a few nibbles she was full. Being a grass type most of her dietary needs got satiated trough photosynthesis.

 

Afterwards we decided to play hide and seek inside the old belltower. I had an unfair advantage because she kept shedding her cotton. We eventually encountered a Darmanitan statue inside the belfry. Knowing this was probably the guardian of the belltower I quickly apologized for intruding and made my way back down together with Cottonee.

 

We made our way back to officer Jenny’s house.

 

“Hey bestie”

 

“Nnee?”

 

“Would you like to be my first Pokémon? I really like you and I am certain we’ll be a great team.”

 

“Nnee!

Nnee! “

 

“That’s great! now we just have to ask for permission from officer Jenny.”

 

“Ask my permission for what?”

 

I quickly turned around and saw officer Jenny standing behind us with a bemused expression on her face.

 

“Ah, well you see me and Cottonee were really vibing today and we figured maybe we could be partners you know?”

 

“Nnee!”

 

“I don’t mind but you’ll have to get permission from your primary caregivers if you want to adopt a Pokémon before the age of 14.

In Unova we don’t just let any 10-year-old start catching Pokémon.”

 

 

After a while we made it back to the daycare, the wind started picking up, so I held Cottonee closely to my chest.

 

As soon as we stepped past the doormat Mincinno started making a ruckus. I was confused but eventually I got the message. Cottonee was leaving a trail of cotton balls behind and Mincinno being the housekeeper didn’t appreciate the extra work. Nevertheless, it’s obsession with cleanliness forced it to clean up after us.

 

Granny Karena came out to greet us

“Alec who’s your new friend?”

 

“This is my new partner Pokémon we hung out after I finished my examinations one thing led to another and..., can I keep her?”