2

Nurse Joy was a lonely woman.

She rarely had visitors, and those few trainers that did come by usually left within the day, too caught up in their goals and the other more interesting islands in the Orange Archipelago. She hadn't had many people to treat either; as it turns out, there was a hospital on Shamouti which took care of the general populace. Slowking was a Pokémon however, which meant he had no reason to use the hospital, and when he found me he didn't think to take me there. I was her first patient in almost three weeks and the first human patient she'd had to deal with in over five months. I was her singular focus, and while this was admittedly interesting, I was quick to grow bored in this stifling environment.

My being bored and Joy being lonely made an odd combination. She tried to baby me, I tried deflected her babying. I tried to get out of my bed, she would have Chansey force me back under my covers. This was a routine that lasted for a full week, up until I was fit enough to leave the bed in a wheelchair.

Surprisingly, I was almost fully healed within that week. The reason such a thing was possible?

Pokémon; duh.

There's this move called Heal Pulse that Chansey used four times a day on me. I had never seen the move in any of the games I played, so it must have been created after I stopped, or maybe it was just too overpowered for the games and was an anime-only plot device. As its name implied, it heals others. It made me tired, but its effects were awe inspiring. I could literally see my muscles reform and my skin return to a healthy coloration. My leg injury would have been crippling on Earth, but here I was, hale and healthy after only a week of care. Joy said I would need to stay in the wheelchair for a few more days and would then need to spend another few days accustoming myself to using my legs again, but the fact of the matter was that I would be able to use my legs again.

Exploration was soon to be within my grasp. And in the time I waited to be able to move properly, I realized that I damn near loved my wheelchair.

Now don't get me wrong, I would much rather be walking around than carting around in this thing. Wheelchairs are devices of necessity, they are not meant for fun.

But fun I had.

Joy hadn't been a fan of my moving about in the wheelchair, searching every inch of the Pokémon Center in hopes that I could find something interesting, but found herself more inclined towards ignoring my being a pest when I attempted to leave the Center. Apparently, I had become a local celebrity in the sense that I was the most exciting thing to have happened to Shamouti in a long while. According to her, I wasn't fit to deal with the islanders until I was fit enough to run away from their prying. I found myself agreeing with her.

So, I explored the Center. I found the gardens, where berries and medicinal herbs grew. I found the sickbay, empty and foreboding. I even found a lost and found, which was kind of perfect. My clothes from before were a wreck, so much so that Nurse Joy just tossed them and set me up with a hospital gown. I needed clothes, man; I wasn't wearing that diaper anymore and I don't appreciate the breeze down there.

It took a bit of time, but I was satisfied with my haul. I now had on a pair of grey sweat pants that were a tad too large, a black long sleeve shirt that was definitely too large, though I just rolled up the sleeves and tucked the shirt hem into my newly acquired pants, so it worked, and a pair of sneakers that were a perfect fit, tattered though they were. Added to this was a green backpack with a small tear through its logo of a Clefairy. I even had a watch that had a little alarm! I was set.

But the best thing I found was in the pocket of a skirt. I didn't mean to go digging through a skirt, but it was ridiculously small and I thought it was just a strange pair of boxers; new world offering new fashions and all that jazz. So, when I put it on and noticed there was no slit between my legs, I ripped them off and threw them against the wall. When it connected, I heard the sounds of both the cloth hitting the wall and something else, something that clinked like metal. Curious, I looked in the pockets and found my prize: A Great Ball.

I hadn't even thought that somebody would leave one of these around. Still, I had the foresight to look through everything, and by the time I left the lost and found I now possessed one Great Ball and two Poké Balls.

I assumed that since Joy hadn't had any visitors, they were up for grabs. So, I did just that; grab them, that is. Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission in this case.

And even if it was theft… I felt perfectly fine to steal. I wasn't eighteen anymore, where my thievery would result in possible reparations and jail time. Now I could claim innocence, could claim that I didn't know that it was bad and that I wouldn't do it again, but can I please keep it? And really, if the anime was to be trusted, stealing in the Pokémon world was ridiculously easy. So long as you had some decent sense and didn't have a hot-air balloon in the shape of a Meowth you were golden

Even though I dread puberty when it comes, I can't really find any issue with being this young right now.

It's too easy.

.

Morning came with the caw of a local Fearow, owned by some native of Shamouti I didn't know. The sun was up, as were Chansey and Joy. I joined them with a stretch of my arms and a loud, drawn out yawn. I grabbed the crutches at the side of my bed, shuffled them under my pits, and maneuvered out of the room.

Joy had said that I could use my legs now, just a bit. The crutches were to ensure that I didn't put too much pressure on them. I honestly felt fine, I'd already tried walking around a little and didn't have too many issues. Just some cramps that spasmed here and there. I wasn't entirely up to snuff, but I was getting close.

I made my way into the lobby of the Center. Chansey was sat at a table, happily eating a bowl of berries. Joy was nowhere in sight.

"Chansey," I called out. She turned towards me with a bright smile. "Where's Joy?"

"Se-chan!" The blob pointed a stubby arm towards the sickbay. Weird, the only time she'd used the sickbay in the time I'd been here was to clean it. Joy preferred to busy her afternoon with cleaning, not mornings. Her mornings were rife with coffee and emails and long phone calls with her many cousins.

She was a woman of routine.

I maneuvered my way towards the sickbay, my crutches smacking the tile floors audibly. Luckily, I didn't have to go far. The bay was just behind the front desk.

Joy was stood in front of a cot, her face a mask of concentration. On the cot was a bird, and a damn big one at that. It was almost two feet tall, with a plump body and smattering of brown feathers. There were a pair of angular black markings extending from its eyes to its chin, and its wings were bent awkwardly. It was asleep.

"What is it?" I blurted out, though I pretty much guessed it already.

"Hello Jon," Joy was tired, yet still quite bubbly all the same. Looks like she was happy to finally have a patient. "He is a Pidgey."

Yup, my guess was right. Nice.

"Who's Pidgey is that? I didn't see anybody in the lobby." Whoever owned it was probably still asleep or at work or something. It was early in the morning.

"Nobody owns this Pidgey, he's wild." Well hello. "Sadly, it isn't that uncommon for one or two of these little ones to become stranded throughout the Archipelago's during this time of the year. They migrate between Fairchild Island and the Viridian Forest, and our little island is between those places," she sighed. "We're going to need to look for a way to bring this one home, or else find him a trainer."

A wild Pidgey that needed a trainer? Yes, hell yes. I wanted this Pidgey. No, more than that; I would have this Pidgey. I mean, I'd rather have a Charmander, but beggars can't be choosers, and I was what one could consider a beggar.

I was gonna make this one my starter.

I just had to finagle how to catch it. I had the Poké Balls, but I didn't have the things respect. This wasn't like the games, where a caught Pokémon would listen to you immediately. Pokémon needed a specific type of empathy. Well, that or they needed to be beaten into submission, which I was not going to even attempt to do. I needed to figure out how to do this right.

"It was only by happenstance that Tobias was exercising his Fearow this morning," Joy continued. "They found Pidgey being pestered by the local Spearow. As luck had it, his Fearow is the alpha of the Spearow flock, and they stopped when Tobias asked them to, being Fearow's trainer and all."

"When will he be ready to leave?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral. It was working, barely.

She blinked. "Oh! Well… He took a good fall, and he's still young. Normally, I would let him leave later today, but at this moment I wouldn't let Pidgey leave until tomorrow, at the very least. And even then, Pidgey likely couldn't make it to Fairchild Island. He's not strong enough to make that flight."

Well, I have time to prepare then.

.

The first thing I did was hop on Joy's computer. It had access to the internet – though it was called the Pokénet here, because these people are original – and looked up the Pidgey line.

And boy, did I learn a lot.

For example, did you know that the Pidgey line were among the quickest species to develop? At two weeks old, a Pidgey was combat ready and able to battle without worry. And also, the Pokémon native to Fairchild Island had the habit of being ready to fight even earlier, along with a gene that made them uniquely larger than they were supposed to be due to ideal genetics and hefty diets. This Pidgey was definitely from there, based on the fact that it was nearly twice as large as the computer said its species should be.

So why was this Pidgey unable to fly home?

The simple truth is that Pidgey are only barely not considered baby Pokémon. They can do some fighting and learn a good few moves, but they have little stamina. They can fight, but they can't fight well. They could fly for thirty minutes at an estimated top speed of twenty miles per hours without issue, but they would have to stop flying for days at that point to regain their energy. When compared to the easy two hundred miles per hour a Pidgeot could handle or their ability to fly continuously at that speed for hours at a time it was no wonder that Pidgey were considered baby's.

This Pidgey was stuck on Shamouti Isle, and that meant he was stuck with me.

I idly spun one of my Poké Balls on the desk, smirking.

That wasn't the only thing I looked up though, I also took the time to study a map of the Orange Archipelago.

Shamouti Island was almost smack dab in the center of the chain; just a few miles north of the center, to be precise. I might not have been the most dedicated student, but I understood that knowledge was damned useful. I didn't know the geography of this area, and I sure as hell didn't know any of their customs and cultures. Fairchild Island was about 100 miles south-southwest of Shamouti. No Pidgey would be able to make that journey, especially not when it was young. I had time, and I had a good chance at attaining my goal.

I just had to make up a good reason.

From my research and background in acting, I tentatively came up with a backstory for my new existence here. Nobody was going to believe that I was some reincarnate, and I'm not fool enough to even attempt talking about that. I'd be locked up in the loony bin faster than I could blink. That, or would be hounded by those same loonies for some reason or another. No, I was happy to take my time, come up with a story and stick with it through thick and thin.

Before I knew it, I spent the entirety of my day on the computer. Studying.

I felt like a dweeb.

Surprisingly, it felt pretty good.

.

Night was upon us. We were sat at one of the Center tables, eating our dinner.

Joy and I were eating pasta. Chansey was eating more berries. This was the standard, berries being one of the islands main food exports, while pasta was a personal favorite of Joy's.

The guest in the form of the now awake Pidgey was new, and quite appreciated.

Pidgey was shooting us these looks, not necessarily distrustful but still quite wary. He didn't know how to deal with us. The Tiny Bird Pokémon that wasn't so tiny was only taking an occasional bite of his bird feed, brown eyes never leaving us. I was returning the look. Somehow, this elevated to us having a staring contest. I was losing pretty badly.

Chansey was attempting to engage Pidgey in some format of conversation. Pidgey was only offering the occasional response, and they were gruff at best. His eyes were trained on me, stuck in our staring contest.

Well… There's no better time than the present.

"Hey, Pidgey, I have a question."

His eyes narrowed, and his head cocked to the side. He made no noise, but I had his attention.

I pulled out one of my Poké Balls and placed it on the counter. Joy let out a noise of surprise, while Chansey began waving her arms in confusion. "Want to be my Pokémon?"

I may have plans and the ability to make plans upon those plans, but I always have been and always will be a blunt person. I don't need to shy away from awkward topics. It was best that my intentions be known from the start, especially when it came to Pokémon. These weren't like cats or dogs; these creatures can understand human speech and had near human emotions. If I attempted to trick Pidgey, I likely would never gain his trust.

Pidgey scrutinized me, then moved his eyes to the Poké Ball – Hah! I won the staring contest! – with a healthy dose of skepticism.

"You don't have to answer now," I assured him. It wasn't like we didn't have time, him being stuck here and my not being able to walk right. "I don't mind waiting until we're back to full health," I said, pointing to my bum legs for emphasis.

He gave a short nod and returned to his food, still eyeing us up.

"Jon," Joy's voice was stern. "Where did you get that?"

Now here was the trick, I didn't want to tell her I took it from under her nose. That'd be a quick way to piss her off, child or not. No, I had my script ready and waiting.

Acting training, don't fail me now.

"I found it on Kumquat Island," I began. The most useful ability I developed when I started acting was the ability to lie with a straight face, and I was good. "It was in an alley and I've always wanted to be a Pokémon trainer."

"And why were on you Kumquat?"

And now, my grand performance.

"I was born there." I shrugged, trying to sound casual. "Mum left me with a friend and then went to Hoenn with some guy, and her friend shunted me to one of their friends who sent me to more and more friends. So, when I found that Poké Ball, I thought I could finally find a place for me to live, not wherever these people sent me. I'm nine now, but I look older; I could pass for ten. So, I snuck on a ship that I thought was heading for Valencia Island. I thought I could get Professor Ivy to give me a license, or take me on as an apprentice till I turned ten. But…"

"But you ended up here." Joy's stern voice was watery now, and I could see her dabbing her eyes with one of the napkins on the table. "It's not luck that you got here, it's a miracle."

Yes. Yes, it is.

It's also a miracle that she bought that hogwash.

I could finally walk.

No crutches, no wheelchair – nothing. I was free from my constraints.

To an extent, that is. I couldn't run very well yet, but I could jog and walk and not be hounded by Joy and Chansey to use the wheelchair or crutches. That was all I really wanted. All I needed.

And now, with my newfound capability, I set off to find Pidgey. He'd been spending his days outside of the Pokémon Center, only returning at night to feed and sleep. Every time he returned he was battered and bruised and I wanted to know what he was up to.

So, after memorizing his path, I found myself here, away from the town and at the edge of a dark, looming forest. The trees were tall and full, and as far as I could tell there was no road or path going inside. There were no landmarks in the forest, it was just that; a forest. Nurse Joy told me that the islanders believed the Pokémon here deserved their own space, so they didn't even touch the place. Whenever they built new land, they kept it along the shore.

With a breath, I entered the forest. It was a wild place, covered in gnarled roots and deep pits that I had to be careful of. A few Pokémon were loitering around as I walked through, including a bunch of Carerpie, a couple Metapods and a few Rattata's; I think I even saw a Pikachu, though that might have been my overactive imagination playing tricks on me.

As I passed through, I was approached. One of the Caterpie came up to me and began crawling up my leg. I didn't really know what to do, not being accustomed to giant larva with intelligence, so I just tried to act normal.

"What's going on, little guy?" I asked as it reached my arm.

It crawled up to my shoulder and started chittering at me, butting its head into my cheek. It was… Slimy. That's the best way to put it, honestly.

Oh wait. Intelligent, lives in the forest, and is interested in me?

Ah, hello tour guide.

"Hey Caterpie, can you do me a favor?"

It stopped rubbing against my cheek, extending itself so that it was hanging off of me. It twisted its head like an owl, a full 180, and stared at me with what I could only hope was curiosity. It chittered at me, so I continued.

"I'm looking for a friend of mine." That might have been a stretch, but Pidgey was going to be my starter so he was going to be my friend in any case. "He's a Pidgey, a pretty big one too. He's been coming here and coming back home with bruises. I just want to make sure he's alright. Can you tell me where he is?"

"Piiii~" the little worm hummed, bobbing its head up and down. It shot a bolt of string from its little mouth to the branch of a tree and beckoned me to follow with its tail.

That was… huh. No words.

So, I did as it wanted. I followed the little green bug, carefully noting where it spat its string and trying my hardest to remember the path. We walked for a good ten minutes, probably a little more. Then, it chirped and landed back on my shoulder, pointing towards a clearing.

When I reached said clearing, I just stared. There he was, Pidgey, looking defiant against a trio of Spearow. He was larger than them all, but he was battered and bruised, and they had the numbers. Actually, now that I had a better look, I saw that there were even more Spearow in the trees, watching the fight. A few saw me but did nothing since I did nothing. Next to Pidgey was the corpse of a mangled Raticate.

Pidgey barked at them, raising his wings and sending a gust of visible wind towards them. The Spearow in the middle strutted forward and shot out a similar gust of visible wind, only it was larger and far less controlled. That wasn't a Gust, so it must have been a Whirlwind.

The other two Spearow weren't idle. While the middle one was countering Pidgey, they flanked him, their beaks glowing with a greyish energy. Flying type energy, that was a Peck attack. They barreled into my soon-to-be-starter, making him cry out. The flock that was in the tree's were cawing at this, laughing.

But Pidgey, he looked defiant. I could see it in his eyes. He made to fly away, only for another Spearow to bring him down. Then another, and another. This wasn't a battle anymore, they were going on a frenzy and Pidgey was the target of their anger. He was being bombarded by gusts of wind and slapped wings. At first there were three Spearow he was fighting, now there were over ten and more coming. This couldn't be called a fight anymore.

They were going to kill him.

I grabbed the Poké Ball in my pocket, enlarged it, and tossed it at him. Surprisingly, it hit. There weren't even any shakes, it just clicked and he was captured. I ran at the ball, the Spearow flock returning to the air in surprise. My hand snaked out and I was now holding the Poké Ball that held Pidgey inside.

Oh, that felt nice.

"Spea- RO!" One of the Spearow hollered, coming to terms with just happened. Angered, it went in for a dive. At me.

Shit.

Survival instincts kicked in and I grabbed Caterpie and tossed it at the Spearow. The worm gave me such a look of betrayal, but I didn't care. It wasn't my fault it trusted somebody that was only alive due to a miracle and really didn't want to die any time soon. Better it than me. It slapped the Spearow right in the face, sending both of them tumbling to the ground, and while the Spearow flock was in a state of surprised shock I bolted away.

In my peripherals I caught sight of the flock gathering their wits, coming to the unanimous decision that Caterpie was to be a mid-morning snack. Thank you, my friend. You will be remembered. Probably… Maybe… Oh, who am I kidding. I'll forget about that overly trusting bug by tomorrow morning.

I bolted through the trees as fast as I could, faster than I could run when I was an adult, strangely enough. I followed the trees I remembered, followed the remains from the now devoured Caterpie's String Shot, and hoped beyond hope that I was going the right way.

Just as I reached the edge of the forest, the town in sight, I heard them. Their wings were rustling the leaves, their cries echoing past tree branches. I didn't even look backwards to see how they looked, I just wanted out of here.

So, I ran. I ran and I ran and I ran. I ran so hard that the cramps in my leg returned with a vengeance, and damn but that was going to be another week in the wheelchair. And I ran some more.

The Spearow were basically at my neck. But I was in town now, bolting through the streets and cruising past a few startled islanders. They saw me and were happy to see my recovery, then they see what I was running from and were quick to hightail it out of there.

There was only one person that didn't run away when catching sight of my followers. He was a short, older guy, with a mohawk of grey hair and a weird sideburn-mustache combo that was really unkempt. He was slightly overweight and was sporting a blue Hawaiian shirt and a pair of white khaki shorts. Actually, for some reason, the Spearow flock were turning quiet, and it seemed like they were staying away.

I was still running, but I risked a glance. Sure enough, they were prostrated before the dude, looking fearful. He had a Poké Ball in his hand, and in a flash of silver light released its inhabitant. Dark brown feathers with hints of grey meshed against a truly grim face, with a spear-like beak and enraged brown eyes. A plume of pink cartilage was attached to its scalp, almost mimicking a crown.

That was a Fearow, and Fearow was mad.

This actually gave me some context. That meant that dude was Tobias, the one brought Pidgey to the Pokémon Center according to Nurse Joy. Well, if I could buy him a drink I would have done so. He saved my starters hide and now my own.

But, uh…

Nah.

And thus, the epic chase was concluded.

I was no longer running, my leg cramping viciously, and instead found myself limping back to the Pokémon Center. The electric doors opened, and I found myself thanking the heavens for the power of air conditioning. Nurse Joy wasn't at the front, but Chansey was, and boy did she look unhappy.

She waddled on over to me and snatched Pidgey's Poké Ball from my hand. Nurse Joy walked in just after, a steaming cup of coffee in hand, and almost dropped the coffee when Chansey dug through her egg pouch, pulled out a cap and threw it at her.

A nursing cap, with a big red plus on it.

I make no qualms about my ignorance. I don't know shit. I also didn't know what doing that meant, but I was able to infer that that was Chansey's way of saying 'we actually have work for once'. Judging by the way Nurse Joy went ramrod straight and bolted for the sick bay, I was banking on that being right.

And thus, the healing of my Pidgey began.

I had nothing to contribute to this process, so found myself returning to my room and crashing on the cot I was gifted.

Nap time.

I was awoken by Nurse Joy, her expression quite contrite.

"You're lucky I like you." She huffed, hands on her hips. "Never go into the forest without a Pokémon for backup. Even if most of its denizens are friendly, you don't know what could be watching you."

Ah, it's always nice when a pretty woman is worried for little ol' me.

Nice though it was, I didn't really care that much. She was here, not in the sick bay, which meant her work with Pidgey was done.

"How's Pidgey?"

She scowled. "He's perfectly fine, though not very happy. Before I let you see him, we need to have a talk."

Please don't tell me this involves the birds and the bee's. Or is it the Pidgeots and the Beedrills over here?

"About?" I asked, genuinely a bit confused.

"That Poké Ball you caught Pidgey with." Uh oh. "Jon, I'm not just the registered nurse here, I'm the owner and operator of this Center. I was the one that stripped you when Slowking brought you here, and even if I hadn't, I have access to all the security tapes in my Pokémon Center. There were no Poké Balls on you when you were brought to me. Why did you lie about where you found them?"

Uhhh…

C'mon! Thinkthinkthink. What's a good, plausible reason to lie straight to her face? What would make her back off?

"Because I didn't want you to take them away," I eventually said, deciding to just be truthful. "I wasn't lying about anything else." And just like that, I was done being truthful. "I really did live in Kumquat Island, and I did want to go to Professor Ivy to become a trainer. It's just- I'm so much farther behind than I was before, y'know? So, when I found those Poké Balls I just… I'm sorry." I had my head down and my eyes closed, doing my best to look as miserable as I could.

In actuality, I was biting my cheek in hopes that she'd believe my malarkey.

She sighed, slumping. Success! "I'm not mad, Jon. I'm more disappointed than anything. You asked if you could have supplies from the lost and found and I let you grab some clothes, why do you think I wouldn't let you have a few spare Poké Balls?"

Because they are used to capture and control monsters of elemental destruction and I was an immature, recently injured brat that you were looking after? Ergo, it would only be sane for you to not give me anything that could be seen as ammunition.

Naturally, I kept that thought silent. In fact, I just kept my silence entirely.

"I've already taken the other Poké Ball and Great Ball from your bag." What?! "You have a Pokémon now, and I want you to focus solely on Pidgey for the time being. When I feel you've proven yourself, I'll let you have them back."

I blinked. "I'm getting them back?"

She smiled, a slightly brittle thing but a smile all the same. "I want you to succeed, and like I said before, I would have let you have them if you'd just asked. Just- earn it, okay?"

I nodded my head, and with a breath of relief she made her way out of the room. Chansey then came in, a tray holding Pidgey's Poké Ball in her nubby little hands. She brought it towards me, and I grabbed the ball. She then waddled away, empty tray at her side.

I stared at the ball in my hands. It was so small but held so much potential. I released Pidgey. In a flash of silver light he appeared at my leg, looking annoyed. He stared at me, barking out his name.

He was mad that I caught him.

Funny.

"Pidgey, if I didn't capture you those Spearow would have eaten you." He looked even more annoyed at that. He was a prideful guy. That needed to be squashed. "No, I figured it out. That Raticate, you were sparring with it, right? You want to evolve to get off the island, right?"

He sniffed but nodded his head all the same.

"Those Spearow killed that Raticate," I said, bluntly. He looked down, well aware of this fact. "I don't know a lot about them, but I do know enough. Spearow eat smaller Pokémon, and when they have the chance they'll gang up on larger ones. They were going to treat you like a feast if I hadn't found you."

"DGEY!" He screeched, butting his head right into mine. He wasn't attacking, but I could see his anger.

"I caught you to save your life," I restated. Just as he looked ready to fight, I continued. "But I also have the same goal as you. I didn't want to come to Shamouti. I washed up on the beach and was gonna die if I wasn't saved by one of the local Pokémon. You want to get stronger, so you can get out of here. I want to help you get stronger, so I can get out of here too."

All true. I was stuck here on Shamouti until I had the ability to travel whenever I wanted. Pidgey was my ticket to that. He was large and was going to be a rider; no questions about that. Only a handful of Pidgeot grew to riding size, but the bloodline of Fairchild Island was unique in that they produced not only Pidgeot's that could handle riders, but Pidgeot's that could handle secondary riders. That's how damn big these things grow.

"Become my Pokémon. Together, we'll get what we want."

Pidgey backed away, scrutinizing me. I stared back at him, just as we always did. Slowly, ever so slowly, he nodded his head in acceptance.

Holy shit, I had my starter.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing, a loud cackle that startled Pidgey. Without warning I brought him into a big hug, happily ignoring his squawks of protest and his struggle to get out from my arms.

Upon releasing him, his glare was returned, though resigned as well. He preened at his now ruffled feathers, trying to get them back in order.

Randomly, a thought came to mind. "Oh! Hey, Pidgey. Do you want a nickname?" I hadn't really put much thought into it, but I do like the idea of giving my Pokémon nicknames. Something that further signifies them as mine.

He was still giving me the stink eye, but wave his wing at me, somehow conveying a willingness to listen to my suggestion.

"I'd like to name you Winter."

He cocked his head to the side in contemplation, before suddenly jerking it at me. I took that to mean he wanted me to continue my train of thought. "Where I'm from, there is a saying called Winter is Coming." Or at least, where my name comes from. "It means that the inevitable will always happen. Just as the seasons will always come, the best we can do is prepare for what they bring. You will be that inevitable thing, something that can't be stopped, a Pokémon that can only be prepared for."

His eyes crinkled, and he nodded his assent.

Look out world!

Winter is coming.