27-29

Chapter 27 - Surprise after Surprise

 "Just a bit more heat Litwick." "Lit!" The little candle Pokémon's flame started burning more intensely, finally producing enough heat to boil the water inside the pot. "That's it, this will make enough morning tea for everyone thanks Litwick." "Wick!" Why did I request Litwick's help with cooking while this house had a perfectly serviceable stove? Preparing food together was an activity me and Numsy have come to enjoy and since then I've seen it as a helpful bonding exercise.It was still a bit too early in the morning for my team to wake up, so I got myself started on preparing breakfast. Victini's antics from last night emptied my expensive berry supply significantly so this first meal of the day was somewhat cheaper compared to the standard fare I made for my Pokémon. We finished breakfast preparations just before the rest of my team woke up. Glove was still sleeping soundly but a quick shake to let him know that it was time to eat did the trick. I made some toast for myself with the oran jam I found in one of the cabinets. complemented by a glass of freshly squeezed cheri berry juice. "This is nice… wait what the!?" The Cheri juice I had just poured for myself froze over just as I was about to drink it. 'The only one in the house with an ice type on her team is…' "My pranking immunity expired last night, didn't it? You can stop hiding yourself, Froslass I know it was you.""Lass Lass Lass!" 'It is said that Snorunt can survive by only eating snow and ice. I don't know how much of that is true but in any case, I don't want to get on the bad side of this femme fatale that's for sure. Maybe if I…?' I picked up my frozen cheri juice dumped it in a bowl paired it with some whipped cream out of the fridge stuck a spoon in it from one of the drawers in the kitchen and presented it to Froslass as a sort of peace offering. "Here you go you must have been hungry too, right?" Luckily it seems Froslass was pining for a frozen treat of her own because she let me off with a simple nod, before taking my gifted peace offering into her hands and flying off. With a bit of pride for handling the situation like an expert I resumed eating my breakfast pouring myself another glass of juice. "Litwick and Rena are you two ready for today? Kira's Chandelure is going to teach Rena the basics of will-o-wisp and Litwick you'll get to watch them. This'll be a great learning experience for the both of you." "Lit!" "Pix!" "Now there will be people coming over throughout the day to observe Litwick so don't mind the spectators. For a large part of this morning, I'll be going sightseeing in the settlement. I didn't get to visit the psychic academy yet and I am hoping to score a psychic type technical machine from them. That way Tini will also have a new move to work on." "Num…?" "I am sorry Numsy, aside from our general exercise routine I don't have anything new to teach you for now. When we get back to Hoenn I'll ask Mr. Moore to teach us some of the more powerful fire type moves, but don't let that stop you from experimenting with new type energies. I am fairly certain you have grown powerful enough to try your hoof at rock type energies." "Glove, how's learning confusion coming along?" "Dar…" "It's okay we all have our difficulties learning something completely new the first time. You know how to perform belly drum right?" "Dar." The blazing Pokémon gave me an affirming nod. "Switching to zen mode with the use of that move should be doable. Learning to use confusion after switching forms is probably less demanding, and after you have figured out how to do so in zen mode performing the move in your regular form should be the next step. I'll make sure to set aside our remaining oran berries for you to use to replenish your endurance. Now we just need a volunteer to feed you the berries while you are petrified…" "Quill!" "You'll help out? That's really generous of you Tranquill." "Glove, do you mind me walking with the egg alone while you train? It's been a while and professor Elm's studies have shown that trainers walking with their eggs makes them hatch quicker." Glove now showed a contemplating expression. On the one hand he would like to see the royal Pokémon be born as soon as possible and on the other he probably feels that leaving the egg alone is the same as neglecting his duties. "Don't worry we're strong enough to protect the egg from any thief or bandit isn't that right Numsy?" "Num num!" With today's planning decided on, each member of my team went forth to complete their assignments. Numsy and Victini being the only ones to come with me to scout out the psychic academy. Phoebe, not being a morning person, was committed to staying in bed until the guests arrived. Apparently, Kira's younger sister was a big deal in the ghost rearing community, so my wayward friend was incessant on meeting her. "Tini, do you want to get into my backpack? Kira did give us a warning that you should avoid getting seen by the headmistress." Victini who was getting used to being able to openly interact with people living in the villa was a tad reluctant of going(to go?) back to avoiding the public eye but in the end, she grudgingly complied with my request. "When we get there, I'll try and see if we can find Beheeyem again. I've been wondering if you are able to learn the move teleport. I know that only certain species of Psychic type Pokémon can actually use the move, but it would be pretty cool if you could." "I don't know… I never tried it before." "I am not really expecting to be able to buy any of their technical machines since we have to save most of the money for our return trip home. In any case this'll give us something to shoot for. I can't wait for you to try my grandma's freshly baked Lava cookies. They are way tastier than the preserved ones. She also takes special requests if you want to try specific kinds of fermented berries." "Even liechi berry?" "That berry… finding it in the wild is such a rare occurrence. I've told you about mirage island, right? People have spent their whole lives looking for that special place. The only location in Hoenn with just the right environmental factors which allow this rarest of berries to grow in the wild. Even Hoenn's premier berry master can't get it to grow in his state-of-the-art greenhouses. Maybe with you by my side we'll have better luck finding it. My theory is that a colony of wobuffet and wynaut are hiding the island's location just like those baltoy from the desert resort. If we can find that island, we'll get to taste those elusive berries, and bring enough back home for some truly special Lava cookies. Those berries are just the right mix between sweet and spicy perfect for a sweet tooth fire type like yourself." "Sweet AND spicy!?" "Num!""Numsy you wouldn't like that berry, it's too sweet for your taste palette. If we ever get the chance to visit the berry master's gardens, I'll pick out a Belue berry for you. It is said that they taste very sour but with a hint of spiciness." As we were daydreaming about uncommon berries, I didn't notice the time passing by. As a result we were standing in front of the entrance to the Psychic academy without having registered our arrival. Numsy, being the most observant of us three poked my trouser leg with his snout to let me know that we had already arrived. The school building looked the same as any other trainer school I've seen passing the numerous towns and cities in Unova. Seeing as there were no people standing outside and the gate was open (so?) we let ourselves in. Inside instead of a person manning the reception desk a perky looking Gothorita was swiveling on the desk chair. Obviously the Pokémon got bored and decided to goof off for a bit. "Excuse me?" "Rita?" "Yes, I am here to observe an ongoing class. I'd really like to see what a typical lesson looks like for psychically gifted school kids." I felt the familiar sensation of a psychic type Pokémon looking to connect with my mind but before Gothorita had a chance to, she was mentally rebuffed by the rabbit Pokémon stuck in my backpack. "No more squatters!" Gothorita, unprepared for any form of retaliation was surprised when her comfy swivel chair suddenly rotated a whole lot faster than she was used to. Like a carousel out of control the chair kept spinning and at the end of it all Gothorita was thoroughly disorientated while making googly eyes. 'No Tini that's bad! I thought we agreed to keep a low profile. Gothorita wouldn't know that I already have you with me so you shouldn't be that harsh on her. Now hopefully she forgives us otherwise we have to hightail it out of here.' "We are very sorry Gothorita! My psychic type partner really doesn't like it when others enter my mindspace and she acted out. Can you please forgive us?" "Goth…" 'What did she say Tini?' "She is speaking gibberish, it doesn't mean anything." 'What do we do!? Maybe we should come back another time when another Pokémon is working the reception desk.' "You there! young man. What are you doing harassing our staff!?" A professional looking woman marched towards me obviously having noticed Gothorita's dazed condition. She was wearing a black pencil skirt and white blouse combination, telling the world that she took her job very seriously. "Uhmm it was an accident…?" 10 minutes later* The woman named Jasmine turned out to be the headmistress of this academy. Who after introducing herself took me to her office for an immediate scolding. "So, you are telling me that you wanted to come take the school's universal offer to see one of our lessons being held and when Gothorita tried to touch minds one of your partners took offense and gyrated her office chair so fast that she almost fainted." "Yeah… that's basically what happened. Not many psychic types assume that I already have a Pokémon poking around there and she gets upset when her space gets invaded." "Hmm… your explanation seems plausible enough and no permanent harm was done by making my assistant woozy for a couple of minutes. Your partner must be quite skilled to get a leg up on Gothorita like that. Are you perhaps looking to enroll in our fine institution?" "I don't think I have the gift like some of your other students ma'am. I was just looking to learn some general information about training psychic type Pokémon, and I thought I could accomplish that by attending one of your lessons." "Yes, there are indeed many parallels between training human psychics and Pokémon of the psychic type. Pray tell of what species is your partner Pokémon?" 'I knew it would come to this… I hope I can lie convincingly else we need to get out of here. I should've brought Glove with us for a plausible excuse even though he can't even use psychic moves at the moment.' "A Natu but she's very shy so she won't come out of her Pokéball." Her eyes flash briefly with what I believe to be disappointment before she stood up and opened the door going out of her office. "Follow me then. I'll show you what a typical day looks like in this place of learning." As we walked along the corridor, I noticed most of the classrooms were completely empty. I was expecting to see a bunch of kids my age running around. 'A tad wasteful having such a large building without anyone being able to make use of the facilities.' "Humans who are psychically gifted only compromise about 0.2% of the population. We work hard trying to fill up these classrooms young man." "Eh!? Did you read my mind?""I didn't have to. Just understand that these classrooms aren't empty by choice. Each year we only have a limited number of students enrolling. Our staff members scour all of Unova for gifted children which is hard without violating any privacy laws concerning the sanctity of a person's or Pokémon's mind. If we do find children of a suitable age to enroll, we also have to receive parent's permission to move them into the settlement." "Hmm indeed that would make it fairly hard to find students. May I ask how many children are currently enrolled at this academy?" "Eleven… The children that study at this institution get a full ride. Housing, an allowance for food and recreational activities and private tutoring by qualified personnel. If they happen to fall behind in their general studies. After they have finished their coursework, they are also awarded with a trainer's license and the academy is responsible for finding them their first partner Pokémon. Naturally we raise the finest psychic type Pokémon around." Just like that she guided me towards the only classroom which was in use while extolling the benefits children get for enrolling at her school. To be fair even I was tempted to resume my education here after getting a full overview of what this academy had to offer. "How does the academy determine if an individual has psychic potential?" "Naturally parentage plays a big part. Children who are born into families with psychic abilities tend to have them as well to a greater or lesser degree. It is also possible for one to develop this potential even if there is no such relation through a random mutation, although such cases are very rare. Finally, a regular person may develop some minor psychic potential through long lasting relationships with psychic type Pokémon. In the latter case those individuals are limited in what they can do and end up at the same level as those carnival fare workers. You know the ones… bending spoons and reading tarot cards. As for how to tell for sure if one has the gift. It usually involves putting a person through severe mental distress. We stage a fake dangerous situation with the parents' permission of course." "I see…" "Let's get out of here, this lady seems dangerous!" 'Just a bit longer let's take a look at the students first before arriving at any conclusions.' "These are the children under my care. They are studying math at the moment so you are free to observe them." The classroom we stopped at was filled with a handful of teenagers. The atmosphere seemed the same as any other school environment I've come across except for one notable difference. Each of these students had a psychic type Pokémon out seemingly helping them with their coursework. The Pokémon in question were all native from Unova. Gothita, the Fixation Pokémon. Gothita watches Pokémon and Trainers with an intense stare. Its bow-like feelers amplify its Psychic powers. Even when nobody seems to be around, Gothita can still be heard making a muted cry. Many believe it's speaking to something only it can see. Solosis, the Cell Pokémon. A membrane filled with fluid surrounds Solosis's body which allows it to live anywhere. It defeats its enemies using its formidable Psychic-type powers. Many say that the special liquid covering this Pokémon's body would even allow it to survive in the vacuum of space. Munna, the Dream Eater Pokémon. Munna can eat the dreams of people and Pokémon alike, and then project those dreams by emitting Dream Mist from its body. The mist is pink when it's eating a good dream, and black when it's eating a nightmare. Late at night, it appears beside people's pillows. As it feeds on dreams, the patterns on its body give off a faint glow. This was the first time I've seen so many psychic types gathered in one place. Naturally my first instinct was to play with them. I repressed my desire to get to know these new Pokémon mostly because of Victini's jealous streak and since they were in the middle of receiving lessons. As I was watching outside the class window the headmistress noticed my use of a Pokédex. "One of the lab sponsored trainers then? Aren't you a bit too young to have already received your trainer's license?" "I earned my trainer's license in Hoenn where any ten-year-old can undertake the examination. My license is recognized by the Unovan league association, but I am not allowed to compete in tournaments. Something about setting a bad example. In any case the professor pays me a small sum if I uncover things that are helpful to his research, while I am on my journey." "Tell me… since you seem to have some form of relation with our regional professor. Are you aware of the discovery of a previously unknown Psychic type Pokémon in Unova? My contacts have told me Cedric Juniper's daughter is working on something big." My heart was about to come out of its chest until I realized she probably wasn't talking about Victini but the newly discovered Darmanitan form. "Ahem yeah. They discovered that Darmanitan has an ability that allows it to switch typing from fire to dual fire and psychic. I was actually there when they made the discovery, and I caught one of those Darmanitan for my team. He's been having a rough time learning psychic type moves though, but I am sure he'll get it down pat with some further training." There was no need to elucidate the headmistress on my more direct role in this discovery. The less attention she directed towards us the better. "Fascinating, might I see this Darmanitan of yours? This irregular Pokémon would be perfect for an impromptu guest lesson." "I would show him to you but he's back at Kira's place practicing confusion." "That is not a problem. I am familiar with all the places inside the settlement we can teleport from here to her villa and back again in but a moment's notice." "Ehm maybe? He's not the type to show off as much and I don't know how teleportation will affect my egg." "Tell you what young man if you let my students study this Darmanitan of yours I will recompense you for the time and effort." The word recompense nabbed my attention. "Recompense as in maybe a technical machine?" "We do actually pay money to guest teachers you know? Also, we aren't by any means a poor institution. If you want your Pokémon to learn a particular psychic type move, we have a couple of short courses on offer." "I was just wondering because I figured that a technical machine could really get my partner Pokémon started and we have to leave for Hoenn at the end of the day." The headmistress looked miffed probably under the impression that I didn't have enough faith in the school's services but ultimately, she relented. "Fine, we do have a couple in stock for the types of Pokémon who have a learning disability: simple minded woobat, slowpoke and the like. You can pick one from our catalogue after showing off your Darmanitan in front of the class." "Right away ma'am! I'll go get him, it's only a ten minute walk." "Hold up a second young man. I can have my Beheeyem teleport you over." "No thank you. I need the exercise. I'll be back in no time!" Before she got the chance to stop me, I already made a beeline back to Kira's Villa. With Victini still in my bag I didn't want to risk being discovered during the teleportation. "This is it, Tini. If everything works out the way I hope it does, we might be able to snag ourselves a teleportation technical machine! No more standing in line like with the rest of the peasants, we'll get those Castelia cones before anyone else does!" "For the sweets!" Back at the villa* "So, I would like to show off your zen mode in a classroom setting and in return we'll get to pick a technical machine from the academy." We made it back to the villa in good time. Glove was using the courtyard to train and since he used belly drum to enter his zen mode state, communication was slow going. "Tini what does he say?" "Glove doesn't mind… he successfully got confusion to work while we were gone." "That's amazing Glove! When we get to Mistralton you'll get to pick the restaurant we dine at." I recalled Glove inside his pokéball but before I got the chance to leave. A certain bird pokemon perched on my shoulders. "Quill!" Oh, hey Tranquill thanks for looking after Glove for us. You can take all the leftover berries in my backpack for yourself as a reward for a job well done. Do you want to come with us? Or would you rather explore the surrounding area some more? "Tranq! Quill!" Tranquill lifted off most probably to stuff herself full of berries. "Me too?" "No, you are on a diet. Besides you and the team ate most of my berries last night. We'll have to resupply once we arrive in Mistralton." As we were surveying our surroundings, we noticed a crowd of people gathering on Kira's lawn. Kira herself was seated on the edge of her porch and standing on her lap was my worrisome Litwick. Inclined to avoid the crowd I sent the little guy a silent prayer before darting out the front door. I would have dropped by just to give words of encouragement to Litwick, but I still needed to keep a low profile while in Unova. I was one hundred percent certain Rena would keep an eye on the little guy and make sure none of those invited would get overly touchy with my Pokémon. "Let's get back before Darmanitan reverts back to his regular form." I didn't know how long it would take for Glove to recover its stamina and exit zen mode, but I knew I didn't want him using belly drum again. Repeated use of that move in a single day has sent a good number of users to the Pokémon center for an extended stay. We made our way back to the academy. This time I didn't want to chance someone accidentally discovering Victini by snooping in my bag so, we both decided it would be best that she stay in her poké ball for the remainder of the lecture. At the entrance of the school headmistress Jasmine was already waiting for us. "You have returned, are you ready to present your Darmanitan to the class?" "Yes ma'am. Glove won't really be able to interact with the class, since in his alternate state his body becomes petrified. However, I can talk about where I found him and the peculiarities of his ability. IF that is okay with you?""That'll do. Be sure not to overly excite the students lest you lose control of the topic of conversation. I will introduce you and give the sign when it's okay for you to walk in." With that we returned to the classroom's entrance and the headmistress walked inside the classroom. 'This is the first time Glove will interact with a large group of people since I captured him. Hopefully everything will turn out okay.' "Just keeping close to the egg will be enough for Glove." "And with that I'd like to introduce you to Egon from Lavaridge Town and his recently captured Darmanitan." She gave me the signal to come into the classroom. Nearing the end of the lecture* "And that's how I captured Glove. Once I got to know him better things just worked itself out. He's still adjusting to modern times. The first time we entered a city the sights left him completely stunned. Back then the most populated place was the relic castle and that place doesn't even come close to the size of Nimbasa City." Ä girl with pigtails named Tammy raised her hand. "How come the Darmanitan didn't die of old age? I have heard no mention of Pokémon being able to live that long." "A good question. My guess is that being stuck in Zen mode halted the ageing process for Glove and his fellow guard Pokémon. And I am speculating that after a while the mind just shuts down to protect itself from going mad. So, he didn't really realize how long he's been stuck in that state. Next question please." This time one of the boys excitedly asked a question foregoing the raising of the hand. "Are we going to see you and Glove competing in this year's Ventress Conference?" "Sadly no, I am set to return to Hoenn so maybe you'll get to see me competing in the Evergrande conference." The teens acted just like any other kids their age. Being able to move objects with their minds or glimpse the future didn't really have any effect on their personalities as far as I could tell. Being able to do these things as a human must not feel all that special if any psychic type Pokémon could do the same but better. After the asking of questions died down somewhat I unlatched Glove's ball from my belt. "Now it's time for some showboating. Strut your stuff Glove!" My Darmanitan materialized in front of the classroom still stuck in his zen mode. The students were notably impressed by his figure. I was hearing Multiple Ooh's and Aaah's "Now as you can see this is how a Darmanitan looks in its zen mode state. Notice the petrified blue fur and the arms that have receded into his body? He is still aware of what is going on around him with his psychically heightened senses. It is just that he has trouble expressing himself while in this form." I pat Glove on the back. "He's been with me only for a short while, but I've met no other Pokémon more dutiful and of staunch character. Now to return him to his regular form he only needs to recover his physical stamina. This can be done faster by feeding him or using a recovery move. In fact, let's hear what the Pokédex has to say about Glove. I am pretty sure the scientists at the desert resort have had ample time to update the entry of his species." Darmanitan, Zen mode. A Fire and Psychic type. When Darmanitan is injured in a fierce battle, it hardens into a stone-like form. Then it meditates and sharpens its mind. Through meditation, it calms its raging spirit and hones its psychic powers. "The entry may seem complete but there's still a lot of stuff missing like average size and the moves it can perform while in this state. Since there aren't many of these Darmanitan around. Researchers are going to have a blast learning all there is to know about Zen mode. If any of you want to touch his fur to experience what his petrified form feels like you can do so now. Just remember to be gentle, he still has his sense of touch." The students needing no more encouragement lined up to touch Glove's rocky exterior. While the class was busy, Headmistress Jasmine took me aside for a quick one on one conversation. Judging by the mellowed expression on her face she was impressed enough with my teaching skills to forgive me for that little mishap in the morning. "What a wonderful lesson you barely had to put in effort to keep the class' attention on the lecture. Your Darmanitan is an exemplary specimen of its kind. I would very much like to acquire one for this Academy. You say the expedition only managed to unpetrify one other who is currently under the care of Lenora from Nacrene city?" "Well, so far at least. I've only seen five Darmanitan stuck in their zen mode outside the excavation site. There could be more buried deep within the sand though. The expedition is currently waiting for a batch of ragecandybar ordered directly from Jhoto. The only reason the scientists managed to figure out that these Darmanitan weren't just statues was because I had two of those candy bars with me in my backpack. It'll probably be another week and some change before the scientists can unpetrify more Darmanitan.""Thank you, Egon, that's all I needed to know. This Academy still has quite some pull with the league association. I'll do my best to convince them to allow me a chance to capture one." After class was over and the students were heading out for their lunch break Jasmine motioned for me to follow her to an isolated part of the school building where the technical machines were kept. The archive room seemed dusty, like it hadn't been used in a long while. "This is also the place where we keep student records and the like, so we only need to use the room once every so often. You need only to pick one technical machine from that shelf over there, if you feel like you can't make an informed decision just ask for help, I am an expert when it comes to battling with psychic types." 'Teleport Teleport Teleport!' "Calm down Egon!"

Chapter 28 – Technical Mayhem Getting the opportunity to browse through the school's technical machines was an amazing opportunity. I would try to keep an open mind on what kind of technical machine I was shooting for. 'Teleport!' The pantry housing the technical machines looked to be more stocked than the one inside the Striaton gym. Even with a distinct lack of non-psychic type technical machines. All in all, there seemed to be around a dozen different varieties. Luckily for me they were alphabetically organized. "Calm mind, Dream eater, Imprison, Light screen, Power Swap. No… Teleport begins with a T so it should be all the way in the back."There at the very edge of the pantry just after telekinesis lay the technical machine, I was looking for TM30 part of Silph Co's very first line of technical machines for the open market. Having only been produced in the Kanto region for a limited amount of time before the company discontinued production a couple of years ago. Being able to see even a single copy up here in Unova is a rare event. Dust had accumulated on its packaging affirming my suspicion that it was the real deal. Glimpsing back at all the other great technical machines I would miss out on by picking this I hardened my heart and pulled it off the shelf. "Headmistress Jasmine, I've made my choice. I'll choose this one." "Let's see here… Teleport? I have to say young man there are far better technical machines than this one on that shelf. Most psychic type species that can perform teleport do so right out of the egg. We believe it's ingrained into them on a genetic level to avoid predation while their parents are stuck in deep meditation. There is a good chance that Darmanitan of yours won't be able to learn this move even with extensive tutoring. Are you sure you want to choose this one?" "Yes, it just seems like a great time saver." "This technical machine comes with a pamphlet, I'll have to give it to you to avoid any legal issues." "Really? What's written in the pamphlet?" "In order to prevent humans and Pokémon from abusing this power. The league association in each region has strict guidelines on where you are allowed to teleport to and from. It also has a bunch of common-sense laws like only teleporting on private property if you have the owner's permission to do so. It is actually fairly dangerous trying to teleport into crowded areas; you might crash into people or vehicles." As the headmistress was talking, she pulled out the pamphlet from a dossier box. "Make sure to read this before attempting any form of teleportation." "What you don't know about teleportation, a cautionary tale… I'll make sure to read this ma'am." "If you are still having trouble getting teleportation to work you can call me. My contact information is available on the academy's pokésite." 'This is it, Tini! Once we get back, we'll check to see if this technical machine is compatible with you.' "I want one whole custap berry each time that we have to teleport!" 'The old bait and switch huh… well played my fuzzy friend. We can work out the exact details after this ends up working, but for now let's get back to Kira's place. Those grave keepers must've had their fill of Litwick by now.' "Thank you for your generosity, ma'am and if I ever come across human psychics, I'll recommend they look up your academy." With that we left the school's premises. Still not believing how lucky I was that I received their last copy of the teleport technical machine. With a spring in my step, I walked all the way back to our hostess' home.  10 minutes later* There I was back at the gated entrance of Kira's opulent home. Through the bars I noticed the previous crowd had already dispersed. Even though I would soon be leaving Unova it would not do to get recognized so early. My choice to avoid crowds where I would garner a large amount of attention was in my view a wise choice. Being Litwick's new trainer I would doubtlessly be bombarded with trade requests or even those shameless enough who wanted to buy my newly minted partner outright. Even though such practices were not illegal a lot of trainers me included scoffed at such practices. Catching Pokémon just to sell or trade them away afterwards was just treating the same as treating these living beings as a commodity. Not mentioning the emotional trauma, the Pokémon in question would suffer being swapped away like that. I could still see the value in trading if both partners had different ambitions in life. A Pokémon who is an avid battle maniac would fare poorly under a dedicated coordinator after all. I unlocked the gates with the spare key given to me on loan from Kira and walked myself inside. This time I was extra cautious since my Phoebe's ceasefire has expired, I could expect to be pranked every hour or so just by being in her proximity. Seeing as every house in this town is probably warded with ghost repel talismans, I would probably be the only target for their particular branch of amusement. "Numsy come on out!" I released Numsy from his ball, the little camel appearing in a flash of light. "Num?" "Hey there buddy. How's about you walk in front of me? Scout ahead for a little bit." "Num…? Num num!"The little camel stomped his feet on the ground in protest. "Please… I just finished up that guest lesson. You can hide out in your ball when she's around, but I can't." "…Num." "Really, you'll do this for me?! You are the best Numsy, a true friend!" Numsy reluctantly agreed to be my sacrificial pawn in this endeavor, forever claiming the best bud spot in my heart. Only a true brother would take one for the team like this. My little camel cautiously moved forward, with me following behind from a distance. We kept going on like that making sure to keep sight of our surroundings until we got blocked by the front door. Naturally I avoided trying to open the door by hand in case Phoebe's ghosts were messing with the door handle home alone style. "We should be almost in the clear. I am fairly certain those ghosts won't pull anything with Kira in the same room. Let's try knocking fist." Numsy used his front leg to punt the front door making a hardy knocking sound. We stood there waiting for someone to answer the door. Half a minute passed but eventually someone did deign to open the front door. It was a woman we have never met before but looked awfully familiar. I figured she must be a public figure of some kind for her face to have stayed in my memory. The young woman had deep purple hair just like Kira and a pair of glasses with a ridiculously large frame, which oddly complimented her face quite well. "Hey, umm I am searching for Miss Kira? She's been looking after my Litwick for the day." Before she had a chance to respond I heard a loud insufferable voice from further inside the villa. "Egon! Come inside quickly, we're having brunch!" "Numsy, it seems the coast is clear, let us go and fill our stomachs." "Num!" "Will you be joining us, miss…?" "Shauntal, and yes I'd be delighted to share a meal with such an interesting young man such as yourself." 'Kira's baby sister is a member of the elite four?!' Instinctively I knew hiding my background was going to be a near impossible task. Unlike the strength obsessed Marshal, Shauntal was best known for using clever strategy to win most of her battles. As we were walking towards the dinner table, I already saw the gears in her head turning trying to solve the mystery that was me. Phoebe and Kira were enjoying what looked to be a selection of takeaway meals. My Litwick was still with them seated on top of a simple candelabrum half asleep, probably tuckered out from all the attention. I took a seat at the table Numsy hopping onto my lap while Shauntal did the same and for some reason decided to take the seat opposite to mine. "So, did anything interesting happen with Litwick? Have those colleagues you invited over discovered something groundbreaking?" "We actually did come upon something peculiar about our little Litwick here. The candle that was used to form his body was part of a birthday cake to celebrate a toddler's third name day. All my colleagues are now raving about the possibility of children's birthday wishes having the power to produce off color ghost types. Naturally I am of the opinion that it would be crazy to buy used birthday candles from the surrounding towns. Phenomena like this should happen naturally not to be used in some sort of get rich quick scheme to profit off of heartfelt wishes." "Yeah… maybe. Where did Rena go? I promised her a good brushing for having to practice without me." "Your Vulpix is sleeping in one of the guest rooms. Chandelure tells me she got the gist of using will-o-wisp down, now it's just repetition." Everyone at the table noticed me being awkward; it didn't help that Shauntal's glare never seemed to move off my facial features. The other ladies in the room started to notice this peculiar byplay because at some point Phoebe started raving to me about Shauntal most likely to pull some of that pressure off me. "Hey, Egon, did you know Shauntal here was just recently inaugurated as part of Unova's elite four? She's been giving me all sorts of helpful tips about training ghost types that even I didn't know of. I am sure she could give your Litwick some pointers as well." "Yeah… What's being part of the elite four like? Does it involve a lot of paperwork? I am thinking you are not just sitting around until trainers who have earned the right to challenge you come along." "Hmmm Technically speaking we are subordinate to the reigning champion. He can send us to do all sorts of odd jobs for the league. However, Champion Alder is determined to only call on us for regionwide emergencies, so we have enough time to pursue careers or hobbies and the like. I spent most of my free time searching for new inspiration. You see, I write books professionally." "All your experiences as a trainer must be enough to fill up a dozen books." "A writer is always in need of new material. Oh, Egon! Would you mind being my subject today? I've got some new novel ideas that need brainstorming! A trainer from Hoenn sets out, searching for lost familial relations. What do you think?" 'This woman… Is she toying with me?' Phoebe snapped out of her starstruck state and gave me a worried glance. Apparently, she picked up the innuendo as well. "Ehh… not really, I'll be leaving for Hoenn today. I can't compete in the Vertress conference this year, even with a trainer's license and I still have some stuff to sort out back home. A friend of mine is competing this year though, he specializes in water type Pokémon. We shared some training tips, and I am sure he's going to turn some heads around this year." The news that I would be leaving the region didn't seem to sit well with Shauntal based on what she had to say next. "Egon, would you mind if I send a picture of your face to my colleagues? Even though you come from Hoenn I feel like your features closely resemble a person I hold in high regard. He would be delighted to know someone so similar to him is friends with my sister." 'I am pretty sure he doesn't care who your sister is friends with, lady!' "I would mind actually it'd feel weird to know people are sharing pictures of me amongst themselves." "Photos are no good huh…? How about I just invite him over so he can get to know you? That would indeed be better." "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! Egon is your champion's secret grandchild, okay now leave us alone!"I was not the first to crack under the pressure of Shauntal's coy interrogation method, that honor fell to my childhood friend. Phoebe even though she wasn't the one facing the pressure head on felt implicated enough that she felt the urge to come clean in front of one of her idols. "Keeping each other's secrets is an important part of friendship Phoebes!" "It was an accident, Egon! She kept putting the screws on you. I couldn't handle the pressure anymore!" "Complete prank immunity for a month…!" Meanwhile Shauntal had this smug look on her face as if all her devious plots and schemes had come to fruition. Kira on the other hand seemed genuinely surprised by the news. "Phoebe must have misheard me saying something in our private conversations miss elite four. I am just a random nobody from Hoenn and am in no way related to your current reigning Champion." My only way out is a completely lack of scruples. If it didn't come out of my own mouth, she has no way to prove the validity of Phoebe's words. "Oh really?" She pulled out her Xtransceiver. "Please don't… you win." "What prize did I win? I don't remember entering any competition." Kira took this moment to come to my rescue. She unceremoniously stood up and started tugging Shauntal's ear. "Ow ow ow!" "What kind of grown woman bullies a ten-year-old? I raised you better than that Shauntal! Now apologize!" Properly chastised the elite four gave me a flimsy apology in order to be let off by her older sibling. Naturally she went right back on topic and started grilling me over my background. "So… do Alder and his son know you exist?" "Probably… I visited the Unovan embassy to get my green card. The ambassador there was really excited about the whole affair. Professor Juniper told me he would keep my whereabouts a secret so they shouldn't know where I am or that I even entered Unova to begin with... Are you going to tell them?" "Hmmm Alder's son Ranga has been off on another one of his adventures since the end of last year. So that makes informing him a moot point. However, Alder is my superior and I am really not that comfortable about keeping secrets from him. Why are you so adamant on not meeting family? Alder doesn't have many family members left and he cherishes each and every one of them very much." "I want to make it as a trainer on my own. If people know that I am related to a champion they'll just assume that all my future achievements are due to my parentage and not my own efforts." "Num!" "That's right Numsy we'll make it into the big leagues all on our own." "That's… You can just ask Alder to not mention the fact that he has another grandson. Don't you want to meet your little half-brother? He should be around five years old now." "I am sure he is well taken care of, but I have a little sister of my own to look after" "Alder has a granddaughter?!" "Calm down, me and my sister have different fathers." "That's true! Egon's little sister is waaay better looking than him. She's a real cutie pie!" "How would you know that? You haven't even met my little sister!" "Your grandpa showed off some family photos during his last visit. You should really bring her along one of these days." "Like hell I will! No way am I going to subject my little sister to the ghost Pokémon of Mt Pyre. An eight-year-old needs a full nine hours of sleep. I don't want her sleeping the day away because of that incessant Misdreavus. Not that it even matters, you won't be able to see her for the next couple of years…" "Egon…" "Later, okay?" Shauntal and Kira helpfully didn't comment on our terse exchange being insightful enough to not pry into my personal business. Just like that the atmosphere at the dinner table turned awkward with no one sitting at the table willing to break the silence. After we finished eating the takeaway Phoebe grabbed my hand and made me follow her to her guest room. "Spill." "You know my stepdad?" "The man who made off with your mother nearly a decade ago?" "Yeah, while I was on my journey, he decided it was best that Zinnia come live with him and mother. He's keeping her isolated inside the Draconid village. They have some weird rules about not allowing villagers to use modern technology, furthermore according to him she won't be allowed outside until she's of age to start her own journey. Since I am not a member of the tribe I won't get to see or talk to her for at least two years." "What sort of stupid rule is that?! Hmm but the Draconid village… even my grandparents don't know where it's located or if they do, they won't tell me because it's dangerous." "I know where it is roughly, but it's located inside the most dangerous place in all of Hoenn." "Meteor falls?! Only really strong ace trainers can make it through that place in one piece. Please don't tell me you plan on going. Your team is not at the level of strength required to safely make the journey. If you go there you'll end up salamence chow." "I know I've been working on a solution." "And…?" "I'll have to ask Mr. Moore for his aid. He's the only one I know who might be willing to lend a helping hand. Zinnia comes by the gym often enough so Flannery might put in a good word for me as well." "At least you are not stupid. If Mr. Moore is with you, I won't end up having to worry. However, if he doesn't agree to go, don't set off on your own." I was pretty sure I'd end up going at it alone, but to avoid upsetting Phoebe needlessly I just smiled and nodded my head. It did feel kind of good having someone to confide with like this. My grandparents back in Lavaridge are amazing people but there's still that age barrier that was hard to overcome. Likely they ended up worrying about Zinnia just as much as I do. Too bad they didn't know how to work a phone or else I'd probably be airing my thoughts to them at this moment. "I'll stay at this place for a couple more days. Shauntal is the best and she has my dream job, a member of the elite four. I'll get her to spill those juicy training secrets and by the time I get back I'll show Glacia who's who!" Now that Phoebe wasn't on my back anymore and my stomach was filled with food. It was time for me to get some extra bonding time in with Litwick. I was expecting the teleportation service to pop by later in the evening so there was still a couple of hours left until we had to leave for Mistralton City. Litwick was still standing on the dinner table illuminating his surroundings in a bright blue light. "Hey Litwick, you want to hang out with us in the guestroom?" "Lit!"  30 minutes later* "And that's why you always make sure a flareon's coat is clean. Their fluffy tail releases any excess heat into the atmosphere, so being dirty is actually a life-threatening condition for a flareon." "Lit Lit!" I was sharing some stories about working in the Lavaridge gym to break the ice. The rest of my team was in the room with us. Even Tranquill picked out a cozy little nook to listen in on my stories. Numsy and Rena who experienced it all firsthand just started lazing off on the bed having heard this story multiple times already. "Litwick I was thinking. " "Lit?" "How about we pick out a nickname for you? The rest of my team all have one that way I don't confuse you for any other litwick." That wasn't the actual reason I nicknamed all my Pokémon. I just liked giving my team that extra personal flair and nicknaming was a part of that. Most trainers didn't bother giving their Pokémon new names; only mavericks that went against the grain did so, but those rebel trainers usually ended up being the strongest. I was pretty sure that most elite level trainer's had pet names for their Pokémon even if they didn't use those in public. "Wick!" I didn't need Victini translating his response for me. For being a ghost type my Litwick was super emotive making communication that much easier. "Well let's see… How about Orin? it means light in an older language.""Lit Lit!" "You like that don't you? Good, from now on your name is Orin. I've gotta tell you Orin coming up with a name for you was a lot easier than thinking one up for Glove. In the end he had to pick his own name." Glove who has already shifted back to his regular form nodded his assent. Before going back to cradling the incubator. The egg hasn't shown any signs of being close to hatching so far. Dianne's egg hatched in about a month using the exact same incubator therefore the egg should start showing traces of activity by the end of this week. If a Pokémon egg starts wobbling it should be around two weeks away from hatching naturally this varies from species to species. Suddenly the familiar sound of knocking came from our guest room door. Not seeing any point in delaying the inevitable I opened the door to see Shauntal waiting for me outside. We still didn't get a chance to hash out this champion's grandson business so by all accounts she is probably here for that. Victini as a measure of precaution already hid herself under a stack of pillows. "Can I come in?" "Yeah sure." Shauntal sat down on the loose chair standing in the corner while I sat back down on the bed using Numsy's body as a substitute for an extra warm pillow. "I have come up with a compromise after talking it out with my sister. I will hold off on reporting your location to our leader if you give me your home address in Hoenn and your Xtransceiver number. With the understanding that Alder will probably want to speak with you as soon as I share that number with him." For a short moment I was tempted to give her a false address and number before banishing those dark thoughts. I had to be true to myself and reneging on deals was a quick way to lose my self-respect and that of my Pokémon. 'If I give her my contact details now, I could possibly avoid having to meet with my lauded grandfather long enough that I'll be able to dodge a face-to-face meeting with him. I am fairly sure Champions can't just visit other regions willy nilly since they represent a good chunk of their region's military might.' On the other hand, international relations between Hoenn and Unova might be better than I thought, and he could just show up at my grandparent's doorstep at any point in time.' Victini was able to relate to my anti-social way of thinking fairly easily since the rabbit was a closeted introvert for most of her life. "Do it. If he knocks on the front door, we'll be able to hide under your bed!" Sadly, her solution was a tad juvenile for my taste. If the guy did travel all the way to Hoenn the least I could do was speak with him. I was trying to brainstorm Shauntal's proposal in my mind but my feelings were telling me to take this reasonable offer for a compromise. Phoebe liked Shauntal and her sister a lot and I didn't want to strain her relationship with them. "Okay… but could you do me a favor? Phoebe is planning to stay here for a few extra days can you let her shadow you for a bit and give her some training advice? She is gunning for a spot on the elite four in our own region and I believe she has the talent to make it." "You… are a good friend, aren't you?"  With the deal finalized Kira called her liaison living in this area who is responsible for taking care of the psychic type Pokémon capable of long distance teleportation. That person turned out to be Jasmine since the two are very familiar with each other the headmistress just sent her pokemon out to Kira's place to come get me. What I didn't expect was to see a familiar face. A beheeyem was floating in front of the main gate. The same Beheeyem who I saw taking care of a group of elygem inside the celestial tower. A quick exchange of glances was all it took for him to recognize me as well. "Heya Beheeyem, I thought you told me you worked for the psychic academy. You didn't mention your human partner was the headmistress." All of my Pokémon were inside their poké balls, and the egg was clasped tightly between my arms. Just because Victini was inside her own ball didn't mean she couldn't keep up our mental connection. She was awake and primed to make Beheeyem uncomfortable if he attempted to establish mental communications with me. Luckily our previous encounter with him made him aware that I had a psychic type Pokémon on my team who resented having to share my brain space. So, he stuck to rudimentary messaging using his palm lights. Green for yes, red for no and I didn't know what his yellow light was supposed to mean. "I think I have everything on me. We need to go to Mistralton airport so the closer you can teleport us to that place the better." Beheeyem extended his arm motioning for me to hold on. Which was kind of hard to do with both of my arms occupied holding the egg, but I managed to in the end. At one point I was standing in front of Kira's home awkwardly holding onto Beheeyem's palm with the tip of my fingers and suddenly I found myself next to an airport conveyor belt. The both of us were standing inside a square lined out on the floor with red markings. The sign nearest to us warning passerby's that this zone was meant to receive incoming travelers that visited the airport using teleportation and that moving inside the square was at your own risk. "Thanks a bunch, Beheeyem. The next time I am in the area I will be sure to pay you a visit." The psychic type flashed his green light. Which I took to mean that he looked forward to seeing me the next time I visited the celestial tower. A quick flash and he was gone, probably back to the psychic academy and his trainer. Since I was still standing inside the somewhat dangerous teleportation zone I quickly moved out of the way to avoid crashing into the next pair of travelers. 'Now since I am conveniently already at the airport it would be best If I went ahead and booked my flight ticket back to Slateport city.' The airport had rules about walking around with Pokémon. Each trainer could only walk around with one of their Pokémon outside their ball to limit crowding. Of course some species of Pokémon were just too large or heavy to have out of their balls in confined spaces like this airport building. I went over the balls on my belt with my finger before finally deciding to release Rena. She was always useful to have out in public settings since her very appearance instantly endeared me to the fairer half of a region's population."Vuuul!""Hey, will you walk with me? I need to go buy our plane ticket.""Pix!"Just like that we navigated through the crowds of people gathered at the airport. A vulpix being such a rare sight in Unova meant that we got delayed by multiple groups of children who wanted to pet the cute little fox. In the end Rena helpfully managed to get a baggage handler to direct us towards the nearest reception desk."Excuse me miss? I'd like to buy a ticket to Slateport City please.""Hoenn right? Return or Single?""Single please""We have two flights that go to Hoenn Slateport every week. One is scheduled to go within the hour and the other after four days."'An hour?! I was planning to go looking for a compatible person willing to be Tranquills trainer.'Waiting another four days basically guaranteed that Alder would find me. On the other hand taking this last minute flight would exclude Tranquill from finding a trainer here."Why can't you find a nice trainer back in Hoenn?"'It's a legal conundrum, Tranquill is considered a nonnative Pokémon in Hoenn. So, if she finds a suitable mate over there and the eggs produced from such a relationship somehow make their way into the wild, I would be in very deep trouble. The trainer I am handing her over to could be the irresponsible sort.'"Then just find a responsible trainer! "The lady behind the desk started tapping her desk with her fashionably done acrylic nails. Subtly letting me know I was wasting other people's time by holding up the line."One last minute ticket for today's departure please!"Chapter 29 – Taking to the Skies "Pix Pix!" "I know! We have to hurry!" Ultimately, I decided it was best to skip town as quickly as possible. I didn't know when Shauntal would hand over my private information to the Champion. By virtue of being a last minute ticket it cost us less than I was expecting, fifteen thousand pokédollars was a steal for a flight that long, which left me plenty of money to pay for much too expensive airplane food. I was secretly hoping there to be a berry shop close to my terminal so I could avoid having to spend all that money. In either case this was going to be one uncomfortable flight. The plane trip is supposed to take eleven hours, I was fairly sure my Pokémon would start getting rowdy after the sixth hour being trapped in their poké balls. I was praying to Arceus that the air travel company had some sort of area on the plane where Pokémon could stretch their legs. "Rena keep an eye out for any sort of supply store once we get to the terminals!" The check in procedure was fairly straightforward. They tried to take my all-important backpack but I somehow managed to convince them that it was not too heavy for overhead storage. So far everything was smooth sailing that lasted until we reached customs. "Excuse me, sir, you have to declare ALL Pokémon traveling with you." She was glaring at Victini's white Pokéball. "No, I don't. Professor Juniper gave me this specific Poké ball to keep my Pokémon's identity private. The only way you are getting a look inside is if you somehow manage to procure a warrant." "And the egg?" "Look lady, can you please just let me off? All I can tell you is that the people in charge already know." "Sorry we can't do that. Airport policy requires me to register the species of any Pokémon egg coming through customs. For all we know you could be a trafficker." "Wait a minute, I can call Professor Juniper right now." "That won't work. Professor Juniper has no direct jurisdiction here. This is between you and the League association of Unova. You would have to find someone pretty high up there to vouch for you." 'People working customs are just as insufferable in this world! What kind of lab sponsored trainer would illegally traffic Pokémon on the side?! At this rate I am going to miss my flight!' I scrolled through the list of contacts on my Xtransceiver before finally stopping at a particular name. Deciding that I might as well use the power of connections to get me out of this jam. I initiated the call. "Egon, how come you are calling me so early? Is everything all right with the egg?" "Hi Dianne. I found myself stuck in customs and they want to know the species of the egg. Is it safe to just tell them?" "Hmm Mistralton airport I suppose? You are heading back to Hoenn?" "Yeah, there's this family issue and I am needed back early but I'll be sure to come visit next year! I promised Burgh that I'd introduce him to Sunny when I get back, and let the child meet his or her mother." "Hmm okay then. Be sure to record the hatching. I want full details and a call back to give the hatchling a once over. If at all possible, make sure that one of the Joys is present to make sure nothing goes wrong. They have an ironclad doctor patient confidentiality agreement. Not even the league associations can force that clan into compliance. Now hand over your Xtransceiver to Karen I'll sort this mess out." "You two know each other?!" "This isn't the first time I've been called to calm down our little zealot. She means well but sometimes gets a little bit overeager." I did as instructed and unclasped the Xtransceiver off my wrist offering it to Karen in short order. The dainty customs officer acted confused for a moment before finally deciding to look at the person displayed on screen. She quickly turned around to have a private conversation with the ranger corps' master sergeant. "Dianne, no I know that… but this kid…!" They went back and forth like that for a hot minute until the customs officer finally slumped back in her seat defeated. Eyeing me wearily she gave me the go ahead to walk along. "Thank you for your service and defending this great region. I got to go now bye!" Obviously, the hold up caused me to lose a lot of time. The flight was set to take off within the next ten minutes and I couldn't afford any more delays. Not caring about propriety anymore I just sprinted across the terminal area. My ticket said I had to be at terminal eight. That terminal was made for some of the smaller commercial flights. The plane itself only had a maximum passenger capacity of one hundred and sixty people. Interregional travel was still fairly rare with all the restrictions placed on tourists. Furthermore, becoming a licensed pilot was even more arduous in this world. Aside from the normal certifications a pilot needed to earn in flight school, they also had to be an elite level trainer with a specialization in the flying type. On the off chance the plane gets attacked by wild flying Pokémon. Now most Pokémon capable of flight weren't all that territorial, but on the off chance that for example a Hydreigon decided to suddenly move ship(?????) and establish its new territory right on top of a commercial flight route. The captain needed to be able to defend his passengers. I arrived just in time. The passenger line to board the plane only consisted of around twenty people. The feeling of relief for having made it in time flooded my body. Now that my mind was free to ponder the implications of an eleven hour long flight I was thinking on how to spend all that time being trapped in this aluminum death trap. It was just around dinner time now so I hoped the staff on board could accommodate feeding all five Pokémon on my team. I had around seven thousand pokédollars to my name which should be enough to last us a month after we landed back in Hoenn. The Hoenn league circuit should be one third of the way completed. At this point most competent trainers should be competing to get their fourth badge. I didn't have the confidence in completing the circuit on time but it should be doable for me to support my team while the circuit was still ongoing. "Ticket and ID please." I was so busy ruminating that I didn't notice making it to the front of the line. I handed over my ticket, trainer's license and for good measure my Pokédex. The man scrutinized my documents some time and after tapping some buttons on my Pokédex seemed satisfied enough to let me pass. Quite contrary to the customs officers from before. Before I shuffled along though I had to ask a pertinent question. "Excuse me, does the airline also provide Pokémon food? I didn't get the chance to stock up before and my own personal supplies are running dry." "Our airline is able to provide free meals for up to two. One extra for any Pokémon who are traveling with you. If you have more partners traveling with you, there are meal sets the stewards and stewardesses serving you can offer this flight, we are able to accept checks, PIN, or hard cash." "Can I preemptively buy four extra meal sets for three small sized Pokémon and one large one?" "Certainly, that'll be 1200 pokédollars." 'Ouch! Airline companies are the same everywhere, even in this world.' Having been left with no other options I decided to fork over my hard-earned cash. The steward in return gave me three vouchers for the extra meals I'd be requiring. "We thank you for choosing to fly Pelipper Airlines and we hope you have a pleasant flight." I was guided inside the airplane and towards my seat. Since I was last in line, they closed the doors behind me in preparation for takeoff. Luckily, I was situated next to the isle giving me some extra leg space in case I needed it. The person next to me was seated adjacent to the window a non-descript older gentleman wearing a brown trench coat. 'Now if my luck holds out, I'll be able to sleep most of the flight over.' "Bwehhhh!" 'Arceus darn it!'  The initial part of the flight was nerve wracking especially so since all the infants on board were somehow located in my aisle. 'This is what I get for buying a ticket last minute.'It got so bad Numsy released himself from his poké ball to see what all the fuss was about. He served to distract the children on the plane for a short while before the bawling began anew. "Calm down Numsy this is normal for plane flights. Infant children are very sensitive and the change in air pressure is a bit painful for humans their age." "Num?" "The food should be arriving soon. I'll release you when it is dinner time, okay?" "Num num!" With that I recalled the little camel, The view from way up in the clouds was something truly special. On occasion we zipped past a flock of bird Pokémon that lasted until we hit the sea border. By then the most I could expect to see was the occasional pelipper or wingull. 'I should really try to catch a flying type big enough to carry a human around if I want to see views like this more often.' "I can help you fly!" 'Wouldn't that be exhausting to keep up for long periods of time though? Maneuverability would also be an issue… the only fire types capable of carrying humans around are those of the Charizard line and of those the only ones big enough to carry me when I am fully grown are those giant ones that are being bred in the Charicific valley. Granted size doesn't account for much when it comes to Pokémon, but it would still be an awkward ride.' "Zzzzzzz." 'Not that I am ungrateful! It'll be a very long while before I can come even close to catching even a glimpse of a charmander. The indigo league is very finicky on who is allowed to have one of their three starter Pokémon and the location of their established breeding grounds is a state secret. Even Mr. Moore doesn't have one and not for a lack of trying on his part.' As I was busy pandering to Victini inside the confines of my mind. Two stewards pushed along the food trolley far enough as to be directly next to my seat."And what will the two sirs be having for dinner?" The gentleman sitting next to me spoke first. One medium poison type meal set and the green curry buddha bowl. "And for you young man?" I flashed him my three vouchers. "I'll have 3 fire type meal sets and one flying one and uhmm… the pumpkin soup. Make one of those fire type sets a large one please. Also, are there any open spaces on the aircraft where my Darmanitan can eat? He's about as tall as a grown man but quite a bit wider." I didn't know what passed for a nutritious enough meal set according to the airline company, but I knew my team could bear with substandard meals if only for the remainder of this flight tonight. The steward took my meal vouchers and teared them in half giving me one half to hold. "Certainly sir. For larger Pokémon we have set up a rotation to come and eat inside the worker's cantina. We will inform you when the space is available for use." 'Now how to have Victini eat without our seat neighbor growing suspicious… Eh, I'll just release her inside the overhead compartment while no one is looking.' I released my Pokémon in order since it would get too crowded if we all had dinner at the same time. The man sitting next to me released his partner as well, a springy looking Croagunk. Not a Pokémon you would expect to see on an intercontinental flight between Unova and Hoenn. "Excuse me, do you mind If I scan your partner with my Pokédex? This is the first time I have seen a croagunk they're like super rare outside of Sinnoh." The man seemingly amused by my request assented to having his Pokémon recorded. "Go ahead young trainer." Croagunk, the Toxic Mouth Pokémon. A Poison and Fighting type. It is popular as a mascot. No further information available. "My Unovan Pokédex has little to no information on this species. I'd wish they hurry up and release the international version already…" "Croaaa?" "Pix! Pix!" It was currently Rena's turn to eat. She was out on my lap not enjoying the current meal she was having. Anything that came reheated wrapped up in plastic wrap was too low brow for her to enjoy, not that I blamed her. I wasn't looking forward to taste testing that pumpkin soup either.Croagunk and Rena seemed to hit it off with each other. From my understanding they were both gossiping about their trainers' weird antics. Rena was telling Croagunk about my torchic print pajamas after she heard the toxic mouth Pokémon complain about his trainer's penchant for playing dress up. I only understood Rena but got the gist somewhat through inference. 'Wait a minute…' "Rena…! Stop telling Croagunk about my sleeping wear! It is no one's business what kind of manly pajamas I wear to bed!" "Vuuuul!"  The rest of the flight was more of the same. I couldn't get comfortable enough to fall asleep, so I released Orin at some point to get some more bonding time in with him. It was dark out, so the little candle was perfect company when trying to read inflight magazines. However, at some point another passenger who didn't have the same sleeping problem started complaining about the flickering light and I was forced to return him into his poké ball. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent into Slateport City. Please turn off all portable electronic devices and stow them until we have arrived at the gate. In preparation for landing in Slateport City, be certain your seat back is straight up, and your seat belt is fastened. Please secure your carry-on items, stow your tray table, and pass any remaining service items and unwanted reading materials to the flight attendants. Thank you." As we landed, I made sure all my Pokémon were recalled inside their poké balls to spare them from the drop in air pressure. Victini with those sensitive big ears of hers would certainly feel the sting of a sudden descent. Personally, the descent was my favorite part of commercial air travel. Knowing that the nightmare was almost over did much to alleviate the stress from having been cooped up for so long. The flight ended the same as all long-distance flights do. With the passengers giving the pilot a standing ovation for landing the aircraft safely. A great system to keep pilots feeling motivated and appreciated lowering potential mishaps brought on by the creeping danger of complacency. 'I can't wait to get out there! The first thing I'll do is reward my team for putting up with this hellish flight, and the best way to do that is by getting us some real food!' The moment the airline workers gave the green light for the passengers to leave I immediately took my backpack from the overhead compartment and zipped past the rest of the passengers exiting the plane. I was helped by the fact that my small stature allowed for some tactical maneuvering that would otherwise not be possible. As soon as I got out, I was greeted by a most unwelcome sight. Hoenn customs, what I experienced going through Unova's airport was about to be repeated here. Worse, in this case I wasn't friends with anyone in a position of authority who would be able to call off zealous customs officers. Victini's protected status granted by the Unovan regional professor didn't mean squat in another region. Using the technical machine gifted to me and putting Victini through a teleportation crash course would get me in legal trouble, since I was still on the passenger list together with the number of Pokémon I was carrying on me. 'There's only one way out of this…' After passing through the first checkpoint where I got to skip the crowded lines since I was a Hoenn citizen. While the rest of the passengers were waiting for their bags to appear on the conveyor belt, I got to work skimming through my contact list again. Although I didn't have anyone on there in a position of authority with the Hoenn league association, I did know someone who had familiar ties with one. I was just hoping that she didn't forget to bring her pokégear along with her to trainer's school. "Yah? This is Flannery." "Flannery, it's me Egon! Could you skip school and get your grandpa for me? this is an emergency." "Egon you idiot! I am in the middle of class, I can't afford another write up!" "Please!" "Fine… but you owe me! You are lucky that gramps came home last night. I'll call you back." Flannery being a year older than me already received her trainer's license. Since her grandpa had forbidden her from traveling alone and with nothing else to do, she was stuck taking extra classes at the local trainer's school. 'I just hope she'll get to Mr. Moore fast enough. If she doesn't get delayed for some odd reason, I should be able to get through this without making the airport personnel suspicious.' The wait following that phone call was a tenuous experience. I was stuck in the baggage hall not being able to get past airport security. The other passengers finally caught up to me fussing around trying to find their suitcases and rucksacks. Eventually finding them and heading through customs without worry. Since I was familiar with the route between trainer's school and the Lavaridge Gym I knew it would take Flannery somewhere between 15-20 minutes to get to her grandfather. I eventually got that all important call back. "Egon it's me Flannery here's grandpa." I instantly recognized the cracked voice from Mr. Moore. He was forgetting to keep himself hydrated again. 'He's not a fire type pokemon, he still needs water every now and then.' "Flannery tells me it's an emergency knowing you it probably is. you've always been a responsible boy. So tell this old man what this is all about." "So, I have just recently arrived back in Hoenn and am at the Slateport City airport, right in front of customs. Uhmm… while I was traveling through Unova I made a very special friend. So special in fact that we'll both be in a heap of trouble if it became widely known that I caught her. Unova's regional professor was kind enough to give me a sanctioned unregistered poké ball to keep her safe, but his authority doesn't extend past Unova's borders. So, I was wondering if you could maybe call someone to lead me through the security checks?" "Hmmm how special are we talking here?" "Can we not do this over the phone?" "That special? Sure, I know a guy who is currently holed up in the bay area over there. He should be able to get you through customs. He will be expecting you to give him a full explanation though." "As long as he's earned your trust it should be fine Mr. Moore." With that our telecommunication session ended. My heart was lightened by the fact that Mr. Moore is covering for me. As an elite four member there should be plenty of high-level officials he can send my way. His ranking in military terms was equivalent to a five-star general; it was expected of him not to use his powers during peace times, but he could choose to use them if he wished to. My Pokémon getting antsy from the delay popped out of their poké balls except Victini of course.To avoid having them lay down on the marble tiles I fished out a blanket from my backpack and laid it down in the south-western corner of the baggage hall. Feeling more secure with my surroundings left me free to act like an airport hobo. I was too tired to care overly much for the staring passersby's. With my team of fire types surrounding me and a blanket I felt warm and cozy for the first time since I entered that blasted airplane. "Just a few seconds of shuteye, wake me up if something happens, okay?" Just like that I fell asleep, my back propped up against Glove's own. Numsy and Rena each pressed up against one of my pants legs and Orion sitting comfortably on my shoulder, The egg incubator secured between my open legs. Even Tranquill took the time to perch on a nearby windowsill.  An undetermined amount of time later* "Wake up kid." I groggily opened my eyes. I couldn't discern the identity of the person rudely disturbing my midday nap. The sun casting a shadow over the person's facial features blocking me from profiling his distinct attributes. His only recognizable feature was this old timey captain's hat the person was wearing. Realizing that the time I spent sleeping was longer than I intended, I hastily stood up and, in the process, woke up my entire team except Tranquill who was watching us flounder around from up high. Looming over me was the most recognizable person in all of Hoenn. The crowds giving him a wide berth out of respect. Some of them even pulling out cameras to capture this rarest of moments when this man could be found on dry land there was usually some sort of trouble afoot. Champion Drake was wearing his usual maritime outfit with no undershirt on showing off his trained physique earned from spending decades hoisting and pulling sails. "Sorry! Champion Drake sir." "Just call me captain Drake kid, I am just holding on to the Champion's title until someone worthy of it comes along. Now my old friend Tim says you needed some help getting through customs without being asked a lot of questions?" "Yessir captain Drake sir! I met someone special on my first journey and would like to keep her identity private." 'That old man's first name is Tim? Why does everyone keep calling him Mr. Moore at the gym? Some of the staff members are just as old as him!' "Well, that's it then. Come along now, if you stick with me those guys shouldn't bother you overly much." "Right away captain!" I recalled all of my Pokémon before hurrying along to keep up with his walking pace. The customs officers tried to stop me from following him through a side exit but just a few words from him convinced them otherwise. "This youngling is with me." Those words alone were all that was required to get them off my back. Being a person of such renown and skill that the local law enforcement bended to your whims. As much as I was in awe of captain Drake's bending of the rules, I felt a smidgen of dissatisfaction with myself. 'I who has promised myself not to rely on others to make my way is now enjoying the benefits of knowing people in high places. Rules that I'd like others to follow and flaunting them when it comes to my own person…' "For me?" 'Yes, you are more important than my ego. Someday I'll be able to flaunt the rules on my own merits.' Following Drake landed me in some sort of employee parking lot. The man wasting no time threw out a scratched up almost ancient looking poké ball. A quick flash and his Salamence materialized in front of us. "Kid, we'll be going back to my ship to talk in private. It's just off the coach from route 109." "I get to ride with you?" "That's funny kid, Salamence here only lets people he acknowledges ride on his back. You could give it a try though I won't stop you." I was very tempted to pull out my Pokédex and scan this dragon Pokémon, but that might be considered disrespectful. Dragon types were a prideful lot as are champion level Pokémon. This Salamence being both at the same time didn't bode well for my chances of getting on his back. Still somehow, I felt like this was a test of some sort. The dragon Pokémon was staring me down, giving me the opportunity to make a fool out of myself. 'This is why I dislike dragon types… always feeling like you are walking on eggshells. With Captain Drake so close by, the odds of me getting eaten are quite low, might as well shoot my shot.' "Salamence, you are big and scary, would you let me ride on your back please?" The dragon's expression told me he was a tad surprised by my approach but ultimately not particularly impressed. "Hmm seven points. You did the correct thing by acknowledging this one's might, but he dislikes those that pander to him. Don't you worry I have a Pokémon with me that doesn't mind carrying little ones like you." Drake released a second Pokémon, this one being a flygon. The slightly insectoid-like dragon Pokémon gave me a once over before offering his back to me. I was very tempted to scratch its scales, so I did. The dragon Pokémon giving me a cat-like purr. 'Zinnia should totally catch one of these. They are so much more well behaved than the bagon line. Pokémon that do not initially start off as a dragon type are safer to train and a tad less prideful.' The scales made for good footholds and as soon I got into a comfortable position on its back we took off. I half expected to hear the vaunted singing noise produced by a flygon's wings, but this Flygon seemed to be able to fly around soundlessly. I was completely unaware of my mild fear of heights before we took off but now, I was reminded that there was no rope or anything to hold onto. Hoping that I didn't suddenly develop a muscle cramp in my arms I held on a little tighter. All the people and buildings in slate port city looked like ants from this high up and at the speed we were going I suspected we'd be on route 9 in just a couple of minutes. Not being able to start a conversation or do anything else but hold on the best thing for me to do was stew in my own thoughts. 'Hopefully he'll let us off without too much trouble. Dragon type trainers are almost as prideful as the Pokémon themselves. Don't try to look like you could put up a good fight, Tini. He'll probably want to challenge you.' "Eep!"