13

I released Baelish immediately, the green bird making a nest out of my hair. Using my Pokédex, I scanned the Natu. Now that Baelish was my Pokémon, I was able to see more details than I would ever be able to view with regards to a wild Natu.

And I could stop calling it an it. Baelish was male. I just couldn't tell before, his voice is so highly pitched that he could have passed for either male or female. He knew only a handful of moves that showed the amount of effort his previous trainer put into him. Or rather, the lack of effort that went into his training, really. The only impressive attack Baelish knows isn't even an attack, it's a defense: Protect. The rest? Peck and Leer were attacks he was born with, Calm Mind was a naturally learned move that the Natu line came upon within their first month of being born, and Night Shade was among the easier attacks to learn for many Psychic type Pokémon. That's all he had to his name.

I was not impressed. He wasn't kidding when he said he was weak. However, I didn't fuss. Baelish could talk, that was the big deal. I could teach him new techniques and attacks and strategies, just as I said I would. He could become strong, just as any Pokémon could, but not just any Pokémon gained the capacity for speech.

The effort would be worth it.

I blew the whistle that I purchased from the Kumquat thrift store all those months ago then, and Winter returned to me. The whistle startled Slowking out of his slumber, but I found myself uncaring towards his whining.

Winter and Baelish were introducing themselves, Winter being the more interested and Baelish being reluctantly willing.

A little while later, we left the temple after saying our goodbye's. Slowking wished us well and asked that I keep his friend safe and healthy; a favor I said that I was more than ready and willing to uphold. Baelish's doubtful scoff did not deter me.

It was still night out, so I didn't really feel like making way towards Kumquat. I'd never intended to stop by Shamouti this early into my Journey, not for a social call at least. It was supposed to be a symbolic start, not a night spent.

Ah well. Shit happens, and it's not like I really care.

With that, we made our way to the Pokémon Center, all three of us. Nurse Joy was probably asleep, she liked to crash right after eating dinner, so Chansey was manning the front. When she caught sight of me, I knew there was no way I would be able to avoid her cheeriness.

Which I wasn't, as expected. She saw me, had a minor spaz attack, and then proceeded to rush around the counter and bring me into one of her famously awkward hugs, stubby arms and uncomfortable egg and all.

"Chansey! Se-chan, sey chan sey sey ey!" She babbled, patting me down.

"The blob asks if you have been well and eaten enough and wonders why you are still wearing the same rags from before." Baelish translated, earning a gasp from Chansey.

At first, she seemed offended at being called a blob. Then, she ignored her being offended and started to clap excitedly at Baelish. The Natu perched atop my head preened ever so slightly, her awe inflating his ego.

"This isn't just a social call, Chansey, though I've been good, and I was thinking about getting some new clothes soon." I said, patting her head. "I need a room for the night, and I wanted to know if you could look over Baelish, my Natu."

"I still haven't agreed to that insufferable name, meatbag." He grumbled, pulling on my hair with his beak to show his annoyance.

Naturally, this was ignored.

"I caught him just a few minutes ago and want to make sure that everything checks out," I finished. Chansey nodded along, understanding and approving of my approach.

"Se-cha!" She offered, waddling towards the back. Since I lived here and knew where she was going, I decided to just follow along.

We made our way into a room just next to the sickbay hall, yellow painted walls decorated by various photos being the first thing visible. A queen-sized bed was tucked away in the corner of the room, a lump of sheets coiled about atop the mattress.

Chansey waddled up to the lump and jostled it, earning a groan. From the lump, my dearest Joy appeared, disheveled in her state of sleep.

"Chansey?" She mumbled, wiping at her eyes. "What's wro-" her question was cut off with a yawn. "-ng?"

Then she caught sight of me, and the tiredness was gone.

"Jon!" Joy exclaimed, scrambling out of her bed, sheets billowing to the side. She vaulted over to me, patting me down in a similar way to how Chansey did before bringing me in to a hug. This hug was decidedly more pleasant than the one Chasey gave me, especially when considering Joy's sleepwear being of the thinner variety.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, holding my face. "I thought you would be in Johto for a while longer."

"Plans change," I shrugged. "And I always said I'd start my Journey here."

She smiled, grabbing her keys from the dresser beside her bed. "I assume if you're here at this time of night that you need a room?"

"Yup," I agreed. "A room and a checkup, though that can be in the morning if needed."

"Perfect!" Joy beamed. "How about a cuppa? I'd love to hear about what you've gotten up to."

And so, Joy led me to the kitchen, where she made a batch of tea and I regaled her with stories. She laughed and clapped and gasped appropriately with each telling. Baelish listened attentively too, taking in the description of my Pokémon and their personalities and the details of what we got up to.

It was a good night.

.

The next morning, Joy looked over Baelish.

He was perfectly healthy, just as I expected. Having lived with Slowking for these past few months, a Pokémon that knew healing techniques, his health shouldn't have come into issue. The only reason I had him looked over was to be on the safe side. Better safe than sorry, as society dictates.

With his checkup settled, I released my Pokémon. Not only did he need to be introduced to them, but Joy had also inquired about meeting my group.

Umber, recognizing the yard we were in and knowing this Joy, was the first to be social. Rhaegal and Viserion, being her little ducklings, followed along, though Rhaegal didn't do so until tackle-hugging me into the ground. They chittered around Baelish curiously, and a curious game of chase ensued in which he tried to escape their pestering.

Baelish's escape from the babies came in the form of Valyrian. They chittered about together, and he made use of her horn as a perch. Surprisingly, she didn't fight him, looking more resigned than anything.

Thoros and Drogon then introduced themselves, calmer than they normally were. Thoros would have normally started flinging shit on Baelish and Drogon believed that beating each other's faces in was a great way to get to know one another, but I took them aside as Baelish was darting from the dragons and told them to behave. They listened. For now.

From there, I returned my team, everybody save for Baelish, as his conditions required, and left the Pokémon Center. I wanted to visit the Brinks's, and it was better to go now than later.

The trip to their establishment was light. A few natives waved me down, asking questions and offering random pieces of unneeded advice. By the time I reached their home an hour had already past. I can't say I minded though. They were just being nice and it wasn't like I was keeping to a schedule.

I rang their doorbell, the ridiculous AWOOOOGA sound echoing loudly for all to hear.

The door opened, revealing a man that I vaguely recognized. Blond hair, blue eyes, tall and tan. That little stubble helped him out. Good looking guy. Has a major surfer vibe going for him.

It reminds me of California.

"Yessir… Oh! Hey, I remember you, little dude. You're the last Chosen One we had, right? The one Tobias asked me to have my Kadabra on standby for. Righteous, bud."

Oh. That's how I recognize him, he's the one that was supposed to save my ass if I used my distress beacon when Zapdos was riding my ass. He was a Chosen One before me, too.

Small world.

And that surfer vibe I sensed just doubled. Righteous? Dude? Guy even talks like he gave up his education for some decent waves.

"Yeah…" I trailed off. What are you supposed to even say to a stranger? Nothing, that's what. "Are any of the Brinks's around?"

He shook his head, long hair zipping around. "Sorry bud, Mister Mayor and Baby Carol are at some retreat in Pummelo, and the Little Miss convinced them to let her go to some thingy on Valencia that Professor Ivy is teaching. I'm just house sitting while their gone."

That sucks. I was hoping to at least talk to them, maybe even tease Melody a bit. I've been pretty bad when it comes to communicating with them, the last time we spoke being back in September.

I do appreciate Carol's nickname though. Baby Carol? That could be taken a couple of ways.

This has possibilities.

"Oh, dude!" He exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "My manners. Names Russel, little dude. I work for the Pokémart over by the docks."

The Pokémart of Shamouti is exactly what you would expect for an island that doesn't really have that many trainers come by. It's a pretty shitty store. It's more of a half-stocked general store than anything, with a few items here and there that have to do with Pokémon. The only reason that Shamouti even has one is because they come as a package deal with Pokémon Centers are being built.

I couldn't help it. I had to ask. "I thought the Pokémart was closing down?"

Russel groaned, flopping against the door. It strained to support him. "Little dude, you hit me right where it hurts. Yeah man, store's gonna close soon. We're having one of those big sales right now bud, just trying to make a last buck."

I turned contemplative. He must have thought I looked like I was worried or something, waving his arms wildly as he was. "But it's no biggy, little dude! Baby Carol hooked me up with a gig with the fisher's guild. That's why I'm house sitting for them, since I owed her a big one."

"Yeah, that's nice." I said, not really paying attention. I just walked away, ignoring the rando that I had a conversation with. He wasn't anybody I wanted to interact with, so what do I care. I had more important things on my mind than my being a rude little shit.

The Pokémart was having a closing sale? That could mean that some items like potions and Poké Balls and whatever I could find had the chance to be around 50% off. Maybe even more. That's an awesome way to start my Journey.

Destination in mind, I took off for the docks.

.

The Pokémart was just as rundown as expected. The blue roof of the store had lost its sheen a while ago, the paint stripping in large clumps. The sign that showed that it was open was lopsided, dusty too.

But holy shit was this worth it. Poké Balls normally cost 100, Great Balls 250. Potions are normally 150 and Super Potions 400.

I was able to haggle myself six Poké Balls for the cost of a single Great Ball and four Super Potions for 550. The store didn't have any Great Balls for me to buy, but somehow, they had a couple Ultra Balls in the back, and I happily purchased them for 800. Ultra Balls normally cost 1,000 per, which means I was able to buy them for 400 a pop.

The guy at the register was just happy to have a sale. He was an older guy, weathered and wrinkling, but nice enough.

As he was ringing me up, a thought came to mind. Well, no. That's not correct. Baelish inhaled some dust and started sneezing up a storm atop my head. I did not appreciate this, but the random noise did remind me of Baelish's lack of attacks.

"Hey," I said to the shop keeper as he handed me a plastic bag filled with balls. "Got any TM's?"

He hummed, asking me to wait. He walked into the back of the store, Baelish still sneezing by the time he came back. In his hand was a plastic case with a handful of disk drives to be found, all labelled with different colors to help determine the typing of the attack stored within. Thrice the thickness of a normal CD drive, there was no question that these were TM's.

TM's are unique in the world of Pokémon. Thirty years ago, Silph invented a way to have a Pokémon upload their knowledge of attacks digitally onto devices that were later called Technical Machines. In the process of doing this, the Pokémon that offered their services would forget how to use the attack. It was considered unethical by many people for Silph to do this, up until an updated method was developed by them. Due to many Psychic types having eidetic memories, they relearned the technique in a matter of minutes, which nixed their moral dilemma in totality.

After discovering this, Silph decided to move their company headquarters from Viridian City to Saffron, where the Psychic Gym allowed them use of their available Pokémon for research purposes on the condition of free services on the side. The Psychic types would train to learn new moves, ones they normally wouldn't consider such as Flamethrower or Earthquake, and Silph's profit margins grew at ridiculous rates. It was the start of a beautiful partnership. On top of their development of the Poké Ball, their work with space expansion, and their association with Bill, creator of the Transfer System, Silph had established itself as the richest, most versatile company in the world.

"It's not much," the store owner proclaimed. "But it's not like I've been known for much. I'll sell you the batch for… Let's just got with five grand and call it fair."

I whistled, noting the steep price. Counting the disks, I saw that there was only one with a Psychic type move. Curious, I opened the case and check the label.

Instantly, I grabbed my wallet and chucked my ID on the counter. "Sold."

He rang me up and I bolted out of there before he realized what he just let go.

The Technical Machine for Teleport.

.

Winter was giving myself and Baelish a ride, as was the norm. Or what was soon to become the norm, seeing as how Baelish wasn't accustomed to such flight.

I left Shamouti the moment after I left the Pokémart. I'd already said my goodbyes to Joy and Chansey that morning, and without the Brinks's being on the island I determined there was nothing left to do. Plus, I really wanted to get out of here. If the owner of the Pokémart realized what he just let go of, he'd be spitting mad.

Technical Machine's are expensive on their own, but certain one's are more expensive than others. You'd be lucky to get your hands on an Earthquake for 5,000.

Depending on who sold it, Teleport could go into the five-digit range.

There's good reason for this. Teleport is one of those moves that only a select few Pokémon can learn, the Abra line being the most well-known. And those Pokémon that can learn it are smart enough to be able to pick and choose if they wanted to give up their knowledge. You try to force the issue? They Teleport away.

I've heard rumors that Natu as a species can learn Teleport naturally, and even if I trusted Baelish to learn the move naturally, this was a chance I couldn't pass up. Not only would Baelish gain a unique advantage, I would have a new form of travel.

The saddle sores that have shown up on my thigh's are not pretty to look at. I'll take what I can get.

Plus, there were other TM's to be had in the case. In total, the case held seven TM's, and while Teleport was the only one I saw, there was sure to be some other goodies to be found.

But I think I made a rash decision. I shouldn't have left Shamouti so quickly. Sure, I wanted to have my first Gym battle, but this…

Yeah, it was about to storm like crazy.

The original plan was so perfect, too! Head to Navel Island, challenge Danny, win the badge and do some training before tucking in for the night. Based on this storm? That's not going to happen.

To be on the safe side, I had Winter land us on one of the small, nameless islands between Shamouti and Navel. It was small, as previously noted, with a few trees scattered about. I think I saw a Mankey on one of those trees, but my eyes could have been playing tricks on me.

We landed, and I turned wary. This should have been an abandoned island, but just beneath one of the trees I'd noted from the air was a house. More of a log cabin than anything, it stood out peculiarly.

"The owner of this place might be inside," I muttered.

"Then they will let us in." Baelish countered. "My feathers do not do well in the rain, meatbag."

Thunder boomed overhead and as the rain began to pour, Baelish made the decision before I could even think of something else. Squawking, he flew to the house. I had no choice but to follow, returning Winter in the process.

The door was locked. That much was expected. I knocked. There was no noise from within, all that could be heard was the pitter patter of rain, the ominous boom of thunder. Baelish was not deterred.

"I will be back," he squeaked, taking to the air. I pressed myself against the door, the lip of the roof overhead barely keeping water off of me.

I could hear the sound of broken glass coming from the house. There was actual noise inside the house now, not just outside of it. The doorknob clicked. It was unlocked.

Opening the door, noting that Baelish was looking as smug as he could, I looked around. The cabin was in decent condition, carpets and chairs and couches surrounding a heater being its centerpiece. There was no kitchen to be seen, and a tiny bathroom was in the back. In the bathroom, a hole that looked suspiciously large enough for a creature of, say, Baelish's size to enter through.

I made no mention of this. The less I knew, the better.

We settled onto the couch and dried off. While doing this, I pulled the TM case from my bag and looked through its contents in full.

Over all, not a bad haul. Very random, but not bad at all.

There was Teleport, naturally. Then there was Confuse Ray, Iron Defense, two copies of Ice Fang, Iron Head, and, most surprisingly, Flash. While there were no HM's in truth, being a mechanic of the games and nothing else, the moves that they provided were still pretty damned useful. And they were also falsely advertised.

Fly and Strength, for example, don't exist. Not really. Any Pokémon that can fly and carry a passenger can use Fly, just as any Pokémon that is strong enough can move a boulder. But Flash? Flash is a move that needs to be taught, just like any other. Emitting light strong enough to allow somebody to sift through a caves and other dark areas, and blinding enemies in combat… Flash is dead useful.

And wouldn't you know it, the Xatu I had when I played Pokémon Gold was the one I shunted it onto.

"Baelish, I'm going to return you for a second."

He had been rubbing his feathers dry on the cloth of the couch when I said this. He became defensive almost instantaneously. "You will not, meatbag!"

I could feel my brow raise before I thought to do so myself, motioning my hands towards the disks before us all the while. "Do you know what those are?"

"Of course I do," he scoffed. "They are plastic rings that shine under light."

Wonderful. And he's acting as if I were an idiot for even asking.

"While they are indeed that," I allowed, holding back the snark that oh so desperately wished to be released. "They do more than just shine. These let me teach a Pokémon new attacks and new techniques. They can only be used once though. Of these, there are… Three. Yeah, three that I think would work well with you. But I can only use them on a Pokémon that is inside of its Poké Ball, so..."

Baelish certainly looked interested. And why wouldn't he be? Three new moves, when before he knew five?

"I don't know…"

"I'm not going to trap you, dude." Really, what kind of guy did he think I was? Actually, best not ask. I doubt I'll like the answer. "I'll return you, teach you the moves, release you and we'll play around with one or two once the rain settles."

Baelish's feather puffed out. Then they deflated like the balloon he was trying to imitate, and he poked at his Friend Ball miserably, returning himself.

I'd need to get it through his head that being in the Poké Ball isn't as bad as he thinks it is. I already agreed to keep him out of it for the most part, and the times he needed to be inside would be for fair reasons. Healing, battle, subterfuge, TM's – there were a good number of reasons to have him in his ball.

Holding his ball aloft in its larger state, dug through my newly purchase case and grabbed the Teleport TM. Carefully, I placed the TM atop the Friend Ball, the hole of the disk going through the button of the device.

A whirling sort of sound began to echo. The TM span around on the Friend Ball, its pinkish hue disappearing into the device that held Baelish. When the spinning stopped, the TM cracked, making it useless.

I then added Flash and Confuse Ray to Baelish's arsenal. Flash, I already intended to give him. Confuse Ray just seemed appropriate.

I then grabbed some of my other Poké Balls and divvied out the TM's. Iron Defense went to Valyrian. For some reason, she couldn't figure out how to use her Steel typing on a defensive standpoint. She only knew how to go on the offensive. This would hopefully give her that needed boost to her strategic arsenal.

One of the Ice Fang's was given to Thoros. He had a fair few close quarters attacks and adding a different element to his move pool could only help him.

This left me with Iron Head and the remaining Ice Fang. The issue with this was that the only other Pokémon I had that could learn these moves weren't ready for them yet. Rhaegal and Viserion, while able to battle, weren't able to use these attacks. Maybe Rhaegal would be able to use Iron Head, but then Viserion would be jealous, and consider his lack of fangs, Ice Fang wouldn't work for him.

I decided to just save the last two TM's. I'm sure I'd come across another Pokémon or somebody willing to purchase them later on in my Journey.

I released Baelish, and then chose to release my dragons. The more interaction I had with them, the greater their compliance with me would be when they achieved their final evolution. Hopefully.

Baelish stumbled around, the information those TM's provided ended up giving him a serious migraine, randomly clonking out. Rhaegal, being the daddy's girl she is, plopped down on my lap, straining the muscles and bones in my legs. Viserion, not to be outdone by his sister, coiled his way up my shoulders.

Drogon just scoffed. He wasn't as affectionate as they were, and he was proud all the same.

It took a bit of maneuvering, but I was able to get Rhaegal off of my lap. To do this, I had to lie down, Rhaegal nestling herself at my side. Viserion, being lighter, was allowed to be on top of me, acting as if he were a blanket.

Drogon lit the brazier of the heater for us, his tail ever so useful. With the room warm and my dragons even warmer, and with the echo of rainfall and the storm outside, just barely avoided, I felt my eyes grow heavy.

Maybe a nap would be nice…

.

I awoke to a curious sight. Rhaegal and Viserion were both still happily asleep, Baelish still moodily out of it. It was still raining outside, though the thunder and lightning had settled. Drogon though, he was not asleep. He was growling up a fuss at a Blissey that loomed above me menacingly, a needle in her hand.

…Huh.

"Blissey-Bli! SeBli sey Bliss!" The puff exclaimed, waving its needle about with a dark look in her eye.

Drogon barked at her, embers frothing at his mouth. I patted his scalp, knowing that he was only a second away from attacking this Pokémon.

"The larger blob wishes to know why we have entered her abode," Baelish translated, still groaning. "And if our answer is not… satisfactory, she'll give you an injection."

"…Injection?" I asked, looking at the Pokémon. If my voice happened to be slightly pitched due to the sight of a needle, nobody would know. I was close to letting Drogon just go at it. "What are you gonna inject me with?"

"Bliss." She announced, a small spurt of stuff escaping the needles end.

"Bad." Was all Baelish offered for translation.

The snort of laughter broke out from the other side of the room. I shuffled Viserion a bit so that I could see who it was.

My eyes… They burn…

The laughter came from a Nurse Joy, or at least it was a person that had their base looks. The pink hair in that looping style with those blue eyes was quite distinctive, after all. But the rest of her? She looked nothing like a Joy. She was tall, easily standing above six feet, and deeply tanned, like what you'd see from somebody that worked outside in the sun for decades, looking sort of leathery. And her muscles!

Dear god, this is a female hulk Hogan. No, that's not right. That's not even close. This is a female Hafthor Bjornson, the guy that played the Mountain. The strongest man in Europe. That is who this woman reminds me of.

I – I don't know what to say. I genuinely am at a loss for words.

"Blissey is just being territorial," she said, voice deep and rich and masculine. "And I can guess why you came here. No harm done…" Her tone turned accusatory. "Though I noticed my bathroom has a new hole in it."

"I saw that when I came in," I lied. "I just released my Natu through that hole and had him unlock the door. Sorry about breaking in."

"Hm. Weird," she shrugged. Then, she shook her head, the muscles on her neck bulging alongside the movement. "It's fine, I guess. The storm was bad enough that I probably would have done the same in your shoes. It'd be nice to get a name though."

I sat up fully, my movement awakening the dragons still sleeping. Rhaegal fell onto the floor in a heap and Viserion accidentally coiled himself improperly. He looked like a blue pretzel. Neither were happy with this. "Right- sorry. Uh, My names Jon. Jon Snow, I'm a trainer from-…"

"-Shamouti." She interrupted, wide eyed. A smile formed on her face. "I've heard of you! My half-sister mentioned you a few times when we had our family reunion in October. She runs that Center! Small world, huh?"

"Yeah…" I drawled. Rhaegal was whining at me from the ground, earning the interest of the Blissey that had been threatening only a moment earlier. "…Small world."

The rain from outside picked up its pace, and a question came to mind. Hopefully the fact that she knows of me will make her not snap my neck. "Actually, what are you doing here anyways? I thought Nurse Joy's were assigned to a Pokémon Center in a town or a city."

She laughed, doing a little twirl. "Do I look like a normal Nurse Joy?"

No. No she did not.

"Well, as I said before, the Joy of Shamouti is my half-sister. We share a mother. My father is a native of Alola, and I inherited his coloring and build," she explained. "I'm what's known as an Island Joy. There aren't that many of us, mainly because of how hard it is. We go between the islands and heal up the wild Pokémon that inhabit them. I take this a step further and deal with the uninhabited islands, and since that has the potential to be even more dangerous…"

I could guess that would lead to you becoming a body builder. And having a Blissey.

Not much else.

She shrugged. "Anyways, I did myself a favor a while back and had a few cabins like this one built all over the smaller islands in the Archipelago. I'm on my bi-monthly rounds over at this area, checking up on the wild Mankey that live here. This island only grows Oran berries, which doesn't offer as much protein as their diet normally needs, so..."

"That's…" I blinked. It took a little bit for her words to fully hit me. "That's actually really amazing."

And it was. I've got a huge respect for Nurse Joy's and their counterparts, anybody that does voluntary medical work really. That shit takes some serious education and dedication to do, and to offer those services for free? It's hard not to respect that kind of mindset.

Even if I would never do it myself.

She blushed, cheeks turning a sort of muddy color. "Thank you."

Then she shuffled around nervously, hands gripping the sides of blue and yellow one piece. "Would you have any interest in seeing how I work?"

I paused, taking her in further. From that phrase and the look of pity Blissey shot her, I came to a quick conclusion. My Joy, the one from Shamouti, was a lonely woman. This Joy? Lonely doesn't even begin to describe her, she's starved for companionship. Starved enough to ask a ten-year-old to hang out with her.

I'm not doing anything though, and the tentative schedule I had down for the day has already been put out of whack. What do I have to lose?

"Sure," I said, rolling my shoulders. "Why not? Uhm, but let's wait for the rain to go away first."

She clapped her hands together excitedly, just the once. "Grand!"

.

Thirty minutes later, we were on our way to the southern shoreline of the island. The rain had cleared up for the most part, the remainder being only a few drizzles in the form of sun showers. Baelish did not approve of any form of rain, be it a small shower or a raging typhoon, and chose to burrow his way in my sweater to avoid it.

"How do you even travel, anyways?" I found myself asking.

Joy just smiled secretively, not talking. Instead of answering my question, she had me walk about a quarter mile, telling me stories of her and the Joy of Shamouti, before bringing me to this island's beachfront, where a kayak was flipped and partially buried in the muddy sand.

Using her herculean strength, Joy lifted the kayak with a single hand and flipped it. There on its frontal hull was a red cross, the symbol of her clan.

That's just… Why? Why something so stupid? She could have gotten around on a normal boat, they're fast and have strong resistance to harsh waves.

"Why?" I couldn't help it. Even in my state of balking, I had to know.

She laughed at my confusion. "Using a kayak lets me work with the Water type Pokémon that live in the ocean easier. And by not using a normal boat, I don't accidentally run them over and add to injuries."

"But there are water scooters you could use," I tried to counter. "And I think there are jet skis that only use air propulsion."

"Those do exist," she nodded along, grabbing a supply box from inside of the kayak. "However, there's one thing you haven't also taken into account."

Joy dropped the box of supplies onto the sand and began to flex, her physique bulging before me. "Kayaking let's me keep this at its peak condition."

My eyes!

"KARP!" A voice from the sea echoed, causing Joy to falter. Her face turned blotchy, angry and resigned all the same.

A Magikarp appeared, jumping from the bank and onto the sand, flopping around before Joys feet.

And it was massive. This Magikarp was easily ten feet long, four feet in wide and gigantic all around. A monster of a Pokémon, something I'd only seen once before when running away from the Charicific Valley.

A King.

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. This Joy – her appearance had niggled at the back of my mind ever since she showed up. I knew something was familiar about her, but at the same time I would have thought that such a distinctive look would stand out in my mind.

Now I know, though. This is the Joy from the Orange Islands season of the Pokémon anime that cared for wild Pokémon. Ash and Misty and Tracey came upon her when she was in the midst of healing a group of Pokémon and ended up spending the better part of their day following her around. In that episode, this Magikarp came around, a giant still, but upon evolving it became a regular Gyarados, only it didn't have the normal aggression a recently evolved Gyarados was wont to have.

But that was the anime. The show and this reality, while having many similarities, are not the same. Details were ignored and stories not fully told. The show is for children and to promote the games it was based off of, not to tell a fleshed-out story in truth.

And this is the proof of it. That Joy, while very tan, did not have the muscle mass to match here work. This one did. And this Magikarp wouldn't become a normal Gyarados.

A King evolved into a King, no exceptions.

Unconsciously, I felt my unused Luxury Ball attached to my ball belt.

"Why must you always follow me around, old friend?" Joy asked, lifting it up and throwing it back into the water. The Magikarp surfaced, cheering at her, orange scales darkening at the cheeks.

"So, ah…" How do I even start this? "You know a King?"

Best to just be blunt, really.

"Know one?" She snorted. "I raised one. I met this Magikarp when I was just a girl of seven, after a pod of them hatched. He was the smallest of the bunch, and since I knew I wanted to be a nurse like the rest of my family, I tried to take care of him. During that time, he imprinted on me, and I've never been able to shake him since."

"But isn't that a good thing?" I asked. Wasn't it? "He'd be a great companion to have, even if he's a Magikarp."

"That's the trainer in you speaking," she sighed, shaking her head. "If I never took my oath, I would probably have done just that. But I did take my oath. A Joy shall have no other companion save her Chansey. My Chansey has already evolved, I can't stretch the goodwill of my family further. I've already strained my relationship with them by leading this lifestyle."

She flopped onto the front of her kayak, hands in the air. "But I can't shake him!"

"I still don't see how that's a bad thing."

"My wallet," she groaned. "The League only gives me so much money since I'm not based at a Center, and Magikarp is under the belief that he can only keep my attention if he's injured, no matter how many times I tell him differently. He constantly hurts himself, and I have to help him out. And his being a King, that's where things get tricky. He needs so much more medicine than a normal Magikarp would, and since he's always hurting himself near me…"

"You waste most of your supplies on him." I finished, earning a grim nod.

Yeesh, that'd suck.

"If he just followed me around, it'd be fine." She acknowledged. "A lot of the Pokémon I heal up visit me, and they are very friendly towards me. They bring me fresh food and guide me towards their families. But Magikarp just hurts himself, over and over and over again. I love him, I truly do. The first Pokémon I've ever treated! But…"

She looked genuinely miserable. And Magikarp, he was just jumping around at the bank, happy to be nearby. He was all smiles and happiness, but the way Joy described him just made him out to be an idiot.

Pokémon aren't people though, and they don't have the same mindsets we do. If he really imprinted on her, then his actions hold a certain level of reasonability. He would think that, just as the Pokémon she heals does, that to stay with her, to stay in her good will, he would need to stay injured to keep her attention.

A cyclical and dangerous mindset.

One that I could exploit.

"I've got an idea." I said. "It might not work, but…"

"I'll try anything." She said, quickly.

"How about you ask him to become my Pokémon?"

She stilled, looking at me incredulously. "You want a King? I've just told you about the issues I've had with his medicine, but his diet is probably four times worse. Can you even handle that?"

Not now. My funds took a serious hit in my enthusiasm at this morning's sale. But in the future? If the information I held with regards to the show held up, I would probably have enough money to support a King soon enough.

"I'll be able to soon enough," I said instead. "And even then, he's still a Magikarp. They don't really eat much, right?"

"No…" she allowed. "Magikarp only eat seaweed. But if you intend to catch him, then you probably want to evolve him too. Gyarados? A King Gyarados? It'll eat you to destitution and still want more."

"…We'll come to that issue when it comes up." Was my reply. "I think I can handle him, and I think I'll be able to deal with him when he evolves."

Joy studied me with narrowed eyes. I held her gaze.

Then, she shrugged. "I'll be honest, I don't think you can. But I can't handle him much longer either, so I'll at least try and help you out. But if you find you can't handle him anymore…"

I nodded. The unspoken threat in her tone was firm and held the promise of retribution. No matter how annoying and damning on her finances Magikarp was, he was still dear to her. If I couldn't handle him, it wouldn't be right to just store him at Oak's ranch and never see him again.

At that point, it'd be better if I – I think I'm gonna hurl just thinking about it – release him.

Joy stood suddenly, patting herself down. "Well, no time to waste then. I'll swim, you use my kayak. The oar is between where your legs go."

She dove in the water, splashing me ever so slightly, to Baelish's aggravation. His head bopped me in the jaw in his bid to escape the confines of my shirt, earning curses from the pair of us. Then, he just disappeared, teleporting away.

"Oooh!" He sounded from atop a tree. I looked at him, but he wasn't looking back at me. He was circling himself, hopping to and fro. "I could get used to this."

He teleported again, further away. I shook my head, assuming he'd be fine.

Hopefully.

I pushed the kayak into the water and grabbed the oar between my legs. Puttering about, I made my way to Joy.

She was playing with Magikarp, to the fish's elation. Giving him attention, kissing his face, rubbing his scales, dude looked like he was in heaven.

"Magikarp," she started, taking in my approach. "I'd like to introduce you to Jon. He's my little brother."

I shot her a look. She returned the look. Smartly, I chose not to correct her obvious lie.

"Karp!" He greeted, twisting onto his side so that he could wave a fin at me.

"I was actually wondering if you would do me a favor," Joy cooed. "It's a really big one, and I need the biggest, strongest, nicest friend I have to help out with it."

"KAR!"

"Well…" Joy trailed off, his enthusiasm growing on her performance. "You see, I was wondering if you would be willing protect my brother like you do me. He's just started travelling, and while he's got a decent group of Pokémon, I would feel terrible if I didn't know he was safe. And, well, you've always been so loyal and caring to me. But I'm a big girl, and he's just a little boy. He needs your protection more than I do now. Please? It'd mean the world to me."

Magikarp listened to her intently, the notion that he was idiotic due to his masochistic tendencies washed away from my mind. Nobody that was stupid could hold such a look. He studied me closely, mouth set in a line of contemplation.

Joy must have sensed something in Magikarp, paranoia probably. "If you do this for me I'll give you a biiiiiiig smooch!"

"MAGI!" He exclaimed wildly, contemplation gone as his eyes twisted into the shape of beady black hearts. It was actually disgusting to see, but I couldn't find the strength to look away.

He nodded his body up and down vigorously, earning a laugh from Joy, leading to a loud, smacky kiss on his head. If he turned any redder he'd be mistaken for a blood stain.

Wow… Just- wow.

That actually happened.

I pulled out my Luxury Ball out from the side of my belt and tossed it to Joy. She caught it deftly, still showering Magikarp in kisses.

"Do you know what this is?" She asked the Pokémon, holding the ball up. Magikarp shook his head. "This is a Poké Ball. I know it's small, but it'll be your home for a while, okay? Just trust me, you'll feel tingly and maybe a little scared, but everything will be alright, hun."

Slightly wary, Magikarp nodded, staring at the black ball. Joy moved her arm slowly, bringing the Luxury Ball up to him, tapping it against his scales. The ball opened, bright red light enveloping his body, his great mass absorbed into the Poké Ball.

There was only minimal resistance, the ball shaking three times, before a click finalized his capture. His Poké Ball disappeared in a shower of light, my carry limit unable to support him.

Uh…

…Yeah. Cool.

Winter/Pidgeot – Male

Moves: Tackle, Gust, Sand Attack, Agility, Double Team, Whirlwind, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Twister, Fly, Hyper Beam, Sunny Day, Heat Wave, Attract, Rest, Sky Attack, Aerial Ace

Ability: Keen Eye

Valyrian/Skarmory – Female

Moves: Steel Wing, Wing Attack, Fly, Cut, Peck, Screech, Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Slash, Night Shade, Steel Wing, Icy Wing, Sky Attack, Iron Head, Attract, Dark Pulse, Aerial Ace, Iron Defense

Ability: Sturdy

Umber/Delibird – Female

Moves: Present, Icy Wing, Peck, Rest, Attract, Ice Beam, Hail, Blizzard, Sky Attack, Double Team, Aerial Ace

Ability: Hustle

Thoros/Gliscor – Male

Moves: Sludge Bomb, Slash, Poison Sting, Metal Claw, Dark Pulse, Dig, Guano, Attract, Steel Wing, Iron Tail, Sandstorm, Ice Fang

Ability: Sand Veil

Viserion/Dratini – Male

Moves: Leer, Wrap, Thunder Wave, Water Pulse(Egg Move), Attract, Water Gun

Ability: Shed Skin

Drogon/Charmeleon – Male(Shiny)

Moves: Growl, Scratch, Ember, Ancient Power, Attract, Iron Tail, Metal Claw, Sunny Day, Bite, Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Claw

Ability: Blaze

Rhaegal/Bagon – Female

Moves: Rage, Headbutt, Ember, Dragon Rush(Egg Move), Attract, Skull Bash

Ability: Rock Head

Baelish/Nate – Male

Moves: Peck, Leer, Night Shade, Calm Mind, Protect, Teleport, Flash, Confuse Ray

Ability: Synchronize

Jon Snow – Male

Date: Jan 2

Badges: N/A

Held Pokémon: Pidgeot, Skarmory, Delibird, Gliscor, Dratini, Charmeleon, Bagon, Natu

Stored Pokémon: Magikarp

Currency: 13,070