Chapter 10: Soft Words, Rough Reception

As I walked along the pier in the rain, my mind spun into high gear- my priorities shifted from getting contact with my people to saving my Mom. They could figure things out with Drayden, but no ships would be going to Unova for a long while- it had become isolationist after the international police were chased out. Even if I could get in contact, there was no guarantee of Drayden letting me come back until I was better. Not with his stubbornness. 

…

Tak-akakakaka-plop

I kicked a pebble down the stone pier as I walked, my chin buried in my bulky wet scarf. Now that the talonflame was gone the cold settled in, but I had lived on the run for a year- this sort of thing wasn't that bad. It was different from living in the forests of inland Unova, but this city… would be my home. 

'For now… I just need to survive.'

Tak-tak-tak

The rain beat down on the empty pier, the stone bricks that composed it resounding with the crisp taps of rain from the downpour. It was nice to hear it after so long of hiding in the shelters underground. I walked to the end of an empty pier, sitting on the edge. I tried to smile, but my lips just melted into a frown. 

"Hah…"

It was going to be hard. 

"…at least the air is nice."

I could already feel the difference in air quality between Unova and here. Most of the pain from my lungs was gone, and while speaking to Tesla earlier I didn't need to stop to catch my breath. I felt a bit faint, but it was manageable if I just didn't talk too much. I could probably increase my stamina tenfold if I just lived here for a few months. 

'…I wish I could at least have one more conversation with her. And just… Not have to lie.'

A few minutes passed as the rain beat down on my back. I kept my eyes on the waves- the same ocean covered our base just off the west coast of Unova. The waves lapped at the stone pillars below me, a sign of the nearly constant high tide due to the strong flow of water through here that split Gearen into two districts. 

'Maybe there's more ruins like them here…'

The ruined crown that the Sprouts jokingly put on my head when we had our first meeting there… So many memories half a world away. So many people I had fought with, friends who had died for me…

Something welled up in my throat, but I forced it down. I was used to it- being a leader took far more than I had, and there were people who could take charge while I was away. I needed to take this time to prepare, not to reminisce on what had been lost. I had crippled the government by abusing my abilities, so… 

'...I hope nothing bad happens.'

"Bui… zel…"

I heard a buizel crying on the pier nearby. Glancing over, I saw that it looked like a wreck- the glossy orange fur was matted, standing on end unlike what it should have been. Its short tails laid flat on the ground, unmoving unlike how documentaries portrayed them.

Standing up, I walked over and sat next to it. 

"Hey."

The orange pokemon didn't react to my voice. It's hoarse voice kept crying out. 

"Bui… hah!"

It coughed. Too much crying can do that- I was always a crier, so I knew the frustration. Sometimes tears didn't stop even when you thought you had moved on, and the stormy clouds seemed designed to wipe them away in a deluge of its own. 

"Here."

I took out a fresh water from the ship and opened it for the buizel. It took it weakly, slowly drinking it like an old man would a bottle of beer. Wild pokemon couldn't drink products for humans, but it held it between its hands like it was used to living with people. 

'Probably abandoned…'

 A few minutes passed like that, just it sipping the water as the rain filled the silence between us. 

"Bui."

The buizel sat the empty bottle down next to it, twisting so its two paws wouldn't drop it as it did so. 

"Buize. Buizel. Zel."

It talked for a moment, its head hanging low. It didn't move though, and I couldn't understand pokemon. After a minute I stood up- I couldn't wallow forever, and I had done all I could for the orange otter. I had something to do before it became too late, and it had already been half an hour since Tesla left. If my body wasn't covered in bulky cotton clothes I would have a cold by now. 

Tak-tak-tak…

My footsteps on the wet stone bricks were crisp. After a few paces though, I paused. I turned back to the orange otter, words bubbling up in my throat. 

"Buizel, I don't know what happened to you, but I won't try to guess. Just… try to stay strong. It's not winning every battle that makes the strong that way, but instead how they handle their defeats."

Tak-tak-tak

A few steps later and I was patting its head. 

"A good friend of mine told me that. It's not just defeats, but losses. Like losing a friend, a partner, or a- a mom."

My voice caught on the last word, but I forced it out. I walked away, hoping what I said would resonate with him. At least in some tiny way… but maybe I said it more for myself than for it. 

I turned and moved away, not looking back. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A massive laboratory, the broad road to it lit by stage lights. The street was tiled, certainly not fit for cars or large pokemon, and the lights were too focused, casting most of the street in the shade of the twilight. 

'Seriously, who designs this stuff? It looks so dramatic.' 

I stepped forward with certainty. I had decided to get a pokemon first before I tried to ask about a room. I would hopefully not be staying in the city for long, and I needed to make money starting from early in the morning- trainer battles would be the only way for me to do so quickly. From there I could make it to Grand Dream City, and make money as a half-beggar until I got contact with my people in Unova to rescue Mom. 

'...Well, that's if I still suck at battling.'

After me and Victor failed miserably in our first few missions, my hopes of becoming a trainer were dashed. It was only recently that I had been lectured for hours against my will by the veterans and Cheren. I could at least make enough to get to the next town over and afford rent somewhere cheap while I practiced- I could handle most humans with my combat experience, but the people on the ship would require a pokemon to help. 

'I just wish I had Victor… Well, I just need to get a strong starter and I'll be set for now. I wonder which set of Pokémon they've bred?'

Normally regions would have three pokemon to sell to new trainers- intelligent ones which could understand humans well enough, and that had been trained to a certain extent. Unova had once had oshawott as the water type, but after breeding a… few too many, you could find them easily in the piers around the region. They switched to froakies after that. 

'I just hope there's a cat… Or a dog. They're fairly cute too- No, I need a strong partner. A charmander might…'

I ignored the antsy trainers on the path, who were shaking their heads as they quickly held up their phones to me before turning away. 

'Ugh, is this what trainers here have to deal with? It feels creepy…'

"I challenge you to a-!"

A particularly annoying guy stopped mid sentence, before backing off. He was still looking at his phone, probably only now noticing the message on his phone about me lacking pokemon. Trainers tended to be young, inexperienced, and horribly curious. It's why we had to save them so frequently despite Unova not having any more male trainers- they couldn't just stay home. 

"Out of the way, man."

Plod, plod, plod…

I walked past him, not caring to bump into him. I moved into the glass revolving door, the reflections of the light inside making it feel like a kaleidoscope. 

Splosh-splosh

My wet shoes had water filling them by the bucket, making my crisp footsteps feel more like stepping on sponges. 

'Maybe I should get a room to dry off first…?'

Clack!

"You must be Mykah!"

A black woman with… style? She caught my wet shoulder as soon as I stepped in, her eyes blazing with vitality. I held back a stronger reaction, instead just pushing her arm away as a shiver ran through my body.

'...Why is she wearing such a big hat?'

A large black hat with a massive red ponytail spiking out of it and flowing down her back adorned her head. I couldn't tell if the hair was hers or the hat's, but it seemed too long to be a normal human's. 

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for?"

My eyes narrowed. Did she have no idea what happened for me to get here? Did Tesla not say anything?

"But as long as you're finally here, I guess it doesn't matter. We can finally get started! Follow me."

She walked me to the back, registering quickly at the desk in the back left of the large lobby. I glanced around. Noting the shop on the left and the nurse in the middle of the back- somebody I would be meeting with frequently in the next few days. I would probably need to ask about a human hospital for a checkup. 

'Once I have money at least…'

There were plenty of other people despite the late hour. A woman with a weird tree shopping at the left, and a few people playing cards over in the corner. We made our way to the back, left of the Nurse Joy. Amanda waved to the woman behind the desk, and she opened the side door so we could go through. 

"Just through here—"

"Not so fast, Amanda."

A black man with actually decent looks came out. Gray hair, well groomed but messy. Yep, 6/10 in style- not too loud or over the top, and plain enough with a few accessories that didn't stand out. Burgh would be proud- he had designed the Sprout suits, so his tastes could be trusted when it came to these things. 

"Where have you been? I've been trying to call you for weeks now."

Similar skin tone and jawline… siblings?

"...And what's with the hat? I thought you said they weren't for you?"

"...!"

'That's what I'm saying!' 

"Uh, sorry! I've been so busy! Also, yes, this hat is new."

She swept it to the side, the long red poof from the top swaying as she did so. 

"I decided to change up my look is all. It's got you pretty stunned, eh?"

He shook his head almost imperceptibly, but I could feel his pain. 

"Anyway, Mykah, this is Jan. He's my brother. Jan, this is Mykah."

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

I shook his hand, but it was a bit awkward. Darn it, maybe I'll need to kick the habit sooner than I thought. 

"I'm the head manager for the Aevium League. My sister here is the co-manager."

"Mmm…"

I heard her mumbling behind me, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. Something about her hand hurting?

"Or at least, she's supposed to be, but she's been slacking off lately."

"I'm not good with paperwork. You know that!"

'Ah.' 

"Heh."

"You're right. If I left you with all that documentation, I think you'd burn down this lab eventually."

He chuckled at his own joke, stepping back a bit. 

"But, whatever. I won't keep you two here- It was nice meeting you, Mykah."

As he walked out, I heard Amanda grumbling again. It was too quiet to understand this time, but maybe it was just nonsense. 

"...This way!"

And she ran off behind the desk. The woman ran into the back room, leaving me behind to fend for myself.