4

We returned to town with a flourish. Winter was screeching his joy above whilst I was hollering from his back, the townsfolk gawking at us. I admit, we were being obnoxious. That didn't bother me all that much, to be honest. We were too excited.

I was excited because I was free. True, I didn't mind my time on Shamouti, but I've essentially been pocketed away in the Pokémon Center grounds for the past two months. Now though, with Winter, I was able to see everything. Winter was basically excited for the same reasons, though he was also quite happy to have been able to grow so quickly. It was a sign, in both of our minds, that he was a strong boi.

He landed in the back yard of the Center, his wings gusting some things to the ground by pure accident. Joy raced outside, Chansey hot on her tail. Upon seeing us, her jaw legitimately dropped, her eyes bulging outwards.

Let it be said that the rate of Winters growth was indeed very unusual, and her reaction is understandable. It was one thing for him to have evolved into a Pidgeotto, he could have been an experienced Pidgey that was nearing his first evolution when I first caught him, and that was that. But for him to be a Pidgeot now? Well, not to toot any horns, but I'm probably a record holder. I'll look it up later, just to be sure.

"Well, congratulations you two." Joy said, having come out of her stupor. Chansey cheered from her side, holding her egg like a pompom.

I hopped off Winters back and, with a rub under his beak, returned him. I handed Joy his Poké Ball, which she took with a knowing smile. That bird was about to get some healing, and a feast to boot.

We all returned inside. While Joy and Chansey went to the back, I made my way to one of the lobby computers. I logged on to the interwebs and browsed, spending a good thirty or so looking for the world record of Pidgeot evolution (I learned that such a thing didn't exist) before deciding to check my email, and wouldn't you know it, this day has even more good news!

I had a message from Liza.

TO: Jon Snow

Hi, Jon. Sorry for the late response, I only just found your message. I was busy with some of the Valley's inhabitants and didn't really get the chance to check my computer.

In response to your inquiry, I'd be happy to take you on. I won't say for certain whether or not there will be a Charmander or an egg in it for you, but anything is possible. That primarily has to do with how well the Charizard like you, not me.

It should be noted, however, that I will not be able to host you at the moment. We're still in the middle of winter, and since the Valley is located inside of a mountain range, the weather is quite chaotic over here. The Charizard and their younglings are currently hibernating, and they have to remain undisturbed. Their line is easily distracted by new faces and have bad a tendency to be violent when awakened from their sleep, so until they finish their hibernation period you won't be able to come.

Please send me a date as to when you can come, and I will make sure to have a room ready for you. If possible, please give me at least two week's worth of notice before doing so.

Regards,

FROM: Liza Hawsen

…Oooohoohoohoohoo.

This is something I can work with.

"Huh, lucky break." An old, weathered voice sounded from just behind me. "The Charicific Valley is pretty famous, even down here. Good job, young man!"

I startled and twisted the chair around, only to catch sight of Tobias. He was sporting a green Hawaiian shirt this time, with a pair of board shorts. Casually, he was fluffing the left side of his mustache-sideburn combo with one hand, while the other was holding his shaved chin. Seriously, his facial hair was so weird.

And he was being very obvious in his reading over my shoulder.

"…Can I help you?" I asked, silently minimizing my email. He pouted. I mean, I wanted to ask a lot more. I wanted to know what he was doing and why the fuck he was reading my personal messages, but I'm a little too shocked right now. Completely left field, y'know?

"Why yes! Yes, you can," he boomed, grinning broadly.

I waited. He too waited. We were just staring at each other, and when five minutes passed, I couldn't handle the awkward any more.

"What can I help you with?" I sighed.

He beamed at me. Legit, his smile was this megawatt thing, bright and shiny and pearly and all the adjectives that involved white teeth. I think they were sparkling.

Creepy.

"On Shamouti," he began. "We have a tradition. Once a year, around the end of April, we host a festival in the center of town. The festival is based around a mythical figure known simply as the Chosen One. Only a person who owns a Pokémon, preferably a trainer, is allowed to become a Chosen One. The Chosen One is selected by the year; there are no repetitions. The Chosen One sets out to the islands of Ice, Fire and Lightning along with their Pokémon to retrieve three orbs, each denoting the islands element, bringing them to our temple so that the Beast of the Sea may continue to protect us."

Well. My interest has been piqued.

"Normally we just have a local trainer take on the role, but then I caught sight of your Pidgeot this morning and realized that that wasn't necessary. Plus, it's been a while since we had one of our own islanders take the role. There's a certain type of pride with having a Shamouti native take the lead role in the festival of Shamouti."

He paused for a second, furrowing his brow. "You are an islander here, right?"

"Technically no." I admitted, frowning. "I haven't filled out a form or anything to make this place my home."

"Bah!" Tobias scoffed, waving his hand lackadaisically. "You don't need to do any of that nonsense. Do you want to live here or do you not?"

"I do." Of course, I wanted to live here! There was so much open space on Shamouti where nobody would bother me once I gained more Pokémon, and there were three legendaries just off the coast. This place was perfect!

"Great, then as mayor of Shamouti I allow you to claim membership as an islander of Shamouti. There, it's done."

What?

"You're the mayor?" And since when did mayors have power over immigration policies?!

I don't even have any papers, man.

…Not that I'm complaining about being streamlined through the system, mind you. I'm just hella confused.

"Indeed, I am!" He boasted, clapping his chest. "Tobias Brinks, mayor of Shamouti and head of courier services." He held out his other hand, waiting for a shake.

Slowly, I did so. "Jon Snow, citizen of Shamouti and future Pokémon trainer."

"Welcome Jon! So, want to be the Chosen One this year?"

Did he even need to ask?

.

The festival was to begin on the 29th of April this time around, so I had time to kill.

And I decided to kill that time in the most effective way I could.

Stood in front of a two-story building, built with an effective set of brick walls and an entirely ineffective roof of thatch and hay, I politely rang the doorbell. The sound it produced was… Well, it sounded like an old-fashioned car horn, those obnoxious ones that went AWOOOOGA.

It was actually kinda funny.

The door unlatched from the back, and it opened. It was a woman that opened the door, a very cute one at that. She had a curly mop of brown hair that jutted all throughout, bright green eyes and an easy smile; bangles hung from her ears. Dressed in a simple white blouse and a pair of jean shorts, she looked perfectly at home.

Probably because this was her home.

"Can I help you?" She asked with a kind smile.

"I'd like to talk to Mayor Brinks."

She quirked a brow but didn't say anything else. She just opened the door and allowed me to enter. It was a quaint space; a combination of a home and an office. It had a lived-in sort of appeal, decorated by coffee tables and chairs and couches, with family pictures and business portraits scattered along the blue trimmed walls.

"Hey gramps!" The woman called, banging on a door to the back. "You've got a guest!"

"Send 'em in, Carol!" came Tobias's jolly voice.

She did so, and I entered Tobias's office. It was strange that the mayor of the town kept to his own home, but I suppose it wasn't a huge issue. Shamouti had a population of only a little over five thousand inhabitants, and most of them are pretty relaxed. Actually, that probably was why Tobias kept his office at home in the first place, since he could relax there.

Huh.

The room wasn't anything special. A wooden desk sat in the middle, with a large computer screen on its top and a pair of comfortable chairs at its front, windows to the side allowing natural light to flow in. Tobias was sitting there, looking at me with a knit brow that reminded me of Carol quite easily. There were some facial features that they shared, now that I noticed. Both had wide cheeks, and their ears were the same.

"Jon? What are you doing here, my boy? We talked only three hours ago."

True. He left the Pokémon Center after I accepted the role as Chosen One and that was that. An hour after that, Nurse Joy gave me Winters Poké Ball and proclaimed him to be in perfect health, and that he now had a full belly. She informed me of some dietary changes I would need to take note of, as well as grooming habits to be on top of, but that was it. I had just been relaxing. She also returned the Poké Ball and Great Ball she'd taken from me, citing that with Winter's final evolution, I'd proven to be a good trainer and deserving of the chance to catch more teammates.

So why was I here?

"I'm broke."

"And that has to do with me… how?"

I shuffled my way into one of the chairs in front of his desk. "You're the head of courier services. My Pidgeot wants to fly, I want to fly, but we don't have any place in mind. So, I thought- y'know… maybe you could pay me to deliver some things throughout the archipelago? Kill two birds with one stone."

He was silent. In fact, the room itself was silent.

Then, like a bulldozer, a strong stomping sound echoed from the other side of the office door. It was slammed open, and a harried and hopeful looking Carol made her way in, plopping down in the chair next to mine.

"You're doing it." She said, staring at Tobias.

"Now Carol, he's a minor and-"

"I've been doing that job since I was eight years old." Carol growled, a tirade starting to form. Oh boy. "You saddled me onto your damned Fearow before I could say no, and for the past eleven years I've been doing that job off and on at the most random times. Fearow barely tolerates me; last time we did a delivery he legitimately left me before I could return him to his Poké Ball. I had to hire a boat to take me back home! And the wages! I'm nineteen now, grampa. I want to move out of this house soon, and I can't do that if I have such a random schedule and confusing income. I've already been offered a job with the fishers' guild, but I can't take it because Melody hates Fearow more than Fearow hates her, and we don't have a replacement. So, you're going to hire him, you're going to be happy about it, and all will be well."

I have a philosophy I like to live by. When an opportunity slaps you in the face, you grab it by the wrist and make it your bitch.

This is one such event that begets this type of treatment.

"I'm nine, so since there's precedence of somebody younger, there shouldn't be a problem with my being a minor." I said, Carol nodding beside me. Tobias was sinking into his chair, eyes wide and chin wobbling. It was funny. "And Winter is my starter, we've got that bond. He'll listen to me, he won't treat me like your Fearow apparently treats Carol here. Plus, he really just wants to fly everywhere. He won't have any issue with traveling."

"Fearow's been getting on in the years, gramps." Carol continued. We were on a roll. I looked down and saw that she had her fist propped beneath the desk, pointing at me. I bumped it. "Pretty soon we're gonna have to either release him into the forest until he passes on or put him down medically. Fearow already spends most of his time in the forest, so there wouldn't be an issue. I know you don't want to think about it, I don't like it either, but you know it's going to happen sooner or later. If you hired-"

She paused and then whispered in my ear, "Your name's Jon, right?"

I nodded.

"If you hired Jon, he could relax." She said. It was impressive how easily she could ignore the detail of my name until it mattered. "He'd have a longer life, and you could spend your time with him in a better environment."

"And then-"

"Stop!" Tobias groaned. "Just, just stop. I get it."

Wearily, he began typing on his computer. A minute later, the sound of a printer began to buzz from beneath his side of the desk. He grabbed the document and gave it to me. I took the warm paper and began to read.

"I know how I said you didn't need to fill out any forms, but since you're wanting a job then you're going to have to deal with it. These forms require your personal signature, here at the top and there at the bottom, with your initials on that line in the middle." He said, pointing at the lines with a thick finger.

Carol held a pen up to my face, my eyes going cross as I looked at the device. I took it from her and read what was before me.

Basically, this form was the bare bones equivalent of a work visa, back in the states. Those took a lot more paper work to fill out, and required a lot of background information, but this was the best thing I could compare it to. The form stated that I would be accepting temporary work that would have me trudge through various weather conditions, with the occasional long distances and possible medical issues depending on my mode of travel.

The pay was determined based on how frequently I traveled, how far I traveled, and my quickness in delivering messages and supplies.

That last part caught my attention, and I looked at Carol.

"What did you mean the pay is bad?"

She exhaled loudly. "It's not that the pay is bad, per se. It's that Fearow hates me and I can't ever trust him to take me very far. He wouldn't go fast and because he hated me, I couldn't use him too often. Essentially, I could only get paid when he was in the mood, and he had a habit of changing his mood mid-delivery."

Ah.

Well, Winter isn't going to have that issue, or at least not with me. True, his personality might have shifted again with his quicker evolution, but even with that, I still hold his loyalty. He was grudgingly accepting of me as a Pidgey, a determined soldier as a Pidgeotto, and now that he was a Pidgeot- well, I don't know for a fact, but my gut is telling me that he's not going to have a problem with this arrangement.

So, with a flourish, I signed my name. Fun fact, the flourish was unnecessary. I've got some pretty nasty chicken scratch.

Tobias collected the form and signed it himself. With that, I now had employment.

It seemed too easy. I felt as if it was going to be taken away from me, that something was going to happen.

Then I remembered that it didn't matter. I was gonna be heading to the Charicific Valley soon. This job? It was the equivalent of a high schooler getting a summer gig between grades, a way to make money that's supposed to last for a little while.

This wasn't a career. It was a stop-gap.

Carol grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me out to her back yard. It was a very open space, connected to the forest.

"How soon do you want to work?" She asked, hand still on my wrist as she dragged me towards the forest.

"I can start today, if it works." I kept my other hand in my pocket, my fingers resting on Winters Poké Ball. Even though I doubted I would have anything to fear with Carol, I had been in this forest earlier today, and knew that it wasn't happy with me.

"Perfect!" She panted, eyes glazed. "Just give me a sec then."

She pulled a cord from her neck upwards, its staple being a whistle that was cleverly concealed within the confined clasp of her cleavage. Oooh, that was a good one; almost a tongue twister.

Carol took a deep breath and blew into the whistle, its frequency echoing through the trees. Multiple Pokémon cried out in response, the most numerous of them being Spearow.

"So, gramps didn't really explain in detail what you're supposed to do." Carol began, taking a seat on the grass, beckoning me to join her. I did so. "Couriers deliver confidential information to important individuals and bring test items to production facilities. Say gramps needed to send some budgeting information on Shamouti's main imports, which are lumber, berries and Seel meat, to another island's leader. Even though most other regions send that information digitally, the Archipelago is pretty old fashioned, so we hand deliver that type of stuff. Same with notices of important events that affect other islands. But you won't need to worry about that too much."

A loud, warbling hissing sort of sound echoed. It approached, quick and precise, and then there was a shadow above. I looked up. It was larger than I'd last seen it, though the last time I saw it I was running away from it. Probably about six feet tall, now that I had a closer look. Its brown feathers, mottled with the grey of age, billowed about the clearing as it landed in front of us, its beak spinning like a drill as its beady eyes glared down.

It was glaring right at me.

"RO!" The Fearow sounded, stamping its talons.

"Fearow, no." Carol sternly denounced, moving so that she was in front of me. The Fearow hissed at her, thrashing in place. "Fearow, I called you for a reason. This wasn't the reason."

It let out another hiss, craning its head downwards so that it was eye level to her. It puffed out a breath from the nose holes on its beak, hot enough that I could feel it from behind.

I was gripping Winters Poké Ball hard, treating it like a lifeline. The sphere might as well have been, now that I thought about it.

Carol took Fearow's descent as permission to continue. "This kid back here is gonna be taking over for me. He's got his own Pokémon to ride, so you can retire."

That statement was what sealed the deal. Fearow calmed in an instant, taking the time to adjust his positioning so that he was perched, rather than looming. He cocked his head to the side, confusion and interest making up his body language.

"I need your held item." She then reached up and gripped a metal collar I hadn't noticed. What? It looked like it wanted to eat me, I wasn't going to be looking for other things. The thing fell to the ground with a clang and Fearow screeched loudly, before volleying away and returning to the forest without a by-your-leave.

I just stared.

"Well that went well!" Carol cheered, turning about face. "Now bring out your Pidgeot. I've got to make sure this works."

I was still staring, but I did finally remove Winters ball from my pocket and released the avian. Winter loudly let Carol know his name, then shot into the air, circling around for a minute or so before landing before us.

"Now do me a favor and put this collar on the Pidgeot." She handed me the device, and I looked it over. It was metal, that much was obvious, though also looked foreign. The metal was brown, like leather, and instead of thick, it was long. The best way I could describe it was it looked like a wide but thin canister that didn't have a bottom.

It did have a snap though, so I was able to take it apart and put it back together on Winters neck. My starter was noticeably confused, though silently bore my attention without a fuss. Well, he did fuss, but it was in a more annoying sort of way. He would preen my hair with his beak, which let me tell you, is not a gentle experience.

But my dues were done. The collar was now on Winters neck, and I admit, it looked pretty snazzy.

Carol handed me a small device, a remote with two buttons that was half the size of my palm. Its buttons were basic, just a [+] and a [-] on its right and left sides respectively.

"Go ahead and hit the plus."

I did and watched as the collar billowed out a cloth of some kind, wrapping its way around Winters back and torso, coursing between his wings. He was noticeably startled and jumped about in a panic at the surprising new layer.

"That is a Rider's Seat," Carol said, motioning for Winter to calm down. "It's used so Pokémon that can carry passengers can do so for a long while. Go ahead and get on his back, you'll understand."

Warily, I took her advice. Winter slowly allowed me to mount him, and the cloth that was surrounding him then morphed around me, turning into a seatbelt and a seat at the same time. Hell, there was a cup holder between my legs!

I turned to Carol in obvious shock. "How the hell did you get this thing?"

"Sylph Co. made it a few years ago. I tricked gramps into getting it for me, since Fearow was so difficult. But I couldn't get him to give it to me, so it's listed as being part of the job package now."

Sylph Co. They were the ultimate innovators of the Pokéverse. Think of it in terms of Marvel, these guys were Stark Enterprises mixed with every other multi-billion-dollar company, without a lick of competition. Sylph Co. owned everything. They created the current day Poké Ball, a lot of the medical machinery found in all Pokémon Centers, almost every single Porygon that had ever been made was created through their servers and-… and it was a wonder in and of itself that they weren't corrupt.

I just thanked my stars that I had such a useful item now, and that I was going to absolutely steal it when I had the chance. That or buy it, since I could probably get a discount from Tobias as opposed to the full price that Sylph demanded.

"Can we start work now?" I asked Carol, and she barked out a laugh, asking me to wait.

It wasn't me that she needed to ask.

Winter took that opportunity to take me up in the air. We were coasting around the island, taking a slow tour of what was available. We passed the mountain range of hills, where a host of Pokémon greeted us with cheers, the most interesting of which was a Hypno that calmly raised its charm in acknowledgement. Winter then moved to the lake, where a Seaking tried to bring us down, only to realize we were about fifty feet too high. It pouted at us, then dove and never returned.

Thus, with our tour complete, we returned to the Brinks family yard.

Carol was waiting for us, her foot tapping against the grass while her arms were crossed, a folder and an envelope held in her hand and a package at her side.

Upon landing she began to tie the package to Winter's torso, leaving enough slack for him to be able to grip its bindings with his talons.

"Alright, so here's the deal. That package? Take it to the Pokémon Center in Kumquat, it's chock full of berries. They like to test if our current batch is good before buying in bulk; the bulk will be delivered by boat since there's far too much for your Pidgeot to handle on his own, so don't worry about it. Nurse Joy will pay you up front for the delivery. The folder, however, needs to go to the Navel Island Gym. Danny, the Gym Leader, is its recipient. Don't worry about what's inside, just know that when you return you'll get paid. The envelope needs to go to the Moro Island museum, it's a hand-written invitation to join the festival; the curator will pay you in person. Gramps'll get an email from the three islands of them letting him know that they received their delivery's, so if you're slow, we'll know. But once you're finished up, you can take your time coming back. There's no rush once the job is done, so long as the job is actually done."

And with that, she handed me the documents and walked away.

Slowly, I tucked papers away, between my lap and the little seat belt the riders seat provided, and then thought.

I won't lie. I don't have a damn clue where either Navel Island or Moro Island is; I only have the general geography of the Archipelago memorized. Kinda like how I knew where the important things in America were, but wouldn't be able to tell you where to find South Dakota if asked.

I do, however, know where Kumquat Island is. I'm using the place as part of my back story, so it only makes sense to know where I'm supposed to be from. So, yes, I can find Kumquat, and Pokémon Centers have maps galore to peruse.

Yes… There we go. Plan is set. We'll head to Kumquat, deliver the supplies, then after studying a map, possibly buying a compass at a general store just to be safe, I'll make my way to Navel Island, then Moro Island. Or the other way around, if Moro is closer than Navel. Navel Island is the one that has the gym that has the bob sledding race, if memory serves… I don't remember what Pokémon he has. I… think, I remember a Nidoqueen.

But he might have some Flying Types or Pokémon that will become Flying Types upon evolving, and even if he didn't, there might be a tip or two he'd be willing to offer to a prospective trainer.

I was starting to imagine, and with my imagination, excitement sprung. I tugged at Winters scalp, and with one final screech he jumped into the air, the package below him barely even phasing him.

Winter/Pidgeot – Male

Moves: Tackle, Gust, Sand Attack, Agility, Double Team, Whirlwind, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Twister, Fly

Ability: Keen Eye

Jon Snow – Male

Date: Mar 19

Badges: N/A

Pokémon: Pidgeot

Currency: N/A