C051 - Making plans to visit Hoenn

"Tell you what. This is not the date I expected," Pete quipped with a good natured chuckle as he sat on the grassy ground right at the edge of the sandy beach in just his swimming trunk.

Pete reached over the blanket to pick up a bottle of Oran Berry juice he had pressed earlier.

"You thought this was going to be a date? Sorry, but I'm very much into girls."

"Obviously not with you," Pete answered with a laugh.

"Well, tell you what. Give me directions, and I'll take the other sister away from here to your house," the young man next to Pete offered with a grin.

"Nah, your brand new Lapras is bonding with her two Milotic. Let's give them a little more time, Valentino."

It was two days after Pete's field trip with Vivian. Valentino surprised everyone by calling for directions during lunch and gave everyone a fright when he said his boat wouldn't make it to Goldenrod City.

After getting the coordinates for the farmhouse, they no longer heard anything from the young assistant professor. The only calming thing about it all was Valentino's calm responses and the fact he was asking for directions instead of help. Professor Elm was sure he just worded it like that to make them squirm.

The twins had arrived back to the farm a little after lunch with Herbert in tow and Herbert without meaning to had invited himself to the 'romantic' picnic Pete had prepared.

In the end, Pete, Jasmine, Sophie, Herbert, and a lot of their pokemon had made their way to the beach. That included a bubblegum pink Jumpluff sticking to Pete like...gum.

The shiny pokemon had accepted staying with Pete almost immediately after he offered a sort of ambassador position to it. Through their psychic bond, Pete was led to believe that this Jumpluff wanted to be special and gain recognition for something that wasn't her different coloring.

"So, tell me again how you came here riding a Lapras instead of being on the cruise ship with your Aggron and Tyrannitar?"

"Oh, you know. A bunch of Sharpedo were ganging up on this small Lapras herd, and the cruise wanted to just sail past. So I asked to get something to keep us afloat and left to help. Obviously, they had nothing to keep Aggron above water. But Tyrannitar fit with me on this lifeboat and scared the Sharpedo away with a few well placed Rock Throws," Valentino explained.

"Where's the rest of the herd then?" Pete asked with furrowed brows.

"Oh, none of the others made it, except for the one I came on and her little brother who's recuperating in a pokeball," Valentino said with a shrug.

"Wait, what? Get it out! Duosion, we need your help over here! Azumarill, can you two come over, as well?" Pete shouted to his pokemon, which got the attention of the three members of the Feelgood Family. They came over together with the pokemon Pete had called over.

"What's happening, Pete?" Herbert inquired with one raised brow.

"Why'd you call over all your healers? Was there a fight?" Sophie added with a cute tilted head. She had quickly caught on by Pete's tone and the pokemon he called.

Before they could ask more, Valentino had released the hurt male Lapras in the shallow waters near the beach they had moved to. Pete looked at Valentino with a weird expression. How was the other Lapras so unconcerned before and why did Valentino simply keep the hurt pokemon in a pokeball and not ask for help?

'Ugh, there's something I'm missing. Probably some form of common sense of this world that's still foreign to me. I... haven't been here for long, have I?"

Without prompting, the Azumarill started using Life Dew to give the waters close to the pokemon with many gruesome bite marks a healing effect. Duosion started spamming Heal Pulse over and over. Sadly, Farigiraf, Sunflora, and his two Milotic weren't here. Yet, having so many pokemon with healing moves present was already luxury.

Pete was glad he had a few Oran Berries from his heart tree left over and started feeding a couple to the hurt Lapras. His older sister was watching with a relieved expression as Lapras' wounds began to visibly stitch together.

"Huh, you're saying these berries are already from that tree you grafted the branches to as an experiment?"

"Uh, I didn't say anything, Herbert," Pete responded, unsure why Herbert said it like this.

"Exactly! I've seen the Vileplume's blessing at work and I have seen the fruits starting to grow, but you never told me or Isabelle that in such a short time you were already harvesting ripe berries from the experiment! Give me one, I want to test the taste," Herbert ordered with an almost pout that might have looked cute if it wasn't for his bushy mustache.

"Try that again, just a little more polite, shall we dad?" Sophie wasn't having none of Herbert's impolite tone.

"Oh, right. Not a son-in-law yet. Could you please pass me one of the berries for inspection?" Herbert said much more amicably this time giving Jasmine who had looked at her father with a displeased pout a small smile.

"Did you say it like that the first time just to drop that line?" Pete asked with a small laugh as he handed over a berry.

Herbert's only answer was a wink.

Later that day, Pete was preparing a giant feast for all the guests with Miltank's, Vivian's, and Growlithe's help. Growlithe's control over fire type energy had grown tremendously in the past few days, and she looked quite happy helping out in the kitchen.

By now, it looked like Growlithe had processed the loss of her little family by the hands of Team Rocket. In fact, instead of sleeping with Rapidash, Ponyta, and Blitzle like her life depended on it, Growlithe had begun opening up to Pete and his other pokemon.

When Pete was simply idle or training his affinities, Growlithe stayed by his side to give him company, something Pete very much likened to normal, loyal dogs from his past life.

During dinner time, Professor Elm, Pete, and Herbert discussed the leek weapons of the three Farfetch'd that stayed fresh and undamaged much longer than they had any right to. One of the 'mundane things' Pete had described to Professor Elm after their discussion on the day of the professor's arrival.

The Farfetch'd went through something Pete decided to call Duck-Sword katas almost religiously on a daily basis. Yet, he had to provide far less new leeks than he had anticipated. That still meant the raised beds for growing leeks and spring onions were guarded by Pete's most ferocious pokemon.

They were weaker than Nidoking, Rapidash, and Golurk for sure, but nothing would stop these three Farfetch'd from fighting when their leeks were on the line.

"You really want to travel to Hoenn on the back of Lapras? Is that safe?"

Pete and Valentino were drinking a glass of moomoo milk on Pete's patio overlooking the slope to the lake the next morning.

"Well, I got the lifeboat, still, so it wouldn't just be the two Lapras fighting if you're wondering," Valentino answered with a shrug.

"Still, I don't doubt that Lapras are a capable mode of transportation, but... to get to Hoenn, that's a three day ride minimum, no? What does a Lapras do for rest? What will you do for rest?"

"There's plenty of small rocks and islands you can stay on for rest during the night. Where's your sense of adventure?" Valentino argued with a laugh.

"Huh, let's pretend your rest problem is solved... can a lone lapras with a Tyrannitar in a life raft really keep you safe? Just imagine a Wailord with a bad mood surfaces near you and decides it wants a snack. Or that swarm of Gyarados that was spotted close to here during that storm," Pete countered with furrowed brows.

"Pete, I observe wild pokemon for a living. Sure, I keep a respectful distance most of the time on land, but it's not like I don't know the dangers. Also, if you're so scared for my well-being, why don't you simply come along and bring those Milotic and Azumarill! Who'd want to touch us then?"

It took a serious minute of contemplation for Pete before he answered.

"The farm's only finished construction a very short while ago. I don't know if I can leave here for two weeks or more," Pete said with an unsure expression.

"You could probably cut down on the return trip with Duosion's help, no? Depending on how long you want to stay in Hoenn and where you want to go, you could be back in a week," Valentino answered with a wide grin, happy that Pete even considered coming along.

"Hmm, I do want to go to Hoenn some time in the near future. Mossdeep City, our first destination through the sea route, has a mall big enough for my needs of Hoenn specialties... I want a pokeblock kit sooner rather than later... There's a giant Berry farm near the coast of Route 123 that I could visit to check if they are doing something I don't... and I do want to go to Slateport City. I might be able to convince a bright pokemon contest trainer who had fallen on hard times to meet me there so I could offer her a permanent job," Pete said more to himself than Valentino.

"Oh hey, Valentino. Where did you want to go? Got anything exciting planned? Want me to help you with anything when we get to Hoenn? Can I involve you in any of my plans?" Valentino sarcastically spoke to himself once Pete was done mumbling his plans with the Hoenn visit.

"Haha, sorry," Pete apologized as he scratched his cheek. "Anything you wanna do if I was there?"

"Nope! Just wanted to see you squirm~ Unless, of course, you want to follow me to Professor Birch's lab for our little get-together on pokemon habitats and migration patterns," Valentino answered with a grin.

"Ugh. You ass... I'll see about it, but I really don't want to stretch my timeframe too long for this, and Littleroot Town is quite deep inland, no? In fact, could you wait two weeks before our trip starts? I want to observe the berry trees a little longer," Pete requested with a shy smile.

"Haha, you underestimate my interest in Ilex Forest and the surroundings here in Evergreen Meadow! I'll raise your offer of two weeks by one, provided that you will house and feed me before me make our way to Hoenn," Valentino countered with a wide grin.