Story Pokemon: Kulvi

Gary Sue · Dec 5, 2022

Intro

I think it'd be best if I gave a short little intro, so; yo. I'm Gary, some of you might have roleplayed with me, but most probably have not. I'm a 21 y/o with a tendency to write, although it's usually best in a roleplay rather than standalone, like it will be here. I usually feel a bit... icky, about putting my work out there or even working on it to begin with, but this is a special case. I tried it as a story back when I set it up in 2018-2019, I tried it as a group RP that got nowhere earlier this year, and now I'll try to give both Kulvi, the fanmade region I've constructed, and Jet, my OC I've grown fairly attached to, a proper send off.

It'll take a good bit of time, but hopefully it'll be something I can proudly put behind me once it's over and say 'damn right' looking back. I've already set some ground rules and foundations for this, which can be found in its appropriate lore page. I'll be adding Jet's little character sheet over here too though, so everything's up to par and on the same page if any potential readers want more insight from the getgo.

Some final notes on my style:

Although I type a lot of words out, my style isn't rich vocabulary and being very descriptive at all times like some, as I try to scope things out from my character's POV more and take it from there, running through their thoughts and view on everything to try and keep immersion.
Jet is one of the lucky two characters I've ever had, that I've drawn pixel art portraits for. If you're familiar with Pokemon Mystery Dungeon's character portraits, you'll have a good gist of what I'm talking about. But sometimes, I'll be sneaking the little portraits in when dialogue happens alongside some potential ♫ musical notes ♫. Clicking on them might open up some music, so keep an eye out if you want- or don't. :p
The posts that will be used as 'chapters', for the time being, will be spaced out in between whenever I feel my muse hits. I'm not doing this so people read it, as much as I am because I want this to be written out properly. If you are reading it, I hope you can appreciate it for what it is and that it's sufficiently entertaining to trudge through.

That's all from me, so without further ado!

Jet Cressfield

Name: Jet Cressfield
Age: 20
Height & Weight: 5'7" (174cm) / 143lbs (65kg)
Hometown: Unova, Nimbasa City
Background: Since he was a child, Jet used to get along with others pretty well. He was pretty social and somewhat scared of Pokemon, despite being a trainer now. He overcame his fear when going to a contest to watch his mother perform around the age of 9 or so, and decided to become a trainer when he saw just how friendly and welcoming they can be alongside humans. And so he studied to catch up to everybody who'd begun to delve into knowing all about Pokemon from earlier, so he could participate for a few years in Trainer school and eventually embark on his own journey.

When he was around the age of 13 and deemed ready to get going, his mother fell ill and rather than set out, Jet chose to spend as much time as he could alongside her. Sadly though, she never got better and eventually passed away, leaving him and his father in shambles. From there on out, things mellowed out and the both of them started to lose contact with one another, trying whatever they could to pick up the pieces, but to no avail. Neither of them ever truly tried to reach out to the other and close the growing gap between the two, until when he reached the age of 18, his father finally made a move.

Having cut off contact with most of his friends, Jet had turned from a sociable young kid to someone more bitter, self-centered and raw, but now? All he had was himself to count on and a Pokémon egg his father gave him. Not too long after he took it in his care, he understood what his father meant to tell him with it. It was a new start, for him and his newly hatched Pawniard. To get away from all of this, he'd even bought him a ticket for Kalos, where he could kickstart his career as a trainer and take on his first gym challenge.

Something unexpected occurred once he rolled out on his adventure though, and set him back a year or two. Now with a fresh drive to get started, he thought to head on over to Kulvi, and take his life by the reins. Jet was done settling for less, and now it was time to get back what the world took from him. "Go big, or go home it is."

Pokémon:

Pawniard ♂ | Adamant Nature
Nickname: n/A
Moves: Leer, Scratch, Beat Up, Metal Claw, Fury Cutter, Quick Guard
Ability: Defiant
History: A Pawniard hatched from an egg Jet's father handed over to him when he entered adulthood. Despite being together for two years, he's not too well versed in battle, although he's very careful and loyal to his trainer. Because of this close bond he has with this Dark Type, Jet appears to rely on it fairly often.

Minior | Gentle Nature
Nickname: n/A
Moves: Defense Curl, Tackle, Rollout, Swift, Confuse Ray, Acrobatics
Ability: Shields Down
History: Just after he'd started his adventures in Kalos, he stumbled upon this peculiar star-like Pokemon stuck under some rubble in a mountainside. He helped it out and despite not intending to keep it as his own initially, he seemed to have grown on it, so it followed him around. Feeling too guilty to just let it be, he took it in and is training it as his own now.

Gary Sue · Dec 5, 2022

There it was again, that final bothersome speech from the crew. Jet was already awake and on the top deck of the ship, so the reminder that they were getting closer and closer to Kulvi did little to get him 'ready' to depart. He already had everything he needed in his bag, slung over his shoulder. Spare clothes, any 'emergency provisions' as he liked to call them, anything he figured he might need, and some spare cash that he thought to not carry around in his wallet. He had a few supplies for his Pokemon too, but he was confident enough in their ability to doubt how useful their inclusion was. For now, it remained just more and more extra weight.

He hadn't slept too well all night, feeling a mix of anxious and excited to finally be getting a fresh start on his adventure... again. Last time he tried, things at Kalos didn't go over too well with a rather traumatic experience very early on into his adventure- enough to set him back a good year by the time he had the guts to step out and get back to travelling on his own again. But now, he was going to be making the most of it. He'd looked at all the potential destinations, and none other than the tropical and relatively archaic Kulvi looked like a better start. "I'm not going 'to be the best that noone ever was'. Just good enough to kick the champion's ass by the time I'm done.", he rolled his shoulders to warm himself up a little as the boat slowly got into Beachveil City's port, already seeing the unique structure of the town.

Kulvi Region - Beachveil City

The houses were truly in theme for all the travelling pamphlets that tried to sell the destination, and the whole town looked more like a tribal settlement by the beach rather than what one would expect to be on the seaside. Well... tribal if only one included the street lights and most commonplace modern technology, but no need to rush the details. Taking in the air of this refreshing sight, the blond gave in to the one habit he always did whenever he wanted to kick back and unwind, even just a little bit. He reached into his pocket, grabbed his headphones, but them on and as soon as he was set to go, ♫ music ♫ was already working its magic on him.

Time almost flew by with the soothing melodies keeping his mind busy, as he got off the boat, had a look around town and got to check around the main streets. Finding the AirBnB that he'd rented for a couple days wasn't too hard, and he was quick to settle his things down so he could move a bit more lightly while scouting the nearby routes and stores. Although he wanted to go for a dynamic start, he'd need a bit more than his current battling experience to challenge the Gym Leader and win. Confident as he was, he was still grounded in reality for the most part.

While setting his things down, he'd taken off the two Pokeballs from his belt and placed them on the desk. "The Gym in this town must be the Water one... Pawniard and Minior probably won't cut it alone, so maybe I can find something competent in the nearby routes to help pair up against it better.", and thus the plan had been made. With a clap of his hands, he prepared himself for nothing more than a small excursion. He opened up a map of the region on his phone and silently looked at it, trying to decide where to go. He quickly came to the best decision though, as he would soon find out- Route 3, the one he was least likely to visit in the future. "I'm not here for sightseeing, so I doubt I'll drop by Soma or Aurelia anytime."

There was little to be said at that point. All Pokeballs on his belt's clips, a decently charged phone and some basic Potions and other items in case of emergency to treat his Pokemon if some divine judgment was to be brought down upon the little rascals, a very unlikely situation. But as his mother used to say "Better prepared for everything than nothing", right? His confident smile wavered for a moment at the thought of his mother's saying, but he was quick to leave the apartment before he could dwell on it much.

Once he had stepped out, what he saw from all the townspeople was nothing like he had back in Unova or Kalos. Frankly, while in the other two regions people were far from 'hostile' with one another, they were definitely not as overly friendly or touchy feely as they seemed to be in Kulvi. He wanted to throw up with how much everyone was laughing, but even he decided to try and show some understanding and look away instead. The streets were surprisingly crowded by natives and tourists alike, with most people carrying their Pokemon outside of their Pokeballs, on their shoulders or walking by them on the rocky paths that led through the city.

Jet hadn't ever felt compelled to do that himself though. His Pawniard knew ever since it had hatched, that it was going to be used for battling and little else. They were friends as far as combat went, and both of them were fine with it. As was Minior, although it was hard to tell if it felt obligated to help Jet out like that, or if it also wanted to throw down as instinctively as the bladed, razor-clad gnome of his did. To leave them out of their Pokeballs would be nothing more than a waste of energy for him to keep an eye on them, and for them to get more tired before an actual battle.

So he did what he could, rolling his eyes and continuing his own merry way. By the time he was close to the outskirts of Beachveil, the people had thinned out although he could still see a good number of them walking about the fields. Some were out harvesting nearby Berries and feeding them to the wild Pokemon themselves rather than letting them collect them straight from the bushes planted alongside the dirt path, others were sightseeing, and there was the occasional trainer duo duking it out on the courts outside of the settlement. The further out he travelled though, the fewer and fewer people he saw, until a few minutes later, nobody was in sight.

Kulvi Region - Route 3

In terms of humans, at least. There was a good amount of Pokemon running around and playing or even squabbling over who gets the last apple. Aipoms trying to steal from one another just to get startled by Pidgeys and some other bird Pokemon that despite his extensive studying, Jet couldn't quite remember the name of. He actually got so distracted looking at the meandering critters, that he was surprised when something swooped by him quite close, letting a sudden gust of wind hit the back of his neck and get his long trenchcoat flapping wildly.

"What the hell?", he grumbled and turned around, looking left and right. Nothing was on the ground, tall or short, so the flapping he could hear coming from only further up had to be it. And there it was, a rather confident, if not outright arrogant Rufflet that wanted to pick a fight with something a little more than just his size. "Saves me the trouble of looking for you at least.", he chuckled rather energetically as he reached for his belt, taking out a Pokeball and throwing it at the ground, only for a red light to burst as his Pawniard came out. He crossed his arms, let out a battle cry and then prepared to brawl.

Pawniard however, was as disappointed as Jet was when the Rufflet, rather than giving in, the feathered little twerp sat by the grassy hill and looked at them, even going as far as to turn its head away. Now, the blond was only annoyed at the birdbrain for trying to fight, just to change its mind the very next moment. "What are you doing, didn't you challenge me just a moment ago? Fight my Pawniard, you.", the Unovan only found himself now trying to talk some sense into the Rufflet who turned to look at him, before shaking his head and turning the other way again. "Y-You chicken looking..!"

Maybe it was time for Jet's Pawniard to intervene, although it tended to trust its trainer with keeping everything under control most of the time. Letting out a cough of sorts, the shorter Pokemon stepped forward and performed a fair few gestures alongside what the red-eyed boy could only assume were attempts to communicate through its cries. Pawniard pointed at his opponent, his trainer, he slashed downwards at the ground, crossed his arms again, and to all that, it only managed to get a chirp in response. Never had Jet expected that his Pokemon would just walk up to him, before plopping onto the dirt with nothing more to say or do. "... Are you also refusing to fight now..?", he asked somewhat annoyed, huffing and slicking the one lock of hair back, tapping his head and trying to get his gears going.

There was little point in catching a Pokemon that didn't want to fight though, and his Pawniard wouldn't become any stronger fighting what would otherwise be just a 'bystander'. So with a deep sigh of defeat, he took his Pokeball out, held it in front of the Pawniard and with a tired wave from his hand, retracted it back into its little safehouse. As soon as that was done though, the Rufflet took back to the air and started to circle the trainer, getting an annoyed grunt out of him. "C'mon, tell me that now you got eager to battle again you squirt. Was Pawniard too small for you?"

The Pokemon's response? It flew up into the sky before trying to divebomb him, forcing him to jump to the side and witness the end of his coat get scratched out by its claws. Now growling, he made up his mind. He grabbed his trenchcoat, took it off and threw it on the hillside as he cracked his knuckles. Funny as it were for a Pokemon to act like that, the sight of the Rufflet's challenge for a one on one with the human being accepted only bolstered its courage, as it flew back up and let out a battle roar.

Minutes passed of Rufflet diving in, Jet either avoiding or trying to grab the Pokemon and getting scratched up in the process. As annoyed as he was at the start of it all, even though he was getting all battered for most probably no reason, he only got more and more into it with every attempt as he could tell- this Rufflet had a good bit of fighting experience before. With Pokemon or with humans, he couldn't tell, but it knew how to maneuver around and try to break through someone's defenses. The blond was far from good at blocking or 'throwing down', but he'd taught himself some basics at the very least. Basics this rascal was all but unfamiliar with.

Eventually, the both of them gave out, with a final tackle from the bird ending in Jet taking a few steps back and falling on the grass, wiping some sweat from his forehead and panting in an attempt to catch up to his breath. In a much too similar vein, the Flying Type had stopped atop a branch on one of the nearby trees, standing atop it and looking down at the trainer in a mix of satisfaction and admiration. "Hah... So much for being so tough, little guy. Didn't... didn't knock me out by a long- hooh... longshot."

None of this was necessary, but maybe that's what prompted the eaglet to glide down next to the trainer and perch itself atop his clumped up coat, now by his side. "You...", he muttered lowly, reaching a hand out towards it and slowly petting the underside of its neck with the back of his index finger. The Rufflet stayed right where he was, chirping lowly in satisfaction. The moment was short lived though, as Jet pulled his hand back and let out a low chuckle, taking a Pokeball out of his belt and holding it between himself and the Pokemon. "It's empty, and. I need more Pokemon for the Gym Challenge. Ya might be the one I'm looking for. Choice is yours."

As if to respond to him, the Rufflet strutted forwards, stopping next to his hand and pecking at the Pokeball. And with that, the little guy chirped one last time before the same red light that surrounded Pawniard before surrounded him, taking him into the holder's confines. The ball shook and shook, before it clicked. Once it had, Jet held the Pokeball firmly and raised it up towards the sky, grinning tiredly and marveling at quite literally, his new catch. "That's what you get for asking for battle experience, dumbass.", he told himself and sat up, looking at the capsule and shaking his head as he let out a hearty laugh after what felt like a long time... at least since he laughed that much at noone's expense. "Damn runt. Knocked the wind right out of me."

It wasn't more than just a few moments before he'd managed to regain his composure, at least enough so he would get up, before he donned his dirtied and slightly torn at the edges coat again, although he made sure to pull up the coat's and his shirt's sleeves. He had already been scratched and marked up by his new comrade in their fateful encounter, and the last thing he wanted was to have to give it an even deeper wash than he was already forced to, in order to get all this dirt out of it. And then, he'd have to go scour the glorious Beachveil for a tailor, too... "Oh well... Job here's done at least, so back to Beachveil I go."

Gary Sue · Jan 4, 2023

SAVE FILE
Name: Jet Cressfield
Badges: 0
Pokedex: 3
Time: Evening
Party:

Pawniard (M),

Minior,

Rufflet (M)

Kulvi Region - Beachveil City

"For crying out loud, what's with all you new trainers being this reckless?!"

It was no wonder why Nurse Joy was a little more than simply displeased with Jet's visit. Both a Pokemon and a human to tend to, and sadly this was far from a rare occurrence by the sound of things. The blond did his best to just stay silent and take the cleaning up and bandaging of his wounds quietly, although that did little to stop Joy from continuing to scold the boy. "First it's this trainer that couldn't help but think to fight Pokemon on his own, then there's others who shield their Pokemon from attacks during their very first battles and end up scratched and bruised, and now, now this!"

"It could have been worse, y'know-", he attempted to talk back, but he was quickly shut down before he could even finish his sentence. "Worse?! You came here bruised and scratched alongside a Pokemon that was also roughed up, what gives you the right to talk?!"

And for how harsh- no... blunt, she was being, she was pretty spot on. No matter how he tried to paint the situation, he knew Rufflet wanted to fight with him and not with any of his own Pokemon, but... good luck explaining that to an outsider. So he just let out a low grunt, turned his head to the side and continued hearing the scolding on and on, until she was done patching up his few wounds and scanned him up and down, letting out a groan of disapproval and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Please, please for Arceus' sake- don't put yourself or little fragile creatures like that Rufflet in danger like this... We can only do so much to care for you before you lot end up in more trouble than you can handle."

For the first time in his entire life, he found himself unable to feel relaxed enough to shrug off whatever he was being told, and too knowing of his own situation to really feel under pressure. So he coughed dryly, put on an apologetic smile and bowed his head forwards while Nurse Joy placed the Pokeball containing his new Flying Type Pokemon on the counter. "Yes ma'am... Thank you for taking care of us both. I'll be more careful from here on out."

To his surprise, the nurse smiled in response and held her elbows, shaking her head and looking a bit more at ease. It probably had to do with his apology, huh? "You're old enough at least, I'm assuming if you're that far away from home, you must have made your own way here somehow. Don't go setting a poor example as a trainer for the younger folk now, yeah?", she asked of him, and that's when he lost his smile a bit and faked it. "R-Right."

He could tell she didn't mean much by it, but... he was far from a shining example when it came to anything. Demeanor, how he treated people, how others thought of him... He knew of all of this, clearly, but that was only half the job done. The other half was correcting those shortcomings, and as far as Jet was concerned- "I really couldn't care less how others think of me. Not that I want to be a bad influence, but... it's not like I stick around places long enough to be one in the first place."

After he left the Pokemon Center, he wandered towards his apartment to settle down and get some rest. And on the way home, following the route closest to the seaside, he stumbled onto what he could only assume was a very nice coincidence. A cerulean green haired man in a blazer, slightly taller than him, had just arrived to the port on the back of a Swanna. Although he didn't seem to take notice of Jet, he did start to talk with one of the workers that were running some kind of maintenance on one of the boats docked by the port, probably one of the smaller ones spread around.

It was hard, hearing the entire conversation play out in full detail, but his ear did catch a few words here and there, and it was a piece of cake putting everything together from there on out. "Sounds like that guy is the Gym Leader, and he just returned to town after a few days of being gone. I can probably give his Gym a visit tomorrow, see if there's any other challengers to take on and get some proper training with... If Rufflet's friends are all just like him, there's no way Pawniard or Minior are getting any time out of their Pokeball training properly."

And so, it was ♫ decided ♫. He continued heading over to his house, and in just a few minutes, he'd made it home, taken a quick shower, changed into something more casual and planted himself right under his comfortable, warm bed sheets. Jet had done a lot to earn a good night's rest, so he made sure to cherish it as much as his ungrateful character would allow. His eyes were heavy, although he didn't feel ready to fall asleep quite yet. So he looked at the ceiling, letting his thoughts wander and think about the new partner he'd just gotten earlier today.

He glanced over at the small desk on the opposite side of the apartment, and right at the Pokeballs all lined up by his trainer belt. "... They should suffice for the time being. I just need to find some opponents to train them on and make sure I'm on the same page, and then I've got this badge down for the count. That Gym Leader though... he looked like a college kid, heh. Can't believe he's probably older than me and still dresses up like that."

A few moments of quiet passed, even in his thoughts, as his grin that had crept onto his face just slightly began to fade back to a more neutral look. "... Kid, huh?", Jet huffed and within a blink, the room had brightened up somewhat. He was tucked in his bed all the same, looking at the door to see his father looking at him and smiling. A shorter, rounder silhouette was right under, peeking past the door and chirping the boy good night before they slowly closed his door, so he could sleep. From there on out, gentle whispers from the corridor between his parents lulled him to sleep. "Just like back then..."

The next morning...

It took that single blink to find himself spacing out, staring at the ceiling of the AirBnB and trying to figure out why there was sunlight shining right in his eyes. "... Hot damn... I really fell asleep just like that, huh?", he yawned while he stretched his arms and legs, feeling his muscles more relaxed than yesterday, but probably a bit cramped from all the sudden movements he'd made during his evasive maneuvers yesterday. At least the rest tonight was better than any other the past few days spent on a cramped cabin in the ferry and back at Kalos. A splash of water to his face, a quick breakfast and some more of his daily routine later, and he was up and ready to get going once again.

Just like he had decided last night, maybe it was best to be direct with things. Head right to his Gym, find other newcomers or challengers, face off against them for training and then go straight for the badge. It was easy finding his way over to the gym, judging by the decorated path that led up to a big building built close to the pier- by its side even. With a raised brow, he approached the doors that automatically opened up for him, and revealed what looked like a dock built on the inside of the Gym. The building itself had the aesthetic of the pier outside, with wooden pathways stretching out over a body of water on opposite ends, only to have a floating field between them.

The field was definitely good enough to stand on and even have Pokemon fights on, but it looked like given enough weight or force, it'd tip without too much trouble doing so. "So that's how the fights work around here? Fine by me.", the blond nodded to himself as he was approached by a black haired man with slacks and what looked like a jacket matching the Gym Leader's from yesterday. "You must be here to challenge the Gym, correct?, the man asked right away, and received a nod from Jet, who snuggly put both of his hands in his coat's pockets. "Sounds about right. Right now though, I'm looking for a warm-up rather than to fight with the Leader himself."

"Ah, taking the Gym all too literally then? That's good.", he joked and gestured for the trainer to wait, as he turned around and with two fingers in his mouth, he whistled loudly. It got the attention of someone, as a voice Jet could recognise from yesterday drew closer and closer. "Tell Koi I'll be making another round by there to help out as soon as I can, but I've got work to do right now. He'll have to hang on for a bit, yeah? Either way, call you later, there's a trainer.", he talked and talked, while Jet impatiently tapped his foot on the ground. "I don't think he should quite hold his breath on that."

Without a comment in response, the Gym Leader finally hung up on the phone, clearing his throat and slipping it into his pocket before stepping up next to the duo. "You got a trainer 'looking for a warm-up' this time. I take it you got this from here?", a quick breakdown of the situation got a hearty laugh from the head honcho, who gave a nod and a quick pat on the man's shoulder. "Aye, I've got it. Thanks for the reception, Keith."

"No worries, I'll see you in a bit Jet."

And ♫ that's ♫ when the blond raised an eyebrow, scanning the man before him up and down while his presumable apprentice walked away. "Allow me to introduce myself, I see you're...", he went silent for a moment before coughing and offering a kind smile. "... A bit skeptical, perhaps? I am Jet Avonlea, the Gym Leader for Beachveil City's Water Type Gym. It's a pleasure to meet you..?", Avonlea let some room for the baffled challenger to offer his own name and brief introduction, only to receive a groan and a facepalm in response. Jet was a truly welcoming presence, as always.

"Of course you're-... Jet Cressfield from Unova, here on my first Gym challenge. I'm looking for trainers to train with so I can get in shape and take you on, too.", direct, confident and most of all, unflinching. He was still cringing from the two's name being the exact same, but now at least Avonlea could see that too. Instead though, the older man just started to laugh, clapping his hands together in amusement and even tearing up. "Incredible, he's giggling like a fairy now too."

The last thing wanted was to find himself in a public space alongside this man. Being able to tell apart who's talking to who was going to be a big pain in the neck. "That's a funny coincidence now, isn't it? Putting that aside...", he shot a quick glance over his shoulder, back at one of the arenas with Keith and another trainer already going at it. Jet couldn't quite make out what two Pokemon were fighting, but he could definitely hear the trainers giving them commands and lots of splashing. Either the arena was tipping constantly, or one of the two's Pokemon were diving one by one out of it and into the water.

"... you're probably lucky you came here first. I'm assuming you don't have any badges already, do you?", he asked and at the shake of Jet's head, Avonlea nodded to himself and crossed both his arms. "Yup, and that's alright. Most Gyms would tell you to shoo off and go find some trainers yourself. But- let's see how to break this down...", he hummed and tapped his chin, just for the blond to give him a deadpan look and interrupt his train of thought. "Give it to me straight, hit me."

He wasn't enthusiastic, but it looked to the Gym Leader as if he was still looking forward to hearing what he had to say. That, or he was just getting really impatient. "Long story short, each Gym has a 'trial' to test if you're ready. The reason you're in luck, is because mine is to beat two of my apprentices in battle. Some others are... a bit more than just 'demanding'. For example, you might have noticed Apogea City is a very easy next stop, if you're travelling by boat, yes?", he asked, and it was true. Jet remembered the map of Kulvi, even though roughly, and Apogea was definitely next on the table. It looked to be the most modern of all the cities too, and right behind it was the path to the Pokemon League. A bit too early for him to set his sights on it quite yet, but it was a destination to get to, in due time.

"Well, if your plan was to head on over, you'll wanna reconsider. Apogea City's Gym Leader is the strongest one here, so we agreed to his test consisting of having beaten the other seven Gym Leaders first. A good next stop might instead be Gleamwood Town.", Avonlea proposed, just to be met with a miffed Jet whose plans had been ruined, to be dramatic about it. "Mhm, and I'm expected to go camping through woods to get there now? Cause there's a pretty dense forest between here and there, even if the path is 'a straight line', isn't there?"

Avonlea clapped his hands for the man, although the harsh glare from the trainer got him to stop pretty quickly. "That's right. As much of a hassle as it sounds- you're a trainer on an adventure, live it up and learn to work with your partners better... Or to put it more plainly, do take advantage of the trainers on the way to Gleamwood too. You probably do realise you're not the only one on a trip throughout Kulvi, don't you? Expect to find many new trainers, or veterans making their way about the same paths you'll be crossing as well."

Getting closer to his partners sounded too cheesy, not his style. But getting stronger? A glimmer in his eyes sparked as soon as Avonlea mentioned that, and now even the Jet Cressfield could see some merit in something as silly as taking a trek through the route, rather than flying or going on boat over to his next destination. Catching onto that, maybe it was a time to give this man the first lesson as a trainer and leave him to his warm-up at that. "Not everyone's a social butterfly like yours truly, but take time to learn new people and network. You're going to need some people to turn to if you're travelling alone."

Unlike anything else the Gym Leader had shared, Jet just quietly looked away. He knew that Avonlea was right, but he didn't want to quite acknowledge it. Foolish pride, or simply being stubborn. As silly as this behavior he put on was, the man couldn't help but find it endearing as he clapped his hands to break the ice before it even formed, grinning and turning around. "You already talked to one of my apprentices, Keith. Once he's done, it'll be your turn to take him on. Rosa will be here soon, so by the time you're done with Keith, you're one quick check-up on your Pokemon away from facing her too. Beat them both, and you're qualified to challenge me too. Clear?", he finished his breakdown, looking over his shoulder at Jet once again and offering another smile.

"How happy can someone be to do the same introduction, again and again and again..?", Jet's first instinct was to go back to complaining internally, but he'd be lying if he didn't admit that Avonlea's energy was brushing off on him too, somewhat.

"... Aye, sounds good to me.", he nodded with a hint of excitement in his voice, his small grin growing progressively as the two waited together in silence.

Gary Sue · Jan 7, 2023

It hadn't been more than a few minutes since the fight between Jet and Keith started. Although it was going relatively slowly at first, it would appear both his Squirtle and the blond's Pawniard were quick to pick up the pace and get through the warm-up, with the tension now rising. Commands filled the room, as Pawniard scratched and blocked Squirtle's attacks, and the Squirtle withdrew in its shell and tackled at the Steel Type time and time again. Perhaps because of its sturdier build, the scrawny Steel Type was in a much better shape than its opponent, who was seemingly out of breath by now.

"The rules are simple! You'll duke it out with two Pokemon on this arena. Should your Pokemon get knocked out or into the water, your opponent gets a point. First to gain both points wins. And please- do withdraw your Pokemon before they get knocked out if the match is too intense, yeah? We don't want to push anyone's limits dangerously much here, or anywhere.", those were the exact words Avonlea had given the two before they started to go at it.

Spouts of water were constantly being shot at the Pawniard, but it had relatively little trouble avoiding all of them as it slowly closed in on the Squirtle. With its attacks having grown stronger and stronger throughout the fight, it was time to score the first point right here, right now. "Use Fury Cutter again, Pawniard!", Jet told his Pokemon with a grin and in a flash, he had hit his opponent for the third time in a row. Now on the edge of the arena, the Squirtle had fallen on its knees and was in a fairly bad condition. Bad enough for Keith to let out a groan, take his Pokeball out and quickly withdraw it. "Ace, return!"

With a red light enveloping the Squirtle, it was quickly removed from the arena as Pawniard scooted closer to the middle so it wouldn't be tipped over as much. Avonlea clapped his hands, amused with how the fight had started. For as much of a rookie as Jet was, he'd clearly done his homework proper. He was missing a lot of hands-on experience, but it showed in how he moved and how strategically he commanded his partner, that he'd looked into fights beforehand. "Very well for what's your first fight, I take it? See if you can knock out Keith's next Pokemon too and beat the first of my apprentices now!"

With a determined nod, Keith looked down at Squirtle's Pokeball and simply smiled before muttering something. From what the blond could see, he was congratulating his companion. "... Sappy.", he simply grunted and rolled his eyes, paying attention to his opponent again only after he took a different ball from his belt, clutched it tightly and then threw it onto the arena. A Buizel emerged out of the flash, its forked tail swinging with excitement as it scanned up and down Pawniard and let out a cry. Whatever they were saying, Jet's own Pokemon seemed to respond with a cry and almost indifferent grunt of its own, successfully getting a brief chuckle out of him.

"Ace was a newer addition to my roster, but Axl has been around a lot longer. I'd recommend you switch your Pokemon up, cause your Pawniard is going to have a hard time otherwise.", he confidently said, just for the blond trainer and his partner to exchange glances and then turn back to facing him. "Thanks for the concern, but he can do it.", Jet almost boasted in return, and that, among other things, already got Avonlea raising a brow. While the two were at taunting one another, he called over an assistant of his that did more menial tasks around the Gym and handed something over, exchanging a few words briefly. All that though, was out of Jet's field of view. He was focused on the little rascal that was already bouncing on its feet, looking ready to fight.

And so, the Buizel looked over its shoulder at Keith, who nodded. That was enough for the Gym Leader to give them the go, as he clapped his hands loudly and shouted- "Round two, start!"

Both the Pokemon ♫ ran ♫ straight to the center of the arena and quickly began to duke it out, throwing quick jabs and scratches at one another. The initial few were dodged, but later on they both got in sync, parrying one another's attacks with their own. Claws meeting claws and deflecting blow after blow, the two were at a stalemate until Axl's attacks began to pick up speed. "Headbutt!", Keith commanded his partner, and by the looks of things, Pawniard wasn't too sure what to do. So Jet tried his best to quickly warn his partner, thankfully managing to just in the nick of time. "Block it with your hands!"

With the flat side of its hands, it put them both together in an X-shape and blocked the attack, getting knocked back considerably. Stopping its slide to the other side of the ring close to the edge, Keith was going to capitalise and leave no breaks. "Now, use Swift!", he shouted and although it took Axl a moment to snap out of it, he stood on his feet and let out a battle cry, with small star-like projectiles forming by his sides and getting flung towards Pawniard's direction. Not many where going right at him, but it's not like he could dodge with how wide an area its attack covered. "Use Fury Cutter to destroy as many as you can!"

Listening to Jet, Pawniard began to cut at the projectiles as quickly as it could, striking one, two, three- and then it got hit by another. Even so though, it did little but grunt at the force of the strike and kept going at it. Small puffs of smoke kept appearing with every projectile that got shattered, eventually creating a smokescreen of sorts and obscuring the Steel Type from view. That... gave Jet an idea. His Pokemon had looked over its shoulder for a brief instance and right into Jet's eyes- so they were on the same page. As the smokescreen fully obstructed its form, he lowered one of his hands slightly and snapped his fingers with a grin. He had prepared Pawniard for the occasion, so they could have the upper hand when needed- and now was that time.

Up next followed a loud thud, and a surprised yelp from the Buizel. The arena began to tip fairly steeply towards Jet's side, as his Pokemon had used a powered up Fury Cutter on the ground after making sure it had good footing, and it would seem Buizel was sliding right at him. The smoke began to clear up after Axl, in a panic, started spouting water in its general direction constantly, revealing its form and firing another shot right at the Dark Type. It took it head on however, seeming unflinching despite how much damage it certainly must have taken. "Now, Metal Claw!"

Letting out a low growl, the Pawniard moved its right arm back as if preparing to attack, and as soon as a silver, metallic shine covered it up to its elbow, it began its swing at the panicking Buizel that was preparing to retaliate and hopefully parry the strike with a Tackle of its own. The clash of the two had both trainers on edge, and even the Gym Leader was curious. To say this match was an every day occurrence was definitely false, so Avonlea had surprisingly found himself on the edge of his seat. "Let's see, shall we?"

A thud just as loud as before followed by two cries, one from each Pokemon. The arena tipped back to normal in the meantime, and both of the two got launched back to each's side. They remained almost perfectly still once they were both on the ground, grunting and trying to get up. Although Buizel made it after a few seconds of trying, it didn't appear too capable of fighting anymore. As for Pawniard, it wasn't able to muster quite as much strength as its opponent. But judging by the proud chuckle it tried to let out, it was fair to say it knew it had sufficiently taken care of both its opponents.

"... Very nice. Pawniard, return.", Jet smiled and raised its Pokeball, quickly withdrawing its partner from the battle. Avonlea's assistant looked at the Gym Leader, curious why he wasn't giving Keith the point. The assistant's answer was swiftly answered however, as Keith's voice sounded shortly after Jet's. "Axl, withdraw!", and so, the Buizel left the arena too. Avonlea took a moment to analyze the battle that took place, but promptly raised both of his hands up and concluded the showdown. "Jet and Keith score a point each! Jet Cressfield wins the battle with a point lead!"

Despite having lost the fight, Keith's good attitude showed as he bowed his head forwards and clapped his hands in what could be described as nothing but glee. "You're really good for a rookie, Jet. It's still bizarre that you and the Gym Leader have the same name, but... you might as well find yourself in his place sooner or later if you keep it up.", he went as far as complimenting the blond who truthfully, was happy mostly because of the victory than anything else. "Aha, thank you.", he chuckled along with his opponent, looking down at his Pawniard's Pokeball. "I'm surprised that he was this good with no experience already... If I train him even more, he'll-... Heh. I should probably ask Avonlea where I can heal him for a moment first though. I'll be needing him for the next fights, too."

The Gym Leader in question had made his way over to the two, who stepped away from the wooden platforms and back close to the entrance of the Gym, glancing at them with a satisfied look on his face. "You both did really well, good on you. I did notice though-", he said and turned to Jet, with an eyebrow raised. Before he even got to finish his question, it would appear Keith filled in for him. "Right, how come you didn't give your Pokemon a name..? People all over Kulvi and even from other regions do that. Almost everyone, really."

"It's a faster way to get close with your partners too. A lot of Pokemon are much friendlier with their trainers if they've been named, because the bond's more... personal, sounds about right?", he asked rhetorically, with Keith following up with a nod as he crossed his arms. And here, Jet found himself in a... position. He knew what they were saying, it's not like he didn't hear his opponent call his Pokemon 'Ace' and 'Axl', but it felt... bizarre. To give them names and treat them that closely when he mostly wanted to fight with them. If he were to outright blurt that out though, he was sure that neither Avonlea nor his apprentice would be all that pleased with his attitude. So he looked to the side, trying to avoid eye contact and doing his best to think up of an excuse.

"I... just haven't given it a lot of thought yet. Yeah.", he mumbled almost under his breath, and although it was a flimsy response, they both seemed to eat it up just fine all the same. "... Hm, that makes sense. Don't wanna give them a name you'll regret later.", the other Jet said, with Keith laughing at the mere thought. "Wasn't there that one Gym Leader who named their Electric Type Pokemon 'Sparky' or something? Definitely don't wanna end up like that, hahah!"

And so, the tension Jet felt was finally dispersed as the other two were too busy laughing with that god-horrible name to get back to grilling him about his own choices. "... Bothersome."

Once the moment had passed though, Avonlea did want to get back to the task at hand. "Your Pawniard did take a pretty bad beating, you know. If it weren't a Steel Type, it would have fared a lot worse against all those Water and Normal Type attacks.", he pointed out and looked at the Pokeball in the blond's hand, smiling regardless. "I'd say you were reckless and pushed it over the edge, but... it looked like it- no, he, was happy to be of use to you. Teach him to not push himself that much though, okay? He's strong, but if he burns himself out, nothing good comes out of that."

Sound advice that Jet couldn't do much but awkwardly nod at, for the time being. "He took all the hits just fine, but... I suppose he probably did put in some extra effort. I'll treat him to some good food later, then.", he thought to himself somewhat hesitantly, being tight with his budget as is. Then again, the lodging was free if he chose to stick to the Pokemon Centers from here on out, so he probably had some extra Pokedollars to spare if he played his cards right...

"Take Keith and head on to the Pokemon Center to patch your Pawniard up alongside his Pokemon. Come back after, and I'm sure Rosa will have returned in the meantime, sound good?", the Gym Leader revealed a plan for the challenger, and it was officially decided. The two fledgling trainers made their way to the Center, with the occasional exchange during their walk. And truth be told, it wasn't Keith that shut the other down, but more so Jet. He had nothing against the man, but he simply didn't feel like chatting that much right now. If anything, he was taking the few windows of quiet that he could to strategize about the fight with Rosa.

Even when they arrived to the Center and handed their Pokeballs over to Nurse Joy, who was relatively glad to welcome Jet back, this time without any wounds on his person or his new catch, his mind continued to try and cook up battle plans and come up with strategies. "It would probably be a good chance to give Rufflet some of the spotlight and let it take on one of her two Pokemon, maybe after Pawniard so he can finish off the job fairly easy... Although it probably knows how to battle better than my Pawniard, judging by yesterday, huh..?"

It wasn't like he'd taken him out of his Pokeball, so that came as a relative mystery. Speaking of which, his Minior was completely left out of the considerations for this fight for obvious enough reasons. "Minior is strong and can definitely take something on, but given it's a Rock Type... I fear it'd be a fast way to just get my ass wooped and achieve nothing. Next Gym, I'm sure it'll be better. There's few things that do well against something as sturdy, yet fast."

The downpour of thoughts continued, until Keith brought Jet right back to reality with a snap of his fingers. Turning, he was surprised to find the chestnut haired man looking ♫ anxious ♫, if anything. "What's the matter?", he asked curiously with a cocked eyebrow, seeing him struggle to take a phone out of his jacket's pocket. "Nurse Joy says there's been a few calls about something off at the pier! We have to get Jet to-", he quickly interrupted himself to groan, seeing as his cellphone was dead. "Tell me his number."

"I don't remember it- you know what, just. I'm sorry to ask this of you, but go give things a look over at the pier, and we'll be on our way! I'll run back to the Gym to notify him and we'll be there in five minutes. Don't do anything stupid!", Keith asked rather hurriedly, looking back at the Nurse who had just finished treating Jet's Pawniard, holding the Pokeball out to the blond. With a smug grin on his face, he took the Pawniard and clenched the ball tightly in his hands. "Heh. I've got it- don't worry."

Jet's... concerning, words of reassurance, were sadly all the apprentice could rely on. So he nodded and looked back at Nurse Joy, who quickly resumed her treatment of the man's Pokemon. "I'll hurry up as best as I can, get going for now!", she told Keith and he began his mad dash out of the Center, and back to the Gym so he could alert Avonlea. Although that did get Jet thinking. "... Say, Nurse. Why don't you notify Avonlea too, if you've got a phone here?", Jet stopped halfway towards the door and shot a curious glance at her, giving her a moment to think before she grumbled. "Y-You're right, but if I tell him now, Keith's gonna get lost. Just go, I'll do what I can from here!"

Admittedly a flimsy excuse, but who was he to speak anyway, right? He made his way out of the Center, and with a light sprint right at the pier where he remembered he arrived yesterday. No ferry boat was there, and there were also surprisingly few people near the side. For a town as crowded as Beachveil, this was ♫ odd ♫... then again, if people called about this 'something off', maybe they got alarmed and distanced themselves. A quick glance around helped little in understanding what exactly was up, but Jet's eye did catch some suspicious ripples in the water. "Something is... moving."

His red gaze focused into the water, while he stood completely still. A hand was already on his Pokeball for Pawniard, but he quickly noticed just how big the shadow of this creature was. It continued to slither under the surface, with a long, wide body. Squinting slightly, he took a step back and as if in response to the noise, the slithering got faster and faster. All was well until Jet's eyes looked a bit further up and realised- whatever was moving under the water, was big enough to get every little boat parked near the coastline shaking. Small waves had begun to form, and he could now distinguish one more feature about this Pokemon.

"It has to be a Pokemon. That red glow- that was its eyes. It knows I'm here. Pawniard's ready for another fight, but... it's big. I can probably weaken it enough to get it to back off... right?", the somewhat discouraged boy wondered, taking another step or two back as the threat swam closer and closer to the surface. He could even make out its colors now, although he'd be a liar if he said he knew what it was. This odd beige, followed by a mix of red and blue, with black lines in between... It had two large, red fins following along what he could only assume was its head, and in size, it was definitely larger than any other Pokemon he'd seen, let alone faced before.

Now wasn't the time to worry about looking cool and doing things 'just right'. As confident as he was, he knew fighting it off wouldn't be all that easy, and he didn't have too many choices until Avonlea came, especially with it being aware of the trainer's presence. So he took a few more steps back and sent out his Pawniard, which gave him a curious look before being pointed at the direction of the open sea. It took a few steps forwards, seeing water bubble up before a spray was violently shot out from underneath. The water came down like rain, sparkling under the morning sun. "Here it comes, be ready!", he commanded Pawniard, feeling his heart racing as was.

As if it hadn't already made a spectacular enough entrance for itself, more water bubbled before it jumped out of the sea, revealing its beautiful form. Its scales shone under the sunlight too, as a ring of water followed. The Pokemon cried out loudly- it must have certainly sounded throughout Beachveil. Some surprised yelps could be heard from people a good few streets further down, and it was no wonder why.

"Pawniard- let's do this!"... this was going to be a challenge for Jet.

Gary Sue · Jan 12, 2023

The fight's ♫ intensity ♫ quickly matched the blond's determination, with water being shot at the Pawniard and no room left for any counterattacks. The Milotic hadn't left its guard down any, lingering just barely out of the water with its upper half in order to get a good look on Jet and his Pokemon, just so it could attack them. Although the trainer was quick to notice that despite how the wild Pokemon had made up its mind on knocking the Steel Type out, it hadn't made a move to attack on him quite yet. "While Pawniard's dodging, I should probably distance myself more- just to be safe."

And so he did, until the serpent-like Pokemon let up momentarily. "Attack it now with Metal Claw!", he shouted at his partner, having stopped his steps backwards now that he was close to a stack of crates he could use as cover in the worst case scenario. Milotic's stance shifted just slightly as soon as the Pawniard charged in and prepared its attack, only to block it with its tail nearly effortlessly once the smaller Pokemon lunged forwards and tried to land its attack.

Quickly getting deflected like so, the Milotic knocked the Pawniard further behind before letting out a loud cry, getting both the trainer and his partner to groan as they tried to cover their ears. With the Pokemon landing on its back and skidding backwards somewhat, it had already taken surprisingly much of a beating but was still willing to keep on trying. Pawniard gave a determined look back to his trainer, and that was enough- with a nod he raised his stubby arms, preparing to block if needed, all the same as he'd launch an attack if given the chance. "Watch it for the time being, try to be more defensive.", the trainer instructed, and so they watched, training their eyes on their larger foe.

Milotic readjusted its position, dipping its tail back into the water and pulling it back outside, only for the water on it to glow before the only mark that the Pawniard's attack had left on it began to fade away. "Shit. If it can heal itself, that's no good. It means we'll need to take it down with one strong attack instead of keep at it and hope it works... I doubt any of my Pokemon are strong enough to pack that much of a punch though.", he assessed the situation while the raging Pokemon let out another battle cry, raising its thick tail and preparing to use it to go on the offensive.

"Now's our chance!", thought Jet and so did Pawniard too, while a menacing haze began to envelop the serpent's tail and then slammed down on the side of the coast, sweeping right towards the Sharp Blade Pokemon. Thankfully, the attack was slow enough that it could jump out of it just in time- an opportune moment to counterattack now. "Hit its tail with everything you've got!", the blond's command sounded through the empty harbor once again while Pawniard pulled its hands back, spinning once during its dodging maneuver and jabbing at the thick tail repeatedly.

The hide was thick, and as if that weren't enough, the scales made its attacks feel like they were having minimal effect too. What the two hadn't noticed was that during its attack with its tail, Milotic had already begun shooting water at the Pawniard. And by the time Jet noticed, it was too late, as the jet of water hit his Pokemon and sent it tumbling back just slightly, but he could see it all over his companion's tired expression. "One more hit and Pawniard's going to have to back away... It won't otherwise, so we just have to-"

"Teach him to not push himself that much though, okay?"

In a moment of hesitation, but with an unexpectedly strong sense of responsibility, he instinctively took Pawniard's Pokeball and held it out towards it before clicking its button. "Pawniard, that's enough for now!", he shouted as the Pokeball's red light covered the critter's silhouette, only managing to catch a glimpse of just how confused and bewildered it was to be withdrawn just like that. The Milotic was quick however to turn its gaze right at Jet, letting out another cried that most definitely echoed far and wide.

"Shit, Minior, help me out!", the trainer quickly sent out his next Pokemon, with the Meteor Pokemon finally exiting its capsule and feeling rather... intimidated, at the sight of the opponent it was suddenly met with. An opponent with a piercing red gaze, just like that of Jet's, pinned right on the Minior's black spots on its shell- its own eyes, presumably. With another raise of the Milotic's tail, it swept right in front of the Pokemon, whipping up a strong current and causing a small swirl of air start forming under it. "Minior, Defense Curl!"

The comet balled up somewhat, starting to spin and enduring the current that evolved into what looked like a dust tornado, picking up some leaves, pebbles and other bits of trash from the path. During their spin, the Pokemon's sturdy, rocky shell began to crack, a sign that they were already on the ropes. Minior abruptly rotated the other way however, causing the small tornado's flow to be interrupted and disperse. And so, a glint in Jet's eyes; now was the time to retaliate. "Use Swift!", he told his Pokemon and the Milotic quickly got into a more defensive form once again. All of the star-like projectiles that gunned right for the sea serpent ended up meeting its tail, causing little puffs of smoke to emerge as they smashed against it repeatedly.

By the time the tail whipped the smoke away, it would appear it had been somewhat hurt, more so than last time. "We're getting somewhere, but a single hit from those water attacks and Minior's good as done...", the man tried to strategise, although his opponent's reaction gave him an idea... It's not much, but it's all he's got right now. "Now, use Take Down!", Jet commanded, and that's what confirmed his suspicions. As his Pokemon turned to give him a confused, lost look, the Milotic quickly shielded itself with its bruised tail once more. "So that's how it is, huh?"

It was around that point that a panting Keith quickly barged into the Gym, trying to catch his breath as he approached the Gym Leader, who was quietly chatting with the now present Rosa. She was quick to turn her gaze from Avonlea to her colleague, laughing and waving over. "Hey, what's the hurry for? C'mon, we were just talking about your battle with that newbie challenger earlier-"

"Forget about- hah... About that, something important's going down at the port!", he interrupted her and looked at the two with a troubled look on his face, before focusing on the older Jet almost exclusively. "Nurse Joy said she got a lot of calls about something being down at the beachside, we should get going to help Jet out!", he laid the plan out, although neither of the other two seemed all that surprised. If anything, Rosa and Avonlea exchanged glances before Jet thoughtfully turned to look at Keith.

"Mhm, so I've heard. Although...", he pulled his blue jacket's sleeve up, looking at his Pokewatch to check the time. "... I suppose around now's right, yeah. You said Jet's there?", the man's question was asked ever so casually, only for a sigh of pure dread to sound afterwards. "Yes, I asked him to stay and check things out considering my Pokemon were knocked out... Why are you being so casual about this? What did you do this time?"

There was no answer more menacing than this particular man's laugh. Not because he used to cause trouble, but exactly because he did all in his power to cause none- usually. "J-Jet, please tell me you haven't been letting Koi's personality rub off on you any again...", Keith groaned with a hand pinching the bridge of his nose, hoping for a negative answer instead of that gods forsaken snicker that followed from Rosa. "You say that like it's a bad thing, but you and I both know that's what everyone around these parts likes from time to time."

"Not to interrupt, but let's keep the discussion up on the road. We don't want to miss the show, do we?", Avonlea asked with a clap of his hands and threw each of his arms over one of his apprentice's shoulders, taking the small group on their merry way right out of the Gym and back towards the port.

There was little room for Jet to take his eyes off the battle, with all the ♫ clashes ♫ of the two Pokemon that followed. For a Pokemon as small and fragile looking as Minior, he was surprised at how well it kept up with the bulkier titan lurking in the waters. Its small body began to rotate and build up momentum, hitting against the Milotic's tail time and time again, each hit harder than the last. Eventually, even with the difference in the two, it would appear the Water Type couldn't keep affording to take hits, starting to move more in the relatively still waters as if it were warming up to start dodging attacks.

Far from it however, as rings of water began getting sent one by one from its mouth at the Rock Type, which floated from left, to right, to just barely above or through some of the incoming attacks. And while his Pokemon was busy dodging, Jet could allow himself a glance over his shoulder or two. "Cheap bastard.", he muttered under his breath with a grin from ear to ear, as he noticed the port wasn't all that empty anymore- maybe it never was empty to begin with. People had been hiding behind corners, from kids to adults running stores near the seaside. Barely peeking their heads or trying to stay out of view, though some had very clearly made their way closer to observe the duel between the trainer and the beautiful, yet terrifying Pokemon.

During the last of Milotic's attacks, Minior and Jet looked back at one another and with a small nod, it felt like they... clicked, even if for a few moments. Whatever plan the two had cooked up, they were on the same page. "Now, use Swift again!", and his Pokemon obeyed, sending out another spray of star-like attacks right at its opponent, only this time Milotic had a different approach to stopping its attack from landing.

"Which Pokemon was it at least..?"

"Well, it's been a while since I let Mylla out to play with any of the challengers, so I thought might as well, right? You have to agree, for all the trouble Koi gives me, he's got some good ideas up for grabs every now and then."

"Good ideas my ass! He could barely do anything against Axl, and you're telling me you sent out Mylla of all the Pokemon you could have chosen?!"

"Not to play the devil's advocate, but to me, it sounded like Axl could barely do anything to keep an already hurt Pawniard on the ropes. He wiped the floor with you, not the other way around, rookie."

"Stop encouraging him!"

"Hey, she knows her own limits, as well as the kid's. Plus, it's not like he's a complete newbie. You couldn't tell, but... he plays a bit dirty every so often."

"... What do you mean by that, Jet? We're talking about the same guy, right?"

"You were too absorbed to tell, but he had talked with his Pawniard earlier, clearly. He used non-verbal communication so you couldn't tell Axl what to do, and your Pokemon froze up. Otherwise, you would have gotten that point easily."

"You... Ugh. So you thought to have a wild 'threat' show up, just so he would play 'fair' and you could test him that way?"

"Yup. Mylla knows her limits, but she's not going to go easy on him. I won't be surprised if we find him out of Pokemon by the time we arrive at the port."

"I'm starting to like this side of Jet more and more by the minute."

"Rosa- don't."

"I'm just sayin', just sayin'! Don't shoot the messenger."

The Minior's ♫ attack ♫ was met with retaliation, instead of any defensive movements this time. For every one of its stars, there was a scale being shot out by the Milotic's tail, and then some. The shotgun of projectiles got every peeper behind Jet's battle to hide momentarily, although thankfully the spray was controlled to not stray far from the side. With both's attacks cancelling one another's out, it was only a matter of luck before Minior got struck by any of the wild scales. It tried to float closer, to get a better hit on the Water Type, only to be hit by a scale dead on.

The cracks on its shell grew larger, as it let out a cry, almost defeated. Being in the midst of the smoke as it were, it was impossible for anyone to tell whether or not it got knocked out. And while the smokescreen that had formed dissipated, its shell could be seen on the ground. Suddenly, a loud clap echoed throughout the port, followed by another cry from the Meteor Pokemon.

It was nowhere near as slow as it had been leading up to now, with its lightweight core exposed, glowing a vibrant pink. Its swirly eyes glowed through the smoke to reveal it, but by then it was far too late. In a swift movement, it already launched its body right at its opponent, hitting her right on the head and getting the Milotic to even move further behind, in an attempt to gain some extra ground.

"Good job, Minior!", Jet laughed as he threw one of his arms to the side, determined to do what all he could to end the fight right here, right now. "Now, use-"

"That's enough. Mylla, come back!", a familiar voice ♫ sounded ♫ as Avonlea, Keith and Rosa had all made their way over, with a grin on two of the lot and an all-too-responsible frown on the other. "At least he's still doing good...", Keith sighed out in relief before he received a rather soft punch on the shoulder. "You shouldn't worry about people stronger than you, idiot. Although, it is surprising he's still standing."

"So I was right then, that Pokemon was yours.", unexpectedly even Jet was happy to be right this once, although the annoyance of being tricked into fighting one of Avonlea's own Pokemon hadn't gone quite yet. Much more so the annoyance of having their fight interrupted while he was managing to astoundingly enough, get Mylla on the defensive. The crowd slowly started to come further out onto the port, still having left enough room for the four to talk and move about while they clapped their hands in awe and cheered for the battle put up in front of all of them- no, the show put on, rather.

"Mind telling a friend how you figured it out? I'm taken aback by Mylla not outright knocking your lights out with, given how new to the scene you are.", the man taunted with both hands slid inside of his pockets, although the smile on his face wasn't that of a snake, like what one could expect from Koi. Instead, his expression was bright, and he seemed excited if anything, like he were about to shower the boy with compliments. "Your 'Mylla' knew how to fight. Whenever I used attacks, she blocked prematurely. She knew the names of my attacks and reacted to the commands alone, before Pawniard or Minior got their chance to strike even."

"Aha... And so you decided; 'better not announce my attack then', right? Just like you did against Axl back at the Gym?", Avonlea pointed out and truth be told, Cressfield's hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he cocked an eyebrow and leaned forwards somewhat, with the confused Minior lowering itself and trying to stick the bits and pieces of its shell back together on its body in embarrassment. "I didn't know that was cheating, was it? So much for being on the same page."

"Hm. It's unusual is all. I wanted to see how you'd do without that tactic being available in your next battle, hence why the 'threat of a wild Pokemon', but hah.", with a hearty laughter, Avonlea raised both of his hands in the air and quietly approached the blond, who began to move towards his Minior. "You got me, you did. I had my assistant take Mylla out here and talked to Nurse Joy so she'd let you know about this rampaging beauty. Only, she wasn't really rampaging."

"No shit, I'd have lost a long time now if she were trying. Screw you for that though- did you tell everyone except for Keith?", the trainer asked as he crouched down beside Minior, quietly helping it pick up whatever large pieces of its shell were left. And with a nod from him, the little guy balled up and a light filled the room between of the cracks, mending them with a brief flash. "That's enough for now, Minior.", he acknowledged his Pokemon's efforts with a curt smile, taking out its Pokeball and withdrawing it before he turned his attention back to the Gym Leader.

"Events like this don't happen often, but it's nice to turn someone's Gym Challenge into a one-day festival. The people love it, look around you.", and with a quick glance, it wasn't hard to tell what he meant. Everybody was smiling or talking with one another, some looking at the Jet, some others looking at the other Jet. The Gym Leader held a hand out to the blond, getting a curious look from the boy before he scoffed and gave him his own, firmly shaking hands before everyone. Whistling, excited clapping from the audience and laughter echoed throughout Beachveil, with how many people had gathered. Shopkeeps, kids on their parents' shoulders or by their sides, other trainers or just the average tourist too. "Tch. You just wanted me to be everyone's jester for a moment."

Despite the tough act, Jet's grin from ear to ear was bright as day, while Avonlea pulled back from the handshake, reaching into his pocket to grab something. And by the time he'd pulled his hand back out again, he was holding out a badge to the trainer. A silver badge, with what seemed like a wave etched onto it. A calm wave, almost washing over the sand just to pull itself right back into the sea and return later. Not quite what he expected after a fight like that, but... his heart was racing. "This is the farthest I've gotten so far. It's for real this time.", Jet exhaled deeply and after contemplating for a moment, he took the badge and looked at it in his hand.

"Everybody, we have a promising new Challenger for this season! I present to you Jet Cressfield, who just earned Beachveil City's Tidal Badge!", Avonlea spoke loudly to make sure his voice was heard, and heard it was. Everybody cheered for the trainer, eyes all on him now as he raised his head and looked around. "Don't pretend I haven't figured out you like the spotlight. C'mon, give them your best."

Words of encouragement that never once, had Jet thought he would be hearing on his Gym Challenge of all places. So with another exhale, he smiled and raised the badge into the sky, and the cheers only got louder and louder. It was some time before the circle that had been formed broke up, but preparations for what appeared to be a full on festival had begun shortly after. The noon and evening passed with some relaxation alongside Avonlea's group, once everyone's Pokemon had been properly treated. And soon, nighttime came and the festival was in full swing.

Moving away from the somewhat more modern buildings with a hut-like aesthetic, most of the City's population found themselves further out and onto the beach, with actual huts, thatched rooftops and wooden, ornate furniture all around. There was a bar where a Quagsire served various drinks, prepared further behind by a group of Beachveil's residents, alongside what appeared to be a Ducklett and Popplio. Some were more festive cocktails and tropical drinks, while others were more in line with what you'd expect in modern day- flavored bubble teas and fizzy drinks. An interesting contrast, although not as interesting as the barbeque grill in the middle of the entire event.

One of the travelling Firebreathers had completely stolen the spotlight, helping a self-proclaimed chef grill, using both the Firebreather's abilities, alongside his Houndour's fire to keep the grill going, regulating it to not burn the skewers or the berries and various greens on them either. Jet was surprised that there even was a festival to begin with, but he knew it wasn't for him as much as it was for the people. By the looks of things, it was a while since they last had an event anywhere as big as this.

He found himself a bit further away from the crowd though, quietly looking at the sea while his Pokemon frolicked with Avonlea's Mylla a bit further away. Pawniard had made its way onto the Milotic's back curiously, Minior had crowned the Milotic with none other than its rocky body right at the top of her head, and the Rufflet had perched itself on top of Minior quietly, while Mylla slowly wandered about the waters to take the lot on a few laps nearby. The blond's eyes were pinned onto his phone, looking at it in ♪ thought ♪ as he hummed lowly. "... Nah, not now. Not yet anyway."

"Hey, Challenger. What are you doing mopping around away from the crowd? I thought you loved being the man of the hour. They're throwing a whole festival in your name.", a wild Gym Leader showed up with a fruity cocktail in his hands, taking a sip and making his way next to Jet while he admired their Pokemon playing further out. "I'm not a kid, y'know, I can tell when it's a festival and when it's a 'Jet' festival.", the trainer's words insinuated that that happens often, but judging by his demeanor, Avonlea already had plentiful doubts.

"Hah... You are right, but- it really is in your name.", he glanced at the young man quietly, who was... confused, to say the least. "It's not for me, but it is. Right.", Jet sighed out and with a disapproving shake of his head, he raised an eyebrow at Avonlea's cocktail. Before he had the time to question how much he'd drank, the Gym Leader continued his explanation. "The Tidal Badge you got earlier... It is 'just a badge', but we all give our items meanings. That one, is the badge for new beginnings around these parts. You surely heard something before even I told you, but this really is where most trainers begin their adventure."

"It's because of trainers like you that we can manage, and even though noone is rooting for a single person individually, we all want you to succeed. Inspire more people doing what makes you happy, and keep the world moving. That's what you did today, with Mylla. You're cunning, and you're a smart man. Although you could definitely use some effort on the self-expression department.", and surely enough, Avonlea was met with the confirmation he expected. "Fuck you."

"My point. Either way, the actual point, is that you probably changed a lot of people's minds today. I wasn't sure you were good enough to get the badge to begin with, but screw me right? You managed to last until we arrived, and even then you had given Mylla a few good hits to remember. What's your next stop, Jet?", he asked curiously and turned to look at the blond, who had been silently staring at the Milotic joyride all this time, thinking. "I'll take the path through the woods and go to Gleamwood. And then, Aqualake. I'll probably be heading out tomorrow, if there's nothing else to do here."

"Gotta stay on the move, do you? From here on out, it's you and your Pokemon then.", the man remarked with another hearty laugh, patting Jet's back and getting a neutral look from the fledgling trainer. "This far away from home, they're your only family. Take care of them and they'll take care of you, Jet. Enjoy your last night in Beachveil. Ah- and Keith wanted to talk to you I think. Don't leave him hanging, he's by the bar."

"Sure, I'll be right there in a bit.", Jet said with a grin, waving at Avonlea who moved back and blended back into the crowd. And soon as he put on that fake smile, it left as he raised his head to look up at the sky, pondering quietly. His fingers felt cold, and he could feel a knot in his throat as he rubbed his thumbs on his arms.

"Pokemon and family, huh?"

SAVE THE GAME?

YES⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀NO

Gary Sue · Jan 18, 2023

SAVE FILE
Name: Jet Cressfield
Badges: 1
Pokedex: 3
Time: Afternoon
Party: Pawniard (M),

Minior,

Rufflet (M)

Kulvi Region - Turnaround Woods

Every few steps, a branch would crack under the man's shoes as he walked down the dirt path and looked around. There were the occasional Bug Type Pokemon hanging by trees or staying atop their branches, observing from far away where they were safe from getting a Pokeball lobbed their way. The forest itself looked really nice, although a few hours into the trek, Jet could have sworn he already crossed this path a few times as was... "I assume that's where Turnaround Woods comes from.", he grumbled quietly to himself, looking down at his belt with all three Pokeballs put in place snuggly. A moment of silence as he pondered, and decided to pay his passing thoughts no mind.

And back to walking. Caterpies, Sewaddles and Spinaraks took a peek every now and then from under bushes or the side path, and there were the timid cocoon Pokemon like Kakunas that rolled away on sight and out of the path. He had never seen anything of the like before, although it's not like he got far when he was exploring back in Kalos. A bitter thought to look back on, but now he was here and that's all that mattered. The biggest shame of all with this much variety, was that all of them were scaredy cats. "None of them want to fight, otherwise Rufflet would have gotten some time to train out here with me. Best shot I'll get is if another trainer crosses my path and they want to train up, too.", he huffed and raised a hand to slick his hair back again, fixing his glasses atop his face.

The forest, although big and winding, seemed to have a straightforward path on the way out. It was so silent that Jet got lost in thought about last night, when Keith called him over to tell him 'something'. It wasn't quite a pleasant discussion and Keith only helped put more conflicting emotions in Jet's mind, just like Avonlea had moments before.

"Hey, Jet. Enjoying the festival, are you?", the man's tone was cheery, as he appeared to be enjoying himself with a cocktail in one hand and his Buizel right by his side. A quick look into the sea, and Mylla now had a Squirtle in hot pursuit right behind her as she took Jet's Pokemon for a joyride around the coast.

"So so. I'm not used to having festivals thrown like that. Avonlea said you wanted to talk?", the blond quickly cut the chitchat short, silently looking at Keith with a rather blank stare and both hands in his coat's pockets. If it weren't for the crowd in the back talking, laughing, dancing and drinking, an awkward silence would have taken over.

"... Right. Let me ask you this, if you don't want to beat around the bush then. Where are you headed to next?", Keith repeated a question that seemed to be on the forefront of every single Beachveil resident's mind. Although he was clearly still in a good mood, his face shone less and less brightly as he took on a more serious look, almost concerned.

Jet shifted somewhat, furrowing his brows and looking to the side in an attempt to not let out a passive aggressive comment out of impulse. "... Gleamwood. And then it's Aqualake. Avonlea asked me the same, what's up with you lot this time?", he exhaled and raised a brow, looking back at Keith once more.

"A-Ah, he didn't tell you then.", he rather cryptically responded and earned a low growl from the trainer. So he thought to quickly elaborate, with an awkward laugh to try and disperse the tension as best as he could. "Alright, I'll talk. It's probably going to be a hard pill to swallow, but... I think you should skip Gleamwood in full for now.", Keith's voice lowered as if he was ashamed to say that, and although he continued to look at Jet, he had a look similar to pity.

Needless to say, Jet was annoyed at both the stare and the nonsense the trainer whose ass he'd kicked was spewing. "I hope you have some actual reason for asking me to delay my Gym Challenge, cause I'm not going to take you feeling 'bad' for me after today's battle. You know fully well I can do it.", his piercing glare worked its magic and got the man to look away, down at the Buizel by his side that returned the glance at its trainer.

"... Tell me then, why are you fighting these Gyms? What are you going to achieve if you beat them all?", despite the hesitation in his voice and body language, he continued to question Jet's motives as he crouched and picked up his Buizel, with the little rascal quickly climbing onto the man's shoulder and standing tall, with its arms crossed as it looked at the offended trainer.

"What do you think I want out of it? I'll beat the Gyms, the League and then move on to the next region, if any. If I'm good enough to get my party to the top, that's all the reason I need. Is that good enough for-?"

"It's not.", he cut Jet's backtalk fueled by foolish pride short, giving him the same pained look as before. "Go to Aqualake first. Don't even enter Gleamwood right now, leave it for later.", he promptly repeated himself and looked at the Buizel on his shoulder, exchanging a look and smiling at one another before he turned back to Jet. "I don't know what Avonlea told you, but trust me on this. For now, just... enjoy the festival. Treat your Pokemon to a good meal and-"

"I will, you too.", Jet abruptly cut Keith off and at that point, simply turned around, waved behind him and walked away. He was stewing with anger, and thinking back to this short conversation, he felt as infuriated as he felt... something. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't pinpoint exactly what that feeling was.

The next few hours of walking quietly continued like so, with the man silently trying to ignore whatever the hell was going on in his mind as music blasted through his headphones. It quickly became nighttime, and he was confident- "I probably fucked up somewhere, because I swear this looks like the path I was on for the past hour or so... I should start marking the trees or something to make sure I'm not going around in circles.", he laid out a plan, but that was probably best left for tomorrow. For now, he could do little but decide where the best spot to sleep in would be. He unpacked the sleeping bag from his small backpack, gathered a few sticks and twigs by himself, and... ah, a campfire huh?

Jet quietly reached for one of the Pokeballs on his belt, took it out and threw it in front of him. And there came out Minior. "Hey. Can you help me set up a fire?", he simply asked and with a quick look around, the Minior chirped- probably in agreement. So the blond pointed it at the bundle of sticks, all neatly placed together and the comet Pokemon got to work. Spinning and trying to get sparks to come out, with enough effort it managed to do so and there it was, a campfire! One that Jet kept a safe distance from, but a warm one regardless. "... Thank you.", he said somewhat uncharacteristically and gave a curt smile before he withdrew his Pokemon once more, interrupting another chirp from it.

And so, the trainer was set to go for the night. He kept his backpack close to his person, his belt was still on and he made sure to lay down in a comfortable enough position where he wouldn't be putting it at risk of getting squished any. The silence that blanketed the entire forest was only broken occasionally by Kricketots and Hoothoots making their way around the forest, communicating with one another or even carelessly playing in the trees. It was an entirely different sort of atmosphere that he had far from gotten used to, but... right now, it really was just him, the forest and the beautiful night sky, filled with stars and small swarms of clouds drifting by every now and then. It was calming, and before he knew it, he had been lulled to sleep by that very atmosphere.

The next morning...

Light did its best to blind the man's eyes through his tightly shut eyelids, managing to wake him up once morning had come and the sun made it through the foliage, giving the woods the same mystical feeling they had up to now. Opening his eyes just slightly reminded him of his location, so he ♪ yawned ♪ and stretched, looking to the side at the campfire that burned out overnight, probably. He dropped his head on the sleeping bag again quietly, huffing and deciding to check on his bag, just in case some Pokemon or petty thief of a Trainer made their way over and grabbed anything.

Turning the other way while still snuggly fit in his covers, he noticed his bag was... well, quite the same as yesterday. That was good. With some of his willpower expended just to sit up, he slowly made his way out of his warm cocoon and did a few more stretches, hearing what sounded like a Pokemon nearby eating. His own stomach growled, as if to remind him that he shouldn't have skipped on a quick dinner, and he sighed out in response. His own Pokemon would probably be hungry sooner or later, so might as well make his way out of the forest after a quick bite, right?

He turned to the backpack once more, crouched to grab it, and that's when he realised the noises came from right in front of the bag. "...", he quietly looked at the odd, bug-eyed Pokemon that stared back, its antennae perked up while it crawled just a bit closer to take whatever half-eaten berry it stole from the front of his bag's pouch into its mouth again. Silence for a brief moment, only broken by a light crunch from the berry. "... Don't you dare-", he tried to warn the Wimpod before it got to run, but it quickly turned its tail and shot a dust cloud right towards Jet's face, getting him to cough as he waved it away.

When he opened his eyes again, the little bastard had made its way closer to the bushes so it could escape, resting its orbs on Jet's... 'miffed' expression. "You stupid fucking...", he grunted and growled under his breath, slowly rolling up his sleeping bag and stashing it away so he could get his stuff and give chase. The Bug Type however, quietly continued to watch instead of running away like he expected it would, behavior most peculiar for Pokemon as typically timid as a Wimpod.

With the berry pouch he had saved up for times of need for his Pokemon closed again, he quietly put the backpack on his back, looked at the Wimpod and once it got the memo that he was ready, it turned around again, shot up a few more dust clouds in cartoon-like fashion and ran into the forest down a beaten path Jet hadn't explored before. And so, the agitated man ran right behind it, interrupting the morning routine of plenty of Bug, Grass and Flying Type Pokemon that went out of their way to quietly observe the pursuit. Some even cried as if congratulating the Wimpod for its Robin Hood-esque act of thievery, others were hoping to scare the comparatively big human off, to very little avail.

"Stop running and face me, runt!", he practically shouted at it while admiring just how fast this little guy was. In combat, that'd definitely help get some advantage on certain foes, but maybe it's too skittish for the task. The chase continued on and on for the next five or so minutes, before the two arrived to a clearing of sorts. The perfect place for them to throw hands, by the looks of things. Jet wanted to take the chance and test this Pokemon's strength out, while Wimpod turned to face him, almost taunting him to send out his own so they could duke it out.

If it was a human, he'd suspect something was afoot, but there were very few Pokemon around anymore. Only a pack of Burmy, covered in leaves and trash, hanging from the trees asleep or awake all the same, and bird Pokemon that gathered to watch the brawl. "If you're lucky, you'll actually have been worth the morning jog.", he said and reached down into his belt for Rufflet's Pokeball, holding it tightly before throwing it out in front of him and releasing the round Eaglet Pokemon. It looked back at its trainer, seeing the fierce look in his eyes as it did his small smirk. He was as excited as he was tense. A chirp from the Wimpod got the Rufflet's attention, the two exchanging cries before Rufflet's battle cry sounded and with its wings spread, it appeared ready to take flight and fight too.

With both combatants having prepared, Jet glanced at his Pokemon and let his thoughts run for a few moments as he cooked up the best battle plan possible... "Come think of it, I haven't used Rufflet in combat before. I haven't taught it anything like I have Pawniard and Minior, but... I noticed some basic moves it knows. We can do this.", he nodded to himself, closed his eyes and collected his calm again before he threw his arm to the side. "Rufflet, use Peck!"

In approval, Rufflet took ♫ flight ♫ and prepared its attack from high up, where its opponent wouldn't be able to see it. Even so though, the Wimpod seemed to know exactly what was coming as, the moment the bird's divebomb started, it curled up into a ball and hid all of its weak spots. The peck at its shell was furious, but it was equally ineffective against the Bug Type's harder plating. And before Jet's Pokemon could distance itself, the Wimpod uncurled, slapping it with its tail and letting out a loud screech that sent shivers even down the blond's spine. Even the Flying Type hadn't expected this counterattack, getting knocked to the ground and crying before it took back to the skies.

"Interesting... The little shit's worth his money, then.", no more efforts to hide his own grin were made anymore as he clenched a fist and pulled his hand back. "Use Leer and keep your distance!", and so the Rufflet did, glaring right into the Wimpod. Although it was clear that the intimidation worked, the Pokemon used its little feet to run right at it, before disappearing with only splashes of what appeared like water in its rapid course towards the Flying Type- followed by a crash right into it, sending it flying back. "The hell was that?! I couldn't even see it."

As if his Pokemon realised how impressed its trainer was, the Eaglet Pokemon caught itself rather than falling to the ground again, flapping both its wings furiously and sending a strong gust of wind at its opponent. A counterattack that did a good job at getting its opponent wide open for a follow-up attack. Jet had successfully recovered from his awe inspired shock, nodding and dramatically pointing his finger at the Wimpod. "Use Peck while it's wide open!", his order sounded loud and clear as Rufflet dove back into the fight as quickly as it could, landing a swift blow on the Wimpod.

By the looks of things, the attack was beyond effective, sending the smaller Pokemon tumbling back and looking around. With its brow-like antennae forming what looked like a glare, it quickly turned around and with another cloud of dust quickly rising from behind it, made for the only path out of the clearing. "You- Rufflet, with me! Don't lose sight of it!", he made sure to quickly follow right behind it, with his partner chirping in agreement and going on another chase sequence behind the Wimpod. This time however, their chase was quickly cut short as after less than a minute down the path, they arrived at what looked like a beautiful lake, all in the middle of the woods.

Kulvi Region - Turnaround Woods, Mirror Lake

Right by the shore on their side was Wimpod, who quickly shot some sand from the very edge to the Rufflet, stopping its speed and another prompt Peck from landing. And while the Rufflet was busy shaking the Sand Attack off its face, the Wimpod quickly took to the waters and started to swim towards what appeared to be a lake at the center of it all. There weren't many tall trees so the area was properly lit, and very bright with nothing escaping the warm sunlight in the clearing. The island at the very center had a thick, somewhat big tree, with apples, berries and Pokemon all around it, like a small sanctuary.

"Fuck, if it gets there, I'd only be bothering the milder Pokemon. If I get Rufflet to chase behind it though, I won't be able to command it... It appeared to act on its own too, unlike Pawniard and Minior, but still...", he hesitantly tried to put together a plan, but seeing just how fast Wimpod was swimming across the lake wasn't allowing him that luxury. "Shit- Rufflet, go after it! Take it down!", the blond ultimately decided to put his trust in his newly acquired Pokemon, and it happily obeyed the command. It flew right behind the Wimpod, although it only stopped halfway across the lake when the Tail Turn Pokemon suddenly turned around, that same fiery gaze in its big eyes.

The Rufflet tried to question what the Bug Type's motives were, but it quickly realised when it began to see afterimages of its opponent surrounding it. Water kept splashing with every use of its Aqua Jet as it tried to confuse and wear out its airborne foe, before it would go in for an attack. With the best of its abilities, Rufflet tried to analyze the situation and determine where the attack would come from, but before it could, a hit from its back. It held on, staying in the air and trying to lift itself higher- another hit, right from below. It cried, and although what exactly was happening wasn't clear to Jet, he could tell his Pokemon was between a rock and a hard place. "Come on, you can do it..!"

Where Pawniard and Minior would definitely have given their trainer a look of uncertainty, Rufflet's eyes remained trained on their target, trying to pin it down. And the next attack that was coming was blocked by another strong gust of wind, although this time rather than using it to attack, a small whirlwind appeared to have stayed near the surface of the lake. A strategic move from the Rufflet, who was only using it to slow down its opponent and raise its own speed, following the current. Wimpod didn't flinch though, continuing to move behind it, back to its front, to its sides... No doubt, the both of them were getting tired. But Rufflet's gaze saw all.

It cried out and when Wimpod decided to attack from behind one more time, it flew to the side, only to go forwards and then turn its body, hitting the Bug Type mid-air with a strong peck right at its underbelly- its weakest spot. It was now on its course towards Jet, who already had a Pokeball taken out. "Here goes!", he prepared himself and threw the Pokeball, hitting Wimpod's back and enveloping it in a red light before it disappeared and the capsule closed up again. There was only one issue now; the Pokeball was on its way right to the bottom of the lake. Thankfully though, the Rufflet swept right in with the help of the Tailwind it started and grabbed the Pokeball.

It shook while its button glowed a soft red once... then it happened again. And on the third time, it was already back to Jet's hand as Rufflet landed on his shoulder. It clicked, and the both of them let out a laugh in what could only be described as childish excitement with their accomplishment. "Good job, Rufflet!", Jet congratulated his companion and raised a hand, petting its soft head without even realising. Although the Rufflet didn't really react to it, it allowed the affectionate gesture and let out pleased cries in response. After the initial excitement passed though, as if on cue, they heard a branch snap behind them.

They turned, just to be met with what looked like a person, wearing a tribal outfit of all things. Bandages around their feet and calves, baggy pants up to their waist where sashes had been tied around, a pouch by their hip with berries and herbs and a simple piece of cloth over their chest to keep them warm. Tattoos with a color only slightly darker than their tan skin adorned the person's arms, and their long hair was tied in some form of braid. "You're not from Gleamwood.", they quickly commented, to which the blond simply responded with a nod. "... Mhm, I'm not from Kulvi. Travelling trainer, headed to Gleamwood right now. And you are?"

Quick to cut to the chase as always, a move that this person appeared to appreciate. "A resident from Gleamwood. Responsible for picking up herbs and checking on the Pokemon of Turnaround Woods to make sure trainers aren't disturbing their peace. I was about to head home.", they offered an invitation to the blond, who glanced at his Rufflet and with a nod from one to the other, he took its Pokeball out and withdrew it, before putting both capsules in his hands to his belt. "Right. Lead away..?"

"It's Kai.", they responded with the same, neutral look on their face. They turned to look at the lake quietly, before giving Jet one final stare. "You're lucky my sister wasn't on duty today. She doesn't take kindly to fights around Mirror Lake. But you didn't start it here and it never got to the island either, so you're fine by me.", they finished off before turning around, and beginning the trek straight to Gleamwood Town.

Gary Sue · Feb 7, 2023

Kulvi Region - Route 4, North of Turnaround Woods

Although Chase was rarely one to make small talk, it felt a bit off, how silent this Kai person was. Maybe it only added to the uneasiness he felt, the fact that he couldn't quite tell anything about them. Their age, their gender, if they were a trainer or otherwise... They looked far too young to be an adult, yet spoke and acted too maturely to be a child, their voice really didn't clarify whether they were a boy or a girl, and he couldn't see any Pokeball belts on them, although they appeared to be quite familiar with the Pokemon all around and the forest, waving at some or even throwing an Oran Berry or two he'd picked up along the way their way, as a treat.

"... So, what's-", Jet tried to start up a short discussion in hopes of painting a clearer picture of Kai, although he was quickly surprised with a question being shot his way instead.

"You didn't happen to enter Turnaround Woods at night, did you?", they asked and silence. Looking over their shoulder, Jet simply shook his head and they nodded. "I figured. Most people get scared when they try taking the route at night because of a few Ghost Type Pokemon that mess with anyone who tries to make their way through. They're nocturnal typically."

"Scared..? What's the worst they could do either way, it's just Pokemon.", the blond grumbled and put both his hands in his pants' pockets, only to receive a confused look with a raised brow in response to his rather silly question.

"So I take it you're a new trainer, then. I'll let you ponder that over when you get caught by a group or more... 'devious' Ghost Types and they decide how funny it is to use Hypnosis and Dream Eater on you for a while. Not every Pokemon here is timid or harmless, like the ones you've met so far. The longer you travel, the more you see Pokemon that have been hurt. And they're scared. Scared enough to attack anyone they can't trust- especially strangers.", Kai took a moment with his explanation, letting out a melancholic sigh before looking back at Jet again. "... Do you have any Gym Badges, then? You came from Beachveil."

"... R-Right. I got two days ago, yeah. There was a... festival, too.", he muttered under his breath after a moment of consideration, shuffling a bit further away quietly.

"From Avonlea, I take it. You still haven't said your name."

"Jet Cressfield, from Unova.", he blurted out no smoother than how the entire back and forth had played out so far, and only received a nod of acknowledgment from Kai. "You know Avonlea too, then."

"Yeah, he's popular. Are you going to be taking Gleamwood's Gym on too?", that was the next logical question to ask, and despite Kai's curious gaze brushing over Jet, he remained silent for a moment.

Thoughts run through his head quietly, while he pondered- was there a reason Avonlea had softly pushed him towards Aqualake instead? Better yet, that Keith actively encouraged him to skip over Gleamwood. "They weren't thinking about my Pokemon when they said that, otherwise they'd let me keep going at it. So something's up with the town... Maybe some custom or tradition. I guess that won't stop me from trying, though. It's stupid to throw up that big a stink back then, and just cave in now. I'm getting that badge out of sheer conviction if I have to, god damnit.", he nodded to himself and then returned Kai's look with a determined one of his own. "Yeah. That's my next goal, and then I'm moving onto Aqualake."

"I see. I hope it's an interesting experience, your little adventure. We're almost at Gleamwood by now anyways. It's just a few minutes further down this path.", they gestured with their hand for the blond to keep following along, and keep at it he did. It was true- within ten or so minutes, the duo had moved from a path surrounded by trees to a clearer part of the forest. Although it was bright and neatly lit up by the morning sun, the foliage was still just enough to give the scenery a ♪ mystical ♪ atmosphere, almost.

Before them was a wooden staircase, with ornate railings leading up and up, until treehouses could be seen. From there on out, it was almost like the entire town was built on the top and around the trees grown from the shallow lake beneath them. Strong, thick logs kept the entire town up in the air, and mossy vines hung down the sides of the wooden buildings, the trees and even some of the railings.

Kulvi Region - Gleamwood Town

"This is Gleamwood, huh?", he found himself mumbling under his breath, although Kai saw- and heard- all. "Never heard anything about us before?", a laughter escaped their lips, starting to make their way up the stairs. Jet was right behind them the whole time, quietly watching at the Aipom's swinging from vine to vine, throwing berries back and forth at one another with their tails and squealing happily. Likewise, many other Pokemon were playing all around Gleamwood- Surskuits chasing one another down on the water's surface, Burmies seemingly chatting with Mothims flying around or Seedots and (probably older) Nuzleafs running all around the edge of the lake.

It was peaceful, although most people could appreciate that a lot better than the trainer could for sure. It was nice to be this happy and excited to go about your day, but when it's as mundane as sitting and dawdling all the time... "Ignorance is bliss. That's what happens when there's nothing better to do, though.", he sighed out and although Kai took notice, they didn't say anything on it. When they were up at what could only be described as 'the plaza' of Gleamwood, a round platform with paths that split up into all the different parts of the settlement, another person that looked almost the same as Kai.

"... They don't have tattoos on their hands though...", he noted quietly before realising what should have been obvious at first glance. Despite their face being almost a carbon copy of one another, this one's hair was also a fair bit shorter- too much so actually. And yet, they'd managed to tie a single, small braid and tuck it behind an ear. "Oh, Kaillie.", Kai spoke up and got a tired look from Cressfield. "So I take it that's your sister.", he noted, successfully grabbing the attention of both of them.

"You found him during your patrol in Turnaround, Kai? He wasn't bothering any of the Pokemon, was he?", the sister immediately made sure to get off on the wrong foot, treating him like a hinderance more than a guest. Although if it weren't for Jet, he would have actually been bothered. "Good to see she's as happy to see me as I am to see her.", he mentally fired right back at her and looked at the sibling with a raised brow, exchanging a quick look before Kai shook their head. "No, he was lost. He wants to challenge the Gym, so I brought him here."

And then, a glisten in Kaillie's eyes. "Mhm... Got it. My brother already introduced himself then, although not properly, I take it.", she crossed her arms and gave a dry cough, putting Kai on the spot. Although looking a bit bothered by his sister's demeanor, he sighed, took a deep breath and puffed his chest out somewhat, ready to start speaking before Jet's grumbling stomach reminded the blond just how empty it was. And with that, a reminder that he hadn't fed his Pokemon either, so they were probably plenty hungry themselves- Wimpod included. "... I will later, let's show him where the Pokemon Center is for the time being."

She had been exuding an aura of bossiness and little else, but she finally seemed to let up as she just nodded and turned her head the same way Kai was looking. "Aye. I'll be waiting there then. When you're done, you should come over too, Kai.", she instructed him and turned the exact opposite way, not even waving Jet goodbye. "I'm not sure I'll be bitter, happy or anything in between if she turns out to be the Gym Leader for Gleamwood. Still... I wonder what food the Pokemon Center's got here. Or how the lodging is, come think of it...", he silently followed Kai, until the two eventually stopped outside what he would have mistaken for a hotel, were the boy not here to guide him.

"Tall, square and wider than the rest... I'm surprised the treehouse structure can even support this, unless it doesn't have too much inside and all.", he was quick to start slapping labels on the odd Center, looking to Kai who simply gestured him to enter the building. "Door opens inwards. Push to enter, pull to exit. Have a meal and take a look around the town, I have to go check on Kaillie.", he huffed, earning a nod in response from the red-eyed trainer. "It's kind of funny. The long-haired one's the guy, the short-haired one's the girl. Is it on purpose, playing into the whole twins thing?"

The mere idea Jet was proposing sounded absurd to Kai, although he couldn't help but smile at the concept. "... No, not really. I just like my braid much more than she does. Gleamwood tradition. She's always been a 'rebel' in some aspects. In some others... not so much.", he tried to put it calmly, although Jet quickly offered to help break the 'gentle' visage he was putting on. "You can just say she likes being an ass y'know. I'm no saint either, I can tell.", the blond sounded unnaturally friendly for a moment, earning a chuckle out of Kai before the boy shifted back to his almost expressionless look again. "What about you?"

A straightforward question that only got a nearly melancholic look out of Kai. "... There's no point in riling others up like that for no reason. Tires me and tires them.", he responded, and the awkward silence from before took over again. Jet simply nodded in acknowledgment, and off Kai went for the time being- hopefully, they'd be seeing one another again soon enough. "I'll go before Kaillie gets bothered. Enjoy the meal.", and so, he sprinted off back to the plaza and with a turn there, he was gone and out of sight.

There wasn't too much left to do, but to go ahead and eat to his heart's content now, was there? And so, Jet turned back around to look at the doors for the Pokemon Center, quietly pushing them open and looking around, only to spot Nurse Joy behind the reception desk. From there on out, he made sure to patch up his Pokemon's any wounds and checked what was available for lounging and lunch. It hadn't been more than a few minutes before Jet was ♪ seated ♪ at a bench by a table, with all four of his Pokemon out and by his side and a little bowl for each. Some berries he'd found and greens that Gleamwood had up on the menu for them, and a salad alongside a nice club sandwich for him.

"Come think of it, the prices were a lot more reasonable than an AirBnB every time I go to a new town... At this rate, the budget I've got is enough to sustain an entire year of travelling like this, assuming there's no emergencies and all. Huh.", Jet's mind wandered to the advice Avonlea had given him on taking advantage of the Pokemon Center's lounging, and frankly, he was pleasantly surprised by how much cheaper everything was. "Maybe AirBnBs are just hiked up for suckers that don't know about Centers. I do now though.", he nodded to himself and grinned, looking to the side at his Pokemon.

Although Pawniard and Minior appeared to be eating quietly just fine, Rufflet had left its bowl half-finished and scooted over to Wimpod, looking at intently, as if trying to warn the Bug-Type that whatever it did- Rufflet was watching. The Wimpod returned an equally competitive glare right back, slowly getting food under its mouth and taking it right in with one bite. The blond simply sighed, giving a dry cough that got both's attention. "If you two don't eat it all, I'm giving it to Pawniard and Minior.", he attempted to break the in-fighting, and succeeded... to an extent. Although now Rufflet went back to eating, it continued exchanging glances with Wimpod like the two were a divorced couple.

"... Wimpod did kind of steal most of these berries, actually... Little bastard. No wonder Rufflet doesn't like it.", Jet raised a hand to hold the side of his head, glancing at everyone on the table. The Minior and Pawniard were almost like little soldiers in comparison to the two newer additions to the team, eating with good manners and in complete silence. They did occasionally look around, although they never did anything to garner more attention than the Bug and Flying Type that were almost begging for a rematch. Some more tension-filled moments passed, everyone finished their food and after getting their trainer's approval, Pawniard was seemingly chatting with Wimpod while Minior did its best to take the eaglet's attention.

It felt rather bizarre to have them all out like that, and to be fair he was worried about how much of a ruckus they would cause any minute now... But he remained silent, observing the group's little bonding time. At least he did for a minute or two, before deciding it'd be a good idea to get some information from Nurse Joy too. "I'll be right back, so don't cause any trouble. If you do, into the Pokeball right away, all four.", he warned the group and they all seemed in agreement- "Good."

The discussion with Nurse Joy was short. He got the information he needed; what general stores Gleamwood had to offer, where the Gym was and if there was anything of interest around, be it Pokemon or berries. When he returned, he was actually pleasantly surprised by how quietly his Pokemon seemed to be hanging around one another. The rivalry tension between Wimpod and Rufflet hadn't completely dissipated, but it didn't feel like they were going to slap one another the first chance they get anymore. "Let's talk with the Gym Leader and see what Pokemon they've got. Then tomorrow, we take them on.", Jet's no-nonsense strategy was laid out for the group, and although all of them agreed, it looked like Pawniard and Minior were the only excited ones. Probably something to do with how they were used to the blond's breakneck pace.

Navigating the treehouse-town was a bit rough, considering everything almost looked the same, and no matter where he was, past the railing was a long fall into the shallow lake below, a bad idea probably. "It doesn't really have any landmarks, so trying to get to the Gym is a bit confusing, but...", he grumbled as he looped around what was probably the same 'block' for the third time, seeing one of the local vendors out of their store and trying to place down some sign. "... Hello.", the trainer approached despite not wanting to, realising he was at the mercy of the less directionally challenged. He typically wasn't bad at finding his way around places, but Turnaround Woods had really knocked him off balance.

"Ah? Can I help you?", the old man turned around after a moment's wait, with a gentle smile on his face as he glazed over Jet from top to bottom with his eyes.

"I was wondering where the Gym is... if you wouldn't mind.", a rather sheepish reply as he put on that fake smile, filled with more embarrassment than anything else. And it only got worse after hearing the elder laugh in response.

"I had a feeling I saw someone walk through here a few times now, bwahahah... Take a right at the end of the street, then another right and then a left at the second 'alley'. You should be back at the plaza, and then just head straight towards that tall building and you're there, sonny. Not interested in any herbal medicine for your Pokemon, are you?", he provided Jet with all the information he needed, right before shooting a marketing pitch his way.

"A-Ah, thank you. Er... I-I don't think I do, thank you for the offer though.", a hand rubbed the back of his neck while he turned the offer down, letting out an awkward laugh and taking a step back to disengage.

"Do tell... You carry Potions and the like around, don't you? If you're travelling from town to town for the Gym Challenge, you should be able to take care of your Pokemon without stopping at a Center every time... Not even the gods know what could happen out there.", the man pressed, although not to be nosy but out of what sounded like... concern. Bothersome. Jet's expression gave him all the answers he needed though- the trainer quickly averted his gaze and shrugged, putting both hands in his pockets with a frown on his face. "I see... Make sure to use these with care then. And don't be shy with your money if it's for your Pokemon. I've been there before, bwahahahah!"

When Jet turned to look back at the elder to nod in acknowledgment, he was surprised to see five pouches with a neat knot at the top held out to him. "H-Huh? For free..?", he asked in disbelief as he accepted the gift, looking down at them with furrowed brows before he stared at the man again. "No, not for free. For the promise you'll take care of them. It's some home-made medicine passed down from generations here in Gleamwood. When any of your Pokemon are in a pinch... make sure to use it. They help us do all we manage to do... so take care of them with your everything, you hear?"

These were words deeper than Jet wanted to hear right now. More of Keith's and Avonlea's 'family' talk... "... Thank you. I will do my best.", Jet tried to reassure the elder half-heartedly, and although he could tell, the old man simply nodded and kept on smiling. "Off to the Gym you go then, boy! Go make your people proud."... what an accidental slap in the face. Perhaps it was because Jet just wanted to get going, or he didn't want that tear that was welling up on the corner of his eyes show, but he nodded, waved at the old man and quickly began on his merry way. "What the hell is up with Gleamwood... Stupid...", he interrupted his own thoughts with a troubled exhale as he wiped his eye, grunting and following the instructions.

Given a minute or two, he was right in front of the Gym. He tried to shake off the emotional shenanigans that were trying their best to weigh him down, and walked up to the Gym's door. It was a tall, imposing building that was just wide enough to make him question its interior. "This could also be a tower, but... let's-", he was surprised with the sight of Kaillie and Kai right by the door, seemingly having been discussing about something before they turned to face the trainer. He couldn't even get a good look at the inside of the Gym, before the two exited and stood by the door with him. "Do I need to guess or..?", he tilted his head and crossed his arms, with a raised brow right at Kaillie.

"Can't chalk it up to a coincidence again now, can I?", Kaillie quickly responded with that same, sharp tone she had before, although she seemed a little more... suspicious of Jet, of all things. "It sounds like you've already connected the dots, so to confirm- I am the Gym Leader for Gleamwood Town.", she quickly said, and... Jet simply nodded, looking at Kai now. "The bossy attitude said as much the moment I saw you. So what exactly did Kai do again? You told him off for not 'properly introducing himself' before, didn't you?", Jet stuffed his hands in his pockets quietly, feeling his fingers growing cold. Something was off, although he couldn't put his finger on it yet. "It'd be best if you said it yourself, Kai."

Pushy as always, Kaillie grilled her brother and he let out a deep sigh, trying to puff his chest out like before once again, although he seemed less happy about it too. "... Something has happened and I don't like it one bit.", he narrowed his gaze at the Gym Leader before turning his attention back to the boy before him. "As you already know, I'm Kai. Formally known as the Gym Leader of Gleamwood's Gym.", the boy stood up straight, looking at the trainer with a more determined look on his face than before. A look that Jet returned with nothing but a moment's confusion. "You... Kaillie said she's the Gym Leader though..?"

"There's two of us. It looks like you really didn't ask anyone about Gleamwood Town, so let me explain.", she shook her head in disapproval and crossed her arms, tapping her foot on the ground as she looked to the Gym by her side. "As Avonlea probably told you by now, every Gym has a trial before you get to take it on. Some Gyms in Kulvi are considered 'unorthodox' because they deviate from the norm of a single Gym Leader. The one here in Gleamwood specifically, requires you to take it on 'twice'. Our Gym Badge is split into two- beating one of us nets you one half. If you fail to beat the other, you'll be asked to return the first half and retry at a later time."

"So it's two fights back to back against you two then, one at a time. I see. And the badge's halves?", he asked, quietly adjusting his position somewhat to give the Gym's exterior a quick glance as well. It was wooden, as were the rest, painted brown, with some of its more delicately carved details in gold and green lines connecting all around, like vines crawling around it. Right above the door, was carved what he could only assumed was the badge when it all came together. "We use some of our Pokemon's secretions to 'stick' together. They never come off either. Another technique passed down to us for clothing and grafting that we applied to this Gym when it was established."

The trivia was interesting, but Kaillie was nowhere near fascinated enough to let this keep dragging on. "Enough history lesson, are you interested in the trial Jet?", her foot tapping became more and more annoyed as Jet simply nodded, looking at the heavy wooden doors and gesturing towards them with his head. "Mhm... So why not take it inside and put me to the test?", he suggested and Kaillie only grew more irritated by it, while her brother's gaze simply turned away. "The trial is to check if we do put 'you' to the test. And you're already doing poorly at it.", yet another harsh remark for no reason, and by now Jet was simply growing tired.

"I get that you're not a fan of me, but cut the attitude or I'll start the passive-aggressive game too. What do you want me to do?", his question got another groan as older Gym Leader pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, letting out a long exhale. Maybe it was time for Kai to step in, as he coughed to get Jet's attention and avoided eye contact, choosing to look at the man's shadow instead. "It's more... 'simple' and less hands-on. So... You have Pokemon, don't you?", a simple enough question that earned a nod out of the trainer. "... Yeah, I do. Four of them. Caught two fairly recently, wouldn't be taking the Challenge otherwise."

"Yeah, right. The other two, how long have you had them for?", thankfully the questions were basic enough that both Kaillie and Jet got some time to take a breather and relax, while the trainer continued playing into the trial. It felt like he was beating around the bush or very slowly getting somewhere, but only time would tell. For now, he just responded as best as he could remember. "I got my Pawniard from an egg a few years ago. I caught my Minior around... a year or so ago, while I was in Kalos. Does it matter?", his fingers felt colder and even somewhat numb, as a knot began to form in his throat.

"No, you've just had them for a while. So what's their names?", and there it was. That is what they were getting at. Jet however, hadn't quite yet realised the true weight of his next response. "Names..? I haven't given them a name, cause for example Pawniard seems to respond just fine to its... well, to Pawniard. Never thought about that, I gue-", he was quickly interrupted by a low growl from Kaillie, who glared him right in the eyes and said ♫ nothing more ♫ than "You've failed. You're not allowed to take the Gleamwood Gym on.", quietly turning and opening the door to the Gym in order to take her leave.

"What did you just say? No explanation, no nothing, you're just going to walk away like that, 'Gym Leader'?", the kneejerk response from Kaillie pushed Jet over the edge, and now Kai found himself in an awkward spot- it's happened a few times because of his sister, but he could help smoothen things out. "G-Go inside Kaillie, I can explain why-", Kai gave it his best to mediate the situation, only to get hissed at by his sister. "No, blond boy wants his explanation, let's give it to him straight. Your attitude is outright horrible. 'Test you' and not your entire team out, because without them you're the same, oh-so-capable trainer, aren't you?", her words were coated with venom, although Jet didn't seem to have a response this time, nothing to talk back with.

"Kaillie, calm down, there's no point if...-", another attempt at calming the situation down that ended in little more than Kaillie going at it. "Like hell I'm calming down! Don't pretend like Jet even remotely tries to pretend he cares for his Pokemon, you noticed it on your way home too and just stayed quiet about it, didn't you?", words that got Kai to go quiet, although Jet was... conflicted now. "That's not true, I-"

"You what, you care so much you don't even know if Pawniard is a he or a she. Hell, you've had the poor Pokemon for years and you haven't even bothered to give it a nickname? Is 'it' a tool then? No feelings, no nothing, just a toy to help you get to the top and accomplish your dream of being 'the champion' like every other kid out there? You need to wake the fuck up. Leave our Gym at your earliest convenience and please, don't think of coming back like this again."

She lashed out relentlessly, getting the trainer to realise how inconsiderate he looked and probably acted at times. Whether all she was saying was true or not, he couldn't tell in his current state. But any bravado in him had quickly faded just as quickly as she slammed the door behind her, leaving just Kai and the rejected challenger outside. "... I see.", he almost choked on his own words, breathing rather shakily and looking at Kai with a hurt glance. He was upset, and not just with her. "That idiot... Listen, she didn't mean all of what she said.", once again Kai was left to clean up after Kaillie's explosive mess, although Jet didn't seem any happier from his words. "... But you think it's true too. I get it, I'll piss off."

"I don't think it's out of malice.", Kai outright blurted, knowing fully well that the trainer wouldn't listen to reason no matter what he tried to do to convince him to stay. This alone got the blond's attention though, as he looked over his shoulder and stopped walking away. "She made it sound like you enjoy being 'a dick'. I can tell though... I don't think you have spent enough time with your Pokemon. You don't- urgh, 'know', yet. But I saw you back at Mirror Lake.", the boy sighed and finally raised his head to look at Jet in the eyes, giving him a somber smile. "Saw what?"

"You didn't withdraw Rufflet right away. You pet it and congratulated it, you two worked together. You just haven't spent enough time with them yet. Gleamwood is a town that was built because of Pokemon, and it's kept running alongside their help. It's considered insulting here to not depend on them the same way they depend on you- and you don't. But you will if you travel with them and get to know them better, Jet.", he explained, and although it looked as if he was talking to a brick wall with Jet not responding in any form, he knew the blond was hearing him loud and clear. "... Don't give up. Go to Aqualake, take one other Gym on and explore Kulvi... Come back here afterwards. She's an asshole at times, but... I know she'll notice."

The same silence that took over every time the two talked did so again, although it didn't feel awkward this time. Jet refused to turn and look at Kai, although he felt grateful for the words. The pity bothered him, although he would tolerate it for- "I'm not talking to a brick wall, Cressfield. Promise you'll try.", Kai's tone became a bit more assertive than before, although mostly to push Jet into acknowledging the request. And he did, turning his head just enough to reveal a small smile alongside the middle finger the blond was giving the Gym Leader. "I will, piss off."

It wasn't the most tasteful joke he could crack, but just the fact Jet had enough spirit left in him to agree was enough to make Kai laugh. So laugh he did, with a stupid grin on his face and a proud look in his eyes. "We'll be waiting. Take care.", he finally waved off at Jet as he began making his way back to the Pokemon Center, with more on his mind than he could figure out right now. Kaillie was probably the reason Keith didn't want him to go to Gleamwood, but... now he knew. And if there's no Gym here, it'd be better to move on to Aqualake for now. A long trip awaited, and maybe he could start working on himself and his Pokemon from now on, too.

Gary Sue · Mar 5, 2023

Coming to terms with how unwelcome he was in Gleamwood was no easy task, especially after hearing a scolding as harsh as Kaillie's was. She pulled no punches and made sure to give jet a reality check that was very much necessary. Maybe that's why Keith didn't want him to go there, and exactly why Avonlea made no efforts to stop him from doing so. Although he was conflicted internally, with how to treat his own Pokemon and how to even go about this trip anymore, he couldn't do much but take it in stride. When he slept, there was nothing but silence. The Pokemon Center's lodging was surprisingly comfortable, although it felt odd to be sleeping in a town that sooner or later, wouldn't be very friendly with him. "... I have some medicine for along the way, so I'll just... buy some supplies and get going. The weather's harsh from what I've heard, but I've prepared for it one way or another."

All preparations had been made to make sure his trip throughout the region would be possible, with as few distractions as possible. So when the morning came, he made sure to drop by the streets around town and in a store right next to the old man's, he bought some food and provisions, as well as a waterskin made out of a plant local to the forest around Gleamwood. Making sure his own thermos was full just in case, he was good enough to go. And so, he thanked the merchant, paid for the products and hit the road immediately. His Pokemon had all been healed up, although he hadn't seen them at all since yesterday. Whatever Kaillie said and did, it sure as hell scared the hell out of him.

"Keep going east of Gleamwood once you get down and eventually, you'll see the woods are thinning. Keep heading on over and you're on your way to Whitecoat. Make sure you're all geared up for it, there's a few stores in here with clothes that could help keep you warm and set to move out."

A very thoughtful offer from one of the locals that was just returning from a morning stroll, but Jet had no need. With a pair of gloves and scarf at the ready, he was ready to set out. "From what I can recall, Whitecoat's surrounded by snow. Shouldn't be long before I see it for myself.", the blond exhaled once he made his way down from the stairs leading up to the treehouse town, and with one final glance at it filled with naught but melancholy... He quietly said his goodbyes and began to head into Route 5.

Kulvi Region - Route 5

Even once he had been walking in a straight line following the dirt path out of the woods, something was a bit off. He wasn't one to get sentimental for places, given he'd travelled across three different regions with no trouble coming and going from any one of them, or any of their cities. And yet he felt like a part of him had stayed behind in Gleamwood. Just trying to think about the town neared on bringing him a headache, and it wasn't hard to tell what had happened to him. "Man... Fucking hell.", it was like he felt... alone. Especially for someone who valued solitude as greatly as he did, why did he feel the need to have someone else nearby?

It was ♪ unfair ♪. Looking around the path to try and distract himself, he only saw Pokemon playing with one another and reminding him of the friends they were running around with- they were collecting berries together, playing and rolling around in the grass and pouncing on one another playfully. The same friends he had essentially pushed away for longer than he could have imagined. With the clash of his wavering self image and being surrounded by groups of Pokemon observing him or minding their own business and frolicking by the side, it felt like snow was coming down on his own mindscape, everything slowly getting covered by it and feeling less and less welcome. "Nothing changed since yesterday, and yet... Tsk."

Maybe it was because the past hours of doing nothing but walking, he was too busy trying to sort things out in his mind, but he hadn't noticed the snow. Progressively, a very thin blanket of white spread out, thickening every so often. Walking was becoming a bit harder, but more importantly than anything else, the temperature was getting harsher and forcing Jet to get his gloves on, unless he wanted his fingers to start going numb. Even the critters around were getting fewer and fewer, with most Pokemon he saw by now consisting of shy Ground Types, like Diggletts that popped up from the snow just to hide back under it and tunnel off, probably to somewhere warmer.

Having a Fire Type Pokemon on his roster would probably help a lot with keeping things warm if the weather got progressively worse, although he doubted that he'd be making very good use of it even if so... And by the looks of things, he was not in much luck because the darker clouds were seemingly moving his way. "Ah shit.", he grumbled and looked around a bit, noticing that the trees were getting fewer and more naked, their branches covered in snow. There was a cliff to his left that made a small alcove of sorts, one he could probably use for shelter if things got bad and he couldn't keep moving forwards after a while. For now though, it was still fairly early in the day, still only barely noon. "I'll keep going and see how things pan out. If there's safe spots back here, there's gotta be more further up ahead to. Cliff seems to go on for a while anyways..."

And so he kept moving. Walking forwards through the snow, although it was so thick that his pace was slowing down by the minute. "Fuck, I should have packed thicker shoes too. Whatever, I'll make it.", no point in crying over spilled milk after all. While he walked though, he did notice something peculiar. A crystal blue eye looking right at him, barely visible through the snow. A puff of white, fluffy hair sat atop the fox-like frame, although the moment Jet's eyes moved on to its, it quickly hid in the snow and ran away. He wasn't able to tell much apart, but it looked like what he thought to be a Fire Type, ordinarily. "..? I thought that was-"

He was interrupted by a harsh, cold gust of wind blowing, flinching and raising his hands to protect his face. Checking all around him, he saw nothing nearby. Cries from atop the cliffside that had followed the blond could be heard, breaking up as though the Pokemon they came from were shivering. They only got louder and louder, and it felt like the the waves of frigid wind only became more common from there. Were they somehow causing this..? If so, trying to move ahead right now was pointless. He took one of his Pokeballs out and set Pawniard loose, watching it land on the snow before sinking right up to its head.

The Steel Type raised its head to look at him, seemingly not feeling much of the cold due to its thick armor. That, or maybe it was trying its best to not show it. In either case, Jet smiled for once and nodded at his companion. "Can you help me clear a path to the alcove over there? I'll set something up to rest, cause we might be here for a while.", he spoke and so the Pawniard did. Moving its hands back, the tips that resembled blades began to glow silver before it started to slash rhythmically at the snow, cutting a path for itself and its trainer through and through. There were the occasional branches Jet and his shorter friend almost tripped over, but before too long they had managed to make it all the way to the cliffside, where it went inwards like an entrance to a cave.

Little snow had made its way over, and with the help of Pawniard, it wasn't hard for Jet to help it shovel it back so they had some ground to walk on. It wasn't much, but it'd help with not getting cramped. Still, it was cold. Very cold, and the winds weren't letting up. If anything, they now carried snowflakes along with them, the clouds having gotten closer at a faster pace than what Jet was initially anticipating. "Looks like we don't have much of a choice... Worst case, we can throw some snow over it if it gets too strong and make a new one.", he grumbled despite sounding determined about starting up a campfire.

The blond placed his backpack down, heavy as it were, and laid it against the wall so he could set out to gather some firewood, although it'd be hard finding sticks that weren't wet by now. "Give me a hand, Pawniard. You're the only Pokemon that can probably hold things in my entire party, so... Let's be quick about this.", the two decided and just as they had taken shelter, they began to look nearby for dry branches although that quickly proved to be a tall order. They had no luck and it was now beginning to snow more and more, with little time now to keep looking. In a last ditch effort, Jet decided to pick up Pawniard and help it reach some of the branches with the least amount of snow on them, cutting them with the Pokemon's Metal Claw so they had something over nothing at all.

"Let's head back now, it's going to get rough."

Now both the trainer and his Pokemon were back where they started, setting down the branches that they had collected, although now they had another issue. Jet didn't want to light the fire, and no matter how much Pawniard tried to, it failed to get a flame going. For as dry as the branches they picked up were, they were still too wet to get a fire started. The temperature had dropped considerably, and things were not looking too good. Struggling to come up with ideas, Jet exchanged troubled glances with his partner before Rufflet jumped out of his Pokeball, shuddering and shivering itself. "Huh? You can feel the cold in there too, huh?", the boy noticed and that only made things worse. But that wasn't why the eaglet seemed to have come out.

Making his way over to Pawniard, the critter started chirping and exchanged a few words with the Dark Type. What was said though, the man had no idea. Nods from Pawniard, cries and gestures from Rufflet, who was fiddling with a piece of wood using his talons before he began pecking at the branches with his strong beak. "Hey, what do you think you're doing? You'll ruin the little firewood we have.", he grumbled and moved forwards somewhat, although the confident stare he got from the Rufflet made him hold back from stopping the Pokemon's attempt, whatever the two may have been trying to achieve.

It hadn't even been two minutes, and Jet was now staring down Pawniard, who was using its hand as a saw to cut out the inside of the log. Once he'd taken the rectangular, rough shape out of the log, the avian fellow held it down so that Metal Claw could cut it up into pieces. "What the hell..?", another exclamation of awe more than anything else as Jet watched, with a raised brow and an intrigued look. Once he saw some of the shavings on the base they'd tried to use as a campfire, he ♫ realised ♫ what they were doing. "..! They're trying to use wood shavings as a fire starter to get it going."

But wouldn't it burn out? That's when it clicked- Rufflet could use controlled gusts of wind to keep it burning, and that would do it! Whatever inspired them to proceed with this plan, Rufflet's time on Route 3 as a wild Pokemon seemed to have paid off. "He must have seen a lot of trainers travelling through Route 3, huh..? I didn't know that Rufflet could help. Maybe the other two can help somehow... It's not like they're any warmer in their Pokeballs either, so... Here goes.", a long exhale before Jet released the Wimpod and Minior from their Pokeballs, allowing the two to take a quick look around and understand the situation.

By the time everyone was all caught up, the shavings were ready, with many more by the side to throw into the fire if Rufflet's efforts weren't enough on their own. The only issue now, was that Jet hadn't been expecting the snow, he definitely didn't have a lighter and expected Minior would start a fire again, but... What now? "... Do you two have any ideas?", the trainer turned to the last two of his party, and quickly got a response from Wimpod. A response in the form of it climbing onto his lap, as he was seated down cross-legged, and curling up to keep itself warm. "That's not helping... but I'll allow it. You, Minior?"

Although the Meteor Pokemon itself didn't have many ideas, Pawniard suddenly perked up and cried out towards them, to get their attention. Minior hovered on by the Steel Type and the two seemed to be discussing something yet again, with Rufflet chiming in every now and then. Eventually, the Pokemon floated just above the campfire, and Pawniard seemed to shift its stance as if to attack. With a downward cut using yet another Metal Claw, sparks got sent flying off of Minior's shell and onto the shavings. And with a weak flame starting to burn, Rufflet got right down to making sure it was getting stronger, fanning with its wings until it grew to a size just right for the group to huddle around it.

Wimpod was much more comfortable in the man's lap, but it had to uncurl and watch. And just like Jet, it was in naught short of awe. "... You three...", a low murmur with nothing to add. He hadn't given a single order, and yet through instinct and putting their brains together, these three managed to pull everyone out of a rough situation. The fire didn't seem as scary with someone as reliable as this lot was, and... he felt comfortable getting closer to it to warm himself up too, for once. This. This felt nice.

A warm feeling was welling up in his chest, and he was smiling like an idiot before he knew it. So making his way closer to the fire, he sat next to his Pawniard, with Minior by his side, the Rufflet on his shoulder and the Wimpod on his lap. Jet grabbed his backpack and looked through it quickly, finding some of the snacks he picked up earlier that day for the group. Assuming the snowstorm would subside, he could afford to celebrate it this once. "It's not much, but... It's some berries I thought you'd like. Eat up.", he put a few berries on his hands and let everyone take two for a start, keeping the rest in the backpack's pouch as he took out a sandwich of his own. "... Hmph.", he stifled a laugh, although when his party turned to look he couldn't stop himself from laughing even more, even louder.

The loneliness he felt before was starting to waver, although he was too excited to notice right now. Although blind to it, this was why Kaillie refused him entry to the Gym. Even now, he couldn't understand why he felt so much better, surrounded by the Pokemon that looked out for themselves, as much they did for him. Until he found that out, there was no way he could properly pair up and shape up to be a proper challenger for the Kulvi League. The group feasted while the fire crackled before them, with Pawniard reaching its hands towards the flame once it was done. The rest of them? They were probably jealous, seeing as they didn't have any hands to stretch out themselves.

Crumbs of bread and greens in his freshly made sandwiches fell onto his lap as he ate, quickly getting scooped into the Wimpod's mouth to satisfy its need for an extra treat. The soft noise coming from the fire and its pleasant warmth were enough to make Jet reminisce on one of the colder winters from back when he was a kid. Huddled up alongside his family's Wigglytuff next to the fireplace, reading books on all the kinds of Pokemon he would find on his trip across Unova. Just looking outside, snow was dancing gracefully until it reached the ground, and their balcony was entirely covered in it. There was even a small snowman look-alike of a Pikachu he'd built, to which his father had added a pair of the kid's winter mittens and a beanie atop its head.

His expression had switched to a softer smile as he remembered flipping through the pages, reading all about the various species... "Roggenrola, Emolga, Riolu, Lillipups and Herdiers...", he repeated in his mind as he tried to recall the waterpaint-drawing for each of them. The Herdiers had their iconic illustration of the Flocessy Ranch, Roggenrolas had a more mystical cave with blue crystals all around, accompanying their larger and burlier Boldore brethren. The Emolga soared freely from tree to tree across routes, and Riolu's illustration was... he couldn't remember. The truth is, he did remember the Riolu Kid poster from the Brycen-Man series he'd taped over the illustration, seeing as he was obsessed with it back when he was a kid. He even remembered the exchange when his family found out, too.

"Hey... Did you put this here, Jet? Was the drawing not to your liking? The artist must have put a lot of effort into making it as pretty as the rest of these."

"They should have drawn the Riolu Kid's Riolu then! I want to catch a Riolu and be just like him when I go on my own adventure!"

"And what if a big bad Brycen-Man comes along then? What will you do?"

"I'll show him, he won't hurt anyone while I'm there! My Riolu will be the strongest!"

"We're so proud to have someone as strong as you are around, sweetie. Promise you'll always protect those that need help?"

"Of course, I must if I'm going to follow Team Justice's steps! I'll be the best there ever was, just watch!"

"Atcha boy, ladies always love a strong hero like that."

"Hush you, or he'll be following in your footsteps."

"Wiiigglytuff!"

"Don't mind them, they're a tough crowd to please. You go be the best hero you can, Jet. We'll be here for you at all times."

"Yeah, I'll even let you be my sidekicks. Together, we'll be unstoppable!"

His dad would often poke fun at the boy's enthusiasm whenever they sat down together, and sometimes they'd even try putting on the Brycen-Man films on the TV again and again just to please the boy. Hell, the most embarrassing part about this was remembering the way he copied the protagonist at the end of the movie, when they fight the main villain in the dock. Wigglytuff always helped act out the exchange and pretending to be the big bad, falling over so comically bad at the end every, single, time. Remembering all of this felt... bizarre. How long had it been since he last sat down to think about all this? All the good times they spent together when he was a kid, especially when they were cooped up every winter. Every winter until then, that is.

It felt very similar to what that did, being around his Pokemon the way he was right now. So he just took it in stride, smiling and letting them get as close to him as they liked. Maybe he was simply feeling generous today, or maybe he was beginning to understand. But for the time being, he didn't know and he didn't care all that much to find out either. He was simply living in the moment, relishing it and relaxing as best as he could alongside his very own party, his new family. They continued to rest alongside the campfire for a good while more, hours passing without the snowfall ever letting up. It was turning into more and more of a blizzard by the minute, and at some point hail even began to fall. Thankfully, the vicious hail pelting didn't last all that long.

Still, with the sun beginning to dawn and the snowstorm going strong, it didn't look like they were going anywhere anytime soon. Jet was silently looking out the alcove, observing the snowflakes one by one and letting himself unwind. That's when all of a sudden, he noticed the same peculiar eyes he'd seen before. The Pokemon that was looking at him howled instead of running this time, and although his party seemed ready to fight, the snow-white Vulpix entered the cave with a human following right behind it. Just slightly taller than Jet, the man pulled his coat's hood down and got into the cover with a wide grin on his face, crouching to pet the fox as he waved with his other hand.

"Looks like I finally caught up. You're making your way over to Whitecoat, right? It's dangerous to camp out during a blizzard, come with me."

"... Huh?", somewhat dumbfounded, Jet placed the sleeping Wimpod next to him and got up with a raised eyebrow. "And you are?"

"My name is Ethan. I'm a Pokemon Trainer like you, from Whitecoat City. I'll explain along the way, just pack up for now and let's get going. It's only going to get worse at night."

"... Right. My name is Jet. I'll need five and then you can lead the way."

Gary Sue · Sep 10, 2023

With all of his items packed up and the fire safely extinguished, Jet put away all of his Pokemon and followed behind the stranger that had somehow tracked him down. The matter of how was the main thing bothering the blond, and he was going to be getting to asking for details on it very soon. Before he could though, he couldn't help but get amazed at how easy it was to walk behind Ethan and his odd Vulpix. "You're a tourist, aren't you? Noone from around these parts would try to cross the road to Whitecoat as unprepared as you are-", a first sting to Jet's ego, "- or at this time of the year. It's way too cold and all the Snorunts gather up around this season.", and that's the second one.

"Mhm. What's up with your Vulpix anyways?", he looked at the small Pokemon silently, only now noticing the bubble-like layer that protected the group from the snow. To think that something as small as it could use such power to repel snow and keep them warm enough... It served as a good reminder that size doesn't mean anything when it comes to Pokemon, at least. "It's the same as Duosion back at home. It's tiny but it can move really heavy objects and even lift people with its psychic powers. I wonder if I can find anything that strong around these parts, too. Still... why is it white..? Vulpix are red and their tails are...", examining it for a moment he found himself at a loss for words. Different? They look more 'segmented' for lack of a better word than anything else.

"Ah? Algid is from Alola. Some Pokemon are different there, mostly ones from Kanto though. They say that after migrating, some of the oldest species of Pokemon we know of had to adapt to the new environment, and the new habitat was just what they needed for some drastic changes in their biology to take place. I've heard Vulpixes are normally Fire Types, right? Algid's species is Ice Type instead.", he shared with much excitement, sounding like he'd managed to do some research on a phenomenon Jet had no clue about. "... I'd heard about migrations before, but... An Ice Type Vulpix, huh? It's a polar opposite.", scratching his chin, he simply offered a curt smile and bowed his head to thank Ethan for the information.

"Route 5 isn't this snowy usually. It should be as hot as the other routes by default, but the various Pokemon here don't help keep temperatures high. Just seeing groups of them is enough of a snow warning on itself, and now that they've all migrated from all over Kulvi to here, it's impossible to not catch the forest in this state. This season when the Glalie's come down from the mountains, the blizzards really pick up though, so-."

"And you found me how again?", he interrupted the chatterbox with some curiosity to his voice, finding the sudden appearance of the young trainer rather unsettling. It's not like he was going to get kidnapped or anything, but... he was naturally suspicious of others, so he wanted to hear the story at the very least. "Heh, I was taking a trip earlier today and Algid decided to run away. She must have seen you, cause when the snowstorm got bad she got all riled up and led me to you. Probably got worried."

That... didn't sound right to him, for whatever reason. From what he could remember when he first spotted it frolicking in the snow, he didn't have any Pokemon out yet, so he was just an ordinary person walking around the woods. "... It really just saw me and remembered later..? That's...", he huffed and shook his head quietly, unsure what to make of it. Clearly it was good and had let to him being saved, but digesting it would take a while longer. Because Ethan seemed knowledgeable though, he wanted to show some gratitude and once he had stuffed both his hands in his pockets, he nodded quietly and looked down at his partner. "... Th-Thank you, Algid. I uh... appreciate it."

Despite how rigid his attempt at thanking his savior was, she turned around to look behind, let out a happy cry as if telling him it was no bother, and then she just went back to leading the way while her Aurora Veil kept going strong. "Man...", he grumbled lowly to himself and shook his head- a gesture noticed by the other trainer, who didn't comment on it to not put Jet on the spot any more. Silently moving together through the small path in the snow that the foxy Pokemon was forming behind it, the two continued to walk while the sun moved further and further out of sight.

When it was almost entirely gone, Jet made sure to grab the lantern from his backpack so they'd still have enough light to see. "Hey, nice one. I thought I'd have to use the flashlight all the way to Whitecoat. Got anywhere to stay there?", the man asked as he took the lantern from the his hands, holding it as he was further ahead than the red-eyed traveler. "Not really. I'll grab a room by the Pokemon Center.", he replied as he looked down at the belt with all of his Pokeballs, wondering how if there was anything or anyone interesting around town he could train his party with.

"That's a good plan, the lodging's pretty warm, so you can rest there while you're in Whitecoat. Don't know when the blizzard will end, but it'll probably be a few days before you're good to move out again.", he said ever so casually, not seeing the dumbfounded expression on Jet's face. "Wait, the fuck?", the young man seemed almost offended, although he was more taken aback by the statement than anything else. "Uh... Everything good?"

"A few days? You're saying the blizzard is on Route 6 too?"

"Well, it is the base of the mountain the Glalie's nest in, so... Isn't it natural the ones that protect the nest will be wreaking havoc over there too? It's the season thing I mentioned, remember?", ruffling his indigo hair some he explained, trying not to agitate Jet any further.

"Yeah, yeah, I do, but... Man, fuck.", he kicked some of the snow in frustration, furrowing his brows and earning a small chuckle from Ethan.

"I'd offer to help you set out, but Route 6 is too long to use Algid's Aurora Veil throughout it, so we'll both have to stay seated. I was planning on starting my own trip around the region today, so you got lucky, you know. Just take it slow, it's not like the Gyms are going anywhere in the meantime.", he tried to keep a positive outlook on things, letting out a hearty laughter which truthfully, was enough for Jet to go from annoyed to mildly miffed. "Tch, I guess you're right. Is there anything worthy of note over there, or?"

If the snowstorm wasn't raging as it were, they'd be able to see the lights glowing all the way from their destination, as it would slowly creep into view. "Plenty of interesting things, but if I told you already there'd be nothing to keep you busy until you leave. Once I'm home, dad should have prepared dinner. You can join us if you want, get you accommodated to the city a bit more. Ask any questions you might have while you're there too?", he even stretched an offer to help ease Jet's mood a little, although he was more distant than the man might have initially figured. "I... It's probably a good idea for me to go straight to the lodge. Maybe next time."

Unlike the blond, Ethan could actually seemed capable of reading the room as he decided to back off and let the man calm down for the next half hour they had until they arrived to shelter. "Of course, next time sounds good. Gotta make sure you get a room for the night first before anything else, didn't think about that, hehe."

Kulvi Region - Whitecoat City

The city that the two finally arrived to, was hard to describe. Built like a village straight out of the medieval times, it had a tall wall of wood built all around it, the gates lit up by lanterns barely left aflame by the unrelenting blizzard. Despite it never letting down, Algid's Aurora Veil kept the group safe up until they entered Whitecoat's surprisingly soft and safe embrace. People were going around their days as though nothing was wrong and this was but a drizzle, a sentiment Jet most definitely disagreed with. Pokemon were running left and right followed by kids in what looked like a game of tag, stalls were set up with clothes, a shockingly wide variety of berries and snacks alike, and even survival gear that he could definitely appreciate on his way out.

"Welcome to Whitecoat.", the man simply looked over his shoulder and chuckled, pointing at a wooden inn further up ahead that had a circular top, almost built to look like a Pokeball. Maybe that's why it was so much easier for things to click when Ethan explained that this building, was in fact the Pokemon Center and lodge for most travelers. Putting aside the few that were already present in the town, no new ones came the same day Jet had, so it was fairly barren. "Like it or not, I guess I'm stuck on an icy vacation here."

"If you ever change your mind and decide to pay my father and I a visit, our house is right... there.", the trainer playfully drew his words out until his finger landed on a store not too far from the Pokemon Center. "If he's not on duty at the time, just knock on the door. If you tell him I brought you here, he'll understand who you are.", his instructions were plain and simple, though they were just as unnecessary in the blond's mind. "Yeah, thanks.", he sighed out tiredly, and that was all his rescue team needed to get the memo.

"I'll leave you to it then! Go take your time and we'll see each other sooner or later. Rest well, Jet.", his bubbly attitude began to taper off some at the end as Jet merely waved in response, making his way to the lodge first things first. He completely missed the other youngster's let down sigh, though he was getting farther out of sight by the minute until they'd fully split up. One entered his father's store and residence, and the other was in the lodge and on his way to the counter to talk with the ever-familiar Nurse Joy. Walking up the stairs from the store and standing in front of his house's door, Ethan took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the door, letting his furry friend in before locking again.

The buzz of the TV was as present in his house, as it was in the center. Hell, Jet was having some trouble actually arranging the details of his stay due to the constant talking of the reporter. Though he wasn't paying much attention to whatever intense reportage was taking place, Ethan couldn't help but silently stare at the TV alongside his father as shots of distraught men and women alike were shown, crying and trying to comfort one another all the while the anchor shed light on whatever had been happening. "In an unfortunate turn of events, another dozen Pokemon have gone missing today, after what many consider to have been an orchestrated attack on the people in the Aqualake Port. We have some footage of the attack due to some of the eyewitnesses recording with their phones, however no offenders could be recognized as of yet."

Even with the footage shown, which managed to get Jet's attention for a moment, not much could be made out. Everything seemed normal with whomever was filming taking in their surroundings, before a series of flashes caused by what looked like an Electrode began. In between the camera's brightness adjusting to the flashing light, glimpses of a group of three or so assailants could be seen, snatching Pokemon or Pokeballs from various people's belts. And as soon as the flashes were over, some smokescreen had been put up to aid in the mystery group's escape. To say it was distressing for residents of a city as close to Aqualake as Whitecoat was, was underplaying the issue at hand. "... How many Pokemon have gone missing since last week?"

"This marks 'round fifty. To think these scumbags would pull this week after week...", Ethan's dad groaned as he turned off the TV, placing the control down on the table rather angrily. "Fifty... Fuck.", he cussed under his breath and looked down at Algid, picking her up and holding her tight in her hug. Though the Pokemon appeared oblivious to what happened, she knew her trainer was distressed and that was enough for her to nuzzle up against him and try to comfort him. "Nobody's getting to you ever. I... I hope they'll find them."

Both Nurse Joy and Jet were left gawking at the screen, though the newbie trainer much less so. He was rather cold about it, but the fact that this could 'just happen' was a bit unsettling. Before either of them got the chance to question what the local authorities were doing, they got their answer. "Although investigations have started ever since last week, the police and Gym Leader remain in complete disarray, seeing how little progress has been made. Has the prestigious trainer simply not understood the gravity of the situation, or is information being withheld from the public in an effort to close in on the true culprits?"

The almost cheesy nature of the reportage felt like it clashed with the severity of whatever had been going on, but it was just what the two needed to 'disconnect' from the incident and with a shiver, get back to Jet's lodging predicament. "I'm sorry for the wait, please give me a moment and I'll be handing you the keys to your room.", she instructed the man who was in the middle of taking his scarf off, stuffing it back into his bag as he offered her a nonchalant shrug. "Horrible, this situation. It irks me to even think people like that exist."

"I'm more surprised there's a TV here than anything, truthfully.", perhaps one of his first attempts at cracking a joke at noone's expense was ever made, but the timing couldn't have been any worse. He earned a side-eye from Nurse Joy, which he quickly tried to deflect by explaining his own experiences as a Unovan. "Team Plasma has desensitized me to this... stuff, sorry. And then Team Neo Plasma tried the same, but they're gone now. It's uh... It is horrible.", a dry cough followed his comment before earning a tired nod from the Nurse who held the keys for his room out to him. "Once you head upstairs, it's the first door to the right."

Once he received his keys, the sense of having messed up beyond repair left some with her speaking up again. "... I can't remember how many years it was since something like this last happened in Kulvi. Most criminals are scared of the Gym Leaders to 'act up' like they have been the past few days. We can only hope the police gets a good lead on them if it's gone this far.", she began to rub her arm up and down in discomfort while she spoke, getting a slightly concerned look even out of him. "... Years? So Kulvi isn't really 'like this' then."

"No, the last was some attempt at recreating Team Rocket like in other regions too, but aside from petty- if not immensely concerning- crimes, the group behind this effort was entirely unrelated to the actual criminal organization. It was a group of con artists that fled from region to region, and they took a more hands on approach to terrorising people here. With the help of some investigators' collaborative efforts though, they were caught in less than a month since their arrival, and they've been imprisoned ever since. I wish the same could be said about this bunch, but...", the tone in her voice spoke for itself, and that unsatisfying note to end off on was more than Jet's wannabe pep talk could mend.

"I see. It's like you said. We've got to wait and see.", he grumbled and placed a hand in his coat's pocket, earning a curt smile and nod from the nurse. "Indeed... I apologise for the direction this took. News aren't good for the heart at this time, haha... Enjoy your stay, and if you need anything do reach out.", she offered her help once more and now, Jet was at last free to catch some rest. Dusk had fallen after all and adding the moodiness of the clouds, the look of outside of the lodge just screamed 'time to sleep' to his every instinct. The settlement was dark as ever, with snow softly blanketing the outside streets and only the lanterns were able to provide some dim lighting to the paths leading from each gate, to the buildings and right back out to the other gate.

"... Think we'll get into any trouble in Aqualake?", the blond scoffed, mostly due to his bad track record of keeping himself out of every bad situation possible since he arrived. He had no business strolling around the port though, and neither did he deem his luck so poor as to fall a victim to these whatever-they-were. Still, he gave a quick, cautious glance down to his trainer belt as he took it off and set it by the nightstand next to his bed, alongside his phone. With four of the six slots taken up, his roster had really doubled since his arrival in so little time. It felt almost unreal. "Nah. We'll be fine. I'm too tired to worry for that right now, too."

As he took his coat off and slung it over a chair, he fixed his hoodie and turned off all the lights except for the nightlamp next to his bed. With a window so close by, it was hard not to find himself dozing off for a few minutes looking at the snow fall, a rare sight back in his home region. "... I wonder where I'd be if Ethan hadn't found me.", he whispered quietly to himself, pondering for a moment or two before his eyes slipped down to the belt on the furniture again. "Where we would be.", a brief sigh sounded as he corrected himself, before the nightlamp clicked and turned off at the press of its switch.

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The next morning...

So many people were shouting, cheering almost as he walked through a dark tunnel. Truth be told, his sense of direction was jumbled up. He remembered the trip to the League, all the badges he earned, his fearsome team of Pokemon stomping everything along the way... ah, the light was getting closer too. Could it be? Was he finally at his final few battles with the region's Elite Four? Soon as he stepped into the light and his vision was overwhelmed by the brightness, he put a hand over his eyes to protect them... and when he took it away, he was met with the wooden ceiling of his room. "Hmmgh..?"

A confused grumble followed his stretching and yawning, as he looked outside of the window. Icy, with snow still falling and the cheer of what sounded like children going on strong in his ears. When he finally mustered the strength to get up and rub his eyes, he looked outside of the window and towards the streets just to find overdressed kids chucking snowballs at one another. "... I'm still here, right.", a half bitter chuckle to himself as he moved a hand to scratch the back of his head, followed by a sigh and a glance at the nightstand his trainer belt was laid on. "The League, huh?"

From there on out, it was routinely preparations- a quick combing of his ruffled hair, changing clothes and setting aside some time in the next few days to clean up the ones he had been camping with, and heading downstairs to see what the lounge had to offer for food. Within an hour or so, he was ready to explore the town and make the most he could of the time he'd be forced to spend in there in the first place. The idea didn't enthuse him, but even if it did, the blizzard wouldn't cut him any more slack because of it.

Stepping outside, Jet's attention was instantly grabbed by the plethora of Pokemon that were running about the town blanketed in snow. Little white stubs bouncing around with ice atop their heads, small and round Spheals that rolled around right behind them and the same triangular rascals that were wreaking havoc in the Routes 5 and 6 alongside their evolved counterparts, though this time they were in sight and throwing little chunks of ice at the other two species. If he didn't know better he'd argue they were being terrorised, but... the trainers appeared to be laughing and so did the Pokemon.

He didn't tend to smile with occasions like these, but if he was here for a while... might as well enjoy it. Surprising, he was feeling almost scarily positive about today. So much so, that he didn't even understand how much time had passed when he ran into Ethan later in the evening. "Oh, Jet? What's up, getting accustomed to the city?", the trainer asked with a small wave as he stopped before the blond, offering a small smile.

Though Jet wasn't quite grinning, he clearly had a much more positive look on his face than the last the two had talked. "Something like that. I found something to keep me and my Pokemon busy for the next few days. Apparently there's some training 'circles' around town from what I heard. Got in contact with one of the folks running them and they invited me over during my stay."

"Ah right, you are that kind of person, aren't you?", the local joked, though that earned a small confused laugh and brow raise from the traveler if anything. And like nothing had happened, the conversation proceeded... "Tell you what. What have your Pokemon had today for food?"... even if it did go in an unexpected direction. "For food..? Uh, Pokemon... food? What does that even mean?"

"As much as you hate the idea of meeting new people, consider coming to my house tonight. I'll show you how to treat your Pokemon to a meal of your own instead of pre-made or canned foods. Less convenient, but it'll get you lot to bond easier and you can give them more healthy meals that way too."

Come to think of it, obvious as it may seem, there were a few Pokemon that had health problems from time to time, like the family's now old Wigglytuff, or that one neighbor's Torkoal way back when... Well, Ethan was right. Jet did, in fact, hate the idea of meeting new people but learning how to cook for his Pokemon was half the effort of handling his own without having to visit Pokemarts every so often with a rather expensive shopping list in hand, too. "Bah, alright. Just for today.", he begrudgingly accepted the offer, only to hear a "Don't push yourself now." sung to him sarcastically and respond with a small smile and a kind "Yeah, fuck you too.".

"You remember the store my dad owns, right? Knock on the door and I'll come open whenever you're there. Say in... about an hour from now or so.", the youth instructed and so, the other one nodded in response. As the two waved their goodbyes though and prepared to leave, Jet did notice something that made him slightly curious. "Where's your Vulpix?", he asked as he didn't see the Pokemon anywhere around.

"... Oh? Someone's feeling perceptive today."

"Hell's that meant to mean?"

"Just poking fun at you, easy. Algid's at home, I was out to grab something and then I'd be right back anyways. And today's unpleasantly warm for her, too."

"..? It's still snowing, isn't it?", he grunted and crossed his arms, giving him an instigative look before Ethan sighed.

"... Yeah, it is. The news just kinda shook me up. We don't have stuff like that here, but... you never know, right?"

It took him a moment before he realised the man was referring to yesterday's news report about Pokemon getting stolen in Aqualake. "... The news, huh? Nurse Joy said it's not the first time this happened now recently.", and to that sadly Ethan had to nod. "Yeah. A part of me was worried Algid might have found some runaway Pokemon yesterday. I'm happy to have found you too, but...", the boy said with an audible wince and earned a conflicted grumble from under Jet's breath.

"Someone's awfully humble about saving me.", he said with a slight frown on his face. Was it the fact he'd actually been saved that made him that grateful, or was it the clear distress in other's expression when he thought about losing Algid to a theft like the one that took place at the port last evening? "That was... unexpected.", whatever the reason, it seemed to have knocked Ethan out of his doom and gloom daze. "Yeah, don't get used to it now.", he laughed with his own joke and gestured with his head towards the store Ethan's house was atop of, smiling curtly. "I'll see you in a bit."

Thankfully, it appeared the tension had been successfully dismissed this time. Less room for Jet to feel awkward, and for Ethan to feel horrible about Kulvi's current situation. Still, to think that thugs like that weren't commonplace here, unlike Unova... it felt strange. What was Jet's 'ordinary kerfuffle' appeared to be a huge deal in this region instead. Those were the thoughts that went through his head as he returned back to the lodge and headed up to his room, sitting by his bed and taking his glasses off. A little rest was necessary, although he'd be lying if he didn't admit he was a bit unsettled by the Aqualake thefts himself.

With his spectacles on the nightstand and the trainer belt in his hand, he silently inspected his own Pokeballs as he went completely quiet. "... Taking better care of them and keeping them healthy.", he reiterated what Ethan's words boiled down to, squeezing the belt and the shrunk capsules in his hand as he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. "And keeping them safe, too."

SAVE THE GAME?

YES⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀NO

Gary Sue · Sep 12, 2023

SAVE FILE
Name: Jet Cressfield
Badges: 1
Pokedex: 4
Time: Evening
Party:

Pawniard (M),

Minior,

Rufflet (M),

Wimpod (M)

Once Jet had a moment's rest and some time to himself to think and unwind, he got up and headed straight to Ethan's house. Not that it was far at all, but it really did feel odd to knock on a closed store's door and still receive an answer. "Were the lights open for me..?", he wondered as an older looking man opened the door, looking up and down Jet with an instigative eye before he offered a smile to break the growing tension. "You're him then, hm. Go on in, up the stairs next to the counter. Ethan's getting the ingredients ready.", he was instructed and truly a bit dumbfounded. This friendliness and almost blind trust was something he wasn't used to, but... he just nodded and followed along.

Reaching the front of the door, he barely got a single knock on the door before Ethan had already opened it, fitted in some more comfortable pants and a plaid shirt. "... Hm.", a chuckle from the fellow trainer and so the blond was looking around the house now. It reminded him of his own a little bit, but before he could even picture Wigglytuff waddling around, Algid's entrance and yawn halted his train of thought. "There she is. Woke up from your nap, did you?", the indigo-haired trainer crouched and gave her a few pets before scratching softly under her neck, earning an idle, almost blank look from the blond before he turned his attention back to him.

And with a clap of his hands, it seemed it began! "Ahem, follow me to the kitchen.". Stepping inside would reveal more than a few ingredients laid out, all with a square... mold? And a few food bowls by the side, as expected. "Aha... Alchemy, is it now?", Jet's experiences with cooking so far had been rather poor, so to say he was enthused would be one hell of a lie. "Trust me, it's a lot simpler than you'd expect. How familiar are you with some of the more popular regions? You know Kanto for sure, right?"

The man began to scratch his head as he looked outside a window with a nice view of the main street- oh and look, the Pokemon Center too. "Tch, I know Kanto, Sinnoh, Johto, Hoenn... Unova, where I'm from, Alola... and there's Kalos, too."

"Bravo, I knew you were a walking encyclopedia the moment I saw you!", he said and applauded the traveler's efforts in memorising all of them.

"Yeah yeah, fuck you too. What about them?"

"It's safe to assume you know about some of the trends they popularised too then, like Pokesports in the form of the Pokeathlon, Poffins... And so on?"

"Not too much, but I have a general idea. So: what about them?"

"Sheesh, at least be more fun to teach.", Ethan grumbled and crossed his arms, reaching into his pocket and taking out what looked like a candy dispenser.

"... How do you assume we even fit food in that?"

"It's a Pokeblock dispenser, stupid.", the friendly jab got a glare out of the blond, but his interest was piqued too. "In Hoenn, a lot of trainers made Pokeblocks out of berries to help condition their Pokemon's fur sheen for better results and more glamorous Contests, but we're looking to actually feed them. I'll show you how to make Pokeblocks, then."

As nifty as that sounded though, he had a few questions raised in his mind already. "S-Sure, but... you understand the berry problem, right? If I take berries from the routes, then the wildlife is left without food. And nobody seems to grow berries on the regular either, so..."

"You're not listening- Pokeblocks out of berries only help with a Pokemon's fur sheen, not with actually feeding it. What do you think happens when you use food to make a Pokeblock?"

"... I guess you make a snack? It won't be feeding with how small they are."

"Okay, let's take it from the start. What are contest Pokeblocks made up of, do you remember?"

"Like... three or four berries, I think?"

"Mhm, and that usually makes one or two. So if you took a full meal and turned it into Pokeblocks..."

"Aha! Then you just get storage issues.", Jet quickly shot down Ethan's explanation, earning a tired sigh out of him.

"Alright, you got the point at least. There's some Pokeblock dispensers that are thicker so they fit more blocks, and lucky for you my aunt from Hoenn sends me some from time to time. So I'll just show you how to shape meals into proper Pokeblocks, and how to store them in the dispenser. Ain't nuclear science.", he finished his rather long-winded explanation and honestly... it sounded good. Jet was already doubting he'd be able to collect as many berries as he did in Turnaround Woods, so having an alternative 'snack' for his Pokemon would help. And from what he gathered, since each Pokeblock is only so large, he could just feed them two or three at a time without needing to set up a whole pot and cook for everyone every single time.

Seeing Ethan gather up ingredients, he quickly noted that they weren't Pokemon food but greens humans would most likely eat. Salads, colorful blends of saltier pastries- "W-Wait, that's not Pokemon food..?", it appeared the blond had misunderstood part of the explanation, though Ethan wasn't too shocked by it. "You don't bond better by feeding them more prepped pre-cooked food. Plus, Pokemon food costs more because it's for Pokemon specifically- keep it nice and simple. Though... you'll still have to feed them actual Pokemon food too. This is just something to keep them topped up along the way."

There were many nuances to being a trainer, and although Jet had looked into the occupation a fair bit, this was one of the many things that had eluded him from the start. Everybody had their own way of doing things, and this appeared to be Ethan's. It just fell in line with what Jet felt like he could do, and this was only confirmed further as he tentatively watched the entire preparation process for the Pokeblocks. Chopping the ingredients up into small pieces, grinding them some and adding some spices if necessary, putting it in the mold after sprinkling some powder inside of it, and then heating it up.

He didn't quite get how it worked, but... it worked alright. "Every Pokemon has its own preferences, so... if you see one of them disliking whatever you gave it- switch it up. Imagine if you hate lemons and kept getting fed lemons on the daily.", he chuckled as he continued preparing Pokeblocks, letting Jet try his hand at it too. And honestly, it was simpler than it seemed at first. "What about the rest of the Pokeblocks that don't fit in the dispenser?", the man asked and so he received. "You store them anywhere- if OCD is your deal though, this works too."

Ah? The case he was presented with was... well, aesthetically pleasing was one way to put it. It was a small, square food holder segmented into six different parts with smaller square slots in each of its parts. "..? One for each Pokemon's desired flavor?"

"Mhm. That way if you don't add coloring to the crust, you can still tell apart which Pokeblocks are for which Pokemon. I played it safe with the ingredients this time, so your party should be fine with all of them- but I'm sure some like spicier foods more, or sweet foods, and so on. Fill in with spices as you like. Oh, and the crust? It's from the powder we add to the mold and open side. Helps solidify the ground down food too."

No wonder Pokeblocks became such a hit in Hoenn, now that he got to see them first hand. "So what, we're feeling real gourmet today, judging by the amount we're making?", that last question got a hearty laugh out of the trainer who had just finished preparing the last Pokeblocks. "Nah- well, sorta actually. Some of them, we'll feed to our Pokemon. But I made them half 'n' half- I'll take half, you keep the others in that Pokeblock case. And I'll fetch you a dispenser too once we're done."

Finishing up the rest of the cooking went by smoothly and more pleasantly than he expected. After his last few attempts trying to cook anything that wasn't an instant meal, Jet was rather discouraged from trying to prepare anything that required a kitchen, but if things really were this simple, then he had nothing to worry about. Except one thing. "... S-Say, you're not planning on charging me for this stuff, are you..?"

Ethan's father had long now entered the house, and he could be heard having the time of his life in the living room just a bit further away, probably very much so at Jet's suspicions for his son. "You're lucky he ain't that kind of person, but good on you for remembering that only now.", another light jab though it didn't really feel personal. "Right, next time ask that before getting shown how to do so and so...", a mental note was taken and soon enough, the trainer was asked to release all of his Pokemon from their Pokeballs once the food had been sorted out into a variety of bowls.

Around then, Ethan's father came in and started to prepare the dishes for the trainers and himself to dine, too. Ethan and Jet emptied up the space by shuffling to the living room, where they laid out the bowls in a line next to the wall, and one after the other the Pokemon got right to chomping away. Although he expected it would certainly be to their liking, Jet hadn't anticipated just how excited they would be to dig right into their meals. Pawniard in particular seemed happy just to have food in front of it, as did Rufflet, but for Wimpod, something wasn't quite doing it. He took note of it and would hold onto it to see if he could do something about that later.

"So their names? You've got four already too, damn.". It's not the first time he was asked this question, and it definitely wouldn't be the last. "Don't have any. They're Pawniard, Minior, Rufflet and Wimpod, as you see them.", a plain response that got a quiet nod from Ethan. "A-Aha... Hmm... It might be a good idea to name them soon enough. Not just because people will judge you, but they'll... fight, better? I can't describe it. But they'll feel safer with you knowing you treat them as equals, too."

"...", he remained silent as he tried to collect his own thoughts. Truth be told, his mind was a bit of a mess. It's not that he didn't 'treat them as equals', but... he really didn't, did he? Differentiating between Pokemon and humans, their foods and even not naming them when everybody else around him did. Some even went as far as to play with their Pokemon and keep them around outside of their Pokeballs as he had noted on the few towns he'd visited, things that he did... admittedly, even now, find pointless. "Aye.", an equally plain response just to acknowledge his advice. Food for thought. And speaking of food-

"Food's been served, come and grab a bite while you can.", the father called out to the two and they let their Pokemon continue their feast, while they moved back to the dining table. From there on out, the rest of the evening went rather calmly. Ethan's dad was less overwhelming than he had expected, though Jet held some reluctance when it came to being perfectly honest or even adding to the conversation sometimes. Just like his son though, he didn't judge and showed curiosity, never ill will to the trainer.

He got asked about his impressions of Kulvi, the towns, the lodging that natives didn't tend to take advantage of unless they were travelling around the region themselves, and a few things about his home town in Unova too. It was a pleasant night overall, both for the Pokemon and the trainer, and the same could be said for the next few days he spent in town too. They went by fairly quickly- the next one he found some clothes washing service around town that used the help of Water Type Pokemon to get it done faster, and once that was done, he spent the majority of his time in the training circles.

The blond won some fights, lost some too, and got a much better feel for Rufflet's and Wimpod's ways of fighting. Unlike his Minior and Pawniard, they were a lot more self-reliant and independent, though they found some middle ground with their trainer after the first few times they failed to get anywhere because of their clashing styles. What surprised him most was that in Whitecoat, the 'trainer arenas' that people trained at were some of the few that didn't have any illegal fights, underground or out in the open.

Just like Ethan's father had mentioned, "Even though the crime rate in Kulvi is not high at all compared to other regions, there's always smaller scale crimes being committed even here. The biggest offenders would be underground fighting rings, though they never take it too far. Just the Pokemon being used in them aren't always... legally obtained."... or so. He wasn't exactly certain of just how the conversation rebound to less gloomy topics for his son after that, but he'd found a way to return the spirits back to normal and that was about all Jet heard from him on that topic. That did have him wondering, does Aqualake have a scene like that then..?

Having spent most of his time in trainer fights, that question lingered more and more on his mind as the nearby blizzards came to a halt, with him even spending a day more than was necessary in Whitecoat to keep honing his team's strengths and find ways to work around their weaknesses. "Is the scene in Aqualake so large that Pokemon get stolen in broad daylight to 'supply' the participants? Hell, maybe then it'd be too obvious. All over Kulvi..?", but no matter what detective work he tried to scrounge up in the back of his head, he wasn't solving any mysteries, especially from all the way over there.

. . .

As of the last morning of staying in the snowclad city came about, Jet had already gotten all of his items ready. His clothes, the Pokeblock dispenser he was given by Ethan alongside the Pokeblocks they had made together, some canned Pokemon food and everything else he would require too. Route 6 was larger after all, so it was safe to assume he'd be spending a few days on the road this time rather than just a one-day trip like the one from Gleamwood to Whitecoat. Having returned the keys to his room to Nurse Joy and thanked her for taking care of his Pokemon during his stay, he barely got to eat breakfast and arrive to the eastern exit before he heard a familiar voice calling out to him. "Hey, hold your horses!"

"What's up with the morning jog?", he gestured his head over to Ethan whose sprint towards him just ended, smiling some with a brow raised curiously.

"I came... hagh, jeez. I came to see you off, dumbass."

"You're getting real cozy calling me names, aren't you?"

"Arceus giveth, and Arceus taketh away. You gave me the right when you kept telling me to fuck off."

The looks they exchanged were rather blank, both remaining silent for a moment before they broke out into laughter. Jet always had trouble getting close to people, but maybe for once it felt like he had found someone he could be on the same wavelength with all the way. Whenever he pushed Ethan away, Ethan gave him space. And whenever he tried to push him away just out of habit, Ethan understood that and persisted, too. He was lucky to have even run into him back during the snowstorm, not just to get rescued, but... to know that he had someone around, even if it was just on a base level, truthfully.

"You're off to Aqualake, right? Straight this way, continue east. Snow grows less dense after a bit.", the man instructed and earned a few rather idle nods from the blond. He had already studied the map a little, so he didn't need to hear any of this advice. He was curious about something though. "No worries, I got this. How about you? Staying here?", after all, Ethan was another fellow trainer, so it would make sense for him to set out into his own adventure too, sooner or later.

"I thought so, but don't know. It's not like Kulvi's a big place, so I can return back to Whitecoat whenever I wanna.", he casually blurted and left the blond a bit surprised if anything. Surprised and unexpectedly excited. "Is that so..? Don't take too long yourself, then."

"Someone sure is feeling inviting.", a tease that was met with another flip of the proverbial Pidgey. "I'll catch you around Ethan. And thanks for dragging me here, that day.", Jet's thanking seemed to have caused something in Ethan to shudder as he made a motion with his hand for the four-eyes to get moving. "Every second you spend thanking me, Aqualake is getting further and further away. Get moving and- don't get into trouble."

A kind request, and Jet just reassured him with a grin and a wave of his hand as he turned around and exited Whitecoat. Now, he was back on track to finishing his Gym Challenge, and if only he knew what he'd come to find waiting for him on the next destination. Ethan on the other hand, stayed there to quietly watch the trainer leave, looking down at his own trainer belt which was still empty, bar Algid's Pokeball. It's not like he'd have trouble filling up his party, but that wasn't his main concern right now as much as the Aqualake situation was. "... Don't go getting dragged into messes like that, please.", he finally muttered under his breath and once Jet had gotten out of sight, he turned his back and began heading back to his father's store.

Story Pokemon: Kulvi

Gary Sue

The One who Vibes

Gary Sue

The One who Vibes

Gary Sue

The One who Vibes

Gary Sue

The One who Vibes

Gary Sue

The One who Vibes

Gary Sue

The One who Vibes

Gary Sue

The One who Vibes

Gary Sue

The One who Vibes

Gary Sue

The One who Vibes

Gary Sue

The One who Vibes

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