We spent the night in Route 2, all of us getting to know Ruff more. Percy helped make dinner, a weird little berry soup that I guess is what he likes to eat? Drink? I’ll never know nor care about the proper verb for consuming soup. Orla’s been practicing her writing on a handmade blackboard and pen after upsetting her. Now here we are at the silver gates of Striaton City.
The roads are paved, the air as luscious as the routes surrounding it. The atmosphere is just so elegant and classy, yet refined and simple. This is also where Doctor Fennel works, her main field of study is the Dreamyard up in the east outskirts. I made an appointment with her last night to meet her there.
The streets of Striaton are narrow and easy to navigate. I’m not too sure what Fennel will be able to tell me about Reshiram, but speaking to another professional in Unova would be good practice if nothing else. Over the phone she said she doesn’t know much about the legends of Unova other than the stories she was told as a child.
***
The yard itself is like an abandoned laboratory. There’s industrial remains and scaffolding keeping up the fragments of what was a once well esteemed establishment, evident by the completely busted statues. I’ve got a while until I need to meet the Doctor, I might as well explore a little, right?
I bring out Percy to help me navigate the area.
“Where do you think we should go first?”
“Pat- tra tra!” The curious fellow takes me through an exposed hole in the barbed wire fence. Everything has a mellow atmosphere, a mysterious pink haze covering the ruin of the building. There’s misplaced construction cones, shattered windows. If it weren’t for the Munna roaming the area you’d believe this place is dangerous. They welcome me and Percy as we make our way through the overgrown weeds engulfing the area.
“Percy, can you take us to another clearing? I want to set something up.” He guides me cautiously into what seemed to be an office, now an overwhelmingly beautiful breeding ground for some gorgeous pink flowers. A Munna brings me over to a stool.
“Thank you!” They bow and make their way. Interesting little creatures. I get my laptop out and start noting my observations thus far with the area. Percy tends to the flowers around us in the meantime. I didn’t know he could be so gentle considering how serious he’s been. Cute…
***
An hour passes and I’ve managed to bust out a thrilling twenty words about how the Dreamyard connects to Reshiram. It doesn’t. Fennel hasn’t arrived either, no call despite me sending her my coordinates. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d thought I was just a quack or something but I guess this was just my first time reaching out to a professional in the field, probably busy doing more important things. I shouldn’t have come-
“You’re so freaking useless! You know that?”
What the hell was that?
“I can’t believe I have such a pathetic thing like you as a Pokémon! You can’t even use Flamethrower!” Percy’s eyes perk up, glow, and follow the berating. I follow suit.
There’s a train of burned foliage, with Percy leading the way to a young man, cussing out a creature that’s been backed into the corner.
“Excuse me? What’s going on here?” The cocky runt of a boy turns around, revealing his face. He’s short, with auburn hair, and he’s crying. He wipes the frustrated tears from his dark eyes before he retorts.
“This Pansear! He’s useless, I tell you!” The Pansear in question is shaking, Percy tends to it.
“Okay, okay. Calm down, mate. What’s your name?”
“Kyle.”
“Okay Kyle, my name’s Alec. Want to talk about it?”
“No, I just want him gone!” This is going to go well.
“Come on, I’m pretty new around here and I don’t want my first impressions to be that bad. Tell me what’s up.” Nothing like helping a temperamental teenager not even a week into leaving Nuvema.
“Right, so. Pansear, right? A Fire type! A Fire type, yeah?”
“Got you.”
“Can’t use Flamethrower! Can’t evolve! Can’t do anything! We’ve lost against the Gym here like ten times because he’s so useless!”
“Right? What about your other Pokémon?”
“They won’t get on! He’s too shy! Too boring! He’s intimidated by my freaking Purrloin!” To be fair to him, Purrloin are a little creepy. “I’m done, I can’t do this anymore. I’m going, thanks for nothing you pathetic little-!”
Before I stop him, he takes the Poké Ball in his hand and throws it at the wreckage behind Pansear, running off.
I don’t know what to say. I’ve met irrational people before but I wonder what actually happened here to cause this.
“Percy, do us a favour and grab that Ball for me.” He does as I ask as I tend to the Pansear.
“So...your trainer left you, huh?” He sniffles, unable to speak.
“Was this the first time this happened?” He shakes his head.
“Are you okay?” He...shakes his head. Percy returns with the Ball: shattered. Pansear stares at it, unmoving.
“Pansear, let’s go. We’ve both had a bad day.” We leave the Dreamyard.
***
After dinner, the research team and I respite at Fennel’s lab. She’d explained that she was having trouble, unable to make our meeting, so everything was neatly resolved there: giving me an upgrade for my phone in the process.
“Again, I’m so, so, so sorry Alec!”
“It’s fine, it’s been a weird day for all of us.” She has not stopped apologising for the entire time. Bless.
“So, how’s Pansear?”
“Orla, Percy and Ruff are looking after him downstairs. I’m not sure what we’re going to do but we couldn’t just leave him there.” I sip on the rose tea she’d made for me. Sweet.
“Are you going to travel with him?”
“I’m not sure, I don’t think taking him away right now would be a good idea.” I furrow my brow, looking on at the dejected Pokémon.
“Have a little day off, stay here for the night! It’s the least I can do and I’m sure you’re tired of sleeping rough in the wilderness!”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course!”
***
“Are you sure there’s nothing we can do?” Damn, Alec. You sure do know how to find ‘em.
“Yeah, I’m fine, really. I’m just glad Kyle’s gone.” I give him my shell to play with, always good to help and give a distraction.
“Anythin’ I can do for ya? I can sit, roll over, sing a song?” Ruff, I hope you know you’re the angel of this team.
“Naw, it’s okay. Thank you though.” We need to help calm him down, he’s definitely still shaken up.
“Hey, guys. Let’s go back upstairs and ask Alec what’s going to happen!” The rest of the team joins me as I take them up.
***
“What’s up, Orla?” She points at Doctor Fennel’s Munna in the corner, who is sleeping. “You want to go to bed already? Sure thing.”
“I’ll take the Pokémon into the guest room!”
“Thanks, Doctor. Oh Brant, can I talk to you for a second?” All the Pokémon look at me, confusedly.
“What? That’s your name for now, buddy. Brant the Pansear.” For the first time all day: that Pansear smiles sweetly. The Doctor takes them into the guest room we’ve been given for the night, and Brant sits on my lap, nuzzling.
“You’re going to be okay. We’ll figure something out.”
“Pahn…” I tie a small red ribbon to it's wrist.
“This is called a Destiny Knot. I learned how to make one when I was a little kid, by someone who knew a lot about Pokémon. He said that if a Pokémon wears a Destiny Knot, they’ll find their fate very soon.” Brant looks up to me, waving his bracelet.
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