Summary:2B and Zoey finally reach Viridian City!
Chapter 13 – Arrival in Viridian
In a virtual repeat of the previous day, Zoey and 2B had both awoken early and chosen to make good use of that fact. With multiple pokémon that were still very new and neither of them in a particular rush, they had separated for another few hours once they'd exited the Reception Gate onto Route 22. The Route itself wasn't actually very long, with there only being perhaps two hours at normal walking speed between the Reception Gate at the outskirts of Viridian City.
It was, however, virtually completely empty of any trainers at this point in the season. Which made it an ideal location to continue their familiarization with their new team members. An advantage neither was willing to give up just to get to the city faster, given that neither had anything of particular note they wanted to do in Viridian anyway.
Despite the perfect location and opportunity, a solid three hours of training was really all they could expect to have with their newest team members. Pokemon had far more stamina than humans, but young pokémon new to the idea of training such as Ponyta, Teddiursa, and Chinchou would need time to acclimate to the rigors of training. Teddiursa, in particular, had been Zoey's own focus for the morning. Meanwhile 2B had taken the chance to begin actual training and development of simple tactics with Chinchou, instead of simple move familiarization.
By the time they had reunited at the main path, again right around ten in the morning, both were quite satisfied with their respective progress and ready to move on to the city at last. The two-hour walk would let their pokémon recover somewhat, and a visit to the pokémon center would have them fully back up to 100 percent. The time in their pokéballs would do for recovering depleted stamina, and the Pokécenter would easily deal with any actual wounds or muscle damage.
It was a combination that would let them either move on from the city quickly or, as they had tentatively discussed the day before, possibly spend a few hours battling with other Trainers at the Viridian Gym's Battle Courts. 2B, in particular, was looking to do that. Her previous battling experience amounted only to training fights with Daisy and encounters with wild pokémon. Getting some more experience with commanding her pokémon in battle was a must before the Pewter Gym. For the moment, however, as they walked onward toward the city, Zoey started up a new conversation.
"So, 2B, are you only interested in battling? Or are you planning to do Contests as well?"
Unsurprised the topic had come up, given what Zoey had told her about herself, 2B had already checked her possible response against the Common Sense Checklist. Which encouraged her to give more than a short answer, instead choosing to properly elaborate. This, she was fairly certain, was 'small talk' meant to build camaraderie!
"My primary interest is battling. However, the person who has helped me the most since arriving in Kanto was a Coordinator. She encouraged me to try at least one or two Contests, saying I had the needed flare for the unusual use of moves, and that I might discover I enjoyed the experience."
Zoey nodded, seeming happy with that answer.
"That's a good way to look at it, I think. I used to believe one should focus solely on one or the other. But I've long since realized that both Battlers and Coordinators have a lot to learn from one another. Even if you decide Contests aren't for you, you might well learn something from giving them a try. Besides, I can help you create a few routines with your pokémon, if you want."
2B smiled, nodding at the offer.
"I would appreciate that, I think. Despite Daisy claiming I would be good at it, I think I lack the correct sense of 'showmanship.' She seemed to think I would likely produce a good show entirely accidentally, which was very strange. Some guidance would be very much appreciated."
Zoey looked at her oddly for that comment, but 2B simply shrugged. She agreed that the comment was confusing, after all. The fact that Daisy's friend Mitsumi had firmly seconded the statement only made it more so. 2B thought her pokémon's combat style was quite efficient, not 'showy,' so she was very puzzled by their insistence. Perhaps Zoey would explain it, when she helped 2B make a routine?
The two continued on toward Viridian City, with Zoey carrying much of the conversation, but 2B happily answering any question and contributing what she could…
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"Ah, civilization again! I don't really mind traveling and camping, but I admit I miss having a Ride pokémon to shorten the travel time between cities. A pity that Johto and Kanto don't allow an extra team slot for Transport Pokemon like some regions do. I kept thinking about getting a bike at least, in Johto, but never quite got around to it. The folding models are expensive and the regular ones aren't terribly suited for many terrains."
2B nodded, having long considered it odd that transport pokémon and vehicles were both relatively niche in this world. Admittedly, only Trainers really moved between the various towns on a regular basis. But she'd have thought that the relative affluence of older Trainer populations would have created demand. She supposed the fact most serious Trainers kept at least one Flying or Teleport capable pokémon likely explained the lack at least somewhat. As did the fact that most or all of them would have developed the mentality of walking everywhere on their own Journeys.
"Do you know where the Pokécenter is, 2B? I'm afraid this is my first time in Kanto."
2B raised a finger and pointed to a street on their left, which angled toward the northern part of the sprawling city.
"I have never been here, but I made sure to memorize all the city layouts. Viridian has three major Pokécenters, with the largest being the in the north near the Gym. As there is also a Pokémart there and we don't have any serious injuries in need of rush treatment, I believe it would be our best option."
Zoey nodded happily.
"Excellent thinking! Lead on, 2B! Maybe we can find some lunch, too? I don't know about you, but I'd like something more than trail food before checking out the Battle Courts!"
2B nodded acknowledgement to that, then blushed as her stomach rumbled audibly. One of the downsides of her body both producing high amounts of aura and having superhumanly dense musculature, was an increased need for calories. She'd snacked on a protein bar after training, but her body had already burned through the calorie-dense bar on the walk to the city. Zoey, thankfully, only smirked playfully at the sound, rather than outright teasing her like Daisy did. 2B was fairly certain Daisy had been jealous, even if 2B herself considered it yet another of the small inconveniences being human created.
"I'll take that as agreement! Oh! Does Kanto have a specialty food? You know, like Hoenn's Lava Cookies, or Alola's Malasadas?!"
2B smiled at her companion's apparent enthusiasm. Despite being a small inconvenience, she did admit she rather liked food.
"Yes. Kanto makes something called Crunchies. Pewter is supposed to have the absolute best, as they originate from there. But almost every city and town in Kanto makes their own versions. We should be able to find a shop with them in the area around the Pokécenter and Gym, particularly as they make pokémon and human variants both."
Zoey pumped her fist and sped up, clearly just as eager to taste the deliciousness that was Crunchies as 2B was…
"Hmmm, actually we should stop for lunch first. I promised to call Daisy at the pokécenter when I arrived, and I don't know how long that will take."
Zoey nodded. Which pleased 2B. She was hungry!
"Good idea! I can call some friends too! Plus, I'm hungry! Let's goooo!"
2B's smile grew as Zoey grabbed her arm and pulled her into a jog…Crunchies awaited!
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It was the better part of an hour later when they finally checked into the Pokécenter. They had both passed over their pokémon to the staff and acquired keys for a pair of rooms to check into while they waited for the local Nurse Joy to do her thing. Thankfully, since Viridian was one of the strictest Gyms for badge requirements, the surge of new Trainers hadn't yet affected the town much. The Pokécenter was certainly fairly active, with a dozen or so Trainers having been lounging in the waiting area. Yet there were still rooms available, which said a lot about how comparatively busy they weren't yet, given that this was the closest Pokécenter to the Gym.
In another week or two, as the Division 1 contenders making a 2-year run started qualifying in larger numbers, Viridian would see its own Trainer Surge. For the moment, while there was an increase in traffic, it was still relatively tame. This, thankfully, extended to the public video phones as well. While 2B had a state-of-the-art pokégear, said piece of hardware was audio-only. She also could have set up one of her personal projects, a laptop that she'd upgraded to the best she could personally make so far, and used it for a video call in her room. Coming back down to use the pokécenter's equipment, however, had allowed her to pick up Chinchou so she could introduce him to Daisy.
Holding said pokémon on her lap as she sat in one of the available booths, 2B dialed Daisy's number. Hopefully, she wouldn't be interrupting anything. She shouldn't be, since Daisy had stated her intention to take a few days away from most of her ranch work to focus on the paperwork portion of her research papers. 2B's help for the last year had pushed her far enough along that Daisy believed she was ready to publish her first set of findings on aura. Something which 2B fully expected would see her friend acknowledged as a Pokémon Professor in her own right. Though Daisy herself had lamented, much to her grandfather's great amusement, that much of what she had discovered so far only generated more questions, even as it answered a few old ones.
Thankfully, 2B was proven to have acceptable timing when the call only rang twice before a slightly harried-looking Daisy Oak appeared on screen.
"2B! You're okay! I almost called you when you didn't contact me yesterday! I was worried something had gone wrong, if you hadn't even reached Viridian yet!"
Oh. Oops. This might require an addition to the Checklist. She was fairly certain she hadn't broken any existing rules on it, but Daisy was clearly distressed.
"Ah…I am actually here more quickly than expected. I diverted to Route 26 to catch my new friend."
2B held up Chinchou both in form of explanation and as a shield. Daisy was never anything but kind to new pokémon, so she was less likely to yell at 2B if she was distracted by Chinchou. Particularly given how adorable he was! Daisy blinked, stared, and absently greeted Chinchou, who tentatively touched the screen and said his name, expressing confusion though his aura. 2B latched onto that.
"Ah, Chinchou, this is a device that allows us to talk to someone far away. I'm afraid Daisy is much too far for you to feel her aura…which actually makes it obvious in retrospect that Trainer pokémon really do learn human languages eventually. You might want to make a note of that for your grandfather, Daisy."
Still clearly processing the chain of events, Daisy nodded at that, then shook her head and gave 2B a look. One that combined exasperation with the promise that the Checklist was likely going to get an update again. Oh dear. It was starting to get a bit on the longer side at this point, even for 2B's memory…
"2B, as happy as I am that you have found your first new companion. Would you please explain to me how you got to Route 26 without going through Viridian?"
Oh, that was all! 2B smiled happily.
"You taught me to swim! It turned out to be useful, after all. I simply headed across the inlet once I confirmed that it's technically part of Kanto and thus allowed during the circuit. Though I actually only had to swim roughly 43 percent of the way. A friendly Lapras was curious about my aura and gave us a ride the rest of the distance! It was quite a bit faster, so I had more time to find Chinchou on the first day."
Oddly, Daisy groaned and planted her face in her hands. She did that a lot around 2B. Well, 2B would give her a moment to recover. She always did eventually, and Professor Oak had reassured her that nothing was wrong with Daisy when she'd asked him about it. He'd seemed quite amused for some reason when she'd asked, come to think of it. Oh, look, she was recovering quickly this time! That deep breath always seemed to be a sign she'd centered herself again.
"Okay. That's…probably not the most insane thing you've ever done. And given your aura, it probably wasn't all that dangerous for you. Please remember that others would consider that trip nearly impossible without a Ride Pokemon or a boat."
2B nodded. That was obvious, after all. Though, thinking about it, she was going to have to consider that Zoey might not be able to do such things, now that the other girl was traveling with her. Oh, and she still had to tell Daisy about Zoey, that would be a good thing to mention, right?
"Oh, I also met someone on Route 26 who was heading to Kanto. I believe I have now acquired a traveling companion like you always talked about."
Daisy's gaze seemed to sharpen for just a moment, but her question was casual.
"Oh? Who is this person? How did you meet him or her?"
"Her name is Zoey! She's taking part in the Kanto Division 1 Circuit this year, though this is actually the third year of her own Journey. She followed the feeling of my aura to find me fishing for Chinchou, though I didn't know yet I'd catch him. Apparently, she knows Mr. Ketchum and thought it might be him doing it, since she was aware he was from the region."
Daisy's gaze turned distant, a finger coming up to her chin as she obviously thought.
"Zoey…ah. One of Dawn's Coordinator rivals, wasn't she? The redhead with a Glameow?"
2B nodded, then shook her head.
"A Purugly, actually. She mentioned he evolved in Johto last year. She was attempting to do both Gyms and Contests after Mr. Ketchum and someone named Nando showed her there was a lot to learn from battlers. It only partially worked, however, as she had too much to unlearn."
Daisy's gaze had refocused as 2B spoke and she nodded at that.
"Which is why she's doing a Division 1 run in Kanto. That makes sense. I remember both Ash and Dawn spoke well of her, even if that was a couple of years ago. Still, it seems like you have found a good traveling companion. Is she going to do any Contests in Kanto at all? I recall she was quite good when I watched the recordings of Ash's attempts with Contests."
2B shook her head, pleased that Daisy seemed to approve of her traveling companion acquisition! A step in the right direction!
"No, she wants to try focusing entirely on battling to help her learn. She did offer to help me create a few routines when I try Contests myself, though."
Daisy seemed pleased by that.
"Good! Though we'll see how well she handles your particular brand of insanity. Has she seen you battle, yet?"
2B frowned. Insanity? She was perfectly sane, she was pretty sure?
"Not yet. We are intending to visit the Viridian Battle Courts soon, then probably head toward Pewter tomorrow."
Daisy made a strange expression, something that seemed to mix amusement, anticipation, and a slight bit of worry.
"Well, do call and let me know how your battles go, even if just on your pokégear! And remember to forward regular scans of Chinchou to the lab. We don't see many of his species, so it will be valuable to see how one develops with a Trainer. Particularly an Aura Active Trainer!"
2B nodded. Not that Daisy had needed to remind her. Part of her continuing job as a research assistant would be to do just that. No one, even Daisy who was arguably the closest thing the world had to a scientific expert on aura just yet, had any idea what the long-term differences in a pokémon with an Aura Active Trainer would be. If any at all.
The data on how 2B's team developed would be invaluable for future research on Daisy's chosen subject. Vulpix and Jigglypuff were an excellent baseline, having been raised at the ranch and carefully monitored their wholes lives. But comparison with a few wild-caught pokémon would both widen and deepen the dataset. If Ash Ketchum actually remembered to scan his pokémon regularly, or kept more than Pikachu around for longer than a single season, they might already have more data.
Sadly, he didn't do either of those things. Nor was he truly Aura Active, despite having the absurd basic potential and inherent reserves. At least he hadn't been until 2B spent a little time teaching him how to properly use it when he'd visited his pokémon between circuits. Previously, he'd only managed a few inconsistent tricks, though one or two of them had been interesting.
After her reminder about the scans, Daisy asked for more details about 2B's Journey so far and how she'd come to meet Chinchou. She was, of course, quite interested in the idea of 2B's Aura Lure technique, and the two talked for nearly another twenty minutes before 2B spotted Zoey moving away from her own place at one of the videophone booths. Saying goodbye to Daisy, she scooped up Chinchou and went to join her human traveling companion…
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A/N 1: A quick note on distances, city sizes, and so on. I'm basing this sort of thing FAR more on what we see in the Anime, where cities are actually city sized, rather than just a handful of houses, a Pokemon Center/Mart and a Gym. Likewise, for between cities, where Ash and Co can wander for days between them, even when the aren't actually lost (which is a lot of the time...).
A/N 2: Crunchies. Pewter Crunchies (from one of the later games you can visit Kanto in, I think) are basically the only 'Regional' treat I could find for Kanto. Food was a thing that mostly got added in games that don't cover Kanto much. So I extended the idea that Crunchies are a regional thing like Puffins, Masladaes or so forth.