The sun was beating down warmly onto the gently-swaying trees and rippling water of Route 205 as Cassie passed by on her way to Pearson Farms, Growlithe tucked away in his Poke Ball to nap after his breakfast instead of walking at her side. There was a nice breeze blowing, and the chill of the early morning had finally started to go away to be replaced by pleasant spring weather. Being up and out on the route early had caused Cassie to make an unusual realization that she didn’t expect, too. The normal sounds of insects that she expected to hear in the early morning were almost entirely absent, replaced with the gentle cries of faraway Pokemon in the nearby woods. She hadn’t even considered the thought of insects being nearly nonexistent in the world thanks to Pokemon clearly being the superior species, likely predating them in such numbers that they were rare to find in most places.
Regular birds were hard enough to deal with, but against birds with super senses, near human-like intelligence, and magical powers? Simple insects stood next to no chance, she realized after considering it for a few minutes. If that was the case, did Bug-types just replace them for things like pollination? Given what she’d seen with the Combee and Cutiefly at the park, that was entirely likely. That thought led into another related one - what about other normal animals? She knew they apparently existed in the Pokemon world between game Pokedex entries and her brief forays into the local grocery stores in Eterna, but what about in the wild? She assumed that ones that were slaughtered for food were farmed much like in her own world, but how about other animals like snakes, alligators, or even larger predators like bears?
Yet another topic of interest to the pile, she thought with a wince. That list was rapidly growing, ever threatening to spiral wildly out of control the more she learned about the world she was now in. She adjusted the small travel bag she was using to store her meager trainer supplies as she turned the corner off of 205 again, humming lightly to herself and gazing off at the water’s edge down below. Maybe she’d try and grab a fishing rod at some point in the future and see about fishing up a nice Water-type, she mused.
The thoughts of her various potential research topics kept her occupied until she made it to the farm, finally seeing the fenceline of the pasture coming into view. The Mudbray she’d seen before was nowhere in sight this time around, but she could clearly see the form of what was now recognizable as a Ponyta alongside Damon, who was busily pouring feed into a long trough for the equine Fire-type. The horse snorted and gave a whinny as it noticed Cassie approaching, and Damon looked up to follow his Pokemon’s gaze before throwing up a wave in her direction. She politely waved back, starting to make her way along the fence towards where the man and Pokemon were standing.
“Good morning, Mr. Pearson!” she called cheerfully, walking over to stand nearby as he finished pouring his Pokemon’s food. The Ponyta didn’t waste any time digging into its breakfast, and Cassie could see the Mudbray approaching from afar to join in with a braying call that Ponyta lifted its head to answer.
“Morning to you too, Cassie,” he replied, brushing a bit of feed dust from his hands before wiping the rest off on his pants legs. “Made it here safe?”
“Yes sir,” she nodded. “Didn’t see any wild Pokemon on the way here.”
“Most of them don’t mess with people out on the route unless they’re spoilin’ for a fight,” he remarked. “Enough trainers come by to keep most of ‘em satisfied.” He motioned for Cassie to follow him as he headed towards the nearby gate. “Ever picked berries before?”
She shook her head. “Nothing like this, no.” He nodded in response, seemingly having expected the answer as he stepped through the gate and started leading her over to the barn. A couple plastic buckets were stacked neatly there, and he handed two off to Cassie before taking two of his own.
“Nothing much to it, really. Just try to be a little careful placing them into the buckets. People’ll pay a little more for nice-looking ones at the market, even if it doesn’t really mess with how they taste.”
“Got it,” she acknowledged, feeling the Poke Ball in her pocket suddenly wiggle around. Growlithe must’ve woken up, she realized, and she quickly looped her arm through one of the buckets she was carrying before fishing the ball out of her pocket and pressing the button. Growlithe materialized in a quick flash of red light, stretching and shaking himself as he looked around.
“If those Pidgey show up,” Damon said, “I’ll be counting on you and Growlithe there to drive ‘em off. Just be careful with the fire around the fields, alright?”
“We will,” Cassie promised, seconded by a bark of agreement from Growlithe. “Do they show up every morning?”
“They’ve been showing up every mornin’ for a few days now, and usually again in the evening,” the farmer explained, setting down one of the buckets before taking the other with him into one of the rows of bushes. “Only seen the big one a few times, though. He doesn’t always come with the rest.”
A brief blur of motion caught her attention near the treeline, letting her catch a glimpse of what looked like a Stantler bounding back into the woods. “Do you have any idea what might’ve caused them to start messing with the fields in the first place?”
“Not a clue,” he admitted with a shrug. “Most of the Pokemon around here stay out of the fields, or at least only mess with a couple of bushes. If they eat the berries off a few bushes here and there, that’s not a big deal, but these birds are strippin’ them like they’re hoardin’ food for the winter and tearing up the sprouts to boot. At this rate, they’re gonna ruin my fields, and then neither one of us gets anything.”
A bark caught Cassie’s attention from behind her, one that wasn’t Growlithe, and she turned to see an elderly canine Pokemon lazily trotting up towards the three of them. Its brown and dark blue fur was clearly starting to gray, streaks of silver standing out against the darker colors, and one drooping ear looked like it had a small piece missing at the tip that could’ve been from an old bite wound. The old Herdier woofed again at its master, jogging over to swat a paw at his leg as he laughed and reached down to pet it.
“Finally made it out here, boy?” Damon said, smiling down at his companion. “We’ve got some friends to help us out today - think you can help watch for those lousy birds?”
The Herdier barked loudly before turning and stepping up to Growlithe to sniff him just as Cassie’s own canine did the same. Herdier was just a little bigger than Growlithe, she noted, and she was a bit surprised given his apparent age that he’d never evolved into his final form of Stoutland. Maybe he just didn’t want to turn into such a large Pokemon, she thought. Stoutland was easily three or four times the size of either canine in front of her, after all. The two Pokemon exchanged barks and yips for a few moments before Growlithe looked back up to Cassie to give a firm shake of his head, eyes practically shining and face set with a determined expression.
“Whatever your Herdier said made Growlithe all fired up,” Cassie said, giggling. “No pun intended.”
“His battlin’ days are long past him, but he’s still a young pup at heart,” Damon chuckled, waving for Cassie to follow him into the field. “Reckon we better get started ‘fore the sun gets too high up. Start down on that row of Rawst, would you?” he said, pointing Cassie at the row of bushes with pale blue berries hanging from their branches. She obediently walked down a few rows and set one of her buckets down at the head, taking the other with her as she quickly started to pluck the ripe fruit from the bushes and gently place them into the bucket. She had only picked a few when she looked over at Damon, still within earshot.
“Mister Pearson? Why are these berries so much smaller than the ones in the Poke Mart? Are they a different breed or something?”
Damon looked over as he dropped a handful into his own bucket before chuckling. “I think you’re the first person that’s helped me that’s ever asked me that question, Cassie,” he said as he went back to picking. “The ones in the Mart are pretty big, right?” She nodded, going back to plucking the small fruit as well. “See, those ones are bred specially for trainers. Bigger berries mean more use across a team if you conserve them right, and it also means they’re a little stronger than these are.”
“A lot more expensive, too,” she added, remembering the price tags she’d seen on some of the higher-grade fruits for sale. Some of the larger ones could run into the thousands of credits depending on which berry it was, but they were also about the size of lemons, so...
“These little guys are mostly just for food,” Damon continued, holding up one of the vaguely walnut-sized berries. “Not as strong as the big ones, but nowhere near as expensive. Bred mainly for the taste, so they don’t have as strong an effect as the ones you’ll find in a Mart. Most Pokemon’ll gobble ‘em up a few at a time, though.”
Cassie nodded in understanding. ‘Guess it only makes sense that trainers would get the best stuff.’
With how deeply ingrained into society Pokemon battling truly was, it only made sense that trainers would be at the forefront and have their pick of the best products companies could bring to market. She made a mental note to check out which companies provided the high-quality produce found at the Poke Mart and see what other industries and products they might have their fingers in.
A short distance away, Cassie noticed Growlithe suddenly tense up and turn towards the treeline, nose high in the air and searching for something. A moment later, Herdier followed suit, bristling and growling at something off in the distance. Damon and Cassie both stopped what they were doing and looked out towards where their Pokemon were staring, only to hear the sound of flapping wings and chirping birds from afar. The faint shape of a flock of birds began to come into view, and Cassie’s starter growled as it leapt to her side protectively.
“Rascals are back again...” Damon said, shaking his head as Herdier ran over to stand near him.
“Leave it to us!” Cassie yelled, running back outside of the row she was in and starting to run down the length of the field to try and intercept the flock. “Growlithe, Ember into the air when you’re close enough!”
Growlithe was quick to dash ahead of Cassie as fire bloomed in his jaws, and he took aim at the entire flock of Pidgey before letting loose with a spread of tiny fireballs, mostly meant to dissuade the invaders rather than do any real damage. The chirping turned into angry squawking as they noticed the incoming attack, scattering to avoid it as the eyes of the flock turned down towards Growlithe and Herdier. The fireballs fizzled out in the air as the Pidgey flew around, trying to figure out the best way to deal with the unexpected threat, but one of their number was a bit bolder than the rest and dove straight for Growlithe in an attack run. Wind gathered around the Pidgey’s wings as it slowed to a hover near the canine, and it flapped them forward quickly before launching a small whirling windstorm at Cassie’s starter.
“Dodge and Howl!”
The Gust attack wasn’t very powerful, but it traveled quickly, and Growlithe only got halfway through his leap to the side before the Flying-type attack slammed into him and tossed him backwards. Thin cuts opened on his flank from the slicing winds, but they barely seemed to bleed at all as he landed on his feet. He raised his head to the sky and howled loudly as he landed, firing up his spirit as his eyes sharpened onto his prey.
“Now, close in and Bite!”
Growlithe let out another piercing bark and lunged forward as the Pidgey tried to fly further up, tiny brown and cream wings flapping hard to propel it higher into the air. It wasn’t quite fast enough as Growlithe’s legs pumped, lifting the dog into the air with a powerful leap right before jaws slammed home around the Pidgey’s body. It screeched loudly in pain as teeth dug into it, and Growlithe shook the tiny bird around like a ragdoll for a few seconds before letting it go, spitting feathers out like he’d chomped into a filled pillow.
Pidgey teetered around for a few seconds in pain, blood seeping from a dozen tiny punctures along its breast and back before it lifted off into the air again as its comrades swooped in to try and defend it from the angry Fire-type. Herdier bounded up beside Growlithe, anticipating that the birds would try to swarm him next, and it let out a deep growl before throwing its head back.
The noise Herdier made was like nothing Cassie had ever expected to hear from a dog that size. A deep, rumbling cry erupted from its mouth as if it was the size of a lion, the Roar’s energy semi-visible in the air like a heat haze as light glimmered off the nearly invisible shockwave. The Pidgey froze in fear at the bellowing call that seemed to have come from a Pyroar, not a Herdier, and several broke and fled for the treeline again with panicked cries in the face of the agitated canine. The one that Growlithe had wounded prior flinched, but hastily recovered and stared down the pair of canid Pokemon for a few seconds before calling out to its fellows. Immediately, the rest of them turned and headed back towards the wooded area, abandoning the berry fields in haste to get away.
“Not bad, little miss,” Damon said as he walked up behind Cassie. “Not bad at all. How long’ve you been with that pup?”
“I just adopted him yesterday from the shelter on Rosewood,” she replied, kneeling down to pet Growlithe with a grin as he trotted back over to her with Herdier on his heels. “Herdier really sent them running there, didn’t he?”
“I don’t think it was just him,” Damon replied, shaking his head. “He tried that once, and all it did was get him swarmed. They couldn’t hurt him all that much, but...I’m pretty sure that only worked this time ‘cause Growlithe was there too.”
“Maybe because he hurt the one who came after him?” she suggested, glancing at the scattering of Pidgey feathers still left on the ground. She absently ran a hand across his side to feel the wound the Gust had left, getting him to turn a bit so that she could see better, but it looked like the small wounds had already closed up.
“Could be,” the old man agreed, shrugging. “Either way, they’ll be back. That fat Pidgey didn’t come with them this time, but I’m bettin’ we’ll see him before long.”
The hours slipped by as Damon and Cassie returned to the harvest, gradually filling buckets up with the soft, juicy berries from the field as they chatted alongside their work. Cassie was surprised at just how many different kinds of berries were in the field as they continued to move through the rows. She saw Oran, Cheri, Chesto, Pecha, Rawst, and a host of others too as she continued to work. They broke for lunch around noon, returning to the house for a while to eat and relax, and Cassie learned a bit more about berries from Damon and his wife while they ate.
It turned out that berries only took a few days to regrow for most of the more common breeds like Oran or Pecha. That lined up with what she remembered from the games, as well. Studies had apparently also shown that berries were somewhat related to apricorns, the unusual fruits primarily found in Johto that had served as early Poke Balls fashioned by skilled crafters in centuries prior. No one really knew if they were mutations of the tough-skinned fruit or not yet, but there were definite similarities both in appearance and genetics. With all the myriad types of berries that could be found all over the world, it seemed likely that there was a connection somewhere that simply hadn’t been found yet, or entirely new berries yet to be discovered that might serve as a missing link between the two.
Damon also let her and her Pokemon sample the fruits of their labor - literal fruits, in this case. A smattering of the picked berries had been given to each of them to try, and both she and Growlithe had delighted in trying the variety of colorful fruits. Cassie was pleased to know that the Chesto berries tasted almost exactly like she’d expected, and she also found that she didn’t enjoy Cheri berries all that much despite their resemblance to cherries. Pecha berries had a sweet taste that actually did remind her of peaches, but Rawst berries tasted almost nothing like the strawberries that they resembled, instead having a rather bitter tang to the fruity flavor. Her favorite of the new berries she happened to try was the Aspear berries, though, which also made a delicious drink that strongly tasted like lemonade with another underlying flavor she couldn’t quite place.
Growlithe’s tastes were somewhat the opposite of her own, she noted. He happily devoured Cheri berries and whined when he realized he’d eaten all of them, but turned his nose up entirely at Chesto berries. He was mostly neutral on the Pecha and Rawst alike, and couldn’t seem to quite decide what to make of Aspear once he took a bite. Cassie had borrowed a pen and paper to hastily scribble some notes down about Growlithe’s taste in berries for later, and before they knew it they were back out in the fields for another round.
The sun was much higher in the sky now, the heat of the day quite a bit stronger than the early morning comfort, but it was still bearable with the gentle breeze wafting through the air. Growlithe was much more energetic after a good lunch and with plenty of warm sunlight to enjoy, and he and Herdier roamed around the edge of the fields in a sort of patrol while Cassie and Damon returned to filling buckets with the field’s plenty.
“So, were you a trainer when you were younger?” Cassie asked as they moved through the rows, glancing up at the older man. “If you don’t mind me asking, I mean.”
Damon chuckled, shaking his head. “Naw, I don’t mind none. I tried my hand at it a few decades ago, back when the whole League business wasn’t quite as...commercial as it is now. Sinnoh’s always been a little rough to travel on the eastern parts, though. Never made it up to Snowpoint or out past Coronet - just didn’t appeal to me all that much.”
His gaze wandered out towards the fenced-in field, where his Ponyta was galloping around in the open pasture. “Got into racing instead after that. That Ponyta is fourth-generation in the line I raised for it, but she’s still a little young to try her luck just yet. My son’s pretty eager to see what she can do, though.”
“Is he the one that rides them now?”
“Sure is - he’s off in Pastoria for a race this weekend with Rapidash, matter of fact. Remind me before you go and I’ll show you a video of one of their races, if you’re interested.”
Cassie had never been interested in horse races before, but she found herself curious to see what it was like when Pokemon were the focus instead. “Sure - I’d love to.”
Damon smiled as he turned back to picking, the pride in his son and Pokemon clearly evident on his face. Another couple of Bluk berries were dropped neatly into his basket before he heard Herdier barking again from the other side of the field. He frowned, eyes narrowing as he pulled up a hand to shade his eyes against the sunny sky. Just faintly, he could make out the shapes of a few bird Pokemon flying overhead, coming in high and quite fast towards their position in the field. There were only three of them this time as opposed to the whole flock, with Growlithe and Herdier shadowing them the entire way around the edge of the bushes. The closer they got, the better he could make out the form of a large Pidgey flanked by the two others like some kind of honor guard.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
The three of them came in for a landing near the edge of the field between where Cassie and Damon were and the approaching Growlithe and Herdier, with Growlithe circling wide around the trio of Flying-types to stand guard near his trainer. Low growls came from his muzzle as the broad-chested Pidgey stepped forward imperiously, standing easily a few inches taller than his brethren and looking like he weighed twice as much.
‘That is a very large Pidgey...’ Cassie thought to herself as the Pidgey started to rattle off a series of cries and chirps in its native language, wings flaring wide and chest puffing out as if to intimidate the canine in front of it. Growlithe’s head swung around to Cassie as the bird finished speaking, giving a clear look of confusion and a hint of offense across his features before he whipped back around, snarling and barking something that his trainer assumed was probably rather rude back at the Pidgey. The two flanking birds started to step forward before being stopped by a sharp look from their leader, who hopped further forward and started chirping angrily at Growlithe once again.
“It’s challenging you, isn’t it?” she asked her starter, earning a gruff bark of confirmation without Growlithe ever taking his eyes off the foe in front of him. “Okay, then...if it wants a fight, we’ll give it one.”
Herdier had trotted around to stand guard over Damon just in case, but it seemed as if the two Pidgey beside their leader had been warned away as they flitted a short distance away to watch with careful gazes. Growlithe shifted into a battle stance as soon as the two had retreated, howling an intimidating challenge to the bird in front of him as he prepared to attack.
To its credit, the Pidgey didn’t flinch in the face of Growlithe’s scare tactic, but instead met its challenge with a loud cry of its own as white energy overtook its form. Its body blurred forward in a move Cassie realized was Quick Attack right before the oversized Flying-type crashed directly into Growlithe’s chest like a feathery cannonball. It might’ve still been much smaller and lighter than Growlithe, but the impact shook the canine and tossed him backwards onto his haunches with a whine of pain before he could react.
“Howl, then catch it with Bite!”
Growlithe scrambled back onto his feet before throwing his head back in a piercing howl, pumping himself up before lunging at the cream and brown-colored bird with jaws spread wide. The Pidgey’s wings pumped and slammed out a Gust in a matter of moments as Growlithe closed the distance again, but Growlithe forced his way through the small windstorm and clamped jaws around one of the bird’s wings as it tried to evade. It cried out as teeth pierced through the skin of its fragile wing, cuffing Growlithe around the head with its free wing and causing him to let go before it dug a taloned foot into the dirt to kick a spray of it up into the dog’s eyes. Growlithe recoiled as he got a face full of dirt, paws scrabbling at his face to try and brush away the soil and bits of grass, and his body lit up in flames as he charged a Flame Wheel to simply burn the debris away as best he could.
Another Gust came sailing in as Growlithe’s Flame Wheel started to drop, stoking the fires for a brief instant before they guttered out as well as opening a number of small cuts along his body as he turned his face away from the impact. He looked more mad than hurt, and another angry bark leapt from his throat as he lunged at the bird again only to have it flicker with white energy for a second time and dart up into the air to evade the incoming attack.
‘It’s using Quick Attack to move around?’ Cassie thought, surprised. “Wait for it to close in, then Flame Wheel again!”
The Pidgey stayed infuriatingly out of range as Growlithe tried to pin it down, fluttering just high enough to evade as Growlithe leapt to try and swipe at it or catch it in his jaws again. More white energy covered its body for a split second as Growlithe fell, and it dove at him in what seemed to be just a Tackle given the lower speed of the movement, thinking it could hit him on the way down and evade again.
Even with Growlithe not looking at his prey, his body burst into flames again right as the Pidgey got close, and Tackle met Flame Wheel in a brief clash as Growlithe snapped his head back up, colliding with the small bird’s body and scorching it with the fires surrounding it. It cried out in pain and surprise even as Growlithe flinched from the impact to his skull, the brown-colored avian dropping back to land on the ground with smoldering chest plumage and skin turning angry red with burns.
“Finish it with Bite!”
Growlithe ignored the light headache that was arising from the bird’s collision as he lunged forward again for the grounded Flying-type, and this time the injured Pokemon wasn’t fast enough with spooling up its Quick Attack for evasion. Jaws clamped down around the oversized Pidgey and shook it, stabbing into a wing and its burned breast painfully as it tried to wrench itself free. The canine’s jaws were vise-like in their grip, and he shook the Pokemon like a well-worn toy before finally rearing up to toss it down into the dirt with a yelp, leaving it bleeding from the multiple teeth marks with feathers scattered on the ground.
Weaken a Pokemon first, then throw a Poke Ball.
Cassie moved almost on autopilot from years of following the simple instructions Pokemon games always gave at the start, reaching into her bag and snagging one of the travel-sized balls before enlarging it with the press of a button. She moved to the side a little to have a clear throw around her starter before letting the ball fly, the red and white sphere sailing through the air to smack directly into the Pidgey’s breast with a dull thwack before it sucked the bird inside as a mass of red energy. The ball tumbled to the ground and shook, the front button pulsating a dull red intermittently as the Pokemon inside struggled to break free, and Cassie held her breath as she watched the ball rock back and forth.
Eventually, the ball stopped wobbling with an audible click as the red light on the front solidified for a brief moment to signify the catch before fading, and Cassie let out her breath again as the grin on her face grew radiant. She had done it - she had actually made her first real capture!
“We did it!” she yelled, running over and bending down to throw her arms around Growlithe in a hug. The Fire-type didn’t quite know how to react at first to his trainer’s joy, but eventually settled on just relaxing and leaning into the hug with a happy bark. The two Pidgey that had accompanied their leader seemed dumbstruck at the turn of events, staring wide-eyed at the Poke Ball on the ground as if it would pop open and let it go at any moment. A warning growl from Herdier rumbled out of its throat, and Damon folded his arms as he glared down at the Pidgey duo.
“She beat your leader, see?” he said, nodding at the Poke Ball on the ground as Cassie moved over to reclaim it. “Go on - get outta here and leave my fields alone from now on, you hear? Ain’t your territory.”
The two Flying-types looked at each other for a few seconds, chirping quietly between themselves before they both finally took to the air and soared back towards the treeline in a hurry. The older man finally sighed as they left, reaching down to ruffle his Herdier’s fur and earning a happy whine from the elderly canine before he turned to Cassie.
“Pretty good job there,” he said, a broad smile crossing his wrinkled face. “That Growlithe of yours did good work.” He chuckled, reaching down to pet the Fire-type in appreciation. Herdier gave just a tiny huff of jealousy as Growlithe soaked in the praise and petting.
“He did most of that on his own,” Cassie said, brushing aside the compliment and smiling down at her starter. “I definitely didn’t teach him that trick with Flame Wheel to burn up the dirt in his face...” She took a few moments to check him over with her hands, but it seemed like the small cuts from the Flying-type attacks had mostly sealed themselves up. The Fire-type did flinch when her hands brushed over his chest, and she realized he probably had a bit of a bruise from the Quick Attack that had struck him at the start. Overall, he seemed as if he was still in good shape and didn’t seem to be hindered by the mild injuries at all.
“He’s sharp,” Damon said. “Keep him close. If you’re doin’ the gym circuit, he’s gonna be a terror later on.”
Cassie nodded, rummaging around in her bag for one of the spray bottles full of Potion that she’d bought. She uncapped the bottle and sprayed a little of the Potion on Growlithe’s chest to help with the bruising before returning her attention to her new capture. “I should probably make sure it’s okay too...” she said to herself, stepping over to claim the Poke Ball on the dirt before pressing the button on the front and letting the avian out again in a flash of red light.
Pidgey looked around for a minute as if it couldn’t figure out where it was, then caught sight of the Poke Ball in Cassie’s hand and made the connection. It ruffled its feathers in an agitated fashion, but started to settle down when it saw Growlithe watching it carefully.
“Hey there,” Cassie said, kneeling down to be more on the tiny bird’s level. “Sorry we were a little rough on you there. Mind if I make sure you’re okay?” She reached a hand out like an olive branch to the Flying-type, who stared at it for a few long seconds. It finally chirped out something and lifted its head up, trying to look as tough as it had before, and Growlithe started making a strange noise from beside Cassie that she couldn’t quite figure out.
It took a few moments for her to realize that her starter seemed to be laughing.
The bird shot an annoyed look over at the Fire-type canine before finally stepping forward to let Cassie look it over without any more fuss. She’d never really done anything of the sort for a bird, but she gently started to rub her fingers over its wings and body to see if there were any kind of major injuries. She felt a couple of what seemed to be closed-up punctures from Growlithe’s teeth, and it winced visibly when she stroked a hand across its breast where the Flame Wheel had struck it earlier, but it looked like the bird was in decent shape for the most part. She wiped a few errant drops of blood from her fingers onto the grass before reaching for the Potion and gently starting to spray down the places she’d felt the punctures along with the burned spot on its chest.
The tiny bird winced a little at the uncomfortable feeling, but overall didn’t complain about being tended to all that much. The last thing Cassie did as she put the Potion away was to pull out her Pokedex and scan her new team member, revealing a wealth of information about it on the screen as a short recorded blurb of information played from the device’s speakers. The Pidgey was male, she noticed, and was notably above average in size just from the looks of things. Pidgey were normally only around a foot tall on average and weighed just a few pounds; this one looked like it was at least a few inches taller. She wouldn’t know for sure until she visited the Pokemon Center and had them scan it properly, though. Its known moves were basically what she expected - she’d seen Tackle, Sand-Attack, Gust, and Quick Attack, all of which were listed on the screen.
‘I wonder how you figure out abilities? I know Growlithe seems to have Intimidate, but how do you figure out something like Keen Eye?’
“So, I thought I’d ask since I didn’t really give you any choice,” Cassie started, sliding the Pokedex back into her pocket and focusing on the Pidgey. “Do you want to come with me? I mean, I caught you fair and square and all, but if you don’t really want to go with me...I’d let you go back to your flock.”
She paused for a moment. “As long as you promise not to mess with Mr. Pearson’s berries any more, at least.”
The Pidgey paced around a little, seeming to consider the question before he turned to Growlithe and chirped out something that sounded questioning. Growlithe cocked his head, then barked something back before looking towards his trainer. Pidgey looked down at the ground for another few seconds before his head snapped back up again and he chirped something to Cassie, bobbing his head in what looked like a nod. Growlithe barked in the tone she’d come to know as meaning agreement, and she grinned again.
“You’re staying?”
The bird bobbed his head again, and Cassie nodded in reply, shrinking and pocketing his Poke Ball again before standing up.
“Welcome to the team, then. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re the strongest Pidgey you can be!”
Growlithe started making the odd laughing noises again, and Cassie absently wondered just what her starter found so funny all of a sudden.
Cassie spent another few hours at the Pearson farm helping out before she finally headed back to the city, one Pokemon and a decent amount of credits richer. Damon had thanked her sincerely for the help, and he was reasonably sure that the flock wouldn’t be any more of a problem with their leader out of the picture. Sure enough, they hadn’t seen hide nor tailfeather of any of the tiny Flying-types ever since the battles earlier, and the rest of their harvesting had gone off without a hitch. She’d also been given a mixed bag of berries to use in her Pokemon’s food as a thank-you gift before leaving, one which she was carrying along in her left hand while Growlithe walked at her side. Pidgey had elected to take up a perch on her right shoulder, and she could feel her arm getting a little stiff from the weight. Hollow bones or not, that bird was big, and the addition of a couple pounds of weight for the walk all the way back to the city had left her shoulder with a definite cramp that she’d need to work out of it.
Between the work she’d done and the walk with Pidgey on her shoulder, she was quite tired and longed for a good dinner. She definitely enjoyed the Pearsons’ company, though - both of them were quite nice, and Mrs. Pearson had all but spoiled Growlithe with the way she treated him. She’d have to make a point to come back by the farm after she’d traveled for a while to show them how her Pokemon had grown.
For right now, she thought as she wearily strolled back into the Pokemon Center, she really just wanted a good meal and a break from being on her feet. She headed up to the counter to talk to the nurse, noticing that Allison wasn’t around at the moment. After they exchanged pleasantries, Cassie turned over her two Poke Balls to have them checked by the nurses, as well as to have Pidgey registered in the Center records like Allison had mentioned.
“Did you get this Pidgey from a trainer?” the nurse suddenly asked, causing Cassie to blink in confusion.
“Huh? No, I didn’t - I caught him wild outside the city,” she said. “Why? Is something wrong?”
“No, no,” the nurse replied quickly, looking back at the screen. “I just noticed that he had a nickname and previous trainer history in our records.”
“Nickname?” Cassie echoed. She’d not expected him to have had a previous trainer, but...if he already had a nickname that he liked, that made things a little easier on that front. She still had yet to come up with a name that both she and Growlithe liked. “What is it?”
“Says here that it’s Paulos.”
‘Paulos, huh...’
Well, as names went, that seemed as good of one as any. She’d just have to make sure he liked it, but she didn’t see any reason to change a good thing unless he didn’t want it.
“That’s fine - I’ll see if he wants to change it later.”
The nurse nodded politely, turning back to the PC screen. “Let me just update the trainer registry to show your information, then.”
Cassie reached into her pocket and grabbed her Pokedex as the nurse talked, putting it on the counter. “I scanned Pidg - er, Paulos like miss Allison said to do for Growlithe when I caught him. Did you want that data?”
“That would be great,” the woman agreed, taking the Pokedex after a few seconds and linking it up to the PC to transfer the information. “They should be back out in just a few minutes - Paulos had a bit of a burn, but nothing too bad. I think Chansey’s almost finished with them, if you want to just have a seat.”
Cassie nodded, not needing a second thought about the idea of getting off her feet. She quickly found a seat in the lobby and sat down, returning her thoughts to names for Growlithe while she waited. She’d gone through a couple names with the pup already, but none of them really felt right so far. At the moment, her thoughts had turned to astronomy as she ran through things she could go to for inspiration.
‘Leo? No, that would be more for a lion Pokemon, probably. Sirius? It’s the dog star, after all, but...that just feels too obvious. Vega, maybe?’
She definitely wanted to keep the name fairly short, or at least have something she could shorten for battle purposes. One thing she’d seen in the few battle videos she’d taken a look at was that trainers tended to keep commands short and snappy to try and maximize the speed at which their Pokemon could react and follow them. She was already trying to put that into practice, hoping to do better the next time she and Kaitlyn had a battle.
“Cassie?”
The nurse finally called her name after a few minutes, and she stood before quickly stepping over to the counter as Chansey came out from the back with a tray containing her two Poke Balls within slots. The nurse checked them over for a moment before handing them back to her with a smile.
“Looks like they’re both doing fine. Please take care, and come see us if you need anything!”
“I will!” Cassie said, thanking the nurse before heading towards the escalator leading down to the basement trainer rooms. She let Growlithe and Paulos out of their Poke Balls as she hit the bottom, watching as they both materialized at her feet, and she motioned for them to follow her as she headed back towards her rented room. Paulos found his place on her shoulder again, looking a bit uncomfortable at trying to fly in tight confines, while Growlithe quietly padded ahead of her as they headed down the hallway.
“So...the nurse told me you had a name,” she said as she walked, glancing over towards the Pidgey on her shoulder. “Paulos?”
The bird chirped in acknowledgment, puffing his chest up again. It seemed almost like he was proud of the name, Cassie thought, so that was a good sign. “I’m guessing you like the name?” Another chirp of agreement filled the air.
Good - that was at least one less thing to think about, she thought as she opened the door to her room. Paulos immediately flew in and found a perch on the bed frame, head swiveling to take a look around the room as Cassie took off her shoes. Growlithe wandered in right behind his trainer, passing her to run over and curl up at the foot of the bed even as she made her own way there.
“I’m going to get a nap, you two,” she said as she reached over and started to set an alarm on the clock by the bed. “I’ll be up in about an hour - don’t get into any trouble, okay?” Two cries of agreement came from her Pokemon, and she smiled before flopping back onto the bed and closing her eyes, quickly drifting off to sleep.
Growlithe sighed as he relaxed, licking at some of his fur to smooth it out again. As convenient as the Pokemon Centers were and despite how nice and skilled the Chansey that helped out were, he still felt like he always left with fur that just felt out of place somehow. The price to be paid for convenient and comprehensive medical care that could never be found in the wild, he thought to himself. He still remembered what it was like to be wild - long days hunting for food, shelter, security, always watching your back in case something bigger decided that you might be a threat that needed to be removed. He didn’t miss those days.
“Why’d you choose to stay?” he asked the Pidgey nearby, who had started to explore the room and found a new perch on top of a chair back. “You didn’t seem like you wanted to leave the wild. She’d have let you go if you wanted it.”
The Pidgey - Paulos - let out a chirping laugh in reply, looking down at the pup.
“Paulos did not want to leave the wilds, true...but you fought well, and Paulos will acknowledge that strength! Anyone strong enough to topple the mighty Paulos is one worthy to fight beside!”
Growlithe had to resist the urge to chuckle. His trainer had seemed to wonder what he was laughing at before...if she only knew. Maybe one day she’d get a Psychic-type companion so that she could see for herself.
Of course, if she did that, she might regret the decision. Paulos was certainly a...unique Pidgey if ever there was one.
“If you say so,” he replied, shrugging as best he could from his sprawled position on the floor. “What about your flock?”
“The flock will endure,” Paulos said confidently. “Paulos wishes he could see that traitor again, however...the thought of him makes my feathers itch and my beak curl in disgust.”
Growlithe’s head rose ever so slightly to try and look up at the bird. “Traitor?”
“Indeed...one most foul, Ekans-tongued and Wooper-skinned.” Paulos’ feathers ruffled in frustration as he spoke. “Spoke of leading the flock to better hunting grounds, whispered honeyed words into Paulos’ ears. Paulos thought that he would help make the flock strong, but instead...naught but betrayal. Dishonorable cur,” he seethed, eyes flashing. Growlithe considered the words for a few seconds, wondering what he meant by a betrayal as he slowly pieced the puzzle together with what he had heard the old man explain to his new trainer. Paulos led the flock to the Pearson farm, claiming it for their own and taking what food he could, so he and Cassie were called to fight back against the flock. Paulos wound up captured...
The pieces fell into place in his mind.
“And now he leads the flock with you gone, doesn’t he?” Growlithe asked. “He had you invade the farm so that you would get captured...or worse. Either way, you’re out of the picture, and he takes over.”
“So it would seem,” Paulos replied, eyes still narrowed in irritation. “He will rue the day he crossed the mighty Paulos, that much is certain. Paulos will not rest until a hurricane lays him low!”
‘Bit dramatic, aren’t we?’ Growlithe thought to himself, though he couldn’t resist the chuckle this time that escaped his muzzle.
“Stay with us, then, and we’ll make sure you get there.”
Paulos gave a slow nod, dark eyes boring into Growlithe as he gazed down at the canine with a focus that bordered on unnerving. “You speak as one who has also known betrayal.”
Growlithe’s eyes narrowed, and he bared teeth with a growl for a moment before he steadied himself again, turning away from the Pidgey. “That’s none of your business.”
Perhaps wisely, Paulos didn’t choose to pursue the line of thought any further. His beak picked at feathers on his wing as he preened himself, pushing feathers back into place much as Growlithe had done with his fur. The dog was strong - young still, just a pup, but strong. If he surrounded himself with those like the Fire-type, who knew what heights he could one day reach? Growlithe felt much the same, he surmised. Power for power’s sake was a fool’s game, something only dullards sought. Power was nothing without a purpose...and the dog had a purpose, that much was certain.
He fluttered down into the chair, settling himself into the cushion and looking much like a large ball of feathers as he closed his eyes. The life of a trained Pokemon was one he had been shown once before, but perhaps it was time to give it another try. Strong comrades made for a grindstone one could whet their blade upon, and Paulos was determined to have the sharpest blade of all.