Thanks to the deep and profound bond Aiden had forged with Officer Jenny—otherwise known as shameless blackmail—his little team managed to secure everything they needed for the trip: camping gear, medicine for emergencies, Poké Balls for catching new Pokémon, and enough food to last them a while after thoroughly cleaning out Jenny’s refrigerator.
Looking over the bags piled around him, Aiden nodded in satisfaction and rose to say goodbye.
“Bye, Sis Jenny!”
Jenny watched Aiden wave at her with a bright, refreshing smile, then slowly turned to look at the room behind her, which now resembled the aftermath of a burglary.
Her expression became indescribable.
“Why can’t I ever keep these stupid hands of mine under control?!”
If Aiden hadn’t caught her secretly eating the Häagen-Dazs she had stolen from the Pokémon Center refrigerator, she wouldn’t have been blackmailed so thoroughly that even her brand-new kitchen knife and the Heavy Ball she had bought for her collection were taken!
Nearby, Snivy extended a vine and casually swung the kitchen knife through the air, carefully examining the blade before giving a satisfied nod.
Aiden was doing much the same thing with the Heavy Ball, appreciating its reassuring weight in his hand.
Jenny stared at the pair and found herself completely at a loss for words.
After bidding a heartfelt farewell to the remarkably generous Officer Jenny, Aiden stepped outside, opened the map on his phone, and stared at it for several seconds.
Then he quietly turned around and knocked on the door again.
“Sis Jenny~ Could you give me a ride to the entrance of Route 4?”
Jenny stared at his deliberately sweet expression.
Whatever thought crossed her mind made her smile suddenly become dazzling.
“Of course!”
Aiden’s face immediately lit up.
Herdier, sitting beside Jenny, slowly shook its head.
Its eyes seemed to contain only three words.
‘You’re so screwed.’
It then voluntarily returned to its Poké Ball.
Aiden failed to notice.
Or rather, as long as he could hitch a free ride, he didn’t particularly care.
What was Jenny going to do, make the motorcycle fly?
…
“IT’S FLYING!
THE MOTORCYCLE IS ACTUALLY FLYING!!”
A Pidove barely avoided colliding with them in midair, furiously squawking several cries that sounded suspiciously like profanity.
Aiden had no attention to spare for it, however, because he was too busy clutching Sprigatito against his chest for dear life.
“Sis Jenny, slow down!
I’m not in a hurry!
There’s absolutely no rush!!”
Jenny’s mind flashed back to the scene in her kitchen.
‘You even took my seasonings!’
She said nothing.
She merely twisted the throttle farther.
The journey should have taken more than half an hour.
Thanks to Jenny’s dedicated efforts, Aiden was standing at the entrance to Route 4 after only ten minutes.
“Tha—ugh…
thanks, Sis.”
Aiden climbed off the motorcycle on trembling legs, looking as though his soul had only barely managed to remain inside his body.
Jenny glanced at him, then raised her eyes toward the endless blue sky.
Suddenly, the world seemed vast and beautiful, the air wonderfully fresh, and her mood better than it had been all day.
‘Maybe I’ll swing by the Pokémon Center later and steal some of Joy’s Häagen-Dazs.’
Having silently made her decision, Jenny’s red lips curved into a cheerful smile.
“Call me when you come back.
I’ll come pick you up!”
Looking at that pretty, smiling face, Aiden finally understood just how sinister the human heart could be.
‘I would rather jump off the top of Nimbasa Tower and kiss a Muk than ever get on your motorcycle again.’
After cursing inwardly, he looked back at Jenny’s radiant smile and decided that he would send Nurse Joy a message later warning her to keep an eye on both Jenny and the refrigerator.
“Sure!
Thanks, Sis!”
After exchanging the kind of polite pleasantries only adults could manage while secretly plotting against one another, Aiden watched Jenny disappear into the distance on her motorcycle.
He then pulled out his phone and Snivy’s Poké Ball.
“I’m counting on you, Snivy!”
“Sni!”
Snivy nodded and expertly raised the phone with her vines.
Watching her assume her familiar role, Aiden couldn’t help sighing.
“Such a shame Rotom Phones are still being developed…”
Once Aiden had figured out roughly when he had arrived in the Pokémon timeline, he had realized that some of the classic transmigrator shortcuts were no longer available to him.
He wasn’t going to become a famous Pokémon Professor by discovering Eevee’s evolutions or announcing the existence of some previously unknown type.
Those discoveries had already been made.
Nor did he have the money or resources to develop some ridiculous Porygon-powered smartphone of his own.
The concept of the Rotom Phone had already appeared, but the technology had yet to receive a full public release.
Until that happened, poor Snivy would have to continue serving as his mobile camerawoman.
Aiden positioned himself in front of the camera with Sprigatito and Snivy beside him, then put on his best presenter’s smile.
“Morning, noon, or night—hello, Trainers!
Today’s topic is a complete guide to challenging Nimbasa Gym!”
“Nimbasa City is the largest entertainment hub in the Unova Region and is famous as the city that never sleeps.
Its Gym Leader, Elesa, is not only a world-famous supermodel, but also an exceptionally capable Trainer.”
“So, to make sure everyone visiting Nimbasa City leaves with some pleasant memories instead of getting electrocuted straight out of the Gym, I’ve decided to make a complete Nimbasa Gym challenge guide!”
Aiden enthusiastically applauded himself.
Clap, clap, clap!
“As everyone knows, Nimbasa Gym uses three-on-three battles.
That means the first requirement for challenging the Gym is having at least three Pokémon.”
Snivy smoothly moved the phone across Sprigatito, then herself, before turning the camera back toward Aiden.
“As you can clearly see, I’m one Pokémon short!”
Aiden pointed dramatically toward the road ahead.
“So, according to the habitat data in the Pokédex, our first objective is the Desert Resort, where we’ll catch a Ground-type Pokémon!”
With the introduction finished, Aiden didn’t waste any more time.
He looked down the seemingly deserted highway and raised one hand.
“Let’s go!”
“Spriga!”
“Sni!”
…
Some time later, Aiden sat on a bus traveling along Route 4 toward the Desert Resort, holding Sprigatito in his lap as he stared through the window at the seemingly endless scenery.
His expression gradually became blank.
‘Why the hell didn’t I think of this earlier?’
It was called the Desert Resort.
Obviously, a place specifically meant for tourists was going to have public transportation running directly to it.
So what exactly had he been accomplishing by walking under the blazing sun for all that time?!