I let out a yawn as I walked down the stairs into the pokecenter main lobby. As I head to the cafeteria I make a mental checklist of everything I need to get done today. First and foremost I’m in desperate need of a new wardrobe. The past year has not been kind on my clothes. If not for Coraline’s own experience repairing her costume allowing her to help in repairing the multitude of rips and tears I most likely be left with only scraps left to wear. However, Coreline’s skills can only go so far with the limited resources available leaving my clothes barely capable of holding themselves together. I need to buy her a proper sewing kit today along with the new outfits. A trip to the pokemart is also necessary. I’ve run dangerously low on potions and other travel supplies. Lastly, are items members of the team requested. Gemini wants me to help him learn to read, so I’ll be getting him some basic children's books that we’ll be able to go over together on the next route. Rapunzel is getting some toys and puzzles that help with training young psychic pokemon. Lately Opera hasn’t had much trouble flying under the amount of heightened gravity that either Wiggles or Twinkle are capable of creating. As a result Opera wants some training weights for the added challenge. Coraline wants stuff she can accessorize her costume with. I’ll be taking her to a hobby shop so she can pick out things to spruce up her costume with. She can also use the sewing kit to make her own accessories. Wiggles asked for markers for some reason, maybe she wants to take up a hobby in drawing. Twinkle is a bit of a challenge since he doesn’t know what he wants. Maybe he can join Coraline in the hobby shop so he can find something to do in his freetime.
The cafeteria is packed as I enter. With the gym season starting tomorrow a ton of trainers have shown up to challenge the gym leaders. Violet city has it especially bad due to their gym being the traditional first gym. I’m very glad I signed up for my match yesterday instead of today. The line will probably go down the block. While looking for a table I see quite a few rare pokemon with their trainers. One trainer is sitting at a table along with a full team of smeargle. At another table a young trainer is sitting across from a munchlax eating from five plates at the same time. He’s lucky that pokecenter food is heavily discounted for trainers or he’d probably go broke just from food costs alone.
Finally grabbing a table I come to a troublesome realization. Welp might as well get this over with as it was going to happen eventually. I let out a sigh as I released the team around the table. By the time I finish I can hear murmuring all around the room along with multiple camera flashes. “I’m going to get us all food. I’ll be back in a minute.” I grumbled.
Walking back to the table balancing a tray in each hand I see a group of people surrounding my table. As I approach the crowd refuses to make way. After a few moments of being annoyed I mumble “Mind lending me a hand Coraline.” A second later Coraline's shadowy arms emerge from my shadow and begin pushing people out of the way, opening a path to the table. Coraline hops up onto the table as I'm finally able to take a seat at the table with my team. Only to then be bombarded on all sides by curious trainers who begin shouting out questions.
“Young lady, are these your pokemon!”
“Aren’t you the girl who met with professor Oak!”
“What are these pokemon!”
Eventually I have enough. “Mimikyu, Cutiefly, Hatenna, Carbink, Swablu, Jigglypuff!” I shout pointing to each member of my team. “That’s my team, and that's all you’re getting from me. Yes I met with professor Oak and Elm. If you have questions go find them. Now for the love of Ho-oh please leave me and my team alone!” Thankfully many people get the message and head back to their tables. For the few holdouts the threat of getting pokecenter security was enough to get them to leave. Finally left somewhat alone if you ignore all the eyes on our table me and the team can eat unaccosted.
Pokecenter cafeterias or at least the larger and more populated ones such as the one me and Dad are staying at have large menus for different types and flavor preferences. Opera gets a spicy flying meal, Gemini gets a bitter bug meal, Rapunzel gets a sour psychic meal, Wiggles and Coraline get sweet normal and ghost meals. For me I got an omelet. Twinkle doesn’t need to eat so he doesn’t have a meal. In fact I don’t know whether or not he even can eat. Do carbink even have a mouth? I never saw past Twinkle’s fluff, and I don’t remember the book having anything on the subject. Something to investigate later I guess.
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After we all finish our meals I return everyone except Twinkle and Gemini who I decide to have accompany me for now. Leaving the pokecenter Gemini makes himself comfortable in the hood of my hoodie while Twinkle floats at my side. While I would bring less attention to myself having Wiggles or Opera out it wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the team to be let out less often due to what’s at most an annoyance. Besides I already passed the point of no return during breakfast so might as well let everyone appreciate my pokemon. After a couple of minutes of walking through downtown My phone begins ringing. Taking out my phone the caller id shows an unknown number that seems familiar for some reason.
Answering the call I ask “Hello, who is this?”
“Good morning Alice, this is professor Oak speaking.” Oak replies
“Oh, it’s good to hear from you professor. Is there something you need?” I ask
“Nothing at the moment, just a question. I was just wondering if you had anything to do with the influx of calls I’m receiving about unknown pokemon?”
At that I freeze in place as Twinkle keeps floating forward only to turn around confused a couple seconds later.
“Alice, are you there?”
“I’m so sorry professor. I was overwhelmed and I didn’t think about what I was saying.” I groaned.
“Alice, there is no need for apologies. This was bound to happen eventually. We just didn’t expect it at this moment. The data we got from your pokemon was going to become public soon anyway.”
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Even though I’m glad Oak isn’t mad for basically pushing my problem onto him I still feel bad for causing him to be swarmed by the press.
“Ah, I just remember.” Oak blurts out suddenly. “Congratulations Alice, you are officially the first trainer authorized to train a mimikyu. I did face a bit of pushback from some expected sources, but not enough that the forms were revoked. Not that you should worry about that, even if they rejected it I still would've gotten it passed. I got quite a few favors I’m owed in the league.” Oak says, chuckling to himself. “Your trainer profile should be updated by now.”
“Thank you so much professor.” I beamed
Oak laughs “Think nothing of it Alice. It’s always a pleasure helping a promising trainer such as yourself. Now then I have a press conference to set up. Good luck on your gym match Alice, Falkner may be young but he lives up to his family’s reputation. Till next time.” Oak then promptly hangs up.
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Walking down the street I spot people taking out their phones to take pictures of Twinkle as he floats in front of me. Twinkle remains oblivious of all the attention he is receiving. His is completely attention taken up by the items on display in the wide variety of stores we pass. I eventually have to chide him after he bumps into a telephone pole due to his inattentiveness. I begin to grow a bit frustrated in my search for a clothing store as all the clothing stores are selling clothes a century out of style that look like something the Elders would wear and or completely unfit for traveling through the wilds. On the verge of giving up all of a sudden a middle aged woman wearing an ankle length dress embroidered with various bug type pokemon withs a similarly embroiled sweater vest all in bright pastel colors appears from a nearby alley. Most strickenly is the gravity defying hairstyle and large butterfree style glasses.
With purpose she walks right up to Twinkle and begins to examine him with a twinkle in her eye. “Oh, how striking. What beauty!” she gushed.
Gemini moves to my shoulder. I verably cough to get her attention. Turning to me the strange woman looks me up and down for a few moments then turns back to Twinkle “Is this one your trainer dearie?” she asks. After a second Twinkle nods just as confused as I am. The lady then turns and walks up to me. “This simply won’t do. Young lady you look like you ran through a beedrill swarm. How can you stand there with such a gorgeous pokemon looking like that?” she huffs. As her eyes eventually land just above my shoulder where Gemini hovers. She gasps “Another beauty!”. The lady practically shoves her face a couple inches from Gemini who immediately backs off as I stand there awkwardly. “That’s it I’ve decided, you need to come with me.” she declares reaching for my hand.
Pulling away “Who even are you?” I snapped.
The lady proceeds to pull out a business card from a breast pocket and hands it to me “Monroe Pembroke, fashion extraordinaire at your service.”