After explaining the mechanics of a pokeball and that they could be aware of the outside world while in it, I caught bulbasaur and brought them out of the sewer. As I headed to the pokecenter I got some weird looks as I smelled and was filthy, but I didn’t care and entered the pokecenter with a big smile.
“Can I get a room please?” I asked the attendant at the front desk.
They wrinkled their nose and laughed. “Of course, it seems like you could use a shower.”
After paying, I hurried to my room, entered the bathroom and released bulbasaur. Earlier I had scanned their pokeball and found out that they were female among other information.
“Bulbasaur, what do you think about a name? I don’t want to just call you your species name.”
“Bulba!” She responded in acceptance.
“How about Hellenbore? The first part means sunlight, but also alludes to the hellebore flower that is hardy and looks like the flower of a venusaur.”
“Saur! Saur!” She said happily, after thinking for a moment.
“Alright, and I can shorten it to Hellen.” I said, “Now, I don’t want to be rude, Hellen, but we both need a shower.”
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After cleaning myself and Hellen, I went to the public shower for large pokemon and carefully cleaned Drako. Then we made our way to the cafeteria for dinner. I still had to buy the ingredients for the food that I would feed to Hellen, but the standard grass type meal would do for tonight. Meanwhile, Drako got food created by the recipe the Ortiz family used for the charizard in Charicific valley.
Once we were finished with our food, we headed to our room to sleep. Drako was quick to start snoring as I laid in bed thinking about how lucky I was to have Hellen join the team.
Tomorrow we will form our Blood Bond. The second bond is not as hard to form as the first, because the trainer would already have a boosted aura from their first bond. That being said, it would still be straining on the trainer, just in a different way. The first bond had the most chance of physically harming a trainer and pokemon, but every bond after that increased the mental strain as the trainer would be connected to more pokemon.
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It is recommended that a trainer grow used to their latest bond before attempting another one, with the minimum recommended time between bonds being one month. I had no worries on this part since my bond with Drako was rock solid, and I had sufficient time to become accustomed to it. But I worried about the third pokemon I was planning to recruit. Would I be able to bond with them before the league season starts?
One small worry I had was that I hadn’t known Hellen for long. Usually trainers would work with their pokemon for a while before performing the Blood Bond, to make sure they were a good fit for the team and to ensure the bonding process went smoothly. Despite that, all my interactions with Hellen showed me a personality I instantly vibed with. Drako also seemed to approve after his conversation with Hellen.
I was pulled from my thoughts by a gentle tapping on my leg. I looked over to see Helen had left her bed and was looking at me with a questioning face.
“What is it, girl? Can’t sleep?” I asked.
She looked to the side sheepishly and said in a low tone, “...bulba?” While tapping at the empty spot next to me on my bed.
“Of course you can sleep in my bed.” I said with a smile. Luckily, the beds at pokemon centers were rather large so they can accommodate pokemon.
She jumped up nimbly for her size and plopped down next to me. I started to pet her head. I was sure we would form a solid bond in no time.
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The next morning, I quickly shopped for the ingredients to Hellen’s food. It was a recipe I had developed based on my research. The best recipes for pokemon were usually held secret by certain families or clans so I had to develop my own through painstakingly analyzing any data I could find online. Even though I was confident in my recipe, I would still experiment with what Hellen likes best and try to improve the formula.
I made breakfast for us three and luckily Hellen didn’t complain about her food, though she wasn’t in love with it like Drako was with his. No matter, I would experiment with some berries to find a flavour she likes.
After eating, I rented a private training room in the pokecenter to perform the Blood Bond with Hellen. I explained the concept in detail yesterday, though most pokemon know that a Blood Bond with a human is possible, Hellen being no exception. I just clarified the method we would use and how it would likely feel.
Releasing both Drako and Hellen into the training room, I took on a serious look.
“This is an important occasion, as is the creation of any blood bond.” I looked at Drako fondly. “This is a commitment we make to each other, that we will always have each other’s backs and always be a team. But personally, I like to think of us as a family.”
“CHAAR!” Drako roared, and Hellen looked to be intrigued.
“Though we haven’t met for long, I already feel a connection to you.” I said as I locked eyes with Hellen.
“Char! Char!” Drako said in agreement.
“Are you ready for this bond, Hellenbore? If you need some-”
“BULBASAUR!” She cried, interrupting me. She approached and leveled a determined gaze at me. “Saur!”
I smiled at her. “Let’s begin, then.”
I took out two syringes designed for forming a blood bond and proceeded to collect a small amount of my and Hellen’s blood and added them to some grass/poison type elixirs. The elixirs weren’t specifically designed for a bulbasaur, like my previous elixir was for charmander. But I was lucky enough to get a grass/poison type elixir from the Sprout Tower, instead of using one of the common grass type elixirs from the Pokemart. Not that I wouldn’t have used a specific elixir if I had access to it…
Once done mixing the elixirs, I crouched down and drank my elixir while feeding Helen hers.
After a moment, I felt the bond forming as I stared into Hellen’s eyes. Unlike when I bonded to Drako, I wasn’t screaming in pain so I could feel as we were linked with aura. My body did undergo some heavy strain, but it was manageable. Slowly, a new awareness formed at the edge of my mind until it finally locked into place.
I sat down quickly to catch my breath. Once recovered, I looked up to see Hellen and Drako standing over me.
A grin broke out on my face and both my bonds radiated happiness.