Chapter 31- Market.

So…

My plan of training in the afternoon? It was a good plan in theory, but of course, life reminded me that no plan survives first contact. And the reason for that was quite simple as well.

“Winter is coming” I whispered under my breath.

“What is that?” Mathew asked, his brows caked in sweat.

“Nothing just thinking aloud,” I shouted back.

Setting aside the satisfaction of my inner geek, what was the link between the seasonal change and the training? It would have been nothing if not for the fact that we had a stag that changed all year long following the season. Again, shouldn’t be an issue. That would have been if this was a game where you load your save and he is magically changed. But no, something the game failed to mention is the amount of shedding that occurred when the season changed.

Saying that Sawsbuck was shedding was an understatement. It was more like he decided to remove more fur than you thought he had. And that was apparently the lite version because the winter’s coat was more voluminous than the other ones, meaning he was mainly growing them out. But he still needed to shed the previous one. Even now, white tuffs of fur distinguished themselves from the previously beige ones. Looking at the antlers, the base also started to turn white.

It was a process and not a magic thing that happened. It made sense and I also knew how it worked, but man I wished it was as easy as returning him to his capsule and he would emerge with a new coat. The reason why I had to shout was because Mathew asked for my help in getting rid of the fallen hair, since I had nothing better to do apparently, and a blower was easier for this part. I ultimately accepted but what I didn’t take into consideration was the time it would need. Washing, combing, and blow drying were all part of the process. Thankfully the Center had a bath facility adapted to Pokemon.

Oh, and the reason I was able to help this time was because Sawsbuck’s character returned to how he normally was. Autumn tended to make them more aggressive and grumpy which was why Mathew had us keep our distance usually. I could only attribute it to hormonal changes similar to stags even if I didn’t know much about the topic. As it turned out, Sawsbuck was more a calm and reasonable Pokemon, apparently the voice of reason in his team.

So yeah, the better part of the afternoon was spent taking care of Pokemon in the end, to various reactions. Tiamat was absolutely mortified, Skoll had a reluctant acceptance while Nike flat-out refused. Her refusal didn’t come from the fact that she did like it, but rather the shampoo was the deciding factor. Well, given the relation of the species with hair, it was understandable. It was something that I would address in Nimbassa hopefully. With Elesa being their champion, I do not doubt that they would have something that met her standards.

Skoll simply didn’t care and only went along because he knew he wouldn’t escape it. Tia took a little more coaxing, being ground type and all. In the end, she only stayed still enough to have her chitinous armor wiped clean before bailing from the shower. After that, I carefully looked her over in case there were molting parts that didn’t fall off or got stuck.

By the time we were done, the sun was already going down. But it was never too late to get a bit of training, right? Plus, I still had time before dinner. And with how clear the sky had gotten, we would be fools to miss it.

It’s not like we could leave given that Sera stayed locked in her room since the argument this morning… It was fine for now but we would probably have to leave tomorrow. Nimbassa wasn’t far anymore, maybe 1 or 2 days if we took our time. Her reaction was extreme, but then again she put up with me during my outbursts so I would not complain.

I also started to feel bad about dropping this on her like that… maybe I should apologize.

“All right all of you, time to train for a bit together.”

Skoll bounced over as soon as the ‘t’ left my mouth. The others also seemed glad for it.

“Skoll, you will keep working on Ice Punch for now and Tia you will focus on Earth Power. I’ll be with you as well, but I think Nike showed enough patience for today.”

The two Pokemon nodded while my starter perked up. She tried her best, but she still let some excitement leak through. Once they moved away, I turned to face her.

“Well, baby girl, how do you feel?” I asked with a smile.

“Trreeemm” She declared while spinning on herself once more.

In all evidence, she was extremely happy with herself. The evolution definitely left her with an uplifted feeling, but now came the time to know how much her ability was impacted. What scared me the most was her control. As a Hatenna she was already more powerful than the norm and that messed with her control for a while. Since we made some decent progress there, I could only hope that the boost from the evolution didn’t take us back to square one.

“I am happy to hear that you feel fine. Now, how about we get some tests done? See where we stand?”

She nodded resolutely and we started. We wouldn’t be able to accurately judge everything until Nimbasa, but I could at least get an understanding.

“ Let’s start from the beginning. Use Confusion …or so I say but there is nothing to use.” Damn desert, all sand and no rocks. “Alright, this can wait. Go ahead and use Mystical Fire, aim toward the sky.”

At first glance, nothing changed when she used the move. A minimal amount of focus and the purple fire materialized in front of her extended arms before she directed it toward the sky. Yet, the move was anything but the same. Even from where I stood I could feel the heat washing over me. tongues of flames continued to lick the air and made it shimmer. I waited for her to relent, but she kept on going.

“Ok, stop for now! We have other tests.” I shouted to get over the noise of the roiling flames. “ Damn, girl, I’ll have to be careful with my eyebrow with you. Next on the list is Psybeam. Fire it normally.”

Once more, she extended her two thin arms in front of her. Then pure psychic energy was shot out straight for the sky. Unlike Mystical Fire, there was no overwhelming physical impact on the surroundings, but the size of the beam alone let me know that the power behind it increased even further. Speed wasn’t even a factor when it came to Nike and psychic moves, I didn’t doubt that she could fire these types of beams repeatedly.

The next moves were a bit more iffy. Calm Mind and Heal Pulse didn’t have a noticeable change. Although, Heal Pulse for a move that we never really used seemed a bit too fast. Then came Nike's favorite move, in my opinion, Teleport. We still didn’t want to risk teleporting someone else along with her, but any doubt that had about abusing this move had gone out the window. She used the move as if it was an extension of her body. It still took a stupid amount of energy if she went too far or too fast, but it was undeniably the move the most affected so far.

Then came Protect but given that it was a move we barely used before the evolution, there was no output to benchmark against. Now that I thought about it, we were slacking off in terms of trying the moves. Well in my defense, fighting in the desert just for the sake of it was far from the best idea, so I gave myself a pass.

“Now then, I know we just used it earlier today, but how about you show me that new fancy move of yours?” I smirked.

The not-so-small-anymore-Pokemon mirrored my smirk as she moved away. The lack of target was really getting frustrating at this point, for this one we could pound sand. Literally. Nike’s braid glowed with a dark light that covered the entirety of their bulge. Then, in a mighty heave, she shifted her weight onto one of them before slamming the one she lifted off the ground and-

Boom.

The sand around her exploded upward in a sort of geyser born from sheer power alone. Much to her displeasure as it meant that she was covered in the characteristic rust-colored sand of the area.

I tried. I really tried to hold back my laughter, but when I saw her face covered in sand, I cracked. Only her eyes were visible since she closed them. Speaking of eyes, the way they narrowed at my laughter bode nothing good. Without missing a bit, she disappeared before reappearing on top of my head to use my hair as a towel.

“Come on stop! That was totally unjust! Look! the other two are laughing but you are attacking only me?” I completely sold my Pokemon.

Skoll in particular had been shaking silently since she was covered while Tiamat was rolling back and forth on the floor. Once they were noticed, they turned around and tried to act innocent. Too bad the psychic type didn’t buy it.

“Hat!Trem trem hattrree.!”

“R-Rio ri riolu”

She inflated her cheek and scolded the two of them in a harsh tone, yet it was working on only one of them. Mainly because Tiamat had trouble getting back on her feet. Nike let her struggle for a while as a punishment and Skoll seemed to have bargained his pardon. Once she was satisfied, she grabbed Tia with psychic power and scolded her as well. I watched their antics for a while, even snapping a couple of pictures before finally calling her back.

“Alright, Nike come back! We still have one more test!”

She ran over on her braids before locking eyes with me. This girl, she already knew what I wanted to test and seemed to have been waiting for this for a while. At least the twinkle in her eyes told me that she was excited about what was to come.

“Fine, fine you already know, so hit me,” I admitted, bracing myself.

‘Hungry’ The small voice sounded through my mind.

‘Really? That’s your first thought?’ I chuckled. ‘Fine, what do you want to eat?’

This time there was a delay before the answer came.

‘13erry. M@g0!‘The voice seemed excited.

While she lacked the vocabulary and mostly spoke in single-word sentences, it was definitely enough to count as telepathy. Plus, it was mostly understandable. But that was not the most important. The most important part was that there was no headache. None. Not even a pressure. I don’t know if it was because we were relaxed, but even so, it meant we could train to speak more regularly.

Even before trying the test, telepathy was one aspect I knew would have improved. There were signs that I only realized were signs in hindsight. Like the amount of feeling I received during the match against George. It was something that we were used to, but the number of times it happened during the match increased. In the heat of the moment, I didn’t realize but I think it was her power growing all along. Plus the complexity of the feelings we exchanged increased greatly. From simple joy and sadness to more nuanced emotions like pride. It was truly a boon.

“Congratulations little princess, we are done! You are amazing!” I lifted her in my arms and gave her a tight hug which she promptly returned. After a while, I lowered her back. “I know I said it was the last test, but do you want to try and use Misty Terrain?”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

She didn’t reply, but instead moved a bit before closing her eyes. It took her a few seconds to gather the energy necessary, but soon, pink mist emanated from her entire body, and slithered ground. The sensation when it brushed past my feet was an odd one. It wasn’t like ordinary mist, but rather, it felt like the mist was purposefully trying to make contact. The energy permeating it seemed almost charged as It raised my hair wherever they made contact.

I watched on as the area she covered with the mist expanded. It was definitely bigger than it was the day before, but that made sense. The moment of truth came once Nike opened her eyes. We didn’t need a large area for now, but we needed it to linger. She stopped channeling the fairy type energy and we watched the mist. It lingered for about 5 seconds before it dissipated into the air.

“That was better than yesterday. Not only the area covered was larger, but it also lingered for a bit. You are definitely on the right track. For now, I think you deserve a break. You need to get used to your changes.”

‘Train. More. Grow. Strong.’

She met my gaze with unshakable conviction. Trying to persuade her amounted to nothing. I ended up caving in and she continued to gather energy and let it seep into the ground.

I moved a couple of paces over to where Skoll stood. “Hey buddy, how are you doing?”

The fighting type paused his movement and looked at me before nodding. I felt back because so far most of the time I let him train on his own, or with Mathew’s Pokemon. But I couldn’t help since there was an imbalance in the team. Nike couldn’t train with him in close quarters while Tia couldn’t keep up. Maybe it was time to look into a fourth member.

“How about we go for a run tomorrow morning before we leave?”

That got his attention back on me and he nodded firmly, excited!

Don’t worry, I will find a way to help you.

Next was Tiamat, but as usual she worked in complete silence. The ground continued to shake as she stomped it, trying to reduce the area she affected. I had thought about how to help her, and I probably had an idea, but I would need to wait until we reached Nimbasa as well.

My poor wallet is gonna feel so empty.

Despite my sigh, I could only smile. It was a dream come true

---

“Maybe I overreacted a bit…”

“Scree.”

“You are right! It’s also his fault for saying all those things!”

“Mreow”

“That’s true but…”

Seraphina was curled in a ball and talking to herself with Tirtouga in her arms. Her Pokemon took turns answering her mutterings, but of course, she didn’t understand them. She knew that they were just listening to her venting and were probably going with whatever she was saying. Just letting her express herself.

She had stormed off in the morning after the discussion with Nexon. The thing he said had upset her more than she was willing to accept. At some point, she knew that she stopped listening to what he was saying and continued the argument simply for the sake of being right.

Once she had cooled off, she realized that he didn’t do anything wrong. He answered the questions she had for him and gave her something invaluable: A description of a legendary. All he asked was to not mention his name to the professor. This is what ticked her off, at least she thinks so.

In truth, it was his sentence about trusting the professor who irked her. The two of them, Prof Max and Michael had been the only ones to help her when she needed it. the only ones to believe her.

Hearing someone call one of them untrustworthy felt like a personal attack. But…even so, was it worth fighting with one of her only friends? He wasn’t obligated to like the person she liked. That was not how friendship worked.

“Are we even still friends?” she thought aloud.

Flashes of cruel smiles flashed in her mind, but she refused to let memories overwhelm her. Not anymore.

Thinking back, was it really that bad that he didn’t want to be mentioned? She had the information. And like Mathew said she could just say that the source is anonymous. It wasn’t rare when it came to research touching on legendary. Even old legends were considered so even if it was just a rumor, it would be taken into consideration.

She truly regretted her outburst now. Maybe he was mad at her. What would she do if he decided to simply stop talking to her? tears threatened to spill from her eyes because as much as she didn’t want to admit it right now, she had grown to like their banter and companionship.

But he also should have taken what she was thinking into account. Why wouldn’t he trust someone whom she trust? Did it mean that he didn’t trust her as well? People often said trust in me who trust in you after all.

Her mind kept going in circles around the topic. All the while her team snuggled close to her. Her hand had been idly scratching Tirtouga’s head and that seemed to put her to sleep. Rufflet had found his way on her shoulder and was rubbing against her. Meanwhile, her two closest allies sat to either side. She didn’t know how long she would have taken to calm down without all of them.

Thinking about her team also brought to the front the reaction of the Riolu when she spoke about her doubts. Her team had leapt at her defense but that also brought the other Pokemon into the fray. In truth… this was one of the statements she made purely to have the last word. Yet because of her ego, she created a rift not only in the group but between the teams as well.

She couldn’t stop herself from sighing before finally getting up. She carefully shifted the sleeping Pokemon and returned her to her ball after making sure she was still sound asleep. Her other Pokemon shook themselves and were already waiting for her at the entrance of the room. She smiled at that, seeing that they had probably already guessed her answer.

She exited the room and made her way to the lobby area where she met Mathew. The older trainer didn’t say much opting to only smile knowingly before nodding toward the door. It was only then that she noticed that the storm had abated. It threatened to add another layer of guilt as she thought that they might have departed if she didn’t lock herself in the room. She shook her head and made her way toward the empty area in front of the center.

As she stepped out, she saw that Nexon was still adamantly training with his Pokemon, rotating between each of them and talking to each of them. She got stuck for a while just watching until Nike noticed her followed shortly by Nexon turning around. She had been caught off guard yet there was only one thing to do.

Here goes nothing

“Hey…”

---

I was watching Tiamat trying again and again to narrow her area of focus to finally trigger Earth Power. She was getting closer by the attempt and that made me wonder if perhaps the environment was helping her. I mean, I would assume that sand would be more familiar to her.

‘Behind.’ The crystal-like voice of Nike sounded in my mind and broke me out of my thoughts.

I spun and was met by amethyst color eyes as Sera stood a few meters behind me. Judging by how her eyes widened slightly she was caught off guard but quickly composed herself.

“Hey…”

That was an awkward beginning. I had been trying to avoid the situation for as much as possible but it seemed that it was not very long in the end.

“Hey… What’s up?”

That was also a stupid start. Currently, we were both trying to avoid the massive Copperajah in the room but eventually, it would have to be addressed. Trying to act like nothing happened was just stupid. Also, I didn’t even need Nike’s help to know how awkward she felt. Seeing the awkward silence that followed my greeting, I decided to at least make the first step. After all, I was technically the oldest.

“I’m sorry about-”

“Look, sorry ab-“

Of course, we decided to start talking at the same time. It at least served to break the tension a bit.

I let my smile reach my lips. “Ladies first.”

It served to make her laugh again even if temporarily, so that’s a plus in my book. Soon she regained her composure but most of the tension was drained.

“Right! I wanted to apologize for this morning. I should have respected your thoughts no questions asked. Especially since you already answered some of my questions. I overreacted and I am sorry for that.”

Gotta be honest, I wasn’t expecting her to come out and apologize straight off the bat like that. But never was upset about her outburst after all.

I shook my head. “I’m not upset really, if anything I think Skoll is more deserving of an apology. I understand where you came from. I wanted to apologize for that as well. I shouldn’t have said it like I did or at least should've told you when it happened.”

“No, you did the right thing. I would’ve probably reacted worse back then. And you are also right. “she came closer and knelt in front of Skoll. “I am sorry for saying that you were wrong Skoll. I know they are just words, but I want you to know that I didn’t truly mean it.”

She met the gaze of the fighting type who matched it for a while before turning his head to the side. “ Riolu.”

“Thank you.”

With Sera having apologized to Skoll, soon the two groups of Pokemon started to mingle once more. There was still some tension but that was to be expected.

I clapped my hand to draw everyone’s attention. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I am starting to get hungry. How about we stop for today and go to bed?”

At the mention of food, a growl was heard and everyone turned their head to a now beet-red Seraphina.

“To my defense, I didn’t eat after breakfast…” she muttered but everyone was too busy laughing.”

---

For once, I woke up early by myself without any Pokemon poking me. that wasn’t to say that it was an easy wake-up, but I managed it. I had a promise after all. Skoll was also awake which was to be expected, but Nike was a surprise. Even more surprising was when she went to wake Tia. So the solo run turned out to be more of a team exercise and we found ourselves outside.

“The plan is to run around the village for around 30 min. Skoll you don’t have to slow down since you are the faster. Then we will meet back here for some stretching. Everyone got it?

“Riolu!”

“Hat.”

“Tra”

Once I got the confirmation for all of them, I clapped to mark the beginning of the trek. I decided to match my pace to Tia’s since she was the slowest of us. Nike stuck with us and Skoll did for a while before he shot ahead. Seeing Nike run on her hair was a weird sight to see but one that was interesting.

Running on the sand was a lot harder than I expected too. My feet kept sinking at each step I took. If anything I think it added to the training method but it was still harder than I thought it would be. Skoll didn’t seem to have any problem though, since he shot past us several times.

That’s a fighting type for you.

After that, the stretching was really what we needed to get our muscles to relax a bit. I managed to sneak in a pull-up competition with Skoll which I obviously lost without contest. It was still fun. By the time I had a shower and breakfast, Mathew and Sera were done and waiting for me. before leaving though, I made it a point to go and say goodbye to the Absol pack. The one who had been pranking the clerk tried to sneak away with us, but the patriarch quickly caught on.

Before I left, the Pokemon padded closer to me before examining me closer. When our eyes met, I looked away to avoid antagonizing them. When it repositioned itself, however, I was forced to meet his gaze. After a few uncomfortable seconds, he huffed and went back to sleep.

‘ You know what that was about?’

‘…worried.’

That was anything I managed to get from my partner. She seemed puzzled as well. Though I guess it wasn’t easy for her to read a Dark type. Strange occurrence aside, I was glad it stopped the prankster since I didn’t think I was ready to deal with a Dark type in my team. I was already worried about Tia’s evolution.

The Mirage Village was close to Nimbasa; without the sandstorm, we would have probably reached it yesterday. But of course, I had forgotten what essentially a must-see spot when going between Castelia and Nimbasa. The Join Avenue market.

I only vaguely remembered what it was since I mostly ignored it. All I knew was that it was some sort of shopping center. Yet even with these expectations, I was completely baffled by what I saw. Nimbasa was visible from where we stood, but the majority of our was taken by a large building, smack in the middle of the Route. Meaning if you only used the routes it was something you could not miss.

I couldn’t even imagine the cost the owner must have paid to get such a location. No doubt that it was outside the city lowered the cost, but it was still a prime real estate for any business. The automatic glass door opened when we stepped close and revealed a second set of doors.

“Why are there two sets of doors?” Sera asked.

“To avoid accident since the air inside is likely cooler than the hot air of the desert,” I explained which earned me raised eyebrows. “What? I know things.”

Once we stepped inside, any worry about the cost that had to be paid was thrown out the window. The space inside was not only massive, but also positively packed. Calling it a shopping center was more of a euphemism since it was more like a gigantic marketplace. Stands stretched as far as the eye could see, and that was only when following one of the main paths. Because it was far from the straight line that I remembered. Stands stood to the side sure, but then you had a bigger stand causing the path to fork.

The stands were not the only things that packed the space. People were also in large clumps. And that was from the desert side of the entrance that was mostly, well, deserted. People shouted and called out while others were discussing the price animatedly. It was so much to take in even for me I was surprised to see Nike doing fine. Sure she had her eyes closed and seemed to be focusing but still. It was only when I reached out to her that I noticed that she completely closed herself off.

“Are you ok?” I asked while patting her.” Do you want to go back inside?”

At that, she opened up just a tiny bit before focusing inward once more. ‘Ok. No’

Just two words, but a lot of emotions. Determination but also a fair bit of exasperation and violence. That last one surprised me and I was tempted to return her regardless. Having her attack someone because of their emotion would be dangerous. There was no doubt that she had better control over what she let in but it was still a risk. The determination I felt was the deciding factor.

“If it gets too much tell me immediately. Do not push yourself.” I told her with a serious tone and I felt her hesitating before she nodded.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? From what the dex said she might lash out.” Sera asked.

“It’s fine. She knows what she is doing.”

Finally, we set forward. As to be expected, we were accosted numerous times but we mostly ignored them and continued onward. We still glanced about the stands to see if there was anything that interested us, with only a few surprises. One such surprise was when we saw a trader for actual Pokemon. Well, they were mostly babies and seemed excited to even see so many people passing by.

That stand caught my attention at first because it was structured differently from the other. It was a big pen like you would expect at a children's playground. The Pokemon inside we playing with each other or trying to appeal to some of the people passing by. What’s more, on every side there was a board with different licenses to show that it was a respectable establishment and approved by the authorities.

The second reason, and the reason why I stopped was a Pokemon. One that I was particularly fond of in the games it was introduced in. A small black and yellow lizard that was flaring its frills and generally parading itself. That also drew the attention of one of the salespeople.

“Ah! I see you have a good eye for Pokemon from other regions, young man.” He said while sending a look toward Nike who would look like she was sleeping. “This one here comes from our good Kalos region. Helioptile!”

The few Helioptiles came racing over, front limbs dangling while their legs were doing all the work. Soon they arrived in front of us and were clamoring for attention. The clerk then extended one arm that was quickly scaled by one of the Pokemon before he handed it to me.

“They are the only dual electric and normal type to date and are extremely popular in Kalos as both combatant and non-combatant Pokemon. They are also very mild-tempered which makes them perfect for beginners.”

While he was going on with his speech, the electric lizard made its way to my shoulder only to find it occupied by a braid. It looked curiously I Nike, but quickly brought him to my palm and looked at him. The small Pokemon looked at me and smiled. Damn it this Pokemon is awesome.

“How much do you charge for one?” I asked. I knew very well I had nowhere near enough, but in the future? You can bet I am getting one.

The guy’s face grew serious. “Well, it’s not only a question of money. We take great care of our Pokemon so we usually run a quick background check, then we look for one that wants to follow, depending on your needs. So even if you have the money, it is not guaranteed.”

I smiled at that since it showed how much they cared. “Don’t worry, I don’t think I could even afford one right now. It is just for future reference. Also, can you tell me more about the background check?” I asked while handing him the curious Pokemon.

His smile came back instantly. “Of course, we usually charge around 80k since it is a fairly common species.” I choked. “But I am sure if you come back, we can arrange something. As for the background check, we just make sure that there is no accusation of abuse or other inappropriate behaviors.”

That made sense. The league wouldn’t let anyone access the deeper parts of a trainer's profile. It was still interesting to see how their service worked.

“Helioptile?” Mathew asked.

“Yep. I like them.” That was my only answer in the end.

The only other stand that attracted me was one of those that ended up in front of you when the path turned abruptly. This time I didn’t stop since I had no use for what they were selling currently, but I made notes of it. They were selling evolutionary stones. They weren’t the best quality, but neither was their price high, so it was worth looking into if I ever needed one.

After that, there was nothing really but that was because we stuck to the main paths. I had no doubts that there were probably some hidden gems in the smaller paths and made a note to come back here, maybe before moving away from Niimbasa.

Once out of the Join Avenue, we could finally see Nimbasa better. Even from where we stood, it was understandable why it was dubbed Battle Central. Several large buildings were visible, with no unclear purpose. It took us a few more hours, mainly because Sera wanted to battle some wild Pokemon. Even so, we were finally in Nimbasa.

We made our way toward one of the Pokemon centers, completely skipping the one closest since it was most likely full.

“Let’s see here… the second closest is-”

Before Mathew could finish his sentence, an all too familiar Gardevoir teleported in front of us. Yet surprise froze her enough for her kidnapping, or rather poke-napping, attempt to fail. Nike somersaulted away meaning that Jeanne only grabbed the air above my head. Nike was all to please with herself as giggled while keeping herself aloft.

The shock of missing her target meant that Jeanne was helpless when Klint appeared a second later, only to freeze as well. While I was busy laughing at their faces, I heard Sera murmur something quite fitting before reassuring the visibly on-edge Mathew.

“Oh shit, here we go again”