“And over here’s the gardener’s shop. They’ve got almost every plant growing there, and you can buy them to cook or make medicines,” Rei explained.
Alec nodded. The sun was about an hour away from setting fully below the horizon. The floor around the shop was adorned with dozens of pots, each one growing a different kind of plant. Some contained flowers, some contained fruits, and others contained plants Alec didn’t recognize. There were even burlap sacks full of soil and fertilizer in a massive pile.
“The owner’s super nice; he lets us take clippings of any plants to grow them ourselves,” Akari said. “Though he knows that anything we grow will never be as good as his produce. He’s got a serious gift with farming.”
“Sounds good. What do you guys usually buy from here?”
“Berries,” Akari responded. “Occasionally, we’ll buy plants like Vivichokes and King’s Leaves here because they’re super hard to find or grow. You do know about berries and their potencies, right?”
“I know a few, like Cheris curing paralysis and Chestos helping with drowsiness.”
“Alright. There are tons of different types of berries, but Corps members only need to remember the ones that help with things like poison, burns, and stuff,” Akari said. “Pecha and Rawst respectively, by the way.”
“Noted. Those other plants you mentioned, what do they do?”
“Vivichokes and King’s Leaves? They have powerful healing properties, but they’re unedible raw. You have to process them somehow. Juice vivichokes and grind King’s Leaves in a pestle. That’ll help with almost any injury. They’re typically more effective on Pokemon, though. Something about them being more attuned to the latent energy of the plants. I’ve seen Joyce cure a Ponyta’s broken leg just using a paste with King’s Leaves in it.”
Alec listened intently, trying to commit all of Akari’s teachings to memory. Unlike school, where the things he learned had dubious relevance in his future, Alec speculated that this knowledge was likely worth its weight in gold. As a Corps member, he figured that items like these would make his life far easier. Although, it wouldn’t be important to him until he earned money.
He examined the arrays of pots scattered on the floor around the building. Each one had an incomparable vibrance to them, testifying to their gardener’s mastery of their craft.
He bent down closely to examine one particular plant that he didn’t recognize at all. Usually, from watching the occasional cooking show or a nature documentary, Alec could generally recognize the type of a plant. The plant seemed very familiar, but he had never seen one quite like it before.
He reached out to feel the texture of its leaves, before -
“What d’ya think you’re doing, touching my plants like that without permission!” a masculine voice shouted.
Alec tensed, recoiling his hand back and snapping his head to look toward the source of the voice. He saw a tall and muscular man with a long beard standing on the other side of the store with a firm expression.
Alec shook his head and tried to form a response. He shot a glance at Rei and Akari, who were engrossed in examining plants of their own, notably without touching them. From his kneeling stance, the man seemed to tower over him.
After a second or two, he hesitantly cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry sir, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Offend me?” he asked. “Nah, you’ll have to do a lot worse to offend me. It’s them you’ve got to worry about offending.”
Alec tilted his head in confusion. “Who?”
Instead of responding, the man merely gestured toward the potted plant that Alec had been reaching for. As he turned to look at it, the leaves seemed to rustle and shake. Alec squinted, trying to determine what was going on. There was no wind at all, so the plant couldn’t have been moved by that. He leaned in closer, before-
A small green Pokemon popped out of the soil, shook itself off, and waddled away. Alec stumbled backward, falling and landing on his backside.
The man let out a chuckle. “I’m just messing with you. I’ve never seen you round these parts before,” he stated matter-of-factly.
“I’m, uh, new,” Alec said. He shot another glance toward the twins, hoping they could help him explain his circumstances. “To the Corps, I mean.”
The strange man nodded. “The name’s Colza. Y’all Corpsmen are my best customers. You’re welcome to return and shop anytime. Take care not to touch any of my Pokemon, though.”
He doesn’t seem that bad, Alec thought.
“Sure. Sorry again,” he said. “I’ll be sure to come back.”
Looking over his shoulder, he saw Rei and Akari heading away, gesturing for him to follow them. He quickly said bye to Colza and followed them away.
“Next up,” said Akari, “is the clothing shop. You definitely aren’t going to need it too often but once you do, you’ll be happy the owner’s so good.”
Alec looked to where Akari was looking, following her eyes to find another open store, with a layout similar to Colza’s. Instead of potted plants, this shop had mannequins, each one sporting a tunic or dress of some sort.
Emerging from the back, Alec spotted a woman emerging. She was advanced in years and wore an elegant navy blue dress with a white apron in front. Her dark-brown hair was painted with streaks of gray. She also wore a pair of brass glasses, which made her eyes seem far bigger than they were.
“Hi Anthe!” Rei said. “Good to see you!” said Akari.
Anthe pressed her hands together happily. “Good day, dears. What can I do for you?” Her voice sounded melodious despite the slight rasp behind it. This was the type of person who, even facing terrible circumstances, would always find a way to have a good day.
“We’re not here for anything,” said Rei. “Just to show the newest Corpsman around. This is Alec.”
She turned to him, brows furrowing as she scanned him up and down. “My, Alec, you have some of the strangest clothes I’ve ever seen around these parts. Where did you say you were from?”
“I didn’t,” he said, shrugging. “I don’t know. I lost my memory.”
“We found him wandering around in the fieldlands,” Akari butted in.
Anthe covered her mouth. “Oh goodness me, bless your heart,” she said, barely above a whisper. “Well, have you any interest in fashion? I’d love to have another model to experiment with.”
“Experiment?” Alec asked.
She laughed warmly. “I mean trying on different outfits. Finding combinations. You look like just the perfect size.” She held up her hands and measured him with her fingers, one eye shut.
“Why yes, I have the perfect thing. Wait right there dear,” she said, hurrying into the back with surprising speed. She returned a moment later carrying some clothes on a hanger that looked rather similar to Rei and Akari’s blue Corps uniforms.
“How does this look?” she asked. “It’s perfect for a Corpsman; great for rolling and dodging, plenty warm to keep out the cold.”
Alec wavered for a second and held up his arms. “No thanks, I’d rather keep my current clothes.”
“I understand, dear,” Anthe said, lowering the hanger and hooking it on a nearby rack. “Clothes can be sentimental. They might hold a key that unlocks some of your past. Well, do come back soon. I don’t just sell clothes, I can repair and stitch up anything, good as new.”
Alec smiled warmly. “I’ll be sure to come by.”
“Well, we’ve got to get going,” Akari said. “We’re giving Alec a tour of the whole village. Bye!”
“Goodbye dears, and good luck Alec,” she said with a smile that could’ve melted snow.
So far, he had seen a good handful of marketplaces, shops, and the like all strewn about the village. Rei and Akari were excellent tourguides. Overall, the shopkeepers seemed to be on very good terms with the twins. It made sense because they acted as the middlemen who directly profited off of the twins’ efforts in hunting and gathering. Almost all of them gave them some kind of special treatment like better deals or bonus items compared to the regular townsfolk.
Another common thread that linked them all was their quick acceptance of Alec’s presence. As soon as they heard the fact that he was simply a new Corpsman, they quickly warmed up and began showing him around the shop. Maybe the naturally extroverted nature of shopkeepers was playing a part in this.
It got Alec thinking about the economic aspect of being a Corpsman. They obviously earned a salary from somewhere. Was the Corps part of this village’s government? Or was it its own separate organization? Either way, according to Kamado, Alec would be getting a small stipend from them for his efforts. Keyword: small. He would still have to make money through doing other jobs to get by, according to Rei and Akari.
But how would he make money?
Luckily, the twins answered this question next.
“And at this corner’s our favorite general store,” Akari said. “The owner always pays a fair price for our stuff, so he can go and barter it to traders to stock his store.”
“Yeah, he’s a fierce bargainer but you’ll always get a good deal if you hold your own,” Rei finished.
Just like all the other stores they had visited, it was an open storefront with woven wicker baskets of items placed on tables out front. The building had a large awning over the entrance, which was more of a missing wall than a door. Inside, a tall and thin man with long black hair stood behind the counter. He spied them from his post, and his expression immediately lightened.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Ah, Rei, Akari. What have you got for me this time?” he asked, leaning forward on the counter.
“Alec, this is Anvin. An, this is Alec, the newest Corps member. You’ll be seeing a lot of him once he finds his stride in adventuring,” Rei said.
Anvin nodded, saying, “Well met, young man. You can count on me to buy your surplus harvest any day. I’ll make sure you get your first-time customer discount, too.”
Grinning, Alec said, “Gotcha. I’ll be seeing you again, then.”
“Anyways, down to business,” Rei said. “We’ve got twelve sacks of quality stones here, alongside three bundles of fresh apricorns and berries. $120.”
“C’mon, you know better. $85.”
“$110.”
“$100 and I’ll throw in five great balls.”
“Deal!” both twins said in unison.
Akari rummaged around in her satchel for a second or two, before resting the aforementioned bundles and sacks on Anvin’s countertop. The man inspects the produce, weighing a few of the stones in his hand and checking a few apricorns for bruises or disease.
How had her satchel fit so many items in it? It almost seemed non-Euclidian how she unfolded it and pulled those items from it.
It reminded Alec of his time back at home on his swim team. Of course, his memories of what exactly happened were too foggy for him to recall, but he still remembered one common happening: struggling to cram all of his clothes and gear into his backpack.
It’s probably still sitting on the side of the road where I left it, thought Alec.
“Alright, grab the balls on your way out. Anything else I can help you with?” Anvin asked with a smile.
“Nah, that’s all. Seeya,” said Rei with a wave, as he and Akari turned to leave. Alec wordlessly turned to follow them.
“New kid, wait up,” Anvin called out as they were leaving. Rei and Akari had already moved away and Alec turned to face him. He ended up turning just in time to see an item, having been tossed, move toward his body in an arc. He instinctively reached out his arm to catch it.
It turned out to be a small foldable pocket knife. It had a wooden handle that comfortably fit in Alec’s hand and the blade was about five inches long. After briefly inspecting the knife, Alec raised his head to look at Anvin.
“We can’t have you dying out there so soon, it’s bad for business,” the man said with a shrug and a smirk. “Just promise you’ll sell me your first haul.”
Alec let a small smile approach his face. “Deal,” he said, mimicking the negotiation he had witnessed earlier.
He then turned and left from under the canopy out front of the store. Once they were outside, the three all stood in a circle. The sun was almost fully set below the horizon.
“Well, that’s basically everything,” Akari said. She leaned backward, stretched out her arms, and let out a massive yawn. Once she finished, she said, “We should head back to camp. You can stay with us for the first night or two, Alec, but you’ll have to be on your own soon.”
After he finished his own yawn (Akari’s was very contagious), Alec nodded in acknowledgment.
“Where is it?” he asks. Hopefully, he won’t have to walk too far with his feet aching from the walking and his leg still stinging slightly despite Joyce’s healing. The twins had already begun walking away toward the village gate.
“Not too far. We use a clearing in the Fieldlands, the area that we just came from,” Akari replied. “It’s only a fifteen or twenty-minute walk there. We’ll be there before sundown, no sweat.”
And with that, the twins and Alec set out toward their campsite. Simply walking with the two gave the day a sort of finality in Alec’s mind. He felt as if he had just finished swallowing a large pill; the tough part was over, now he just had to deal with a bitter mouth for a while.
Don’t get him wrong, he was still very stressed and anxious about the potential happenings of his new region. He thought about the dangers that would present themselves in a world without any modern conveniences. This new world had already directly displayed its fierce prowess, but he had no choice but to keep on. “Be cautious,” nature had said to him. “Respect me, and you will live. Be foolish, and you will regret it.”
As he walked toward the gate in silence, he raised his hand to block the sharp sunlight from stabbing into the backs of his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the rift that he emerged from. It seemed to pulse out ripples of white extremely slowly as if it was spilling radiation into the world.
----------------------------------------
The trio, once passed the gate, proceeded to err to the right side of the valley. Alec still hadn’t seen a map of the area, but from the alpines peppering the horizon, he could only guess that they were heading toward a forest.
He looked over at his two traveling companions. They both walked in front of him, side by side, wordlessly. Both seemed uninterested in conversation, instead focusing intently on the path ahead of them.
He first glanced at Rei. Immediately after he looked over, he saw the boy’s eyes flick elsewhere, giving away the fact that he was keeping watch on him from the corner of his eye.
Next, he glanced over at Akari. She didn’t notice Alec’s gaze, instead appearing deep in thought. He noticed that her fists were clenched as she walked and he could only wonder what was on her mind.
“So, how long have you lived out here?” he asked.
Neither one responded, but after a second, Rei blinked and looked back at Alec.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” he asked.
“I asked how long you’ve been living out here,” Alec repeated with a smile.
“Not long. We tend to rotate campsites every few weeks so that we don’t disturb the Pokemon too much,” he said, shooting a glance toward a few Bidoof playing in the distance.
“I didn’t mean like that. I meant how long you’ve been living outside of the town, out in the wild,” he corrected, less worried about interrogating him and more concerned with conversation.
Rei hesitated for a second, then said, “A while,” and returned his gaze to the tree line.
Not wanting to be a bother, Alec let the subject go and let the rest of the walk go in silence
----------------------------------------
The sun was almost fully over the horizon, and the three had just arrived at the campsite. It was rather run-of-the-mill as hardcore campsites go—although Alec figured theirs wasn’t hardcore, it was the standard, as the lack of modern conveniences was a requirement rather than a choice. It consisted of three felled logs on their sides, arranged in a rough triangle shape. In the middle, there was no grass and a dead firepit made of stones. The logs in the middle were charred and black, and Alec noticed an additional pile of firewood and sticks nearby.
Rei grabbed two pieces of wood from the pile, and Akari grabbed her Pokeball from her belt. With a toss, her Pikachu appeared. Without a word, it fired off a weak electric bolt that arced toward the firepit.
With a sharp crack sound, it produced a shower of sparks. In an attempt to help, Alec pulled a small handful of dry grass from the ground and picked up a few twigs and leaves. Near the weak embers, he gently placed the kindling and began blowing.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Rei kneeling and rummaging around in his satchel. Before long, he pulled out three green-colored balls. He walked over and placed them on the stones bordering the campfire.
Upon noticing Alec’s confused face, he said, “They’re bean cakes, made from a blend of flour, rice, and beans. I’m heating them for us ‘cause they taste better warm.”
Alec smiled at the display of kindness and responded with his thanks for sharing food with him.
Before long, the fire swelled and he stepped back to the logs. Sitting down, he saw the twins also seated on another log. Pikachu rested on Akari’s lap, and she gently stroked her hand along its head and back. Rei had also released his Eevee and was similarly petting it as it purred in his lap.
Alec heard a rustle in the leaves of the trees above. He looked up curiously, and the cause of the noise made itself known: a silhouette of a bird Pokemon. The campfire wasn’t strong enough to illuminate it from the distance, so Alec only saw its two glowing eyes.
It swooped off the branch and glided toward him with a noiseless flutter. Quickly, it was revealed to be a Rowlet with a familiar-looking feather pattern.
There’s no way it's been following me for this long, Alec thought. All I did was give it a berry!
It landed in his lap, and Alec’s disposition betrayed his surprise. The bird began to vocalize a soft sound akin to a purr. Hesitantly, he brought his hands over to it and began to pet it. As soon as he did, it let out a happy-sounding warble and let him continue.
Rei and Akari looked on in astonishment, and Alec could only shrug back at them. They sat like this for a few minutes, before Rei reluctantly stood up and grabbed the bean cakes. He tossed one to Alec and sat down next to Akari, handing the other to her.
The texture felt similar to a rice ball and it felt pleasantly warm in his hands. He looked over to the twins and saw them both breaking off chunks to eat instead of biting into them. Alec mimicked them, pulling off a small piece.
He popped it into his mouth and was surprised at the taste. It wasn’t the best food he had ever eaten, but as far as campfire rations go, it was extremely good. He quickly broke off another piece and ate it too, savoring the texture of the beans and rice.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the twins occasionally feeding pieces to their partner Pokemon, and Alec decided to do the same to his avian stalker. Breaking off a third piece, he hesitantly held it in front of Rowlet, recoiling in surprise as it quickly pecked it and swallowed it in one go.
Alec smiled as its head swiveled back to look at him as if to say, “Got any more? ‘Cause I’m still hungry.” He let out a chuckle as he broke off another piece and fed it to the bird.
Absentmindedly, the three each ate their cakes in silence. For about every two bites the trainers ate, their respective Pokemon got one.
Once his was finished, Rowlet kept looking at Alec expectantly. Alec only shook his head, hoping the bird was intelligent enough to understand the fact that he didn’t have any more food. Shortly, the twins finished their cakes too and they silently moved to go to bed. Each one produced a small bedroll from their satchels.
Knowing he didn’t have anything like that, Alec settled for the warmth of his hoodie and sweatpants. He pushed a small pile of leaves to act as a pillow and lay down parallel to the log he was sitting on.
Rei climbed into his bedroll and wished Akari goodnight, with Eevee curling up on his chest. Akari stayed seated by the campfire, staring absentmindedly into the dancing embers.
“What’s happening?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“It’s my turn to stay up and watch the fire for a bit,” Akari responded in a similar volume. “We alternate staying up for about an extra hour to ensure it doesn’t go out or spread.”
“Smart,” Alec complimented. Akari nods, eyes reflecting the wisps of the fire.
The two sat in silence for a while, before Alec bluntly asked, “How long have you been alone?”
“Huh?” she breathed.
“Alone. You and your brother don’t have anyone to take care of you. You live out in the wilderness and hunt for food,” Alec said.
“I’m not alone,” Akari quickly responded. She glances over at her brother, then at her Pokemon, then off into the darkness. After she returned to Alec’s eye contact, she said, “I have Rei to look out for me and Pikachu to protect me. I’m not alone.”
But what about parents? Alec wondered. He didn’t ask the follow-up question he wanted to, for fear of digging into wounds that hadn’t healed yet. They had to be out here for a reason.
The whole time, Alec had been petting Rowlet. Noticing the tone of the conversation, the bird had wisely decided to stay quiet. Alec didn’t even notice his repeated action; it was a way to absentmindedly keep his hands busy.
The two sat in silence for a while longer. Instead of attempting to spur more awkward conversation when they were both clearly tired, Alec gazed at the fire. The cinders danced a waltz to some unheard music. As time passed, their dancing and the music fell in ritardando and the fire’s wispy tendrils reached lower and lower.
Akari tossed another small piece of wood into the fire, double-checked the surrounding area, and unfurled her own small bedroll.
“Goodnight,” she said in the same hushed whisper from before. “Tomorrow, we’ll show you the basics of gathering.”
“Alright,” Alec said, settling down himself. The pile of leaves he was using as a makeshift pillow crinkled and crunched under the weight of his head. From his shifting movement, Rowlet raised its wings and fluttered up to a nearby branch, where it would spend the night.
Looking up, he saw a great tapestry spread across the night sky. Up there, uninhibited by the light pollution of the city, Alec gazed into the stars.
Back in the city, he merely had to accept the promise of the thousands of invisible stars hiding behind whatever was up there. But out here, there was nothing between him and the heavens.
Unblinking, Alec met the constellations’ gazes in wonder. He didn’t recognize any particular patterns, but he was still blown away by the magnitude of the sky.
Hesitantly, he closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to slip.