As soon as Zack had finished debriefing through his radio, he had all but dragged Basil to the Pokécenter, citing the need to get the freshly caught Zubat an examination.

“Your Zubat will be fine.” the nurse behind the counter said, pressing the Pokéball into Basil’s hands. “ She just needs a good rest and some food.”

“She?” Basil replies with a distant confusion, holding the ball tenderly.

“Mhmm,” the nurse continued absently, “Females of the Zubat line are typically larger than the males. She’s still very young, most likely one of this year's pups from the Meteor Falls colony.”

Basil had wandered back to the table Zack had occupied, anxiously rolling the Pokéball in his palm before placing it on the table between them. Zacks eyes darting up from his scratched and dented Pokénav at the sight of the motion.

“Everything all right, then?” Zack asked, sliding the device back into his pockets.

“Yeah… yeah, everything’s fine. The nurse said that she - Zubat - just needs some rest.” Basil answered.

“That’s great!” Zack beamed brightly at the news “Mama Exploud was upset by the noises Zubat made when echolocating, hence why she had… captured Zubat herself. Us ranger’s are pretty distinct in our uniforms right? That’s so we’re easily recognizable to both people and wild Pokémon, that’s why Exploud felt comfortable approaching us in the tunnel.”

“So they knew that you could, what? Deal with the Zubat for them?” Basil asked, a dry tone sneaking into his voice.

“Bingo. We’ve been through the area before clearing out both trainers and species not native to the tunnel that would stress the local Whismur population. She would’ve put two and two together and figured I could deal with the problem…” Zack trailed off before letting out a sigh. “That being said, I apologise that you had to get involved in the situation. She must have spotted your Pokéball and figured you would be quicker in getting rid of the sharp noisy thing in her hands.”

Basil let out his own sigh. “I’m not exactly thrilled about what happened, but I don’t blame you for it. It was… interesting.”

“That’s a good attitude to have.” Zack smiled weakly “Still though, I’ll buy you a new Pokéball. S’least I can do.”

“Oh thank God. Yes, please”

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Striding out of the Pokémart into the long shadows of the afternoon, Basil was the proud owner of a shiny new Dusk Ball.

“I’m really sorry” Zack had said, all but forcing the nicer Pokéball into Basil’s hands “Consider the Ball part a reimbursement and the Dusk the apology, okay?”

The ball had quickly been shoved into the expanded space of Basil’s bag, which had already begun to lose any sense of organisation. Instead Basil found himself holding and watching Zubat’s Pokéball, as if he expected it to burst open at any moment.

“What’s the matter?” Zack's voice came from behind his shoulder.

“Do you have much experience with Zubats?” Basil replied, in place of an answer.

“Suuuure?” Came Zack’s cautious reply, as the two fell into step with each other. “We work with them sometimes on cave or night based patrols. They get a bad reputation in the competitive scene, sure, but those battle maniacs wouldn’t know biodiversity if it hit them over the head.This about your new teammate?”

“Yeah it is… Is this a sore topic?”

“No, well, yes. A bit. Pokémon Rangers and Professional Trainers are among the most heavily Pokémon centred careers out there. So sometimes the more… zealous… trainers will try and give us ‘advice’ on how to ‘improve’ our teams. Like, they mean well sure and I’m guilty of the same thing myself sometimes, but it's so frustrating sometimes that a trainer will judge a Pokémon solely on how much of a field it can destroy y’know?!”

“I - uh - I guess I know now?”

“Ugh, sorry. Again. Didn’t mean to dump that on you, must be more stressed from that encounter earlier than I thought.” The ranger gave a half shrug as he continued explaining “But yeah, Zubat’s a good Pokémon, but if you don’t want it on your team let me know and I can release it back into its proper habitat.”

“No! I mean, no, that's fine.” Basil shook his head “I just- Zigzagoon’s my only Pokémon, my first ever real Pokémon y’know? And we just… stumbled into our friendship and our dynamic without really trying. I can’t count on things going the same way every time. I don’t want to screw it up and get hurt or get someone else hurt because I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Basil comes to a complete stop, letting the afternoon breeze pass along his skin. Against his waist sits two Pokéballs that seem to hum with an impercitable energy. Zack stops a few steps ahead of Basil, turning fully to stare him down, the ranger's face drawn into a contemplating expression.

“Does that make any sense?” Basil asked aloud “Or do I just sound crazy?”

“I think,” Zack begins, “that it makes perfect sense. I joined the rangers because I love Pokémon, because I love the wilds. But I’ve seen too many people who don’t respect the wilds or respect the Pokémon. It never ends well.”

Then Zack’s grin is back, genuine, but only just reaching his eyes.

“And you do sound crazy, just for the record. Sometimes you make it sound like you’ve never seen a Pokémon in your life!”

Basil just scoffs, walking past and lightly bumping Zack’s shoulder as he does so.

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In the fading afternoon sun, hidden further by the shade of trees that dotted the boundary line of the field behind the Pokémon Center, Zack had finally deemed the conditions right to release Zubat.

“Zubats are nocturnal by nature.” Zack began, taking on a tone that reminded Basil of Roxanne. “They, and other bat Pokémon are active at night and typically sleep through the day. Unlike other bat Pokémon, however, Zubat have particularly sensitive skin. Until they evolve into a Golbat, they need to be kept out of direct sunlight otherwise they run the risk of serious burns. It’s late enough now that we should be fine to release her, she’ll naturally want to keep in the cool shade around the treeline anyway.”

Basil raised the Pokéball, pointing away from himself and Zack and towards the branches of the nearest tree. With a click of the latch the ball sprung open, releasing a shrieking blue blur that promptly crashed into the tree in front of it.

Wincing, Basil covers his ears unable to deal with the painfully high screeches. Standing next to him, Zack seems at total ease, watching the young Zubat with a careful gaze.

“Give her a moment.” Zack murmurs, “Wild Pokémon are easily disorientated after their first capture, more so if the time or location has significantly changed after they are first released.”

Sure enough, after a few short minutes Zubat’s shrieks fall away replaced by soft chittering and squeaks as she clings to one of the lower branches of the tree. Her head swivels back and forth, large ears pointed forwards as she searches her surroundings.

It is one thing to know a fact, and another to understand it. It is a startling reminder for Basil then, that as he looks at the creature’s face, there are no eyes peering back at him under the fuzzy blue fur. He knew this, of course, knew that Zubat’s lack eyes adapted as they are for the darkness of caverns and nights. Yet the lack of such a defining feature, on a familiar shape, on a living thing that even now is searching and listening through its surroundings, displaying real intelligence, is yet another jarring reminder of how alien this world is.

Zack, kindly and incorrectly, seeing Basil’s hesitaation gives him a gentle nudge forward and a big cheery thumbs up.

“Jerk.” Basil thinks with no real heat. Walking forward, Basil stuffs his hands into his pockets and away from both Pokéballs in his belt. Proceeding with a forced casualness he attempts to divert his thoughts to the situation at hand.

Coming to a stop a scant few feet away from the trunk, Zubat’s head’s snaps in his direction as Basil’s feet lightly crunch against the grassy floor. This close to Zubat, and not being distracted by either an imposing Exploud or painful shrieking, Basil is able to take in her appearance in more detail.

Zubat’s small body only grows smaller when compared to their large wingspan, sensitive ears and vicious fangs. All of which dwarf the body of the bat in proportion, creating an almost comical appearance. Small hooked thumbs can be made out, protruding from the front of each leathery wing and digging into the bark of the branch, as two elongated spurs act as pseudo-legs supporting the back half of the body.

Basil begins to murmur reassuances, as he waves towards the bat. “Hey… hey… It’s okay. You’re okay. We’re out of the cave, we’re in Verdanturf. Do you know where -? Actually nevermind that bit.”

At the sound of his voice Zubat perks up and leans towards the noise. Emboldened, Basil continues to speak softly, nodding as he does. “I caught you after Exploud caught you. I mean - with a ball. A Pokéball. I don’t know if you want to stick around with me - me and Zigzagoon - but I don’t know where you came from. Zack said Meteor Falls?”

Basil reaches his arms out towards Zubat, who is now sitting silently with their sole focus on Basils wandering speech.

“If you want I can let you go, right here, right now. Or Zack can take you and try and release you back home, wherever home is.” Basil reaches out further. “Or you can come with us. Zigzagoon and I, we’re going to challenge a few of the gyms, prove ourselves. And then… we’ll figure it out as we go.”

Basil lets his arms fall to his sides, as he gives a rueful shrug.

“It’s your call. If you need time or wa- Oof! “

Before he can begin another confusing, rambling speech, Basil is thankfully cut off by the impact of a fuzzy missile diving into his torso. With a flinch Basil, is forced to wrestle with the enthuisastic little fuzzball as it begins to climb up his shirt, tearing open a small hole as it does. With a few frenzied seconds of effort, Zubat has perched itself upon Basil shoulder, where it chirps contentdely.

“Well, I think that’s a pretty clear answer.” Zack cuts in with a cheshire cat grin.

“Yeah,” Basil replies gently reaching up to stroke a single finger along Zubat, who has started to investigate Basil’s unruly hair with chirps and sniffs “I appreciate you sticking around to help, you didn’t need to - why are you looking at me like that?”

Zack’s grin only grows wider, as he seems to hold back laughter.

“For a Pokémon with no eyes,” Zack begins to lose his composure, a dark cackle rising up behind his words “You sure did a lot of gesturing!”

Basil drags a hand down his face as Zubat watches listens on.

“I take it all back, you’re the worst.”

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After returning to the Pokémon Center for the evening, Basil bid farewell to Zack and Grumpig. The pair loaded up with fresh supplies from the Pokémart, before returning to their Ranger outpost.

Their ride back appeared in a flash of Psychic light, that washed over the grounds in-front of the Pokémon Center and gave Basil a stinging headache. A large rounded shape formed in the center of the light, complete with stubby limbs, and a ring of eyes around an onion-like head. With a black matte surface, the Claydol hung in the air gently bobbing. On its chest, sat a small pin depicting the Ranger Corps Symbol.

Zack and Grumpig has sidled alongside the Claydol, who after a moments delay, began to spin up and accumulate Psychic energy. As the energy converged on Claydol, the air seemingly distorting around it, Zack gave a final wave before the three of them vanished in a second flash of light.

Staggering back into the Pokémon Center, Basil stops to stare at the bulletin in the lobby. Reaching up and pulling off a copy of one of the ads, Basil hastily stuff it’s into his pocket as he trudges up the stairs to the trainer accomodation. It is early enough in the evening that there is still light in the sky, and many of the trainers passing through town are still out and about.

The few trainers Basil does pass by he gives a half hearted smile, weighed down by the exhaustion evident by the slump in his shoulders. Many of the other trainers sport similar looks, and give equally tired waves and grunts.

Unlocking and stepping into the cramped single bed room, Basil hastily drops his bag to the ground and releases both of his Pokémon. As the two tentatively inspect each other with sniffs, chirps and barks, Basil drops face first onto the mattress.

With a few blind swings of his arm, Basil is able to hit the light switch off, leaving the room illuminated by the fading evening sunset.

" 'm going t' sleep" he manages to mumble out. "Zigzagoon is the Boss, d'n wake me till it's morn' "

With that final authoritative command, Basil falls asleep fully dressed. After a few minutes of deliberation and discussion between the two new comrades, the fuzzy shape hangs off the frame of the bed as the bristly shape shoves itself into the trainer's side.

In the morning Basil will wake with an eyeful of sunlight, a crick in his back and Zigzagoon fur in his face.

It will be the best he's slept since leaving Rustoboro.