I could feel the bags under my eyes when I returned to Devon. Steven wasn't playing around when he told me to fill everything out by the end of the week. Just the forms themselves took up practically all my time.
But, I managed to finish everything the day before the deadline. Everything was written, signed, printed out, and copied. Now I just had to turn them in.
I was back in my "Avery" disguise when I entered the main lobby. I admit, it was suspicious I technically hadn't shown up to work in a week, but I hadn't gotten fired. Instead, per Steven's request (read: order), I was to submit a written notice of my resignation.
I'd been here as Alex a few days before, but no one had connected me to the disguise.
The receptionist was kind, understanding, but also a little confused when I gave her the notice. She accepted it just fine, so I began to walk off. That was all this was supposed to entail, but, of course, someone called out to me when I angled to leave.
"Avery?"
Sam paused in the entrance of the second hallway and looked at me, bewildered. His Seedot was at his side, with both Jigglypiff and Shiftry still in their balls. The second I stopped to glance behind me, he dashed over to reach my side.
"I thought you were dead! What happened?"
"Dead?"
"Well, I mean, you didn't show up to work and there was that big explosion..."
Shit. I did just kind of disappear on him when Zinnia attacked.
"Sorry. I got distracted filling out forms related to, well, everything. I only came back here to turn in my resignation."
"Your... resignation?"
Sam's expression dropped, and his gaze turned to the floor. It hurt me to see just how downcast that news had made him. He only knew me for two days, but I had helped him catch Jigglypuff and given him a lot of advice.
Looking around, the lobby only had the receptionist in it, and as it was the middle of the day, the street outside was empty. I motioned for him to follow me to the couch, which he did, confused.
"Look," I started, "I've been dishonest with you for these past few days."
Sam looked at me, questioningly.
"I told you my name was Avery, but it's not. It's Alex."
He tilted his head to the side, still not understanding.
Sighing, I grabbed the side of my face and pulled, removing the prosthetics that reshaped my cheeks. Sam let out a surprised yelp at that, but, slowly over the course of a few minutes, my face returned to its normal form, and Sam's eyes went wide.
"No way," he breathed.
"Sorry for the dishonesty. Let's start again. I'm Alex."
"...Sam."
He cautiously took my hand, as if he was unable to believe what he was seeing. I patiently waited on the couch for a response, but what he said next could barely be considered words.
"But I was— But you were— The Devon Corporation—"
"I'm working for the League now. There was something I needed to take care of. I won't get into specifics, but disguising myself for this job helped things turn out okay."
Sam slowly nodded.
"Look, Sam. I was going to contact you in the next few days, but I actually have an offer for you."
"An offer?"
"You want to become a proper Pokémon trainer, right?" He nodded again. "But you need money. So..."
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a simple, paper card that contained Marty's contact information. His company hadn't been formed, but he needed trainers to get himself off the ground.
Sam was a good Pokémon trainer, or, at least he carried the potential to be one. Seedot's Bide was strong for his level, and Sam had been exceedingly clever when he convinced Jigglypuff to join his team.
I could see him going far in the League, and Marty needed people to sponsor. A deal like this would benefit them both.
"When you have the time, call this man, and tell him that Alex recommended you," I said. "He's starting up a company that sponsors trainers, and I think you would be a good option to help start it off."
Sam slowly pulled the card from my hand, and wide eyes stared at it in shock. Tears dripped onto the tops of his cheeks, but he wiped them away and sniffed.
"T-thank you. I didn’t— I never thought something like this would ever happen to me."
"Sometimes all you need is a bit of luck. You'll be a good trainer, Sam."
He sniffed again, then gratefully shook my hand. After that, we said goodbye and split apart, leaving Sam to continue his job and me to do mine.
I still had a few forms to turn in in a variety of locations, and after that, I was essentially free. November was still several months away, and with it, Alola. Before then, I planned to do something that'd been stuck on my mind.
Filling out all those forms in a Pokémon Center hasn't been fun. I wanted a place where I could privately work while also dumping my stuff. Sycamore's lab was fine, but I wanted a place that was completely my own.
I was going to follow Cynthia's advice. I was going to buy a house.
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"Thanks for the help, you two," I said.
"Yeah! Anything for a friend!"
"Anything for my primary investor."
Marty's comment made me grimace, which only caused him to laugh. Wally glared at him for a few seconds until the moment had passed, and the pair returned to staring over my shoulder at Marty's laptop's screen.
"So, Alex, do you have a location in mind?"
"I don't know. Probably somewhere I've already been."
I wanted to buy a house for a dozen different reasons. Primarily, I wanted to have a place to dump my stuff. I had a trophy in my backpack that was in serious danger of getting banged around. Plus, I liked the idea of having a place to relax that was just mine and no one else's.
Well, just mine and the rest of my team's.
"I know you haven't really traveled to Johto, but Olivine is good year-round. Friendly people, friendly Pokémon, and you already have a number of fans living in the city."
"No! Alex should settle down in Hoenn. It's everyone's first region, after all. It's poetic, I think."
Wally nodded, smug. Marty rolled his eyes.
"I hope you choose a place for more than just thematic reasons. After all, between seasons, it's a place you'd actually live."
We were at Wally’s place for this round of planning, set up in his wide living room. On my screen right now was a list of regulations when it came to owning land. This wasn't strictly necessary for me to follow, as I could find a place inside any major settlement that did not have regulations, but I wanted to build a space that could expand.
Norman's private acres were still clear in my mind. I was envious of how much space his Pokémon had, and I liked how he was able to have multiple buildings back there. I wanted to do something similar for my own, where there would be forests and wilderness around wherever I built.
"Actually, I think I agree with Wally," I said.
"Really?" Marty asked.
"Yeah. Sinnoh's too cold, and I don't think I'd be able to handle Kalos's culture all the time. There's not anything wrong with it, it's just too different from what I'm used to."
He nodded, understanding, and I clicked the option that narrowed the rules down to Hoenn's. Several numbered lines appeared, and I read them through slowly.
One: Land boundaries must be clearly marked.
Two: Any purchases must be approved by the closest recognized settlement.
Three: Planned inhabitants must be able to protect themselves, or they must have Pokémon dedicated to that role.
I hummed as I scanned through the rest of the list. There were a lot of rules on how to handle Pokémon who have already claimed the land (nine times out of ten, they were already there and had to be left alone) as well as other, more local restrictions.
To my dismay, property tax for these kinds of constructions was through the roof, but, to my utter elation, it would be waived since I worked for the League.
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"So if you're settling down in Hoenn, where to?"
"Not Mossdeep," I said quickly. "It'd be nice to be near Shoal Cave, but island living is too restrictive, and I don't want many people to recognize me."
"Mauville, then?"
"No, too corporate."
One by one, cities were narrowed down. Petalburg didn't work because most of its woods were already claimed. Similarly, almost all of the surroundings of Rustboro were filled to the brim with wild Pokémon. Lavaridge was too hot, and Fallarbor was covered in ash.
I wanted a relatively normal place to live, and I wanted amenities to not be too far away.
"Wait a second," Wally said. "If you take everything else that's left out, this only leaves—"
"Yup. Verdanturf."
I was already in Verdanturf town, which made things easier. Wally's noise of excitement proved he thought it was a decent idea, too.
Essentially, the settlement itself was well developed, and both Rustboro and Mauville were close enough to get any rarer or more expensive supplies if needed. Not only that, but the land around it was relatively unclaimed, and the flower fields to the east would be popular with my Fairy Type team.
"And now I need to choose a spot to build a place," I said.
"Don't forget to hire some guards. Your team could probably handle it, but you need to keep watch over both the construction agency and the house itself if you plan to live in the woods."
I nodded at Marty's comment. This wasn't like Sycamore's ranch. I planned to have my team rest here instead of there, and even though they were tough, they needed to be well protected.
Wild Pokémon and thieves were two issues I'd need to worry about. My property couldn't be open to anyone wandering in. With the construction being in the woods, even if it was so close to a town, I would need to be able to protect anyone that worked on the house.
"So should I take care of finding a location or figuring out the guard problem, first?"
"Definitely the guard problem. You don't have to make any decisions now, but it'll be nice to know what your options are when you search around for a place."
I hummed at Wally’s rational take. It made sense, but I could tell he really just wanted to look at the Pokémon. From my position in the League, I had access to many resources for this task, and my achievement of winning a Conference opened up even more to me.
I went to a few different sites for this, looking through all of the options available. I could hire trainers to guard, I could hire teams of Pokémon, or, alternatively, I could "adopt" Pokémon to live on my property that would scare intruders off.
I saw Houndoom, Mightyena, Absol, and something called a “Mabosstiff.” Kadabra were popular, but their evolution, Alakazam, were not. Canines were by far the most actively used type of guard, especially since their species had a keen sense of smell.
“Too bad there aren’t any Fairy Type options,” I said.
“Actually, there are.”
Marty made me scroll down on the computer and pointed out one species in particular. I had missed them initially, as I had never seen them before, and I raised an eyebrow up.
“Says here the pack leader used to belong to an Ace Trainer,” Marty read. “His trainer passed away, and now he’s looking for a place to keep his pack that’s safe and out of the way.”
“That’s sad, but I’m not sure that it’s what I'm looking for.”
“But they’re Fairy Types, Alex! You have to get them.”
Wally made a convincing point, and I clicked on their listing to see more information. To my surprise, their species was highly rated, and they were extremely cute, to boot.
“Says here that some of them have worked as firefighters in the past," Marty said. "Apparently, they’re immune to fire.”
That was extremely convincing in its own right. I rushed to click on the listing, and when it came to more details, the site provided.
The pre-evolved form was called "Fidough," and the pack leader was a Pokémon called "Dachsbun." They were all dogs, with Fidough appearing as some kind of uncooked donut-dog, and Dachsbun appearing as some kind of well-bread species.
These Pokémon wouldn't be a part of my team, but they would stick around my home to guard it. I would be liable to take care of them in exchange, basically trading food and shelter to them for payment. It was a cheaper option overall, which was nice because this project would already stretch my budget thin. I couldn't think of a reason to say no, so these Pokémon went to the top of my list for guards, and I turned away from the computer.
“So, we have that settled,” I said, closing the laptop. “Now we just have to find a location. After that, I have to get the local council's approval, then I have to hire a construction company, design the house, clear the area, file forms with the League..." I sighed, already tired from the sheer amount of work this would entail. "But, it'll be worth it. Might take some time, but I'll have my own place soon enough. And, we'll be neighbors, Wally!"
Wally cheered, and Marty chuckled softly. I passed back his laptop, then got up to stretch. I’d need to talk to my team about this decision, but I knew they’d like it. Not only would they get new friends in the form of the bread-based guard dogs, but they'd each be able to design an area of their own.
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The next few months passed eventfully. Unfortunately, both Marty and Wally quickly left for Sinnoh, as its season started in June, and all my other friends in the region were pre-occupied by their own jobs.
I had only until November to get everything worked out. The house didn't need to be assembled by then, but it needed to have all the basics in place. I managed to hunt down a spot located just north of Verdanturf. It was a clearing nestled between some thick trees, with a cliff of the mountain range nearby, and the flower fields not too far to the east.
I was worried about getting Verdanturf's approval for this, but they took one look at my background and hastily accepted. The mayor of the town was so fast to allow me the land, he didn't even negotiate the price and gave me quite a discount.
(I looked it up later. Towns tended to grow whenever a high-ranking League member settled down within them. Not only that, but having an Elite living in or near town meant there were even stronger defenses in place if there was ever an attack.)
In total, the cost to buy the land and pay for the house was... a lot. But, labor was cheaper than I expected, and I had the cash reserves to handle it. I had already given some of my savings away, but Marty had negotiated me down to give less than I’d wanted. That left me with a sizable amount of money that still grew monthly. I hired a contractor to work out the exact location, an architect to help design the home, and then a company to start the build.
If I hadn't won the Sinnoh Conference, this wouldn't have been possible. The reward money was basically completely paying for this.
Once the initial tasks were completed, my goals switched priority. Construction began on the building, but I had a duty to follow as a member of the "Wandering Elite." I made sure everything was set up, Dachsbun and the rest were settled in, then I collected my team and headed out.
We spent this time walking through the region and training. I didn't have any specific objective, so I just meandered between cities. There were tournaments here and there, and I finally tested the routes outside of Fallarbor as spots for training. As the Hoenn season had started, trainers were plentiful to battle as we trained.
We focused on abilities, mostly, because that had been what had been falling behind. Sinnoh had been dedicated to power, and now was the time to consolidate that power into tricks and techniques.
The first development came easy. Whimsicott developed his final ability, Infiltrator, that let him bypass the protections of screens and Substitute. The ability came much to the annoyance of Gardevoir, as he could no longer set up a Reflect to keep Whimsicott away. Carbink seemed to enjoy it, though.
Speaking of Gardevoir, he finally finished getting his abilities prepared to use in battle. Synchronize let him mirror any status condition inflicted on him onto his foe, and Trace allowed him to mimic aspects of his opponent's abilities.
Florges, too, had her own abilities developed, but only Flower Guard managed to be finished. She was good at protecting any Grass Types she battled alongside, but she struggled training her hidden ability, Symbiosis. That wouldn't be mastered for quite a while.
The Pokémon that got the biggest benefit out of all of this, however, was Rapidash. He managed to get both his remaining abilities trained. Pastel Veil meant he could no longer get poisoned, and Anticipation warned him if his opponents knew any especially threatening moves.
Other than those abilities, we spent time on moves, but not as dedicatedly. Rather than learn moves from scratch, I finally went ahead and requested a few more TMs from the League, and we spent our time bringing them up to par.
To start, I requested Protect, and I taught it to as many Pokémon as I could. I had bought a one-use version of the move long in the past, but it was high time the rest of my team picked it up. The sheer flexibility of the move it provided would be critical to surviving the most powerful of attacks.
Similarly, I bought "Stored Power" to teach as many as I could. The move allowed a Pokémon to launch attacks that scaled exponentially with any boosts a buffing move granted. Ninetales, Rapidash, Gardevoir, and Florges all learned the move.
Next, Whimsicott learned Toxic via TM, as he just couldn't figure it out on his own, Carbink learned Rest to give them at least one form of healing move, and Azumarill learned Scald to mix burns in with her punches.
Including the Seed Bomb and Recycle TMs I had already received for Dedenne, the only other TM I received was the extremely rare TM for Teleport. It was selfish of me, but this TM was the only way certain species could learn the move. No one on my team was a viable option, unfortunately.
That left two TMs for now. I'd choose what those were in the future.
We traveled and we trained. I met up with Laura, Hideki, and Takao in Dewford. I caught up with Thomas in Fortree. Then, an idea came to mind, and I visited Mossdeep to have a meal with Steven. After, Ninetales and I headed out to Shoal Cave. I had an idea. Now we just needed her to accept it.
----------------------------------------
“See anything?”
Ninetales shook her head and continued forward. Around her, a low Dazzling Gleam lit up the cave. Iridescent light illuminated the coarse walls, and the small specks of ice reflected the beautiful colors.
This time, upon visiting Shoal Cave, I actually took a boat, rather than a jet ski. I managed to work out a deal with a local captain, as he would occasionally visit the caves to harvest the valuable Shoal Salts and Shoal Shells within.
Zubat were the most common Pokémon here, followed closely by Golbat. I saw the occasional Spheal poke its head up through the water, but other than that, we were mostly left alone.
There were no Glalie, there were no Snorunt, and, unfortunately, there was no Walrein with a curious stuffed toy.
I hope it’s doing well.
Ninetales darted through the upper tunnels, her nose sniffing and ears on high alert. She led the way with me close behind. Mawile stuck behind my back to act defensively if provoked.
The pair of Pokémon continued to walk with me through the twists and turns of the cave. We had been here for several hours at this point, but I trusted the pair would know how to get out.
Then, suddenly, Ninetales’s head shot up. She stared down one corridor with a serious look in her eyes before using Agility to dart down.
Mawile and I exchanged a look. After only a moment’s pause, we rushed after her.
Ninetales was fast—incredibly so. With Agility up, she was even faster. She was gone within an instant, requiring me to bring out my flashlight. Mawile helped track her down, and when we finally found her, she wasn’t alone.
Two different Alolan Ninetales sat in a freezing cold room. Ninetales herself was easy to recognize; her fur was much silkier than the wild one. Next to her, the wild Alolan Ninetales she was rubbing her face against, looked surprised but amused. Her sister showed the same affection right back.
“Hey,” I called out.
For a moment, Ninetales’s sister looked shocked, but she calmed down when she recognized who I was.
“I have an offer.”
Mawile and I approached. A few squeaks and whines told me of the three Alolan Vulpix sitting in the corner. It took me a moment, but I recognize this place as the same room we had seen last time. The trio was nesting on a pile of snow, and a large chunk of Never-Melt Ice kept this room cold.
“Ninetales and I are building a house,” I said to her sister. “It’s not in a cavern, but it’s being set up in a forest next to a cliff. It wouldn’t take any effort at all to create a cave for your own family. There’s enough space for everyone, and I wanted to know if you wanted to join.”
Ninetales’s sister’s ears were pressed down, and she glanced over to my starter. Her head shook, but only for a moment. Ninetales barked, and then she growled.
Her sister looked shocked as Ninetales leaped back. The pair of them stared at each other for a long time, until it seemed they both came to an agreement; they were starting to ready themselves for a battle.
I wasn’t expecting them to literally come to blows over this, but Pokémon tended to settle their decisions through battle more often than not. Nodding, I granted my Pokémon approval, and Ninetales lowered her head.
It was only through my experience traveling alongside Ninetales that let me understand her intentions. She was going to fight her sister, and if she won, her sister would join us outside of Verdanturf, where it was safe. The location wasn’t ideal for Ice Types, but we would be able to grant them an insulated location within my acquired land, and the three Vulpix would have a much more comfortable upbringing. Even more, if we could bring with us their Never-Melt Ice, any cave we dug would become that much more comfortable.
“Then, need me to give orders?”
Ninetales paused, considered my offer, then shook her head. This was a family matter she wanted to handle on her own.
The sisters faced off, and I took a stance at the side of the room
“This will be a battle between Ninetales and Ninetales,” I said, serving as the announcer. “There’ll be no switches, of course, but the fight will last until surrender. Knockout is a win, but I’d like to avoid that, here. Also, do your best to not attract any wild Pokémon.”
They both nodded, then lowered their heads in preparation. Ninetales’s sister looked confident, almost smug. Ninetales stayed expressionless, herself.
Pausing for only a moment to ensure they were ready, I started a countdown, and yelled to begin once I reached the end. With that, the pair was off.
Both Ninetales raised their heads at the same time, and the temperature in the already cold room dropped several degrees. A cloud of spiraling snow filled the air, causing the two nearly identical Pokémon to disappear within it.
There was a short amount of time where I couldn’t see anything; then, there was a flash of bluish light as a pair of Aurora Veils blocked a pair of Ice Beams. The identical strategy stunned Ninetales’s sister, but she was able to jump out of the way as Ninetales rushed her.
The wild Pokémon used this opportunity to unleash an Extrasensory. Ninetales was unfortunately caught within.
“Vul.”
“Pix!”
“Vul.”
“Pix!”
The three young Vulpix at the side of the room cheered for their mother as Ninetales was caught in the Psychic Type move. I wanted to cheer for Ninetales, myself, but I bit my lip as I needed to be unbiased as the referee. Thankfully, Mawile called out for Ninetales, but her cheers were a little quieter than the rest. Even more, the three Vulpix picked up their volume once they heard her cheering, too.
There was a bark from the wild Pokémon that seemed to almost request mine to surrender. Ninetales stayed stationary next to her, taking the Extrasensory her sister had unleashed. Ninetales didn’t act. She didn’t use any moves. Slowly, as Ninetales easily withstood the attack, her sister became less and less smug.
Finally, the move broke. Ninetales jumped back, smirking at her sister. Once more they stood off, but Ninetales’s sister’s eyes were wild at the sight of her sibling’s own power. Ninetales opened her mouth to attack, her sister created a reflexive Aurora Veil, then not one, not two, but three different Ice Beams formed from both her mouth and the air to slam into the shield.
A grunt told me that Ninetales’s sister was having trouble resisting the attack. The Aurora Veil hung in place, then Ninetales dashed forward.
Her Agility made it so she easily darted to stand behind her opponent. The wild Pokémon tried to shift her defenses to her back, but Ninetales was faster.
A Blizzard struck out. Not a full-fledged, room-wide Blizzard that the move was capable of, but a small flurry of ice slammed into the wild Pokémon’s side. She yelled out a surprised yip, resisting the move but clearly not seeing that coming, before Ninetales lunged forward to bite her neck and hold her to the ground.
The cheering of the Vulpix stopped when they saw the sight of their mother pinned to the ground. Mawile’s own cheers increased even louder.
Then, Ninetales burst with a Dazzling Gleam.
All of Ninetales’s attacks so far had been moves her sister had resisted. Ice resisted Ice, but Fairy did not resist Fairy. Her sister finally suffered from a decent attack, yelling out her name in pain. When the light finally faded away, she wasn’t fainted, but it was clear she had lost.
Ninetales released her bite. Her sister stayed on the ground. Everyone watched as Ninetales trotted away proudly before sitting on the ground across from her sister, smug.
“The victor is Ninetales. Uh, my Ninetales,” I announced.
The three Vulpix all whined in disappointment and rushed to their mother. Mawile nodded proudly at the scene.
It took a few moments for Ninetales’s sister to push up off the floor—not because she was exceptionally damaged, but because she was getting over surprise. She nuzzled her children while eying Ninetales. Ninetales continued to sit with an air of arrogance about her.
Finally, her sister nudged her children out of the way and approached my Pokémon.
Ninetales stood up. They both faced one another. Then, they both let out amused noises and rested their heads on one another’s shoulders.
“So,” I declared. “I guess we’re going on a trip across Hoenn. I’m glad you’re coming with us, but for now, let’s see how much of that Never-Melt Ice we can take. I want to make sure your new home is properly refrigerated.”
I was shown just how much they could take by both Ninetales and her sister picking up the entire mass with their cryokinesis. Seeing that, I was glad I managed to come here on a boat.