Joe set out early the next morning. Just before he left town, he checked a notification from Nomads. Payment for a job well done. Much less pay compared to his job with the police. That was to be expected, and Joe wanted it that way. He'd take nothing from civilians and everything from the Government if he could, but Joe understood the payment was there for him as much as it was for the employer. If people could get Joe to help with anything at any time, then they'd take advantage of the situation. Paying showed someone was serious about hiring on Nomads.
Joe saw there was a tip. Sonia didn't have to. He tapped to see it was a comment. He chuckled. The tip was Sonia's Eternal Love. He hoped it was literal.
Lunchtime snuck up on Joe. All his Pokemon were eating, with Sprigatito finishing first and rushing to climb up Joe. She sat on his shoulder and rubbed against his face. He scratched her chin in return. Sprigatito saw Nidoran. Saw the giant scar running along his side. A shiver ran through the cat. That was the exact reason why she didn't want to fight. She feared the potential consequences.
When Nidoran and Hoothoot finished, Joe called them over. They stood before him and looked up. "Just to make sure. Nidoran, are you going to be fighting?"
Nidoran instantly nodded as his eyes sharpened. He believed in using his own strength to get his family back, but he was weak right now. He needed someone like Joe to train him.
Joe scratched his chin. "Okay. I'd like to see what you can do, but for now you'll continue to rest. When I think you're up for it, we'll have a friendly battle." The nurse hadn't said anything extra so Nidoran should be okay, but Joe still wanted to be careful. He turned to Hoothoot. Brought a Pokeball out. "And let me catch you so it's easier to get around."
Hoothoot jumped as Joe tossed the ball. Caught itself.
"Hoothoot, the Owl Pokemon. It has a perfect sense of time and can often be seen keeping rhythm with seconds passing by tilting its head back and forth like a metronome."
#0163 Hoothoot
Gender: Male
Height: 2' 00" (Below Average)
Weight: 18.7kg (Below Average)
Moves: Peck /
Ability: Insomnia
Briefly feels drowsy before snapping awake.
Joe let Hoothoot out. He hopped in front of Joe to center himself. "And what are you going to do? I know I said I'd only use you when Nidoran is involved, but it's up to you. If you fight more, you'll get stronger. You'll be able to help your friend more."
There was a reason why Hoothoot was below average in terms of size and knew but one move. He was lazy. His best friend's parents were a Nidoking and Nidoqueen. He was able to take it easy for most of his life, leading to Hoothoot having little motivation beyond assisting Nidoran.
Hoothoot glared at Joe and turned away, annoyed at the suggestion that he should fight more. Beyond being lazy, Hoothoot was also stubborn. He lacked foresight. He didn't want to entertain the idea that, if he put more effort in now, it would benefit himself and his friend in the future.
"All right, I was just checking."
Unlike his friend, Nidoran had not let the capabilities of his parents stop him from growing. Nidoran had begun training under his father and was on the right track by the time his parents were taken.
Joe packed away what little items he had out. Set off North again. The Pokeball holster only held six Pokeballs, so two of his Pokemon went into his jeans pocket. For now it wasn't a problem, but if Joe caught too many Pokemon, then he was going to need to find a home for them. Given her role as a Gym Leader, Joe considered his mother. The family home was bigger than it needed to be, and it was situated on a sizeable plot of land that Ariana's Pokemon used to roam free. Joe's own would fit right in.
As he walked, a strange feeling ran down Joe's spine. He turned back. Saw nothing and shrugged. Kept walking. Absol watched as the Pokemon in Joe's shadow darted into the forest, using the shade from a thick canopy to stay hidden. Absol was confused why it would suddenly abandon Joe. There were no threats. With the question still on her mind, Absol turned and jogged to catch up with her Trainer.
* * * * *
Pancham had been wandering around the forest, helping fellow Pokemon here and there, when it felt a familiar Aura. The man from before. Pancham decided to go and check on him. Maybe team up with him. But before it got close, a hostile shadow snaked across the ground and rose before Pancham.
Pancham immediately activated Dual Chop. Swung and clashed with Shadow Claw from the shadow. Pancham's vision was filled by a rotund body, ears shaped like horns atop its head. Big red eyes. A toothy grin that equalled Pancham's own.
They had a brief back and forth before Pancham was thrown into a tree. It fell and ducked a move. Struck the shadow's belly with the palm of its hand. The shadow shrugged it off and raised a hand. Created an orb of energy, Shadow Ball, and thrust it down point blank. Pancham was hit into the ground. Pancham tried to rise, but a foot landed on its back.
Pancham thought its life was over. The panda's last thoughts were trying to figure out why the shadow had attacked. But instead of being ended, the shadow spoke. Asked why Pancham was following Joe. So, the shadow was overprotective of Joe. Pancham spat and pushed against the ground on all fours, trying to stand. The shadow's grin deepened. It took its foot off Pancham.
With no resistance, Pancham shot up. It didn't expect to rise so easily, so it was briefly unsteady. It looked up at the shadow. Should Pancham attack? No, the panda felt no hostility from the shadow now.
The shadow began talking. It'd been in charge of keeping Joe safe for almost fifteen years. But now? Now Joe had Absol. The shadow would remain close, but honestly, in an all-out fight, the shadow believed it would lose to Absol. Absol was a better protector. It may seem odd for a weak shadow to be tasked with protecting someone, but it was the only one that wanted the job.
The shadow smiled wistfully as it sat on its large rear. It liked playing with Joe back when he was a kid. They pretended to be Trainer and Pokemon at one point, and now Joe was actually a Trainer. It made the shadow think, "What if I were a Trainer?"
Pancham eyed the shadow, not sure what to make of the story. Pancham was a fighter, not a thinker. But it eventually clicked. The shadow wanted to take after the boy it cared for. It wanted to help raise Pokemon to fight. Pancham was a Pokemon. Pancham pointed at itself, questioning if it was right.
The shadow nodded. If it could help train others, then Joe would have more firepower. The shadow knew Joe's personality. The boy got himself into trouble too many times to count. Joe would continue doing so by tracking down criminals. What better way for the shadow to help than to create a team for Joe?
Pancham finally relaxed. Sat down. Considered the proposition. The shadow spoke about how it already liked Pancham. Pancham was strong and stubborn, and seemed to be on the right path. The shadow believed Pancham had potential. Pancham came to a decision. If it was going to try and be a do-gooder, it might as well use this situation as an opportunity. It grinned. Nodded. Called the shadow Boss.
Boss grinned back. It liked the sound of that.
* * * * *
Joe had spent the past two days walking, and the sun was setting once more. He was getting close to a town, but he'd spend another night in the wild. Joe pulled out a booklet he kept tucked into the back of his jeans. It was a thick spiral-bound map. Over four hundred pages. Every page was a picture of a different section of Kanto. This allowed each page to be heavily detailed, from trails and rivers, to tourist attractions and shops within towns. He also kept a compass clipped to his belt to help orient himself. He liked being able to pull these two items out at any moment.
While Joe went over the map, Absol sensed a presence. She looked back and saw a silhouette. It looked human and was approaching with unnatural silence. Absol looked up at Joe and, for the first time, she let slip a smug smile. She hoped this played out how she thought it might.
Joe spotted a river half a mile from a clearing. That would have to do. He turned slightly North-East and took a step forward.
"Are you lost?" A feminine voice called out to the big man.
Joe practically jumped out of his skin as he spun around and stumbled a little. Exactly how Absol thought it'd go. She held back a condescending chuckle. Letting Joe get startled was payback for all the times he'd annoyed her.
There was enough light for Joe to see a beautiful, elegant young woman. She had short and expertly cut black hair coming down to her shoulders. She wore a long green dress that Joe assumed to be a yukata. They could be found all across Johto and were perfect for summer temperatures. The woman brought a hand up, engulfed by a long sleeve, and covered her mouth as a laugh escaped.
"I didn't mean to frighten you."
Joe's heart calmed and he realised this woman was familiar with walking in a forest. It was something people didn't often think about, but there were twigs and leaves covering the forest floor. Yet this woman had not broken a single branch or crunched a single leaf on her approach.
"No, it's fine." He held the book up. "I was just looking for the nearest river. And, er, what are you doing out here?" He couldn't help but think this woman was a dainty little thing. She looked just a little bigger than Jasmine.
Now that he was getting a good look at her, the woman seemed familiar, but he couldn't place where he'd seen her. And there was something to her. Joe couldn't pinpoint it. At first glance, she was an elegant woman. But there was something about her curious eyes and smile that gave away a hidden aspect of herself.
"I was just out on a stroll before it got too dark. But what a coincidence. You likely would've stumbled upon the river running by my cabin." She pointed. "It's North-East of here." She wasn't carrying anything like a map, so she had good instincts in nature.
"That was the direction I was headed. So, you live out here?"
"I'm just on holiday."
"Right, well, I wouldn't want to get in the way. I'll head further up stream."
"Oh, on the contrary, it's become a little boring. I love nature, but being alone has its limits. I've not spoken to anyone for a couple of weeks. I have a spare room. Would you like to stay with me for tonight?"
"My mum taught me not to follow strangers to their house. Especially at night."
The woman chuckled. "You're right. Who knows what I'm capable of…" She said, a certain allure to her voice.
Joe raised his hands in surrender. "Just don't eat me, okay?"
"No promises." She reached a sleeve out, her hand finally getting some fresh air. "I'm Erika."
"Joe."
Erika led the way to her cabin. They reached a clearing, a stream running through it. If Joe followed the stream either way then it turned into a river with some depth. Enough to bathe in. They walked through shallow water and reached the wooden steps of a cabin. There was a large porch that wrapped around the side and a rocking chair by the front door. Erika opened the door and invited Joe in. He was immediately greeted by a large room stretching mostly to the left. He observed how there were no electronics. No television. Candles stood atop iron fixtures along the walls, and what amounted to a large, powerful candle-lit lantern dangled from the ceiling. There was a fireplace along one wall with a big pot dangling over burning logs.
Erika pointed down the hall. Her bedroom was the one at the end, so Joe needed to ignore that door. The spare bedroom was on the right, the bathroom on the left.
"Well, not so much a bathroom as just a restroom. If you want to clean up, use the river."
"So the entire place is self-sufficient?"
"Of course. It's not a true cabin in the woods if I must rely on modern conveniences. If you want entertainment, read a physical book. If you want a meal, cook it over the fireplace. There's a field around the back that I use to grow vegetables."
Joe was impressed. Some people talked the talk, but couldn't walk the walk. Erika had put the effort into making a legitimate, off-the-grid home. Some parts of the cabin seemed rough, like an amateur had made mistakes. Wooden planks not cut quite right. Holes drilled in the wrong places and then filled and sealed. If Joe didn't know any better, he'd say Erika built this cabin.
He went and put his bag in the spare room as Erika indicated. He'd save cleaning up for the morning. He went and sat on a couch as Erika made a meal. Once the meal was ready, she sat opposite, in a single chair. They ate in companionable silence.
Once they were finished, Joe looked around. This part of the cabin was open plan so he could see a simple kitchen from his position. He took Erika's plate and walked off.
"Ah, a man with manners. Thank you."
Joe reached a poorly made metal sink. This was definitely handmade. It had dents like someone had hammered the wrong parts as it cooled. The tap was a massive lever that reminded Joe of old water pumps from hundreds of years ago. He looked out the window right in front of him. He could see the top of what seemed like a water tank. Considering one person didn't use much water, and there was a river nearby, Erika probably manually filled it with buckets when she needed to.
The lever tap was clunky to use, a testament to old technology. Joe cleaned items with a rough scrubber. Called out to Erika. "Where are the glasses?"
"I have good eyesight." Erika chuckled. Gave a proper answer. "The cupboard on your right."
This was what Joe had suspected earlier. Behind Erika's elegance was a comedian. He could tell her gracefulness wasn't forced. It wasn't a mask. It was more like there were two sides to Erika, but one only came out as she got comfortable. That was the impression Joe got, anyway.
Joe opened the cupboard. Grabbed two glasses. They were uneven shapes, not matching factory-made objects. Joe had to struggle to recall what these would've been made in. A kiln. Erika was not only living without electricity, but she had made everything here herself. A woman after Joe's own heart. If he had the ability to, Joe would love to just vanish into the wilderness and live a quiet life away from the city.
He filled the glasses with water and drank from his own as he walked into the living room and handed Erika hers. It might just be the freshest water he'd ever drunk. He sat down. It finally clicked.
"I thought I knew you. You're the Gym Leader Erika, right?"
She chuckled. Rested her drink on her lap. "No escaping being a celebrity, is there?"
It all came together considering how Erika lived. "Well, you were introduced as a nature lover. If anything, I'm annoyed it took me so long to realise. I remember a match from… Was it last year? You battled some fancy guy in a suit."
Erika put the tip of a slender finger to her chin. "Ah, my exhibition match against Steven Stone, I believe." Before each Regional League was an exhibition match. A friendly battle between two powerful Trainers. Last year, Kanto invited Hoenn's Champion into their arena, and Erika had offered to battle. Erika's smile dulled. "There's quite a difference in power between a Gym Leader and a Champion."
Seemed like she was still sour about her loss. "If I remember right, you did well. You almost beat five of his Pokemon, right? I'd say you pushed a strong Trainer into a corner."
Erika looked into the fire. Her smile returned to normal. "You're right. My Pokemon fought with everything they had. They did well."
If Joe remembered correctly, Erika was at a disadvantage because all of her personal Pokemon were Grass-type. They shared weaknesses, making them easy to counter. And yet she still put up quite a fight against a Champion.
Having a full team made up of the same type was very rare. Being a Gym Leader was simply a job. Gym Leaders were Trainers before taking the job. They fought through the Gym Challenge and the League using their own roster. Gym Pokemon were simple employees, coworkers of the Trainer that commanded them in battle.
Trainers almost never refused an animal that wanted to be with them. It was through sheer luck that Erika happened to have a full Grass-type personal team, and it was further lucky that she ended up in charge of the Grass-type Gym in Kanto, as many Gym Leaders move to wherever they're needed. Nature was full of more than just grass Pokemon, so in theory Erika should've ended up with a bug or bird at least.
Melony had a mostly Ice-type personal team because of where she lived, but even she ended up with other types of Pokemon. Jasmine was the opposite of Erika. Jasmine was put in charge of the Steel-type Gym but had never caught a Steel-type before. Joe had visited Jasmine's home, so he knew all of her Pokemon.
"I suppose you're on your Pokemon Journey?" Erika asked, thinking about her own time travelling a few years ago.
Joe nodded. "I'm going to Viridian for my first Gym battle."
Erika was stunned into silence for a moment. "...With that Absol? You best be careful, then. Gary doesn't like low tier battles. He's going to be annoyed when you show up with that Absol and then claim you have no Badges."
Joe knew all about how Gyms functioned. Gym Leaders was limited based on how many Badges a challenger had. Regardless of how powerful Absol seemed, Gary would be forced to use weaker Pokemon to better match Joe's theoretical strength.
It was useful to know that Viridian's Gym Leader wanted a good fight. Maybe Joe would offer a battle using Absol after the official Gym match. Hopefully that would appease Gary. And it would benefit Joe, too. He could use the battle to get used to controlling Absol some more.
"There has to be a reason you ended up with a strong Absol despite being a fresh Trainer." Erika leaned forward a little, seemingly excited at the prospect of a story. "Since Absol can sense disasters, let me guess. You have a tendency to jump into trouble?"
Joe recounted the story, going as far as to include mention of Rocket Syndicate from the warehouse. Since he was in Kanto, and Erika was a Gym Leader, she would know of the threat.
"Like Trainer, like Pokemon." Erika was proud of herself for knowing. It was somewhat common, a Trainer gaining the favour of a Pokemon with a similar personality to themselves. Erika sighed. Sat back into her chair. "Rocket Syndicate, huh? Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with them yet, but I suspect it's only a matter of time. They're getting bolder by the day. That's why I'm here. I wanted to enjoy a holiday while I still could. It's only a matter of time until I'm dragged into the conflict."
Joe nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. "You Gym Leaders have it rough."
Erika felt bad complaining, all things considered. "I suppose it's not so bad. I know what I signed up for, and my pay is excellent because of it." She paused. She had responded automatically without thinking about who she was talking to. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"
Joe nodded. It was public knowledge, but a little obscure. Joe only knew because there was a time where he ended up in serious trouble and Jasmine had been the one to bail him out. She said she was contractually obligated to help and received updates and news about potential threats in and around her city. Keeping the peace was part of her duties, and in return she was rewarded handsomely. It was considered a risky job, so Gym Leaders were paid for the danger.
Macro Cosmos, the company behind the Gym Challenge and Regional Leagues, was run by a morally righteous man. Chairman Rose. Outside of the Gym Challenge, he ensured his employees, capable Trainers, were ready and willing to assist the police with fighting crime. This applied to Elites and Champions too, but Gym Leaders were a majority of Trainers within the company, and they were spread across entire countries so one tended to be close enough to a problem.
Thinking about it, Joe assumed Lance, the Champion of Kanto and Johto, was on the scene. He had to be. And even with his power, Rocket Syndicate were still operational. It showed just how annoying a compartmentalised organisation could be. Power meant nothing if someone couldn't find the source of the problem.
"I heard about it from Jasmine, over in Olivine."
Erika lit up. "Oh, you know Jasmine? We were in the League in the same year. A skittish girl, but a strong Trainer. She beat me in the quarter-finals."
"She placed second, right?" Joe knew this due to researching Jasmine. Jasmine rarely spoke of her own past and accomplishments, mainly because she thought there wasn't much to talk about.
Erika nodded. "Quite the achievement. There have been thirty-seven Joint Leagues… That's the Kanto and Johto League, if you didn't know. And in those thirty-seven, only one person reached first place in their first attempt. Second place is similar. Only three or four people have gotten that far in one try."
Erika was referring to how each Regional League had a title. Due to teaming up and being a League between two countries, the Kanto and Johto League was dubbed the Joint League. Hoenn, where Steven Stone hailed from, was the Vacation League. Kalos was the Beauty League.
A lot of Trainers that entered the League were repeat entrants. They already had eight Badges so they could enter all future years, and a Trainer's first attempt was not usually their best. Jasmine was an outlier to place so high on her first try. It highlighted how powerful she was.
Joe had never really thought about it, but now that he was on his own Pokemon Journey, he questioned how Jasmine had handled hers. He couldn't imagine her wandering about like most Trainers did. Joe could only imagine one option. Jasmine stayed in Olivine to train, and then her parents took her directly to the Gyms in other towns. There was no way Jasmine used public transport like a train. No, she battled, won or lost, then she went straight back home.
It would be to Joe's amusement in the future, but his assumption about how Jasmine handled her journey was accurate.
"I vaguely remember that not every country has a League." Joe stated. The thought of the Regional Leagues made him run through all the titles for the Leagues, but they didn't match his knowledge of countries.
Erika nodded. "Alola is the big one people always remember. Bad blood between Macro Cosmos and a company called Aether Foundation."
"It's crazy that Alola doesn't get a League because of a disagreement between companies."
Erika hummed and thought about it. When Joe raised an eyebrow to get her to talk, she did. "I'm trying to recall if it was public knowledge or not. I don't want to disclose personal or confidential information. But I'm certain I saw it in the news when I was growing up." She cleared her throat. "Chairman Rose believes Lusamine, she's the head of the Aether Foundation, is a criminal. He thinks the Government of Alola is covering for Lusamine as they haven't even attempted to arrest her, so Rose doesn't want to do business with Alola."
If that were true, then Joe felt like Rose was justified. Joe wouldn't want to work with people he thought were criminals either. "How long ago did this happen then? I don't remember hearing about it."
Erika hummed again. Looked down at the glass of water in her hands as it rested atop her lap. "I suppose about fifteen years ago. I'm quite certain it happened as I was growing up. It's one of those events that you remember, you know? As a child, I enjoyed watching the rising sport of Pokemon battling, so when I heard that Alola wouldn't receive a League, it stuck out." Erika expected a response from Joe, so when she heard nothing, she looked up. Saw a complicated expression on his face. Like he was thinking really hard. "Is everything okay?"
"Hm?" Joe focused on Erika. It took a moment for her last comment to sink in. "Oh, yeah. Just thinking."
Joe returned to his usual self, believing he was overthinking it. Joe and Erika entertained themselves with conversation long into the night. They went to bed at the same time. In front of their doors, Erika turned to Joe, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips.
"I know I'm irresistible, but do try to contain yourself."
"You're the homeowner. For all I know, you've got hidden compartments in the walls so you can spy on people all night."
Erika chuckled as she closed her door. Joe went into his own room. He immediately made a note on his phone. It would never run out battery thanks to Rotom, but he had no connection to the Internet out here so he couldn't research it.
Erika's mention of fifteen years ago had tickled the back of Joe's mind. Joe was twenty-four and had no memories of his single digit years. So around fifteen years ago and before. It lined up, but it had to be a coincidence. Because really, what were the chances that Joe was linked to this criminal Lusamine in some way?