Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoy. If you REALLY like it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 5 chapters ahead.
Bill, the genius, the legend, the randomly British bloke that appears once, reveals enormous Pokémon exist, and then just leaves.
What a guy.
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Bill Masaki, the inventor of the modern Pokémon transfer system, revolutionized the world and advanced Pokéball technology by decades. He was nearly as well-known as Samuel Oak or Blaine when it came to science, having worked with the latter on the creation of Ditto. Every science magazine had his face on the front page at some point.
Now, he stood up from the discarded and ruined remains of his mechanical Kabuto suit, only to stumble over one of the arms and nearly fall again if I hadn't caught him by a remarkably skinny arm.
Not that I received much gratitude for it; he immediately shook me off like I was a Bug-Type and straightened his clothes while addressing Walter as if I didn't exist. I scowled at him while retrieving my flashlight from where it had fallen.
"Fuck you too. See if I help your dumb ass another time." Which also went ignored.
"Ah, Walt! You've come just in time, my good friend!"
"We're not friends. And that's not my name."
"Always such a cheeky prankster, old chap!" His high-pitched voice was slightly annoying on its own, but combined with the comically posh British accent – one I had no idea where he picked up – it was more baffling than anything else.
"Oh!"
Finally noticing me, Bill turned and jerked a thumb at a stone-faced Walter. "Such a grumpy bloke that one is, not very distinguished at all. Unlike me. Bill Montgomery, at your service." Performing a sweeping bow, like an actual bow, he popped back up, suddenly extremely close to my face.
Curly green hair hung messily yet stylishly over his forehead, casting shadows over his brown eyes and smooth, hollow cheeks. His skin was nearly flawless, with no scars or weather markings in sight, and so pale I could almost see the veins beneath the surface. Yet for all that, he looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks. There was a prettiness about him that spoke of way too much time and effort.
The clothes complemented that impression. Aside from the fact that he was wearing a pastel green ascot – like, an actual fucking ascot – he was clad in a hideous crossbreed of a carpet and drapes. The maroonish-brown suit sported bright crimson lapels with golden swirls, and the ends of the sleeves and the hem of the pants matched. It wasn't a great color; even worse, it seemed thick and had a weird, fuzzy texture reminiscent of an animal.
Probably the PokéHuman equivalent of high fashion, like shiny Ursaring pelt or something.
All in all, Bill came across as the quintessential trust-fund kid, blowing Daddy's money on ridiculous things like hideous clothes and lighthouses. Even without knowing who he was, I could tell he had no friends and all the money in the world.
Except I knew he was incredibly smart.
"You're the one with a Titan Bagon! Absolutely chuffed to meet you!"
He was apparently also on a path to a broken nose based on how far he'd stuck it into my personal business. I shot Walter a betrayed look for revealing that information after I had gone to such lengths to keep it hidden, but the Waterflower looked as surprised as I was.
"How the fuck-"
"Come now, it's simple, innit? After you told me about him, Walt, I simply did a little digging in the League database and pulled up your team for a peek. And my, oh my, was I in for a surprise." Bill casually admitted to hacking into the government database, but I suppose he did help design much of the current system.
That didn't stop me from grabbing Sol's Pokéball tightly. Anyone showing that much interest in me usually ended badly.
"10 million Poké for the Bagon."
I blinked at the sudden shift. I'd expected violence, not an offer, but I responded reflexively anyway.
"No-"
"25 million."
"What? No, I-"
"Bah, I do not know why I am trying to hoodwink you. Let us get right to it: 250 million Poké, 4 Bagon of prestigious lineage, 10 Pokémon of your choosing with two guaranteed to be of an alternative coloring, unlimited TMs, and I will have your roster expanded to a minimum of 10, 12 if I can swing it. How does that sound?" I gaped for a moment, stunned at the truly insane offer. I didn't have an actual currency converter, so my estimate wasn't the most accurate; however, based on observations I'd made over the years, one USD from my old world seemed to be equivalent to five Poké.
By that logic, Bill was offering me 50 million dollars, along with a ton of extra perks. Four strong Bagon were worth millions by themselves, and the other ten could also bring in a fortune if I chose wisely, especially since two of them would be Shiny. Adding in unlimited TMs made it nearly impossible to resist his offer.
And that didn't even cover the roster expansion. Oak had briefly mentioned it, but I was starting to realize that the Trainer School focused much more on the Pokémon themselves than on the legal aspects of being a Trainer. This could be due to the Professor's priorities or perhaps because he had studied it his whole life. However, Oak's strong avoidance of anything bureaucratic was starting to raise red flags for me.
Regardless, Trainers were only allowed to carry six Pokémon at a time, just like in the games and anime. Any additional Pokémon needed to be kept with your sponsor – whether that was someone like Oak or the local Gym that issued your license. You could also pay the League to house your Pokémon, but that option wasn't ideal, and most Trainers avoided it due to the cost.
When I first learned that it was possible to carry more than the base limit of six, I thought it was tied to the number of Badges you held, and I was partly right. After defeating the fourth Gym and becoming a 'professional' Trainer, you could apply for a limit of eight Pokémon. After the eighth Gym, you could potentially apply for a limit of ten. Twelve Pokémon could be carried only by those who had won a Conference, which very few accomplished. There was no set method to achieve an uncapped limit, and it was generally agreed that this was reserved for high-ranking League personnel or particularly favored Masters.
The key word here was 'apply.' It wasn't a guarantee. Ultimately, the final decision rested with the League. If they didn't believe you could handle it – whether due to personality reasons, lack of skill, or simply not having enough money to care for more Pokémon – they had the right to decline your request.
From what I understood, they almost always said 'no' if you weren't League personnel or close to it.
Bill said that he could bypass all of that and grant me a limit of twelve Pokémon immediately. I knew money could talk, but that was fucking insane. There were fewer than a thousand registered, unaffiliated Trainers in the entire known world who had achieved that limit – according to Kanto forums, anyway.
There was only one reasonable response.
"No."
He seemed surprised, which I couldn't blame him for. Most people would have cracked under that pressure.
But I wasn't most people. My team was my team, and I wouldn't sell or part ways with them if they didn't want to. Maybe I should have presented Bill's offer to my Pokémon, but I was pretty sure I knew their response, and I doubted Bill would enjoy it – especially Betty's.
"You are a tough customer, but I like that! It's good to know what you want and how far you can push! So, what's your counteroffer?" Bill didn't seem put off for long; he quickly jumped back in.
"I don't have one! She's not for sale, end of story!" I was starting to get annoyed, especially when Bill dismissed my words with a scoff and a wave of his hand.
"Nonsense! Everything has a price with the right means! Trust me, I have all of them. What else? Property, perhaps? I could get you the largest farm-no, even better! Have you ever been to Sevii?" My eye twitched at the mention of the name, and that was all he needed. "Stonking! I'm sure I could buy you one of their islands. How about that? What else, what else..." He tapped his chin and gave me an uncomfortable once-over. "You've hit puberty, right? Maybe it's women you want? I'll make sure you are buried in p-"
"ENOUGH!" I gestured widely with my arms to cut him off before he could go any further in a very strange direction. "I'm not selling, done, the end, final! Stop asking!"
He still seemed doubtful but did stop asking – at least about buying.
"Very well. What if we shifted the focus from ownership to studying, hmm? What do you say-"
GOONG! GOONG!
Thankfully, anything further he was about to say was drowned out by the church bell-sequence attachment atop the tower ringing loudly, deafening all three of us. As we waited for it to die down, Bill didn't even look in my direction as he spoke to Walter.
"Walt, get the door, will you? Cheers mate."
"Go fuck yarself with yar own handkerchief."
"It's not a han-fine, you uncivilized ape. Looks like I have to do everything myself," Bill mumbled, holding his sleeve up to his mouth and pressing a button before… speaking into his wrist?
Who did this guy think he was?
"No solicitors."
"Uh, hello? My name's Ash. Can we borrow your phone-"
"No, get off my lawn." With that, he hung up just as I was about to respond. "Oh. Uh, I know those guys."
Bill suddenly seemed much more interested in them. "Oh, are they your mates? Let's invite them inside then; the more, the merrier!" I didn't have a chance to say anything more before he started speaking into the hidden microphone, inviting the gang into the 'lighthouse'.
Before the scientist could continue trying to pry my Pokémon from me, Walter spoke up first.
"Good, then go and get them, would ya, lad? I'll handle my business with this asshat in the meantime."
"Sounds good!" I replied over Bill's protests, spun on my heel, and power-walked back towards the front door. Thank Arceus for the old man; I would have popped Bill in the mouth if he kept going.
To be fair, though, he might have been onto something interesting with that last, interrupted offer. If I could sell him reports on Betty for ridiculous sums, I might consider it.
When I returned to the door, I found it open and abandoned. Since I wasn't raised in a barn, I closed it – unlike whoever had left it gaping wide. I heard voices coming from one of the side rooms and made my way over. Peeking inside, I saw Ash sitting in front of a screen displaying Professor Oak, with Misty and Brock crowded behind him. The computer's static blue LED light was the only source of illumination in the vast, cavernous room, casting shadows on their faces and dancing across the floor in a spooky manner.
So, we hadn't been late; we had arrived early instead. Fun times. I imagined Misty would be shocked to see Walter in a, as far as she knew, random lighthouse on an arbitrary beach.
Meanwhile, I was going to be tremendously impressed by the massive Dragonite that would be appearing later.
Sneaking closer, I got there just in time to see the screen switch to two Krabby in their own small containers. I knew that it was temporary while the Professor studied them, after which he would either place them in the nearby pond, where Siren had spent most of her early years, or in the lake in the forest, depending on whether he deemed them strong and aggressive enough.
I snorted in amusement at the sheer difference between the two Water-types. Over the years, I had suspected that Gary's Krabby was a Titan, but now I saw it was merely fucking big, maybe even an Alpha. Ash's was simply tiny, making Gary's look even larger.
Thank goodness. I wasn't sure I could handle Gary having a Titan of his own. That bastard was smug enough and was going to be un-fucking-bearable with, potentially, two Alphas on his team.
My snort alerted the trio. All three of them shrieked in fear, spinning around in shock to stare at me. Behind them, Oak showed his age by physically leaning to the side of the screen, attempting to peer around the group.
"What the fu-" Misty gasped, clutching her chest while trying to steady her racing heartbeat. Brock nursed the point of his elbow, which he'd bashed into the side of the desk. Ash, on the other hand, quickly forgot his fright and anime-teleported right in front of me, a massive grin spreading across his face.
"Peri! What are you doing here? Did you follow us?!"
"You wish! If anything, you followed me! Plus, you know your PokéDex can call people right?" That didn't make sense, considering they had been ahead of me for the last ten days before I Teleported, but Ash didn't know that yet. The way his jaw dropped before clenching in frustration was worth it.
"Damn you, Peri! I don't know how you did it, but I refuse to let you show me up anymore! I told you that the next time we saw each other, we would fight. Well, guess what! It's next time! Let's do this, Pikachu! It's time to battle-AW!" He pointed at me dramatically, only to be smacked to the floor by Misty's fist, while the fiery redhead scolded the youngest member of our little gathering.
Meanwhile, Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder to mine, rubbing his cheek against me with a soft cry. It would have been cute if the gluttonous rodent hadn't immediately started sniffing aggressively at my fanny pack, searching for treats. I snorted and pulled the zipper open, allowing the Electric-Type to burrow his head into the bag with a screech of victory. I liked Pokémon far more than humans in general, and I had a particular soft spot for the franchise's mascot. Whether it was nostalgia or just being charmed by the mouse, I didn't mind spoiling him.
Even more so since I had a ton of treats stored in my backpack. I had been forced to buy the meat-based ones myself, but there were loads of water-specific and vegetable-based treats at Cerulean Gym that I had helped myself to. While I might have to settle for subpar road food, my team deserved better.
Leaving me unsupervised in there for days with a blank check to 'help myself' – both before and especially after the fight with the thieves, where I'd scored points with the Clan – had been a wild decision. They were probably watching on their cameras, but still.
"You idiot! We're inside someone's house! You can't just blow it up with a Pokémon battle!"
"To be fair, I'm not sure Bill would care that much. He doesn't seem that concerned about money." I shrugged as I helped Ash up from the ground.
"You know who owns this place?" Misty frowned, glancing at Brock and me as we exchanged a casual handshake. Despite my constant complaints about them, I had missed them since they had left Cerulean. "Actually, wait! You never answered the question! How are you here!? And why!?"
"That'd be my doing, lil' one," came a voice from behind, making me jump and flinch. I ignored the smug looks from Ash and Brock for getting a taste of my own medicine and glanced over my shoulder as Walter joined us. At that moment, the lights turned on, Bill finally moving past his random emo, vampire mood.
He lived in an old, dilapidated lighthouse that looked more like a ruin than a building, but at least he was here looking for something. I couldn't think of any reason for the darkness other than him wanting to appear cool.
"UNCLE!?" As expected, Misty was taken aback as the large blond man moved closer to us. To her credit, she recovered quickly and jumped into the Admiral's arms, letting him pull her into a hug with a smile.
"Me indeed, lass! Didn't think I'd run into ya this soon, though it be far from me to complain." Walter chuckled, squeezing his grand-niece tightly before letting her go. "And young Brock as well. Always good to see a rock-humper away from your mountains."
Brock simply smiled and shook hands with the older man. "I should have known I couldn't be this close to the ocean without more Waterflowers turning up. Always an honor, Admiral." After another chuckle and a clap on the former Gym Leader's shoulder, Walter turned to the last person he hadn't greeted. I didn't know what he would've said because he never got the chance.
"Are you really Misty's uncle!? And you know Brock!? Why do you insult him? You shouldn't do that! I'll have to beat you up if you talk badly about my friends again! Why didn't I see you in Cerulean when I beat Misty? Why didn't you come and watch me win? How do you know Peri, and how did he get here? How did you get here? Did you bring him? Do you know the guy who lives here? Do you live here? Who are you again?" It was genuinely impressive that Ash managed to get all that out in one breath, and he wasn't even panting.
Walter stared at him for a moment before turning back to Misty.
"I'm not sure I like this one."
"Yeah, I'm not sure I do either," she replied with a sigh.
"HEY! DON'T INSULT ME! THAT'S IT, YOU AND ME, BATTLE, RIGHT HERE AND NOW! GO, PIKA-AW!" Ash's face was quickly reintroduced to the floor thanks to Misty's fury.
"MORON! WHAT DID I JUST TELL YOU ABOUT BATTLES?!"
"STOP HITTING ME!"
"I'D SAY 'STOP BEING STUPID', BUT I KNOW THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
"YOU'RE STUPID!"
"NO, YOU'RE STUPID!"
"NO, YOU!"
"NO, YOU!"
A snort from Walter interrupted their bickering. "I take it back. Mist's friends are alright in my book." Ash beamed, while Misty crossed her arms and mumbled about him not being her friend.
A cough reminded everyone that Professor Oak was still watching from the screen, an amused and fond expression on his face as he observed their antics. "While it warms my heart to see such friendships develop so quickly, I'm afraid I must be going now. Is there anything else you wanted, Ash?" The black-haired boy shook his head and thanked the Professor. "Very well, then. I'll bid you all goodbye. It was good to see you, and you as well, Peri, even if unexpected." He narrowed his eyes at me, prompting me to smirk in response. I was almost sure he was joking, and if he was genuinely upset about the Bidoof trick, then he was being petty as fuck. He absolutely deserved it. "Walter, it's good to see you as well. Please stop by the Reserve sometime; it's been too many years, and I'd love to catch up." Neither Brock nor Misty seemed surprised that the two older men knew each other, but I noticed Ash's confusion. So, Oak had hidden his involvement with the Johto Rebellion from everyone, not just me.
Walter raised an eyebrow at the request. "As far as I remember, it was yar insistence that we haven't spoken in 30 years, 'Professor.'" He didn't even try to hide the sneer in his voice, and Oak coughed into his hand, looking very uncomfortable under the five pairs of eyes that were watching.
"Yes, well, I, uh, have to go. Take care!" The screen went black, reflecting the surprised faces of all of us at the abrupt ending – everyone but Walter, who simply snorted with disdain.
"Still a coward. Whatever. I have to head back to Cerulean." Misty looked disappointed, though she tried to hide it unsuccessfully as Walter ruffled her hair with his giant palm, earning a scowl from her. "Don't be like that, lass. Ya have my number and know where I'll be. Don't let this old man hold ya back from having fun. Go on, travel around, see some things, make some mistakes. I'll see ya soon."
They exchanged another quick hug before separating. "Now, if ya don't mind, I need a quick word with the lad. Don't worry; I won't be long." The three of them exchanged confused glances between Walter and me, but they followed along anyway, with Ash and Brock saying their farewells as they left the room. Well, Brock did; Ash kind of got pushed along when he went to speak.
"What's up?" I asked once we were alone. I didn't mind talking to Walter, but I didn't think we had anything special left to discuss.
"Couple of things," he hummed, pulling at his beard braid. "First, since we're parting ways here, I'm surprised you haven't asked me anything."
"Would you have answered?" I scoffed. It didn't take a PhD to realize he was talking about Team Rocket. I'd considered questioning him, especially since he was one of the few people I'd met who actually took the Team seriously. "I can't make you say or do anything you don't want to, and going behind your back would feel like a cheap shot." At least I had matured enough to recognize that. I regretted sneaking around like I did back in Pallet; I hadn't even gained much from it.
"Just…" I hesitated before continuing. "Could you give me a call if you hear about a green-haired guy named Executive Proton? I mean, it would be cool if you called me about anything Team Rocket-related, but that's the important one." I hadn't heard anything about the Executive since Sevii, but I knew in my heart that he wasn't gone. I just hadn't encountered anything significant enough for Team Rocket to assign him to it.
Yet. While I had my doubts about my overall plans regarding the Team, Proton was still a target.
"I'll keep my ears open, and we'll see if I pass it along before or after acting on it. It depends on whether I think ya'll do something stupid with the info," he shrugged, and I begrudgingly found myself respecting him for it. At least he was honest. "I'll give you this, though: I think I mentioned it before, but most of what I deal with these days involves people from Orre and Sevii, with a few stragglers from Hoenn. A few years ago, rumors circulated among them about an organized group forming, but they suddenly disappeared. The timing aligns with what ya told me about that lab of theirs." I nodded, unsure of where he was going with this. "Other than that, Team Rocket barely gets mentioned. That Mt. Moon incident ya busted is one of the only things we can directly tie to them. They go out of their way to stay under the radar, and if ya ask some of the less intelligent folks, they'll say Team Rocket is better than the other scum and that the world would be a better place if they ruled the underground."
My fists clenched at his words, but they mostly aligned with what I'd discovered myself. "What's your point?"
"My point is," he continued, looking down at me with a neutral gaze, "that even with their caution, there should be more evidence linking them to crimes because they commit plenty of them, and they're not that good. Someone is protecting them. Someone on our side." I blinked rapidly at that. I knew Giovanni was involved and suspected the Pebble Clan, but I had meta-knowledge, and Walter didn't. "What I'm getting at is to be careful, lad. Not just because they're dangerous – which they are; most of them above Grunt level could still fuck ya up if ya ain't careful. If ya get ratted out, ya're finished."
"I already figured that out." He nodded, seeming to have expected my response.
"I imagined so, but it bears repeating. Beyond that, just be careful anyway." The look in his eyes changed, reminding me of Grant, Oak, and Bob. "I know it seems logical that ya're not just seeking payback but trying to prevent it from happening to someone else. Ya say ya'll be smarter about it this time, that you're stronger – that it will be different. But I'm telling ya, lad, that's not how this goes. Even in a perfect scenario, where ya manage to do everything right, there will still be sacrifices. And at the end of it all, when ya look around at the fire and destruction, it won't be worth it. It doesn't fill that hole in yar chest; it just makes it colder and emptier. Trust me on that."
My fingers had gone numb from how tightly I was clenching them. "I'll take that into consideration." I forced my voice to sound normal, impressing myself in the process. That was decent acting.
Not that I managed to fool Walter.
"Yeah, in one ear and out the other." He sighed, ruffling my hair and ruining his nieces' work in styling it. "Lugia, ya remind me of my brother sometimes. He was a dumb piece of crap, too strong and skilled for his own good; thought he could take on the world by himself and was stupid enough to actually try. Regardless, do whatever ya want; I'm not yar dad." Somehow, that made me feel worse than the heartfelt warning. "Catch."
Caught off guard by the sudden change of subject, I fumbled briefly with the object Walter threw at me before securing it. Blinking at it in confusion, I looked back up at Walter for some kind of explanation as to why he'd tossed me a Poké Ball.
"Uh, what's this?"
"Don't ya remember?" It was Walter's turn to raise an eyebrow. "I told ya that I'd need to talk to someone at the lighthouse as part of yar reward for helping me out."
I froze at that. I actually had forgotten that he said that, and even if I hadn't, I definitely hadn't thought it would be a Pokémon.
"I-thank you-"
"Don't thank me, it wasn't my idea. Nay, this is from Masaki. I thought the TM and money were enough, plus we let ya train and eat on our dime." I grimaced at his knowing look. They definitely knew about the couple of sacks of PokéFood and treats that ended up in my bag after they let me loose. "Hey, we told you to help yourself, and you didn't take that much. A single Gyarados eats more than that in a day – never mind a Wailord – and we have multiple of both. But yeah, Bill insisted that ya get that after I told him ya helped out. It's what ya would have fought if I hadn't lost my cool. I didn't understand why he was so firm about it until we arrived here."
I understood. "He already knew about Betty when you called."
"Yep. Hurts me to say, but it was probably Polly who told him about ya, and then he went from there. Masaki owns half her business, and the bastard can be charming when he wants to. Be careful with him, lad. He may be all daddy's money and nerdiness on the surface, but that man has his fingers in just about every pie, from science to politics. He's the opposite of Oak. He'll keep any agreements you make, but he'll make them to benefit himself."
I nodded, though his words did more to calm me down than anything. I understood greed and the desire to maximize the benefits of a deal. It was the same situation as on the streets, just with fancy clothes, double-speak, and fewer knives. It was selfless people who fucked me up.
Walter reached forward, and I clasped his forearm with my own. "Anyway, ya do ya. I'll be going. See ya later, lad. Ya have my number."
"I do," I agreed. The Water-type Master had given me his contact info while we were eating that morning. "Take care, Walter. Well, I wouldn't mind if you broke some bones. Still haven't forgiven you for the whole trying-to-kill-me thing."
"Believe me, lad, if I'd been trying, ya'd be dead." Smacking me on the shoulder, he turned around and began walking away.
"Actually, one more thing," I called out, making him pause. "You know anything about Giovanni, the Viridian Gym Leader? I heard some Rockets mention him once." I half-lied, leaving out that it was some animated Rockets, as I couldn't just accuse one of the strongest Gym Leaders in Kanto without evidence. Maybe the light connection would be enough to get Walter curious.
No such luck.
"What, in Mt. Moon? Ha! They would be scared so close to Viridian! Little Gio's gotten pretty strong!" The old sailor laughed, missing my slight twitch at the fondness in his voice. "Giovanni's good people, lad. He's grown a lot from the pipsqueak running around our heels during the rebellion. I know he's been taking Team Rocket seriously as well, keeping his city clear of their nonsense."
I managed to pull off a half-decent smile as he prepared to leave again. They would be war buddies.
"OH!" He called over his shoulder at the last minute. "And do something nice for that Feebas of yars, won't ya? She's a real beauty. Make sure she knows that, yeah?"
I gaped as his huge frame vanished. Was that a hint on how to evolve Siren into a Milotic? I didn't think people knew how to do that. I mean, it made sense that the Clan specializing in Water-Types would know, but there was no way I expected Walter to share that kind of knowledge, even indirectly.
What a sweet old man beneath all the homicidal trauma.
Looking down at my hands, I rolled my new Pokémon around in my palms for a minute, uncertain of how to feel. Not only was it essentially a bribe from Bill, but it was also the first Pokémon on my team that I hadn't caught myself. It was a strange feeling, and I wasn't sure I liked it.
Hiding from it wasn't going to change anything, though. If Bill truly wanted something from me, he wouldn't mind entertaining the others for a few extra minutes. Hell, Misty and he might even know one another.
After hesitating for a moment, I finally took a deep breath and tossed the PokéBall lightly, watching as it cracked open and the energized form of my new team member leaked out.
At first glance, I thought it was a small Pokémon – the smallest on my team so far. A quadrupedal, mammalian shape began to come together, complete with a long bushy tail and big ears popping out from its vulpine head. It wasn't hard to guess what it was. We'd met before, after all.
As the ruby energy evaporated, a tiny brown-furred Eevee stood before me, gazing around its new surroundings with confusion and a touch of trepidation. At least that's what I inferred from the way its long, pointed ears – with dark brown interiors – twitched, and how its adorable black nose quivered. The large brown eyes darted around nervously as it hid its bushy tail between its legs, its prominent furry cream-colored collar puffing out in agitation.
Crouching down in front of it, I smiled gently as it settled down somewhat at the sight of me. We may have only met once, but that was better than knowing nothing at all. Still, the Eevee was far from calm.
"Hello there," I murmured, keeping my voice quiet. That didn't stop Eevee from shrinking back even more at the sound. "Do you remember me? I certainly remember you." And that was definitely true.
The average Eevee, as far as I knew, stood a little over a foot in height – maybe just one foot flat if we assumed Oak's specimens were above average. However, the Eevee in front of me didn't seem much over half that height. It was positively petite, even smaller than I remembered the average house cat being. Perhaps there was a reverse Alpha gene that caused Pokémon to be half the standard size, and if so, Eevee might have it. This also made me feel a little bad for having mentally made fun of Ash's Krabby.
It was devastatingly cute, though, with its wet eyes peering up at me, and there was nothing I wanted more in that moment than to pick it up and smother it in my embrace.
I didn't, given its obvious caution, but I really wanted to.
"Uh, this is a little unusual for me," I admitted, slowly lowering into a seated position. Despite still being significantly taller than the diminutive fox-like Pokémon, Eevee uncurled a little more. "I've caught all my other Pokémon myself and made sure they wanted to come, but not you. I suppose that's as good a place as any to start." I paused for a moment, allowing the Normal-type to reestablish eye contact before continuing. "Are you okay with this? Being my Pokémon, I mean?"
I didn't get a strong positive or negative response, which was fair, even if disappointing. It was a new development for both of us. However, what I did get was the full uncurling of the Evolution Pokémon as it stood up straight and gazed up at me with that same intelligent gleam I remembered from the cabin. I would count that as a significant victory.
"Neither yes nor no – I got it. Let's rephrase the question." Again, I made sure our eyes connected. "Do you want to go home? I assume you're related to the bigger Eevee. Do you want to go back to Polly's?"
That elicited a bigger reaction; Eevee averted its gaze and curled back into itself. I nodded, trying to hide my disappointment as best I could. It was silly to feel upset about it. We'd only met once, so of course it would want to return to its family rather than spend potentially decades with a stranger, especially since I had no idea how to keep either of us safe. Yes, having an Eevee would be pretty cool, but I wasn't that guy – or at least, I didn't want to be.
If a Pokémon didn't want to be my partner, then I wouldn't force it.
"Okay, I'll talk to Bill and get you sent back home." Eevee looked up at me, shocked, the small, moist eyes widening. "So surprised! Didn't I save you from people you didn't want to be with? Do you really think I'd do the same thing myself?" Taking a chance, I slowly reached out with my right hand. Eevee kept its eyes locked on my fingers but allowed them to creep up and scratch behind its ear tentatively. Not wanting to push my luck, I stopped quickly and stood up, grabbing Eevee's Poké Ball and pointing it at the Pokémon.
That proved to be a mistake. Eevee flinched as if a gunshot had gone off, huddling back into itself, eyes squeezed shut as though it expected me to kick it. Stuffing the ball back into my pocket, I quickly returned to the floor and began apologizing, keeping my fingers to myself.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay, it's fine, it's gone, look." I held up my hands, palms out, to show they were empty. "Shhh, it's okay." Feeling a little awkward about only being able to refer to Eevee as 'it', I took a peek under it to determine its gender. "I'm sorry, girl, I didn't mean to scare you. I guess you don't like the ball, huh?" Her tiny head poked up over her tail and slowly shook in denial. "Yeah, that's fair. I probably wouldn't like it either, and thieves haven't used it to yoink me. You don't have to go in the ball as long as I'm here, I promise. We'll just walk back to Bill, but you'll probably have to go into it to be sent home."
I wasn't sure how long it took to regain Eevee's confidence, but we eventually got there, and I slowly led the way back to where Bill was entertaining the gang, with Eevee trailing behind me.
Walking back into what I could now see was a throne room – of all things – with a golden throne at the top of a long, narrow set of golden stairs adorned with a red carpet in the center, I stopped and stared at the most pretentious, overcompensating sight I'd ever seen in my life. Who the heck had an actual throne? Even Gary would flinch at that level of showing off. I was so stunned, I didn't even hear what the group already in the room was discussing until I was directly addressed.
"-ri? Peri, my boy, there you are! Bloody good timing as well, I must say, as I've just finished explaining the intricacies of regional variants and the effects that altered circumstances – both social and environmental – can have on a Pokémon in a truly astoundingly short amount of time, as well as the common ancestry among many species! Do let me know if you would like a similar dissertation, and I will have the footage sent to you. Not that I have any doubts that a talented young man like yourself doesn't already know such basic things. Ah! And you have acquired the Eevee as well – brilliant! No need to thank me; it's simply payment for services rendered."
Turning to look at Bill and tuning out most of what he had just said, I found Ash and Misty gazing off into space with the most lost expressions I'd seen since the exam at Oak's Trainer School. Ironically, Ash had been among those looking like that back then as well.
Brock, on the other hand, stared at Bill as if he were a god. Right. Brock wanted to be a Breeder, so he might've actually understood some of what I was certain was a long-winded rant.
"Yeah, Bill, hi. I actually wanted to talk to you about the Eevee. Uh, this is gonna sound weird, but I need you to send her back to Polly?" I didn't mean for it to come out as a question, but both the owner of the lighthouse and Ash, Misty, Brock, and even Eevee herself, despite it being her decision, looked at me like I was crazy.
"Who is Polly? Never mind, do you not like the Eevee? Is there something wrong with her? I knew I shouldn't have listened to Walt, that senile knobhead! I told him she was too small and that we should give you the big one, but he insisted that you would like-"
"No, no, Eevee's awesome; that's not the problem!" I quickly assured him, seeing Eevee deflate out of the corner of my eye. "If anything, her smaller size makes her better. I already have a couple of large Pokémon, and the variety would be quite good." I wasn't just saying that to boost her mood, either. In the couple of minutes between releasing her and learning that she wanted to go, I'd already imagined her as a long-range specialist, like a Glaceon, or something. Her petite frame would make her very hard to hit. "No, she's fantastic. But she would rather go home than stay with me."
Bill looked at me for a long moment, clearly expecting me to go on. When I didn't, he blinked at me, mystified.
"And?"
"And," I said, getting a little annoyed. If Eevee wanted to go, then she should go. How was that hard to understand? "I'm not going to force her to stay if she doesn't want to."
"So, what?" It was the first time Bill had been anything but jovial with me, as a condescending tone crept into his voice. "She goes back to Pammy and stays there until she dies of old age? All the Eevee are just going to hang out with their mates and have a chinwag? How does that work?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but couldn't find the words. Wait, how did that work?
"It is an admirable thought, Peri, and it does you credit. You're clearly a very good young man." He was back at it, trying to hide the fact that he clearly thought I was stupid. "But Eevee was raised to be a battle Pokémon. This was always going to happen. She would always be assigned a Trainer and separated from her parents or siblings. I would have thought that the fact that you two knew each other beforehand would have made that transition easier, but I suppose not. Very well, if you insist. I think it's a very hasty decision to make after five minutes, and she will most likely be passed straight onto a Cerulean Trainer, but I will send her back and get you another if you truly want."
I was stunned, my eyes bouncing between the people arrayed before me. One could never be sure how much Ash understood in any given situation, but he gave me a big smile and a thumbs-up, which I appreciated. I expected that from Ash Ketchum; of all people, he should understand where I was coming from. I didn't quite have the mental capacity at that moment to read Misty's expression – it conveyed so much and yet nothing at the same time, so she wasn't very helpful. Finally, Brock shrugged his shoulders and offered some advice.
"It's a nice thought, Peri, and I'm sure Eevee appreciates it, but Bill is right. She's going to get a Trainer soon anyway. Sure, maybe that means she'd be closer to the other Eevee, but that isn't guaranteed. Moreover, leaving home is tough. It's perfectly normal to feel homesick for a while, even for Pokémon. I certainly did. If she really doesn't like you and wants to leave immediately, then sure, but that doesn't seem to be the case."
I looked down at the Pokémon in question and met her brown eyes. All of that made sense, but it didn't change one fundamental fact.
"It's still your choice. If you want to go, I'll happily walk back to Cerulean to get you there; never doubt that. But if you want to stick around for a bit, meet the team properly, and see what it's like, then I would love to have you."
For a long moment, nothing happened; the fox Pokémon just stared into my eyes. I felt uncomfortable, exposed, and judged, reminiscent of the time I had asked Ra to join me, yet I refused to flinch.
Eventually, she moved. Slowly, she brought one paw in front of the other, her eyes darting back to mine periodically, before plodding across the smooth stone flooring and stopping next to my leg. She curled her proportionally long tail around her hind legs and sat down. Gradually, she leaned sideways, resting the minimum of her weight against my shin.
I guess she made her choice to stay, at least for a little while.
I smiled but refrained from touching her, understanding that she was making a leap of faith. The rest would come with time.
"Brilliant! Now that that's settled, I have a question for you, young Peri, my friend!" Noticing my hesitation, the extravagantly wealthy scientist threw an arm around my shoulders and began leading me toward a set of stairs that rose along the wall of the lighthouse. "Not to worry, mate; it's not another offer – at least, not yet. Instead, I will begin by convincing you why such information is safe and helpful in my hands."
He briefly stopped, turning us so we were facing one another. Looking into his dark eyes, I felt mildly disturbed by the intensity I found there.
"Tell me, young ones. You have heard of Alpha Pokémon. You have heard of Titan Pokémon, which is one level higher. However-"
He leaned in even closer, a giant grin spreading across his face.
"Have you ever heard of the next stage above that? Those rare Pokémon that are the closest to the gods themselves?"
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To many characters in one place, WAY too many. Poor Brock, getting one line.
Oh, and an Eevee is aquired. Kinda. I thought it would be fun to shake up the newly caught Pokémon dynamic, and I've always been cuirous how the Pokémon feels when they get sold off/given to strangers.
Thank you for reading. Hopefully you enjoyed. If you REALLY liked it, I have a P-a-t-r-e-o-n, under the same name, where you can read 5 chapters ahead.