《Struggle to the top. (Pokemon)》


 Prologue: Death and Freedom

    Tonight is D-day, my great escape from the compound was planned and ready.


    For those wondering, the compound was my name for the aptly named ''freedom vile'' a small sleepy town in the middle of a wild forest. All of which sounds quite peaceful and the town is if you ignore its main ''attraction''. Which came in the form of a 8-metre high wall that circumnavigated the residential zone, complete with zealot guards who regularly patrolled the perimeter.


    As for why I''m here, it''s simple really, I was born here or reborn specifically. You see, after I died on Earth I was fortunate enough to be reincarnated into the wonderous world of Pok¨¦mon. The only problem was I had been born into a cult, the cult of N to be specific. The aforementioned compound was a settlement in the wilderness of Unova that doubled as a secret Team Plasma base.


    Anyway, back to the present today I was finally ready. After countless setbacks and failed plans, I was finally ready to escape my family, the cult and the compound. The price of failure was likely death but it wasn''t so bad the first time.


    Calming my finally pessimistic thoughts I take a deep breath then slowly a long exhale. I was ready!


    Reaching out I grab my backpack from under the bed. Doing a quick check over for what must''ve been the millionth time: food check, map check, tent check, torch check, knife check. The plan was a go. The only concern was its size as I couldn''t get my hands on a hiking-level backpack due to the suspicion that''d cause. With the basic checks done it was time to go.


    Slowly and carefully, I begin picking the lock to my room, a skill I had picked up a while back to allow me to get food at night. Still it was lucky that my parents hadn''t opted to get an external one. Eventually, as it had many times before, my door slowly swung open. Quietly not making sudden movements, I crept downstairs from my attic room. Once I reached the second floor I crept forward, somehow with more care as noise on this floor carried a greater risk of being heard. As I crossed the floor I gradually reached my goal.


    Before I left the house there was one more crucial thing to do. Inside lay the largest complication to my planned escape and the only person I cared for in this life. It was the door to my baby brother''s room.


    Reaching out with my gloved hand I slowly pried the door open, just enough so that I could squeeze past as the door had a tendency to squeak past a certain point. Inside was dark and almost silent, the only sound being the quiet breaths of my sleeping sibling. He was young, only 18 months old, he had just stopped breastfeeding making now the perfect time to escape. Escape to a better life free from the cult where he could grow freely without suffering the abuse I had.


    Even with his age, I could already see the signs of the neglect and abuse to come. I was already the primary caregiver despite both my parents being available with work not taking much time out of their days.


    With the end of that thought, I snapped back to reality. Grabbing a sling from the side I took my coat off and began carefully wrapping the sling around my chest tight enough to be secure but loose enough that he''d be comfortable. Then with practised ease, I lifted his sleeping form up out of his cot into my embrace. Once I''d secured him in my sling I donned my coat and picked up my bag ready to truly begin my escape.


    With my little brother secure I started to make my way down stairs to the back door which would allow me to leave the house unseen by neighbours. As I left through the back door, carefully closing it behind me, I made my way through to the end of the garden to the fence that surrounded it. Making sure to follow a path that would ensure the automatic outside lights didn''t trigger. Once I reached the green wooden panel fence I took my bag off and popped it over with a quiet thud as it hit the grass on the other side.


    Now for us to get over.


    Reaching out I grabbed the top of the fence, using the leverage I leaned back slightly and placed my feet on the bottom of the fence inching my way up. My muscles strained as the top got closer and closer. The fence groaned from the stress which echoed quietly in the pitch night. After what felt like minutes of struggling, but was in reality seconds, I reached the point where I could pull myself up and over the top. Landing with a soft thud on the other side crouching with my legs and using my hands to support my brother minimising the effect of the fall on him. Still a fall from that height caused enough of an impact that I was left quietly holding my breath silently praying that he was still asleep.


    ...Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    After 30 seconds of crouching still holding my breath the burn in my lungs and legs my concern that he''ll wake. So I stand tall, pick up my bag and continue my escape.


    Looking up I quickly get my bearings. I''m outside my parents house going north is the quickest way out of the base which would lead to quick freedom. Unfortunately, it is known that a psychic Pok¨¦mon of some strength guards that side as it is closest to civilization. The justification for this officially is that it will sense incoming trainers sooner and defend us from their evil; however, personally I believe it is more to monitor and stop people from getting out than anything else.


    Either way their presence makes escape through that route untenable. With that in mind I moved to the east. The east had more flyers than the west but less canines so I was taking the judgement that a canine Pok¨¦mon was more likely to track me as I made my escape.  Who knew though I could only pray to Arceus and do my best.


    Setting a swift pace I moved along the path towards the east side of town, making sure to stay close to the fence making sure that I stayed in the shadows. As I made it further out in the darkness I slowly left the residential area moving across the small berry orchard out towards the border wall. As I make my way guided only by the light of the moon and the border fence that was lit up in the distance.


    Once I had crossed the orchard came face to face with the biggest challenge I''d have to overcome to get my freedom. The border wall. Though it was called a wall, border defences are more accurate. A huge wall towered over the landscape dwarfing the trees in the orchard. Beyond the wall lay another smaller fence that was topped with barbed wire and not visible to the residents. The wall had manned watch towers and infrequent patrols happened between the fence and wall.


    All of this was extremely daunting or would''ve been but after years of sneaking out and examining the defences I realised that the guards were lax. The patrols are infrequent and unreliable. These were not professional soldiers but bored security who hadn''t had a serious incident in years. There were many gaps in their security and after a while of observation I had found a gap, a gap I would exploit now.


    Using the cover of the trees I approach the wall doing my best to be stealthy. Once I reached the bottom of the wall I looked around in the trees. Once I found what I was looking for I walked up to a tree and started climbing again being careful not to jostle or hit my chest on anything. This tree was specifically chosen due to its low branches which allowed me to ''climb'' it by stepping up to each branch. In fact this tree was quite an ''ugly'' or non-standard tree for an orchard as most others only had branches higher up whereas this one split fairly low.


    Eventually I made it suitably high so I moved over closer to the wall. Now was the risky part taking the rope that I had left at the tree from my scouting throw. I hooked it on the top of the wall and began the arduous climb up the side. As I climbed my muscles screamed under the stress with the weight of my pack and brother dragging me back down to the earth. Slowly I pulled one arm over the other then dragged my legs up behind me.


    Even through my gloves and trousers I could feel the rope burning me as my hands and legs scraped against it producing the friction needed to stop my descent. Pushing through the pain I made it above the tree canopy leaving me fully exposed to the wind and any watching guards. As I made my ascent I felt my arms and legs start to shake as my muscles screamed at me to stop. Sweat dripped off my brow and ran down my face. My coat was becoming unbearably hot.


    When I got to within reaching distance of the top of the wall I heard a groaning sound.


    I froze. My blood ran cold suddenly I didn''t feel quite as tired.


    "Yeah I know buddy I don''t wanna be here either but you know how psychics get when they get a ''vision''" he snorted.


    "What does that moron expect? He''s never got it right before."


    The voice moved slowly getting further away. Still frozen on the rope I release a small breath. Forcing myself to calm down.


    With the voices having passed I reach up and slowly pull myself onto the wall making sure to quickly look both ways before I climb over onto the walkway. Only to collapse imminently exhausted from my climb.


    "Fuck" I hiss in a harsh whisper.


    It would seem that psychics have foreseen my escape...


    I look down at my feet. Was it really a bust? Did I have to turn back and go to bed?


    NO! I''m not giving up now Arceus damn it! They''ll have to drag me back by force!


    Done feeling sorry for myself I begin pulling the rope up, then attaching it to the other side then when I feel my strength returning I climb up holding the rope and begin my descent. The descent was slow and methodical, despite still being tired, descending was easier as I wasn''t fighting with physics. Eventually I reached the ground where despite my exhaustion I pushed on moving to the fence where I had made a slight indentation in the ground and cut parts of the chain link fence, not enough for it to be seen from afar but enough that I could bend the wire.


    With the wire bent I slide my backpack under then crawl through to the otherside.  Finally free, though not safe, I already felt different . It was strange I was lighter as if a weight had been lifted and yet heavy knowing this was just the start and now I had something to lose.

 Prologue: Death and Freedom: (Part 2)

    With the wire behind me, my brother tied to my chest and my positions on my back I set off into the forest not looking back once.


    Once in the forest I fished a torch out of my backpack lighting my way forward through the inky darkness I found myself in. Slowly I begin circling the base to the north side hoping that the distance and the dense forest will stop the psychic from detecting me.


    My slow walk being the only noise in the suspiciously quiet forest. The silence led me to flinch at every twig snap. Turning and freezing at any noise wondering if each sound would set off some unseen predator.


    As the night turned to day and the journey passed tension withdrew from my body only to be replaced with bone tiredness. All the bruises and fatigue from my daring escape appeared now that I was no longer empowered by adrenaline.


    Gone were the slow careful steps I started with, replaced by a determined stumble which paid no heed to the racket I was making. The forest itself was waking up around me with the sounds of birds and insects filling the air, not that I paid it much notice as I remained lost in my own thoughts. Thoughts which reached increasingly dark places as my mind threatened to betray me before my body did.


    The only thing pushing me forward was the life strapped to my chest and the hunger for success that pulled me from the afterlife. Failure was not an option. I would not squander my second chance dying in the woods.


    That said it was time for a break and maybe a nap, if only to sate the growing hunger in my stomach. Taking my backpack off and resting it on a nearby tree I take a seat on the slightly damp forest floor, internally glad for my waterproof trousers.


    Taking a moment to enjoy the wondrous scenery I gazed around at the moss covered trees that bathed in the early morning light. A few small pidove could be seen in their branches whilst a few stray sewaddle roamed the forest floor. Thankfully I went mostly ignored by the surrounding wildlife as though such species were likely friendly I had no experience in dealing with such pokemon.


    Next, I open my jacket revealing my baby brother. Carefully I took him out of his sling and gently woke him. He was a little sweaty which made his short blonde hair shine and his face glisten which whilst cute did tell me I should walk with my jacket open for a bit despite the slightly chilly air. His chubby face looked up at me through half closed eyes.


    ¡°Hey buddy you hungry?¡± I ask looking down at his cute face.


    ¡°Yes and tired¡± he responds sleepily.


    ¡°Okay buddy just eat something for me and you can sleep all you want after okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­.¡±


    With that I opened his food and began the process of feeding him. Luckily as he was tired it was a simple affair in which he put up little resistance.


    ¡°Done!¡± he announced happily. As he immediately started shifting trying to get comfortable for his sleep.


    ¡°Good job¡± I say, smiling down at him. Then I wipe his face clean then slide him back into his sling letting him get some sleep, leaving me feeling somewhat jealous at his blissful ignorance.


    With my brother fed I grabbed a pack of homemade jerky out of the back, thankful again that I was a ¡®meat guy¡¯ in my past life or my rations for this journey would¡¯ve been severely limited.


    After a quick meal I ultimately decided that moving forward was the best course of action.


    Looking at the map and estimating how far I had walked I likely wasn¡¯t too far from a league sanctioned route. Though I had little idea what part of Unova I was in I did know that there was likely a ranger patrol on the route, at least there would be if this was anything like the anime. That said moving through the forest was disorientating and lacked landmarks meaning I didn¡¯t truly know how far it was just that I was travelling in the right direction thanks to my compass.


    Packing up my stuff and hoisting my backpack on to my back I continued on. Refreshed from my short break and ready to make the rest of the journey to true civilization.


    As the first hour passed into the next the monotony of walking through the forest caused my mind to wander, gone was the wonder I initially had from seeing pokemon for the first time replaced with a tired boredom and a dogged determination to get to the route or as close as I could before night fall.


    My mind in its tired and semi delirious state kept thinking back to my last life. Which was a mix of young incompetence and bad luck inevitably leading to unrealised expectations and unfulfilled dreams. I was blessed with suitable ambition and dedication to become a pro rugby player but lacked the physical gifts necessary. I was too short, too slow and had insufficient physical endurance. That said I had a passion for sport which turned into a passion for sports science, if I couldn''t go pro myself I could train pros.


    After four years of studying in university I had achieved my masters in sports science and was ready to begin my goals but the positions I wanted were few, often required years of experience and poorly paid. Which left me with no option other than to train the rich. They were often nice people if a bit entitled but were fine to be around. Yet the job was wildly unfulfilling as clients were often inconsistent and didn¡¯t understand that fitness was something that needed to be maintained more than just once a week to see significant progress. They knew this of course but merely had other things they prioritised or simply didn¡¯t care. My sessions were mainly used for them to feel better about their lifestyle. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Slowly my passion for training was ground down to nothing so I took my talents and put them to use trying to enrich myself building a pt business. Initially this was somewhat successful as I started with a list of possible clients from my last job and with some connections and reviews from old clients I got off to a flying start. The problems started when I expanded and hired employees. As we mainly trained in public gyms these gyms started to want a cut and would take away my permission if I refused with several gyms making it against policy for any pt¡¯s not in their direct employ to work from their gyms. After that the problems piled up with increased costs and several employees quitting (often taking their clients with them) my business was forced to shut down or face bankruptcy.


    Shortly after that I fell into a depression with my business gone, no family to speak of and my passion tainted. I felt I had nothing to live for. So I was lost to alcoholism, left alone drowning my sorrows. My death was pathetic and insignificant and happened when I veered off the road into a tree. Yet now having been given a second chance I was determined to push again and to actually reach the highest heights this time.


    Which is why I was thankful I was reincarnated into the world of Pokemon as if it was anything at all like the anime I watched as a kid. This was a world where power couldn¡¯t be overlooked even when talent could be. In my old world you could be the most talented sportsman in the world but if you weren¡¯t scouted there was no way you could go pro. Of Course often you would get scouted but if you accidentally annoyed the wrong person you could also be swept under the rug. Yet in this world it didn¡¯t matter if you were disliked if you had a Dragonite able to destroy mountains you couldn¡¯t be swept under the rug.


    Though there were undoubtedly advantages given to the rich and their children even in this world that was fine. As Pokemon were everywhere and if the shows were correct they had a natural instinct and drive for strength.


    Snapping out of my thoughts I focus on my surroundings again with my mind settled the journey seemed to pass quicker.


    Around midday I heard the sounds of a battle from the forest in front of me.


    ¡®I have two options, one I can ignore and go around, two I can go towards and see if there''s a trainer. Though option two was higher risk and there may not be a trainer and if there is one they might not be friendly.¡¯


    After a moment of consideration I realised It was worth the risk as though I was following the right direction I was fundamentally lost out here just heading the right way.


    With my choice made I stealthily move towards the fight. As I approached the sound of metal hitting metal rang out into the forest causing the pidove to fly and the patrat to run. Yet though the sounds of conflict I heard salvations call.


    ¡°Excadrill use iron head¡±


    Still despite my excitement at a trainer''s voice I continued quietly wary of meeting the wrong person. Slowly I crept through the trees nervous about who I would find. As I got closer a small clearing revealed itself to me. In it was a woman who looked to be in her early twenties, she had light brown hair and wore a stylish blue walking outfit. Her belt held six pokeballs and she was surrounded by three strong looking pokemon and Excadrill that was sparing, its partner a Crustle all whilst a Bisharp stood next to her protectively.


    ¡°What''s that noise? Brother make it stop!¡± my brother yell having been awoken.


    ¡°Shit¡± I move to cover his mouth but the damage is already done. The spar stops immediately. The trainer turns and the Bisharp moves to guard her.


    ¡°Who are you? And what possessed you to bring a baby out HERE!¡± she yelled.


    I froze, unsure of what to say or do. For a moment we stood there like that just staring at each other in silence before she continued.


    ¡°Well answer me.¡± she demanded her tone strict and harsh.


    ¡°Urr, help?¡± I still respond somewhat in shock.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± she responded somehow with equal concern and judgement.


    ¡°I¡¯m lost and need help getting to the nearest league affiliated town.¡± I respond with my voice still a little shaky.


    ¡°Whose she?¡± my brother butts in before she can respond, a lot happier now the noise had stopped.


    ¡°I am ace trainer Karly,¡± she says kindly to my brother before shifting her focus to me and saying.


    ¡°I can help you but first you have to answer my questions¡±


    ¡°That''s fine but first can I have a seat I¡¯ve been walking for hours¡± I respond.


    With that I take a seat at her camp and tell her what I am doing and why I left. All whilst my brother, who I let out of his sling, was playing with her Pok¨¦mon. Much to my amusement and concern.


    Though that is not to say I told her everything. Just that I was from abusive parents and being shunned in my isolated home village.


    She clearly felt for my story and told me that she would take me to the nearby Nacrene City where I would be registered by the league and afforded certain benefits.


    She also said that I shouldn¡¯t be too concerned as whilst not common isolated villages were known to be throughout Unova (though she didn¡¯t know of one in the Pinwheel forest) with the dragon clan being the most notable example.


    Then she went on to chastise me for what felt like hours about bringing my brother with me into the forest. Though that ended when I answered with ¡®well I couldn''t just leave him behind¡¯. She grumbled at that clearly not liking it but at least understanding it was necessary.


    With that we sat in silence just watching my brother play (annoy) her Pok¨¦mon.


    ¡°Well then we better get the tents set up, I¡¯ll fly you back tomorrow, as Unfezant needs rest and Skarmory isn¡¯t big enough to carry everyone. Do you have your own tent or do you need my spare?¡±


    ¡°I have my own, didn¡¯t know how far the journey was¡± that earned me a pitied look.


    With that I pitched my tent next to hers and collapsed into sleep almost immediately with the reassurance of Karly and her team watching over me.

 Chapter 1: To Civilisation

    Warm, that was the first thing I felt as I woke up luckily without the uncomfortable wet that comes when a child has peed the bed. No fortunately this heat came from the same place as the light which poured in through the top of the tent. Taking a second to get my bearings I remember the events of yesterday.


    I had done it, I¡¯d made it far enough to find someone who could help me. My brother and I would be safe. Wait, where is my brother?


    Feeling panic rise in my chest as I looked around at the otherwise empty tent. The door of which was flapping open. Had he run off? My heart racing I crawl out of the tent as fast as I can and shoot to my feet.


    ¡°LEO!¡± I yell looking around frantically.


    Only to be greeted to the scene of him playing with a Cinccino in the grass. A bemused Karly watching on.


    ¡°Brother!¡± he yells back doing his best to stumble up to me.


    When he grows close I sweep him up into a hug. Immediately relief floods me and calm returns.


    A light chuckle interrupts our ¡®reunion¡¯.


    ¡°I thought he ran off ok! He likes to wander sometimes.¡± I defend as blush makes its way onto my face.


    That comment only seems to egg Karly on as her chuckle gives way to a burst of laughter. As she laughed I turned to look anywhere else. Which led to me making eye contact with her Cinccino who also seemed to be having fun at my expense. Cinccino was an extremely cute, soft-looking rabbit? Pok¨¦mon. That being said this Cinccino was owned by an ace trainer which likely meant that despite its appearance it was probably extremely capable. If I remembered correctly Cinccino often had the ability technician which in and of itself was monstrous.


    ¡°Your brother is very lucky to have someone who cares so much,¡± Karly said, snapping me out of my thoughts and drawing my attention back to her. She was still spotting a smile though it was more kind than mocking.


    ¡°Thank you, when are we leaving?¡± I ask, trying to move the topic on.


    ¡°Eager are we? I suppose that''s normal considering. We can get going whenever but It will be a long trip so I think it''s best if we eat lunch first. I¡¯ll cook, you pack your stuff up.¡± she said.


    With that, I put Leo down and got to packing my stuff up. As I was doing so the smell of Karly¡¯s cooking reminded me I hadn''t eaten since lunch yesterday as I had fallen asleep after pitching my tent.


    After I had packed I sat down next to Karly on the spare camping chair she laid out for me. My brother quickly came over to sit by me, followed by a slightly tired-looking Cinccino.


    ¡°It smells really good¡± I say looking down at the stew that created a yearning in my stomach.


    ¡°Thanks, one thing about being a Pok¨¦mon trainer that no one mentions is learning to cook¡± she responds.


    ¡°Really?¡± I say wondering how people could think otherwise given that all athletes perform and improve physically based on their diet.


    ¡°Yep and yet it''s one of the most important things. Cooking tasty meals that have the right nutrients is the best thing to do after a hard training session. People are too focused on elite battles and tactics when you won¡¯t get that far if you don¡¯t eat and train right¡± she lectures somewhat sadly.


    ¡°Interesting I¡¯ll make sure to remember that. If it''s not too personal can I ask what made you get into training?¡±


    She looks at me with a playful grin before responding.


    ¡°It¡¯s awfully personal but since you¡¯ve told me so much about yourself it¡¯s only fair. I got into training to protect people. You see most people aren¡¯t able to fend off wild Pok¨¦mon or organised teams, even just a rogue trainer can be dangerous enough to cause widespread devastation and as an Ace trainer you stand up against that.¡± she replied with a slight look of melancholy flashing on her face for a moment.


    ¡°Wow, how noble. If I may ask, though I¡¯ve heard the league has a police force, isn''t that their job?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes and no. Whilst police are often mobilised to deal with high level threats such as teams they are not used as the main line of defence and are there to ensure public safety more than anything else. They focus on lower level crime such as theft. Whereas Pok¨¦mon related crime often requires Ace trainers even just as muscle, it''s not an easy job though it¡¯s why it''s so hard to gain the title of Ace.¡± she responds.


    With that, a silence emerges as we both become lost in thought. The thing that breaks the silence is not us but rather the stew.


    ¡°Here it''s ready. Eat up,¡± she says passing me a warm bowl.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied.


    It was divine, the meat was tender and the broth was flavorful though I didn¡¯t exactly savour it as my stomach was an empty pit calling to be fed. As quick as it was given to me the bowl was drained leaving the satisfaction of being full along with a craving for the taste in its wake.


    ¡°That was amazing thank you,¡± I say to Karly as I pass the bowl back to her.


    ¡°Wow you ate that fast, do you want some more?¡± she responds.


    ¡°No thank you, it was quite enough, plus I need to feed Leo,¡± I say as I fish Leo''s food out of my bag and begin feeding him.


    After lunch, Karly packed up all her stuff and took out two Pokeballs then promptly threw them into the air releasing her Skarmory with a screech its metal wings shining dangerously in the sunlight and Unfezant who preened proudly its pink plumage displayed proudly.


    Leo looked on with wonder at the birds, the sound surprisingly not affecting him too much. Karly approached them and began putting the harnesses on.


    ¡°You will ride on Unfezant and I will ride Skarmory with little Leo. Before you ask, no you cannot ride together you lack any sort of training. If the circumstances were any different we¡¯d have walked back.¡± She explained strictly, her tone leaving no room for compromise.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe for him?¡± I ask deciding not to fight her on this despite being uncomfortable with it.


    Her expression softened as she turned back to me.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯ll be quite safe, not only is Skarmory more than strong enough, Leo will be attached by a harness. As for wild Pokemon that might challenge us, there are few in this area generally and only a few unfezant flocks that could challenge us which won¡¯t be a problem as they tend to be docile.¡± She reassures me.


    ¡°Oh? What other Pokemon are there in the area?¡± I ask, unable to stop my curiosity.


    ¡°There are many lines in the area. Mainly Patrat, Caterpie, Wurmpul, and all sorts of bug Pokemon. However, the one I¡¯m most concerned with are the scyther . They are vicious warrior Pokemon known to be dangerous individually, let alone in their swarms. Luckily they can¡¯t fly too high so we¡¯ll be fine.¡± She explains.


    ¡°That does sound dangerous!¡± I exclaim, suddenly feeling very lucky. I had gone out of the frying pan straight into the fire and came away without getting burned. ]


    ¡°Yes, the fact you didn¡¯t know that is concerning but does explain a lot. What did they teach you in that village anyway?¡± She asked, sounding somewhat exasperated.


    ¡°Not enough¡± I replied deflecting the question, suddenly feeling vulnerable. Before she could ask more I decided to move the conversation onward.


    ¡°Why were you in the forest if it''s so dangerous?¡± I asked.


    She looked at me for a second with an evaluating gaze before answering. Her eyes pierced mine as she seemed to look through me at my very soul. It was as if I was being eyed by a predator and as the prey there was nothing I could do but freeze and wait for her judgement to pass. Then suddenly as soon as that feeling came it left and she was back to her cheery self.


    ¡°I came out here to train. As it is away from prying eyes while we¡¯re preparing to compete at the Vertress Conference, in the pro division obviously. I was also hopeful that I would catch a scyther for myself as my team could use a new unknown member but fate had other plans.¡± She said, the last line ending with a smile down at Leo who was still looking at the flying type Pokemon with sparkling eyes, seemingly oblivious to the previous tension.


    ¡°What''s the Vertress Conference?¡± I ask, trying to show a lack of general knowledge hoping to ward off suspicion.


    ¡°Damn, you really don¡¯t know much huh! The Vertress Conference is the penultimate Pokemon battling tournament of the year in Unova. It takes part in three tiers, the rookie tier for those who have never competed and have trained for less than 5 years, the casual tier for those who don¡¯t train as a full-time job but still want to battle. Finally the pro tier for the Ace trainers and other high level Pokemon trainers. Anyway, you won''t have to worry about any of that until you get your trainers licence, if you decide to go that route.¡± she explains.


    ¡°Oh wow, sounds high level.¡± I say, marvelling at how different despite the similarities this world was to the anime depiction. This did confirm my suspicions though, Karly was the real deal. She was one of the strongest trainers in the region.


    ¡°Ok, enough talking we¡¯re ready¡± she says. With both our backpacks attached to the harnesses all that was left was to get on and fly.


    Crouching down to Leo¡¯s level I turned him to face me.


    ¡°Leo you¡¯re going to fly with Karly on Skarmory and I¡¯m going to go on Unfezant and we¡¯re going to race to our new home ok!¡± I say with some excitement in my voice, trying to hide the slight anxiety of being separated or more specifically giving him over to a virtual stranger, not that I had much choice in the matter.


    ¡°OK! We''re so going to win big bro you''re so slow!¡± he says running off to Karly presumably to get a head start.


    Karly just smiled, picked him up and attached him to the harness making sure it was tight before she led me over to Unfezant helped me up and did the same. She also gave me a pair of flying goggles.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything, just enjoy the ride. Unfezant knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± she reassured me. With that done she climbed on Skarmory and signalled for us to depart.


    Unfezzant unfurled its wings and with one powerful flap took us off the ground towards the sky. As we flew upwards above the treeline I got a look at our surroundings. All I could see was endless green, trees in every direction finally ending only as it met the blue sky above in the horizon. The scene was wondrous and I felt more free than I ever had before.


    With this take off there was a finality to things, not only could I not go back now but I was going to be thrust straight into civilisation. Fears and concerns started to build in me as anxieties I never knew I had surfaced and threatened to tear me down. Yet despite all of my worries, looking over the horizon as I soared through the air on the back of a real life Pokemon washed the doubts away. Perhaps it was how surreal the situation felt or it was the joyous laughter I could hear from Leo in the wind but I felt at peace ready to face what would come next.

 Chapter 2: Processing

    The view of the Nacrene City cityscape was something that I would never forget. As we flew over the last mountain and the city came into view, with the light of the midday sun beating down on us illuminating everything. The city itself stood in a valley, its edges touching the forest that surrounded it. Though unlike the anime there was a clear boundary with a small border wall with route entrances clearly seen even from a distance with clearings around them showing us a stream of people entering and leaving.


    Beyond the wall into the city I could see the colourful buildings that were hallmarks of the Pok¨¦mon anime with their vibrant colours standing out in the bright sun. Though they lacked the rigid uniformity of the show. The streets were wide and filled with people and Pok¨¦mon.


    Most buildings looked to be 3 stories high with some standouts that were even taller most notably was what I could only assume was the Nacrene city Gym. Even from our distance the gym was clearly visible. It stood in the centre of the city in a square of its own displaying power and authority from its position. Despite the amazing view we did have to eventually descend and with our descent came the insecurities which had crashed down on me before. Only now that I¡¯d had the flight to calm down they were muted from a panic attack in the making to a slightly quickened heartbeat and a subtle nervous energy.


    Once we had landed Leo was promptly handed back to me, his exciting energy having left him he slept peacefully in my arms while Karly quickly packed everything up and returned her Pok¨¦mon (not before a quick thanks and a promise of a treat). With that we walked through the clearing and into the city passing by the route gates without so much as an ID check though I was given several disapproving stares, likely for having taken a child like Leo out into the wild.


    <hr>


    POV Karly:


    As we pass through the gate into the city I briefly stop to greet a couple of my friends on duty at the gate with a quick smile and a nod. As an Ace trainer it¡¯s quite useful to make friends with local police. After all, you never know when you¡¯ll have to cooperate with them on a mission.


    Nacrene City was a beautiful place. As is often the case with cities in Unova, though it comes with the added benefit of being one of the smaller places. Having none of the towering skyscrapers of Opelucid City and none of the sprawling industry of Virbank. Instead its streets were wide and relatively empty. Its parks and open spaces were more spacious and open for the often rookie trainers that tended to stay in town. In Fact unlike in larger cities I was something of an exception to the rule as I was one of the few ace trainers that came back to Nacrene with most preferring to live the high life in larger cities.


    But for me these streets weren''t just the beginning of my journey but were my home, the gym was where a small cute Minccino was given to a bright eyed moron who didn''t know anything about the ''joys'' of camping. With a light chuckle I bring myself out of my thoughts and realise we have already drifted to our destination, the Nacrene Police Station.


    Though we were at the Police Station our business was not with the police directly but rather a small division inside that was linked with the hidden villages association. Hidden villages were a complicated thing that was shrouded in mystery to the general public. But to the league there were clear rules and regulations around them and their dealings. As while they were largely self-governing entities with a degree of self determination they were still held to the rule of law in the region as set out by the League Congress and the Champion. Such rules have made some Clans and Hidden Villages somewhat integrate into Unovan society such as the Dragon Clan in Opelucid City.


    That being said many chose to become more isolationist or even become entirely unattached to the league, left to have to follow the leagues rules with no league oversight. Which anyone could tell was a recipe for disaster in fact Luis'' case of abuse in one such village is not entirely unheard of, though it is the first in Nacrene as no known villages were situated out here. These thoughts and more fill my mind as we walked through the station into the west wing


    "Were here, we''ll get you situated then you''ll be taken through a few tests both written and medical then interviews about your life and future goals. Which you will be helped in achieving by the league with limited subsidy and temporary housing until you can stand on your own. Just answer honestly and if you don''t feel comfortable answering a question say so and do your best to give a reason why." I say to Luis seriously, it was only fair he was given a heads up about these things. His baby brother Leo is still sleeping in his arms.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Thank you" he said sincerely before following up with.


    "Will me and Leo get to stay together?" a touch of concern creeping into his voice.


    "You may be separated briefly for medical tests but be reunited right after." I said easing his concerns.


    "Anyway enter waiting room 1C, either a member of staff or nurse Joy will be with you shortly" I say leaving him in the division''s waiting room, which was an old police interrogation room that had been refurbished to fit with the mission of our division.


    With Luis situated I immediately turned to my bosses office. It was time to make my report then would come the thing I dreaded most... Paperwork!


    There would be a lot of it too, with there being no previous reports of such a village in the Pinwheel Forest. My boss was going to be so annoyed. With that thought I walked into her office.


    "Captain Jubilee, Ace trainer Karly reporting in from patrol!" I say sharply in the way taught. This was more to let her know that I had a serious matter and wasn''t back from my ''patrol'' (training) early.


    "At ease, report." responded my Captain she was straight to the point as always.


    "In patrolling the Pinwheel forest about a five hour flight to the south of the city I encountered two civilians with no Poke balls. One a man in his late teens and the other a child no older than two who are likely siblings. The older of the two claims they are fleeing an abusive environment and are seeking asylum with the Unova League." I say all in the same serious tone.


    "What?" She says in shock and disbelief though by her embarrassment it was a slip up.


    "Excuse me for a moment" she follows up with standing up and turning to compose herself as well as gather her thoughts. This was something she often did when stressed, surprised or annoyed. After almost 30 seconds she felt she had suitably gathered her thoughts and sat down again.


    "Sorry about that, first of all I thought there was no village in Pinwheel forest!" she says now sounding a lot more composed though not as much as she usually was.


    "Well there''s been no previous reports of one but apparently we were wrong." I replied.


    "This is concerning, but we''ll deal with that later when we write a report to the Committee. Until then our priority is dealing with this newcomer." she says fishing out a form from one of the more unused and empty draws in her desk.


    "First thing I should ask is: As this case involves a child, do you have any reason to believe this was a kidnapping or that foul play was involved in this case?" she asks sternly.


    "No Captain they seem to have the bond of siblings even coming close to a pseudo parental bond between the older brother Luis and the younger brother Leo" I reply.


    "Good, second, was there any sign that Luis could be an undercover operative of a foreign power?" she asked her tone strictly.


    "No ma''am Luis seemed mostly clueless about most things and seemed to have genuine surprise at a number of common knowledge topics discussed, he was mostly concerned with Leo''s safety especially around Pok¨¦mon even ones such as Cinccino which suggests a lack of interaction with them." I replied.


    "A lack of socialisation with Pok¨¦mon, that could be a problem, did he seem to hold any negative views towards them or was it simply a lack of awareness." she asked.


    "It seemed more of an unfamiliarity as while he was uncertain and nervous at times he displayed no disgust or hatred. That said he seemed to have some education about types and battles though it seemed mostly low level theory" I reply recalling our conversations before we left the clearing.


    "Anything you would recommend we consider when processing these two?" she asks as a final question.


    "I would recommend they be kept together as much as possible as the care shown by Luis makes him seem like a suitable guardian. I would also recommend he be given the opportunity to test out of preliminary education and be given the opportunity to go to a trainer school as he showed a level of curiosity towards being a trainer and seemed as if he would appreciate the opportunity to gain knowledge" I reply.


    "Noted. Now go and start your official reports and take your time these may be sent up to the Committee. We cannot afford mistakes. I will call the Nurse and get started with the questioning of the refugee. Dismissed." she said.


    I left the room, hoping I had done the right thing. Luis seemed like a good kid and deserved a chance.

 Chapter 3: Getting Settled

    I don¡¯t know what I expected but waiting in a refitted interrogation room was not it. Whoever redecorated this room had gone to great lengths to try and avoid the association but despite their best efforts, it was clear what this was based on the location. Though the walls were a bright colour and held pictures of people and Pok¨¦mon, presumably famous pairings. I sat at the table which was in the corner of the room. Leaning back on my chair resting against the back wall just watching Leo play on the floor with the Pok¨¦mon toys provided.


    The room itself was comfortable with the vibrant colours of the walls giving it a calm vibe. One change from an actual interrogation room was the lack of a giant one way mirror though this was replaced by the small security camera on the ceiling. Which was the only visible reminder of what this place once was, all other signs having been replaced leaving the room looking similar to a doctor''s waiting room crossed with a child''s playroom.


    It had plenty of toys scattered across the floor and a desk at the back with several chairs surrounding it. This was where I sat with my back to the wall like a wounded animal ready to face what came next. With that said I wasn''t as worried as I was earlier.


    Not only did this seem to be a division in the police that specialised in this kind of situation. That and it was hard to believe someone like Karly would lead us astray.


    With that thought I resolved myself to be cautiously optimistic about this whole situation. That''s not to say I had no reservations about it but I was for the first time in a while hopeful about our future. I just had to ensure we weren''t separated in some government program.


    After waiting for the better part of an hour we were interrupted by a knock at the door. Leo, ever oblivious, didn''t even look up or notice the significant tension that seemed to flood the room. After a moment of hesitation I got up and opened the door to a woman wearing a police uniform with a serious look on her face. She had long brown hair tied into a neat bun and wore glasses on her face. Though I was somewhat surprised that it wasn''t Jenny I got over that quickly and introduced myself.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Luis Adriano and my brother Leo Adriano is the one playing behind me. It''s a pleasure to meet you.¡± I say reaching for a handshake. The woman who seemed momentarily surprised by my introduction reached out and firmly shook my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Jubilee, leader of the Nacrene city branch of the Hidden Villages Association, the pleasures all mine.¡± she responded introducing herself. In doing so she had confirmed my suspicion that this section of the police force was specialised in dealing with my situation and those like it.


    ¡°May I come in? We have much to cover.¡± she asks.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± I say moving aside and gesturing in.


    ¡°How are you finding the change so far? I heard from Karly that you were from quite a remote village.¡± She asks with a professional smile as she takes a seat on one side of the desk. I move to sit at the otherside.


    ¡°It¡¯s been good so far, not that much has happened, though I must say that the whole city is much bigger than I expected.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yes, we get that a lot, many ¡®Hidden Villages¡¯ are quite small.¡± she says.


    ¡°Anyway, I have a few questions for you about your Village and then about your personal situation. After that we can go over your educational background and future goals to help us give you a plan to get situated.¡± she says, taking control of the conversation and in the process revealing that the government help would be quite extensive though likely at the cost of full cooperation. Not good for someone with secrets.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯d be happy to help!¡± I say whilst thinking about how much I should reveal.


    Before we can begin there is another knock at the door.


    ¡°Oh that must be Nurse Joy, would you mind if she takes Leo for a basic health check up whilst we talk?¡± she asks. My instinct was to refuse but at the same time I was worried that such a thing would be taken the wrong way.


    Seeing my hesitation Captain Jubilee said ¡°Don¡¯t worry you will be reunited by the end of the day its a short examination and is quite safe, It''s just incase he has some unknown illness or a previously undetected one, many Hidden Villages don¡¯t quite have the health standards that are common to wider Unova.¡±


    With that It seemed the choice had been made, It was an offer I could not refuse. While I wasn¡¯t comfortable with it I was less than confident in the health practices of the cult. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Sure It¡¯s for the best after all. Don¡¯t want him to get sick.¡± I replied.


    With that I picked up Leo and after a few words of encouragement/ reassurance, which admittedly were as much for me as they were for him, I handed him off to Nurse Joy. Nurse Joy herself was seemingly a natural Pinkette giving me my first experience seeing anime hair. Though I¡¯m sure I saw some on the way to the station my mind was occupied with other thoughts at that time.


    After a final goodbye to Leo I sit back down in the ¡®interrogation¡¯ chair ready for what was next.


    ¡°Now that that''s sorted we can move on to the basic questions. For records purposes and to ensure there is no foul play from either party this meeting will be recorded.¡± She starts


    ¡°Now I know we introduced ourselves already but for the record I am Captain Jubilee conducting the questioning of one Luis Adriano as per the regulations of adults under the Hidden Villages act. Before we start, do you have any questions?¡± She asks.


    ¡°No¡± I reply.


    ¡°Ok, on to basic questions: what is the name of your village and where is it located?¡± she asks.


    ¡°The town was called ¡®Freedom Ville¡¯ and beyond being in a forest I¡¯m unsure of where it is located though I can say it was to the south of where I ran into Ace trainer Karly.¡± I reply by making sure to refer to Karly with her proper title. Captain Jubilee writes down a couple notes at my response and then continues.


    ¡°Next question, do you know if this ''Freedom Ville¡¯ is involved with any crimes or actions that threaten Unova?¡±


    ¡°Umm not that I¡¯m aware of, though they did seem to have a lot of people trained for combat, most of that was to guard the town¡± I reply somewhat unsure of what to say.


    As with last time she writes some notes before continuing.


    ¡°Next question: Did you witness or receive any abuse by people or Pok¨¦mon onto people or Pok¨¦mon?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Yes, I received abuse from my parents both physically and mentally. Most of which being neglect and the occasional beating¡± I reply suddenly feeling a dampness in my eyes as the memories of what I endured came back. The screams were so loud I could still hear them ringing in my ears as the belt whipped up and down. The world seemed less vibrant as the memory took control of my vision.


    ¡°It''s ok, you don''t have to speak about it if it''s uncomfortable¡± said a voice as a comforting hand held my own. Blinking I clear my eyes of nascent tears out of my eye and reaching my hands out of hers and wiping the rest of my tears away.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok we can continue¡± I say now just wanting the questioning to be over with.


    The questions continued in this way for the better part of an hour, they covered the basics of my living situation in the town. What the laws were, how they were enforced, who our leaders were and what people did for work. Though none of the questions gave me an emotional reaction such as the third one did, some were on some sensitive topics though Captain Jubilee was careful not to make me feel obliged to speak if it was too much.


    What the Captain found most surprising was the lack of trainers as the only people who interacted with Pok¨¦mon were the town guards and leaders with it being rare for the rest of us to see a Pok¨¦mon let alone train one. That said it wasn''t that trainers were unheard of, in fact they were widely disparaged as slavers and criminals. A fact she found most disturbing due to the significance of trainers and training in general in Unovan society.


    Though I made it clear that I held no such beliefs and even mentioned that I had angered several people in the town by questioning them. It wouldn¡¯t do to have my dreams of being a trainer be snuffed out due to a misunderstanding.


    Once the basic questioning was over I was asked about my education, which was a complete schooling experience though my town only had one small school so how complete said education was I couldn¡¯t say. So it was decided that I would complete the standardised tests for a high schooler and be granted a diploma if I passed.


    With that done it was on to the best part.


    ¡°So what are your goals? What do you want to do with your life? Before you answer I must clarify that you don''t need a grand goal as this answer is just used by us to help get you on the right path. You could say something as simple as working with Pok¨¦mon or something as specific as Pok¨¦mon Ranger.¡± she explained.


    ¡°I only have two goals: one to keep me and my brother safe from the townspeople and two to become a Pok¨¦mon trainer¡± I say with conviction. Making sure not to mention that becoming a trainer was as much of a dream for me as it was a way to buy my freedom with strength if I needed to.


    ¡°Ok that is something we can certainly help with¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°To be clear though your first goal is something you would¡¯ve been assisted with by our division either way as cases of abuse are taken very seriously.¡± she said briefly, losing her smile to adopt a serious face as she spoke with conviction.


    ¡°With that said, we can definitely help you with your second goal as well. As you have not been raised in a society with a Pok¨¦mon League we cannot just send you off on a journey as many households here do, what we can offer though is enrolment into a trainer school which will teach you about the basics of training and Pok¨¦mon care. Though we will not be able to fund too many classes you can certainly join the basic one and from there gain a licence and apply for or capture a starter Pok¨¦mon¡± she says.


    ¡°Thanks, that would be a big help,¡± I reply, happy that the way forward is clear.


    ¡°With that covered, we are done. If you¡¯d prefer it I can take you directly to nurse Joy and your brother. We can even see if your own check up can be done straight after.¡± she says.


    ¡°Sounds great¡± I reply with a dramatic exhale releasing tension I didn¡¯t even know I¡¯d had. Hopefully once my medical was clear I could finally after sixteen years of reincarnation start learning about Pok¨¦mon training.

 Chapter 4: So It Begins

    It had been a month since I¡¯d arrived in Nacrene city and I¡¯d been given a temporary apartment in a poorer area of the city. On paper this seemed like a raw deal however it just meant that I wouldn¡¯t have to move after the government subsidy ran out.


    But I was getting ahead of myself. I still had another month and a half until I had to worry about paying rent.  The first two weeks were a blur of paperwork and tests. With these last two weeks being about settling down and planning, planning for a future out of this dump and the path I would take to get there.


    After two weeks of work I was finally feeling like I had a good routine in place. Every morning started with the same meal. It was a cheap meal of mareep yogurt, oran berries and granola. Mareep Yogurt was cheap mainly because it was viewed as a secondary product to the wool they provided. Normally oran berries would¡¯ve been slightly out of my budget but I got the old produce from my job at a market stall at the end of each day. Berries had a high turnover after all.


    Then It was off to school for me and off to my neighbour Grandma Heidy for my brother who babysat him during the day. Which was kind of her as she asked for nothing financial in return, likely knowing of my situation, she just said she enjoys the company.


    As for the trainer school, I was somewhat disappointed. While my inner child was electric at the thought of Pok¨¦mon battles and move training. My inner personal trainer was disappointed at the lack of physical training taught.  The way moves themselves were taught was also rather one dimensional with the idea of getting better at a move being something that happened under frequent use not something that could be affected with specialist techniques too much.


    Everyone seemed to work under a here''s how to learn moves, good luck figuring out everything else policy. Ignoring the fact that if you honed the Pok¨¦mon''s physicality the moves would naturally become stronger (Not to say moves were unimportant just not all there was to getting strong).


    In fact it was to such an extent that I figured the culture of training must involve a lot of secret training techniques and such to get ahead. Rather than being open to sharing methods and improving together.


    That being said whilst the training section felt a bit lacklustre the nutritional information was invaluable. As I had no real reference to work from, learning about the different nutritional information was extremely valuable. It opened my eyes to how expensive training could be and raised learning to cook in my internal measure of importance.


    After school I went and worked the closing shift at the market''s berry stall. Which, somewhat unexpectedly, had me do more moving produce into storage and removing old produce for new than it had me doing any selling of berries. Which was fine by me. I had enough of working customer service in my last life. Once work finished I headed home, made dinner for myself, Leo, grandma Heidy and her Lilipup before I called it a day.


    These days were long and hard but I was enjoying it, learning about Pok¨¦mon was a dream come true after all. My one concern was that once the subsidy ran out I would be relying on my job to fund everything so financially I would be a bit shaky¡­ Or I would be, If I was a normal person that is. I had a plan to make money reliably. I just didn''t know entirely how I would implement it, or if it was even legal.


    Which might not sound like much but the crazy mutterings of that one embarrassing uncle but after I had the legal side sorted out I would be rolling in it. Ok maybe not rolling in it but I wouldn¡¯t be just scraping by.


    Despite my delusions of grandeur, I needed to focus on the present. It had only been a month at this point. Though It felt like a lifetime and involved a lot of help from Captain Jubilee and Karley both in an official and personal capacity. They had helped me with everything from picking an apartment to getting me a job. I was truly in their debt, despite how much they insisted they were just doing their jobs.


    Today was different, today I got a break from my routine.  I had an official catch up meeting with Captain Jubilee and Karley. Which led me back to the police station, a stranger might be concerned with the amount I came back to the building. The building itself had quite the imposing exterior with stone statues of stoutland flanking the door standing proud and tall, looking quite striking next to the large open wooden doors and the older stone building. The details of the interior, such as the smiling receptionist, that went unnoticed on my first visit became more familiar over the last month.


    As I entered the building I waved to the receptionist, who smiled back, as I walked towards the department of Hidden Villages. Which I had come to learn were not part of the police just associated with them as a related organisation, often working in tandem with them. Also, it was probably cheaper for the league to have them in spare police office space. Especially in places such as Nacrene City where their presence isn¡¯t expected to be necessary. In fact their presence in such cities was seen as so redundant that there was even talk of the project being shut down entirely. My showing up was being turned into a big political victory for them, not that I minded as it had helped grease the wheels of the bureaucracy machine.


    Plus if I wanted to become a high profile Pok¨¦mon trainer I would have to become used to working the system at some point.


    The system itself seemed to work well as it was and was nowhere near as bad as it felt in my past life. No where had the long hellish lines of the DMV.


    With that I walked into the department and right up to Captain Jubilee¡¯s office promptly knocked on the door and waited to be granted entry. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Luis Is that you? Come on in, have a seat, sorry about the mess¡± she says through the door.


    ¡°Hi Captain, how have you been?¡± I ask as I walk in. Her office, though full of paper, was tidy with all the paper in neat stacks on every available surface in the room.


    As I understand it most of this was not directly relevant to my case but the implications of what it could mean to have more people like me from an unknown unfriendly settlement.


    We sit in the seats in front of her desk, once seated I pass Leo a Pok¨¦mon figure to keep him occupied whilst we have this conversation.


    ¡°I''ve been fine,¡± she said with a weary sigh. ¡°Just buried in paperwork is all¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that¡± I reply with a meek smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I''ve had it easy for so long. It''s a nice change of pace¡± she replied with a kind smile.


    ¡°Anyway how have you two been? We¡¯re here to talk about you after all.¡± She asked starting the meeting.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been okay haven¡¯t we Leo?¡± I reply.


    ¡°Yeah! Grandma Heidy is really nice¡± he said with a goofy smile.


    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re meeting your neighbours that''s good.¡±


    ¡°Yes Grandma Heidy has been a massive help by babysitting whilst I''m at work and school. I just cook her dinner for her and Lilipup in return.¡± I explain, in fact without her I wasn¡¯t sure my schedule would be possible with all the work and school I had.


    In response Jubilee just smiles while writing some notes.


    ¡°And how are you finding work and school?¡± She asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s going well. I''m not finding either particularly difficult and in fact was wondering if I could test out of trainer school early? Just so I can make some more money before my journey¡± I respond.


    ¡°Wow, are you sure? I know you had a good level of education before but you haven''t learned about training for that long¡± she asked looking a little concerned.


    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fairly sure I¡¯ll be fine. I just need a few more months but I¡¯m already looking ahead at the curriculum and it doesn¡¯t seem that difficult. Honestly, I think I¡¯d find practical experience more valuable.¡± I respond with my practised answer. I¡¯d been anticipating this conversation for a while now and was ready.


    As Captain Jubilee processed my response she


    ¡°Hmmm, and how exactly, do you expect to get this experience without a starter Pok¨¦mon? Are you asking to receive it early?¡± she asks in a strict slightly accusatory way.


    ¡°No nothing like that, I don''t even know my options for getting a starter. I was going to use my diploma and charge for training advice,¡± I said this wouldn¡¯t be too much different that what I did in my previous life as a PT so I was confident I could do it. It was just an issue of legality, I didn¡¯t know the laws around Pok¨¦mon training so it was better to ask an expert.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s certainly not what I expected you to say, normally people don¡¯t do that kind of thing until they have their own teams. But it¡¯s not unheard of.¡± She said.


    ¡°I would recommend training a well known Pok¨¦mon in your apartment building to use an example of what you can do. I believe little Leo mentioned Grandma Heidy¡¯s Lillipup, maybe that''s an option.¡± She suggested.


    ¡°That''s a really good idea!¡± I say, excited and happy this conversation was going well.


    ¡°Yep, after you¡¯ve trained the Lillipup and passed your classes I would be happy to help you with making contracts and figuring out pricing. I imagine that, once he¡¯s stronger, if you take Lillipup to your local battle park even casually you¡¯ll get some interest.¡± She replied.


    ¡°As for your starter that is more complicated, every person is guaranteed a starter by the league, if they want it of course. That being said most only get given a random bidoof, pidove or lillipup. If you want to get to choose your starter you have to apply for an advanced starter program,¡± she explained.


    ¡°How does that work and what can I do to get the starter I want?¡± I ask confused about what my best option was.


    ¡°You can apply to up to three, as these programs act as your first sponsor they want to make sure you¡¯re either a good fit or going to be successful as a trainer. So becoming a consultant trainer beforehand as experience will make you a good candidate. You might even want to aim for a lab starter if it goes well.¡± she elaborated.


    ¡°Oh wow, that is interesting. I can''t wait to see what my options are.¡± I exclaim feeling excited at the prospects.


    ¡°Calm down, let''s not get ahead of ourselves. You need to pass your tests first and talk to Grandma Heidy about training Lilipup.¡± she says with a kind smile.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do that first thing when I get back!¡± I reply in kind.


    ¡°Well it seems you are both doing well, so why don¡¯t we call it here. Ace Trainer Karly will be happy to know you¡¯re settling in okay.¡± she says.


    ¡°Yeah we¡¯re doing great, please thank her for me and thanks for your help with my plan.¡± I reply with a smile. As I get out of my seat with Leo and walk to the door.


    ¡°No worries, I''m just doing my job. Try to focus on one thing at a time, it¡¯s good to be ambitious but it can be overwhelming trying to do everything at once.¡± she says waving me out the door.


    ¡°Will do, see you in two weeks.¡± I reply exiting the office feeling lighter than when I came in.


    It was nice to know that my plans were not a complete bust and I could continue with my idea. Though I had perhaps played the part of an excitable teenager too well I couldn¡¯t help it. I was excited especially at the idea of getting a better starter.


    Everything felt so far away and all I needed to do was focus on doing things one step at a time to stay on track to my goal. For the first time since I had reincarnated I felt like the road ahead was visible and I just needed to follow it.


    Starting with talking to Grandma Heidy.

 Chapter 5: The Talk

    After my conversation with the good captain I headed straight home impatient and ready to talk to Grandma Heidy about my next move. She already knew my plan but like me was unsure of the feasibility. Hopefully she would allow me to train Lillipup to use him to prove that I could train effectively.


    That said I was also relying on the idea that I could in fact train a Pok¨¦mon effectively. Something which despite my knowledge and experience with humans I was fairly sure I could do but there''s still a bit of doubt in my mind about it no matter how much I reason that it will be fine. If there was one thing for certain it was that I was moving forward and I needed to make the most of the time I had to achieve as much as possible before applying for my starter. Getting a good starter, hopefully a regional starter, would be a god Arceus send.


    But that was enough drifting off for now. I had more pressing concerns. Leo had just seen an ice cream shop and was giving me the look.


    ¡°Pweeese, just one¡±


    <hr>


    Walking down the corridor to Grandma Heidi''s apartment felt harder than normal. Not physically difficult. Not due to Leo making a fuss, he was the picture of childhood contentment with his Emolga shaped ice cream, no it was difficult mentally difficult. As the anxiety of the future conversation was slowly building in anticipation of her answer.


    In fact a part of me was just guilty. She had already done so much for me with how she looked after Leo while I was at college. As it was I hoped that this conversation would go well, if she agreed to let me train Lillipup that would just be ideal.


    As I reached her door it swung open before I could even knock.


    ¡°Hello Luis, come in. How was your meeting?¡± she asked with her kind smile which reached her eyes.


    Grandma Heidi was a small woman, standing only 5ft tall. She had short grey hair and bright blue eyes that shone with an age defying strength and a deep wisdom. Her strong gaze contrasted with her frail body which seemed to be moved through force of will from her strong spirit.


    ¡°Hi Grandma Heidi, It went better than I had hoped. In fact she brought up more ideas for me to consider.¡± I answered matching her smile with my own as we moved into her lounge/ kitchenette. My feelings of anxiety evaporating right then and there.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, Lillipup and I were worried for you. In fact he ran to the door as soon as he heard you in the hallway.¡± she said gleefully as the Pok¨¦mon in question waged its tail and barked excitedly. No doubt having run all over the apartment before we got here.


    ¡°Aww you thought about us Lilipup, thank you so much¡± I said whilst reaching down and patting him.


    ¡°And how have you been Leo? Were you good?¡± she asked as she took a seat on the sofa and gave Leo a cheeky smile.


    ¡°Ofcawce, I even got an Ice cream¡± he said with a smile proudly showing off his prize.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, you''re such a good boy. Why don¡¯t you go play with Lillipup, I¡¯m sure me and your brother have a lot to talk about.¡± she said.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Leo replied with a cute smile as he ran off into the spare room to play with his toys, Lillipup quick on his heels. Many of which were kept here due to the babysitting arrangement.


    With Leo gone Grandma Heidy turned back to me, gestured for me to sit and said.


    ¡°So tell me what happened,¡±


    With that I explained, in detail, what was discussed in the meeting. Making sure not to leave anything out and ending with a request to train Lillipup for her as a proof of concept. When I was done talking she just sat there staring, studying my expression for any hint of deceit.


    The silence was tense and I could feel my anxiety bubbling up threatening to consume me.


    ¡°So it went well overall then, that''s good.¡± she said slowly easing her serious expression into a pleased smile.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Yeah it went better than I expected, as for training Lillipup. I know I¡¯m asking a lot but I really think I know enough and can help him get stronger if you¡­¡± she raised her hand, cutting me off before I could word-vomit further.


    ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m not interrogating you. I won¡¯t stop you from training Lillipup¡± she said


    ¡°Really? Thank you so much!¡± I say relief flooding into me, seeing my smile she laughed softly.


    ¡°Of course, that said, I do have a few requirements.¡± She said in a stern but not unkind way.


    ¡°First, you must write up a training plan for him and explain it to me. Second, you must not force him to battle if he doesn¡¯t want to. Third, if you want to change his diet that comes out of your money, Fourth nothing dangerous to either him or you is allowed, so no going into the wild.¡± She listed off, with extra emphasis on the last one.


    ¡°Of course that''s to be expected, I will happily agree to that.¡± I reply, warmth flooding me as I realise for the first time how lucky I am to have Grandma Heidy¡¯s support.


    With that thought I ran up and embraced her. Hoping to convey my thanks in the best way possible.


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡± I say.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet, I still want to see that plan.¡± she said with a kind smile embracing me back.


    With that conversation out of the way I sat back down and we just talked happily for the rest of the evening.


    The next morning I was up early like normal, with this being the weekend there was no need but I was a creature of habit. So I was up early making breakfast, normally I would be going on a run too but instead I had to prepare a training plan for Lillipup.


    As a rule it is best to start a training plan by thinking about what your goals are. The goals of Pok¨¦mon training were often different to the goals of the human ¡®training¡¯ I was used to but there was still some crossover.


    As almost all Pok¨¦mon were trained for battling and getting stronger to fight was part of that there were no sports considerations. Just specialisation differences: special Vs physical and speed, defence or offence. While all would be trained to some degree some species gravitated to specific fighting styles.


    The lillipup line in the games heavily leaned towards being a bulky physical attacker. In this world it seemed to be the most common way to train them too with those in police roles having more flexibility into special attack.


    With the goal set, first, I am going to focus on building up general physical strength and endurance. This is because Lillipup had trouble keeping up with playing with Leo at times and he''s a baby.


    My initial plan is to spend the mornings working on endurance by taking him running with me this way he''d get to train and with Pok¨¦mons natural healing ability be ready for weight training in the evening.


    Something that given his physiology would be based on heavy sled pulling and bite work.


    That left moves, which given Grandma Heidy¡¯s hints at him being unwilling to battle (rule 2) might not be relevant until the little guy gets some confidence. That said, they could not be fully overlooked as familiarity with moves can''t be a popular method for no reason.


    With the basis of my plan it was time to give Leo his breakfast and get to Grandma Heidy''s apartment.


    Walking into Grandma Heidy¡¯s apartment I got straight to work explaining to her my plan for Lillipup and what we were going to work on. She did ask questions about move training but I reassured her that it wasn''t urgent if Lillipup didn''t want to battle currently. This assured her about my plan, with that I went up to Lillipup ready to start training right away.


    ¡°That said, I do still need to know his moves as we will train them, just not as the focus,¡± I say whilst pulling out a notepad and pen.


    ¡°Ah he knows bite, tackle and growl. Though I was told he should learn thunder fang with little effort because of his parents,¡± she said.


    ¡°Huh that''s cool what is his parentage?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh did I not tell you? Lillipup is a failed police dog.¡± she said with a smile. As if what she said wasn''t slightly concerning. But that did explain thunder fang, which was often trained to paralyze criminals.


    ¡°Why did he fail?¡± I ask cautiously, suddenly aware that I might''ve bitten off more than I can chew.


    ¡°He was too timid and tended to run away instead of towards danger too often to be seen as reliable. Don''t worry he''s not vicious.¡± She said partially assuring me of my worries.


    ¡°Hmm I''ll have to focus a bit more on building confidence then,¡± I say just thinking out loud. This was not only important for Lillipup and for battling but just general safety. A confident Pok¨¦mon was much less likely to lash out by mistake. A lot of loud aggressive dogs were often just scared after all, that went for a lot of people too. That said the problem had a lot more potential issues when Pok¨¦mon were involved.


    "Yes, especially if you want him to battle. He gets scared even watching others," she said soberly.


    After a brief somber moment we move on. Having already talked to Lillipup about the arrangement last night. Grandma Heidy hands me his Pokeball and sends me off to train him, after reminding me to be careful of course.

 Chapter 6: First Time Training

    It was finally time to train my first Pok¨¦mon. Though before being reborn I never imagined this could happen. Since being reborn I''d always imagined it with my own Pok¨¦mon and not as a service to someone else.


    Either way I was over the moon. My heart was thundering just thinking about it as I walked into the park.


    The park itself was a large flat grassy area with a few trees dotted around it and battle courts in the corner. It was a community park where high level training was forbidden but low level training was common. In fact around the park was a mix of older people taking their house Pok¨¦mon out and new trainers training their new partners. Though given the season was almost over it was more of the former than latter.


    Once I was in a more secluded part of the park I released Lillipup.


    ¡°Bark¡± he exclaimed as he materialised, looking around at his surroundings before looking up at me with enthusiasm and a little bit of confusion.


    ¡°I heard you want to get stronger and possibly evolve Lillipup,¡± I said gently, looking down at the small dog Pok¨¦mon.


    ¡°Pup!¡± He exclaimed with a serious look though his body language spoke of hesitation as if he was putting on a brave fa?ade.


    ¡°Hmm, why do you want to get stronger? Is it to protect grandma Heidy? Or to evolve? Or to become the strongest?¡± I ask, understanding a client''s motivation was always important. There''s a massive difference between training someone who wants to get a little leaner and someone who was trying to become a bodybuilder after all.


    ¡°Woof¡± he barked with conviction¡­


    ¡°I have now idea what that means,¡± I replied apologetically. Lillipup just laughed at that.


    After a brief conversation/ game of charades I was able to understand he wanted to grow stronger and evolve to protect grandma Heidy in thanks for her adopting him.


    Luckily this is what I expected so the training plan I''d made could stay the same.


    Getting strong enough to protect grandma Heidy wasn''t just about being strong enough to defend her; it was also about being about to pull her out of a fire and things like that. All of which were linked to strength but required control too and didn''t mean he had to be a world class battler.


    With our goals set it was time to start training.


    ¡°Okay, at first we¡¯re going to work on your basics, with that said let''s start with a run. Bet you can¡¯t catch me,¡± I say, taking off running around the park.


    After a brief moment Lillipup takes off behind me yapping at my heels. Being a young Pok¨¦mon it was important to make the training engaging and fun as well as effective. It didn¡¯t take him long to pass me, though he kept running with me chasing him.


    After around 20 minutes of running I could tell Lillipup was flagging slightly as he had long stopped barking and was starting to slow. Which for a Pok¨¦mon was slightly shocking, Pok¨¦mon were renowned for their physical abilities after all.


    I pushed it by continuing for another 5 minutes before ending our run. We have a lot to cover and I don''t want to run him into the ground now.


    ¡°Good¡­ Job¡­ Lillipup¡­¡± I gasp between breaths, hands on my knees. As much as I was saying about Lillipup flagging I didn¡¯t have much left in me either. Similarly, Lillipup was laying out on the ground panting swiftly.


    Giving us a few moments to recover I looked around the park. A few people had glanced our way whilst we were running giving us looks of amusement, a boy and his Lillipup was an entertaining site after all, at least to the elderly in the park. Most though had ignored us completely, focusing on their training, most of which similarly resembled playing (usually more playing than training).


    With the running done it was time to test his strength. This was something I was going to have to do in two parts: first his bite force, as a dog Pok¨¦mon bite force would be excellent for preparing a good foundation for his future moves; second his overall physical impact, this would be important for other physical moves like tackle and his speed.


    Speed was something that is a strange thing to consider as a definitive stat. In principle it makes sense, if you have higher speed you are faster. But in reality many Pok¨¦mon who have low ¡®speed¡¯ are capable of extremely fast movement over short distances if trained properly. That and moves like quick attack can help further reduce the gap in genetics.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Luckily for me, as expected of a society that loves battling, the park was outfitted with machines that take hits and grade strength for Pok¨¦mon below the 4th badge rating. A Pok¨¦mon would use a move on the machine then they were then given a rating out of 4 based on power and energy output. This service wasn¡¯t free but as a subsidised service it was cheap, that said you could pay more and get a full report of things like energy density etc. This would give a trainer an idea of what is lacking. Though at this point such a deep level of analysis was useless and possibly detrimental to Lillipup''s training as everything was technically ¡®lacking¡¯.


    The design of the machine is fairly simple; it was just a box with a pad on one side for the Pokemon to impact. With a second machine next to it for measuring special attacks.


    ¡°Okay Lillipup, time to test your strength, we¡¯ll do this every two weeks to track your improvement,¡± I explained to the young Pokemon, who was still panting slightly.


    I go over and turn the machine on and set it up for Lillipup.


    ¡°When you''re ready, use tackle on the pad there, make sure it''s as strong as possible so we can get a good measure of your strength.¡± I say getting a tired but firm nod in return.


    After a short rest he stands up, braces himself, eyes the target, barks and charges. As he speeds up a soft pale glow appears around him. As he approached the bag he jumped and seemed to tense mid air before slamming into the machine with a thud.


    Despite Lillipups obvious relative weakness compared to other Pok¨¦mon his moves were clearly still strong enough to harm a human. Such strength in such a small and frail being was slightly disconcerting.


    Looking over at the panel it showed a level 1 as the strength. This was the lowest score it gave which could be anything from freshly hatched to just failed the second gym badge. But more importantly it confirmed what we already knew and gave a solid starting point to progress from.


    Before moving on I recorded the score in the notepad I had for Lillipups training, I also recorded how long the run was. Tracking progress was probably the best way to progress in any physical endeavour. It not only allowed you to see your progress over time but also understand if you were pushing yourself hard enough to progress at all.


    ¡°Good job! Now do the same for Bite¡± I said to the little dog who was wagging his tail happily.


    This time Lillipup stayed up close, closed his eyes in focus before opening them suddenly and biting down on the pad.


    The number was the same at 1 but I also noted down that the move needs to be worked on before being used in any kind of battling scenario.


    ¡°Ok Lillipup, good job! We have one more thing today.¡± I say making my way over to another part of the park.


    This are had a kind of agility course. It was basic in design with it just being sticks in a line made for you to weave between.


    ¡°Why don''t you try this exercise, run forward whilst jumping between these sticks,¡± I explain.


    ¡°Pup¡± he exclaimed, taking off running he jumped, landed and immediately slipped and fell.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± I ask, running over to him.


    ¡°Lillipup¡± he nodded, thankfully looking more embarrassed than hurt.


    ¡°Haha, don''t worry little guy you''ll get it, try it a bit slower,¡± I say with a smile.


    ¡°Pup,¡± he barks enthusiastically and immediately takes off at a slower pace jumping through the poles. Taking his time ensuring he doesn''t mess up another landing.


    In that way he completes the final task. This shows its approximate agility and allows me to have a baseline to measure against though this one would be a lot less accurate than the others.


    ¡°Well done, you did it!¡± I say excitedly.


    ¡°Lil lillipup¡± he barked in response, his little tail wagging at a million miles an hour.


    ¡°Good boy, you want to come with me to the shops or just go back in your ball to rest?¡± I asked crouching down to talk to him directly.


    ¡°Lillipup¡± he says suddenly less excited and more tired. As if he just remembered that he had just been made to do tough exercise.


    ¡°Enjoy your rest,¡± I say returning him to his pokeball.


    Now that the training was done I needed to buy some things for Lillipups training and diet, he¡¯d never make progress if he had a poor diet after all.


    On the way to the shop I just took my time enjoying the atmosphere of the city.


    Cities on earth are often marred by smoke, waste and other forms of pollution. These mundane problems didn''t reach the main roads of Nacrene. This was partially due to the rarity of cars with Pok¨¦mon serving the function of travel mount if needed.


    That was not to say it was a utopia, just that the pollution was reduced. Due to the tendency to attract certain poison types it was very important that trash wasn''t left on the street. Deeper into alleyways such trash could still be found though and some dumpsters were infested with rattata or more troubling trubbish. That said these problems were often used for young trainers to gather experience and if they got too bad the police would get involved.


    With that my thoughts drifted to what I needed to buy. Lillipup needed a sled or some other device that could be weighted, such as a vest, for his training. That and some kind of grip for training bite force would work nicely, though it might be tough to stay on budget.


    As for food I¡¯d need to buy all the ingredients to make his relatively balanced dinner. Though admittedly it¡¯d have a higher dose of protein to make sure he grew physically stronger. It was important for a young Pok¨¦mon to receive all the nutrients in one dose or another.


    Actually whilst I¡¯m out I might as well pick up something for mine, Leos and Grandma Heidy¡¯s dinner too. I¡¯ll make her favourite and get Leo some ice cream for good measure. With a smile on my face I walk further into the city to the shops.

 Chapter 7: Day In The Life (Part 1)

    The light had just broken through the tree line to shine down on a new day. Illuminating a sleepy city and bringing with it the warmth expected of summer.


    It was June, the season had ended and the Ventress Conference was due to start soon. Once again reminding me of a now tighter deadline on when I¡¯d have to start applying for starters. I had to achieve some kind of success with my idea before the end of the conference.


    This gave me six weeks, two weeks for each level of trainer at the tournament. Given the progress I''d had with Lillipup I was excited at the possibilities. By the end of those six weeks he will likely have evolved and I would be ready to start advertising. As I''d go from the kid in the park with the Lillipup to the trainer with the Herdier.


    I''d been training the little guy for two weeks now and he''d progressed further than I''d ever expected. He was already completing our morning run with a heavy weight vest. And his bite force and tackle had increased in power from one to two stars.


    What had surprised me though was the seeming increase in strength of his energy for his physical moves. This was most likely due to the move training we did in the evening. That said, I had a theory that it was also linked to the physical training we did.


    I couldn¡¯t prove that yet, though I was certain that it had also increased the amount he could use in any one move. As at the end of the first week before we started to train moves everyday he seemed to be running out of energy faster from his moves. Which did change when we started to train the moves and thus the energy specifically in our evening sessions.


    Every morning for the past two weeks had started with our morning run in the park. Even now as I ran through the park Lillipup was chasing after me, his weight vest on him looking like a sleek black vest.


    After our run we progressed on to weight training. This had him pulling a heavy sled in between two trees. And bite training which had him pulling a lighter weight from his jaw along with biting down as hard as he could on tough materials.


    I¡¯d learnt so much about Pok¨¦mon training in the past two weeks. Most of which were the kinds of things that I was taught about but had to see to truly understand. Firstly I realised how difficult it would be to overtrain a Pok¨¦mon with my schedule. They just had such a good level of recovery. In fact at first I had definitely been undertraining him. Now though I think I¡¯d managed to optimise it to train him as hard as I reasonably could.


    Lillipup for one had reacted well to the increase in intensity and had been pushing himself at the pace required. I guess the little guy really hated being weak. Though I suspected most pokemon had some sort of drive to reach at least a certain level of strength even if they didn¡¯t like battling. Their evolutions were often tied to it after all.


    Today the goal for the sled pulls was to complete a fifth lap of the two trees he dragged it between. At this point he was almost ready for an increase in weight but I decided just to keep pushing him on the reps for now.


    Due to his small frame it looked a little funny as he struggled to pull the sled which was twice his size and loaded with metal plates. As he walked between the trees his face strained with effort such was the intensity of the training.


    When he got to the fifth lap his legs were shaking, yet he soldiered on. His will power had been another thing that had increased through our training. I think seeing his progress through the weight increase had given him a drive to increase his strength that he¡¯d been partially missing before.


    His goals hadn¡¯t changed; he had just become more confident in achieving them.


    He struggled on with the sled, running on nought but fumes as he heaved pulling the sled back finishing the fifth and final lap.


    ¡°Well done Lillipup! You¡¯re really getting much stronger little guy.¡± I say walking over to him and unbuckling him from the sled and start preparing it for his next exercise. This was done by taking off some weight and changing the grip to one he could pull in his mouth.


    ¡°Lillipup¡± he whined through his exhausted panting and I pulled out some water which I¡¯d crushed an oran berry into for him to have while he recovered. The oran berry itself helped to speed up the healing process and allowed for us to fit this workout in before I needed to go to school.


    It only took a few minutes for him to jump up ready for the next exercise. Much like a person who went to the gym, a Pok¨¦mon needed to learn when their body was ready for another set, when the fatigue from the last set wouldn¡¯t stop you from being able to push yourself to get the maximum possible out of the next one.


    When he was ready he took off pulling the lightened sled with his jaw, only three sets to go.


    Once he was finished with his training we left the park. It being fairly early in the morning the park was fairly deserted, more filled with people on their daily commute than anything else.


    We walked home quickly, only briefly stopping and greeting those I''d gotten to know on their morning commute. It was nice getting to know more people but the main benefit of these small connections was that these were the people I''d be advertising too once I was ready to start training. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Once I was home I quickly cooked a meal for myself and Lillipup, his meal was more specially made as he needed to put on some muscle mass and recover before our evening training.


    Then I got Leo out of bed, warmed up some of his food and made sure he ate it all. If I didn''t he''d end up being a little grump for Grandma Heidy.


    After the little guy was fed I headed over to Grandma Heidy¡¯s and dropped off a sleepy Leo and an exhausted Lillipup.


    ¡°Are you coming over to watch the opening ceremony tonight?¡± she asked as I was turning to leave.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it¡± I say with a smile as I leave ready to go to trainer school.


    Trainer school, much like regular school on earth, was extremely interesting if you liked the subject and mind numbingly boring if you didn¡¯t and even then some lecturers found a way to make exciting topics come across as boring.


    The school itself was a large, relatively insignificant looking building with a green roof that stood out when compared to the relatively plain roofed buildings surrounding it. As the school itself functioned more like a university in style it had no ¡®play area¡¯ just a library as students didn¡¯t stay the whole day. Most left after lecture and many more didn¡¯t attend all of those.


    As a student whose attendance was reported straight to local law enforcement (Hidden Villages Association) I kept my attendance high. Only missing the occasional rescheduled class when it clashed with my working hours.


    Today I only had one, two hour lecture and it was back to back hours which was lucky. As it normally meant I could work a few extra hours and earn a little extra money most of which would be spent on training supplies.


    Today was slightly different as I had a meeting with one of my lecturers after lectures.


    My class was called ¡®Feeding Pok¨¦mon¡¯ and was about diets. Most lectures provided a basic overview of what Pok¨¦mon needed in their diets and what giving them more of would help with. But they tended to hammer home that Pok¨¦mon, like humans, needed some of every nutrient and that whilst emphasizing one would help boost a specialisation it didn''t mean that they should get none of the others.


    Later in the class they would give you case studies to work from to show you a healthy diet and the final assignment (which I''d already submitted) was to make a diet for a particular breed of Pok¨¦mon and justify why you chose certain foods over others.


    About a week ago I¡¯d written up Lillipups diet and submitted it for my final assessment, I still had to go to the lecture today though as I needed to receive my grade and persuade them to write a letter to Captain Jubilee to tell her that I¡¯d tested out. That was why I had a meeting later today.


    I¡¯d have more time for future clients if I tested out.


    Walking into the school I was greeted with a T junction straight away as the building was designed as a square with a small courtyard in the centre designed as an outside lecture hall.


    Immediately turning left I walked down the hallway straight to my lecture hall. Ready to sit through hopefully my last two hour lecture on Pok¨¦mon diets.


    Entering the lecture hall the first thing you notice is it''s size, it was huge. Mainly due to the need for large Pok¨¦mon to fit at the front door demonstrations in some subjects.


    Diet though was a fairly boring subject with the information mainly being given through lectures and slide shows.


    It was by far the most useful of my lectures though as the information given was highly detailed and was something I knew little about. This was due to the different morphologies of Pok¨¦mon having different dietary needs and environmental needs.


    My lecture head one Dr Brian Stevenson was a small middle aged man with brown eyes and broad shoulders. Who had an intense glare and extreme passion for the field.


    Today''s lecture was a fairly interesting one on reptiles. Mainly focused on snakes warning us not to over feed them as they had a tendency to binge eat and could die in extreme cases. Though more likely was that they wouldn''t be able to battle at their best and would feel lethargic throughout the day.


    It was quite interesting, but as I¡¯d researched ahead I found myself quite bored and spent my time thinking of training techniques for different Pok¨¦mon as practice.


    After the lecture I found myself in my lecturers office. His office was covered with framed awards and qualifications. Which was sharply contrasted to his desk which was neat holding only a laptop that was off to the side and a small framed picture of his family.


    ¡°Okay Luis you''re here to talk about your assignment, yes?¡± He asks from behind his desk.


    ¡°Yeah, I was hoping to ask about possible improvements and to potentially test out of your class so I''ll have more time to work to make money for my journey.¡± I responded hoping he wasn''t too offended that I wanted to leave his class early.


    ¡°Hmmm, there''ll be no problem with you testing out. Reading your diet plan was a pleasant surprise, normally when someone puts together an assignment this early it¡¯s poorly researched and gets them a fail. As for improvements I¡¯d add some fish oil for joint health and perhaps consider boiling the food if your Lillipup shows signs of indigestion.¡± he says with a kind smile.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll make sure to add the fish oil,¡± I say happy to get some new information.


    ¡°No problem, happy to help,¡± he responds as I write it down.


    ¡°Oh also before I forget, I¡¯m in the Hidden Villages Association¡¯s program, could you email Captain Jubilee and tell her I tested out,¡± I ask.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be fine, give me her email and I¡¯ll let her know,¡± he says.


    ¡°Thanks professor!¡± I say.


    ¡°No problem Luis, now unless you have something else to ask I¡¯ll let you get back to your day, ¡° he says with a small smile.


    Taking the que I bid him farewell and leave his office and headed to work. With that class gone from my timetable I now had Mondays entirely free from lectures and could either work more or try to get my first clients.

 Anouncment (not a chapter sorry)

    TLDR: The next chapter will be released on the 22nd. Sorry for the wait.


    Sorry for the lack of updates. I just fell back into procrastination over Christmas. It''s not just my writing, but everything in my life is in the bin right now. This includes my University work, going to the gym, and my sleep schedule. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    I''m going to use the next few weeks to get back on track and hopefully start releasing chapters again on the 22nd with at least one chapter a week every Wednesday. I''ve given myself the goal of writing a little bit every day so hopefully, I should have no issues but only time will tell.


    Sorry again for this, I do have every intention of writing to at least one full gym circuit before I end this fic (most likely more) I just need to sort other things out in my life before I can continue.