Chapter 80 – Teachable Moment

  “That was an amazing last performance! Not just singing you also had the choreography down pat!”

  “Jiggly! Jiggly!”

  Halfway through the first song Jaiden could no longer keep his composure humming along to the melodious tunes completely forgetting that I was sitting right next to him. The Jigglypuffs’ concert captivated our entire group which included my own team of Pokémon. The one team member who seemed to appreciate listening to this performance the most was Numsy. Being a Pokémon, he could actually understand the story the songs were trying to convey and also, he was a natural music lover himself. When the both of us were still living at home Numsy was always the one who insisted that Grandpa’s old radio stay on even while we were in the middle of watching morning cartoons.

  “Jiggly?” “Jiggly!”

  “They want to know who among them you thought was best.”

  Now that their performance was over the four adorable balloon Pokémon wanted to know who we considered the better songstress. Their big blue adorable eyes made me hesitate to call out a winner knowing that the other three would feel sorely disappointed. Looking right next to me I could tell that Jaiden was having similar thoughts.

  “Uhmm, first of all… the four of you performed admirably. I can tell that a lot of effort and care was put into each performance.”

  “Puff!” “Puff, Puff!”

  “… I CAN’T CHOOSE!!”

  “Jiggly!?”

  “I believe every single one of you has what it takes to make it up on the big stage! Having to compare between the four of you is like deciding between Cheri, Chesto, Pecha, and Rawst berries. All of them taste great and have their own little niche.”

  “What about Aspear?”

  ‘…Please, you know I don’t eat sour berries.’

  Jaiden, being helpful nodded along and even gave his own two cent’s worth.

  “Any lord or lady would be happy to procure the services of courtesans with lovely singing voices such as yourselves.”

  The rest of my team also agreed with our assessment giving the quartet encouraging growls, yips and chitters. Our incessant praising of the four had their intended effect as the Jigglypuffs’ pearl white cheeks turned a shade of red and their eyes started sparkling.

  “Puff!” “Jiggly!”

  “Next time they want to sing in front of an even bigger audience.”

  “A bigger audience… hmm to compete in those types of events a Pokémon usually has to be paired up with a human partner. Do any of you have any idea what contests are?”

  “Puff!”

  “They do. A coordinator passed by this route not too long ago and made the offer for one of them to come with her. That trainer told the Jigglypuffs all about what competing in contests is like. ”

  “And what happened?”

  “They learned that Hoenn contests have battle stages. Their oldest sibling who doesn’t mind battling accepted. However, these four feel that being made to fight would detract from their songs.”

  ‘Pokémon that don’t want to battle? A rarity for sure.’

  “So, the four of you want to gain popularity without battling?”

  “Puff!”

  “I am not as well versed with the entertainment industry. The only thing that comes close was that Pokémon Musical we attended, right Rena?”

  “Nine!”

  “Puff?”

  “It’s a production put up by Pokémon for Pokémon. Most of their foot traffic comes from trainers bringing along their partners to go see it. They also give you these earjacks so the humans can keep up with what’s being said at any one time. If you like singing, acting and dancing joining their theater production staff would be your best bet”

  “Puff!” “Jiggly!”

  “They want to go right now.”

  “That’s the tricky part… Musicals aren’t really a thing in Hoenn and its surrounding regions; you'd have to make it all the way to the Unova region.”

  "Puf…" "Puff…"

  The four Jigglypuff started whimpering while looking at me with watery eyes and at that moment, I was willing to do almost anything for them.

  “Baby Doll-Eyes! Don’t look!”

  ‘It’s too late for me! Save yourself! …Awwww so cute!’

  “Benefactor! I insist that we help these four innocent creatures!”

  “You are right! Between the two of us I am certain we can think of something!”

  A few moments later*

  “It’s going to be tough getting the four of you to Unova... Jaiden any ideas?”

  “Honored Jigglypuff, do you know the art of body compression?”

  “Puff…?”

  “My esteemed mother has taught me all known techniques for making my way back to the clan in case I get captured or lost. Sneaking inside the cargo hold of planes or ships is one such tactic. While minimized there is a near zero chance of them being apprehended during transit.”

  “That’s not a bad idea Jaiden, good thinking. Although being stuffed inside with the rest of the passengers’ luggage for over eight hours of flying will be quite arduous. Do you think these frail creatures can handle that?”

  “Jiggly!” “Jiggly!”

  “They want to give it a go regardless.”

  “Hmm I have another idea. There’s this ship captain I am acquainted with who works the sea route between Nuvema Town and Slateport City. We could ask him to bring these Jigglypuff along on the sly. It’s a three week long voyage and I am sure Captain Nelson would appreciate having talented little artists like these four aboard.”

  “Puff! Puff!”

  “I knew you were a magnanimous person! Traveling all the way to Slateport all for the sake of realizing the dreams of these fine courtesans!”

  “…I can’t, we have our own goals to fulfill.”

  ‘Most regions have strict rules regarding the immigration of non-native species… but these Jigglypuff don’t belong to anyone so technically it’s no one’s fault if they hop on a ship freighter by accident. Still Slateport City is quite a ways away. There’d be plenty of skilled trainers who will attempt to catch these four for their daughters and girlfriends or the like. Even if Victini teleports them all the way to Slateport they’d still have to be able to find Captain Nelson, communicate their intentions and somehow make it from Nuvema all the way to Nimbasa City. A near impossible task.’

  “I’ve got an idea! Do we have a sturdy piece of paper and black marker?”

  ‘Yes, we do. but I don’t see how that’s going to help these Pokémon.’

  “Wait for it…”

  The little rabbit was doing something in my backpack. I could feel her frantically moving around. The unmistakable ruffling sound of parchment and the unzipping of my long disused fiddle case still left me clueless to her mysterious plan.

  “It’s done! You can open up the bag and take my masterpiece!”

  Not wanting to disappoint her I stuck my hand inside my backpack and got handed the piece of parchment she had been doodling on. Before looking at it I already resolved myself to be super supportive no matter what. What appeared in my hand was a collection of messy writings that seemed to be drawn by a preschooler but still legible. I was quite surprised seeing as I had spent no time teaching her how to read and write. Victini had even drawn a little victory symbol to mark this piece of writing as her own creation.

  Us four musical talents are journeying to Nimbasa City to make our dreams a reality on the big stage. Please give us food and shelter. We are not looking for a human partner at this moment but are willing to put up a show for those who are fans of music. V.

  ‘…This could work. They’d also need some kind of small waterproof satchel to keep the paper safe from the elements. When did you learn how to read and write?’

  “From you! Everything you know how to do I can learn to do as well.”

  ‘Okay… does that work in reverse? Because I would like to be able to fly and shoot fire out of my fingertips.’

  “Don’t be silly Egon.”

  I turned the piece of paper around showing Jaiden and the four jigglypuff my partner’s well thought out creation. The four puffs sported a confused look clearly unable to read the words on this piece of paper, but Jaiden could, and he helpfully shared his insights with the rest of the Pokémon surrounding us.

  “This could work! Showing this letter to strangers would explain the jigglypuffs ambitions and intent to not be bound to any one trainer. Please let me assist by providing a vessel to carry this most important message!”

  The ninja boy emptied one of his pouches removing his tools of the trade. Tripwire, one blunted Kunai, two smoke bombs and some miniaturized poké balls leaving the pouch completely empty before crouching down and offering the little bag to the lead Jigglypuff. Who picked it up and draped it over her shoulder wearing it like a cape.

  “With this the four of you can carry all the important stuff that you find along the way.”

  ‘Do you want to give these Pokémon a head start? I know the original plan was to let you explore Meteor Falls on your own for a while.’

  “Yes! In exchange for a lifetime discount to all their performances. Tell them to wait here and I will bring them over to Slateport tomorrow morning. That gives me the whole day to look for Zinnia.”

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  ‘Then you’ll have to go right now. Me and the rest of the team wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing you are out there all on your lonesome.’

  In no time the zipper on my backpack opened back up on its own and something invisible slipped out lessening the weight on my shoulders. Afterwards the mental connection I felt between Victini, and I kept growing fainter until I couldn’t feel her anymore. Something subtly changed in the atmosphere marking the moment that all of us had to part ways. Jaiden needed to get back to his family’s secret compound by twelve to arrive on time for dinner which was a concern that he aired in between judging songs. The jigglypuff being wild Pokémon required most of their spare time to gather edibles from the nearby forest, especially now since they needed to prepare themselves for a continent-spanning journey.

  “This is where we part ways. Keep holding onto that piece of paper and show it to any trainers if you need to explain the situation while on your travels. Later this evening a psychic type Pokémon I am friends with will teleport the four of you over to Slateport. So, make sure to stay in this general area until then, okay?”

  “Puff!” “Jiggly!”

  “What a magnanimous personage! Making the effort to ensure these vocalists get to their destination safely!! I will take my leave now but the next time we meet our ensuing match will be legendary, Nin!”

  “Sure buddy. Just keep on training, we'll give you a rematch anytime.”

  The ninja boy pulled out another smoke bomb but before he could ruin my clothes even further, I tried to deescalate the situation.

  “I’ll recall my partners, turn around and close my eyes! No need to waste those valuable smoke bombs!”

  “Booosh!”

  Back in the city*

  Once separated from the Jigglypuff and the overly excitable kid ninja we made our way back to the city to resume our activities. Now that I had acquired the necessary funds, I had set my sights on buying useful technical machines. Those containing grass type moves in particular. Seeing all of my Pokémon struggle with manipulating grass type energy I figured getting each of them a TM of that typing would help them better understand the underlying principles of using Solar Beam. Not long after entering the city proper we found a pokémart with the help of a few kind-hearted pedestrians.

  “That is a pokémart Halo. You see the blue roof? This is a store that specifically caters to traveling trainers and their Pokémon.”

  “Vess!”

  Entering we were greeted by the sight of crowded aisles packed with trainers looking for the best deals, a stark contrast compared to my own hometown’s failing but heavily subsidized pokémart. The league association made sure that at least one of these chain stores could be found in each village or city. Not every settlement had one but if your hometown bordered one of the routes it was almost a guarantee. Since I had the team’s baby out with me, I opted to give her a small tour of the facility in case I was ever incapacitated and she needed to buy supplies on her own. This being a store catering to trainers it wasn’t uncommon to see the odd lone Pokémon visiting here to buy stuff on their own.

  “This is the medicine aisle. Here is where daddy buys his antidote paralyze heal and potions. In fact, why don’t you grab one of the antidotes? Jaiden’s Gulpin did make a dent in our supplies.”

  ‘Thank Arceus Victini isn’t here else she’d be teasing me nonstop for referring to myself as a daddy in the third person.’

  I was happy to see Halo still remembered what an Antidote looked like as she grabbed the transparent yellow spray bottle and put it inside our shopping basket with her stubby black appendages. This was knowledge that could prove useful to her if I ever found myself whisked away or otherwise occupied.

  Carrying the basket along I led us towards the neighboring isle being careful to avoid bumping into the other shoppers or their Pokémon.

  “Now remember Halo. Each pokémart has sections separated by the category of goods stocked inside them. We came from the medicine aisle and are now going to the technical machine aisle but there are also corners where they sell poké balls and camping supplies.

  Having reached our destination, I skipped past a multitude of differently colored shelves until we reached the green ones the color used to denote the grass type. Now it wasn’t always a guarantee that a trainer could find what he or she is looking for. Especially not in a league run store like this where it would be near impossible to find some of the rarer technical machines. Flipping through the shelf in front of us I found that to my dismay there was only one grass type technical machine to be had, Grass Knot.

  “Seriously? No Trailblaze? I’d settle for Energy Ball or Giga Drain.”

  “Excuse me? Do you need help looking for something?”

  Standing behind us was a tallish woman with brown hair and spectacles wearing the employee uniform.

  “Ahem, yes. Are these the only grass type technical machines in stock right now? Or does the store have more in the back.”

  “Hmm let me see. Yes, this shelf is quite barren. Grass type moves aren’t as popular right now so our quotas for procurement are naturally low. Believe it or not we only sell about one or two of these each month.”

  “Well if it’s only Grass Knot I could see why that would be the case. What I meant to ask is if this pokémart has anything else besides Grass Knot?”

  “No, I don’t think so. The other grass type moves sell out within a few days after being brought in. We could special order them if you’d like? It would cost a bit more than purchasing them outright and you’d have to wait a while…”

  “Hmm what do you think, Halo?”

  “Laaar!”

  “Alright then, we’d like to take you up on your offer.”

  “Please follow me to the back. We have a computer there that we use exclusively for special ordering.”

  The two of us followed the overworked looking lady to the back where a computer was hooked up. She spent a brief moment logging into her account before turning the screen around so we could watch while she scrolled through the various technical machines available for special ordering.

  “As you can see, we don’t have very many grass type technical machines but you are free to choose any of these.”

  ‘Trailblaze is not on the list. It must not have been developed yet.’

  “Could I reserve a single use Giga Drain and one Energy Ball?”

  “Sure, Let’s see… it says here that if we order those now, we’ll have them at the end of the week. Is that acceptable to you?”

  “I guess… How much is this going to cost?”

  “Giga Drain is priced at 8000 and Energy Ball 9000 with the increased costs of special ordering the total will amount to 19.000 pokédollars”

  “That’s…! Are there any discounts for first time circuit participants?”

  “Sadly, no but we could throw in a free Grass Knot technical machine with a big purchase like this. …Is everything alright?”

  “No, it’s nothing… Can I pay with card?”

  ‘One fifth of what I made at the desert ruins just for two technical machines. At this rate I’ll turn broke at the end of the circuit. …Maybe I should get some sort of part time job for the next two weeks to cover my expenses.’

  The following day*

  After finishing up at the pokémart my team spent the rest of the day training inside the Pokémon center’s courtyard while I kept busy applying for a short-term gig at the local trainer’s school. At first I resolved myself to select a higher paying job like picking up trash on the side of the freeway but then I reminded myself that doing so would be a disservice towards my Pokémon. Undoubtedly, they would feel compelled to help me which would involve incinerating said trash and starting a small local fire which I would then be held responsible for. So, after ruminating on which job would be the most suited for our situation, I remembered what the helpful reception desk lady told me about. That a certain local institution was always looking for experienced trainers to give guest lessons in exchange for compensation.

  After that it wasn’t difficult to look up the school’s website and fill in the application form to become a guest teacher. I was fairly confident about my eligibility for the job seeing as my resume was filling up nicely with all the extra work I’ve done for Professor Juniper and Birch. Furthermore, having experience traveling through Unova and owning a set of rarely seen Pokémon could only improve my odds of landing the temporary position. Which was why I wasn’t surprised to receive an email invitation for a job interview that same evening.

  The details contained in said email were quite sparse but the gist of it was that I Egon had been invited to come by early tomorrow morning to see if I held the right temperament to give guest lessons. The remuneration they had in mind for me was also quite generous so I saw no reason to decline their offer of temporary employment. From conversations with Roxanne I’ve learned that Rustboro’s trainer’s school housed training and recreational facilities just for the staff’s Pokémon partners. So, I wouldn’t be wasting any training time while giving a few lectures.

  This is how I found myself standing in front of the massive building complex that passed off as a simple trainer’s school. Halo, despite our previous agreement, was resting inside her poké ball to avoid scaring any children who suffered from the all-too-common bug type phobia and I was wearing my best set of clothes. In a futile attempt to look professional even though the fabric had already started tearing at the seams from all the days I spent traveling. Still, I held a reasonable hope that my shabby attire would not be held against me.

  “Hello there, Are you Egon from Lavaridge Town?”

  Turning around I came face to face with an elderly gentleman wearing a butler’s attire. The very first thing I noticed about him was that he kept his eyes closed. Ptosis or droopy eyelid syndrome was quite common around these parts and for some reason folks here thought it gave people suffering from this condition a dignified demeanor. The gentleman was apparently playing into that misconception by wearing posh servant attire.

  ‘Don’t focus on the eyes, Egon! Try to avoid giving a bad impression.’

  “Ahem! Yes, that would be me. Are you the person that is supposed to give me my interview?”

  “No, that would be the acting headmaster.”

  “Acting? What happened to the headmistress?”

  “She’s far too busy to keep up with school administration nowadays. Aside from being our headmistress Mrs. Stone is also Rustburo’s city gym leader.”

  ‘Mrs. Stone is the headmistress as well? Talk about being a workaholic.’

  The man moonlighting as a butler guided me further inside the building and as we did so he gave me a summary of all the courses one could follow while enrolled in Hoenn’s most prestigious school.

  “Here we have our beginner classrooms where young hopefuls hope to earn their trainer’s licenses. Further ahead we have our more specialized courses for trainers who intend to further educate themselves and take on Pokémon related occupations. We have a multitude of courses specializing in the following fields: Contests, Battling and of course Doctor’s classes specialized in Pokémon medicine tutored by our very own nurse Joy.”

  The classrooms we walked past were being occupied by people from all age ranges. From those who still had yet to earn their licenses to those taking specialized courses to improve their skills.

  “Do the students studying medicine qualify to work at a Pokémon center after receiving their certificates?”

  “Sadly no. To actually work shoulder to shoulder with the Joy family our graduates will have to join collegiate level classes and earn further accreditation. However, the students who graduate from this school can dispense with most of their ensuing first year curriculums.”

  ‘This place has way more going on than the trainer’s school back home.’

  “What do these battle classes entail? Are they being run by professional Move Tutors or retired league members? Are all of the students circuit participants?”

  “Excellent question! Twice a year our school invites a group of expert move tutors who work at the Battle Frontier to come over and offer their services. However, our regular curriculum involves teaching trainers how to prepare for higher level official matches and the various stratagems often used in such battles. Since most trainers have a wandering lifestyle, we made it possible to follow the courses online and send in homework electronically.”

  ‘I doubt that they could teach me something that I wasn’t already aware of, but it could be fun sitting in the back of the class and seeing a group of serious trainers have a go at each other. Once in the heat of battle it is hard to spot your own faults and having an experienced third party go over them in the aftermath could only be a boon.’

  The two of us entered the faculty room at the end of the hallway and sitting there in the corner nursing a hot mug of coffee was a balding brown haired man wearing a fancy black jacket.

  “Thank you for bringing him Lionel. You can go now.”

  The butler man gave the acting headmaster a quick bow before leaving the room. With some trepidation I seated myself across from the man who would determine if I was a good fit for the school.

  “It’s good to meet you, Egon. Among the students I am known as Mr. Pepper, but you can just call me Walter.”

  “It’s nice meeting you too sir.”

  “Now concerning your application to become a freelance teacher. We are happy to accept with the understanding that you are not to give guest lessons on your lonesome. Considering your age, that is fairly standard practice. Now how the school usually handles cases like yours is to have our staff members contact you whenever they feel like inviting a guest over to contextualize the realities of living the trainer lifestyle as it were.”

  “That sounds reasonable to me.”

  “Excellent, considering your impeccable credentials you can expect to be called on to assist with any lessons regarding ability development and Pokémon science.”

  “Ehmm… Why?”

  “While doing a background check we got the chance to speak with Professor Birch’s assistant who was quite adamant that you were an expert in such matters despite your age. To be this young and have already discovered not one but two previously unknown abilities in species of Pokémon that you have trained personally is quite the feat.”

  ‘That reminds me I should send Professor Juniper that report concerning Litwick’s Shadow Tag ability.’

  “Now as for the matter of your payment. We pay at the end of every week, and this will be your hourly wage.”

  The man slid over a folded piece of paper and after reading what was written on said paper. I felt relieved at the fact that I would be getting more than just the base salary described in the application form.

  ‘Joshua must have given these people a glowing review.’

  “I accept! Where do I sign?”

  “Now hold your Rapidashes, we still have to go over the dress code expected of teachers. The various perks and benefits of the job and the in-house daycare where your Pokémon can stay while you are busy assisting in the teachers’ lessons.”

  “Can’t I keep my team with me?”

  “Not during Beginner’s lessons. The licenseless children are not allowed to have their own Pokémon just yet and the school thought it would set a bad example if the teachers brought in their partner Pokémon. Of course, if the Pokémon in question is to be used as an example for that day’s lesson then you are free to bring them along.”

  “Now please follow me as I give you a tour of all the facilities assistant teachers have access to.”

  ‘Here we go, but a dress code hmm... I wasn’t looking forward to buying a teen sized suit that will inevitably be discarded. I hope Victini’s doing better than I am.’

  https://discord.gg/9RfHV7r3f4