Sun poured in through gaps around the curtains. Joe awoke and was too scared to move. Ralts was grabbing his head. Sprigatito was curled up on his chest. Cyndaquil had wrapped himself in Joe's hand. If he moved, he'd wake his children.
Joe yawned as lightly as he could. He had some aches and pains, but he was lucky to get away unscathed. He really had to run to the bathroom. He hated to do it, but he started shifting. His Pokemon grumbled and awoke. Joe sorted himself out. Today he wore a white shirt with a dark blue jacket. By the time he focused on the bed, everyone was standing.
Joe went to Ralts. Crouched in front of it. "I know you said you wanted to come with me yesterday, but are you sure?"
Ralts sleepily nodded on unsteady feet. "I like your emotions. They're warm."
Joe took out a Pokeball. "Then welcome to the team. We're happy to have you." He put the ball in front of Ralts. Still unsteady, the Pokemon stepped forward and stumbled. Put both hands on the button. Got absorbed into the ball and came back out. Joe smiled. "Okay, but I can't have you all out all the time. We spoke about this yesterday. For now, get some rest in your Pokeballs. I'll bring you out for food."
They all nodded at different tempos that showed how awake they were. Rotom picked itself up off the bedside table. Scanned Ralts before it went away. "Ralts. The Feeling Pokemon. The horn atop its head allows it to sense the emotions of people. It likes those with a happy disposition."
#0280 Ralts
Gender: Female
Height: 1' 01" (Below Average)
Weight: 6.1kg (Below Average)
Moves: Confusion /
Ability: Telepathy
Eyes glow blue when sending thoughts to someone's mind.
Rotom continued yapping. Psychic and fairy Pokemon were more attuned to the good in people. They were drawn to humans. Ralts being female meant that if she evolved, she would become a Gardevoir. Males evolved into Gallade. True gendered counterparts. Rotom also emphasised how rare Telepathy was, but that because of the green hair covering the eyes, it was hard to see the effect.
This Ralts was young, so she felt like another child to raise, like Sprigatito. An expansion to the family. Another daughter.
Joe grabbed his phone. Wanted to confirm his suspicions. Looked up Gardevoir. Sure enough, he'd seen one at some point. It had been nagging him since he saw Ralts. She reminded him of a Pokemon he couldn't quite recall.
He sat on the bed. Before he went out for the day, Joe wanted to check Nomads. He tapped the app icon, a patchwork white and red blanket stuffed with goods dangling from a stick. The stick crossed over a large 'N.' It immediately opened into a map of the area. Different coloured pins highlighted the locations of other people. Green were other Nomads workers. Blue were people that had the app installed. Red was like an alert, highlighting someone with a job. The map was fully live. Pins moved at different paces to suggest walking or driving.
Joe could decide what radius he wanted for visible pins. He set it to three miles for now. Saw the handful of red pins turn purple. Requests had been accepted. People were waking up and getting to work. To gain an idea of what people asked of fellow civilians, Joe tapped a purple pin. He chuckled. Help getting a cat out of a tree.
Joe explored the app some more. The highlights included an 'About' section, detailing how one-hundred percent of proceeds were paid to freelancers. The rich man behind the app didn't need any more money. The gentleman also remained anonymous, taking a bit too much inspiration from Nomad.
There was a 'Help' tab in which Joe discovered urgent requests. Red pins would flash a bright orange. Urgent requests could have a different range, so Joe set alerts to ten miles. They had a different, much louder, notification sound. Urgent requests also lacked detail, understandably. It was like a flare. Just an indicator that someone was in trouble.
A blank profile picture in a corner took Joe to his account. Next to the picture slot was his name. Under his name was a number. A big fat zero. Joe discovered in the 'Help' tab what the number represented. Jobs completed. If and when a freelancer failed, another number would appear to show accepted vs completed. A percentage in brackets would also appear. There was a notepad at the end of his name. Tapping it revealed references, so in Joe's case, Looker's account was linked.
There were milestones for job completions that gave titles, changed the profile picture border, and changed the colour of a user's name. It let people see someone's capabilities at a glance.
Other than that, there were no guiding systems. No intense ranks that locked people out of difficult jobs. Freelancers had to understand their own abilities and pick jobs accordingly.
Joe was curious. He was about to research the man that inspired the app. But Joe received a notification. His attention shifted away from Nomad. He checked his account. His number changed to one.
Looker had told Joe this would happen, but Joe hadn't completely believed it. The proof was in front of him now. Joe messed around some more. Found a 'History' tab. Saw a pending payment. Joe needed to add his credentials. The job was from the World Police. It was good pay. Better than Joe expected. This amount could fuel him for a few weeks.
Vigilante work paid. Well, more like contractor work. It was officially sanctioned. But a man could dream. Working as a vigilante sounded cooler.
Maybe Joe could turn his holiday fund into an emergency fund and live off contractor payments.
Joe looked forward. How much would he earn for stopping Rocket Syndicate, or criminal gangs in general? Being a freelancer who was paid by the Government could be Joe's permanent job. He was optimistic but also realistic. He understood there were always problems to be solved. Criminals that needed arresting. With a strong enough team he could likely go out for a few days, take out a heinous criminal, earn enough pay to last a few months, and return home.
Joe wanted to make sure he earned enough to support the future family he wanted. Eventually there'd be more than himself to worry about. Being a man, he had a strong desire to give his family comfort. And he was already twenty-four years old. People usually had children before they were thirty. Joe was eager, so chances were high that he would have children earlier than the average. He needed to be in a stable position by then. The thought crossed his mind. When would Jasmine want children?
Another benefit of Nomads was that, if Joe earned a living helping others, he could focus on it entirely. Right now, most of his time was taken by working at the PokeMart. But if helping others was the only thing he did, he'd be able to put a lot more good into the world.
It was good to dream, to look to the future and plan ahead, but Joe put it to the back of his mind. He was getting ahead of himself. First things first, he needed to get stronger. Then he could worry about saving Legendary Pokemon, destroying criminal organisations, and turning it into a job.
If all else failed, Joe was at least built for tough physical labour. There was an application similar to Nomads that Joe had used for a couple of years. A handyman job hunting app. It was for learning new trades. Joe had clocked time at construction sites, laying bricks and fitting windows. He'd taken plumbing jobs. Carpentry. Maintenance. Woodworking. It was the entry point he needed for a better job.
"Rotom, keep an eye on the small requests, will you? If someone's close enough and their job goes a while without being accepted, I'll do it." Joe said. Trusted Rotom to understand his capabilities based on his PokeDex. He hadn't fully explored Nomads, but Joe would later find he wasn't far off the mark. Nomads allowed linking to the PokeDex app so an employer could thoroughly research freelancers before hiring them. Some specialist jobs required certain types of Pokemon, or if it was a difficult job then the employer could look at the strongest Pokemon a Trainer had.
Joe left the hotel. The ferry wouldn't be here until tomorrow. For now, he decided to relax. Rest was necessary and he didn't know how often he'd have a chance to relax in the future.
He ventured around New Bark. Found a market. Stalls lined up on either side of a road. Most sold food. He went around buying way too much. He noticed a park nearby. Went and sat on a bench with his big bags of edibles. Fed his Pokemon. Ate the rest himself. He felt close to bursting. He lay on the bench, groaning. Absol rolled her eyes as she sat on the ground. Joe was motivated to do good, but he could be annoying sometimes. He only had himself to blame for his food coma. Absol had to take the good with the bad.
Once Joe recovered from his overdose, he wandered until he found an art gallery. Went and bought some glasses from a nearby shop. Because smart people observing art all wore glasses, right? He walked into the gallery. Most people weren't wearing glasses.
He left a little embarrassed. Pocketed the glasses. As they walked, Absol became agitated. Poked Joe's side. He expected this. Stopped walking and turned to her. "We're resting today. You can't train and fight all the time. You need to let your body rest and recover so you can come back stronger next time." She didn't seem satisfied. Joe knelt so he was on her level. "We're going to fight Rocket Syndicate, right? If this becomes a war then we don't know how often we'll be able to rest. So we take breaks when we can."
Absol considered it. Grumbled but nodded. If this was Joe's one condition, then so be it.
"Trust me. I trained as often as I could for years. I learned early on that you can't push yourself endlessly. Eventually you need to take a step back and have a break. Good rest is important. And beyond that, people like to have fun."
Joe left it at that. Continued walking. Absol thought about what Joe had said. She didn't notice Joe moving for a time. She ran to catch up. Eventually they came across a theatre. Banners advertised a Pokemon beauty contest. Joe scratched his cheek. Shrugged to himself. Went inside.
The building was fancier than he expected for a small town. Bright red carpet. Gold accents. He waited in line in front of a desk. An energetic young man came around with a board and pen.
"Are you here for the contest?"
Joe nodded.
"Then could I ask you to fill this out please?" He held the board and pen to Joe.
Joe took them. Looked over the sheet of paper. They were collecting information earlier so when people arrived at the desk, the process was faster and smoother. He filled in a few boxes like his name and age. Then it was time for the big one. Which Pokemon was he submitting? He considered Ralts. She was cute. That's what these contests would be about, right? He subtly eyed Absol. Wrote down his applicant. Handed it back to the man.
"Thank you, sir." He moved to the next in line.
That was a nice change. Joe wasn't feared or looked at weirdly for his size. Joe reached the counter. Gave his name. The receptionist had received his entry paper.
She looked at him and down to his Absol. Joe winked. She understood. "Okay, sir. Ralts has been submitted for the Pokemon beauty contest. Go through those doors and take a seat. When you're called, please lead your Pokemon to the stage."
"Roger."
Joe melded into a small group. Walked through big wooden doors into a dimly lit room. This wasn't usually his scene so he couldn't think of the name. An auditorium? It was a large room. The colour scheme from the lobby carried through to here. There were balconies for wealthy patrons and intricate patterns carved into pillars. He took a seat at the end of a row and Absol sat on the carpet next to him.
Up front was a wooden stage with lights aimed at it. Massive curtains blocked behind the scenes. In front of the stage was a long desk. A trio sat there, facing the stage. Judges. Two women, one man. There was another man. He stood in front of the judges. Spoke to them. He held a microphone. He was the announcer. The guide for the event.
Once everyone had settled, the lights dimmed further. The announcer rattled off a speech, welcoming people and thanking them for coming.
Joe vaguely knew of performance contests. This was different. A simple beauty contest. The Pokemon stepped on stage, acted cute for a minute, then went back to their Trainer. This was a good thing. The event wouldn't overstay its welcome. Joe had entered on a whim. He didn't want to be here all day.
Halfway through the event, it was Joe's turn.
"And now we have a special entrant!" The announcer started. "Our next contestant is an Absol. But it's not just any Absol, ladies and gentlemen. It's a shiny Absol!"
A round of applause. Absol perked up. What were the chances that two red Absol appeared in the same place at the same time? She looked around until she saw Joe. He wore the smuggest grin imaginable. Absol understood. Joe hadn't entered Ralts. He'd entered Absol.
"Go on, don't keep them waiting." Joe gave a sharp breath as claws dug into the top of his foot. He watched Absol run up the walkway beside the audience. She awkwardly moved onto stage. Joe's grin somehow deepened.
Something caught Joe's eye. One of the judges. She had long white hair so Joe assumed she was old. She looked around until she spotted the giant of a man. He was one of few men in the auditorium, and he was the biggest of the lot. She smiled and gave Joe a small wave. She turned around before Joe could respond. He wondered what that was about.
Joe looked back at the stage. Saw Absol moving like a robot. Clunky, awkward movements. She didn't know what to do with herself. She met Joe's eyes. He was still grinning. She let out a fierce growl aimed at her Trainer.
After a moment the presenter started a round of applause. "And that was a shiny Absol, ladies and gentlemen. A ferocious one, huh? And next…"
Absol ran back to Joe's side. Sat beside him. Turned her head away. Joe stroked her head and she swatted him away without looking. She was mad.
"Aw, come on. You looked super cool up there."
Absol huffed. Lay down. She'd been out in the world saving people for a dozen years, yet this was somehow the hardest thing she'd ever done. To have an audience. It wasn't for her. And now, despite her age, she was sulking like a child.
Joe leaned over. Kept his voice low to not annoy the audience. "It didn't hurt, did it? To experience something new. It's not so bad. Loosen up just a bit. Enjoy the moment. There's no one that needs saving so you're allowed to have fun. It's okay to have a life outside of being a hero. Live for yourself every now and then."
Absol huffed again. Joe left her to calm down. Maybe he was pushing too hard too fast. But he stood by what he said. As much as he liked helping others, it was necessary to have downtime and to live for oneself. Joe rightfully assumed Absol had been a lone wolf up until now, so in a way she was like Jasmine. Absol needed help coming out of her shell. If this contest was too much for her, that was fine. They could find an activity with less people.
The contest wrapped up. The announcer called the top three contestants to the stage. Starting with third place. Absol. She rushed to her feet. Looked at Joe.
"Go and collect your prize. You earned it."
Absol looked between Joe and the stage a few times. She was unsure. Eventually took a step forward, which quickly and easily became a walk. Absol received a bronze badge with a '3' on it. It was pinned to the ruff dangling from her neck using a magnet. On top of that was some premium Pokemon food she could eat later. Absol had won based on her fierce display. These contests were always full of cute Pokemon. Having a cool shiny was unusual and stood out to the judges. First and second place were cute Pokemon, as expected.
The lights turned on. People started to rise. Absol grabbed the handle of a basket with her mouth. Walked to Joe. Handed the basket of food to her Trainer. Looked at the ground. Looked up at Joe. Nodded.
Absol had thought through what Joe was saying as she cooled off. A break was about having fun. Cyndaquil had displayed extra energy yesterday as he played with Sprigatito. Absol felt like if Cyndaquil had energy to spare then he could train. But Absol realised that people worked hard so they could have downtime. Beyond the pragmatic side of the body needing rest, part of the reward for effort was having fun. Absol needed to consider the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of the team. She had spent a long time alone. She wasn't used to the way others acted or what they thought.
However, this didn't mean Joe could get her to engage with activities like contests. It wasn't the end of the world. Absol was fretting over nothing. But even so, she didn't want to do that again.
Joe smiled. Absol huffed and walked to the exit. Joe walked beside her. They reached the lobby. A woman called out to them.
"Are you Joe?"
Joe turned. He saw the female judge with long hair. She was a foot shorter than Joe. Joe had assumed she was old due to her hair colour, but no. Her white skin had no wrinkles. She was Joe's age. Platinum hair. Her revealing dress struggled to contain the meat on her bones, her chest sticking out at least a foot. There was a cut out revealing one leg while the other was covered to the ankle.
Joe was instantly captivated by the woman. Looked into her deep blue eyes. "Yes, that's right. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"
She chuckled. "My name is Melony. I hear I have you to thank for rescuing my Pokemon yesterday." Melony heard the full story from the police officer that had returned her Snom. There was a giant of a man on the scene named Joe. He had a shiny Absol. They were a unique duo. Easy to spot.
Joe had to do a double take. Melony? Was she serious? With a chest like that? Joe was about to start sweating. They had to be, what 'M' size? He was doing his best not to look, but he was pretty sure he could see veins at the bottom of his view.
"Well I'm glad to be of service."
"You saved me a lot of hassle." Melony put a hand on her cheek. Closed her eyes and gave an icy cold smile. "I was so close to destroying this town for my cute little Snom."
A term popped into Joe's mind. Mama bear. Don't mess with a mother. His own mother was the same. And he had scars to prove animal mothers were especially fearsome.
"Well I'm glad you didn't destroy the town. I like it here."
"Right? It's a cosy place. I like this atmosphere. My work takes me all around the world and small towns are always the best places to visit."
She smiled. Clasped her hands together in front of her belly. Pushed her chest together with her arms. Was she doing it on purpose? Joe was begging her to give him a break. Okay, not really. He was a man. There was nothing wrong with being attracted to a woman. Women found men attractive all the time for various reasons. As far as Joe was concerned, it was okay to appreciate when a woman put effort into her looks.
"Ah, but enough about it. There's a cafe nearby. If you have time, I would like to treat you. As thanks for saving my Pokemon."
"I think you've already treated me enough."
Melony put a hand to her mouth and chuckled. Her arm pushed into the top of her chest. Joe had been more forward than she expected. Melony was a woman who was happy with her appearance and wanted to show off. Wanted others to appreciate her. "I'm glad to hear that. Please, wait here a moment. I like this dress, but I don't have the courage to walk the streets in it."
"I'd wait forever if I had to."
They both froze for a moment. Joe liked the way it sounded in his head, but only when he spoke did he realise how forward it was. He worried he was pushing his luck, but Melony smiled warmly. His flirting appeared to pay off.
Melony turned with another chuckle, which hid the growing heat on her face. She disappeared around a corner. Aimed for her changing room. A man had never been so bold to her face. Joe was confident and seemed interested. Maybe it was natural. A chance encounter. She'd approached with the intention of thanking him. That would lead to them talking. Befriending each other. She liked the sound of that.