Most of the time when a wild Pokemon is treated after being knocked out, there is a high likelihood of it waking up and immediately lashing out. Hence Ionia standing by to alert us if she picked up on negative emotions from the passed out Pokemon.

  Emolga, however, had proved it unnecessary. She slowly woke up, and looked around calmly.

  “Emol?”

  She looked from Ionia, to Musharna who she bowed her head to, and then upon looking at me, she smiled.

  “Emolga!”

  She quickly jumped onto the backpack and then used that to leap up onto my head where she nuzzled down into my hair.

  “Ehhhh?”

  “Hatenn?”

  I slowly turned my head to Musharna with a questioning look on my face.

  “This young Emolga was actually visiting me to ask about advice for finding a trainer this year. I told her that she would know the trainer that would be the perfect partner when the time was right.”

  She nodded at the Pokemon resting on my head, “I believe you can piece together what happened from there?”

  I tried to look up at the Pokemon laying on my head, and found a pair of round black eyes peeking over the brim of my visor and staring back at me. I could feel a tune of tension and hope coming from her as well.

  “So you want me as your trainer huh?” I held both of my hands out palms up.

  She jumped down onto the impromptu platform, “Molga! Emol molga em!”

  “She says that she believes the two of you would be good partners because you saved each other.” A small grin was barely visible on Musharna’s face. “She also thinks your head is comfortable.”

  Everyone giggled a bit at that while Emolga blushed. I then began to think for a few moments. I had some half baked idea to become a Psychic and Fairy type specialist, but I never truly ended up committing to the idea. I figured I would let fate decide for me whether I followed that path or not.

  I looked up to see those same black eyes pleading with mine, begging for me to say yes.

  It seemed like I was given a pretty clear message on what path I should take.

  I gently smiled, “I guess I can’t refuse an adorable little face like that can I?”

  The young Pokemon jumped up and glided around me in circles, calling out her name in joy at my decision. I reached into my backpack and pulled out a blank fully white pokeball with black seams. “Okay Emolga, this is a canvas ball. It’s like a regular pokeball, but you can use a specific kind of paint on it, and the ball’s surface will make the paint act like it was put on it at the factory. Sometime I’ll get the paints out and you can paint yours like Ionia did hers!” I pulled Ionia’s canvas ball off my belt, and showed it to Emolga.

  Emolga had barely been able to sit through my explanation, but she was amazed by the way Ionia had painted a lot of pink clouds onto a bright blue sky using her telekinesis. She turned away from the painted ball, and pressed the button on the center of the blank one with a cheer. She was pulled inside with a flood of energy, and after the three shakes, the ball rocked with a click!

  I had a wide smile on my face as Ionia cheered. Not wasting a moment, I threw the ball up into the air, “All right, come on out Emolga!”

  In a shower of blue light, Emolga popped back out with a cheer, and glided around the room before landing next to Ionia, where she began quietly chatting with her.

  I watched the pair bond, before looking up at Musharna, “I guess I should go back to Striaton and find a Pokemon Center?”

  “I disagree, you need to bring the parcel to Professor Juniper as quickly as possible. I will send you with an escort so the wild Pokemon don’t disturb you on your mission.”

  “What about the thug?”

  “I have already sent an envoy to Striaton to bring back the authorities. You should go now before they arrive, otherwise word will get to your, ‘gene donors’ as you’ve put it, that you were out here so late.”

  I gave her a nod, and offered my two Pokemon an arm to climb up on. Ionia making for my hood, and Emolga jumping up on top of my head again. They both began to snooze almost instantly. I slung my backpack over my shoulder, then turned to my host.

  I gave a shallow bow to Musharna, “Thank you for the assistance Lady, I appreciate it greatly.”

  I felt a warm touch on my mind, “The pleasure was all mine Psyche, now go on, your escort to Nuvema is waiting outside. Tread the ground many before you have, and begin your journey.”

  I gave her a smile before turning to leave with a wave. Walking back out into the open air and moonlight. I instantly saw who my escort was meant to be, a majestic Zebstrika was standing there while facing the woods.

  He seemed a bit impatient, and motioned to his back while bending his knees.

  I guess I would be getting there a bit faster than I had realized.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  ***

  After a few hours of weaving through the trees, not as fast as possible due to the passengers he had, Zebstrika had stopped at a small clearing next to a stream. I dropped to the ground, and stretched a bit. “Stopping for the night?”

  He nodded, then moved to the water for a drink.

  I set my backpack on the ground, and pulled my tent out and began pitching it. Emolga and Ionia were soon roused by the activity, and had moved to snooze while snuggling up next to each other on top of my backpack.

  So cute!

  Five minutes of stifled curses, and smug looks from Zebstrika later, and the tent was finally ready for sleeping.

  “Come on you two, get inside.” I said while holding back a yawn.

  The sleepy pair trudged into the tent and almost instantly dropped down onto the center, only stopped by me laying down my sleeping bag, and throwing a pillow to the open end.

  I crawled into the tent, dragging my pack in behind me. Shoving it to the side, I shucked off my hiking boots, putting them next to the pack. Feeling the demands of sleep, I wriggled into my sleeping bag and got comfortable, and was soon joined by my Pokemon laying down next to me, or on top of me in Emolga’s case. My visor and glasses both were placed within arms reach. My eyesight almost instantly becoming blurry.

  The Parcel we had pried from that thug however kept drawing my eye, the metallic sheen glimmering, it felt like it was begging me to open it up.

  What was so important that someone dressed like they were part of some evil organization would steal it?

  Quashing the curiosity swirling through my head, I murmured a good night and let sleep take me into its gentle embrace.

  ***

  “Psy-”

  “-ourn- -its.”

  “I- -et yo- -t the ent- -ink.”

  ***

  I was awoken by the sound of a whinny coming from outside the tent. I half-grunted, and rolled away from the disruption of the interesting dream I had.

  My eyes met the fuzzy blob I somehow identified as the black, white, and yellow Emolga blob who seemed to have other plans. My face was instantly beset by two absolutely freezing little paws that began poking and prodding at it.

  ‘”Ah- phthpppbtt- okay I’m up! I’m up!” I sleepily moaned as I sat up. “Can you get me my glasses, Emolga?”

  A few seconds later, and my second pair of eyeballs were gently placed into my hands.

  “Thank you.” I quickly put them on and blinked a few times as they focused my vision. At the center of it was a giggling Ionia, and a very proud looking Emolga.

  I reached my hands out and gave Ionia a little rub on top of her head just the way she likes it, and gave Emolga a gentle little scritch between her ears. She did a little happy squirm before poking my arm and pointing to her belly.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll have breakfast ready in a little bit.” I stretched, “Just give me a few moments to wake up all the way.”

  A small cheer erupted from the pair in front of me as I pulled myself from the sleeping bag while muttering to myself. “First thing’s first, I gotta get myself and my backpack out of the tent.”

  Exiting the tent, I felt the nice late summer breeze toy with my hair as the late morning sun warmed my skin. It was so nice and quiet out here, I could see why the species Ionia belonged to enjoyed being out here so much. The sound of hooves stepping up to me brought me out of my trance. I greeted him with a nod as I turned to face my two team members.

  “Okay,” I said with a pleased sigh, “next up is figuring out what exactly to even make… how do pancakes with berries mixed into the batter sound?”

  Ionia cheered her agreement while Emolga just tilted her head in confusion.

  “You’ll see what I’m talking about soon Emolga, just give me a few moments to get everything I need.” While digging through my pack, I turned to face Zebstrika, “Do you want some too? Also if you’re able, can you light a fire for me please?”

  Zebstrika shook his head no, and then stomped a hoof as a small flame flickered around his hoof.

  “So no and yes in that order, got it!”

  Pulling out a campfire skillet, two bowls, a few different cooking utensils, a selection of different berries, and the batter I mixed up yesterday for this exact reason, I turned to Ionia and Emolga. “Come on you two, we gotta get wood for the fire.”

  Ionia jumped up and nestled down into my hood while Emolga jumped up into the air and glided around a bit before landing on my head.

  “You really like it up there don’t you?”

  “Em! Emolga!” she shouted.

  “That’s what I figured.” I said with a chuckle. “Another thing, do you want a nickname Emolga? You get final say on what it is.”

  She was quiet for a moment before giving a grunt of agreement.

  “Okay then. I’ll try and think of one while collecting firewood.”

  Before long I had an armful of sticks and twigs while a few Patrat that had been watching me work pitched in to help carry back a couple of thicker logs in return for some food.

  I was coming up empty on nickname ideas for Emolga, anything relating to electricity didn’t feel very her. This was made even more clear, as she jumped off my head and glided from perch to perch.

  She enjoyed being in the air a lot, frowning every time she was forced to land.

  I tabled the thought for now, and piled together some kindling and the logs on top of it which Zebstrika lit with ease earning cheers from the young pokemon around us.

  I set up the skillet quickly and put a bit of grease on it before turning to my patrons.

  “Okay y’all Each of you will get one pancake with diced berry chunks in it,” I started spreading out the berry selection I had brought with me. “The berry is your choice of course.”

  Ionia’s choice I already knew, a Leppa berry being set aside for her. Emolga pointed to a juicy looking Pecha berry, and the Three Patrat each picked out some spicy Cheri berries. I picked on a dry, yet sweet Bluk berry.

  Starting to feel my own hunger, I quickly diced the berries up, then added them into partitions of batter and mixed them in, the berries each staining the batter with their color.

  “Ionia, can you grab three bowls for the Patrat?”

  “Tenna!” Ionia responded with a cute little salute before focusing her psychic powers on the bag next to me.

  The Cheri pancakes all went onto the skillet with a hiss, the smell of cooking batter filling the little clearing we were in.

  “Emolga, can you go get my visor from inside the tent?”

  A mimicked salute and a few seconds later, my visor was dropped into my lap while I kept an eye on the frying pancakes, the spice from the Cheri berries making its way into the air.

  Slapping the visor around my head, I began tending to the pancakes, flipping them over and soon after serving them to a trio of starry eyed Patrat. Ionia, Emolga, and I’s pancakes met the skillet right after the trio of spicy pancakes left it. Sneaking a glance at the trio I was blessed with the sight of them each hesitantly taking a bite before digging into them with gusto with occasional ‘bite trades’ with each other.

  Arceus it was unfair how cute Pokemon are.

  Soon our pancakes were done and served. Ionia eats by prying bits of pancake off, and floating it into her mouth with telekinesis. Emolga after a bite of food, dug in with fervor.

  After that, the clearing was only filled with the distinct sound of people and Pokemon enjoying tasty food with one another.

  Soon, a Watchog and a Durant wandered into the clearing and walked up to us. A quick back and forth between the Watchog and Zebstrika, and all three Patrat were given a pat on the head by what I assumed was their mother, followed by a few pats to the head being given to me in thanks.

  It was as Durant said a few things to the Watchog before wandering off that it hit me.

  It wouldn’t be super relevant to Emolga’s Electric Type, but rust can be caused by being exposed to humid air right?

  “I might have a nickname idea for you.” I said to a visibly excited Emolga.

  “What about the name Oxide?”

  Aliapanacea for help editing!

  Pokemon seen this chapter:

  Zebstrika

  Current Team:

  Trained Abilities: Anticipation

  Moves: Teleport, Confusion, Play Nice, Life Dew, Disarming Voice

  Trained Abilities: TBD

  Moves: TBD

  Do you want more words written by me?

  A Spark of Sylvan Flame: A story about a trans farmgirl facing off against plant aliens, with items bought from an AI chip in her head!