Messengengar:
Linh walked down the street with his dog. On his back was a bag, containing the essentials and the things he actually owned. Several weeks ago he was homeless, and relied on the kindness of Larry. Today, he was seeking accommodation a bit longer term then 'crashing on someone's couch'. Clawing back to 'normality'.
He was currently visiting a neighbourhood. The area was... semi-urban, far enough away from the city centre that the trams only ran twice; for the morning and afternoon commutes. The house at the end of the street was available to rent.
Linh walked across pavement then narrow cobble then concrete road. He passed tall streetlamp and wrought iron fence and an elderly couple, sitting in their front yard.
"Oh hello, who's this handsome young lad?" One of the old men asked. the other one was dozing in his seat, wool comforter on his lap, thick beanie on his hairless head.
"Just visiting, looking for," Linh paused, recalling the text message from the realtor. He rattled off the address.
"Ah, taking Betty's place. You know, I never did get her cookie recipe..." The old man briefly looked sad, before fording ahead with a more friendly expression. "Well! That's down the road, second on your left, you planning to take it? Rent's cheap around here. "
"Oh I'm on the fence, buuuttt..." Linh sent a sly glance up and down the old man, "Eye candy like this can sway me over."
"Oh don't say that!" The man chuckled, delighted, "I'm just like any old grandpa."
"Grandpa!?" Mock incredulity. "Can we see some ID?"
The man cackled and nudged his husband(?) Friend(?) Platonic life partner(?) Awake. "Darling, look at this nice young man! A real silver tongue too!"
"Whazit?" A gruff, grumbly voice came out between his thin lips. "You trying to steal my husband?"
"Your husband?" Linh turned to the first old man, a 'this true?' Stare. "He single?"
The second old man snorted ugly, he took off his hat and waved it harshly with a smile, "Damn flirt, gerroff you!"
"Alright now, pleasure talking." Linh moved on, smiling. "Second on the left."
The house Linh ended up at had that cosy, weathered look. Plaster walls chipped and faded, tube like roof tiles jaunty. It had two stories, and a traditional steeple like tower forming a third. At the top a section of the roof had an array of solar panels. At the bottom, the fence wall was half thick hedge and half uneven stone.
Linh tried the fence gate, horizontal slats with no gaps. Locked, expected given he doesn't have the key.
"Hey you!"
Linh looked up.
There, over the fence of the gate, a young boy in pigtails. "Hi!" He chirped.
"... Hi." Linh waved. "Who are you? Ah, I'm Linh."
"I'm Rupert." Rupert smiled at him, un-reacting. A moment of silence passed. "I'm bored," he announced, as only a child can. "Wanna tour?"
Linh checked the time—the realtor would be a couple hours before they arrive for the viewing, so he had some time to kill. "Well, sure. Show me where all the cool kids hang, eh?"
"Dunno. I'm not one of the cool kids." Rupert popped back down, and ran out of the gate of the neighbouring house.
Linh followed him. "Oh my, what caused that?"
"Cuz I don't have a Pokémon!" Rupert said, with a little hop. "And I eat bugs."
Linh slowed his walk, leery. "Like, Nymble?"
"No like, beetles and worms. Crunchy and squishy."
"Weird, but not a sin." It was also possibly texture seeking behaviour, although Linh was no psychoanalyst. He just read a lot.
"ANYWAY. This is the plaza!" Rupert swung his arms out, gesturing to the wide open space he took Linh.
The plaza was rather described as mini, just large enough to tend to the surrounding neighbourhood blocks. It had stone tiles and long benches and neatly square patches of grass surrounding trees. In the middle was a positively ancient water pump, and at the edges were buildings with colourful awnings and cheerfully chalked blackboard signs out front. Cafés and shops.
"That's Nancy's book store! And that's the Pokémart! And that's the kebab place all the cool kids hang out at! But no one's there right now, cuz they're all on their journeys."
Both of them stood before the shop. Linh could see through the glass and spy some muted shadows, moving about inside. "Huh. How old are they?"
"Like, my age, why?"
"Well, I just thought that a journey was sorta a, everyone does it at the same age. Y'know, wander the country, try for eight badges, flunk school for a year." Linh said, "But they left and you are still here?"
"Momma says I should wait a year." Rupert said matter of factly, "But like, they still have to go to school, on their phones."
"Well, anyways, I could do with some food, you want me to buy you something?" Linh stepped forwards and opened the door, shop bell buzzing.
"Yeah! I want—"
"And here the Pokémart is! It sells Pokémon specific stuff, like potions and Pokéballs!" Rupert pushed into the shop, he had an empty can of soda in his hands, squeezing it intermittently to hear the metal scrunch. "And stuff like specialist feed and kits. I think they sell some camping supplies too."
It was probably a mistake for Linh to buy him the sugary drink, it made him babble. It also made him easily pleased, every one of Linh’s common-sense questions lit up Rupert’s face.
"Mm? A Pokéball? What's that?"
Lighted up just like that—with the eyes shining, smile wide and toothsome. Rupert practically exclaimed the words, but Linh didn't pay attention.
"And how does this Pokéball work? Can you shrink it? Can you release the Pokémon inside?" He just poked and prodded, browsing the shelves and picking out what he wants. To his side Rupert stood, chattering back answers and a thousand trivia factoids.
"When you throw it, how does it know to release? Can you control how far it goes before the Pokémon comes out?" Linh asked, hefting up his arms to catch a slipping bottle.
He got in line with his goods in hand, a short one, with only one other, standing before the sullen cashier.
"And does the Pokémon inside know what's going on outside?" Linh moved aside so the customer ahead of him could leave, a barely comprehensible apology in the air. "Can they release themselves?"
The cashier muttered something under his breath, it didn't sound kind. Linh looked up, from where he was laying down bottles of medicine on the counter top. "Hm?" A Burn Heal clinked on the wood, "You sayin somethin'?"
The cashier looked up, his hat drawn low to cover his face, an older teenager, wearing an unfortunate pimple on his chin. "Uh... no. Nothing. That'll be ￥ 10 000, please."
Linh nodded, uncertain. He paid, and turned.
"... Idiot." Low and on the edge of hearing.
"Do you usually insult your customers, or am I special?" Linh remarked over his shoulder, leaving the shop with the disagreeable cashier.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
He stopped, however, when someone tugged his sleeve.
Rupert had tugged him, "Uh, actually can I buy this?" He held up a magazine, one from the wire rack shelves by the counter. Linh smiled, and turned right back around, digging through his pockets for the cash.
The cashier glared at Rupert, and took the magazine sharply. But he did scan it, and dutifully quoted and took the money. Exact change, too.
"So, what does the magazine say?" Linh asked Rupert. He dismissed the cashier and faced only Rupert.
"... Fucc'in read the cover, can't you?"
Linh continued to look at Rupert, smiling encouragingly as Rupert glanced nervously at the cashier.
Rupert smiled less nervously, and started blathering about the magazine, with an interview from the famed Bug Catcher Bugsy. He stopped when both of them heard the cashiers disgruntled mumble.
"... Blah blah."
"Rupert you know this guy? Talks very familiar, he your friend?" Linh pointed at the cashier, and contained his smile at the cashier's disgusted grimace.
"... M' names not important, just the shop keep..." The cashier looked away, ducking under his hat and pretending to fiddle with the register.
Rupert did not hide his smile, happy to see the teen flustered. "He's Cuno! He's been working here since for-e-ver."
"... Busybody..." Cuno muttered, barely heard as he ducked behind the counter tops screen. The registers tray clinking open. But he did nothing as Linh gestured to the door and led Rupert out.
Cuno did have one final thing to say, as they reached the doors. "... Dumb and dumber, look at them go." He muttered, just a tad louder. Clearly trying to make Linh hear him.
Rupert paused, and Linh took note of that, or rather, had to stumble to not trip over him. Linh turned back, a grin filled with teeth, "Cashier too cowardly to insult someone to their face, you wanna sling shit you gotta be prepared to square up."
There, lips pulled back, puberty's angst all across Cuno's face. "?" He said, not a word, but a sound.
"Rupert, where do people here go to battle?" Rupert grinned excitedly.
"AND ON ONE SIDE IT'S CUNO WITH HIS SKWOVET!" Rupert cheered, standing on an upturnt milk crate. "AND ON THE OTHER SIDE IT'S LINH WITH..." He turned to Linh, standing at one side of the square. On the other side, Rupert, and all further back, the few bystanders interested in watching. In this plaza there was always a few locals nearby.
"Casket. Casket the Greavard."
"... GREAVARD!" Rupert continued as if nothing had happened. Then he stepped off the crate and spoke more calmly. "Do both of you accept—recognise and accept my judgement as referee?" He recited, as if this was something learnt by rote.
"I accept and acknowledge." Cuno droned out, and Linh copied him. This was some sort of ritual, a part of the battling culture.
"Great!" Rupert grinned, then he coughed and put back on his serious face. "Then this will be a 1v—a one on one battle, no switches, first to leave the ring or be unresponsive. Okay?"
"Okay." "Yeap."
"Then release your Pokémon!"
Cuno threw first, his Pokéball soared and opened mid-air. A strong throw putting Skwovet in the middle of the square, an aggressive choice. Linh threw a second later, the flash of light zapping out of his Pokéball putting Casket near the back of the square, a passive choice.
"Then, begin!" Rupert continued, taking a step back and sitting on the milk crate. He became part of the audience.
"Belly Drum!" Cuno started them off, a loud shout.
"Oh shit." Linh said, leaning forwards and bracing his arms against his knee. He watched as Skwovet slammed its little paws against its stomach, pain wracking and twisting up the squirrels tiny face. Belly Drum sacrificed a full half of the Pokémon's vitality to multiply their strength four fold. "Casket, attack!"
Casket, the little dog that could, fell into her own shadow. Baffingly, the shadow she cast did not disappear without her, but instead flowed across the floor towards Skwovet.
"Shadow's ahead of you, leap left—now!" Cuno snapped, his eyes intent on the moving dark. As the puddle-like shadow touched Skwovet's it bulged, and Casket leapt out of the shadow, dark purple on her fangs, a pounce full of teeth. She missed, and flailed as she hit the ground.
"An opening! Skwovet, use-"
Linh grimaced, this wouldn't be pleasant.
"-Body Slam!"
Linh exhaled a soft sigh of relief, then spoke up as a confused Squirell phased right through Casket, and a confused Cuno cursed. "Greavards are ghosts—immunities yeah? Normal can't touch Ghost Types."
"Goes the other way as well asshat, my Skwovet's just fine against your 'Casket'."
"Unless Casket knows another move." Linh said the natural response.
"Does she?"
Linh didn't say anything, he was trying not to betray his blush.
"Do. Do you actually know what moves your dog has?" Cuno asked, incredulous.
"Naturally, no." Linh grinned, "Actually, I do know she has Shadow Sneak, and I was planning on using it, but then..." He gestured to the confused squirrel, who was trying to convince Casket they were fighting, and not playing. "Skwovet."
"Well shit." Cuno remarked to the air. Loud enough that there was a parent's scandalised gasp. "Skwovet doesn't know any other moves. I... can't win."
Rupert spoke up, legs swinging. "If neither side can win, then it's a draw immediately."
"And I don't really know what Casket has." Linh sardonically said. "Actually, Casket!"
Casket looked up and stopped chasing Skwovet around.
"Do you know Bite? Big grey-black coating around your teeth? No? Okay. What do you know?"
Casket stared at Linh, then came to a realisation and switched to Skwovet. She growled. Like a dog normally would, with lips pulled back and teeth clenched. But more, the sound came out with a significance to it, and was visible as white distortions in the air.
"Growl." Linh watched as the sound waves passed through Skwovet, rattling it's defence.
"Not a damaging move." Rupert noted. "Unless you can prove Casket can hit Skwovet, I'll have to call this."
"No." Linh agreed. "But it's Normal typed, so Casket knows how to manipulate Normal Type energy.
"So?" Cuno snorted.
"So, take that energy, and make it Tackle. And that can hit Normal types."
There was a moment of silence at that declaration. Linh didn't know this, but typically moves were learnt after hours training, minimum, or spontaneously learned by a Pokémon's sheer need. Neither of these situations apply here.
"Okay Casket, come here and sit, okay?" Casket waddled up to Linh's feet and sat. "So, remember your Shadow Sneak? You travelled through your shadow here, but before you used it to make your shadow reach up. We're going to do something a little similar here. But with Growl. So, can you start a Growl, but not actually send it out?"
Casket paused, before slowly peeling her lips back, purposefully. And a rumble built in her throat. Linh knelt all the way down, chest to the floor, and looked between her teeth. There was a white glow, in the back of her throat.
"You may not see this, but you may feel it; there's this white light in your mouth. That's Normal Type energy. What I want you to do is spread it out, get it into every part of your body, and then I want you to find Skwovet, and tackle them good. Alrigh-Uh?"
Casket was running off, in the middle of his explanation. She had already formed Tackle—a white light around her body. Skwover stared with wide eyes as she approached, and only started moving when Cuno shouted a belated warning.
It wasn't fast enough, and Skwovet took the blow head on. With it's life already halved by Belly Drum, it fainted.
"Oh wow! Linh you taught your Pokémon a move so fast! That's amazing!" Rupert shouted, he was jumping in the air—when he saw Casket run in that white sheath, he bolted up right. Even Cuno seemed impressed.
"Casket lived for a long time in a graveyard, it'd make sense for Casket to forget how to Tackle, cuz it will be useless there. This was just... remembering" Linh demurred. Or lied, maybe. He wasn't sure how Casket learnt that so fast.
"But Skwovet's down, which means I can pronounce Linh as the WINNER!" Rupert shouted, returning to his position as mock-referee.
A short round of claps, from the audience. Cuno recalled his Skwovet with half-stunned eyes. The other half was frustration. He stalked towards Linh and shoved a wad of cash into Linh's surprised hands, his shoes thumping as he walked away.
Linh blinked at the money, ignoring Rupert running up to him and babbling about the fight. He straight up didn't remember that people bet money on battles—winner takes the pot. He riffled through the stack, not much, just pocket change. But it felt good in his hands. But then, a buzz in his pocket. A text. Some quick reshuffling of his pockets and he read the message.
> Hello. Apologies for the delay but I'm available for the viewing if you're still interested?
Linh turned to Rupert. "Hey."
Rupert stopped. "–and I had no idea it was even possible to-huh?"
"Nah, just wanted to thank you for the tour and playing referee, but I've got a house I want to check. So I'll be heading back to where we met."
"Hey, it's been fun! It's nice for someone to talk to me."
If your like me (a hopelessly pedantic nerd) you may be wondering: Hey! Greavard’s don’t have the ability Fluffy, they have Pick Up!
To that I say:
Move along! Move along! Kindly step around the Plothole! Mind the caution tape! No falling now!