Asking a preteen to walk the length of Paldea is, of course, completely unrealistic. Thus: the use of a Cyclizar. These quadrupedal lizards exist to carry people long distances, only rivalled by the humble horse.
Linh led one by a leash, one tied around his wrist and the other end gently held in Cyclizar's mouth. He strode forwards calmly, paced. At his feet, before him, two shadows stretched out. One was of him, a thin pillar. The other was a small dog, stretching to the side and climbing up the wall. With long shaggy fur and bearing a candle. Every tenth step, Casket the Greavard fell out of that shadow. And every eleventh step, Linh gently pushed her back in.
Practise makes perfect, and eventually Casket would be able to Shadow Sneak—Shadow Walk, inside his shadow twenty-four-seven.
On Cyclizar, Poppy rested. Seated on the scaled back. She sat back straight, with eyes forwards. She's walked this pass before—with her parents and by herself. So she had the bridge's traditional stonework well remembered.
Riolu, her Riolu, just behind her, did not. It seemed to his mind that every sun-worn stone, every mossy growth, every rebar reinforcement, was worth thorough inspection by nose, paw, and tongue.
Linh turned his gaze back, curious at the curiosity. "Poppy," he began. "About Riolu—"
"Hm? What about him?" They stopped walking and looked at Riolu. Riolu had found a pebble, and was gnawing on it.
Linh continued, "Does he seem... different, somehow."
Poppy gently on Cyclizars neck, and they continued moving. "He's funny. It's why I picked him!"
Linh hummed. "How'd you pick him, then? From what I remember, Lucario enclaves and units prefer to choose their trainer, rather then get chosen."
Poppy bounced in her seat, sliding sideways until Cyclizar shifted and popped a step, throwing Poppy back up. "I dun go to them, they go to me! When I asked Tinkie and Rajah," Rajah referred to Copperajah, an elephant with oxidised copper skin, "Where I could find a new ace, they left into the outdoors and came back with Riolu's and Lucarios! Geeta says that's an arm-ou-ry call."
"And out of all the one's you could choose, you chose him," Linh remarked, not reproachfully.
"Yeh. He's perfect."
The conversation died as they left the bridge, exchanging textured brick for pavement. The footpath had a brother it connected to, a car path to the side. As while the bridge they crossed was old and large, strong after the test of time; it did not have the strength to hold the endless trucks that fuelled and fed the city. So a modern bridge ran beside and below an old bridge, river water splitting around the pillars, Marill and Azurill hopping onto and off of the piers.
Linh and Poppy ignored them, and the Pokémon living in the road-lining hedges and in the air. Spewpa chewed leaves in the thickets, and Hoppip drifted along the air, bumping off of various things that stood taller then the passing cars.
A fork in the road. "Which path, Poppy?" Linh asked.
"Right—To Katy!" Poppy pointed to the path labelled 'Cortondo' by the road sign.
"Katy's an odd name for a town. Are you sure we're going to Katy?"
Poppy frowned, "No-oo-uh, Katy's a woman, she's down that path!" She hopped in her seat, finger bobbing.
"Are you sure? People can move, are we sure Katy's down this path?" Linh teased. "Maybe she's decided to be at the other end of this path?" He pointed down the other road.
"Nooooooo!" Poppy cried out.
"Oh, okay." Linh took the correct path, and patted the pouting Poppy's head. "Oh don't pout, why don't you tell me about Katy? She's the... Bug type Gym Leader, yeah?"
"Yeah..." Poppy paused, vacantly thinking. "What about? I know lots of things."
Linh gave that question some thought, shoes crunching loose leaves on the pavement. Without a brick wall, Casket hid on the floor. And every so often, a leaf or a twig disappeared into the shadow.
And then fell out again, Casket's grip slipping on it like drool between teeth.
"I suppose I would like to know," Linh said. "About what she's like. Her personality. How she treats you."
"She's sweet, she always has these honey candies on her," Poppy said. "Says they're for Teddiursa, but she always gives me one when we meet. Um..."
Seeing her struggle with what to say, Linh interrupted. "Does she like anything?"
"Uh. Her bakery. And her gym—um. Maybe?" Poppy tapped her index fingers together, "She doesn't like talking about her gym duties, but she likes battling?"
Linh nodded and hummed. He pointed upwards, a split in the road travelling up the slope. "Route?" They could continue down the road, but that was for cars, and cut through the vegetation. Wheres the Route path meandered through, and was for hikers.
Poppy didn't say anything, she just steered Cyclizar up the path. Pavement exchanged for packed dirt surrounded by trimmed bushes. A steepish angle that Cyclizar and Riolu cleared with easy. Although Linh did slow the pace, little dirt bits dug out by harsh steps. The top of the slope revealed a prairie that stretched out, dominated with grass a darker shade then a lawn's. Coarse grass feeding heavily on the fertile soil. Sparse trees and shrubs grew where they could, those that survived the grazing of passing Pokémon and beasts.
"About Katy—she wants to ba—" Linh started, but then a loud bark cleared the air. There, on top of the next slope over. A single Maschiff, a dog like a Mastiff, barked aggressively. He posed dramatically, intentionally.
Poppy brightened up at the sight, and got off Cyclizar and waved both hands in the air. "Hello! It's so nice to see you! Do you wanna battle?"
Linh spoke up, "I'd hope not, it's a pain doing anything on a slope this steep."
Maschiff, who was approaching with an excited grin, paused. Before he turned, and scampered a bit down the path they were walking. He stopped at a flat part, hemmed in at both sides with the tall grasses.
Poppy grinned and ran forwards, "C'mon Riolu!" She stopped in realisation, and turned around. "Oh! Do you want to fight Maschiff?"
Linh looked down to his shadow, "Do we, Casket?" Casket did not pop out. "No thank you."
"Great!" Poppy continued running, and stopped a good distance away. Riolu ran in front of her. A long stalk of grass was between her jaws, and it was pushing against the grass it hit.
Maschiff waited for Riolu to come to a stop, and then they moved as one.
"Remember what we're planning, keep your distance and use Swift!" Poppy shouted, and Riolu barked. Probably in agreement, given he flung himself back down the road. A salvo of white stars arcing in the air.
Maschiff charged through them, with little smoke detonations across his hide as he bulled by. Riolu skipped backwards, but by half as much, and Maschiff got close enough with a mouth glowing darkly. A black-brown energy coating his teeth. Bite.
Maschiff bit Riolu on an arm. Dark type energy struggling to pierce the Fighting type hide.
"Shake him off, then Swift again." Poppy commanded.
Maschiff yelped as Riolu tossed him into the grass, disappearing behind the green. In that vegetation, thick enough to block sight, Maschiff could have found the time to hide a bit, and recover himself. Could, theoretically; Riolu was using Swift—it auto-aimed, it could not miss.
A moment later, a spread of stars soared into the vegetation. The tiny slicing pops of it sounded back, and then more sound came back, visible sound, with a purple coating. Snarl.
Once again, the sound waves dark energy struggled to do meaningful damage to Riolu. But this time, it clung to him, weakening his offensive power.
"Is that the loudest you can go?" Poppy called out, "Metal Burst. Cover your ears!"
Linh blinked, and then placed his hands over his ears. Perfunctory.
Riolu clapped his hands together, and a sound like a skidding car came out—all metal on metal, screeching. It came out with a grey outline, one that beat the grass flat, and ruffled Poppy's bonnet, and made Linh grimace and press his ears harder. Shows him for underestimating Riolu. Although... Poppy didn't cover her ears, and seemed entirely unaffected.
Two piercing whines filled the air, one from the grass, one from Linh's feet. Casket was pressing her head into foot's crook, rocking her head side to side in distress. Linh immediately ducked down to cradle Casket.
Then did Poppy wince. She turned, frowning. "Sorry..."
Then Maschiff interupted, leaping out of the grass, snarling. Small 's' snarling, he ran back with body glowing white. Tackle, a better option. But, it was too late. While Swift was weakened by Snarl, Metal Burst raked invisble scars within Maschiffs hide, which Swift could open and rend him down.
Poppy spun, took in the charge, and commanded. "Jump up high, and Swift! Hit first!"
Riolu leapt up, legs extending as Maschiff sailed past. He tumbled in the road, and a brace of Swift stars collided against him. He fainted, belly exposed, tongue lolling out of sagging cheeks.
Poppy pumped her fist, "Good job Riolu!" And Riolu fell back to his haunches, and sniffed the air. Casket ran up to Riolu, puppy friendliness, and congratulations in licks.
"So, Maschiff's down. What next Poppy?" Linh asked her, and she responded.
"Well, we can capture him, or just leave him. That's why they battle us, to prove their chops!" She paused, then spoke more slowly. "Do you... want him as your Pokémon?"
Linh looked at the fainted dog, both Casket and Riolu were sniffing him. "Not particularly. We just leave him there?"
Poppy shrugged, "Most do."
"Hm. Alright. He tried, and he didn't get anything." Linh knelt down and scratched behind Maschiff's ear, once, and then continued.
"But he did get something," Poppy called out. She was climbing back up onto Cyclizar. "They
battle because they get stronger that way!"
"I thought you said they challenge trainers because they want to be caught?"
"That too!"
It was about half a day later, further down the trail. The route climbed steadily higher and higher, all the way to the peak of a valley, and at the top, they looked down the path to sprawling orchards, pushing out the tall grasses with tall trees. Linh breathed in the air, his inner-city heart making him pause. Behind them, on the plateau, a route Pokécentre sprouted up.
"Do you know what Terastallization is?" Poppy asked, out of the blue.
"Maybe." Yes. "Why don't you tell me?" he asked. Cyclizar started walking down the path, winding slowly down, and circling around a great and old black-stone watch tower.
As they took the road down, a gently curving wide path, Linh swung a long stalk in his hands, tapping it against the ground. Casket chased it. Poppy's gaze was trailing up the tower, staring at it with big old eyes and a big old smile. "Well! It's this super duper method to make your Pokémon stronger. It changes their type and gives them a funny hat!"
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Incredible." What Poppy didn't mention was that it required a Tera orb to use—available at a decently high price, and with a waiting list. It was out of Linh's money and time budget. "How's it work?"
The path straightened out at the bottom of the hill, and connected with the wide asphalt road. No more Route, just the path cars and trucks and the school trip buses go vroom on.
"Vroom." Poppy grinned as they watched a cheerfully red bus drive by.
"Vroom," Linh agreed. He laid a hand on Clyclizars scaly neck, and scratched it idly.
Rows and rows of tall old olive tree they passed. Each tree the same age, the same height, the same distance from each other. With branches spread wide, and big bundles of small green olives hanging at the tips. It was nearly harvest time, to collect the drupes and process or package them, sending out bottles of oil or table olives.
There were a few Pokémon species roaming the trees, not the kind that'll eat the trees, the farmers won't tolerate that. Fidough ran around and herded the weed eating Mareep. Neither able or inclined to reach up and take the fruits. In the boughs, Smoliv and Sunkern rested up high. Needing only light and thus, harmless to the orchards.
One particular Smoliv peeked out from between the leaves, curious at the man and the child walking by them. Linh and Poppy waved.
"Ah, don't mind them," a voice called out. Ahead of them, a man in overalls leaning against a parked truck. "Just passersby. Back to work."
Behind that farmer, a great Arboliv and a flock of Hoppips turned back to the trees they were at. The Arboliv was bending one branch like arm, and bending down the olive tree branches. And the Hoppips were blowing off the olives with gusts of air. Aiming at the thick canvas bags at the base of the tree.
"Good morning sir!" Poppy said as Cyclizar approached the truck. Cyclizar curiously sniffed the headlights.
Just behind her, Linh spoke up, "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon!" Poppy corrected. The man waved, but he didn't speak up as they passed. And Linh felt no need to either. His gaze was on the town at the end of the road.
Cortondo. Agricultural town, specialised in olives and olive oil manufacturing. It's a cluster of earthy tones and whites, buildings two stories tall set in splotchy spreads. No clear line between the orchards and the town, just buildings replacing trees more and more.
Within Cortondo, the building they needed to go to—for this and every Gym challenge—was the league's local office. A standardised building with every modern technique and material, an office building with glass window walls, and multiple stories tall. Except, this one was altered, at least on the ground floor. The walls were not clear large glass panes, instead a plaster facade. And on and around that facade, warmer things then a professional setting prefers.
There was a free-paint wall, with a honey comb pattern stretching across it, etched in yellow finger painting. Hands and bear paws pressed in place, wrinkles and palm lines visible. There was a pot garden, of many flowering shrubs, arranged in shelves and rising up. And spilling through the window on that wall, likely merging with an indoors pot garden.
Like a glass and metal needle inserted into the town. It's small town blood welling up and scabbing around the wound. An intrusion that has lasted for so long that it was assimilated.
The door opened with a smooth shfff. Automatic motors whirring. Inside, there were the things expected in a reception and waiting room. A foyer with seats and a hanging TV. A reception desk with computer and chair. Yet there were also other things—personal things.
Linh and Poppy approached the desk, Poppy taking four steps for every one of Linhs. Behind the desk, there was a collage of art and photos. Crayon drawings of bug Pokémon, and photos of a large, inflatable olive, in various degrees of motion, and chased by a variety of children and Pokémon.
Every Gym has a small task they ask you to do before the Gym Leader will battle. Well, Linh hopes it's opt out. Because he doesn't know how his ego will survive if he has to very gently roll a large inflatable olive through an obstacle course.
He came up to the desk, and moved the stool on one side over, so Poppy could climb up and see what's actually over the desk. Linh rapped the surface twice, and waited for the man manning it to finish whatever he was doing.
"Greetings, do you have an appointment?" The man said, then grinned as he saw Poppy appear over the desk, "Hello Poppy! Back again?"
Poppy smiled and waved, but it was Linh that answered. "Actually, we're here for the Gym Challenge."
"Oh, is it that time of year?" The man turned around and looked up at an electronic billboard above the art collage. It listed out a great number of vacant slots—openings for a Gym Challenge to be scheduled. "Well, Poppy's already in the system but Sir, we'll need you to give some information first."
"That's fine." Linh said.
"First, name?"
"Linh, L-I—"
"I don't want to fight Katy," Poppy interrupted.
"Uh," Linh said. "Excuse me one moment." He raised a finger. "Poppy?"
Poppy turned to him, hands on her hip, and a neutral expression. "I don't want to fight Katy yet! I wanna fight her later. She said before that she misses fighting high-tier battles, and I wanna give her one!"
Linh glanced at the man, looking for sympathy. He only found a professional mask. "No reason to be here?" he asked Poppy, weight shifting from one leg to the other.
"No."
Linh sighed, the sigh of someone who assumed, instead of checked. "Right," He turned back to the official, "Scratch that sir, sorry for the trouble."
The man smiled, he reached under the desk and came out with a brochure. "Oh it's no trouble at all! Here, why don't you enjoy our lovely town's atmosphere before you go?"
Linh took the brochure with a muttered thanks, and walked out of the building at a faster pace then he entered. He felt like the man was hiding his laughter. "Where to, Poppy?"
"I want to go see Katy! To tell her the news. This a way!" Poppy pointed, and marched towards (presumably) Katy's bakery. Linh followed, idly flipping through the brochure given.
The destination was close, but it seemed they'd tripped over every Pokémon in the town, or Cortondo just had a very high density of Bug type Pokémon. Hanging from the awnings and the balconies up high, Kakuna and Metapods stared out. Cocoons shiny and glossy in the sun. Poppy stopped and allowed a queue of Spinarak's to pass, on their backs little paper bags filled with groceries. And Linh found himself lightly threatened when he wondered to close to a flower, a Combee buzzing.
"We're here!" Poppy turned around, with a little jump to make a stomping sound, her hand open and gesturing towards the building.
Katy's bakery, the Patisserie Soapberry, was exactly as a small town bakery would be like. That is, the moment Linh entered, door swinging, bell ringing, he was punched in the face by the scent of fresh bread and sugar.
"Just a minute!" A woman's voice called out from the back, in the door behind the counter.
They waited awkwardly at the counter. Well, Linh did, Poppy didn't. She found her fun by watching Riolu stare at the baked goods, paws against the glass, nose fogging the display.
"I'm here now—Oh goodness Poppy!" Katy swept into the room and past the counter, her green hair tied up in her chef's hat. The way it flowed set the decorative antenna-like lines waving. "What a surprise to see you!" She brushed her hands off on her apron, and shook Poppy's hand. Both eager.
As Poppy promised earlier that day, in that handshake Katy palmed off a small yellow candy. "Have you been eating well?" Katy asked.
"Mm-hm!" Poppy nodded.
"Plenty of water?"
"Mm-hm!" Poppy nodded.
Katy nodded back, beaming, and then turned to Linh. She did not smile, and set her hands on her hips, folded over to the knuckles. "Has she been eating well?"
Linh nodded firmly, "Naturally. Three square meals a day."
Katy stared at him fiercely, judging his truthfulness. "Good." She finally said. Then she asked Poppy, "So, you want to battle now?"
"No." Poppy shook her head.
"No?" Surprise.
Linh gestured, "She want's to battle you later, after some more badges."
The idea came to Katy slowly, and as she realised what this meant—that she'll get to battle with stronger Pokémon, to match Poppy's growth—she glowed. "Oh, that's a wonderful gift Poppy!" She knelt down and hugged Poppy suddenly, "Thank you."
Poppy giggled, and hugged back. "That's all!" She broke the hug, and stepped back. "Goodbye!"
She made it to the door before Linh reacted, "Wait, what? Shame to go to a bakery,
and not get something."
Poppy turned around, "What do you mean?"
Linh waved towards Katy, and to the displays of cakes and breads. Poppy continued to look confused.
"But, we're not battling Katy yet?"
Katy blinked, then hid her smile behind her fingers, "Oh, my. Poppy, you did know that you can buy from me without beating me first, right?"
Poppy gasped, "No!"
Katy's laughter was not hidden by her hand. "Well dear," she reached over the counter, and withdrew a cupcake from under the case. "Why don't you get something, on the house."
They sat outside, at a fountain, to eat their goods. A lemon drizzle cake—a crumbly yellow bar split into four, each no longer then a finger—for Poppy. And a cinnamon swirl for Linh.
Both were delicately packaged, folded card-stock set into a pretty neat box. And both boxes placed inside the paper bag, so small and tight that there were no open space inside the Teddiursa-decorated bag. Linh set Poppy's cake on her lap, and gave her a disposable fork so she could eat it without getting messy. He also put down her water bottle, half-full from the day before.
His own meal sat in the bag, for later. Instead, Linh tapped his feet and played with Casket—a game of tossing her into his shadow, and catching her as she leapt back out.
"So, Poppy," He began. "If you don't want to fight Katy first—"
"I don' wanna." Poppy said, a bit of honey-crumb on her cheeks.
"—Right, right." He passed over a napkin, "So who do you want to fight, first?"
Poppy hummed, clearly thinking. Linh let her, and let Casket climb into his lap. He leaned back and turned his head, towards the statue in the middle of the fountain.
It was old stone, real old. Marble white once, maybe. Now just, weathered grey. It depicted a Volcarona, standing proud. It's six wings flaring straight up. The plaque told a story about how this Pokémon saved the town in ages past. Stopping a rampaging Snorlax with a single mighty blow.
Although, Volcarona aren't known for their physical capabilities, more inclined to using their fire from afar. A strange inconsistency in the story. One that made Linh thoughtfully hum.
He watched Casket sniff the water, before slipping in. He put the mystery out of his mind.
Poppy hummed louder, a realisation. "Tulip! I wanna fight Tulip. She said she had a Ralts hatch recently. I want to see him!"
Linh answered, although he was more interested in watching Casket's candle slowly approach the Surskit in the water. Like a canine shark approaching a water skimmer. "Huh. Sure. And where is Tulip? Her city."
Two things happened in quick succession. First, Poppy answered, "Alfornada."
Second, The Surskit bit onto Casket's nose with Leech Life. With a yelp, she flailed and doggy-paddled away in a splashy panic."