A Ranger's Mission: A Lost Soul

Chapter 3 - The Aftermath

“My, what an event this is turning out to be…” Chairperson Erma commented as she and Lena walked down the hall. The light from the late afternoon sun illuminated a massive painting of the fabled ‘Swords of Justice’ facing a storm in an orange hue.

If Lena wasn’t distracted by trying to process what just happened earlier, she might’ve had the chance to admire its grandeur. Doing her damndest to keep her expression neutral, Lena had just enough presence of mind to hum and nod at Erma’s comment. That didn’t seem to fool the Chairperson, who looked up at Lena with a raised eyebrow. “Come now, dear; you can speak freely. I know you must have questions.”

Lena hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. “Chairperson Erma, I… why me? Why not someone more qualified like… Kellyn… or Solana?” Her question dripped with nervousness, fearful of speaking out of line.

Chairperson Erma simply nodded at the question as if she were expecting it. “Kellyn and Solana would be the first thought for who to pick for this mission, yes. However, there are a couple of factors that lead me to think you are better suited….” Chairperson Erma trailed off before she walked to the window that overlooked the entrance to the Pokémon League.

Lena followed her gaze and stared outside, where two Trainers were battling at the moment. A Crustle and a Jellicent clashed as both Trainers screamed their commands with such ferocity that Lena swore she could feel the window pane rumble. “What do you see there, Lena?” Chairperson Erma asked, staring at the battle with an expression that didn’t give away any of her thoughts.

‘This is a test of some sort…’ Lena thought to herself before she stared at the battle for a moment… noting the Trainer’s Pokémon, how they held themselves…

The Trainers’ emotions were running high clearly with the expressions on their faces, lost to the world around them except for the battle and their Pokémon. Lena took a minute to compose her answer.

Lena thought about Rina and Arthur and how close they were with her in battle. The echoes of emotions of great battles long past washed over her, affirming her answer. “I see… bonds. Bonds between a Trainer and their Pokémon, to prove how strong they are, how far they’ve come, and how much they care for each other. Strengthening that bond in the battle to one day prove to the world how close they are.

Chairperson Erma watched her with a fixed expression that softened and nodded. “Good, that’s exactly the answer I would expect from you. It is not an answer I would expect from Kellyn or Solana.” She sighed, shaking her head before elaborating.

“They’re both from regions where there’s no battles or Poké Balls. They have open minds, don’t get me wrong, it’s a requirement to become a Ranger, but…; however, their personal upbringing would cloud that vision on a Mission like this. They wouldn’t see the display that a Trainer and their Pokémon can have through a bond the same way you can…” With a sigh, the Chairperson got a wistful look on her face.

“I suppose that’s one failure of the Capture Styler. It can convey friendship and intention for a temporary bond, but most times, it won’t make a bond as strong as battles can. Do you see what I am seeing?” She asked gently. Lena glanced at her Capture Styler on her hip and the two empty belt slots where Arthur and Rina usually were.

“... Yeah, I see what you mean….” She murmured. Chairperson Erma smiled, nodding at her reply and expression.

“I’m glad… now — let’s get you back to your partners. I can tell you’ve been longing for them.” Chairperson Erma said kindly before walking towards the Pokémon Center facility within the Unova League, with Lena following closely behind.

As Lena and Erma entered, the Ranger noticed Arthur and Rina were already out in the lobby by the counter, both turning to her with excitement. The sight of Arthur’s tassels waving faintly in the air with a blue aura was enough to hint to her that they were waiting for her after their checkup. Her two Pokémon ran over, practically tackling her with a hug that she only withstood because of years of it happening before.

“H-Hey guys—! I missed you too… everything turn out fine?” Lena squeezed them gently, careful to not poke herself on Arthur’s chest spike.

“Yes, but we had to do a blood test for diseases. They were unsure of what Typhlosion may have encountered previously and wanted to be ready.” Arthur grimaced, Rina and Lena both wrinkled their nose in sympathy. Most Steel Types that still have blood have thicker veins, which can make getting blood harder for testing.

Getting blood drawn from a needle that can piece steel wasn’t exactly pleasant for anyone involved.

“Ah, someone’s gonna want a Casteliacone than I assume?” She teased him with a raised eyebrow. Arthur tried to keep his face stoic, but his tail wagged in excitement. A quick glance at Rina made both of them double over in laughter as Arthur attempted to play it off.

Chairperson Erma’s signature haughty and playful laugh brought all of their attention back to her. “Ahh, I love moments like this… it brings me back years.” She smiled fondly before replacing the look on her face with a leveled expression.

“I apologize for the hastiness, but we need to talk about a couple of things now. Lena, can you please fill your partners in?” She asked. Lena nodded and quickly explained the meeting that had just occurred. Rina and Arthur looked shocked at the idea of being issued a Mission directly from HQ, from the head of the Ranger Union, no less. Lena paused as she remembered Chairperson Erma’s phrasing before turning to her with a confused expression.

“On that note… I remembered while you suggested me for the mission in the meeting but, I’m not even a Top Ranger. I don’t even have a Fine Styler, so why did you say I was one in that meeting?” Lena asked.

Chairperson Erma raised an eyebrow and hummed, turning away from Lena and her partners. She paced around slowly, her cane tip-tapping on the linoleum, drawing out the moment and leaving the three of them to stew in their own confusion.

After what felt like a few minutes, Erma finally turned back to the three of them, with that same eldritch fae smile she used on Jake earlier that afternoon. The room took on an unsettling aura, and Lena quivered in her boots. Rina’s fur stood on end in anticipation, and even the ever-stoic Arthur was visibly sweating, and his tassels were raised in alarm.

“Is that so?” Erma voiced, but her tone wasn’t asking or questioning. She already knew the answer as she turned to face Lena and her partners, her eyes locking them in place and all of them barely flinching back.

“Y-Yes…?” Lena’s voice came out an octave higher than it normally did.

That faint, fey-like smirk somehow grew even larger. “Well, I suppose we should fix that now,” Chairperson Erma replied, slamming her cane down twice onto the floor. A resounding thud echoed in the hallway, and Gardevoir appeared out of nowhere next to Erma. The sudden appearance made the Ranger and her Floatzel jump in surprise, while Arthur reflexively raised his paws…

It took a minute for the three of them to calm down. The Gardevoir was a completely normal member of his species, and Lena didn’t think much of him, until Lena’s eyes instantly fixated on a package he was holding.

Lena inhaled sharply and felt a lump form in her throat as her voice failed her. The golden seal of the Ranger Union on the box shined in the light.

‘No, it couldn’t be...’

The oppressive, nervous atmosphere melted uncannily into a warm, fuzzy feeling that almost felt like being squeezed by a hug from a family member you haven’t seen in years, prideful and happy for you. All of the worries and stresses of the shitstorm of a day washed away into a mix of almost choking joyful emotions.

“Ah — thank you dear.” Chairperson Erma said to the Gardevoir, who smiled and politely bowed, taking her cane as Erma took the package. The Chairperson walked forward to Lena, who was paralyzed in shock.

“Ranger Lena, do you accept the roles and responsibilities of being a Top Ranger? And swear to protect the bond between Pokémon and people?” Chairperson Erma asked, her voice snapping Lena out of her shocked daze. Lena balled her right hand into a fist and put it over her heart, and raised her left hand like she did all those years ago when taking the Ranger oath back at the Ranger School. Arthur and Rina suddenly stood to attention, matching her pose.

“I, Ranger Lena, accept this responsibility and swear to protect the bond between Pokémon and people.” She solemnly swore, barely able to contain the excitement in her voice as Chairperson Erma smiled and pressed a button on the side of the container. The container hissed as the airtight seal popped, revealing the shape of the standard Almia Fine Styler.

“Then, with joy, I induct you as a Top Ranger, along with your partners, Rina and Arthur. I know you’ll all do amazing work.” Chairperson Erma said with a smile, holding the package out. Lena gently took out the Fine Styler and inspected it in further detail. Its appearance differed from what she expected in subtle ways; instead of the bright red of her normal Ranger uniform, it had a black finish on the top half, with everything below red. However, the usual Ranger Union logo was gone from the back end. In fact, it appeared and felt slimmer to a degree than what Lena had seen in the field.

Gently sliding her hand through, she noticed how comfortable the interior felt. Her eyes were awestruck as she opened it, lifting the top up from its clamshell design and watching in amazement as the Styler booted up, the Ranger Union logo appearing. Lena’s Ranger ID and the Ranger picture she took on reaching Unova appeared, along with her Ranger designation, which was updated before her eyes.

“Top Ranger,” Lena muttered to herself in disbelief.

They did it.

They did it!

They were Top Rangers!

With an excited squeal, she suddenly grabbed Arthur and Rina in a tight hug, squeezing them tight and lifting them before spinning around, both of them vocalizing their own excitement on the matter.

“FloatZEeelFloat!” (We did it! You’re a Top Ranger! I’m so proud of you, Lena!)

“You worked hard! You deserve this Lena!”

“Guys…no, we worked hard, thank you—gosh—I’m—” Lena had to wipe her eyes as tears of happiness leaked out, looking at both of her partners, who looked up with just as much joy and happiness. Chairperson Erma’s smile at the scene made her look many years younger as she handed the Gardevoir back the now-empty package. Walking forward to the group, Chairperson Erma gave her newest Top Ranger a glowing smile.

“Never forget this feeling, Top Ranger Lena. Use it to push you forward… I’m sure you have a couple questions about your Fine Styler.” Chairperson Erma with a hum. Lena took a moment to compose herself before nodding; back into focus mode… mostly.

“Y-Yes, Chairperson Erma. If I can ask, why is the Ranger Union logo missing?”

Chairperson Erma nodded seriously before answering. “That is because for this Mission, I feel it is better that you keep your status as a Top Ranger under the table. You will need civilian clothing to wear over your uniform.” Erma leaned in closer, dropping her voice into a near-whisper. “Come up with a narrative for yourself if anyone asks, and keep it consistent. I’d suggest selling yourself as a volunteer ‘just doing a favor for poor, underfunded and overworked Clare’. Though… that may lead to more questions online and otherwise, the absolute Mandibuzzes that people are . ” Chairperson Erma quietly grumbled in frustration.

“Think about what’s going to happen once young William goes to a Gym, or releases the Hisuian Typhlosion in public for the first time? Your newfangled internets are already going to throw a fit. How much worse do you think it will be if these internets know that a Top Ranger is escorting the poor boy?” She asked Lena, who thought about it for a moment before she flinched physically, already foreseeing the potential social media storm…

“I can see your point, yeah… would there be any… other restrictions?” She asked hesitantly.

Chairperson Erma laughed and shook her head. “Goodness, no! You are not an Area Ranger anymore. You know that Top Rangers have more control over the Missions and Quests they take, and what procedure to take during them.” She chuckled, but quickly leveled her expression again.

“Remember that Top Rangers, while still under the banner of the Ranger Union, can make choices without the Ranger Union’s approval. This is a sign of trust, but also responsibility. Use it wisely, especially with a Mission that so many eyes are on you. Mind what you write in your reports, especially the ones for Interpol.”

‘Unova, Johto, Sinnoh, the International Police, and even the Ranger Union… Everyone has a hand in this pie, don't they… and in the center, a kid too smart for his own good with no known parents or info on where he came from with an extinct Pokémon.’ She thought to herself, feeling the sudden weight of the ramifications of what this Mission meant, of what William could have been feeling at the time.

Everything had been thrusted on top of him suddenly… the thought panged Lena with guilt at technically playing a part.

She forced down her feelings of guilt quickly. ‘No. I may have unintentionally forced this onto him but I am damn sure I’m not going to leave him in this mess alone.’

“Well, I suppose I should take my leave….” Chairperson Erma said suddenly, snapping Lena from her own musings as the Chairperson stepped away, one more lingering question about the meeting on her mind finally resurfacing.

“A-Ah, wait… Chairperson Erma…” Lena started to call out, making the Chairperson pause and turn to her with a quirked eyebrow, waiting for Lena to continue speaking. “I… don’t know if you know the answer to this but… where was Alder? I would have expected him to participate in the meeting with Iris but… Shauntal took his place I assume?”

Chairperson Erma actually looked to think about this for a moment, humming with a frown forming on her face… “Those with the ability to take power are not always those with the ability to keep it. Alder was always a man sitting upon a throne of sand as it slowly weathered down an hourglass, waiting until those underneath him would snatch him from his own house of cards.... And now a new heir to the throne begins anew, shoring up their sand, dredging from the seas, fighting the tide until their time comes, and the hourglass turns once again.”

Lena looked on with no idea of what she was talking about, but wisely said nothing.

Erma huffed in amusement before waving her free hand aside. “It matters not, just know that instead of him, you’ll be dealing with Iris and the Elite Four for the time being… as long as the committee doesn’t find a bigger reason to shove their nose into this than needed.”

It took a moment until it finally clicked for Lena. “So... you’re saying that while the Elite Four backs Iris, the League doesn’t?”

Erma covered her mouth in haughty amusement. “My my, now that’s quite an accusation isn’t it? Might not want to vocalize that so boldly, yes?”

Lena felt a sudden rush of heat flow through her face, and she nodded at Chairperson Erma’s non-answer. Erma smiled back after removing her hand, but her face was still serious.

“Should you need anything, your Fine Styler can call me directly, bypassing any Operators. Use it if you need to talk about concerns, issues, or otherwise… I know that the League and International Police will reach out soon as well.” Chairperson Erma stated as she walked over to Gardevoir, who was patiently waiting and offered his arm for the chairperson. She gently took his arm with her free hand and looked at Lena one last time.

“Stay safe, Top Ranger Lena, Rina, Arthur, make the Ranger Union proud.” Chairperson Erma said before smiling, and with a sudden flash, vanished in the air and leaving Lena, and her partners alone.

“Zeeeeelll....” (Why can’t she ever just give a yes or no answer...) Rina lamented.

“It’s… most likely to make sure the wrong information doesn’t get out from anyone passing by who may be listening in…” Arthur tried to placate, but Lena just chuckled slightly and shook her head.

“No, she just spends too much time with Gardevoir.”

“Floooat… Floatzel?” (So… what next?) Rina asked, turning to Lena who froze, visibly thinking through what needed to be done. After a few moments, she made up her mind.

“First, head back to Accumula Town to rest for the night in the Pokémon Center. If we’re going to be going on a Journey we’ll need to visit the store tomorrow with William as well. While he may have been able to navigate the woods just fine, I’d rather be prepared and have our own supplies just in case…” Lena paused for a moment, humming while she glanced at her Area Ranger outfit. She realized it had been a while since she actually went shopping for casual clothes…

“... I’ll need to get a new wardrobe as well if we need to keep being a Ranger under the radar.” She said, nodding at her own plan as she looked at Arthur and Rina. “Any objections?”

Neither of them had any. Lena grinned, still feeling a mix of emotions over the events today, but couldn’t help but hold that smile as they headed out to prepare for their next chapter of being a Ranger—no, a Top Ranger.

The next morning was a flurry of hurried activity, with Lena waking up in the Pokémon Center bed to the alarm of her Fine Styler after she, Arthur, and Rina all slept like Musharnas.

Thankfully, as a Ranger she had experience with waking up in different places constantly, and quickly situated herself for the day. After eating breakfast ( if Rina added a Chesto Berry or two to stay awake, Lena wouldn’t blame her ), reviewing most of the emails sent by the League, International Police, and Ranger Union this morning ( Arthur’s insistence to review the flurry of automated emails sent the night before was ignored; she’d have time on the road ), they headed out to the Accumula Boarding Home.

The three of them arrived at Accumula Boarding Home around 8:50 AM to familiar sights from the day prior. The kids outside playing all turned at the sight of the Ranger from yesterday returning — with two fully evolved Pokémon, no less. The excited voices and whispers starting to run across the yard alerted Jiro to the entrance.

Perking up at the sight of a familiar face, the Audino quickly dusted himself off as he stood up, starting for the gate with a smile and a greeting. Thankfully, with Arthur out, Lena understood him perfectly.

“Au-Dino! Audinoo Aud.” (Welcome back, Ranger Lena! Thank you so much for taking Ms. Clare’s Quest, and for helping with William.) He said with a bow as he undid the gate.

Lena simply smiled and nodded. “Of course, it’s my job as a Ranger after all—oh! These are my partners, Rina and Arthur.” Lena replied, quickly introducing her Pokémon and causing them both to give a smile and polite greeting.

“Greetings, caretaker Jiro.”

“Floatzel-float!” (Nice to meet you!)

Jiro seemed a little confused at first at how well Lena understood him, but after a little bit he connected the dots and perked up in happiness. After that, he quickly motioned them to follow him.

On their way into the building, the Audino pointed at one of the older kids in the yard, but Lena couldn’t remember if it was the same kid from the day before. “Audino! Audino.” (Riley, you’re in charge.)

Unlike yesterday, however, none of the kids complained, too busy not-whispering amongst one another for all to listen.

“I wonder what she’s doing back here?”

“Oh—it probably has something to do with that big Typhlosion that came back with Ms. Clare and William last night!”

“That’s not a Typhlosion idiot , Typhlosions are red!”

“Maybe it’s a shiny?”

“I thought shiny Typhlosions were green.”

“Shut up George.”

“Ooooooo! I’m telling!”

Lena chuckled at the excited whispers as they headed for Clare’s office. Lena could see through the glass that William and Typhlosion were already in the office, but Typhlosion had to slouch due to his height. Clare, meanwhile, was doing some paperwork and looked to be putting a folder together; the bags under her eyes were deep purple, and the empty cups of coffee told Lena she’d pulled an all-nighter preparing.

At the knock, Clare turned and smiled at them, holding up a hand for them to wait a moment; she shoved a couple more papers into a file before she stood up and made for the door.

Jiro held the door open for her, with William and Typhlosion following behind. Lena glanced at their expressions, noting how William’s expression seemed conflicted, though he tried to give Lena a small polite smile. One of his hands was in his hoodie pocket, and the other carried what looked like a string backpack filled with some clothes. Lena reasoned to herself that it was most likely as a stopgap until they got a Silph Co. bag with his Trainer Kit.

Typhlosion’s red eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't react otherwise. Instead, he stayed close to William as he shuffled out and moved to his full height, stretching from being hunched over for so long. Lena did her best to not take an instinctual step back and instead focused on Clare, who was double-checking the file’s contents in her hands for a moment before she raised her gaze to meet the Ranger’s.

“A-Ah, good morning Rang—er, Lena. Sorry, it’s been a bit… hectic as you can imagine.” Clare gave an exhausted sigh and closed the thick file before holding it out to Lena. “Here is everything concerning William you’ll need; medical records, academic transcripts, passport, and a form signed by me and Mr. Davidson so he can go on a supervised Journey just in case. And everything else I could think of.”

Lena blinked in surprise at the amount of files. She already anticipated that she would need to get a Silph Co. bag, but this practically forced it. Lena forced a smile and took the files.

“Thank you, everything we can get is appreciated.” Lena replied gratefully.

With a faint sigh, Clare turned to William and kneeled down slightly to look at him at his eye level, handing him a slip of paper. “William. I know that… things are somewhat out of your control right now, but please, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me once you get your Xtransceiver.” She said with a gentle, if firm smile.

William took the paper into his hands, staring at it for a moment before putting it in his pocket. He then tried to give Clare his own slightly crooked smile, as if unsure how to respond. “I’ll… remember that. I’m sorry I wasn’t the… easiest kid, I guess.”

Clare snorted in exasperated amusement. “Please, William, compared to some of the other children here you’re a saint. I want you to be happy, and if that means I have to stay up all night doing paperwork to do that, then so be it. Government bureaucracy being an insufferable slog isn’t your fault at all. You have nothing to apologize for.”

William grimaced, but said nothing in rebuttal. Clare seemed to take that as a win.

Turning to Lena now, Clare handed her another print out she had folded into one of her pockets, the official Unova League symbol at the top of it.

“This is the authorization for the Trainer Kit the League sent me, along with the account info to be charged for any starter supplies a normal Trainer may have.” Clare said, before pausing, looking around aimlessly, and putting a faux, thoughtful expression on her face. “I didn’t see anything about restrictions about you also adding things onto this purchase… but if anyone told you that, you didn’t hear it from me.”.

Lena, perhaps, should have been more concerned about technical appropriation of League and Government funds — especially with a morality tether in the form of Arthur next to her — but decided to let it go. She nodded and put the paper on top of the folder she was holding. “Thank you, for everything. If anything comes up I will reach out as well.”

Clare nodded at Lena in response, but sighed and had a slightly sad expression as she looked at William again. “I’m going to miss you William, and I’m sure Jiro is as well.”

Jiro seemed to freeze, as if realizing something with a slight panicked expression; William in turn winced and glanced outside at the kids. “Right… might be a good idea to force them to clean Jiro up if they draw on him.” He muttered softly, shooting the Audino a sympathetic glance.

“That’s what I plan to do.” Clare with a hint of a barely noticeable dark chuckle. The case worker moved on, this time turning to the Hisuian Typhlosion and leveled him with a stern expression. “You listen here too, protect William no matter what. You may purify souls but even my anger will reach the afterlife to get you if you don’t.”

Lena was shocked at the tone she took with the ghost, but the old Pokémon let a rambling chuckle echo in his chest and nodded at Clare in amusement, agreeing with her words.

‘Huh, Rina also gave a more direct response yesterday… something to keep in mind.’ Lena mused to herself, before glancing at the time on her Styler. The store shouldn’t be too busy around his time, provided nothing else comes and Muks things up. “Thank you again for everything, Clare. I’ll make sure William, and Typhlosion are safe.”

Clare smiled thankfully, and started to walk them out, Jiro following behind them. As they walked out, the kids stared at the group as they walked to the gate, a wave of hushed whispers.

Clare had a flash of exhaustion on her face, most likely from the thought of all the questions from the kids she’d have to answer. It smoothed out quickly as she opened the gate, giving William and Lena a warm smile. “I wish you the best of luck, William and Lena. Take care, please reach out to me if you need anything!”

Jiro waved goodbye as well, William turning and giving a half-smile to them both, waving softly with his free hand as the Accumula Boarding Home slowly faded away more and more as the group walked.

Lena glanced at William as they started for the Pokémon Center. “Great weather we’re having at least, perfect to start a Journey on.” She said with a clearly forced smile. William only nodded and glanced up at the clouds with a quiet hum.

Another awkward silence followed.

“I… suppose, it’s not too hot at least….” William’s face contorted into a faint grimace that just as quickly vanished. Typhlosion rumbled next to him wordlessly, but William understood it well enough, rolling his eyes as they continued down the street.

“Did you see the baseball game last night?”

“What baseball game?”

“The one between the Cerulean Starmies and the Nimbasa Rufflets?”

“I didn’t watch it, I was busy handling emails… how did it turn out?”

“I don’t know, I only saw the top of the third while packing.”

Another awkward silence followed.

Rina groaned, with her head rolling back. “....Floatzeeel.” (This is painful . Are all human conversations like this?) Even Arthur couldn’t help but wince. Though, it did get a sudden chuckle from William, his awkward expression shifting to something that wasn’t hesitation or a false smile.

“Pokémon are a lot more direct than humans… would make a lot of things easier…” William mused while chuckling.

Lena couldn’t help but tilt her head in agreement, while Rina could be a bit more blunt than other Pokémon, in general that was a good rule of thumb to have…

‘Wait a second, Arthur only translates for me—’ The second the thought completed in her head, she snapped her gaze to William and then glanced back up at the Hisuian Typhlosion.

“...You’re translating for him, aren’t you?” The accusation forced the entire group to stop now as William winced, biting his lip but nodding. The Fire Ghost Type simply rolled his eyes and glanced down at William.

“TyphPhloosion. Typhlosion.” (We weren’t going to be able to keep it a secret for long you know, especially not with someone with a Lucario.) The old ghost spoke with a soft, if weighted tone. It sounded similar to Erma almost, except masculine, and somehow even older…

“Yeah… just wasn’t sure how… to approach that… or, any of this.” William grunted, guilt with a touch of uncertainty still weaved between his words. The Ranger could only sigh as neither of them had a good way to go about this.

With a sigh, she decided to take the initiative and at least try. “I… I think we should start over, our initial… ‘meeting’ wasn’t the best, and I, and my partners wanted to apologize.” She said earnestly, Rina and Arthur similarly bowing their heads and muttering out apologies.

William, for his part, looked surprised, if his raised eyebrows and how he jolted was any indication. “I… it’s fine, you were just doing your job.”

He seemed to level his expression, looking a bit guilty as he glanced to the side. “I don’t see any other way though around this…” He said with a faint sigh, glancing at Typhlosion, who let out a soft noise as if grunting, but he seemed to acquiesce to whatever wordless question was asked, nodding back at his ward.

Lena took it for what it was though, and smiled the best she could given the situation. “Well, I’ll start with me. My name is Lena Winifred. Born and raised in Eterna City, but moved to Almia for Ranger School. And I’m a Top Ranger as of… yesterday, actually.” She said with a light chuckle; William however raised an eyebrow, noticing the change of title.

“...Did you get promoted because of this?”

“...Yeah. I did.” Lena bluntly confirmed, before continuing with a slight cough to clear her throat. “I’ve been a Ranger for… shoot, almost a decade now though.” She reminisced lightly before turning to Rina and Arthur. “These two are my partners, Rina and Arthur.” Rina waved and Arthur did a polite bow.

“Rina’s been with me even before I was a Ranger. We met when I was a kid back on 205N, and I kept coming back there to play with Rina until eventually Rina convinced her Mama to let her go with me to Almia, and stay with me once I graduated Ranger School. We still go visit her every time we’re in town, but I worry about her sometimes since she’s getting up there in age…”

‘Speaking of which, it has been a while since we visited… maybe after…?’

Before she could get more distracted, Lena shook her head and continued on. “Anyway, my family took care of Rina… but apparently she heard the day I was going to graduate and snuck ahead of them when they got to Almia to tackle me to make sure no other Pokémon became my partner beforehand.” She said with a faint chuckle at the memory, while Rina blushed as red as a Tomato Berry.

“FloatZEeeeell… Floatzel-Zel.” (You were gone for months and they didn’t let you have a ‘Partner’ until you graduated… what else did you expect…) She pouted, Arthur chuckling slightly in the background before Lena turned to him.

“This here is Arthur, he joined in Sinnoh as a Riolu when me and Rina pulled him from an avalanche by Mt. Coronet. He’s been with us since.” Lena explained as she started to think back to years ago. She had been called in from Almia after a devastating earthquake caused collapses in the Sinnoh Underground, and rockslides on Mount Coronet. The Ranger Union was asked to help with the rescue, and being from Sinnoh, Lena was one of the ones selected to help with the avalanche search and rescue.

Lena was still new to the job at the time, and had to admit, she was nervous, but being a more junior Ranger meant she was really only expected to assist with helping people get back down the mountain, and getting them medical assistance and supplies as needed.

However, when she spotted two black Riolu paws sticking out of the snow on the way down, she had sworn she had used Dig herself that day with Rina with how fast the two of them dug him out.

Thankfully, he was okay, just disoriented… and after realizing what happened, Arthur used his Aura with Lena to help find more Pokémon and people. Despite that, they weren’t able to find any pack of Lucario, or traces of them throughout it however… Rina and Lena had all but already decided to take Arthur in, cementing him as her second partner.

From the corner of her vision, she could see Arthur glance at her, but a feeling of warmth and appreciation followed through their Aura link that felt like a warm hug, but only for a moment as he glanced back to William and Typhlosion. “ It’s a pleasure to meet you both, formally. ” Arthur said with a bow. Rina rolled her eyes at her partner’s formality, but still smiled all the same.

“Floatzell. Floatzel.” (It’s nice to meet you both… so long as you don’t throw us again.) Rina said with a raised eyebrow at Typhlosion, who didn't seem to react with anything except his own raised eyebrow.

William glanced between the three before he gave his own, awkward smile. “I… I suppose it’s our turn then, my name is William.” He said a tad quietly before he turned to Typhlosion and placed his right hand gently against him. “And… this is Charon.”

The now named Charon stepped forward to the three of them now, his red eyes were not hostile thankfully, but the height was still a tad intimidating as he stared at the three of them.

“Mrrph... Phloision-Typhlo.” (Greetings, Ranger Lena, Floatzel Rina, and Lucario Arthur.) William, however, frowned, nudging the Fire-Ghost Type gently with his elbow when he didn’t speak anymore. “...And?”

“Tyyhp…?” (And… what?)

William’s expression fell flat, unamused. “The apology we talked about?”

“Tyyph… grrrr-Phlosion.” (Apologize for what? All I saw was a stranger stalking a child with her two fully evolved Pokémon.) Charon replied with a hint of a smirk, turning his head away from William who just sighed and let his head fall.

Charon, however, did shoot a look of amusement out of sight from William to the three. Lena and her team did their best not to react at being called stalkers, or the uncharacteristic sassiness this Typhlosion was displaying to his ward.

William cursed under his breath with another sigh, shaking his head before speaking louder with an apologetic look to Lena. “I apologize about him, he’s… being protective.”

“No, no. It’s fine… we’re the ones anyways who… ‘stalked’ so to speak, and put you in this mess.” Lena said, ignoring William’s attempt at a protest and instead looking at the Typhlosion with an inquisitive look. “Charon… where does the name come from? Never heard of anything like it.” She asked aloud, genuine curiosity filling her tone.

William’s expression seemed to suddenly close off, shifting to a half frown. “From home.” He said a tad quickly and plainly.

Before Lena could press more, William glanced around at the slowly growing passersby glancing at the group with a slightly uncomfortable expression forming on his face. “We… should get going, and get out of the middle of the street…”

Lena followed his gaze and similarly winced. “Yeah… come on Rina, Arthur. I’ll let you out once we reach the Pokémon Center.” She said before grabbing the Poké Balls on her belt and held them out for them. Both of her partners gave a nod, before pressing at the button at the front, vanishing into a light into their capsules.

William looked at both of the Poké Balls with a complex expression and hummed. Lena sighed and placed the balls back on the magnetic clips before glancing down at William. “Come on, let’s get your supplies before the morning rush really begins. Charon still needs a Poké Ball I’m guessing?”

William frowned but nodded slightly. “Yeah… he technically does.” Charon snorted slightly and muttered something in response. Whatever he said, made William’s face twist slightly and glance up at him for a moment, but otherwise he said nothing else and forced his expression to face Lena.

Lena didn’t respond or comment on that, simply humming as she thought to herself. ‘Just another oddity of this kid.. Oh well, I’ll wait until he’s comfortable. ’ She reasoned to herself before motioning William and Charon to follow, the three heading out now.

Pokémon Centers in Unova had shifted to opening up side shops of Poké Mart within the building a couple years back. Most places in cities and towns still had general stores, but the Poké Mart was everything you’d need eighty-to-ninety percent of the time for Trainers.

As Lena expected, it wasn’t too busy at this time of day. The Poké Mart section off to the right of the entrance to the Pokémon Center, a single clerk who seemed to have a plastered customer service smile on his face. The rest of the Pokémon Center lobby on the left had some lingering Trainers with their Patrat or Purrloin just coming in for a checkup, but nothing of note.

Though, there was a noticeable silence that filled the entrance as a Top Ranger with a Floatzel and Lucario, followed by an ancient Pokémon stepping behind an estimated seven year old like a Ducklett. Everyone looked at the assembly with wonder, though all of them stayed back with Charon staring at those brave enough to attempt approaching.

The clerk blinked in surprise at the entourage shuffling through to the full Poké Mart side, but did his best to plaster another smile on his face as they approached. “Hello! Welcome to the Accumula Poké Mart, how can I help you today, Top Ranger… ?”

Lena gave her best courtesy smile. “Lena, just call me Lena. I’m here for a League Starter Kit — ah, here we go.” She said as she shifted her grip on the files slightly, letting her grab the sheet that Clare had handed her earlier and pass it to the clerk.

The clerk in question looked a bit puzzled as he started to look over the sheet. ”Huh, don’t usually see Rangers getting one…”

“Not for me, for the kid with the Typhlosion.” Lena said, causing Lena and the clerk to glance at William and Charon behind them. Charon was staring at the wide selection of items on the wall, and even poked a Poké Doll with a confused expression on his face. Meanwhile, William seemed to be moving his head to an inaudible song, and seemed to be looking at other items just down the aisle.

The clerk blinked, and flicked his eyes back to Lena. “...Alright then, let’s see what we got here....“ before glancing back down at the paper as he started typing into the store computer..

“Let me see… authorization ID, date, name of Trainer — shoot, sorry to ask, but can I get your Ranger ID? Requesting verification before I can proceed.”

Lena quickly rattled her Ranger ID from memory, the clerk typing just as fast into the side number pad on the keyboard and pressing enter… the system pausing for a moment before the clerk smiled and seemed to relax a little as it loaded.

“There we go…. Yep, one complete Starter Trainer Kit… and huh, an ‘additional allowance to be used by Top Ranger Lena’s discretion’. Never seen that one before… has an extra ₽20,000 to be used for other supplies.” He muttered before shrugging, and making a quick motion to the back. “I’ll grab the kit, you can decide what else you’d need to grab in the meantime.”

As the worker went into the back, Lena ran through her mental list of items both she and William would need, but was cut off by William grunting behind her. He heaved what looked like a collection of campsite items in a collapsible basket that could be used to wash pots and pans, onto the counter.

As Lena glanced over the items to check them over, she was surprised to see William had grabbed a majority of the items she was thinking of getting already. Campsite-rated Repels, two rechargeable flashlights, two first aid kits, and reusable cookware were all among them. Meanwhile, Charon lifted two sets of tents and placed them next to the basket.

Lena looked at William with a raised eyebrow, slightly impressed that William had carried all that, but also curious. “Well, that makes things easier… most people wouldn’t think to grab stuff like this…” She said, with memories flashing back to her of the beginning of the training season; the flood of calls for help from new, unprepared Trainers was always something that Rangers had to mentally and physically prepare themselves for.

‘It’s a wonder how some of those Trainers even lasted the days that they did… or hours, in some cases.’ Lena cringed to herself, but looked back down at William who shrugged lightly in response to the previous question.

“Dad took me camping sometimes, so I know the basics....” He responded, his tone reminiscent as he seemed to think back, but he shook his head and glanced at the collection of items with a faintly nervous expression. “And… this’ll fit in the bags we’re getting?”

“I mean… it won’t if we get a normal bag.” ‘Which some Trainers don’t, or can’t get,’ Lena mused to herself for a moment before continuing. “However, we’re gonna be getting Silph Co. bags, which will let us store everything we’d need and more, so it won’t be an issue.”

At this, William seemed to blink and glance at the items again. “Right… I suppose that would do it…”

Lena blinked at his reaction, slightly amused, and confused. “What? Never seen one?”

William frowned and shook his head. “No, I have, I just never understood how they worked... I wonder what happens if they get punctured…?” He mused quietly.

He evidently must not have been quiet enough as the store clerk, walking in carrying a plastic box with a Unova League symbol at the top, answered William’s question. “Kid, you’re asking a question me and my co-workers ask ourselves every now and then. Those bags are rated for a Hyper Beam from a Dragonite, so no idea how you’d even poke a hole in it in the first place.” The clerk said with a light chuckle as he looked at William, seeming to take in his age and stature, before glancing back to Lena for a brief moment, as if putting the pieces together.

He didn’t comment however, simply smiling at William. “So, you’re the one getting a Trainer kit… here you go kid, one Starter Trainer Kit.” He said as he placed it on the counter. William looked at it and tentatively reached forward, lifting the top off to reveal a collection of items.

Lena glanced inside as well, noting there was a collection of five Poké Balls, a Potion, and a dedicated Town Map. While devices like Pokégears or PokéNavs, or even Lena’s Fine Styler, have built in map features, Lena always found that having a dedicated backup was helpful in the worst case scenarios.

William seemed a bit surprised at the inclusion as well, humming and looking it over for a moment before putting it back in the packaging. “Huh, that’s more than I thought I’d get… thank you, sir.” He said with a polite nod and smile, the man chuckling goodnaturedly in response.

“No problem, though I’m guessing you’re gonna need a bag as well to carry all this… your extra allowance should let you and Ranger Lena here both get a Silph Co. bag along with general supplies. Is there anything else I can help with?”

Lena thought for a moment… doing quick mental math at the supplies William had grabbed already, and what she estimated the rest should cost. However, she paused mentally and glanced down at her clothes as she remembered what Chairperson Erma said before… “Do you have travel-rated clothes as well?”

“Floatzeeeelll… FLoat-FloatZel-zel.” (It’s odd seeing you out of your uniform, but... you look good…. Different, but good. I like it.)

“Glad I can appease my fashion stylist.” Lena joked, raising her eyebrow at Rina before looking at a mirror in the Pokémon Center’s changing room.

Instead of her Ranger Uniform with the Ranger Union logo plastered front and center, she had a dark gray t-shirt on, with a bright red leather jacket with white accents on top. The jacket, like her standard uniform, had multiple pockets across the front to put items in and an insulated hoodie. Her standard hiking boots and belt still fit well, but she bought a fresh pair of black jeans that offered a better fit, and had enough of a visual difference from a Ranger’s uniform. Rounding out the look were a pair of fingerless Trainer gloves and a Unova League baseball cap. She looked like an above-average, experienced Trainer at first glance.

‘Good, exactly what I’m going for.’

She grabbed her Silph Co. bag from the floor, a brown scout pack styled bag with a Poké Ball logo on the top, with many expanded pouches littering the front. Quickly hoisting it over her shoulder, she headed back to the entrance of the changing rooms, waiting for William. Both Arthur and Charon were leaning on the wall silently.

“Still changing?” Lena asked. Arthur nodded while Charon just grunted, seeming to stare through the wall in the direction that Lena assumed William was….

The four waited for another minute before Charon perked up, his eyes following through the walls as William finally emerged.

Not much had changed about him, as he had swapped his yellow hoodie… for another one. Lena briefly felt exasperated at how it was still a size or two big on him, but it was at least better than before since it didn’t go all the way down to his knees. The hoodie also had a Poké Ball design on it, unlike his original that Lena knew he had kept. He also had a fresh pair of blue jeans, and proper shoes equipped for long hikes and treks through Routes. A brown Trainer belt with the magnetic Poké Ball clips rounded out the look.

‘He looks like a mini-Trainer... or like a young kid cosplaying their favorite pro Trainer...’ Lena thought to herself, thinking for a moment about what Trainer would be William’s favorite, but discharged the thought and took in the rest of his appearance.

Unlike Lena’s bag, his Silph Co. bag was yellow, but smaller and with the design of a Pikachu’s tail on the top pouch. His Xtransceiver was resting on the cuff of his sweatshirt, which… looked a bit goofy, but it at least kept his left sleeve from covering his hand.

He walked over to the four with a slight smile, but Lena could feel his anxiety underneath the façade. She smiled at him, attempting to try and calm his nerves. “You look nice, like a real Trainer now.”

William briefly looked away in embarrassment, uncertain about the praise, but gave his best attempt at a genuine smile at Lena. “Thanks, we should probably get that taken care of then…”

Lena’s eye twitched slightly at the deflection, but said nothing and moved towards the desk—

“Good morning, Lena!”

A sudden call for her name made her suddenly turn around with a confused expression, her eyes widening at seeing Professor Juniper nonchalantly walk into the Pokémon Center with a smile.

“P-Professor Juniper! I… what are you doing here?” Lena asked. William looked similarly surprised as he gripped his backpack straps and glanced at Charon.

The Professor’s face melted into a confused frown. “You didn’t get my message?”

“I told you to check again before we left.” Arthur said to Lena with a smug tone. Lena flushed in embarrassment and quickly opened her Fine Styler to her emails and scrolled down, only to see one directly from ‘[email protected]’. It was sent last night, but was drowned out by the other emails she had gotten congratulating her for becoming a Top Ranger, and the automatic administrative spam informing her of her new benefits.

With a wince, Lena awkwardly smiled. “Sorry, got drowned out in the rush of things happening.” She replied, making Juniper give a slightly sad smile, nodding in understanding.

“No worries. I completely understand… I’d prefer to talk to William and Typhlosion about this as well.” She said, turning to the two.

William looked a bit surprised by the sudden attention, but Charon didn’t seem to mind.

“...Yes, Professor?” William asked, keeping his tone even to mask whatever emotion he was really feeling; Juniper’s own expression shifted to something a bit gentler in response.

“I’m sorry to ask for another thing, when others are already making you do so much… you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s okay.” William tried to insist, giving an awkward, polite smile of his own before he continued. “You’re one of the people who stood up for me and Charon at the table yesterday… I gotta repay that somehow.”

Lena noted that Professor Juniper’s own expression turned to one of pity… her eyes seeming to search for William and glancing at Charon for a moment before she seemed to find something. Her smile became less pitying, and more… curious. Intrigued.

“My colleagues, in Johto and Sinnoh, are both curious about your Hisuian Typhlo— sorry, Charon.” She quickly corrected with a quick bow, and to Lena’s shock, Charon returned as well.

Professor Juniper picked up where she left off quickly. “My colleagues are interested, and want me to get some data points for them… however, I want to record them in a specific way.” She said with a growing grin.

“Could you entertain the idea of me watching you and Charon in a battle?

Beta Readers:

David “TheBlizWiz” R

Garmfild

Anonymous