Sammy had seen cities before but absolutely nothing compared to Castelia City. The skyscrapers dwarfed all others in comparison, and the bright shining sun glinted off the high windows making almost every inch of the city look bright and colourful. People hurried by, bumping into her as she made her way off the docks, they offered quick apologise, some claimed they were late or in a rush. She learned quickly there was a pattern to the foot traffic almost, and stuck to one side to go with the flow.
She walked passed the Pokémon centre and almost went inside but stopped with her hand near the door, withdrawing it like it had snapped at her. It didn’t feel right, using the Pokémon centre without a Pokémon...without a Pokémon she ever intended to let out of its pokeball. She lightly touched her necklace making sure the battered old Great ball was still there, sighing in relief when she felt it’s weight against her chest.
She turned and left before anyone would notice her hesitation, she hoped anyway. She passed vendors and shops, looking at the bombastic displays and neon signs, she spotted the famous casteliacone vendor and hopped in line, picking one up for herself to try, almost smiling at the almost crystal like sprinkles on it, and quietly ate it while looking for a hotel to stay at.
She ended up at the park in the northern side of the city and froze, spotting a couple of trainers having a battle with what looked like a green and red monkey Pokémon. Reflexively she reached for her pokedex but remembered she didn’t bring it with her. She quickly turned to walk the other way when someone’s hand caught her shoulder, and she yelped, losing her ice cream as her arm swung up, and covered the person's face with it.
Sammy flinched, backing away and looked up at the young man who was wiping the ice cream off his face with the t-shirt he wasn’t wearing. She glanced down mumbling an apology.
“No biggie, never had a casteliacone that way before. Sorry about that. Just wondered if you wanted to battle?”
“NO!” She flinched as she shouted it and backed up again. He just blinked at her looking confused.
“Oh sorry, I thought, y’know with the pokeball there y’know. Not a trainer?”
“No I..No I’m not. I’m sorry I just...new in town and was looking for somewhere to stay.”
He pondered and looked down the street she was heading. “There’s a few down that way, how fancy you thinking?”
“Not super fancy, didn’t bring much with me, just somewhere I can crash till..till I go.”
“Hmm, Oh there’s an old style one I think you’d like. Machamp arms. They have a practice Gy..” He spotted the look on her face and cleared his throat. “No uh, well there’s the new place along that street.” He pointed to the west road. “Not seen many people going in other than some odd space knight looking dudes, might be a themed thing but worth checking out, sorry I’m not much help.”
She tried to smile but it felt so forced. “Thanks, I’ll go take a look.” She turned again heading away, walking quickly so she wouldn’t have to stop to talk to anyone else. She could feel her back starting to ache a bit. She sat on one of the benches and unfolded her chair from her backpack, thankful to whoever designed such a lightweight model. If she was honest she should’ve used it from the boat but tried to use it as little as possible.
Once she’d buckled in and put her cane through the loop on her backpack she was off, feeling some of the tension in her back ease up a bit as she rolled down the street, looking for this odd hotel. She would’ve missed it had it not been for one of the oddly dressed ‘dudes’ as the boy had described, walk into the building. She followed shortly after and into the lobby. Immediately her gut twisted, feeling something was off.
The ‘knights’ turned towards her looking shocked to say the least. “What do you ow! I mean can we help you miss?” One of them asked, rubbing at his ribs where an older man had elbowed him.
“Uh I’m sorry I thought. I was told this was a hotel, am I in the wrong place?”
The guys all looked at each other and spoke quickly in hushed tones.
“I’ll uh just...look elsewhere, sorry to intrude.”
One of them looked over at her, she wasn’t sure she liked where he was looking and quickly tucked her great ball inside her t-shirt and sped out of the door.
She finally found somewhere suitable overlooking the sea, a small (by comparison) B&B over one of the cafe’s in the city. Run by an older couple of ladies who had been delighted to have a customer, and couldn’t seem to do enough for her. She cringed a little but realised it wasn’t out of pity, they seemed to be just like that with anyone. She spotted a small family and the two women acted like very doting aunties to the kids and the parent’s. It was pretty sweet, but she avoided spending too much time with them.
She explored the city some more and came back for dinner and got showered and put her things away for the night.
In the early hours Sammy’s sleep became restless. Nightmares were not uncommon and had lessened over the four years since the event, but now she was in an unfamiliar place her anxieties only spiked and replayed the events once more. She screamed and tried to reach her pokeballs to save her team but the fires and debris had her pinned, her Infernape looked angry and swung at her, then she was falling from the building looking up into the eyes of her waking nightmare that hung around her neck. She woke with a start having hit the floor, her throat sore from, what she assumed was a very real scream.
The two owners came rushing into her room, one holding a pokeball in hand but lowered it, seeing Sammy sprawled out on the floor tangled up in her sheets.
“Oh dear, what happened?” One asked, helping lift her back onto the bed, while the other untangled her sheets. She wished they had just let her be but she was in no fit state to argue.
One hot chocolate and half an hour later Sammy felt a little better. She didn’t tell them everything, only it was a nightmare about a monster Pokémon. She could have sworn the great ball got heavier when she used the word monster, but blamed it on being exhausted. The ladies left her with her chocolate and went back to their rooms for the evening.
Sammy got very little sleep after that.
The next few days were spent taking in the sights and avoiding Pokémon battle spots. She tried a new café and restaurant every day, and checked out the art gallery, she attended the movie theatre twice, thoroughly enjoying the heart-warming movies she’d chosen to see. For once she didn’t feel like falling to pieces and didn’t look so dour by the fourth day. She still didn't’ feel like smiling but she wasn’t feeling as miserable now.
On day five she felt brave enough to head down to the beach, a short cab ride away from the main city. She’d put on a two piece but feeling a little self conscious threw on a pair of shorts and a vest on top. Thinking having her chair down there wasn’t a good idea with sand all over the place she left it in her room and used her cane.
The taxi driver told her if she liked he’d pick her up again and left her his X-transceiver number so she could get the same ride back. She thanked him and picked up a drink from one of the booths and headed onto the sand, feeling it warm her right to the bone. She found a spot to set up her things, and put up the umbrella she’d rented, and sat down, watching the waves roll in and out gently.
It was calming, and the salty breeze was almost delicious. She let her eyes close, resting her chin on her knees. She wasn’t sure how long it had been but woke quickly feeling something nuzzling up against her side. She glanced down seeing a very unusual Pokémon for the region. A Totodile was trying to climb into her lap and when he spotted she’d seen him he yelped and darted a few feet away. She just stared not sure what to make of him, and began looking around for someone, no one seemed to be coming towards her.
“Hey lil buddy, you lost your trainer?”
“You are somebody’s pokemon right?”
“Diiiiile?” he tilted his head to one side and blinked.
Sammy scratched her head in confusion. “Uhm.”
“He says He doesn’t have a trainer, and is wondering where your pokemon are.” A voice from above her spoke, and quickly at that. Sammy jumped, making a sharp pain shoot through her legs as they suddenly straightened.
She looked up at the man who spoke, having to look right up, not expecting him to be so tall or standing that close. She scooted back, a little disturbed by the invasion of personal space. “You can understand poke-speak?”
The man nodded, looking at her oddly, she held her hand over her shirt, making sure the great ball was still there. Thankfully it was and hidden under her shirt. He looked back up at her face then over to the Totodile who had climbed onto Sammy’s legs.
“He seems to be under the impression you are sad and in pain and require some company.”
Sammy looked down at the little blue croc who just gave her the biggest toothy grin she’d ever seen and it made her heart ache. She patted his head gently. “What a thoughtful lil guy eh? Thank you. And uh..” She looked back up at the man, about to thank him for the translation but he had already walked off, his long green mane vanishing up the steps onto the path. “Thanks I guess. Strange guy.”
“Heh glad you agree, nice of him to tell me what you were saying though. Don’t worry about me little guy, I’ll be alright, it was nice of you though.”
The Totodile just curled up on her lap, not intending to go anywhere and began snoring softly while she scratched along his back.
When the sun began setting and the wind turned a little cooler, Sammy very carefully put the Pokémon back on the sand and got up, he woke up and watched her and began following as she took her things back to the rental shack. She didn’t notice him until the cab driver came back and smiled at him.
“Hey bud you should be careful, the road isn’t safe for little Pokémon.”
“Yours Miss?” The driver asked as she got into the front seat.
“No uh, he just kept me company while I was oof!” She felt the Pokémon dive into her lap, and into her stomach.
The driver chuckled. “Ah right, I seen this one before, been hanging around the shack after he washed up on the beach, the owners fed him but he just wandered around the beach as if waiting for someone. Guess he’s picked you Miss.”
Sammy frowned, not looking too happy about that, she came here to avoid being a trainer again. Though, now she thought about it, companion Pokémon were not uncommon. The Totodile in her lap gave her an amused look and shook his tail, daring her to throw him out. She sighed. “Very clever. Be all cute and helpful and now you want me to take you home huh?”
A dazzling toothy grin was her answer.
“Alright, uh is it ok if we take a brief detour so I can get him some food and a pokeball? Please?”
The driver chuckled again, making his moustache fluff up a bit. “Sure thing miss. Know just the place.
Sammy entered her room with an armful of items. A bag of pokefood, a silver bowl and a Totodile perched on her shoulder. She had a small bag of take out as well and carefully moved her bag to the small bedside table and placed his things on the bed. She measured out his food for him and placed the bowl on the floor while she curled up on the bed to eat her own.
Totodile was having none of it and lifted his bowl onto the bed and jumped up, sitting between her feet and eating with her. It made the corners of her mouth twitch but she said nothing and let him eat in peace.
Once she’d thrown out her trash and got cleaned up, ending up giving Totodile a quick bath too they settled down for the night, and although she tried to get him in his pokeball he refused and curled up by her chest and held her arm over himself she didn’t have the heart to force him and so fell asleep cuddling the little pokemon. There were no nightmares that night.
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