Chapter Text
Red was beginning to regret agreeing to this.
So she thought, as she observed the spread which her mother had assembled across the room. Tent, clothes, cookware, canned food —: all of which was somehow to fit into the enormous bag she had brought out of storage. ‘Mum,’ Red said. ‘I know I told you that I was interested in competing, but… don’t you think this is all a bit overkill? I’m not doing the Gym Challenge, here.’
‘You’re not doing the Gym Challenge yet,’ Bonnie amended, setting to work on packing the bag. ‘But who’s to say you won’t win and get that endorsement? Best you start strengthening those back muscles now.’
Red groaned. With a pack like that on her back, she would appear the spitting image of a pokémon trainer—and that was the last thing she wanted others to think. Looking the part meant receiving challenges from other trainers, having battles… it was jolly enough listening to Cash as she recounted her training woes over the phone, but that was because she was listening from the comfort of her own home. She’d no interest in going out and joining—but try telling that to Mum Dunn.
Their conversation was interrupted, regardless—by a knock on the door. ‘Red, get that, would you, love?’ Bonnie requested, her hands occupied trying to shove a currypot into the sack. Red sighed and made her way to the entrance—despite the fact that the person knocking on their door would doubtless be looking for her mother, anyway.
They weren’t, as it happened. The man standing on their doorstep was none other than Shepherd Lane. ‘Ah, hullo, Red,’ he said, a tad awkwardly. ‘I was hoping I’d find you here. I gather you’re entering my tournament!’
‘…Who told you that?’ Red asked, as Bonnie called in from the other room: ‘Yes, she is, isn’t it excellent!’
‘Well, my sister was really the only other option, and the dubiousness of that prospect aside, she’s on vacation in Hulbury right now, according to Pa. Plus, I doubt she would have used such a… circuitous registration method. A national form! Putting those university brains to good use, eh? I understand, of course; you’ve no judgment from me.’ Red stepped aside to let him into the hall, and he peered into the living room, where Bonnie was busy packing. ‘I see you’re well on your way getting set for your journey. I just thought I’d stop by and see how things were; I’m trying to get to know all the local trainers, you know…’
‘…For when you start your Gym,’ Red concluded.
‘Yes, well, hoping I get the opportunity.’
‘Well, speaking of your sister, she’s the one you can blame for it; she encouraged me,’ Red told him. ‘Admittedly, all I have at the moment is a Blipbug…’
‘Oh?’ Shepherd frowned. ‘Blipbug’s not a bad pokémon, but it’s not what I’d have picked for a starter. It has a limited moveset, and it’s weak to the Rookidee you find around these parts.’
Red may not have been interested in winning any tournaments, but she still felt the need to defend her companion. ‘Hey, now, it’s no ordinary Blipbug,’ she remarked. ‘You might be surprised.’
Shepherd laughed. ‘Spoken like a true trainer,’ he said. ‘But, as a word of advice? Bug pokémon grow quickly, but they generally can’t do much until they have reached their final stage of evolution. Catch another pokémon to offer it support until it gets there. I’ll be looking forward to seeing it in action, come the tournament—then we’ll see just how extraordinary it truly is.’
Red made a valiant effort to disguise her exasperation. She’d only just caught her first pokémon, and already she was being told to go catch another! She was beginning to she how training tended to become such a… lifestyle. ‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ she replied.
‘And, with that, I best be off. You’re not the only trainer who registered yesterday. And,’ Shepherd laughed again, ‘I think I might have to talk Hop out of trying to compete! That one’s always looking for an excuse to battle. Maybe I’ll make him a judge, or something… Anyway, best of luck, Red.’ Shepherd nodded, and he walked right back out their door.
Red closed it behind him, staring at the wood panelling instead of turning back towards the room. Somehow, with that short conversation, the fact had sunk in: People actually expected her to go through with this. They thought she was an actual pokémon trainer, entering the Wedgehurst Tournament intent on victory. Of course, she wasn’t; nor was she any stranger to people assigning her a faulty role. But the lie, which had seemed so simple in theory, felt like it was slipping away from her now. It was still two months before the tournament would begin. Could she keep pretending for all that time?
‘Alright, honey,’ Bonnie said from the other room. ‘You’re all packed up and ready to go.’
‘…Thanks, Mum,’ Red replied. Perhaps she could take a leaf out of Cash’s book, and spend an actual vacation in Hulbury. Wait the whole thing out on the beach. There were worse ways to spend the vernal season.
Considering the quantity of troubling phone·calls she’d received over the past day, it mightn’t hurt to go check up on her partner‐in‐deceit, either.
With that, Red made up her mind. ‘Not that I need all of this to head down the lane,’ she said, regrettably setting the pack on her shoulders. It was about as heavy as it looked—so, quite. ‘But I thought I might pop down to Route 2, just to get a feel for it?’ She thanked the stars that the trip would be downhill the entire way.
‘I think that’s a lovely idea,’ Mum replied. ‘Call if you need anything, alright? Do you want to take Yamper?’
‘There won’t even be any wild pokémon until you hit Wedgehurst, Mum,’ Red replied, rolling her eyes. ‘Not on the main thoroughfare, anyway. I think I’ll be fine.’ After Shepherd’s warning, she did feel some measure of concern regarding tinybirds flying overhead, but she did have some pride. She bent down and gave Yamper a quick scratch, instead. ‘You behave now, bud,’ she said.
Yamper barked playfully.
Then she straightened. ‘Standing around with this bag is starting to hurt my back,’ Red said; ‘I best be off.’
‘Safe travels,’ Mum replied, and then she was.