In the Spotlight 2: Jade's Sinnoh Journey

15

The only thing that Jade could think of doing once they were back was sigh and offer an apology to Rhyme.

"I'm sorry that you had to see me like that."

"It's okay. I don't blame you." Rhyme assured her. "I mean... I only had Piplup for a little while now and I'd be pretty heated if someone came up to me and said I replaced him just because they saw me with Plusle and Minun."

"Pip." the little penguin pokemon nodded in agreement.

"Besides, Jason needs someone to knock him down a few pegs." Rhyme added. "Like you said, he's not going to get far in life if he just thinks the worst of certain people. If you or someone else has to snap at him for that to happen then I'm not gonna complain."

Leafeon curled up beside Jade. "Eon."

It was only with the sound of her partner's voice that Jade was finally able to calm down completely. "I guess there's nothing to do about it now. We already left him. Let's just try to get to the next town without any other unpleasant things happening."

........

The next day, Jade and Rhyme arrived in Solaceon Town. The first thing that Jade noticed was the Pokemon Daycare.

"So this town has Sinnoh's Daycare..."

"Huh?" Rhyme soon noticed what her friend was looking at. "Oh. Yeah, that's been there for a while. This town is pretty much known for the DayCare here. Lots of trainers who are collecting gym badges come here to rest for a bit when they're making their way to Celestic Town."

Before Rhyme knew it, she saw Jade and Leafeon going toward the Daycare. Confused, she followed. "Hey, where are you going?"

She noticed Rhyme reading a sign hung on the door. Jade read it aloud.

"Adoption Day is just a few days away. Come see all the pokemon we have to offer and have a lovely new addition to your team."

"Adoption Day? Why would a Daycare do something like that?" Rhyme asked. "Aren't they just supposed to look after pokemon that trainers leave behind for a little while?"

"Yeah, that was their original purpose, but then there are those who don't come back for those pokemon and they end up stuck in a DayCare," Jade answered. "That, or they don't come for the eggs that their Pokemon leave behind. To stay at least somewhat functioning, Pokemon Daycares came up with a policy. If a trainer leaves their pokemon with them for more than 6 months, then that pokemon is available for other trainers to adopt. For Eggs, they have until that egg hatches to still have a claim on it. Because of those new policies, Pokemon DayCares also act as a foster home for abandoned pokemon."

"I had no idea that they had to do that. Must be hard trying to keep track of all those pokemon."

"It can be yeah. But it's also nice to see pokemon waiting for a new journey to be in the arms of a trainer that's actually going to want them around."

Rhyme was about to ask how Jade knew that but soon remembered she said she used to work at a Day Care. Jade entered the small building with Rhyme running to catch up. The worker at the desk seemed half asleep before jolting awake at the sound of the door opening.

"O-Oh hello! Welcome to the Pokemon Daycare. How can I help you?"

"I saw the sign about Adoption Day," Jade said. "Can I look at the pokemon available for adoption?"

"Yes of course!" the worker then scrambled through the drawers before pulling out a yellow scarf. "If you do happen to choose a pokemon, have it wear this and let me know which one you chose. All the pokemon up for adoption are outside. You might've already seen it while you were coming here."

Jade nodded as she took the scarf. 'So they do something similar in Hoenn. Only it's scarves instead of ribbons.'

Rhyme followed her outside. "So you're gonna see if you can find another member for your team here?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's the plan," Jade answered. "I can't help but have a soft spot for Pokemon that were raised in a Daycare. If it weren't for Adoption Day, I wouldn't have Delcatty."

"Delcatty was a pokemon stuck in a Day Care? From how she acts you would think she was raised in a castle."

Jade looked around at all the available pokemon. Many of them she saw were just like the pokemon she worked with back in Hoenn. Well... many except one.

Out in the corner, she saw a rather large dark blue pokemon sitting alone. It seemed like it had claws for hands.

"I'm guessing that fella over there is not a usual Daycare resident."

Rhyme looked at the pokemon that caught Jade's attention. "Yeah, you definitely don't see a Gabite in this kind of place at all. Wonder what happened to it."

Jade then pulled out her pokedex. "Gabite huh..."

"Gabite, the Cave Pokemon. It loves sparkly things. It seeks treasures in caves and hoards the loot in its nest."

Rhyme was caught off guard when Jade approached the Gabite. "Wait! Those kinds of pokemon can be dangerous. You shouldn't just walk up to it."

"I don't see anything aggressive about it."

"Huh?"

Gabite looked up to see Jade smiling at it.

"Hey there. What are you doing here?"

Gabite stood up and faced Jade, only to get down on one knee and nuzzled its large head against her. Rhyme watched the scene unfold in shock while Jade simply giggled and patted the back of its neck.

"Oh, you're just a big softie."

"How did you know it wasn't going to attack?" Rhyme asked.

"You tend to get pretty good at reading the body language of pokemon when you have to work with different personalities," Jade told her. "This guy here is just as friendly as any non-fearsome-looking pokemon."

"I guess that's why it was left here. It was too friendly for the old trainer's liking."

"What makes you think that?"

"The champion of our region is known for having a strong and fearsome Garchomp so some trainers try to get one for their team by raising a Gible or Gabite." Rhyme explained. "But it's not easy to raise one to that level of strength. And sometimes if the Gible or Gabite doesn't act tough... then they're left behind for another one."

"I see..."

Jade looked at the scarf in her hand and then at the Gabite nuzzling her. The question came out as soon as she thought it.

"Gabite, do you wanna join my team and be in contests?"

Jade

Leafeon (Ability: Leaf Guard) Leaf Blade, Magical Leaf, Nature Power, Grass Whistle

Delcatty (Ability: Cute Charm) Attract, Shadow Ball, Blizzard, Safeguard

Misdreavus (Ability: Levitate) Psychic, Perish Song, Confuse Ray, Hex

Umbreon (Ability: Synchronize) Dark Pulse, Swift, Shadow Ball, Quick Attack

Rhyme

Piplup (Ability: Torrent) Bubble Beam, Peck, Bide, Pound

Plusle (Ability: Plus) Helping Hand, Nuzzle, Quick Attack, Spark

Minun (Ability: Minus) Helping Hand, Nuzzle, Quick Attack, Spark