Pokémar Episode VI, Search and Rescue

Home Base

It didn't take long for them to reach Pokemon Square, a quaint settlement nestled near a cliffside overlooking the sea. There was a distinct charm to it all. Wood and thatch huts, simple stone structures, and dirt roads defined the town's appearance. It was endearing. A simple place for simple lives.

As they passed through the Square Jack took notice of the wide variety of pokemon going about their lives. Two Kecleon were selling wares at a store. A Snubbull looked to be negotiating something with a Kangaskhan. And a Lombre appeared to be chatting with a Persian at what looked to be a bank.

Something about this place made Jack feel at home; safe and at peace. Somewhere he could stay while he worked through why he was here and try and fill in the blanks of his memory. He knew that for the foreseeable future, Pokemon Square would be his home.

Cyn led him to the Lombre and waved him down. He addressed the two of them with a polite nod.

"Well hello, Cyn." The Persian said cheerfully. "Always nice to see you. Who's your new friend?"

"Good to see you again, Persian." Cyn replied. "This is Jack. I found him in Tiny Woods during the quake."

"Glad to see he made it through unharmed." The Lombre added. "I hear that the quake was particularly bad."

"It was. He actually helped me rescue a Caterpie."

"Did he now?" Persian said with a raised eyebrow. "Did you finally find someone who's rescue team material?"

"I think so. Which means I'd like to put our little agreement into effect."

"You mean the house? Well..." Persian hesitated. "Honestly I wasn't sure you'd find someone. But a deal's a deal. Come on in and we'll deal with all the paperwork."

"Sweet! Come on, Jack. Let's get this set up" Cyn ushered Jack into the building and to a desk where a stack of papers sat. Idly, Jack took the top sheet and looked it over. The language felt unfamiliar. Words were replaced by strings of shapes that looked similar to pokemon footprints. In spite of this, he could still read it as easily as he could his native tongue.

"Alright, let's go over everything, shall we?" Persian said. Jack had a feeling they'd be here for a while.

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Indeed they were there for a while. Paperwork, while mind numbing, was a necessary evil. As they ran over everything and signed their names, the deal Cyn mentioned was made clear. He'd been trying to get possession of an abandoned rescue team base not far from here. Buying it outright would've bleed Cyn's wallet dry, so he came to an agreement with Persian.

If Cyn could find a worthwhile partner to form a team with, she would give them ownership of the base under the condition that a portion of their earnings would go into her pocket until the loan was paid. I tried to look over the fine print for any hidden tricks, but couldn't find any. It seems that Persian was indeed doing this in good faith.

Eventually the paperwork was done and they were off to see what would become Jack's home away from home. It wasn't long before it came into view. The structure was composed almost entirely of crudely cut stone set up in the domed shape of a hut. A flagpole stood at the far end of the yard and a stone wall acted as a fence around the sides.

"It's a bit more... rocky... than I expected," Jack commented.

"This used to belong to another rescue team that was mostly ground and rock types. Seems they wanted to stick to the theme."

"Whatever happened to the previous owners?" Despite asking the question, Jack had a feeling he knew the answer already...

"There was an incident during their final mission from the sounds of it. The leader got a nasty spine injury or something and the team had to retire."

Jack breathed a relieved sigh. "I was certain you were about to say they got killed on a mission..."

"Oh, thank Arceus no! Last I heard they moved to Baram Town on the coast. Regardless, this will be your home for the time being."

"It's a bit rough around the edges, but I could get used to this. It feels sturdy, secure."

"I agree. Let's head inside. We've got a few more things to work out before we're ready to start as a rescue team. Our team name, for example." Cyn led him into the base where a straw bed sat on the far end of the room along with various other amenities haphazardly scattered about. "Ugh... They could've bothered to clean before they left..." Cyn mumbled as he went to try and tidy up. Jack followed suit, trying to decide what his living space should look like.

"A team name you say? Let's see..." He pondered as he relocated a stone table. "Perhaps Team Guardians? Something that evokes protectors or heroes."

"Yeah, Guardians. I like that. Once we finish up with the base we can get our request sent in. Could you give me a hand with this cabinet?" Cyn said before gesturing to the cabinet in question.

"On it." Jack made his way over to him to help.

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Jack let out an exhausted sigh. Finally the base had been cleaned up. Everything was where it should be. "What a day."

"Yeah, I'm beat." Cyn agreed, finishing up the team request. "I'm going to be sleeping like a Snorlax tonight. Even so, I'm so excited for the morning. By this time tomorrow, we'll be Team Guardians."

"And then the real work begins." Jack sat down next to him, looking over the request before pointing to a blank space. "We sign here, right?"

"Yup, right here." Cyn quickly writes down his name onto the page before handing the pen over to Jack. He hesitated for a moment before writing his own name down in the same symbol language. A language that he only discovered that day and yet he could read and write it flawlessly. He wondered how long it would take for this to seem normal.

"And done," He said with a yawn. "I think it's time to call it a night."

"Agreed. I'll get this mailed first thing in the morning." Cyn took the page and made his way to the door. "Sleep well, Jack. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Cyn." Jack nodded. Cyn closed the door and headed back home while Jack took a look at his bed. It wasn't like the beds he was used to. Instead it was soft straw situated atop a short stone plinth. As he lay down, the comfiness surprised him. He expected to be dealing with errant straw poking his back. But no, it was soft and cozy. He could just drift away on it. And without realizing it, that's exactly what he did.