lake acuity

[the_very_best]

The other two lakes supposedly harboring legendaries didn't pan out. If this one doesn't either, Bella's going to have to befriend someone who's got a Pokémon that knows Dive so she can check out the lake bottom, or pick a new lead. Zag can happily swim her around all day long, but he can't get them under the water.

...Huh. She didn't know there was somebody living here. But that's definitely a building. She can only see it because she's high above the ground, riding Rachis, but yes, in the dense forest around Lake Acuity is a lone structure, definitely artificial.

She steers Rachis, and the Pidgeot obeys.

They land neatly outside the tower, and she turns the handle on the front door curiously.

Comments

[the_very_best]

"To see if I can replicate it. I have to display a creditable effort towards beating the region Champ to remain a member of the Ace Trainers in good standing, but my endgame looks more professorial than like retiring to a little off-league gym on an island," she laughs. "Beating the Champ would just be for the international passport that sort of accomplishment buys; I'd be able to go anywhere."

[bitofafiction]

"Sounds like fun."

[the_very_best]

"Well, after a fashion. Lots of hopeful flying to this location or that, hiking for days, finding rocks and plants and wild 'mon, and giving up and going back to civilization for a tournament or to visit my parents or to restock on potions."

[bitofafiction]

"Sounds like it would be fun, if you managed it," he amends.

[the_very_best]

"Yes," agrees Bella. "Yes, it would. So that's me; what do you do, besides keep your Pokémon and Tony's too in shape and play the violin? Or is that the sum total?"

[bitofafiction]

"You have more or less described my existence, yes."

[the_very_best]

"Eh, at least it's not just one thing, gotta be well-rounded."

[bitofafiction]

"I also read books."

[the_very_best]

"Me too, what do you like?"

[bitofafiction]

"Elderly literature. But really, anything I can get my hands on."

[the_very_best]

"Yeah, it's a bit of a hike from here to the nearest bookstore, has Tony at least got something that flies?"

[bitofafiction]

"Tony has nothing that doesn't."

[the_very_best]

"So he doesn't have one of the flock of Porygon picked out special, or his is evolved all the way too?"

[bitofafiction]

"He has a Porygon2 named Dummy. He built it a jetpack."

[the_very_best]

"A jetpack? That's adorable," laughs Bella.

[bitofafiction]

"He was," Sherlock explains, "afraid it would get jealous of the other three."

[the_very_best]

"Pfffft."

[bitofafiction]

"It is every bit as adorable as it sounds, yes."

[the_very_best]

"It sounds ludicrously adorable. My 'mon aren't jealous of Rachis. I kinda am, but she lets me ride her, so it's not that bad."

[bitofafiction]

"Neither is Dummy. Tony, of course, argues that this is because he applied the jetpack before any such feelings could develop."

[the_very_best]

"Does Dummy tend to use its jetpack much?"

[bitofafiction]

"Oh, yes. It plays tag with Ampere—that's his Emolga."

[the_very_best]

"Ha, that's probably what I'd have named an Emolga if I had one. I seriously considered it, they're a killer type combo, but ultimately I prefer stuff that evolves, and I had my balanced team of six by the time I was anywhere they could be caught anyway."

[bitofafiction]

"Tony did his rounds with an imported Charmander."

[the_very_best]

"If it can fly now, without having its own jetpack, then I would expect he did all right in his time."