Snippet #2674329

“Welp, we’re off to get stronger,” Radegast announced, “Aspertia… Interesting…”

“What does that even mean?” Elder asked, “Is it derivative from asperity?”

Radegast shrugged as he made one last gaze to the now-distant escape Lapras. “Regardless, you’ll need to use the pokeball in order to take advantage of the Poke-centre’s machinery.” The Haunter groaned as he lazily hovered behind Radegast. “Oh, not now,” Radegast laughed, “It’ll just be a few seconds once we’re there.”

The Haunter rolled his eyes, and then noticed the Hawlucha approaching. It apologized for that encounter around the berry bushes. “It’s no problem,” Elder returned, “If anything, I should apologize we took a Cheri Berry. One of our own accidentally paralyzed an approaching Samurott with a trap…” the Haunter grimaced in embarrassment and pain as he clasped his hands together to stem the leaking of purple essense, “The Operative likes forming perimeters.”

With nothing more interesting to do, Radegast began to waltz back to Oak Town. The human could not understand any of the Pokemon around anyway. “Anyway, we’re off. Good fight, eh?” Elder chimed as he zipped back to Radegast’s side. “Next stop, a mutilation clinic.”

“It’s not so bad,” Radegast teased, somehow aware of the Haunter’s discomfort, “Though those knuckles look like they need to be looked at.”

“Yeah, you’d know the first thing about the health of your knuckles,” Elder returned with a grin. Radegast laughed, but still walked.

The two of them left the battlefield, like many they had left before. Also like before, they were scarred, battered, but very much alive and in better shape than the enemies they had faced. Rarely did the team ever have to utilize a revive, a most expensive medicine. Taking on the gym challenge would grant Radegast access to such things. He did not mind being poor. Rather, he did not dream much at all. Even as he slept under the canopies of towering trees, he was not anxious. He did not look toward the future.

Everyone else found solace in the boy’s goal-less ways. They did not make adventure, they stumbled and strolled, and happened upon events. The Man in the Weird Suit, the Houndour Pack, among others. This Meowstic with the Magic Stick looked to be an interesting addition to their resume of The Strange. A future addition to them was the Gym challenge, otherwise known as “A Goal For Once”. To start, everyone needed some health care.

Soon enough, Radegast and Elder were back in Oak Town. They stopped by the Pokemon centre, a hospital that exists in nearly every settlement of any size throughout Ruula. Each and every one of them was staffed by at least one pink-haired woman who was always named Joy.

Radegast wondered if the Joys were all cousins, or if they were all sisters. Either one made Radegast question things a fifteen-year-old boy wouldn’t question otherwise. However, he maintained his laid-back composure as he approached the counter. The Chansey and Elder exchanged glances. The Chansey in particular noted the leaking purple. Elder shuddered as Radegast pulled each pokeball from his belt. Reluctantly, Elder entered his own, right before Radegast pulled that out and handed it to the nurse.

Joy slipped each pokeball into a slot on a machine set next to her and the Chansey. Radegast eyed the machine with keen interest as it whirred to life and emitted unusual rays absorbing into the pokeballs.

“Odd,” the Nurse hummed.

“What’s up?” Radegast asked.

“A short time after that laser in the sky, you come by with a team of injured pokemon,” she replied with strangely happy suspicion.

“A team of injured friends,” Radegast corrected.

“Did you have something to do with that laser?”

Radegast shrugged, “All I know is the laser was stopped.”

Joy’s lips pursed in disapproval, “Keeping your adventures to yourself?”

“Nothing worth telling yet,” Radegast replied, “Plus it would give my buddies big heads.” Few things ruined a friendship more than unchecked ego.

Joy hummed thoughtfully, “You should let them have their victories once in a while, young man.”

Radegast shrugged. One day, when they were old, maybe legendary.

“How is that shoulder, by the way?”

“A lot better now,” Radegast always had a slightly fast healing ability. He still eyed the machine, as if his eyes could see through the sterile hospital plating and view the incredibly complex circuitry and machinery housed within.

Eventually, the machine whimpered to a halt, and Nurse Joy began extracting the pokeballs. No sooner had she handed Radegast the first one did Elder pop out of one of the other balls. “By Arceius, it’s still terrible.”

Radegast laughed, harder especially when Nurse Joy flinched and fell backward. The Chansey was quick to catch Nurse Joy and shot the Haunter a glare as poisonous as Elder’s own attack.

“Sorry about that,” Radegast placed his hand on Elder’s forehead and pushed the Haunter away before he could do anything rash. Elder, however, returned a raspberry. “Hey, that ain’t cool dude,”

“Apologies, Lord-Regent,” Elder replied calmly. He then turned to the Chansey and Nurse Joy, “I’m sorry I find your human technologies wretched and uncomfortable.”

The Haunter zipped out the door before the Chansey could ready a single Egg Bomb, laughing as he went. Radegast waved with as polite a smile as he could muster and followed suit.

“Alright,” Radegast said as he caught up to Elder’s sniggering form, rolling on the stone street. “We’re off to Asperity… Asper… Who comes up with these names?”

Elder wiped his eyes as if there were invisible tears. “Aspertia,” he corrected.

“If that’s a correction, I didn’t understand it,” Radegast hummed. Elder shrugged. Radegast continued, “Still, that means we’re taking the boat.” Elder groaned even louder than before. “Well, that was pretty mean of you to do to Nurse Joy,” Radegast said, “Consider it payment for that… What?”

Elder was chuckling some more. “It wasn’t funny,” Radegast said.

“Then why are you smiling?” Elder asked.

Radegast’s face twitched, but his smirk could not fade even if he tried. “Anyway… Felucia… Asperger… Aspertia, that’s it!”

“Well done, Lord-Regent,” Elder chuckled, “Your human schools have done well to sharpen your mind… five years ago…”

They made their way to the boats. Despite Elder’s annoyance, the Haunter did return to the pokeball momentarily. They boarded a boat meant to bring them to Aspertia, or at least close to it. Radegast and his friends took their first steps toward the Gym challenge.