Chapter 7- Jubilife City
Jubilife City is a monolith. A never ending skyline set in a raised foundation of two person tall bedrock enclosed in an imposing fence with strong pillars spaced along the perimeter of the city. There is an entrance from each of the four cardinal directions, with massive roads connecting east to west and north to south.
The City of Joy, as it is called, is home to many important locations, chief among them is the Global Trade Station, the headquarters for Jubilife TV and Jubilife Trainer School.
The Global Trade Station is a place where trainers can trade pokemon all across the world using a network of Pokemon Transfer Systems. It is a natural trading hub given the applications for people buying and selling foreign pokemon and not to forget about the networking potential either.
Jubilife TV HQ is home to the largest news outlet in the region. The organization has reporters in every town and every city. No major event happens without Jubilife TV knowing about it and making a killing from the ratings it gets when covering that news.
The Jubilife Trainer School is the most prestigious trainer school in Sinnoh. Every prospecting trainer trying to gain some background before starting their journey dreams of joining the academy when they turn ten, but the entrance exams are so difficult few succeed each year. Due to how thorough the school is at educating about pokemon even trainers who have already fought in the Gym Challenge go to study there.
The streets in Jubilife are always active. Between the large roads and wide sidewalks the whole city is always moving with people and pokemon moving to and fro.
At the northern entrance to Jubilife City a lone traveler with a gible at his side ascends the steps to the city proper. Before Erdd and Sever get past the fence around the city a voice calls out to them.
“I’d stop there if I were you” The husky voice comes from a man in a police uniform leaning against a fence post with a luxray sleeping at his feet. “Gible, like that little one there, are considered a safety hazard in the city and are not allowed in public, non designated battling zones.” He takes a raspy breath and continues “Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of trainer law.”
Erdd nods at the man and recalls Sever before continuing into the city. He has a few stops he wants to make while he’s in Jubilife, the Pokemart and Jubilife Trainer School can wait until tomorrow so to the Pokemon Center he goes.
The Pokemon Center is a large orange roofed building with a big glass automatic door. The Jubilife Pokemon Center is in the southern half of the city and quite a walk from the northern entrance so it is quite late when Erdd arrives. After he gets inside he says to Nurse Joy “Pokemon checkup and room for the night.”
“Please put your Pokeballs in the tray and trainer ID please.” She kindly responds.
“Oh yes, I think I have something for that.” Erdd slings his bag around and after a moment of searching pulls out an envelope which he hands to Nurse Joy. “Here, this should be sufficient.” He then places Sever’s pokeball on the tray.
Joy doesn’t quite know what to do in this situation, so she takes and opens the envelope and reads what is inside. After reading it her face scrunches up a little before she starts furiously typing on her terminal. After finding what she needs her face clears and she says “Here’s your room key and letter back, you will receive a message when your pokemon is checked out.”
Erdd thanks her before making his way to his room. It is a simple space, a bed, TV, desk and attached bathroom. He is getting tired from the long day but refuses to go to bed without Sever, so he decides to take a shower, then take stock of his resources and what he needs to buy for the coming Route 202 travel.
When he finishes emptying out his bag he finds that aside from the resources he has left from his travels there is something else. It seems to be a business card with.. There is a chime from the TV with the message “Pokemon ready” Erdd immediately gets up and goes to the front desk to pick up Sever.
When he gets there he is greeted by a positively beaming Nurse Joy.
“Your pokemon is all healed up, and might I say what a wonderful little lad you have. I have never heard of, much less seen such a well behaved pokemon of this kind. His health is in perfect condition and all injuries were well taken care of in the field.” Erdd thanks her for the high praise and picks up the pokeball from the counter and returns to his room.
Erdd immediately releases Sever once inside and flops bonelessly into the bed while his pokemon manages to climb up and take his rightful place in Erdd’s arms as they both drift easily into sleep.
When Erdd and Sever wake up they have breakfast in the Center room and Erdd finally returns to that card he found while going through his bag. Looking at it thoroughly now he notices it is a business card for a flower shop in Floaroma town with a phone number scribbled on the back with the message “Call me”
Erdd thinks back to how he could have gained this, and remembers the girl he met outside The Ravaged Path, Michel. He guesses she must have snuck this into his bag somehow. Either way he decides to handle that before his other plans because it will be quick.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Pokemon Centers are multi purpose buildings. The bottom floor has some seating area in the front reception room and the rest of the floor is dedicated to the healing facilities, a massive complex prepared for any scenario, from pidgy to wailord.
The second floor has the trainer facilities. Most of the space is for the dorms but there is a cafeteria and a small computer lab with a trading machine as well. It is to the computer lab Erdd moves to after recalling Sever and packing his things.
When he calls the number it takes a few beats for the screen to change to show Michel from the monitor with the backdrop of Floaroma’s flowery meadows.
“This is Erdd. I got your message.” He says, relinquishing the initiative.
Michel remembers his bluntness from their first meeting so she speaks what’s on her mind. “Ah yea, I left that note just because I didn’t want to interrupt the serene atmosphere. I hope you don’t mind?”
“I don’t. I was quite expecting our paths to cross during our Gym seeking so whether we see each other before then is merely to our whims.” comes an answer.
She doesn’t know what to make of that but decides it is a positive message and continues the conversation “Well I’m curious to where you’re calling me from, it looks like a Center so have you made it to Sandgem yet?”
“No, I’m in Jubilife because The Ravaged Path took longer than usual.”
Then he asks something he’s curious about. “Has your birthday passed yet?”
“It’s tomorrow actually, but my folks decided I could get my pokemon early and so say hello to Budew!” She flips the perspective on her camera, showing the bud pokemon.
Erdd immediately assesses the quality of the pokemon. “What a fine specimen, the camera doesn’t properly capture the lushness of the green. Your parents did well in providing you this wonderful companion.”
“You think so?” She flicks the camera back to her “I know he’s the best budew ever but I didn’t expect anyone to share my opinion.” The little racket lets out a proud cry at the praise.
“It seems you were in the middle of bonding or training so I will cease interrupting you, I will call you again once I get my pokedex from Professor Rowan.” Michel is a bit disappointed at the quick goodbye but still says “Yea, talk to you then. And when we meet again I will show you just how strong Budew has gotten!”
“I look forward to it.” Erdd decrees. They nod at each other and end the call.
Erdd makes his way downstairs and hands back the room key to Nurse Joy on his way out of the Pokemon Center. His next stop is the Jubilife Trainer School across the road from the Center.
The Trainer School is a large rectangular three story building. Opposite it across the training area are the dorms. Erdd’s objective is the front office.
Once he is inside he approaches the receptionist and says “Greetings, I am aware the school allows guests to undertake exams meant for students in their final year. I wish to partake in this program.”
“Of course, sir. One moment while I get the form.” The receptionist rummages around before Erdd is presented with a pen and the correct form.
He fills it out on the spot. It has some questions like how many times he has done the Gym Challenge, what tests he would like to take and if he wants the results posted on the school’s website. Erdd decides to have the results publicized.
Once he hands it back the receptionist files the paper away and says “Thank you very much, the next round will take place in.. oh lucky you, twenty minutes. If you would like to take a seat the proctor will be here to collect you shortly.” Erdd delivers a thank you before taking a seat.
While Erdd is absentmindedly rolling Sever’s pokeball in his fingers and right before his waiting is over another person walks into the building.
He is a tall boy with short but wild white hair and sharp features. A gligar rests atop his head. The pokemon lounging over his face doesn’t break the cold expression he wears.
Erdd and the newcomer meet each other’s eyes and a spark of electricity goes off in Erdd’s mind while the other trainer hears the sharpening of a blade in his own mind. Wordlessly the boy takes the seat opposite to Erdd and they begin studying each other.
Soon after, a teacher for the school walks in and says “Rex and Erdd, please follow me to the testing area.” The two trainers stand up in sync and fall in line behind the teacher. He leads them to a room with what looks like some actual students and a few guests like themselves and they take a seat next to one another. Along the way Rex returns his gligar.
The teacher goes over the rules of the test and hands them out.
Erdd goes methodically about the exam, reading the questions and confirming the answer in his mind over and over before putting it onto paper in a burst of activity before moving on to the next question.
Rex reads the questions and instantly his pencil hits paper, the thoughts bleed from his mind onto the answer sheet in a steady stream and by the time one answer is finished he’s already read the next question and nothing can stem the flow as he continues writing.
Eventually the test ends and the work gets handed in to the proctor and the guests and students are released.
Erdd and Rex stand up and watch the other until they are the last in the room.
Erdd raises his fist into the air. Rex readies his own low. Erdd’s arm comes down while Rex raises his at an equal speed.
The fists meet in the middle first bumping each other over, then under, then head on. After, both retract the hand before swinging them forward and clapping their palms together.
Each one had their suspicions, but this confirmed it. They know The Way will lead them to meet again when it is fruitful to do so.
Both leave in silence, never saying a word in the other’s presence, but still being bound by an unbreakable brotherhood.
***
Erdd makes his last stop in the city, the Pokemart, to restock the supplies and food he needs. He then leaves through Jubilife City’s south entrance. The moment Erdd is at the bottom of the stairs leading to the city he releases Sever and a weight is lifted off his shoulder.
Once again the little man and little monster are on the road, this time on Route 202.
How was today's chapter?
