bookpower Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Nina woke up with an aching neck. Hikari had apparently asked a servant to move Nina and Tini back to their room after she fell back asleep again. But the damage to her cervical spine from sleeping on the floor had already been done.
Naturally, the girl was not in the best mood as she languidly poked at her breakfast. The one saving grace being that the lady of the house was also vegetarian so there were plenty of food options for her.
“Morning ladies!” Bill greeted, in an annoyingly chipper manner, as the man bent down to kiss his beloved wife.
“Morning, love.”
“Morning!”
“Morning…”
“So what are you girls planning to do today?” asked the Pokemon Professor. “Unfortunately my schedule for the day is not kind to me, but I can arrange for a re
“Like I said before,” continued Bill. “The reason why I don’t endorse beginner trainers is because they simply don’t have the right mindset to raise an Eevee. You’re different, you’re aware of all the pitfalls and are mature enough for the responsibility.
“And who exactly do you think will take issue with this? Who are these ‘people’ that you speak of?”
Nina sighed. “I’m looking to enroll in the Vermillion Flame, maybe… To be honest, I’m still on the fence, but it’s to my understanding that the faculty, as well as the general public, don’t approve of a fledgeling trainer being afforded so many privileges. I already have a Dratini. If we add an Eevee into the mix, wouldn’t this incur some backlash.”
Bill laughed out loud at Nina’s paltry concerns and gave her another pat on the head. “Oh my dearest child… It is good to be sensible, but don’t you think you’re perhaps being a little too sensible?
“You’re right that someone of a humble background like yourself might incur the ire of certain jealous parties. But I find that such blatantly uncouth behavior serves as an efficient way to filter out the rabble. In fact, this is a trick that I learned from Hikari herself while I was just a wimpy young inventor — Knowing thy enemy is key to besting them in battle.”
Nina chuckled at the uncanny Pokemon world version of Suntzu’s famous quote.
“And in regards to the school,” continued Bill. “Such sycophants can easily be appeased by pure status. I doubt they would turn away a talented young girl endorsed by both myself and the Cerulean Gym. Such foolishness will make them a laughing stock amongst their peers. Not to mention, do you know what most newbie trainers do when they get their first Pokemon?”
Nina shook her head, too out of sorts to work her brain for the moment.
“They go and catch Pokemon!” Exclaimed Bill. “So rest assured that most of your future classmates are likely to have two Pokemon on their belt. In fact, the school imposes a two Pokemon limit on first years precisely to account for that fact.”
Bill was right. Nina had studied up on trainer school regulations so she knew about the carry limit for students. For first years it was two, but that limit will automatically increase by one more when they advance to the next year. Or alternatively, students can earn extra carry limits by scoring within the top five of the midterms or doing well in specific school events.
Nina smacked herself in the face to get herself together. Prompting a concerned Tini to lick the girl on her reddened cheeks.
The girl gave a gentle smile and a boop to her partner Pokemon. “I’m fine, Tini. Just trying to wake myself up. No need to worry.”
Nina took a deep breath. “If the weather is outside of my control then just ride the waves until I reach calmer seas. No point trying to fight the will of a Mythical Pokemon. Instead, I should just shore up whatever advantages I can to face whatever may come.”
After finding her resolve, Nina turned to look Bill in the eyes. “Thank you for the offer, Bill. I would be honored to adopt one of your Eevees. In fact, I swear that I will give them the best life that they deserve. If ever you see me going astray, please rescue them away from me. I don’t ever want to hurt any of my Pokemon, whether it be intentional or not.”
Bill gave the girl a bright smile, then knelt down and held her by the shoulders. “What you just said at the end was more than enough to validate my decision. I am sure that you will grow up to become an excellent trainer, one of the greats in fact.”
Nina blushed at the high praise and squirmed a little. “And if I may be so bold to ask. Do you know what I would need to do to get my hands on a Pokedex?”
Bill chuckled. “I would give you one myself were I to have such authority. But unfortunately, only Professor Oak, the inventor of the Pokedex and our Regional Professor, along with Champion Lance and his Elite Four are allowed to hand out Pokedexes — not that those battle maniacs care to do so. In reality, it’s mostly Sam who screens potential Pokedex recipients.”
Nina nodded in understanding. It seems she’ll have to rely on Roxy for this, if her guess on the woman’s intentions were correct.
“Although, I can write to Sam and ask if he’d be willing to add you to the list. The man trusts my judgment and being a Gym Apprentice means that you will likely receive one automatically once you come of age anyway.”
Nina shook her head. “Beverly will receive one, I know. But I don’t plan on taking up the Gym’s sponsorship offer. Doing so comes with obligations which I’m not keen on.” The image of her in a string bikini being ogled at by the masses sent shivers down her spine.
“And there’s no need to write to Professor Oak either, I think I’ll try to earn a Pokedex on my own merits. If I fail then, well… Maybe?” The last part was added in a sheepish tone. It would be stupid of Nina to be without some form of contingency.
Bill chuckled at the girl’s determination. “I applaud your resolve. No worries, I’ll cover for you if you fail, though I highly doubt you will.” The man said the last part with a smirk, so Nina suspected that Bill must know something.
“Also, I understand your reservations about being sponsored by the Cerulean Gym. In fact, I can promise you a sponsorship right now for when you come of age.”
Nina's eyes widened so much that her eyeballs nearly fell out of their sockets. She was kind of expecting the Eevee, but not the sponsorship. “A-are you sure? I thought you don’t really do sponsorships?”
“I rarely do sponsorships, doesn't mean I don’t do them at all. I’m curious to see where you’ll go in the future so just think of it as a silly whim of mine. And I’m sure my wife would approve of my decision, so no need to worry about me getting into trouble. She’s been nagging me about nurturing the next generation anyway.”
Nina gave a stiff nod, unsure of what to say other than “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now enough talk, let’s move on to the most exciting part of today’s meeting — choosing your Eevee!”