New Beginnings - A Pokemon Slice of Life. [OC/Isekai/Move Tutor/Breeder] - Chapter 45
The days on Ethan’s peaceful ranch had come and gone. It had been two days since Ursaring and the Teddi’s made Ethan’s ranch their home, and they’d been busy at work. Ursaring, similar to the bears from Earth, much preferred a cave as a home. He didn’t know where the cave she used to have was at, but sadly, Ethan didn’t have any caves on his property, and Ursaring would have been more aware than him if any were nearby for her to use.
Ursaring didn’t even bother with looking for a cave. Since there probably weren’t any caves to take over next to the ranch, Ursaring took the matter into her own hands. While her children played and chased around the pokemon on his ranch, Ursaring spent her time building her family a place to settle down.
Ethan had checked on her from time to time, witnessing a plethora of high level moves being used not for battle, but for building. It appeared that Ursaring was no slouch when it came to knowing a vast array of moves and their uses in and outside of battle. When he stopped by to check on her, off near the outskirts of his meadow in between the gated entrance and the pond near the fence, Ursaring displayed a precise and powerful use of what Ethan assumed to be Stone Edge. Ten to twenty-foot spires of stone pressed through the flat meadow, rising to the surface as they shoved chunks of grass and loose earth off to the side. She’d created a jagged stone entrance which led into the hollowed out ground, flattened by thudding stomps of her feet in a Stomping Tantrum.
She was terraforming a small section of his land, and it was so otherworldly to witness that Ethan spent a good portion of his days watching her work.
But, that all happened in the past. Currently, Ethan and Nurse Joy stood on his patio and gazed off toward the brand new cave. Nurse Joy had her arms full with her things as she released a heavy, reluctant sigh. “Well, I don’t think you need to worry too much about the defense of your ranch with an Ursaring around.” She turned to face him, arms encapsulating her large Silph Co bag which only let her eyes peek over the top. “It’s been a pleasure, Ethan. I’ll fill out your paperwork about your new pokemons and get them registered to you once I return.”
Ethan gave her an awkward one-armed hug, trying to get around the cumbersome bag. “Feel free to stop by anytime. Today’s a day of goodbyes it seems.”
They both looked off to where Shuckle and Dunsparce conversed near his berry fields. Dunsparce was leaving today, and Ethan was worried about how Shuckle would react. His berry bud had been warned ahead of time, but today he’d been dragging Dunsparce all across his ranch in a last ditch effort to spend time together.
“Shuckle will be fine, Ethan.”
“I hope so… Well, let me not keep you from your work. By the way, Cynthia texted me asking me why I was keeping you so long…”
“Annnnd, that’s my queue to leave. C’mon Cleffy, take us home.” Nurse Joy refused to meet his eyes as she quickly reached out and held hands with Clefable. In the blink of an eye and a blipping of Teleport, Joyce Joy left his ranch.
“Paaachi!”
Pachirisu sank to the ground from where he was hiding between the Oddish. He looked both happy and sad at the same time—conflicting emotions. Ethan chuckled as he watched his squirrel’s face morph from relief to nervousness.
While Pachirusu and Pikachu had… a complicated relationship. It seemed like his original friend couldn’t decide whether or not to be glad that the tease was gone, or sad that his budding love interest was no longer around.
Ethan narrowed his eyes at Pachirisu, then shrugged. He was a big boy. He could handle those emotions himself.
Turning his head, Ethan stared at the spot which had been previously occupied by Joyce Joy. He would have liked to say that he wasn’t surprised about being thrown under the bus and used as an excuse for an extended stay, but he wasn’t. He wasn’t angry about it, as Joyce had enjoyed her stay and deserved a vacation, but a heads up about being blamed would have been nice.
Ethan spared a final glance to where Shuckle was now dragging Dunsparce through the berry fields and gave a silent prayer that things would work out later in the evening. It felt… wrong not to be there for support, but he truly believed that Shuckle would make many friends throughout his time here. They would come and go, and he would have to learn to accept that. If Shuckle needed a shoulder to cry on later once everything was done, Ethan would be there for him. He’d always be there for him.
He headed inside through the patio door and sat down at his kitchen table. After grabbing and switching on the laptop, Ethan brought up his brand new webpage. Just like the many other websites he’d perused during his time in the world of pokemon, his website looked straight out of the early 2000’s. It wasn’t fancy, but it was functional and showcased pictures of his ranch which swapped every fifteen seconds. Joyce had helped with some of them, as he wanted some pictures of himself hanging out with his pokemon, and he thought that it had turned out well.
The one thing that always confused Ethan was the fact that this world had technology such as the Healing Machine, which was apparently outdated according to Joyce, but still had websites akin to a Myspace page.
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Ethan shook his head as he stared at the singular green button on his administrator page that would enable the sign ups and took a deep breath before clicking it. He was officially open for business and would get a text message whenever someone signed up so that he could go over the contract with the interested party.
He didn’t have any advertisements, but he was registered as an official Sinnoh Pokémon League Breeder, Tutor, and Daycare provider. If anyone visited the League’s official website to find his services, they would find a link to his own website listed among all the others. Unlike when he first started, he wanted a slow and steady trickle of trainers. If he was being honest with himself, the fact that he didn’t fail in teaching any of the pokemon from before was a miracle. He didn’t know what he was doing, and would feel much better about tutoring one or two pokemon at a time. For his daycare, he was more than willing to take a handful, depending on the pokemon in question of course.
But breeding… His style of breeding was going to be a lot to take in. For one, he didn’t want to ‘force’ or ‘coerce’ a pair of pokemon to make an egg. Ethan wasn’t planning to specialize in any specific pokemon either. He would offer a place for pokemon to settle down and raise their children. He would even be the middleman of finding a trainer who he deemed worthy of raising one of his eggs or baby pokemon.
According to what he learned, most pokemon knew that being under a trainer would strengthen them and keep them fed, safe, and oftentimes happy. He would make sure that any pokemon he would be selling or potentially giving away, would be in the right hands. It didn’t matter if they offered him ten million pokedollars. He would say no if they weren’t the right fit.
This would piss off a lot of people, but he wasn’t willing to budge on the details… Unless a trainer had two pokemon who signed up to stay and the pokemon themselves wanted to make an egg. Similar to the games he played. In that case, Ethan would host the couple and make sure they had peace and quiet while raising their young.
For many trainers, their carrying capacity was the largest limiting factor of their journey. Most trainers didn’t have a pasture or ranch that could hold onto their ‘extra’ pokemon. They usually got their six, then stuck with those unless they didn’t mesh well, or wanted to split ways—-Similar to Smeargle’s situation.
When the trainer’s pokemon fancied one another, whether that be for their strength or personality, and wanted to have a baby or egg, it would most likely be to the detriment of the trainer. Although an egg doesn’t count for carrying capacity, a baby pokemon does. Ethan was looking to zero in on this market, as it appeared that not many of the breeding ranches or daycares operated this way.
After spending half an hour to make sure his website was functional by sending in his own contract to himself and getting a text in return, making sure the contracts were solid without too many loopholes, and that the hyperlink to his website from the Official League page worked, Ethan checked the time and sighed.
Walking outside, Ethan bounced down his steps and walked off toward the entrance to his ranch. After passing by Shuckle’s den and the training field, Ethan found himself at the campsite and ran into Shuckle and Dunsparce, who were already waiting for Dunsparce’s trainer.
Dunsparce looked excited but was obviously trying to hide his emotions as they would upset his newest friend. Shuckle twisted and knotted his arms and legs as they roiled and shifted from nerves. He frequently looked from the entrance to the ranch to Dunsparce with a hint of fear.
Ethan snuck up behind his berry bud and knelt down. “Shuckle.” Ethan said softly.
“Shu?!” With a solid one inch jolt of shock and a blue flaring Withdraw, Shuckle was spooked.
“Dunsparce, give us a minute please?” He asked, and Dunsparce nodded and wiggled his way closer to the entrance. His wings were flipping and flapping in anticipation for his trainer’s arrival. They would be reunited after well over a week separated.
Shuckle’s head poked out of his shell, now facing Ethan as he turned around within. Ethan gently rubbed his head as he flashed a melancholic smile. “I know you’re scared, sad, and worried…”
Shuckle nodded slowly as his eyes began to glisten and his body began to shake.
“It’s hard to see a friend go. You’re young, and this was probably your first true friend other than me, right?” Shuckle nodded as he made gurgling sounds of sadness. “Now, I know you still don’t know much about me. So, I will tell you something special. I’m pretty old.” Ethan grinned, and Shuckle snorted a little from laughter.
“I’m twenty-eight—No, Twenty-nine years old now, and you’re three months old. There are twelve months in a year. So, I have been alive one-hundred and sixteen of your lifetimes. I have seen friends come and go. I’ve lost everyone I ever knew, actually. My family, friends, acquaintances—Everyone is gone and I will never see them again.” Ethan stared deep into Shuckle’s eyes, which were wide from shock by this sudden revelation. “But look at me. I am still happy. There are always hard times in your life, but you can rest assured that I will always be here for you. I will never leave you until the day I die. Plus, maybe this won’t be the last time you and Dunsparce see one another. Don’t watch him leave with sadness, but watch him go with happiness, as he is reuniting with his version of me—His trainer.”
Shuckle tore his gaze away to stare at the restless Dunsparce, whose eyes were locked onto the entrance. “Put yourself in his shoes. It would be like being away from me, Pachirisu, Smeargle, Chatot, and all the others for a week while being surrounded by strangers. He wants to rejoin his family, and you should be glad your friend is going to be happy.”
Ethan shoved Shuckle’s shell forward, eliciting a surprise. “Shu?!”
“Now, go and spend your final moments together with joy. Thank him for being your friend and for being nice to you. Remind him that you will still be his friend even if he is gone. Say your goodbyes, because you won’t always get the chance. Trust me, I know.”
Shuckle nodded, renewed with vigor, then trudged forward a few steps. He turned to look over his shoulder at Ethan, and found him speed walking off into the berry fields. Shuckle’s watery eyes lingered when he caught the sight of Ethan rubbing his tears away.
His trainer was sad.
