FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Two years later.

--

"Five more..." Cassidy said. She placed Shalour City Gym's rumble badge to the right of her others resting inside her small case.

She'd just finished battling gym leader Korrina. Her party had endured a tough fight during the encounter, all except for one.

She slipped the case into the fanny pack on her hip and exited the gym, walking to the local Pokémon Center down a stretch of sunlit pavement populated with people.

Around her were verdant trees and bushes rustling against beachfront breezes with wild pokémon occupying or peeking out of the greenery. Children chased a couple of them with sticks, and people loitered outside of worn buildings. Many wore tight, ragged, or worn tops. Women wore woolen, often dirty thin dresses with bonnets atop their heads.

Trainers typically had a more extravagant style considered non-etiquette. Hers was a black and violet turtleneck jacket, black fingerless gloves, a black skirt with a vertical violet stripe down both sides, and black boots with purple lacing. Her hair matched. She had a black bob cut with purple streaks.

She moved to the side of the road because people riding pokémon and bicycles occupied a designated lane separated by a solid white line. It was near the center beside pedestrians. They sat atop saddles on skiddo and gogoat, pulling their reigns and maneuvering around individuals.

A group of rangers in uniforms and hard hats that traffic pulled over for sat on rhyhorn with saddles labeled: 'GARDE.' ('RANGER') Rhyhorn were illegal to be ridden by citizens, as they were robust and dangerous pokémon in the wrong hands.

Among citizens, gogoat and skiddo were common modes of transportation; however, it was often easier to control a vehicle because it had no mind of its own, albeit a more expensive investment. They were still a new invention, less than a decade old, and millions of citizens globally had yet to budge from what had been the norm.

Cassidy occasionally saw a person riding a motorcycle or moped, which she owned and had parked at the Pokémon Center. A dark purple one. Many cities were looking to replace pokémon with either within ranger forces for several benefits.

For the time being, automobiles were illegal to drive on roads that citizens rode pokémon on.

From where Cassidy strolled, she was able to look out to the west and see the beach and its waves crashing onto the shore. Tourists frequented Shalour City due to its untouched views, although there wasn't much to the city beyond that.

She saw the Center ahead and glanced down at the black and violet-striped Pokétch on her right wrist to check the time on its digital clock, which was just after noon. Her Pokétch was an outdated model by five years she'd gotten for her twelfth birthday.

Her current one wasn't as outdated as the older and smaller versions from years prior, but she had been due for an upgrade. This model couldn't even make calls.

She arrived and entered the one-story building less than a minute later.

Pokémon Centers were non-profit in all regions, as the most optimal way to run them was providing trainers with free healthcare; it made its money by being fused with Poké Marts and through donations from corporate entities such as the League.

Poké Marts prospered by selling items, healing properties, and stat drugs that could be bought nowhere else in around regions. General markets could only sell poké and great balls, and default potions and revives.

Cassidy approached the main counter with buzzing all around, though she had to stop short. She stood behind a teen male trainer in a sporty outfit handing the female nurse six pokéballs, which was the legal amount of pokémon an individual could own to reduce the risk of general neglect. The nurse looked to be in her late twenties and wore the standard white and pink dress with a cap.

Cassidy couldn't hear what they were saying, but they were bright, attentive, and smiling. Cassidy scoped the interior while waiting and saw trainers before the blue Mart's counter at the left end of the center. They chatted with one of the cashiers while the other employee was crouched behind the counter, sifting through inventory.

That was where trainers bought special properties for their pokémon which raised attack, defense, speed, and more. Cassidy had used them when first starting out battling gyms, but she didn't want to rely on crutches. They also weren't cheap.

On the other side were three glass tables with cushioned seats trainers sat at, some using their Pokétches and others talking among each other. A couple of them held their healed pokémon, like a girl in a tight outfit patting her depressed vaporeon's head while it sat in her lap.

After the customer ahead of her was done, Cassidy approached the counter and unzipped her pack. "Hi... I need to heal three pokémon," she said.

"Of course, hun. Won or lost?" She grinned while watching the teen reach into her bag.

The woman also had a Kaloan accent, though thicker. Most of the population in or near big inner cities spoke two languages due to the Accord, the nation currently in power consisting of Johto, Kanto, Paldea and Hoenn, toured Kalos frequently. Paldea being connected to Kalos meant a decent portion of the population spoke Paldean as well.

Cassidy had learned Accordian in school and spoke it fluently with her past friends, some of whom were foreigners. If there was a time Cassidy returned to her roots, it was when her emotions were at their peak.

"Euh?"

"You battled, I assume? Did you win?"

"Oh... The gym here. I won."

"That's a big deal. Chapeau (Well done). Where are you trying to go with it?"

Cassidy's lips flickered into a minute, tight-mouthed grin, though she shifted her eyes away after a moment. She grabbed her party and handed them to the nurse. "As far as I can."

"Then good luck on the journey; I won't dawdle. I'll have your team back in twenty max."

Cassidy nodded and went to sit in one of the many available seats, choosing one by the wall away from everyone while tuning out the noise. She couldn't believe she was progressing through Kalos' gyms so quickly.

She'd trained her pokémon extensively last year while sixteen, and in months, Cassidy had conquered three gyms across the region.

She wiped her outfit and pulled out visible wrinkles, then ran her hand over her hair to feel for any jagged strands. She then unzipped her hip bag and pulled out one among many packaged vanilla wafers in red plastic with 'Créme' on the front in bold lettering.

After opening it and biting into one— flaky and creamy as the brand suggests, Cassidy navigated her Pokétch using the buttons beside its screen and opened the marking map, which displayed a vaguely detailed layout of Kalos.

The newer models had a built-in GPS system that displayed one's location on the map. "Coumarine..." she said while zooming in using the buttons. It was the city next door to Shalour and her next location.

Cassidy's time spent traveling allowed her to see and learn things about her region she would never have otherwise. She didn't usually stop to sightsee when gyms were always her destination, but she explored new routes, towns, and cities by default.

It took around fifteen more minutes for the nurse to return Cassidy's team at the counter, which she simply thanked the nurse for and left.

She dropped her pokéballs into her bag and started toward Shalour City's exit on foot since she couldn't take her motorbike across the upcoming route.

The afternoon sun shone against her skin as she glanced at it and the rest of the sky dotted with puffy white clouds.

Cassidy had many hours before evening would arrive. She tried to avoid driving at night, especially depending on the path she had to take. Routes got kind of creepy at night.

There were incidents of people and sometimes pokémon lurking in them to rob others who passed through or worse; not only that, but Cassidy had run over a linoone once because her vision was impaired. Her headlight helped, but the thing darted out from nearby grass before Cassidy could react.

Luckily, she hadn't killed it and ran it to a Center in the next city over, but feeling the bump under her tire and recalling its squeak pained her to this day.

Couriway Town was where she resided; Cassidy was currently in Coastal Kalos, the opposite side of the region with a cool climate. It would take her hours to get home, but that was the last thing she was worried about.

Cassidy had to leave Coumarine City's gym in the dust. She couldn't lose and sulk home in shame, and she didn't want to take the drive again. The leader specialized in grass types, so as much as Cassidy didn't want to use her beloved first pokémon, it would be wise to.

She saw him as more of a companion than a pokémon she would use to battle with. Of course, Cassidy had him trained as well as she could with what little effort he gave her. He could put up a fight, but the fire never seemed to be in him.

With Shalour behind her, she strolled through scenic Route 12. Grassy terrain with trees sprinkled about made up most of the area swaying and rustling against the wind.

Trainers explored it, with some venturing inside the tall grass and trees in search of a capture. Sand and a small body of water ahead of it continued from Shalour and divided the route into two sections.

Cassidy didn't have a big water type, so she had to stride across to get to the other side while keeping her Pokétch above it so it didn't get wet. It wasn't waterproof like the newer models but had a lid made from hard plastic she could pull over the screen from its corners to protect it from rainfall.

Her outfit was soaked upon exiting on the other side, heavy and permeated with water. It would dry under the sun, but the breezes rushing by made her shiver as if amid a blizzard.

She took the route's long dirt path, leaving wet prints behind her, and entered the city shortly. She looked up at Coumarine's cloudless sky and swayed against stronger wind, then ahead at the many skyscrapers and roads built around a glimmering blue ocean.

Coumarine was a large city, so Cassidy had a walk ahead of her. "I wish I had my bike." But riding with so many pedestrians on the road was nerve-racking. The last thing she wanted was to harm someone and have to answer to authority.

She saw tourists point out shops or take photos with their Pokétches of officers riding rhyhorn and people riding on native pokémon, along with families and couples. She followed them with her eyes but shifted away.

People living in big cities, such as businessmen, wore somber and often upscale outfits, often complete with a small top hat or beret.

Women tended to wear dresses, miniskirts, or blouses. They sometimes sported coats as well. It was a bit much for Cassidy, but she did find appeal in the dark palette.

A man standing upright walked beside what was likely his wife with his hands held behind his back, talking quietly with her.

Another couple sat at a bench among grass patches, which was a young man and his delphox, whose forepaw he brought up and gave a gentle kiss to while the pokémon watched coyly.

Cassidy again turned away and set herself back on track, traversing west along the roads and surrounding buildings towering over her. After she cleared the group of structures, she'd be able to view the ocean Coumarine enveloped which cargo ships or sailboats occupied. Some sat in place in the swaying, deep waters that rocked them.

Cassidy had never fought two gyms in one day, but they were in proximity to each other. It wouldn't have made sense to go home after Shalour, especially since it was so far from Couriway. This city would give Cassidy her fourth badge and, in turn, would bring her one step closer to challenging the Elite Four.

She took a deep breath while advancing into the city. Before heading to the gym, she stopped at the Poké Mart inside the city's Center to buy a few essentials, including potions.

Her pokémon were battle-ready, but there was much more she had to teach them, and her party needed an overwhelming amount of experience on the field overall. Sometimes, it even overwhelmed her, which was why she didn't own six.

Cassidy trained her pokémon individually and tried her best to keep them all on the same level so the skill gap didn't grow too massive.

Cassidy did something pertaining to battling daily, whether that meant watching League runs, studying, constant training sessions, or anything relevant.

"Just… mh, two potions and a full restore, please," she told the cashier at the Mart's front counter and paid accordingly. She saved money when she could, although she made enough to survive from winning gym and trainer battles due to budgeting. It wasn't a stable source of income, but it paid her rent.

She fit the items into her pack and pulled out one of her labeled pokéballs with an engraved 'F' above its button release while exiting the Center. Every pre-registered, legitimate pokéball kept in Silph and ranger databases had a set of six numbers on the back that owners were expected to memorize if it were ever lost or stolen, but labeling hers by letter was far easier to quickly differentiate.

Cassidy stopped at a small grassy field by a group of trees and extended her arm. She pressed the ball's release, which sent a white, radiant ray of light beam from within it and stream to the ground.

A thin, smoky mist started from the grass and filled the air vaguely in the shape and height of a braixen before revealing the pokémon it dissipated.

He gazed at his surroundings and out at the ocean before looking at Cassidy. His height stopped at her neck. 'Where are we?'

He didn't speak aloud but telepathically, using psychic.

"Coumarine." Two years ago, Cassidy had delved deeper than ever into psychic types through reading of their intricate type origins in the official guidelines, their inner workings, spiritual magic, and meticulously guided rigorous mental exercises over and over— she also touched on their corresponding movesets and abilities. She'd drilled and hammered until gaining headaches often.

Cassidy had started reading books on psychic types as early as age twelve because she'd had an innate drawing toward the type.

She'd since long rid of the books, but over time, as she heightened her mental frequency, it had given her the unique ability to communicate fluently with psychic types dear to her on a larger scale.

On top of having to study, one had to share a secure bond with their pokémon. They had to connect and intertwine each other's minds on the deepest scale.

Cassidy often wondered how many other pokémon owners outside of a couple of hex maniacs she'd once known had the ability. It was nearly impossible to acquire unless one would be willing to exhaust their brain almost daily for a couple of years. It was technically common knowledge, but most didn't believe in it and wrote it off entirely, and the other half didn't know of its existence.

A select group of scientists around the world seeked funding to run large-scale studies on the subject using willing volunteers, so perhaps that could change one day.

Pokémon weren't gifted the ability to speak as humans could because their vocal cords didn't allow exploration beyond the limits of their names, which restricted a portion of their capability. Fortunately, psychic types had stronger minds than the rest.

"I let you out to talk about an important upcoming battle, Fenny." She reached her hand and adjusted the green ribbon on his tuft of chest fur. Cassidy had put it on him when he was a fennekin.

'Battle?... I've gotta battle?' Fenny slouched a little.

"We'll be fighting grass types. It'll be a breeze." If more than a few people were passing by and taking glances at the moment, Cassidy would feel awkward— although countless trainers spoke to their pokémon this way without them being able to respond in any real capacity.

Fenny nodded and looked down.

"You will do fine. À bientôt (See you soon)." She tilted his chin up and gave him a reassuring kiss on the head before pressing the release on her ball and aiming it at him.

The ray of light beamed from the ball and hit Fenny's chest, creating a split-second white flash and leaving nothing but grass before her. She stuffed it in her bag and started toward the gym.

Cassidy spotted the massive carved-out tree the gym resided in from a couple of miles away at the city's outskirts and paced past an abundance of packed marts and businesses. She slipped through buzzing crowds and looked inside at people filling baskets, carts, and those who checked out with cashiers.

Older women sifted through hung-up clothing or tried big, fancy hats on in front of mirrors.

Two pre-teen girls who had no intention of buying anything did the same, with a lot more running around and snagging anything off hangers that looked bright or colorful enough.

Pidgey landed on the ground in patches of grass or in trees, moving or flying away whenever a person got too close; an older male trainer's litleo ran into and scared a flock of them into the air after watching them for a couple of minutes but trotted back to its trainer who called it back. They had been talking to another man.

As Cassidy reached the gym around twenty minutes, her surroundings turned to pure grassland and surrounding mountains. She looked around while taking the vacant dirt path leading to her destination.

Zigzagoon darted across the field through grass and bushes, pichu hid in some of the greenery and ate berries they'd picked, and pokémon like pidgeot and talonflame perched atop the vines and branches of the gym itself. A few watched over their nests.

Cassidy soon climbed a flight of steps leading to the gym's open entrance. "Here we go," she whispered. She entered and gazed up at a tall and thick tree inside of what was already a tall and thick tree. Ahead of her was a rope with netting beneath she would have to climb to get onto the platform built around the tree's trunk.

"Great..." Cassidy muttered. "A safety hazard." She approached and tugged the sturdy rope, then grabbed it with both hands to ensure she had a firm grip. She started pulling herself up the obstacle with her legs dangling and frequent grunts until she reached the top. It had taken her pretty high, so she'd avoided looking down while climbing.

She hopped off and landed on the floor, rolling her shoulders and rubbing her sore palms.

She sighed and wiped her clothes down, looking ahead at another obstacle to cross with a trainer waiting for her on the other side.

Cassidy approached and grabbed the next rope, giving it a second just-in-case tug, then backed up to get a running start and used it to swing over the netting covering what would be a freefall to a guaranteed death. She bent her knees upon landing and took a second to regain balance.

"You ready?"

She heard the trainer speak the moment she landed on the platform. Now that Cassidy got a better look, he appeared to be a pokémon ranger. He had short brown hair and wore a cap with a green and white outfit on. "Sure." She took out Fenny's ball as the guy backpedaled and tossed out a simisage.

Cassidy eyed the grass type before releasing Fenny a few feet in front of her and spread her legs while grounding her boots, her expression narrowing.

Fenny adjusted quickly to his surroundings and focused on the opponent in front of him, who stood in a loose, lowered stance.

The simisage shot Fenny an intimidating glare, which he returned with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Throw out vine whip!" the ranger held the brim of his cap and stepped forward.

Fenny widened his eyes and braced as what came next was a green blur and two vines speeding toward him. He glanced back at Cassidy as she spoke and attempted shielding himself with his arms at the last second.

One whipped his torso and the other whipped his thigh. "Brhn!" He flinched and retracted away from both strikes, two deep red rashes forming over the affected areas. He winced and held his quivering side.

"We need to be in sync, Fen! Listen to my voice." The sage could have that puny attack. Cassidy would have Fenny strike back harder. "Okay, hit 'im back with flame charge!"

'Sorry.' He sighed and built a wall of flames around himself that encompassed his body, holding it.

She grinned a little. If there was one thing he was decent enough at, it was his attacks she had worked on with him from a fennekin back when he was eager to control his fire.

The heat around him increased to a searing temperature that expelled the flames. They ignited more and made a fiery whoosh, growing the fire significantly and making him appear bigger.

He glanced back at Cassidy, who shielded her face with her forearm. He slid his hind paw back and ran at the simisage, who stood as still as a brick wall in fear.

"H-Hey, out of the way!" The trainer held his cap and pulled it down as if to brace with wide eyes.

"Br-aih!" Fenny gritted his teeth and tackled with his shoulder.

The simisage screeched and hit the ground, sliding back several feet with black smoke rising from charred spots in its fur.

Fenny rubbed his shoulder while grinning at the smoking simisage, but it faded seconds after its trainer shouted for it to get up and use fury swipes.

"Dodge it if you can! Focus on its hands!" Cassidy forewarned as Fenny returned to his spot. He wasn't as agile as he could and should be for a young braixen, which she hoped to train him for in the future.

The simisage rose and stood on its quivering legs, then darted at its opponent with blind vengeance, swiping its hands and claws vigorously at Fenny.

Fenny frantically watched the simisage flail its arms and claws while closing in, connecting and tearing two deep gashes into his chest. Fortunately, he stumbled back enough to avoid a third scratch or more.

"B-Briih," he whined under his breath and winced. He huffed and clenched his teeth, his forepaws quivering.

"Finish with one more flame charge!" Cassidy pointed, shouting with passion. This had dragged for too long as it stood.

Again, Fenny brought a fire wall around his body and charged it more than last time to guarantee an attack heated to the maximum. It was almost twice as big by the time he ignited it; the fiery rage present in his attack filled his eyes. "Braix!" He jetted at the simisage twice swifter than before and left a small puff of smoke in the air dissipating from the ground from where he'd stood.

"Dodge it! Dodge it dodge it dodge it! Evade! Don't just stand there!" The sage's trainer grimaced and held his head.

As last time, the simisage froze and attempted to judge the direction while its trainer shouted desperately for it to do the opposite. "Simmm!" it groaned upon being tackled harder than last time and landed on its back, rolling a couple of feet. As the flames dispersed around the simisage, it this time revealed a smoking and fainted pokémon.

Cassidy stood upright while it got returned to its pokéball, approaching the trainer afterward.

"Ugh... Good battle, but it doesn't end here," the ranger said and handed her a stack of pokédollars, pulling his cap down to cover his eyes.

She pocketed it. "Thank you." Cassidy didn't return Fenny and turned to kneel in front of him with a potion she took from her bag. "Where does it hurt?"

Fenny had been working to catch his breath, meanwhile. 'Uh, here, here, here...' He pointed out, where Cassidy sprayed the potion before stuffing it back into her bag.

"It'll heal in a few. Rest for now. We have more to get through." She placed her hand on his head, cupping it around his ear's base while returning him.

Cassidy had to fight three more pokémon rangers along the way; since she hadn't wanted to overwork and overwhelm Fenny before the final battle, she'd used her riolu to get past them. He was an assertive and confident addition to her party who she'd trained the most since he was always eager to improve.

Cassidy climbed the final rope with a healthy amount of struggle and stepped onto the gym's highest platform, working to catch her breath while stretching her arms and flexing her fingers.

There were two more ropes she had to use to swing over more netting; after being through with them, she had one more corner to clear.

Cassidy had faith in Fenny's capability and within her judgment but still found herself gathering courage before approaching. "You'll win this," she whispered. "You're better than anyone in your path."

She took a breath and reached into her bag, pulling out Fenny's pokéball in preparation and fondling it. She walked across the platform and turned left until she stood before Ramos: a short, elderly male in green overalls. Behind him was a massive battlefield with trees sprouting along its edges.

"Ho! So yeh've made it clear up here! I'm the gym leader. Ramos' the name. So what'd yeh think, whippersnapper? Did yeh enjoy the garden playground I made with all these sturdy plants o' mine? Their strength is a sign of my strength as a gardener and a gym leader! Yeh sure yer up to facing all that?" The pale, bearded male gave a hefty speech.

Cassidy stood and waited out his dialogue. She couldn't even pinpoint where he was from, and it wasn't like he'd even let her answer his questions. "Sure."

She walked onto the field as Ramos walked to the other side, readied, and tossed his jumpluff onto the field. "Heh." Cassidy tossed out Fenny.

He got into stance and glowered at his opponent, though it was on the softer side.

"Okay, Fenny, ember!"

---

The fight was over in around twenty minutes, quicker than her last two gym experiences. Cassidy again stood before Ramos with two empty potions, a fatigued braixen—

"Yeh believe in yer pokémon... and they believe in yeh, too... Mighty oaks from acorns grow. Go on, then. Yeh've earned it. Here's yer own plant badge, sprout." Ramos reached into his pocket, handing her the item.

And a plant badge. Cassidy took and placed the golden-lined green object with the outline of a sprouting plant in its center beside her recently earned rumble badge. "I appreciate it. Good battle."

Cassidy turned and moved out of earshot with Fenny, kneeling so she was leveled with him.

He gave Cassidy tired but attentive eyes.

"Know you did as well as I expected. Rest. I'll see you soon." She grinned and returned him.

After exiting the gym, she went to heal her pokémon at the busy local Center, as was the rest of the city upon evening drawing near. The sun lowered by the hour, chilling the air. Lit-up cruises sat far out in the sea, hosting pricey events and parties.

Restaurants and stores were packed with locals and tourists alike, from families to both human and human-pokémon couples. Some diners and markets had bright neon signs to catch eyes and lure customers; bars and clubs in the area began filling up and would come alive twice as much when nightfall came.

To combat and deter crime, more rangers were present on the streets.

Several hours had passed since noon due to her time spent in Coumarine, so Cassidy wouldn't make it home before dark, and she wouldn't venture through routes at nightfall. Never again.

The gym had tired her out anyway, so she considered staying at Coumarine's hotel overnight, which she'd mulled over and decided to go with after receiving her healed pokémon.

Cassidy went and checked into the hotel in the inner city's northeast section, paying an additional low price for her party. She ambled along the quaint lobby's blue and white checkered floor that people occupied, checking out with the receptionists or sitting in the lobby chairs.

Cassidy took the elevator to the second floor and found her room two doors down a corridor with lamps hanging on the walls. She entered, tossed her bag and case onto the bed, then took her Pokétch off her arm that she powered off. She also removed her jacket and boots, leaving her in a black tee and socks.

The room had wooden flooring, a restroom, a dresser, and a small lamp. Cassidy put her loose clothing and watch in an empty drawer, then went and washed off before letting her pokémon out for the night, starting with Fenny.

He stood before her while she sat on its bottom end on the blanket.

"Feeling better?"

Fenny instantly shot glances at her body. She was fit overall and slim to the extent that she appeared relatively frail.

"Fenny?"

'I… uh– y-yes.' Fenny's eyes were back on her face.

"You should have more confidence. You did well today. Other than a rough start that we fixed, we won our fourth gym."

'Well… they were grass types.' He looked down, but Cassidy's hands grabbed and held up his furry cheeks the second he did.

"It does not matter." She eyed him. "A battle is a battle, and a win a win. You will get better as we go." Cassidy caressed his cheeks with her thumbs.

He shuddered against her voice, grinning, but he faded it. 'Sorry.'

"Don't be. Be confident instead. Your mindset is the most important aspect." Cassidy lay back with her eyes on the ceiling. "I was able to fuse my capability with my subconscious. I felt it. It connected the remaining dots. It became a part of my intuition, and I was able to cross over to the level I had struggled to grasp."

She reached up and clenched the air, then let her arm fall and hit the bed. She drew her eyes to him. "Before that, I had the knowledge but hadn't known how to apply it.

And once you internalize that knowledge— after you understand, it's as if you're playing a different game than your opponents. You're patient while strategically aggressive and focus on reading your opponents, from their eyes to their subtle movements. You can study situations and either know what's coming or know how to react as if you're in their head. You're ready for situations you never knew you were ready for."

'It's not easy... It's the hardest thing I've ever done.'

"Ben... (Well...)" Cassidy looked at him. "A good start would be doing it more. Some have a natural talent or pick up on small and major aspects faster, but that doesn't mean you can't."

'Mhm...' Fenny looked down again.

"I am here if you decide to give it a try."