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Chapter 6: Reinventing Thomas

Thomas awoke to the sound of activity. Light was breaking in through the curtain to splash against the wall, lighting the hotel room with a gentle ambiance. He rubbed his eyes, looking around. Jeremy was re-packing the bag on the dining table, with the small green pokemon resting quietly on a cream-coloured towel laid out on the table. The Sliggoo was on the table as well, attempting to offer the little guy a poketreat, to no avail.

In a flurry of motion, Venipede and Deino tore in through the open courtyard door, circling the table once before disappearing back through the curtain, light fluttering through the room until the curtain became still once more. Thomas blinked, sitting up in bed as he tried to wake himself up. He realised very quickly that sitting might have been a mistake. Still sore from the night before, Thomas blushed a deep red. He grabbed a towel nearby the bed and quickly moved to the bathroom.

“Haka-" Jeremy attempted to wave hello, but while his trainer did wave back he had closed the door before the pokemon could finish “-mo…" Jeremy looked from the Sliggoo to the bathroom door and back, his expression a mix of sadness and worry. He heard the shower start up and sighed, going back to repacking the backpack.

The hot water cascaded over Thomas' shoulders and down his back. He wasn't the most fit of folks, mainly through being malnourished over the years. But he made sure to stay as healthy as possible, his muscles thick enough to cover the bone beneath but not by much. He squeezed soap from the dispenser on the wall and scrubbed himself clean before squeezing out some of the shampoo and doing his hair as well.

The night was coming back to him in chunks. The fun he had with Jeremy and the Sliggoo brought a smile to his lips, but his furrowed brow knew that wasn't the cause of his embarrassment. The Machamp was. He thought to how readily he knelt before the pokemon, how he took that ridiculously large member with little thought. Thomas knew why. He shook his head.

With a deep sigh he leaned back against the cold tile wall, “You can't let your fantasies take over, Tom." He muttered to himself. “Not while others are depending on you." Thomas smacked the back of his head against the tiles, grunting with the small amount of pain. “Stupid bastard." He sighed again, turning the taps off.

The hot shower had filled the room with vapour, fogging the mirror and making it hard for Thomas to see further than a few feet in front of him. He reached for a towel but fund only empty air. Swirling his arm through the room to clear some of the fog, Jeremy's pink and yellow scales came into view. He held the towel out for his friend. “Hak."

Thomas groaned, realising Jeremy must have been there for a while. “So… You heard that?" The Hakamo-o nodded, scratching his neck sheepishly. “A week ago I would have ignored these… feelings." Thomas sighed, using the towel on his hair. “But…" He stopped drying, turning back to Jeremy who had taken a step closer. “That night back in the shed, I felt something. Something I never have before."

“Haka…" Jeremy coaxed the man to continue, stepping forward again to take him by the hands. The towel fell abandoned to the slate floor. The two stood, barely an inch from each other as Thomas build up the courage to speak his mind.

“You…" It was harder than he could have imagined. “I, I want you." Thomas' heart was beating a million miles an hour, his mind dizzy and his throat dry. “I…" He took a deep breath, looking the shiny pokemon in the eye. “When we… when you fuck me," His face went beet red, the confession burning his cheeks “it's like nothing else in the world matters. I just want- no, need you. And- and I don't want you to stop."

“Hak. Hakamo." Jeremy let go of Thomas' hands, wrapping his arms around the man as he brought him into a warming hug. “Mo. Mo O-haka, mo." He knew the trainer couldn't understand him, but Jeremy hoped at least his tone got the message across.

“Last night?" Thomas asked, pulling away from the hug. “I… I thought it was what you wanted." The man knelt before Jeremy, his head now chest height to the smaller pokemon.

Jeremy was beginning to put it all together. As Thomas looked up at him with those big eyes, he knew what last night's show of determination and this morning's embarrassment was about. “Kamo? Hakamo?" He pointed to himself then off in the direction of the bed. “Haka?" he pointed at himself again.

“For you." Thomas reiterated. “I, I may be the trainer, but… but I want…" It was Jeremy's turn to take a deep breath. He balled a hand into a fist and pounded his chest once in a display of strength. Then with the other one he reached out and gently grabbed Thomas' chin. Thomas nodded, accidentally shifting Jeremy's thumb onto his lips. As he looked up to the shiny pokemon, he allowed the pink and yellow digit to slip into his mouth, sucking on it gently.

Jeremy moaned, smiling as everything clicked into place. Thomas was the Trainer, but he wanted Jeremy to take control. He leant forward, counterbalancing his tail as it flicked out behind him to lock the bathroom door. If Thomas wanted to be the submissive one, then who was Jeremy to argue. Though they would have to come up with a way to act in public, that was a thought for another time.

Moving in close, Jeremy removed his thumb only to replace it with his tongue as the two became locked in a passionate kiss. Thomas' embarrassment and confusion melted away the instant Jeremy's lips met his. The pokemon didn't hold back, his thick and broad tongue pushing the smaller human tongue around while a hand slid around the back of Thomas' head. Held firmly in place, he accepted Jeremy's direction; kissing him for as long as the pokemon wanted. It wasn't long before their lips parted, Thomas quickly able to see why.

Replacing Jeremy's tongue would be the pokemon's now peeking member. It was only a couple of inches from its slit but using the grip on Thomas' head, Jeremy pushed him down to it. Thomas wasted no time licking its length, the deep pink organ twitching as it grew another inch. He didn't wait for further instruction. His lips parted by the tip Thomas sank down on the member. “Haaaaaahhhhh…" Jeremy moaned, his cock being diligently suckled on by his trainer. He could feel himself growing inside the man's mouth, Thomas not pulling away until the tip began pressing against the back of his throat.

Thomas moaned, his hand falling down to his own arousal, stroking it as he happily gobbled the Hakamo-o's draconic cock. As the pokemon's member grew longer, the man's sucking turned to bobbing, swallowing as much of the turgid pole as he could before coming back up for air. Thomas's moans and enthusiastic mouth were bringing Jeremy very quickly towards his climax. Jeremy knew Thomas wanted to be dominated, but he cared enough for his new trainer that ending it here wasn't an option.

Instead, he pushed Thomas away. At first, the man was confused. But with Jeremy walking behind him, it didn't take long for everything to click. Obediently and without being asked, Thomas was on all fours, ready to take whatever Jeremy would give him. The long, tapered pole was dropped onto his crack with a slap, both of them moaning from the contact. Jeremy hotdogging those cheeks, rubbing the cocktail of pre and saliva onto the man's pucker.

Then with his hands firmly grabbing the man's hips, in one slow push Jeremy forced himself to the hilt. Thomas' silent scream was less out of pain and more from surprise. The girthy machamp from the previous night had been far more of a challenge, and his body was still somewhat loose from the whole affair. But the sensation of being so dramatically filled was one he had not become accustomed to. The two paused, their heartbeats thundering approval as they waited for Thomas' arse to recover from the shock.

It was Thomas who moved first, pushing back into Jeremy's hips with a moan. The pokemon caught the hint and began with a gentle rhythm. The lack of requirement for him to grip Thomas' hips so hard allowed his hands to roam. One found the small of the man's back, pressing it down slightly afforded the two a better angle and an even louder moan from Thomas, a reaction that brought a massive grin to Jeremy's face.

His other hand slid around the soft hips and to the man's stiff and swaying member. Eliciting a gasp from Thomas, the shiny pokemon wrapped his fingers around the member and began stroking. “Hak," he growled, impressed “Haka mo."

Slowly but inevitably their pace quickened, Jeremy's strokes becoming harder both with his hips and with his hand. Thomas was panting now, his body on the edge as the long, thick pokemon cock pounded his arse with ease. He smiled. This was his fantasy come real, a fantasy barely two days in the making but one he felt absolutely sure of. He felt complete here. Full, and warm and happy. The man was pulled from his thoughts by Jeremy's imminent climax, the pokemon withdrawing one last time before ramming his cock deep into Thomas' well lubed hole.

Thomas moaned. Jeremy roared. They both came.

Pink and yellow fingers dripped with strings of human cum as Jeremy's hand furiously pumped that human cock for all it was worth. “J-J….J…." Thomas moaned, unable to complete the name of his lover as his mental faculties had issues with the overload of pleasure. Meanwhile, with blast after thick blast, the pokemon filled his trainer with hot draconic cum. Jeremy grunting with each spurt as he gave his Trainer exactly what he wanted.

For the both of them it was utter bliss. Just the two of them in a hot steamy room, enjoying each others climax. But soon they were both exhausted, choosing to slip free of each others grip to lay side by side on the cool slate floor as they caught their breath. Thomas' mind kicked back into gear and all the things he'd been trying not to think of slammed down on him with force.

“Ugh...." He groaned, thinking of the other pokemon in his charge. “Okay, for the moment, this can only be a bedroom thing. Only… uh, the Sliggoo can know." It occurred to him that Jeremy was the only one he knew the name of. “Shit." he said, eyebrows raised as he turned to face his lover. “Do they have names? I didn't ask! I'm a horrible trainer."

Jeremy flicked him on the nose like a disobedient growlithe. “Haka!" He shook his head. “Mo. Mo haka, mo."

Thomas rubbed the tip of his nose even though technically it didn't hurt. “No? They don't have names yet?" Jeremy nodded an affirmative. “Well that won't do." Jeremy looked at him with a wry grin. “What… why are you looking at me like that." The pokemon chuckled, turning to look at the ceiling with an 'if you think so' look on his face. “You don't think I can pick a good name? Is that it?"

“Mo." He held up three fingers one at a time “Ha. Ka. Mo. Haka Hak."

“So I've only known you for three days. Surely I can come up with something they'll like."

“Haka…" Jeremy grinned cheekily.

“You're impossible." He said, trying to hold back his own laughter as he stood. “Right. Time to get moving." He stood and immediately felt a reasonable portion of Jeremy's cum flow down his inner thighs. “Uh, maybe I'll need a few minutes." Jeremy laughed, leaving the man to clean up.

Several minutes later Thomas was doing a quick check of the backpack, quite pleased with how well Jeremy had stacked everything inside. He stroked the small, green pokemon's head. “Okay buddy, you gotta stay in here for a bit longer." It blinked at him. “I don't want any of those thugs to see you, so you gotta stay inside alright?" Thomas gave it one more pat before zipping the backpack up.

Jeremy was back to wearing Parker's vest, having zipped it up nice and tight. He seemed more confident and more happy after their talk this morning, and it made the man smile. “Okay folks." He addressed the room of pokemon. The Deino and Venipede stopped their playing to listen as the Sliggoo gave a yawn. “We have A long way to go over the next week or so. Rocket Rising were waiting for us at the bus stop here in Canneb. It was sheer luck they didn't spot us getting off. That means they'll probably be waiting at the bus station still and probably waiting in Sydna as well. We're gonna have to walk."

The two enthusiastic pokemon dashed around the room. “Hold up, hold up." Thomas said, in an effort to calm them down. “Once we're out of the city limits, you'll both have free reign. Until then, only Venipede can be out, to avoid suspicion." The Deino's wilting head was the opening the Venipede was waiting for, crash tackling the dragon type as the two began to wrestle. “As for you two," Thomas said, shaking his head. “We'll be doing a lot of walking around town to start with, so gonna have to have you two away for the time being. If I get into a scrape, I'll be relying on Jeremy to help out." He looked at the Hakamo-o who gave a nod in understanding

The sliggoo breathed a sigh of relief. “You really don't like the idea of fighting do you?" She dipped her head low and turned to the side. It was barely perceptible but in the hotel lighting the scar running down the left side of her shell shone iridescent. “How, how did I miss that?" Jeremy tapped what was left of the bloods stain on the vest's lapel. “Oh. You got that while… I'm… I'm so sorry." He pat the Sliggoo on the head, gently rubbing between her antennae. It seemed to help a little. “I'll never force you to fight. It's okay." She chirped at that, and sadly smiled up at him.

With a deep breath Thomas turned around and picked up the collection of pokeballs on the counter. He began pressing buttons, first bringing the Sliggoo back, then Jeremy. Finally he caught the Deino doing it's version of a piledriver from the back of the couch before it could land on the Venipede, who looked a little confused. “Alright you, time to get going." He slid the backpack on and gave one more look over the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. “Looks good, lets go."

The morning was bright and clear of clouds. Thomas glanced around to make sure no mobsters were in sight, but it was hard to tell with all the suits scurrying to and from their workplaces. He made his way down the row of shops, stopping when he passed by the standard red, white and blue barbers pole. He ran a hand through his hair and across his stubble. “Might be a good idea." he muttered to himself before looking around at the department stores. “Bit of a detour buddy." He said to the Venipede before stepping into the barbers.

An hour later Thomas felt like a new man. He sported a new pair of hiking boots, a new shirt and shorts, and a much shorter head of hair. His clean-shaven jaw felt refreshingly cool in the morning air and for the first time ever Thomas felt like a trainer. Even the excitable bug at his feet couldn't help but look impressed. He chirped his approval.

“Okay, the Cannab Travel Center is… that way." Thomas said, pointing down the street as they neared the corner. “Should be able to-" Thomas was sent flying, landing with a thud as a meaty hand stretched out to help him up.

“Sorry bub." The black-suited man said, the Rocket Rising logo on a pin in his jacket's lapel glinting in the sunlight.

Despite being caught off-guard, Thomas' instincts kicked in. “'Sokay mate." He said, dusting himself off before taking the man's hand. “You right?" Politeness paid double on the street, if you were an asshole while busking, nobody would come near you. Overly polite and they'll happily give you a little more. The belief in Karma was a wonderful thing.

“Barely flinched. You could do with bulking up a bit." He chuckled, turning away to stride down the path, his Sawk following close behind.

“That was close." Thomas muttered, looking down at his bug friend. “At least he didn't recognise me. Hopefully that means they don't have a photo." He spotted the travel center a block away, waving for the Venipede to follow him. “So." He said, once they got to a part of the path with less people. “I've been thinking. I really should give you a name." The Venipede chirped happily. “But I want it to mean something, I don't want to just fall into alliteration like Vinny."

The Venipede blew a raspberry, causing several passers by to look curiously at the pokemon, while a few kids laughed, imitating the sound much to their parents chagrin. “Exactly." He thought about it some more. “Well, I've called you Nutter a few times…" He looked up at Thomas with angry eyes. “Okay, so that rules out anything to do with nuts. See, progress." The Venipede rolled his eyes as they arrived at the travel center. “Let's put a pin in this, I'm gonna find a good one. I promise."

They stepped through the doorway into air-conditioned comfort, the morning sun outside giving the two an idea of how hot the walk was going to be. The building was arranged into two parts; on one side was a series of maps and brochures along with several smiling people behind desks, while on the other rows of camping equipment and travel accessories criss-crossed the floor. Suspended from the ceiling were various larger items like inflatable rafts, kayaks, bikes and more, all with huge sale signs or 'for a limited time only' plastered down one side.

Thomas walked over to the map section first, looking for a local one. There were some fantastic maps and their accompanying brochures for other regions like Kanto, Kalos and the like. He spotted a Unova one and after a moments thought grabbed a copy to take with them. Eventually he found the local map, and on the way to the other section, placed both of them in a basket.

Basket in hand, Thomas walked the aisles looking for equipment they would need. He grabbed a bedroll, tent and foldable spade before moving on to pokemon related equipment. He spotted some pokemon cleaning products and added them to the basket along with a couple six-packs of pokeballs. It was then that Thomas realised his current backpack would be a little too small for everything, especially with it's passenger, so he made his way over to the bag aisle.

There were so many to choose from, but fortunately the Hikers packs had their own section. On the way there Thomas had a glance at some of the backpacks, but they just weren't big enough. The Hiker's packs were plenty big enough. And after several minutes of umm-ing and ahh-ing over his choices, he decided on one that - much to the Venipedes amusement - was magenta and green. “Maybe I should get matching clothes as well?" he laughed, though the bug pokemon just nodded enthusiastically.

The bag itself was a reasonably simple affair. It was about double the size of the old backpack with straps both on top and below to add a bedroll and tent. What was also good was there was a small section at the bottom that had a removable hard case. This case was the perfect size to fit a water bottle that could be fed up through an internal tube to a mouthpiece on the shoulder strap. Perfect for long, hot hikes. He had a quick look around and came upon soft plastic water skeins that would work, but then he had a brilliant idea.

The amount of space in that plastic area could fit a smaller water pack and a padded area for the small green pokemon. He grabbed one of the larger water skeins to give them a backup, and took the collection of items to the checkout, on the way grabbing several tins and boxes of rations; both for human and pokemon consumption.

“Oh, going on a hike are we?" Said the man at the register, smiling warmly.

“Headed for the coast." Thomas replied noncommittally.

“You're gonna have a hot slog of it, most folks head out early Spring, not mid-Summer." He nodded in approval at the two water skeins. “Packing smart though, that's good. Might I suggest a bottle of these too." He pulled an item off the counter's display. “Drop one of these in if you fill up from a creek. Let it sit for an hour and it'll kill off any nasties in the water. If you need it to work fast, just shake the skein for a few minutes. When it goes clear it's safe to drink. This one has a filter in the mouthpiece, so you don't have to worry about most things, but better to be safe than sorry."

Thomas nodded, “Sounds good. That enough for a week?"

“It's enough for a month!" The cashier laughed. “You'll be fine. Know what route you're goin'?"

He'd only had a brief look at the map when he picked it up, but it was enough to remember a couple route numbers. “What would you suggest? I was either gonna take Route 9 or 13."

“Hmmm…" The cashier rubbed his chin. “Route 9 will take you straight to Galbon, then you can take 10 to Sydna, no troubles. But it's long and flat and the cars go like lightning. Route 13 is more mountainous but it takes you to the coast over the mountains. From there it'll be a longer hike, but much prettier to look at. And plenty of water along the way; Route 9 you'll have to plan your water well."

“Well, I do need to get there quick." Thomas said aloud. His mind was made up, but he didn't trust the mobsters to not go snooping. Everyone has a breaking point. “Might go 9, besides I heard there was a good… uh, bug trainer in Galbon." He looked down to the Venipede, who picked up on the act and chipred cheerfully up at the Cahiser.

“Huh. Usually they're a lot meaner than that." The man wondered aloud, confused as to the bug pokemon's demeanour.

“Why do you think I want to see a bug trainer?" Thomas whispered over the counter as a raspberry blew up from underneath. “Heh heh." The two shared a chuckle as the total was rung up. Thomas paid and thanked the Cashier.

“There's a section just over there for you to repack your bag, and if you'd like to donate to Trainers In Need, you can leave the old backpack in the bin there. We clean them up and send them out to Trainers that have been hit by bad times." The way he alluded to the problems hit home with Thomas, his heart aching to know there were others out there like him, or worse; they had pokemon but couldn't afford to keep them.

Thomas was ready to walk off, but instead he sighed and turned back to the cashier. “Is there a another way to donate?"

The cashier looked confused but nodded. “T.I.N. have an office a few doors down. I'm sure they'd be open to any and all donations. Is there something in particular you wanted to donate?"

“Just want to know what I can do to help."

“Well good on you." The cashier shook Thomas' hand. “And good luck on your trip." With that the Cashier smiled, nodding before turning to the next customer who had been patiently waiting, waving them over.

He wandered over to a part of the store near the exit what had a large counter with several pokeball-holders bolted to them. Unfortunately they all backed up against the window to the busy street outside. Thomas bit his lip, thinking where else he can swap out everything. A store clerk walked up to him. “Looking for somewhere more private to unpack?" Thomas nodded, prompting her to indicate a set of rooms off to the side. “It's not busy this morning, you can use one of the Pokemon Changing rooms."

“Thank you." Thomas smiled at her before hefting the lot over to the nearest room and dumped everything on the floor there. He locked the door then sat down, ready to replicate Jeremy's packing skills. “Okay." He looked to the Venipede. “Tetris time." He strategically emptied the backpack, making sure to put the little green pokemon off to one side. Keeping clothes folded and items categorised he thought about the best way to pack the new bag.

In the corner of the room was a small shower area with a tap. The 'potable water' sticker above it reminded Thomas to fill the water skeins, which he did with little trouble. Then sizing up the smaller one he took the little green pokemon and placed him in the old backpack, wrapping it up like a nest. Then gently he slid the backpack into the hard section of the hiking bag before pushing the smaller skein in after it. The clear water pouch made the little pokemon's eyes look larger and more wobbly, like a funhouse mirror. “Don't worry, You'll only be in there while we're walking. The holes in the side are there to cool the water, so should be enough for you to breathe. If you breathe…" He didn't recall seeing a mouth on the tiny thing, but even if it absorbed oxygen through it's skin, Thomas hoped the little guy would be more comfortable than in the backpack.

Next he slid the poke-treats into side pockets that were easy to reach and added the larger skein. The weird black and green metallic block that Parker had found with the unknown pokemon was about the same size as an enlarged pokeball, so he placed that at the bottom of a larger pocket where he stacked on top the recently purchased pokeballs. A Waterproof internal area got filled with a set of clothes and a couple of towels before being sealed, while the rest of the clothes were neatly stacked inside the main part of the bag.

The magenta and green Hikers backpack was almost all packed. Thomas stowed the last of the personal items and strapped the bedroll and tent to the top and bottom respectively, the spade having a special pocket built for it on one side. The only thing left was to arrange the occupied pokeballs on the strap, Thomas giving them a quick wipe with a nearby cloth before setting them into their holders. This time he left off the old ultraball, stowing it with the other pokeballs with a sigh.

Four pokeballs gleamed up at him. The Venipede - who had been content to just let the man pack - realised something profound was taking place in Thomas' mind and decided to wander over, chirping curiously. He rubbed between the pokemon's antennae, giving the bug a wide smile. “Just a guy realising dreams can come true. C'mon… Dennis?" The Venipede growled menacingly as Thomas laughed.

He hefted the bag onto his back and almost fell over. “Woah! Wasn't-ugh… Wasn't expecting it to be that heavy." He shifted it around his back, adjusting the straps. After several minutes and a few more rejected names later, Thomas had gotten comfortable with the load. “Don't suppose you want to help with this?" He got the feeling if Venipede had any eyebrows they would be cocked derisively. “Okay, well, might have to look for a pokemon that can."

He made his way over to the information board at the travel center's exit. Thomas scanned through the various advertisements and notices before his eyes fell on a small flyer for 'Shep's Caravan; Supplies for Trainers on the go'. It looked honest enough, barely. He tore off a tab with the address on it and motioned for his pokemon to follow. “C'mon, we have to see someone about a pokemon that can help us with this." He tugged the straps of the bag for emphasis.

“But first…" Thomas had spotted the T.I.N. logo the moment he stepped out the travel center. It was a sign depicting an ekans wrapped around an old tin can full of pokeballs. He wandered over, climbing the set of stairs sandwiched between a shoe shop and an insurance business to reach a nondescript door with that same logo on it. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Everything in the room had seen better days, from the carpet to the paint on the walls, the computer and the psyduck behind it. “Psy?" It looked him up and down, suspicious as to why an obviously well off trainer would be there.

Thomas gulped. “Hi, yes. I was hoping to speak to someone about donations?"

“Psy? Duck?" The yellow bird immediately began running around behind the desk, tidying the room up before disappearing into a narrow hallway. Thomas could hear it's excited quacking from where he stood, the sound carrying well in the largely unfurnished space.

Then from the hallway walked a woman, dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. Not at all the sort of person Thomas was expecting to see in the city, let alone an office. “Daphne. Daphne Smith." She stuck her hand out for Thomas to shake, which he did, a little confused. “Folks round here just call me Daf." She smiled warmly to Thomas, gesturing for him to take his pack off while they talk. “Reggie mentioned you're thinking of donating?"

Thomas' mind snapped back to the present. “Uh, yes. Yes. I Just wanted to see what I could do to help."

Daphne spent several minutes hyping up the need for folks like Thomas to donate anything they can to keep Trainers and their pokemon fed and housed. “So if you're able to spare any money, or treats, even clothes, it would really help out."

Thomas sighed. “I do want to help. I just, I'm not sure where to start." He scratched his head before deciding to just go from the top. “I failed my Trainer's test four days ago. I didn't have a home, and didn't have a job. I passed everything else, but I wasn't allowed to be a trainer because I couldn't afford to take care of anyone, let alone myself."

“I'm so sorry." Daphne put a hand on Thomas' shoulder before the chirpy bug pokemon at their feet caught her attention. “But then, how…"

Thomas smiled. “Well, I saved the life of some rich guy's pokemon. So they offered to sponsor me." A lie in part, but Thomas felt it was truth enough to count. “I got my license and this little guy yesterday," the Venipede chirped proudly “And made my way here. The cashier at the travel center mentioned you guys so figured I'd see what I could do to help."

It took a moment for Daphne to register everything, then she leapt into Thomas' arms and gave him a tight hug. “Congratulations! And thank you." She let go of him, pride beaming off her flushed cheeks. “Thank you for thinking of those who are unfortunate enough not to have the chance to save some rich pokemon." She said jokingly. “You probably know better than most as to what these folks need, so I'll stop the lecture."

Thomas chuckled. “It's okay, you had no idea."

“So how do you want to help? I don't want you to spend anything if you can't afford it, you have your own pokemon to look after, and believe me, they cost more than you'd think to take care of." She glanced down at her psyduck, who was popping a couple of aspirin while rubbing it's temples.

“How about a business card? If I come across anything that might be useful, or someone who can help, I'll give you a call."

Daphne rustled about the desk until she found a small stack of cards, handing one out to Thomas with a smile. “This is the number for me here," she tapped the side of the card with the big logo on it and a number underneath. “But we have several offices along the coast as well." She indicated for Thomas to flip the card over, revealing several more numbers. “Different areas have different organisations like ours. 'Help Our Pokemon Eat' is up north while 'Trainers Helping Trainers' is inland.

“Thanks." Thomas said, a silence filling the room as he lacked anything else to talk about. “Well, I was hoping to have headed out of Canneb about an hour ago, but it took a bit to get organised this morning. So I'm gonna head off." He knew how awkward he sounded, but saying all that reminded him of how much more stuff they needed to get done before leaving.

“Well take care…" Daphne paused as thomas realised he hadn't introduced himself.

“Sorry! Thomas." He reached out again to shake Daphne's hand. “You take care as well." The venipede did a quick circuit around the woman, chirping happily before leaving through the door Thomas was holding open. With a final wave he left the office, retrieving his wallet to add the business card to the growing number of contents within it.

They were no sooner on the street than Thomas' stomach rumbled. He looked to the sky, then his pokedex. “Lunchtime. Damn. Was hoping we'd be out of here by now." He looked down to the large, hungry eyes of his partner. “Okay, okay, we'll grab something quick." The two marched over to a small cafe, Thomas ordering a sandwich for himself and a bug platter for the Venipede as well as drinks for both of them. “Wow. I I haven't seen those in years." He said, mouth agape. Pointing at two of the small treats he added those to the order before taking a seat.

The two small biscuit-like treats were brought out along with their drinks, Venipede's bowl of water placed on a placemat on the pavement. But the bug was more interested in the focus of Thomas' attention. “Macarons. I used to have them as a treat back… a long, long time back." He said, stumbling over painful memories. “Here." He took the vanilla flavoured one and placed it down next to the water bowl. It was mainly just sugar and egg, both of which probably weren't fantastic for the Venipede, but wouldn't hurt him.

He sniffed the sugary morsel and gave it a test-lick. Thomas watched as the Venipede's pupils dilated before he practically inhaled the Macaron. Then he did circles of the table. It took Thomas actively picking the crazy little guy up to stop the whirlwind of chaos. “Woah there! You okay?" The venipede looked straight at him and nodded enthusiastically. “So you're a fan too then?" He nodded again, eyes still wide with wonder at this newfound taste. “Okay, okay. I'll get some for the road." The Venipede's eyes closed in bliss chirping happily as the man went back to the counter to buy a pack. “Maybe I should call you Macaron." Thomas said jokingly, returning with a multicoloured pack that he stowed neatly away in the new bag.

But the Venipede didn't respond negatively, just letting out a small unsure whine. “What? Macaron?" Another whine with his antennae waggling side to side, undecided. “Okay, how does Mac sound?" The venipede thought for a moment before chirping the affirmative. “Okay, Mac." Thomas smiled down at his proper first pokemon, their food arriving. “Well Mac, let's have some lunch."

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