Chapter 15 - Checking Out and In

The sun is setting as our boat pulls into the harbor. Large hotels stretch down the shoreline, bonfires begin to light up across the beach. Enough teenagers to pass for spring break make any semblance of empty space disappear. Music and the smell of food fill the air as we cruise past the crowds, just out enough to avoid swimmers.

A particularly mopey redhead teen girl sits on the railing as I walk up to take in the view, "Feeling left out there Bossy? Or are you actually mad about your carp losing earlier?"

Jane looks back with a scowl, "It's just a horde of rich pricks. Nothing to be jealous of."

I admire the lights that begin to light up the hotels and the reflection in the surf, "Oh I dunno, being young, dumb, and carefree sounds kind of nice. Just living life from one moment to the next, no aching joints or responsibilities."

She hops to the deck, "Whatever old creep."

While the classic case of troubled teen heads below deck to collect her stuff I take in the whole ocean view. The shadows in the tide while the sun sets over the island, the beach torches, dark waters and ship navigation lights along the occasional private docks. If not for the occasional large animal among the crowd you'd forget this wasn't earth.

A part of me worries about whether I've forgotten something important. The kid had something, I'm not young, what if I left a family somewhere. I can tell a part of me feels the need to take care of that brat like she was my own daughter or something. I don't think I'm that old, maybe I had a younger sister or a niece.... But then again Max back in Petalberg can't have been over 25 and he had a runt.

Reaching to my shoulder to pet the strange, red, totally not a spider, spider breaks the mood, "Well Tess, looks like this fella is gonna have a classic adventure. With all the teen angst and princess rescuing you could want."

With hopefully a couple breaks to spend time with the doc.

Tesla chirps excitedly while rubbing against the side of my head.

Speaking of the princess, Naomi chooses now to step out, "Ready to be back on shore Mr. Kurt?"

Giving a nod to the young heiress, "Sure kid. Hey, is it some sort of holiday, what's with the crowd?"

She puts a hand on her floppy hat to keep the shore breeze from taking it away as she steps up to the rail. The faintest hint of a pout on her doll like face, a trace of affronted pride.

Naomi points at the hotels, "The island has always been a popular destination for school breaks. Tourists typically flock the warmer waters east of here. So the older students attending their specialist educations escape here to ...unwind, as my father would say."

I glance at the young girl, wondering if she understands the myriad of meanings that could include. "Spring break after all then. Well I could ask all sorts of questions about the education system among other things but I'll find someone a bit older for them. We're turning to shore now, this must be our dock."

Pointing at a respectable sized pier, I can see a contingent of vehicles idling and workers standing ready at the bollards to secure our boat. As we approach, one of the crew calls out her own Wingull to start flying over the ropes.

"Suppose that's one way to do it."

The pier connects directly to a large hotel built out from a cliffside ridge. Atop the ridge I can see a forest of trees. As for the hotel itself, already I get the tone of modernistic styling like one may expect from a utopian themed casino. The sort of thing that feels right out of a 90s' action movie.

We shuffle down the gangplank and load into the vans for the short drive to the front lobby. I can't miss the palm trees and ambient lighting. Formally dressed teens walk into the hotel like it was prom night. Large windows confirm my earlier suspicions as I see what look to be rows of slot machines.

While we get out, a Machoke unloads our bags.

I ask the driver, "Is there an age law for gambling?"

He raises an eyebrow, "No sir, what part of training pokemon isn't a gamble? Least this doesn't get our partners hurt...usually."

Naomi glides up beside me, "Our South Ridge Hotel has the best security on the island, its owned by my Aunt Vivica. Last I spoke to her, she told me how her team helped take down a group of professional cheaters that arrived from Celadon."

Interesting, "I'll keep away from the blackjack then."

She tilts her head, "Black Jack?"

Right, they probably have completely different games.

As I'm starting to think of what those games could be, a gorgeous woman with a Persian approaches, her high heels clicking against the boardwalk.

Brushing her violet hair to the side, "Finally my favorite niece comes to visit!"

Naomi hops a little with a big smile, "Aunt Vivica!"

She skips over and the woman gives her a slight hug. The other kids are filing out of the van and being led inside. I swear I hear Tubs asking about a buffet.

Muttering, "Come on kid at least gawk at the older girls in prom dresses a little."

Jane speaks up behind me, "He's after cheese curls not girls."

Bossy has a duffle over her shoulder and is scowling at the other teenagers. Although her gaze stalls on a blonde in a backless dress and her suited up athletic date. Her Sandile snaps at a bellhop that approached to take her bag.

For a bit of fun I start looking between her and the little croc with my best serious face.

It only takes a half second for her to get annoyed, "What's your problem?"

"I'm trying to predict which of you will bite someone first."

Naomi giggles and pulls my elbow while Jane just scowls, possibly trying to decide whether to bite me herself or not.

The young heiress introduces me to her aunt, "This is my new employee Kurt, he'll be joining my team for this year's league. The lovely girl over there as well."

I watch the bombshell of a woman size me up and down, "Nice to meet you Kurt, I'm surprised you're accompanying my niece. Honestly I expected you to be my challenger for tonight."

Once more Naomi steps in to explain, "Aunty is a Worlds gym leader, you need a certain number of championship points to compete at all and there are far more gyms for the world cup."

A voice behind us speaks up, "I'll be your challenger tonight Miss Vivica."

The slim man with spiky hair is actually unloading a duffel bag from the mouth of a giant pelican, er pelipper. The pokemon even has a saddle strapped between it's massive wings.

He gives the bird a snack before letting it take off to enjoy the beach. As he walks up I spot a green tauros logo on his shirt under his red vest. This world's version of Red Bull? Wonder if there's sponsorships.

Vivica offers her hand, "You must be Cobra then."

He happily shakes her hand, "Birdkeeper Cobra, ready to challen,"

"Get your hands off my wife, bird boy!"

A gruff man with ragged green hair stumbles out of the casino, a strange grass skirted sumo wrestler catches him from eating the pavement.

Vivica's eyes radiate fury, "Dammit Brawly I'm not your wife anymore, get that through your stupid head. Where are the kids?! If you're here gambling during your weekend with them then you can kiss any custody goodbye!"

He belches before mumbling, "I always come to your matches, what are you talking about?"

The hotel owner looks to the sky, probably praying to someone she doesn't lose it and hit the drunkard.

She turns to the Pokémon, "Hariyama, get this piece of shit home to that girl Tessa."

Brawly lifts his head up, "Shauna, and she's still at the gym right now with the kids."

Vivica opens a pokeball while glaring at her ex, "which is where you should be if you weren't so busy gambling, drinking, and sticking your hands up waitress skirts!"

A short haired, purple cat with two tails appears.

"Espy, head to the gym and make sure the kids get home safe."

The pokemon and the drunk walk towards the town.

Vivica turns back to us, some of her regal bearing clearly lost, "Sorry, I need to go make a call. Get situated in your rooms then enjoy the seaside restaurant. Cobra and I will have our match in two hours once more guests arrive to enjoy the show. Thank Arceus the camera crew is setting up in the arena!"

She gives Naomi a quick hug before heading inside, the quick click of her high heels giving away her hurried pace.

Whelp I no longer have any doubts about how real this world is. I doubt custody battles are a typical feature in game worlds.

Cobra chuckles awkwardly, "suppose I'll get some food before my match."

As he walks in I decide to take a page from the experienced trainers book and let out my mostly evolved Golbat.

He's freaking massive, at 5 feet tall and still growing, "Wake up Shak, go get ya some food in the woods and look for a good spot to train or catch Pokémon in the morning."

Shak yawns but there's a look of excitement in his big eyes, he flaps once and is off to hunt.

Jane laughs, "I think he's big enough to swallow Edgar whole!"

Naomi smiles like she heard nothing, "shall we find our room?"

One of the hotel workers hands me my backpack, "must be nice having a cake job like your's. Hell, if anything bad happened the Greater Mauville Holdings mascot would swope in before you even need to do anything."

Before I can ask what he means another bellhop elbows him, "Watch your mouth calling a legendary bird a mascot! I don't want to get struck by its damn lightning just for standing near your dumb ȧss."

Quick search of my bȧrėly existing game knowledge, "They have a fuċkɨnġ Zapdos!?"

The first bellhop nods, "ya dude, that little girl's grandfather caught it just over a decade ago, the next day he announced his retirement."

Other bellhop, "Said he finished his list of life goals, can you believe it? Now the thing patrols the sky in the region keeping an eye on the Wattson family interests, you can bet the princess is top priority."

At this point I can only sigh, "Thanks for the heads up."

Inside the hotel and casino lobby we bypass the check in line for regular visitors and walk straight to the front desk. Honestly this is the sort of treatment I could definitely get used to. The feeling is quickly shunted to the side as an Alakazam in a suit hands me my room key. Like, what do I even say in this situation?

Naomi calls over, "Something wrong with your key Kurt?"

"No, nothing wrong," I turn to the strange, mustached pokemon, "Thank you."

He nods, "Kazam."

Dawn, who seemed to be fussing over her luggage for the last twenty minutes, seems to clue into my thoughts, "Most casinos use psychic pokemon to help prevent cheating. I bet that guy at the front deck is watching the entire game floor while munching on snacks and helping the receptionists."

Somehow that feels like exploiting free labor, "Does he get paid?"

When Dawn shrugs, Naomi answers for her, "He gets his own executive suite and basically anything he asks for."

At this point a voice like Batman's butler Alfred sounds in my head, "Thank you for the concern but I ȧssure you I'm quite alright. Really I should feel guilty for how well they take care of me in exchange for the simple tasks they require of me. Have a pleasant stay."

I wave back and try not to give away how supremely creeped out I am.

Boss Jane punches me in the arm as we get in the elevator, "You need to snap out of it, can you believe it? We get to watch a live World Cup qualifier battle tonight!"