"Hehehe!" I giggled as I woke up, blinking sleep out of my eyes and wiggling to escape the tickling I was receiving. "T-Tini! No f-fair!" I giggled as I reached down and pulled the noodle away from my belly where he was tickling me.
"Dradradra!" He giggled at my squirming as I pulled the blanket away and managed to get myself covered again so he couldn’t reach my sides.
"Okay! Okay I’m awake! Jeez, none of you want to let me sleep in." I grumbled a bit as I reached out and cupped Dratini’s face between my hands. "Morning." I whispered to my little buddy as I leaned in and pressed forehead to forehead.
"Tini." He whispered back, squeezing me in his coils for a moment in a hug before loosening.
Our moment was broken when I yawned, unable to fight it back. I looked to my other sleeping buddy, Mimikyu was actually already up and across the room standing on top of a pile of his supplies. He was making something new, and I’m sure it was gonna be cute.
"Morning Mimikyu." I greeted and he stopped what he was doing to look at me.
"KukUku!" He greeted me warmly and then went back to what he was doing.
Good. I looked over at Dratini. "Want to join me?" I asked him and he chirped happily as he wrapped around me. He was getting big, even with him coiled around my neck, he was still dangling quite a ways down...
It was because he was growing, and not because I was short!
I walked into the bathroom yawning still and readied my toothbrush, Dratini knew what toothpaste was so he didn’t try to taste it.
He’d only done that once.
Giggling a bit at the memory I stuck my toothbrush up to my face and then instead of just getting it over with, I waited a second until Dratini grew confused, and started dancing as I brushed.
The happy giggles of delight filled the bathroom. Certainly made brushing my teeth more fun.
Finishing up, I straightened up brushed my hair and put it back in a ponytail, thankfully it was starting to grow back a bit from Gibles chomp.
But when I headed downstairs I noticed something that made me slump.
"Aww, it’s snowing." I grumbled as I looked out the windows that were frosted.
"You like snow." Mama said as I looked over at the living room couch where Mama was curled up in blankets watching TV.
Meowth wass purring lightly under Mama’s hands.
"I do... But doing chores in the snow sucks."
Mama looked away from her shows and hummed in agreement. "Your father is already out there doing some checks. If you hurry I’m sure he’d be happy to see you." Mama offered leadingly, and I narrowed my eyes.
What an odd thing to say.
I kept my eyes narrowed at her as I headed for the hall closet and grabbed my jacket and snow boots. All the while Mama watched me innocently, until I walked out of sight towards the door. "Get ready." I warned Dratini who nodded at me seriously. And then I opened the door.
Ah that explains Mama’s well hidden amusement.
A snow fort had been built, obviously at the hands of Papa. He stood upon the top of it, which told me that snow was packed up, and Arcany’s head popped out beside him, and Lucario and Riolu stood beside him.
Lucario had her arms crossed mimicking Papa, which was... Really cute, but Riolu gave the game away as she held snowballs in her hands and looked far, far too eager to hit me with them.
"So it’s like this... A betrayal!" I shouted out, pointing.
"The Emperor hears not the cries of the peasants!" Papa called back, and I gasped as that was a quote from a historical movie that Papa liked.
He was totally into it!
"Dratini! Get ready! We won’t fall to this Tyranny!" I called out and Papa’s grin widened in delight.
"Lucario! Command the release!" Papa called out and Lucario nodded and barked and Riolu howled in delight, and then started chucking snowballs rapid fire.
"Crap!" I yelped as I started running to avoid the incredibly accurate and powerful snowballs. I took two hits before jumping behind some packed up snow. At least Papa had given me some cover even if he didn’t even give me a chance to make my own fort! Jerk!
"Dratini! Use Twister! We’re going to start counter attacking!
"Tini!" He chirped happily and as I gathered a snowball I stood up, his Twister kept the fire of snowballs from slamming into me, and I waited for it to build up before cocking a hand back and firing.
The twister sucked my snowball right through it and Riolu’s laughter died as she ate a snowball right in her mouth.
"Take that! Down with Tyranny!" I roared out at my victory.
Then a moment later I yelped as a hole was blown through my defenses. I looked over and saw the large snowball that Lucario had just chucked...
"Th-that’s cheating!"
"No such thing! If your meager defenses can’t stand up to the Emperor! Mwahahaha!" Papa evil laughed, and I was not having that.
Only I got to evil laugh!
"Use Water Pulse on their fortifications! We need to weaken their defenses!" I called out and Dratini cheered, peeking his head up and in a burst the water pulse slammed into Papa’s fort.
"Hey!"
"No such thing as cheating!" I called back, looking at the hole in his defenses now covered in ice.
It looked like someone had hit a stone wall with a cannon. This was cool. "Continue bombardment!"
"Full attack Captain Lucario! Riolu, continue offensive duties! Arcany, Pinpoint it!"
I didn’t have time to find out what Papa was planning as Dratini peeked and fired another Water pulse and Arcany sent back a short fireball that slammed into the attack and exploded, spewing steam which thanks to the cold turned into a powder in seconds.
That...
"Do it again!" I called out, because that was so cool!. A few more explosions later and I was satisfied. Even if I was avoiding a barrage of Snowballs.
"Alright, they think they have the advantage here! Dratini use twister, gather up all the snow!" I called out, and he cried out his purple dragon energy swirling out and sucking up snow into a big pile between us. Papa not yet calling out anything to stop it.
"Now use twister to shoot it up into the air so it lands on their heads!" I roared and Papa actually flinched back at my command as Dratini started another twister, it was aimed at the ground and then the energy twisted up into the sky and started sucking up the snow and as it did it started basically snow blowing it right at Papa!
Then a light burst into life and a moment later the pile of snow had a hole through it, and the Twister was disrupted as Lucario’s Aura sphere simply smashed it all apart.
I gaped, head exposed, which was a bad idea as a moment later I took a snowball from Riolu, always ready to be a brat.
"I think... We need to call in reinforcements." I muttered to Dratini from the pile of snow I was in after getting tagged.
"Tini." He muttered in agreement huddling down in my jacket.
If only I had Dragonite with me.
Below the Beedrill hiding under them were Kakuna dozens if not hundreds of them, all kept warm and safe by the Hive.
I could even see a few Weedle sleeping among the Kakuna, but there weren’t many of those.
Bugsy handed out the jam. Soon he was satisfied and we both walked out of the cave and back into the much colder outside air.
"Thanks." Bugsy whispered and I threw him a thumbs up.
"No problem. Where to next?"
"There’s a family of Heracross I want to check on."
We both headed out into the forest, even with the snow Bugsy knew the forest like the back of his hand, so we didn’t get lost, and my help carrying extra food for the pokemon ended up making me useful on the trip, not that seeing all the cute hibernating bug Pokemon wasn’t worth the trip anyways.
—--
"Vicky!"
"Yeah?" I asked, looking up from my Pokedex. I was adding some information on the bug pokemon that I’d discovered thanks to Bugsy.
Beedrill were cuddle bugs when it was cold. Good information that.
"Professor Cerise just called, he mentioned a research expedition." Mama said as she walked into my room, and I perked up.
"Oh yeah? Is he finally ready?"
"He asked if you would be open in a few days to traveling with the expedition to Mt. Moon for a few days."
"Yes! Can I go? We’re doing Eevee research!"
Mama blinked at that and actually whatever she was going to stay was forgotten.
"On Mt. Moon?"
"Yeah. They have some Correlation data. Multiple Espeon and Umbreon all evolve at a similar place on the mountain." I explained and Mama perked up.
"Oh how nice! I wonder if they’ll finally figure it out." She muttered happily and I hummed a bit.
"I don’t think it has anything to do with the Mountain itself. It doesn’t really fit, but I’ll do my best to help them figure it out." I offered confidently, and Mama sent me a smirk.
"Oh, is my poke genius daughter going to solve the mystery of Eeveelution?"
"Yes." I said simply and very pointedly closed my Pokedex journal. "That’s why I wanted to help Cerise in the first place... Not Eevee specifically, but all of them. All pokemon should be allowed to evolve, and the knowledge lets us help them."
"You know... I know you never liked the Milotic situation. Keeping it quiet. Are you okay?" Mama asked and I blinked and decided to be honest.
"I really hate it. I mean, I like the money." I had to admit. "It let me do lots of things to help take care of my pokemon, but... I’d be happier to see a trainer walking around with a Milotic, or an Arcanine."
Mama huffed a laugh at me. "You’re just like your father. You love your mangy mutts."
"Hey! Arcany and Arcanine aren’t mangy!"
Mama poked me and I giggled at her ticklish finger.
"You know what I mean... I hope working with this Professor helps Vicky. I didn’t really want to allow it. I’d rather you go back to school instead, but... Maybe you need this. Maybe you need to help share some of that understanding you have with Pokemon with the world."
Our eyes met and I couldn’t help but smile. "I’m gonna try."
"I know." Mama bent down and kissed my forehead. "You have our permission to go with Professor Cerise. It’s not like there’s anything on Mt. Moon that can threaten my Conference winner."
"You definitely just jinxed me." I told her, and she laughed and hugged me tight.
—--
"This... This is much better than I could have hoped!" Professor Cerise muttered as I helped out. We were at the base of Mt. Moon, and it hadn’t taken long to confirm the spot that the expedition planned to camp, but instead of just heading through the mountain which was a pain in the butt, we were instead relying on Dragonite and Arcanine to get everyone up the mountain the fast way.
Dragonite carrying the equipment, and Arcanine carrying the people. Considering how much fun she was having running up and down a mountain was a reward for her, and a punishment for the poor researchers.
"Eeeeeeee!" The next one up the mountain shrieked as Arcanine disappeared.
"Thank you Vicky."
"It’s nothing. It keeps Arcanine busy. She likes the exercise." I explained and he nodded. Pretty quickly all the supplies, and the team of researchers were sent up the mountain. I liked Cerise’s whoop of delight as he got to ride Arcanine up before me.
Then I joined them and mostly just stayed out of the way as the camp was set up. Just a tent with some tables and things to place their equipment on, although I did scour the area for Geodude and sent two of them packing down the mountain after they got upset at my presence.
Once that was done I took in the actual location.
Cave on one side. Cave on the other. It was on the descent to Cerulean where the path opened up and you could see out of the mountain. I could make out Cerulean from here even.
I scoped out the area, noticing plenty of marks of old campfires and things.
Lot of people camped here.
"Alright people! Let’s start taking those scans!" Cerise called out leading the group.
It was mostly people I was familiar with. Ren and Chrysa, Cerise’s research assistants. Although Ren had a Magnemite following him around and even holding some of the equipment while Ren worked!
Very cute!
For some reason Chrysa despite loving Psyduck didn’t seem to actually have one? If you like the pokemon why not go find one?
And then there were the Eevee researchers.
Pinery with her Glaceon haircut, did have an Eevee that was following her around, and two others, one girl with a lightning streak in her bangs had a Jolteon.
Bit on the nose, but I couldn’t really comment.
... It turns out that finding a hairdresser that can do Pokemon styles is easy, but finding one that can do the style you want is a bit harder, so I ended up giving up on the idea.
I walked around the camp checking on things. Arcanine was assigned to one of the cave entrances, and Dragonite and Milotic to the other. That made sure the Zubat wouldn’t cause us any issues.
Thankfully it was quiet. The researchers ran around like headless chickens taking samples of the dirt, and checking the rocks all over the place to see if any of them had some hidden evolution stones.
We were gonna be here for a few days, so I had time to try and figure out how to lead the Researchers to water.
Until then, I settled in along the edge of the path and just enjoyed the view.