Pokemon Freelancer

Back in the present, Joe shifted in his seat, and Sprigatito took the hint. The big man wanted to stand up. The feline hopped off Joe's lap, having just finished the entire pack of food. It hovered around his legs, clearly attached to him now. Joe smiled down at the little Pokemon as he stood up and stretched. He scrunched up the packaging and shoved it into a pocket and wiped crumbs off his trousers. The automatic glass panel doors hadn't moved in a while. Not a single customer during his little reminiscing session. Sometimes he wondered how the store was still in business, but they earned more than enough during busier hours.

As the superior here, the manager's assistant, Joe felt he should check on his underlings. See if they'd done a good job. He walked the aisles. Shelves were stocked neatly and any free space was spotless. No dust. The tiled floor was squeaky clean too. As he performed this check-up, Sprigatito walked beside him, humming deeply. Whenever he stopped for a moment, the feline brushed the side of its body against his leg.

Joe knew little about this species of Pokemon. He wondered if Sprigatito was marking territory or property. If not, then it was just a sign of affection, like other felines. Joe was happy to receive. It was a good reward for his efforts.

He made it to a corner and observed large hiking backpacks hanging from the wall. They were covered in straps so people could hook items onto them. Plenty of compartments that used zips. A few exterior pouches. He used one of these to deliver products for years, and he'd be using one again soon for its actual purpose of exploring the great outdoors.

Perhaps it was a man thing, but Joe felt a call to the wild. He'd lived in a large city for over half a decade. It was time for a different view. For a different life. The month-long trips around Johto weren't enough.

Joe walked back to the counter and saw his coworkers putting away cleaning products in the storeroom. He was happy to have finally worked alongside diligent, decent people. He'll be sad to say goodbye to them. Joe imagines, when he returns, both Hydie and Shaun would have moved on. Especially Hydie. She'd been at university for a few years already and she got this job for simple experience, to have a good reference for a future position. Shaun was in that phase of his life where he tended to go from job to job until he finally found a place he liked. Maybe he'll stick around, but Joe expected the kid to be gone in the near future.

When they came back into the store front, Joe praised them. "Good job, you two. The place is spotless."

Hydie gave a 'V' for victory using her index and middle finger. Shaun gave a thumbs up. It's Joe's last day, they can't have him leaving annoyed that his employees can't do simple tasks. He's been good to them. Lenient in what they can and can't do. They respect Joe and want him to think well of them.

Light poured in through the wall of windows, drawing Joe's attention away from his coworkers. Joe looked to see the storm left as quickly as it had appeared. Clouds parted to reveal the sun.

Not liking the constant reminder of time, Joe didn't wear a watch at work. However, he had a good internal clock. He could tell his shift was going to end soon. That was the reason for his one last check of the PokeMart. No harm in doing his job properly in his last hour here. Slacking off would be a sign of bad discipline.

Thanks to his distracted state, Hydie and Shaun managed to sneak back into the staffroom to grab something without him knowing. Sprigatito noticed though. It watched them use the door with curious eyes and the tilt of its head.

"Hey, Joe." Hydie called out as she approached, causing him to turn to her. In her hands was a little rectangle cake, no more than a foot long. Pure white icing was layered on thick. "You're a difficult guy to buy for, you know."

"If we couldn't get you a decent present, then you can't go wrong with some good cake, right?" Shaun joined in.

Joe gave them a wry smile. "You didn't have to."

"Well we did, so eat up." Hydie stated, puffing out her moderate chest.

"What, the whole thing? Right now?" Joe teased. It'd be one of the last times to bait her. Might as well take the opportunity.

"No, silly. It's already cut into four."

Joe observed for a moment then grabbed a slice. The cake was so expertly cut that he didn't notice at first. The white icing didn't give anything away. He thought about it for a moment. Only one reason for it to be split into four. "Cats are allowed to eat this?"

He threw the slice into his mouth. Wonderfully sweet. As good as the cake his mother got him every year for his Birthday. Might the same brand, actually. Joe wouldn't be surprised if Hydie contacted his mother. Some may find the cake to be sickly sweet, but it was just right for Joe.

Hydie gently bit into her piece and nodded in response to Joe's question. After enough chewing, savouring the flavour, she spoke. "The shop advertised all food as being edible for Pokemon."

Shaun was a bit of a messy eater, shoving his slice into his mouth and munching fast before going in for seconds. Hydie slapped his hand away and Joe grabbed the last slice. He crouched down to Sprigatito.

"You still got room in there for more?"

"Of course she does. Every woman has a second stomach for sweets." Hydie replied in Sprigatito's place.

Indeed, the feline nibbled on the cake as the man looked up at Hydie. A rare scene. He's not usually looking up at anyone. "How do you know Sprigatito is a she?"

"Intuition."

Both Joe and Shaun gave a half-hearted, "Sure." and left it at that. It must be true though. Hydie was never left alone with the cat. It was always in Joe's hands or by his side. Hydie only stroked Sprigatito's head once or twice.

After the feline was finally done eating, Joe saw the state of her face. Of course, she was an animal. She was going to be a messy eater. What did that say about Shaun? Regardless, Joe was about to stand up when Hydie stuck her hand out. She was holding the white towel Joe bought earlier to dry the cat. Joe thanked her and grabbed Sprigatito by the back of the neck to keep her in place. He rubbed her face to get rid of all the icing and crumbs. Apparently the feline liked the sensation as she yipped once she was clean. Joe pulled the towel away and saw a smile on her face. He was amused how easy it seemed to please the Pokemon.

With the snack tucked away in everyone's stomachs, they bickered for a bit before the trio for the next shift arrive. The manager arrived first, his hair entirely grey but well-groomed. His grandson was by his side. A prickly kid that still needed to grow up. His attitude annoyed those around him, but he didn't care just yet. He would one day. It was just a phase. After that, a man in his mid-forties arrived. Someone Joe didn't know. Must be his replacement. He's the last of the new shift for now, until busier hours. Everyone was wearing the same blue shirt and black trousers. The PokeMart's uniform.

Customers chose this moment to start appearing. With the sun bursting through clouds, people were out again. Parents getting their children out of school. Other adults finishing shifts like Joe was about to. The manager's grandson and Joe's replacement get to work as Hydie and Shaun disappear to avoid having to work overtime. Joe stood aside, out of the way. He's thankful for the storm. He had an hour of little work. He got to relax at the end.

The manager stood beside Joe and observed his new employees. If his hair colour didn't give away his age, his wrinkles would. His face looked like a thick rug that'd been pushed together from both sides. His eyes were completely covered. Yet his vision was perfect. No one knew how. When the manager was satisfied his employees were doing a good job, he turned to Joe and put a hand out to shake. Joe obliged, having gotten on well with the old man since the beginning.

"You enjoy yourself, kid. It's probably a once in a lifetime holiday. Make the most of it."

Joe nodded, briefly looking at the item that was handed to him within the handshake. He knew what it would be based on the size and shape, but he had to check. "That's the plan. You look after yourself, old man."

With the faintest hint of a smile, the manager shooed Joe out the door as the big man pocketed his gift. The manager knew Joe never brought anything with him. No bag to grab from the staffroom, unlike Hydie and Shaun. Being an assistant manager had perks, like Joe got to keep his smartphone on him. No need for a locker.

Joe walked outside with Sprigatito trailing after him. He was never going to see his share of the bet. He'd forgotten about it already. He looked up into the sky, using a hand to cover his eyes. Starting now, he was free to go wherever his feet took him. Sounded like a dream.

There had been a brief discussion about going out drinking tonight with his coworkers, but Hydie had a test tomorrow so she was out. Joe wanted to set out early tomorrow so didn't want to deal with a hangover. Shaun was a severe lightweight so stayed away from social events at bars. It was easy for the group to say no to a night out.

He looked down at Sprigatito, lowering his hand back down to his side. "You look after yourself, Sprigatito."

The feline's face immediately shifted from cheerful to sad. The smile vanished. Its eyes clouded and it looked at the ground. Joe had seen this before, dozens of times. It's why he'd never adopted a stray Pokemon. The first time he looked after a wild one like this, he returned it to its urban home. He regretted it a few days later and went back to see if it wanted to be adopted, only to see it happy with other Pokemon. It had found its own family. For Joe, that was the best-case scenario. People's, or Pokemon's, happiness was important regardless of whether Joe was the one supplying it. He's sure Sprigatito will be happy elsewhere.

Besides, he couldn't adopt every troubled Pokemon in the city. He'd end up with hundreds, thousands, of Pokemon. He was in no position to help so many creatures that all had different needs. So, this was it. No more Sprigatito. Joe enjoyed having the Pokemon around, however brief it was. He always enjoyed the company of animals.

He gave the green cat a final smile and goodbye as he turned to head home. A modest place, a small one-bedroom apartment suitable for an adult male. As expected of someone that thought about discipline, it was well kept. Clean and tidy at all times. He occasionally received jabs from friends about the interior being bland, but Joe didn't feel the need to decorate.

Sprigatito watched Joe leave until he was out of sight. She turned and walked alongside a road in the opposite direction. Her enthusiasm was gone and her head remained hanging low. She thought perhaps she would finally have a place to call home with a good human, but apparently Joe didn't care enough to adopt her.

As she walked, trying to decide what to do next, Sprigatito's ear twitched. She looked up, turning her attention to what she heard. She saw a child being picked up by his mother and realised she really wanted that. Her eyes sparkled at the thought of Joe continuing to look after her. She had been alone her entire life, a few months on the streets. She had no one to return home to. Sprigatito could still be considered a newborn too. After receiving a taste of what a family could be like, she wanted more. No other human had bothered with Sprigatito, which made the one that did put in some effort more special than the others. He might be willing, with a little push.

She was going to become his Pokemon and continue to experience that soothing aura. She desired to finally have a good life, not needing to fight to survive every day, living off scraps.

Not wanting to waste another second, the feline rushed the way she saw Joe headed. A curved road heading away from the city centre. He was noticeable due to his size, but that also meant he took half the steps normal-sized people took to cover the same distance. Sprigatito believed it would be tough to catch up to him. She could wait around the shop, but that showed a lack of determination. She'd do what she had to in order to reach him immediately.

Running as fast as she could, Sprigatito skidded to a halt after running along asphalt paths for a few minutes. Her goal was surprisingly easy. She had caught up to Joe. Of course, it was because he had stopped to help an old lady cross the road.

Given his size and strength, Joe could pick the woman up and carry her across, but he wanted to help maintain her independence. People appreciate assistance, but they also don't like to feel like their autonomy has been stripped from them. Made them feel less capable. It can be a difficult balancing act. So Joe just held her hand as cars stopped. Whether they stopped out of respect and compassion or because it looked like Joe would beat them up if they refused, no one but the drivers knew.

Having safely escorted the old woman, Joe waved at her and continued on, to his apartment. It wasn't much further, just around the corner. A white structure with red brick outlines. A little basic, but the price was reasonable so he accepted it. Function over form.

Sprigatito hung back, not entirely sure how to approach. She watched from afar as Joe walked up some stairs on the side of the four storey building. Joe moved until he was at the top, then he walked along an outdoor hallway.

Constantly hopping up the stairs seemed annoying, so Sprigatito used another method to ascend. The apartment building had a handful of trees out front. Sprigatito used her claws and natural agility to climb one. She hopped from branch to branch until she was as close to Joe's home as she could be, and she curled up and waited, eyes fixed on his front door. She was just a little too slow, he was already inside.

Leaping to the wall of the outdoor hallway seemed easy, but she held off. She didn't know how long Joe would be in his apartment. Being a grass-type, she was in her element here in the tree. She didn't want to wait around on brick or concrete.

The feline must've been tired. Joe was only in his home for twenty minutes before he came back out, and Sprigatito had fallen asleep within that time. Working as a lookout wasn't her future profession. It was boring. But Joe closing his door created enough noise to wake Sprigatito.

Joe paid her no mind as he locked his door. Sprigatito was green, and in a tree in the middle of Summer. Perfect camouflage. He'd come home to freshen up, have a late lunch, get changed into comfortable clothes and grab his gym bag.

A single strap went over his head and onto his shoulder to secure it over his one-tone jacket and t-shirt. He turned to walk along the hallway to the stairs, the gym bag bouncing against his legs that now wore blue denim jeans.

Sprigatito, still half asleep and feeling groggy from a weirdly timed nap, went to stand up and dash off the branch. She wanted to jump at Joe, he was close enough. But she put a paw too close to the edge and slipped, letting out a little yelp as she began to fall.

This caught Joe's attention. He heard birds chirping all the time because of the trees around the apartment, but not… cats? His emerald eyes widened as he glimpsed movement. It didn't fit in with the lush leaves. Big red eyes. Sprigatito. She was falling from a branch.

He may be four storeys up, but Joe didn't hesitate. He placed a meaty hand atop brick and hopped over the four-foot wall of the apartment hallway. His brain was playing catchup with his actions and he realised he'd seen cats fall from trees before. They were always fine afterwards. Cats were nimble and often immune to fall damage. Oh well, he was committed now.

As he fell, he kicked the outer wall and used a long arm to reach out to Sprigatito. The feline was descending straight down while Joe was moving at an angle. The two intersected within moments. He caught the green feline in one hand and brought it to his chest. At the same time, he moved his gym bag with his other hand as he twisted his body. His bag would hit the ground first, followed by his back or side. It was a good job that, like most people who visit fitness centres, Joe packed too many clothes. He just tossed all his workout clothes in there. A dozen pairs. This one lazy decision in his life saved him from major harm.

A second later, Joe hit dirt that surrounded the trees and rolled on his side once, twice, three times before stopping. He breathed heavily, despite not really doing much. It was less than five seconds of intense action. Atop his chest was Sprigatito, unharmed. His arm had covered for the feline successfully, as intended. He lifted his head to look at the shivering Pokemon. Scared once again, but not aimed at Joe this time. At least, he hoped the fear wasn't because of him. He was sure they were past Joe being a big scary man.

Joe pats the cat's head. "You're all right." After saying that, he sat up, Sprigatito cupped in a hand. He winced from pain, squinting his eyes slightly. The adrenaline had kept him from feeling it immediately. It felt like he'd been struck by a blunt weapon, hard. He was going to have a sizeable bruise on his side soon.

The cat was wide awake now, and thankful to Joe. He didn't have to risk himself like that. It just made Sprigatito want to stay with him even more. She was right to go after him. Joe put her down and stood up to dust himself off, every movement cause pain to shoot along a couple of ribs. Maybe damaged tissue or a bruised bone. Joe would be sure to keep an eye on it over the next few days. If it took too long to heal then he was more injured than he thought. He then looked at Sprigatito. With a smile he put his hand in a pocket. Out came a sphere, red on top and white at the bottom. It was tiny, the size of a human adult's eye, until Joe pressed a button in the centre and it expanded. Now it was the size of a baseball.

His manager hadn't just shook his hand. He'd placed a Pokeball in Joe's palm. It was his parting gift. The manager's final words were telling Joe to make the most of his time off. Joe was all about seizing opportunities when presented to him. This was just another in a long line. His manager knew him well.

Joe had always held off on having a Pokemon for one reason or another. Usually because he felt they didn't need him. It was tied to his need to constantly make himself useful to someone. If a Pokemon was going to come to him, he'd gladly accept it into his life. Sprigatito was the first Pokemon to come back to Joe after he'd temporarily cared for it. It needed him, or wanted him, for something.

No one was capable of shutting Jasmine up when she spoke about battling, but she had also imparted general knowledge to Joe about Pokemon. Pokemon were more than capable of living harmoniously with people. They were easily domesticated. It'd been happening for thousands of years. It was ingrained in their DNA, their instincts, at this point. As long as a person proved they were capable in some way, like through a show of strength or compassion, a Pokemon would accept a human. Joe didn't need to be told Sprigatito was a fan of the affection he had shown her. And he was happy about that.

He knelt down to the green cat and showed the Pokeball to it. "How about it? Want to come with me? I promise plenty of treats."

Sprigatito's face lit up, the biggest smile Joe had seen so far. She already felt comfortable with him thanks to his soothing aura. There was no hesitation in joining him. The feline had needed a parental figure and, in a way, she'd found one. She headbutted the Pokeball, which opened and turned her into some sort of blue energy. The Pokeball absorbed her in this energy form and closed. The orb rocked back and forth in Joe's hand a few times before settling with an audible ding from… somewhere. Did this thing have a speaker?

Regardless, Joe had caught his first Pokemon. A Sprigatito. He let her out immediately, seeing her reform out of blue energy into the appearance he recognised. She yipped her excitement and hopped onto Joe's shoulder by first jumping onto his bent leg since he was still kneeling. Joe's broad shoulders made for a good perch. Sprigatito even had room to move around. A perk of Joe being bulky and the feline being smaller than average.

Joe shrunk the Pokeball and pocketed it before reaching a finger up to stroke Sprigatito's chin. He always had a spare pocket. Smartphone in his front right and his wallet and keys in the back. Now he finally had an item to occupy his front left pocket. Sprigatito's Pokeball.

He still had no desire to train or battle. His mother kept a pet Meowth around, so Joe was just doing the same. Although perhaps his mother wasn't the best example as she did also have Pokemon trained for battle.

Whatever, Sprigatito seemed to scare easily. He didn't want to throw her into a battle if she wasn't ready or capable of fighting. Joe hadn't come across a problem he couldn't solve on his own yet, so he didn't need a Pokemon to fight his battles for him.

Well, actually, there was one problem. Still ongoing. But he preferred not to think about it these days. It seemed impossible to solve so he just ignored it.

He grabbed his bag that was lying a few feet away and felt some pain in his side as he stretched down. He was going to stop at a corner store and grab some painkillers before his work out. He should probably take it easy at the fitness centre today just in case. Maybe he should skip it entirely. Explore Olivine one last time, but now with his new pet by his side. Joe often acted on a whim so who knew what he'd get up to before his holiday tomorrow.