"Alright, your lodging registration is complete."
Santalune City's Nurse Joy handed Ron back his Pokédex, then turned to Abigail. "Since you have the new-model Pokédex, would you like a Rotom installed? It's provided free by the League—but in exchange, all Pokémon data you log will be uploaded to the League database."
She added, "With Rotom, you'll also get daily assistance. You can ask it any questions you have."
Abigail blinked, unsure. She glanced at Ron.
When he nodded, she quickly agreed. "Yes, please!"
"Just a moment," Joy said, typing on her computer. "By the way—you're from Pelican Town, right?"
"Yeah."
Joy looked up, smiling. "My friend works there! When she first said she was going to Pelican Town, we all thought she was joking."
Abigail didn't grasp the implication. "Oh… our town's really small. It's normal if no one's heard of it."
"That must mean it's a wonderful place," Joy said warmly. She handed Abigail the upgraded Pokédex. "Here you go!"
The moment Abigail took it, the screen lit up.
"Hello! Please record your voice."
Still dazed, Abigail followed the prompts.
"Hi, I'm Abigail~"
"Hello-ro-to~! I'm Rotom-lo-to~!"
A pair of eyes popped onto the screen. After studying Abigail for a moment, Rotom grinned. "Nice to meet you-ro-to~!"
"A-ah… nice to meet you too!" Abigail stammered, holding out her hand.
The Rotom Dex floated over, nuzzled her palm, then scanned Gengar.
"For your room," Joy pointed to the elevator, "just take the lift upstairs. Your Pokédex will unlock the door. Breakfast is served from 6 to 8 a.m.—after that, it's not available."
"Got it. Thanks!"
After checking in, Ron and Abigail headed upstairs.
Exhausted from farm work and packing, Abigail had expected restless nerves—but she slept soundly until 7 a.m.
Per their plan, Rotom woke her promptly. Yawning, she opened her door—just as Ron stepped out of his room.
They ate breakfast, then wandered Santalune City together, buying essentials. Since Abigail's Pokédex doubled as a phone, Ron bought a mobile device and exchanged contacts before parting ways.
He had five days to find suitable land and hire builders for his factory.
And Abigail wanted to challenge the Santalune Gym alone—it was her first step as a Trainer.
After saying goodbye, Abigail checked the map, confirmed the gym's location, and set off.
Thanks to Rotom's navigation, she didn't get lost. She marveled at the bustling streets—crowds of Trainers chatting with their Pokémon companions, something Pelican Town never had.
Rotom snapped photos nonstop, logging unfamiliar species:
[Helioptile]
Generator Pokémon. Thrives in deserts; can survive without food as long as it basks in sunlight.
[Spritzee]
Perfume Pokémon. Emits intoxicating fragrances that vary based on its diet.
Guided by Rotom, Abigail and Gengar soon stood before the Santalune Gym.
Before she could steel herself, the doors swung open. A woman with chestnut hair stepped out, camera in hand, waving back inside.
"See you next time! If another challenger comes from Laverre City, let me interview them!"
"Sure thing," Alexa called from the doorway—then spotted Abigail.
"Hello! Are you here to challenge the gym?"
Abigail nodded eagerly. "Hi! I'm Abigail from Pelican Town!"
The woman spun around. "Pelican Town? Then you must know about that mysterious breeding facility!"
Seeing Abigail's confusion, she introduced herself.
"I'm Alexa, a Pokémon journalist—and Viola's sister!" She grinned. "You mentioned Pelican Town—could I interview you? I promise it won't take long!"
This year's surge in new Trainers had caused shortages across Kalos. Most regions scrambled to catch wild Pokémon or relied on local Gyms and labs. Only Laverre City's rookies received exceptional Fletchling—despite them being common, weak wild Pokémon.
Intrigued, Alexa visited Laverre and learned all starters came from a "mysterious breeding facility in Pelican Town." With no records of such a place, she'd turned to Laverre's new Trainers—only to later discover her sister knew the facility's owner.
But Viola only knew Ron slightly. Her Combee had stayed there briefly and returned vastly stronger, chattering in unintelligible Pokémon speech.
Finally—a human who speaks plainly!
"A-ah, but…" Abigail hesitated, then agreed.
A microphone instantly appeared before her.
"Um… but what 'mysterious breeding facility'?" Abigail asked, puzzled. "Pelican Town just has the Community Center… and Ron's farm—the biggest place there."
"Exactly!" Alexa beamed.
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T/N: Thought I was tripping when I saw the 100 powerstones lol, we just hit 50 yesterday.
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