The Pokemon Centre in Eterna City was larger than the one in Solaceon, busier too, with a steady stream of trainers moving through the lobby and a Chansey behind the desk helping Nurse Joy manage the flow. Finn sat in one of the waiting chairs with his bag at his feet and his fingers wrapped in a bandage the triage assistant had given him without comment.
He had been waiting forty minutes when Nurse Joy came through the side door pushing a small trolley. The Gible was on it, sitting upright, looking around the lobby.
"All done," Nurse Joy said. She turned the trolley so Finn could see. "Your Gible's… a male. Quite healthy, given the circumstances. Slightly underweight but nothing regular feeding won't fix." She indicated the fin. "The scarring is permanent. The tissue has healed but the shape won't come back."
Finn looked at the fin. The chunk was still missing, the edges now clean and settled rather than dark and raw. The Gible made a low "ghk."
"He was in Wayward Cave," Finn said.
Nurse Joy nodded. She reached under the trolley and produced a folded brochure. "New catch?"
"Yesterday."
She handed him the brochure. Gible Care: The First Month. There was a cartoon Gible on the cover. "The biting is the main thing new Gible owners run into. It's not aggression, exactly. It's how they interact with everything. Work on redirecting it early before it gets you any trouble."
The Gible had turned its attention to the edge of the trolley and was mouthing the corner of it. "Ghk. Ghk."
Finn reached out and the Gible immediately turned and bit his finger.
"Ghk."
Finn looked at his hand. Then at the Gible. The Gible looked back.
"Has he got a name?" Nurse Joy asked.
Finn looked at the fin. At the clean notch taken out of it.
"Chip," he said.
The Gible looked at him.
Finn reached out again, slower, and got his hand to the top of Chip's head before Chip turned and bit him again. At the same spot.
Nurse Joy covered a smile with her hand. "Read the brochure," she said. "Page four. Bite inhibition." She took the trolley back.
"Right," Finn said. He reached for the Pokeball and returned him.
He picked up his bag and stood.
He unfolded the brochure on the way out. Page four had a section titled Bite Inhibition: Starting Early. There was another cartoon Gible on the page, this one with a red X over a drawing of it biting a trainer's hand.
Finn folded it back up and put it in his jacket pocket.
—
On the tenth day the Ponyta came to Ciri before she sat down.
She had just come through the gate when the Ponyta crossed the yard from her corner, stopped in front of her, and pressed her nose against Ciri's palm.
Ciri stood still and let it happen.
The Ponyta stepped closer. Her mane was burning a steady deep orange now, fuller than when she'd arrived, and she held her head higher. She pushed her nose up along Ciri's arm to her shoulder and stood there, close enough that Ciri could feel the warmth of her along one side. The fire was touching her, though it didn't burn.
Miren was at the fence. She and Seo exchanged a look.
"Fire type pokemon can control their fire so it doesn't hurt the ones they touched." Seo unlatched the gate and came in. "Which means, she's ready," he said. "If you are."
Ciri looked at the Ponyta. The Ponyta looked back. Ciri could see the scar along the Ponyta's jaw caught the morning light.
Ciri reached into her jacket pocket and took out the Pokeball.
She held it out flat on her palm. The Ponyta looked at the ball. She sniffed it once. Then she pressed her nose to the button.
The ball opened and closed. The light blinked once, twice, three times, and held.
Miren came through the gate. She and Seo stood beside Ciri. Ciri turned the ball over in her hand once, then clipped it to her belt.
"She'll need to run," Seo said. "Every day if possible. Ponyta that don't run go restless." He crossed his arms. "The area east of town is open enough. Early morning before the trainers are out is best."
"She's young enough that battle isn't urgent," Miren added. "But she'll want to eventually. It's in the breed. Don't hold her back when she's ready."
Ciri nodded.
"You know where the Pokemon Centre is," Seo said. "Get her checked in. See if there's anything they missed."
Miren released the Ponyta from the ball. She appeared in the middle of the yard, stood for a moment, then turned and found Ciri and walked over and stood beside her, shoulder to hip, her mane warming in the morning sun.
Seo looked at the Ponyta. "Will she have a name?"
Ciri looked down at her.
"Kelpie," Ciri said.
The Ponyta's ear turned toward her at the sound of it.
Miren smiled. "She likes it."
Kelpie pushed her nose against Ciri's hand once, then turned and walked a slow circuit of the yard, her mane trailing behind her.
Ciri watched her go.
Seo put his hand briefly on Ciri's shoulder, then dropped it and walked back toward the main building. Miren followed.
Ciri stayed in the yard until Kelpie finished her circuit.