Pokemon - Solo's Strange Journey

Space Time Mystery Solved

The missing piece of the puzzle has been found. The chaotic nature of the universe has been unraveled, and we know it with an uncertain certainty like never before.

The findings of a local scientist in Alamos Town have the busy bees of the scientific community buzzing with excitement. Dr. Tonio Belmont, a theoretical physicist specializing in temporal and spatial science, has been studying the aftermath of the legendary pokemon's battle. His research suggests that the clash between Dialga and Palkia may have inadvertently revealed new insights into the fabric of our universe.

"During the battle, I've observed distortions in space-time, similar in nature to the energy signatures of the recent Space Time Convergence," Dr. Belmont explained. "These distortions have provided me with a unique opportunity to study the interaction between temporal and spatial dimensions in real-time, and I have come to the definitive conclusion that the cheese block theory is indeed correct."

As a reminder, the recently invented cheese block theory states that the universe is a solid, complex shape. Holes can form within it; They can collapse and connect different points in space-time with each other.

"And the holes are being created by the battle between Dialga and Palkia, fighting against each other outside of time and space." Dr. Belmont further explained. "The cause of the increasingly strong space-quakes also becomes apparent once it is asserted that the damage is not accumulating linearly... but exponentially."

(Image displaying a graph that is asymptote to the X-axis but grows towards infinity near the current year.)

"10 years ago, the space-quakes already existed, but it was impossible to differentiate them from the random movements of energetic atoms. Today, we have noticeable earthquakes... In 10 years... we will face oblivion. The matter that makes us up with shake itself apart. Needless to say, we need to find a solution quickly."

Previous estimates, based on a linear model, suggested a ten-year timeline. However, with the current exponential growth, the universe may tear itself apart much sooner. If the new model is accurate, total destruction of civilization could occur within the next year.

The discovery has sparked a global call to action among the scientific community and political elite, urging immediate research and collaboration to devise a strategy to stabilize the fabric of space-time. International conferences are being scheduled, and top physicists around the world are prioritizing this newfound understanding in hopes of averting the impending catastrophe.

The Platinum family has promised a blank cheque for Team Galactic to increase their efforts to find a solution.

Renowned physicists and researchers all over the world, driven by the belief that a collaborative approach can yield breakthrough solutions, are pooling their knowledge and resources.

Dr. Belmont's groundbreaking findings have become the foundation for numerous experimental projects aimed at understanding and mitigating space-time anomalies.

"We are on the cusp of a new era in scientific discovery," Dr. Belmont remarked on a positive note. "With the combined efforts of our brightest minds and the generous support from the Platinum family, I am confident we can develop innovative techniques to stabilize the temporal and spatial dimensions."

In conclusion, while the revelation of the cheese block theory presents a daunting challenge, it also opens the door to unprecedented advancements in our comprehension of the universe. The coming years will be critical in determining whether humanity can rise to the occasion and find a solution to preserve the very fabric of existence... Or perish trying. 

The scientific community remains hopeful, embracing this pivotal moment with determination and unity.

===

Hope restored for Alamos Town

The people of Alamos Town have begun to see a glimmer of hope after the tranquil community was turned upside down when two legendary pokemon, Dialga and Palkia, nearly destroyed the town in a fierce battle.

The incident, which from the outside seemed like a natural disaster of the worst kind, was first reported as the work of these powerful pokemon by a regional trainer known as Swole Solo. His claims, initially dismissed with skepticism and asserted to be hyperbole, were substantialized through video evidence and later confirmed by Carolina Shirona, a renowned history professor specializing in Sinnoh legends.

In the aftermath of the devastation, the local nobility, led by Baron Alberto, stepped up to spearhead the cleanup and rebuilding efforts. Under his guidance, teams of volunteers and workers have already started the monumental task of restoring the town to its former glory. "Our community's spirit remains unbroken," Baron Alberto said. "Together, we will rebuild and emerge stronger from this tragedy."

The Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia Shirona, along with last year's formidable challenger, Tobias Ryushu, have been dispatched to Alamos Town to enforce the peace and prevent further chaos. Their presence is a reassuring sight for many residents who feared a repeat of the humanitarian crisis in Canalave City. 

"Our number one priority is to ensure the safety and security of Alamos Town," Cynthia said. "We are here to support the community and help restore order in these trying times."

According to numerous interviews, Swole Solo played a pivotal role in minimizing the destruction caused by the legendary pokemon's clash.

"He was the fastest. We found the music disc that was supposed to calm Dialga and Palkia down, and someone needed to run up the tower," One eyewitness said. "Without any hesitation, he did it. Brock \[the former Pewter City gym leader of Kanto], Ash, and I ran up after him to finish the mission in case something stopped Swole."

But not all worked out as expected. "We were running up the staircase. And the whole time, these massive pokemon were fighting, right? And then Dialga, the blue one, shot a beam at us. A massive beam! Like a meter in diameter, and it turned the staircase above us into steam!"

For an unknown reason, the town's landmark turned out to be one of the least damaged buildings. Despite the chaos, the quick actions of Swole Solo and his companions helped prevent a total catastrophe:

The twin towers did not collapse.

Their bravery has become a focal point of the town's spirit, even if some dismiss the tale as embellished heroism.

While the residents of Alamos Town rebuild, the support from neighboring cities has been overwhelming. Supplies and volunteers have poured in from Jubilife City, Oreburgh City and Eterna City, helping to clear debris and provide aid to those affected. Baron Alberto expressed his gratitude for the assistance. 

"The generosity and solidarity shown by our neighbors is truly heartwarming," He said. "We couldn't have done this alone."

Efforts to restore the town are progressing steadily. Temporary shelters have been set up for those who lost their homes, and essential services are being restored.

As life slowly returns to a semblance of normalcy, the community is already planning a commemorative event to honor the heroes and volunteers who played crucial roles during and after the disaster. 

Swole Solo, whose quick thinking and bravery were instrumental, was expected to be a central figure in the ceremony. However, the young hero and his friends were already on their way to continue their pokemon adventures once rebuilding efforts were on a solid track. They missed the event.

The future of Alamos Town remains uncertain, but the determination of its people ensures that it will rise from the ruins. With continued support and unwavering community spirit, Alamos Town is poised to rebuild and flourish once more.

Karla Kolumna - for Jubilife TV.

---

Swole-POV:

"Oh no... Who took that picture?"

Front and center on the newspaper is a picture of me carrying rubble away with a wheelbarrow. 

"Yer looking pretty good in that picture. Better than me, at least." Standing a few feet away from me in the picture, is Zoey. I remember she was just talking to me back then because she couldn't really help with just one arm.

The picture shows my pokemon crawling all over my body. Buneary and Salandit have started arguing over something, but I forgot what it was about.

Dawn is nearby, close to the edge of the image, sorting through a ruined building, looking for things that were useful for the community at that time. Literally looting.

But what makes this picture so terrible, so awful, an affront to everything... "Don't you see it, Zoey?"

"Nnn-" She hums as she continues to look through the picture for the offending detail. "-no?"

"There!" I point my finger directly at it.

"Yes. That is Cynthia. I'd say it's pretty amazing to be on the front page together with the unbeatable champion. Just wish I wasn't so darn unimpressive."

She still can't see it. "Look at her face. Do you see that frown?"

Zoey looks at me as if I'm crazy.

"She's pissed! At me! It's terrible!"

Her eyes roll.

"Her words... They sting so much, 'I keep having to clean up after you.' They still ring so clear in my mind!"

"..." No response.

"My chances with her, nevermore."

"... Is it just my imagination, or have ya become more of a snob?"

"She jests. Surely she just jokes."

"Nope. Not jesting."

"I shall blame my cursed item. Here! Taketh it from mine possessions! Free me from its wicked chains!"

I throw my half of the contest ribbon at her.

It dropped to the ground because she tried to catch it with her missing arm.

"Darn."

The joke fell flat.

"Sorry."

"Nah. My fault. I'll just give it to Dawn since the ribbon is bound to you and her. Just make sure not to touch these wicked items once more, lest you face the consequences. I shall not have my fiancé-to-be become a boorish snob."

I stop myself from laughing too loudly. Don't want to be a nuisance to the other people in the pokemon center.

"So, anything interesting in the news?"

"Very interesting. But..." Next year. "Try not to read that science-hogwash article. Just filled with B.S. again... Sadly, there is no new info on the clearing progress of route 218. I'm starting to worry about Akari."

"I know exactly what ya mean." Zoey says, and it takes me a moment to figure out what she meant.

"... I'm sorry for getting stuck on route 218. How did you deal with it?"

"I was simply optimistic." That sounds rather difficult. "There was just no way terrible things would happen in our first week as pokemon trainers, ya know?"

Lucas kinda died that day for no good reason.

"What are ya looking so pessimistic for? She's gonna be fine."

Talking about it was a mistake. Now I just know something bad happened. If this were a story, then something would have to happen while I'm not there. To create unnecessary tension.

"Life's not a story. Stop worrying, worry-wart."

Right. Ever since we linked up with aura, she can hear my 'mumbling' too. Good thing I never mumble about incriminating thoughts, like her hot piece of ass.

"I heard that."

"I know." I wink but she doesn't show the reaction I wanted. She's much harder to fluster than Dawn is.

And just as I think of the dummy she appears.

"Who are you calling a dummy? Huh?" Dawn becomes flustered the moment she steps out of the examination room.

"How was the checkup? Everything fine with your pokemon?"

"Of course. Your turn, Zoey." Dawn hugs her and sends her off to see Nurse Joy. "... Wait a minute. Did you just distract me from something? I could swear I had a good reason to be mad at you."

"Maybe... you were mad at me because I wanted to look at the job offers? -- I mean, the quest board?"

"No. Why would I be bothered by that, you dummy? If you are worried about slowing us down, you can decide to take as much time as you want at each city."

"Thanks." We share a quick kiss before I walk up to the quest board to see the job postings, slash quests, for local trainers.

The biggest and most lucrative notice is the recruitment poster for Team Galactic. 'I want YOU for Team Galactic', with a picture of Cyrus staring menacingly at the viewer. Almost intimidating people into joining. But instead, he's selling a vision of 'this could be me'.

But it's a long-term offer. Getting more people to join expeditions, security forces, et cetera. I don't really feel like exploring untamed places or being stuck in some location right now. 

The rangers are looking for people to seek out and destroy encroaching pokemon of the wilderness.

I want something safe. Of course, that limits my options.

... Something safe, something I could do on the side and not really waste a lot of time with, something like... that!

Caring for the pokemon of a senior trainer. Pay is decent. 200₽ per day. For an hour or two of cooking pokemon food and listening to an old man's stories.

Well, the hourly wage is not just decent. It is actually insane, but it's simply not enough. I need 60k for Buneary and Riolu for their mega stones alone.

'Requirements: See Nurse Joy for verification'

I pick up the quest notice and wait near the front desk for Nurse Joy to finish with Zoey.

---

"Your pokemon are very well treated and healthy." Nurse Joy gives my pokemon one last look-over while they take the opportunity to make cool poses. "I don't see why you shouldn't be able to complete the job. Once you sign this, I will notify Mr Gump of your arrival. Every day at 6 PM and you can quit with a day's notice."

I take up the pen and only hesitate a little before signing my time away.

200₽ per day is not enough. But it's the job with the shortest contract and the lowest risk. There is no way anything can go wrong with babysitting an old trainer.

... Right?

I have to get a job because Professor Rowan is currently unavailable and can't discuss a higher wage for me, according to his assistant, Roseanne. 

I will need to wait for my second badge before I get my scheduled wage adjustment. But that's not going to be enough. My girls are expensive. They really eat a lot, and Zoey needs a prosthetic.

Anyway, now that my income has improved, all that's left on my need-to-do list is to sign up for the gym battle!

Last time, I got caught off guard. This time, I will be ready for it. The battle for fame and glory begins as soon as I enter their building.

Meaning, I must brush Buneary's and Riolu's fur and give Salandit a much-needed bath. The pokemon in question tenses up as if knowing that something is coming.

"Yes. What you are feeling are the threads of fate, Salandit. Today, you will be taking a bath again."

Her body shudders. Like a cat without fur, her skin shrivels and twitches. Her pupils dilate, her claws extend and tears form in the corners of her eyes.

She looks pathetic and miserable.

"Don't worry so much. It's the acid bath I promised you." Like a spring, all tension leaves at once: Her body flops flat to the ground in relief. "Let's go. I'm sure it's gonna be nice."

Dawn and Zoey have decided to split off to train for their upcoming contest together, and I'm going to do the same later. But for now, Salandit scales up to my shoulder before giving my cheek a lizard kiss; I chauffeur us off to the hotel.

The pokemon center's doors slide open. The sight of my second gym badge's current home greets me. Oreburgh City.

Similarly to Canalave City, this one makes its money through mining. While Canalave's industry is built on metal, Oreburgh City flourishes in the trade of coal. ... Why is ore in the name of the city when they only produce coal?

The city is defined by its industry. Buildings have black, sturdy-looking facades and blue sheet metal roofs. None of it seems cheap, though. It's a stylistic choice. And I believe it fits well into the harsher landscapes surrounding Oreburgh City.

It gives the city a rugged appearance, which the people reflect as well. All the guys walking to and fro are built like brick houses, half of them are covered in soot. And the girls look like they could beat an average guy in an arm wrestling contest.

They clearly take pride in the main occupation of the city.

The constant, distant noise of heavy machinery fills the air. Occasional shouting reaches up from the air vents that litter the street and provide fresh air to the workers below. Almost sounds like screams of pain from the distortions that the vents cause.

We passed by the gym on our way to the hotel. Its entrance is a mineshaft. The arena is entirely below ground. A nearby park is well used by pokemon trainers for practice. Probably the same one that the girls are using right now.

The hotel is just a few more blocks away when a familiar face appears in the crowd. It's the pokemon ranger Solana. She has started wearing longer clothes, better fitting into the Sinnoh weather.

She sees me as well, and we stop to share a few pleasantries. She tells me she has been sent here to investigate a brewing problem in the mines. All of it is still top-secret, she tells me before leaving again because her boss said to hurry it up earlier.

At the entrance of the hotel, a concierge greets me and offers to take my backpack up for me, but I refuse. First of all, it's suspicious. Secondly, I'm not letting other people touch my stuff. And finally, while doing so would support local businesses, carrying my stuff on my own is a good habit. It prevents me from ever losing it.

We ride up the elevator. I feel Salandit's tail swishing around and slapping my back a few times; Her natural smell becomes stronger too. Clearly, she is becoming very excited for her acid bath.

A key card unlocks my bedroom, and the same locks it again before I head straight for the bathroom, where I open up the windows for maximum ventilation.

To protect the floor from splashes, I cover it in plastic wrap. The plastic tub has become just a tiny bit too small for Salandit, so I fill it only halfway up with hydrochloric acid.

Salandit jumps off my shoulder and into it. It sends splashes of acid into the air.

With reasonable fright, I jump back and let out a short, girly screech, similar to that of a dying virgin's scream.

"Are you insane?!" I fail to remain stoic. As fast as I can, I get out of my dissolving shirt and pants before my skin can dissolve as well.

She tilts her head, acid dripping off her scales as she squeezes herself into the tub like a cat, her legs pulled in and hidden under her body. ~"What do you mean?" She asks as acid threatens to spill over the edge.

Buneary gives Salandit a dangerous look while I fuss over her and Riolu. The splashes barely missed them and hit only my clothes instead.

... They fizzle and bubble in the corner of the room. Slowly turning into a puddle of clothes-soup. The acid should not be strong enough to do something like it, yet it still happens.

One set of perfectly fine clothes is gone and destroyed. 

I'm left standing in nothing but my underwear.

... My underwear? "Did you plan that?"

~"Plan what? Jumping into the tub? Yess? Why are you sso angry?"

Does she actually not know, or is she just messing with me?

"Most organic material dissolves in acid. For example, the cotton of my clothes. Or my skin." I explain as if it's not the most obvious thing. Her mouth slowly opens in shock. Or perhaps she is just mocking me?

~"No. Way."

~"How did you not know that?" Riolu comes to the conclusion that Salandit was being sincere the whole time. ~"I'm a hatchling-- Ahem, I mean a young adult, and even I know that!"

Her mouth widens some more.

~"So that's why I never found the ssecret tunnel under the acid pool where ssome of my fathers fled to..."

What? Something must have gone wrong in the translation. There is no way I heard that right.

---

I pull out the final pieces of equipment for her cleaning session. She has rubber gloves and a brush.

The room appears to be a set from the movie 'Castelia Psycho', with me playing the role of the axe-wielding killer. Heh. All that's missing is my personal soundtrack, 'Hip to be Round'.

With gloves to protect my skin, I begin manhandling her in her tiny bath, and with the brush I--

The brush joins the puddle of dissolving material. I forgot it had real-hair bristles. The wooden handle should have clued me in.

~"How did you not know that would happen?"

I ignore Riolu. This never happened.

It's a shame for my equipment, but the public Garbodor and Muk are going to love the treats.

However, without the brush, I must use my hands. It's my only option. A mischievous stare on her face tells me she realizes that as well.

Acid has soaked her body, thoroughly cleaning it of any dead scales, bacteria and other debris. She is ready to be scrubbed off. Or, rather, petted. Scrubbing without tools is just aggressive petting.

She begins to moan in exaggerated pleasure as soon as I start. My growing erection doesn't make the task any easier. The only thing that makes it better is the knowledge that we're all going to bathe right after this. I will have the final laugh.

Her natural scent becomes more prevalent, but I do my best to avoid smelling her. After all, the gases evaporating from the acid are highly toxic, so I must be careful not to move my head too close.

The liquid in her tub steadily becomes murky as it dissolves more and more material. It is a disgusting and dangerous soup. 

After some time, her special bath ends. To let her dry, I pull her out and place her on the plastic wrap.

"Stop licking yourself. That's gross." 

She blushes. ~"It'ss how I get clean."

"That's what water is for, actually." That made her stop. Then she hears the flowing water. I turned on the bath's faucet. 

She looks around, trying to search for ways to escape. But I closed the front door. We are on the tenth floor. There is no escape.

Her eyes linger on the open windows for longer than they reasonably should, and she struggles with reignited fevor after being picked up once more. She scratches and claws at me in a desperate struggle to escape my clutches and the looming bathtub.

Still, there is no escape. Her fate has been sealed.

I pull my hands and throw her in the tub--

She sticks to my arm.

"... Get in the tub." Again, I throw her--

She sticks to the side of my torso. My left eye twitches.

"Get in the tub!" - "Get in the tub!" - "Get in the tub!"

Nothing works!

"Get in the tub, damn it!"

She hovers in the air for a second before teleporting beside me.

~"How did you do that?" Riolu wonders.

~"Do what?" Salandit responds.

I ignore it. Instead, I prepare to use my ultimate move.

...

...

...

"Stop squirming. You're stuck with me now. Live with it."

~"Nooo! Let me out! This iss torture! Sslave abuse!"

Buneary happily swims at the other end of the trainer-sized bathtub, large enough to hold even a Kangaskhan.

Riolu waits for her turn to receive pampering while sitting on a built-in seat.

"Slave abuse, huh? And for that description, you're getting 10 more minutes."

~"Nooo! I don't deserve that!" She struggles again, but she can't escape my hold without fully sinking into the water.

I scrub her body with a sponge some more. "Yes, you do. You never wash yourself."

~"That's not true! I wash mysself daily!"

"... You lick yourself when nobody is looking every day?"

~"N-no? ... What!? It'ss perfectly reasonable to do that!"

"No, it really isn't." You're taking regular baths with the rest of us from now on."

~"Nooo-" She slipped out of my hold. Then, after I pulled her back out of the water, she spit and coughed out water.

My current strategy is to hold her over the water and threaten to drop her when she complains or struggles. But it's clearly not working well enough.

"You're making this way too difficult. I need more drastic measures." Her eyes become as round as they can, peering at me with hope and beseeching me to stop. Until a droplet of water passes her eyelid causing her to scrunch up in panic.

I remove the final piece of my clothing and enter the bath with her. Her complaints lessen slightly as she scrambles to get on my lap, then further up my chest and onto my shoulder.

"You're not safe up there."

She tenses up once more until I put her back on my lap. "Why are you even so afraid of water? Chimchar loved to play in water, so it's not because of your fire type." I ask while gently rubbing scented soap into her scales.

~"I don't wanna talk about it..." Her struggle has slowly come to an end. She remains still, just barely submerged, with my legs as a constant reminder that she won't drown and my body nearby to climb out at any point.

Her eyes begin to wander to certain places, but she doesn't seem to be in the mood to tease me about my current state. Instead, she closes them shut and shivers as I remove the suds from her body with a wet rag.

After each stroke with the rag, I brush my hand over her soft, scaly skin to help her stay calm.

It helps a little. Soon after, she is nice, proper and clean.

But the murky water in the bathtub is too gross. Salandit's and Buneary's gunk is just too much. They left most of the past week's dirt buildup behind. So I let it flow away and refilled the tub with clean water.

It's Riolu's turn, so I also put in a load of rose-scented soap. Her favorite.

As the sweet smells waft from the tub, Salandit takes the opportunity to climb away along the wall, as far away from the bathtub as she can.

Dirt, dust and sweat have built up deep inside Riolu's fur. The public showers at Alamos Town just weren't enough to clean her dense, thick fur.

As soon as her body dives underwater, clouds of muck and loose hair separate from her. And it only gets worse whenever I brush my hand through it.

The state of the bathtub almost makes me look like a bad trainer who neglects their pokemon. But I'm not in better condition. My hair sticks to my body. There is dirt under my nails. And I still smell bad.

... I shouldn't have gone to the pokemon center first. We should have cleaned up instead. Poor Nurse Joy.

I scrub the soap as deep into Riolu's fur as I can, and she lets out a sound that is a mix of growling and purring. "You like that?"

Her tail wags wildly during her treatment. Her aura feelers dangle, I feel her muscles relax. A content smile is on her face as her eyes slowly drift closed.

"Ri." She says. I don't even need aura to understand what she meant.

The harder I rub her fur, the more she likes it. The only reason I'm not pressing as hard as I can is because aura has made me deceptively strong. During my battles with Buneary, I need to watch out not to bruise her.

Unbelievable. Me. Bruising a pokemon. Never in my life could I have imagined coming to that point. Just three months ago, the weakest Bidoof could have killed me, but now I'm practically superhuman.

Wait, three months ago I left home for the first time. This means the current season started two months ago... I only have 10 more months to get the other 7 badges!

A sense of urgency hastens my movements, but Riolu only relishes the quickened pace.

~"Faster, daddy!" 

I can't say I like that phrasing. But I still oblige and rub her faster. 

Soap bubbles up and begins to cover her. More and more until she's nothing but a ball of bubbles. When she blows them off her face, she reveals a massive smile on her face. 

A bubble floats through the air and pops against Buneary. She stops swimming, a slight agitation is visible in her face.

~"How come I'm always the last to get my turn?" She asks as she watches us. Her body is barely tall enough for her head to peek out of the water.

"Sorry, I didn't know you looked forward to this. You looked like you were having fun with just swimming around."

~"I was training." She continues to swim.

Training... We should get back to it. I spent too much time on this already.

So I use the shower head to get the soap off of Riolu, pet her a few more times, and then fill up the bath with fresh water once more.

Unlimited hot water. This hotel is the best we've been to yet. It's almost as excellent as back home, despite the regular prices.

Anyway, last but not least, it's Buneary's turn. The bathroom takes on the smell of a candy store as the caramel and hazelnut aroma drifts to my nose.

She takes up the spot on my lap while Riolu moves back to her spot on the integrated bathtub seat, where she resumes meditating.

Buneary looks up at me, then down. A blush peeks through her fur. 

'Faster, daddy' still floats in my head. I can't manage to calm myself down at all. 

... It has been a while since I choked the snake. Couldn't do it with the girls around all the time.

Almost simultaneously with the application of soap to her furry head, Buneary begins to purr. She really enjoys this. 

Bubbles build up. The longer strands of her fluff lose their springiness and flow down her body. Her beady eyes and tiny arms, pulled to her body like that, make her look so cute.

It's too cute, in fact. So I pick her up and squeeze her in a short hug. Her tiny arms try to wrap around my torso in retaliation.

After getting that short distraction out of the way, I finish up her bath and drain the water one final time.

For myself, I just apply some Axe Energize 100-purposes-in-1 shower gel to my hair and body. It smells like peppermint. 

And finally, everyone's clean. 

But we are still far from ready for the gym.

I still need to oil and brush my pokemon. Riolu needs her metal parts polished. Buneary needs her fluff taken care of. And I need to get a clean shave and get into my suit... It's a lot of work to look presentable on the world stage.

But I love all the little tasks. None of the time I spend with my pokemon has ever felt wasted before. Being a trainer is the best.