The Other Side of the Coin

Apparently, a Ranger didn’t rate a private examination room, or else Naddy just hadn’t asked for one, because she just led Hailey back to her room.

As she scooched the chair up to the small table, the Ranger turned the deadbolt. It sounded more ominous than it should have.

“Freshly bonded?” She asked, as she started shuffling some papers out of a small bag.

“Yeah, just, uh, last night actually. Was kind of a surprise.”

“Surprise? But it was consensual, right? If you need help then just say the word, Bella and I can send those two packing faster than you can say…” Her tone wasn’t… threatening, exactly, but it had dropped low, cold, serious.

“No no no no no!” Hailey interrupted, feeling herself grow hot and annoyed for a reason she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “It’s… It’s nothing like that. I didn’t expect it but they weren’t, I mean I was the one telling them they shouldn’t, but not because I didn’t, aghhh.” How did you tell some stranger that you didn’t think bonding would ever happen to you because you were a 27 year old loser. Why did she need to tell this woman her life story?

“So to be clear.” Naddy was still talking slow, serious. “While this was a surprise, it was not one you were opposed to. You are not being coerced into a bond by these Pokémon, and they did not have anything to do with the missing persons report?”

“What? No. I didn’t even meet them till after I’d left, which was my choice by the way! Carita is just very… protective.”

“Then congratulations!” In an instant Naddy’s whole demeanour changed, a large smile spreading across her face. “Sorry for the third degree but gotta be sure, kinda part of the job. Gal goes missing and ends up bonded? Seen that go bad before. And with a Drifloon involved?”

“Heh, some lady in Floroma told me they sometimes… carry girls away.” Hailey laughed, a bit forced. “B-but that’s not what happened! I actually had to chase her down!” Leaving off the part where Pomona had stolen from her, no need to bring that up to a cop.

“So you take a unscheduled three day weekend and show back up with two new partners? The Doctor should have just said we were chasing a ladykiller, would have made the search go a lot smoother I bet.” Hailey felt her face go red, or as red as possible, as Naddy slapped her knee. What kind of interview even was this?

“No? No!” Arecus, she was really getting a lot of use out of that word today. “I just said… I didn’t even go out to meet any… they shouldn’t have even noticed me! And it’s not going to last, once we get back to Jubilife…”

“Worried there will be some tension with whoever you left back home when you show up with em? I can tell you, dropping off the face of the earth for a few days is hard on a relationship.”

“Left back home?” The incredulous look painted itself all over her face, but Hailey also motioned to the rest of her body, to get it across. “You really think there is anyone, anyone waiting for me back in the hospital, let alone a partner?!”

Naddy actually stopped laughing at that, some of her previous serious demeanour slipping back in. “Oh, so they’re… your first?”

“Yes!” It was almost exhausting now, why was this surprising to the Ranger? “I’ve never had a partner before, never should have, why should I! And now they’ve just… shown up! Followed me! What am I supposed to do with that? I don’t know how to handle one Pokémon, let alone two, and it won’t take them long to figure that out!”

“You sure? Cause first timers don’t usually come out of the woods under their own power, and with two partners to boot. What do you think they’d say if they heard you talking like that?” The panic attack met her words like a bucket of ice water. “Now, I didn’t exactly expect to come here today to give someone the first time bonding talk, but it would hardly be the first time I have. Usually though, it’s consoling some wreck of a teenager that got in over their head on their first day out. I always start with one fact. No one, not even Arceus herself, can tell a Mon who to love or how to love, that’s just something you have to accept. They always have a reason for it, even if it doesn’t make sense at first, and I dunno that I’ve ever even heard of that being wrong.”

“Bleh, I have.” Hailey said, but her heart wasn’t in it.

“Not everyone’s the trainer type, rush out and take charge. Nothing wrong with letting them lead you along, learn what’s going on in their weird little heads the slow and steady way. Was kinda like that for me with Cammy. Now, if you have more questions we can get to em later. I do actually have to fill out this paperwork or my boss will be all over my ass.” Naddy finished off with another deep belly laugh.

Hailey tried her best to follow along.

---

“We should go back.” Gem said, barely even glancing at the many window displays they passed on the street. “I doubt that interview will take that long and what if Carita shows up while we’re out, what if she…”

“I do not think Carita would do that.” Pomona cut her off.

“Well, it’s easy for you to say, always so confident, so calm, while I’ve got the jitters like…”

“I am not.”

“Huh?” Gem stopped dead in the street. “But you’re so chill and collected?”

Pomona stopped to face her. “No, no I am not. I am just as nervous as you Gem, that new bond separation anxiety, can you not see it? But I do not think Carita would do that, concoct such a scheme to spirit Hailey away. From talking with her… that is not her nature. If she wanted Hailey all to herself she would simply take her.”

“… I guess that makes sense, not like we could do anything to her. But seriously, is that true? I can’t tell at all.”

The Ghost merely stared at her for a moment, before resuming her float. “You wanted to look for clothing, correct?”

Gem had to skip to keep up with her, not only were her legs shorter, she actually had to use them!

“Yeah, not that being naked isn’t fun, but… I dunno, I feel like I used to wear things, be a Mon that dressed up, ya know?”

“I suppose I would look rather strange without my fabrics.”

“Aren’t you entirely made of fabric?”

Pomona just hummed, before pulling something out of a sleeve, a magazine.

“I wonder if there are any speciality stores around, I’m seeing a lot of light fabrics, pastel and earthy colours.”

“I mean, in a town like this are you really surprised?” Gem motioned to the seemingly endless amount of public flowerbeds that flanked every visible street, alley, and house. “This place could give Floroma a run for its money.”

“Well, it would be nice to find some things like those in my mail order catalogues, I stopped being able to get deliveries years ago.” As the magazine was flipped Gem caught a glimpse of the cover. There was a rather pale human front and centre, at least she thought she was pale, it was hard to tell through the unnecessary layers of fabric that covered almost everything. “Why, it would be fun to get into things again, see how trends have changed.” Pomona continued. “I would not mind at all un-pursing for some nice lace, I would bet you would look absolutely enchanting in a high waisted one piece, to accentuate your hips and… yes?”

Gem couldn’t help herself, the laughter would not stay in, it rolled out enough to draw looks from others passing by, but she paid them no mind, there was no way she could focus on them with the image Pomona had planted in her head.

“M-me? In frills? Petticoats?”

“Well, I am not sure what is so funny about the idea, but yes. I think most people could look good in the gothic lolita style, with a bit of effort.”

Gem found herself leaning on a lamp post just to stay up. “Pomona, honey, I’m learning to love ya, but I’m YELLOW! Electric Blue! Purple, black, not my colours, and that’s not even getting into the style, the attitude. I’m sure you can pull off 12 layers of frills, but me?” Another round of chuckling died in her throat as she looked across the street. Now there was possibility.

“Come with me, lemmie show you what this bod actually rocks.”

---

It was some kind of number, presumably a Dex number, but Hailey couldn’t be sure.

She’d never used one before.

Once the Ranger had gotten past teasing her, the actual interview had been a formality. Just reiterating what she’d already told Carita (with less screaming involved) and confirming that no, no one had been in communication with her before hand. There was no grooming or luring, none of it. Frankly, how anyone could think someone would want to steal her away was beyond Hailey, but cops were strange people.

Still, she’d scribbled down the number on a bit of paper, then torn it off and handed it to her. Told her to use it if ‘those two’ were to much to handle, or if she needed help or advice.

“It’s what Rangers are there for.” Naddy had said. Hailey just wondered if old computers could even send messages to modern Dex’s.

Still, after Naddy had waved goodbye, Hailey had expected Gem and Pomona to burst back through the door. They seemed to like being near her for some reason she couldn’t account for, but no, no one, not even Carita. It actually had her feeling kind of odd. Sure, she could just hang around the room till they got back, but that didn’t feel right, plus it didn’t have a TV or any of her books. If Carita wasn’t going to drag her back right away, she should at least take advantage of that, right?

They may have both been medical establishments, but the Center couldn’t have felt more different to the hospital. Our Lady was the largest, the most prestigious medical institution in all Sinnoh, the place where all the most serious cases eventually ended up. People did not just ‘hang out’ there. If you went in those doors it was because either a loved one’s, or your own life, was in danger.

Eterna Center wasn’t like that at all.

Sure, they could do some healthcare. Exhaustion, bruises, perhaps even fractures and breaks, but at the end of the day they were healers second and facilitators of bonding first, you could see that in their clientele. Rolling out into the foyer, Hailey didn’t see worried faces or red, exhausted eyes. Some groups were clustered around a stand of brochures and maps, planning an exciting day out. Others were perusing a small attached store; camping gear, clothing, rations, and… was that lingerie?

Others were here for the food, brunch currently it looked like. Kalos Toast, fruit juice, pancakes, it all smelled pretty good. Problem was, Hailey was still broke, and that wasn’t likely to change in the future. She’d have to find a way around that if Carita really did mean to leave her here for a few days, ditzy dragon had probably forgotten that, unlike the hospital, she didn’t get three squares a day here.

Still, it wasn’t all off limits to the broke. On a table off to the side was a carafe of water with Aspear slices floating in it, some paper cups stacked beside. Another table had a tray of… some kind of bread roll, probably with a fancy name. The sign said take one, so Hailey grabbed two, plus a cup, and made for the patio.

Hey, it was still technically part of the Center.

The deck was fairly busy so she didn’t try to grab a table, just rolled up to the railing closest to the street. It felt weird to not have her usual blanket across her legs, but it had gone missing somewhere between the Manse and here. Besides, the weather was shaping up to be a real scorcher later. Not even she’d need extra insulation after spending a bit out here.

The pastry was ok, pretty flaky, which of course fell all across her lap. Still, there turned out to be chocolate inside, so that was nice. The citrus water was also pretty refreshing. More than those though, it was everything all together. The sun, the food, the drink, the street she could watch. Her side of the hospital mostly faced an office block. People came in the morning, left in the evening, and other than that nothing really happened. The Center was on some major artery, not just people walking by, but whizzing past on bikes. There seemed to be a shop a bit down the road where many of them were congregating.

It would be a hell of a thing, she thought, to go that fast.

Still, the biggest crowd was in a small park across the road, some kind of event seemed to be going on. While a few people were stopping to watch, or talk, the main group seemed to be… connected? At least dressed the same. Simple, off white robes, not that dissimilar to the fabric she was currently wearing herself. Kinda like a bathrobe, but not, they seemed too elegant to be, like something you’d see in a historical drama. The rest of the getup only served to reinforce that; wooden sandals tied on with cord, about the only colour was the bandanna like things they all wore to tie their hair back. Each was accompanied by a partner; a Luxray here, a Vespiquen there, a towering brown and grey Mon with a face like a wall.

Actually, as she looked closer, it seemed like the partners all matched the bandanna colours, which was kind of cute. Leaning back in the chair a bit, Hailey was left wondering if that was something she should do now. It was a common trope that people started dressing like their partners. How would she look in a bit of purple, or electric blue? The two didn’t exactly go easily together, or so she thought, she wasn’t exactly a fashion magnate.

The ladies across the way didn’t seem troubled by any such thoughts. They were chatting happily with passersby, or calling out to them, waving brochures, displaying books. She still had no idea what they were on about, not like she could read the tiny labels from that far anyway.

Another sip from the citrus water, it was starting to get kinda warm, but there was no reason to go back to the stand yet. This was the most entertaining people watching had been in years.

“Miss? Miss!” It took a second to realize the voice was addressing her, still an unfamiliar sensation. Looking around though, it wasn’t some waiter telling her to stop taking up space, one of the robed ladies had apparently crossed the street.

“Ah, hi?”

The woman, she looked at least middle aged, just tittered into her sleeve. Boy, they were long. “Apologies if I startled you, I just couldn’t help but notice you. It certainly is a lovely day, isn’t it?”

“Yeeeeees? The sun is… nice?” That was how you did small talk right? You talked about the weather?

“Certainly an Arceus blessed day, full of rejuvenating energy! Few things better for the body and soul, actually, that’s why I thought you might be interested.” A brochure was suddenly in her face, fast than she could even wonder what could be interesting. The Natural Way? Hailey didn’t have time to read the rest before the lady was talking again.

“Yes indeed, certainly better healing than you’d ever get at one of these ‘Center’s’.” She sniffed. “I’m certain the others would love to meet you if you felt like coming back across the road with me. Therepy and healing are our whole ‘deal’, as my kids would put it!” She tittered again. Did people jump out at you whenever you went out in the city? Maybe this is why Carita had never taken her out much.

“Oh, I’m not looking to… go out right now.” Not exactly true but what did this lady need to know that? “I’m waiting on two…, a-and Carita wouldn’t, I mean, it wouldn’t be nice to make her chase me down again. Had enough pissed off Dragonite for the month ya know?”

The woman gaped a bit. “A… dragonite? You mean… THE Dragonite, that’s been flying around?”

“Heh, yeah, dunno what she’s doing now, but after she spent the last week almost chasing me all over half the region she told me to sit, figured I’d be nice to her for once.”

“All over the… region?” Was the woman… flushing? What sort of relationship was she imagining Hailey had with her Doctor… she hadn’t mentioned that Carita was her doctor, had she? Before she could issue a correction though, the woman clapped her hands together, eyes positively sparkling.

“My my! A Dragonite! Well, it was lovely to meet you miss, and I how you do take a look at the brochure, I just know you’d fit right in at one of our retreats!” And with that, she sped back across the road.

The brochure wasn’t much, just a trifold. The Natural Way, it said, Natural Healing and Bonding Seminars was printed over a picture of a couple. The lady was dressed in the same kinda getup as the rest of the group, the Mon… well Hailey didn’t recognize them, but they looked… intimidating. The two seemed to be in the middle of a woodlands camp, sitting by a fire, cuddled up.

Hailey glanced back across the road, the woman who had been talking to her now seemed engaged with the Vespiquen woman. They were talking and… pointing back her way?

Her hands dropped back to her wheels. Being ignored wasn’t a great feeling, she could tell anyone that for free, but being the centre of attention didn’t feel great either she was discovering. Plus, it was starting to get pretty hot out.

Hopefully Pomona and Gem would be back soon, maybe they’d have a half interesting story to tell her.