Now with Himiko by my side I feel safer than before, it also now helps that Himiko is leading me out since you know she lived here so she knows her way around.
We make our way through the cave system, I will say it wasn't as easy going as I thought it would be with my new friend, mainly because she sometimes took us to paths that were fine for her but not suitable for me.
It's not her fault really, she's used to travelling through this cave so it's just her habit to take these paths which are either too small for me to get through, too high for me to access or across a ledge which she can just float over.
Honestly, each time I need to call her back so to detour I feel she's both embarrassed and happy, maybe because she likes the feeling of knowing I need her help.
Loneliness does many things, but the most impactful is that it causes any bonds made to be all the more precious.
As we travel, I take some time to actually use one of the powers I gained from my deal with Cresselia, When I focus on Himiko I find my mind generating a format of information allowing me to analyse her.
[Himiko
Species: Tynamo (Shiny)
Level: 31
Gender: ♀
Type: Electric
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Lonely (ATK+, DEF-)
Moves: Spark, Tackle, Charge Beam, Thunder Wave]
With this power, it also gives some other information about the Tynamo line that isn't quantifiable like species habits and diet.
If it wasn't obvious Himiko is like an electric eel, so she wants iron, and what liquid has a lot of Iron in it. Yeah, she likes blood.
We travel for a while and I can tell we're getting higher and higher in the cave elevation-wise alone, the surrounding area does become more and more open while those glowing rocks become more intermittent, Luckily Himiko is willing to start glowing to give me some light when needed.
After what feels like 2-3 hours both me and Himiko find a set of staircases which seem to be carved into the rock leading up into a large cavern-like chamber, the room is so large that I can see some of those illuminated boulders illuminating a cliff edge suspending a rope bridge at least 300 meters away.
But Himiko doesn't point me in that direction, instead, she points me to a path to the side and in it I see something every person lost in a cave wants to see, Sunlight.
The path itself seems worn down from foot traffic as we approach the exit to the cave which makes me confused since Himiko said she hasn't seen humans in a while, suggesting low foot traffic.
I simply file that away as we approach the mouth of the cave, when we reach it, I look towards Himiko who seems to be hesitating a bit.
"You know the hardest part of any adventure is the first step away from home."
My words cause the small Pokémon to look at me before nodding bravely and following me as I take the steps out of the cave.
Once out of the cave the light is blinding and I need to cover my eyes so they can adjust, once they do me and Himiko find ourselves on a ledge overlooking a semi-familiar sight for me.
It turns out the Cave's exit overlooks a human city, but one key distinction of this city is that in plain view is a Giant Runway and a series of Hangers.
Seeing this jogs some of my memories about Pokémon from my world, I was a fan while young, but I had to slow down when I started working but I kept up with the new stuff, but the sight of the Giant Runway made me recall the name of the unique cave I was just in and the city in front of me.
"Well, I'm no longer lost."
[What do you mean?]
I turn to my companion, "Oh yeah I forgot to mention, I got essentially teleported into that cave I had no idea where I was until now."
Himiko seems to nod understanding before asking, [Well do you know where you are now?]
At this I return my sight to the city below, "Yeah I think it's called Mistrailton City, also We just came from the Chargestone cave, now let's get into town so we can both be fed something decent."
Hearing the comment about the food, I hear a puckering sound from Himiko. In response I speak "You can have some as a topping but no more sucking directly from me, ok?"
This deflates her for a second before she does a little shimmy in the air at the thought of more blood.
The Trail from the cave's mouth seems more maintained than the inside of the cave so it's easy to follow the path, but it still takes around an hour until I reach the city, when we reach the outskirts, I take out Himiko's pokéball and recall her since I don't know laws about Pokémon being out yet.
It could be fine, but I don't want to risk it, also Since she's a shiny she's a bigger target for bounty hunters so it's easier to just hide her for a while.
I enter the outskirts of the city and spot a distinct Red and white roofed building with the sign indicating the Poké centre, I go to it.
The distinct Poké centre music is playing in the foyer when I enter, here I find solace that behind the help desk is finally another human in the form of Nurse Joy, off to the side of the room though is a blue desk with a man in a blue apron.
'Oh yeah in Unova the mart was integrated with the Poké centre, with this I realize something very crucial.
I don't have any money. . .
I sigh as I realize something which is both annoying but necessary.
I go to the side of the room and take a seat before taking out my fanny pack and then using my other power granted by Cresselia, I try to remember a valuable thing I could sell to get some cash and remember the Nugget which an item is made just to be sold.
So, I place my hand within my Fanny pack and Summon a Nugget to appear, it's akin to a pearl made of gold so I take it out and then Go to approach the Mart.
"Hello sir, how may I help you today." The clerk addresses me with a smile.
"Ah yes, if possible, could I sell you something, I'm strapped for cash and found something while travelling."
Hearing my request the clerk gives a tilt of his head still smiling, "Yeah sure, that is possible but do know we can't accept anything over $7,000. Our insurance policy won't allow it."
Hearing this I nod my head in understanding before producing the Nugget onto the counter.
"How about this specimen then, what's it worth?"
The clerk eyes the small golden nugget before wearing a pair of gloves and taking the nugget to a scale built into the countertop.
After a few moments, a small display on the counter reads out the weight of the Nugget and its value for the clerk.
"The Selling price of the Nugget would be around $5400 but due to the unknown origin of the nugget as well as overhead costs like Taxes the best we can do is 5k, is that reasonable with you."
Hearing how hidden fees just stole 400 Dollars isn't nice but with little to no choice I have to accept the deal, so I nod.
Seeing that I accept the deal he takes the nugget behind the counter and starts taking money from the till counting it out for the correct amount, while he does this, I keep an eye on him since there's nothing else to do.
Once he's done collecting the money I take it and start counting it to make sure since with the number of pieces who knows if he let some of them slip, but I reached the agreed-upon amount, So I take it and start to approach Nurse joy.
When I come close, she speaks to me, "Welcome to the Poké centre, how may I help you?"
"As a question does the Poké Center also cover wounds dealt by Pokémon or would I need to go to a hospital for this?" at the end of my question I raise my arm to reveal the torn skin on my arm and the scab that's formed from Himiko's bite.
Seeing I've just walked in with a semi-recent wound the Nurse springs quickly into action and gets around the counter to get a better look at the damage.
I do nothing and let her take the lead since I'm not medically trained.
She holds my arm examining the torn skin as an Audino walks into the main room with a tray of medical utensils, I wonder why it does that until it walks towards us and places it on the counter for nurse Joy.
The nurse while still looking at it asks, "How long ago were you bit, and by what?"
Trying to be as helpful as possible I respond, "Not sure maybe 3-4 hours ago and by a Tynamo so you don't have to worry about poison if that's what you mean."
Hearing my response the nurse lets out a sigh of relief, it must be common for people to come in with bites without knowing and being poisoned by them, if I remember Joltik lived in the Chargestone cave.
Tiny Tick Pokémon the size of a thumb that like to cling to people or Pokémon to steal any static electricity they generate as well as stealing nerve messages, doing this they numb the point of contact, so they're not noticed like how I didn't notice Himiko in the cave until she spoke up.
It didn't take long for the nurse to work me over and wrap the bite zone in a bandage, but I will say I did wince when she had to cut at my skin to remove the flayed excess even while under anaesthetics, she did it so it can heal into a neat scar without any trapped skin she said.
Once that's over I still stand at the desk waiting for Nurse Joy to return after a while looking a bit better even after the job she just did, there I asked her another question.
"I also recently got a new party member could she have a check-up?" her attention returns back to her job as I said this.
"Sure, that would be fine, but I have to see your Trainer ID first, otherwise it would be a cost of 100 $, with more money possibly needed if something comes up."
Hearing this I sigh before taking out Himiko's pokéball and my ID, honestly, I hope this ID works.
She takes them and turns to a computer inputting something using a keyboard, after a few moments she nods before turning to a machine and placing Himiko's Pokéball there where the machine activates.
"It should only take a moment." after around 10 seconds the machine finishes and Nurse Joy takes back the Pokéball and returns it to me while checking her computer.
"It says here, she's underweight for her species bordering on malnutrition so you might want to feed her more to let her get more energy, other than that she's fine physically."
I nod at the news and take her Pokéball before turning to leave the centre, as I pass the Mart again, I see a shelf for Pokémon food, one for Electric types draws my eye so I approach the clerk and buy some now that I have the money, while there I also notice a few other items on sale.
These items would be a dimensional backpack and camping kit, I could buy one, but getting both would be out of my budget, I can get both next week if I sell another Nugget, so it would be a game of patience.
I buy the Pokémon food and stuff my Fanny pack with it to bursting before making my way out of the Center looking for a hotel to sleep in for the night.
My travels through the city are simple as I stick to the main roads while looking around, I even asked a stranger where a good hotel would be, and he gave me directions.
But while going towards the Hotel I spot something at the edge of my eye in one of the alleyways shooting off the main road. It draws my attention making me turn and go to investigate, due to this I stand before something familiar. Embedded within a cast brick wall is the Archway of light akin to the one in the Chargestone Cave.
'Now this is interesting.'