Oh, Arceus have mercy he needed the money.

So here he was, literally picking up any and every single thing that paid well—at least, well enough for him not to be living like an urchin out on the streets.

Thank fuck he’d managed to find someone who needed a companion while delivering some ‘cargo’, and so he came in for a landing seated on the shoulder of his Golurk, Alfons.

“Are you the guy who needed a companion for the delivery?” he called from his perch.

At the mention of ‘kid’, he felt a vein momentarily go off in the back of his head.

But there was something that was part of his ‘New Year’s Resolutions’, and that was to rein in his temper when someone made a pass at him because of his size—well, see how that was going so far.

As the Golurk then shifted from ‘fly’ to ‘idle’ mode, he then found himself sliding down from the shoulder, coming to an abrupt landing on the outstretched hand that was gently touching the ground.

“Hey—yeah, that’s me. I mean, nobody ain’t dumb enough to miss my Golurk,” he remarked as he gave the automaton Pokémon a knock, before the Golurk shifted into ‘sit’ mode without so much as a single noise.

“So where’re you headed? With all those eggs?” he continued as he gestured in what he thought was an angry Talonfmale’s direction, hovering protectively (more like obsessively, but he wasn’t too sure) over what he guessed were the eggs that had to be brought from Point A to Point B.

At the other’s mention of any wild Pokémon approaching, or rather being deterred from approaching, he cracked a grin.

“Yeah, Al here ain’t gonna attack anything on sight—not unless I explicitly ask him to,” he remarked as the golem shifted once again from ‘sit’ to ‘stand’ mode, ready to take up the rearguard (and keep an eye out for any approaching wild Pokémon) while Arashi would be walking alongside the cart down on the ground.

“Hopefully it’s just a quiet trip through the forest… nothing like that insanity at the Museum, don’t you think?” he added with a bit of a knowing smirk.

“Lead the way.”

“Oh, yeah… fair, point taken,” he continued with a shrug, realizing just how—just how crazy shit had been in Hoenn.

As compared to Johto, where all the worst they had to worry about was a burnt-down tower and the Whirl Islands… well, this place was apparently a complete hot bed for strange shit happening at every single turn.

Just like that danged tree that had taken root in Sootopolis, of all things. Literally casting the entire city beneath in shadow… t’was a shame, really, because the city had the nicest views of the night sky undisturbed.

“Nope, nothin’ over back,” he called out as he looked over at his Golurk, grinning as the sheer size of the automaton Pokémon helped keep the threats away.

At the mention of that, his ears perked up.

“Hey, like—if you actually do, let me know? I can help you with Golett care!” he replied, turning his head to face the other so fast he thought he heard something crick in his neck.

No matter.

They were getting really close to where they had to make the delivery, anyway!

“Ooh, kebabs?” he continued as he licked his lips. “Show me where that is, I know just the place for us to get some milk tea. Or shakes if milk tea isn’t your thing.”

Come to think of it, now he was getting hungry and a rumbling noise cut through the silence… oops!