Chapter 1: Starting Out
The unicorn pokegirl stopped in the doorway to Devon’s room, quietly watching him stuff one final shirt into his pokepack.
He turned to look at her as he shouldered the pack. He was tall and slender, just now starting to fill out into the man he would grow into. Years of weight training had given him a muscular physique, but years of martial arts had kept the muscles long and supple.
His brilliant blue hair was long and woven into a braid that fell below his shoulders, but the front was looser, surrounding his face and framing his jade green eyes. They seemed to glow against the faint redness that infused his skin, a gift from his Alaka-Wham mother.
“I was wondering when you were going to show up, Poppet.”
She smiled. “Sorry. I was just making sure that all of the arrangements were in order before you left.” She cocked her head slightly. “You know it would be very easy to just drive you over in the grav car. How about we do that instead?”
Devon shook his head. “We’ve already had that discussion, twice I believe. There is not going to be a third time. I realize that you and Da are worried that somehow I’m going to drop dead on the hike over to Jerrik’s Ranch, but there is nothing out there that should cause you any alarm. Everybody out there knows me and I’d be just as safe as in my bedroom. Besides, these boots are new, and I’d like to get the blisters out of the way before I put in a lot of travel somewhere strange.”
He gave her a wry look. “It’s not like I’m not aware you have most likely arranged an escort for me.”
“Sometimes you are entirely too smart for your own good.” Poppet’s frown was firm.
“And the fault for that can be laid at your door, can it not?” Devon grinned. His elongated canines flashed in the light.
Poppet tried another tack. “I still don’t understand why you don’t take one of the pokegirls from the Conservatory. Any of them would stand you in good stead.”
“Of course they would. Look, Poppet, we raise rare pokegirls here. The Harris Conservatory is known throughout the ranching world for pokegirls that challenge advanced Tamers. It wouldn’t be fair for me to take one of them as my first pokegirl.” Devon grimaced. “In addition, as you well know, part of what a beginning Tamer is supposed to prove is that he can meld a working team from strange pokegirls. Some of the ones here have known me for, what, fifteen years now? Why I do believe that they have known me ever since I was born.
“I am supposed to be a beginning Tamer. The fact that I grew up on a PokeRanch is supposed to have nothing to do with the way I start.” He gave her a brief glare. “That is why you, Dad and I have had, oh let’s see, over seven fights about the fact that I am going to be on a pokegirl journey as far from here as possible. Succeed or fail, I’m not going to trade on the Harris name, or take a load of the Harris money, or have idiots sucking up to me because of Dad and the Conservatory.”
He gave his shoulders a shake. “The only reason I’m taking the deluxe pokepack and the exceedingly expensive PDA you two got me is because I do realize that I am the eldest Harris male, and I should take every reasonable precaution to not get myself killed. That and I want to take my music and vid files. However, reasonable precaution is not what you were talking about when you offered me a Barriermaiden as my starter pokegirl.”
“Devon Jamie Harris, you will not take that tone with me.” The unicorn’s voice was flat.
“Poppet-who-it-seems-has-been-here-since-the-actual-beginning-of-time-and-who-might-as-well-have-the-last-name-of-Harris you are not my mother, my mother’s harem sisters or my father and while I respect you very much and like you a lot when you aren’t pissed at me,” he returned her glare. “Back off.”
Poppet looked away first. “Sometimes I do think you are channeling your long dead founder. Jamie could be just as vexing.”
Devon grinned, his face relaxing. “Vexing, you say? Now you are showing how old you are.”
“I really don’t like arguing with you, so could you just hug me and say goodbye?” Poppet gave him a hug and a quick peck on the lips. “May your journey be fulfilling and rewarding.” The traditional parting flowed easily from her lips.
Devon smiled and gave back the traditional reply. “May your wait be untroubled by ill news of me.”
Lacing her arm through his, Poppet led Devon from the room.
***
Several hours later, as he tramped through the woods, Devon pondered what his mother had thought to him at their parting.
Beth had teleported in from wherever his father was just to watch her son start out on his pokegirl journey.
She’d said the ritual words by which any young Tamer in this part of what used to be Scotland started out on his pokegirl journey and given him a goodbye hug just like anyone would expect.
It only got strange as he’d walked into the forest. His mother’s voice had echoed softly in his head. Trust only in your pokegirls, and them only if they’ve earned it. Devon got the distinct vision of his mother warily watching Poppet out of the corners of her eyes. Trust no one else.
It made sense, if mother was suspicious of Poppet, to keep the message short. Poppet was a telepath herself, and no one was sure just how powerful she was. But Devon, no matter how he puzzled it, could think of any reason to be wary of Poppet. There was no way the unicorn could be a threat to the Harris family.
However right or wrong mother might be about Poppet, Devon had to admit, she did give good advice. Trust no one. Keep your pokeballs handy.
Devon wondered if that philosophy about trust should be extended to the escort Poppet had arranged for him. He glanced up, trying to spot Andai, the Avariel who was circling above him.
He snickered. There was an old saying that Poppet would toss out from time to time. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Well it would be very difficult indeed for anyone to get any closer to him than Andai was going to get after they camped this evening.
***
Devon shoved the last of the clean dishes into his pack and hoisted it onto his shoulders. Andai was already cruising overhead, impatiently waiting for him to get moving.
It had been two gorgeous days since he’d left home. The spring air was crisp, but it had been nice enough that Devon hadn’t bothered to get his tent out. Besides, Andai was much more comfortable without it. Avariel were notoriously skittish under any sort of roof, and Andai was no exception. Besides, his tent was small, and with her wings there wasn’t really room in it for her to be on top, an Avariel’s preferred position.
Devon checked his compass and then pulled his PDA out and verified the readings he’d taken against the PDA’s GPS. They agreed. He smiled and started hiking, setting a strenuous pace.
It wasn’t too long before Andai spiraled down. “You’re heading off on the wrong path,” she called as she slowed to match his pace.
“No, I’m not,” came Devon’s calm reply.
“DJ, you are going to have to swing more to the west to get to Jerrik’s ranch.” Andai’s voice dripped sarcasm. “Unless you don’t want to go there, that is.”
“I don’t.”
Andai lost a stroke and almost stalled out in midair. Devon hid a smile.
“And why, pray tell, would you not want to go to Jerrik’s ranch? I do believe that is where you are going to meet the blimp to Glasgow, is it not? And, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that where your first pokegirl is waiting eagerly for you?”
“First question right and second wrong.”
Andai swung into a landing in front of Devon. “DJ, my queen told me to escort you to Jerrik’s ranch, not to let you go roaming blindly off into the wilderness. Would you like to explain to me why you are now telling me that is exactly what you are going to do?”
Devon started around her, prompting Andai to leap in front of him. He stopped. “I realize that Poppet and your queen had an understanding. Great. But no one bothered to ask me what my plans were up to this point. Frankly, I’m glad you finally did.”
“By the time I left the house, I never intended to go to Jerrik’s ranch. Poppet and I had been arguing over my decision not to take one of the Conservatory’s powerful pokegirls for several days when she suddenly gave in. That made me suspicious. Poppet is used to winning. Dad gives in to her on a regular basis. Hell, everyone gives in to her most of the time.
“So what did that tell me? That most likely, Poppet had made plans for Jerrik to just happen to have a powerful pokegirl available. And I suspect that somehow all of the usual starter pokegirls will have been claimed or lost in transit somewhere. Poppet knows I can’t go on my pokegirl journey without at least one pokegirl.”
Devon shrugged. “I decided not to play her game. So I made arrangements to get a pokegirl from the O’Malley place. While the research station isn’t a ranch and is much smaller than a real ranch, since they are doing League authorized studies into parthenogenesis technology, the pokegirls they have on site are having litters. Granted, they usually ship their pokegirls to a functional ranch where they can be find a better choice of trainers, but they’ve agreed to let me look over their pokegirls and take one. I suspect that they just want to see a new face. Considering just how remote we are, they only get a few visitors each year.”
“I have time to get there and then over to Jerrik’s ranch before the dirigible gets there. It’s not due for two weeks.”
Andai did not look happy. “Poppet is not going to be happy. You were supposed to be using that time to tame your new pokegirl.” Her frown deepened. “You are going to get me in trouble.”
“So leave me.” Devon grinned. “I should be there in two or three days.”
Andai glared. “I can’t leave you if the trip will take that long.” She smirked. “You know that.”
“I know that everyone thinks I can’t be left alone. It seems that gives us a dilemma. I’m going to O’Malley’s and since I’m too heavy for you to carry, knocking me out would be silly. I’m not going to go to the Jerrik ranch. You don’t want me to go to the O’Malley place. How can we achieve a practical compromise?” He got a thoughtful look. “How about this: you come with me for one more day. Then you can go running back to tattle on me. Unless I get very lost, I’ll be at O’Malley’s a day or so after that, and then I’ll have a pokegirl and I’ll be just fine and safe. The trip from O’Malley’s to Jerrik’s won’t take more than a week, and I’ll be protected the whole way.
“Hell, if you move fast enough, the rescue party might just about make it to O’Malley’s before I leave.”
“This is a very bad idea, Devon.” Andai was pissed. “We are both going to get into a lot of trouble.”
Devon eyed her speculatively. “I guess that was a stupid thought.”
“I’m glad you agree.” Andai was smug.
“Oh, I’m not talking about the compromise. And you and your being worried about being in trouble doesn’t really bother me at all. I just realized that a thought I’d had earlier was all wrong. They would have not been as ignorant of my personality as to think I would let them give me someone so whiney.”
“What are you babbling about?
“I’ve been wondering since we left the Conservatory if you were supposed to be my starter pokegirl. But Poppet and Queen Xantha both know me better than to think I’d be saddled with such a brat. Now time hasn’t stopped, and neither should I.”
Andai blanched as Devon stepped around her. Suddenly she launched herself into the air and was gone.
Devon watched her go winging away. “Dumb, too. If she’d waited until tonight, she could have swiped my phone while I was sleeping and called for help. No, putting her in a pokeball would be one of my more stupid acts. Considering that I am alone now, I think I’d better make that research station in two days or less, or things could get ugly.” Suiting actions to words, off he went.