“So you’re going to let Toki adopt Totodile?” Nina asked.

Professor Elm replied with a wry smile and a deep sigh. “Yes, Totodile has developed a close bond with Toki over the past few days. So it would be quite cruel to separate them at this point.”

Nina nodded, fully in agreement with the Professor. “What about the new trainers then? Are you going to call for a replacement?”

“Well… since there’s only two of them, the ideal scenario would be if none of them chooses Totodile. That way, I can let Toki take Totodile without any fuss,” said the Professor. “However, Water Types are quite popular so that isn’t likely. Hence, I’ve already reached out to the ranch for a replacement. The small number of regional trainers this year means they have plenty of starters to spare anyway.”

Elm paused as he took a sip of coffee from his mug. “What about you and Kerry? The two of you are heading off tomorrow right? I’m assuming you’ll be passing by Cherrygrove. So what then? Azalea Town or Violet City.”

Nina tilted her head in consideration. “I do want to check out the historic Violet City, but I’m actually thinking about heading to Azalea first. There’s supposedly an abandoned shrine hidden within Ilex Forest…” The girl paused and leveled a meaningful gaze at the Pokemon Professor. “A shrine that’s linked to the Mythical Celebi in some way… You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this, would you? Professor?”

Professor Elm chuckled in amusement at the uncanny girl sitting before him. “My oh my, It’s no wonder teacher speaks so highly of you. You said you wanted to be an explorer, yes? Nina?”

The girl nodded.

Elm continued with a meaningful smile. “Not knowing is half the fun of exploration, so I’ll try not to spoil too much for you. But to answer part of your question; yes, the shrine you speak of does have ties with Celebi. If I recall correctly, there should be a book on folklore within my library that makes brief mention of the matter. I’ll have one of the librarians find it for you.”

“Thanks, Professor.” Some clues were better than none. And while Nina was feeling a little annoyed at the subterfuge, the Professor’s words were poignant enough that she could hardly argue.

“No worries.” Elm laughed. “Give me a call once you’re done exploring the place. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the matter. Oh, and I’ll also warn you that the path towards the shrine is a tricky one. As one would expect from a Mythical Pokemon said to be capable of time travel, Celebi won’t let itself be found unless it wants to be. So don’t be discouraged if you walk away empty handed.”

Nina nodded and thanked the Professor once more. The man’s words basically confirmed the presence of Celebi, which more than satisfied her suspicion. And unless Mew forbids it, she likely wouldn’t have any trouble finding the shrine either. 

***

“KANEDAAAA!!!” Nina exclaimed like a madwoman as she bounced around the parcel that was delivered right to Professor Elm’s doorstep. This delivery was long awaited and one of the reasons why they’ve stayed in New Bark Town for so long.

“Nina… you’re being weird again.” Kerry chimed, face red from second hand embarrassment.

However, Nina just pretended not to hear her as she tried and failed to tear into the sturdy cardboard box with her bare hands. “Nitey, claws!” She commanded, summoning her mighty Dragon to cut apart the insolent packaging that dared to deny the girl her prize.

“Nite?” The Dragonite tilted his head in confusion, but still brandished one of his razor sharp claws and ran it against the tapes securing the seams of the box. 

A few masterful strokes later and the cardboard fell apart to unveil a compact pair of bicycles, folded to an incredibly dense and portable form factor — one that would fit into any model of Silph Co backpacks no problem.

Nina could barely hold back her drool as she gently caressed the cold metallic chassis of her recent purchase — a brand new Mach Bike painted in the exact shade of red as Kaneda’s motorbike in Akira. 

The girl had even used her laptop to design stickers similar to the original Akira bike and had them printed with ludicrously resilient and expensive material from one of Professor Elm’s high tech printers.

On the other hand, Kerry chose a bike that was painted predominantly green with yellow accents. The nurse apprentice had originally wanted one that was entirely in an emerald green, her favorite color, until Nina made an offhand remark about how difficult it would be to find the bike if she lost it in the forest or something.

“I honestly thought that you would have picked a yellow paint instead.” Kerry quipped.

“I resent being stereotyped!” Nina yelled, while pointing an accusatory finger at her friend. “Just because Aquarium Girl wears yellow, doesn’t mean that it’s my favorite color or anything!”

Ignoring the exasperated sigh that Kerry threw her way, Nina eagerly moved her bicycle to the side and began unfolding it, which ended up being a bit more complicated than she was expecting.

“Let’s see here… I’m supposed to align it this way and then activate the electric motor with this switch?”

After she flipped the switch in question, the electric motor whirred to life and sent an electrifying current down the wires loosely connecting the fragmented frame of the bicycle. And with a satisfying series of clacks, the Mach Bike’s frame snapped into place, forming a full sized bicycle laying on the ground.

From Nina’s understanding, the bike she purchased was the company’s newest model and made using the same material as Kumiko’s Fly Basket that she encountered many years ago. 

So it was a flexible material that became rigid when an electric current was applied to it, and would stay rigid so long as Nina kept peddling on the bike, to charge the electric motor which powered the mechanisms holding the bike together. Otherwise, the Bike would revert back to its limp, foldable form 15 minutes after the supply of electricity stopped.

“Hiiiii!!!” Nina squealed as she gingerly set the bicycle upright with its built-in kickstand and proceeded to admire it from every angle.

“I dub thee, Kusanagi!” The girl declared, finger pointed towards the sky.

Fun fact; the original Akira bike didn't have an official name. It was simply colloquially known as Kaneda’s bike or The Bike. So Nina decided to name her bicycle after its equivalent in the Cyberpunk game instead.

“And now I have my own Akira bike!” But not actually, since this was a bicycle instead of a motorcycle — a bicycle fueled by dreams and copium as Nina vowed to catch herself a Cyclizar one day. “Even better if I could somehow get my hands on a Koraidon.” Though that was a pipe dream if there ever was one.

“Wanna take them out for a whirl?” Kerry proposed, her face wearing a smile that was equally as giddy as Nina’s.

“Yup!” Nina exclaimed. “But wait, I need to sticker bomb this baby first.” She said as she grabbed the shiny, decorative sheets of flexible metal parchment that she prepared beforehand. Trying to actually apply the stickers was quite tricky though, since the frame of the Kusanagi was thinner than Nina had anticipated and there wasn’t much room for error.

But in the end, Nina managed and her bicycle was finally complete; its scarlet red frame now adorned with the names of Japanese brands from her old world, with a few relevant additions, like the logo of the Cerulean Gym, her clothing sponsor, as well as the name of the two Professors sponsoring her.

“Alright, good to go!” Nina declared as she grabbed hold of Poppy from the ground. “Wanna ride in the front basket, buddy?”

“Po-po!”

Nina giggled and settled her baby seal at the front. The girl had opted for the removable basket attachment for an extra fee, even though there was a disclaimer that the basket would affect aerodynamics and hamper the Mach Bike’s top speed.

Kerry did the same with Lynxie, but the chubby lion cub didn’t leave much room for Peppy. So Nina offered to transport the Happiny with Poppy instead.

All the while, Nitey gazed longingly at the side, wishing that he could ride on the bicycle as well.

Nina smiled and pulled her silly Dragon in for hugs and kisses. “Sorry Nitey, but you’re too big to fit on a bike now. In hindsight, I probably should have rented one back when you were just a little noodle boy and drove you around. I’ll make it up to you someday, okay? I don’t know how, but I’m sure something will come up.”

“Niiite~” Nitey whined and returned Nina’s affection with a tight squeeze and scaly nuzzles.

“Alright, Kerr! Away we go!”

The two girls set off with Nitey in tow, hovering above the air to look after them in case anything were to happen.

***

“You two stay safe out there, you hear?”

“Thanks for everything Professor!” Nina and Kerry exclaimed as they gave Professor Elm a big hug.

Nina then turned towards the dejected Toki who was hiding behind his dad with Totodile. “Hey Toki, I’m leaving now.”

The boy nodded, still unwilling to meet her gaze. So Nina crouched low and looked up to him with a gentle grasp on Toki’s arm. “Take good care of Totodile, okay? I look forward to the day that you come and challenge me to a rematch.”

Nina’s words seemed to have finally gotten through to him as Toki’s eye’s lit up. The boy sniffled and took in a deep breath before returning the sentiment with a resolute nod.

“We won’t lose next time! Totodile is going to grow up super strong. So until we come and beat you, you can’t lose to anyone else, okay?!”

Nina laughed and stood back up to ruffle the boy's hair. “Can’t promise you that, Toki. There’s lots of really strong trainers in the world. Remember that, alright? Beyond the skies, there’s outer space. And no matter how strong you become, there’s bound to be someone else who's stronger. So don’t ever let yourself be complacent — not if you truly want to be the best.”

Toki nodded once more, fist clenched tight in his resolve as the older girl bade farewell to him and hopped onto her gaudy bicycle, all the while making “Vroom, vroom!” noises with her mouth, much to Kerry’s embarrassment.

“Thanks again for all your care over the past week, Professor. Hope to see you again soon!”

And with that, Nina and Kerry cycled off into the distance, onto Route 29 towards their next destination — Cherrygrove City.

***

Author's note:

So I know that some of you might have been expecting Nina to catch the Larvitar but I don't want to crowd her team just yet. Not when she still has Brucey, Gastly and Poppy to train - all of whom are still fairly underdeveloped.

For now, you can just imagine Toki sneaking into the forest on the regular to go play with Larvitar. And eventually, when he comes of age, Tyranitar will give her blessing for the boy to take her child out on an adventure.

And who knows? Maybe someday, somewhere down the line, Nina will see Toki again as a full fledged Pokemon trainer.

Also, on a side note. Nina will get her Ride Pokemon down the line. In fact, I'm wrapping up those chapters as we speak.