Gotta Catch The Pretty Ones

Chapter Forty-One

“That will be six P” Sara said to the elderly Pokehunter waiting on the other side of her counter.

“Not bad, what was wrong?” the brilliantly dressed hunter asked, as he moved a dozen or more pokeballs clattered together, hanging as they did from his belts, his white hair making a counter to his heavily sunburned face.

“The activation button was going bad” Sara explained. “This one is a type eight, it is getting along in years after all. That, environment and constant use will wear out even the best equipment. I suggest that you transfer your Pidgeot to a newer ball, either a nine or better yet a ten.”

Setting six one P coins on Sara’s counter the old man grimaced. “Pokeball’s are expensive, I’m not really rich you know.”

Sara nodded her agreement, “I haven’t seen one rich Pokehunter here myself” she admitted. “Back home in the city there are several, including both my siblings but up here? These are the badlands for rich hunters, now go over just a few hundred miles to Warren Hill and there is it legendary George Hydran, he’s about your age I think and has a reputation for helping Hunters in need. I was told by my sister-in-laws husband that he is a really nice man, maybe if you approached him he would help you. Still getting rich isn’t the point is it? It’s the hunt and the friendships that you make.”

Her costumer grinned suddenly, blushing a bit. “Ah, actually” he admitted softly. “I am George and its really nice to know that I still have a good reputation. This is the area where I made my name, I just came back to see how it changed over the years. It is good to see that the Guild still maintains this little outpost, I’ve been to a few small towns where Poketech’s are a thing of the past.”

“Really, well hello George, I’m really surprised to meet you” Sara admitted, holding out her left hand to shake the Hunters quickly offered hand. “I think that this place would have closed if I hadn’t asked for a small town and if I hadn’t I would never have met my wife.” A thought came to the young woman then, looking into the older mans eyes she took a chance. “You came because of the accident” Sara stated, not asked.

“On the mark” George admitted. “You are very good young lady.”

Sara smiled, lifting the leather covered stump of her right hand from behind the counter. “As you can see sir, it was a complete loss. I do have my wrist still but only because of serious medical intervention, they regrew the damaged bones you see and reattached ligaments that had broken free.” She turned her arm and pulled back her loose sleeve so that the underside was visible, a long scar slowly turning white that went up to her elbow becoming visible. “They had to chase the broken ligaments, it causes some pain in Winter but nothing that I cannot accept.”

“Nasty” the elderly man agreed, “It should never have happened, especially to a woman but that isn’t why I am here. I wanted your opinion on what happened, how you think that it could have been avoided” George explained.

Lowering her right arm Sara took a hard look at her customer. “You’re an investigator” she said, it wasn’t a question. “This entire accident has already been investigated.”

“Was, until eight years ago” George admitted, again secretly impressed by this woman’s sharp mind. If she just hadn’t been a lesbian he would have courted her even at his age. Intelligent women were a prize and he was a widower. “I’ve read the report yes, but no where in it is any opinion by yourself. Why is that?”

“Probably because no one asked and at the time I was too much in shock and pain to have an answer” Sara admitted. “Seriously, I still have nightmares and I won’t let Penny touch a suspect ball, better I be armless than my love lose even a fingernail. At least the prostatic will be ready soon, though. As to what I could have done differently, nothing. With the information I had and the readouts I was getting from the ball it was a simple cracked circuit board. Now if Ralph had bothered to tell me exactly how long the thing had been broken I might have added another safety protocol. Still even that couldn’t have done much more that leave a cooked hand behind.”

She lowered her right arm, taking her stump below the counter and allowing her sleeve to fall. “I’ve gone through my test equipment with Penny’s help twice now, there is no test for a shorted battery and no sensors for what was in there. I’m just glad a Pokemon wasn’t in storage, it would have died.”

“I see, so in your opinion sensors should be added and new testing protocols released” George noted, not really talking to Sara at the moment.

“Mr. Hydran it is not my place to have such opinions” Sara corrected. “I am just a Junior Poketech, I’ve got an awful lot to learn as yet.”

“You are smarter that you admit” George warned Sara. “You are correct, those things should be looked at, I’ll send a note to the Committee myself. Now, where is your pretty wife, I’d like to say hello to her.”

“You passed her sir, she’s in Warren Hill helping a new Librarian inspect and correct any errors in his new posting. She’s been three a month now, I expect her back in a few days. She is a Librarian and when the new man asked for help, the Guild contacted Penny. It keeps her active and up to date with her career.”

“I see, well I’m headed to Vermillion city next, so I’ll try to drop by on my way back. I hear that she is learning to be a Poketech herself.”

Sara laughed, “Penny has managed to capture exactly two Pokemon so far, she had to become a Pokemon Hunter in order to help me but honestly she is really pitiful. She doesn’t even like chasing them down, she’s a homebody you see. I do need her help until I get the new hand and learn how to use it. A few months more I hope.”

Behind George the shops door opened allowing a small group of Hunters to enter. “I’ve taken enough if your time Mrs. Richards, perhaps we will meet again.” He attached his ball to a belt loop and made his way out as the new customers made their way to the counter.