"San?"
In the mimicry space, in an area that could barely be called sandy terrain, a yellow-and-black Sandile tilted its head, watching as Sato slowly walked up to it.
Sandile's final evolution was Krookodile, a Pokémon with growth potential rivaling that of starter Pokémon. However, due to its unruly and difficult-to-train personality, it wasn't popular among Trainers.
And in the consignment house, Sandile was far from an ideal choice for beginners. So even though this Sandile looked quite harmless, it had already been here for half a year without being chosen.
"Hmm… 'Helping Sandile clean its teeth'? That's actually a pretty thoughtful task," Sato muttered, then promptly pulled out a full set of tools.
When it came to teeth cleaning, even Joseph couldn't match Sato. Thanks to Sharpedo, Sato had to scrub its row of teeth thoroughly every two or three days.
After all, half of Sharpedo's combat prowess came from its jaws, and regular dental care was essential for maintaining its strength.
Sandile was somewhat similar. Though its teeth weren't as crucial as Sharpedo's, they were still vital tools in battle.
And being unafraid of Sandile's gaping, fearsome jaws was likely a prerequisite for earning its trust.
"Alright, open up."
Sandile glanced at this unfamiliar human, then at the impressively professional-looking dental kit in his hands, and couldn't help but open its mouth wide.
"Good. Just hold still," Sato said, half-squatting down as his hands moved deftly, cleaning tooth after tooth with practiced ease.
Each tooth, once cleaned, turned white and sharp, with a faint glint of reflected light.
Because Sandile was a Ground-type, Sato used very little water for the cleaning, which made it considerably more difficult.
But just like Joltik had its special dry bug powder for bathing, the best cleaning tool for Sandile was clearly soft gauze.
Sato carefully cleaned every gap between its teeth. In less than ten minutes, Sandile's mouth was bright and shiny.
"Look at that. Happy with it?"
Sato pulled out a mirror and held it in front of Sandile.
Completely relaxed, Sandile suddenly realized the service was over. When it focused its eyes on the mirror, it froze.
'Are those… my teeth? No way… they're blinding!'
Sandile shut its eyes but forgot to close its mouth, which made Sato uneasy for a second. 'Don't tell me this Sandile is actually dumb…'
Fortunately, Sandile seemed to realize how silly it looked and quickly pretended nothing happened, closing its mouth and slowly opening its eyes again.
Its dark pupils locked with Sato's. Remembering the blissful cleaning and those painfully bright teeth, Sandile wordlessly extended its… chin.
"Tsubaki, what's the price- uh, I mean, the breeding fee for Sandile?" Sato turned around and asked.
"That one… should be 12,000 Pokédollars. It's been here a while, so I kind of forgot, haha."
"Alright then, please take it. I'll catch this Sandile now." Sato nodded, reached for his wallet, and handed over the 12,000 Pokédollars to Tsubaki.
"You… really want to raise this Sandile? At your current growth rate, it probably won't be much help to you."
Even now, Tsubaki still worried about Sandile's future. A Pokémon that wasn't valued by its Trainer would struggle to shine, no matter how hard it tried.
"Sandile is great. I'll train it well. Potential isn't an issue. If you ever take a trip to Kanto, you'll understand what I mean."
Sato kept it vague. He didn't know exactly what kind of status Tsubaki held within the Unova League, but what if she really was someone incredibly important?
'Consider it a way to help out Drake by chance' Sato thought.
"If I'm still in good health by then, I'll definitely go take a look." Sato didn't push further, and Tsubaki didn't press for answers. She had her own pride.
Then, Sato pulled out a red and white Poké Ball and held it in front of Sandile. Without hesitation, Sandile tapped it and entered.
In truth, Sandile had longed for a partner as well. It had stayed in the Pokémon Consignment House for half a year, watching others get picked by Trainers one after another, while it remained behind, motionless, like a fixture.
Seeing so many Trainers come and go, Sandile had become calm. It figured no one would ever choose it anyway.
So when Sato walked directly toward it, Sandile thought there must be another Pokémon behind it. It was confused.
It wasn't until Sato picked up the nearby evaluation form and began reading it seriously that Sandile suddenly realized.
…Sato was trying to pass its trial.
Trying to catch it!
Sandile's personality leaned toward indifference. After evolving, it would gain a touch of aggression, but still not the eager type.
Yet in that moment, Sandile was overwhelmed with excitement. It even wondered if it should lower its "test" requirements just a bit.
As long as the human was willing to try, and didn't make it cry, Sandile would let him pass.
With expectations that low, Sato's exceptional dental-cleaning skills made Sandile burst with joy and astonishment.
Then, without a second thought, Sandile raised its head and placed its softest, most vulnerable chin into Sato's hand.
'From now on, I'm following you!'
Sato had no idea that this slightly dopey-looking Sandile had such a dramatic inner monologue. But even if he knew, he'd be happy about it.
Good thing it wasn't stupid.
Sato and the others chatted with Tsubaki for a bit longer, then took their leave. The night market adventure wasn't over yet.
After all that, the snacks they had eaten earlier had mostly digested. It was time for round two.
The five of them played until late. Even Sato let loose for once.
By the time they returned to the Pokémon Center, it was nearly midnight.
Sato released his newly caught Sandile along with all the other Pokémon he had brought to the Unova Region.
Seeing a new teammate join, everyone welcomed it calmly.
Lefty and Righty were the most excited, because now, they weren't the youngest anymore.
=== Sandile POV ===
Watching each of its "seniors" casually reveal overwhelming strength, Sandile could only silently marvel.
'…That one's amazing! And that one's amazing too! And that one, and that one over there… they're all amazing!' Sandile, who hadn't seen much of the world, looked at Zoroark and the others, and in the end, could only think of one word.
Awesome!
'No wait… this one might be okay. It feels like I could actually beat that one, right?' Sandile glanced at the Pichu that had run up to complain about its ugly looks and secretly thought to itself.
'Forget it. Better stay low-key for now. Figure out the situation later.'
Dopey Sandile's inner drama never seemed to stop.