She has a heart

"Hmm. Good question. Depends on where you're trying to earn—construction, exploration, delivery, mining? But in general…"

He walked over and pulled his jacket off, hanging it on the nearby hook.

"You'll want strength and utility. For infrastructure or tunnel work, Onix is a classic. Big, powerful, durable—but they eat a ton and need careful handling."

"Onix, got it."

"Drilbur and its evolution Excadrill are amazing too. Especially around hilly or rocky terrain like here in Shillong. Excellent diggers, fast learners, and way easier to manage than an Onix."

He paused. 

"Oh—and if you're aiming for raw strength? Timburr. They're built for hauling, demolition, moving stuff—basically natural contractors. But they need discipline. Real workhorses, though."

"Any Steel-types?"

"Yep. Cufant and its evolution Copperajah. They're great for excavation and heavy lifting. Steel/Ground combo—very sturdy. They're a bit rare, though. But if you ever come across one, don't hesitate."

Ayan tapped mental notes into his memory like a checklist.

Onix, Drilbur, Timburr, Cufant. Of course not all of these are native to the South East Alliance. Only Cufant eggs were kind of common here but it also needed a lot of space. Let's not even speak about Onix. This was a kind of Pokémon which could found all over the world but incredibly hard to catch and since it had only one evolution which was also very hard to come by, people normally avoided Onix. 

But for Timburr and Drilbur one would have to import or go to other Alliance and catch them. Thus those two Pokémon were a bit rare. Ayan made a mental note of it as he would love to help his father in expanding his business. 

After dinner, Ayan retreated to his room with a satisfied sigh. The day had been packed—captures, battles, a Dragonite sighting and even going out with his friend. His mind was buzzing, but his body was telling a different story.

He flopped back onto the bed, rubbing at his eyes.

"Not tonight," he muttered. "No adventures. No wilderness. Just... sleep."

Still, he didn't want to be alone.

He grabbed the Heal Ball from his desk and tapped it once. With a soft pulse of pink light, Shinx materialized on the carpet. Her ears twitched the moment she appeared, taking in her surroundings with a familiar mix of alertness and wariness.

"Hey," Ayan said quietly from the bed. "You don't have to do anything. Just rest. You can curl up wherever you want. If you're comfy on the bed, that's cool too."

Shinx didn't respond—not verbally, anyway. She glanced at the bed, gave it a slight sniff, then padded over to the far corner of the room and sank onto the floor, her tail curling around her body like a cat. Her fur glowed faintly in the dark, just enough to outline her shape.

Of course Ayan had closed the door so that his parents might not barge in early morning. 

"Night, then."

Pidgey was already settled—nestled on top of the study table, wings puffed out and head tucked beneath one of them. She didn't even stir.

The room fell into a hush, broken only by the occasional muffled sound of traffic outside. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting soft silver shapes across the walls.

Hours passed.

The blanket that had been neatly tucked around Ayan earlier had now slipped halfway off his body, baring his shoulder and arms to the cool night air. He shivered slightly in his sleep, brows furrowing.

Shinx's eyes fluttered open.

She hadn't been fully asleep—light dozing at best. A twitch of her ears, and she noticed the exposed blanket edge. She watched him for a few seconds in silence, as if debating what to do.

Then, with a quiet huff through her nose, she stood and padded over. Careful not to make a sound, she grabbed the edge of the blanket between her small fangs and gently tugged it up, nudging it back over Ayan's shoulder. Satisfied, she turned and walked back to her corner.

"Pi…" Pidgey opened one eye from the table, voice groggy. (You like him.)

"Shx." (I care about him. Doesn't mean I'm swooning over this idiot.)

"Pi-pi." (Sure. Keep telling yourself that.)

Shinx flicked her tail dismissively and dropped onto the floor again, curling up tighter this time. A few minutes later, both Pokémon were once again sound asleep, the soft rhythm of Ayan's breathing joining theirs in the peaceful dark of the room.

The next morning began just like the one before—only this time, the sky was painted in a gentler amber, with clouds scattered like brushstrokes. Ayan's alarm chimed faintly, and unlike usual, he didn't snooze it. He stretched, sat up, and let out a low breath.

Shinx was still curled up in her corner, tail twitching lazily. Pidgey flapped once from the table, wings extended in a cat-like stretch.

"Morning, you two."

"Pi." (Mm-hmm.)

"Shx." (Too early.)

Ayan chuckled and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Pidgey by habit flew to the shoulder of Ayan. 

"You know after you evolve you won't be able to sit on my shoulder." Ayan said. The words of Ayan made Pidgey instantly sad and Ayan almost saw tears in her eyes. She loved being on his shoulder and see the world. "Once you fully evolve, you will be able to take me around. Wouldn't that be nice."

Now the subsequent words made Pidgey happy. She dreamt of Ayan riding her, and this made all the more reason for her to look towards evolution. Ayan smiled and petted her while he took Shinx back. After this Ayan slid away from his home and came out. 

Jogging helped clear his thoughts as usual. The streets of Shillong were brisk and fresh, the mist from last night's rain still hugging the edges of the sidewalks. Passing trainers, working Pokémon, and the buzz of morning routines gave the city its usual life. When he finally reached school, he blended back into the flow of students and familiar chatter.