I was too close to my goal to let my discomfort hold me back.
"Excuse me, sir?"
The older man waiting at a bus stop looked up from the electronic device he was reading off of – I was only passively familiar with the technology from the many people who seemed to have them – to meet my eyes in curiosity.
"Yes? Can I help you, son?"
I wasn't his son. At least, chances are I wasn't.
"Do you know the way to Professor Oak?"
He looked at me strangely for a second and half-asked a question. "Ah, out of towner? You can see it from here." He pointed his hand off to the side to a distant building down the road. "It's the building on top of the hill with the windmill. Are you starting a journey?"
I didn't need to tell him I had been on one for a long time now.
"I think he can help me with something. Thank you for your help."
I shallowly bowed to him and returned to my walk down the side of the road. Even with it being one of the smallest towns I had seen, it felt like there were too many eyes on me. I was never comfortable in cities. From tall buildings, to the noise...
Too many humans.
Thankfully, others had left me alone as I walked to the building on the edge of town. The few cars that passed me by made me long to travel faster than these legs could carry me. Patience was a virtue. I had to remind myself of that.
Arriving at the gate at the base of the path upwards was surreal. The building seemed as out of place here as I felt. Every step hammered home the fact that this leg of my journey was finally coming to an end. Before I knew it I was face-to-face with the door.
The door that could and would change life as I knew it.
I still had an opportunity to turn back. I didn't have to risk myself doing this. I told myself that day in, day out, for these past months. It was still true. I stared at my ragged shoes for a single second.
I pressed the doorbell and waited.
The man I had travelled all this way for, my one hope, opened the door and looked down to meet my eyes.
"Why, hello there! Who might you be? Is there something I can help you with?"
I gave a nod. "I think there is." I looked over my shoulder. "It's kind of a secret though."
His eyes lit up in surprise and he stepped to the side. "By all means, come in, come in."
Through the door I went.
I was so caught up in my thoughts and racing heart that the door closing behind me sounded like it was a mile away. I didn't even take in my new surroundings.
The professor cleared his throat. "Now then, how may I be of assistance?"
It was that question that snapped my mind into a startling focus. I couldn't count the days I travelled Kanto in secret to make my way here. I always kept my mission in mind. I thought I knew why I was coming here. It wasn't until this moment that I truly knew why I was here.
I was too close to my goal to let my discomfort hold me back.
"I have a question, Professor."
Whatever words he may have responded with died as the familiar blue luminescence overtook my body at my will. Hands were exchanged for paws adorned with three claws. My legs were traded for the freedom of wings and the ability to hover. And sharper than any human's, my now crimson eyes saw in crystal clarity the shock on the professor's face as my true form was revealed.
Draconic lips formed the same language I had been speaking all along.
"What am I?"
He was once a trainer of great renown, respected by Agatha of the Elite Four and at one point the Champion of Kanto. Having finished his initial dream, he followed a spark of intrigue he gained as a child after an encounter with a Celebi and delved into the realm of research. The creation of the PokeDex and advances in the study of pokemon led him through the ranks. For the past two decades and to this day, he's considered the top and foremost professor in the Kanto region.
Yes, Professor Samuel Oak had seen much in his fifty years of life, and he was grateful he had set his coffee down on his desk before answering the door as it would be on the floor right now. Having a teenager turn into a dragon right before his eyes wasn't the most shocking thing that had ever happened to him, but it made the top five. He was sure his face was frozen in shock – for better or worse he had always been an expressive person – but his mind was running at full speed.
No data to compare to beyond distant sightings and Ash's report from the disaster at Altomare. Two meter wingspan with less in body length, more than likely due to being juvenile. Muscle definition is lacking though it may be a trait of the species due to their method of locomotion. Its coat is feathered but finer than speculated. The sky blue is confirmed but the white is a light shade of grey with the colors separated by angular patterns. Red triangle on the chest is actually feathers as well and eyes colored crimson. Hovering before me is a legendary psychic dragon. I can't believe the child I let in my door is a..
"Latios."
He watched the child's.. pokemon's.. How was he supposed to classify this situation? Samuel watched his ears perk up after he had found his voice again. His attention was then to the room behind him as the footfalls of Tracey could be heard.
"Alright, Professor, I have everything.. set.. up.."
Ah, so that's what his face looked like a second ago, good to know. A glance from the side of his eye caught the latios going into a defensive position. Not good, he needed to deflect.
"Tracey, go ahead and start without me while I tend to our guest here. I'm sure the group's missing you out back. Don't worry if I run a bit late."
Still obviously dazed, Tracey did an about-face and began to walk off. "S-sure Professor.." The tail ends of his muttering tapering off with hastening footsteps. "Of all the times not to have my sketch pad!"
It was good to see the dragon's metaphoric hackles lower as the room returned to the silence of just the two of them. He turned to me almost hesitantly. "Latios?"
Samuel nodded. "Yes, latios. A legendary psychic dragon rarely seen with only one confirmed sighting. You're the first I've ever seen, picture or otherwise."
Given that his question was about his species he's never seen another of his kind - orphaned. The wear of his shoes – those didn't change with him which means they're real but was the rest of it an illusion? – indicates lengthy travel and a lack of human resources so he doesn't belong to anyone and has probably been on his own for a fair amount of time in hiding. A trip that led to my doorstep because even the pokemon come to me for pokemon understanding. I only need one last piece of information.
Samuel knelt upon one knee to see him eye-to-eye and asked, "How can I help you?"
The answer broke his heart.
"Where do I belong?"
He managed to get the once-again teenager some breakfast and left him as much as he wanted available in the kitchen. He couldn't eat like he did back in his youth but his grocery shopping hadn't matched the change. The quirks of an old man paid off this time.
The gears of his normally active mind were working overtime as the groundwork for his plan was laid out. He knew it didn't need to be but he had made this personal. How could it not be when a being came to him for a purpose of all things? He'd have to call in a couple favors and try to be discreet. It would be 'field work' and at the same time, so much more.
The answer to his question was simple and a catalyst. You belong with people who care about you. You've found your first.
He put his finished cup of coffee back down on the desk and began a call through a rarely-used direct line. What was the third password again? Oh, right! Hah, that poem did come in handy! It wasn't often he had to call the President directly considering they did meet on at least a monthly basis. The call was instantly received and answered.
"Sammy boy! What has you calling? I've been watching the news and haven't seen anything major, so one of your kids didn't get into any region-wide mishaps now did they?"
Samuel had to chuckle at that. Yes, that was usually the reason he had to use this line. "No, Charles, it wasn't a kid this time. This one is something personal."
The cheer dropped from the President's face and although Samuel was viewing a man old compared to himself, he saw vigor that surpassed his own. Many forgot underneath the view of his attire and demeanor that Charles Goodshow was the man who laid the groundwork for the Code of Conduct – the method in which we ran the world today. Samuel could never forget. He worked beside him as he sweat and bled to unite the regions.
"Samuel, I remember your last personal call. I remember it very well. How serious are we talking?"
"By the nature of the situation it's automatically a Five but if this draws the attention I think it will it's very likely to become a Six. You know I don't say that lightly."
One through Four were most of the government clearances that were issued. Five was any event with a legendary. Six was any event with legendary society, a rare classification and the Shamouti Disaster being the third one ever given. Seven, the highest, would have you praying to the Creator because creation itself was at stake.
The very thought of another Six in fewer than six years put a noticeable edge on the President's face. "Tell me everything, Samuel."
He folded his hands behind his back. "I have a latios in my kitchen eating breakfast at the moment. He arrived on my doorstep this morning in human guise to ask me what he was. He's been on his own long enough to speak freely with us with a Kanto accent. All signs point to him being an orphaned nomadic juvenile. Although, given we don't have much to go on, I'd even guess malnutrition from hiding in his disguise constantly. Of all the things, he asked me where he belonged, Charles... I have an idea of what to do but I'm going to need your help and your clearance for me to take the actions."
Charles nodded. "What do you plan to do?"
Samuel took a second to collect what he wanted to say before he continued.
"If he's willing, I'd like to see if Altomare could offer him a home or at least give him an opportunity to meet with his kind. We have next to no knowledge covering their abilities, let alone how to train him to utilize them. They know how to hide and hide well and he's at risk even after I remove his eligibility from the PC system. Judging by his appearance, at some level he knows it, too. He deserves to be safe."
"At the same time, this is an opportunity for contact. If we lost one of our own in such a high-profile manner our security would be working overtime. A man walking into their hometown, the very place they were attacked, with an unaccounted for latios is going to grab the higher-ups' attention. On the chance that an encounter goes south I would be taking my team."
"For the sake of saying it, I request that this knowledge be classified as at least a Five. Team Rocket has already infiltrated the city once. They're not known for open attacks but then again, they've never known an exact and static location for a legendary. I'm hoping that those that are in-the-know in the town are willing to accept some of our resources to improve their defenses."
All was silent for a number of seconds before Charles chuckled to himself and met his eyes again.
"Looks like we don't get to retire just yet, eh, Sammy? I'll do what I can from here and I'll inform the press to kindly stay out of Altomare for the time being. Please report in at least twice a week. And Samuel," his eyes hardened, "do not hesitate to call for backup if this becomes a Six. I fully understand your investment in this but we do not know their disposition or their full capabilities and your safety comes first."
It was his turn to chuckle. "I'm always going to be that trouble-making kid to you, aren't I?"
A grand smile met that. "Darn right, Sammy! Keep in touch and show that dragon some human hospitality!"
"Will do, Charles. I'll update you tomorrow."
We gave each other a nod and ended the call.
I couldn't remember the last time I had been treated to a full meal. Foraging made most of them. Sometimes, I'd be given a small amount of food by those who pitied me, but never was I told to just eat. I ate until I couldn't anymore. I found a new favorite food in some meat called 'bacon'. I didn't know what 'artificial' was, but maybe it was what made it taste so good.
I could smell more of that bitter drink the professor had on his desk coming from a machine on the counter, so I took my chances in the cold storage. I sniffed over a couple different drinks until I settled on one that smelled like sweet berries. Pouring from one container to another for drinking confused me, but I knew it was what humans did. I took a cupful of the drink to sip at.
Curiosity drew my feet through the building and my eyes wandered over pictures of all kinds on the walls. Faces of strangers stared back at me, but most looked like relatives of the Professor's, with photographs of a couple holding a baby, then a pair of children were featured prominently.
I turned to the Professor who had walked up beside me and taken note of my curiosity. He nodded towards the pictures.
"My family with most being of my daughter and her husband, rest their souls, and my grandson and his friend. The two still keep in touch and occasionally bump into each other as they travel. They used to be inseparable."
He paused for a moment then turned to me. "Did you have enough to eat?"
I nodded. "I like the juice."
He smiled at me. "I'm glad I had something you like. Pecha Sunrise is one of my favorites as well." He then motioned to a comforting room that had soft seats and lots of books.
We went in and took a seat, with me setting my drink on the short table. He folded his hands on his lap and addressed me.
"I talked with my boss and he's given me permission to do everything to help you. If you're willing, we know of a place with another of your kind and I can take you there to meet them." He then made sure to look me in the eyes. "If you don't like it there, we will find you a place to call home. I want to stress to you that whatever decision you make, we'll be there to support you."
I nodded and retreated into my thoughts. Could I really meet another of my kind? Would they even like me? What if they didn't want me there?
I was scared to ask, but I needed to know. "Could.. I stay here?"
He looked at me with surprise then reassuringly smiled. "Of course you could. I would like to see if this place could help you with your abilities though. We know little about the eon duo and should you want training, I'm not sure how much we would be able to help with your specialties."
I took a moment for a deep breath and let it out. "Okay.. I'd like to go.."
He patted his lap and stood. "I'll go make arrangements then. It's a beautiful morning if you'd like to go for a fly."
And did I ever.
No sooner had he led me through the back door before I was cloaked in light and into the sky.
Seeing the scared child open up and smile as he flew set Samuel's heart at ease. He'd just finished uploading the ferry tickets from Vermillion to Altomare onto his poketch and chanced a look out the window to see how his guest fared. That the dragon allowed himself to enjoy himself spoke for his mental state - paranoid but not without hope.
If the latios knew Tracey was watching him, he gave no indication, as Samuel's assistant tried to capture every moment in his notebook. If the Professor had the chance, he was sure he would do the same. For now though, he had a couple more tasks to complete before they were ready to travel.
Some would be surprised to find he never truly retired from training. True, he didn't hold a battling position in the League anymore, but training was something he could never truly quit. Half of his team no longer resided with him, but they made sure to keep in touch whenever their travels or jobs led them through Kanto. The other half resided with him on the ranch, their typical days spent helping him with running the place and keeping the peace or strolling around the community. Cinder in particular had a weakness for children and loved to wait for them to be let out of school to be pet.
By the time he was heading out the back door to round up his team, his arcanine was trotting up onto the porch.
"I take it you saw our guest, Cin?"
She growled in the affirmative as she looked up towards the dragon in question. There was a light smile on her face as she watched him do a particularly impressive loop and then returned to riding the currents.
Samuel ruffled the head fur of his long time friend. "It's a sad one this time, Cin. He's homeless."
The arcanine's demeanor fell upon hearing that, her look towards the sky more despondent.
"I'm looking to get the team together and change that. Feeling up to do some field work?"
Her answer once she turned her vision towards him was to roll her eyes then motion to her back.
He chuckled at her attitude. "Allow your old trainer his courtesies, Cinder. Let's go get Tsu and Raff."
He went into position on her back and only years of experience allowed him to hold on as she sprinted off in direction of their other teammates. Samuel once again reveled in the speed of his longtime friend and the pair made it to the ranch's lake in mere seconds to come across Tsunami and Rafflesia already conversing on the shore.
His arrival stopped their conversation and both turned to address their lifelong trainer. Samuel hopped off of Cinder and addressed his gyarados and venusaur.
"I'll cut right to it. We have a Five, possibly a Six, involving the new friend above our heads. I'm sure you can feel his power despite his age and condition. He came to me not knowing what he was or even what to do with himself, and we need to change that. There's an island city southeast of Johto called Altomare, and it's the only location we know for sure there's another of his kind."
He looked up to meet their eyes. "We'd be going straight into the pyroar's den and there's a possibility things will become hostile due to something that happened over a year ago that cost them one of their own. Knowing this, I'm asking for your three's help. Will you come with me?"
He received a vine batting him on the head and a splash of water drenching his body. Wiping his face clear, he could only laugh. "Okay, okay, rhetorical question."
He smiled at his team and pulled out two pokeballs off of his belt under his coat. "I'll let you all out once we reach the island tomorrow morning to go over our course of action. Thanks for coming out of retirement with me again."
Returning Tsunami and Rafflesia, he seated himself onto Cinder's back again and pointed back towards the lab. "Alright, Cin, let's give a child some hope."