Prologue
Ding dong…ding dong chimed the cacophonous door bell.
"Oh, I'll answer the door sweetie. Just sit there and enjoy your television show." As if on cue, a young perky woman glides across a worn out patch of carpet to a small disheveled door and swiftly opens the entrance to her abode. Before the door reaches the midpoint in its semicircle, the lady is already addressing the visitor. "Hi Mr. Gladstone, how are you today?"
"I am doing great! How is life treating you Ms. Masolbull," the rambunctious mailman replied with a large smile.
"You know I can't complain too much, as long as my boy is happy, I'm happy." A contented sigh left her breast before she remembered why Mr. Gladstone was there for in the first place. "What do you have for me today?"
"Let me see what joyous tiding I may have for you. Look Ms. Masolbull, you've been accepted into the Quiet Cherubs Nightly Auction Group! And not to be outdone, the Bulgam Company offers to hook up a free interactive phone system if you sign up for their 'friendly and customer oriented'phone service."
The dainty woman's shoulders shook with laughter at Mr. Gladstone's daily amusements. "Only you can make something as dull as delivering the mail funny and entertaining," she said between the gasps and pig snorts.
"Oh no, not again," a prepubescent male voice complained. "Please Mr. Gladstone, don't make her laugh, it's so embarrassing. All the kids at my school already make fun of me for it; they go around calling my mom a sow and oink at me.
"Now Mike, don't be so hard on your mom. I'm sure if one of their moms had a big wart on her nose you would make fun of her too. Besides, it's nice to see your mom laugh like this at least once a day," the cordial elderly gentleman said with a knowing wink at Ms. Masolbull. "And besides, I have something here you might want," he continued holding out the word want.
"You really mean it's here, I have been waiting for it…"Before he could finish his statement, Mr. Gladstone and Ms. Masolbull finished the sentence for him. "Since you finished reading the last issue." The two adults couldn't help being charmed by the boy's enthusiasm as he raced to receive his favorite magazine, PokeWorld, from the man's outstretched hands.
"Quiz me mommy, quiz me!" Mike jumped up and down impatiently while waiting for his mom to tear off the plastic wrap around the magazine. She could never say no to her boy especially when his green eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
"Well I better let you young uns get back to your business, seems like you already have things to do," Mr. Gladstone commented as he winked once again and walked away to the next house on his route. Ms. Masolbull waved good bye as she closed the door and turned to the page of the monthly Pokequiz.
"These are too easy for you Mike, I am sure you're going to know the answers even before I get the whole question out of my mouth."
"I don't care, ask me anyway," he eagerly replied as he sat crossed legged on the couch facing his mother.
"What are the only two Pokemon that can learn Hidden Machines and what is the move called?"
"You're right, these are easy. It is Goldeen and Seaking with Waterfall, amateurs."
"Well Mr. Smarty, let's see you get this one then. What level does Lugia learn Rain Dance?"
"Hmmmm, good one but you'll never stump the Pokequiz Master. It is level 55," he answered in a winey voice imitating a nerd. His mother just rolled her eyes as she retorted, "and what kind of PokeQuiz Master wears no shirt and has a hole in the crotch of his shorts?" When Mike returned his usual full fledged grin to declare his surrender, she asked the next question.
"What are the types that are consistenly paired with another type," she queried as she tried to appear unaffected by her son's ability to answer the hardest question on the quiz.
"Flying and steel. Well that is until they discover a Pokemon that is just a pure flying and steel and that joke of a question will become obsolete. And I don't care what those supposed experts say about dominant this or recessive that. It's a bunch of bruhaha if you ask me." She gave the sandy haired boy an incredulous look.
"Are you finished Dr. Masolbull with your thesis on the stability of recessive type Pokemon?" Mike became unusually sheepish as he nodded. "Do I even need to finish this quiz? I didn't think so, why don't you go clean your room for once."
"But mom, why do I have to," Mike whined, "I never see you cleaning your room and my show is coming on."
"Excuse me? I do most of the cleaning around the house, plus I feed you, buy you clothes and I even subscribe to that magazine despite the fact that I barely have the money to cover our bills," the ruffled mother retorted then became apologetic for raising her voice as she put her arm around her only child. "I'm sorry Mike, but you have to realize that you have a part to do in this house as well as I do. I know this isn't the greatest house in the world, and I know that I can not buy you everything your heart desires. But I am in every aspect of your life and want to be apart of every experience you're going through simply because I love you." A frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she stroked the overgrown hair away from her boy's forehead. A long moment passed between them before Mike responded to his mom's words.
"I know you do a lot for me and that I have little to complain about, but there is only one thing I really want in life. I know without a doubt that if I ever became a Pokemon trainer, I would be the happiest kid in the multiverse."
"Son, I would do anything to make that dream come true, but we both know how much money that takes to put you through Pokemon school, to buy all the gadgets and gizmos, and to keep you well supplied through your adventure. I just do not make enough money to support something like that," she said as her voice broke as she began to cry. She pulled Mike even closer to her breast while she kept whispering repeatedly in his ear that she would do everything she could to make his dreams come true.
CHAPTER ONE
THE BREAK BEFORE THE BREAK
Mike could feel time stretching out its weary legs, slowing itself down in preparation for its yearly nap that came the week before summer break. The exact time to freedom was 9 days, 5 hours, 16 minutes and 32 seconds away. He idly watched the digits ever so slowly metamorphosize into the next largest numeral as the lecture droned on. If he was in any class but English composition, and if it was on any period but 8th, he might actually enjoy himself. But according to the curse that was placed on him at birth, clearly stated that all events and attributes in his life would be placed at the most inconvenient spots possible.
No sooner had the bell rang than Mike was at his locker relieving his aching trap muscles from the boulder hanging off his shoulders. He stretched out his arms and back to relieve the unnecessary pain that accompanies every 9th grader in his quest to carry the extra luggage prescribed by all the teachers. Mike checked his planner to see what homework and other duties that needed to be done by tomorrow. As he scanned the arduous tasks before him, he heard the familiar voice of his best friend hollering at him from the other side of the hall.
"Mike you gotta see this! PokeCorp has just released the information on the new PokeGear that will be coming out sometime this summer. It's so nifty, you have to see it," Isaac rapidly chattered. Mike snickered at his best friend's goofy grin and excitability.
"Alright, alright, gimme a second will ya? I got to figure out what I need to take home and what I can leave here. You know it would totally suck big bananas if I get home and then realize, I have the wrong books."
"Yes that would suck big bananas. But check this out," Isaac said quickly switching the subject and poking a picture of the new shimmering and shining Pokegear from a popular electronics junkie magazine. "It is going to have a phone that will be hooked up to a world wide network that will allow you to call anyone with a Pokegear, home and up to ten people for free. Plus it will have several specialized compartments that are each designed to hold things like Hyper Potions and Pokeballs. The Pokegear Deluxe will have a radio/clock and a computer with a built in Pokedex. It is the Pokemon trainer's dream come true!" Isaac exasperated as he nearly ran out of breath.
"Um yeah, that's great considering I'm starting tomorrow on my Pokemon journey," Mike retorted sarcastically as he shut his locker and began walking toward the exit.
"So again tell me why you're so worried about all this homework and special projects that are due tomorrow," Isaac replied bouncing back the sarcasm and took a couple of extra long strides to keep up with Mike. "Besides, I know neither of us are going to be Pokemon trainers anytime soon, but I like to keep thinking that I am a Pokemon trainer and act accordingly."
"You're still the hopeless dreamer aren't you? Well I hate to crush your glass world but dreams don't come true, not in this town." They walked in silence down the dull blue hallways with the dented tan lockers and the thinning hoards of screaming teenagers.
It was then that Mike began thinking about his dreams and how much they were actually worth to him now. Did he actually want to pursue his goals or were they just the drifting thoughts he had before he went to sleep? If he could start his Pokemon training tomorrow, he would be at least 4 years behind everyone else. Most other children started when they were 9 or 10 years old, not 14. Mike knew he could never be accepted into one of the few prestigious Pokemon Academies or have enough money to support his training. He had to laugh at himself for all the years he spent trying to learn everything there was to know about Pokemon just knowing he would be a trainer one day. Mike learned the hard way that childish hope has no chance against time and circumstance.
"Hey Mike," Isaac meekly said breaking Mike away from his thoughts, "do you wish to get on the bus or do you wanna hop, skip and jump all the way home?" add something about their environment, where they are walking to and standing at
"Sorry, I started thinking and forgot to check back with reality from time to time." Isaac smiled at his friend for somehow, he knew what Mike was thinking. Ever since they were 6 years old, Mike had wanted to be a trainer. Mike was the reason Isaac was into Pokemon. But he knew the inevitable as well as Mike, so he let that train of thought travel down its own track. The two friends boarded the bus and took their usual seat, the 3rd seat from the back on the driver side of the bus. They plopped down into the worn leather seats and prepared their butts for the worst 45 minute ride an over energized teenager could experience.
Mike and Isaac entertained themselves with the latest Pokemon news, discussed the events of their day and made fun of all the losers in their school. In between Isaac's limited ability to stay on the topic at hand and Mike's feeble attempts to keep Isaac on only one conversational topic, the two pals laughed and carried on as if they had no worries in the world. Finally the bus began nearing their destination when Mike perked up as if a needle poked him in the thigh.
"I almost forgot, we have a field trip coming up in two days to Saffron City and the world famous Pokemon Research Center, wooo hoooo! You better not forget to tell your mom to sign those stupid consent forms," Mike commanded while pointing his finger roughly in Isaac's face.
"I won't forget Mikeinious! See, I wrote it on my hand, notebook and planner, how can I go wrong?"
"With you, even the most foolproof plan can go wrong," Mike quickly countered.
"I suppose you're right. Well make sure you call me sometime this evening to remind me, okie dah?"
"Is that really necessary? Come on, you're 15 years old and can't remember something as simple as a consent form to go to the greatest place on Earth?"
"You know how bad my ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) is Mike and that I can sometimes even forget to breathe," Isaac jested.
"I never thought I would see the day when I had to tell my best friend to inhale. What a sad day that was, funny, but sad," Mike said carrying on the anecdote. They both had a knee slapping chuckle before they parted ways for the evening. Mike was really worried about his friend but figured if medicine, psychologists and prayer couldn't help him then he better get used to it.
From the short distance to her bedroom, she could hear his bed squeak and groan from the rapid movements of her son trying to locate a pleasurable spot to enter REM. Even at 3 am Mike was unable to fall asleep because he was so excited about his trip to Saffron City and the Pokemon Research Center. He was actually going to be in the presence of the world's most famous Pokologists. Mike had oodles of questions he wanted to ask and was like a sponge ready to soak up any new information he could obtain.
His mind drifted from the research center to his unreachable dream of becoming a trainer. Somewhere deep inside him, Mike still had that comforting feeling that his dream would come true. Despite the overwhelming odds and his attempts to confront the actual reality of the situation, the feeling would not leave. And for some odd reason, it was even stronger now. He quickly dismissed it as excitement jitters. Mike had been disappointed too many times in his life to let something as insignificant as a feeling get in the way of logic and reason. He rolled over once more to stare at the glowing red numerals on his clock. He knew he had to get some rest for tomorrow; his mind knew that simple fact, but his body protested. Only one way to solve that problem. Mike's hand reached into the drawer of his night stand and slithered around until he found the bottle of "Branson's Nocturnal Sleep Assisting Aid." He didn't care what the package warning stated, as long as it worked. Five minutes later, the medicine lived up to its name.
An annoyed groan emanated through the twilight as a lazy palm slammed down on the snooze button of the cracked alarm clock. Despite the fact that the sleep assisting aid was still trying to do its job, Mike crawled out of bed and staggered to the bathroom. After completing his duties in there, he made his way to the kitchen to locate his breakfast. Through the narrow slits of his partially opened eyes, Mike discovered that the cereal cabinet and spice rack were not one and the same. He looked over his shoulder making sure his mom hadn't witnessed his discovery trek. Luckily, she wasn't up and about yet. He watched the weather channel as he munched on the supposedly new and improved Lucky Charms with 75 larger marshmallows. He guessed that large cereal companies assumed little children didn't know they could sue for false marshmallows claims.
The Xatu predicted warm and sunny weather for the day with 3-5mph NW breezes due to the unusual dip in the jet stream in combination with the warm front moving into the area. He rolled his eyes when Wally the Weatherman stated the temperature would be 89 degrees with a heat index at 91 degrees. If it is 89 degrees outside, then it will feel like 89 degrees. Mike knew that the heat index was not based on any scientific fact or evidence; it was just a term weather personnel used to make their job a lot more interesting than it really was. Let them have their little hay day, he thought to himself because in a couple of hours, he would be learning real facts at the research center.
He quickly got dressed and gathered all his Pokemon paraphernalia and prepared his pack for a particularly pleasurable day. Mike flew out of the door to meet Isaac at the bus stop. He had almost made off the front lawn when he remembered his consent form. He would be hacked to no end if he had forgotten it. Mike, fleet of foot, raced back inside, clenched the precious parchment and hurried back out the door hoping that this time, he hadn't left anything important behind.
Once at the corner of Main and Market streets, Mike dropped his backpack on the ground and jumped up on the large stone retaining wall that supported the sharp downward slope of the church lawn behind him. As always, Isaac was late and Mike predicted that Ron would wait for him. Isaac had this uncanny ability to bend the world and people around him to make up for his tardiness, ADD or whatever seemed to be plaguing him at that particular moment. The worst part about it, Isaac was not even aware of his ability. He just carried on as if nothing happened or when made aware of his world bending abilities, he passed it off as coincidence. If Mike's dream of being a trainer didn't come true, he would buy a crystal ball and become a fortune teller because his prediction was presently coming true. The bus was there and Isaac was not. Ron gave an all knowing nod to Mike and put the bus into park as Mike stepped up on the bus. Mike received his usual share of up curled lips and rolled eyes while he strolled down the aisle. He dismissed the annoyed looks and remarks as easy as oil repels water.
Well as predictions go, they're not always as they seem. Mike thought they would be waiting at least ten, fifteen minutes but to Mike's and the other passengers' surprise, Isaac showed up only 6 and a half minutes late. Mike was shocked and stunned, more stunned than shocked but shocked nevertheless. He was just about to ask Isaac about the unusual incident but before he could make his request, Isaac blurted out, "You're not going to believe what just happened to me."
"To my knowledge, there is not any known method for getting you early to any appointment or designation, so this is going to be interesting," Mike offered suggestively.
Isaac jumped right into his story completely disregarding what Mike had just said. "As usual, my Sailormoon clock woke me up this morning with her most appealing chorus and as I was checking my email and the Pokenews site, I noticed that the water in my fish tank was extremely low. I thought to myself this is weird and should not be happening, so I began checking my cell phone for whomever called me last."
"Um, what does ANY OF THIS have to do with you getting here early," Mike interrupted his friend's absentminded rambling. A look of surprised crossed Isaac's face as he said,
"I'm here early?" Mike covered his face in mock disgust.
"You mean you are completely unaware that you arrived to the bus stop almost on time. I thought that's what the whole story was supposed to be about," Mike said in a flat tone.
"Ummmmm...you mean I'm really here early. I even surprise myself sometimes. No the whole story was about how I found out that..." A short pause followed, then Isaac face scrunched up in disappointment. "I forget what the whole story was about," Isaac stuttered as he tried to collect his fleeting thoughts. Mike had to laugh at his poor friend for his characteristic really short term memory.
"Oh now I remember," Isaac continued as his face brightened. "My fish tank was leaking, so after I checked it, I found out that it really wasn't leaking after all. I then remembered I had a dream last night about being really thirsty and drank from a stream which now I assume it was my fish tank. When I realized that I had drank my fish water, I had to do some major reverse peristalsis and of course lost my appetite, so I didn't eat my usual big breakfast, so I guess that's why I am early." Mike had to hold his lips shut to keep from repeating Isaac's most recent repulsive action.
"That's really gross. Why didn't you wake up when you drank that disgusting water," a high pitched voice piped up in front of them. The voice belonged to an overly lean female with long stringy brown hair and a bad case of acne. Both Mike and Isaac looked up to see the girl sitting on her knees with her palms hanging over the back of the seat.
"Since I was a kid, I have always had problems with sleep walking. One time I got up in the middle of the night and had to use the bathroom but was still asleep at the time. I had a nice sit down in a dining room chair. I think it was then that I began to count all the specialists I was seeing: a neurologist, an allergist, a dermatologist and now it was going to be a proctologist. Needless to say, I wasn't a very happy child," Isaac answered accompanying the story with the full motions and sound effects. The girl giggled at his amusing story while Mike sat back and shook his head. Of all the people he could have been friends with, why did the fates intertwine their lifelines together? Isaac was a great friend; he was just a little discombobulated at times and that tended to make life a lot harder for those who had the responsibility of redirecting him away from life's oncoming trains.
"You're so funny," the girl squealed as she cupped her chin with her hands and laid her elbows on the back of the seat, "what are your names? My name is Akane Gasuganomichi." The boys gasped at her very unusual name, and then they gathered their composure and introduced themselves.
Mike and Isaac discovered that Akane moved to Grafton two days ago and was living on the upper side of the city. Mike raised a questioning eyebrow when he noticed Akane was really vague when she reported information about her family or her past, but Mike let it go. But the conversation did not dwell on Akane for long because Isaac's conversation manipulation ability was kicking in. Isaac had another unexplainable ability; he could monopolize any conversation on any topic despite how talkative or dominant the other conversationalists were. It was at this point that Mike noticed that Akane kept her eyes glued to Isaac, but she wasn't looking at him only because he was the one talking. She was looking at him the way an anorexic views a Smorgasbord. Mike had to giggle inside for they were both grinning ear to ear, but for completely different reasons: one was beaming because she was infatuated, the other because he was talking about Pokemon. When the bus stopped at its final destination, the trio stood up and again the boys gasped at Akane. She stood a full foot and a half above Isaac who was already reaching the six span mark; her greasy hair was longer than Isaac was tall. Mike had to stifle another laugh as they exited the bus. Akane waved a giddy goodbye as they went on separate paths to their lockers.
After she had left Mike gave an all knowing look to Isaac and commented, "hey, I think I found what you have been looking for!"
"Did you find my favorite eraser that I let you borrow?" Isaac emphasized the last three words.
"Um no. I'll give ya a hint. It is tall, has long stringy hair and a head full of straw," Mike hinted giving the answer completely away. Isaac returned the clues with a bewildered stare and said "I do not understand why you are saying such unnatural things, Mikeinious." After a second, Mike realized his friend was not acting at all; Isaac had missed all the obvious clues that Akane would like to dig her yellow nails into him. Not wanting to solve this apparent mystery, Mike told Isaac he would see him later on the bus to Saffron City and took off for his home room.
The site was breath-taking, gargantuan sky scrapers formed a palisade around the magnet train as it pulled into the station with millions of people rushed to and fro like locusts on a rampage. Mike could not turn his head fast enough to catch all the sights. On his left he saw a gorgeous park complete with a water fountain and courses for the expert skateboarder or in-line skater. On the right side of the 6 lane highway was a huge sprawling 8 story mall that neighbored a barracks, hotel and an arena especially made for Pokemon duels. Mike had the most difficult time taking his eyes off the arena. Many times he had pictured himself in the Saffron Pokemon Tournament dueling his hardest and coming out victorious. A shout brought Mike's attention back to the front of the bus where he saw the famous Pokemon Research Center. He was seconds away from meeting all the famous Pokologists and Pokemaniacs such as Dr. Ashton Ketchum and Freaky Sister Sue. His heart pounded in his chest, and he could feel his blood pulsating in his jugular vein.
Mr. Alvin Terrence Vega, the biology teacher, gave a stern lecture about being on their best behavior, or they would sit on the bus for the rest of the field trip. He read out the day's itinerary and lead the flock inside the building. In the vestibule, Mike meet up with Isaac who already had Akane following him like a trailer in tow. Mike leaned close to Isaac and quietly whispered why the behemoth was tracking him. Isaac shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the marble statues of Charizard, Wartortle and Venusaur that guarded the front door. The trio stared in awe at the massive replicas; all pondering the meaning of life. Mike recalled later that this was the only time ever that Isaac had actually been quiet. Their admiration for the delicate artwork was interrupted by a voice calling for their attention. The group was greeted by a friendly blonde haired man who informed them that he would be their tour guide. The tour guide initiated the tour with a brief history of the company and explained the presence of Charizard, Wartortle and Venusaur. He told the famous story of how these three Pokemon saved a town from a herd of raging Tauros. He further reiterated that scientists first learned of type advantages from a legendary duel between these three special Pokemon. Mike and Isaac clung to his every word and transferred the data in their permanent memory banks. Being the articulate creature, Isaac kept notes using a mini-recorder.
Their tour guide, as they secretly found out later, was once a reigning Pokemon champion who was forced to give up his title because he had cheated by using Pokemon steroids. He led them through the administrative offices where the group met the president of the Pokemon Research Center. The president shook their hands gave them all a membership packet, so they could join the elite worldwide Pokemon Fan Club. The tour guide then led them through the Pokemon History Hall where they learned how people learned to duel Pokemon and use their special abilities for residential, commercial and industrial uses. He talked about all the special attention Pokemon had received during recent years with the creation of Pokemon interest and activist groups such as The Pokemon Reformation and Pokemon-Are-People-Too. These groups helped the government create laws and policies to protect the Pokemon from abuse and mistreatment. Intentionally hurting a Pokemon was a federal crime punishable by enduring the same pain the Pokemon went through, a 10,000 fine, minimum five year sentence in jail, 1000 hours of community service plus being put in the National Pokemon Abuser Database.
The tour guide ushered the group from the president's office down the main hallway to a large auditorium where he gestured for them to be seated. Out on the stage walked the most famous person ever to grace a birth certificate was Dr. Ashton Ketchum. When the tour guide, several of the research assistants and Mr. Vega wiped the drool off and restrained the more wild of the bunch, the tour guide introduced the group to Dr. Ketchum who was standing quietly off to one side. Mike, Isaac and Akane all stared at each other; they couldn't believe their luck. They were actually in the presence of the most famous Pokemon trainer and scientist. Dr. Ketchum thanked the tour guide for the introduction and then silently stood in the midst of the group as if pondering his next words. He blinked twice, cracked his knuckles, popped his neck and then stared questioningly at the children.
"Oh, was I supposed to say something here," Dr. Ketchum asked as if he had been beamed down by Scotty.
"Yes, yes Dr. Ketchum," a nearby assistant replied, "you agreed to talk to these children about Pokemon, remember," the assistant said urgently emphasizing the last word.
"Oh quite right Mr. Perkins. Umm, you wouldn't happen to remember exactly what I was going to tell them do you?" Mr. Perkins slapped his hand against his face, mumbled something about not getting paid enough and pulled down a flow chart hanging from a transportable markerboard.
"Does this look familiar DOCTOR KETCHUM," Mr. Perkins articulated in angered tones.
"Thank you Mr. Perkins. I almost forgot I was going to inform this lovely group of my latest research breakthroughs. Would you all like to hear about that?" When the group gave a thunderous yes, Dr. Ketchum and Mr. Perkins pulled out the rest of the flow chart of the anatomy and physiology of a Pikachu. The group became very silent. Every eye fixated on Dr. Ketchum like he was the epicenter of a 10.0 earthquake.
Doctor Ketchum began his lecture on the fundamentals of Pokemon such as types and different attacks they each can possess. Then he pulled out the big guns by revealing to the group that he knows how Pokemon communicate. He explained that a recent interest in Pokemon research is their ability to communicate. It was widely known that to "speak" to each other, Pokemon would say the whole or parts of their names repeatedly. Scientists, such as himself, wondered why and how they could convey such complex and abstract concepts to each other by using such a simple "alphabet." After careful observation of Pokemon and many experiments, Dr. Ketchum stumbled upon the first part of the answer. He noticed that Pokemon speech came in several varieties based on the number of syllables in the Pokemon's name. Pokemon with one syllable in their name such as Jynx used different pitches and speed of repetition to talk while two syllable Pokemon such as Growlithe have an extra syllable they can use. Growlithe still use different pitches and repetition speed but not to the extent of Jynx. Pokemon with three or more syllables in their name such as Skarmory have even more variety in the syllables so they tend to use even less variation on pitch and speed of repetition.
The group sat awed as they carefully listened to the musical words floating in their ears. Between a pause in breaths, a hungry rumble was heard across the room. Dr. Ketchum looked inquisitively at his watch and remarked that he was sorry to keep them from their lunch. He suggested that they all take a break for lunch and reconvene afterwards but protests quickly arose from the group which provoked Dr. Ketchum to reconsider his first idea. He again won the admiration of this young crowd by proposing they get their lunches and while they ate, he would continue tell them about their latest research. A deafening cheer emanated from the easily captivated students, and they proceeded in putting his idea into action. Before everyone had a chance to sit down, Mike and Isaac managed to get themselves almost right in front of Dr. Ketchum because maybe, oh just maybe, they might receive special attention from him.
When lunch was all set, Dr. Ketchum picked up exactly where he had left off. He continued to explain that communication based on the number of syllables is just a general rule because Pokemon such as Grimer and Teddiursa have been known to use a wide variety of pitches, speed of repetition and fluxuation of pitch as they say their name. Pokemon also use a lot of body language and facial expressions to communicate. To illustrate this point, Dr. Ketchum called for his Pikachu. Seconds later, Pikachu burst into the room and on Dr. Ketchum's lap. He quickly pointed out Pikachu's posture, hand and arm motions and facial expression as Pikachu entered the room. He asked Pikachu to begin telling him what he had done that day. Pikachu went into a lengthy spill of many Pi's, Pika's and Pikachu's and a wide variety of Pictionary style hand motions. As Pikachu conversed to Dr. Ketchum, he would translate what he was saying. Dr. Ketchum also explained that he had been with Pikachu for a very long time and knew how Pikachu communicated. Dr. Ketchum pointed out the problem with this postulation: how does Pikachu manage to talk with Pokemon he doesn't even know?
Dr. Ketchum proposed his theory of Pokemon communication. He stated that besides the verbal and body language, Pokemon must use another method of talking with each other especially when they are discussing complex or abstract topics. He believes that Pokemon have a base system of communication in which all Pokemon know and use plus have their own unique way to talk such as tail movements or making other noises. He thinks that Pokemon innately know how each Pokemon talks even if it has never encountered that species before. Dr. Ketchum also proposed a second theory that he was apprehensive about sharing. He thinks that maybe Pokemon have some sort of Extra-Sensory Perception (ESP) that allow them to convey abstract and complex ideas because even as humans, we still have a difficult time explaining things such as love. About this time, the tour guide gently nudged the professor in the side which forced him to consider the time. The tour guide was insistent on observing the time table that was issued to him rather than assessing what the group wanted to do.
"Does anyone have any questions about what I just talked about or anything else," Dr. Ketchum asked? Every right and left arm shot into the air and since the first twenty fingers he saw belonged to Mike and Isaac, he acknowledged them to go first.
"What are your beliefs on Pokemon cross breeding and why or why not do you think it should be allowed," Mike boldly asked his million-dollar question?
"Unfortunately, this is not a black and white issue, there are good points to be made on both sides, so therefore, I remain ambivalent. I understand the side which states that cross breeding can create stronger Pokemon that could be used for battling or for creating specialized Pokemon for specific tasks. change sentence I recognize the beliefs of the other side that state that if we cross breed, we will get so absorbed in creating stronger Pokemon, we'll end up neglecting them and that it is unnatural to cross breed; Pokemon don't do it naturally, why should we make them do something they aren't comfortable with in the first place? Sorry if I didn't fully answer your question the way you had wished, but until more research comes out on cross breeding, I cannot make a stand on either side of the issue. Did I explain myself well enough?" Mike nodded solemnly. "Good, who had their hand up next." Dr. Ketchum then pointed to Isaac who was nearly standing on his tippee toes right in front of the poor doc's face.
"Two questions. The first one," Isaac inquired while holding up one finger, "is how can scientists label Gyarados and Mantine flying type Pokemon when Gyarados doesn't possess any flying type moves and neither of them actually flies?"
"Ahh, very good question. You have to understand that the decision to label a Pokemon a certain type is not solely based on the Pokemon's moves or abilities. A hundred years ago, scientists did not even realize that Pokemon came in types. Sure they understood that a Pokemon possessing fire type moves would surely win a duel against grass types but they never knew why. A Pokemon's type is now based on their DNA as well as their moves and abilities. A Pokemon such as Gyarados does not fly nor does Gyarados possess any flying type moves, but they do possess the strengths and weaknesses and DNA strands that flying Pokemon have. The same case goes for the Mantine even though they have a flying type move which can be explained by the flying type DNA being more strongly expressed in Mantine. Therefore, they are labeled as a water/flying type pokemon. And your next question," Dr. Ketchum replied cooly.
"What is the anatomical juxtaposition of two orbicularis oris muscles in a partial state of contraction?" Isaac asked thinking he had finally outwitted the man equipped with three Ph.D's.
"The answer is simple and can be easily explained by a Pokemon." The professor called for a Jynx to come down to the lunch room through the intercom. Jynx arrived shortly bouncing her hips back and forth while she sashayed into the room. Dr. Ketchum whispered something in her ear, Jynx nodded and waltzed her way next to Isaac and gave him a big kiss right on the lips! The group went wild with laughter and the Marine disciplined Mr. Vega swiftly organized his troops into to an obedient silence.
"Now now Mr. Vega, it's ok for these children to laugh. 'Laughing is good for the soul, a ray of sunshine that keeps the flower of life growing,'" Dr. Ketchum quoted a famous children's poem. Alvin Vega grunted and crossed his arms in defeat but kept his stone faced grimace, daring anyone to break orders again. The Q A continued for the next half an hour until the professor realized the children had yet to see the best part of the facility.
Dr. Ketchum rushed them through corridors, plummeted them down elevators and drifted them through corners (as best as two feet can drift.) The entourage ended up standing before two large iron doors meticulously carved with strange symbols and various Pokemon. The doc swiped his identification card through a control panel on the left of the door, typed in a lengthy password and the doors burst open with a shrieking squeaking sound.
"Yes I know children, we seriously gotta get that fixed, but there seems to be a shortage on WD-40. Right this way." Dr. Ketchum led them into a huge laboratory. Before it could become a prepubescent Pokemaniac playpen, Dr. Ketchum waved his arms around the room and instructed the children to look but do not touch anything. Along the far wall was a fortress of incubators housing tiny Pokemon, all furnished with their own set of tubes and monitors. To the left and right were many tables set up with test tubes full of unknown liquids, microscopes and an odd assortment of lab equipment. Through the window on the far door, Mike noticed what appeared to be a large playground. He thought it odd for adults to have recess or to bring their children to a place as dangerous as a laboratory, but he figured Dr. Ketchum would have an explanation.
"This is where the greatest minds have gathered to contemplate and discover the greatest mysteries of Pokemon such as behavior, body chemistry and physiology, adaptation and change. If you look to your right, you will see a very interesting piece of equipment. This little puppy is known as a Kolbjorn, after Dr. Yolanda Kolbjorn, the woman who invented it," Dr. Ketchum elaborated and pointed to a picture of a woman on the wall above the machine. Mike thought the woman looked like she had eaten one to many lemons and not enough prunes in her lifetime. Dr. Ketchum pulled him back to reality with his digression. "A Kolbjorn allows us to separate Pokemon DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid, in case you didn't know) for examination and for typing. With the Kolbjorn, we can compare unknown DNA to a database of every known Pokemon. Pretty soon, we will be able to read the DNA and know what each specific strand is responsible for."
"We have found out some very interesting information when we compared Pokemon DNA. We first compared one type-same type Pokemon, or OTST Pokemon, with each other to gain an understanding what makes these Pokemon unique and alike. For instance, we compared Grimer and Koffing DNA since they have one type which is poison and do not change type when they evolve like Nidorano into Nidoking. We found that there were DNA strands among the Grimer and Koffing that were identical and those identical strands were spaced out among the non-identical strands in almost the same pattern. Now of course, there were small deviations to the pattern, but it was scary how identical these two DNA strands were. Now, it does make sense that these two Pokemon would have some identical DNA because of their same type and abilities, but does that explain the seemingly identical pattern? To gain a glimpse of the answer, we compared even more OTST Pokemon to see if the same pattern appeared. Our next subjects were Abra and Drowsee. They did not have the same pattern of identical and non-identical DNA strands as compared to Grimer and Koffing but the pattern between Abra and Drowsee was remarkably close. We knew we had stumbled onto something, we just didn't know what it was yet, and sadly, we still don't know. Our research has continued endlessly and we feel we are inches away from the answer. As soon as we find out what apparently is staring us in the eyes, we'll be sure to announce it to the world. But enough of all this lecturing, let's go see some Pokemon!" The group cheered as the professor led them to the far door onto the playground that Mike had noticed earlier.
As the door opened, Isaac and Mike witnessed the most incredible site ever for a Pokemaniac. Mike was right, it was a playground but it wasn't made for the scientists or their children, it was made for the Pokemon. Any elementary school student or any creative 14 year old boy would have endless fun on the playground. There were slides, a rope course, bunkers, several creeks, many fruit bearing trees and plants, an underground complex, forts, an obstacle course, body building stations complete with Pokemon housing and bathrooms.
"I would give up my left kidney to live here for a week," Isaac exclaimed throwing his hands up in the air forgetting that his mini-recorder was in his hand. The recorder shot from his hand and sailed toward a group of Girafarigs, but before the recorder had a chance to hit the ground, one of the Girafarigs caught it effortlessly in his jaws. Dr. Ketchum called for it to bring the recorder back to Isaac. The Girafarig galloped happily toward the scientist with the prize. Dr. Ketchum directed the Girafarig to drop the recorder in Isaac's upturned palms, and it followed the directions almost before the professor could spit them out. The scientist graced his hands up and down the the Girafarig's neck as a reward for returning the recorder. It squealed with delight at the attention which enticed the entire herd of Girafarig to zoom over to Dr. Ketchum's side. In seconds, the group was surrounded by 16 dual headed quadrupeds that literally begged the students to pet them as well. Their begging did not go unanswered, for the group eagerly pet the attention starved Pokemon. Finally, Dr. Ketchum had to order them to continue feeding, or he would not be able to show the group the rest of the facility.
"Here is where we keep, observe, train, feed and play with our Pokemon," Dr. Ketchum announced as two assistants approached him from the Pokemon houses. "We hope to gather at least two of each kind of Pokemon and have enough financial resources to build a much larger living area. Right now we have 75 different species and boast over 200 Pokemon all together." Mike wished so much at that moment to be able to take any one of the Pokemon home and start his training. He began to play out a scenerio in which he would win a Pokemon of his choice if he could answer 5 questions correctly. He quickly snapped out of his daydream when Isaac gently pushed him forward when he saw the group moving forward and Mike standing immobilized. Mike stumbled as he had to switch from the standing position mode to walking mode, a complex transition indeed. The professor, at a student's request, let the group go around freely exploring the area and playing with the Pokemon. After some time, the famed scientist called the group back together to visit the last site on the list, the arena.
"We have something special for you all today. We don't normally do this, but since we have been...overburdened, we thought we could repay the favor that has been generously given to us by the entire research community. We are offering a chance for all of you to win some fabulous prizes by winning a Pokemon duel. All who wants to participate (which happened to be almost everyone) make two lines one at either side of the arena, and you can duel whomever comes next in the line. If you don't have any Pokemon or did not bring yours, shame on you. But don't despair, we'll let you borrow our Pokemon which will come completely random to make things fair and interesting for us Pokemaniacs. Don't worry, they're all about the same level, so don't think you'll be getting a level 100 Mew." After all the students had arranged themselves into their respective lines, Dr. Ketchum went down the line asking each person who did not bring a Pokemon to pick a Pokeball out of a duffel bag he was carrying. Finally, the bag came to Mike and Isaac. Their hearts were pounding like kettle drums, their smiles stretched wide as spandex across a sumo wrestler's butt. Mike closed his eyes in anticipation as he reached into the bag and prayed he had picked the perfect Pokemon to win his duel.
"Alright Go Pokemon," Mike shouted and the Pokeball reacted to the command as it released Mareep, the electric sheep Pokemon. "Well, I guess it could have been a worse Pokemon such as Magikarp or Metapod.
"Ok my turn to pick," Isaac exclaimed as he rummaged through the duffel bag until he stopped, smiled and pulled out his Pokeball. He released the Pokemon and out came a Porygon, the geometric duck Pokemon.
"How...how did you manage to pull such a rare and strong Pokemon? This goes to show that the curse on me never falters or fails in its duty," Mike sighed at his friend's good luck. Isaac just smiled and danced around in a little circle, and he accidentally wacked the head of the person standing behind him.
"Oops, sorry. I didn't mean to do that," Isaac apologized for his jubilation. All he got in return was a cold stare and a threat to end his life if he ever did that again.
"Isaac, only you could pick out such a lucky Pokemon and an instant later have a death warrant on your head. How do you do it?" Mike joked sarcastically in his best reporter voice.
"I attribute this event to the alignment of Jupiter and Pluto during this month. When they are in the third trimester of the second moon phase during the Solstice of the Sun, they tend to intertwine the sources of good and bad luck around me in a chaotic double helix," Isaac replied matter of factly, keeping up the joke.
"There you have it folks; the answer to how Isaac Newtanvil manages to cheat fate as if it was a spinning jumprope and him as a half limp millipede." The two buddies busted out laughing at their insuing hilarity.
"I don't get it," Akane said as her brow wrinkled in confusion.
"Forget it lame brain," Mike tartly responded, "hurry up and pick your Pokemon so we can get on with life." Akane reached into the bag and pulled out her Pokeball.
"Oh I sure hope it's cute," Akane exclaimed to which Mike retorted under his breath, "hope it isn't cute like you." Akane obviously overheard him because she gave him her best set of evil eyes which only made Mike shudder even more.If she does that look again, I am going to fill my shoes with vomit, Mike thought to himself. Akane released her Pokemon which turned out to be a Slugma, the fire slug Pokemon.
"Eeew, I can't battle with such a disgusting Pokemon. I'll pass since I can't battle with a cute Pokemon such as Clefairy," Akane complained but when she mentioned Clefairy, she clasped her hands together and pulled her arms next to her body as if hugging a Clefairy and her puke brown eyes circled around her eye socket. Akane returned Slugma to his Pokeball and threw the Pokeball back into the bag. She walked over to the bleachers to watch the duels. Dr. Ketchum stood there with the face that resembled a cow looking at an oncoming train and kept passing out the Pokeballs until everyone had one.
"Ok, is everyone ready. Here are the rules. Everyone will use one Pokemon and the first one to incapacitate the other's Pokemon is declared the winner and will be given a random prize including money or even a Pokemon. Let's begin," the professor shouted and the two students first in line began their match.
Isaac and Mike talked about various strategies and tips while they waited for their turns. It didn't take long for Mike's turn to come about, for the matches seemed to last only a short duration.
"How about you go first Isaac because I am too nervous to go out in front of all these people," Mike suggested.
"Oh okay Mikeinous!" Isaac happily accepted his friend's proposal. Isaac nonchalantly waltzed his way into the arena and took his place at the designated semicircle. Isaac and Mike could see that Isaac's opponent had a Pineco (as its name suggests, it looks like an oversized pinecone) for her Pokemon. Isaac realized he had a strong advantage over his opponent and since he knew all the attack moves for both Pokemon, he began to form a stratagem in his mind. He decided he was going to have some fun with his opponent because she was the school's head prep and preps never talk to people such as Mike and Isaac. Both boys would like to see her go down in a blaze of shame, and Isaac knew just the way to bring her down the hierarchy a notch or two. Isaac grinned mischievously as he launched his Porygon into battle.
"Go Porygon, start with your Tackle attack and use it repeatedly!" Just as Isaac predicted, the up-in-style chic commanded its Pineco to use its Protect to keep it from harm. At first, it seemed as though Porygon's Tackle attacks were useless but as Pineco used its Protect attack for the third time, Porygon was able to bust through Pineco's defenses and land a solid hit.
"Hey, you weren't supposed to be able to hit my Pineco. It just used Protect and no attack can penetrate that especially not a Tackle attack from a square headed Pokemon," the girl sneered rolling her eyes.
"You're only half right. Protect does block any attack but when its used repeatedly in the fashion you just brazenly displayed for us, it loses its potency and begins to fail," Isaac jeered at the snob before him.
"No geek is going to beat me. Use Take Down now and blow that miserable thing away!"
"Use Agility to dodge her attack. Then use Psybeam while Pineco's back is toward you!" Pineco's Take Down was easily avoided by Porygon's Agility. Before Pineco could maneuver himself around, Porygon used its Psybeam.
"Ha! Even an elementary trainer knows that bug type Pokemon are strong against psychic attacks. You moron." Isaac just grinned.
"Keep using Psybeam!"
"I'm not going to fall for your trick again, amateur. Pineco, dodge the first Psybeam, then use Protect the next time and keep switching back and forth while moving closer to Porygon." Through diligent effors, Pineco was able to avoid most of the attacks and resisted the Psybeams that managed to hit it. Even though Porygon was having little success, Isaac kept instructing it to pound away with Psybeam. Finally, Isaac got what he was looking for; Pineco began to sway back and forth and its eyes were swirling around its sockets.
"What did you do to my Pokemon, dork," the prep questioned enraged at the punk's insolence.
"And you call me an amateur. Don't you know that with every Psybeam attack, there is a chance that it will cause confusion. Now your Pineco doesn't know whether to wind his butt or scratch his watch," Isaac replied obviously amused at the change of events. "Now Porygon, use Tackle to apply some serious damage to that overrated insect!" Pineco reeled as it was suddenly struck by a physical force. Pineco tried to make sense of what was going on, but the confusion gripped it tightly and refused to let go.
"Come on Pineco, snap out of it. We can't lose to such a pathetic loser. Use Tackle now." When Pineco didn't respond to the command, Isaac instructed Porygon to use Tackle to knock Pineco against the arena wall. Porygon charged toward the unsuspecting Pokemon and slammed into it as hard as it could throwing Pineco against the wall and ending the battle.
"Alright Isaac," Mike cheered from the sidelines, "you really put that mutt into her rightful place."
"Who cares anyway? You guys will never amount to anything and will always be beneath my feet." With that, the girl flung her hair around her body as she turned and walked away.
"What a sore loser. That was so great how she played right into your hands. How did you know that would work anyway," Mike asked positioning his body so that Akane couldn't come and congratulate Isaac on his victory.
"Socrates said 'Know thyself,' and my dad always said 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer.' I figured if I was going to win, I would have to use her weaknesses against her. She was in my science class last year and would get upset everytime something inconsequential happened, so I knew she couldn't keep her emotions in check. I used her fragile emotional state against her by showing how little she actually knew about Pokemon," Isaac lectured.
"That was so smart of you Isaac," Akane praised while trying to push Mike aside, so she could be next to her hero. "I bet you couldn't come up with such an ingenious plan."
"Don't need strategy because I have willpower. At least I have enough courage to use whatever Pokemon came my way and didn't run away because I got a grrrrooossss Pokemon," Mike taunted the already annoyed giant. Before the two adversaries realized their fight was futile, Isaac was already claiming his prize of a 100. It was nothing big, but Isaac was happy with his award and was already figuring out how to spend it.
Mike realized it was his turn to battle and called for Mareep to join him at his side. As Michael Masolbull took his place in the arena, he realized that his dream, his ultimate longing was finally being fulfilled. He felt as though his legs would give way to the weight that was suddenly upon him. His breath came in short rasps and his vision blurred as the realization hit him that this would be his first and last time he would ever engage in a Pokemon battle. Mike's head dropped so his chin touched his chest as his thoughts drifted to all those times as a child he would battle his Pokemon dolls, how every month he would sit and memorize every fact in PokeWorld or how Isaac and him would play as though they were the world's top trainers. He raised his head and pointed a determined gaze toward his opponent. He couldn't, he wouldn't lose. No matter the odds, no matter the obstacles, no matter the prize, he had to win for himself. This was going to be his only opportunity to be in a Pokemon battle, and he would never forgive himself if he lost.
"Ok Mareep, this is it. I know we've never battled together or ever had a chance to form a real relationship but know this; I do not intend to lose. For that to happen, I need your help because it is you who is really battling, so I need all you can dish out. Are you up for that Mareep," Mike explained as he knelt down next to the overly fuzzy sheep and patted its head.
"Mar Mar Mareep!"
"Thank you Mareep. I won't let you down." Mike stood up and nodded to Dr. Ketchum that he was ready to battle. His opponent gave the same nod after he had spoken some words to his Machop, the weightlifting Pokemon.
"Trainers ready? Pokemon ready? Battle!" Dr. Ketchum waved the green flag to signal the start of the match.
"Go Mareep! Use your growl attack!" Mareep leaped into action as did Machop who executed a leer attack. Mareep's throaty growl was not enough to lower Machop's attack and luckily, Mareep was smart enough to dodge the leer attack.
"Mareep, use Thunderwave and then tackle attack!" Waves of electricity radiated and then shot toward Machop and seemed to briefly stun it. In response, Machop used Focus Energy to beef up his attack power. To counter Mareep's tackle attack, Machop's trainer told it to dodge it and use Karate Chop. Mareep tackled right by Machop as it spun around to avoid the attack and began chopping on Mareep's back. Suddenly, Machop stood still as if frozen in time as the Thunderwave attack finally took its toll on Machop.
"Mareep, zap it with a Thundershock attack," yelled Mike in anticipation. Mareep's Thundershock landed square on Machop which jiggled as the voltage surged through its body.
"Come on Machop, resist the attack and rush Mareep and use Seismic Toss!" Machop voluntarily shook his body away from the arcing bolt of electricity and charged at the surprised Mareep and grabbed its front paws with his hands. Machop picked Mareep right up and began spinning in a circle. At the peak of its momentum, Machop released Mareep into the arena walls. Mareep lay stunned and hurt on the ground as it struggled to stand. Tears began to form in Mike's eyes as he realized he was going to lose his first and only Pokemon battle.
"You can't let that wimpy attack beat you Mareep," Mike screamed in frustration, "I know you have more energy left than that. Come on Mareep, win for me. I believe in you!" Mareep set its jaw tight in unbridled determination for the boy who had put all of his faith in her. Mareep stood squarely on its four feet and braced itself for the flying fists that were only inches away.
"Dodge it Mareep and use your Growl attack and blast it again with a Thundershock." Mareep, hurt from the Seismic Toss, was unable to fully dodge Machop's Karate Chop but was able to buffer the blow with its successful Growl attack which set Mareep up for its Thundershock. Mareep summoned all its remaining energy in its Thundershock attack which was barely able to connect to the swift Machop as it tried to counter the attack with a Low Kick attack. Mareep continued its Thundershock as it walked backwards to avoid the swirling feet that were coming its way. Mike saw the Machop weakening, so he urged Mareep to continue the onslaught. Mike's opponent saw the impending defeat and signaled his surrender. Mike let out a victorious whoop of joy as he ran and hugged Mareep who was barely able to stand.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," Mike cried breathlessly as he embraced the exhausted Pokemon. Finally, Mike realized that there were a bunch of his peers staring at him, so he regained his composure and walked to Dr. Ketchum to claim his prize. Like the other winners, he had to a choice to pick from 3 boxes, Box 1, Box 2, Box 3.
"Since Mareep worked so hard to win me this match, I'll let it pick the box. How does that sound Mareep?"
"Mareep, Mar Mareep!" The winning Pokemon sauntered over to Box 3 to signal its choice. Michael prayed that he had won a decent prize. He ever so slowly lifted the lid and reached inside and felt absolutely nothing! His heart leaped into his throat and and jammed against his front teeth. This can't be happening to me, Mike thought to himself but just then he found a slip of paper at the corner of the box. He pulled it out and saw that it had a gold star on it.
"Dr. Ketchum, what does this gold star mean," Mike inquisited as he handed the paper to the professor.
"Ah, you're a lucky one. You just won an actual Pokemon. You may choose the Mareep you have now or one from my duffel bag. Which one will you choose?" Mike looked deep into Mareep's eyes and wondered what his mother would say if he brought a Pokemon home. He knew she didn't make enough money to cover the cost of a Pokemon let alone support him through a career as a trainer. Mike sighed deeply and turned to face Dr. Ketchum who was eagerly waiting for his response.
"I would love to take a Pokemon, but ya see, I can't. My mom works at a grocery store as a cashier and barely makes enough money to cover our bills. There is no way we can afford a Pokemon. Sorry Mareep, I'll never forget the courage you showed in our battle and how you pulled through for me. Thank you." Mike lowered his head in shame over his extremely low social economic status. Dr. Ketchum contemplated this predicament for a second while rubbing his grey beard.
"The most powerful lesson I learned as a trainer was if there is a will, there is a way. There were countless times when I was facing incredibly tough Pokemon and highly intelligent trainers. There were times when I thought I was done as a trainer. Even though I have lost many Pokemon battles, I succeeded because I never quit. I pulled myself together and discovered ways around the mountains in my path. The only way you'll become a trainer is if and only if you display that type of grit and determination. You battled well and it seems you have some talent but that is nothing without love for your Pokemon and the drive to always become better than you were yesterday. The life of a trainer is most difficult, full of loathing, self-doubt and wracked with perils and challenges, but it also has its sweet victories and precious moments. Is this the life you wish to lead, young lad?"
"There is nothing I have wanted more in my life than to become a trainer. It is all I think about," Mike solemnly replied. Dr. Ketchum stared hard into Michael's soul as if probing for truth behind his words. When he was satisfied with his search, he motioned for Mr. Perkins to come hither. Dr. Ketchum whispered something into Mr. Perkins's ear and then the assistant took off toward the lab.
"Wait here until my assistant gets back," the professor commanded. They waited for seven and a half minutes until Mr. Perkins decided he was going to start his trip back to his boss's side. When he returned, he had a clipboard and an oversize package in his hands. He handed Dr. Ketchum the clipboard which had a piece of paper on it with an insignia on the top. The professor thanked his assistant and began asking Mike his full name, social security number and other personal information while writing down all his answers. Mike was slightly confused but answered all of his questions anyway.
A broad smile appeared on Dr. Ketchum's face as he exclaimed, "Congratulations, Michael! You have taken the first step to becoming an official Pokemon Trainer!" The shock was worse than a Thunder attack from a herd of Raichu; Mike hit the floor. Not waiting for him to recover, Dr. Ketchum continued, "Take this paper to an official trainer facility, so they can enter you in the trainer database. Since you seem to have some money woes, I will personally sponsor you. Here is your Pokegear, outfitted with the latest technology. Welcome to the world of Pokemon."
And that is how Michael Masolbull got his break.