Pachirisu had spent her life in the wild. She was a strong yet adorable pokemon, fierce too and not easily trusting of humans. It was easy for anybody to see this in her, and professor Oak was no exception. He patted her, almost affectionately, but he never babied her or spoiled her, lovely as she was.
He was meeting with Heatra, an old college buddy of his the next day. It was the prospect of talking to her that had brought him all the way across the globe to the savage region of Ozzasi. Years had past since their last meeting and nervous as he was, Oak couldn't wait to meet up with her.
Recently she'd been made famous for discovering a rare orange pikachu. Her whole life had been spent researching the "shiny" pokemon phenomenon, and now this! The world ushered her around like she was a famous actress, but everyone knew they were much less interested in her than they were the miraculous pikachu.
He was 16 when professor oak came to town. Although Jason didn't know much about the man, having grown up on the opposite side of the globe from him, he knew the professor was an expert on pokemon.
His parents were both young when they had him and had spent most of their lives taking care of him. To leave them would have been betrayal. And so he didn't. He'd grown up on a miltank ranch and been amazing at pokemon studies in school, compared to most kids his age, trainers or not, he was an expert on pokemon. All of this though, meant nothing. He was destined to live in this small town, atop a high mountain, forever.
Markus was his father, but more importantly he was a gym leader. He was the town's pride and joy, to have a real gym, and not in a city was a big thing. At least, that was how things had once been.
Jason's father, after a feverish fight with his mother over the matter had decided to move.
"It's been so long, Professor. How are you?" Heatra asked, all sugary sweet. It was her fakeness that made her unique though. The way she sugar coded everything gave the aging woman an adorable demeanour.
"Good to see you, too, Heatra. I'm fine thanks, a little thirsty."
"Oh dear. Well I'll have someone fetch you something to drink."
The professor shook his head. "That's quite alright, thank you." Out of the corner of his eye he'd seen something, or rather someone dart towards the kitchen. He stared for a moment, unsure if his eyes had perhaps deceived him.
"That's Molly, don't worry about her."
Oak looked towards Heatra, dumbfounded. "Was, was she a pokemon?"
His friend chuckled slightly. "When was the last time you turned on the news, professor?" she asked. "The region is known for them, you know."
"I watch the news on a daily basis, thank you very much." He was aggravated. How could she expect him to have no reaction? "Pokemorphs aren't something you see in Kanto… I've never seen one myself, I'm just a little taken back."
She smiled and he could see where the years had aged her face. There were creases and smile lines and bagginess that hadn't been there when they were young. It had been too long; to expect her to be the same was wrong of him. But when had she started talking with the sugary sweet tone of voice only found in the elderly. Did he talk differently, too? "You've seen every kind of pokemon, and most kinds of people. What's so strange about the two mixing?"
"Let's not forget that it's team Rocket who started this whole pokemorph business."
She shook her head. "So what? They're out of the picture now, no one's heard from that group in years."
Oak cleared his throat. "Erm, anyways. About this pikachu of yours."
"Did you hear, that famous professor from overseas has come to town," Jason's mother told him. He just shrugged. Everyone knew about it, so why was his mother asking? "I was thinking, what with your father gone and everything, there's not much reason for you to stick around here."
He looked up for the first time. "What are you talking about?"