Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or any of its related creations and blah blah blah you guys know this already. xD
Chapter 1: Charlie Leslie Wallace
The wilderness consisted of purely trees and grassy areas. Various Pokémon roamed these areas. Most of them were indigenous to Kanto. Two Nidoking were battling against several Pokémon. All of the Pokémon being fought belonged to Professor Oak.
Charlie Wallace, a young Pokémon Researcher, was searching for Pokémon with Hidden Abilities. The concept had been established three years prior but only cited a hundred Pokémon capable of having a hidden ability. Although he wasn't responsible for the initial discovery, he was responsible for expanding the list to over 400 Pokémon. Right now, he was examining the Nidoking.
"What ability do you think they have?" His assistant, Alma Evelyn asked.
Both of them were hiding behind bushes. "I'm not sure. These two had Hustle as their ability. After they touched the Moon Stone, they evolved. I tried checking the Pokédex, but it says that information is insufficient. I'm guessing they don't have Hustle. I'm not sure if it's an undiscovered ability or just another Pokémon to add to the list."
"The Nidoking constantly use techniques that have secondary effects. Didn't we see another Pokémon use the same strategy?"
Charlie nodded. "I had the same thought. I haven't seen any of the other Pokémon get any secondary effects." He was looking at the Pokédex and the Pokémon. He called back the Pokémon. Both Nidoking were tired but proud that their foes were sent back. "That makes ten more Kanto Pokémon with Hidden Abilities. We have fifty now."
Alma sighed in relief. "That meets our quota. Do you want to drive or should I?"
Charlie smiled. "Could you drive? I want to write down a few things on the way."
Alma nodded. "Let's get something to eat before we meet with the Professor."
Professor Oak laughed. "I'm so proud of you two!"
"It's not that big of a deal." Charlie modestly told him.
Alma gave him a small push on his back. "Charlie, we did great! If it weren't for the two of us, the Pokédex would glitch again."
Oak nodded. "She has a point. I was surprised when the Pokédex owners complained about their devices freezing up. My records were messed up too. As advanced as the Pokédex is, it seems to be unable to accurately update with new Abilities."
Charlie scratched his head. "Have you had any luck with the update?"
Oak sighed. He shook his head. "I've had my lab assistants helping me with the code. I even had the other Professors working on it. Apparently, the update would have to be a complete redesign. Right now, it's impossible. The better solution for now is to manually input the info. It takes awhile but it really helps. I'm sorry to inconvenience you two."
The due shook their heads. "It's alright! We're honored we could help."
Alma reached into her bag and pulled out several notebooks. "I rewrote Charlie's notes into sections by region and by Pokémon. The black notebook has the updated Pokémon list. We're only missing several Hoenn Pokémon."
Charlie handed Oak the Pokédex and his own notebook. "This one has the complete Pokémon list with the currently known Abilities that Pokémon have. They're divided in three columns. We found that several Kanto Pokémon lack a second Ability but are known to have a Hidden Ability."
Oak rubbed his chin. He was impressed. "How did you reason that they weren't actually regular Abilities?
"Alma charted how many Pokémon we found with each Ability. Pokémon that are known for dual Abilities turned out to be nearly 50/50 probability for either Ability. Hidden abilities were found at least once in every group of fifty."
Oak placed his hands on their shoulders. "You two have made a great contribution. I wish you good luck on your presentation. I can't make it but my assistant can. I have to meet with my grandson about some new Pokémon moves he found."
The two researchers bowed their heads. "Thank you." They told him.
Stephen Frank had shown up early to the presentation. He was accompanied by several of his colleagues. His group chose seats near the front. They weren't there to learn about new discoveries. They wanted to ridicule the researcher presenting.
"Hey guys, do you think he actually did anything this time?" One of his buddies asked.
Stephen snickered. "His assistant probably did all the work."
"She's kind of hot, man."
"Have you seen her legs? She's got an amazing body."
"Too bad Leslie is gay."
Stephen and his group broke into laughter.
Stephen yawned. "I just hope he doesn't put us to sleep again."
The lights began to dim slightly. "It's time for the show. Hey, Stephen, wake me up when the hot chick comes out."
A man around his fifties went up to the stage. He was the benefactor for Charlie's research. His grandson had been credited with the discovery of Hidden Abilities.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us tonight. As many of you may know, today's presentation is about Hidden Abilities. This concept was originally discovered by my grandson. He allowed the researchers of today the chance of expanding the concept. Since his discovery three years ago, there has been a large increase in knowledge regarding my grandson's concept."
Stephen's researching partner leaned towards him. "Why doesn't he just say that his grandson milked the discovery for all it was worth and embezzled the money on prostitutes and drugs?"
Stephen stifled his laugh. "Why do you think he let Leslie do all the research? It makes his grandson look like a badass while Leslie is only referenced as helping with research."
"Does he even make money?"
Stephen grinned. "He can barely keep his apartment. The loser thinks he's making a difference. This stuff isn't even that important. Have you seen some of the Hidden abilities? They suck. He doesn't realize that all he's doing is making this guy's grandson become more popular with researchers."
A woman behind them shushed at them. They ignored her. The benefactor was nearing the end of his speech so they had to stop talking anyway.
"Now, I'll like to introduce the team who has helped further our understanding about Hidden Abilities. Please give a warm welcome to Charles Leslie Wallace and Alma Evelyn!"
The crowd clapped.
Charlie gulped nervously. "Are you ready?"
Alma smiled. "We're both ready. Don't look so scared, Charlie. You know all of this. We'll go out, show them our PowerPoint, explain the concept, express our plan to finish the list, thank the benefactor and the professors for giving us this opportunity and then ask if there are any questions."
Charlie sighed. "What if I don't have the answers to their questions?"
Alma grabbed his shoulders. She gave him a slight shake. "Charlie, you know basically everything about Abilities. The benefactor's grandson may have discovered it first, but he doesn't even know a percent of what you know. Don't worry. I'll be up there to help you. I am your assistant."
Charlie's nervousness was reduced slightly. "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Alma gave him a small peck on the cheek. "That's what friends are for. We help each other." She smiled at him. "It's going to be alright."
They heard the benefactor call their names. Charlie groaned. "Why must they say my middle name? Everyone makes fun of me because of it."
Alma frowned. "I told him to omit it. It's not a big deal. Remember what I told you: we can do this."
The two of them headed towards the side of the stage. The crowd erupted in applause when they were visible. Charlie tried smiling. Alma gave him a friendly squeeze on his shoulder.
Charlie and Alma shook hands with the benefactor. Alma stood on the opposite side of the podium while Charlie stepped in front of it. He cleared his throat.
Although Charlie was an anxious and nervous person, Alma loved how his demeanor changed the moment he spoke about what he did.
"After the discovery of Hidden Abilities by Pokémon Researcher Williams, there has been much skepticism over the origin of these Abilities. Pokémon Abilities differ by species and sometimes in the same evolution chain. Pokémon were originally known to have either one or two possible Abilities. With the discovery of Hidden Abilities, some Pokémon species have a possibility of three different Abilities. To the common person, these Abilities may not be seen as important. However, they are. For example, imagine that you are in a park. You are just relaxing after a day of hard work. Suddenly, a wild Voltorb appears. You're not sure why it's there or why it seems angry. You don't know what to do. Let's say you have two Pokémon: a Marshtomp and a Golem. You automatically choose the Golem because Ground beats Electric and your Golem knows Earthquake, a devastating move to Electric Pokémon. The Voltorb jumps onto your Golem and explodes. You are hurt as well. Had you known that your Marshtomp was lucky to have the Hidden Ability Damp, you would have chosen him instead. Damp is an Ability that hinders moves such as Selfdestruct and Explosion. You would have saved yourself some scrapes and burns if you knew more about Abilities." The crowd cheered.
Alma pressed a button on the remote she was given backstage. The projector screen was lowered. Their PowerPoint was now visible behind them. She paused at the title screen for a moment before switching to the next. The next slide had a Marshtomp standing on top of a defeated Voltorb. The crowd laughed. Alma smiled. It had been Charlie's idea.
Charlie went on to explain how information on which Pokémon had Hidden Abilities was still insufficient. He explained that it was time-consuming to analyze each Pokémon. What he didn't explain was the real reason why they lacked information. Alma knew that the amazing Professor Williams had neglected his research and settled on only a hundred Pokémon as his quota. He hadn't even done the research! Charlie had sacrificed three years to do what Williams should have done. Alma knew that Williams was taking credit for practically everything Charlie did. Charlie didn't know though. He wouldn't care. He was extremely happy that he could work with Williams and assist him.
Alma snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the crowd cheer again. She changed the side right on cue.
Charlie went through the whole PowerPoint. He paused and introduced her. She was going to talk about their dedication and their hopes of finishing the list. She noticed the front two rows paying close attention now that she was speaking.
"In closing, we'd like to thank Professor William for allowing us to work with him, Williams Sr. for supporting our research, Professor Oak for utilizing our data to inform the Pokémon community, and to our other supports for all they did for us. Mr. Wallace and I shall be taking questions now."
Alma was surprised by the many hands that flew up. Charlie chose a random person. He chose a woman in her early twenties. She resembled a medical student. "Hello, I don't exactly have a question. I just wanted to thank you for your presentation. A friend of mine," the girl next to her waved nervously, "was worried when her Pikachu kept absorbing so much electricity due to his Hidden Ability. He had Lightningrod as his ability so he kept having his special attack raised. Your expansion of our knowledge of Hidden Abilities helped her."
Her friend spoke up. "I finally stopped letting him play with my Elekid and now I can watch TV without it going haywire."
The crowd chuckled. Charlie smiled. "Thank you for that. How about you?" He called on a different person.
The next few people also gave them personal stories. Stephen raised his hand.
Charlie was surprised to see Stephen there. He was extremely happy to see he had a question. "What is your question, sir?"
"You've talked about how beneficial it is to know more about Hidden Abilities and how that knowledge can help regular people. However, I didn't hear anything about its drawbacks. What happens if Pokémon start appearing with more Hidden Abilities- such as Drizzle or Drought- and start messing with the weather?"
"Well…"
Stephen's researching partner spoke up. "Back when Pokémon were known to only have one or two possible Abilities, things were less hectic. Why should we focus more on it? It sounds like a nuisance to me. Why should I care that Chansey has the Hidden Ability Healer? Who even has a Chansey besides Pokémon Centers?"
Several of Stephen's group started making negative comments. Charlie tried answering some of the questions while also defending the purpose of Hidden Abilities. Finally, Alma got fed up with the disrespect.
"I think that's enough questions and comments for one day. Once again, thank you, Mr. William for this opportunity. We hope you all enjoyed the presentation." The crowd, excluding Stephen's group, cheered.
Mr. Williams shook their hands again when they approached him. Alma and Charlie walked offstage from the side. Alma was fuming. Charlie looked disappointed.
"Stupid Stephen had to be an asshole again."
Charlie shook his head. "It's alright, Alma. He has a point. Some of the new Abilities are a hindrance."
"Charlie, knowing that your Pokémon might lose HP because it's in sunlight is not a hindrance/. That's like saying that knowing about Voltorb's tendency to explode is irrelevant."
Charlie sighed. "I guess."
Alma wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "Cheer up Charlie. We did great. Let's get some ice cream."
Charlie chuckled. "I'd like that."
Well that's chapter 1. Like my other stories, I'm starting off with shorter chapters before I start writing more for each. It's not laziness if it's for a purpose, right? xD
