The little blue haired sister ran out of the elevator in the laboratory wing of the HQ Lab building and ran towards the automatic metal sliding doors of the director's office. Jovi ran forward and startled the director and her mother who were discussing the theoretical possibility of a Pokémon able to bend space and time. She jumped with excitement before she asked.
"Isn't today my big brother's birthday?"
Her mother Lily and the director Professor Krane looked at each other with shocked expressions on their faces at the realization of the significance of today's date. August 4th is Michael's birthday. Had Jovi not reminded them, they would have gone the entire day without realizing it.
"My goodness it is! What are we going to do? I can make a cake. Chocolate cake sounds good?", Lily asked her daughter.
"Yeah! That sounds awesome! I can get Chobin to come over with Kaminko!", Jovi replied with great enthusiasm
"Wait a minute, are we throwing a birthday party today?", Professor Krane asked as he adjusted his glasses.
"Yeah! It will be a surprise party! Anyone is welcome!", the blue haired girl answered with glee.
"Well what are we waiting for? It's already ten in the morning we have to get going! I'll go make that cake while you take care of inviting people and you Professor Krane, you can set up some foldable tables and chairs for a party outside. Er, a party outside is alright right?", Lily asked Jovi to confirm what she expected.
Jovi nodded and was about to speak when she suddenly heard footsteps coming out of the elevator nearby. Her red headed older brother had just awakened from his long morning sleep. Dressed in yellow pajamas and with a messy bed head with his spiked red hair and bags under his green eyes, the hero of Orre never looked more tired by anyone he ever knew.
"Good morning big brother!", Jovi greeted him with a small wave of her right hand.
"Goodmorning Michael,", Lily added.
"Good morning! How are you?", Krane asked with his greeting.
Instead of properly greeting back, Michael grumbled and walked forward trying to keep his head up and his eyes open. Jovi stood aside and watched as his brother silently butt his head against the automatic door to the second floor of the residential wing accessible through the director's office. He muttered something as he felt the wall beside the door for the security lock to unlock itself.
"I couldn't s-sleep at all last night… good morning everyone, Happy birthday to me I guess nrghnggh", the red headed teenage boy muttered as he clumsily slipped through the now open automatic doors into the residential wing in his quest to find his laundry for his casual threads.
Lily was speechless at her son's condition. Jovi scratched her head and smiled with a small bit of sweat coming down her forehead. Professor Krane was also silent and concerned over the boy.
"I think he's just… very excited over turning seventeen today, but as far as we know, he doesn't think he's getting a birthday party anytime soon because he hasn't asked for one!", said the blue haired sister with enthusiasm.
"We can't have him around the house if we're doing this today… I mean if this is a surprise party.", Krane deducted with his hands casually tucked In the pockets of his lab coat.
"But since he's so tired, maybe we can convince him to go back to sleep? Er-well anyway I have a cake to make so if you would have to handle that Jovi. I just need to know when this party is.", Jovi's mother requested.
"As soon as possible! …. Four o' clock sounds good?", the blue haired girl gave her mom two conflicting answers.
"Well alright then. Let's see what we can do.", Lily said as she walked through the automatic doors of the director's office into the residential wing to make her way towards the kitchen.
Jovi turned to Professor Krane and barked at him what she had in mind for inviting the guests. She smiled and shook with much enthusiasm as she spoke.
"Message Secc at ONBS to tell it over the news that Michael's birthday is today! Tell him that anyone is invited to come celebrate as long as they want to wish my big brother a happy birthday!", Jovi said jumping from her excitement.
"Oh! Uhmm…. I guess I could do that. Four o' clock right?", he asked as he was pulling out his P DA from the pockets of his lab coat.
,
"Right! I'll keep big bro distracted somehow in the meanwhile.", Jovi said before bolting through the automatic doors to the residential wing after her brother.
Krane proceeded ti bring up Secc on his contacts list of his unfolded P DA and message him the favor of kindly letting any of the ONBS viewers know about Michael's birthday being today. Anyone who would know who finally stopped Cipher would know who Michael.; Thei entire region celebrated his victory at Citadark Isle and his name was well known across the land even catching the attention of other young heroes from the Hoenn and Kanto regions. Virtualyu everyone who knew him is invited to his party.
"Wait a minute…. How are we going to serve that many people?!", Krane asked himself with an epiphany that came too late.
Jovi rushed into the elevator of the residential wing and rode it down to the first floor she caught a glimpse of Michael stumbling through the automatic doors of their living quarters. She ran after him into the living room of their family's living quarters and saw that he was entering his room in search for his casual clothes. Mimi, her Minun, and Pluplu, her Plusle, were enjoying a bowl of Pokémon food in the corner of the living room as they watched Jovi approach his door.
"Nock Nock!", Jovi announced her presence as she knocked on his sliding metal door.
"What is it? I'm getting dressed…. Would you believe it…. I looked through the entire building to find my clothes in my own room? Gagh….", Michael said to her from inside his room with disgust towards himself for overlooking his own threads.
"Uhh you sure you don't want to just stay in bed for a little while longer? Like maybe a few more hours?", Jovi suggested hoping she could convince him to occupy himself dreaming some more.
"Nahhh….. Well…. Maybe….. but I had something to do today. I was going to go help Doctor whats-his-face err…. Doctor Kaminko and Chobin with a new invention….oowaaghh…", moaned Michael as he held his head with his black under shirt in his left hand.
"Are you alright in there?", Jovi asked upon hearing his distress.
"I'm fine I just…. Have such a headache right now…. You know what, I'll take you up on that offer. I'll rest some more and you go to Kaminko's to help with their invention.", he said as he plopped himself on to his bed and curled up in a fetal position over his red thick covers.
"Offer? I never said that! I was just….", Jovi answered hesitating whether or not she should go along with the new found possibility of keeping his brother away from suspecting his quick surprise party at the cost of a chore for her.
"Can you do it? You just need some electric Pokémon. I was going to bring my Jolteon and Electabuzz but maybe Mimi and Pluplu will suffice… let me sleep please…", he pleaded of her as he buried a half of his face in his soft pillow.
"I… guess I can…. I'll be on it then! Don't worry big brother I'll go to Kaminko's for you. You just get some sleep now you hear?", the younger sister assured her tired older brother.
The blue haired girl turned to her Plusle and Minun watching from the corner of the room at their food bowl. Jovi clapped her hands and called for them before they immediately responded by running to her side and crawling up onto her shoulders with Plusle on her left shoulder and Minun on her right. She giggled as they ticked her ears a little as they clung on to her head to support themselves on her shoulders.
"Heehee! Alright everyone! We're taking my scooter to Chobins place again! Let's roll!", she announced before charging out of the personal living room and out the door of the residential wing into the forested paths outside.
Running by the family shed, she lifted the metal door open and pulled out her hover scooter with a small basket attached to the front of its handles. Mimi and Pluplu jumped off of her shoulders and landed into the basket comfortably sitting beside each other eager to feel the wind on their faces again. Jovi sat on her scooter and twisted the ignition key she left in its key slot. She adjusted the mirror on her left handle and ensured her feet were in their proper places with her right foot on the accelerator and her left on the break on the opposite side of the scooter. Just as Michael had taught her, she's readied herself to ride through the forested portion of Orre to Kaminko's Manor.
With the wind blowing on her face and Mimi and Pluplu happily enjoying the ride in front in the basket, they quickly arrived at the manor where clouds constantly kept covering the sky inducing an ominous dreading feeling that would repel most people away from the manor with two large electrodes protruding from the roof of the house; constantly drawing energy from the elements. Despite it's dark and shadowy look, Jovi, being all too familiar with the house of her childhood friend, skipped merrily forward onto the front steps of the manor past the dried up fountain with a large Groudon Statue in the center of its circular empty space. Mimi the Minun and Pluplu the Plusle kept themselves beside the feet of the blue haired girl as they watched her press a small button beside the front door for the doorbell.
"Ding dong!", range the bell as it could be heard outside.
Jovi heard footsteps coming towards the door and braced herself to meet with the boy her age that had his large swirly glassed that would help his small eyes see. Unlike Jovi however, he had not grown out of referring to himself in third person. That was plain to see as Doctor Kaminko's assistant approached her at the door as he stood up straight and began speaking to her with his lips easily comparable to a Gulpin's. Besides his outstanding glasses, his funny little bowtie on the suite under his lab coat was one of his most charming features.
"Oh! It is the blue haired girl Jovi again. Chobin greets you but wishes to know if your brother will arrive to assist us in our project.", he said to her.
"Hi Chobin! I'm here substituting for my brother. He's really tired and needed some sleep, but it's also his birthday today so we're hoping he'll be rested up for the surprise party we have for him later today! You and Dr. Kaminko are welcome to come if you'd like!". Jovi invited with a cheery smile.
"Mmmm? A party? For your brother? Michael? Chobin would be delighted to go! But Chobin will need to ask for Dr. Kaminko's permission along with asking him if he too would like to go.", the blue haired young lab assistant said to her.
"Great!", Jovi reacted with enthusiasm to see Chobin at the party.
They both smiled in an awkward silence for ten seconds before Chobin broke the silence. He stood aside for her to enter the domain of the absent minded inventor and spoke to her.
"Chobin will lead you to where your brother needed to be. Did you bring at least two electric type Pokémon?", he asked of her as he adjusted his bow tie.
"Yep! Mimi and Pluplu!", she called to her two Cheering Pokémon to climb on her shoulders as she walking through the doorway into the manor's interior.
Meanwhile at the HQ Lab's residential wing, in Michael's room, the red headed teenager had snored for a moment before he felt his stomach vibrate from a sudden hunger. Awaking to the call of his stomach, Michael slipped off of his bed and lazily laid face first into the pile of discarded bed covers he had thrown as he tossed and turned in his sleep.
"Merrghhh…. So hungry…", Michael uttered with his voice muffled under his covers on the floor.
He pushed himself up and walked forward on his two hands to pull his legs off of his bed before proceeding to stand up while enduring the small pain of his hunger. Ignoring changing out of his yellow pajamas into his casual clothing, he made his way out of his living quarters and up the elevator of the residential wing to enter the kitchen just beside the exit of the elevator.
Inside of the lounge where the kitchen was located there were a few tables arranged on the wall opposite of where the kitchen stood while a large flat screen TV was placed facing the tables beside the cupboards and shelves that separated it from the kitchen area. Lily was already halfway done with the cake as she was stirring the brown batter in a mixer appliance. The television was already one and tuned in to the ONBS news network.
"Oh?!…. Good morning again Michael! Had a good sleep?", his mother asked as she casually added little chocolate chips to the cake batter.
"Eh sort of…. Good morning… and what are you making there?", he asked with great curiosity as he walked up to her to see the chocolate cake batter sprinkled with chocolate chips.
"Oh! I was just making a little cake for you. Today being your birthday and all… I can't believe you're turning seventeen already Michael… felt like just yesterday when you were just a little toddler… with brown hair. You remember that?", his mother asked as she checked the kitchen oven's preheated temperature.
"I only remember how surprised you two were when my hair turned red. Hahah! Hold on I need to devour something right now.", Michael said as his hunger drove him to the fridge that had the magnets holding up little drawings a much younger little sister had made in the past.
As he opened the fridge to pull out a small plastic container of rice, he listened to the news anchor lady. With Krane having already messaged Secc to schedule a shout out to him and invite anybody who is familiar with Orre's hero to be welcome to his quick surprise party. Lily was unaware of the possibility of the potential spoiler incoming through the television.
"In our news today nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. Wild Pokémon are still being searched for beyond the known Poke Spots Duking has shown to us. The future of the Orre region looks bright with new immigrants coming from regions never even heard of in Orre are visiting our local towns and cities. Arriving in Gateon Port's sky early this morning was the S.S. Gemini hailing from Sinnoh in tribute to the old S.S. Libra ship, which is now a popular tourist attraction for those of us new folks out there who are interested in sightseeing."
Suddenly, Professor Krane rushed into the room and saw Michael watching the ONBS channel as he waited for his rice and filleted karp bits to warm up in the microwave beside the fridge.. Panicking, Professor Krane immediately swiped the remote off of the nearby lounge table and turned it off. The red headed teen and his mother turned around to see what the matter was.
"Why did you have to run to the remote just to turn that off?", Michael asked a little amused by how important it was for Krane to power the TV off.
"No reason! I uh… I wanted to conserve electricity and it didn't look like you were watching it.", the glasses wearing professor said a small nervous smile as he scratched his head casually.
"But I was watching that… oh well whatever.", Michael said indifferent on the subject as he brought the bowl of rice and karp out of the microwave.
He brought it over to the table where Krane had swiped the remote and began to happily eat it with a fork in his hand. Professor Krane approached Lily who then looked back at him with a curious expression as she noticed his worried expression.
"If everyone in Orre is invited… How are we going to feed so many people?! This is a disaster! We don't have enough food for everyone!", Krane whispered franticly while still trying to keep the red headed teen from hearing.
"Oh?! Oh goodness you're right! We'd have to cancel it if that's the case. We can't have this party if we don't have food.", Lily replied
"What about food?", Michael asked upon overhearing a small bit of the conversation as he took another bite of the karp filet.
"No nothing! Nothing about food don't worry! Heh heh…", Krane immediately answered trying not to sound suspicious.
The professor turned back to Lily and whispered question again in a panicking tone. Lily was deep in thought for a moment before she thought of an idea. She turned to the boy in yellow pajamas and approached him as he had just finished eating his meal. The boy raised his eyebrows as she approached him at the table with a question.
"Hey Michael, do you know anyone who's a really good chef in Orre? You've been everywhere; surely you've seen someone right? You know someone who could cook?"
His green eyes were opened wide in his reaction to that strange question. He remembered that it is his birthday today but he hadn't really asked for anything special. Whatever the reason for the question, he had given her an answer. And in response, he was sent on his hover cycle across the desert region after the owner of the far away Outskirt Stand. Krane later congratulated Lily for keeping him occupied even further by sending on an errand that would benefit their cause and keep him away while they continued preparing the party/
Back in Dr. Kaminko's laboratory in his basement, Jovi and Chobin walked out of the small clunky rusted elevator in to the small private facility where crane hooks hung from the ceiling and a completed Robo Groudon was parked beside the garage door tunnel to the hidden elevator under the courtyard fountain. Mimi and Pluplu scurried about the area exploring as Jovi looked at some of the projects in concept stage that had been going through development by Chobin with help from the absent-minded inventor up stairs.
On a pin board lit by a focused standing lamp was an upper torso drawing of a humanoid automaton built with a Poke Ball launcher built in its right arm with the nozzle being where the hand would have been. It seemed to have a design for a voice box for shouting pre-programmed orders at the Pokémon it would be using. Various scribbles and words could be seen beside the various hand drawn illustrations of the parts of the automaton. Above the concept design is the title of the invention being the "Robo Trainer. AKA: Automatrainer" with a sticky note scribbled by Chobin saying, "Chobin thinks this will drive away burglars at night.". Jovi chuckled as she remembered how often Chobin would mistake her brother for a burglar when he'd visit the manor in the past no matter what time of day it was.
"Right over here. Chobin needs for you to power these two generators with your two electric Pokémon."
Two spotlights were shown on two giant tesla coils that took up a good portion of the air space between the floor and the ceiling of the basement. If one were to walk about in the cat suspended above in the basement, one could potentially lean forward on the nearest railing to a tesla coil and touch it. The blue eyed girl looked up at them in awe and asked the swirled glasses wearing boy as she approached them.
"What are these? … What are these for? These look like they came off of your roof but you still have those up there don't you?"
"This is Dr. Kaminko's last invention before he retires. Chobin needs to test its efficiency and performance before more of it can be built.", he explained as he approached a dark tarp covering a giant object in the dark behind the light that shined on the two unpowered tesla coils.
He pulled the tarp off of the strange machine that appeared to be a large jet engine bolted to the floor with wires attached to a set of consoles in the wall. It faced the space in between the tesla coils towards where Jovi stood. The lab coated boy pulled a red lever on the wall that seemed to trigger a humming sound coming from the tesla coils. Mimi and Pluplu rushed by Jovi's side and watched looked up at the two lit machines as soon as they heard the sound of the humming.
"Before we start, Chobin requests that you stand away from the yellow line on the floor."
Jovi looked on the floor to notice she had been standing in the danger zone. She quickly side stepped off of the range of the jet engine with her Plusle and Minun accompanying her. Chobin caught her attention and pointed towards the tesla coils as he shouted over the noise.
"Now power up the generators! But keep out of the danger zone!"
Jovi turned to Mimi and order him to rush across the yellow lines by and stand by the tesla coil. After the blue Cheering Pokemon positioned himself by the telsa coil, Jovi issued their next action.
"Thundershock! Power it up!"
The two cheering Pokémon shouted as they emitted arcs and sparks of electricity into the tesla coils at the same time. Chobin stood by; observing the consoles in the wall as the jet engine started blaring up an ear piercing constant noise much like a real jetliner jet. Jovi felt an air current blowing through her hair that gradually grew stronger. Chobin felt and saw that the frequency of air intake and output was increasing into unstable levels not safe for the closed in air space of the laboratory basement. He quickly moved towards the big red emergency button on the wall beside the screens of the consoles and pressed it. The noises of the machines stopped growing in frequency and slowly were slowly put to a complete halt of their functions.
"Owwoww… Wow! How was that?", Jovi asked with astonished positivity after uncovering her ears.
"Chobin thinks it was a success, but further testing and better safety conditions are required before we can proceed with building the prototype. We thank you so much for your cooperation.", Chobin said as he walked between the engine and the tesla coils to her.
"Anytime! Maybe I can help you with more of your inventions later?", Jovi asked him with a charming little smile that made the blue haired lab coated boy with swirling glasses almost blush a little.
"Erh… Chobin does not see a reason to deny that offer. You are far more useful now than you were four years ago Chobin admits.", he said scratching his head with a little smile stretched out of his Gulpin lips.
"Oh… uh thank you? Heh.", the blue haired girl replied not really knowing whether or not that truly was a compliment.
"So… now we go to your brother's birthday party?", Chobin asked before making his way towards the elevator with Jovi and her two Cheering Pokémon.
At the Outskirt Stand, a simple traveler's dining area and gas pumping station consisting of a derailed train for a diner in the middle of a junkyard in the desert, Michael walked up the ramp into the train's cabin where the owner of the small diner had been standing at his station in his small kitchen taking turns between washing dishes while cooking more food for the hungry customers at the same time. A man with a Togetic sitting on the counter with its trainer sitting on a stool at that counter was present watching the ONBS news network on the television mounted on the wall.
"Hello?", Michael called out for the man in his kitchen.
The burly black shirted man with wearing a bandana over his head with an orange apron around his waist turned around about with his frying pan in hand. He saw that the familiar red haired kid had just stepped entered his diner with a friendly expression on his face. He put his sizzling pan down on the stove of the small kitchen and turned to him with a greeting.
"Oh hello there friend! Long time no see! I see you've grown quite a lot taller since I last saw ya. No longer a kid now huh?", the man observed Michael's changed stature and physique behind the counter as he approached stepping through the open doorway.
The red headed teen was about to greet him back when the ONBS news lady on the television suddenly announced something that caught his attention along with every native Orre traveler in the diner. The red dressed lady behind her news casting counter faced the camera with a smile for what she was about to announce. Suddenly, Michael gasped and almost choked on his own saliva when he saw an old picture of himself with his old Snag Machine in the space on the screen beside the news casting lady
"A special shout out to our own legendary trainer, Michael! It's his seventeenth birthday today! If you're not familiar with our local hero, Michael is the champion that stopped Cipher's evil plan for world domination four years ago. He has done many things for us here in the Orre region including fending off a Cipher invasion of this building once! He's saved all Shadow Pokémon Cipher had produced during the last Shadow Pokémon crisis they caused and assisted our locals with their own problems including the mystery of the mute epidemic that turned out to be because of a faulty invention of an absent-minded inventor. Anyone who knows him is invited to his home for a party at the Pokémon HQ Lab far West of Agate Village and North East of Gateon Port beyond the river that splits the forest. Nothing is required so you are all welcome to join. Otherwise you can just wish him a happy birthday.", she said before showing a brief clip of the old footage Marcia and Cameran took at Phenac City four years ago when Michael had won a victory against the Cipher Admin Snattle which would then lead to the complete recall of Cipher's forces at Phenac City at the time. The screen returned to the female newscaster behind her news casting table facing the camera with a smile on her face.
"And now on to our next subject: Ghosts! Are they real as Ghost Pokémon are? Or are they merely a concept indirectly created by Ghost Pokémon themselves? The Mother of Pyrite Town Fateen will be joining us later to talk about the subject along the Myth Trainer Eagun to share in his experiences and encounters with the afterlife in his life.", she concluded before the screen cut to commercials.
The red headed teen turned to his right to see the travelers who were stuffing their mouths with food moments ago in their booths look up at him with their eyebrows raised with curiosity. The sound of the train's cog engine in the far corner of the small corner along with the gentle music of the jukebox beside the television couldn't eclipse the voice of the surprised burly black shirted man in his kitchen.
"Oh! Well well what do ya know? Happy birthday Michael! I hope you'll live to see your fiftieth and beyond.", he wished him a happy birthday and a healthy life as he happily tended to his food in his frying pan that appeared to be a fried egg.
"I… I was actually here to ask if we could hire as a chef for today. I didn't want them to make a party for me but I guess they must really have wanted to throw a party anyway…", Michael replied.
"So when they sent you here to fetch me you didn't suspect anything?", the man asked with a chuckle as he swung his pan over to a plate of steamed rice to slide the fried egg on top of.
"Well….. yeah but…. You know what, yeah you're right. There's no reason why I shouldn't have seen this coming hahah! It is my birthday after all. They always wanted to do something special for me on my birthday even if they couldn't. But this year they actually announced it over live television… I never thought they'd think of that.", the yellow vested boy said smiling as he scratched his scalp under his blue headband..
"Hm… so I guess I'd have to be cooking for the guests? Guests that could potentially be everyone in Orre?", the owner of the Outskirt Stand asked as he passed the finished dish to the Togetic Trainer sitting at his counter.
"Maybe? …. Unless you know anyone more capable of cooking that much….", Michael said suggesting that he may not be up to the task.
"I'll do it! But I need someone watching the place for a while. Maybe if you could… if you think you're competent enough…", the man said hinting that Michael would have to watch the stand for a while.
Michael's eyes opened at the distasteful thought of spending an hour tending to the stand when he could have been at home enjoying his birthday his own way without any worried including parties. He shrugged and accepted the task with a neutral expression on his face. Not wanting to be rude to even think about declining the offer, but not really happy about it either.
"Don't worry, No further customers will come I'll be sure of that. Just stay here for an hour and you've got a deal.", he added assuring Michael of the simplicity of this task.
In less than twenty minutes, the burly black shirted man in an orange apron threw a giant green bag of supplies on his roofless hover truck and rode across the hot desert leaving Michael in charge behind the counter of the derailed train diner in the middle of the Orre desert. The birthday boy stood behind the counter with his Jolteon keeping him company as time had passed in the lonely traveler's stop.
"Alright what do you have out there right now?", Lily asked Professor Krane as they rendezvoused in the lobby of the laboratory wing of the HQ Lab.
"I got some unfolded round tables out there with some plastic chairs. Some pitchers full of drinks, some Pokémon Food dispensers on the ground with Poke Snacks on a few plates. All we need is the food and snacks for the guests!", Krane answered referring to what he had placed outside the front lawn of the HQ Lab just beyond the brick steps of the path into the elevated ground the building was built on.
"Perfect! So now we just need that… Well until Michael comes back with that cook I'm going to see what I can mix up in the kitchen.", she stated before making her way back through the automatic doorway in the director's office into the residential wing again.
Professor Krane took the elevator back down to the ground floor of the Laboratory Wing and approached the large windows at the automatic glass doors. He then beheld the site of Michael's younger sister riding her blue hover scooter into the pathway beside the party area outside of the elevated lawn. Following her was a motorized clunky hover truck driven by Chobin with his aged mentor Dr. Kaminko riding beside his assistant. Krane watched them both park their vehicles in between the boundary of the forest and the HQ Lab's front yards.
Dr. Kaminko was wearing his usual lab coat with his purple overalls and yellow suit underneath and red bow tie. His casual clothing is also his work clothes but his outlandish clothing didn't hide how old he had aged. His giant strait patch of white hair that stood on his head could not have made him look any more like an absent minded professor if the swirling glasses over his eyes didn't finish his character.
"Wow! It's already looking so good! This party is going to be great!", Jovi exclaimed as she jumped with excitement the site of the tables and chairs.
Mimi and Pluplu scurried off of Jovi's shoulders and approached one of the Poke Snack plates on the grass. They both cheered as they charged for the delicious cake shaped snack. They managed to chomp a few bites off of the slices before Jovi approached them and quickly held them back from devouring more of it.
"Hold on there you two! Don't eat them all! Save some for the guests!"
Chobin stepped off of his clunky hover truck guiding Dr. Kaminko by his hands. The tall haired elderly inventor nearing his retirement let go of his assistant's hand to make his own way toward an unfolded guest table beside the empty food table. The inventor claimed his seat and idled as he stroke his gray mustache and goatee in thought for his newest and last invention.
"Dr. Kaminko! Wouldn't you rather wait inside the building before stay out here to eat? Chobin doesn't see any other guest here and the food isn't even ready.", Chobin suggested to his mentor when he stood by him.
"No. I want to envision it in the sky from here. And what a sky there is! Have you ever seen such beautiful blue sky?", Kaminko exclaimed flabbergasted at the sight of the clear blue sky with its fresh air.
"If that's what you wish. Chobin will be waiting inside.", the blue haired scientist in training said before walking up the steps on to the elevated ground of the building's foundation.
"Wait a minute! Want to let your Pokémon out here so they can enjoy their food?", Jovi offered Chobin the choice as she followed him into the pathway into the laboratory wing's entrance.
In a moment, Chobin had released his Sunflora to join the Plusle and Minun that eagerly waited at the Pokémon picnic area on the grass. The happy Grass type Pokemon waddled over the ledge of the elevated ground and jumped on to the grass below to mingle with Mimi and Pluplu who waited patiently by the food dispensers as their trainers entered the building. Krane greeted them as they walked through the automatic glass sliding doors.
In just ten minutes later after their newest guests were settled, the Outskirt Stand owner had arrived on his hover truck with his giant green bag of cooking supplies in the cargo hold of his topless vehicle. He parked is hover truck near Dr. Kaminko's clunky hover truck and proceeded to grab his giant bag to make his way into the building to quickly get to work. Krane exited the building to greet him as he walked up the steps and directed him towards the residential wing where the kitchen was located on its second floor. Jovi and Chobin followed him to observe his masterful cooking skills in the kitchen after having helped him carry his giant bag of supplies up the cramped elevator and into its destination.
Krane sat at Dr. Kaminko's table as the absent minded elderly inventor observed the sky above. Curious, Krane joined him in his sky gazing to see what he could possibly be looking at. Kaminko took his weary eyes off of the sky and looked at the Pokemon professor through his swirly glasses and asked him.
"Do you see it too?"
"Huh? See what? That cloud?", Krane answered confused as to what he was referring to.
"My greatest invention… up there in the sky… I can't help but think… if things were different, maybe I would have made it earlier before I've gotten so old… I wished I had started earlier after finishing those failed inventions…. Better late than never I suppose….", the doctor said in an accepting yet melancholy tone that stirred a sense of sadness in Krane's emotional reaction.
"Oh…. Well uh I hope that goes well for you. Don't pressure yourself or anything now.", Krane said as he really didn't know what to say in response to the absent minded inventor's words.
"Thank you… that's an odd looking man over there, don't you agree?," Kaminko observed as he pointed at a tall man dressed in a brown trench coat, brown fedora, and large black glasses walking towards the party grounds from the forest trail.
Krane stood up and squint his eyes at the stranger. He seemed to be carrying a small cardboard box in his left arm. The Pokémon Professor approached him and greeted him before asking who he would be. The man did not answer but held out the cardboard box in front of himself and slapped a festive red and white ribbon attached to a small sticky present label that read "To: Michael. From: M.B., F, and T".
Krane raised his eyebrows with curiosity as he held the cardboard box. The man silently waved goodbye at him before proceeding to moonwalk away into the distance of the forest trial. The professor watched the man disappear with amusement for a moment before he was startled by the presence of another party goer that had arrived just recently through a different forest entrance.
Meanwhile at the Outskirt Stand, Michael kept himself busy washing the dishes the few travelers in the derailed train diner left behind as they left to places unknown. As he washed as he continued to wash the dishes with the company of his sleeping Jolteon on the floor of the small kitchen, the Togetic trainer that had stayed at the stool with his Happiness Pokémon happily feasting on little balls of cooked rice left on its trainer's plate. The trainer then caught Michael's attention with a wave of his hand.
"Do you remember me Michael? A long time ago when I had traded you Zaprong for that Shadow Togepi I had given you back then?", he asked.
Michael gasped in embarrassment when he realized the specific Togetic trainer he had not recognized for a long time sitting at his counter the entire time he had been working. He remembers how he had been given the task of purifying a Shadow Togepi at the request of a former member of Cipher. The red headed teen felt ashamed for not recognizing an old friend of his he had not seen for the longest time.
"Oh! Wow! I uh…. I wish you had recognized you sooner. Sorry about that uh… Hordel was it?", Michael asked him as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"It's nice to see you too. It's alright, it's my fault for not speaking up earlier.", the man said which Michael just realized was wearing a normal blue shirt and pants along with glasses over his eyes.
"Heh… so how have you been?", the red headed seventeen year old asked him politely.
"It's been great. I have you to thank for that. Even if things are not really that exciting anymore."
"Hmm….", Michael couldn't argue with that observation as nothing really happens anymore besides the tourists coming in from the foreign regions.
"I've heard that in other regions, they have their champions that knew how to bond with Pokémon themselves. Champions that proved their worth through battling these eight Gym Leaders in their own regions… We have you but we don't have eight Gym Leaders here or even a Pokémon League…"
"What? I'm not a champion. I just happened to be a victim of circumstance and it all just sorta happened when they took the professor away from us. Call me a hero if you want but a champion? Never.", Michael humbly replied.
"But you beat the Orre Colosseum knockout challenge. You beat Cipher. You saved all the Pokémon and the world from a gale of darkness, yet nobody outside of Orre even knows you're here? Don't you think it's unfair that these foreigners in this region barely even knew you before they came?"
"It doesn't matter really. As long as everyone's safe in the world does it really matter if I get famous just for preventing a crisis? If it wasn't me it could have been someone else, in the end it really doesn't matter so long as we're all safe. Right?", Michael answered again as rational as he could be on the subject.
Hordel was silent for a moment before nodding and realizing the humbleness and nobility of the boy. He turned to his little companion that waited patiently for its trainer's next course of action. The Togetic smiled as gave off a little loving cry as it felt its trainers hand pat and rub its head down to its back between its little wings. Michael couldn't help but grin as he witness what used to be a sad young Shadow Togepi now as a purified Togetic with a heart that's open to its trainer.
"You're right. Thank you so much Michael…. Well I and Togetic wish you a happy birthday and a long life. We'll be making our way to Phenac City now.", Hordel said before letting the Togetic hop into his arms to snuggle comfortably against his chest as he carried it to the doorway.
He waved goodbye as Michael waved back before Hordel disappeared into the desert on his hover cycle. Michael took his plate and glass to wash by hand with warm water and dish soap. He couldn't care less if he was famous or not, so long as he knew everyone was safe, he'd consider his old days of adventuring for a noble cause to be a thing of the past meant to be remembered by those who knew him. The greatest adventure the world will never know.
"Welp….. I guess that will do?", the yellow vested teen in black under shirt said as he glimpsed at the dining in the small space of the derailed train to see no signs of life other than a slight mess of crumbs.
After a quick wipe of the tables and setting the pre-washed dishes into the dishwasher in the little kitchen, he called his Jolteon to ride with him on his hover cycle ride back to the HQ Lab across the seemingly endless desert. The wind that blew on his face as he wore his desert goggles felt even fresher now than it did before he arrived at the lonely dining train.
Michael's mind was filled with fantasies as he envisioned what he would see as soon as he would arrive at the laboratory grounds. The sense of excitement and suspense that dwelled in his chest throughout the entire trip across the desert and through the familiar forest only became greater the closer he was to his home, He felt a certain aspect of his childhood returning as he felt the excitement in his heart to see what his family had planned and what they had already done with the Outskirt Stand's owner.
Just as he was about to enter the forest trail he knew all too well, he received a message on his P DA that vibrated in his right pant pocket. He stopped his vehicle and slid it out of its pocket so that he may open it up and realize who the email was from. It looked to be from the Pokémon Professor but its style of speech and misspellings seemed to suggest it came from his younger sister instead.
"Pleas come back Michal. We need you for nothr errand.", it read with missing suspicious missing letters.
Him already being close to lab, he made his way home without hesitation. He grinned when he saw the party tables and a Pokémon food dispenser lounge with Poke Snack dishes on the grass. He became surprised at the amount of vehicles he saw parked against the far side of the HQ Lab's yard space between the forest and the walkway around its elevated ground. Despite the party being here, nobody was here to greet him until he heard rustling from the bushes behind him in the forest trail.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!", a collection of voices echoed from the foliage.
In the crowd of party goers, aides from the HQ Lab, elderly residents from Agate Village, Duking and Silvia with a few loyal thugs from Pyrite Town, and his family including his younger blue haired sister with Chobin and his mentor made up the crowd that came to celebrate his birthday. Michael made sure he had acted surprised despite his prior knowledge from the ONBS news caster. He laughed and smiled with appreciation for them having taken time out of their day to be part of his surprise birthday party.
"Happy birthday big brother!", Jovi shouted as she charged at him to tackle him with a big sisterly hug.
Michael raised his arms in his surprised reaction to his younger sister hugging his upper torso with her head nestled under his chin against his chest. He awkwardly patted her head through her blue hair before she let go of him. Jovi smiled at him and scratched the back of her head as she wished him a happy birthday again with a smile.
"Happy birthday big bro! You deserve it."
Michael smiled back at his sister before he looked at Lily and Professor Krane who were approaching from the bushes with the guests. Oblivious, he didn't realize his Jolteon was already at the Pokémon Food dispensers and Poke Snack dishes near the party tables until he saw the Pokémon the guests had sent out come out of the bushes as well. The red headed teen proceeded to greet all the guests that had come to his surprise birthday party.
Later after being reacquainted with Duking, Silvia, and Dr. Kaminko with his aide Chobin, Michael sat back in an unfolded chair a table accompanied by Jovi, Chobin, and two empty seats for any more guests who would arrive. The three sat and talked as they waited for the Outskirt Stand's cook to come out of the building with the delicious food they had been anticipating. Their conversation continued as they waited.
"So what are you working on another Robo Pokémon? I thought Kaminko was finished with that concept years ago.", Michael stated in response to Jovi's story with the strange jet engine in Kaminko's basement.
"Chobin never said that. Chobin must keep details of Dr. Kaminko's last invention a secret!", Chobin objected as he kept referring to himself in third person.
"But if you're using a jet engine, it sorta sounds like you're in the works for… a type of flying machine?", Michael said trying to deduct what their project is.
"NO! No no no! We'll invent Robo Trainers before we'd ever think about putting anything into the sky! Dr. Kaminko knows what he is doing. He is the number one inventor in the world after all. With Chobin's help, we will truly create the best invention the world has ever seen!", Chobin said denying him of any further information regarding the project.
Jovi giggled at Chobin's outburst. Michael shrugged it off as something to see in the near future if fate wills it. He thought of a new topic and threw it out on the table for everyone present to hear and discuss. The two listened to his new proposed topic.
"So… if everyone who's ever known me is invited to this party, does that mean that some former Cipher Peons might come too?", the green eyed teen asked with curiosity.
"Mmmm maybe? Oh speaking of which, Professor Krane wanted me to give you this from a stranger. And these from different people who visited just to drop an envelope here for your birthday.", Jovi said to him as she lifted a cardboard box off of the ground below her chair with a mess of enveloped on top of it.
Michael's green eyes widened in the sight of the unexpected strange gifts he had received. Some of the cards had scribbled names of people he may or may not have met before. Some might have even been from outside the region.
"Woooow…. I can't believe this many people cared enough to get me these… and what is in that box?", he exclaimed his disbelief as he dragged the box and the envelopes away from his sister's side of the table towards his own.
"Chobin suggests you open them to find out.", the swirly glasses wearing novice inventor suggested to him.
Without hesitation, Michael ripped open a few of the envelopes to reveal colorful birthday cards directed to him. Cards with colorful illustrations of happy little Pokémon including a Pikachu card, an Eevee card, a Kanto starter card with Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander, a Hoenn starter card with Mudkip, Treecko, and Torchic, and a Johto starter card with Tododile, Chikorita, and Cyndaquil. These colorful cards seem to have been from different people outside of Orre that were visiting the desert region today. The messages they all held for him were interesting but heartwarming for him. Messages that include, "Our hero!", "Thank you!", and "Happy birthday!".
Michael couldn't stop smiling at the appreciation he had been receiving from these strangers. He passed his cards to his sister so that she could read them as he proceeded to open the cardboard box from "M.B, T, and F". He ripped the cardboard tape off as much as he could before tearing it's top off to reveal something that nearly had Michael burst into laughter from what he beheld before his eyes.
Inside was a set of special Battle Sim CDs that would teach Michael and his Pokémon how to dance. On the cover of the CD box set was no other than the once infamous Miror B. with a smug look on his face under his large glasses and giant Poke Ball afro surrounded by his many Ludicolo that looked just as ready to dance as their trainer. Michael lifted the set of CDs and chuckled as he read aloud another small sticky note attached to the box set.
"Since you're so special, I've decided to give you a sample of our first line in Dance Battle CDs starring me! Now you can learn to moon walk and have your own rhythm just like yours truly."
"Now why would Michael need to learn how to moonwalk? What next? He'll learn how to sing and be a pop star?", Chobin questioned the strange gift.
"Wow Michael! So you're going to be taught how to dance in our Battle Simulator? Could I try it too sometime?", his sister asked of him with enthusiasm and awe of the gift.
"Haha! Sure Jovi…. after I try it first of course…", he answered with a chuckle.
Jovi rolled her blue eyes as she grinned at her brother. Michael pulled out a few Battle CD cases to see Miror B. amusingly posing in different poses for each CD as he was surrounded by his Ludicolo. The red headed teen showed the covers to each case to Chobin and Jovi and watched them react with laughter.
"I always wondered what became of him and his 'posse'. Maybe the moment I snagged his Shadow Dragonite was when he realized his path would lead him nowhere… well I do know he became a pretty good dancer at the Krabby Club at least…", the red headed teen said as he slid the CD cases back into its box.
After a moment of awkward silence, the Outskirt Stand's owner came out of the residential wing's automatic door with a cart full of food for everyone to enjoy. He pushed it near the steps between him and the table in front of pathway. He proceeded to carry each dish to the table along with two chocolate frosted birthday cakes Lily had just finished. Everyone at the party was delighted to see the delicious food reveal themselves while the few new party goers who just arrived were curious about what the rest of the attendees were swarming over at the food table. All the while their Pokémon were happy feasting on the Pokémon food dispensers and Poke Snack plates laid before them on the grass far right of the table everyone was receiving their food from.
From Agate Village, Eagun and his wife, Belah, had just arrived with Eagun's Pikachu accompanying escorting them through their slow stroll from the forest trail. Michael ran up to them to give them a friendly welcome to the party before leading them to a vacant table. Justy the Pre Gym Leader from Phenac City also arrived just after the elderly couple. Michael also welcomed him in and reminded him to let a Pokémon or two off with the other guest's Pokémon at their little Poke Buffet on the ground. Justy allowed his Gligar and Sandslash to join the rest of the Pokémon in their meals.
After the new guests were settled, Michael came back to his table to see Eagun and Belah having joined Jovi and Chobin at their table. Michael was curious to see why but did not want to ask for it would be rude of him to ask of them what their purpose here is with the children. He sat in his unfolded chair and observed his younger sister, Chobin, and the elderly couple enjoy plates of rice with minced sautéed vegetables and meats.
"So Michael, you've turned 17. One more year and you're going to be an adult now?", Belah asked the birthday boy as she shoveled rice through her lips.
"Of course he is, and he is almost at the same age our granddaughter was when we last saw her…", Eagun replied to his wife.
"Awh… I miss our granddaughter Eagun… why haven't they called? It's been nine years….", she asked as she began showing her age.
"Who knows…. It may be possible she's living a happy life with the boy."
"Do you think they're married already? Wouldn't it be great if we had great grandchildren?", Belah replied to her husband who seemed very tired.
"I don't know…."
"Who are you talking about?", Jovi asked the elders after swallowing a chunk of delicious fried vegetables in her mouth.
Michael and Chobin observed and listened to what the elders of Agate had to say in response to the question. The information they were about to disclose were news to Michael as he had never known this about their history during the first Shadow Pokémon incident before.
"Five years before Michael here thwarted Cipher's plan once and for all, a teen about your age… maybe even older… had saved our daughter from being abducted from Cipher for her power to see the aura of Shadow Pokémon... He was a former Snagem grunt…. If you were to ask any Snagem grunt that is still here today they could tell you more, but this young man wielded their only small portable Snag Machine on his left arm… With our daughter, Rui, he was able to save all the Shadow Pokémon from the first incident and cure them with the Relic's power in Agate's forest…Orre's first hero…. after defeating Cipher completely after purifying the last Shadow Pokémon….. after the last Shadow Pokémon…. Err…", Eagun paused trying to remember what he was going to say.
"He took the challenge didn't he?", Belah added trying to jog her husband's memory.
"Oh yes! The last we heard, he took the Mt. Battle Challenge where he had to… win 100 battles in a row without switching Pokémon… then something happened and we've never seen him or our daughter again…. Don't ever disappear, Michael. Your parents and grandparents need to know where you are or they will grow old really fast... of course, we were already ancient to begin with back then. Ho ho ho!", Eagun laughed before being interrupted in his laughter with coughing.
The red headed teen was intrigued by his story yet he felt much sympathy for them for not knowing where their granddaughter has been for so long. He can only imagine how his mom would feel if he or Jovi had disappeared for the longest time. The closest thing to a family member being abducted was when Professor Krane was abducted by Cipher only to be rescued by Michael a day later.
"And you know, I've sent him messages on his P DA. He's never replied to me regardless of all the messages I've sent him…. I can only hope its broken or missing…. Otherwise…. Well I just don't know…"
"Maybe Michael could find him and your granddaughter? If anyone can, he can!", Jovi offered her brother's service in further acts of heroism without his consent.
Michael's eyes widened at the proposition and raised his eyebrows at his younger sister before looking back at Eagun and Belah. They looked back at him and seemed very intrigued by the possibility of having Michael find their granddaughter. At least seeing her and knowing she's alright would be enough for the elderly couple.
"I'll think about it…. Do you still remember the P DA number of the guy at least? Maybe I can start with that and see if I can contact him…."
Eagun taught Michael the P DA number of his predecessor. After having exchanged the information, Professor Krane and Lily walked down the steps and around the food table to announce something to the guests.
"Alright everyone! We want to take a big picture in front of the steps just like we did four years ago! Even though not everyone who was present then is here now, we'd like to take a picture to remember Michael's 17th birthday by! Walk over here and arrange yourself in front of the steps after we've pushed the table away. Tallest in the back.", Lily announced as Krane held a tripod camera in his arms.
Lily proceeded to start pushing the table away from the steps before Michael quickly came to her aide. He told his mother he could do it himself. Without the help of any Pokémon, Michael used his own Strength to push the food table just as he pushed large boxes two times his size of misplaced cargo in the remains of the S.S. Libra and giant heavy metal boxes scattered in the labyrinths of Citadark Isle. Four years ago, he was amazed at his own Strength he had as a kid, but more often than not he would mistakenly misplace the crates in a way that would deter him on occasions.
He slid the table across the ground just enough for the party goers to assemble in rows. Lily told them all to assemble from tallest to shortest towards the tripod camera the Pokémon Professor has set facing the stone stairs. The guests assembled with Dr. Kaminko in the back with his tall straight hair dwarfing everyone else in height comparison. A variety of different people assembled including body builders, thugs, and sailors were assembled with elderly residents from Agate Village in front for being shorter. Duking and Justy assembled around Dr. Kaminko as Michael and his family arranged themselves splitting the initial group of people taking up the center region of the group. Chobin stood in front of everyone for being the shortest much to his embarrassment.
Krane focused the camera and set the timer on as soon as everyone was set for the picture to be taken. The lenses were centered on Michael who was smiling with his younger blue haired sister who was holding his left arm with her right through her elbow. Lily stood behind the two and held them both as a mother would for a family portrait.
The Pokémon Professor quickly made his way into the group and scooted through the rows of people to position himself beside Lily however, he couldn't bring himself to keep himself beside her for some reason. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep himself behind Michael and beside his mother, as if something was pushing him away. He shrugged it off for the timed camera was about to shoot their picture.
"Everyone say cheese!", he shouted before everyone said cheese in complete synchronization.
The camera flashed a uttered a shutter sound effect signifying that the picture has been taken. Krane quickly ran over the camera to check its preview screen of the picture. It was perfect as it was with everyone smiling and Michael in the center of it all with his family despite the gap Krane couldn't fit in for some reason.
"Is it good? Do we need to go again?", Lily asked as everyone in the picture listened for Krane's verdict.
"Nope! It's awesome! Alright everyone that'll do!", Krane said dismissing the guests.
"Wait a minute, what about our Pokémon?", Jovi suggested.
Everyone immediately called their Pokémon to surround the group of guests. Michael sent out almost all six of his own Pokémon including his Snorlax, Electabuzz, Flygon, Hitmonchan, and his Jolteon that was already out of its ball. Significantly more crowded with the addition of so many Pokémon of many different species including Linoone, Skitty, Wailmer, Masquerain, and Houndour, and Gyrados; Krane had to re-adjust the lenses to fit everyone in again and repeat the timer process again with him running to his spot.
This time he was able to keep himself behind Michael and Lily, and after another successful shot, everyone was dismissed from their picture taking positions. When everyone had returned to their preferred spot in the outdoor party, the sun was already starting to set. Some of the guests started to leave their tables and bid Michael adieu. It wasn't long before the red headed teen had to stay standing over the grass by the closest forest trail people had were leaving through just so he could properly say goodbye and thank you to all who came.
As the seats were beginning to empty and the Pokémon returning to their trainers, Jovi and Chobin continued to sit with Eagun and Belah to talk about topics ranging from what Eagun's young life was like to Chobin sharing information about concept designs of his own new inventions. Their talk was interrupted by Krane bringing yet another cardboard box not from a stranger but from a passing delivery man dressed in blue uniform with a messenger bag. The Pokémon Professor told Jovi to give it to her brother as soon as he comes back from saying goodbye to the guests. The blue haired girl held on to the box and eagerly waited for her brother's return.
When Michael finally said goodbye to Duking, he made his way back to immediately spot the new cardboard box his sister was holding for him. He quickly walked to the table anxiously wondering what could be inside this box. It didn't have a note like Miror B.'s box had, so he proceeded to tear it open as Chobin, Eagun, Belah, and his sister watched.
"What's this? …. Another envelope and wooden chest?…. well at least the chest looks cool.", Michael said in response to how many envelopes he's already opened today.
He opened the envelope to reveal a card that seemed to depict a huge island city in a starry night that seemed to double as a theme park and resort for Pokémon trainers. A giant Pikachu themed building was built beside other buildings that seemed to be based off of foreign Pokémon that he had never seen before besides a Dusclops themed building slightly visible behind it. It seemed to be brimming with life and energy as its many lights illuminated the night depicted on the card.
"Greetings from Pokétopia!", the card read inside above a few words scribbled in pen.
"To the hero and champion of the Orre region, come ride the S.S. Gemini to our great city of Pokétopia to battle in our Colosseums! Enjoy all the luxuries the city has to offer with the special suites of your choosing! In the chest contains our birthday gifts to you!"
Michael lifted the chest and placed it on the table for everyone present to see. He undid the brass swivel hinge lock in the front end of the chest and proceeded to open it. His green eyes were wide in the sight of what he had just been gifted.
"A ticket… to ride the S.S. Gemini zeppelin to Pokétopia…. And a Teaching Machine Disc for Sweet Scent and five Luxury Balls….", he observed as he held on to the ticket to see its small illustration of the airship with the typed destination being Pokétopia.
Michael then spotted a small note in the hinged portion of the opened chest. It read, "From Bryan and Ashley Evak , Pokétopia's prime ministers and your two biggest fans.
"Wow! You get to go to Pokétopia big brother? Are you really going to go all by yourself?", his sister asked both happy and a little sad at the thought of having him leave Orre alone.
"What an excellent opportunity.", Eagun added.
"I thought he was going to find our granddaughter…", Belah said in regards to their earlier conversation.
"Chobin wishes he could go there with his Robo Groudon! But Chobin sees you as a more fitting trainer for the job.", Chobin stated his response.
The conversation at the table was halted when Michael slid a second ticket hidden behind the first one he held in his hands. Chobin and Jovi both immediately saw the second ticket and were both turned wild at the opportunity of leaving with Michael to the beautiful island city.
"Wow! Michael do you have anyone to use that second ticket with?", the swirly glasses wearing aide asked him.
"Big brother? Can I come with you? It will be like a whole new adventure!", Jovi said hoping that she could come with him on the airship to the island city.
"I'll think about it! I still have to start investigating where Eagun and Belah's granddaughter might be before I even think about going on a vacation…. (This is nice but man I wish I had more tickets)", Michael said before thinking to himself a much better scenario.
"Alright.", Chobin concluded.
"Oh… okay then.", Jovi said with her enthusasim lowered as she began to imagine what it's like in Pokétopia and on the S.S. Gemini.
Michael picked up the TM for Sweet Scent and the five Luxury Balls. And placed them in his black waist bag just in case he wanted to try searching for wild Pokémon with Sweet Scent some time. He placed the chest into its cardboard box and proceeded to carry it and the rest of his gifts including the Dance Battle CDs from Miror B. up the stairs on to the elevated ground of the HQ Lab's front lawn and into the residential wing where he dropped it all off in his room. When he had returned outside, Eagun and Belah were already getting ready to leave with their Pikachu.
"Goodbye Michael. Hope you had a happy birthday!", Eagun wished him again as he stood by the forest trail's entrance with his wife hand in hand.
"Goodbye Eagun! Goodbye Belah! Don't worry, I'll see what I can do about finding out about your granddaughter before I leave.", the red headed teen assured them.
"The best is all we could ask for. Do your best and if it's not enough that's fine….", Belah said before waving goodbye to him.
The little Electric type Mouse Pokémon walked beside his old trainer as they ventured back into the forest again towards Agate Village. The only guests left behind at the party were Dr. Kaminko and Chobin. The Pokémon food dispensers were emptied and the Poke Snack plates were licked clean by the guest Pokémon. Lily, Krane, and their laboratory aides already started cleaning up after the guests and unfolding the tables. The Outskirt Stand man stepped down the steps to help assist in the cleaning before he'd leave with his giant bag of supplies on his open roofed hover truck. After Michael finished helping putting away the chairs and cleaning up the tables, he was approached by his little sister who was eyeing him with a smile.
"Guess who's idea all of this was?", Jovi asked Michael.
"Yours?", the red headed seventeen year old guessed.
"Yep!", the blue haired eleven year old answered.
"I know you didn't want anything special, but I really wanted to give you a party this year because you deserve to be happy on your birthday… to be honest I'm surprised we could pull it off so quickly! Even if not many people came but I guess that's to be expected under short notice… heh….", Jovi said with a smile as she scratched the back of her head.
"So you thought you could keep it a secret from me by keeping asleep or busy?", he asked in a reply.
"Well…. You really did look like you needed the sleep this morning. All of us thought that, so it sort of a benefit for all of us today…"
The siblings were silent for a moment before the younger sister suddenly shrieked in her realization of something important she had forgotten.
"Aaoohh shoot! We forgot to sing happy birthday! Darn it! Darn darn darn!", she expressed her regret and frustration as she held the sides of her face to cover her eyes and forehead.
Michael patted his sister on her right shoulder. She looked back at him to see her brother smiling and saying, "It's alright. You've already done enough today. Thank you."
Jovi smiled back and cheered with glee as she gave her big brother a hug saying, "Love you big bro! Hope you had a happy birthday!", with her head nestled under his against his chest again
Michael hugged back before he suddenly felt his mother Lily hugging him from behind. He chuckled from the warmth in his heart from the family hug before he started suffocating from how tightly they held him.
"Love you too Michael my son. I'm so proud to be your mother.", Lily said before suddenly making room for Professor Krane to join in the group hug with Michael still slightly struggling to breathe in the center.
"I saw that there was a family group hug so I didn't know if I was welcome but I guess I am part of the family too aren't I?", the Pokémon Professor said shyly as he joined with arms wide.
"Please stop…. Can't breathe…", Michael pleaded with his upper torso having been constructed.
"Woops! Sorry! Oh my bad", the three said as they released him.
The red headed teen snagged his breath back into his lungs again before smiling at the three people who were his family. Ruining the moment, Chobin approached him with Dr. Kaminko beside him to say.
"We're leaving now. We need to make it back home before eight…"
"Why eight?", Michael asked with curiosity.
"Because at eight we have another experiment to do involving quantum physics. Chobin wishes you had a happy birthday."
"I hope you had a happy birthday too. Visit the manor at any time if you'd like but not during working hours unless we say so…", Dr. Kaminko added.
The two later made their way to their clunky motorized hover car and proceeded to drive out through the forest trail as they waved goodbye to Michael, Jovi, Lily, and Krane. The first guests were now the last guests to leave the party. The celebration was over and Michael rested the rest of the day happy with his birthday and new opportunity for a possible new adventure in Pokétopia.
Later that night however, Michael sat in his room on his bed with his opened P DA in his hands. His Jolteon was sleeping beside him as he texted a message to his mysterious predecessor in hope of possibly receiving information about him and the granddaughter of the elderly couple. He explained who he was and how he had gotten his number from Eagun. He made sure to tell him that since he was gone he had taken care of Cipher four years ago and that he would be honored to communicate with the original hero of Orre who saved so many Shadow Pokémon nine years ago.
"Please respond as soon as you can… Sincerely Michael… there.", Michael said to himself before hitting the send button.
Just as he did however, he received two immediate messages in his inbox almost instantly. This shocked Michael and almost made him afraid to open the mail, but he didn't hesitate to see the first message he had gotten. It was from "Wes" apparently. The message had no title and there was not text to read other than the name of the sender. Michael's heartbeat raced as he sat on his bed to click on what the picture could possibly be of.
When he did, he couldn't tell what the significance was of the picture. It seemed to be a dark picture of the Orre sky with a solar eclipse taking place. The sky had a large bright ring and a dark shadowy void in the center that seemed to be the moon. Despite it being the sun, there were very few rays of light coming off of the ring.
Suddenly, Michael was startled to hear knocking on his door before his sister came bursting into the room with Mimi and Pluplu.
"Did you see it?!", Jovi asked before sitting beside her brother to look at the screen on the P DA.
"See what? This?", Michael asked before showing her the mysterious solar eclipse picture in his P DA.
Jovi was in awe over what Michael had shown her. She had never seen a solar eclipse before. As strange as the picture was, it was not what Jovi was referring to.
"No no not that one. Professor Krane sent you it. Look!", she said tapping the screen to show Krane's message that was titled, "What is this?".
Michael opened his message and read aloud what the Pokémon Professor had to say regarding another attached picture file.
"I was looking at the birthday pictures we took today and in our first one, something kept me from standing near Lily... I think I know why now… I'm not sure what to think of this..."
Michael and Jovi watched as the image was shown on their screen. It showed the first birthday picture Krane took today with the guests surrounding Michael's family. Between Krane and Lily behind Michael was a familiar figure and face he had not seen in five years. The two siblings were struck with both fear and amusement in what they were seeing occupying Krane's intended space. The siblings looked at each other and confirmed they were both looking at the same person that was not invited to the party yet completed a family's picture. He was holding on to Michael's right shoulder while his left hand was around Lily's waist in the image. It was smiling for the camera with a friendly face the siblings have not seen for the longest time.
There was silence in the room. Even Mimi and Pluplu sitting on Michael's bed were silent as they watched the silent reaction of the two siblings. Michael broke the silence by concluding what he thought of it.
"… Well…. Nice to see Dad decided to join us for my birthday party huh?", Michael said with a laugh.