"'I am a part of all that I have met; Yet all experience is an arch wherethro' gleams that untravell'd world, whose margin fades for ever and for ever when I move.' So, in this quote from Tennyson's 'Ulysses,' Odysseus looks upon his journey as a whole and, furthermore…"
One week of class and we're already examining the meaning of life through literature. Fun stuff. I don't think my teacher realizes our lack of enthusiasm today. Our mind are not in the realm of literary analysis, but they reside with the eggs sitting on our laps, cradled in our arms, or in our bags next to us. We, or at least I, ooze with anticipation.
I look up. Some poor girl in the front is being victimized by Professor Carrig's expecting gaze waiting for an answer to her question that the girl undoubtedly didn't hear. Her egg, mustard-yellow with a large red sphere smack dab in the middle, clearly commands her attention. She stutters some incoherent noises before scrambling through her book turning the pages rapidly.
I look back down at my two identical eggs, one on my lap and the other in my bag beside me. The brown eggs give off a small amount of heat hinting at the life they will soon give. I shift in my desk. My butt hurts fell asleep. I glance up at the clock risking a meeting of eyes between myself and the Professor or her devoted Noctowl. That thing unnerved me. I swear it could see into my soul or even take it if the large owl felt like it.
Luckily the bird was currently preening itself on its perch in the corner of the classroom. I escape the eyes of my Professor as well, steal a glance at the clock, and look back down at my text. Only a couple minutes left till I can get the heck out of here.
Out of the corner of my eye I catch a bright white light.
"Go," Carrig immediately drops her current sentence and orders a boy in the third row. "Leave your things and go," she orders once again when he attempts to pack his bag. The boy, a freshman like myself, bolts out of the room in a frantic run with his egg held out in front of him, still glowing.
My Professor addresses us once again, "Let the fun begin," she says as a sly smile worms itself across her face.
This will be an interesting year.
Bug types. God damn bug types. Bug types galore. Bug types, bug types, bug types freakin' everywhere.
Today was the official first day of "Hatch Week," a week in which all of the students' eggs are meant to hatch and we're forced to run out of classes, the library, or restaurants to make sure we're alone with our newly hatching egg. I guess initial one-on-one time is kind of a big deal.
Anyway, from my spot on the ground in front of my dorm I could tell that Hatch Week was in full swing. Small bug pokemon climbed on trees munching greedily on the leaves they had to offer. By the end of the week I doubt we'll have any foliage left on campus. One Caterpie's trainer was even attempting to yank it off a nearby maple tree which earned the trainer a string shot to the face. Letting out a small chuckle I looked back down at my eggs.
My eggs gleamed from the reflection of the sun's rays showing off their true beauty. I once naively thought they were completely identical. After catching myself studying and admiring them for sometimes up to an hour, I can now point out every intricate detail and distinction between the two eggs.
The egg to my left, slightly smaller than the one to my right, is a darker shade of brown than its sibling. About a third of the way down from the top a cream colored band begins and continues to the middle of the eggs. On the smaller, darker egg the band is slightly bigger, but bigger just the same. Its sibling to the right has a mark, however, that it does not. The spot, about the size of a half dollar, was pure white. I sometimes find myself tracing this mysterious spot absorbing the egg's warmth through my fingertips. They were both beautiful, my eggs. Soon I'll get to meet the Pokémon within.
I was immediately snapped back into reality upon hearing my name being shouted from behind me.
"Sean! Sean, hellooooo."
"Hey Lisa," I said without needing to turn around to know it was my bestfriend. "What's going on? Have yours hatched yet?" She came around and sat directly facing me.
"Nope. Not yet," she sighed. "This wait is killing me. They should call it 'Hell Week' instead." Lisa had a bit of a knack for being dramatic. She paused and looked down at her eggs that she now gently sat pn her lap. She took out a rag and began to shine her first one.
It was a reddish color like that of a dying rose. On the side currently facing me are several deep red marks that resemble tufts of fur, yet the egg is completely slick and oval. Lisa is softly humming as she shines her egg. Her brown hair, just past shoulder length keeps distracting her interrupting the tune as the wind whips it about. Finally she gets fed up and puts her hair into a ponytail in a huff.
"So, no luck with yours either, huh?"
"Nah," I respond watching her eggs' places. "At least we didn't get something lame like a Caterpie." I gesture Lisa's attention to the trainer still trying to order his Pokémon off the tree.
She tries to hid her laughter when her and the trainer make super awkward eye contact. She buries her head in her purple backpack as she cracks up into it. She gets ahold of herself and begins working on her second egg. This one, contrasting her first, is almost entirely a light cream color except for the very top which resembles an orange mane of some kind. Well at least I know she probably has a fire type if I need some protection from a rabid Oddish.
"Have you seen Jarret yet today?" I ask naming the only other member of our high school to get in here.
"Briefly. He looked busy so I didn't bother him. Plus I was late to class and didn't have time to stop. His eggs looked pretty cool though.
"I wonder what he chose to major in. I know he was having trouble with that."
"Speaking of that, what did you decide on?" She asked putting her newly shined egg down and leaning back on her hands getting more comfortable.
"Uh, well, my parents wanted me to focus on the more academic majors. I don't get it. I get into one of the top three best schools for Pokémon training and they want me to get a 'real' degree. So I had to meet them halfway. I'm double majoring in English and Coordinating with a minor in Breeding. I'll probably drop the English major in a year or two. I just had to get them off my back," I rolled my eyes thinking back to that extremely fun conversation. It ended with my Mom's Bellossom having to use Sweet Scent on the three of us so that we would calm down. I never did thank her for that. "Anyway, have you declared yours yet?"
Yea, that's where I just came from. I went with Battle Strategies with an emphasis on fire types. I think it'll be interesting. I mean I can always change it later id I want to," she paused. "I just wish they would hatch already," she looked longingly at her eggs.
"Just a few more days," I told her looking at my own.
Classes began a familiar pattern. In each one someone would catch a white glow and a student would rush out of class. They would return a few minutes later after bonding with their newly hatched Pokémon with it either beside the or in a pokeball attached to their belts when a Pokémon was too large to fit in class. I found myself becoming increasing jealous of them. It was nearing the end of Hatch Week and I had yet to have either of mine hatch.
Lisa's hatched on day three with the rest of the fire, electric, and fighting types. Her Pokémon, an adorable Vulpix and fierce Ponyta, walked next to her now while I, still grasping my eggs, walked on the side opposite them.
"Maybe you have some huge badass dragon," Lisa speculated on the identity of my eggs.
"I doubt that since today is supposed to be the day the dragon types hatch. Still, nothing. Maybe mine are," I paused not wanting to say it, "defective." Defective was the nice way of putting dead. Defective eggs were usually those mishandled, thus injuring or even killing the Pokémon within. "Maybe I need to go see Nurse Joy about them."
"But you took care of those eggs like there was some kind of nobleman living in them. There's no way you hurt them."
Her Vulpix, Aura, as if sensing my complete and utter disappointment, circled around Lisa and began rubbing itself on my leg while letting out a small purring noise.
"Aw, she likes you!" Lisa gushed at the sight.
"I think she's just trying to tell me everything will be alright." I began to bend down to pet the small Pokémon thanking it for its kind gesture.
As soon as my hand neared her, Lisa's Pontya surged forward cutting off contact between us. His mane enlarged almost hitting both Lisa and myself.
"Holy sh-" I was cut off when Ponyta reared baring its extremely sharp and hard hooves.
Lisa ran forward and grabbed Ponyta's reigns.
"Fury! Get down now!" She yelled trying to save me from an inevitable concussion. Fury, upon hearing his trainer, immediately dropped to the ground back on all fours. He kept his gaze directly on me. Too afraid to move I looked at Lisa mentally asking what the hell was wrong with her Pokémon.
Seeing my eyes on her, she explained. "He's really protective of Aura, okay? Ponytas are usually in herds and he sees Aura and me as his herd-mates I guess. He just needs to learn that Aura can protect herself and so can I." She rubbed Fury's back and gave him a scratch behind his right ear, which seemed to take his attention off me for the time being. "Isn't that right, Fury? You just wanted to protect Aura from the big scary man?"
"Big. Scary. Man," I repeated in disbelief. "That thing almost killed me!"
"Oh relax. He'll trust you eventually." She turned to Fury. "He's part of your heard just like me and Aura. He'll protect us just like you do, and when his Pokémon hatch they'll be part of our herd too. Now make nice. You too, Sean."
Fury lowered his head and stepped towards me. "Put your head down and step towards him," she instructed me.
Lowering my head but keeping my ears ready in case Fury decided to kick me, I moved forward. "Now when Fury nudges you look up and breathe a small stream of air into his nose."
"Excuse me," I whispered harshly to Lisa.
"Just do it."
I left my head down for what felt like ten minutes ready for a swift kick in the stomach when I felt a gentle tap on my forehead. I slowly raised my head to the Ponyta's menacing gaze. Reluctantly I began to blow the largest stream of air I dared.
Fury responded by bringing its nose to meet mine. I responded by gently petting just behind his ear where Lisa was petting earlier. I figured it was his favorite spot to be pet. He responded with a smile only a Ponyta could muster and a small neigh.
"Congrats, you're part of the herd."
Great, I thought to myself. At least now I won't be getting kicked anytime soon.
"Now go talk to Nurse Joy about those eggs. I'm sure they're fine, but just go double check. Maybe you have a pair of Moltres or something! That'd be awesome!"
"Yea I bet that's exactly what they would give to a freshman with little to no training experience. 'Here take two giant fire birds. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Oh! Well we're at it how about a Dialga? It can control space and time so that shouldn't be an issue,'" I said mocking Lisa.
"I could have Aura use Firespin on you right now and no one would be the wiser."
"I think Nurse Joy would question why I was flame broiled and charred when I met her. Than I'd have to tell her you were a bit-"
"Aura, Firesp-"
"Okay, okay. I'm going."
"Good luck!" Lisa called after me as I walked as quickly as I could from her demon fire types.