Before everything I'd like to thank everyone who continues to support this website. It has been amazing these past years reading hundreds of FanFictions and learning about this community. I've always admired at a distance, ever since junior high. But I still love it so much. And now, even in college, it is still one of my favorite places to visit and read creative works. This story may not be the best, but I hope that my overdue contribution to this great community is well received.

Chapter 1 - Set Stage

Viridian City is one of the premier landmarks of the Kanto region. Its rich history and involvement in the development of the Pokemon League has made it famous not only in its homeland but around the world. It is projected that over half the region's GDP is generated from the tourist and sales revenue of the raging metropolitan economy. When put on a list, more tourists travel through Viridian than the next two cities combined. The city is a socioeconomic masterpiece, a juggernaut of industry and capital.

But the unfortunate hubris of Viridian City is the very thing that drives its success. While it is a worker's paradise, it is leisure's nightmare.

And that I can say without hesitation, sitting in my favorite coffee shop as the usual suffocating din of the other students and nine-to-fivers around me fills the room. Casual business attire has a knack for blending together in a flurry, making it easy to ignore as I study. Physiology and Habits of Kanto's Wildlife, 3rd ed. by Professor Samuel Oak wasn't exactly the most engaging book, but with finals on the horizon I suppose it was the best thing I could have been reading.

Nurse School was a bitch, but only a few months from graduation, all I could do was look back at my various experiences and troubles over the past few years and smile. The beast was conquered and I was coming out on top.

I guess I should feel accomplished when it's all over. Though I couldn't spare to daydream at that moment. I'd thought about how I'd gotten here many times already.

I guess you could say I wasn't exactly the most popular of children. I grew up just outside Fuchsia City on Route 15, somewhat isolated from the rest of the bustling seaside town. I never had a friend to walk to school with, nor did I really ever make any along the way. Being a quiet child, I never really made any attempts to socialize, and what little I accomplished in that regard never really amounted to much. I was lucky that I was mostly left to my own devices, but an occasional rustling did find its way to me. It never bothered me though. I found solace in picture books of Pokemon in the wild and magazine articles of great trainers and their amazing Pokemon. I told myself back then that I'd be one of the best trainers Kanto had to see- but I suppose every kid my age had that thought. It came and went, and as pressure from my mother dictated, I eventually enrolled in Pre-PokeMed. I still remember crying when I first saw a dissected Froakie. Time passed, grades were made, and there I was. Part of me always wondered what would have happened had I ignored my mom, but… I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy my studies.

Hours blazed by in the coffee shop as the occasional bite from a scone or sip of water urged me on. After a while though, I realized that I was suddenly, abruptly, in company. A chair scooted out loudly in front of me, scraping across the worn hardwood floor. I watched out of my peripheral as a figure took the seat across from me.

"Whatcha readin'?"

A young, naive-sounding male voice broke my train of thought immediately, and sensing that I would have no luck comprehending the next section with this distraction, I lifted my gaze to acknowledge the individual.

"I'm studying actually. For a test."

Annoyance was obvious in my voice, but I was beyond casual formalities. However, this was of no success in driving him away. Instead, a kid dressed tightly in expedition clothing, a large backpack, and assorted other adventurely items stayed well planted in his seat.

"Is that a book on Pokemon? It looks interesting, I like Pokemon too!"

Well, at least I wasn't being hit on. I guess an obviously eccentric trainer like this was better than that at any rate. I took a breath to unwind the tension in my nerves. Perhaps if I couldn't study at the moment, buffing my social skills for the practical exam couldn't hurt.

"Well, that's nice to hear. They are spectacular creatures. I assume you're a trainer? You certainly look the part.", I hazarded the obvious guess.

"Yeah!... Well, not yet. I don't gotta Pokemon! But I did pass my exam! Are you taking yours soon?"

He was cute at least; he couldn't be over fifteen at this rate. I smiled back and shook my head.

"No, no. I'm not trying to become a trainer, I'm in Nurse School. I remember that test though, it was tough wasn't it?"

The kid's eyes lit up like he'd seen his favorite Pokemon for the first time.

"Oh! That's so cool! Do you have a Chansey? Which Center are you gonna work at? Oh, oh! What starter should I get? They're all so cool! I bet Charmander is the best! They have all kinds of awesome tricks they can do when they evolve, like flamethrower and… uhh, oh fly! And!-"

I tuned out the last bit of his rant, but had to cut him off after a bit.

"Ha ha, hold on for a moment. It's not that big of a deal, but to answer a few of those, I don't have a Pokemon and I don't know where I'm going to work, that's up to the School."

He paused for a moment before opening up again.

"Coooooooool! Bummer you don't have a Pokemon though, I'd love to see a nurse's Pokemon… Ok, but I do need a little help though! Can you tell me about Charmander? He's my favorite!"

I paused for a moment, I had three days before my test and I was fairly on pace in my studies. My paper on evolution theory was submitted weeks ago…

I flipped through my book to a tabbed page.

"Here, did you want me to show you a few cool things about Charmander? First, and most importantly is their size and weight…"

Graduation. I never thought I'd see the day eight years ago. But many long nights of study, a few grants, and lots of luck later, here I am at the top of my game.

Lined up on stage, I stood among this year's thirteen graduates. It took a lot to get through the prefecture's program. Of the hundreds that had applied, only a few of my peers had made it through, including me.

Despite all the difficulty and importance of the occupation, the stadium I was standing in the middle of was quite empty. The short rows of foldable chairs in front of the mildly lofted stage were host to all the audience we had. But, I don't blame anyone for not showing up; it's not like our certificates contained the raging adrenaline of a Pokemon battle. It was simply an occasion for good company and celebration with close friends. Not that I'd partake.

Despite my pride, as I stared at an empty chair among the filled rows, I couldn't help but feel betrayed. My mother was nowhere to be seen.

"Angelie Brown!"

The dean called out my name, and I almost didn't notice. Starting a little, I walked across the stage to light applause and shook his hand. Away from the microphone, he spoke to me.

"I must say, I'm very impressed Angelie."

His face showed the faintest hint of pride, something the Dean's stoney, academic, yet pleasingly familiar visage rarely bestowed. But something else was hiding in his eyes that I couldn't quite place.

"You've worked very hard to get here, harder than I've seen most of my graduates ever work. You have my respect more than anyone else… If you'll meet me after the ceremony, I've got something I'd like to speak to you about in private."

I paused only a moment before responding, processing what he had said.

"... sure thing."

He gave my hand one final shake and a friendly wink before handing me my certificate, putting on a public smile.

"Excellent. I will see you then."

With that, the rest of the ceremony passed quickly, my thoughts darting between my absent mother and the Dean. A sweltering mix of anxiety, accomplishment, and disappointment simmered in my head as the rest of the short list of names was called.

I'd known the Dean since the beginning of my studies. Daniel Quinn had been one of the foremost independent Pokemon researchers for the past two decades, and only on the date of my enrollment eight years ago become dean of the Viridian Nurse School. It was strange, but I think the periodic visits to his office for schedule flubs, attendance, and grading disputes gave us both a chance to escape the unfamiliarity and stress of our blossoming occupations. More than once, my appointments had lengthened into long discussions about evolution chains and theories or physiology discussions and debates. I guess we both appreciated this mutual solace enough to enjoy each other's company. It wouldn't be a stretch to call the man a friend considering how many gray hairs we now shared. And with how he'd spoken just minutes ago, I trembled with excitement as to what surprise he'd brewed up for me.

Finally, the ceremony ended, light jazz emitting from stage speakers and graduates returning to their families. As I exited the stage, I scanned the crowd with a craned neck. There wasn't a sharp-eyed brunette in sight. A part of my heart dropped as my search dwindled down. I pulled out my phone to check for messages. Nothing. I stared at the screen until it turned black again. I hadn't expected my mother, of all people, to ditch.

It took me a moment to calm myself down. I didn't want to speak to Daniel teary eyed, so instead I focused on the excitement I felt for his proposition. Walking away from the crowd, I spotted the Dean near the edge of the stage, speaking with some of the professors. I strolled to the edge of his vision and waved, hoping to catch his attention. It took a moment, but eventually his eyes flickered towards me, and he waved a hasty goodbye to his cabinet. Making his way over, he called out to me.

"I didn't expect to be called out so soon! Where's your...? Ah."

He tripped a bit, noticing the root of the cause.

"I see… well, I hope I can at least distract you a bit. I've got quite the surprise for you. Do you mind if we take a short ride to my office? I'm afraid I can't show you what I'm talking about here."

The short pang of guilt, sadness, and embarrassment I felt at my mother's absence was gone the moment he finished his last sentence, replaced by a raging curiosity.

"Show me?"

"Yes, actually. And trust me, it's not nearly as boring as my usual ecosystem flowcharts. Come on now, I'll drive."

Viridian at night is a mix of astonishing and terrifying, tall buildings and street lamp light shows making for an intimidating yet impressive display of urban planning and decoration. I'd seen it many times. So instead I uselessly poked at my phone during the short ride in the passenger seat of Daniel's car. I'd sent a text to my mother before leaving to let her know I had urgent and unexpected business to attend to after the ceremony. Thirty minutes later, I was still without so much as a peep in response. And that was all the time I had to stew over it as we arrived at our destination.

"Alright, we're here! I really am excited to show you what I've been up to, Angelie. Took a lot of patience to wait until your graduation."

As we began walking across the lot to the large school building, I responded.

"Really? How long have you been waiting?"

"Since both you and I were a lot younger Angelie. I've been working on this since before I joined the school as Dean."

I looked at him half in surprise, half in further piqued interest.

"This must be a rather important thing then. Part of me thinks it's not a graduation gift."

Daniel laughed.

"Well, that's for you to decide really. But I think it's best if I save the rest for when I actually show you."

Part of me was a little ticked he wasn't just going to tell me what he had in store, but surprises were fun I supposed. As I walked through the familiar halls of the complex, my mind darted between my mother and the looming secret Daniel had been saving for so long. I checked my phone again. Still nothing. I was beginning to worry about my mother's well being, and I guess my concern was rather more apparent than I hoped.

"You doing alright?"

Daniel looked at me with a bit of light concern tingeing his rocky visage.

"Yeah… just trying to make sure she's alright."

Daniel went quiet for a moment, soft clack of dress shoes tapping on linoleum as we walked, nearly at our stop.

"Sometimes parents can get even more nervous than their children you know."

I didn't look at him, but I felt a bit of surprise at his words.

"I remember when I was just a bit older than you are now, my mother fainted when she found out I got approved for my first research expedition. Sometimes, parents… just can't keep up. Try not to hold it against her."

I considered what he said, but I couldn't help feeling it was just consolation. My mother was never really one for cold feet. I guess there's a limit for everyone though. I let it reassure me for the moment as we stood outside the Dean's Office.

"Well, let me just run in here real quick. I'll be right back out."

I looked at him quizzically.

"Wait, your surprise or whatever it is, it's not in your office?"

He replied as he unlocked the door, opening it with a light squeak.

"No, actually. I mean, it could be. But I think it'd violate a few lab regulations if it was. Just a moment."

And with that I was once again left in the dark, watching from the doorway as he shuffled through his desk, eventually producing a key card.

"Here we are! It's in the lab just down the hall."

"Faculty lab?"

"Yep! You didn't think I couldn't get up to no good in there did you?"

I took the liberty of chuckling at his rather dry poke.

"I suppose not."

He brushed past me, flicking off the light and locking the door as we strolled to the lab. Daniel took the chance to open up into monologue once more.

"This project of mine has been mostly exclusive for a long while. I've had to slap the wrists of more than a few professors these past few years. Including Bethany if you'd believe that! Of all people, she couldn't leave my centrifuge alone."

I was rather bemused by the mental image of my elderly professor snooping around in the faculty lab.

"But, truthfully, it hasn't been easy to hide things. I'm pretty sure the faculty knows what I'm up to, but I've been trying to leave things as vague as possible. I feel like the ruse is going to be over here soon, so I might as well have fun showing it off to one of my favorite students."

I felt a little embarrassed that Daniel considered me one of his favorites, but it had been pretty obvious.

"I've never heard you so vocal about something. I'm your favorite?"

"ONE of my favorites, don't get cocky now. But yes, it's rather difficult to contain my excitement."

We waited outside the sealed lab entrance for a moment before Daniel lifted up his key card and displayed it smugly as his stone face could, then swiped it to unlock the door.

"But enough talk. Let's show you what I've been up to."

As the air seal broke, I felt air rush into the lab, vent hoods obviously pulling a small vacuum on the lab. I stepped inside and gasped as I saw the state of the lab. It was as if an entire team of chemists had come in and had their way with the place. Condensation tubes, distillation apparatuses, heating mantles, and reaction chambers littered the open counters and open vent hoods were all filled with the residue of a completed experiment.

"Jeez, Daniel, I didn't know you were a part time chemist."

Daniel said nothing as he walked expertly around the giant apparatuses. Settling in one corner of the room as I lazily followed, gawking as I inspected the glass sculptures. Eventually, Daniel's patience ran out.

"Get over here before someone sees you without a labcoat."

Hurrying my pace at the sound of Daniel's usual terse, business tone I made my way over to the corner he was huddled in. I found him standing, arms crossed, in front of a locked containment chamber. Inside was a rack of test tubes, each one holding a shimmering, almost iridescent red liquid. It was mesmerizing to watch.

"I suppose once you get over the light show you'll want to know what it is right?"

I nodded, eyes unmoving from the product behind the thick glass of the chamber.

"Well, that's enough of the sightseeing, its photon sensitive anyways."

He pressed a button on the chamber's touchpad and the viewing glass went black as the interior light flicked off. I blinked and piped up instantly.

"What *is* that?"

"There we go. Asking the right questions now."

He grinned as I fake pouted.

"But before I answer that, I want to ask you a question."

He pointed one of the fingers on his crossed arms in my direction for emphasis. I paused, taken aback a bit at his slightly forceful tone. He hadn't been this serious with me since I nearly flunked Advanced Organic Chemistry.

"Y-yes?"

"I want to know if I can trust you, Angelie Evelen Brown, with this confidential information. In doing so, I wish to take on your aid and partnership in a revolutionary endeavor into Pokemon organic sciences, the likes of which the world has never seen before."

I was floored. I hadn't expected Daniel would be up to something as weighty as this. This was possibly the most important thing I'd ever been involved in, I was sure of it. Silence filled the room as I sluggishly processed what I'd been told.

"I… I… You can trust me."

With another lengthy silence, Daniel unwound his arms, eyes like razor-edged gemstones locked onto mine, and drew a piece of paper out of the interior breast pocket of his suit along with a small pen.

"Sign on the line here, and I'll tell you everything."

He handed it to me with precise delicacy. As the paper and pen came to my slightly clammy hands, he spoke up again.

"I understand if this is a lot to process, especially with how tonight has been. Don't let me pressure you too hard."

A tiny, almost undetectable smile cracked on his hard lips, and with it, some of the tension was lifted, enough for me to pipe up.

"You tight pantsed asshole."

His smile widened a bit.

It only took me a moment to sign the paper. All it contained were basic legally binding clauses such as NDAs and partnership agreements. I assumed the rest of the papers were in a giant legal stack somewhere in his office. With a smug look I handed them back, curiosity and eagerness at an all time high.

"I'm so glad you came through, Angelie."

"I did it once, I'll do it again."

"Yeah, yeah, you graduated, I get it. Now buckle your seat belt, because we're about to solve the Pokemon-Human language barrier."

My heart skipped a beat.