Hiya! I was so happy that I got reviews that I ended up writing this chapter...and I think I went a little overboard. ^^' Sorry.

This chapter's a little slow- please bare with me! It's gonna get better soon, I swear. I'm also going to describe Lucy's character more, but I couldn't think of a way to get it in there this round. On sadder note, I restarted my SoulSilver game the other day because I got bored on victory road...sorry, Typhlosion. I have the attention span of a squirrel. A faithless, faithless squirrel.

Hope you like it!!! Reviews would be nice. =)

For what it was worth, I always knew that Professor Elm wasn't a sneaky kind of guy. Sure, he could be a little pushy sometimes (or really pushy, like around my tenth birthday that I refused one of his best pokemon) but he was, for the most part, harmless. Elm was a younger sort of scholar type- nerdy, by-the-book, and generally friendly to anyone. Almost everyone in New Bark looked up to him, regardless. Not because he was a nice guy. Not even because he was considered Professor Oak's prodigy. No. It was because Professor Elm, from the moment he set up his lab here in this little two-horse town, was ours. He had chosen New Bark to set up his research laboratory. He had chosen us.

And now, as it appeared, he had chosen me. Again.

"Great." I huffed, standing just outside the door to his lab. Digging my fingers into the straps of my backpack, I unhappily considered knocking. But then again, weren't people in and out of this place on a regular basis anyway? Would there be others inside? And even worse that that...what if there were others who knew that Elm had invited me here, or even why? Was this going to be some kind of peer-pressure scam?

Tucking a flyaway strand of hair behind my ear, I drew in a sharp breath. I am Lucy Nora Lee. I thought, suddenly rebellious. The only kid in New Bark town and possibly all of Johto that will NOT become a pokemon trainer. And I'm not changing that for anyone, let alone some geeky professor and his brainwashed poke-drones. I'm not going to be like everyone else.

My chest was almost bursting with pride for myself. With full confidence, I slapped open the door and marched inside, completely prepared for whatever the professor was going to throw at me this time.

As it turns out, he threw a pokeball.

The moment I had stepped inside of the lab, I was nearly blinded by the bright, fluorescent lights blazing from the ceiling. What, did he have floating Lanturns for electricity in here or something?! An electabuzz? As I rubbed my eyes furiously, I heard a yell from far down the room, and then the unmistakable sound of a pokeball being deployed. Before I could even lift my head, a hard, metal sphere had smacked into my forehead and doused me in a jet of red-light.

I roared in pain. "What the FU-"

"Lucy!" Professor Elm called with sincere surprise and joy. I blinked my eyes, bleary, trying to squint through the pain of my now aching forehead and the powerful lights from above.

I was instantly aware that I was face-to-face with what looked to be an overgrown chicken.

With a tiny squeak of fear, the proud, ready-for-action Lucy of two seconds ago was reduced into a shrinking, flailing little girl afraid of a boogie-monster. I recoiled against the wall of the lab as I stared at the beast in front of me in horror. It was definitely some sort of chicken-creature, and it was at least a head taller than me. Its face was shaped almost like a beak with bright, fire-like red feathers and a pair of crystal blue eyes that were narrowed as it inspected my pathetic figure, crumpled against the wall. Two beefy-looking arms were held in front of it as if ready to grab at me. I took one look at the set of talons on the end of each of its fingers before I nearly fainted.

"Oh, oops...Blazekin, return! She isn't the intruder..."

And then it was over.

Blinking, confused, and terrified on the floor, I watched as the ever-friendly Professor Elm sauntered over to me and extended a hand. "I'm so sorry about that, Lucy!" He laughed nervously. "It's just that there have been a lot of break-in attempts lately, and most visitors here usually knock before coming in, just in case I'm studying a flighty-sort of pokemon...for a second there, I thought you were a thief!...Although a thief wouldn't be so quick to nearly die of fright...You should have seen your face!"

The Professor chuckled, and I was quick to give him a death-glare as I rose off of the cold tiled floor. I knew that this was a mistake!

"Yeah, I'm sure it was a riot." I spat peevishly. At my tone the Professor sobered at once, regarding me with unease.

"You have my sincerest apologies, Lucy." Professor Elm said gently. He gestured to the further end of the lab, carefully, as if this would offend me too. "Why don't you come in? As you probably already know, I have a very important reason for calling you here today."

I trailed behind him, stoic and silent as he walked me through the vast room. There were shelves stuffed with dull-colored books, and an occasional assistant could be seen filing away papers in neat cabinet-sets about the lab. He payed no attention to any of them, only walking calmly as he continued a speech about some sort of scholar-association that I might be interested in. I vaguely listened, instead glancing behind my shoulder every now and then, wary. I wasn't about to let my guard down after my very warm welcoming.

Professor Elm finally came to a halt. Still busy planning an escape route, I crashed into his back face-first. Although he didn't seem to mind, Elm looked at me, pointing to a gigantic red-and white machine before us. I could see pokeballs sitting neatly on it, like a conveyor belt. "I'm sure you're aware of what this is, right Lucy?" He asked, suddenly serious. "I don't blame you if you don't remember. The last time you were in this laboratory was nearly three years ago..."

"I remember." I said unenthusiastically. Not that I wanted to. Crossing my arms, I scrutinized Professor Elm with slight disdain. "It's a pokemon transmittance device. Sort of like a holding place for pokemon. Or for legally trading them." Although I had no interest in pokemon, it was a required-class course that every student at least know the basics. Then, my tone sharper, "What about it?"

Professor Elm studied me quietly, and I kept eye-contact, refusing to look away. He averted his blue/gray eyes for a moment with a sigh. Running a hand through his neatly trimmed hair, he tried again. "From what your mother tells me, Lucy, you wish to be a lawyer one day, correct?"

I was in complete shock. ...Mom has been talking to Professor Elm about me? And she actually acknowledges that I want to be a lawyer?!?!

I swallowed loudly, trying to keep my composure. "Um, y-yeah. I do. I mean, that's what I've been planning..." Real smooth, I hissed to myself, hating how weak and off-guard I sounded. But Professor Elm paid no mind. Instead, he came closer to the machine, running a hand over one of the pokeballs with cool indifference. "I see." He allowed. "An interesting occupation, to be sure. And I suppose you already have a school you would like to go to imagined? You're still young, but college is coming just around the corner for you..."

"I was thinking... about Violet City Law Academy." I said sheepishly. Usually when I said such things, people would laugh, or snicker, or even mutter about my sanity under their breaths. Sometimes, I didn't blame them. Sometimes.

Professor Elm cleared his throat, clearly just as startled as everyone else had been. He kept his tone friendly, but cautious. "Then, as I'm sure you are aware, you know that such schools require a hefty amount of payments...And Violet City Academy is one of the best schools in Johto. Do you have any idea how you're going to pay for your education?"

Now, I would be the first person to admit that I wasn't a fighting-sort of person. I was almost always calm in situations, and even when I wasn't, I at least could hold my temper. But at the Professor's passive-aggressive hint that I wouldn't be able to afford my dream school...

Heat rushed to my face as my hands balled themselves into fists at my sides, and I glowered up at Professor Elm with absolute, venomous disgust. He was going to tell me that it would be more monetarily responsible to become a trainer than a lawyer, I just knew it. He was going to try and scare me out of the career. He was going to say the exact wrong thing that would set me off, and not just on him, but on this entire stupid town that just wouldn't understand- I would never, ever even consider becoming a pokemon trainer. Not in this lifetime.

And you know what? I almost wanted him to. I was aching for a good fight at the moment. Let him hide behind his stupid pokemon then.

"No, I do not." I said, menacingly calm. "Do you have a problem with that?"

To my horror (and secret satisfaction), he smiled. "Not in the least, Lucy." Professor Elm said with an even larger grin. "In fact, it's the entire reason I called you here in the first place. I have a proposition for you...if you'd be wiling to listen just a little longer."

"Try me." I growled.

"What would you think of taking care of a pokemon- don't look at me like that, I'm not done- ...of taking care of a pokemon, just ONE, mind you, just until it evolves..."

I waited, unimpressed so far. My arms were still crossed and my expression was more than defiant.

"...in exchange for a research-granted tuition for your first year of law school?"

Suddenly, I had the oddest urge to cuddle my mother's Octillery, or even any pokemon within this vicinity.

"...Continue." I croaked.