Thanks to all those who followed and favorited, and to the guest reviewer and Kahia too! Grateful to you all!
Now, on with the story!
Chapter 3: Favours.
"Well, I've heard much about you from your father." Professor Birch smiled at Brendan, whom subtlety grit his teeth. They had now returned to the lab after the short walk back. May hadn't returned yet.
Typical Dad, the teenager groaned internally. Can never tell if he's proud, or just boastful.
"But he said you don't have your own Pokemon yet." Birch frowned slightly.
"Moved two weeks after my birthday, so we didn't want to trouble Professor Elm." Brendan explained.
"Ah. Well, that was quite the performance back there anyway!" The usual jolly smile graced his features again. "Looks like you really are your father's son!"
He knew it was meant as a compliment, but...
"You're a natural, Brendan!" He grinned mischievously then. "Well, perhaps I can help you, since you helped me."
Brendan raised a single eyebrow, curious as to what he meant.
"That Treecko on your shoulder seems to approve of you."
Brendan paused, glancing to his left shoulder. He wasn't too sure the professor was right, because, if anything, the Hoenn starter's eyes were slanted, a look he recognised. People often remarked he shared the same look when he was studying something deeply, assessing it.
"If he finds you agreeable-"
"Treecko." The Gecko Pokemon interrupted, smiling faintly. It did. That greatly relieved the young adult.
"Then," The professor continued, unbothered by the sudden intrusion, if anything, the smile was reaching his ears now. "I suppose, I guess I'll have to get your trainer's licence sorted."
Brendan started, slightly nervous, but faintly excited.
"I... I only just moved in, sir-"
"Not to worry my boy." He grinned. "I'm not ordering you to go on what they call nowadays, 'A Journey', lots of trainers stay at home with Pokemon. Do you think they all went on a Journey?"
"No, I don't think so." Brendan answered, seeing the truth in the statement.
"Precisely! I'll put aside my other work for the day, and by tonight you'll be a legal trainer." He then grinned again, the same look from earlier. "Buuuut, I don't think you or anyone would protest to you having your Pokemon a bit early."
"Thanks, Professor." Brendan smiled genuinely at the man.
"Not to worry m'boy, not to worry. Just come back later on tonight, will you? That way I can present you with some other things you'll need, such as a Pokedex. I'll need to get one programmed for you."
The professor then bit his lip.
"I was wondering, if you could help me with two last little things."
"Oh?" Brendan paused.
"You obviously remember the Poochyena?" The professor grimaced.
Treecko obviously did, the twitch of his tail against Brendan's back was enough to say.
"What about it?"
"Well, the reason why it was rather upset was I had not been looking where I was going, and slipped down that ledge." He proceeded to explain. "I put my arms out to break my fall, but rather, er, unfortunately, that pup may have done the job for me." He sighed unhappily. "I'm going to need to let him out and give him a once over. I would very much appreciate if you and more necessarily, your Treecko were present. To... Put him off attacking, so to speak."
"But," Brendan paused, confused. "I thought you'd have your own Pokemon, Professor?"
"I do, but seeing as it was your Treecko that beat him, he'd be far more inclined to behave than if it was Mudkip, for example."
"Fair enough," Brendan nodded. "If Treecko agrees-"
"Tree." Said Gecko answered.
"Then he'll be happy to help." the teenager finished.
"Good, good!" The professor grinned. "Now, let me prepare myself..."
After looking out a couple of differently coloured potions and clearing a space of any delicate items, the Professor held out the Pokeball.
"Ready?" He asked, glancing at the pair.
Both nodded, Treecko now standing firmly on Brendan's left shoulder.
Without further adieu, the professor released the recently caught Poochyena.
The instant it was released, it rounded and growled, only to cower in pain, brining it's right front and hind leg in to better protect its rather purplish side, only faintly visible through the grey fur.
"Tree." Treecko hissed, jumping down onto the grey tile floor with a thump.
The reaction was instantaneous; one second, the Poochyena was defiantly growling at the professor, the next, cowering with it's tail tucked between it's leg in submission.
"Good, good." The professor gently coaxed it, slowly advancing, crouched down to it's level. The smaller potion was held tightly in his left, the larger in the right. It growled slightly, but backed off at Treecko's glare.
"Alright little fella, doing great. I'm going to help you out, alright?" The professor slowly moved to his left, bearing down on the injured side. He kept smiling at it, nodding occasionally. He seemed pretty confident around something which was trying to tear his leg off not too long ago. Maybe it was due to his own workspace, or perhas Treecko's presence, as he wasn't the only one who was glancing occasionally at the grass starter.
The wild Pokemon started with a yelp as Professor Birch sprayed the major potion on the bruised area.
"Its alright, its alright..." He soothed it, spraying it in a lesser dose before switching bottles and coating the area with the smaller, weaker spray.
"There we go." He grinned, standing up.
The Poochyena whimpered for a moment, turning to lick it's side. Already, it was looking a bit better.
"Alright, thanks for the help you two." He smiled at the pair. "I'll take him through to the garden, he'll feel safer out there."
Taking the cue to leave, Brendan walked the short distance to the main doors, Treecko leaping onto his spot on the soon-to-be trainer's shoulder, only to be stopped before leaving by a familiar face.
"I've went and wrote this letter up for your parents." Joshua quickly explained, handing the teenager the sealed note. "Well, moreso for your mother anyway. It's just explaining the circumstances to this, and explaining the appearance of your Treecko. It also will explain why you need to turn up later tonight."
Brendan nodded, and turned to leave only for the assistant to place a hand on his shoulder, gently stopping him.
"The professor said he was asking for two favours, remember?"
Brendan nodded, confused...
"Well, seeing has he is dealing with his charge and neglected to tell you before hand," Joshua sighed, frustrated but also slightly amused. "I guess the task has been passed onto me. The youngest Birch is still out at Route 101, do you mind going out to explain to her that her father has came back early?"
"I guess so." He shrugged, earning a irritated slap of a tail from Treecko, whom now held tightly onto Brendan's shoulders with his suction padded feet. This prompted a wince from the aspiring trainer.
Joshua chuckled, finally letting them go free.
It was, for the lack of a better word, a trek. The journey to where May supposedly was, had been cluttered with ledges, forestry and winding paths. Thankfully, Treecko was present this time he entered. Simply having the Gecko Pokemon with him made Brendan far more comfortable travelling even if briefly, into the wild. Plus, it seemed like he acted as a deterrent too. He noticed a few wild Pokemon watching from the bushes back off after noticing the starter riding his left shoulder. Though, that didn't scare off the rather stupid Wurmple that slivered into their path.
Treecko made quick work of the bug, smartly avoiding the String Shots that it fired off occasionally. His speed over it due to these dodges easily won the battle, at least until the thing got to it's senses and retreated from an opponent it was now realising it couldn't beat.
Having stopped by his home and delivered the letter along with his own explanation of current events, Brendan was safe in the knowledge that he wouldn't be returning to his mother's fury from venturing into the wild and being away for so long without an explanation. How many kids these days just forgot about their parents? Plus, he was fed too, so that's always good...
"Hm. It would have been helpful if we knew where May actually was." He grumbled, getting a noise of probably agreement from his companion.
"Oh well, let's just keep to the path. Hopefully she's not gone too far." Surprisingly, there wasn't that many trainers in the country side area, but he was sort of glad about that. He was pretty sure that Treecko wasn't ready for much proper battling yet. The Gecko was strong, yeah, but untrained. He had a responsibility as a trainer (though technically not one yet) to be smart about his Pokemon's wellbeing.
Not even a minute later, the pair could hear some noises disturbing the natural harmony of the forest area around them.
May was up ahead, standing near a small pond. Various ferns and large plants surrounded the water's edge, but the edge of the path where the young woman was standing had a clear, unobstructed view of the surface.
"Let's see, at the pond on Route 101, I've seen this pokemon..." She then appeared to circle a name on a notebook Brendan noticed she had out as he got closer. "And that pokemon, this one too..."
She jumped, notebook nearly thrown into the pond, quickly alerted to his presence by his footsteps behind her.
"Oh! Hey, Brendan isn't it?"
The male nodded his confirmation.
"What's that on your shoulder? Oh, a Treecko!" She grinned widely. "So my dad gave you a Pokemon as a gift then?"
"I guess you could say that." He shrugged, earning him yet another slap from the twin tailed Gecko.
My human will learn, the Gecko thought to himself irritatedly, That I do not like that...
"Brendan winced, rubbing the area he was pretty sure was bruised by now, ignoring May's giggling.
"Well then, why don't we go ahead and have a quick battle?" She smirked, fingering the pokeball on her waist.
Treecko paused his grumbling, turning to look at his companion's reaction.
Apparently, he wasn't too pleased with the proposal.
"Er, about that... I think I'll pass." Brendan said nervously, not shrugging this time, instead rubbing the back of his head.
May frowned. "Why not?"
"Well, for one, I'm pretty sure I'm not ready." He said, tactfully avoiding saying Treecko wasn't too experienced. He didn't want to insult or upset his new friend, as such he'd happily take the fall.
At this however, May raised an eyebrow. "You're the son of a gym leader, and you're not ready for Pokemon battling?" She clarified rather haughtily.
Suddenly, he has a reputation to uphold now, joy. Though, Brendan guessed this could be since she had one too, and is upset to see someone get out of the same situation...
"Yes." He said through gritted teeth. "I know about battling, training and Pokemon in general. But you've had a year of experience over me, and I've only known Treecko here for a day, so I'll pass."
"Oh, okay then." She said simply, as if disappointed in him.
He was as green as new trainers get. Like hell he was going to be stupid enough to challenge someone a year older than him... Sure, she might have stuck around at Littleroot at that time, but her Pokemon would be pretty damn strong by now, even if she hadn't yet gone on a journey. Considering how spontaneous she was, Brendan guessed she already had.
"Anyway, I came here to let you know that your dad came back early. He wants you to head home now."
"Alright, thanks. See you later." She flashed him a quick smile, before running on.
Brendan sighed, sitting down near the pond, in the process, Treecko leapt off his shoulder unto the grass.
The land around them resumed it's peaceful sounds, various wild Pokemon's noises echoing through the area as the sun was slowly crawling down the horizon; night would come soon.
Why did people always expect so much of him? As much as people were seemingly hoping, he wasn't his father. Even though the man was brilliant in his own right, Brendan did not want to be him. He wanted to be Brendan. Why was that so hard to happen?
Treecko, meanwhile, was confused. He wasn't really upset about missing a chance to fight, but it seemed that the simple encounter left his companion quite frustrated. He really was a difficult one to understand. But, the Gecko Pokemon was willing to try and figure him out. Determined, to understand who his trainer is.
In order of Appearance (So Far, including those mentioned):
Brendan: Sixteen.
Nick: Thirty Five.
Norman (Dad): Thirty Six.
Caroline (Mother): Thirty Four.
Professor Birch: Thirty Five.
Joshua: Twenty One.
Mrs Birch: Thirty Five.
May: Seventeen.
I suppose some things need a quick explanation; I deliberately put May in route 101 because, as explained, Anime and Game ideas will be taken. Having Brendan travel to Oldale Town, then to route 103, then back... So, yeah, rather silly.
Anyways, that's all from me, thanks for reading!