Highs and Lows
AN): This chapter is going of of the anime version of littleroot
Rushing back to the cabin, Cree breathed heavily as she grabbed her bags and headed for the line to disembark, quickly looking around to make sure that that guy with the suit from earlier wasn't there, she quietly walked off the ship amongst the line of people. Shay quietly chittered in her ear as the sea breeze assaulted her nostrils, upon stepping off and onto solid ground she , took in the scenery. There were a lot of buildings for certain, most of them looked like theyd been built by committee though. Nothing she saw was like the manor, ((Then again, what else was)) Walking quietly, she a a red roofed building with a plus sign above its door. She guessed this to be the pokemon center, and decided to walk inside, and formulate a plan now that she was in hoenn.
Ideally she'd need directions to the Lab of a one professor birch, she supposed that it would be a good place to start looking. Her shoes clicking on the ground, she walked in, automatic doors sliding open before her. And was greeted by the nurse joy sitting behind
"Hello, and welcome to the Littleroot city pokemon center, what do you need"
"Hey, can i get directions to Professor Birch's lab"? she tried to ask. Before catching a glimpse at the clock and the accompanying hour outside. It was actually getting pretty late, perhaps the professor could wait until tomorrow.
"On second thought, I'd like to sign up to get a room for the night". She said aloud finally eliciting a response from the busy nurse.
"Room signups are on the desk, just put your name and trainer card number in"
Nodding she walked gingerly up to the desk, using the provided pen to input the requested information in with a flourish. Shay staying hidden from view as she headed upstairs.
"By the way, do you have any pokemon that may need care with you or are you a new trainer"
She stopped for a moment to consider her response. She wasn't exactly supposed to share knowledge of shay. And not having his pokeball with her would make it seem all the more suspicious.
"No, I'm heading to Birch's lab tomorrow to pick up my starter, so yeah I'm new"
"Oh okay" she said as she entered the information into a console. "Room 3 upstairs. should be on the right, I've keyed it to accept your trainer card and number".
"Thank you" Cree responded, before heading up the stairs to the upper level of the center, finding door number 3 and unlocking it by inserting her trainer card into the room key slot. The room itself was fairly spartan. A bed, closet, accompanying bathroom, and a small bathroom. with a bed for a small pokemon. Which shay all too happily took to climbing into. Carefully checking the window at the head of her bed and locking the door behind her. She took off her hoodie and turtleneck to stretch, Hidden wings unfolding to stretch in the evening air, their semitransparent surface crisscrossed with the lines of tiny blood vessels as she hung the two articles of clothing on the doorknob. Now clad in only her cotton pants and sports bra as she collapsed on the bed. Shay climbing in with her as the watched the sun set through the window.
"Well, the trip wasn't exactly glamorous, but we made it, were in hoenn"
She sighed as she rested upon the softened bed, crawling under the covers and falling into a restful sleep.
Cree wasn't exactly a morning person.
That said, the fact she'd been up for almost a full 28 hours up until falling asleep last evening probably didn't help either. And it was shay who ended up waking her, albeit by nudging her face until she finally got up.
"Fine fine, I'm getting up" she said, grumbling as she struggled to get out from under the sheets, and linens she had enshrouded herself with whilst she was asleep. Eventually managing to wrestle herself away from the embrace of the mattress and stand up, donning a change of clothes over her small sports bra. Not that she really needed it ((being an a-cup had its perks)) but it was more a matter of comfort than anything else. As she moved, she tried to stretch her wings, knowing she'd need to be keeping them folded for most of the day. As she extended their surface area, they caught the first rays of the morning sun, streaking in through the window, the sunlight doing me good as it was processed and absorbed through their surface area, giving me a bit of a boost to my energy. Supposedly it was a form of the move synthesis from what we'd figured out. Sighing, she finished her morning exercises and got her bag back together. Shay climbing back into his perch on her hood. The tiny legendary catching some sunlight as well. A quick glance at her bag showed he'd gotten into his food on his own again. Picking up her things and putting them in her bag, she stood up and opened the door of her room, the metal doorknob feeling cold to the touch as she rushed out of the center, stopping only to sign out of the room registration and say goodbye to nurse joy as she sprinted towards where her map said rowan's lab would be. To the northeast, eager to arrive at her destination and get her actual "Starter". She went over her available options in her mind.
She already had a grass type in the form of Shay, even if she really wasn't supposed to use him public. So treeco probably wasn't going to be her pick. And she was borderline terrified of fire, so that took torchic out of the equation. That left mudkip, a water type, and she found she liked the idea of having one as a starter.
Soon, the pavement under her feet turned to grass as she went from a sprint to a jog. Shay finding the snack pouch in my bag again and she heard the crinkling of a granola bar wrapper. He was either the most spoiled legendary on the planet or just really hungry. Either say she couldn't help but mumble a comment in pokespeak about how he'd end up weighing a lot more than four pounds if he kept eating like that, his rather vulgar response coming in the form of several chitters and a squeak, to which responded courteously with the simple statement that she hadn't truly meant anything insulting by the comment. Which he gratuitously accepted. Gradually, 2 houses and a third, larger building came into view near a clearing in the forest which the road ran to. Her shoes still quietly stepping on the grass as she proceeded in her walk. She knocked on the door as she approached the lab. A man in a labcoat emerged to greet her.
'Oh, you must be here to see professor birch, he's currently out on route 101 doing resear…"
"OH GOD A POOCHEYENA"
"On second thought, can you go out and check on him, I think he's in trouble…..again"
The researcher facepalmed as he indicated the direction Cree was supposed to head in and handed her a pokedoll. Before closing the door on her face.
"Well, guess I've got no choice then". She said as she ran around and over to route 101. Immediately. Arriving at the entrance to route 101, she became witnessed to middle age man with browning hair and a bit of a paunch being chased by a Small, wolf-like pokemon, a poocheyena . ((We had a few of them back on the preserve)). Without thinking, She threw the poketoy the researcher had handed her. The small clefairy doll going flying away and off into the bushes as the zigzagoon was distracted by it, Following the toy into parts unknown.
"Thank you for that" The man said, getting up to shake Cree's hand, his grip feeling large and oppressive because of his hands being bigger than hers. "My name is professor birch, Im guessing you're a new trainer, what's your name"?
"Cree" She said in a whisper.
"Well cree, i must thank you for getting me out of that hot situation, How about I thank you with a pokemon, since you're going to be picking out your starter anyway, my bag should be over there somewhere" He said pointing east-ish. Where i spotted a leather messenger bag, opening it revealed 3 pokeballs and some notes.
"Meet me back a the lab and we'll get your pokedex and other information sorted ou" He said as he took the bag from cree and walked south. Heading back towards hi lab. After a few minutes of waiting, she quietly followed.
Three pokeballs shined back at cree as she looked at her three choices of starter pokemon. Reaching to the right, she grabbed the pokeball she knew to contain mudkip. Sticking with her prior decision.
"Are you sure you want to pick mudkip" Birch said calmly. As cree held the pokeball in her hands. Feeling the plastic surface under her fingers. "Yes, i want to pick mudkip, she said with newfound confidence. She quietly sent out the small fishlike pokemon and picked it up. Relishing in the feeling of its slick, moist skin, noticing it was a girl.
"Alright then, when you're ready I'll get your pokedex and badge case out for you" the professor spoke as he moved over to his desk and dug through papers. As the professor fumbled, She petted the mudkip whilst she tried to think of a name for her new charge. Before being interrupted from her thoughts by a knocking on the door, a 10-ish year old boy with glasses was knocking on the glass. Birch seemed to take notice of this as he set down the papers and went over to let him in.
"Ah max, i was wondering when you would arrive. I was just getting this young lady set to go on her pokemon journey. I've finished updating your pokenav by the way". He said before heading off into a back room.
"Thanks professor" "Max" said, before turning to cree, she noticed his expression was smug. "So you're a new trainer, aren't you a bit old to be starting your journey. He said to her with an expression that made her want to spit in his face. "Max, don't tease her, besides she's not that much older than you" brich remarked from the back. "Anyway, Ive found what you needed, it was under some stones i received from a friend". He remarked as he exited the room with two 'dexes and a pokenav under his arms.. Handing one dex to each of the pair. Along with max's pokenav, which he gratefully accepted.
"Alright, now that that's taken care of, is there anything else you two need before you go?"
"No i think thats everythi-" Cree started before being interrupted by Max, who looked as though he was missing something.
"Um professor, can i borrow a pokemon, i think i left ralts back in petalburg and I dont want to head off alone".
'Why certainly max, I actually just gave cree hers today, besides, i dont think any new trainers are scheduled this week anyhow." He said motioning to the two pokeballs left on the table and the mudkip held in cree's arms.
"Thanks professor birch" he said before picking up the pokeball on the left of the table. Cree wondered for a moment what would happen to the torchic in the pokeball on the right before deciding it would probably go to the next trainer to arrive. She briefly observed him leave before following him out the door, heading out onto route 101, towards oldale town.