Thanks to reviewers of the story, and for people wondering when Zinnia gets involved, that will be when she was first introduced in the games!
I took my time here, mainly mulling over different possibilities and suggestions from people, but it seems I've finally got a firm idea of what I want to do now.
So, on with the story!
Chapter 4: Welcome To The Family.
"I heard from May that you refused her challenge?" Professor Birch asked, typing away on the computer. Brendan could see it looked like a form, it was probably his Trainer files. Brendan had just came back to alert him that he had indeed told May to return, but she seemed to have arrived and left before him.
"Yeah, I did." Brendan stated nervously, wondering where this was going.
"May I ask why?" He questioned, still not looking behind him.
"Well, May has had a lot more time to be a trainer," Brendan began to explain, "and due to that I didn't think I was ready to go against someone with a years worth of experience over me when I haven't even started."
"You aren't ready, or Treecko?" The Professor asked slightly pointedly.
"Well, both..." Brendan said, rubbing his head instead of shrugging. This, after a quick glance to his left shoulder, earned a smirk of approval from Treecko.
"Well, I'm surprised." Professor Birch swivelled in his chair to finally face Brendan. "You truly thought about your Pokemon before yourself, however..." the professor paused, "some may say that it could have been cowardly. You didn't even give an attempt to battle her, are you going to do that for every Trainer who happens to be stronger, or had more time?"
Brendan was confused, wasn't the Professor just praising him a second ago? Or, was he testing him...?
"There is a difference between fighting an opponent better than you for the challenge, or to get stronger, but there's always a line that you shouldn't cross. Challenging doesn't come before wellbeing." Brendan finished firmly, although he was slightly nervous about the man's answer.
"So when is that line crossed?" The professor instead pressed, smiling wider.
"When the Pokemon's wellbeing is in serious danger." He answered bluntly.
"Yet, Pokemon fight in the wild all the time, and receive quite vicious injuries. Define serious danger." The professor challenged.
"Pokemon fight, it's their nature. All can, but some don't. For that majority, it is the trainers responsibility to know when it is too much, or too far. They do not need to fight to survive under the care of a trainer." Brendan countered with surety.
"You know, that segment is actually in one of the tests for obtaining a Professorship." Professor Birch commented. "One that has so many philosophical answers. You gave a standard, although not very detailed summary. You surprised me before, but now I'm impressed."
Brendan wasn't sure how to answer, instead standing there awkwardly.
"You've got a brain Brendan. I'd like to see it put to good use." Birch paused, seemingly considering something. "Look, I know you're young and have options, but... If you're ever considering it, I'd be happy to see about helping you get a Professorship, as a career choice. I won't stay young, and I'd like to be looking for options."
Brendan breathed out, ecstatic. "What about Joshua?"
"He's staying for work experience." The older man explained. "Its a mandatory thing for getting the Professorship. Joshua is considering other possibles and I'd be happy for him to stay and perhaps succeed me, but I'm not going to chain him here."
"I'll... I'll consider it in the future, sir." Brendan nodded. "Thank you."
"Not a problem m'boy, not a problem at all." He sighed, giving Brendan a fatherly smile. "When you do go on your Journey, I will be monitoring some of your progress. See, we professors have a thing called 'Sponsorship'. Do you know about it?"
"Vaguely." Brendan replied, scrunching up his eyebrows, trying to remember the details.
"If a Professor sponsors a Trainer, they're pledging their support and word. It can be rather helpful for the trainer. Perhaps discounts, or the good word being put in, the options and opportunities are extensive. I monitor every trainer who I give a Pokemon to for three months."
"Right." Brendan awkwardly acknowledged him, wondering where this was going.
"I'm not telling you this for any particular reason." The Professor said quickly, noticing his expression. "It's just some of the information I tend to give out. Different professors have their different ways, but I prefer giving you the information you need. I'll still be open to questions."
So no early sponsorships, then, Brendan mused. He was worried that Mr Birch wasn't being sincere and was in fact trying to get some favour it due to his father, but thankfully that didn't seem to be the case.
Professors were extremely influential, but having the support of league representatives such as Gym Leaders, especially veterans like Norman, would be useful to have the backing of.
"Hm... It's getting late. You'd best be heading, Brendan. I'll have everything presentable tomorrow for you." The Pokemon Professor stated, swivelling back to the computer screen.
"Thanks, Professor." Brendan paused, waiting to see if there was anything else before turning to leave.
Right before he got to the doors, yet again, he was stopped by...
"Is this going to be a running theme, Joshua?" Brendan asked, slightly amused at being stopped just before departure again.
"Well we don't get many visitors, and even out of them good company is hard to find." He shot back, grinning. "So, you're gonna be going on a Journey then?"
"Seems so, at the end of the week anyway." The younger male answered. "Did you ever go on one?"
Joshua gained a rather wistful expression, shaking his head slightly in disappointment. "Nah, I got the chance but I was more interested at the time than studying than going on a journey. I thought it would just be a waste of time, time I could be using to get a good job, but... They're called once in a lifetime opportunities for a reason."
"Ah." Brendan wasn't too sure how to reply or keep the conversation going. It seemed easier to talk to Joshua than most people, who usually expected a more active participant. Luckily for Brendan's nerves, the aspiring professor didn't seem to mind carrying the conversation. Most of the time.
"Well, you best be heading anyway." Joshua said after a moment, acting as if the pause never happened. "Come 'round tomorrow, would you?"
"Sure!" Brendan replied, smiling, now leaving.
Once he was outside and the doors slid shut, the young adult paused, welcoming the cool breeze the night brought before glancing at the Treecko silently gazing away, firmly standing on his shoulders with his suction feet.
It would probably be better if he sat, Brendan chuckled to himself. He isn't exactly short. Or light...
"Tree?" The Pokemon turned to look down at him, curious at his quiet laughter.
"It's nothing." Brendan answered, walking up the dirt path to where the crop of houses were grouped.
"So, you're going to leave in a week?" Brendan's mother asked from the kitchen, fixing up a simple supper for before sleep.
"I guess so, I'm not going to go dashing off tomorrow when we just moved in." Brendan chuckled, sitting at the dining table. A late night program was being played on the television set, providing a comfortable background noise.
"That's fair enough, but it is your decision, remember." She replied, setting down a plate of varied sandwiches on the tabletop before sitting across from her son. "You are an adult now."
Brendan didn't respond, reaching for a simple cheese sandwich. He paused, chewing, looking around for Treecko.
"He likes to explore, it seems." His mother laughed, noticing Brendan's eyes glancing about.
He didn't quite think it was that, however. Whilst she was in the kitchen buttering the slices of bread, the Gecko Pokemon had leapt off his shoulder, carefully going wall to wall before checking the furniture, ornaments and other baubles. While Brendan tended to simply do a visual dressing down of his surroundings, the Treecko seemed to closely examine the area, far more hands, er... Paws on?
Currently, he was sure the suspicious Pokemon was checking the rooms upstairs. He didn't mind in the slightest, and he was grateful his mother didn't either. She did have a slight smirk when she first saw the Grass Type roaming the downstairs, glancing between Brendan and the Pokemon with that knowing smirk parents do so well.
"Have you ever heard that saying," his mother began, "that pets are sometimes quite like their owners?"
"I'm familiar." His eyebrows narrowed, knowing what she was implying.
Caroline simply snorted in a very unladylike fashion, snagging one of the plain sandwiches.
"Your father will be over the moon, and slightly upset too." She changed the subject after pausing.
"Oh?"
"If you weren't going to receive a Pokemon, he was going to give you one himself." His mother explained.
It was a rather common thing with many families. Not everyone was lucky enough to receive a Pokemon or simply did not want one of the starters, as such many were either inherited or gifted Pokemon. Starters do take some serious commitment to train, and not everyone has the time, want or ability to do so. Hence, this is why there exists trainers with perhaps a simple forest dweller Pokemon, or a more unique starter such as a Dratini. Lance, the Champion of Kanto and Johto was a well known example.
"Do you know what Pokemon it was going to be?" Brendan asked curiously, wiping his mouth.
"I'm confident that it was an Eevee." She replied.
Of course, Brendan thought. Why wouldn't the Normal Gym Leader give a Normal Type? Though, it was rather smart as it opened up plenty of options. It had plenty of nice evolutions but heck, even the Eevee itself would be nice. Most people get Eevees for their evolutions, so how many know how to deal with a standard Eevee? Plus, normal types typically have a nice variety of moves...
Brendan snorted; he was truly thinking like a trainer. Truthfully, even though he had a Gym Leader for a father, he hadn't really been interested in being a trainer at first. It just hadn't... Clicked with him. Renovate. He wasn't too sure what he preferred before (though he was leaning towards the researcher category) but being a trainer, travelling the world, it sounded appealing. Even if he didn't enjoy it, there was always that follow up of what Professor Birch had suggested. For now, however, that would be the safety net.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Caroline asked patiently after a while.
"Just..." Brendan shook his head, as if irritated by an insect. "Being a trainer, it wasn't really something I considered before." He admitted to her, running a hand through his raven back hair.
The hat he bought, the last thing he'd purchased in Johto, was resting on the tabletop.
"Well, we never really end up where we thought we'd be." Brendan's mother answered wisely.
Silence reigned for a while, the teenager thinking over her words.
"Well..." Brendan paused mid sentence, yawning, "I think I should actually head to bed now, see you in the morning."
Caroline nodded, darting a quick smile to her son before carrying the leftovers into the kitchen to deposit in their brown rubbish bin.
The simple climb up the stairs fatigued him even more, the events of the day slowly but surely catching up with him. After arriving into his bedroom, Brendan noticed a lack of grass type, but a few objects seem to have been moved but not quite fully replaced.
Giving a small smile, he went through the drawers which had been assembled whilst he was away and withdrew some simple nightwear clothes.
After dressing appropriately, he flicked the lightswitch, noticing how the rays of the moon streamed through the two opposite windows, not quite reaching another on the laminate floor and just dancing out of reach with the sways of the silhouetted branches.
As soon as he got into bed and under the covers, a soft pitter-patter of footsteps penetrated the fresh quiet of the house aside from the soft hum of noise from the television below. Without word, Treecko leapt onto the bed.
"Everything safe?" Brendan asked, smiling.
The Gecko Pokemon chirped uncertainly, mimicking the shrugging gesture Brendan was trained not to use.
"Oi! If I can't, you can't." He mumbled, wondering who really was the trainer here.
Treecko smiled, not smirked, before leaping onto the window ledge.
It was quiet for a moment, until Brendan realised something he hadn't really given much thought.
"You'll be needing a name." He said, half asking and half posing as a statement.
After a moment, Treecko nodded, looking out through the glass.
Sighing, he rolled over to face away from the now glaring light of the night.
Different titles and names were Brendan's last thoughts before falling into the blissful abyss known as sleep.
I like my undeveloped characters. So, the story's finally beginning to pick up! Thanks for reading! Any mistakes that I made please mention in a review and I'll fix 'em!
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.
