Heh, heh,heh... Um... Sorry about the lack of updating. I am in the thick of AP testing right now; so, in a week, everything should be back to normal. Enjoy and review!

An Inheritance

Chapter 4

Gary Oak was not a delivery person. He did not receive paychecks to deliver mail, nor was "mail carrier" imprinted on his résumé. Yet, despite his professional credentials, he was still being used to deliver an unnecessary message to an undeserving individual.

In his days as a trainer, he would have driven a car with his cheerleaders, who would have lavished praise on his many and fabulous exploits. Now, because he was (hopefully) more mature than in his childhood days, he modestly allowed his lab assistants at his personal lab to borrow his vehicle.

As was standard, most Pokémon Professors lived as far away from metropolitan areas as possible so that Pokémon could be studied in the purest environment available. Since Gary too followed this principle, it was necessary at times to go or send his employees to get supplies to stock the lab. Unfortunately, his lab was small in comparison to most laboratories and especially diminutive when looking at regional Professors' work places; therefore, as was customary, Gary received only one car in proportion to the area his Pokémon lived on.

At the time of this gift, he could not have cared less that he was starting on a minimum payroll; he was finally beginning his newly-founded dream career of being a Pokémon Professor. While it was true that he had once desired to be a Pokémon Master, after losing in the Silver Conference to Ash, along with other circumstances, his dreams changed. No trivial tribulation of only having one car could ruin his moment.

At this time, though, the glory of his acheivement had worn down to weariness and Gary could not help but wish once more for possibly another car as he rode a bicycle down a dreary unknown road.

Earlier today, in the beginning of the afternoon, after he had finished the daily chores required for Professors to do to make sure their Pokémon research facility ran smoothly, the young Pokémon Professor called Professor Oak's house. These were the occasional talks his grandfather and him had and were, by no means, an unusual affair.

At first, when the Professor had begun calling him during his work hours, Gary was embarrassed that his grandfather had to call him to "check up" on his business and see how his research was prospering. This embarrassment then converted into anxiousness at what his colleagues possibly thought of these conversations. As the grandson to a famous Professor was used to, the younger Professor hypothesized that the scientific community likely accused him, behind his back, of worming his way into a facility just by being related to a well-known man.

After awhile, his perceived notions were consciously dismissed, on the grounds that he simply did not have enough time to balance his wonderings what his enemies thought of him and the duties of taking care of the laboratory.

It was during this call that his barmy grandfather had randomly asked him for a favor. They had been discussing the possible creation of Pokémon eggs and what phenomenon led the Pokémon to choose to hatch in a specified atmosphere. While looking back on the professional debate, it seems obvious now that his grandfather was a bit on edge and slightly tense. His grandson could easily interpret the Pallet Professor's pretended glances toward his watch as another nervous tick he had recently taken to in his old age.

Right when they were getting to the heart of the argument, the very essence that induced Pokémon to acquire eggs and if it compounded with evolution in its entirety, his grandfather had casually asked if Gary had any plans today. As much as he wanted to indignantly tell his grandfather that he had a job and of course he had things planned, he bit his tongue and politely humored the older man by professing he had no plans. The Professor looked relieved at the reply, sarcastic though it may be, and swindled his grandson out of a perfectly normal afternoon to do an unwelcoming task.

Pranks, Gary could take. Bribery, he could take as well. However, Gary could never stand being commanded outright as he was today. Slightly mischievous in his youth, he had never openly rebelled against authorities as his peers tended to do. Instead, he would work diligently to gain the authority figure's respect and then politely refute their suggestions, trying to persuade them to adhere to his advice. When commanded to do something, there was little opportunity for proposals or his ingenuity.

If my coworkers ever heard of this incident, Gary thought dully, I would never hear the end of it.

He had argued vehemently against the elderly man's desire for him to check on his old childhood rival, Ash Ketchum; Ashy-boy was surely old enough to take care of himself by now. Though on friendlier terms than in the past, neither of the two would want to purposely seek out the other to simply be a reprimand to the other. Both had become well-respected figures in their domains and they respected each other from a distance. Ash and he were never really bosom friends, as his grandfather tended to believe.

Nonetheless, the Professor's pleas for him to take action, even his grandfather's brandishing excuses ("of course I can't go, my knees are really acting up…") prompted him to, reluctantly, chase after Ash into an unknown area. After the ill-begotten discussion ended, Gary without any preparation, looked up any possible routes Ash could have taken to get to Cameran palace. Of course, he would have taken the least used route.

Not giving the map he printed of the PokéMap Quest website a second-glance, he gave his assistants, a completely vague explanation and wholly thorough instructions on how to take care of everything in his absence. Just from looking at the amused smirks they exchanged throughout his monologue, one could correctly assume that the tale of Gary Oak, an accomplished professor, running errands for his grandfather was spreading faster than one Grimer's repulsive stench in an environment-friendly city.

Just what he needed. Another problem he would return to.

For now, it would just be best that he concentrated on the concealed road. In hindsight, Gary should have just taken a main road to the palace and met Ash when he arrived, rather than try his luck at guessing correctly the backwoods path he knew Ash would have taken. His luck never compared with Ash's though, which explained his frustrations of being completely and hopelessly lost.

The hastily-given instructions his grandfather gave were efficiently quick but not exactly as precise as the legendary Pokémon Professor was known for. A rest off the beaten route would allow the grandson to have a chance to adjust his way. Leaning slightly to one side, Gary pulled off the ancient trail to perhaps get his bearings to where he should go next.

Leaning the borrowed bicycle against a eucalyptus tree, the young Professor strove to decipher the decrepit map he was forced to snag from his infantile library. As with any material, whether it was intriguing or annoying, he studied the cartography with earnest, trying to interpret the illegible print.

He did not hear the unnatural snapping of twigs behind him nor the unusual silence in a forest that was supposed to be teeming with Pokémon.

The unnoticed observer, who had been tracking Gary since he left his research lab, casually sidled up behind the eucalyptus that Gary was leaning on and seemed to be measuring his options. In a split second, when the Pokémon Professor's head briefly rose to examine his surroundings and compare it with the inaccurate map, the decision was made. The web was already set for the unaware Caterpie to wander in to.

"Now, what do we have here?"

An unerringly monotone voice floated close to Gary's ear and, instinctively, his hand flew to his belt to snag a Pokéball. He would forever curse the day he decided to allow his Pokémon to reside in the fields inside the boundaries of the lab. Usually he was not stupid enough to forgo bringing any Pokémon with him, but in his hurry to leave, any thoughts for protection left his mind.

While most wanders he met on the road were usually trainers and therefore harmless, the mask on the figure somehow told him that his intentions were not exactly noble. He had immediately glanced towards the person's chest, guessing to see a symbol that indicated what evil syndicate he belonged to. To his moderate surprise, neither the long-sleeved shirt, nor the long charcoal pants gave any clue to the stranger's affiliation. The full belt of Pokémon did not bode well for him though.

Even the young Professor could tell that the person who was able to ambush him easily had an arrogant attitude. The nonchalant tossing of a Pokéball in the stranger's hand led him to believe that the stalker had already preconceived the notion to have some type of confrontation. He leaned away from him and braced himself for an attack.

He could not let the stalker know, however, that he had already begun a plan to escape the deadly situation.

"Not much." Gary answered as he feigned brushing leaves of his lab coat (as if he didn't make himself more of a target wearing the dratted jacket on) so that, in reality, he could compose himself from the surprise.

"Oh that's good because I believe there is something my boss wants something investigated. Something that only you could assist us with." Neither of them felt the need to mention his pretended courtesy was unnecessary, with him Pokémon-less, the professor posed as much of a threat as a Magikarp did to a Persian.

Gary continued the charade, "Well, I'm sorry but I am on a tight schedule and don't have time to make unplanned stops." One foot was slowly placed behind the other and the hand that had been resting on the bicycle's handles tightened its grip.

Even though the other person was wearing a mask, Gary could somehow tell that he was smiling. He, too, took a step forward, a step closer to Gary. The moronic prey was just beginning to realize it was trapped in a sturdy web. The fool.

"Unfortunately, you do not have a choice in the matter." The affable pretense quickly faded into a nastier tone; the Pokéball in his hand was clenched. "Come. Now, before I get upset."

His last sentence went unheard as Pokémon Professor scrambled onto the bicycle and pedaled furiously. No longer caring about the right way, Gary single-mindedly concentrated putting as much distance between him and the other person.

The desolate forest whirled around him, disregarded. Of course he did not notice the Haunter floating dead-center in his path. A collision was inevitable.

Although he was a Professor now, that did not mean that he had lost his Trainer physique. From the fall, he sprang up and leapt to his fallen transportation and quickly righted it. The merrymaking Ghost Pokémon hindered his escape plan; instead, it stuck its tongue out at him.

"Not now—", he muttered and the Pokémon froze in the air. The benevolent grin on its face morphed into one of malevolence as it mirrored its masked owner's expression. Lavender-hued rings departed from the highly trained Haunter's eyes and Gary knew, automatically, the Ghost Pokémon was using Hypnosis on him to lure him into a deep slumber .

Behind him, through a haze of dreamy mist that muffled his senses, he heard the man say, "Well done, Haunter. At least we do not have to go through the hassle of chasing and then capturing him. The boss will be well-pleased." The Caterpie was snagged with little resistance.

The forest that had been his only companion on the journey to find Ash, was slowly enveloped into darkness and, despite his best efforts, even he could not fight off the powers of a Pokémon's Hypnosis. Gary Oak, a person who neither delivers messages nor is randomly kidnapped, had only one thought in mind as he submitted to the dregs of sleep as his pursuers closed in on him.

Crap.

Well, that's all for now, folks (poor Gary)! I plan to be updating May 23, 2010. See you then! Oh, don't forget to review! I don't have anything to add! ARRGGHH! The curse of the exclamation point is upon me!

Thus, I depart.