Tony and the mew followed the man until they came to the back of a building that had a couple of windows that looked out towrds the forest. A space of about 10 yards separated the building from the tree line. To the right of the building Tony could make out three other buildings, each half the size of the first. Houses, a vague memory supplied. To the left was a road that lead into the small village.
The man in the white lab coat crossed the grassy clearing towards the side of the building closest to the path, circleing around the large building. Tony followed from the treeline to avoid notice. As the man drew near the front of the building he slowed, then stopped, focused on a black haired girl in gothic clothing that was already at the front of the building looking at something. Tony carefully made her way further around until she could make out the front of the lab as she still remained among the trees. The girl was looking at a bench where a box and five pokeballs rested. Walking up to it, she held a hand over one of the pokeballs and Tony felt it as the girl psychicly reached out to test the aura of the pokemon inside. After a moment she moved her hand over another and again Tony could feel her probe. When she repeated this with the third pokeball she grinned. "I choose you, cyndaquil." She said to the pokeball as she picked it up and pocketed it, then paused. She opened the box and she sent out her sense again. Tony could feel her reaching out again and a touch of fear reached Tony as the girl called out, "I know you're there." while she reached into the box the professor had left out for her. The man's eyes briefly turned to look at the forest edge near Tony's hiding spot, his head moved only slightly to do so, then he came into the girl's full view as her hands came out holding a pokedex and a gastly. She seemed mildly amused at the gastly as she pocketed the pokedex and to the gastly said, "You can follow if you wish." to the gastly. In response it lifted up one of the six pokeballs in the box to eye level and helped itself inside. The girl held out her hand and caught the pokeball as it fell, rolled in her hand once, then went quiet. As she put the pokeballs away the man began walking towards her and spoke, "Well that's a surprising developement. Thank you, Mystra, that gastly's been a slight bother lately. I've been trying to catch it for over a week now. Ah, I see you chose cyndaquil. I hope the three of you have a great time together." Mystra smiled and replied, "Thank you Professor, I'm sorry if it seemed an odd request, but machines interfere with my aura sensing." "Not at all. It's prefectly fine. Now, do you remember what I said earlier, or would you like me to go over it again?" the man asked. Mystra shook her head, "I remember." "Well, good journey to you then." said the man offering his hand Mystra shook saying, "Goodbye Professor." and headed for the road. The man waved her off, then gathered the other four pokeballs and the box and headed inside.
From the safety of the treeline Tony and mew waited to see if anything else would happen. As they did Tony noticed that there were five houses all together, and together with the larger building they formed a sort of circle. At the far side from where Tony stood, two women stood talking to each other. In the house directly across the road from Tony, in a window, lay a meowth sunning itself. A small flock of starly pecked at the ground in front of another house as an old lady sitting in a rocking chair tossed food out to them. It seemed so strange to see pokemon and humans being so peaceful together like this. So foreign from what she was used to. It felt...nice. Maybe...Maybe there are others that are kind. She thought hopefully, but the memories of her time in the lab were still very fresh in her mind and she frowned. Still, I won't forget what's happened. There are those that will hurt, and I refuse to be used again.
Movement on the road turned Tony's attention to a black haired girl with silver streaked bangs who was heading for the lab. With her was an eevee and an umbreon, following at her heels. As they entered the town the umbreon paused as it sniffed at the air, then looked in Tony's direction. The eevee paused as well and sniffed, then playfully tackled the umbreon, distracting him. The girl stopped to look back at the pair, unknowingly revealing to Tony what looked like black bruising around her green eyes, and smiled, "Star, Night, come on! We need to meet with the professor." she called to them. What caused that? Tony wondered unhappily as she watched the girl. She decided to try and get a closer look as the girl made her way to the door. Quickly, Tony made her way back to the back of the building and carefully approached one of the windows, mew following behind.
The window had been left open, and looking in showed a room filled with shelves of books, a computer, and a few machines Tony was not familiar with. A door left open allowed her to hear into the next room. "Hello Professor Hosta." Tony heard the girl say. The man replied happily "Hello Harmony, I'm glad to hear you've finally decided to start adventuring. It's about time in my opinion. So these are the pair you rescued eh? Looks like one's evolved already! For such a short time together they do seem to like you a lot, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Your chikorita's in the back." the professor told her. "Thank you Professor." came the response. Tony watched as the professor lead the way into the room she could see into and walked over to an odd, tall and round device. Harmony followed him into the room and behind her were the two pokemon that had followed her in. The professor opened the machine to reveal several pokeballs and picked one of them up. Out came a chikorita that walked up to Harmony and began to rub happily at her leg. "I'd be willing to bet that you'll be good friends." said the professor. "Have you given any thought of what you'll do?" "Not really, no." Harmony responded uncertainly. The man Professor Hosta then suggested, "Why don't you take a look at the pokemon contests that are held. I think they might be just your style, check it out and let me know what you think." Harmony smiled and "Thank you Professor, I will!" A Ninetails entered the room and stopped between Harmon and the professor. Is this really a lab? Tony wondered as she watched as the ninetails sniffed the pokemon. The Professor then lead Harmony back to the door and as he did the ninetails moved to follow, then paused and looked straight at Tony. Tony waited to see if the ninetails would draw attention to her, it just continued to look at her quietly. She heard the professor and girl talk a little longer, then say thier goodbyes. The door closed and soon she saw the white of his coat entering the room, she finally broke eye contact with the ninetails and ducked away from the window. She then quickly made her way back into the forest.
(Inside the lab)
The professor was just returning to the back room when he noticed his ninetails staring at the window. "What's up girl?" he asked as he looked up, he didn't see anything, Tony having already left. He petted his ninetails on her head and said, "Well back to work." He took out the super potion from his pocket and placed it on a shelf with others before sitting down at his computer and began transfering the notes from his notebook. The ninetails returned to her bed under a table where several newborn vulpix lay and cried out happily at thier mothers' return.
(A/N-Both of the girls introduced in this chapter do not belong to me, but I do have permission to use them. They will also be making appearances later in the story as well.)