Chapter Four
Gary
I collapse on my new bed after dragging the last moving box. I pride myself on not having too much stuff and yet I had to rent an entire truck to transport all my books. Needless to say, I was exhausted. It feels good to be back and working amongst the research community. I feel so much different from the time I started at the Advanced Research Centre in Sinnoh.
As I lift off the bed, and make my way to the tiny kitchen, memories from my first day flash through my head. I remember being such an awful mess inside, the whole deal with Misty; her choosing Ash. I thought over and over; "If only I met her first." I cringed. My arrogance was what let me lose her in the first place. It was also my arrogance that led to Ash meeting her first. Was I ever meant to meet her first?
I'm getting philosophical. Leaf calls it my redemption. I'm not sure it's a redemption more than it's just growing up. Ash is, more than anything else, my oldest friend. I've known him my entire life. We've been the best of friends and the worst of rivals. Broken Pokéballs included. As for Misty, well yes, I loved her. For a split second, I even believed she was the one. Immediately after, I knew I was wrong. Something about us just didn't fit. I never figured out what.
The sight of unpacked boxes shakes me off my reverie. I set my cup of coffee on the kitchen counter. I groan. Unpacking will have to wait. I need to meet up with Leaf and go through the guidelines with her. I know it's just a formality, but what's got to be done has got to be done. Ever since I was allotted to be her supervisor, Leaf has been out of sorts. Almost as if she was sad that I was her supervisor. I thought it'd be fun to work together again.
I quickly change into a purple sweatshirt and pants. I look at the new loafers Daisy gave me as a welcome gift on this move to Unova. Use it when you go on dates, Gary! I let out a large snort.
It's easy to spot Leaf. I asked her to meet me at The Ceylon Café, because I just love their dark roast. It's good coffee. I think Leaf secretly agrees with me although she pretends not to. Besides, Joan, the owner, loves Leaf too much and allows her to study and work there without buying anything. I find her huddled in a corner table by the window, furiously typing away on her laptop. She looks up and waves at me and gestures me to come over.
As I make my way over and settle down before her, I notice she's gotten two cups of coffee ready.
"Dark Roast," she mutters, eyes still glued on the laptop, "for the newly founded freak society that's you and me"
I let out a snort. "Signature" she says, smiling as she types for a few seconds more and then abruptly closes the laptop. "Done!"
I raise my eyebrows at her. "Done? Done with what?"
"Don't be such a grump." She says, "I'm done with chapter 33."
I sip my coffee. "That's good. Seventeen to go." Leaf rolls her eyes.
"So," she says, and stretches out her arms, "Supervisor Gary. What's this meeting about?"
"We have to set some ground rules." I start
She looks at me with a bit of surprise. "What? We can't be friends? I thought only dating was off the table."
"We can be friends." I say, "And technically, dating is not prohibited, I just have to get approval to date any Researcher I supervise."
"Tough world" she says, "Which is why I have decided to date only a Pokémon doctor."
"What?" I ask, incredulous.
"Well," Leaf begins, "Dating rules in the research world are complicated and people do tend to fall for people they spend a lot of time with. Pokémon trainers involve too much long distance. So, I've decided only to date Pokémon doctors who decide to stay in Unova in the long term."
I know Leaf has a pretty colourful dating life, but actually discussing it with her makes me feel supremely awkward. As if it is talking about something that is utterly prohibited. That, and combined with the fact that I think Leaf is perpetually 17 years old.
"Anyway," she says, "I'm sure you don't want to hear of my dating life because you still think I'm 5 years old. So, what's up? What are these ground supervisor rules that I need to know about?"
I fish out the folder from my briefcase. Leaf's eyes widen. "There's a folder for this?"
"Alright." I say, "First off, you can't be my plus one for Ash and Misty's wedding anymore."
"Shucks, Gary" she whines, "I'm not sitting at the singles table. Do you think Grandpa Oak will go with me?"
"Yuck, Leaf" I say, "Isn't he taking Hélène? Also, maybe pick someone who's closer to your age?"
"I did." She mutters, taking a sip from her coffee, "He decided to be my supervisor instead."
"That wasn't in my hands." I say, exasperated, "Look, why do you have a problem with me being your supervisor?"
"Because you don't want to be!" she screams, and her face reddens when everyone in the surrounding tables glance at her. "I mean, you could be doing so much more with your time than supervising a project I've already been wasting your time on." She finishes, lowering her voice.
"Okay" I sigh, "Before I go through those dumb guidelines with you, we need to talk about this. Why are you so high-strung about this? You know me. Hell, you've worked with me before. For a whole year."
"Fine," she says, fiddling with her coffee cup, "I just.."
"Just what?" I ask. When she says nothing, I know what I have to do.
"Aurora" I say, and it works. Leaf looks at me, positively fuming. "Don't you dare use my first name to get it out of me."
"Oops. Just did"
She glares. "How are you okay with this?" she asks, "Don't you want to be undertaking exciting projects on legendary Pokémon with Kenzo? Instead you got me to work with. On fire Pokémon. Do you even like studying fire Pokémon?"
I wanted to say I quite like studying about fire Pokémon and wanted to desperately remind her that I had personally trained an Arcanine myself. But since this is Leaf we're talking about, and she's finally decided to vent why she didn't want me as her supervisor, I don't want to stop her.
"You have to spend your time here looking at my atrocious drafts and buy extra refills of red ink because there will be so many corrections to make! And my panic attacks, do you want to play psych to anxiety?" her voice picks up volume again, and I glance at Joan looking at me with concern.
"I'm not even a Researcher." She says, her voice lowering again and I inwardly sigh in relief
"Are you done?" I ask. She looks at me, glares again, but gives a slight nod.
"First, I think Aurora is a pretty name and really shows you're part French." I start
"My grandmother's name is Hélène." She scoffs.
"Second," I say, ignoring her, "there are no "exciting" projects with Kenzo, because being the picky prick that he is, he didn't pick any new projects this year. Besides, legendary Pokémon is an advanced research subject, so he can only have already certified Researchers to work on his projects."
"What?" she says, her eyes widening
"Moreover," I say, "Kenzo's Lab is lonely and has four people in total, including the staff."
I am rewarded with a lovely scowl.
"Third," I continue, "I don't know what gave you the idea that I dislike fire Pokémon. You're my friend and all that, but I genuinely like researching fire Pokémon and I am as curious as you are on Growlithe-Arcanine evolutions. And, in case you've forgotten, I've personally trained an Arcanine."
"Show-off" Leaf grumbles
"It's been four years since I filled your application with my red pen. Do you really think your writing and research is the same as it was since then? You've learnt so much! And as for the so-called panic attacks, it happens to the best of us."
Leaf begins to say something, but then slumps back on her chair, defeated. I smirk.
"Wipe that smile off your face" she says, rolling her eyes.
"Now" it's my turn to whine, "Will you please let me read these guidelines to you so that we can get on with our lives?"
"Jeez" Leaf says, "Alright, alright."
"Okay," I say as I pull the pages, "You can read these and sign at the bottom to acknowledge you've read them."
"Can we hang out as friends?" she asks, as she takes the folder from my hand, "I'm meeting up with Fennel and Cilan later tonight, and it'll be great if you can come too."
I perk up at the thought. I'm hanging out with friends. It sounded foreign to me, and yet something inside made me feel warm. If I was pensive, Leaf must have caught it, because she smiled and began to read.
A few minutes later, she gestured that she was almost done.
"All interim reports and field data must be approved by the Supervisor before they are inducted into the final report." She read with a drawl, signing at the bottom of the page "Jeez, like I would just make up figures and plug them in there…"
"I told you they were lame" I said, taking the sheets from her and stuffing them into the briefcase, "So where are we meeting Fennel and Cilan?"
At this, her eyes lit up. "We have a haunt. It's this amazing bar downtown, a short walk from here."
"Someone would think all you do is party for a Pokémon Researcher."
"Well, I've got to live." Leaf says laughing, "Let's get out of here."
I take in the large buildings of downtown Unova as we walk, mostly in silence. Leaf gently hums as I get lost in my thoughts, and the city itself. Unova is so large but reminds me of everything that is vivacious. In many ways, Leaf is like Unova- excited, fierce and energetic.
We reach a brownstone building and make our way down to the basement of the building. The building is rustic, the bar reminds me of one I once visited in the Orange Islands. Since it's a workday, the bar isn't too crowded. Leaf spots Cilan and Fennel immediately and they wave her over.
"Hey Leafy" Fennel smiles, as Cilan beams. Leaf quickly makes introductions as she dumps her bag on the seat opposite Fennel. "Scotch?" she asks me, and I nod.
I settle down and exchange pleasantries with Fennel and Cilan. Fennel is a little older, maybe closer to Professor Juniper's age. Cilan works with Professor Juniper on the Advanced Research Centre's new compatibility program. He seems to be the only Class-A Pokémon Connoisseur around. I doubt there are many, the study of Pokémon compatibility is extremely nuanced.
"So," I ask, after Leaf hands me my glass of scotch and plonks down next to me, "how did you guys find this place?"
"More like how Leafy here found this place," Cilan smirks, and I notice Leaf blush.
"It was just a date" Leaf says, "Besides, that didn't even go anywhere."
"Ummm…" Fennel interrupted, grinning, "Yes it did. It did till the morning after…."
Oh god. Is this the part where I hear of Leaf's amazing dating life? Not that I blame her. At that age I was having a lot of fun.
Until well, Misty Waterflower came around. I really sound like a loser.
"Till the morning after when he found out I was from Pallet in Kanto and called me boonie and I told him to shove it?" Leaf finishes.
Wait. Did she really…..
"Trip?" I ask, almost spluttering some of my scotch. Leaf had a one-night stand with Trip?
"Oh jeez" Leaf says, burying her face in her hands, "Can we please never talk about that again? He was fun till he found out I was from Pallet. Maybe I really do give off the city-girl vibe. Besides, Trip's got a solid girlfriend now. A proper Unovian city girl."
"This is interesting." I smirk, taking another sip, before looking at her. I'm suppressing laughter and she knows it.
"Go on,' she says chuckling herself, "It is funny."
"Wow." I laugh, "You're a traitor. Trip hates everyone from Pallet. Thinks anyone outside Unova is a plebian."
"As opposed to you when you were younger?" Leaf retorts
"Ouch." I say, faking hurt.
"How long have you been friends?" Fennel asks, as she cradles her wine glass.
"Since Leaf here sought to aggrandise herself as a researcher when she stormed into the Pallet Town Lab and announced that she wanted to work on grass type Pokémon. Luckily, Gramps had something that fit."
"Oh, please" Leaf says, "Gary was a big grumpy pot who barely smiled. I had to keep going to Tracey because I was so intimidated by you."
"And now, he's your supervisor." Cilan spoke, "That'll be interesting."
"Why would it be interesting?" Leaf asks, before I could get the same question out myself.
Cilan smiles slyly, as if he knew something we didn't. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"Have you met Gary?" Leaf says, but her answer is drowned by the bartender announcing the live band playing tonight. I noticed that the bar was a lot more crowded now.
"Ooooh, it's the Dunkers again" Fennel says, "I think I'll pass."
"The Dunkers?" I ask, and Leaf chuckles. "Long story, maybe next time. Also, shouldn't we be heading back? It's your first day tomorrow."
I glance at my watch and realise it was almost nine. The thought of the unpacked boxes at home makes me groan again.
"Thought so", Leaf says, slipping into her coat, "Come on." She says, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me out of booth. I frown.
"Come on." She teases, before pulling me by the arm and out of the bar.