The drive to the professor's lab was only about 15 minutes. My dad called ahead to make sure the professor was in and could meet with me. He filled him in on what had happened and what Dr. Pine had said. As we pulled up, my mom looked back at me.
"Honey, are you comfortable going in to see him alone? Since we don't really know much about Pokémon, I'm not sure if it would be beneficial for us to be there. We were thinking we could run to the supermarket and get some things for dinner."
"Yeah, that's fine. I have my phone if I need to call you guys for anything. Thanks...by the way. For putting on a strong facade, even though I know this can't be easy for either of you."
My mom smiled. "You're the one going through this, I'm surprised you're handling this as well as you are."
"Well, I figure freaking out won't help, so I'm doing my best to go with the flow and adapt."
"That's my boy," my dad said. "Always good at thinking on your feet." I smiled as I got out of the car. They drove away as I stood in front of the building.
The building was large, as to be expected of a lab. A placard was affixed above the main entrance that read "Hoenn Region Official Research Laboratory, Nathaniel Birch: CPP," CPP most likely meaning Certified Pokemon Professor. I walked through the front door to a large, open main room. There were bookshelves on either side, large picture windows on the sides. Strange looking equipment sat past the shelves. There were a few doors that looked like they lead to additional rooms, as well as a wrap-around balcony on what would have been a second floor. I looked around, but there were no signs of anyone around. "Hello?" I said in a louder tone.
"Just a moment". I heard a voice come from one of the back rooms. I heard footsteps shortly after and one of the doors opened as Professor Birch emerged. He still was dressed the same as I remembered, white lab coat, blue shirt with green cargo shorts and sandals. His hairline was beginning to recede ever so slightly and he was noticeably thinner than he was portrayed in the series. "Ah, Alex, sorry about that. Lost track of time."
"It's no problem Professor. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice. I'm sure my...parents filled you in on what was going on."
"Yes, they did. I also called Dr. Pine to gather any additional details I could to help with...well whatever it is you came to me for. Which I guess brings me to that. What is the reason you wished to meet with me?"
I shrugged slightly, holding my arm with my other hand. "Well, my parents said I wanted to become a Pokémon trainer before all of this happened. I know that you meet with new trainers before they set out on their journey, so I thought you may be the best person to talk to."
"Well, you are correct. I am generally the one who issues the trainer licenses and Pokedexes to new trainers...but how do you remember that, but not even your own name?"
"I'm not really sure myself. I remember plenty about Pokémon and a bit about the world, but I don't even know what year it is."
"Hmm, that is strange. Let's move to my office. I'll have my assistant bring some tea for us." He motioned next to follow him to one of the rooms in the back of the building. The office was messy yet cozy, sort of what I would expect from him.
Just as we sat, there was a knock on the door. A lightly tanned younger woman with unkempt black hair and red eyes stepped in with a nice tea set. "Here you are Professor '' she said with a smile.
"Thank you Zinnia, that will be all for now. This conversation needs to be private, I'm sure you understand." My eyes went slightly wide whenI heard her name.
"No worries sir. I'll finish up preparing for our field research trip tomorrow." She nodded to me as she left the room.
"Professor?" I said with a quizzical look. "You said her name was Zinnia?"
"Yes. She's been my assistant for about 4 years now. She's very passionate about Pokémon and has proven invaluable since she started." He began sipping some of the tea she brought in
"Is that the same Zinnia that is part of the Draconid clan that resides in Meteor Falls that helped summon Rayquaza?" The moment I said that, I began to think I shouldn't have.
Birch's eyes went wide and he nearly spat out his tea at the mention of that. "Cough...cough... How do you know that? There are only a handful of people in the region that know that." I knew how, but there was no way I was gonna tell him the truth.
"I'm not sure. I just knew when I woke up. I seem to know more about some aspects of the various regions and Pokemon that I should at my age." I reached for a cup of tea as well as he eyed me curiously.
"Well, tell me what you know that you probably shouldn't." He took another sip and leaned back in anticipation.
"Well, Brendan and May caught Kyogre and Groudon in the Cave of Origin to stop the end of the world. Brendan defeated Wallace to become the Champion of the Hoenn region. Then he rode the Rayquaza summoned by Zinnia into space to destroy the meteor that almost struck the region, also defeating the Deoxys that was encased in the meteor."
Professor Birch's jaw looked like it was about to hit the floor. "There is no way you should know about Groudon, Kyogre, or Deoxys. The only people that know all of that are me, Wallace..."
"Steven Stone, Zinnia, and Professor Cozmo." I chimed in.
"Yeah...". He looked both confused and defeated somehow. "So, what else do you know about the region?"
"Well, gym leaders are Roxanne, Brawly, Wattson, Flannery, Norman, Winona, Tate and Liza, and Juan. The Elite four consist of Sydney, Phoebe, Glacia, Drake, and the champion was Wallace, Steven Stone before him. I'm not sure how much time has passed since all of those previous events occurred however. I don't really know if anything has changed since that." I wasn't lying, since none of the games or other media really expanded on other regions.
"Huh, so you seem to have great knowledge up until about 5 years ago. Well, I can tell you what's changed. Wattson has retired, Mauville's gym has a new leader. A young man originally from Petalburg named Wally..."
"Wait, the same Wally that Brendan helped catch a Ralts when his journey first began?" I blurred out. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."
"It's ok, and yes it's the very same. He put up such a great fight in the league that when Wattson was looking for a replacement, Brendan recommended him." He took another sip. "Brendan is the champion of the region. Drake has also retired, Wallace stepping into his role. Steven has taken the position of CEO of Devon Corp., as his father also retired. He's rarely in the office though, usually out and about making contracts with other regions and looking for ways to improve the quality of life for everyone."
"I see. So there have been a few changes, but nothing major?" I said, half statement and half questioning. He spoke, turning to some league posters hanging on his wall.
"Well, not on that front. The biggest change has been to the regions overall. With cooperation from Silph Co in Kanto, Devon in Hoenn, and Macro Cosmos in Galar, the variety of wild Pokémon available to trainers across the world has expanded greatly. Region exclusives are now able to be found in most places, which also helps with Pokémon available to new trainers as well..." He turned back to look at me. "Which I gather is the reason why you came to meet with me.
"You graduated from the Pokémon Academy last month and were slated to begin your adventure in just over 2 weeks." My eyes went wide as he said that. "Your parents must have left that out. I know they have their reservations, but their intentions are pure. Anyway, you still want to become a trainer, despite the amnesia and want me to be the one to determine if you can. Is that the jist of it?"
"Damn, he's a lot smarter than the games let on" I thought to myself. All I could manage was a nod. He stood up and walked around the office pondering for a minute. My mind was racing the whole time, wondering what he would say.
He stopped and turned to me. "Yes. I think with the wealth of knowledge you possess, you can overcome this amnesia and become a splendid trainer." I wanted to jump for joy at the sound of that, but tried to maintain my composure.
"But...". He said with a more stern look. I immediately froze. "In order for me to give you your license, you need to take the next 2 weeks to study up on the rules and laws of our world, as well as whatever info from your schooling you haven't retained. You come back here the day before you start your adventure and prove you have learned what I asked, and you'll be able to start your adventure as planned. How does that sound?"
I stood up and immediately wrapped my arms around the Professor in a massive hug, tears running down my cheeks. "Thank you so much Professor. You have no idea what this means to me. I promise you won't regret this decision."
Though a little shocked at first, he patted me on the back. "I believe you Alex. Now, Zinnia and I will get together the information you'll need tonight. If you are still up for it, swing by tomorrow morning and you can get started."
"Yes sir, thank you." I said. We finished our tea and he walked me to the door. As we approached, I had a thought pop up. "Professor, I have a question relating to what you said about more variety for new trainers."
"You want to know what kind of Pokémon you can get as your first partner?" He said with a grin.
I gulped. "Yes"
"Ha, well there is a decent selection. Tell you what, you tell me what you are looking for and I'll see what I can do."
"Ok". I said. "I would like to see if I could get an Eevee, female is possible."
"Oh, and why so specific". He asked, smirking.
"Well, I want an Espeon. It's my favorite Pokémon and I always imagined my starter being kind of like the team mom for my party as we grow. I want to have a strong bond with my whole team, but I know the bond with my starter will likely be the strongest."
"You have a great deal of passion for Pokémon, I can see it. If you do everything I've asked, I'm sure I can figure something out. Now, you best head home for the day. I'm sure you need some time to unwind and take all of this in"
"Yeah, I think you're right. Thanks Professor." I reached out to shake his hand.
He gripped mine tightly and smiled. "Anytime Alex. Now, I'll see you tomorrow." He waved as I walked out the door. I messaged my parents and asked about how to get home. They said they could be by to get me in a few minutes, but I asked about walking it. It was only an hour walk, so I asked for directions. They seemed hesitant, but said ok. Then they'd have time to make dinner. After looking over the route, I put my phone back in my pocket and began the hike.