By Nyassa Kaiba
Fera
I went running down to breakfast that morning to the table that I normally shared with Ash, Gary, Misty and Brock. I gave Misty a quick and happy peck on the cheek, plunked down, and said, "Guess what?"
"What?" Ash asked. Brock looked up from his food, interested. Gary chuckled, rolling his eyes. I took that to mean that he knew what was up. Misty smiled down at me. I hate being short. I'm almost fifteen and I'm about a hands length taller than Ash is.
"Professor Oak adopted me!" I said, barely able to contain my excitement. "I'm coming back to Pallet Town with him! As his granddaughter! Officer Jenny brought the papers with her today! She came to visit me and bring the deed to Hikaru's mine as well as the adoption papers!"
"Wow! Fera that's incredible!" Misty threw her arms around me. "Not many people can claim relations to Professor Oak! He doesn't have any extended family, and..."
Gary interjected then. "Yeah, and then my parents died in a crash when I was young. Go ahead and rub it in Misty." Gary said darkly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Misty said with a sigh.
I sighed, trust Gary to shed gloom on a happy day. Maybe that's another reason why Professor Oak chose to adopt me. Maybe he hoped that Gary and I would become friends. Well, as long as it was just that. But Gary's interest in Ash was sound. And so was mine in Misty. I hoped that when Misty finally became comfortable with her sexuality, that I would be the one she fell for. And I would stay single until then.
Joy, daughter of Joy and Jenny, Daughter of Jenny came running over. They had been best friends since they were babies. Both of them were eight years old. They were both pokemon trainers. Jenny was the stronger of the two, with a Growlithe, a Houndour, and a Poochyena as her pokemon. Joy just had Rootbeer, a Bulbasaur, and Kookie Dough, a crazy little Mudkip that wasn't so little. It was actually about a hand taller than most Mudkips. "Is it true? Is it true?" Joy asked, bouncing up and down. "Professor Oak adopted you Fera?"
"Yes, it's true." I said, tousling her long red hair indulgently. "And I'll be going to Pallet Town with him, Gary, and Tracy until the Johto League Championships."
I would be going too, because I'd not only captured enough pokemon, I had challenged the Gymleaders during their stay here at the Plateau and the Gather at the Crator Gym. So I now had Brock's, Norman's, The Cerulean Sisters', Lt. Surge's, Sabrina's, Erika's, Blaine's, Giovanni's, Faulkner's, Bugsy's, Whitney's, Jasmine's, Clair's, Morty's, Pryce's, Carola's, Sissy's, Flannery's, Tate and Liza's, Brawly's, Roxxane's, and Winona's badges. I had lost against Wallace, Lance, and Bruno.
But I had expected that. I had only been a trainer for a month, and three of my pokemon were babies, despite their status as legendary. I had also refused to use Celebi for a battle. Celebi was a friend, like Mewtwo, but the two of them weren't MY pokemon, so to speak. They just hung out with me.
Speak of the devil, Celebi appeared next to Pikachu, Akela, and Togepi. Hiya! Good morning. Celebi said cheerfully.
"Good morning to you too Celebi." I said with a small smile. "How are you this morning? Did you eat yet?"
Yup, I found a good patch of Razz Berries. I also found some Apricorns. Will we be bringing them to Kurt?
"If Sabrina will take me. What kind did you find?"
All kinds. I've got white and red and blue and black and yellow and green and pink and I brought two of each kind! I'll take them to Kurt as an order if you'd like. Suggested Celebi.
"I suppose, but how would we pay for them?" I asked.
Sell the Element Stones. Celebi suggested. Or trade. I'm sure that Kurt wouldn't mind making pokeballs for a trainer able to sell him a complete set of Element Stones AND send a Celebi with the order.
"I suppose so." Fera said. "Hey Ash, I heard that you met Kurt, the pokeball master. Celebi found some Apricorns and she suggested that I place an order with Kurt, do you know his number? Or the coordinates of where he lives?"
"I'll talk to Kurt for you." Ash agreed.
And that was just what we did. As soon as breakfast was over, Ash dialed Kurt on the video phone. "Kurt, good to see you."
"Hi there Ash. I still haven't figured out that G.S. ball, if that's what you're looking for."
"Actually, my friend Fera here would like to place an order. Her friend Celebi found some Apricorns, so she has two of each color."
Kurt's eyebrows shot up. "Celebi, as in the Voice of the Forest Celebi? THAT Celebi?"
"The same." I flushed slightly. "What else to call him. Celebi isn't really MY pokemon, she just follows me around."
"Ah, yes, I've heard of that happening, but only in myth and legend. Quite interesting. So what will you pay for them?"
"I'll trade you a whole set of Element Stones from the mine I own, I've got Water, Leaf, Thunder, Fire, Sun, Moon, and Everstones, plus a King's Rock."
"Element Stones you say? Tell you what. I'll trade you two of each kind for the King's Rock. I've caught a Slopoke recently and I'd like to Evolve it into Sloking." Kurt explained.
"Sounds good to me. I'll send Celebi over with the King's Rock and the Apricorns. Celebi can teleport to your house. I just need coordinates." I told him.
"Right. I'm calling up a picture of my house right now." Kurt called up a picture.
"Can you find that place Celebi?" I asked.
Celebi peered over my shoulder. Yes, I know the place.
"Okay," I put the King's Rock and the apricorns Celebi had collected into a bag and gave them to her. "Okay Celebi, take these to Kurt's place, okay?"
Celebi nodded. See you in thirty seconds. Celebi disappeared. Two seconds later she appeared in Kurt's living room.
Kurt took the bag. "Good quality in the King's Rock. And these Apricorns are flawless. They'll make very good pokeballs. Thank you very much. Where shall I send them?"
"Well, Professor Oak has taken me in. How about you send them there?"
"Alright." Kurt said. "Thank you." And then he signed off.
"Great. I think that's that." I said as I headed for the exit. "Ash, you gonna come look for Pokemon with me?"
"Actually, I said that I'd meet Gary one last time before you guys head off. He told me that you were leaving early in the morning."
"Yeah." I sighed. "At least I get to keep Dragonite. You should have seen the look on Professor Elm's face when I showed him that I'd caught it. He said that it was easily the strongest of the pokemon from their experiment."
"Fera." Professor Elm came striding across the room to greet me.
"Professor." I said, brightening as I turned to face him.
"I want you to come with me. I have something to show you." Professor Elm said, excitedly. "Ash, you too."
"Okay." We chorused as we followed him across the room and out of the center. There was a barn up ahead. The doors were closed. As the professor opened them they gave off an incredible heat. "What's in here?" I asked.
"The hatchery." Professor Elm explained. "I wanted to show you over here." He led us to a corner of the room. "Based on what Misty has told me about Togepi, and what you've told me about Articuno, I'm guessing that the pokemon who hatch from eggs imprint on the first person they see. Pokemon that don't hatch from eggs are harder to tame from birth because they don't imprint."
We stopped by a group of eggs. The first one was creamy pale white. The second and third were brown with yellow and black streaks and blue with white and black markings. The fourth and fifth were purple and green and yellow respectively. "We want to try and use modern cloning technology to revive the ancient pokemon species that became extinct and the legendary pokemon species that are near extinction. We give them the form of eggs, because it seems more civilized than growing them in a tank. But the ones that aren't normally hatched from eggs will give birth normally. The biggest one is an Aerodactyl. These two," he pointed to the first two. "Are a Kabuto and an Omanyte. These two," He indicated the other two. "Are Lileep and Anorith."
"I want the Aerodactyl!" I burst out. Then I covered my mouth. "Oops. Foot in mouth. I suppose that you wouldn't give away something that valuable."
Professor Elm laughed. "But I AM giving them away. They're supposed to hatch this evening. I want you and Ash to choose one each."
I instantly moved to pick up the Aerodactyl egg, caressing the smooth surface. Ash hesitated. "Misty will probably want the Omanyte. I suppose I'll pick Lileep, because I don't know what kind of pokemon it is."
"Lileep is a grass type, with characteristics of a rock type. That's not a bad combination because it gives it some resistance to fire pokemon." Professor Elm explained. He marked off two eggs on the nearby clipboard. "All of our students will get the chance to pick at least one fossil and one legendary pokemon. Carola gets the chance too, since she became one of my disciples a week ago."
I looked over the legendary eggs. "But I've already got one of the legendary pokemon, three of them. I got it. How 'bout if we trade? I'll let you use Articuno's, Suicune's and Entei's DNA in your cloning project in exchange for one of the legendary pokemon eggs?"
"That sounds alright." Professor Elm said with a grin. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them in a business like fashion. "Speak of the devil, there they are now."
Fera, Fera, Fera! Articuno called. What are all of these? Are these pokemon eggs?
"Yes, they are. Articuno, Entei, Suicune, I have a favor to ask. Professor Elm wants to make more pokemon eggs, he needs..." I looked over at him.
"Just a cubic unit of blood from each of you. It won't hurt too badly, I promise." He was collecting supplies from the shelf over to the side of the barn.
I've had worse than a needle. Entei said bravely. But how does this happen? And what will HE give US in exchange?
"Entei wants to know what you'll give them in exchange." I told Professor Elm.
"How about all the pokeblocks you can eat?" Professor Elm asked. "We have some really good ones."
Blue pokeblocks!! Articuno brightened.
Red pokeblocks! Suicune begged.
Yellow pokeblocks! Entei licked his lips.
"They want blue, red and yellow pokeblocks." I translated. "Speaking of which, I've never tried a pokeblock. Can I try one?" I asked.
Professor Elm fished into his pocket for his pokeblock case. "How about a purple one?"
I popped it into my mouth while Professor Elm got his samples. No wonder the pokemon loved them so much! The purple pokeblock was spicy and tart and seemed to melt in my mouth. "YUM! I can see why you pokemon like them so much." I grinned.
Entei, the last to go, winced.
"Right." Professor Elm lifted down three bowls and filled them with the respective color pokeblocks. "I'll take these outside, since I know Articuno can't stand the heat." Professor Elm said cheerfully. He placed the three blood samples in the cryo-freeze on the way out. He came back about five minutes later. "Right." He led us over to the Legendary Pokemon's eggs. "These are due to hatch in about a week. Have your pick."
I looked over them. A golden egg with blue stripes caught my eye. "What's that one?" I asked.
"That's a Raikou. Do you want it? You'd have all three wolves on your team."
I shook my head. "Do you have a Latias?"
"Sorry, Latias was already taken."
"Oh..." Then a red and gold egg caught my eye. "What's that one?"
"Oh, that's Moltres." Professor Elm said, looking over in my direction.
"Is it taken yet?" I asked.
He checked. "Nope. Do you want it?" Professor Elm asked.
I squealed and glomped him. "Thank youthankyouthankyou!!" I squealed. "Moltres is MINE!" I let him go.
"I've brought them Professor Elm." Professor Oak came in with Brock and Misty. "And I've told them what's there. Brock and Misty. You may have one Legendary Egg and one Fossil Egg."
"Oooooh!" Misty breathed as she looked over the fossils. "Which one's an Omanyte? I've wanted one ever since we saw one at Grandfather Canyon."
Professor Elm pointed it out and Misty got her Omanyte. "Now... I want one that's either water or ice, preferably water. Do you have a Suicune?"
"Right there." Professor Elm nudged an egg at his feet with his boot toe. Misty snatched it up with a squeal akin to a pikachu on crack and hugged it close to her. "MY egg, I get a Suicune!" She squealed.
"Remember, they won't be able to battle right away." Professor Elm warned us. "The Legendaries are due to hatch in a week, but the fossils are due to hatch tonight."
"Which one's a Kabuto?" Brock asked, looking at the fossil eggs.
Professor Elm pointed to it. "The egg resembles the pokemon that will emerge. Here you go."
Brock took the egg. "Do you have any rock type legendary pokemon?" Brock asked.
"We're working on an egg of Regirock, the legendary pokemon of the tomb." Professor Elm explained. "But it's not going very well."
"I'll skip then." Brock said politely.
"Suit yourself." I said with a shrug. "But now I, and my eggs, are going to go out to catch pokemon."
I used my vest to rig a sling for the two eggs, made sure that I had extra pokeballs, and headed out with Akela across the rocky plains near the plateau.