Starter Pokémon

Toma stares blankly at Arie's cheerful expression, trying to process exactly what in the world Arie just said.

"...what?!"

Arie blinks, pouts, and reaches her hand up toward the side of Toma's head. "Did you not hear me again? Are your little wing ears oka-"

"I heard you, Arie." Toma cuts her off, growling the words through her teeth as she stomps her prosthetic foot on the lab floor. Arie quickly withdraws her hand. "I just can't believe you'd say something so stupid."

Toma clenches her fists, shaking a bit and stepping back as she finally grasps Arie's true intentions. So this is why she's been acting so weird today. When Arie tried to put a ribbon on her head, was she just trying to give her "new partner" a freebie!?

"When exactly did I become an option for your starter Pokemon, Arie?!" Toma's voice is pained. "Because I sure don't remember that!"

Toma's dad stands frozen, baffled at all this. She darts behind him, away from her crazy classmate. At least he makes for a good shield.

Arie furrows her eyebrows at Toma's response, her face contorting in confusion at this blatant rejection. "Whaaaaa~? Aren't you—Toma, you're a Kirlia, right? Or…Gardevoir? I mean, you kept getting taller… And you grew more fingers, too…"

"I'm… that's…'' Toma squeezes her dad's arm as her stomach twists itself up in knots. This is so not how she expected her Pokemon journey to start. She hasn't even gotten her starter Pokemon, and she's already being chosen as a starter Pokemon. By her mortal enemy, no less! "Arie. I go to school with you. We see each other almost every day! As far as I'm concerned—and anyone else should be—I'm human! Also, grew more fingers!?"

Arie tilts her head at that, putting one of her cheeks in her hand. She seems to be deep in thought.

"Seriously, Arie—" Toma can hardly believe how lackadaisical this girl is acting about her very personhood. Okay, so she might not necessarily be a legal citizen, but she's definitely not going in a tiny ball. "—why do you think I'm wearing all this stuff anyway?!"

Arie frowns as she tries to peek around the side of Professor Pine to look Toma up and down, renewed curiosity in her gaze. "W-Well… I was kind of confused about it… I mean, that much makeup is going to ruin your complexion, you know! I would know!"

Arie puts her hands on her hips and smiles, looking a bit proud of herself. Toma just blinks at her, dumbfounded.

The professor finally clears his throat, piping up and placing his hand on his daughter's shoulder. At his urging, Toma slowly steps around to stand in front of him (though he doesn't take his reassuring grip off her). When Arie sees Toma's face once again, she's wearing a sour expression.

"Toma is a… special girl, this much is true. But she's here for the same reason as you, Miss Everis: to get her Pokemon and go on a journey across Hoenn." He flashes Arie the sternest look Toma has seen him give in years. She flinches as he continues. "I respectfully ask you to make another choice, as my daughter is not a valid one."

Arie blinks, turning as snow white as Toma's face was pre-makeup. Toma's mouth turns up in a shaky-but-satisfied grin as she watches Arie start stumbling over her words. Good. It's about time someone else told her "no."

""H-Heeey! W-Wait, but, but, but!" It's a few moments before Arie can piece together a sentence that isn't just babbling. Arie pleads with Toma using Baby-Doll Eyes (which thankfully isn't particularly effective against Fairy-types). "Toma, you didn't even… T-Toooma, you don't wanna go with me?"

The momentary thrill of having something over Arie fades as Toma remembers that this is still a classmate begging to carry her around in a (probably designer) Pokeball for eight gyms and change—and, for all she knows, the rest of her life after that!

"...No, of course not." She leans back into her dad and looks down her small nose at Arie. "Heck, I even have my own Pokemon picked out! In what world did you think I'd wanna come with you instead?!"

Arie's shoulders drop as her heart seems to shatter into a hundred pieces. Her ecstatic "Toma, I choose you" spiel is in shambles.

"I… I…"

Pout. Arie's bottom lip sticks straight out, and she balls her fists up against her chest. Her frail little body shakes. Are those tears in the corners of her eyes? Toma's surprised to see this airhead who normally takes rejection in stride look genuinely hurt for a moment.

"W-Well, I dunno!" Arie blinks away her tears and spreads her feet apart. "Maybe because I have no idea what you're thinking, Toma! You don't let anyone know!"

The professor is at a loss for what to say (again). He tries anyway, holding up a hand in the "stop" position. "Hey now—girls, please—"

Unfortunately, Arie is not in a listening mood anymore. She huffily stomps over to Toma and pokes her right in her covered-up, still-growing chest spike.

Toma recoils into her father and processes what Arie just did. There's a moment of tense silence. She just… Arie just…

"Hey." Toma's words come out in a low growl. "Don't touch that."

"Why not!?" Arie puffs her cheeks out at Toma. "Thiiiiiis is what I'm talking about, Toma! How am I supposed to know where I can or can't poke you if the only way I can ever get you to talk to me is by messing with you! If I don't push and push, you'll just clam up and walk away with your head down again! It hurts!"

"I—Well, that's no excuse to touch my heart stone out of nowhere—" Toma lets out a huff, her body tense and shaking with anger. She raises her arms up and shoves Arie back in retaliation for the poke. Too close. "—and it's definitely not a reason to go and ask me to be your pet!"

Stupid. Sure, like it's her fault that she doesn't talk to anyone. It's not like anyone ever asks Toma questions about what games she likes or what TV shows she's been watching and is clearly excited to talk to someone, anyone, about. No, instead, it's always "hey, Toma, can you levitate this pencil in the air?" or "what does Pokemon food taste like?" Stupid.

Both girls are absolutely fuming now, and Professor Pine rubs his five-o-clock shadow in agitation. The poor man stands there, trying to figure out how to defuse two angry ten-year-olds.

"I didn't know what else to do! You're a Pokemon, so—doesn't it make sense?!" Arie hugs herself tightly, a bit deflated now, and lets out a frustrated whine. "We weren't gonna get to see each other anymore! I didn't want that!"

What? Even through the haze of anger clouding Toma's vision, she can't help but hear that last bit and feel confused. Why in the world would Arie want to be anywhere near her after this? What, to keep bullying her or something?

Professor Pine clears his throat loudly, and Toma's train of thought comes to a sudden stop. Both girls clam up and turn their heads to stare at the tall man behind Toma. He winces a bit, not comfortable with stepping into the crossfire like this, but forces himself to speak anyway.

"Miss Everis, have you not considered simply asking Toma to travel with you… as a fellow trainer, instead?"

The room fills with awkward silence. The girls stare blankly at each other and then back to him again.

Pine shoves his hands in his lab-coat pockets and sighs. "Surely, she would be more amenable to that option. Toma, is this correct?"

"Wha—Hey!" Toma's shoulders tense up. She has a face like someone just hit her with a Poison-type move. "I never said anything like that!"

Her father puts on a sheepish grin and refuses to meet her gaze. He doesn't give her a proper response, much to Toma's frustration.

Arie, however, goes through a look of confusion, then shock, then more confusion… and finally settles on a hopeful-but-wary smile. The professor's suggestion fills her mind with a kaleidoscope of possibilities she had not yet considered. Arie's frustration melts away in seconds. "Oh."

"'Oh?!' Toma blinks before whipping her head around to stare, dumbfounded, at Arie. She cannot believe this girl is for real. "Is that all you have to say after all that?"

Did Arie seriously just not consider traveling with Toma as an equal? Is that how inhuman she sees her? As someone who can't take on the world without a trainer to carry her around?

"Ehehe… Um, maaaybe~" Arie realizes she's made a small mess of her hair and starts straightening it out as she talks. So appearance-focused. "I… guess I just thought maybe you'd be happy to have a trainer. Most Pokemon are, you know? And some Pokemon are huffy when you first catch them, but then they warm up! And I'd only take the best care of you~"

Toma starts almost growling at that last line, her anger boiling over.

After a moment, Arie notices Toma's growing rage, and she stops herself from continuing that line of thought. She quickly changes course, waving her hands in front of her frantically, and lets out a nervous laugh. "U-Um! W-What I mean is… well, um… I-I'm sorry, Toma."

There's a silent moment between the two of them. Toma blinks, trying to process what just happened. "You're sorry?"

Arie looks down and nods rapidly, her face a bit downcast as she continues. Toma's still stewing on this, and her gut says that there's no way someone, anyone, in her class wouldn't think through something so obvious. Is there actually something wrong with Arie's head? You'd have to be brain damaged to mess up that badly.

"Toma, I… I really, really, really don't understand why you're doing… this. Or why you do most of the stuff you do! But I want to understand. I've wanted to for a really long time! Since I met you! You're a strange and neat Pok—" Arie clenches her hands together against her chest as she catches herself mid-word. "—girl. A strange and neat girl."

Nice save, Arie. Real nice. Toma rolls her eyes, but she tries to put aside her frustration for just a moment. (It's not easy.) An apology, from Arie of all people? It even sounded sincere enough, and she did say a bunch of junk about "wanting to understand her."

Hah! Yeah, right—like Arie could ever understand what she's been through. What it's like to live as something most people consider a normal household pet. This spoiled brat had a cushy, pampered life through and through.

"Horrible apology aside, why would you think I'd want to travel with you, Arie? Even as a trainer?" Toma folds her arms, sidestepping away from her dad and grumbling. "You're my least favorite person from class. You'd be lucky if I even gave you my 'Nav ID."

"B… But…" Arie starts trying to scrounge up some kind of plea. "Please, I—"

"My answer is no." She gives the other girl a thumbs down. Arie deflates like a popped balloon.

"Miss Everis… I don't think pushing Toma would be wise, if you really do want to improve your relationship." Professor Pine's voice sounds a bit concerned. Arie blinks up at him with small tear droplets in her eyes, but he continues, raising his eyebrows as high as they will go. "Even if you could force her to come with you, would that actually make you happy?"

Arie takes a moment to think on that before letting her shoulders droop and shaking her head, downtrodden. She hugs herself tightly as Toma stares on, baffled. Against all odds, Toma's pushover dad actually got Arie to shut up. Huh.

"With that matter settled for now…" The professor reaches into his lab-coat pocket, and Toma watches him pull out the object she has been so, so excited for. The one that's going to shape her future. Like a Murkrow spotting a shiny bauble, Toma's previous train of thought fades away.

Toma gasps as he holds out a scarlet Pokeball with two black stripes separating the two halves.

"Let's get to what you're actually here for, hm?" Her father smiles down at her and waggles it a bit in the air. Toma claps her gloved hands. Arie watches from a distance, still stewing on the earlier events.

"Finally!" Toma snatches the ball right out of her dad's grasp, clutching it and bouncing on her toes in excitement. "I've been waiting forever!"

"As promised, here she is." Her dad lets out a warm, tired laugh as he watches her and shoves his hands back into his pockets. "You're fortunate I'd finished my trade-study on her early, you know?"

"Waaait, what's going on here?" The gears in Arie's head finish clicking, and she's struck by the injustice of this. "Toma gets a special Pokemon, but I—"

The immediate glare from Toma is enough to shut Arie up very, very quickly. She fidgets and quickly looks away. It's weird to see her bubbly classmate act so timid, but there's no way Toma would be caught complaining about it.

"Miss Everis, Toma has been a great help around the laboratory." The professor gives Arie a slightly wry smile. "This is simply a reward for her efforts. Additionally, the Pokemon in question is still, technically, a starter Pokemon—"

Toma has no patience left for this. Especially when "this" is listening to her dad justify why, just once, Toma got something cool that Arie did not. Click. Toma presses the button on the ball.

There's a flash of scarlet light, and before Toma's sparkling eyes, a small orange and yellow fox appears on the white tabletop nearby.. Toma claps her hands again. Arie looks slightly shocked.

"—just not one normally from our region." Her dad finishes his thought as the Pokemon on the table glances at the odd people surrounding it.

A Fennekin. Toma remembers bursting with excitement when she heard her dad was going to receive a number of foreign Pokemon for an exchange study, one of them being the fire fox Pokemon. There was nothing wrong with the existing starters in Hoenn, of course. The three of them are perfectly serviceable, and she wouldn't even mind having one… if they were her only choice.

But with Fennekin as an option, Toma begged and begged (and helped at the lab after school), and now, finally, she gets her reward. Toma always had a thing for Psychic-type Pokemon—everyone has their favorite types, right? Preferences are preferences, and there is no reason, none at all, to do any deeper thinking about why she might be drawn to Psychic-types.

Considering Fennekin is the only starter Pokemon she knows that gains Psychic typing, even if it's further down the line… well, how could she choose anything else?

Toma flashes a smug smile at Arie. "It's no worse than you starting with those prepaid contest ribbons, y'know. I don't think you have any room to talk!"

Arie's face scrunches up, clearly hurt again, but she tries to hold her protests in by puffing up her cheeks. She fails and exhales. "You say that like I didn't give you one of them! And it's not like I asked for them anyway…"

With an exasperated sigh in Arie's direction, Toma turns to her own Pokemon, Fennekin, who is giving her a curious and hesitant glance.

"...I see. I thought something was off about you." The fox Pokemon takes a step away from Toma as she speaks, pointing an accusatory paw at her. "You're no human. You're that helper Pokemon I've seen around the lab. Yet here you are in full Trainer attire."

Toma gulps. Gotta stay calm. Right. Her new starter's seen her in the lab before, although they've never spoken. That would certainly make her disguise less effective.

She figured this was going to happen. Her Pokemon's looking at her like another Pokemon and begging The Question. Toma tenses up, her enthusiasm from moments ago slipping away. The words she rehearsed just in case yesterday now feel out of reach.

"I— Well—". Toma trips and stumbles over her response to the fox as Arie and the professor stare at her from either side. Arie leans forward a bit, folding her hands behind her back—clearly somewhat invested in watching Toma actually talk to a Pokemon—while the professor's expression grows more perturbed every passing moment.

Toma clenches her fists and stares into the fox's wide-open eyes. No. No way. She's not about to let herself get rolled over by her own starter Pokemon.

"—So what!?" How the heck is she supposed to train something like a wild Mawile if she can't take this tiny Fennekin's interrogation tactics? "Is there a problem with that?"

The little fox tilts her head, taken slightly aback by Toma's response, before shifting from standing to sitting down. She still looks hesitant, though. A small jet of hot air bursts from her big ears.

"I suppose not." The fox's muzzle creases into a small smile. She seems to find the idea of this amusing now that she's gotten over some of her initial surprise. "You seem tense."

"I wonder why…?" Toma mutters under her breath, looking away to avoid the Fennekin's piercing gaze. Whatever. This is definitely going better than it could have gone. Might as well make the best of it. "A-Anyway, yeah. I'm your new trainer. Nice to meet you."

"Ah, yes. Nice to meet you as well, 'trainer.'" The fox stands back up and takes a leisurely step forward. She's still got that amused smile on.

"You… don't have to call me that. Toma is fine." Toma squints at the way the fox said "trainer." "And speaking of names—"

Toma boops the fox on her damp nose. She blinks and sneezes. Toma snorts and giggles at this, finally starting to grin again. "—I need to get your name. Assuming you have one."

"Rude." Despite the fox's comment—and her ears flattening against her head—Toma's prodding seems to roll right off her. "As for a name…"

The fox trails off for a moment. Thoughtful little one, huh? She seems rather well put together for such a young Pokemon. At least, Toma assumes she's young. It's hard to tell with Pokemon. Evolution is weird.

"Autumn." The fox's voice snaps Toma back to reality. "Is that suitable?"

"Oh, uh—" Toma was already mostly content to let her Pokemon choose their own nicknames, but she wasn't expecting the fox to be so willing to do so right away. "—yeah, that's fine! Autumn it is."

Toma hears a tap, tap, tap, getting faster and louder by the second. It's coming from somewhere nearby. What, where? It distracts the newly named Autumn as well, drawing her gaze away from her new trainer.

…Ah. Arie. She's tapping her foot.

"Are you done yet?!" Arie steps forward and slaps her hands on the table. A big pout spreads across her face (again). Autumn steps away from the impact site, wary of the blonde-haired girl. "I wanna get my Pokemon too, y'know!"

"Geez." Toma furrows her brow at the spoiled brat and gently scoops Autumn up off the table, clutching her close. The fox in question seems surprised by the sudden movement, but she doesn't resist. "Yeah, I guess. If it'll make you go away faster, be my guest."

Professor Pine clears his throat, cutting short the brewing argument. Toma doesn't feel like prolonging this anyway, so it works out well.

"Here you are, Miss Everis. These three are your choices, as I was explaining earlier." Pine pulls his hand out of his pocket, revealing 3 basic, red-and-white, still-shrunken Pokeballs. He sets them on the table in front of the two girls. "Mudkip, Torchic, and Treecko."

"Well…" Arie gives Toma a determined squint before pumping her fists in front of her and staring Toma right in the eyes. "If you're gonna choose a Fire-type, I'm gonna choose—"

Arie's hand lurches out, grasping the first of the three Pokeballs. She holds it up, before pointing it at Toma. "—a Water-type!"

Toma and Autumn just stare, blank-faced, at Arie. That's a lot of enthusiasm for someone who plans to focus on contests, not battles.

Arie feels her excited hand pushed back down by a larger, more gnarled hand.

"Arie… Toma…" The Professor cuts in, exasperated. "While some Pokemon Professors permit this sort of, erm, tradition in their laboratories, I humbly request you do not soak my research papers. Or set them on fire."

"I…" Arie stands there, trying to process how to deal with this sudden roadblock. She retracts her shaky, discouraged hand and clips the Pokeball onto her bag's strap. She fumbles for a few seconds before finally getting it. "I know that~! Toma, I challenge you to a battle! Outside!"

"Seriously…?" Toma cocks one eyebrow, slowly lifting Autumn up onto her head. The large hat she's wearing leaves the young fox a comfortable surface to settle down on up there. "Why? I don't have to battle you, Arie. Leave me alone."

Arie is not so easily deterred this time. "Yes you do! That's how the trainer rules work! If your eyes meet mine, and we both have a Pokemon, you have to accept my challenge! That's how this works!"

That is not how this works. Toma grimaces at Arie before responding. "Look, Arie, I just—"

"What, aren't you a 'trainer'? You turned down my offer to be my Pokemon, so battle me, then!" Arie puts on a teasing (but shaky) smile. It reminds Toma of the expression the girl usually has when taunting her. "U-Unless the Pokeball sounds comfier after all~!"

"Why you little—!" Toma's eye twitches, and she assumes a defensive stance. The way Arie turned this into some joke does not sit well with her. "If you're THAT set on getting your butt kicked into next week, be my guest."

"Yay!" Arie fist pumps. "Alright, well— If I win, you have to come with me! If you win, I have to come with you!"

"That's the same—!" Toma shoves her hands up her hat, ruffling her hair in rage. "Arie, I never even agreed to come with you at all!"

"See you outside~!" Arie cuts her off, turns on her heel, and bolts out the lab doors. Toma watches her go, at a loss for words.

"Ah, wait—!" The door to the lab slams shut, and Pine rubs his temples with a sigh. He looks as dumbfounded at this turn of events as Toma does. "...she forgot her Pokedex."

"I doubt she'd ever even use it." Toma folds her arms tightly against her chest and closes her eyes. "Someone that stupid doesn't need a tool like that."

"Toma…" The professor trails off like he usually does when he's looking for the most diplomatic way to say something. He shoves his hands in his pockets before continuing. "I can't say I fully blame her for instigating you when you act so… dismissive towards her, regardless of her attempts to befriend you."

"Whatever." Toma rolls her eyes. She wants to correct her dad and tell him that Arie treating her like a Pokemon is not "befriending" her, and even if it was, Toma's Friendship level with Arie is in the negatives by now. It's only been, like, 30 minutes, and she's already had enough Arie for one week.

The professor shakes his head at that, but he decides to drop the issue. Instead, he pulls out a red device and a blue device. Toma's "ooh, shiny" reflex activates as she watches him place them on the table in front of her, along with a few tiny Pokeballs.

"All I ask is that you bring her Pokedex and starter balls out to her when you leave the lab." He gestures to the slightly larger device. "The blue one is yours."

"Yeah. Sure. Thanks." Toma quietly scoops up the empty, shrunken Pokeballs and dumps them in her bag. Good to have for later. She then looks over the small, blue device that was sitting next to them .

Upon grabbing the Pokedex and flipping it open, its two touch screens light up, and a jolly startup tune plays. Toma sees an assortment of buttons across the screens: search, sort, settings, wireless connection, and the all-important "Scan" which takes up most of the screen for quick and easy pressing.

"Hey." Toma pipes up as she squints at the blue Pokedex in her hands. "Don't these things usually have only one screen?"

"About that." Professor Pine smiles big like he'd been waiting for this. "For your other birthday present, I'm giving you a Pokedex Pro, Toma. You'd always said you were interested in my work, so… might as well start early."

Ah. Right. Toma had always been interested in following her father's footsteps in more than one way. It's not like she'll be the champion for the rest of her life after totally destroying the league. Someone else always comes along, no matter how good the current one is. Plus, considering how much time she's spent in a lab, it would be weird to never set foot in one again. he's always had a knack for research and experimentation, especially after her unique growing-up experience.

"Huh. Wow." Toma blinks back to reality. She's still staring at the Pokedex. "That's really cool, actually! Thanks, Dad."

Wait. Toma hesitates, turns it over, and squints at it. "What makes it "Pro," though? I mean, I appreciate the two screens and all, but…"

"This Pokedex is capable of recording new information about any Pokemon you come across, not just accessing the database. It would be overkill for a normal trainer, but for someone looking to do real research, this device is a lifesaver." Her father's smile radiates a self-satisfied aura. He's clearly pleased with himself. "In fact, if you'd like to have your data integrated into the official Pokedex database, you can even send it back to me for review! You'll be going all over Hoenn, so there's a decent chance a nosy girl like yourself will find something interesting."

"So…" Toma raises an eyebrow at him as she flips the lid closed and drops it in her bag. "You're having me do your field work for you, basically."

The professor gives her a limp shrug. He sits down in the rolling chair next to the desk and collapses into it a bit. This morning has probably been an emotional rollercoaster for him.

"Well, I can't deny anything you find will be useful information, but it's not like I'll take all the credit for any notable discoveries." He wiggles his eyebrows at that, as if it's supposed to be tantalizing to Toma. "Plus, it'll count as academic tutorship for the sake of your future education. You'll have to go through a lot less paperwork and school than I did if you take things in this direction, and I'm sure you'll appreciate that."

"Uh huh." Toma sighs and pulls her bag onto her back. "Well, I'm not gonna complain about my fancy special 'Dex, I guess. And having to do less school doesn't sound too bad."

"This, coming from the girl who begged me over and over to let her go to school?" Her father can't help but tease her.

Toma huffily slaps her hand on the table again for emphasis. "Yeah, well, that was before I knew how boring most of it was gonna be. I just wanted to go cause everyone else was!"

She rolls her eyes. "Messing around in the lab was way better, for real. At least I don't have to deal with everyone gawking at me when I'm here. It's like everyone at school thinks I'm blind or something."

All Toma gets out of this is a weak chuckle from her father. She pouts at him. Hmph. She's had enough of being teased and laughed at (no matter the intentions!) for one day, and there's still the matter to settle with Arie.

"Alright, I'm leaving!" Toma fussily scoops up the spare 'Dex, dropping it in her bag with the other one, and zips it closed. "Love ya, Dad."

"Oh! Er." The older man slowly stands up and moves to pat Toma on the head… before processing that the spot is currently reserved by a fox. He pats her shoulder instead. Autumn looks a little disappointed. "I love you too, Toma. Please stay safe."

"Yeah, yeah. Will do!" Toma rolls her eyes at that, before surprising her father with a quick, tight squeeze-hug. She lets go and bolts off, though, before he gets the chance to say anything else.

Pine watches Toma rocket through the lab doors. They slam shut behind her, leaving him alone in the lab. He rubs his temples. For once, the quiet hum of machinery around him feels lonely and cold, but at least his throbbing headache is finally starting to subside.

After a few moments of peace and quiet, The PokeNav in his pocket buzzes again, probably with a follow-up on the League Discussion email he got earlier. With a long sigh, he rummages around in his big pocket for the device, flips it open while yanking it out, and looks at the title of the email.

Professor Pine's headache returns.

Thank you for reading!

Chapter took a bit long, but life is a turbulent experience for sure. Don't know exactly how long the next one will take, but hopefully around the same amount or less than this one. Hope you all have had a good last couple of months! ?