"Then I wandered into your lab, and, well, you know the rest. Sigh." Midway through the story, the tears had stopped flowing. I now found my head leaning on his left shoulder. Not once did he ever interrupt or unfold his arms to pat my head like Dad used to. At odd points of the story, he changed his expression from his usual compassionate gaze. "Sorry." I sat up and leaned backwards, staring at the ceiling's depiction of a metal tiger fighting a wispy karate-practicing pokemon.

Ilk let out a cough-laugh mixture. "Wow. You've been through quite a lot after that camping trip." He walked over to one of his tables, picked up the tray, and brought me my cup of iced tea. "Moisten your throat?"

"Thanks." I grabbed the cup and took a quick sip. I put it on the ground. "And thanks for this. I feel a lot better getting it all off my chest."

He turned to me. "Just know that you're not wrong for wanting independence. It's a normal and positive step for a girl your age. You made the best of the circumstances forced onto you. Don't blame yourself for your only choice."

"My…only choice." I stared at my palm.

Ilk stood up. "If you're feeling better, you wouldn't mind if I asked you a few questions, right?"

I wiped my eyes on my arm. "I suppose. What about?"

"You mentioned a Larvitar in your possession. Would you let him out?"

"No problem." I pulled the ball out of my bag and pushed the button. "Lar!" Tyrant said, assuming a pose after the light surrounding him dissipated. He looked up at Professor Ilk and blinked. "Laaaaaarr?"

"Like I thought." Ilk's expression didn't change. "This Larvitar is mine. He helps me with little tasks around the laboratory. I've kept it in my care ever since the pokemon champion gave me the egg he birthed from. He usually kept close to the lab, so I didn't enforce a curfew. Seems like he ran quite a distance this time."

"That would explain how he knew that cave so well," I responded. "Would you like him back?"

Tyrant turned to me and shook his head. Professor Ilk did the same. "You can keep him. Sir Tyrant, as you called him, seems happier with you."

I crouched down and pointed to myself. "You alright with me, Sir Tyrant?"

"Taar!" Tyrant extended his fist.

"You too, partner." I extended my hand and shook his. "Huh?"

Foreign thoughts entered my head. "You have to fight alongside her, bro," big bro Larven said to me. "It'll help both of you realize your untapped strength." I beat my chest. "You can count on me," I replied. "The world won't know we've hit them until they've fainted."

I removed my hand. "What was that? Did I just see…Sir Tyrant's memories?"

"Larv." Tyrant fidgeted his arms together.

"How strange," Ilk commented. "Mind reading triggered by contact. Have you always been able to do this?"

"Uh uh!" I furiously shook my head. "Do you get it?"

"Of course not. I study pokemon, not people." He looked me over. "Let's assume you're not funning me. I don't suppose you've never come in contact with other pokemon before, am I correct?"

"I-I've touched pokemon before. That's what you mean, right? Some attacked me in the cave." I showed my left palm. "I tripped on a rock with arms and fell on my hands."

We both couldn't find words to say for a while. "I'm rather curious about this phenomenon," Ilk commented, "but you're not my test subject, you're my guest. I'd rather tinker with machines than living things. Speaking of, you mentioned a flashdrive in your story. May I see it?"

I pulled out the storage unit and handed it over with no hesitation. "You'll figure out what's on this thing, right?"

He smiled. "You can rely on a scientist."

He uncapped the flashdrive and stuck it into his monitor. He pushed a few buttons on the keyboard, causing a finder window to appear atop the desktop. The top of the folder read 'Pallegorical' with five yellow folders on the window. "Newcomers' Guide, Legendary Pokemon Myths vs Facts, Persons & Places of note, Bases of Operation, Targets Past and Future," I read aloud.

"Indeed," Ilk agreed. "This is either a prank, an imaginative kid's naming sense, or a golden ticket to capturing the Pallet Patrollers. Regardless, I think it best we don't let this information leave the room. Can you promise me?"

"I promise," I said. It's my basic courtesy to do what he asks. "Who are these Patroller guys?"

"Right, you're visiting Naljo." Ilk continued this conversation while inspecting the contents of 'Newcomers' Guide'. "Not much is known about them. They do a mix of good and non-sequitur deeds for the public. All people know of is their results and the costumes they wear. I believe you encountered one the other day."

"Right." The man in the red costume flashed through my head. "He tried to kidnap me."

Ilk shook his head. "That's not their MO. Usually, vandalism or petty theft is the worst they'll do. Little is known about them because they do little. I wonder if there was a trigger for your potential kidnapping."

A buzzing sound came from somewhere out of my sight. "What was that?" I asked. "Did your stove go off?"

"No, that's my printer." He walked over to one of the bookshelves, where the printer apparently was. "I need a new everything." The two of us stared at the printer as is continued its methodical grind.

Two or twenty minutes later, Ilk handed me a stapled bunch of papers. "What's this?" I asked.

"A guide to pokemon basics," Ilk responded. "It's the most recent version of every pokemon in alphabetical order, along with their types and how types balance off each other. Some are super-effective against others, some are ineffective or have no effect. Knowing type balance is key. There's also an appendix in the back for moves Pokemon can use. I didn't see a section for battling, but that's something you learn through experience."

My eyes drooped at the first sentence. I sprang them back up. "How come you're giving this to me?"

"I'm glad you asked. I have a little errand I'd like you to run."

"Huh? But, me, you, what?" My hands and words went all over the place.

"Don't worry. I'll be at my desk doing research on the flashdrive's contents, and I'll call your mother at regular intervals if she doesn't call back. Plus, getting some exercise will help you feel better. Your destination isn't too far away. I'll relay everything important from this flashdrive once you get back."

I stood agape. "No, but, why me? Don't you know someone more reliable?"

"Nope." Ilk laughed while holding his neck. "Truth is, I'm not too popular myself. Any who interact with me are on about business or yawning. You're the first person in years to talk to me about something not work-related. And you're plenty reliable."

"Me? Reliable?" Tyrant gave a light jab to my right calf. "Ah!"

Ilk stared in awe. "Larvitar's telling you to break a leg. You made it to my lab, right? You can go anywhere you set your mind to."

"Hm." I looked down at Tyrant. He pumped his fist at me. "Yeah." I shifted my gaze to Ilk. "I'll go. Think of this as my payment for the tea."

"I'll be repaid if you can believe in yourself, Brenda." He waved at me and went back to his research.

"So where am I going?" I asked.

Ilk stopped typing for a moment. "Confound it, I forgot to bring that up. No wonder no one asks me to present my findings." He picked up the chair while sitting in it and turned around. "Do you have a pad and paper?"

I nodded. "But I can remember this. But it's just a simple task, right? I can totally do simple tasks."

"Glad to hear it." He laughed softly. "My older brother lives up north, on Route 69. If you find the raised land, you can't miss his house. He hasn't answered my calls for a few days. He's probably just slacking off, but he's family. I have to worry."

"I guess-no, I'll definitely go," I replied. "But what if he is in danger? What can I do?"

"That's why Larvitar's with you. Together, you can bust open any jar of jam." He turned back to his computer screen and didn't comment further.

Sir tyrant shadow-boxed with the air. I nodded. "I'm glad you believe in both of us," I told Ilk. "I won't let you down. Let's go, Sir Tyrant!" I ran out of the lab with Sir Tyrant hot on my tail.

One quick walk later, I found myself on the beaten path. I looked back into the city I just left the confines of. I looked ahead and saw moderately thick grass covered by a light layer of snow. The rustles in the grass came much more frequently than the wind. "Wild pokemon," I said to the balled Tyrant. "No doubt we're going to fight a lot more than in the cave. Think you can do it?" He didn't respond. Not like I could've seen it.

But I walked forward. "I'm independent and reliable," I told myself once for each step I made through the grass. My shoes needed a tug here and there to loosen themselves from the strains of grass. I shook my foot upon raising it, and continued my next step toward the poke ball shaped chest in-"Whah?" I stepped on…feathers.

"Pidgoo!" The wild Pidgey, according to that guide, flew up past me and turned around. Our eyes met. Its eyebrows narrowed. It charged beak first.

"Sir Tyrant!" I released Tyrant. He stood strong. "Use scratch!" He jumped in the air and smacked Pidgey, inches from me, to the ground. "Leer before it flies up!" Pidgey cowered from the glare. Then, it blew and created a gust of wind.

"Laarr!" Sir Tyrant held its fists up as the tiny hurricane lifted him just above the ground.

"This gust is nothing!" I shouted. "Use pound!" Sir Tyrant charged forward and bashed Pidgey on the head. The bird teetered for a moment, then fell over.

A blue bar beneath Tyrant's pokeball pokeball spiraled forward. "Bababa-beep!" The number right of Sir Tyrant's name changed from 6 to 7. Another screen showed up, expressing attack, defense, special attack, special defense and speed. Based on health points going up to 24, I assumed one or more of these stats increased as well.

"Awesome! You got stronger, Sir Tyrant!" I bent over and raised my hand. Tyrant ran over and punched it. "Sst," I said, putting all my energy into hand not retreating.

"Amazing as always, Master," Tyrant thought. "Why do you humans have this innate knowledge of what move works best for a situation? And why does it work better than punching until the enemy goes down?"

"It's just basic knowledge of types," I responded. "Guess it's not something pokemon understand. Wait, this again? Ow!"

My hand retreated and I clutched it. "Do you get how I'm reading your mind?" I asked while the pain faded.

Sir Tyrant shrugged. His right arm pointed upward.

"And it stopped again." I walked over to the unconscious Pidgey and poked it.

"…"

It rustled slightly. I jumped back. "Nothing there," I commented. I glanced toward Tyrant. "Think it's unique to you?" Tyrant rolled forward and made a pose. "That aside, I've barely talked to pokemon, let alone had conversations with them like with you." I headed towards the pokeball chest and pushed the center button. Inside was an antidote.