AN: Well, despite executive dysfunction being a thing, I've managed to get another thousand words down for this, so rejoice for my special brand of whatever this is going to end up being. Again, I promise nothing in terms of future updates, but I intend to continue writing for at least a bit.

Chapter 2

"Go, Zepp!" Ryan called and threw his ball. In a flash of red light, the Drifloon reformed in front of him. Looking closer, Ryan noticed that the yellow form also had a blue X shape right below its dot-like eyes and a cloud-like tuft of what seemed to be hair on its head. Additionally, he noticed the heart shaped 'charms' at the ends of its string-like arms were the same color as the mark across its face. "Wait, I thought that Drifloon like you were purple. Maybe Professor Rowan would know about you. You'll come with me, right Zepp?"

"Loon," it replied, and wrapped its two arms around Ryan's left wrist in a loose grip.

"I'll take that as a yes. Then, onward we go!" He shouted and began walking out of the small thicket and back to the main road towards Sandgem town. The road east of Sandgem town was not well-traveled as the only places it led to were Lake Verity and the small Twinleaf Town. Ryan had once heard that a famous coordinator named Johanna was born in Twinleaf Town, but had never heard anything else of note and had never desired to visit it. During the short walk back to Sandgem, he and Zepp saw several Bidoof and Starly, and decided to avoid fighting them until Ryan could learn the moves that Zepp knew and felt confident in a battle.

The small town of Sandgem was mostly farmland with houses intermittently spread, as well as a short strip which constituted the shopping district of the town; consisting of several small shops, mainly containing farming supplies and staple foods such as potatoes, corn, bread, and rice. There was also a small Miltank farm which sold milk and various cuts of meat. There was a small candy shop, which Ryan and his friends often visited after attending the nearby school. He felt a rush and a wave of sadness thinking that he likely wouldn't visit the small shop until after he finished his journey. Past the candy shop, there was the Pokemart which sold supplies that any trainer may need, and the Pokemon Center, where one could go to heal any injuries to their team. Finally, there was Professor Rowan's lab, somewhat separated from the nearby shops.

The lab was, by far, the largest building in all of Sandgem, with a large windmill, which was at least three stories tall, attached to the main building by a small glass walkway. The main building appeared to be around three stories as well. The outside appeared to be made of Rowan wood, fittingly, and had a sky blue trim along the ground and a roof of the same color. On the side of the building that he was facing, Ryan could count eight evenly spaced windows, each easily twice as tall as him; from which he could barely make out the forms of several people in white lab coats bustling about inside. The first floor appeared to have two windows, with a sliding glass door in between them and each of the above floors had three.

Ryan walked through the automatic sliding doors and into the reception hall, noting several circular benches with dark blue cushions spread across the room about ten feet apart. The inside of the lab was a dull gray with several accents of lighter gray uniformly spread across the walls. Ryan noted that in addition to the two windows behind him, there was one on either wall to his left and right. Ryan saw two TV screens on each of three walls, playing the news or cartoons; all muted, with subtitles.

The hall was almost entirely empty, save for a handful of people sitting on the benches, and a girl behind the desk at the back of the room. She appeared to be around Ryan's age and had shoulder length, dark blue hair covered by a white beanie with a poke-ball symbol on the front. She wore a standard white lab coat and was typing away at a computer. After a moment, the girl looked up and gave a big wave, "Hi! I don't think I've seen you before. I'm Dawn, Professor Rowan's assistant. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yeah," Ryan replied as he walked up to the desk, "I was hoping to meet with the professor"

"Do you have an appointment? He doesn't usually accept walk-ins, especially this close to the start of the League Year."

"No, but I was hoping he might be willing to make an exception. You see, I came across an interesting pokemon and was hoping to get his take on it." Ryan said as he pulled out his pokeball, "Go Ded Zeppelin"

"Oh Wow!" Dawn exclaimed as the balloon-like form appeared in a burst of red light. "I've never seen a differently colored pokemon before. Go find a seat and I'll call the professor down for you."

"Sounds good," Ryan replied as he and his partner sat on one of the circular benches.

On the nearest television, Ryan noticed a woman wearing a flowing purple dress and similarly colored hair, almost in the shape of a windmill, commanding a drifblim in a large stadium. The blimp-like being looked like a larger version of Zepp, but had a purple upper body, and lighter violet lower body with red eyes and a large yellow X shape where Ryan assumed its nose must be. Additionally it had a cloudlike feature atop its head and a small red fan-like shape, as well as four thin, purple appendaged extending from the lower-middle section of its body; equidistant from each other and ending in three small, yellow fingers. The pokemon appeared to be firing small blue flames and yellow stars, which chased each other above crowds of onlookers. Each of the projectiles circled the stadium three times before meeting in the center of the room and exploding into a fine rainbow-colored powder. The woman waved her arm once as the drifblim rose into the air and deflated, as if it were expelling air. The powder took shape in the air and became large, rainbow colored snowflakes, which slowly drifted into the crowd and onto the floor.

"You two seem to be enjoying yourselves," Ryan heard Dawn say and turned to see her and an older man with short white hair, and a bushy mustache approaching him.

"Hardly a surprise," the man said brusquely, "I haven't met a trainer yet who wasn't veritably enchanted by Fantina." The man wore a blue two-buttoned vest over a black tie and white undershirt which covered his arms, as well as dark blue jeans and brown loafers. "Now, Dawn here tells me that you have a pokemon of interest. Can I infer that she means your companion there?" he asks, gesturing towards Zepp.

"Yes, sir, this is Ded Zeppelin. I found him in lake verity and he's decided to come with me on my journey. I was hoping that, since oddly colored pokemon are rare, you might be willing to grant me a pokedex."

"Certainly a reasonable request. I assume you intend to follow the gym circuit for this upcoming league year?"

"Yeah! I want to challenge Champion Cynthia!"

"As do all up and coming trainers. How about this, my lab will sponsor your journey, give you a monthly stipend and limited access to our research as it pertains to your journey. In exchange, you will make a record of your journey and notate any instances in which your shiny friend, or any other pokemon you come across act differently than normal, as well as act as an authority if you encounter any emergencies in which the police or pokemon rangers are unable to assist."

"That sounds like an excellent deal, professor Rowan!"

"Wonderful, in that case we have some paperwork to go over."