Chapter 4

Pulling a new sneaker over a foot and simultaneously trying to devour a granola bar was not the easiest task in the world. But if there were a competition for that particular skill, Jayde would no doubt walk away with the victory, her years of practice finally paying off.

This time, the first-place prize would be another few precious minutes at the lab before making her ultimate decision. She wasn't just choosing a random Pokémon – this choice would define her future. It was vital that she arrived in time for the fateful choice-before-the-choice – the somewhat surprising, slightly disappointing (for those who imagined something more dramatic) method of determining which of the three teenagers would have first choice of the starters.

Professor Oak would simply choose a number between one and twenty; the three trainers-to-be would then choose one number from within the same range. The order of proximity to the professor's number would correspond to the order of decision.

At exactly 9:00 this morning, the trainers would make their choices. If any arrived after the order had been decided, they would choose last. If choosing a starter was the most important thing a trainer did in their lives, then arriving on time for this tradition would be the second-most important.

Unfortunately, in a competition for timeliness against a Slugma Jayde would receive last place. She glanced at the clock again. I have twenty minutes. Plenty of time.

After finishing with her shoes and breakfast, she ran to her room and grabbed the large knapsack containing some essentials: a couple of fresh outfits, some compact food options, a few Potions, some type-neutral Pokémon food…

This bag would quickly fill with supplies gathered on her journey, so she would have to get used to being sparing with her choices. Luckily, the PC system could, in addition to holding and transporting Pokémon, also store items. In fact, the only reason that the PC was no longer the central manner of storing Pokémon is because the researchers in several regions put forward that it would be healthier to allow inactive Pokémon time to relax and exercise outside of the data-created world of the storage system.

Grabbing her bag and racing down the stairs, Jayde regretted yet again dawdling earlier that morning. When she didn't have to be at the lab until 10, she usually arrived before 9; when she had to be there at 9, she was late. It was just the way her brain worked.

At 8:43, she bolted out the door, slamming it shut behind her, into the warm morning air. She had made this run hundreds of times before, with a personal record of nine minutes. Her feet pounding on the packed earth set the beat of her heart, and her chest soon tightened in a combination of effort and anxiety.

The wind shrieked high in her ears and sent her hair flying behind her like a banner. Making this run always exhilarated her, and she felt joy rise up in her as she saw two Rattata look up in surprise at her and, further on, a flock of Pidgey take to the air as she sprinted past. Observing everything along this route had become a habit of hers, and several times she fell back into a slide to snatch a candy wrapper or soda can off the ground before rolling back onto her feet and continuing on.

She could see the hill rise up several hundred yards ahead of her in the distance, and she pushed herself even faster. Spotting something on the ground, she dropped into her typical slide before realizing that there was no red candy wrapper there. Digging the sides of her shoes into the ground, she crouched over it. It was definitely a liquid, but it seemed too thick to be a soft drink. She touched her fingers to it, and, upon examining them, realized that it could only be blood.

She straightened her knees suddenly and ran to the bushes that ran alongside the road. Listening closely, she heard a faint whimper and honed in on the location. Pulling back a small branch, she saw a mat of brown fur lying against the roots of the bush and drawing rapid, shallow breaths. There was a ring of creamy fur at the far end of this mass, with brown paws drawn up over the creature's face. The brown covering the abdomen and legs was tinged with red in some places and a darker brown in others where the blood had dried. Around the chest and stretching to the right hind leg, a translucent plastic strip was pulled tight and gouging into the flesh beneath the fur. From the depth and severity of the wound, along with the sour odor it emitted, Jayde knew it must have been there for days.

Horrified, but still trying to maintain a logical grasp of the situation, she pulled a small pocket knife from her bag and tried to find where the injured hind leg met the abdomen. Finding the joint, she felt gently around until she located the spot where the plastic hadn't dug in. She eased the blade of her knife into this gap, and, placing her other hand over the plastic on either side in an effort to keep it still, she began lightly sawing. The whimpers grew into squeaks and then shrieks as the plastic band began moving in the infected wound. Keeping her grip firm and trying to say reassuring words to the Pokémon, she continued her work.

After less than a minute, she felt the plastic beginning to give way in the groove the blade had created, and she gave a quick yank up on it, finally breaking the band and allowing it to relax around the creature. The Pokémon was giving a high, pained whine, but it fell back to a whimper as she gently removed the plastic that had tortured it. Quickly examining the band, she realized that it was a set of rings that held drink cans together - disgusted, but glad that she had picked several of these up over the years, she threw it besides her bag.

She quickly searched the latter until she found a few small, blue spray-bottles. Bringing them all out, she set them to the side. She searched her knapsack again and pulled out a bottle of water and a small cloth. Wetting the soft material, she gently began wiping the dirt, leaves, twigs, and blood out of the long strip of injury. After thoroughly cleaning the wound, using several cloths and almost all of her water in the process, she finally grabbed one of the blue bottles and started the actual healing.

Potions were by no means magical – while they did expedite the natural healing process, they were meant for scrapes and bruises sustained in battle. More severe wounds almost always required either an extremely powerful Pokémon ability or a trained professional.

Satisfied that the Normal-type was at least stabilized for now, she gently wrapped it in an extra sweater from her bag. Once it was at the lab, it would be fine, she knew. While there weren't often serious injuries to heal there, all the researchers were trained in first-aid for people and Pokémon, with some having spent several years in Pokémon centers before deciding to pursue a scientific career at the lab. On top of that, the laboratory contained some of the most advanced equipment in the world – there wasn't much that it was unprepared for.

Besides that, the young Eevee would be doted on by the professor and the others. Eevees were very uncommon, especially in this part of the region, and the scientists were always eager to collect more data. They would measure the Pokémon's height, length, weight, sex (male, she noted), age…

It was then, thinking about the lab's procedures, that she realized she would be late at this point. Conflicted, she considered sprinting but knew glumly that it would be too rough for the bundle she held. Sighing, she collected her bag, placed the plastic band into a lined pocket, and began walking down the path. Though she was upset that she would miss the "ceremony", she didn't regret stopping to help the Eevee in the least. No matter what, she would still get one of the three young starters, she would still walk through the strip of Viridian forest that bordered Pallet (as most trainers did in an effort to catch more Pokémon before challenging the Viridian gym), and she would still have the adventure of a lifetime.

Smiling at this, she gently scratched the Eevee, which was currently asleep, behind one large ear, put one foot in front of the other, and marched determinedly down the road towards the large hill in the distance.