Chapter 2: People Are Strange

"People are strange when you're a stranger." ~ People Are Strange, Echo and the Bunnymen

"When fate throws a dagger at you, there are two ways to catch it;

By the blade, or by the hilt."

~ Chinese Proverb

AN: Hey there! I wasn't planning on uploading this until I had another chapter fully written out, but I've been listening to the How To Train Your Dragon Soundtrack, primarily Forbidden Friendship, and adding that to the fact that I'm going to Anime Boston with all my friends this weekend puts yours truly in a very good mood! Thusly, you get chapter two a little early :)

EDIT: Uh, helps if I actually post the chapter... Oops ^^))

Archangel sighed heavily as he pressed a chilly jug of water against his temple. Sure, he really needed the money, and picking up the chatter from the customers was more productive than just sitting around, but still. For him, he'd gone from the abandoned field of battle filled with the cloying stench of chemicals and burnt flesh… to a coffee shop. It was almost more traumatizing than the bodies had been… 'Or maybe I was in shock earlier and it's just sinking in now.' He mused as he began making rounds with the jug of ice water. Not a lot of customers were low on water yet, but it looked like quite a few needed more coffee. Returning to the kitchens, Archangel set down the jug of water and snatched one of the coffee pots off the burner, returning to the seating area to re-fill ceramic mugs.

'I still don't understand why I was chosen.' Archangel mused as he poured coffee into the mug of a scowling man in a suit. It was the same question that had been plaguing him for almost a whole week now. No matter how he looked at it, there was no reason for him to be chosen. He had next to no training, and knew nothing of what was about to happen or how to stop it, which almost guaranteed that it was going to happen.

Archangel forcibly turned his thoughts aside as he realized the empty ceramic cup he'd been about to pour coffee into was still clutched by the young man in the chair. He was curled up, arms folded at his sides with the mug almost under his chin. His legs were pressed against his forearms, and glazed blue eyes stared at the cinnamon brown wall unseeingly.

"Would you like some more coffee?" Archangel asked him, holding the pot down so it crossed the patron's thousand-mile gaze. Slowly, the young man's gaze slid back into focus, and he looked up at Archangel in surprise.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I was asking if you'd like more coffee. You look like you need it." Archangel informed him frankly. The young man, whom Archangel belatedly realized had the most impressive shade of blue hair the agent had ever seen, glanced down at the mug in his hands. He seemed surprised that it was empty, and held it up so Archangel could add more coffee to the small dregs that remained from the last cup.

"I don't suppose you could tell me about the legends of the Kalos region?" The blue-haired man asked, smiling in a way that told Archangel he wasn't actually looking for a proper answer. The agent shrugged.

"I'm not local, so I don't know much. There's a library in this city somewhere though, I think it's near the art museum. You looking for anything specific?" The man in the chair shook his head, frowning.

"How about recent incidents? Anything suspicious or out of the ordinary lately? Say, around a week ago or so?" Archangel frowned at that. He'd arrived a week ago, and those first few days he'd been more focused on what was happening in his immediate vicinity, nevermind what was happening in the rest of the region.

"Not that I can think of." Archangel informed him. "Why the varied questions? Old legends and recent happenings?" The young man blinked in surprise, almost as if he hadn't expected something to think it strange.

"Ah, I need to write a research report. Old legends of other regions, stuff like that. And who's not interested in what's happening in the here and now?" He quirked an uneasy smile at Archangel and quickly looked down to his coffee, frowning. Hiding his own frown, Archangel returned to the kitchens with the pot of coffee, placing it back on the burner to keep it warm and gathering a few plates with sandwiches on them, carrying them out to their respective tables. By the time he realized that his own arrival could have been referred to as some kind of 'incident', the blue-haired stranger was already gone.

Archangel sighed as he stared down at the Pokeball in his hand. Blue eyes refused to meet his own, their owner instead staring avidly at anything that wasn't Archangel. The young agent in question sighed in annoyance and glared briefly at the Fletching that had been defying his admittedly pathetic attempts to catch it.

"Why aren't you using that Pokemon there?" A young but oddly gruff voice asked, almost startling Ark into jumping. Almost. Instead, he quickly closed his fingers around the ball and turned to look at the pale man in the white coat standing behind him.

"It's not my Pokemon to use." He said. It was a better answer than 'It sticks its tongue out at me whenever I try to release it and just stays inside the Pokeball.' The man stared at him for a while before snapping his fingers and reaching into his coat pocket, withdrawing a white-and-red pokeball.

"Try this pokemon. I was going to give him to the daughter of some old friends, but he wouldn't listen to her, so she ended up having to give him back to me. Perhaps you'll have better luck?" At Ark's hesitation, the man smiled. "At the very least, he can help you catch that Fletchling." Mentally sighing, Ark nodded and accepted the Pokeball from the stranger.

"I'm Ark." Archangel introduced himself, still feeling somewhat uncomfortable accepting a pokemon from a stranger.

"My name is Augustine, but most people know me better as Professor Sycamore." The pale man introduced, scratching at his whiskery beard and offering Ark a hand. Introductions out of the way, Ark turned back to the Fletchling he'd been trying to catch to find that the little bird had decided to leave. Shrugging, the young man looked down at the two pokeballs in his hand, watching as the green pokemon waved happily at the red one, which cocked its head before looking up at Ark. The young man shrugged again and tucked one ball into his pocket, releasing the pokemon Sycamore had handed him. Dark red scales glimmered as the pokemon stretched, the flame on his tail flaring even higher than the dull horn protruding from the back of his head. Narrow blue eyes met Ark's own green eyes in challenge. Archangel however refused to blink. He'd had longer staring contests with the menace in his pocket afterall. Out of the corner of his eye, Ark saw Sycamore looking between boy and pokemon with a strange glint in his eyes.

It was the pokemon who moved first, snorting and spitting a small fireball in Ark's direction before offering what was obviously a predator's smirk. Archangel offered his own hunter's smirk, just for a second, and finally the pokemon broke eye contact to glance back at Sycamore, spitting another fireball in his direction. Sycamore however seemed pleased, practically beaming as he walked up to stand beside Ark.

"Seems he likes you." The older man commented as they both watched the pokemon startle a small Flabebe out of the flowers, snapping at it lazily as the tiny fairy darted away. "That's Charmeleon. He used to be a Charmander, but he evolved before I could find a trainer for him. And I can't give him to any of the new trainers just starting out either, he'd never listen to them. But he seems to like you."

"I don't know about liking me." Archangel replied, watching Charmeleon slowly stalk across the pathway to the flowerpatch Flabebe had fled to.

"He didn't set you on fire, which is better than can be said for most trainers who tried to work with him." Ark blinked at the man, looking for a sign that the man was joking, but grey eyes were completely serious, even if the man was smiling slightly. "I think it'd be best if you took Charmeleon with you." The man said abruptly, startling both Ark and Charmeleon, who'd been about to pounce once more on the harried fairy in the bush. "I primarily work in a lab all day, and you two are already getting along quite well. I think it would be good for you. Unless you disagree?" Sycamore's eyes were on Archangel, who frowned at the man before glancing at Charmeleon. Blue eyes had narrowed further in silent challenge, and Archangel nodded.

"Thanau." Ark declared, sharp smile softening slightly. "It seems like it fits." Professor Sycamore smiled and nodded, reaching into the large bag that hung by his side once more.

"You seem like a reliable young man, and I've got an extra one of these that I need to get off my hands, so why don't you take this with you?" Archangel, who had gone back to watching Thanau stalking through the flowers, turned back to see Sycamore offering him a strange red device. Curiously, he took it from the older man, noting the gap between the two halves. A gentle tug had the two pieces sliding apart to reveal a screen, which lit automatically, displaying the word 'Unregistered' in large red letters.

"It's a Pokedex." Sycamore explained. "Just press your thumb onto the screen and it'll activate." Archangel blinked at the man for a second before looking down at the device, the Pokedex, in his hands. He'd heard about them sure, but he'd never had one before.

"Are you sure it's alright to give this to someone you've only just met sir?"

In response, Sycamore just shrugged, reaching into his bag again and withdrawing another Pokeball.

"I believe Pokemon are good judges of character, and Thanau there seems to judge you acceptable for him. And since I'm giving you a Kalos Pokedex, I ought to give you a Kalos starter as well, hmm? Unless you'd find it troublesome? I only have Froakie left." Archangel tilted his head, frowning slightly, but nodded, reaching his hand out to accept the second Pokeball.

"I'll admit I feel slightly more wary about this whole situation than you do apparently, but taking care of another Pokemon wouldn't be troublesome at all." With a flick of his wrist, Archangel released the new pokemon, watching as the small frog-like creature hopped over to Thanau, who growled lowly. The charmeleon shot a few embers into the space between them, and Froakie did the same with a few bubbles. One of the embers was caught in a bubble, and they floated together as one until the bubble popped and the flame died. Froakie clapped in amusement while Thanau just rolled his eyes, going back to his hunt. Ark couldn't help but chuckle at the two.

"I'll call him Broga." He declared, watching the little frog trail after Thanau and startling the combee he'd been sneaking up on.

"Well then Ark, I must be getting back now." Sycamore declared. "If you have any questions, feel free to stop by my lab in Luminose anytime." And with a backward wave, the strange professor turned and strolled back in the direction of the large city, leaving a bemused Archangel in his wake.

"Well that was random." Was all the teen could say.

AN: Okay, so maybe it wasn't as good as it good have been. Sycamore just kinda showed up and started being all friendly, and I was like, well okay then. I think I've mentioned it before but I really have no control over what the characters in my head are doing. Not that that's a bad thing... (At least I don't think it is) Anyway, I definitely won't have the next chapter up before next week, but I'll keep writing while I'm on the road, have no fears! JLC Live, Anime Boston, and NH Home Show here I come!

PS- in case you're wondering, I hate leaving my Pokemon with no nicknames, so Archangel nicknames his Pokemon too. If you want to know what their names mean, just ask and I'll be happy to share :)

/AN