Chapter Eight:
Recover

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon in any way, shape, or form. The only "ownership" I can claim are the personalities and my interpretation of how Pokémon look in a more realistic light, but other than that...yeah, I don't own anything on them. XD I do, however, own my original characters and writings, unless otherwise stated. In an exceptional case, a few special OCs belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them for the story that's to unfold. I'll point them out when their time to show up comes. :3

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Any kid will run any errand for you, if you ask at bedtime.
-Red Skelton

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The time left spent on the road to Mr. Pokémon's home dwindled to a hazy blur after the night of the full moon. Reserved and quiet, neither of them spoke much except for when necessary, and even then, there was the strain of civility. Neither of them wanted to speak of that night. Lupin mainly had a lack of understanding and wanted to mull over it, although she barely remembered it all. Or rather, it wasn't that she didn't remember, it was simply easier to recall the memories by sensory rather than by visual memory alone. She could recall things easier if she focused on the taste, touch, smell, and sound of things more so than she could by the sight of it all alone. There was more to it than just the sights and sounds, there was the smells and touches, and the preternatural sixth sense that lingered beneath the surface, a sense that had lain dormant until the full moon deemed it necessary to awaken. If she remained only absorbed by the sight of it all, she might as well have blinded herself to everything else and it made for a dull retelling.

Everything was important.

And Totodile, well…he found himself in the same apprehensive state that he had scoffed at the others for indulging in back at the lab. He had thought her amusing and intriguing to a point, interesting only for her scent alone. Now, however, he saw it more clearly with just how otherworldly she was and it wasn't in an endearing sense either. He could only envision that other face superimposed over the one he saw daily: there was wildfire in those bright golden eyes that boasted of more intelligence and understanding than should be allowed. The irony made him want to scoff when he thought of the many intellectual pokémon with the same wild eyes he's seen come and go. He felt it was an unfair assessment to enforce on her shoulders, but he couldn't help it.

She was an anomaly that did not belong, a strangeness that he wanted to get away from and yet…

He looked at her now as they trudged the last leg of their journey toward their destination, their halfway point, and felt that nagging tug at his conscious again. She was alone. She was alone and unsure and she may be a grown woman, but she still looked so lost, like a child, even when she was trying not to actually look it. Yet he's seen the way she's stared at pokémon they have come across with eyes that had a bemused light in them, like she was seeing them for the first time in her life. It was the same light he had seen in them when she first laid eyes on him, Chikorita, and Cyndaquil—boggled and unsure of what to make of them all. No recognition, no familiarity, nothing.

He snorted as he waddled beside her.

Tough luck, he reasoned, squashing any sympathy he had for her. When this job was over, and they were back at the lab, he would be picked by a trainer—a licensed trainer—and he would travel with them, side-by-side, like he was meant to do. It was what he had been bred to do. Being a lab pokémon was fine for a time, but he ached to fight, to battle, to rage against an opponent like his parents had once done in their primes, and their parents before them, and so on and so forth. He did not want to be left behind and waste his days being poked and prodded at for the rest of his life. The other two seemed content with that lifestyle, but not him. A water pokémon he may be, but he had a fire and a drive that the other two seemed to lack.

And looking back on her now, Lupin seemed content to sit and wait for her answers, to laze about the lab like that assistant of Professor Elm's. She had no drive to find answers, to chase them down until she caught them, except when they were seemingly sitting in front of her and within reach. She talks and talks and talks about it, and broods even more, but he's heard only words and saw little action. If he were to ever be in her position, he would have scoured the world and over if he had ever been separated from his nest-mates or trainer, and he wouldn't have stopped until he found them. She spoke but did nothing. She thought on it, but she has yet to put plans—if she even had any—into action. It wouldn't surprise him if her nest-mates weren't even looking for her and were happily content to be indefinitely away from her.

Lazy mammals.

"Hey," she said, her words breaking through his thoughts like a shaft of light in the darkness, piercing and sudden in the quietness. He gave her a glance. He has stopped asking her for rides atop her shoulders and satchel since that night. "Is…is everything okay? You've been quiet for the last few days."

No, everything is not fine. You really are a monster.

He was still having trouble accepting what he knew to be the truth. She had changed. Perhaps not right before his eyes, but the glaring evidence had been hard to ignore. That scar on her face, and the one on that snarling beast's snout had been one and the same.

"I'm fine. I just want to get this done and get back to the lab."

Back where I can happily ignore you and you can ignore me like before, and you can brood in your room and I can wait for my real trainer to take me on our journey together.

"Are you sure?"

So unsure, so worried, so…so unconvinced. So what? Her opinion hadn't mattered, not since day one and certainly not now. The only opinions he cared about, for now, were Professor Elm's and his soon-to-be-trainer's. Whoever they were and whenever they showed up, that is.

I never should have gone with you. You didn't need me after all, you were right all along; you should have done this alone. You would have liked that, you wanted to take me back. I should have just let you.

"Yes."

She still looked skeptical, but she fell silent and didn't press the issue. He continued the unassuming façade he had maintained a majority of the trip, but this time without the smart quips like before. He could only see that other face every time he looked at her. He didn't want to do that anymore. It made his blood turn to ice and his heart quicken in apprehension. Every instinct rang klaxons in his skull, telling him to turn tail and head the other way with every whiff of her scent he caught.

You never needed a mediator or a pokémon to fight or protect you. You never really needed any pokémon because you could have torn them apart with your teeth and claws. You really can take care of yourself. I'll be glad if you leave before I do.

She grew quiet after a time, once more slipping back into her gloomy silence, thinking whatever thoughts that came across her mind. They were steeped in the silence of the afternoon as they drew closer to their destination. He was glad this was nearly over.

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Graham "Mr. Pokémon" Wardson was an excited sort of fellow, if that could be allowed to be the shortest descriptor to label the man on sight. He was of average height and build, donning a sensible attire of khaki pants, button down blue shirt, and a trilby hat. As soon as he laid eyes on his visitor, he was grinning from ear to ear behind his neatly trimmed beard, a wide strip of teeth gleaming and puffed out a hearty laugh. He immediately ushered in Lupin and Totodile still beaming that wide smile at her, shaking her hand and clapping her shoulder and leading her inside with barely an introduction.

"I already know who you are; Professor Elm shot me an email a few days ago, saying you'd be by around this time! You're Lupin, his new junior assistant!"

She smiled, albeit nervously and a mite embarrassed, but nodded all the same, giving Totodile a sparing glance at her side. Mr. Pokémon led them through the threshold, a cozy den with plush couches and loveseats, and a few little desks and side tables sat in the squashed room. A silent, black-screened television was mounted on the wall above a fireplace, but her impression of the room was fleeting as he led her through an open doorway into another room. Totodile waddled after the two, glancing at the human household with all the interest he could muster, which wasn't very much. All he wanted to do was lay down and rest his tired paws. They were led to a small dining room, and the older man motioned toward a table sitting between a bookshelf crammed with books of all sizes, shapes, colours, and a glass-covered cabinet that housed various bits, bobbles, pieces and objects of interest and strangeness alike. Side tables were also similarly covered in odd knickknacks, mostly pokémon-themed paraphernalia, Lupin noticed. In fact, every available surface was sprawling with odd artifacts.

Moments after she took in the scenery of the room, she noticed that she wasn't the only guest that Mr. Pokémon had. Another man was there, sipping from a teacup, but at the blustering excitement Mr. Pokémon was exuding, he turned to see what all the fuss was about. Totodile snorted.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, where are my manners? This is Professor Oak. Professor Oak, this is Lupin, Professor Elm's new junior assistant down at the lab in New Bark Town. She's come to whisk away that little mystery I was telling you about earlier."

"Not much of a mystery if we already know what it is," the professor noted dryly with a faint smile. He stood, laying his teacup back on its saucer and crossed the room to meet them halfway, holding a hand out to Lupin. "It's good to meet you. I've heard a few things from Professor Elm about you. My condolences. I hope that you're able to find what you're looking for."

Awkwardly, Lupin shook his hand, feeling a little upset that her condition was being advertised beyond the people she already knew. She said nothing, however, and only nodded to the man, eyeing him studiously. He was tall, broad-shouldered, sporting a casual attire of loafers, khaki slacks and a collared shirt beneath a white lab coat. His hair was graying in most areas and his face, while kindly, had a series of hard lines etching across it. His skin was darkly tanned, suggesting he did as much outside work as he did inside. The hard lines were softened, however, by the smile he sported, and crow's feet formed to crinkle at the edges of his eyes, making them flash with mirth as he regarded her just as carefully. She felt a shiver when his eyes traced the scar on her face, but he said nothing about it, so she did the same.

"Thank you…Professor Oak, was it?"

Tree names. Elm. Oak. Is this a theme? Is there a Birch in the family there, somewhere?

The amusing thought passed along fairly quickly as she watched, from the corner of her eyes, Mr. Pokémon scuffle about before he exited the room completely, leaving her alone with the elderly gentleman. Dropping her hand and clearing her throat, she shouldered her pack into a more comfortable position. As though remembering himself, Professor Oak motioned to the table.

"You can sit and relax if you'd like, I'm sure you and your companion there would welcome the rest?" He smiled again, glancing down at the blue-scaled reptile. "Ah, a Totodile. Wonderful choice you made."

"Really wasn't mine," Lupin said, taking up his offer to rest her feet. Plopping into one of the empty chairs, she sighed, visibly relaxing and carefully dislodging the satchel from her shoulders. "I was…coerced into taking him. I didn't exactly have a team when…when they found me."

A perplexed and questioning expression lined the professor's face as he eyed her more critically now. Clearly, this information hadn't been made known to him. He regarded her carefully, as though trying to sense any visible sign of misgivings to her words.

"You wanted to journey here alone? You do realize how much more dangerous that is, don't you? While a lot of the pokémon that live along the trails and forests between here and New Bark Town are relatively low maintenance, there are more evolved, more dangerous pokémon that roam about as well." He looked appropriately worried and alarmed at her admission, and even more so at her rather unimpressed, unconcerned expression. She glanced at Totodile. He looked away.

"I can appreciate the sentiment, Professor Oak, but the most I ran into were some Gastly and Haunter in the…haunted forest. Other than that, the trip here was pretty uneventful."

"You didn't run into any challenging trainers on the road?" His eyebrows raised slightly, an incredulous expression painting his face. His tone was just as surprised, and his face morphed into further concern when she merely shrugged.

"We saw them in town," was all she said and before he could press forward, curious now at how she managed to accomplish that, Mr. Pokémon was bustling back in, folds of cloth bundled in his arms. He was already unwrapping the contents, drawing Professor Oak's attention off the woman and back on the reason she was here: the pokémon egg. Even Totodile sat up, his interest piqued. He sniffed the air hungrily, but stayed himself, remembering he wasn't some scavenging wild pokémon and that he could do just as well with a bowl of packaged food—if the old man had any, that is. He smelled a Meowth somewhere around here, but the feline was nowhere to be seen.

Setting the bundle carefully on the table, Lupin leaned in, and the last piece of clothe was peeled away to reveal the egg she had seen in Professor Elm's email a week ago. The pristine white eggshell was only interrupted by the irregular spots of triangular designs of bright red and cheerful blue. It was rather breathtaking up close and personal and she raised a hand, gingerly and unsure, before she was given the okay by Mr. Pokémon's nod to touch. It was warm and comforting, and she swore she felt something shift inside, the sign of a living being growing inside. A breath escaped her and she smiled.

"I-It's alive."

"Yes, it is. It's just so sad that it was abandoned."

That was a bit of a joy killer. Lupin's expression died down a bit and she stared at him, somewhat stunned. "Abandoned?"

He nodded slowly with a melancholy tracing his weathered face. "I'm personal friends with some breeders outside of Goldenrod City. They hadn't had any Togepi, Togetic, or Togekiss trainers stop by their establishment for a long time, if ever, in fact. And yet, one day, they check the yard and there it was. The egg was sitting in the morning sunlight, alone and undisturbed." Mr. Pokemon paused. "This sometimes happens. Eggs appear at breeders' places, random and erratically. We don't know why. Maybe the parents are unfit and they recognize it and see a viable survival option with humans. Maybe they're dying and can't raise their young or won't be around long enough to see them hatch and no others of their kind to help. Whatever the reason, this event tends to happen. Pokémon eggs appear, and breeders or daycare owners or whoever else has found them take over. But I managed to wheedle my way to having this little one wind up into my possession, charm and wit aside."

He winked and reached to give the egg a brief, fond pat on the shell. "Professor Elm, I knew, would be very excited to have this as a part of his research, but his recent trip out of Johto prevented an immediate pickup. That's where you came in, and I'm glad you were able to make it here." She nodded, not sure how else to respond to that, and studied the egg once more. It really was pretty, if a little odd looking. It was almost endearing, actually, once she was used to the peculiarity. Totodile sniffed from the ground, peeping quietly, curiously.

"Yes, I'm actually quite jealous. If I had known sooner, I would have petitioned for the egg myself, but as much as I'd like to study it, Professor Elm has already laid a claim to it," Professor Oak said with a chuckle. "And I also have a few things on my plate that would make it nearly impossible to make time for hatching a pokémon egg and then studying its hatchling at this point in time. I'm sure I'll be seeing plenty of things regarding it once it's hatched, though."

"Right, well…I should probably head out then, if he wants it that badly." She eyed her bag, stooping to pick it up, then paused when she noticed Totodile, the way he slumped on the ground and looked so haggard. She would admit, she felt a twinge of pity for him. The past few days steeped in the unusual and strained silence told her that he most definitely was not okay. She could smell the faint aroma of fear that wafted off of him from time to time, and the interest and curiosity that had once glittered in his yellow-red eyes was now replaced with suspicion and mistrust aimed solely at her. He was rather disciplined in keeping it locked up tight and not uttering a peep of his concerns, that much else she would admire. But his scent gave away his deeply hidden terror. She felt guilt worm its way into her core and she avoided his eyes, straightening empty-handed.

"I…think we should rest first, though, if that's all right? Just for an hour or so, before we go."

She sensed rather than saw movement below her and caught a peek of blue creeping in closer out the corner of her eye, but she didn't look down at Totodile again. Mr. Pokémon grinned and nodded amicably, carefully wrapping the egg back up, for protection or warmth or both, before carefully handing it to her. She cradled the object and stooped once more, this time to pack her bag with the new object, mindful of its fragility as she further compacted soft things around it as a barrier.

"Of course! You and your pokémon can rest up! I was about to suggest the very same! I can get you anything you like, if you want. Tea, lunch, a nap, whatever you need."

"Coffee," Lupin agreed, tucking the bag under a chair and giving it a pat before standing again. She resisted the urge to correct Mr. Pokémon about Totodile. It was simpler if she didn't bother with the explanation. "If you don't mind. And some food and water for him."

The older man bobbed his head, and turned on his heel, ambling out of the room with a jovial step, leaving her alone once again with Professor Oak. He motioned toward the table and she nodded, settling in an empty chair while he took his previous seat.

"So…you're an associate of Professor Elm, then? Where is that you live?"

"Kanto. The region just over the mountains to the east. Pallet Town is where I've had my lab established and it's where I've been for plenty of years." Professor Oak paused, studying her face, as though he was trying to recall whether he'd seen her before or not. The scrutiny left Lupin feeling a little unnerved, but it passed when he smiled, his expression softening. "Perhaps when you have the time or when you decide to leave the lab in New Bark Town, you could pop over to Kanto and see our sights. There are plenty of them. And I'm sure your Totodile would enjoy it as well."

Once again, she had to swallow back down her reflex to deny that he was hers, that she didn't have any pokémon, that she didn't want any. She said as much that he wasn't already earlier, hadn't she? Instead, she smiled, although it felt more like a grimace to her. Totodile had ambled closer to the professor when she wasn't looking, she suddenly noticed. A silent protest and a protective barrier, she realized. He stared back at her with cold reptilian eyes, unblinking, unwavering. She couldn't read his expression, and that may very well pertain to his lacking many facial muscles to do so, but even if he had, she doubted he'd let her in on his thoughts. He wanted her to know he was upset without saying it and was going to the closest authority figure in the threshold. She looked away and from the corner of her eye, saw him do the same.

"Right. Maybe. I still haven't really decided what I really want to do. I don't even know if anyone is looking for me or missing me yet. Nobody's put in a missing person's notice quite yet, according to the police, and I don't even know where I came from." Her ears pinned a little tighter against her skull beneath her hat, her hands curling in uncertainty and with the urge to fidget, to tinker, to do something other than just sit there idly. The names of other countries sounded strange and felt even stranger on the tongue: Unova, Sinnoh, Hoenn. And those were just a few she could remember. Did she come from any one of them? If so, she was a long way from home.

She felt eyes on her, and it was unnerving at first. She wanted to snap, but courtesy won over personal twitchiness and she kept her gaze locked on a knot of wood before her, eyes going over the grain, twist and spiral of the darker patterns. She felt eyes on her, and at first, didn't want to acknowledge them. She nearly jumped when another hand appeared and dropped on top of hers on the tabletop, giving them a warm squeeze before retreating. It was a brief contact and the warmth of the hand from moments before was fading already, her skin prickling in response, a reminder that the moment had indeed just occurred.

"Perhaps instead of sitting around, waiting for answers to come to you, you should go out looking for them. The world may be big, but chances are that you might run into someone who knows who you are, someone who can help you. I'm not saying you should just up and run for the hills, it's just some friendly advice. Stagnating in one spot might not benefit you, but then again, maybe it would. In the end, it'll be up to you on what you want done."

She stared at him in astonishment, too stunned to say anything in return at first. Her words continued to go left unsaid as Mr. Pokémon came bustling back inside, helping set up the table with several bowls on a tray filled with a delicious smelling chowder, a mug of coffee for Lupin, and some more tea for himself and Professor Oak. Then he left again, returning seconds later with Totodile's dishes.

"You actually came just in time for lunch! Now, why don't we all just relax for a little, before anyone has to go and hit the road again, huh?" He gave a booming laugh, settling in a third empty seat. The setting was surreal to Lupin, as though she had suddenly become an onlooker. It was too normal a setting after being on the road for a week. It felt…normal. It was a nice sentiment to hold on to, even if it was only temporary. She wanted to hold onto that feeling, even if it was in the company of strangers she had only just met, hold onto it and not let go and make the precious few seconds count. Maybe she had this before, and letting herself soak in a similar setting would help.

As the minutes ticked by, and noon waned away, she began to slowly realize that probably wasn't going to happen. No magical fanfare interrupted her idle thoughts, no sudden epiphany struck her down, no flood of memories broke whatever dam was holding them back. She was still the same blank slate with only an airy feeling in her chest, trying to rush a recovery she had no clue how to ease into to begin with.

The departure of Professor Oak was the only interruption to her internal dilemma, breaking the mantra up and helping ease her away from the pitfall of disappointment. They gathered in the small den by the front door, exchanging good byes with one another. When he turned to Lupin, he held his hand out and she grasped it and noted with some surprise he had a very strong grip. He gave it a hard squeeze, watching her carefully.

"Just remember what I told you earlier. You can choose to do nothing or choose to do something about your predicament. It's all up to you," he said, his face quiet and unreadable for a few long moments. Then the seriousness fell away when he gave her that kindly smile again and released his hold on her, turning to the open doorway. Professor Oak dipped a hand in his pocket and with the flick of a wrist, whipped out a miniaturized pokéball settled between his fingertips. "And take care of that Totodile of yours."

The ball doubled in size at the press of a button and it split open, a surge of light springing forward and coalescing into solid shape. Gargantuan wings shot open, a craning neck settled into an S-shaped crook, a body rippling of power and muscle hunched forward. A tail snaked around, its tip burning brighter than campfire. A dusky-orange dragon with a creamy, armored underbelly towered over the professor, regarding its trainer first with narrowed eyes, before turning its gaze on her and Mr. Pokémon. A deep rumble echoed from its broad chest, making Lupin's tail bristle under her coat. Professor Oak patted the dragon on its neck.

"Oh, Champ, you overgrown lizard, stand down," the professor tut'ed at the monstrous creature. Immediately, the dragon quieted, although the suspicion-riddled eyes didn't lessen their intensity. She heard a soft peeping gasp at her side and Lupin glanced over to see Totodile sitting beside her, staring at the dragon in awe.

"A Charizard…Arceus above, he's huge."

The Charizard lowered its shoulders and neck just enough to allow the older man to mount a thing yet sturdy-looking leather saddle she hadn't noticed before lifting back up. Professor Oak gave Mr. Pokémon and herself another farewell wave, before patting the dragon's neck.

"All right, then, on to Goldenrod, Champ," the professor called.

"I'll look forward to yours and Mary's next show!"

Mr. Pokémon laughed and waved as the dragon shot into the sky, wind buffeting those below. Lupin hurriedly rushed a hand up to keep her hat from flying off, eyes never leaving the huge creature as it lifted with ease that belied its bulk into the air. In no time at all, the dragon was a speck in the clear blue sky and then gone altogether, a bone-chilling roar left in its wake as it left.

She would admit, she was rather impressed at the display. She hadn't seen any pokémon that big before. Mr. Pokémon chuckled beside her, as though reading her thoughts and he clapped her on the shoulder.

"He likes to show off his trophy pokémon whenever he gets the chance, the prick. Guess it's the advantages of being a world-renowned pokémon professor. And Champ is just as famous, having been one of his championship showcase teammates back when he took on the championship when he was younger."

"Championship?" Lupin echoed.

"The Pokemon League," Totodile provided from below. "Wait. He used to be younger?"

"The Indigo Plateau," Mr. Pokémon nodded, having not heard Totodile's smartass remark. There was a reverent gleam in the older man's eyes now. "The Pokemon League, in short, is the ultimate goal of many trainers between here in Johto and over in Kanto. Other regions have their own championships and Pokémon Leagues, but the cream of the crop, in my opinion, will always be here at the Indigo Plateau. And I've traveled all over the world." The older man grinned, waving a hand. "But it's not for everyone and not everyone is cut out for it."

He allowed a notable pause to pass between them, a comfortable silence to ease from the subject. He took the momentary reprieve to check the time on his watch and he sighed. "I suppose you should get going so you can get closer to Catallia City. You won't make it until tomorrow, sadly, but at least you'll be halfway there. Thank you again for coming all the way out here."

"Thank you for the hospitality," Lupin returned. She already had her pack, having sensed that her time here was coming to a close and wanting it on hand for a quick departure. Mr. Pokémon nodded, still giving her that friendly smile of his.

"If you're ever up in the area, stop by if you'd like. I enjoy the company and I have an open door policy to traveling trainers whenever they need a rest stop before hitting the homestretch to Violet City."

She gave a placating nod once again, shifting her pack more comfortably onto her shoulders, while Totodile huffed at her side. Lupin thanked him again, shook his hand and turned on her heel to head back to the main road.

Homestretch, she thought with a relief. A heavy weight that had been settling in the pit of her chest, an apprehension that soured her stomach, dissipated at the sagging new weight in her pack. She was halfway complete, and soon, this little errand would be over in a few days. Her idle thoughts returned as her feet carried on a monotonous path down the road. Soon, the apprehension she thought she'd been rid of was back tenfold within the hour, a different bitter taste coating the back of her throat. The professor's small words, while humble, left an impact on her thoughts. She did have a choice in whether her situation could improve or not. She could sit and fester, and hope answers came her way. Or, alternatively, she could go out in search of answers, go search for the place or people she was missing from. And, as much as it was annoying to admit, Totodile's words echoed back to her as well from days before.

It ate at her for the rest of the afternoon and she mulled over the choices, but it slowly began to dawn on her that there wasn't really much of a choice. Sitting on her ass was the lazy, roundabout way to get answers, and it was barely that. To go out and broaden her search—that would probably be more beneficial.

Not to mention, it felt more comforting to be out on the road than stuck in a lab. She felt less at home there, confined and under constant watch. While she wouldn't say she felt more so traveling, it gave her a better grasp on her own decisions, instead of feeling helpless, hopeless, a child with no understanding, and constantly looked at with pity and sympathy. She couldn't fault the two back at the lab for their reactions, but it left her sizzling under the scrutiny.

She needed out. And after she returned, she would look into plotting a next plan of action to get her back onto the road again.

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Note: Slow chapter, but look! A pokémon egg and Professor Oak! Shiny distractions! *points and flees*