Hello, wonderful readers!

Wow, I got so many suggestions this time! Thanks everyone, you guys are great! I love updating for you guys, so how about instead of an update schedule, I just update whenever I want? Besides, school is going to really limit my writing-time, meaning I'm going to try to update as much as I can before then.

Here is today's topic, as suggested by jg13145. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any shape, way or size!

The Lab

Kindergarten

May (5), Drew (6), Gary (6), Paul (6)

Everyone was chattering non-stop on the bus. May's kindergarten class was having a field trip, and everyone was excited. They were all going to Professor Oak's lab, where they were going to meet real-life Pokemon researchers, and even some Pokemon too! Of course, pretty much everyone on the bus had already had some kind of interaction with a Pokemon before, but nonetheless, it was still something to look forward to.

"We're going to my grandpa's lab!" Gary reminded everyone loudly. "I go there all the time, so I know everything about it!" Naturally, most of the kids had gotten tired of hearing his boasts, and were trying to ignore him.

"Are there lots of Pokemon there?" May asked, sounding a bit anxious for some reason.

Gary, oblivious to the fact that May was sounding a bit worried, nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah! Lots and lots!"

"We're here!" their teacher, Ms. Kelly, announced when the bus stopped in front of a large hill. She, and a couple of parent volunteers, got all the students to arrange themselves in an orderly line as they headed up the stairs to the lab at the top of the hill.

"Why, hello there!" Professor Oak, who was waiting for them, greeted cheerily. "How nice of all of you to come!"

"It was very nice of you to invite us here, Professor Oak." Ms. Kelly said, smiling brightly.

"Hi, Grandpa!" Gary said loudly, hoping to get special attention.

"Hi Gary. Now, is everyone ready to come inside?" This was followed by a loud cheer. "Good! Now follow me."

They were all led into the lab. Many of the other workers, like the professor's assistants, were busy at work, organizing papers, getting from place to place, and carrying boxes around. Gary waved and greeted everyone he recognized to show off how much he knew everyone there to the other kids. As they walked, Drew noticed that May was sticking to the back of the line.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. Did she accidentally hurt her foot and couldn't keep up with everyone else?

"Nothing!" May answered quickly. She tried to look as happy as she usually was.

"Why are you at the back?"

"I don't know..."

"Drew, May, please stay with the class." Ms. Kelly called out. The two were falling behind. When they reached the group, they found themselves facing four men. One of them was Professor Oak, but not even Gary seemed to recognize the other three.

"I would like all of you to meet some special friends of mine." Professor Oak gestured to the other three. "They are scientists as well, and they decided to join us for today. Say hello to Professor Elm, Professor Birch, and Professor Rowan."

"Hello, everyone." The man with brown hair and glasses scanned his audience. "I am Professor Elm, as Professor Oak here already mention. I specialize in research concerning Pokemon breeding. It's all very interesting, as Pokemon and Pokemon eggs are one of the great mysteries of the Pokemon world. You'll see that there are some Pokemon that know certain moves because of their parents, and that Pokemon eggs seem to hatch at different times. Some hatch quicker than others, while some take much longer! Now, in my latest research..."

"Ahem!" The scary-looking scientist with white hair and a bushy mustache cleared his throat loudly to put a stop to Elm's rambling.

"I guess I'll go next, then!" The large professor with brown hair stepped forward. "I'm Professor Birch, and I study Pokemon habitats. Pokemon live in many different environments, so I study what kind they prefer, how they live there, and why they choose that specific area. Remember, Pokemon of the same type do not always prefer living in the same area!"

"I guess I should introduce myself now." The elderly scientist, who had interrupted Elm earlier, spoke up when Birch was finished talking. "I am Professor Rowan, and I focus on Pokemon evolution. Pokemon can evolve into something completely different from their original form. Some can gain new typing when they evolve, and some only evolve when certain conditions are met. There is even evidence that there might be a different kind of evolution. Pokemon evolution is one of the greatest mysteries of the Pokemon world, and we are constantly discovering new things about it."

"What I study," Professor Oak said, "is Pokemon and human interaction. We live in a world where there are many Pokemon, and I study how we live alongside them.

"Now, as some of you may already know, when you turn ten years old, you are allowed to pick one Pokemon partner. You can use this Pokemon to sometimes catch or battle other Pokemon, but it is mostly for protection.

"When you will reach grade five, you will start a subject called Pokemon Studies, which focuses entirely on Pokemon-related topics. In much higher grades, you can start taking Pokemon battling or coordinating classes. If you study hard, you can become a Pokemon trainer or coordinator, if you want to do one of those as a profession."

"What Pokemon do you get when you turn ten?" a little girl asked.

"Ah, I was getting to that! You usually get a choice out of three, and your options depend on where you live." Oak answered. "Would you like to meet the Pokemon?"

"YEAH!" the class chorused.

"Okay then! If I am the one presenting you with your starter, here are the options I'll give you!"

Professor Oak took out three pokeballs and let out the Pokemon in them. One was an orange lizard with a flame on its tail. The second one was on all four feet and had a big bulb on its back. The last one was a blue turtle with a hard shell.

"Say hello to Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle!"

"Squirtle's the one that becomes a Blas-toy!" Gary informed his friends knowledgeably.

"If you get a Pokemon from me, you get to choose from Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile." Professor Elm said as he let out three more Pokemon.

"From me, you can get either Treecko, Torchic, or Mudkip!" Professor Birch revealed another three.

"And finally, Turtwig, Chimchar, or Piplup from me." Professor Rowan let out the final three.

The kindergarteners gathered around, all admiring the twelve Pokemon before them.

"Do you have to pick your starter from only these ones?" Drew asked.

"Yes, of course Drew." Gary answered rolling his eyes, acting as if it were the most obvious thing the world. "I mean, what else would you pick?"

"Actually, no." Professor Oak corrected his grandson. "There are many other professors that give different starters. Or someone who turned ten might have received a different starter entirely, like if it were a gift, or a Pokemon he or she was already friends with."

"Whew, that's good!" Drew said, relieved. "Cuz I have a friend Budew that lives in my garden, and I already promised it that I would make it my partner."

"Hello there!" Professor Birch noted May, who was standing off to the side. "Don't you want to see the Pokemon?"

May nervously glanced over at the starters and shook her head. "No thank you."

"Why not?"

"She's scared of Pokemon." Paul, who was carefully observing the Turtwig, stated in a bored way.

"N-no I'm not!" May protested quickly, wondering how in the world Paul had found out. Truth was, she had entered an anti-Pokemon phase. A recent incident with some Tentacool had not helped either.

"There is no reason to be afraid!" Birch assured her. "Come on, I'll show you. These guys are really friendly!"

Holding her hand, he led her over to the Mudkip.

"This is Mudkip. Look at how cute it is!"

May crouched down to get a clear view of its face. It stared back curiously at her before smiling. "Mudkip!" May shyly smiled back. Maybe it wasn't too bad after all...

"See? Everything's fine! Now, Mudkip is a water type, so it can use moves like Water Gun attack..."

Mudkip, upon hearing its name in the same sentence as the name of a move looked startled for a second, before it let out a blast of water... right at May's face!

The poor girl jumped back, shrieking, and she ran as far as she could from it. "No! No!"

"W-wait!" Birch called out, holding the sides of his head with his hands. "That was an accident; it didn't mean it!"

"Grandpa," Gary turned to Professor Oak. "How does a small Squirtle become a huge Blas-toy?"

"That's what Professor Rowan is researching. Squirtle evolves into Wartortle, which later becomes Blastoise, all through hard training. But we are still not completely sure how or why that happens. Even with years of research, it still remains to be one of the greatest mysteries of all time."

Gary turned to Professor Rowan. He looked very old, maybe even older than his grandpa! Did he really study evolution for so long without finally understanding it?

Later, the professors led the students outside, where there were many different Pokemon of all shapes and sizes. They were only allowed to stay in certain areas, as some of the Pokemon weren't as friendly as others. May, however, absolutely refused to step outside, even in the safe zones, as she was convinced a big Pokemon would attack her.

Finally, after spending the day meeting new Pokemon, checking out the professor's lab, and learning many new facts, it was time to go. It seemed everyone had enjoyed themselves immensely, though some more than others (May only had fun when there weren't any Pokemon in the same room as her), and they were all reluctant to leave. But, alas, they couldn't stay there forever, and found themselves, once again, chattering non-stop on the bus on the way back.

So the kindergarteners meet the starter Pokemon.

In the anime, May didn't like Pokemon when she first started out, which is why she doesn't really like them right now. I imagine she'll start liking them more as time passes. Gary also becomes a bit interested in Pokemon evolution (since in the anime, he decides to become a scientist focusing on evolution). And I got Professor Rowan to hint at mega evolution (when he said there might be a different kind of evolution). I thought since the sixth generation is currently in progress, why not?

Thanks again for the suggestions! One thing I noticed was that two of them were concerning the fact that ten-year-olds go on their journey. The thing is, that in this AU, they actually don't go on their journey when they turn ten (they're too young!), but instead after they finish special Pokemon-related courses in school. Kind of like how Oak explained it in this chapter. I considered changing it so they do go on their journey when they turn ten, but then realized it's too late, because I already mentioned the higher grades, and that some people, who should have been trainers by now (Reggie, Solidad, etc), are still in school. But they still get a Pokemon partner at age ten, so I can still pull off the suggestions I got. Thanks again!

A reminder for the poll, and please review, and thanks for reading!

Bye bye for now! And have a smiling day! :)