Clyde and Lucas enjoy the beach for a while longer before eventually deciding to return to town and grab some food. Given both Pokémon are rather snail-like on land, they recall them to their Pokéballs. In terms of restaurant choice, Lucas opts to find somewhere Pokémon friendly so that Turtwig can eat as well. Given the number of oysters Oshawott had during their brief time in the water, Clyde figures they'll be good on food for a while.

Despite being a relatively small and unassuming town, there is a diner of sorts. It's relatively hidden in a small grove of trees with only a single small sign advertising the place. Despite the name 'Dairy Freez' they happen to sell a variety of fast food. The building itself is almost reminiscent of a food truck with only outdoor dining available. Though there is a small pavilion. 'Probably for the winter months.' Clyde rationalizes.

Unlike the beach, this place had much more attention paid to it as several small groups of people and Pokémon were scattered about the picnic tables enjoying their food. A Shinx, a Buneary, a Chansey and even a Lucario who seems to be enjoying a milkshake.

The pair of potential trainers made their way up to the order window. The food was fairly similar overall only with different names. Chilly Tepig Dog, Loaded Pika Fries, a Lucario milkshake amongst others.

Clyde grabs an order of fries, while Lucas chooses two chilly cheese dogs, one of which he passes to Turtwig who he frees from containment. Likewise, Clyde liberates Oshawott who climbs onto a nearby picnic table where the other three proceed to sit.

As three of them sit down to eat, Lucas idly narrates his thoughts about Turtwig including such gems as "I wonder if I even need to recall him into a Pokéball, since he has a turtle shell and can hide in there." And "Do you think when he evolves, we can grow berry bushes on his back? We'd have a walking snack machine!"

Clyde sighs, and while largely quiet, does ask a question. "Don't kids normally get their first Pokémon at a young age? Why'd you get yours so late? And heck, how old even are you?"

Lucas focuses on Turtwig. "It's… a long story. Nothing like, catastrophically bad or anything. Just." He sighs. "Sad and embarrassing." A small smile forces its way up. "But this time will be different! I can feel it in my bones!" He coughs. "And I'm 19, for your information."

'Huh.' Clyde thinks. 'That's… Honestly surprising. Doesn't fit the mould of what I'd expect of a nineteen-year-old to be. And cryptic.' With a nod, "Well hopefully you'll enjoy having a Turtwig of your very own."

"Absolutely!" He nearly shouts. "How about you though? You seem around 20-ish or something, why didn't you have a Pokémon before now?"

Sharp inhalation. 'That's a hard to answer question.' Slow exhale. "Uh, had to leave mine with a friend back home. Part of the condition about visiting here, I guess."

Lucas' eyes narrow. "That's a really weird condition. But okay! It means we get to train our Pokémon up together! What did you have before?"

"A… Magikarp?" 'I mean, I did have a goldfish growing up.'

Lucas reacts with abject horror. "A Magikarp?! Really? Ba-Clyde, come on man!"

"What can I say? They were mine and I was happy. Lead to me wanting to have more. Just never could. Who knows? Maybe this'll be my big break."

Lucas nods. "It will be! I can also feel that in my bones!"

"Maybe you should get that checked out by a doctor, you probably shouldn't be feeling things in your bones." Clyde raises an eyebrow towards his associate.

They in turn respond by sticking out their tongue before continuing to eat food which the pair eventually finish, Turtwig particularly enjoying a chili dog. Despite achieving their goal, the four remain, enjoying the scenery a bit while discussing benign topics.

Oshawott primarily focuses on taking in all their surroundings. They take particular interest in a nearby Psyduck while fiddling with their shell. 'Do otters have a thing against ducks? Or is it fascination?'

Eventually though, all things must come to an end and they pack up their brief lunch, recall their Pokémon, and depart. The two would-be trainers heading back towards the lab they met the Professor at before.


Once they make their way through town once more, crossing the neat streets, they find themselves in front of the alleged lab. Looking over it all, it looks remarkably unassuming, easily mistakable for a large house. Yet apparently this is the residence and workplace of a Pokémon professor.

As they share a silent moment looking at the building, Lucas eventually breaks the feeling of zen. "Well? Should we head in?"

Clyde nods. "No time like the present, I guess."

With a collective sigh, they walk forward. Clyde makes it to the door first and opens it for his associate. Lucas bows, giving a "Thanks you!" before walking in. Clyde follows suit. 'Best he does not collide with the door again.'

The lab itself seemed significantly larger on the inside than the relatively modest interior would suggest. Within, the Professor oversaw the unpacking and distribution of boxes and supplies. Various large pieces of equipment in various states of construction and unpacking were strewn about, being worked on by numerous individuals in white lab coats.

The sight was a marvel, such chaos and disorder yet everyone worked as a single harmonious unit.

"No, no. We're putting the sequencer next to the incubator; do you really think constantly having to shuffle eggs around the room is going to be convenient and without risk?" The professor stated to one of the assistants who quickly apologized and moved to correct their folly.

As the door behind the pair of aspiring trainers closed, the old man turned towards them. "Ah, fantastic. I regret not asking for your assistance before, but since you're here now, could you please provide some? Dawn has already got her hands full and I can only oversee so much." He motions towards the corner where a single assistant is struggling to unpack a particularly large machine. "He's too prideful to ask for help, but please help before he fumbles something."

"You got it, prof!" Lucas nearly shouts with enthusiasm before rushing forward to help. Clyde gives a reluctant nod as he follows suit. 'Well, I did get an Oshawott out of this so, little things? What's a little manual labour between acquaintances. Thankful I ate before coming in here.'

Wasting little time, the pair set to work helping setup the unique device located in a large cardboard box.

Talking with the assistant unpacking the device, turns out it's a DNA Sequencer. 'Seems kind of small, and also are we certified to be working on this?! I play with fish, not maintenance expensive ass equipment.'

Despite his concerns, he does not voice his apprehension and instead simply goes along with the activities. Yuzo, the assistant Clyde and Lucas were helping, was very nice about everything, albeit embarrassed about needing help at all.

"Honestly, don't tell Rowan, but thank you for the help. This would have taken me forever to do alone, and I wouldn't have wanted to keep him waiting." The aide talks while they work, answering the occasional inquiry the pair might have.

Clyde finally asks a question, wishing to satisfy his curiosity. "Why does the Professor have a… DNA Sequencer, anyways?"

"Oh, quite simple honestly. See, Rowan studies Pokémon evolution and one of the paths he's looking into are genetic factors. It's been… a mixed bag, so far. I won't get into it, but it's a big ol' problem." The assistant calibrates the device. "If you'd like, I can show you how it works. While we focus on Pokémon, we usually use a human to calibrate it. Serves as a great baseline. Care to volunteer yourself as a Tepig?"

With a grimace, 'You know, I distinctly remember being told to never give your genetic information to anyone ever. Same with fingerprints.' He mulls over the implications. 'But hey, this is a temporary arrangement. Live a little.' With a newfound confidence, "Sure think, doc. Maybe you can tell me if I'm actually a brunette underneath all this blonde."

He chuckles as he requests a hand for a prick of blood. Clyde obliges and before they know it, the machine hums to life. Lucas' attention is captivated for a few moments before nothing actually happens outside of the hum. "Wait, is that it? There's no like, super cool progress of it working or anything?"

Yuzo shakes his head. "Nope! It'll be done in five to ten minutes, then we can see the results."

"Huh. Well I'm going to go look at some of the other things, then." Lucas gives a nod to the others. "I'll be back! Eventually." Then he departs.

Clyde and the assistant talk idly about some of the research, wherein Clyde mentions his interest in marine biology and his study of aquatic life. Yuzo directs him to Pastoria City, where Crasher Wake resides, the regions Water Specialist. 'Well, probably won't make it out there but I appreciate it none-the-less.'

After seven and a half minutes, the sequencer dings and displays results, printing them in the process. "Ah!" The aide exclaims. "All done, now let's take a looksie." A few seconds of scanning, "You're not from Sinnoh, are you? Or at least, your parents aren't."

Clyde stifles surprise. "You're right about that, I'm not. Surprising, figured there wouldn't be enough differences to tell." He scolds himself. 'Should have paid more attention to genetics class, dummy.'

"Oh, there's plenty. We can usually pinpoint the region, sometimes even the city. Where abouts are you from then? If I may ask, we don't have many lines outside of Sinnoh and Kanto."

The blonde alleged trainer gulps. 'New York was Unova, right? That's close enough. I'm neither Hawaiian, nor British.' After a slight cough to buy himself time, "Uh, Unova. Vacationing here, y'see."

The assistant nods. "Fascinating, well I appreciate you volunteering. We have a better sample set to work with now and can more effectively help Pokémon!" He gives it one more once over before moving to set it down.

Before completing the action, he looks at it more intently. 'Bodes well.' Clyde thinks.

"Huh. You don't have the psychic gene. Truly fascinating. Well you're in your twenties by my estimate. If you haven't noticed up until now, I wouldn't worry too much about it." He coughs into his free hand.

"Just not something I've found before in humans. Or not found, I guess." Yuzo shrugs before setting down the sheet for good. "Unova is an interesting place in more ways than one I suppose. Anyways, now that this is all done, as a thanks, want me to run an analysis on one of your Pokémon?"

'I'm sorry are we just ignoring the whole- you know what, sure. I guess. Of everything that's happened today, this is probably ranking low on the list.' Giving a nod, "Sure I won't turn down free information to help my Oshawott."

The aide's eyes go wide. "Oh, you got the Oshawott. Very interesting indeed. What are the odds a Unovan would get a starter native to their own region in Sinnoh?"

With a shrug, "Fifty fifty. Either I would, or I wouldn't."

This elicits a laugh from his audience. "Fair, well, shall we see the little blue otter?"

Producing the Pokéball and giving it a click, Oshawott is once again freed from their containment.

"Such a cute little Pokémon. Right, you'll feel a prick but it should only hurt for a second. Then we'll make sure you're all good and healthy!" Extending a hand to the small otter, Oshawott lends its hand. With a small prick and a drop of blood, the machine quickly sets to work once again.

"With this baby, we'll have all the information one could dream about from you Pokémon. Even going so far as to have estimates on battle potential and individual performance! We live in incredible times, my friend. Truly marvelous." He slaps the top of the machine, still humming away in its work.

Clyde kneels to their Pokémon, offering them their own hand. Oshawott accepts it and holds a couple of his fingers in both hands. "Speaking of," he looks up towards Yuzo, "is there any way to identify the sex of Oshawott? Never learned how to myself."

The assistant nods. "There is, but we're already aware. They're female, as requested." He quickly appends his statement, "Not by you though, no. By uh, the Professor. Wanted a female Oshawott. Couldn't tell you why."

Glancing downward and giving a gentle squeeze of one of Oshawotts hands, "Huh, well at least I know which direction to lead for a name. Though I could always go for something ambiguous, like Mackenzie."

A few minutes following, the machine dings once more and information is displayed and printed. Stealing a glace before the aide can grab it shows it significantly more detailed than his own.

"Uh huh, mhm. Well well, above average in all regards with a perfect potential for special attacks. Quite the Pokémon you've got there, if you pursue the battling arts, no doubt you'll excel." He flips over the page. "Mother was an Samurott, father was a Vaporeon. Hell of a combination. Not that it really matters, but some people like to know. Elitism and all that."

Clyde frowns at the suggestions. "People really care about Pokémon… Pedigree? Seems a bit absurd."

Yuzo sighs, "Yeah. They insist that 'pureblood' Pokémon are stronger and in general better. Far as I know, there's no research that directly supports that and only anecdotal evidence exists. But that's not my area of expertise so I may be mistaken."

"Well, I'm happy with them regardless of their ancestry." Another gentle squeeze. "Still can't believe it." The three sit in comfortable silence for a short while.

"In any case," The assistant speaks, "I should let Rowan know. Thanks again for the help, hopefully he'll have a chance to sort out any questions you may have. Not sure if we've unpacked the Pokédex yet for you and your friend."

The blonde holder of Oshawott hands lets out a long "Huh." He tilts his head in mild confusion. "Did you say a Pokédex?"

His compatriot's eyes go wide. "O-oh, I figured he would have told you. Well I'm going to go now before I accidently reveal more information to you that you're not supposed to know yet okay byyeeee." With a quick turn he shouts "PROFESSOR" and almost sprints off.

Clyde remains by the sequencer and hangs out with Oshawott, idly musing name-related puns for otters.

He fails horribly.

Despite his failed attempts, it holds his attention long enough for the Professor to make his way over.

"Ah, set up and calibrated, fantastic. Hope you're happy with the results, though it shouldn't be too surprising overall. Oshawott is a great Pokémon. Now, I heard mention of a Pokédex?" The Professor's maintains a steely gaze as he watches Clyde as a hawk might a rabbit.

With a gulp, Clyde speaks. "Yeah, Yuzo mentioned something about a Pokédex and I'm just a little bit surprised and confused."

The old man nods. "It was meant to be this surprising revelation for both you and Lucas. Alas." He sighs. "But yes, you will be receiving a Pokédex and shall be assisting in the identification of Pokémon across Sinnoh."

Clyde facepalms. "Prof, I don't even know how long I'm going to be here for. I ended up here basically on a whim. I can't-"

"Bah." The Professor interrupts, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm confident you'll be around a while yet. Besides, you strike me as the more tempered one of the pair. Which is a necessity." He looks around the room before returning his gaze. "In any case, should you have to depart back to… Unova? Just return the Pokédex, would be appreciated."

Giving a resigned sigh, "Sure thing, I suppose. It'd be silly to pass up an opportunity such as this anyways."

"Fantastic!" The Professor rumbles. "I had my apprehension about you Barry, but I'm glad I ended up taking Dawn's advice."

The blonde soon-to-be-trainer inhales sharply. "Yeah, uh. Lucas had that same thing. My name is Clyde, Barry's alleged identical twin brother."

This causes Professor Rowan to blink in surprise. "Is that so? I wasn't aware he had one."

As he finishes speaking, Lucas appears. 'Speak of the devil.' Clyde muses.

"Neither did I, Prof!" Lucas interjects. "Guess he's still on vacation over in Alola."

The Professor harumphs. "He'll miss the league at this rate. In any case, Clyde you said? You'll do well as a replacement. Oshawott likes you after all. Though, do you have a passing knowledge of aquatic Pokémon?"

Clyde shrugs. "I mean, I went to school to study marine biology, so I should hope I know a bit."

The old man nods. "Ah, fantastic. Then it shouldn't be a problem for you to take care of them. They can be a handful to the uninitiated. Suppose that means Barry, whenever he gets back, will get a Tepig." He strokes his mustache in thought. "Though, I question whether it's ethical to give him a flaming pig Pokémon."

Lucas chuckles. "He's not that bad, prof! He'll be as responsible as I am!"

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of." He mutters.

"Anyways thanks again for the Pokémon!" Lucas' eyes glisten. "So this means we're real trainers now, right? Clyde wanted to know before we battled!"

The Professor nods as he looks towards the enthusiastic trainer. "Well, you'll have to go to the Pokécenter to make it official. Otherwise, yes. While you're out exploring the world and training your Pokémon, you'll also help me with my studies. Soon as we find the damned things."

Lucas hops with giddiness. "Yes! Perfect! C'mon, Clyde! We're heading outside for a battle right now!"

Clyde lets out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Is it fine if we battle? It's not going to like, give Oshawott any long-lasting emotional damage?"

"It shouldn't, no. Though any injuries sustained should be looked at by a Joy, just in case." He waves his hand towards the wall, vaguely in the direction of the town center. "Wouldn't want anything untended to fester. Though I hope you two will be responsible, yes?"

"Absolutely!" Shouts Lucas. "Now let's go! I've waited years for this moment!"

"Alright alright." Clyde reassures to his battle happy co-trainer. "Do we just talk to someone at the Pokécenter or do we have to hand over forms or something? Might as well go there afterwards, two birds one stone." Clyde stands up and recalls his Oshawott as he speaks. They disappear in a bright flash of light.

The Professor quickly looks around the room once more. "Ah, hm. Where did I…" His eyes linger on a table, "I think they're there. Come along, you two." With a confident stride, he crosses the room and approaches a table with a series of papers jumbled on its surface. Riffling through the pages, he produces a pair. "Aha, here they are. Brilliant. Right." He offers a page to each of the newly-appointed trainers. "Here are your documents. I filled out my part, fill in the rest of your information and hand it in to the Ombudsman upstairs in the Pokécenter."

Clyde accepts the page. "You have an Ombudsman for trainers? And they're the person we go to about…" He reads the title of the page. "The 'Sinnoh Trainer Pokémon League Registration'? Don't they investigate against like, governmental overreach?"

The Professor shrugs. "It's a small town. One person wears multiple hats. He uh… What was his name." He snaps his fingers numerous time. "Galarian fellow, nice gentleman. Well spoken and knowledgeable. If only I could remember it…" His eyes narrow with a gaze into the middle distance. "It'll come to me eventually. In any case, yes, hand over the forms to him, he'll get it all sorted out."

"Alright, well, hopefully it's problem free. Bureaucracy can be a blessing and a curse." His eyes float to Lucas. "Want to get that battle out of the way then? "

Lucas' sparkles in delight. "Heck yeah! I do! Let's go let's go let's go!" He shouts as he turns and sprints outside.

"I feel like this is a mistake, but also, it is kind of exciting. Being part of an actual Pokémon battle." A shiver of excitement ripples through the blonde now-trainer. "Suppose there's no sense in waiting, battle awaits."


The fresh late afternoon air marked a significant contrast against the stuffy interior of the lab. 'They need to turn on the AC or something, get some air flow going.' He looks to the road and spots an enthusiastic Lucas and Turtwig. Lucas is once again bounding with energy while Turtwig simply exists in a transient state between asleep and awake. Clyde takes the few steps needed to enter the road and looks towards his soon-to-be opponent. "Are we just like, going to duke it out here? Isn't that dangerous?"

Lucas shakes his head. "Nope! Not for us at least, we have new Pokémon! They're not going to be firing off any Hyper Beams or Flamethrowers anytime soon." He looks towards Turtwig. "Or ever, actually. Would be weird for him to have Flamethrower. Anyways!" With an accusatory point. "Clyde Last-Name-I-Don't-Know- wait, what even is Barry's last name? Whatever! I hereby challenge you to a Pokémon battle! Draw your Pokéball and prepare for battle!"

Producing a Pokéball from his pocket, he clicks it and from it Oshawott erupts. Their eyes meet as Oshawott looks towards her trainer expectantly. "Alright little otter, ready for a battle? A real one this time, not just scaring off some birds."

Oshawott gives a nod before looking towards her opponent. Turtwig looks to her sleepily.

"No time like the present. I accept your challenge? I guess? I don't know I'm not familiar with etiquette." Clyde shuffles back a few steps, leaving room between himself and his Pokémon.

"Okay!" Lucas responds with a shout. "We start on three! One… Two… Three! Turtwig, use Tackle!"

"Oshawott, tackle him back." Clyde states calmly and quietly, attempting to disconnect himself from the looming emotional turmoil. "Just keep tackling."

The two Pokémon lunge towards one another, colliding violently in the center of the impromptu arena. Oshawott hits the turtle in the head with a blow before the rest of the turtle's mass and shell strikes the otter in return. They each rebound off one another, landing a meter apart.

"Oh geez, Turtwig, Withdraw! Don't let them hit you again!" On command, the turtle pops into it's shell, minimizing exposed areas and hiding itself under the hard protective carapace it calls home.

"Oshawott, again. Use your shell and crack him." The ottermon lunges forward once more, heading straight for Turtwig. As it moves, it produces the shell it keeps on their abdomen and strikes at the reptile with the entire weight of the otter focused onto the shell's edge. The shells crack under the strain, and Turtwig lets out a reptilian screech. "Keep using your shell, treat him like an oyster." Clyde continues as he watches the situation unfold.

Lucas grimaces as he looks towards Turtwig. "Don't let 'em get away with that! Tackle them again!"

The turtlemon pops out of his shell as quickly as he retreated into it before and throws himself towards Oshawott. The otter side steps, and the pair stare down each other once more. "Again!" Both trainers order, one a concerned shout, one a statement of fact. Much as they did before, the two launch towards the other. Less than a second later, they collide.

Oshawott strikes them in the head, Turtwig's momentum collides with the otter, and they both are thrown back.

After a few tense seconds, Oshawott stands once more albeit with some difficulty. Their shell is shattered and scattered across the roadway. They roll their shoulders as they're carrying a look of defiance, leveling their gaze to their prey.

Turtwig remains unmoving, shell cracked and leaking blood which slowly pools beneath them, soaking into the dirt in which he rests.

"What's going on here? What, I lost?!" Lucas shouts as he produces a Pokéball. "What do you mean I lost?! Well, that's it! That's the last time I'll ever lose!" With a click of the ball, Turtwig disappears. "Good battle though, man! Your Oshawott is a force!"

Clyde takes a few steps forward until he's standing by Oshawott. "Oshawott is as Oshawott does. They're merely an otter who had a favourable fight. This time, at least." Kneeling, he moves a hand to rub the head of the little blue otter. 'I hope they're okay, and not too hurt.' They swat away the hand reactively before reaching towards it with both paws, catching and pulling it onto their head. "Though Turtwig did fairly well, hiding in their shell would have definitely been a problem for most other Pokémon."

Lucas nods with a smile. "And next time, he'll do even better! But first, we have to go to the Pokécenter. Make sure he gets the treatment he needs. Hopefully it isn't too bad!" He looks behind him, and with a wave towards Clyde. "Come on! It's right over here. Opposite the Pokémart!"

With a ruffle of Oshawott's fur, "What do you say? Let's get you good and healed up. Which means, Pokéball, walking, or carried?"

Oshawott, happy with the attention, tilts their head inquisitively.

After a few moments, they point towards their trainer's pocket.

"Alrighty, ball it is. Maybe some day you can be carried. Or not, whatever is comfortable." Producing a Pokéball, Oshawott soon vanishes into the small red and white orb. "Alright, shall we then?"

"Absolutely!" Shouts Lucas.

As Lucas walks, Clyde looks to the lab. In the window, he spots the Professor watching over the two of them. 'Spooky.' He thinks as the pair set off, Pokémon in hand, towards a Pokécenter.


Crossing the town once again, for the third time today, they reach a large establishment with an orange roof. There are no identifying features beyond the bright orange colour and Pokéball logo, a stark contrast to the Pokémart they saw prior.

"Well, this is the place! Let's go, Clyde!" Lucas jogs to the door and carefully examines it, pulling first on the doorhandle to not response before pushing the door open. "Of course, this one is a push door." He mutters, entering the establishment. Clyde follows suit.

The inside was similarly sterile with very little going on inside. Directly ahead was a reception counter with a pink haired Nurse Joy. To the left, an escalator up. To the right, one down. The room itself held a few chairs surrounding a table, a sofa, and a few vending machines flanked by small trees.

"Good evening!" A feminine voice greeted. "Can we do anything for you this fine day?"

"Yes, please! Our Pokémon need treatment!" Lucas marches confidently up to the counter before him and presents a Pokéball. Reluctantly, Clyde once again follows.

"Of course! Are you both registered trainers?" She asks as she accepts the ball presented to her.

"Uuh, not yet, no. But we have the paperwork for it! We have to go talk to the ombre man!" Lucas leans against the counter nonchalantly.

Clyde sighs. "It's Ombudsman. But yes, we have the forms, just need to talk to him and get it all sorted out." He too presents his Pokéball to the nurse. "How long will it take to treat Oshawott?"

The nurse nods. "Once you get registered, please let me note that you used our services. And that entirely depends upon how severe of treatment they require. If you wish to wait, I should have a preliminary estimate in a few minutes ideally. Until then, as you are unregistered, please fill out these forms." She presents two clipboards to the pair of soon-to-be-certified trainers.

Lucas groans as he accepts his while Clyde does so silently. 'Always comes back to paperwork.'

The two fill out the papers, not without some minor complaints. Clyde struggles as he lacks any residence, ID, and contact information.

He ends up copying Lucas' sheet.

As any upstanding citizen would.

Once complete, they return them to the counter and a few minutes following, Nurse Joy returns and looks towards the blonde trainer. "Alright! Oshawott will be discharged in a couple hours. Minor bruising and a cursory glance found no fractures. Though they're missing their shell. That will take a while to correct."

Turning to Lucas, "As for Turtwig, we're looking at at least a day admitted, possibly longer depending on how well they take to their treatment. Their shell is cracked in three places and shattered in one. The cracks should be a simple fix, but the shatter will require more intensive treatment. It seems to be surface level, thankfully, but we'll have to watch to ensure that it heals cleanly and without infection."

Lucas' eyes fall to the ground. "Oh. Okay."

She gives a small look of sadness. "When he is released, it will still be a while as his shell heals. Such injuries cannot be taken lightly. A week, maybe more."

'Wow, Oshawott did that? I wasn't expecting her to do that much. It's borderline brutal.' He looks towards his associate. 'Can't say it wasn't effective, though. Maybe I should take notes on that.' Taking a short breath, "Well, we can always wait here for them. I'll keep you company if you want it."

Lucas nods. "Yeah, probably. I don't know if I want to walk home without him. What with the Starly earlier. Hate sleeping in Pokécenters. Though at least we'll get the trainer accommodations, now. Once we deal with the whole…" He waves his hands absently. "Thing."

"No sense in delaying it, let's get that sorted then." Clyde looks towards the nurse. "Where can we find the person we talk to about our trainer paperwork?"

"Oh, just up the stairs! Only office in use. He'll help you out!" Nurse Joy points towards the escalator.

Clyde motions towards the escalator. "Shall we, then?"

"Yeah." Lucas mutters.

Clyde leads the way with a sullen Lucas following behind. They escalate to the second floor, locate the only labelled office present, knock on the door, and are greeted with a British voice that states "Come in!"

With a twist of the door nob, the pair press into a small office. "Good evening, fortunate timing, I'm about to head out for the night. What can I do for you lot this evening?"

"We're here to register for the Sinnoh League and become licensed Pokémon trainers. I think. I really don't know what these forms the Professor gave will do for us." Clyde presents the form he was handed by the Professor.

"Ah, good. A quick problem. Right, is all the information on the forms accurate?" He inquires, accepting the page and reading over it.

Clyde blinks. "Uh, I don't actually know. I think this form is for my alleged twin-brother Barry. Name's Clyde, I'm from Unova, vacation. Don't really have a permanent residence as it stands."

The bureaucrat returns a blink. "That's… Quite a lot. Alright, Clyde then. Last name?"

"Foster. Clyde Foster." He ponders what a good alias would have been.

"Delightful, and you mentioned a professor? Professor Rowan I assume?" He asks, typing something into a small computer. Clyde nods. "Perfect, I'll just use his residence as yours. Anything you get mailed will in his hands, you'll have to collect it. And I assume you'll be one of his students?"

Lucas speaks up from his previous silence, still quiet as ever. "Yeah, we are."

"Aaaaalright, I'll get a temporary ID printed, and should hopefully be able to get an official one tomorrow. And for you?" He turns to Lucas.

Lucas hands over the form and runs through a similar line of questioning. A couple minutes later, and the pair depart with their brand-new temporary Trainer Cards. Before leaving Clyde asked the man his name. "Bartholomew" Was the response. 'Will have to remember that for the prof.'

Descending the escalator, they visit Nurse Joy and present their new Trainer Cards. She accepts them and processes the information. "Great! You'll be able to access any and all health information related to your Pokémon at any Pokécenter using your Trainer Card. If you would like to wait a moment, Mr. Foster, I'll grab your Oshawott." She turns and departs deeper into the clinic.

Lucas watches her as she leaves and sighs. "I hope Twiggy is okay."

Clyde gives a gentle pat on the shoulder. "He will be. He's tough, he'll be out tomorrow."

Lucas nods, remaining silent as they wait for Nurse Joy to return.

She soon does and presents a Pokéball to Clyde who accepts it. "Light bruising, don't overexert and she'll be right as rain."

With a bow, Clyde asks. "Where might we find these… trainer rooms? To sleep? And how much do they cost?"

Nurse Joy chuckles. "It's free for trainers, and just downstairs down the escalator."

Clyde feels his cheeks flush. "Oh. Well thank you. Do you want to check it out, Lucas? Or is there something you'd rather do?"

Lucas shakes his head. "I'm good. Let's head down and wind down. Sooner we sleep, sooner I can get Turtwig back."

They descend the escalator and approach the first door. A lock shows "Unoccupied" above the door handle. Opening shows a barebones room with two beds and minimal amenities. Not high class living, but better than sleeping outdoors.

The pair wordlessly settle down, Clyde keeps Oshawott in her ball to spare Lucas the potential pain, and they each settle into their own bed. Lucas looks at his Pokégear while Clyde gets ready for bed. 'It was already late when I ended up here, I'm sleeping in. Probably will head back tomorrow. Wouldn't want to give Mark too big a scare of being turned into a cat.'

Almost as quickly as his head hits his pillow does he fall into a deep slumber, dreams replaying the wild events of the day.

'I hope Lucas and Turtwig will be okay.' His last thought echoes as he slips into rest.