Hello Readers! I haven't a clue why this chapter took so long, so for that I am sorry. I do, however, hope that the last chapter had a lasting effect, with some things to chew on.

Now, we are on to The first arc (woo!), the Professor Council! Hopefully, I can write with the needed bureaucracy and intelligence, however, I do think you won't find this arc too Boring. Hopefully, at least.

Thank you to ajshadow15, ActiveSleeper, Ysmir the Ice Dragon, jordansdragons, Yonfraxx, Diego Stuardo, and JC43599453 for following!

Now, without further ado, please enjoy Whirlpool Trainer - B!

~

'Today's the day,' The Mega Professor thought to himself in panic. 'Do I have everything prepared? I have a possible explanation as to the Move Interaction, as well as an example as well. All of the notes Naruto's given to me have been surprisingly helpful, but it's only gotten me so far. Yet, I think my research is good enough.' He was currently sitting at the table with Naruto, staring into nothing before he nodded to himself. 'Yeah, I got this, easy! And It'll be better than all other projects! Even better then-'

"Earth to Syca-san," Naruto muttered sleepily, waving a hand at the Professor's face. It was a new but welcome development, Naruto calling the Professor by his last name. He… didn't exactly know of the suffix, however, he hoped it was good. "How long are you going to stare at that plant? It's been, like, five minutes, ya know."

"Sorry, it's just, you know I'm nervous," The Professor answered honestly, looking at Naruto with a small smile. "Though I can say that I'm confident, I still don't know if it'll be enough. I don't know if I will perform well enough," The Professor mumbled aloud, his thoughts clouding his sight once more.

"Just have me show them how it's done! I've literally perfected this technique, there's no reason-"

"Naruto, I've told you before," The Professor sighed. "This meeting isn't about you. As much as I would like to, 'show you off,' I can't work with anybody except myself and my Pokémon. Plus, again, you… don't exist. If I were to show you off, as you say, people-"

"-Are bound to look into me, and then take me away because my living circumstances are illegal, et cetera, et cetera," Naruto pouted. "Fine, I will stay out of the meeting."

"What are the boundaries while you're out?"

"The Lumiose City limits," Naruto said boredly, yawning a little.

"Good, now one more-"

"Auuugh, come on Professor!"

"One more thing before you go," The Professor said slowly, "I want you to keep the Pokémon battles to a minimum. I know if I tell you not to battle, you would disregard my words, but please, PLEASE keep the battling to a minimum."

Naruto and Sycamore entered into a brief staring contest, their wills clashing for the briefest moments.

"... Fine," Naruto relented, his eyes lowering to the floor. "Can I at least forgo the homework?"

"No, Naruto-"

"Oh, come on! This isn't fair!"

"Naruto, Kurama is plenty strong enough without the Shadow Clone Technique."

Naruto only pouted and looked away from the Professor. "I'm at least going to get that gift by the end of the day, right?"

Who sighed and looked at the clock. "I'm… not really sure. I'm fairly certain I can answer yes, but that is not a guarantee. Either way, it's time to get ready, Naruto," The Professor muttered aloud before knocking back the rest of his coffee.

They both sat up and walked to the kitchen in a practiced routine, before Professor Sycamore washed both his and Naruto's dishes.

"I can clean the dishes myself, ya know?"

~

"Okay, you have your Pokédex?" Professor Sycamore asked, walking Naruto out of his lab.

"Yes."

"You have Kurama?"

"Check."

"You have the money I gave you?"

"Uh huh."

"You have-"

"Professor."

"Fine, fine, okay, you can go. Have a good day, Naruto!"

"Yeah, yeah, do your best, Professor!"

Professor Sycamore sighed again, feeling the small knot in his stomach grow a little more, watching Naruto dash into the distance.

"Ha! What an energetic young man!" The Professor heard a elderly voice exclaim before him.

"Aah!" The Professor let out in a startled tone, jumping back a little. "When did you get here…

"Professor Oak?!"

The old Professor grinned at Sycamore with a gleam of childish glee in his eyes. "Did I catch you off guard there?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking about my… project. Yeah, my project."

"Oh? If you don't mind me asking, what is your project about?"

~

Professor Sycamore was a… interesting young man. He was far more reserved than many other professors Oak had gotten to know. A bit more skittish around people, anxiety floating not far from the surface. His area of study, being Mega Evolution, had eluded many Professors before him, yet Professor Sycamore had thought up a few different theories on what Mega Evolution, great enough that Oak himself couldn't find a hole to poke in the theory.

However, the Professor's anxiety was far greater than before. The bags under his eyes had gotten deep, the small trembles in his hands, even the decidedly distant gaze the man always had was different now.

Plus, there was also the boy the Professor had sent off before Oak had approached him. He didn't exactly know the connection, but he knew a fatherly gaze when he saw one.

The boy and the Professor had no obvious similarities, however that didn't disprove the possible fatherly connection. Maybe like breeding Pokémon, where the Mother's genes are mostly dominant?

'Ah, focus Oak,' The Elder Professor thought to himself. 'Professor Sycamore was talking to him now. Better follow him inside!'

"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make any advances on Mega Evolution," Professor Sycamore answered, causing Professor to crease his brow. "However, I believe I've found a topic that is just as intriguing. I've dubbed the topic, "Move Interaction.'"

"Oh, how interesting! Are you talking about the interaction between Rollout and Defense Curl?"

"While that's technically an example," The Professor said, his confidence becoming more apparent to Professor Oak. "I will show just how expansive Move Interactions can be!"

"Oh, there's more than just that? I guess I'll have to see it during your presentation!"

Besides, The famous Professor had his own presentation to show as well.

'But I want to know more about this Move Interaction!' Professor Oak's thought childishly. 'Okay, we just need to be patient, Professor Sycamore will tell us all about it when it's his turn.'

Pulling out a rectangular device, which was folded over like a book, the Professor opened the device and scanned the various documents concerning Kanto Native, before shaking his head.

"Still just a prototype," Professor Oak muttered. Searching through his jacket, he pulled out a Pokèball. "Come on out, Alakazam!"

A red light is released from the ball, shooting to the ground. It began to coalesce into a spindly figure with a bulbous head. Its torso was segmented like body armor, a long spiky, tail-esk mustache nearly reaching his feet.

As the light released from the Pokèmon's body, the armor became brown while the limbs, head, and mustache became yellow. Two spoons sat in both hands of the Pokèmon, intelligent eyes sparing Professor Oak a glance before closing.

'Ah, Oak, how nice it is to see you,' Oak heard a masculine voice rang in his head. 'To what do I owe the pleasure? I don't see any battles, so I believe you have another thought in mind?' The voice queried with a little amusement.

The Professor found a chuckle exit his mouth before he answered, saying, "Oh, I can't I talk to an old friend? I am truly that negligent to you? I promise I'll be better."

'Doting does not suit you,' the voice bit back, nearly making the Professor cackle.

"Tell that to my grandkids!"

A moment of silence passed between them as both settled in for a bout of wits, before Alakazam pondered his surroundings. 'Before we continue, Oak, I don't believe I've ever been here,' Alakazam wondered.

"Ah, yes, I've only been here a couple of times, but let me welcome you to the Kalos Region. We are currently in Professor Sycamore's Lab, waiting for the Professor Council."

'Professor Sycamore? That young fool became a Professor? How times change.'

"With a monocure such as, 'the Mega Professor,' existing before he even became one, I'm surprised you think otherwise."

'I did not say that I thought he was undeserving of the title. I merely remember him as a young boy.'

"Oh yes, though I bet he doesn't remember it himself, the first time I had introduced the Technical Machine was such a wondrous occasion! The first time I remember having such a young boy approach me with such interesting questions that I hadn't given much thought to!" The elder Professor sighed. "How time passes by."

'Yet, concern sits in your heart.'

The elder Professor's sigh was more somber this time. "He seems a little… frazzled right now. Probably doesn't help that his rival is coming this time."

'Ah, yes, those two make quite the scene each time they are together. It's like a slow motion train wreck; you wish to rip your gaze away from it, but you can't help to watch each and every cart collapse onto itself, listening to the screams of those inside, like a grotesque slinky.'

Oak shivered at his Pokèmon's words, nodding at the same with a small frown. "Though true, I don't think that's the full reason. I believe he may have a son."

It was the first words that got a physical reaction out of Alakazam, even if it was only a twitch of his head. 'How… intriguing. What evidence do you have?"

"I can't say I have evidence, but… well, I'm fairly certain I know a father's gaze when I see one."

~

When Professor Sycamore next opened the door, he was greeted with a visage he had hoped would skip this council. The Professor's eyebrow twitched, a grimace apparent on his face. Tanned skin, red baseball cap, swim trunks, open-chest lab coat while lacking a shirt.

"Professor Kukui."

"Professor Sycamore."

"And good ol' Samson Oak!"

"Oak, it's good to see you," Professor Sycamore answered, narrow eye fixated on Professor Kukui. "Professor Oak is already inside my lab."

"I know! It was so rude of him to simply come here without us, I mean, we came here on the same plane!

"Oh, I know! Why don't you show me around your lab!I don't believe I've seen it after the renovations!"

"Yes, yes, please. Follow."

Sycamore forced a scowl off his face as he showed Samson Oak and Professor Kukui around his lab.

"Wow, so this is your Forrestress of Solitude? It's pretty nice, though I'm surprised you don't have any workers," Samson said in glee. He, like his cousin, was a man of science. Though old, seeing a lab where achievements he didn't even think to be possible were achieved was simply incredible!

"Yes," Professor Sycamore murmured, looking at Professor Kukui. "I'm surprised as well."

The Professor in question only sighed, saying, "Must we always do this song and dance?"

"Oh, you think this is a dance-"

"Okay! That's good on the tour, anyways, why don't we focus on our projects, huh?"

"Fine./Fine." Both professors quipped.

Samson Oak only sighed. "Jeez, you two are gonna send me to an early grave. It's Overqwil at this point."

Without acknowledging the other, both agitated Professor turned and walked, making Samson Oak sigh. He… couldn't really blame the two. It was a horrible thing that happened between them, Samson couldn't deny that. However, if they could just get along, even for just an hour, it would make a word of difference. Imagine the discoveries the combined research of Mega Evolution and Z-Moves could bring!

~

It was official. Sycamore needed a drink. Seeing that man walk into his workplace had left a sour taste in his mouth, one he desperately needed to wash out, lest his loose mouth and mind lead him to regret.

That man only stirred bitter memories. Oh, but that didn't matter at the moment. 'Ignore his existence for now,' The Professor thought with a frown, pouring himself a little wine from his mini-bar. 'You need to do well. For yourself, for Naruto.'

Sycamore let loose a small, quiet snort, eyes softening at the thought of the boy. 'I wonder what he's doing now?' Sycamore thought with slight amusement, before he remembered the… rather volatile nature the boy could have. 'He's probably- no, definitely- battling,' Sycamore thought with a chuckle. 'That, I have no doubt.'

"Oh," Sycamore heard an elderly voice call, making him jump while he began to choke on the wine he had unfortunately begun to sip.

Much to his embarrassment, Sycamore looked over to find a chuckle Professor Oak, an Alakazam following diligently. "Having trouble drinking? Though, I don't think you should drink before a presentation."

"Just trying to take the edge off of everything, I won't have too much."

"Ha!" Oak barked a single laugh. "I've heard that one before, though each time a person says it, they never follow it."

"Looks like I'll have to be the first."

"Yes, well, the other professors are arriving," Oak sighed out. "Are you going to go greet them?"

"In a bit," Sycamore answered, taking a tiny sip of the wine. "It's always difficult with him around."

"I can… understand that," Professor Oak sighed, a bit of his stern side coming out. "Sycamore, this isn't my place to tell you, but you can't continue on like this."

"Mmm."

"That's all I'm going to say. I know you've heard it all before, but please. The only person hurting is yourself."

"I hear you," Sycamore answered, not bothering to look at the older man.

"I know you hear me, but you don't understand, do you?"

"..."

Professor Oak sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. "Professor Magnolia would like to speak to you beforehand. If you can, do not keep her waiting."

With his last words, Professor Oak left to convene with the other Professors, leaving a stunned and nervous Sycamore behind.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me," Sycamore groaned out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Maybe I should just join Naruto on his little adventure. Just for today."

~

A.N. Okay, and that is the first chapter of this arc done! I believe establishing the relationships between the professors, while not too interesting, gives us a foundation for this story to continue. Now, the next chapter will be about Naruto's adventure into Lumiose City! Then, I can hopefully alternate well enough between Sycamore's and Naruto's POV.

Now, none of the given relations are canon in any way, shape, or form. Realistically, Professor Sycamore and Kukui would be good friends, but that's not interesting in a story, is it?

Anyways, thank you for reading, and Untol next Time!