"I've had it up to here with you!" Screamed professor Rowan, rays of light projecting through the jagged hole in the ceiling.
"Hey look, it could have been worse." Said Alexander, staring anywhere but the professor. Echo stood off to the side, flinching as he watched falling chunks of concrete crumble as they crashed into the floor.
"Oh it could have: Your stupid bird's boomburst almost destroyed part of the terrarium!" The Sound Wave Pokémon's whimper went unheard as their argument continued.
Emilia sighed, slamming her notepad into her forehead. "Is this a common occurrence?" Asked Andrew, sitting on a pile of concrete, petting Aluette, who purred from the affection. Ursaluna sat off to the side, with a saddened expression. The green monkey walked up to the Peat Pokémon and started playing on his back. The Chimp Pokémon was eventually joined by a blue, bipedal, alligator-like cub. Red scutes ran along the Pokémon's back, with a beige stripe going across its torso. The Chimp's and Big Jaw Pokémon's orange and green eyes respectively, glinted with enthusiasm as they joyously shouted their distinct cries. Ursaluna seemed amply content with the other Pokémon's playfulness, expressing no fear for his much larger stature, nor (in his eyes) hostile appearance.
"The crumbling state of the building or their bickering?"
The pattering waves resound in the young man's ears as he inspects his surroundings, "Maybe I don't want to know, actually."
The woman gave a light chuckle, "Far more than what's necessary." She started scribbling in her notepad as Aipom made its way towards them.
"Welcome to our club! We just refurbished it." A slab of concrete slammed into the floor just a few meters away. "Ah, another delivery! Apologies, you're gonna have to speak with the administration team." He pointed towards Emilia as he continued petting Aluette.
"A permit for entry will cost you sixtynine, ninetynine." She continued to scribble on her notepad. "Please sign this paper if you're willing to waste your expenses and accept our terms of service." She turned her notepad, revealing a poorly drawn Alexander. At the top of the drawing read: 'Worst champion of our time!' The monkey scribbled its name at the bottom of the paper without a second thought. "Thank you for contributing to our cause. Have yourself a seat at one of the uncomfortable piles of concrete."
"The league will sort it out, don't you worry." Said Alexander, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.
"Oh I'm sure they'd be able to replace my residence, that doesn't concern me! What does concern me is that there's still a few days left of starter selection, and my equipment is currently a pile of broken scraps on the damned fucking floor!"
"I'm certain that they'll have it all in working order in no time."
"This equipment was meticulously put together by some of the greatest minds of our time! This isn't stuff that's accessible locally! Some of the components were derived from the torned skin of my bloodied hands!"
"Can't you just ask some of the other professor's for help? Surely they'd help you if you just asked."
"You're right, they would. However, none in this region are proficient with this sort of equipment. The only person competent enough that's currently accessible is professor Sycamore. And it'd take him at least five days to organize a trip to our region!" The professor's peremptory tone caused the champion to shuffle back a few steps.
"You could surely just go a few days without such equipment."
"It's imperative to my research! I won't make any progress without it!" He objected, ascending the stairs leading to his research facility.
"Where are you going?" Asked Alexander.
"I'm gonna pick out the few scraps that are still functional."
"Hold on!" Their bickering continued as they passed a corner.
Emilia followed shortly after, intent on seizing their conflict herself.
A black car parked outside the impaired structure. "Are you sure this is the right place, professor?" Asked a young woman, blond hair flowing down to her waist. Her pale skin shone against the bright sunshine as her gray eyes inspected the ragged structure.
"A bit debilitated it seems, but no doubt the right place." Said the man behind the wheel, black hair flowing in weaving directions, sideburns transitioning into light stubble on his jaw. Light-blue eyes observed the deteriorated building as he exited the car. A white lab coat draped down to his knees, sleeves pulled up to his elbows, revealing his pale-skinned arms. Around his wrist was a black bracelet, adorned with a blue and yellow, spherical stone, with a shape resembling that of DNA in the center of it. Beneath the coat he wore a blue button-up; lower down his black blazer pants were held up by a yellow belt, brown shoes keeping him a few centimeters taller than average.
The young woman exited the car as well, wearing a black blouse, light-brown jeans and white shoes. Around her wrist was a white bracelet, adorned with an identical spherical stone as the man's.
The professor took immediate notice of the Peat Pokémon, having both the Chimp and Big Jaw Pokémon glide down his back. "Is my mind playing tricks on me, or is that actually an Ursaluna?" Disbelief plagued his mind as he paced ahead of the young woman.
"An Ursa-what? Hey, hold on!"
Aipom had joined the monkey and crocodile-like Pokémon quite a while back, skittishly playing around the large frame of Ursaluna. The Peat Pokémon was immensely satisfied with this outcome, either lying, sitting, or standing to allow the smaller Pokémon to have fun as they wished.
The purple monkey slipped as it hopped back onto Ursaluna's back, "Aipom!" It shouted, grasping the Peat Pokémon's gray fur with its fingerless hands.
"Grookey!" Said the Chimp Pokémon between laughs, adopting a mocking stance, perched high on the bear-like Pokémon's back.
Aipom scrunched its forehead, jumping back up as it slapped Grookey twice with its hand-like tail, laughing itself as the other monkey crashed into the ground.
Their fervorous conflict did not go unnoticed by the Peat Pokémon though, who summoned musical notes of a wide array of colors to quell their escapades. The melody deafened their urge for a fight, renewing a will within them to play nicely. They smiled at one another, expressing their apology in the form of their distinctive cries.
"Fascinating!" Said a voice behind Ursaluna. The Peat Pokémon turned towards the origin of the query, faced with the man in the lab coat. The young woman approached closely behind the professor. "Such an interesting use of an otherwise incredibly niche move. I haven't been one to ponder over the usage of moves outside of battle personally. But it astounds me nonetheless that moves can be of valuable use in circumstances that one wouldn't ordinarily consider; such as this one."
"Hello?" Said Andrew, walking around the Peat Pokémon.
"Oh, sorry. Is this your Pokémon?"
"Don't stress it, man. I don't mind."
"Yeah, it's not like you're already captivated by every Pokémon we come across on-" The young woman cut her snarky comment short though as the professor had caught sight of Aluette, confusion lining her every feature as the professor observed the young Fox Pokémon. "See! You just can't help yourself, can you?"
"It would seem that Rowan has taken great care of you." Said the professor, approaching Fennekin and analyzing her features. "Your fur's vibrant, well groomed. Well nourished too it seems." He pressed two fingers into the fur on Aluette's tail, causing embers to fly out of her ears. "Unusually warm for a Fennekin though, and the embers glow quite brightly as well." The professor aimed his attention at Andrew, "Are you her trainer?"
"Yeah." The young man answered, eyes shifting between Aluette and the professor. "I got her just recently."
"Really? You must be quite the trainer to bring out her potential so quickly. Though I suppose I should've expected it: Your Ursaluna is something else."
"I just got him today actually."
The professor blinked, glancing between Ursaluna and Andrew. "How long have you been a trainer for?"
The young man shrugged, "About an hour."
The professor opened his mouth as if to speak, glancing between the young man and his Pokémon. But he remained silent as Aipom, Grookey and Totodile approached the young woman. She laughed as both Aipom and Grookey jumped onto her shoulders. Not being as nimble of a Pokémon as the monkeys, Totodile approached the young woman's legs, stretching out its arms. She picked up the Big Jaw Pokémon, holding it in her arms. "Are these your Pokémon as well?" She asked, staring at Andrew.
"No. Just the other two." Andrew answered, staring at the Pokémon jumping around the young woman's limbs. "Rowan said something about Grookey, Fennekin and Totodile being delivered from other professors for research purposes." He had to stop for a split second mid-sentence: 'Fennekin' was a slight struggle for him to utter when referring to Aluette.
"Ah, yes!" The professor chimed in, shaking off his astonishment. "That's part of the reason we're here actually: We wanted to check in on Fennekin. She was unfortunately sent incubated, so there's no real way that she remembers me. But I'm happy to see she's doing marvelously!"
"You're not gonna request to have her back though, right?" The Fox Pokémon's face contorted to one of horror at Andrew's inquiry. The proposition of her eviction from the young man's affiliation had been a premise she'd anxiously dreaded before. But the reality of it seemed even greater when the man who'd sent her stood in front of her.
The world slowed down as the professor opened his mouth, the Fox Pokémon's racing thoughts was the only thing keeping up with the speed of the real world outside her room of trickery. What if she did get taken away? What if she was forced hundreds of miles away from her trainer? What if a different trainer picked her instead; she's a starter after all. Would she be happy with her new trainer? Would she be happy without Andrew in her life? Would she be happy to receive affection from someone that wasn't Andrew, when the only affection she'd ever received that wasn't from Andrew wouldn't bring her happiness.
The real world started to return to its normal pace as the walls of the Fox Pokémon's enclosed space crumbled: Her technique was far from perfect as she couldn't call upon it on command, but was instead an instinctive reaction when her anxiety kicked in; for the same reason, she couldn't keep it up for prolonged periods of time either. Most Pokémon could keep up their barriers for at least three minutes, whilst being interfered with. But Aluette was lucky to keep it up for one minute at a time, undeterred, and she'd only ever managed to do so once before: Back when the Beedrills had attacked her, but that hadn't even helped her much either way.
The professor's voice shook the Fox Pokémon's eardrums as she worked herself up over her plaguing thoughts, "No, of course I won't." Relief washed over the distressed Pokémon. Andrew released a small breath, going unnoticed by everyone in the vicinity; except for The Young Woman and Ursaluna. "It doesn't matter where, or when you receive a starter; the Pokémon is still a starter. Same goes for you two." He said, looking at both Grookey and Totodile, clambering the young woman.
The professor approached them, reaching out for the Chimp Pokémon who jumped onto his arm. He chuckled, "I'm guessing you were sent by professor Magnolia. I've heard words of her granddaughter starting her journey a bit back. I'm fairly certain she picked a Grookey."
The green monkey clambered to the top of the professor's head, "Grookey!" The professor giggled as the others wheezed at the Chimp Pokémon's display.
The professor directed his attention at Totodile, still held within the young woman's grasp. "And you were sent by professor Elm. We actually cooperated in the research of Pokémon history a bit back. That reminds me. Say, young man-"
"My name's Andrew."
The professor smiled sheepishly, "Of course! An introduction is certainly necessary. This is Teela." He said, pointing to the young woman. "As for me, my na-"
"Augustine Sycamore!" Shouted Rowan from the stair's peak.
They were draped in a thick layer of silence for multiple seconds. A slab of concrete slammed into the ground as everyone shifted around in a heavy dome of despair from the lingering awkwardness.
A voice of query reaped throughout the cosmos. The ripened insight he received did not quench his burning hunger for knowledge though. His primal yearning only grew the longer he leeched knowledge from the fabrics of space. There was much, much more to pursue than what he'd already found; the insufficiency of his current knowledge became more evident the more of it he purged. His inquisition starved the very essence of the universe, rending its crooning void; the blissful aria dolored, incongruous cries shouting vehemently through eternity and back. Yet his unrelinquished being thoroughly scavenged each crevice, almost desperately, in an unrelenting urge for wisdom. And yet even amongst the oblivion, trailing his lustful ravage, was more to forage: the sundered, languid reality, stitching itself together in wretched despair. His rive would have to wait though as a frequent hum captured his frenzied intrigue.
A Yamper jumped around exuberantly as their trainer held a cup full of specialized Pokémon food. They approached Yamper's bowl as the Puppy Pokémon jumped at its trainer's arm impatiently. "No, sit!" It abide by the trainer's command, obediently placing its rump on the floor. "Lay down!" Yamper touched its chest to the ground, tail swooshing back and forth in anticipation. "Roll around!" Up became down to the Yamper as the world swirled around in a circle. "Good girl!" Said Yamper's trainer, pouring the food into her bowl as she immediately started munching at it joyously.
The continuous ringing sound of a phone resonated from the trainer's pocket. The trainer walked off, out of view of the Yamper as they answered the call.
"Hello?" Yamper looked around in confusion. "Where am I? Oh, I see; I'm inside your nervous system. Oh don't worry. I won't hurt you. Just give me a second." Yamper shivered, a cold touch trailing down her spine as the reticent voice echoed throughout her entire being. "Hm, cells you call these? Fascinating! And these are your organs? Huh! Never thought organic material could be so…immersive. Its complexity even has me raising a brow." Yamper was officially panicking as the unfamiliar intruder observed her body, exploring parts of her she didn't even know existed. "And your mind, it's fabricated. Threads of information line your every thought and action. Oh, this is intriguing, my friend! What happens if I-" Yamper's pupils dilated as it fell to the ground. "Oh, apologies! I seem to have separated your mind from your body. Ah, yes; death, thank you. Not my intention, I can assure you. I suppose there's no use in 'asking' you to lend me your body then." Yamper's carcass rose onto its four feet, eyes shifting from green to red. "I promise I'll return you to your family, my friend. I just need to borrow you for the time being."
He guided her empty husk to the sliding door at the back of the building. Operating her mind, he sought deep within. "Your knowledge is of great use, my friend." He said, pushing the sliding door to the side.
Each muscle pulled itself taut before slackening, a faux consciousness, a twisted amalgam of disconnected ideas subduing each fiber, each membrane, each tenuous strand of neuron as Yamper's acquiescent carcass stumbled into the backyard. His competence grew though as he adeptly jumped over the fence, unseen by any mortal being nearby.
Bones fractured as the paws of Yamper's carcass slammed into the pavement, gashes lining her flesh; blood spewing out of the open wounds. "Hm, concerning! There were some words of wisdom that told me something as I observed this world. What were the words again; a Litten always lands on its feet? One wouldn't expect to break through marrow though. No matter! You'll serve your purpose still, my friend." The body limped forward as broken limbs scraped across the ground, lacerations tearing further. The loose limbs eventually severed as the body strode with bloodied steps before it coagulated.
"Am I officially a trainer now?" Asked Teela as professor Rowan handed her a pokédex.
Rowan sighed as he closed a briefcase: He'd borrowed it from Sycamore to type the young woman's credentials into the pokédex. "Yes, you're a trainer now." He handed the briefcase back to the other professor, speaking beneath his breath, "I swear, if I have to assign another trainer today I'll lose my Arceus damned mind." He turned back to Teela once more, "Just choose your Pokémon and have this be over with: Grookey, the Chimp Pokémon, or Totodile, the Big Jaw Pokémon. Grass and Water respectively, etcetera, etcetera. Just look at your pokédex for more info, please. Actually, while you're at it, don't speak to me at all; I won't answer anyway."
"Hey, maybe you should calm down a bit, Rowan." Said Alexander.
"Like you're gonna help with that. I'm still fucking pissed, asshole." The 'room' grew silent as Teela went down to her knees, observing her newly received device: It was shaped into a square with rounded corners, about a centimeter thick and about the size of both her hands. A black, diagonal line gathered into a circle at the center, and separated the predominant red and white colors from each other. The whole device was tinted blue except for a black rim going along the circumference of the pokédex; with a display of some arrows and a red button at the bottom corner.
"Looks different to the one I got." Said Andrew, drawing his own pokédex from his pocket: A plain rectangle with rounded corners, about a centimeter thick and about the size of one of his hands. A pokébal was etched into the uppermost center of the screen; a red button displayed in the opposite area with buttons to the sides of it.
"The one Teela has is the pokédex a trainer would receive in Kalos." Said professor Sycamore. "All Rowan did was reprogram it with the information of this region's pokédex."
"'All I did was reprogram it'. It was pain, I'll tell ya!"
"Yeah, and no one said they cared." Teela chimed in, ignoring Rowan as he spat harmless insults in her face. She pressed the red button on her pokédex, causing the blue tint to shimmer as it went up, protruding out of the device and refracting light into Rowan's eyes. The pane of glass displayed cogwheels, rotating in circles, indicating that the pokédex either awaited input, or was loading.
The cogs eventually disappeared, now displaying the home screen instead: A black background with rows of Pokémon. The young woman's point of interest, however, was aimed at the icons at the top. She pressed the arrow keys at the bottom of the device until the scan icon was highlighted. Pressing the red button once more, the display changed yet again: The screen turned transparent with a blue circle, shifting in size. Knowing the floor was likely not part of the pokédex, she moved the screen over the Chimp Pokémon.
The blue circle spun around, growing smaller before the screen displayed pictures of the Pokémon. A feminine, robotic voice resounded in her ears as she observed the displayed images; most were idle stances, but some were dynamic poses with the Pokémon's stick in hand: 'Grookey, the Chimp Pokémon. Ability of this exact specimen: Grassy Surge. Gender: Male. The stick inside Grookey's hair grows hard and flexible as it gathers the energy emanating from the Pokémon's body. It gets more and more pumped as it attacks with rapid strikes. As it strikes up a beat, the sound waves produced revitalizes the plants and flowers in the nearby vicinity.'
Teela quickly glanced through information on Grookey's evolutions before aiming the screen at the Big Jaw Pokémon, the blue circle spinning as it grew smaller once more. The screen now displayed both idle and dynamic pictures of Totodile as the robotic voice spoke once more: 'Totodile, the Big Jaw Pokémon. Ability of this exact specimen: Sheer Force. Gender: Male. It bites anything with its powerful jaws, which chomps through marrow of the thickest kinds with ease. It'll mistake its injury inflicting bite as playful nipping. Utmost precautions must be taken around this Pokémon; it is not recommended that you turn your back to it.'
Teela quickly glanced through Totodile's evolutions as well before turning to professor Rowan, "I've made my decision." She said, placing her pokédex in her pocket.
An overwhelming silence hung in the fresh evening breeze, crooning softly against both fur and skin as a healthy supply of air ventilated throughout the building. "And?" Professor Rowan inquired.
"And what?"
Rowan took steady breaths as he glared at the ground, "Your starter." His voice quivered every other syllable as he spoke in an almost raspy tone.
"Yeah, I 'have' picked my starter. Thanks for reiterating it."
"Which one do you choose, damn it!"
"Oh! Why didn't you just say so from the beginning?" Ambient wheezes resonated within the semi-confined space as everyone observed the professor's infuriated expression. "I'd like to have Grookey as my starter."
Rowan resisted the urge to throw the Pokémon's ball in her face, "Would you like to have Teela as your trainer, Grookey?" The Chimp Pokémon nodded exuberantly, shouting its name in confirmation. The professor haphazardly threw Grookey's ball in Teela's direction. The young woman caught the ball instinctively as the Pokémon embraced his new trainer.
The two newly assigned trainers were standing by the black car, along with their Pokémon, about a half hour later, waiting for professor Sycamore as he spoke with Rowan over "trivial matters".
Andrew had originally intended to traverse to the nearest community by foot. But such a proposal would insinuate the need to spend even more time in the wild; possibly days outside of a proper settlement, and he was certainly not fond of that idea. And that's without considering the necessity of nourishment: His resources would dwindle drastically with the mouths that needed to be fed. The scenario of his food supplies diminishing entirely within the first two days of travel wasn't just plausible, it was likely. Not only could the young man avoid such inconveniences entirely by hitching a ride, he'd also reach a far larger society in merely a few hours; and who was the professor to deny his request when he had three passenger seats to spare.
Alexander approached the trainers and their Pokémon, eyes cautiously fixated on the Peat Pokémon. The champion stood about a centimeter or two taller than the young man as blue eyes locked with brown ones. "I suppose you must be Andrew, right." He spoke as though it was a matter of fact and not a question.
The young man's stance persisted unyieldingly, relentless eyes scrutinizing those of the man facing him. "What is it you wish to inquire?" His voice was deep, resonant yet smooth as he spoke, uttering each syllable with clarity and confidence, his words passing through one ear and staying. In no way was his voice threatening though; on the contrary, it was nearly soothing to the senses in a persuasive manner. He made no conscious effort to change his voice either, it all came naturally, which made it even further pleasant to the senses.
The champion shifted his vocal chords, attempting to speak in a similar manner to the young man. "I spoke to Rowan about Ursaluna." His words failed to capture the same intensity, his voice lacking slightly in resonance and deftness. "The Pokémon is bound to you by law. But I doubt you're adept enough as a trainer to yield the ferocity of a predator." His confidence boomed in the young man's ears though, nearly transcending his own.
"You've misjudged him." His words were almost harsh, clitical of the man that stood before him. "He never derived his ferocious behavior from predatory instincts."
"That might be the case. But it still awakes fret, and caution. The professor is merely concerned for you and your Pokémon's wellbeing. But we both know the greater concern is the people around you."
"I worry not for their endangerment. I worry for their self-induced anxiousness. He is not a danger to those around himself, and the only way to tell them is to prove it."
"There's people out there that know more than you do. They'd be better fit to handle the Pokémon: Teach it proper behavior in a controlled environment, value its independence as a free Pokémon and decide when it's fit for the Pokémon to go back into the wild. The best you can do for your Pokémon is hand it over to them."
"All they'd do is throw him in a cage, force him to perform trial after trial in an effort to claim his obedience. Scientists would gather from around the world to study him. A life of incarceration is not fit for a wild Pokémon. Your idea of proper behavior is corrupted by our modern standards for a Pokémon that's part of a civilisation. A wild Pokémon learns from life outside of human society, conforms to the standards set by nature: They scavenge, hunt, gift, take; they will do anything to survive the harsh conditions set by nature. Life as a pacifist is not an option for a specimen like him. His kind lives to expand their territory as widely as possible, fighting off any intruders or unwelcome guests. In our society his territory would be reduced down to the size of his own personal bubble, and some might attempt to push it further. Independence is not an option within the walls of human society where everything is offered to you: Food, shelter, warmth, safety, comfort. Forcing him to conform to the societal norm, intent on releasing him back into the wild is the most ridiculously absurd proposition I've ever heard. It would truly be the most stupendous thing to see a human indulge in such stupidity, just to clarify how low humanity has sunk, to go as far as to do a Pokémon a conscious disservice."
Alexander couldn't help but avoid Andrew's glare, rubbing the ridge on his nose. The champion sighed, "I hate that you're right. If we can't release him back into the wild without sacrificing his independence, then what do you propose our course of action should be?"
"If he doesn't object, then I'll keep him; and if he does object, then I'll release him."
"But that's the problem; we can't legally release him back into the wild."
"The law protects every Pokémon's free will. It is not illegal for me to release him if that's what he wishes. What is illegal is to try and revoke his freedom." Andrew's mouth contorted into a sly grin, "That is, if he 'does' wish to be free."
The champion's face morphed into one of genuine confusion, "What do you mean?"
Andrew gave a short cackle, "I can't help but've noticed that you've contorted your words in such a manner to be as deceitful as possible. It'd be fine under normal circumstances; I mean, commercials do it all the time. But the court might perceive it as an attempt at robbery; illegal in itself, but compounded with potential lack of acknowledgment for the Pokémon's free will, not to mention an attempt at deceiving a minor, facing eviction from your role as champion would be the least of your concerns." Beads of sweat trailed down the champion's forehead as Andrew threw his hand into his pocket. "Wanna know the best part?" He drew his hand out of his pocket, pokédex in hand. "It's been recording our whole conversation. Quite nifty, don't you think." Alexander's face turned to one of astonishment as well as horror at this revelation as Andrew turned off the recording. "Oh, but don't you worry now. The only case in which you face trial is if Ursaluna does want to live in the wild."
The champion released a breath he didn't know he was holding, nervousness still present in his voice, "So nothing will come out of this so long as Ursaluna remains your Pokémon."
The young man rubbed his jaw in mock thought. "Well, I could still take this to court for attempted deception of a child, and get quite a bit of money out of it too. But that's something for future me to consider. Right now I'd like to hear what our friend here wants to say." Ursaluna stared back at Andrew as he smiled at the Peat Pokémon. "What do you say; would you like to join me as my Pokémon?" The bear-like Pokémon smiled mischievously at the champion, before a resounding roar shook everyone's eardrums as he nodded. "Welcome aboard, bud!"
The two professors gazed at the group as Ursaluna roared, chuckling before returning to their conversation, "So, if I've understood you correctly: You're gonna help me assemble my equipment, and provide with necessary parts where needed, and in exchange, you want me to provide both you and Elm with any research I discover of our little peat friend over there?" Rowan reiterated, directing a hand at Ursaluna.
"Any current research and any future ones." Said Augustine, wanting the terms as clearly expressed as possible. "I'd like for this to be a collaborative research scheme."
"So do I, professor." Rowan reached a hand out to Augustine.
"Splendid!" He grasped the man's outstretched hand in his. "I'll inform Elm about the news as soon as possible."
"That guy is something else." Said Alexander, walking up to Emilia and Noivern.
"How did it go?"
The champion grew silent as he jumped onto the Sound Wave Pokémon.
The woman sighed, "I told you you wouldn't convince him." She watched as professor Sycamore entered the car along with the two teens, Ursaluna having been returned to his pokéball. "Did you at least tell him about the pokéathlon?" She was again met with silence. She sighed for the second time, "Arceus, you're hopeless." She walked towards the black vehicle, shaking her hips side to side slightly to allow her to take longer strides without her skirt lifting.
Andrew sat behind the professor, petting the Fox Pokémon in his lap. He leaned to the side to get a better view of the woman heading in their direction. "Professor, she's giving us 'the walk'. What do we do?"
A grin was plastered on Augustine's face as he rolled down his window. "Don't worry, I'll handle it."
The young man perched his head on his hand, already amused.
The professor perched his elbow onto the window frame. "What do I owe the honors of being approached by such a fine woman this evening?" He spoke in the most charming tone he could muster.
Emilia ignored the professor, walking past him and stopping at Andrew. Teela struggled to contain her laughter as the young man lowered his window, "What do I owe the honors of being approached by such a fine woman this evening?" He mimicked the professor's raunchy tone to perfection, letting each syllable roll off the tongue in near identical fashion. Teela burst out laughing as Andrew watched Augustine's glaring expression in the rear view mirror.
Emilia recovered from her own laughing fit before she spoke, "We realize it's your decision on how to handle…Ursaluna? But we, or I rather, do ask you to take part in the pokéathlon." She handed him a red and white brochure, listing the latest date of registration, a contact number (supposedly for the registration), the place and time of the opening ceremony and displayed pictures of the event. "It would grant us an opportunity to assess your capabilities as a trainer and determine if you're truly fit for the role as Ursaluna's trainer. No need to answer now though. Just make sure you're registered for the event if you wanna take part; we'll be there regardless." She placed one foot in front of the other as she headed back to Alexander.
"Wanna go out for lunch this friday?" Emilia silently walked past the professor once more. "I'll pay! Any restaurant you want! Dessert included!"
Teela burst into laughter yet again as Andrew sat in deep thought.
The professor revved the engine as he silently grumbled beneath his breath. Rolling up the windows, he drove down the road, passing Noivern and its trainer.
"Don't tell me we're gonna fly again!" Said the woman, approaching the Sound Wave Pokémon.
Alexander grabbed her arm and dragged her onto the back of his Pokémon before she could complain further. "Fly!" The champion shouted.
"No, wai-" Noivern slammed its wings down as they flew high into the air. Emilia screamed, tightly holding onto Alexander from behind as they reached breakneck speeds near instantly. They were already way past the treeline in under a minute.
Aipom jumped onto Rowan's shoulder as he entered the 'building'. "At least one survived." He said, picking up a mug from the crumbled debris, it read: 'Don't look at me, you're the genius'.
Author's Note:
Hi! Sorry for the scarce uploads these past couple weeks: I went out of town not to long ago to met my brother, and got some valuable inspiration for some later chapters. I've also been working on some other stories along with this one; they're far from done so don't expect anything just yet. But I've mainly been struggling with my ADHD medication as of lately. The pharmacy has had trouble with the prescriptions unfortunately, and it makes it far more difficult for me to get the desired results in my writing. I just end up removing entire chunks of the chapters 'cause they don't ad anything meaningful to the story.
But that aside, I just wanted to say that it makes me really happy to see so many people who've chosen to indulge in this story. It means a lot, truly. I've always believed in something my friend once told me: "Always make today better then yesterday, and let tomorrow eclipse today." But it keeps getting more and more difficult to follow through with those words. But then I started posting this story, and I started to realize something: "All I've ever wanted to do is smile at the world. But I'd do anything just to have it smile back." That's a motto I came up with, that best expresses my epiphany, and it's helped with following through with my friend's words. Thank you guys, for helping me enjoy the experience of being an author.
I hope you all look forward to the next chapter. Bye!