Chapter 8

Entering the conference room, Taylor was greeted by silence as all eyes turned on her. Feeling the intense gaze of the room, especially from the woman who sat near the head of the large table in the center, Taylor swallowed thickly. She was most likely the director, Taylor observed as she found Armsmaster standing behind her.

Beside the woman, occupying the seats around the table, were screens displaying the faces of people; officials of the PRT she assumed. Was her presence really that much of a concern? It looked like everyone important was present as there was only one seat left, the one directly opposite the severe looking woman at the head of the table.

Feeling her eyes on her, Taylor gulped. It was if her very being was laid bare before the woman, like some criminal before a powerful and all knowing judge. It took her best effort not to flinch back as their eyes locked. Who was this woman?

As Taylor braced herself, the woman's gaze softened as she smiled at her. "Ah, just in time," the woman said, her tone light and cordial as she greeted her, "We were just talking about you, Taylor"

Standing in attention, Miss Militia hastily replied, "Chief Director Costa-Brown, we weren't expecting you!" This was the Chief Director of the PRT? Why was she here? Already, Taylor felt dread pitting at the bottom of her stomach.

Turning her attention towards Miss Militia, the woman answered, "I wasn't expecting to have this meeting either, but such extraordinary circumstances required my personal attention." It seemed that news traveled fast as the head of the PRT was on her case. She only hoped they would be merciful.

Gesturing at the rotund woman beside her, the woman instructed, "Now please join Armsmaster and Director Piggot while we discuss Taylor's case."

Giving her an apologetic look, Miss Militia left her before heading to join her colleague behind Director Piggot. "They're really serious about this, huh?" Mew noted as his eyes narrowed, observing the room. While the Head Director was friendly enough, the said couldn't be said for the others.

From the judging, but even, gaze of Director Piggot, to cold indifferent ones, to even outright hostile, the sentiment towards her was mixed at best and outright negative at worst. They did not like her. Holding mew's tail, she whispered, "Mew, what do we do?" She had resigned herself to the fact that people would not look at her kindly, but it still couldn't quite prepare her for this.

Still, despite the odds before them, Mew was as calm as he ever was. Flashing her a playful smile, he replied, "Just stick to the plan. Just talk it out and hope for the best." While not the best plan, it was still better than letting her emotions take over. "If things don't work out, we do our exit strategy with your dad," He reassured her as his tail wrapped around her hands.

"Now Taylor, there's no need to be afraid," The woman assured her, breaking her out of her musing, "While our presence might be of concern, rest assured that you are not in trouble." While a part of her screamed that it was only a platitude, that they were merely trying to get her to lower her guard, she trusted Mew to not let her down.

"We're simply just discussing the rather unfortunate circumstance you are in as well if we are to let you join the Wards or have you taken in by the Protectorate," The woman explained, "I hope you understand?"

This took Taylor by surprise. They were already discussing the possibility of her being attached to the Protectorate? This… this was good news. Feeling the tension slowly eased out of her shoulder, she nodded stiffly, "Y-yes, Chief Director." At the very least, the woman at the head of the table was after her best intention, right?

Smiling wider, the woman gestured at the empty seat, "Please, have a seat." Quickly following her command, she sat down while her father was given a monoblock chair. Mew meanwhile plopped himself right in front of her, as if guarding her from the people of the PRT. Given her circumstances, he might've just been her only line of defence.

As she settled into her seat, the woman stated, "Now before we start this, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your creation?"

"It's just like a presentation," She told herself as stood up once again, "Except your future relies on it…" Shaking off her unease, she introduced herself, "M-my name is Taylor Hebert." Pausing briefly to gather her thoughts, she continued, "I am fifteen years old, currently studying at Winslow High, and as you may have heard, I am a Biotinker."

"It has been several months since I've been s-shoved in a l-locker," She recalled, the memory still fresh in her mind, "An incident that sent me to the hospital due to complications brought about by the t-tampons and used feminine product stuffed inside my locker." Even now, she could still feel the disgusting and repulsive feeling of insects and maggots crawling all over her and how her throat ached at the reminder of her screams.

Taking a moment to calm herself, she choked out, "And it has been several months since I started making Pokemon." The days after the incident felt almost like some waking nightmare, where her mind was distant, while she relived the incident every time she closed her eyes. The only saving grace she had was her gift and how she retreated into her mind, piecing together the mysteries of the world of Pokemon.

As Taylor recalled how to brew up a potion, one she'd need to synthesize soon if she wanted to heal mew, the woman asked, "Pokemon?" Tilting her head, the woman questioned, "What are Pokemon, exactly? Are they what you call your creations?"

"Y-yes, Pokemons, creatures of immense power and potential," She answered. They were fantastical, almost mythical in nature, and yet they were much more than that. "Some might see them as monsters, others as abominations, but in truth, they are our friends." As capable as they were of destruction, pokemon were by nature friendly creatures: their creator made them so.

"They are not only companions, but partners for any would-be Trainer willing to give them a chance," She added. As powerful as they were, it was only through a bond between two that a pokemon could rise to their full potential. They could be scary, but people simply needed to give them a chance… much like herself.

Her creation, her Pokemon, as terrifying and awe inspiring as they could be, were their own beings. "My powers… My power is only a means for me to give them life in this world as well as help them thrive," She whispered as she recalled Arceus' wishes.

For a moment, she considered telling them about her benefactor, before deciding against it. They already had their hands full with her and her pokemons, no need to worry them even more with the knowledge of a god. As they shared looks of intrigue and concern, Director Piggot piped up, "You are giving them out to these… trainers?"

Giving her a look Taylor couldn't figure out, one that was steeped in fear, no, one of that was measured and full of weariness, the portly woman asked, "Don't you have control over your creation?"

"I don't," Taylor replied as she shook her head, "To take away their will, their emotions, no… that would be cruel." She could do so, and the knowledge for it came unbidden, but she pushed it back down. It simply felt wrong. Restraint was needed, maybe to calm them down, but never to this degree.

Placing a hand on her chest, she replied, "Trainers, like myself, and anyone who could earn the trust of a partner, are merely here to guide them, not control."

Her words sent a ripple of hush whispers amongst those in attendance as they shared messages that she was not privy to. Frowning, one of the officials pointedly asked, "Are you saying that they have a will of their own?"

"Yes, they are living beings just like us," She replied, "They can think, feel, have hopes and dreams just like us." They were beings just like them, but she could understand their disbelief. It was quite hard to believe that her partner could talk.

Turning to her partner as he swallowed another piece of candy, one she probably needs to take away with how much of it he's eating, she asked, "Mew, why don't you introduce yourself?"

Giving a thumbs up, Mew floated up to the center of the table. Taylor took this chance to swipe the candy away from her partner, but the little menace was far too crafty for his own good; Pushing it with but a mere thought. Drat, she thought that would work. Giving her a wink, her partner turned and waved at the good people of the PRT, "Hello!"

Eyes wide, Director Piggot blurted out in surprise, "It talks?"

"And he's quite the chatterbox," Miss Militia noted with a smile before glancing at the confused looks that the other officials sported. Psychic communication didn't really travel well in digital it seems. Gesturing at the screens, Miss Militia pointed out, "Though you might have to speak up, Mew."

Face palming, her partner raised his hand as he excused himself, "Wait, give me a sec." Taylor watched as his partner cleared his throat, speaking out in a rough tone, before quickly changing pitch. It was jarring hearing her partner speak in a deep voice, one that her partner would quickly change as he started speaking in a squickier and younger voice, "Can you hear me?"

"Sorry about that, I forgot I needed to physically talk!" Her partner laughed as he scratched the back of his head. Tapping his chin, he mused, "Now where was I? Ah right! Introductions." Clapping his hands to get their attention, he bowed gracefully before the officials.

"My name is Mew, and I am Taylor's partner," He introduced himself as he extended a hand towards them, "Nice to meet ya!"

Taylor had to hide her smile as her partner received a warm reception. There were still some hostile looks, but her partner was really putting on the charm. Mew truly was the best partner she could have asked for at that moment as she needed an ambassador for Pokemon-kind.

Giving Mew an appraising look, Director Costa-Brown whispered, "Interesting." Taylor felt a shudder at how cold those eyes were for a moment before they faded away, replaced with the same warm look she had sported earlier. The nerves were probably getting to her.

Turning her attention back to her, the Head Director asked, "Are you capable of making more… Mew?"

Taylor shook her head as she answered, "N-no, unfortunately." Reaching out to her partner as he returned to her, she cuddled him close as she explained, "Mew is a very unique creation, one I spent months creating." Even if she tried pulling off that same experiment she had, she doubted that Arcues would let her, at least not so soon. She wasn't about to test their patience.

"While Mew is unique, there are thousands of different species I could help recreate, each one as fantastical as my partner here," She explained. There were thousands, probably countless others, just buried within Mew's blood. She had the template, all she needed to do was create.

Before one of the officials asked, Director Costa Brown cut them off as she asked, "Going back to the topic of trainers, who can become a trainer?" She was thankful to the woman as the official in question looked likely they were barely able to hold on to their distaste of her. She made a mental note to avoid them in the future.

Turning her attention back to the Head Director, she replied, "Anyone can become a trainer." Nothing was stopping anyone from picking up a pokemon as far as she could tell. There was something about aura, but it wasn't relevant enough to bring up. The only problem was if they were compatible. "They just have to either prove to a pokemon they can be their partner or have the pokemon choose them," She added.

"How can you prove yourself to a pokemon," The woman asked, making Taylor wince inwardly. She had been dreading this question. While Pokemon were friendly, most of her technology was about combat.

Not wanting to lie, she answered, "While you can talk to them, the fastest and most direct route is combat." Powering through her discomfort, she explained, "Pokemon are inherently competitive as a species, and combat is how they grow and develop." Pokemon were simply born to fight, there was no way around it. It was a way to express themselves even. She only hoped that they didn't take it negatively.

Thankfully, the woman's smile remained as she nodded, "I see." Glancing down on her wrist, she noted, "It seems that we have derailed ourselves from the topic at hand. My apologies." As she flipped through some files, she asked, "Let's get back to discussing your status, shall we?"

Gesturing at her seat, the woman requested, "And please, have a seat." Flashing a smile, she added, "I'd rather not have a possible future heroine think she's being interrogated."

Taylor felt a smile creep up her lips as she settled down and answered their question. It was mostly stuff involving her status, to which she expressed her interest in being assigned to the wards rather than the Protectorate, not when it meant that she might be moved around.

Things quickly winded down after that and she would be escorted out to her temporary lodgings in the Rig. She was not given a concrete answer on her status, but with the chipper look that Mew sported, she had high hopes. The only thing she wished now as she once more boarded the transport was that the PRT had mercy on her. She wanted to be a hero and she prayed that the chance wouldn't be taken away from her.

A/N:

News travels fast indeed because it's not just one Director she's dealing with, it's a lot of them. Hey, even the head honcho herself's there. It's just a shame they weren't there physically cause imagine all the juicy info Mew could have gleaned from their minds. Well, Piggot's there so he has to settle for that. He's a cheeky little scamp like that. Now, how would the real meeting be like now that Taylors out the building~? Well, see you next week!

With that out of the way, I'd like to thank vyor. I'll give him a drink if I can cause all of the headaches I give him... lol, sorry about that.

Now if you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, consider dropping by either Pa treon or Ko-Fi. I couldn't have done this without the support. Links in my Bio