Chapter 3—Sibling synergy—
Getting used to my new tasks was steadily getting easier as time went by, but it didn't take long before the group performed their show and prepared to move to Garrows, as Meiko had said. When we were ready, we drove east, waiting to reach our destination. I was with Miku, Rin, Len, Luka, Meiko and Kaito in a separate car while we were waiting. Eventually, Len said: "Boy, no matter how much we travel around, waiting to arrive never gets any easier…" "At least our destination isn't too far from where we started. It's going to be worth the wait, too!" Rin said before I said: "I've never been to Garrows before." "In that case, you're in for a treat, Lucas—Garrows is a wonderful place. It has a nice, rural charm." Kaito said before I said: "Really? That's going to be nice, then—I don't see a lot of places like that." "You're a big city guy, huh, Lucas?" Luka said before I said: "Something like that. I've been to a lot of them, so I don't normally see the countryside."
"Looks like you're going to understand its charms soon!" Miku said before I chuckled and we paused before I said: "Hey, guys…" And they all looked at me before I said: "Can I ask something?" "Of course. You're our friend, Lucas." Miku said before I said: "Before we left, Mr. Victor said that there were attacks going on in the south of Yamato… where is Yamato? And Meiko, you once said you perform for audiences all over Gaia. Where is Gaia?" And everyone looked shocked before Meiko said: "Yamato is the continent we live on. And Gaia is the name of our planet." "Ah, I see. Thank you, Meiko." I said before she said: "You're welcome… but are you okay, Lucas? I mean, it's weird… you don't even know the name of the continent or the planet you live on, yet you understand how to make apricorn balls and you can do all these impressive things… you even seem to know everything about Pokemon from those notes you wrote for us…" And I chuckled and said: "Sorry, I guess I'm a little out of it…" And then I went on: "But your answer suggests you read those notes I gave you, which makes me really happy! How many of you have seen them?" And everyone said they had before I said: "You all read them! That's fantastic! So what did you think?" "They were awesome! I never realized the world of Pokemon was so deep! I'm looking forward to getting out there and trying to master training Pokemon!" Len said before Luka said: "I have to admit, you're a good teacher, Lucas—you made it a lot less complex than I thought it would be. But even so… how are we supposed to know the type of each Pokemon we face? That's part of choosing a strong move, right?" She really was smart to ask this, but having to answer it was difficult… at home, we had machines called "Pokedexes" that scanned other Pokemon and told us their typing for us. But as Pokemon were only a new addition to this world, it only followed that they had no such thing in this world…
"Indeed it is, Luka. Regrettably, that is something that is best learned from experience. Though some Pokemon can be deceptive, most of them have a typing that you can make sense of. If all else fails, look at what kind of attacks they use; if they breathe fire, that's indicative that they're probably fire Pokemon. If they spew poison gas, that's a sign that they're probably poison Pokemon. If they throw rocks, that's evidence that they're probably rock Pokemon." I said before she said: "So we have to pay attention to how they fight too… well, hopefully it'll be easier than it sounds—" and then I said: "Don't get discouraged, Luka. Once you see how fun it is, your whole perspective will change. The thrill of being with Pokemon will change your outlook and leave you enjoying a process that once seemed demanding." And Luka smiled before Miku said: "Come to think of it… this will be our Pokemons' first time visiting Garrows, too. They all came from a completely different environment." "That's true! I can't wait to see how Cutiefly will react when we're there! I'd like to let her out now, but I guess she wouldn't like it in a cramped car…" Rin said before Len said: "Just be patient, Rin. I'd like to see Growlithe now too." And I smiled. It was nice seeing them appreciate their Pokemon like this.
We continued on until we came to a nice community on the plains, with lots of open fields and clean water. Upon our arrival, I helped to set up the tent and our equipment—I had volunteered to do the heavy lifting, after all. At the very least, now I knew where everything was, now that I had helped to set up the tent this time. When it was all set up, we all called it a day.
The next day, I awoke and got straight to work. On my next day off, I also checked the surrounding area and saw apricorns grew on the trees in this area too! I picked some more and made some more apricorn balls later that night, intending to offer them to everyone later. The following day, I made everyone's breakfast again before we all left the kitchen and I went back to work, but it wasn't long before I heard a: "Hey, Lucas! You got a minute?" It was Rin! I turned to her and said: "Hello, Rin. And yes, I do have a minute. What is it?" "Mr. Victor had a proposition for you! Come with me to his office, okay?" She said before I said: "Sure thing. Let's go, Rin!" And she took me to his office.
When we arrived, I saw Len and George were there and I said: "Oh, Len… I didn't know you were here." "Yup! I'm a part of this meeting, so I'm here too." He said back before I turned to George and said: "And good morning, sir. Rin said you had a proposition for me?" And George laughed before he said: "So official, as always, Lucas! But yes, I do. I wanted to know if you would be interested in an optional volunteer opportunity." "A volunteer opportunity?" I echoed before he said: "Yes. You see, being a member of The Elysian Opera is more than just performing or otherwise doing your job—we also pride ourselves on doing things to help the needy in our communities. You missed it last time, because you joined after we did it, but we always help the community once before our performance, doing what volunteer work we can." "The only employees that are required to participate in this are performers, like me and Len. We always draw straws to decide the order in which we help the people in the communities we visit. Once everyone's done an assignment, we do it over again." Rin said before Len said: "Also, we always work in pairs, not individually. That way we can get more done and it helps us get closer as we work in teams."
"I see… and you want me to join the performers in this service, Mr. Victor? Even though I am a different kind of employee?" I asked. "It's more that I wanted to extend the opportunity to you. As you are not a performer, you're not required to, Lucas. But you get along well with the others and you have obviously proven you're a competent bodyguard. I think doing this will enrich your time here and help you get to know everyone, plus they will benefit from your presence as well. What do you say?" George asked before I said: "I like your thinking Mr. Victor! I'll do it!" "Great! Thank you, Lucas!" George said before I said: "Then I await your briefing. What are the responsibilities I will have?" "As you have probably guessed, it was Rin's and Len's turn to do a service assignment, so you'll be accompanying them—your job as a team is to go around and collect cans for a canned food drive. 100% of what we collect goes to local food banks, so try and get them from as many people as you can. As part of the team, your job is to protect Rin and Len. Be vigilant and keep them safe, in case any more of those monsters show up." George said. "Understood, sir, but how are we supposed to carry all the canned goods we'll be collecting?" I asked before George said: "A vehicle will transport you around the village. You can add what you collect to a provided bag and when you run out of space, you can get a new one from the driver." "I see now. Then in that case, when do we depart?" I asked. "By 9 o'clock. Be ready to leave by then." George replied.
"9 o'clock…." I said as I looked at a clock and said: "That's in 45 minutes!" And then I turned to George and said: "Alright, sir. Just leave it to me!" "I like your can-do attitude, Lucas! Watch over Rin and Len and good luck!" George said before Len said: "Alright! Now we can explore with Lucas!" "The youngsters certainly seem to look up to you, Lucas! How nice! And that was all I had for you, so good luck!" George said before we left.
When we were out of George's office, Rin and Len left before I said: "Say, Rin, Len…" And they turned to me before I said: "I forgot to ask this, but where are we going to meet to depart? The tent entrance?" "Yup! That's where we always depart from on these outings, so just keep going there in future assignments and you'll be fine." Rin said before Len said: "We'll see you at 9, Lucas! Be ready!" "Count on it." I said before we all went back to work.
I kept working until it was coming up on 9 o'clock. When it did, I went to the tent entrance and saw Rin and Len weren't here yet… and yet in a few minutes, they showed up! "Hey, hey! It looks like Lucas is pretty punctual!" Rin said before Len said: "Not bad, Lucas! How long have you been here?" "Just a few minutes. Nothing extreme." I said back before I went on: "By the way, Rin, Len… do you have your Pokemon? They might help you in our upcoming outing." "Heh-heh-heh… I snuck mine with me, so I'm fine!" Len said before Rin said: "Looks like we think alike, big brother… I brought mine too." And then I said: "Great. Then that saves us the extra step of having to go back and get them." "So you have yours too, Lucas?" Len asked. "Yes. I keep mine on me at all times." I said before Rin said: "Wow, you're pretty serious about that." "I certainly am. After all, what if a Voxort got into the tent? The question you need to be asking then is: do you want to have to run back to your room to get them? Or have them on you, ready to use?" I asked before Rin said: "That's a good point…" And then I chuckled and said: "Anyway, you both are starting to form good habits by taking your Pokemon with you. Make that into a little more of a habit, and no one will be able to catch you off guard." "You really are a cool thinker, Lucas! You sound like a soldier or a police officer when you say stuff like that!" Len said before I smiled and said: "I'll take that as a compliment. Soldiers and officers are certainly dignified. But before we go too far, I have something to give you, Rin, Len…" "Something to give us? Like what?" Len asked before I took out six apricorn balls and said: "Each of you, take three. This way if you find a Pokemon you've just got to have while we're travelling, you can catch it!" "You made more apricorn balls?! Thank you, Lucas. That's so nice of you…" Rin said before they each took three and I said: "Now then… shall we?" "Yes! C'mon, boys!" Rin said before we all left the tent.
When we were out in the outskirts of Garrows, we headed up towards the entrance to the village to rendezvous with the vehicle George had mentioned. As we were approaching, I said: "So, Rin, Len…" And they turned to me before I said: "How did you two get involved in musical acting, anyway? You certainly got an early start in your profession." "In my case, I just hated school. It's not an ideal environment for me—between the bullies and the abuse of power from the faculty, it never felt safe to me. The only thing that kept me going was my friends. The chance to be with them was what made school special." Len said before I said: "I see… that's regrettable that you went to a bad school like that… but how did you get involved with musical acting?" "That was one good thing that came out of school… in my school, you're required to take a music class. And it just so happened my music teacher told me I had talent as a singer—she said I could be a professional someday if I kept working at it. Eventually, I saw the Elysian Opera was coming to my town and it happened they were looking for new performers. So I invited Rin and we each auditioned for a part and we got it! Now I'm really happy to be out of school and in an environment that's right for me, even if I do still have to take online tests for my school and study independently to prove I'm still learning stuff…"
And I laughed before I said: "I see. I have to admit, I admire your attitude, Len." And then I turned to Rin and said: "And Rin, what's your story? It sounds like it overlaps with his…" "It does. In fact, they're both pretty similar. Like my big brother, I got to the point where I hated school, but mostly for the bullying. I went through a few years before I was in fourth grade, but once I was, I soon was really, really bored with fourth grade and the school I was in noticed, so they did an IQ test on me and found that I was smart enough to be skipped ahead." "That's amazing, Rin. You're very lucky to be one of the ones who was skipped ahead. So you're in fifth grade, I trust?" I asked before she said: "Nope! I was skipped ahead three grades—I'm in seventh grade now." "You were skipped ahead three grades?! Really?" I asked before Len said: "It's true—she isn't lying. I was just as shocked as you when I heard it." And Rin giggled and said: "Yup, I'm something of a prodigy!"
"Wow… and that means that even though you're old enough to be in elementary school, you're a middle schooler… that's incredible, Rin." I said before Rin said: "Thank you, but that very fact did create a bit of trouble for me… the thing I found out was, when you're the only elementary school-aged kid in a school full of teenagers, most people see you as their natural prey. The teens were jealous of me for how smart I was and how quickly I was getting through school, so they bullied me a lot…" "Oh, Rin…" I said before she said: "I was so sick of it… Since Len's in sixth grade, we both go to the same school—" And I saw Len looked embarrassed before Rin went on: "…But him standing up for me was about all that pulled me through it all. Eventually, I was fed up with being mistreated and was hoping for a way out… but that day came when Len invited me to his audition. When he extended the invitation to me, I thought: "This is my chance!" And I practiced like mad to get my singing voice in order. Thankfully it worked and I was taken on staff! Now I'm so happy to be a performer. Even if I have to do required service projects and take long distance tests and study, I don't mind, as long as it gets me out of being bullied. It's so much better this way."
"Wow… I'm sorry you had such hard times in school, Len, Rin… your story in particular is really sad, Rin… but I like how you both saw an opportunity and made your own way through life. You both are a lot more successful than you could ever know." I said before Rin giggled and Len said: "Thank you, Lucas. It's nice to hear an adult sympathize with us for a change instead of saying: "The stage is an escape from reality" behind our backs… it's very reassuring." "That is so presumptuous that anyone would say such a thing! Don't listen to people like that. They don't know your whole story." I said before Rin said: "Thank you, Lucas. You're such a nice person and we really appreciate it." "How kind. It's always nice to see someone who appreciates the kindness they receive." I said before Rin said: "Believe me, we do. When you're from a background like us, you appreciate every kind word you get." Hearing that… I suppose she's right. It makes sense, after they had been shown so little respect in their lives…
But then we heard a: "Psy!" And looked up to see a short yellow duck Pokemon… it walked on two legs and had arms with pointed, finger-like tips instead of wings. It had a yellow tail and manila-colored feet, as well as a manila-colored bill. It had three black lines on top of its head in a W-shape and had two white eyes with little black dots for pupils. But this Pokemon… it was a Psyduck. They were water type Pokemon that had an unexpected gift with psychic powers too. And yet when Rin saw it, she looked so happy and said: "Wow! What a cutie!" And she ran up to the Psyduck and I firmly whispered: "Rin…" and then she got down in front of it and hugged him before Psyduck said: "Psy…" And she said: "Ooh, you're so warm and cute! What kind of Pokemon are you?" "Psyduck." Psyduck said before Rin said: "Psyduck, huh? Well it's nice to meet you! I'm Rin!" And then she let Psyduck go before Psyduck looked happier and said: "Psy!" I had to admit, this wasn't a very dangerous Pokemon… most wild Pokemon have unpredictable behavior, but this Psyduck seemed very gentle and laid back… it was nice to see a wild Pokemon that wasn't dangerous for a change.
But then we heard a: "Lombre!" And we turned to see an odd Pokemon running after Psyduck! It was humanoid and had two very long arms (even longer than its legs, even!). Its face, ears, shoulders and arms were colored sky blue and the rest of its body was colored green. It had three reddish-pink claws and three reddish-pink toenails and pale pink lips. It also had a green lilypad on top of its head and was somewhat tall. When Psyduck saw it, he said: "Duck!" And started to flee! But Lombre gave chase and soon caught up to him before he scratched Psyduck! "Psy!" Psyduck said before Rin said: "Hey you thug, why'd you do that?! That's mean!" And Lombre ignored her and scratched Psyduck again before Rin frowned and took out Cutiefly's apricorn ball and said: "That's it! It's time to teach you some manners!"
And then she called Cutiefly out before she said: "Cutiefly, use struggle bug on the Lombre!" And Cutiefly said: "Cutie!" Before she flew at Lombre and rammed into him several times and Lombre took it hard! "Good work, Rin! You remembered bug moves are strong against grass!" I said before she said: "I'm just lucky I guessed it was a grass type… at least that lilypad on its head was a good giveaway." And then Lombre turned to Cutiefly and said: "Lombre!" Angrily before Psyduck said: "Psy!" And took advantage of Lombre being distracted to run away! Lombre quickly turned its head and when it saw Psyduck escaping, he got mad and said: "Lombre!" And leapt at Cutiefly before he scratched her three times with his claws! "Cutiefly, keep going! Struggle bug!" Rin said before Cutiefly rammed into Lombre again and Lombre scratched Cutiefly four times before she looked tired and Rin said: "Don't give up, Cutiefly! Silver wind!" And Cutiefly flapped her little wings at Lombre and blew a silvery wind at Lombre and knocked him over before he said: "Lom!" And got up and ran away!
"Yay! Good job, Cutiefly!" Rin said before Cutiefly said: "Fly!" And Rin came up to her before she said: "You were so brave and you defeated that bad Pokemon! You were a real hero today, Cutiefly." "Cutie!" Cutiefly said before Rin said: "You'd better rest up in your apricorn ball for now—that battle took its toll on you, and I'm sorry. But you did something noble and that's something you should feel proud of." And she called Cutiefly back before she looked around and Len and I looked too… it was obvious that she was looking for Psyduck, but I didn't see him anywhere… "Huh… looks like that Psyduck got away…" Len said before Rin looked sad and said: "Yeah, it does… I wanted to at least see him off, but he was smart to run away. At least Cutiefly and I got to save him… I just hope he recovers safely before any more Pokemon like that brutish Lombre find him again—"
And then we heard a: "Psy?" And we all whirled around to see Psyduck standing by Rin's leg! "Oh! You came back!" Rin said before Psyduck said: "Duck!" And Rin said: "Thanks for coming back! That mean Lombre's gone, so you're safe now." And she patted him on the head and said: "It was nice getting to meet you today. Take good care of yourself from now on and stay safe, okay?" And she waved at him before he said: "Duck?" And Rin walked over to us and said: "Thanks, guys. I'm ready to go now." "Alright. Then let's keep going." Len said before we took off.
Once we reached Garrows, we saw a small truck parked not too far from the entrance, with its driver next to it. "Is that the vehicle we're supposed to meet with?" I asked before Rin said: "It might be… let's go." And we approached the driver before he turned and when he saw us, he said: "Oh… hey! You're Rin Kagamine and Len Kagamine! The ones Mr. Victor mentioned!" "That's right. You're our business partner, I take it?" Len said before the driver said: "That's right. I'm the driver he appointed to transport the canned goods you collect. I'll transport them to the food bank with you once you're done." "Sounds about right. Now before we get started, can I see your contract?" Len asked before the driver said: "Sure. Here." And he handed Len a document before Len read it over and said: "Yup, this is it. Alright, then we're all set to go." And Rin said to the driver: "Great. Then we'll get started immediately. We're ready when you are." And the driver said: "Of course! In that case, we'll—"
And then he suddenly looked panicked before he said: "Wah! One of the monsters! Look out!" And we turned around… to see Psyduck behind us. "Oh! You followed us all the way out here?!" Rin said before Psyduck said: "Psyduck!" And went up to Rin before I smiled and said: "Rin… I think this is his way of saying he wants to come with you." "Is this true, Psyduck?" Rin asked before Psyduck said: "Psy!" And jumped up and nodded. I chuckled and said: "What a sweet gesture. It looks like your decision to save him won him over." And Rin smiled and said: "Okay! I know we're going to have a lot of fun together!"
And she took out one of the apricorn balls I gave her and said: "I carry my Pokemon around in these. You can ride in here and rest until I call you out." "Psyduck!" Psyduck said before Rin said: "Good. Thank you for following me out here, Psyduck." And she called him into the apricorn ball before she looked down at it and the driver said: "What was that? You domesticated that thing?" And Rin turned to him and said: "Not really. He was always like that. I guess you could say I won him over." And the driver said: "Huh… I don't really understand what happened, but if that monster's not a threat to anyone, I guess it's okay." And then he went on: "Anyway, we'll depart immediately. Have you decided on a route?" "Well since the food bank is in the center of the village, why don't we go around in an O-shape? It'll let us get full coverage of the village without losing time." Len said before the driver said: "Of course! Hop in!" And we all got inside before he drove us to the nearest neighborhood.
When we arrived, we all got out and the driver came out with us before he said: "Oh yeah, let me give you a bag so you can start collecting canned goods…" And he handed us one before he said: "There you go. Best of luck to you." "Thank you." Rin said before she turned to me and said: "Lucas, would you mind carrying that? You're the strongest person here, so you're the best suited for heavy lifting." And I laughed and said: "Not one bit. I told Mr. Victor I was suited for heavy lifting, after all—failure to prove that true would be an embarrassment." And I took the bag before Rin said: "Great. Then let's get started."
And then we went around, collecting canned goods all over town. We were all business in neighborhoods, but Rin, Len and I liked to talk whenever we were on our way to the next neighborhood. Eventually, we came to one neighborhood and went to the houses there—when we arrived in the middle, Rin pressed the doorbell there and we waited… and soon a little girl came to the door and when she saw us, she said: "Wow! Rin and Len Kagamine! It's such an honor to have you both at my front door—I'm such a big fan!" And Rin said: "Thanks, friend. Hey, if you have a minute, could we ask if you have any extra canned food that we could donate? We're trying to collect canned food for a food bank to donate to the needy." "Absolutely, Ms. Rin! Wait here!" The little girl said before she ran back into her house and we waited before she came back with some canned food and she said: "Thank you for waiting! I asked my mommy, and here's some canned food she said we could donate." "Thank you so much. We really appreciate your willingness to help the unfortunate. It really shows what a nice person you are and how nice your family is too." Len said before she said: "Eee! Mr. Len praised me! I'm so excited!" And she handed him the canned food before Rin said: "Thank you so much. This is going to make someone's day, so make sure to feel proud." And then the little girl said: "Thank you! Before you leave though, could I get some advice from you both? I'd really like to hear what you'd say…" "Well we took some of your time, so we can reciprocate. What did you want?" Len asked.
"The thing is… I'm having a tough time in school right now. I heard you both have had a similar experience, so what can I do to cope with it? How did you get through it?" The little girl asked. "School definitely is hard and sadly, the academics are far from the worst of it. We can imagine what you must be going through, but don't give up—find the strength to persevere. Even if school can be a tough environment to learn in, the pursuit of knowledge is important and you should keep learning, no matter what happens. The more time you put into learning, the more prepared you'll be when you grow up." Rin said. "Also, don't be afraid to lean on your friends. They're what made it bearable for me and if you listen to them and help them back, that will strengthen your friendship and make them respect you even more. By spending time with each other, it will make things better." Len said. "So learning and friends are important… that makes sense. Thank you! I'll remember what you said, Ms. Rin! Mr. Len!" The little girl said before Rin said: "Good. With your character, I know you'll be a great grown-up someday. Until then, keep doing your best." "I will! Goodbye!" The little girl said before we left.
We kept going around the city (having some similar interactions) until we had secured a lot of canned food. When dusk was starting to settle in, the driver drove us to the food bank, where Rin, Len and I all went inside and we went up to a front desk before we saw a receptionist there. Soon he looked up from the computer he was working at and paused before he said: "Welcome. Are you Rin Kagamine and Len Kagamine?" "That's right. I'm Rin, this is my brother, Len…" Rin said as she looked at Len and then she looked at me and went on: "And this is our coworker, Lucas." And then she turned back to the receptionist and said: "We work in The Elysian Opera. We came to deliver the canned food we collected around town." "Excellent! In that case, go to the hall down the left and ask the employees for Gina—she'll take it from you." The receptionist said before Len said: "We'll do that. Thank you."
And then we went down the hall the receptionist had specified before we found some people working there. We asked for Gina and one of them went off before we waited and soon we saw a woman come up to us… she wore a white shirt, a purple coat and purple pants and black shoes. She had short brown hair that went down to the bottom of her neck and was tall. "Hello. Are you Gina?" Len asked before the woman responded: "Yes. Are you the Elysian Opera members who were delivering a donation?" "Yes, ma'am. We were here to deliver the goods we collected." Rin said. "That's wonderful. Then please, bring them in." Gina said before I said: "Alright. I'll go get them. Please, wait here…" And then Len said: "We'll help you too, Lucas. We relied on you for the heavy lifting before, but now we're ready to participate!" And I grinned and said: "Sure, the more the merrier." And then I turned to Gina and said: "We'll be back."
And we went out to the truck where we grabbed the bags we had collected before we delivered them and when we were done, Gina said: "This is a lot! You really did a good job!" And then she went on: "I'll be sure to tell Mr. Victor you all did a good job. Our clients will have a lot more to eat, thanks to you." "We're happy to have helped. Hearing that your hungry clients will have enough to eat is worth plenty." I said before Rin said: "That's right! It feels good to have made a difference—hunger is such a terrible thing." And then Len said: "I agree. It feels good knowing we could help your clients like that." And then he went on: "Anyway, now that we've fulfilled our end of the bargain, we'll be going now. Keep up the good work, feeding your clientele!" "Thank you all. Please have a safe trip home." Gina said before we went back to the truck and the driver drove us back to the outskirts.
Once we were back where we started, Rin, Len and I all got out and Len said: "Thanks for the lift! Have a good night and a safe trip back into town." "Will do! You all have a safe trip home too. Goodbye, everyone!" The driver said before he went back to his truck and drove off…
And then we started to walk back to the tent through the outskirts… eventually, I said: "Well that was one successful service assignment! I didn't think we'd be able to get that much canned food… it was a good thing you were along, Rin, Len. Fame is a good thing to have on your side in an undertaking like this." "Though I don't like admitting it, that is true, Lucas—depending on the kind of service assignment we get, sometimes we have the edge over our ordinary competitors, because we are more well-known." Rin said before Len said: "Yup. Having more influence is an advantage when you work with the public. That's just an underlying reality. And yet, I wonder…" And then he turned to me and went on: "What did you think of that service assignment, Lucas? That was your first one, wasn't it?" "It went better than I expected. Getting to talk to you when we were en route to each neighborhood was fun, but the best part was when we gave all the canned food we collected to Gina and knowing it was going to help so many unfortunate people." I said before Rin said: "I agree! That's what makes these service assignments so rewarding—even though it's hard work, it makes a big difference to the unfortunate." "Yes, I feel the same. I'm glad we all see it the same way." Len said.
"It was rewarding. Although I have to admit, there was one more thing that happened while we were out that impressed me." I said before Rin said: "And what was that?" "How you two handled yourselves around that little girl who looked up to you in that neighborhood, Rin, Len. I really liked what you told her; you could tell she was struggling like you were, but you gave her practical, useful advice and told her to stay disciplined and devoted to learning, instead of doing anything irresponsible. That was very good of you—you both have a lot of tact." I said.
"Well as we're celebrities, we have a responsibility to think about how we affect our communities. I mean sure, it's true that we could have told her what a harsh environment school is and how much happier we are now that we're working, but if we did that, that would have had a really bad effect on her future. That's why it's my and Rin's responsibility to think before we speak and give advice that's good for people, even if we don't entirely agree with it. Different people respond better to different things, after all." Len said. "Yes, it would be irresponsible of us to misuse our influence in a situation like that… that would make us not worthy of anyone's respect." Rin said before I said: "How admirable… you both are very mature already." And Rin giggled and said: "Aww, thanks, Lucas!"
And then we continued through the outskirts. We kept going until we saw the tent in the distance! "There it is… we're almost home!" Rin said before she and Len kept walking ahead… but I saw a short Pokemon's head poking up out of the grass in front of them! "Rin, Len! Stop!" I said before Len said: "Huh…?" And then the Pokemon darted out of the grass and up to them! I could see it in more detail now that it wasn't partially hidden… it stood on two legs and had a pale pink torso with legs attached directly next to it and a reddish-pink stripe down the middle. It had a pale pink face with red bug eyes and black pupils and had green leaves growing around its neck and had pale green vegetation growing on top of its head, with a dark green bulb at the top. It had green sickles with white tips instead of arms and was very short.
When it was before them, it said: "Fomantis!" And Len said: "Wow, what a cool Pokemon! What is this? A bug type?" Although he was actually wrong… Fomantis was a grass type. But then Fomantis said: "Mantis!" And stretched her claws out wide before Len said: "Okay, you're on! I've got just the thing!" And then he took out his apricorn ball and said: "Go, Growlithe!" And he called Growlithe out before he said: "Growlithe, fire fang!" And Growlithe said: "Growl!" And his teeth started to crackle with fire before he ran up to Fomantis and bit her! It looked like it worked great too! "Alright! Fire works against bug! Just like it said in Lucas's notes!" Len said before Fomantis said: "Fomant!" And then conjured a flurry of sharp-edged leaves before she sent them flying at Growlithe and they hit him, but he took it easily! "L-leaves…?" Len said before I said: "Fomantis is actually a grass type, Len. As you read, both bug and grass are weak against fire, so it's an easy mistake to make, especially when it looks like an insect." "I see… but if it's a grass type… that might actually be even better." Len said before he went on: "Growlithe, give Fomantis a bite!" And Growlithe bit Fomantis before she looked dazed and fell down—she had flinched! And then Len took out an apricorn ball I had given him and said: "It's perfectly weakened! Let's do this!" And he pointed it at Fomantis before it emitted a red laser and when it made contact with Fomantis, it sucked her in! The apricorn ball shook a bit in his grasp before it stood still and Len said: "Is that it…? Did I get it?" And then I said: "YES! You did it, Len! You caught your first Pokemon!"
And Len looked triumphant before he said: "A-ha! I did it! I caught it! And on my first try!" And then he turned to me and said: "Thank you for the apricorn ball and your notes, Lucas! I couldn't have done it without you!" "You're welcome. Don't forget to credit your willingness to study though, Len—that's what gave you the knowledge you needed to do this." I said before Len said: "Maybe you're right. Studying has never been so fun!" And we laughed before I said: "Alright, now let's get back to the tent. Your new Fomantis is surely tired and we should get back before nightfall. Come on, let's move!" And we sped up before we closed in and went in the tent.
When we arrived, I turned to Rin and Len and said: "What happens next?" "We have to report to Mr. Victor. Once we let him know the outcome of the assignment, then we're done." Rin said. "And to think it's going to be your first time reporting in, too… well come on, Lucas. Let's wrap this up!" Len said before I nodded and we went to George's office.
When we arrived, Len knocked on George's door before he said: "Come in." And we all went inside and he said: "Ah, Rin, Len and Lucas! Welcome back. I'm glad to see you made it back safely." "Thank you, sir." Rin said before George said: "I heard from the food bank about how you did—it sounded like you were able to collect a lot of food to donate. Good work!" "Thank you, Mr. Victor. It was a good feeling and we're all proud of how we did!" Len said before George said: "Good! Then you'd better all wrap up and call it a night. Thank you for reporting in." "Yes, sir. Have a good evening." I said before we all left.
From there, it wasn't long before the day was over. All things considered, it was a rather successful one; it felt good helping the food bank and it was nice getting to talk to Rin and Len… but I also was happy to see how they were shaping up as Pokemon trainers. Rin was so kind to her Psyduck that she befriended it without a fight and Len was shaping up to be a fine trainer… it was gratifying watching them grow! I knew I was right to give them their own Pokemon.