Chapter 4: Getting a pokémon for free may seem Farfetch’d

Professor Sycamore left to go retrieve the usual starter pokémon, leaving the girl, who introduced herself as Serena, and me in silence.

 

I honestly can’t believe I’m doing this. Leaving my job, leaving the safety of my own home, all for fame and glory and possibly girls. That last one might just be a footnote, though.

 

I’ll have to tell mom.

 

I’ll have to pack my things.

 

I’ll have to…say goodbye to Hazel and Robin. Wait a minute…

 

Professor Sycamore returns, with five pokéballs and Robin trailing behind him. Slithering over, she wraps herself around my left, climbing up my body, then perching herself around my neck, giving me quite the expensive scarf.

 

“Hey, you…” I chuckle, scratching her chin. She purrs in response, gently moving into the motion. I turn to the Professor. “What’s Robin doing here?”

 

He gives an apologetic smile, chuckles, and scratches the back of his head. “Well, I was going to offer you the normal starters, but those two stopped me.

 

“Two…?” *Bang* *Clatter* *BANG* With a not-so-subtle entrance and one of the roof vents clattering to the floor, Hazel the Ferroseed drops down from above giving me a look in her eyes as if I’m the one who just fell from the ceiling.

 

“Heh heh. To me, it looks like your pokémon already decided for you.” Walking over he hands me both of their pokéballs. Instinctively, I know which one belongs to which, the familiar scuff marks on both giving me hints.

 

“I thought I was only allowed one…” I didn’t intend for anyone to hear that, but Professor Sycamore leans over.

 

“Call it a going-away present.” With that whisper, he stands back up, turning his attention to Serena. “And for you, young lady! I have these three ready for you.” He tosses the pokéballs out, revealing another Froakie, Fennekin, and Chespin.

 

This girl will probably go for Fennekin. They’re the most popular among females, and, I must admit, are quite the adorable, little vixens. This one, however, is known around the lab for being somewhat of a clean freak. She’s never once came near my area purely due to the accumulation of dust around there.

 

I should get my lungs check out…

 

“Ahhh~!” Her bright smile could illuminate the moon. She bends over, hands on knees, to get a better look at the three normal starters. The feelings I’ve repressed push out, influencing me into looking slightly downward. I can’t help but notice the sizable bust this girl has, no—woman has. She’s definitely 18, ‘cause you have to be to go on a journey. And that’s da law…

 

But God damn! Those things are big, like cantaloupes. For some reason, though, this image is making something in the recesses of my memory itch, but I don’t really care to dig it up right now.

 

“Oh! Right, before Serena makes her decision, I have something for the both of you!” Professor Sycamore pulls out two Pokédexes, handing one to each of us. “Don’t worry about filling in your personal information; I already did it.”

 

Disregarding how he got Serena’s information and his subsequent lesson on how to use the ‘dex with Serena, I tap on the screen, opening its home menu. Honestly, with all that this thing is capable of, there isn’t much that it had available. My own phone will probably see more use than this thing…

 

“—twigs.” I look back up to see Serena crouching down in front of Fennekin. Hmm, mine suspicions have proven correct once again, Watson! She continues, scanning each concurrent basic starter.

 

“Wow! This’ll come in handy!” I hold my body stiff, trying not to cringe at that awkward line delivery. Of course, it’ll be handy, everyone and their mom knows that it’ll be handy.

 

“Why don’t you go and pick your partner?” Sycamore gestures to the three patient pokémon.

 

“Well, I already know which one I want, even if they’re all so cute.” She walks forward, again, and crouches in front of Fennekin, again.

 

“Fennekin, I pick you! I’m Serena!” Sycamore and I raise an eyebrow at this girl’s forwardness. After…Froakie, we realized that sometimes it’s also up to the pokémon if they want to go with a trainer. Luckily…

 

“Fen!” Fennekin smiles.

 

Fennekin is a pretty worldly girl.

 

Fennekin jumps into Serena’s arms, nuzzling her in a similar way to Robin. The poké-pair stand up, with Fennekin held tight.

 

“Wonderful!” Professor Sycamore cheers, arms spread wide in the air. “Two new trainers are to begin their journey today!” Calming down, he coughs, regaining the air of a man that does, in fact, have a both a medical license and PhD.

 

I put the two pokéballs in my satchel, along with Hazel who quite likes the warmth provided, and Robin stays wrapped around my neck, ready to ward off predators.

 

“Oh! I have an idea!” He points his index finger to the roof. “Why don’t the two of you travel together?”

 

Before he can get another word in, I interrupt, “Professor, I’m planning on running the Gym course. I don’t know if Serena wants to go there, or even with me. Second, I haven’t even packed, or resigned, officially.”

 

“Don’t worry about the resignation, and for the other things” —he turns to Serena— “would you be fine with venturing with Nicole for the time being? She’s most likely going to Santalune City.”

 

“Ash will be there,” I comment, playing to her emotions.

 

Her face scrunches up, adorably, as she thinks about it. “I don’t want to miss him, though…”

 

I wave that comment off. “Ehh, he’ll probably have to challenge the gym twice. Viola makes a habit of catching trainers off guard.”

 

She nods. “Then, I’m fine waiting some more.”

 

“Great,” I say.

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A quick trip to the Pokémon Center to register as official trainers later, we were back at my mom’s apartment. Today was mom’s day off, so she went shopping, but I texted her that I had something important to tell her. She said she’d be back as soon as possible.

 

After bribing Serena and Fennekin with some Lumiose Galettes to stay in my kitchen, I returned to my room and began packing as much as I could. My current limit was the impossibility of fitting everything I wanted in a single satchel. That meant that any non-vital equipment would be packed last.

 

I set aside room incase Hazel wanted to sit, then got to work.

 

The current limiting factors right now are space and weight. Well, weight the bag can handle. My exo-suit makes weight mostly a non-issue for me. Basic stove, tent, extra pokéballs, modification pen. Uhh, freeze-dried food. Dried meats, cheeses, and carbs.

 

Okay. Not as much as I thought. Hmm, laptop and cables. Portable tool kit, and… That’s it.

 

Using my arms, I set everything else in a pile and put a note that says, “For later!” written in marker.

 

I wish I could take everything, but I’d have to figure out the whole E = mc² thing that E—Ei— Argh! Someone figured out! Whoever it was!

 

Ugh, fucking headache.

 

I look in the mirror, my straight black hair reaching my shoulders, my green eyes staring back. The face of a woman who’s probably going to end up dead in a ditch somewhere. Probably the desert.

 

*Knock knock* “Come in,” I yell over my shoulder, still transfixed on the reflection of a doomed girl.

 

My mom walks in, looking back from whence she came. Walking up close to me, she whispers. “Who was that girl in our kitchen? Did you get a girlfriend?!” Mom isn’t the most mature, in fact, she was an infamous gossip back when she was younger.

 

Or so the lab assistants say…

 

“No. I wish though,” I scoff. “She seems to have her sights set on a, frankly, obnoxious, hardheaded boy.” Mom frowns.

 

“Well, that didn’t stop me from getting your father. He had a crush on another girl, but he was too shy to ask her out. Eventually, he did try to confess, but she shut him down, publicly. I helped him out after that, and we grew closer.”

 

I give her a wry smile through the mirror. “You don’t talk about dad much.”

 

Now, it’s her turn to scoff. “The things he wanted me to tell you about him were, in his words, ‘Only under these circumstances.’ Anyway, what’s this important thing you wanted to tell me? Does it have something to do with the pile in the corner?”

 

Deep breaths. “Mom, I want to go on a pokémon journey.”

 

…

 

Mom pauses.

 

I pause.

 

“Fen!” A happy yip cries throughout the house.

 

I turn around, looking to the ground, unable to find the want to read my mom’s expression. Then it hits me, or rather, her whole-body weight hits me as I’m enveloped in a hug.

 

“If that’s what you want to do, then I’ll support you,” she whispers in my ear. I return the hug, not finding a single tear of joy to give. My tear ducts having long dried up from underuse since I was six.

 

She pulls away, hands resting on my shoulders. I look her resolutely in the eyes. “Now, journeys are slightly pricy for an 18-year-old, so I’ll send you some money each week. If you need more just text me. We both know we aren’t using most of it anyway.”

 

Ain’t that the truth…

 

“Also, your dad wanted me to give you something if you ever went on a pokémon journey. Stay right there.” With utmost haste, she blurs out of my room, heading towards hers. In all honesty, that went better than I thought. Though, what had I thought? Mom had been supportive of me…all of th—my life.

 

Why would I think she wouldn’t support me?

 

Mom returns proudly with a…umm…how do I put this? Mom returns with a well-worn, black, leather trench-coat. It’s just slightly shorter than me, so if I put it on, it covers about 99% of my body—neck and down.

 

I obligingly put it on anyway.

 

I think it’s satin underneath. Anyway, it’s roomy enough to have my satchel underneath the coat and have a few Octillery arms bordering the sides. Although I disagreed with the look, on practicality, it works.

 

And it just seems so right with the arms.

 

I give my mom one last hug for a while. I don’t know how long this journey will take, but I just know I’m going places!

 

‘Cause that’s what a journey is, but we don’t have time for that right now…

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