Here's the next chapter.
Chapter 2 – Back On Track
She found her way to the lab and stopped outside, catching her breath on the off-white brickwork. She indeed still couldn’t believe that they’d keep something like that from her. Of course, it didn’t make much difference, but surely knowing your real surname was more than thinking your adopted parents knew nothing about you.
This brought forward more questions about Andrea and Karl. She’d have to ask them if they knew anything else afterwards. Right now though, it was time she was introduced to the Professor and her first Pokémon. After five years.
She pushed some of her brown hair behind one ear and walked in through the doors. They were automatic, which amused Samantha due to the town’s distinct lack of technology.
It was a lot bigger on the inside, although the walls were painted white, so that might have contributed. But still. The place was bigger than any building she had seen in Ivory Village. There was no one in the immediate room wearing a lab coat, so she took a few steps towards one of the wide alcoves. In there was only a door with a bench outside of it.
Taking this as a hint, she went and sat next to a small boy, looking to be a ten-year-old ready to get his first Pokémon. She recognised him, but wasn’t sure where from. His red t-shirt and blue denim shorts were a common sight in this town due to there being only one clothes store.
“Hi, is this the Professors office?” she asked him politely. She knew manners were the only way to go with strangers, having had a bad young experience with one of Andrea’s customers.
“It’s one of them,” he said, coolly shifting his bright blue cap slightly, “I’ve been to two already. You have to have interviews with all three Professors.” Samantha looked at him wide eyed. Looking back to the first room, she realised all those people were queuing at the main desk. This was going to be a long morning.
“Do you think they’ll notice if I just go into this room first?” she asked, smirking a little. The boy grinned back at her.
“I think so,” he giggled. She nodded and stood up. He stared at her as she walked to the door and opened it, walking in. He must have thought she was mad.
Walking in, she saw a man fighting thin air. He wore a traditional training uniform, the one’s the trainers from the olden days on television wore. She gasped at how tall he was, causing him to turn and notice she had entered the room.
“Couldn’t wait until your name was called, huh?” He wasn’t angry, however, he was smiling. He walked over to his desk and pressed a button. “Tina, Quentin, I need you in here for a second.” A buzz came from where he had pressed a button and he sat down. “So, how’s the weather outside?”
She was bemused. He was talking to her as normal, gesturing to a chair in front of the desk. Sitting down, she said, “It’s nice out. Much better than that storm we had last Saturday.”
“Ah yes, I remember that weekend,” he nodded, his long black hair stroking his puffy white over shirt. The only thing Samantha was glad about at the moment was that she couldn’t see the huge red skirt he was wearing, especially since she had a short skirt of the same colour. “You can’t imagine how hard it is to know what the weather is like from in here. You know, I’ve been meaning to call some contractors…”
He was cut off as the door opened, and two adults walked in. One was a woman a little younger looking than Andrea, but far wider. She wore a red suit with a skirt instead of trousers. Underneath she had a pink shirt, with matching earrings and a tidy coppery bun on her head.
The second was a much more elderly man, wearing a rather boring brown suit jacket, grey trousers and a green waistcoat over his white shirt, which matched his green cane and the stripe on his bowler hat. They both came in and stood next to the other man. Great, she thought, my eyes are burnt.
“What is the meaning of this, Samson?” asked the older man, his grey eyebrows scrunching together, “I was just interviewing that lovely Callaghan boy. His mother is so proud of him.” Samson nodded.
“This girl recently burst into my office and interrupted my training,” he explained to them, “It seems she cannot wait to get her Pokémon, even if it means having three interviews with us.”
“I’m rather surprised Ivy let her through,” the older man said.
“You saw the queue’s out there, Quentin,” the woman told him, “This isn’t Ivy’s fault.”
“Either way,” Samson said, still smiling, “I wanted you two here to assist me in interviewing her together.” This caused uproar from both the two newer arrivals and what sounded like an ‘I was here first!’ from outside the door.
“This will be a lot faster if you aid me,” he said, now rather stern. “Young girl, I’m Professor Samson Redwood. This is Professor Quentin Pine and Professor Tina Sequoia. All three of us deal with the handling of beginning trainers. But you don’t look like a beginning trainer. What is your name?”
“I’m Samantha No…” she wondered whether she should now say her name was Norton or not, “I’m Samantha Acacia.” Redwood looked at her.
“Lucian Acacia’s offspring?” he asked, almost looking like he was about to bow, “I didn’t realise you were old enough to begin a journey yet. Or that you were a girl. You’ve come a long way from Ochre City, haven’t you.” Samantha was confused.
“I think you’ve got me mixed up with a little boy from a lot further away,” she smiled, “I’m Samantha Acacia, born and raised in Ivory Village. Well…raised anyway.” She looked at the floor. “Look, I’m sorry I barged in on you all, but my parents have stopped me from becoming a trainer for five years. Now they’re finally letting me start, and I have a lot of catching up to do compared to most people my age. I really need a Pokémon.”
The considered her for a while, looking at each other and back at Samantha.
”I guess we can make an exception just this once,” muttered Redwood, “But first you have to let me interview that young boy outside. As I’m sure we all just heard, he was here before you. After that we’ll push you forward.”
“Perhaps during the boys interview you can work on your manners,” snorted Sequoia as she walked out.
“And wear more suitable clothes in future,” stated Pine, almost in disgust, as he followed Sequoia out of the room, no doubt to return to interviewing the ‘Callaghan boy’.
“Come in please, Nolan,” Professor Redwood called as the door was closing. The boy from outside walked in, throwing daggers from his eyes at the now standing Samantha as he walked past.
“Yes Professor Redwood?” he inquired, although she had no doubt he knew exactly what he was here for.
“As you know, this is your third interview of the day,” Redwood started, “And now is the time for you to answer a final few questions before you get your starter Pokémon.” Nolan nodded, as Samantha stood further back to the corner, watching with great intent. She could learn something from this interview, like the answers.
“What are you more interested in,” the Professor asked, “Gym Battling or Contest Battling?” Nolan shifted his head slightly.
“I’m not interested in either of those,” he grinned, “I want to be a Champion Competitor. All those races and competitions, they really give me an energy boost.” He seemed to be jigging in his seat already.
“I believe you have already expressed your feelings on type advantage’s to Professor Sequoia?” Redwood asked, hand to his mouth, pondering this energetic child.
“Of course, she asked me and I told her,” the boy said, beginning to recall the conversation to himself, “There’s use for type advantages where I’m destined to be.”
“And where is that?” asked the Professor, increasingly interested.
“At the top of the food chain,” the boy cooed, holding a clenched fist in the air, “Winner of every Champion Competition there is. No one will have the skills to beat me once I get started.” The Professor smiled. This seemed to be the right answer.
“Well done, Nolen.” He said, standing. Walking over to a desk, he pulled a small red and white sphere from a draw. “You’ve given all of us enough answers to determine what your starter Pokémon should be. How do you feel about Grass Types?” Nolen looked at his feet.
“I prefer Poison Types to be honest with you, Professor Redwood.” He confessed. Samson Redwood let out a heart laugh before passing the ball to the boy.
“Then the Pokémon in this Pokéball should suit you perfectly,” he smiled. Nolen fiddled around the ball, looking for something in particular. Seeming to have finally found it, the ball expanded into a much larger one, a button now visible.
“Pokémon, lets see what you can do!” he shouted, throwing the ball onto the floor. As if a grenade, the contact with the floor caused an eruption of intense white light to fill the room. Covering her eyes with her arm, Samantha waited till she could see the glaring brightness dim through the gaps of sight.
Moving her arm out of the way, she saw a sea-coloured creature. There was a large green bulb on its back, and its face seemed more animated than most Pokémon she had seen on television, or of her parents.
“It seems…podgy?” she suggested, almost laughing at what she had said. Both Nolen and the Pokémon stared at her.
“Buulbaa!” it shouted at her, sounding female. It seemed shocked at how loud it had been afterwards. The Professor giggled to himself again.
“It seems your Bulbasaur just realised she knew Growl.” He stated. The three looked at him, and Samantha realised it was a Bulbasaur. She now recognised the viridian markings on the flesh from a programme she had watched a few nights before. “She was bred from Professor Pine’s Venusaur, just like the rest of the Bulbasaur here. So yours has no special extras over other Bulbasaur’s, apart from a happy disposition. Also, she’s both a Grass Type and a Poison Type, so you two should get along famously.”
Nolen looked at the Bulbasaur, smiling. “Come on, girl. Let’s go introduce you to my mom.” He sprinted out of the room, leaving the little Bulbasaur to get used to the speed in which he went. Redwood looked at her and signalled her to sit down, shifting his long red skirt out of the way.
Samantha sat down on the seat Nolen had been in only moments ago.
“So, what it you want to achieve by coming here and forcing your way in?” he asked her, still calm, but much more tense than she was before.
“Okay,” she began, “I found out five years ago I was adopted. I found out today that my parents had been lying about knowing my birth parents. I need to go find my real parents. I’ll need either friends with Pokémon, or a Pokémon of my own. Since I don’t have friends, this has to do. I need to go today.”
“And you couldn’t have waited?” he inquired. She shook her head.
“I have to find out some things from my adopted parents,” she looked through the window at what she thought was fire. It must have been the sun.
“Well, while I do sympathise with you, I’d rather test you first,” he said, standing up. “You’re going to go into the back with this Pokéball and have your first battle.” Samantha was confused, but took the Pokéball he was extending to her. “Follow me.” He buzzed the intercom once more and called for Ivy.
Walking behind the Professor, she saw pictures of famous trainers on the walls; obviously ones that had started their journeys in Ivory Town with a Pokémon from one of the three Professors.
“In here please,” he insisted, arm stuck into an open door. She walked in and realised she was actually walking outside. There was a huge field there, taken up completely by grass and flowers. A tall girl with a flowing white dress and a matching hat covering her ebony hair exited from another door, entering the glade with them.
“You wanted me, Professor?” she asked, her voice sounding musically rough. She had three of the small Pokéballs attached to her waist.
“Yes,” he said to her, facing away from Samantha. “I’d like you to battle this girl, give me a test of her knowledge.” Ivy grabbed one of the Pokéballs and expanded it from the previously invisible button. Being outside, the light that protruded from the ball after it made contact with the floor wasn’t as intense, but still caused Samantha to look away for a second.
Looking back, she saw what at first glance looked like the Bulbasaur she had seen earlier, but different. The bulb that had been on the back had opened up into a pink bud with palm leaves that had once protected the supple plant. Other than that, the Bulbasaur had only gotten bigger. This must have been the evolved form or it, like Andrea’s Sunflora had evolved from the Sunkern she had.
The Professor handed her a Pokéball already expanded. “Try this one.” He suggested.
She threw it into the air, and this time, it exploded into the light without touching the ground. The light cleared to reveal a Bulbasaur, smaller than the one she had seen in the office, but with a gruffer voice. “A Bulbasaur?” she cried, head over heels for the cuter version of the Pokémon she had seen before.
“The attacks it knows are Tackle, Growl and Safeguard.” Redwood stated, staring intently.
“Bulbasaur, use Tackle!” Samantha called, and the Grass Type obeyed, running across the field to Ivy’s Pokémon.
“Ivysaur, use Vine Whip!” Ivy shouted, ordering a move from the evolution of Bulbasaur. Two vines shot from under the plant, pulsating towards Bulbasaur.
“Jump out of the way, Bulbasaur!” yelled Samantha. The Bulbasaur nodded whilst running, and jumped to dodge one of the vines. Ivy smiled, seeing the second vine swing in and hit he smaller Pokémon.
“Now, Ivysaur, Sleep Powder!” called Ivy. A thick green powder began spewing from the flower on the Grass Type’s back, flowing quickly through the air towards Bulbasaur.
“Throw it off with a Growl, Bulbasaur!” Samantha called out. Bulbasaur let out a low grizzling growl, but the powder kept coming, settling on Bulbasaur and knocking him out cold.
“Bulbasaur is unable to battle,” guffawed Ivy, “Ivy is the winner!” Professor Redwood shook his head.
“Have some dignity,” he said to Ivy, “Now, return your Pokémon to their Pokéballs. Samantha, just point the Pokéball at Bulbasaur and shout ‘Return’. The voice recognition in these Pokéballs hasn’t been set yet, so you have full control.”
Samantha pointed the ball at the sleeping Pokémon. “Return,” she bellowed, not expecting her voice to be so loud. A red beam of energy shot to Bulbasaur and enveloped it. Quickly, Bulbasaur became the exact same essence, and the beam staggered back into the ball.
“So,” Redwood said, “The passive battling isn’t too great for you. Now we’ll have a go at physical battling. Use this one.” He passed her another Pokéball, taking the first from her. Expanding it herself this time, she threw it to the floor as Ivy returned Ivysaur and sent out her own Pokéball.
After the light had cleared, an umber scaly Pokémon was left. Its underside was a lighter colour and it carried on all the way down to the tail, which was encompassed in fire.
“Chaaaaaaa!” it cried, cutely. It seemed female.
“This is Charmander,” Professor Redwood stated, “It knows Scratch, Growl, and Bite.” Samantha looked over to Ivy and saw she had the same Pokémon, if not a little bigger.
“Charmander, use Scratch!” Samantha shouted, sending the Fire Type running forward baring her claws.
“Charmander, use your Smokescreen!” called Ivy. Black smoke began to spew from the opponent’s mouth. Professor Redwood was watching the battle carefully.
