║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
╚
═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
║
╝
Valencia smiled at Aria’s obvious nervousness. She supposed that it really was one of those events in a life that had the potential to change everything, but she personally was trying not to look at it that way. If she considered all the possibilities, her head would start to spin, and so she chose to take it one step at a time. Today, she would meet her very first pokémon, and make her very first completely independent foray out of the small town she’d lived in all her life. That was momentous enough—there was no need to look even further beyond that yet, else she might lose her nerve. Already it was a major thing. Much as her parents tended to suppress her, she knew that they also provided a stability that she would now be without. She would have to make due for herself in the world, and that was no simple task.
Btu there she was, getting ahead of herself. One step at a time. Taking a deep breath, Valencia slowed her natural stride to match Aria’s much shorter, lively one. It was something she did automatically by now, without really needing to think about it. Given the size of the town, it wasn’t long before they were outside the lab, run by Professor Birch, an aging fellow well into his seventies. He had a lot more assistants these days than he’d used to, but he was still one of the foremost authorities on pokémon, and still published new research quite frequently.
Valencia was a familiar face at the laboratory, and so she saw no need to show special deference about entering, merely pulling opening the door and holding it open for Aria behind her before leading them both to the back, where she knew the professor would be.
A kindly old man, Professor Birch had a white beard and wispy white hair, a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose. As they entered, he looked up and smiled. “Ah, I see you’re both finally here. A little late, no?” He didn’t seem to mean it as a criticism, more an amused comment than anything. Val smiled softly at him, nodding a bit.
“Sorry, Professor.” She made no mention of whose fault it was that they were late—she saw no need.
“Quite all right, my dear, quite all right. Let’s see here…” he glanced back and forth between them, then took one of the four pokéballs off his desk. “This one’s for you, Miss Destler. I know you said you wanted to study pokémon evolution, so I put in a request with an old friend of mine in Cerulean city. She arrived just yesterday.” Valencia accepted the ball with a grateful look; she knew what would be inside if he’d asked Bill about it. Still, the fact that he had was a pleasant surprise.
“Thank you so much, Professor Birch.” There was a note of something approaching reverence in her tone, and he chuckled slightly.
“You’re welcome. And for you, Miss Bell, I’ve assembled a selection.” He nodded at the three remaining balls. “We’ve got a Chikorita, a Horsea, and a Vulpix.”
Both the professor and Valencia lapsed into silence. This was, of course, an exceedingly important decision, and they didn’t want to inadvertently make it more difficult for Aria to make. Her decision was her own, and it had to be. However many pokémon a trainer encountered and worked with, one’s first was always special, somehow. A lifelong partner, for most trainers.
Btu there she was, getting ahead of herself. One step at a time. Taking a deep breath, Valencia slowed her natural stride to match Aria’s much shorter, lively one. It was something she did automatically by now, without really needing to think about it. Given the size of the town, it wasn’t long before they were outside the lab, run by Professor Birch, an aging fellow well into his seventies. He had a lot more assistants these days than he’d used to, but he was still one of the foremost authorities on pokémon, and still published new research quite frequently.
Valencia was a familiar face at the laboratory, and so she saw no need to show special deference about entering, merely pulling opening the door and holding it open for Aria behind her before leading them both to the back, where she knew the professor would be.
A kindly old man, Professor Birch had a white beard and wispy white hair, a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose. As they entered, he looked up and smiled. “Ah, I see you’re both finally here. A little late, no?” He didn’t seem to mean it as a criticism, more an amused comment than anything. Val smiled softly at him, nodding a bit.
“Sorry, Professor.” She made no mention of whose fault it was that they were late—she saw no need.
“Quite all right, my dear, quite all right. Let’s see here…” he glanced back and forth between them, then took one of the four pokéballs off his desk. “This one’s for you, Miss Destler. I know you said you wanted to study pokémon evolution, so I put in a request with an old friend of mine in Cerulean city. She arrived just yesterday.” Valencia accepted the ball with a grateful look; she knew what would be inside if he’d asked Bill about it. Still, the fact that he had was a pleasant surprise.
“Thank you so much, Professor Birch.” There was a note of something approaching reverence in her tone, and he chuckled slightly.
“You’re welcome. And for you, Miss Bell, I’ve assembled a selection.” He nodded at the three remaining balls. “We’ve got a Chikorita, a Horsea, and a Vulpix.”
Both the professor and Valencia lapsed into silence. This was, of course, an exceedingly important decision, and they didn’t want to inadvertently make it more difficult for Aria to make. Her decision was her own, and it had to be. However many pokémon a trainer encountered and worked with, one’s first was always special, somehow. A lifelong partner, for most trainers.