PKMN Odyssey [2]

[The Pokémon Odyssey]

[Pallet Town II: Expectations]

[Y1/M1/D1]

    The Oak Laboratory stood on a hill in Pallet Town, held high above everything else in physical placement, funding, and regionwide importance. Prof. Samuel Oak has carried out hundreds of research investigations, unveiling mysteries and providing innovative answers to complex problems regarding Pokémon. His lab was second to none, garnering international recognition since its founding.

    That was what I had remembered, at least.

    A long driveway leading up the hill was closed off by a rusted gate. A chain dangled on the side of it, clinking like a wind chime as it prevented cars from entering onto the property. A smaller entrance for people was next to the driveway; its small door swinging around because of its broken hinges.

    I saw the windmill at the top of the hill encased in ivy and vines. It wasn't turning, despite the cool breeze in the air.

    I hiked up the concrete stairs, waiting for each step to disintegrate underneath me. The asphalt driveway was a sun-bleached artifact that might pass off for a street. Many seasons of leaves were littered on top of the stairs, and overgrowth was present all across the hill, being untamed for what could be years. Was this pointless? There was no indication of date on Prof. Oak's letter.

    I stopped to see a shell of a building at the crown of the hill. The white paint covering the walls was cracked in hundreds of places, revealing a gross yellow color underneath. Almost all of the windows were boarded with planks of wood, and if not, they remained cracked and broken. Yet, the unbarred door pulled me closer.

    The wind whistled in my ear as I approached the wooden barrier. The entrance's handle was not polished from use.

    "Prof. Oak!" I said, afraid to knock and get a splinter.

    But there was no reply, even after several minutes of repetitive shouting. I opened the backpack he sent me and took out the letter and one of the Poké Balls, expanding it to its full size.

---

    "Alright, Mr. Lanes," the teller said, "please sign on the dotted line at the bottom."

    "Thank you," I said, receiving a pen and scribbling on the side of the page, waiting for ink to come out.

    "May I ask why you're making such a large withdrawal? You're under no obligation to-"

    "I don't want my father to track my spending."

    The pen was only making indentations in the paper.

    "I see. Many people don't have their fathers, much less money to take from an account and run away from home."

    "This isn't to prove a point to them," I said, with ink finally slipping from the pen, "this is for me to take control my own life for once."

---

    I would no longer be condemned to boarding school. I want to learn about the place that I've been left for so long. I want to experience the world and what it has to offer, not sit in the corner of the planet my parents put me in. Strength will come to me, and I will discipline myself as I take care of and train with a companion.

    I shrunk the Poké Ball in my hand and replaced it into its pocket. I raised a fist to the door, but as I approached to knock, the door creaked open.

    "People traditionally knock instead of scream from outside the building," a voice said.

    A man with leathery, tanned skin answered the door. He had gray hair swept to the side, and thick black eyebrows that made him perpetually angry. I could see sweat stains under the armpits of his red dress shirt as he adjusted an oily lab coat. His tan pants had several holes that had been poorly mended, showing pasty and dry skin underneath. I wish he had showered earlier in the morning, too.

    "Uhm...hello," I said, "I...uh...my name is Jeffrey Lanes, and I've-"

    "Aren't you a little old to be wanting to play with Pokémon?" he asked, wiping his nose with the backside of his hand.

    "Are you not Prof. Oak? Haven't you based an entire career off of Pokémon?"

    "How successful do I look right now?"

    "I'll acknowledge your lab looks like shit, but you still have it all to yourself! It just needs some care."

    "What it needs is hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars, Jeffrey."

    I locked eyes with him, waiting for his pretentious smile to fade. Instead, he adjusted himself, getting behind the door.

    "You're...you're Warren Lanes's son, right?" Prof. Oak asked.

    "Yes," I said.

    "Shouldn't you be in some school? I forget its name..."

    "That's irrelevant. I graduated a week ago, so now I'm back in Kanto, and-"

    "Now that it's convenient, you'd like to become a Pokémon Trainer? Did you see any Trainers on your way here, Jeffrey?"

    "What does that have to do with anything?"

    "Look at my lab! There is no indication that anything related to Pokémon is thriving here."

    I felt the paper in my hand crumple. Prof. Oak's eyes darted to my fist as the noise interrupted the whistling wind around us.

    "What's that?" Prof. Oak asked.

    "You sent this to me," I said.

    I handed over the letter, and Prof. Oak smoothed it out on his thigh before bringing it up to his face.

    "I haven't seen one of these in...six or seven years, maybe..." Prof. Oak said.

    "Is something wrong?" I asked.

    Prof. Oak rubbed his temples for a moment and sighed, "Please come inside, Jeffrey. We'll discuss some things with you and I'll fill you in on the latest."

    "That's all? What convinced you to help me?"

    "Your annoying persistence convinced me, of course. Now please, come."

    The hallway adjoining the entrance to the rest of the building looked as maintained as the lab's exterior. Wallpaper slumped off the walls, and empty painting frames were lined up along the floor. Bare bookshelves were organized in one corner, and cobwebs decorated the room.

    "Did I say some care?" I said, gagging to the stench of mothballs and mildew, "Because I think I actually meant a lot of care."

    "Budget cuts will do that to a facility," Prof. Oak said, walking up the stairs at the end of the hall.

    Prof. Oak opened the wooden door at the top of the staircase and continued inside. I followed him along dirty tiled floors to one wall, where he flicked a light switch.

    Harsh fluorescent lights beat down on me, blinding me momentarily as I blinked to see where he led me.

    "There's not much to it anymore, but this is my research floor," Prof. Oak said.

    Unpowered machinery lined the walls of the space. At the end of the room, a collapsing desk had stacks of papers and textbooks lying on top. A brown couch with no cushions stood next to it, and an empty drafting table with no chair featured no sketches.

    "Do you not conduct research anymore?" I asked.

    "I can't afford to pay for the electricity this floor consumes," Prof. Oak said, scraping dirt off the floor with his shoe.

    "Your research grants don't pay for electricity?"

    "Jeffrey, I don't get research grants."

    I paused, "Why not?"

    "Over the past fifteen years, there has been a steady decrease in the amount of people in Kanto who become Pokémon Trainers," Prof. Oak said, "As a result, the Pokémon League has decided to cut funding for Pokémon Professors."

    "Then why would you send me this backpack and invitation to your lab?"

    "I assume I mailed it to you when you turned ten, which was seven or eight years ago during this  initiative the Pokémon League implemented to encourage people to become Trainers."

    "It didn't work?"

    "I've noticed that taking care of Pokémon is a commitment less people want to take on. Many children enjoy doing it for a month, but soon give up and return home."

    "But I-"

    "And now there's even video games where you can catch and raise Pokémon. The responsibility over another life is obviously diminished when that life doesn't truly exist, now isn't it?"

    I leaned back on one of the machines. The tall windows at the end of the room were also lazily boarded up.

    "You don't have the resources to support this Journey," I said.

    "I've been hinting at it," Prof. Oak said, "I'm sorry, Jeffrey, but you're too late."

    "And the Pokémon League cut your research funding? Why would they do that? Research is just as important as Battles or Contests! It's like when Father cut the funding for...for..."

    "What did he cut the funding for? What's wrong?"

    "Prof. Oak, who decides on the budget at the Pokémon League?"

    "The Pokémon League Champion has all final say in-...Jeffrey, no. You aren't being reasonable."

    "I can try!"

    "Trying is not a feasible option. The Indigo Plateau Conference is in six months from now, you cannot accomplish that in the short span of time."

    I lifted off the machine and stepped towards Prof. Oak, "I'm not a child, so I have more stamina and strength to travel around the region collecting Gym Badges. Also, I'm more intelligent than any child you've given a Starter Pokémon to."

    "But you've never been to a Trainer's School!" Prof. Oak yelled.

    "I've taken classes on Pokémon anatomy and battle theory in school before, just not at an accredited Trainer's School."

    Prof. Oak rolled his eyes, walking to the center of the room. Each step echoed in the vast room, and each echo bounced off the surrounding machinery with a metallic ring.

    "What would you even do if I were to hand you a Starter Pokémon right now?" Prof. Oak asked.

    "I've collected all the necessary funds and supplies for my Journey, so I head to Viridian City tomorrow along-" I said.

    "The Viridian City Gym is closed for renovations at the moment."

    "Then I'll go to Pewter City for a Badge there. And then to Cerulean City, and then Vermilion City, and wherever else I need to go to get to the Indigo Plateau in six months. I might be the only chance you have."

    Prof. Oak turned to me, waiting for me to break eye contact and doubt myself. But he backed down first.

    "I know plenty of Trainers who'd be capable of this. Do your parents know you'll be going?" he asked, going over to his desk.

    "No," I said, clearing my throat.

    Prof. Oak laughed and sat down. He opened a drawer and pulled out a red device, placing it on top of the stacks of papers on his desk. He began punching in combinations of buttons.

    "Is there...anything else we need to go over?" I asked.

    "I personally do not care if you have your parent's permission to go on this Journey," Prof. Oak chuckled, "But please answer this: why do you want this?"

    "I would like to show myself that I have the discipline and maturity to make my own decisions and control my own fate," I said, "And I would like to make my companions stronger as they do the same for me."

    Prof. Oak got up, with the device in hand, and approached me. He pointed the box at me, and I reached out to receive it; but my arm retreated as the machine made a pinging noise.

    "This is a Pokédex," Prof. Oak said, "I've unlocked all of its encyclopedic functions so it'll be an invaluable tool to help you grow and understand Pokémon. Keep scanning them and gather more data for me while you're at it."

    I took the Pokédex from Prof. Oak and opened it. The light blue bulb in its corner glowed faintly as the device powered on, and the black screen flickered to life. It displayed my picture, and the blue bulb flashed at every syllable when it spoke.

    "I am Dexter," the device said, "I am a Pokédex programmed by Professor Samuel Oak for Pokémon Trainer Jeffrey Lanes of Pallet Town. My function is to provide information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."

    "Th-thank you," I said, cycling through the menu options on the Pokédex.

    "Like he said, Dexter can perform functions such as providing information on wild Pokémon, movesets, and even locations on where to find certain species," Prof. Oak said.

    I shut the panel of the Pokédex and looked up at Prof. Oak, "I will get you your research money as soon as I can. Thank you for this opportunity."

    "One more gift. Normally, I'd let you choose a Pokémon, but I don't have the resources for that at the moment."

    Prof. Oak reached into his pant pocket and retrieved a Poké Ball. He pressed its center button, converting it to its larger size, and in a flash of blue energy, an orange reptile appeared in between us. There was a warm glow from its tail, and it blinked at me with its rich blue eyes. I opened Dexter's panel and pointed it at the Pokémon.

    "Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon," Dexter said, "From the time it is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail. Its life would end if the flame were to be extinguished."

    "I'll take care of you," I said, smiling and sitting in front of Charmander.

    "Jeffrey Lanes," Prof. Oak said, "welcome to the world of Pokémon."