Now that all of the people had run off, Elise didn't know what she was supposed to do exactly, so she just ran up to Bagon, who was standing there proudly. Kneeling down so that she was eye to eye with the small blue Pokémon, she opened her mouth to speak words of praise to the Bagon.
"Thanks, you did great in that battle, no Pokémon could have done better during their first battle." She murmured to the Pokémon, who seemed pleased with the compliment. However, it cocked its head and looked inquiringly at her, as if searching for an answer that was written across her face.
"Hang on-" Elise was about to begin speaking when she abruptly cut off. The unspoken words seemed to hang in midair as both their gazes reverted back to Professor Birch, who stood there, somewhat flustered, fists clenched, but loosely. Between his ears, inside his head, his brain was working furiously.
"This is worse than we thought…" The Professor muttered distractedly, as the trainers watched him and listened intently for what he was about to say. After a while, he stopped muttering to himself and faced the trainers, his face slightly flushed, and his clean, white lab coat streaked with dirt, though he did not seem to notice this.
"No time to talk now you guys…" He said, addressing all seven of them, plus the Pokémon. "Follow me to my lab, ok?" It was a request, though it sounded much more like a command. Wordlessly, Elise nodded mechanically, along with several others, though a few just continued to stay silent and still. Professor Birch nodded and gestured to them, and then turned and began to walk off. The trainers themselves followed close behind the Professor. Bagon walked alongside Elise, as she had forgotten about the Pokeball that she was still clutching loosely in her right hand, which was hanging limply by her side.
They traveled across mostly grassy, though somewhat hilly, terrain for a distance, before Professor Birch slid down an embankment, with the trainers still following close behind. The Professor led the trainers into a smooth patch of grass, which spread out around them. He reached for the belt and pulled out a small, handheld radio device, which he held to his mouth.
"Vivian, I have the trainers with me right now, if you would open up please," he said into the radio, speaking slowly and clearly. The trainers all looked around, as if expecting something to happen, though all was silent except for a faint humming noise….
Humming noise?
The humming noise grew louder, and it became clear that the humming sound was actually a grinding of gears. The grass parted in a strange, unnatural way, to reveal a dark staircase leading into the ground. Several trainers, including Elise, stepped backwards, startled by what had just happened, it was so unexpected, but nobody said anything as Professor Birch proceeded down the staircase. With an exchange of apprehensive glances, the trainers, once again, followed the Professor into a dark corridor.
The brightness nearly blinded Elise as they emerged from the darkness into a room filled with light and equipment, much of it complex and advanced looking. Rubbing here eyes and blinking in the bright light, Elise stayed stock still, almost afraid to move for fear of bumping something. Assistants filled a portion of the room as well, tapping furiously at computers that were emitting a whirring noise.
"Okay…." Professor Birch began. The dull murmur that had been rising from the crowd of trainers whispering to each other stopped as a hush fell over the group. The trainers gathered around him, waiting intently, watching the Professor curiously. Elise didn't know what to expect by now.
"Ok, you guys all showed what it means to be a trainer back there" Birch said. "I am proud of all you" he said. "It seems that Team Time wants to rid you guys already. "Oh, and Grey, give the hurt pokemon to one of my assistants ok?" He nodded and did so. "We have some serious business to talk about, so all of you need to listen.." He then stopped speaking, paused, and turned to an assistant. "Do you have the newest equipment?" He asked.
"Sure do." The male assistant said at once, turning to walk into the back of the room. He returned holding small, odd looking…things that appeared to be almost like eye pieces. "These are Pokémon Position Analyzer Lenses, or Pokepals. They are very important. They act not only as a Pokedex, but a digital clock, attack identifier, and much more, those other features are for you to discover. He then passed different ones of various colors to each trainer, handing an orange one to Elise.
"Thank you." She murmured politely, unsure of what else she should say. After they had been passed out, Professor Birch stepped forward again, and all attention turned back to him.
"Thank you," Professor Birch began, "those are the newest tools, not many people have them…yet." He added. "So, once you leave here, you are on your own, it will be pretty tough, Team Time will be looking all over for you. Make your first stop in Sandgem Town." He finished.
The trainers began to leave the lab, and Elise followed suit, her Bagon following close by her side. Suddenly, her foot came into contact with something, and she looked downwards. It was nothing but a thin, warped piece of metal that had been twisted into a screw-like shape. She picked it up, and Professor Birch, catching sight of her holding it, came over at once, his face relieved.
"Thank goodness you found that, I had lost it and it is absolutely essential to the success of the-" He cut off abruptly, and he smiled. "Well, thank you very much for finding it, I'll take it now, good luck on your journey." He took the metal piece from Elise as she ascended the steps, leaving the brightness of the laboratory behind. Then a breeze swept over her face as she emerged once more into the light, only this time it was sunlight, the light of morning.
![Rawltz & Rawltz Co. [R&R] [OOC]](https://www.pokecharms.com/trainercards/cards/16-11-2008/6d709eb8616680418b365cdcfdec524c.png "Rawltz & Rawltz Co. [R&R] [OOC]")