late, iknow .
''There it is!''
The girl let out a sigh of relief and proceeded in running towards the town. The little Vulpix running by her side was surprised at her sudden dash, but managed to catch up with her again quickly. The two ran all the way uptil town entrance, at which the girl suddenly stopped... unfortunately causing the Vulpix to run into her.
''I told you we were going the right way!'' the girl nearly shouted. The Vulpix looked up at her in a daze at first, but then seemingly nodded and proceeded to run around the girl in a circle. At that, she picked the little Pokémon up. ''Yeah yeah, I know yer excited. You'd better not wear yourself out right away though, so I'ma have to carry ya for awhile. Can't have ya running around town wreaking havoc can I now?''
The Vulpix let out a soft yet disagreeing noise. ''I'm not gonna put ya down. You'll just have to bear with it.'' Again, the pokémon didn't seem to agree. The girl sighed, and pushed forward into the town.
The twosome walked up the hill, eventually reaching seemingly the largest building in town.
''Guess this is it, huh?'' The Vulpix struggled and eventually managed to jump out of the arms that were holding it. ''Ya better not wreak havoc in here either.'' the girl noted before letting herself and the Pokémon in.
''Geez, this place is bigger than I thought..'' she said, right before having to glare at her Vulpix for running around all the time. ''I'm telling ya, if ya break anything, don't expect any dinner!''
Her Fire-type eventually managed to drop some books from the big bookshelf at the other side of the room anyway. As the girl picked them up, she noticed a book with a black cover, showing a dark blue silhouette with red glowing stripes - so it seemed - all over it, as well as a pair of glaring eyes. ''Huh? Isn't that---''
''And who might you be?''
The girl flinched, almost dropping the book she was holding. Instead, she held on to it tight, now looking up instensely to the man calling out to her. ''What d'you care, old man?!''
The cerulean-haired man smiled at that. ''What a charming young lady.'' he uttered softly, walking up to her.
''Stay away from me, old man! Unless ya want me to make yer head even more black 'n blue!''
''Feisty, too. I presume you're one of the trainers coming to Beklan to set out on a journey? If so, you're quite late, though..''
''I'm---.. what d'ya mean I'm late?!''
The man-in-labcoat shrugged. ''Most of the trainers who were to come by here have long left... I can only imagine them having reached the next town by now.''
''What?!'' The girl lunged at the man and grabbed the top of his lab coat. ''Hand me over my Pokémon right now!''
With a near-elegant movement, the man made her let go of his coat, at which he abruptly turned around and headed upstairs. The girl, surprised at his strength, quickly picked up her companion Vulpix and ran after him. He led her to his lab. There was a broad variation of machines, probably to take measurements or calculate whatever scientific stuff they were supposed to calculate.
The cerulean-haired scientist walked over to his desk, ruffling through some papers. The young female looked around at that, noticing a few Pokéballs lying on some kind of small platform.
''Mind if I take one o'these?''
''Don't you dare. I have a Pokémon waiting for you already... Here you go.'' The man had grabbed a seemingly old-fashioned Pokéball and handed it to the girl.
''What now, I get the leftovers?'' she said as she took the ball.
''It's fine if you think of it like that, however, that is not the case. Go on, let it out.''
''If ya say so...'' the girl glared at the coated man for a second, before turning around and letting the Pokémon out.
''Squirtle.''
A rather large turtle Pokémon stood in front of her. She was rather perplexed, as she'd expected to get some kind of small starter. Well, it was a starter alright, she knew that much. But it couldn't be... could it?
''Can you see it?''
The girl glanced at the professor, but then resumed carefully examining the Squirtle in front of her. There was an odd pattern on the back of its shell. A pattern similar to the pattern she'd seen so many times before.. The one that'd appear on her shoulder when she went swimming in her hometown. She was amazed, just kept gaping at the pattern on the Squirtle's back.
''I presume you can indeed see it.''
The girl faced the professor again now, her expression had become a mixture of confusion and exitement. ''... What's that mean?!''
''Honestly? I have no idea. That is for you to find out, together with this Squirtle.'' He smiled.
She opened her mouth again, but couldn't think of a clever reply now.
''That's settled then. Now, to handle the formalities...'' The man walked to his desk again, this time taking some sort of odd-looking white pocket calculator, probably the new Pokédex model, and some Pokéballs. ''Here you go.''
After putting the Pokéballs in her pocket - and receiving directions on how to reach the next town - the girl left. The man in labcoat watched her as she ran off, now being tailed by two Pokémon rather than one.
''That old coot knows more than he let on...'' the girl sighed. ''We'll findout soon enough! right Kame?!''
''Squirtlee!''