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- Seen Oct 15, 2024
I needed something to cure this writer's block, so I started writing, and some story emerged. Enjoy and let me know if there's stuff I could correct/edit, or just keep in mind. Thank you!
1.
"It's a rain day today."
The sky had been gray when he woke up, and it didn't seem to be cheering up any time soon.
"Maybe, but that doesn't let you off the hook!" his mother's reply came, followed by a rattling of metal and plates from the sink.
He groaned and reclined from the windowsill, instead trickling down to half-lie over the table. "Do they even want to eat when it's all gray and rainy?"
"Wouldn't you?"
"Hmf."
"Hmm?"
"No, I don't want any more food today."
"Alright! No need to pack this lunchbag, then."
More groaning, muffled by the wood of the table.
"Eric," his mother said slowly.
She put the washing cloth aside and moved up to the table, the look on her face more serious now. He didn't like it when she took on that tone. That meant she was disappointed in him, and she knew that he couldn't stand that. He looked up.
"You got yourself into this situation. What did you do wrong?"
"I know. I skipped classes."
"What did you do instead?"
"I played with pokémon."
"You broke into the professor's facilities."
"I wasn't alone!"
"But you're the bigger person, and you're making up for your mistakes."
"It was on purpose," he muttered, but quickly regretted it and straightened up. "I'm sorry. I'll go now."
The lunch was swiftly packed into his shoulder bag, and he begrudgingly left the house. A soft gaze followed him down the path to the village.
--
Eric loved being in the Lab, really. Ever since he was a little child, going on visits with his family or school, the fact that people could work closely with pokémon every day in this way, fascinated him. They didn't just live with pokémon as pets, or use them as workforce or battlers; the scientists and breeders here were studying the biology and mysteries of pokémon. Whenever he pointed out to them how cool they were though, they all just seemed to wave it away and start talking about universities and other facilities being much larger or richer. As if those mattered. Those rich universities were not located here, but they were. Right next to where Eric lived.
He parked his shiny bike in a puddle in front of the outer gate. Only service vehicles were allowed into the garden, and a kid's bike didn't seem to fit the bill somehow. Despite now being employed, he would still need to walk through the increasingly heavy rain up to the building. The opening in the tall stone walls featured a gate made of tall metal bars. After a brief conversation with what was supposedly a guard, over the intercom, the bars creaked open for him.
There were usually some bug pokémon flying around here. Eric supposed that they really didn't appreciate the rough weather though, because he couldn't see them anywhere today.
Finally inside the bright, dry Lab building, he finally stopped feeling dreadful. A warm feeling spread through his wet limbs, and he found himself smiling before he knew it.
"Can I help you, young sir?"
A receptionist gave him an odd look, and he quickly made an effort to compose himself.
"I'm here to work for professor Oak."
"The professor does not accept visitors on Sundays, I'm afraid." The smile was slightly insincere.
"I'm not a visitor, I'm here to work!" Eric said with confidence.
"Hold on for a minute," the receptionist said, almost rolling his eyes beneath sharp spectacles. While he picked up a wireless phone, Eric patiently leaned on the counter. Through some glass doors ahead, he could spot busy people walking by. That was a corridor he had never accessed before. Supposedly, the workers used the inner corridors, while the visitors were normally led around the outer corridors and gardens.
"Here is your temporary ID card," the receptionist said, in a tone Eric would not describe as triumphant. "Enter through those glass doors by letting them read your card. Have a nice day, mr Blue."
His own smile was definitely triumphant as he accepted the card and moved up to enter what he had been wishing to see for so long. It almost didn't feel as punishment. Yet.
1.
"It's a rain day today."
The sky had been gray when he woke up, and it didn't seem to be cheering up any time soon.
"Maybe, but that doesn't let you off the hook!" his mother's reply came, followed by a rattling of metal and plates from the sink.
He groaned and reclined from the windowsill, instead trickling down to half-lie over the table. "Do they even want to eat when it's all gray and rainy?"
"Wouldn't you?"
"Hmf."
"Hmm?"
"No, I don't want any more food today."
"Alright! No need to pack this lunchbag, then."
More groaning, muffled by the wood of the table.
"Eric," his mother said slowly.
She put the washing cloth aside and moved up to the table, the look on her face more serious now. He didn't like it when she took on that tone. That meant she was disappointed in him, and she knew that he couldn't stand that. He looked up.
"You got yourself into this situation. What did you do wrong?"
"I know. I skipped classes."
"What did you do instead?"
"I played with pokémon."
"You broke into the professor's facilities."
"I wasn't alone!"
"But you're the bigger person, and you're making up for your mistakes."
"It was on purpose," he muttered, but quickly regretted it and straightened up. "I'm sorry. I'll go now."
The lunch was swiftly packed into his shoulder bag, and he begrudgingly left the house. A soft gaze followed him down the path to the village.
--
Eric loved being in the Lab, really. Ever since he was a little child, going on visits with his family or school, the fact that people could work closely with pokémon every day in this way, fascinated him. They didn't just live with pokémon as pets, or use them as workforce or battlers; the scientists and breeders here were studying the biology and mysteries of pokémon. Whenever he pointed out to them how cool they were though, they all just seemed to wave it away and start talking about universities and other facilities being much larger or richer. As if those mattered. Those rich universities were not located here, but they were. Right next to where Eric lived.
He parked his shiny bike in a puddle in front of the outer gate. Only service vehicles were allowed into the garden, and a kid's bike didn't seem to fit the bill somehow. Despite now being employed, he would still need to walk through the increasingly heavy rain up to the building. The opening in the tall stone walls featured a gate made of tall metal bars. After a brief conversation with what was supposedly a guard, over the intercom, the bars creaked open for him.
There were usually some bug pokémon flying around here. Eric supposed that they really didn't appreciate the rough weather though, because he couldn't see them anywhere today.
Finally inside the bright, dry Lab building, he finally stopped feeling dreadful. A warm feeling spread through his wet limbs, and he found himself smiling before he knew it.
"Can I help you, young sir?"
A receptionist gave him an odd look, and he quickly made an effort to compose himself.
"I'm here to work for professor Oak."
"The professor does not accept visitors on Sundays, I'm afraid." The smile was slightly insincere.
"I'm not a visitor, I'm here to work!" Eric said with confidence.
"Hold on for a minute," the receptionist said, almost rolling his eyes beneath sharp spectacles. While he picked up a wireless phone, Eric patiently leaned on the counter. Through some glass doors ahead, he could spot busy people walking by. That was a corridor he had never accessed before. Supposedly, the workers used the inner corridors, while the visitors were normally led around the outer corridors and gardens.
"Here is your temporary ID card," the receptionist said, in a tone Eric would not describe as triumphant. "Enter through those glass doors by letting them read your card. Have a nice day, mr Blue."
His own smile was definitely triumphant as he accepted the card and moved up to enter what he had been wishing to see for so long. It almost didn't feel as punishment. Yet.