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Post by Lara on Aug 13, 2008 19:53:55 GMT -5
'Why did he have to go off on his own? What's wrong with staying with me?' Abel's thoughts were circling through his mind in a complete circuit, constantly returning to the main source - Cain's announcement that he wanted to go check something out - on his own - before heading to the lab. His assurance that there was nothing wrong, he just wanted to find out something, and that he'd meet up with Abel later... none of that really helped to ease Abel's worry that he had done something wrong.
It had something to do with the conversation Cain had been having with a man on the ferry, Abel knew that much. His twin had been quite animated during the discussion, but he hadn't payed much attention to the actual topic. Silly him, but it wasn't his place to listen to someone else's conversation. And besides, he had been having quite the conversation, himself, with a man that knew more about the region they were headed to.
'Kairuu...' There were a few things that Abel didn't immediately believe, and, as the opportunity had yet to present itself, still was unsure of. For one, the man had mentioned that the Pok?mon actually speak with their partners, as well as anyone else they come in contact with, should they choose to do so... Now, don't get him wrong, but Abel had seen Pok?mon before - back in Blackthorn City, and they certainly hadn't been up to conducting any sort of conversation...
Another was the mention that Pokemorphs were so abundant. Abel had nothing against the morphs - in fact, he rather liked them - but few had ventured up into Blackthorn City, where he and Cain had grown up, and so he had had little contact with them... Oh yes, he could certainly believe that there were a good deal around, but it was still an interesting fact to know.
There had been others for Abel to store away, pleased with the idea of telling Cain about them later, but before he could actually share the new information, his twin had been off the ferry and out of sight. Oh, sure, he had said he'd meet back up after the lab... maybe... Abel knew they couldn't spend their entire journey together, if much at all, but he had at least hoped to take their first steps together.
'Yet here I am, in front of the laboratory, and there is no one beside me...'
Well, as saddening as it was, Abel wasn't about to let it get him down. No sir, he'd go in and get his Pok?mon - while not entirely sure which one he'd want, he got a good idea from the man on the ferry as to which kinds were available, and he was sure the right one would present itself when the time was right - and then maybe he'd find Cain and see about traveling a bit together.
That is, if his twin still wanted him to...
Abel straightened, letting the doubtful thought ease away. It was still there, of course, but he wanted desperately to begin his journey, and to do that he'd need a companion to help him out. 'Here goes nothing...' he thought, then rapped politely on the door. No way he was going inside without knocking first, after all. |
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Post by `jαzz on Aug 16, 2008 19:21:19 GMT -5
He had been deep in thought, working out complex mathematical equations on one of the many chalkboards located around the interior of the lab. The professor had just finished writing down his latest thought when there came a knock at the door. "Ah, I was wondering when we'd get a visitor..." Surprisingly, not one aspiring young trainer seeking a beginner Pok?mon had come by today. Normally he would have been slightly peeved if a knock at the door interrupted his work, but today he'd been eagerly anticipating a new arrival. Putting on his best smile, Constantine Hemlock approached the front door.
Opening it, he looked down to see a somewhat cheerful looking fellow sitting in a wheelchair. "Good afternoon to you! Do come in. We haven't had a visitor all day, believe it or not. So, son, I'm assuming you're here for a beginner Pok?mon?" the professor inquired, raising a curious eyebrow. It was at this moment that Jacques and Feud sauntered in, a Lucario and Garchomp, respectively. "Haha, finally. We haven't had anythin' exciting happen all day. Hey boy, how you doin'?" Feud asked, smiling a rather toothy smile. "Oh, we're terribly sorry," the dog-like Pok?mon began, pushing gently past the Garchomp. "...Allow us to introduce ourselves. I'm Jacques, and this fellow here is Feud. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He bowed politely in Abel's direction.
"Boys, don't overwhelm our guest. I'm sorry, they tend to get a bit excited when someone new shows up. ..Ah, where was I? I'm getting off-track here, I apologize. Now tell me, are you looking to become a trainer, breeder, or coordinator? I'll have Jacques fetch your items for you while you decide on a Pok?mon. ...I'm assuming you know which choices are available? In addition to Fire, Water, and Grass types, the Kairuu laboratory also offers those of the Fighting, Poison, and Ground elements," Professor Hemlock explained, moving over to his desk in order to straighten a stack of papers. He always tried to keep his work area looking neat, but no matter how much cleaning he did, something always managed to fall back into disarray.
Turning back to Abel, he patiently waited for a response from the boy. Ah, the mere sight of his guest brought him back to his days as a teenager. Professor Hemlock remembered when he was in this same position, standing in the laboratory faced with one of the toughest decisions of his life. Who would become his companion? This moment was a defining factor in any young person's life, despite whether or not they realized that. The professor had remembered his experience in the lab had been a good one, and it was his life's goal to impart this same happiness to others. In his opinion, it was absolutely crucial for a person's first steps as a trainer, breeder, or coordinator to be good ones.
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Post by Lara on Aug 16, 2008 23:23:29 GMT -5
Abel let out another slow, long breath as he waited anxiously for the someone to come to the door. He was still rather nervous about the whole ordeal, but he decided to approach the matter as collected as possible, as to not make too big a fool out of himself. As the exhale was completed, he heard the sudden approach of footsteps, and the door was soon opened by a young man in a labcoat. He couldn't have been more than a few years older than him, but Abel had a good suspicion that this man was, indeed, the one in charge of the lab.
The man launched right away into a bit of dialogue that Abel was sure was used for every aspiring beginner, but the smile on his face was contagious, and Abel found himself flashing one of his own. At the first question, Abel's smile grew a bit wider as he nodded his head. "Yes, in fact, I..." He trailed off at the appearance of two Pok?mon, neither of which were native to his home region as far as he knew, but he was still able to recognize them from his studies before leaving.
Their showing up alone wasn't what caused his words to momentarily fail him, of course. No, it was the fact that they approached him quite gaily, and then started to make pleasant conversation. 'So he wasn't trying to fool me after all...' Abel thought back to the man on the ferry, who had warned him of the new feature of the region, and how he had dismissed it until he had proof. Well, now he certainly had proof, and... hm. Yes, he was willing to accept it and not freak out about it. After all, was he not one to believe that anything was possible?
"Oh no, it's nothing to apologize over," he said hastily as the professor spoke, likely trying to make sure the young trainer didn't get too emotional over the idea of Pok?mon talking. "And it's a pleasure, Jacques, Feud. My name is Abel." He smiled over at the Lucario, and then at the Garchomp before looking back to the professor, who had continued to speak. "Ah, I plan to become a trainer, though I also wanted to try some coordinating when I get the chance..." A slightly worried look flashed briefly in his eyes, though he did his best to hide it. "Am I able to do that? Would it mess up anything? Trainer alone is perfectly fine if it is..."
He stopped himself before he got too worked up over something that might not even be a problem at all. Now to distract himself before he thought too hard about it... Oh, yes, the next question. Perfect. The man on the ferry had also mentioned some of the choices available when Abel reached the laboratory. There were a good few that intrigued him, some of which he was unfamiliar with, and others that he saw quite often, partnered with trainers from his own region.
But... which was right for him? He mulled over the choices in his head, immediately ruling out the fighting types. After another moment of thought, poison and ground were off the list as well. While the idea of Nidoran or Cubone was interesting, they just didn't feel like the right choice. That left the normal options of his home region... grass, fire, and water. Some of the toughest decisions of all were in this batch, and it took a good minute of hard concentration before a Pok?mon came to mind. He'd have to actually see the starter before making the final decision, but... it felt right. "Might I see... Chikorita?" he asked, starting a bit hesitant, but ending with confidence in his tone. Yes, even as he said it, he was feeling more and more like he was making the right choice. |
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Post by `jαzz on Aug 19, 2008 20:27:33 GMT -5
The two Pokémon nodded politely as their guest introduced himself. "Abel? Tha' has a nice ring to it, don'tcha agree, Jackie?" the Garchomp murmured, though the question was directed more towards himself than to the smaller canine-like creature at his side. The Lucario shook his head, scowling and muttering darkly under his breath. "How many times have I told you not to call me Jackie? It's Jacques, for crying out loud..." This query was also rhetorical in nature.
The Professor nodded once, but slight confusion was etched across his facial features. ""I'm not sure what you mean, to be honest. We have a trainer's kit, a coordinator's kit, and a breeder's kit. The only exception is, if you choose to become a breeder, you can also choose a more defining course. For example, a breeder-trainer, or breeder-coordinator. I'm afraid we don't have a kit suited to the needs of those wishing to become both a trainer and a coordinator." The Professor frowned, his look apologetic. "I'm terribly sorry, I do not wish to disappoint you.." He glanced down at the floor, looking displeased. No, not at Abel, but at himself. The young man hated having to reply negatively. After all, it was his sole purpose to make an aspiring beginner's time here one of their very best during their stay in the region of Kairuu.
The professor turned his head to the side, his saddened gaze falling upon Jacques. The Lucario nodded once, then made his way over to the door to the adjacent room, disappearing from view when he crossed over the threshold. "Jacques will be back in a moment with your items. I'm afraid the best we can offer you at this point is a trainer's kit. I'm so sorry.." Clearing his throat, Constantine Hemlock decided it was time to address the next topic, the Pokémon the boy had chosen. Now, it was the Garchomp's turn to move into the other room.
True to the professor's words, Jacques had returned within minutes. In his paw he held a small satchel, one which no doubt held the items necessary for any beginning trainer. "Here you are. Again, we apologize for not being able to satisfy your needs completely. However, I do wish you the best of luck on your journey." Wordlessly, the jackal-like Pokémon allowed his eyes drift over to the Professor, who dismissed him with a nod. Apparently the Lucario had other business in the lab to attend to. Though as he was exiting, Feud was returning with two Chikorita in tow.
[ e v e n t ! ] Abel receives his trainer kit!  Heal Ball x 5  Great Ball x 1  Soothe Bell x 1  Potion x 6  Fresh Water x 3  Oran Berry x 2  Journal  Fishing Rod  Badge Case
"Alrighty then, here we go. We have ourselves a male an' a female, pick which one of these ya like the best, hm?" The enormous creature took a few steps back, to allow Abel some space. The professor did the same. This was all about the trainer, after all.
"Oh, wowie~ An actual twainer! I neber tought I'd see da day... Pahaps..." the male began, gazing up at Abel with wonder. He looked rather hopeful. "Oh, please! He's obviously going to pick me...just look at you!" the female's eyes darted over to her twin, and she wrinkled her face in slight disgust. Despite her expression, there was absolutely nothing wrong with her brother, aside from the fact that he was significantly smaller; the runt, no doubt. The younger Chikorita shook his head. "Nu-uh! I can do anyfin' you can do." He stuck his tongue out defiantly, but his attempt at looking the least bit fierce failed miserably, and he ended up erupting in a fit of giggles. His sibling scoffed, then turned her head away from him, sticking her nose into the air vainly. There was no way that kid would pick her stupid brother over her any day.
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Post by Lara on Aug 19, 2008 22:29:47 GMT -5
The worried look bridged on to mild panic as the professor explained that there was no such thing - yet, at least - as a 'trainer-coordinator'. 'I can't believe I asked for something that didn't exist! I must look like such a fool... Oh, I can't believe it...' He placed a small, apologetic smile on his face. "Oh, no, don't worry, it's fine," he assured the professor quickly, not wanting the conversation to dwell for too long on his mistake. "A trainer kit is fine, honest. I'm sure I can still try things without the kit, after all... just for fun."
When Jacques returned with the kit, Abel accepted it without hesitation. "Thank you very much," he said, tone polite but the smile genuine enough, he hoped.
Then came the moment he had been waiting for, though he didn't even realize it until Feud returned with two Chikorita in two. 'They're so small!' was his first thought, as he had unintentionally expected them to be a bit bigger. After all, the only time he had seen them personally was when they were with their trainers, and by that point they were older. So, they'd grow.
The smile finally extended into a somewhat excited grin as he observed the comments passed between the two grass-types. The same Pok?mon, yet so different from each other! 'Just like Cain and me,' came the idle thought as he continued to watch. The female seemed rather vain, standing off to the side as if she were the queen of the world. He admired that, but quite honestly, he felt somewhat intimidated by the thought of such a pushy Pok?mon with him.
Now, the little male... Abel found his gaze being drawn in by the small face looking hopefully up at him. So much smaller than his sister, yet he was still trying his hardest to appear just as good as her. And Abel had no doubt that the young Pok?mon would, in fact, be just as good as any other, given time to grow. His gaze softened even further as the Pok?mon protested the idea of being anything less than equal, and he knew it almost immediately after the exchange was complete. Despite what the female grass type was thinking, it was the tiny boy Chikorita that drew his attention and kept it.
"Hey there," he said softly, bending down a bit to pet the male on the head. "Aren't you just the thing?" He brought his gaze up after another moment or two, to look at the professor. "I... I'd like to take him, if that's alright." He didn't want to hurt the female's feelings, but... he couldn't take both, and the idea of leaving this little guy behind hurt. Still, he gave the female Chikorita an apologetic look before he was done. |
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Post by `jαzz on Aug 21, 2008 21:36:53 GMT -5
Professor Hemlock smiled weakly. "I'm glad that you understand, you must realize how difficult it is for me to deny you..." He allowed his sentence to trail off; one more apology and the boy would probably start getting a little perturbed. Overdoing something wasn't the answer either. Crossing his arms over his chest, the professor watched from the sidelines as Abel made his decision.
Ah, yes. He had a feeling that his guest would be picking the smaller of the two Chikorita. The female seemed...well, let's just say that no one had chosen her as their beginner yet. The proprietor of the laboratory could understand how she must have felt, always being second best. Being constantly overlooked surely had taken its toll on her; Professor Hemlock remembered a time when the Chikorita hadn't been so cold. He felt a little sorry for the female, but Abel's mind was made up.
"Ah, a wonderful choice indeed. Chikorita are loyal companions. If I may say so, I think you two make a wonderful team already~" he said, flashing the both of them a genuine smile. Their cheery attitudes were perfect supplements to each other. He knew a good trainer when he saw one, and he believed that Abel would succeed in whatever he chose to do during his journey.
Nodding to Feud, the young man allowed the Pokémon to return the female Chikorita to the back room. "Oh yey! Yey yey! 'Dis is gonna be awesum!! I just know it!" the grass-type squealed excitedly. He glanced back at his sister as she departed, grinning hugely. He could hardly contain his excitement, even when he was bidding his twin goodbye. "I'mma miss you, sis! I lub you!" His sister snorted in disgust, then disappeared behind the door. Sighing, the small Pokémon returned his attention to his new trainer. "Hi!! My name's well...uh, I dun have a name..but that's okie dokie! Anyway, what's your name?" babbled happily, gazing up at the boy with expectant eyes.
[ e v e n t ! ] Abel received his beginner - a Chikorita!  name - - species chikorita gender male level 5 ability overgrow attacks tackle, growl
"Of course, of course. I'm glad you found a partner that you like. Perfect~" The professor approached the duo, grinning slightly. "Everything seems to be in order; is there anything else I can help you with while you're here?"
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Post by Lara on Aug 23, 2008 17:05:14 GMT -5
Truthfully, Abel didn't really notice the final apology from the professor, having been too intrigued by the Pokémon being led into the room. If he had, though, he would have easily connected the constant apologies to his own attitude, as much as he rarely purposely showed it.
Then it was back to the baby Pokémon in front of him. He flashed the Chikorita another smile, beaming as the grass type practically danced around in the joy of being his partner. He had made the right choice, as much as he felt bad for the female. Once again, the sorry expression was pointed in her direction, though it was clear that she wanted nothing to do with him or his new partner.
"Don't worry, little guy, we'll figure out your name together in just a bit... You can call me Abel." Oh yes, he was loving this more and more. "Do you think you could make it to my lap?" he then asked his new starter, lightly patting his thigh in hopes of getting the Chikorita up, rather than recall him into his Pokéball. There was something about the confining ball that Abel wasn't too comfortable with, even though it was likely fine for the Pokémon themselves. Plus, he wanted to get to know his new partner better.
"Ob course I can!"
While the Chikorita bounded over and began to attempt to jump on to the wheelchair - after a miss, Abel directed the Pok?mon's attention to the small slats by his feet, which would help better - Abel looked over to the professor, who was waiting patiently after asking if there was anything else needed. "Oh, no, professor, you've been a great help. I've got everything I need. Thank you." He grinned and finally bent down as best he could to help the Chikorita up the rest of the way. As he straightened, a thought struck him, and he relayed it to the professor. "Though... if you see another boy that looks rather like me, would you tell him I'll wait for a while at the first route? He said he was going to meet up with me at some point, and I don't want to end up getting too far ahead."
When he was sure everything was taken care of - the message relayed, his partner settled cheerfully on his lap, Abel rotated his chair and headed for the door. "Thanks again, Professor, Feud. Tell Jacques I said thanks, too," he added just before finally exiting the laboratory, flashing one last smile as he left. |
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