Even with Sakuji kicking Roy awake so early, his legs were so sore he didn’t reach the Pewter Pokémon Center until evening, where he gave his three Pokémon to the nurse then went upstairs to crash.

    After sleeping in the next morning, he grabbed breakfast downstairs and finally found some time to update his journal with the events of the last two days, dating the page Kyday, Uxine, 27th, 1096. Almost a whole month since he left home. All things considered, not the worst start. Having a gun pointed at his face and facing a hoard of killer Beedrill was a bit more than he’d expected to hassle with so soon, but he supposed catching a Shiny Ponyta made up for just about any problems he may face in the future.

    The lobby downstairs offered a wide window–nearly as big as the wall itself­–through which people could observe their Pokémon’s treatment. Convenient for him. Probably less convenient for the nurses who had to put up with the know-it-all Trainers who screamed through the glass, insisting they didn’t know how to do their job.

    Despite a few scuffs and light bruises, Squirtle looked healthy. Far better than he did atop the hill. Roy expected Squirtle to need care the most, but even last night, he’d healed most of the damage on his own by the time they reached the city.

    Perhaps it would never cease to amaze him how well the creatures could take a hit. So long as the damage wasn’t serious, even weak Pokémon could recover in minutes with a little rest. Sure would be nice if Roy could heal his injuries with a quick power nap.

    He also wished he could enjoy his hospital visits half as much as Pokémon seemed to enjoy theirs. You’d think they were at a luxury spa resort. Squirtle loved his treatment as always, and Kakuna was as reactive as a Kakuna could be (not at all). But Roy had to step in for a moment to assure Ponyta it was okay before she dared allow anyone else to come near her.

    Looked like Roy had some time to kill while the center treated his Pokémon. He’d passed a nearby mart on his way here. Now was a good opportunity to restock on supplies.

    With his three Pokémon in expert hands, Roy stepped outside, wondering how well Sakuji’s Pokémon recovered from their battle. He’d made barbecued roach meat out of that Venonat, but the veteran claimed he didn’t go into town often. But after the treatment he’d given Ponyta, Roy doubted he had anything to worry about.

    Venonat was weak to fire, but even after suffering Ponyta’s Fire Spin, it would likely recover on its own before Sakuji got back to the cabin. Any human caught in such a blazing twister would be dead in seconds, or maybe left as a roasted bacon strip in a wheelchair the rest of their life if luck favored them. When people said a type was weak to a specific element, what they meant by that was…

    They were ten times more durable to it than humans.

    Rather than eleven times.

    So yeah, Bug-types were “weak” to fire.

    A few blocks down and across the street stood a small square white building with big glass windows to advertise their stock to passersby on the street. Similar to how all Pokémon Centers painted their roofs a bright red to make themselves stand out, most Poké Marts painted their roofs a contrasting but equally noticeable blue.

    The automatic doors slid open at Roy’s approach and he stepped inside the brightly lit shop. For such a giant corporate chain, they kept a small space. But they packed it with all the essentials. Three rows of shelves, each around chest height. The speakers overhead played the standard Poké Mart theme on loop. It had become an iconic tune anyone in the world could recognize, but he couldn’t imagine working at one of these, being forced to listen to it eight hours a day. Especially with it being just catchy enough that customers commonly whistled or hummed along to it as they shopped. Poké Marts: your one stop shop for all your Trainer needs, provided to you by our slowly going insane clerks.

    Using the money he’d won from those Bug Trainers in Viridian Forest, Roy stocked up on Poké Balls and medicinal spray potions. He then meandered up the aisles to browse the climbing ropes, berry baskets, vitamins, trading cards, and magazines. They sold various brands of Poké Balls, but all Roy could afford was the standard.

    On his way down the magazine aisle, the entire top shelf dedicated itself to dozens of copies of the same newspaper article, bearing a bold headline repeated over and over down the row:

 

EXPLOSION AT CINNABAR ISLAND

POKÉMON MANSION

Police investigating claims of suspicious experimentation.

 

    This was the explosion that happened on Roy’s last day of work, nearly a month ago. But people didn’t calm down overnight from such a catastrophic event. The professor hadn’t mentioned much, but there had to be new information by now. Roy had gotten reception in Viridian Forest like he got air at the bottom of the ocean; might as well catch up on the news.

    Two black and white photos accompanied the article. One showed the rubble and wreckage–gadgets and corpses coated in blackened dust and soot.

    Another featured an image of the mansion moments after the blast. A red circle highlighted what appeared to be a vaguely humanoid shape flying out of the column of smoke. The bottom corner of the picture contained the citation: Photo by Todd Snap. A separate box beneath the photo discussed several witnesses claiming they saw something strange flying out of the explosion.

    “Terrible, isn’t it.”

    Roy hadn’t noticed the round, beefy man beside him, staring at the same headline with folded arms and sorrowful eyes.

    Roy nodded with a sigh. “Yeah. I worked for someone who had friends in that place.”

    “Police have been investigating the ruins. Still no word on the cause, but sounds like they’ve turned up multiple pieces of evidence that point to illegal Pokémon experimentation.”

    “What kind?”

    “Who knows. A lot of the stuff they’ve found seems to suggest cloning experiments, but a few burnt journal entries they discovered make it sound like they were creating something new.”

    “New?” Roy’s eyes went back to the photo of the blurred figure shooting out of the explosion, and his tone became melancholic. “What happened? They used to be one of the top researching labs.”

    “All of Kanto’s going nuts. The Pokémon Mansion teams up with some oddball business partner out of the blue–one they won’t name–then goes dark about what they’re doing. People have been questioning them for months without a word, and now this happens.”

    “For such a reputable research lab to turn so suddenly... Something’s not right about this.”

    “You’re telling me. And I don’t like how this conveniently all coincides with the recent increase in Pokémon theft.”

    Roy looked back at the man, his eye catching the manager pin on his apron. Roy grabbed one of the papers. “I think I’ll take this.”

    “Of course.”

    The manager rang him up and handed him back the newspaper, along with the customary “Thank you. Have a nice day. Stay safe out there.”

    Roy read over the front-page article as he moseyed back to the Pokémon Center. It covered everything he and the manager discussed in a little more detail. With no known survivors, the police had no insiders to question about the mansion’s recent activity, but the investigation was still ongoing. The Pokémon Mansion appeared huge on the outside, but that was only a fraction of the entire lab. Most of it lied underground, and even after the explosion, police struggled forcing their way into the more secured areas.

    With a stressed-out sigh, Roy rolled up the paper and stuffed it into his bag as he entered the center to reclaim his Pokémon from the nurse. With rejuvenated cries from both Squirtle and Ponyta, Roy’s smile returned and he called them back to their Poké Balls. Kakuna, however, he left out to carry and give him the needed nurturing to evolve quicker.

    As expected, Kakuna’s shell was warm to the touch. A good sign. It would only get hotter as he drew nearer to evolution. Roy took out the heat protection gloves he’d bought at the mart and carried Kakuna outside into the sunlit streets.

    Where to now? Next stop was the Gym of course, but he’d be wise to wait for Kakuna to evolve first. It shouldn’t take much longer, but until then, Roy took this as a good opportunity to see the city. His first time beyond Viridian. His first step into a wider world. One that would only grow with every new adventure. Even after almost a month, it still hadn’t quite sunk in he was finally setting out on the dream he and his father always talked about. Roy just wished the man could’ve been here with him.

    A little grander than Viridian, but still lacking any towering skyscrapers, Pewter was a moderately sized city. But the population could’ve been only one more than Viridian, and that still would’ve made it the largest Roy had ever visited. A combination of cobblestone and gray bricks laid out the streets and sidewalks. Several statues of artwork depicted Rock and Ground Pokémon or historical figures. And he must’ve passed over a dozen shops selling fossils, gems, and marble carvings. As he entered the more suburban areas, most of the homes were built from granite or brick. Pewter lived up to its reputation: the city famous for stone. The symbolic Mt. Moon stood tall against the sky, visible no matter where Roy went. An iconic view of the city.

    His father had written journal entries of his time in Pewter (then called Nibi) and the Gym Leader he’d faced, but a lot had changed. Roy added his own logs detailing the city’s growth. Unovan influence stretched back over fifty years, but the city had undergone even more modernization since, becoming a place worthy of being called a city as opposed to the simple mining colony it was before.

    The warmth of Kakuna’s shell grew hotter through Roy’s gloves. He likely had three hours tops before Kakuna evolved. He may as well look for that Gym. But was he ready yet? Roy knew most of the Kanto Gym Leaders by name. Just as Pewter City was iconic for stone, so too was Brock famous as a Rock-type specialist, which put Ponyta at a disadvantage. And even after Kakuna evolved into Beedrill, he remained a poor matchup. That left Squirtle as the MVP, but Roy couldn’t solely rely on that. Only a fool expected to sweep a Gym Leader with one Pokémon just because of good typing. It would be prudent to catch another Pokémon, but he was in the city now. Not exactly legal or polite to go about battling and catching in public.

    The door of a nearby restaurant opened with a jingle and out came a single woman leading a group of noisy kids. As she spoke up to get them to settle down, one of the younger boys saw Roy and broke off to run over, apparently taking an interest in the Pokémon Roy carried out in the open.

    “Why are you using gloves to hold that Pokémon?”

    “Billy,” the woman called as she hurried over with the rest of the children in tow–of which, Roy counted nine in total. “Don’t go bothering people.”

    “It’s all right,” Roy said, then turned back to the child she called Billy. “Kakuna’s shell becomes hot as it nears evolution. I’m carrying him outside so he gets nurturing to help him evolve faster.”

    “Can I pet him?”

    “Sure.” Roy offered the boy a glove, who reached to rub Kakuna’s dome head. The silent, motionless Bug Pokémon gave no reaction. “Want to hold him?”

     Billy nodded and Roy passed the other mitt to him along with Kakuna. The boy smiled, amazed at the Pokémon, and three of the other kids rushed up, each impatiently wanting a turn.

    “Thank you so much,” the woman said. “They love stuff like this.”

    “You taking them on a school field trip?”

    She laughed. “Oh, I’m no teacher. These are all mine.”

    Sweet mother of Arceus, Roy thought, but then noticed the similarities. The children all shared the same spiky, dark brown hair and thin eyes. They must’ve taken after their father, because the mother looked quite different with her short curly mahogany hair and brown eyes wide with a childlike joy. She wore a white skirt and a manila jacket over her pink top.

    “We were on our way to the Pewter Museum of Science.” She spoke in a bubbly tone that was almost as hyper as her children’s. “You look like a Trainer passing through. If it’s your first time, you should come with us. You simply must see it!”

    Well this woman sure was friendly, inviting a stranger she’d just met. But the mention of the Pewter Museum of Science was an offer he couldn’t refuse. Yet another famous city landmark. Roy always wanted to visit and couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it earlier. “That actually sounds interesting.”

    “Wonderful! I had a tour booked for me and my children today, but I’m sure they can let in one more. It’s just up the street here.”

    The woman led the way, launching into a long-winded speech, going over all the marvelous things the museum had to show, though she mentioned nothing that wasn’t common knowledge to anyone who’d ever heard of the place. She gave a sales pitch like someone suckered into a product by a charismatic con man, who was now parroting the item’s greatness, caught up in the emotional manipulation.

    As she rambled on, the eldest son–who looked about fourteen–leaned over to whisper to Roy with a teasing smile. “Mom goes through hobbies faster than she goes through clothes. This week she’s all into archeology and fossils, so of course she has to drag us into her new fixation.” Roy chuckled along with him. The boy offered a handshake. “I’m Forrest. What’s your name? Since my Mom is too caught up in herself to ask. Her name’s Lola, by the way.”

    “It’s Roy.”

 

***

 

Like everything else in Pewter, the museum was made of gray brick with marble columns surrounding the entrance. In the center of the cobblestone plaza, a life-size rock carving of an Aerodactyl looked down on the public with spread wings and barred claws and fangs, as if preparing to swoop down and snatch up the nearest prey.

    They climbed the steps up and through the front doors, and, as luck would have it, the tour had a few spots open and sold one to Roy despite it being last minute. And for a much cheaper price than Roy expected.

    After getting through the security, they waited in the lobby of echoing chatter until a voice called for them to gather round. A man who Roy assumed to be the tour guide stepped forward, waving them all over. He looked around twenty, and stood tall and thin in a white lab coat. With his short, messy hair, bad peach fuzz, and giant full moon glasses he kept adjusting, Roy could’ve sworn the man wanted people to stereotype him as a college nerd.

    “Welcome to the Pewter City Museum of Science. My name is Seymour, and I’ll be your guide this afternoon.”

    They followed Seymour for the ground floor portion of the tour, which included models and displays of various space shuttles, rovers, and satellites, some of which were originals. Most collections the museum displayed on the ground, while a few of the more famous ones hung from the ceiling, both for what Roy assumed was dramatic effect and to keep them away from the public’s grimy, touchy fingers. Seymour gave explanations for each display, going over the history, function, and design of each invention.

    Afterward, they moved to the second floor, which focused on fossils and prehistoric Pokémon, which Lola took the most interest in. And despite their earlier joking about her constantly shifting hobbies, Forrest failed to hide his deep fascination for what Seymour said. Roy recognized Forrest’s curious expression, for it was the same face Professor Oak used to always point out on him.

    They came to a long mural depicting archeologists uncovering fossils along the crater-covered terrain of Route 3. “Many of you,” Seymour said, “are probably familiar with a couple of Kanto’s notable extinct Pokémon, Omanyte and Omastar, who went extinct due to the shell on its back growing too large and heavy for it to carry. And I’m sure you all know of Kanto’s most famous fossil Pokémon, Aerodactyl.” He led them to the end of the hall, where stood a skeleton of that very Pokémon. A ferocious carnivore with an arrow-shaped tail, enormous bat-like wings, and jaws that could crush boulders.

    Roy wondered if the Pokédex could scan and register a fossil, and to his pleasant surprise, it did.

    “Aerodactyl is imagined to have once been the king of the skies in its time,” Seymour said, “and is one of many Pokémon theorized to have gone extinct following the great meteor impact.”

    Seymour led them around the fossilized skeleton and into the next room, which contained models, paintings, and stuffed replicas of more ancient Pokémon. “However, dying out is not the only way Pokémon go extinct. There is another reason for extinction that less of you are likely aware of. We all understand the concept of Pokémon evolution. How species like Pidgey evolve into Pidgeotto and then into Pidgeot. Of course, there is another kind of development known as phylogenetic evolution, which refers to how species change slowly over thousands of years. And this is a process found in all living organisms. Not just Pokémon. Even humans like you and me experience it. I see we have a lot of children in our group today. Many of you probably inherited certain traits from your mom and dad. But you’ve also likely developed some of your own unique qualities that could be a combination of your parents’ or something new and entirely your own. These original traits you may one day pass on to your own children. That is phylogenetic evolution at its simplest: how species change and grow over time. And the environments we live in can influence this process as we adapt to our surroundings.

    “Back to my earlier point, evolution is how we grow and develop as a species, but it can also be how some species go extinct. In fact, evolution and extinction are not mutually exclusive.”

    Seymour led them to a stuffed model of a Pokémon that resembled a pink ball with stubby hands and feet and pointed ears atop its head. “Take this Pokémon, for example. Does it look familiar?”

    It did. It looked almost identical to the modern day Jigglypuff, except it had a pair of fangs and a long stream of hair flowing from its head like a tail.

    “That looks like Jigglypuff,” said a child in the audience.

    “Precisely,” Seymour said. “This Pokémon’s name is Scream Tail. And it is a distant ancestor of what we today call Jigglypuff. Scream Tail is an extinct Pokémon, but it didn’t technically die out. Rather, through the process of phylogenetic evolution, it gradually changed over time until it had changed so much that it could no longer be considered the same species, thus, even though Jigglypuff still thrives, Scream Tail became extinct.”

    Following his explanation, Seymour gave the group a half hour to take pictures and admire the displays, which included a glass case of tools and weapons made from Kleavor stone. The Pokédex couldn’t register the stuffed replicas, but it did recognize an incomplete Scream Tail fossil after a few attempts. When the half hour was up, Seymour gathered them to move on.

    “But the power of science is amazing!” Seymour declared. “And we can do things today we once never thought possible.” He led them to a wall obscured by a giant red curtain. He grabbed a string hanging from the end, raising the excitement in his voice as he prepared for a grand reveal. “One of which includes bringing fossilized Pokémon back to life!”

    Seymour pulled away the curtain, revealing an artificial habitat behind a massive window. A recreation of a tropical prehistoric climate, half of which was submerged underwater. Beyond the glass, several dozen Omanyte and Omastar crawled around both the land surface and underwater imitation of the ancient sea floor.

    Young and old alike pressed their faces to the glass to observe the resurrected Pokémon. Omanyte was a blue tentacular cephalopod residing in a coiled shell. Omastar looked similar but with yellow snakelike pupils, spikes along its shell, and a mouth that resembled a four-pronged beak. The mollusks crept across the land and seabed, some of them withdrawing into their shells at the sight of strange humans.

    “These Omanyte and Omastar were revived from their fossils. Thanks to modern technology, we are able to extract the DNA from certain preserved fossils and recreate the missing organs and body parts to bring back the Pokémon you see before you now. Of course, it’s also not unheard of for us to discover some Pokémon never actually died out, such as Kabuto, which was thought to be extinct until an isolated population was discovered living in secret.”

    Cameras flashed as people took photo after photo until it was time to move on and Seymour led them down the stairs to what must’ve been the final room, because Roy could see through the far door they’d circled back around and down to the lobby. An exhibit designed to resemble prehistoric plains, with life-size models of ancient Pokémon and plants decorating the space. Speakers played recordings of artificial sound effects. Above them, a glass dome ceiling poured natural light over the plastic prehistoric recreation.

    “Unfortunately,” Seymour said, “some of these Pokémon are dangerous and many are unaccustomed to the climates and diets of today, and thus cannot leave the habitats provided here. So you won’t find any outside of science labs. Or sometimes, in rare cases, a Trainer may receive special permission to raise a revived Pokémon, though you’d have to be highly skilled to earn such a privilege. Perhaps one of you knows such a Trainer?”

    Forrest raised his hand half a second before Roy, declaring the name, “Lance.”

    “Correct,” Seymour said. “Our own Champion in Kanto owns and uses an Aerodactyl as part of his team. Some of you here look like Trainers. Work hard, earn eight badges to challenge the Elite Four, and you may be lucky enough to see and perhaps battle Lance’s own Aerodactyl.”

    That’ll be me, Roy thought, fists clenched tight as he burned with excitement, imagining a day he might challenge the Champion, Lance, and not only face but defeat the king of the skies revived from ancient times.

    With a growing smile, Seymour led them over to a hallway blocked off by a curtain and a sign that read: Employees only beyond this point. Seymour stood to the side of the curtain, rubbing his hands together as he prepared for one last grand reveal.

    “But Lance isn’t the only Trainer currently in Kanto with an extinct Pokémon.” The excitement in Seymour’s voice escalated as he approached something he looked like he’d been dying to say all day and was fighting to keep from geeking out. “You people are in for a treat. We have a very special guest here today. Most of our tour groups don’t get such an opportunity. I cannot overstress how lucky we are. Our guest is visiting Kanto at the moment and was ever so kind enough to come speak with you. And so, with great pride, I would like to introduce you to one of the world’s greatest Trainers and geological experts. All the way from Hoenn, please welcome Mr. Steven Stone.”

    From behind the curtain, out stepped a man in his mid-twenties dressed not in a typical lab coat, but in a black dress shirt and pants with a red tie. His silver hair was short and frayed down and out to the sides. “Thank you, Seymour.” He spoke in a kind, gentlemanly voice. “As he said, I’m a geologist from Hoenn. I travel all over the world studying and collecting rare stones, particularly those related to Pokémon evolution. Next week, I’m on my way over to Kalos to look into the unique gems they call Mega Stones. But you’re not here to listen to me ramble about my hobby. As Seymour said, I am the proud Trainer of two resurrected fossil Pokémon from Hoenn, so allow me to introduce you to Armaldo and Cradily!”

    Steven took a Poké Ball in each hand and threw them into the air, releasing the Pokémon inside with a white flash.

    “Armaldo!” The first Pokémon to appear was a bipedal radiodont of a grayish blue color. Three red and white feather-like protrusions stood on each side of its thick neck, and its eyes protruded out the corners of its head. It had two pointed arms like the legs of a crustacean, a finned tail, and a pair of beetle wings angled down on its back.

    The second Pokémon let out a high, shrieking “Craaaaay!” as Cradily landed beside the Armaldo. A plantlike appearance, its crinoid body was little more than a round shape with four knobby protrusions that must’ve been what passed for its legs. A long stem-like neck stretched upward, supporting a heavy round head surrounded by short pink tentacles that almost resembled flower petals. It looked out with a pair of circular patterns meant to be mistaken for eyes above a dark toothless smile. But that mouth was just as false as the eye patterns. Within the black hollow, two yellow lights that Roy knew to be its true eyes shined out.

    While the others took photos, Roy whipped out his Pokédex, not wanting to miss this chance to register two Pokémon of such rarity. Several wows of awe sounded from the crowd, admiring the ancient Pokémon that were a rare sight even for those living in Hoenn.

    “As Seymour said,” Steven continued, “these Pokémon are unaccustomed to our modern climate, so they can’t stay out for long, but please come say hello.”

    Kids rushed to be first in line, but ultimately all ended up crowding the Pokémon at once. This got several scolding shouts from the parents, but the two Pokémon accepted the children’s attention with the same playful attitude. Cradily swung its long neck back and forth as kids hung from it like a swing, while Armaldo gave piggy back rides to the children climbing on its shoulders. To the side, Seymour had already struck up a conversation with Steven, asking him to sign his trading card featuring the famed geologist and his iconic silver Metagross. Evidently, this was just as much a treat to Seymour as the rest of the group.

    Seeing the extinct Pokémon was a rare privilege, but Roy found himself more interested in the opportunity to meet the Champion who trained them, and so waited for his first chance to sneak in after Seymour.

    “Steven Stone, Champion of Hoenn. It’s a real honor,” Roy said as he reached to shake hands with him while keeping one arm wrapped around Kakuna. “Of course, anytime Professor Oak mentioned you, it was as a scientist. He always spoke highly of you.”

    “You know Professor Oak?”

    “I worked for him.”

    “Really? That’s quite the honor itself.”

    “I owe him much of what I know about Pokémon and being a Trainer.”

    “Well, you’ll learn much more now that you’re out in the world. You’ll be amazed at what you can only discover hands on.”

    “Yeah, I’ve been learning that the hard way.”

    “It’s always a great pleasure to meet one who is both a Trainer and passionate lover of science.”

    “Wish you could’ve met a friend I used to have. He was even more into science than me.”

    “Used to? What happened?”

    A dark cloud mixed of both lamentation and anger rolled in over Roy as he tried to not think about it. “I wish I knew.”

    Steven seemed to catch the implication that it was a personal matter. “I understand. Forgive me. It’s not my business.”

    “Forget it. It’s fine.” Roy took a deep breath after a moment of awkward silence. “Anyway, why come all the way out here? Certainly not to entertain small time tour groups.”

    “Traveling is a hobby of mine. I’m quite interested in the rare evolution stones said to be in Mt. Moon. But I also enjoy educating the youth any chance I get. The Hoenn League seems to think I travel a little too much, unfortunately. I often contemplate one day retiring as Champion so I might see the world more.”

    “Let’s hope you don’t retire before I face you.”

    “I see. In that case…” Steven patted at his pockets until he found what he was looking for and revealed a slip of paper. “Why don’t you take this.”

    Roy took the paper and almost handed it right back, not sure if he could accept it. Steven had given him a reusable pass for the S.S. Anne, granting free passage on a luxury cruise liner to and from Lilycove City in Hoenn. “What? I can’t–”

    “The Hoenn League gave me that a few months ago, but I’m not one for fancy boats and prefer to travel on my Skarmory. I’ve been looking for someone to give it to, so really, I insist. I live in Mossdeep City. Stop by if you ever find yourself in Hoenn. And if you’re strong enough to overcome the world’s toughest Gym Challenge, I’ll wait for you at the end of our own Elite Four.”

    “I look forward to taking down that famed Metagross,” Roy said as he clasped Steven’s hand again.

    “That’s the attitude I like to hear.”

    Seymour clapped a few times to get everyone’s attention and called everyone to climb off Armaldo and Cradily, who both showed signs of exhaustion. Steven returned them to their Poké Balls, and with a final goodbye to the crowd, he gave a subtle personal wave to Roy, then disappeared into the museum’s back room again.

Seymour led the group back into the entrance hall and thanked them all for coming as the tour wrapped up. At the end, everyone got a chance to peruse the gift shop, where Roy purchased a post card and stamp to add to the journal.

    Aw, fuck! He should’ve gotten Steven to sign the page for today’s entry! Well, no sense chasing after him now. After logging the details of his museum visit while he grumbled at himself, Roy walked out with Lola and her children. He took barely a step out the doors when Kakuna shuddered in his arms.

    Lola stopped to ask what was holding Roy and a loud crack from Kakuna answered her question, drawing the eager attention of all nine children.

    Another loud crack appeared in Kakuna’s shell and light poured out from within. “Here we go,” Roy said with a smile. The children crowded around him, eyes glued to the spectacle.

    Kakuna split in half, and a huddled glowing shape uncurled, standing straight and spreading large insect wings. The light died down to reveal a newly evolved Beedrill. The children crowding Roy practically smothered him, but the three youngest daughters shrieked and put a liberal distance between them and him in less than a second as Beedrill buzzed and hovered into the air. But the boys and eldest daughter only became more amazed and jumped up, trying to catch the Beedrill, shouting about how cool it was now, while the younger ones cried how they liked it better before.

    The boys ran after Beedrill, and Roy had to yell at them to be careful, as Beedrill’s stingers still hadn’t been blunted yet or his venom diluted.

    Beedrill didn’t seem to like the attention and flew out of reach as the children chased him. Roy couldn’t help but laugh. “How do you handle taking care of this many munchkins?”

    Lola held her smile, though her eyes gave the first solemn look he’d seen on her. “It gets difficult sometimes. Especially since my husband walked out.”

    “Oh,” Roy said, the words crashing over the cheerful atmosphere and running him through with a spear of guilt. “I’m sorry.”

    “Oh, don’t be.” Lola waved a dismissive hand. “We get along just fine.”

    “That’s good. I don’t have eight siblings, but my mother had to raise me and my sister by herself.”

    “I’m sorry to hear that. Did your father fight in the war?”

    It was a question Roy had gotten used to. A reasonable assumption. Many people around Roy’s age had lost their fathers in the Kantonian Civil War. “He served, yes. But he came home when it ended. No, my father…” Roy struggled to find the right phrasing. He didn’t tell the story often, as it wasn’t exactly a dinner table conversation. Yet something inside him starting pushing the memory out like it was one he’d waited years to share. “He left the house late one night when I was twelve. Said he had important business to take care of and would return in a few days. A week later the…” Roy swallowed back the tears trying to push through. “The police found him dead along the outskirts of Viridian City. Along with the body of my dad’s lifelong Pokémon partner. They suspect it was murder.”

    Lola covered her mouth. “My goodness. I’m so sorry. Did they ever find out who did it?”

    “No.”

    “…You didn’t have to tell me that.”

    “Nah, forget it,” Roy said, lifting his head and trying to shove the gloomy mood away. “Anyway, I’m on my own now, and I think my mother can handle my pain in the ass sister by herself. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you.”

    “Well, Forrest is such a big help.” Lola looked to the boy, who kept a watchful eye on his younger Beedrill-chasing siblings while Roy and Lola talked. “And my eldest son has the family skills of ten fathers, even if he’s busy running the Gym most of the time.”

    This snapped Roy’s eyes back to Lola. “You’re Brock’s mother?”

    “Oh, yes. Didn’t I mention?”

    “I know ten kids is a lot, but I think you’d remember one of them being a Gym Leader.”

    “Yes, of course. You’re taking the Gym Challenge, aren’t you? Please. Let me show you to the Gym. It’s right next to our house.”

    So this was it. Roy’s first Gym battle was coming. “Lead the way.” Roy took out Beedrill’s Poké Ball and fired the red laser to call him back, earning a unified groan of disappointment from the children.

    Lola called them all over, explaining how they were going to watch Roy battle their big brother next, which got them excited again. “Don’t suppose you’ll give me any secret strategies, will you?”

    Lola laughed. “You know I couldn’t do that. But I wish you the best of luck. Though you understand, I must root for my son.”

    “Wouldn’t have it any other way. Now let’s see if I can’t be the ultimate asshole and repay your kindness today by stomping your eldest back into the ground.”

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To be continued...

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