Walker just let out a heavy sigh. "David, how long have we been fighting off all these damn birds?" he asked the Chikorita. David pegged a Pidgey across the head with a razor leaf before answering, "Since we stepped foot outside Cherrygrove, and it's still a few miles until we reach Mister Pokemon's house."
"I thought so" Walker opened the small notebook that he found in his pack as he walked and marked off another Pidgey. "I think that one makes fifty six...or was it fifty seven?" David took down another with a hard tackle and a second with a fast razor leaf. "Those two actually make sixty three" the Chikorita said with a smile. Walker scratched his head, "Are you sure? I mean, I know I missed count of one or two, but five?"
"Yes, I'm sure"
"If you say so" Walker added in the marks as they continued through the woods. David turned to his trainer with a smirk, "By the way, how's your forehead feeling?"
"Don't remind me.." Walker rubbed the lump that had formed on his head from being hit in the face with yet another box. "What's with the old people around here anyway? I mean really, throwing boxes at kids, kidnapping, being flat out creepy..." David just started to laugh, "Yeah, that's the second time today you got floored by some old guy throwing something at you!"
"Shut up David"
"Hey, at least you got a box for those apricorns from that old guy."
"That's not the point, he's some old fart living out in the woods alone, obsessed with getting visits from kids looking for Mister Pokemon, and wants them to look at his 'apricorn collection'. More like child molestation. Why do you think I drop-kicked his ass the moment he walked out that door? Old bastard gave me the creeps."
David just started to laugh again, "Speaking of, I never knew a human could kick so hard. You literally launched him a good twenty feet back."
"Your point? The last two 'old and over the hill' geezers we've run into have been able to floor a healthy fifteen year old just by hitting me with a box."
The Chikorita stopped and looked at his trainer accusingly, "You're trying to tell me you're only fifteen?"
---------
Back at Elm's lab, the Professor was reviewing his notes again. "This just doesn't make any sense. It's saying that the host body bonded perfectly with the subject's spirit, so why has the body so drastically changed?" An assistant approached Elm as he was questioning himself, "Sir, there may be something related to that with the BURST project."
Elm looked up from his notes, intrigued, "Go on..."
"Well, sir," the assistant began, "It would seem BURST subject L has become attuned to DARK subject 21, I noticed a spike in activity a few moments ago...Also..." the assistant paused for a moment, unsure of what he was about to tell the professor.
"Spit it out, man."
"Well...sir...he may have also become attuned to BURST subject ZERO.." A look of both realization and fear crossed over Elm's face as the assistant spoke. After a moment's silence, he finally asked, "What of the other four BURST subjects..."
---------
"I still can't believe you're really only fifteen!" Walker looked completely dumfounded as his Chikorita went off on him. "I mean look at you! You're, like, nearly six feet tall! And your build, what the hell?! You have to be at least eighteen or something!"
"Nah, though something does seem... odd" Walker wondered for a moment, trying to piece it together.
"Other than you looking like you're at least three years older than you say you are, what's odd?"
"Well... Mom mentioned before I left... She asked my if I had dyed my hair and where I got green contacts from. That really confused me until I looked at the photo she took of me and Lyra when she caught her Marill a few months back. I was a lot shorter, only just taller than Lyra, and I had shorter, spiky black hair and gold eyes. I really can't remember if I had dyed my hair then or if this is a dye job" Walker ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair as he spoke, placing his black and yellow ball cap back on after. "But that still doesn't explain the eyes and the growth spurt..." Both Walker and David remained silent as the moved forward, both wondering what was going on.
"We finally made it!" David called out as he rushed towards the house in the clearing. The Chikorita stopped, however, when he noticed his trainer was lagging behind, still lost in thought. "Hey, earth to Walker, we're finally at Mister Pokemon's!" Walker looked up...just in time to have a broken tree branch land on his head. "Mother Fu-" The little Chikorita just burst out laughing at his trainer once more, "I swear you have to worst luck of any human I have even known."
"No kidding, I got partnered with you, after all" Walker said with a smirk as he rubbed his head.
David just rolled his eyes, "Low blow, man, low blow."
"Should be used to it by now, I thought you gave them all the time" Walker said with a chuckle. David just scoffed and looked away, "Oh my Arceus, you are just the fucking worst!" Walker smiled, "I'm just picking on ya, David. Come on, you're too fabulous for me to honestly make fun of." He knelt down and patted the pokemon on the head. "Now let's get that egg and get back to New Bark Town already, shall we?"
Entering the small house, Walker was greeted by a older gentleman, "Welcome, welcome! I take it you are the young man my friend Elm sent?"
"Yes sir, my name is Walker" he motioned down to his side to his Chikorita, "And this is my pokemon partner, David."
"Greetings then, Masters Walker and David. My name is Richard, but most call me Mister Pokemon. But you've been sent here on an errand, not for chatting, so I'll get right to it. I have a very strange egg that was found by some friends of mine that run a daycare center for pokemon. I would like Elm to have it checked out. If you'll give me one moment while I go and gather it for you, young Master. Meanwhile," Mister Pokemon turned towards the side of the room. Walker, following his gaze, noticed another older man sitting at a desk for the first time. "Samuel, you waited around to see this youngster after calling Elm, why don;t you have a chat while I gather the egg?" With that, Mister Pokemon left the room, leaving Walker and David with Samuel.
The older man stood up from the desk and approached Walker. He stopped and examined the young man for a moment before speaking, "Hello there, my name is Samuel Oak, but most just refer to me as Professor Oak. I study pokemon and their interactions with the world and people." Walker Took a moment, feeling like he had met Oak before. Then his dream came rushing back to him, "Fucking mushroom induced nightmare man!" Walker screamed as he decked Oak across the face and knocking him to the floor. "Walker! What the hell is wrong with you!" David cried in protest. "Huh?" Was all Walker said before he noticed what he had actually just done. "Oh shit!" He ducked down to help Oak up from the floor, "I am so sorry, sir. I don't know what just happened with me, but I am so sorry."
"It's alright, my grandson has done a bit worse before. He can't hit quite as hard as you can, however" Oak chuckled.
"Again, I am so sorry.."
"That's enough apologizing, my boy. What's done is done." Oak took a seat at the table where Mister Pokemon had been sitting before. "Now, I have a question. What prompted you to choose your Chikorita as a first pokemon out of the three Elm presents to new trainers?"
"Well, sir, I didn't really pick David. He picked me, so to say."
"Interesting..." Oak seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment.
"Hm? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking. You clearly seem to be treating your pokemon with care. I think you'll do well as a trainer in the time to come." Just then, Mister Pokemon returned with a large glass case with the pokemon egg inside. "Here you are, young Master. This is the egg I wish for Elm to examine. If you'd like, you can rest up here before you go on your way. But if you are in a hurry, I will not take offense if you wish to go."
Walker grabbed the egg case and made a slight bow to Mister pokemon, "Thank you sir, but we will be going. I wish to get back home as soon as I can."
"Very well, Master Walker. I wish you safety on your journey back."
When Walker and David walked out of the small house, egg in hand, they noticed the trees and grass were full of...you guessed it, Pidgey. "Mother Fu-"