The living room of the Oak residence was a lot more comfortable than the sterile lab, though the smell of singed eyebrows still lingered in the air. Professor Oak had traded his scorched lab coat for a fresh one, though his hair was still a bit more "electrified" than usual.
"So, Regina," Oak began, leaning back with a cup of tea. "How exactly did you manage to convince Linda Leroz to sponsor you? I've known her for decades, and she is... well, 'difficult' is the polite term. She rarely hands out Pokémon, let alone her personal sponsorship."
I chuckled, leaning back and resting my boots on the edge of my skateboard. "Honestly? It was a mix of bad timing and a heavy piece of wood. I was recently emancipated, living on the streets, wondering if I'd have to start selling my fashion sketches for sandwiches. I was out on my board when I saw some smugglers cornering Nugget—Torchic—in an alley."
Ash leaned in, his eyes wide. "Smugglers? In Viridian?"
"The real world isn't all sunshine and Gym badges, Ash," I said, my voice dropping into that sarcastic, realistic edge. "I saw her—this tiny, crimson bird—trembling. I knew if I stepped in, I'd probably die. But I'm an idiot. So I kicked my board up, caught it, and slammed the trucks into the lead smuggler's temple. Things got... messy. They sent out a Beedrill. I was ready to meet my maker when Torchic decided she'd had enough of being the victim. She scorched them, Linda showed up with the G-Pro cavalry, and the rest is history."
"You fought a Beedrill with a skateboard?" Gary asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and budding respect.
"It was either that or a very sternly worded letter," I shrugged. "Linda saw our bond. She gave me a challenge: Get first place in the Licensing Exam, and the Torchic is mine. Along with the sponsorship."
"Wait," Gary sat up straighter, his competitive streak flaring. "You got first place in the Kanto region? That test has a thirty-percent fail rate."
"I did," I nodded. "Powered by nothing but caffeine and spite."
"You must have studied for a year!" Ash exclaimed.
"Two weeks," I replied flatly.
The room went dead silent. Gary, Ash, and even Professor Oak stared at me like I'd just spontaneously evolved into a Mewtwo. Two weeks? To master the curriculum that most kids spend their entire middle-school years preparing for?
"Two weeks?" Gary repeated, his brow furrowing. "That's impossible. Okay, genius. If you're so smart, tell me: what is the primary biological difference between a Kantoan Vulpix's flame sac and a Hoennian Numel's internal magma chamber?"
I didn't even blink. "Vulpix utilizes a pressurized gaseous exchange system fueled by processed lipids, while Numel maintains a semi-viscous thermal reservoir that relies on volcanic mineral consumption for heat retention. Also, Numel's chamber is structurally reinforced to prevent internal melting, whereas Vulpix relies on external venting through its tails. Want to go into the caloric output per second next?"
Gary's mouth snapped shut. He looked like he'd just walked into a wall. Ash, meanwhile, was just confused. "Why Torchic, though? Why not a classic Kanto starter?"
I reached into my bag and pulled out a rolled-up poster. I flattened it on the coffee table. It was a high-resolution print of a Blaziken standing amidst a swirl of embers.
"Because," I said, my voice softening just a fraction—the 'sucker for cool things' part of me taking over. "Torchic is the cutest thing on the planet. But Blaziken? Blaziken is a badass. A Fire/Fighting type that doesn't fall in love; it just wins. It's the perfect package: adorable at the start, and a literal warrior at the end."
Torchic, sitting on the arm of my chair, stared at the poster. Her little eyes shone with a mix of delight and pure, unbridled ambition. She let out a soft chirp, puffing out her chest as if she could already feel the long legs and powerful talons of her final form.
"Whoa," Ash whispered, he and Gary both leaning in. Even the jaded Professor's grandson couldn't deny that Blaziken looked incredible.
Unknown to any of us, a small, bushy tail was twitching behind the sofa. A pair of large, soulful eyes were watching me and Torchic, the creature seemingly impressed by the story of the girl who fought a Beedrill with a piece of wood.
The Eevee Factor
"Anyway," I said, rolling the poster back up. "We should get moving. I have a long ride to—"
"Regina, wait," Professor Oak stood up. "Your Pokedex is ready. It has your G-Pro credentials and Torchic's data pre-loaded."
As he handed it to me, a blur of brown fur and white lab-coat fabric came flying into the room. A lab assistant was chasing a Pokéball that was bouncing across the floor like it had a mind of its own. It circled my feet three times before clicking open right in front of my boots.
Pop.
An Eevee emerged. But it wasn't just any Eevee; it had a certain... spark. It looked at me, then at my skateboard, then back at me.
"Good heavens," Oak breathed, his eyes wide. "That Eevee has been a nightmare to pair with a trainer. It's rejected three top-tier candidates this morning. But it seems to have taken quite a liking to you."
I looked at the Eevee. I knew how this went. In the games, this was the 'Let's Go' starter. "Professor, I already have a sponsorship. There's no such thing as a free lunch. What's the catch?"
"No catch," Oak chuckled. "The top three trainers get a gift Pokémon anyway. And Linda specifically requested I give you something 'versatile.' I think she wanted to make sure you had enough firepower to stay loyal to her organization."
I sighed. Linda was playing 4D chess with my career. But looking at the Eevee—who was now sniffing my sneaker with intense curiosity—I couldn't say no. "Fine. Welcome to the team, I guess."
I scooped up the Eevee, who let out a happy "Vee!" and immediately tried to climb into my hair.
"Hey, Regina!" Gary suddenly stood up, his face determined. "I don't care if you got first place in a written test. Let's see if those two weeks of studying translate to a real field. Battle me. Right now."
The adrenaline from the morning hadn't worn off yet. I felt a surge of genuine excitement. "A battle? You're on, Gary!"
In my excitement, I reached out and grabbed his hand to lead him toward the backyard battlefield. "Come on! Let's see what that 'Top Percentage' talk is actually worth!"
I didn't notice Gary's face turning a shade of red that rivaled a Magmar's core as I dragged him out the door. I was too busy thinking about Type matchups and the fact that I now had a two-Pokémon team.
"Nugget! Get ready!" I yelled. "We've got a rival to crush!"