Pokémon Bloodstone | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 4: Threat

Chalcedony and Rustie were woken by shouting. Two boys faced off with Weedle they caught in the woods. It was 5:03AM, but six budding Trainers had been sitting cross-legged by the lab's sliding glass doors for several hours. They wanted first pick of the starter Pokémon on offer. Rustie hurried to join them. Chalcedony took her Pokémon for a walk to stretch her legs instead. She already had those two. Whatever she received from Professor Mesquite would be a nice bonus.

The doors would open at 6AM. It used to be three hours later, but challengers got so agitated in their excitement, they brought it forward. A Cinderace belonging to Jovi's husband, Professor Hop, emerged from a staff door with pizza for the early risers. Most people didn't want pizza for breakfast. They kept it to eat later.

The last – and only – time Chalcedony visited the lab before was when Wyatt set off on the Gym Challenge. She sat on his car's hood while he chose the Eevee that became his Espeon. She decided she didn't want an Eevee, but when she returned from her walk, she was at the back of a long line. 27 of 30 challengers were there. Eevee would probably be all that was left after they raided the box of Poké Balls.

Confetti rained down as the first enthusiastic Trainer, Nasina, stepped into the lab. She beamed as she shook hands with Jovi, Hop and Lumir. The receptionist took her P★DA to snap a photo. The atmosphere inside was so cheerful and relaxed, it reassured any panicked, pounding hearts to prevent an anxious stampede.

Orre League booklets were piled up on the reception desk. There were several books for sale at a discount for challengers: Habitats of Orre; Pokémon of Orre; Landscapes of Orre; The Barren Years; Duking's Guide to Catching Pokémon; The Official Orre League Strategy Guide and Professor Hawthorn's Introduction to Geology. Chalcedony absentmindedly picked the latter up. There were far too many people clamouring for Pokémon for her to get anywhere near the box. Someone asked her who Professor Hawthorn was. She gestured to Hop and Jovi.

'Their sister in-law.'

Though Chalcedony only knew that because Abbey Hawthorn was Alfie's ex. The book didn't really interest her. She liked looking at pretty rocks and crystals, but she didn't care why they were the way they were. She took one of the free booklets instead.

Rustie emerged from the crowd with a lively Eevee. Her lip wobbled. She looked about to cry with joy. It was her first Pokémon. Chalcedony smiled. It was a long time since she begged a teacher for a Poké Ball to catch her favourite Pokémon, Salandit, on a school trip, but she remembered that feeling.

'Have you entered yet?'

'...Entered?'

'The competitions!'

Chalcedony admittedly hadn't noticed the cut-outs of Galarian starter Pokémon peering over the crowd. There was a competition to win one of them and one to win an evolution stone. The answers to the questions on the forms were in the books, which people could flick through without buying if they wished. Rustie still bought the only one she didn't already own. She sat beside Chalcedony on the floor to scour the books for the answers.

Win your very own Galarian starter Pokémon!

1. Which Galarian starter Pokémon recently bred without assistance in Orre?

a) Grookey

b) Scorbunny

c) Sobble

2. Where did this happen?

a) Mt. Battle Slopes

b) Oasis Poké Spot