Pokémon Obsidian | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 41: Always Wonder

Lumir excused himself for a moment before taking questions. He gave his P★DA to his Typhlosion. It held it between its teeth as it crept after the boy in the black hoodie.

The Typhlosion family wasn't native to Orre. Lumir was the only prominent Trainer who owned one. It was unlike him to make bad impulse decisions, but he was panicking. As soon as his students ran out of questions, he ran after Typhlosion. He had no idea which way the boy went. As he dashed past the staff offices, a door creaked open.

'Professor Hornbeam?'

He knew that voice. Feeling mortified, he glanced back. A Charizard supported injured Typhlosion, nibbling at a Poké Puff. Natalya wiped water off its bruised skin. One of their colleagues, Reed, nervously held out Lumir's broken P★DA.

'We didn't see the attacker, but they must be on CCTV.'

Natalya nodded. 'They used a Water-type, for sure...'

'Sorry if we worried you. There was a suspicious-looking guy in my class. I just wanted to check him out, but... sorry, Typhlosion.'

'If he's suspicious,' Reed said, 'He could be anyone! Should we call security?'

'I mean... I didn't recognise him, but maybe you guys would. I may have overreacted...'

They walked to the security cabin together. Officers vacated their seats for the lecturers to rewind and study CCTV. Though the boy was attempting to hide in his baggy hoodie, that made him obvious, even in the crowd of students leaving the hall. Lumir pointed.

'That's him.'

Natalya squinted. 'No... I don't recognise him.'

'I don't know who he is,' Reed said, 'Or if it's even the same guy, but I do remember a dude in a very similar outfit hanging around all my open classes, like, five years ago.'

On the screen, Typhlosion scurried out of the hall with Lumir's P★DA. Natalya, returning to her office from her last class, glanced over her shoulder as Typhlosion passed. Lumir cringed as she looked worriedly around, wondering where its Trainer was.

He knew her well, once, or at least he thought he did. They both began studying for their PhDs and teacher training at the same time, but although 27 year-old Lumir was already widely respected as Jovi's assistant then, 21 year-old Natalya was equally accomplished.

Studying in Orre was her dream after reading about Jovi's wild Pokémon project as a starry-eyed child. While others her age began high school or set out on Pokémon journeys, for four years she worked tirelessly as assistant to her home region's Pokémon Professor. Armed with his glowing reference, she applied for her undergraduate degree and moved 6,000 miles to Orre, alone, at only 15.

Unlike her classmates, she wasn't really old enough to party. She also couldn't risk failure. Whilst she did dream of studying there all her life, she left behind a troubled home that she had no desire to ever return to. If her grades were any less than dazzling, she risked being rejected for further study, let alone work with an employer willing to sponsor her.

Natalya wasn't shy. She simply had no time for friends, but Lumir spent equally long hours in the library. One evening, she moved her laptop and pile of books to sit beside him. Lumir was engaged to Hattie then, but he almost called it off. He tumbled head-over-heels for his new friend until he questioned if he truly loved Hattie or settled for her, because his most mundane study sessions with Natalya lit up his heart brighter than his most exciting date night with Hattie.

'Dude!' Cassia exclaimed when they met for coffee and Natalya lit a cigarette outside, 'She's so into you. Do something!'

'But... I'll feel terrible...'