Red Button Shenanigantery: The Youngest Professors

Smokey the bear would be disappointed.

The next morning we quickly got ready for our trip, changing into our travel clothes again in the bathroom and headed out of the station. Down several roads and taking shortcuts through alleys we wound up back at the ruined pokémon center on the way out of town, now with a large team of machamp going about working on the structure of the building.
For each Machamp there was a suspiciously dressed trainer in an all black suit and a rather obvious patch over the left breast of their jacket, but they were working under the direction of Officer Jenny, keeping what work had to be done out of the public area so I chose not to really comment.
As we stopped at the edge of the work zone Nurse Joy came up to us with a very satisfied grin while gesturing to the work being done.
“Thanks to you two the Viridian City pokémon center is going to be bigger and better than ever, we will have all the facilities necessary to serve the public to the greatest degree.” She seemed rather pleased with the results.
“I see Giovanni didn't have the spine to show up and handle the problem himself.” Missa retorted, looking at each of the trainers, surreptitiously setting up her phone to record. As quick as ever on the uptake. Sometimes I wonder which of us is faster on recognizing issues.
“Mr Giovanni is a busy man and so he had us come from his company to make sure the work is done properly.” Replied the nearest trainer.
“And what company would that be?”
“Just a small realty company, I doubt you would recognize us but we are just one of the many that he runs.”
“Name?”
“Excuse me?”
“I said name, as in what is the name of your realty company.” Missa’s tone had turned cold and challenging as she spoke but she maintained that friendly outer appearance. Terrifies me every time.
“The… Matori Matrix.” They replied hesitantly.
“Okay, I’ll remember you when the need arises, keep up the good work, wouldn’t want your boss to have his gym shut down.” Missa accepted their answer with a wicked smile and grabbed my hand pulling me away.
Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were caught off guard by the sudden departure but it was necessary to maintain our own covers, we would have to make up for it later after we got the homestead established. Maybe a dinner party to celebrate the reconstruction of the pokémon center. I don't know.
Once we were out of earshot Missa quickly shut off her phone’s recording and started speaking again.
“While we can’t directly interfere with them we at least know that they were operating this early.”
“Yep, gonna have to keep tabs on them, keep them in line with the original canonical line but at the same time make sure they are manageable for our own moves when that line falls off.”
“As much as I want to take down team rocket right now it would make everything going forward unpredictable.”
“Same, but potential peace and freedom to just adventure.”
“Yeah, I know. If it weren’t for that I would be violently handling Giovanni right now.”
“I know hun.”
“Hold my hand?”
“Sure, I was planning on it anyway.” I replied and took her hand.
Together we walked toward Viridian Forest, Vivi was resting in their ball and so was Gari. We had been careful to keep them hidden from unnecessary people for now since the proper security measures weren't in place. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if we were targeted by Team Rocket in the near future over my entrance to the gym, not that I had much to be scared of, between our two pokémon and the training we had put them through, very few members of that organization would pose much of a threat in its current state.
Just for the sake of having it mentioned, we did participate in a few antics involving a malnourished gengar and a bit of dimensional weirdness between the pokémon center and the entrance of the forest, but I will get into those details later, we have a schedule to keep afterall.
 The path through viridian forest would take us less than a day from the maps we had studied and uploaded into our phones. Fortunately we wouldn't be looking for pokémon to catch since our main goal right now was just to get to Pewter and speak with the mayor about purchasing the land and the involved rights. Unfortunately the land had been designated to the city rather than being to Kanto itself so we couldn't just use Oak’s contacts. Though that would benefit us in the long run since it would be easier to operate without scrutiny. Wow I really do sound like the leader of one of those criminal teams. I should probably get that in check. Or I could weaponize it for good… and that option sounds a lot more fun.
Either way it wasn't long before we were deep in the forest following well trodden paths between the two cities, routes that travelers would take instead of trainers. Which is precisely why I am wondering why we have a trainer tailing us. Couldn’t be team rocket already, their current intelligence system is out done by the average elementary school gossip circles. Vivi’s ears were perked up and listening to every sound of the trainer’s movement, they clearly didn't like the fact that we were being tailed.
Did I forget to mention that we had let Vivi out when we reached the forest? Looks like it, oh well. Vivi doesn't enjoy being in their ball for long, it may be comfortable but its apparently lacking the stimulation that Vivi wants so once we are out of sight we usually let Vivi out and then when they wander off too much they wind up back in the baby carrier which is where they are now.
You think we should put him on a leash? You are welcome to try, I'm not gonna get set on fire for that again.
I sure am easily distracted today. Back to the task at hand, the trainer was drawing closer, I wonder if its just one of those ambush battlers. They could have easily seen our pokeballs and decided that they would challenge us. That type of trainer is a plague on society, thinking that they can just force people into battles by claiming an old custom is law. And there I go getting distracted again, now he got ahead of us. Definitely an ambush trainer.
Just as I was about to raise my hand to warn Missa about the trainer’s position he leapt out of the bushes wearing a kabuto helmet and with a freaking wakizashi yelling and swinging it down towards us, bringing us both to a halt.
He started to introduce himself like he was some character from an action movie but I really didn't hear anything that came out of his mouth as Vivi chose that moment to go berserk. Constantly yelling in the pokémon language and completely drowning out the boy. Missa who had been distracted from her instinctual response of punch the idiot was trying to calm down Vivi but he wasn't having it. He was gnashing at the air and squirming hard at the baby carrier, trying to attack the person who tried to attack us.
In the blink of an eye Vivi had pulled a foot up into the carrier and used it to wiggle himself up and out, leaping across the distance at the trainer while also bursting into flames and coating himself in lightning. This prompted the trainer to immediately bolt from the situation and try to climb a tree to get away from this little four legged demon who had decided that they needed to be personally dragged to hell.
Of course Vivi wasn't going to let that slide and instead had decided to set the tree he climbed on fire using both Sizzly Slide and Buzzy Buzz. Finally the trainer managed to project their voice over the cocophonous yelling of Vivi.
“Call off your pokémon! Don’t you novices know that it is illegal to attack people with your pokémon?!”
Oh that was the wrong move.
“Illegal? You mean like attacking peaceful travelers with a sword?” Missa retorted, doing nothing to stop Vivi.
“It’s fake!” they tried to defend themselves with a rather flimsy argument.
“I’m sure officer Jenny would be happy to hear that explanation as we file assault and harassment charges!” Missa was not going to let it slide.
He threw his sword down to the ground which Vivi immediately pounced on, not spreading fire to it but at least understanding that if its not fake, it is still a threat.
“There, I’m unarmed, now call off your pokémon.”
“It’s your fault in the first place, he’s just trying to defend us.”
“I’m sorry, okay?”
“That doesn't sound like a sincere apology, try again.”
“I’m sorry I scared you and made you think I was attacking!”
“And?”
“And?!” He shouted back in question.
“You won’t…” She led him to the answer
“I won’t do it again.” he sounded completely defeated at the last bit.
“Good, now. Vivi, potato.” She said in a stern voice.
Vivi immediately turned at his own name and at the command of ‘potato’ immediately cut off the fire and electricity and then flopped on his side waiting for attention and praise for being good.
“Good boy Vivi, but you can't go around just setting the forest on fire, even if you’re angry. But thank you for defending me.” She said and walked up to Vivi, starting to rub his belly.
“Um, don't forget about me, the tree is still on fire.” The trainer said from the tree, panic evident in his voice.
“Yeah yeah, I should just leave you there but I won’t, Vivi, you know what to do.” She placed herself between Vivi and the trainer to block his line of sight, then quickly pulled a couple evolution stones from her back, one water stone and one leaf stone. She held them out to Vivi who touched them each with one paw and then rolled over to get back into action. Once he had a straight shot at the tree he puffed out his fur like he was bristling again and then unleashed a second combination attack, firing countless bubbles at the fire, suppressing it until it was just smoldering, then following it with a hail of seeds that embedded themselves in the soil around the tree and wound their way up, smothering the last of the heat and returning life to the tree through the bubbles’ effect.
With the fire out, the trainer finally came down from the tree, looking more than a little shaken.
“What is that pokémon?” he finally asked, staring at Vivi.
“That’s Vivi, he’s an eevee, but a special one.” Missa answered.
“Special? Is that why his fur is a different color?” They were suddenly curious.
“...Yes, yes that is why its fur is a different color, because he is just a different type of eevee.” it seems we stumbled upon a viable answer for why Vivi was a different color, it would be a lot easier to avoid attention if people didn’t think he was a shiny.
While they were talking I moved around the tree to inspect the damage, it was definitely something we would have to report once we got to Pewter, I already know that Nurse Joy is going to give us a look of disappointment. Say what you will, but thats like disappointing your mom, it just hits you right in the feels.
During my inspection I found a little weedle that fell out of the tree due to the smoke, and looking at it, it wasn't doing all that great. We had passed the halfway point so no matter which direction we went it would be a ways to the nearest pokémon center.
The best option would be to just put it in a pokéball. So, reaching that conclusion I did just that. And of course Missa heard the catching sound. She wouldn’t let me explain this one. We had agreed to not catch anything yet and I technically just broke that agreement.
“Hey! I thought we agreed to get through here as fast as possible.”
“I know but-”
“No buts, if you get to catch one I get to catch one. I’ll be right back” called it.
She took off into the forest with Vivi on her heels, leaving the trainer and I alone and confused. She wasn't even gone for a minute before she returned with pokéball in hand and a smug look of satisfaction on her face.
“I got me a caterpie, now we’re even.”
I have no idea how she pulls crap like this. It’s like she has a sixth sense for where pokémon are. And if you think that this was just me adding it for comedic effect, no, she does this while we game together too, running around and suddenly ‘oh hey a shiny’.
It’s okay, we do it to each other all the time, it's not one sided in the least.
But either way, she got herself a caterpie, her digital trainer card updated to show it. In hindsight this is probably how she caught me getting the weedle, and not through the catch sound…
Well with that out of the way, we both started heading down the path, choosing to leave the trainer behind.
“Excuse me!” He shouted, trying to attach his slightly singed wakazashi to his belt again before chasing after us.
“What do you want?” I replied, letting Missa bask in the joy of her capture.
“Are you trainers from Pallet Town?”
“So what if we are?” I wanted to lie but I can’t start doing that now.
“So far I have battled three trainers from Pallet Town and I want to battle you if you are.”
“Well, we don’t want to battle.”
“Are you scared?” He taunted.
“No, just busy.”
“Sounds like an excuse to me.”
“Of course it does, because you aren't getting your way. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to schedule a meeting with the mayor of a city?”
“No, I’m a kid why would I know something like that? And what does that have to do with a battle?”
“If we were to stop and indulge you with even more of our time, we would be late for our meeting. Our meeting with the mayor of Pewter. Our meeting that was scheduled almost a year ago. In short, we have more important things to do.”
“But our eyes met and when two trainers eyes meet then they have to battle!”
“No, they don’t. And you are assuming we are trainers, I never confirmed that, now go play with bugs, the professors need to get to their meeting.”
“Now I know you’re lying, there’s no way someone your age is a professor!”
“You’ve spent far too much time in the forest, we made national news, now beat it kid, you aren’t going to get a battle and if you try to force it you will be treated the same way that team rocket is treated and wind up in another burning tree.”
The trainer finally gave up and headed back into the forest with his head hanging. And while I am sure that Missa had been listening to the whole conversation she made no outward sign of trying to be part of it or disapproval with how I handled it. When the conversation was done she just held out her hand for me to take and we continued down the path to Pewter.
To be fair I did technically lie to the kid, our meeting isn't until tomorrow, if my memory is correct then Ash should be having his first bout at the gym during our meeting so we can pick him up afterward. The real reason I wanted to get to Pewter as soon as possible was so we could organize a trainer room with the pokémon center before they were all taken. While I was prepared to camp if necessary, if the choices are a warm soft indoor bed or a cold hard outdoor tent, the answer should be obvious.
Back to our quiet enjoyment of the walk through the forest, it was just us and the crunching of dirt and leaves beneath our boots. We had specifically selected travel wear for our trip because while our lab coats would better identify us as professors, the coats weren't comfortable in the least and often got in the way. Plus Vivi was less than pleased to be around people in lab coats which had led us to assume he was probably an escaped experiment.
With no more interruptions we made our way to Pewter quite swiftly, arriving as the sun set, and along the way Missa had managed to make even more friends. We were now walking with Vivi in a harness and on a leash that Missa had put him in. At least he was willing to behave for her. Her new caterpie was riding on her shoulder, just looking around. She had also caught a tiny metapod who was now in the baby carrier. And we had a butterfree fluttering overhead. Why did we have all of these pokémon out? Because apparently it wasn't fair to just have Vivi out when all of her new friends had to be in their balls. I didn’t have the capacity to argue against this.