The Next Morning
South Province, Area One – Lighthouse Research Station
Dressed casually, Eric knocked on the research station's sturdy door.
Knock, knock, knock.
The soft rapping was soon answered by the sound of quick, energetic footsteps from within.
"Coming!"
Eric's sharp ears picked up the voice of a young boy, and moments later, the door swung open to reveal a ten-year-old with smooth, sandy-brown hair.
Eric immediately recognized the child. His brows raised slightly as his mind connected the dots:
Arven, one of the main characters from the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet storyline.
"Welcome home, Dad!"
Arven's cheerful greeting came to an abrupt halt the moment he realized he'd greeted the wrong person. His face flushed bright red, the blush creeping from his neck to the tips of his ears.
"Uh... uh..."
Embarrassed beyond words, Arven let out an awkward nasal hum.
Eric, meanwhile, couldn't believe what he'd just heard. His composed expression twisted into something between amusement and disbelief.
Before either of them could fully process the situation, another set of footsteps echoed through the hall.
A short, sturdy figure bolted out from deeper within the research station. With a growl, it launched itself directly at Eric.
It was a Mabosstiff, snarling with protective fury, clearly intent on defending Arven from this supposed intruder.
Eric quickly assessed the situation. Over the past year, during his time camping in the wild to save money for his Pokémon, he had experienced countless sudden ambushes. This time, however, something was different.
Instead of dodging, he softly said, "Don't hurt it, Mimikyu."
A chilling, ghostly laugh echoed from Eric's side as a shadowy claw, infused with powerful Ghost-type energy, materialized from thin air.
In one fluid motion, the Shadow Claw intercepted Mabosstiff mid-air, lifting it harmlessly into the air.
The startled Mabosstiff froze, clearly unprepared for this turn of events. How had this eerie Pokémon appeared without it noticing?
It growled and thrashed, determined to protect its young trainer, but no matter how hard it struggled, the Shadow Claw remained unyielding.
Hearing Mabosstiff's growls, Arven opened his eyes to the sight of his Pokémon suspended mid-air.
Realizing Eric must be a Trainer and that Mabosstiff was no match for the seemingly spectral Mimikyu Arven quickly turned to Eric, his tone pleading.
"Uncle, please don't hurt Mabosstiff. It's only trying to protect me."
Before Eric could respond, a commanding voice cut through the tension.
"What is going on out here?!"
A woman strode out of the research station, her presence commanding attention. She radiated confidence, her white lab coat billowing slightly as she moved.
Her sharp gaze immediately took in the scene of her son looking anxious, Mabosstiff restrained mid-air, and Eric standing calmly at the centre of it all.
As the situation registered, her maternal instincts flared to life. Her eyes narrowed, and in a single motion, she grabbed a Poké Ball from her lab coat.
No matter who this man was, Professor Sada, one of Paldea's renowned Professors, would not let anyone harm her son or his Pokémon.
Eric sighed internally, recognizing the misunderstanding. He knew that if this continued, things could spiral out of control.
He wasn't afraid of Professor Sada or the potential Pokémon in her Poké Ball not even if it was one of the legendary Paradox Pokémon. However, letting the misunderstanding escalate wasn't worth the trouble.
"I mean no harm. This is all a misunderstanding," Eric said calmly.
To demonstrate his sincerity, he signalled to Mimikyu, who promptly released Mabosstiff. The Pokémon landed lightly on the ground, confused but unharmed.
Eric turned his attention to Professor Sada. Despite the lab coat, she exuded an aura of untamed strength. Beneath her coat, she wore what appeared to be an outfit made of animal hide, accentuated by a necklace of sharp, gleaming teeth.
Seeing Eric's composed demeanour, Professor Sada's suspicion eased slightly. She protectively placed herself between Eric and Arven, shielding her son and Mabosstiff.
With a firm but less aggressive tone, she asked, "Mind explaining why you were at my research station's front door, looking like you were about to attack my son and his Pokémon?"
Eric wasn't offended by Professor Sada's hostility. In fact, he found it admirable a mother's instinct to protect her child.
After carefully organizing his thoughts, Eric replied, "I was sent here by Chairwoman Geeta."
Hearing Geeta's name, Professor Sada's tension eased further. Still, she turned to Arven, who had been nervously fidgeting by her side.
"Arven, is that true?"
Finally given a chance to speak, Arven nodded vigorously. "It's all just a misunderstanding, Mom! Everything happened so fast, but this uncle didn't do anything wrong!"
Uncle?
Professor Sada exhaled deeply, the protective edge in her posture melting away. She ruffled Arven's neat hair, leaving it in disarray.
"You scared me half to death, you rascal," she said gruffly, though her voice carried a hint of relief. Arven, however, sulked and crouched next to Mabosstiff, clearly annoyed.
Turning back to Eric, Professor Sada said apologetically, "I'm sorry. We may have overreacted. Please accept my apologies."
"There's no need for that," Eric said quickly, waving off her attempt to bow.
Seeing his sincerity, Professor Sada dropped the matter. Efficient and direct as always, she smoothly changed the subject.
"Geeta already informed us about your visit. Don't worry about the Tera Orb crafting we'll handle it. That said..."
She hesitated briefly before continuing, "My husband had to leave on an errand, so it'll just be me working on it. What would normally take about a week might stretch to two. Is that alright?"
Eric nodded. "I'm not in a rush."
Since he was already here, he decided to take the opportunity to explore the legendary professors' research station. "If it's not too much trouble, may I take a look around your lab?"
Professor Sada blinked in surprise before breaking into a grin. "Of course. Follow me."
(End of Chapter)
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