Chapter Text
When the Aoyamas arrived at Pallet Town, they made a beeline towards Professor Oak's laboratory. The new equipment he requested would guarantee more successful results in his continuous research. After parking their car near the lab, Kisa Aoyama disembarked first. Oliver was the next to hop out, before pulling a box out of the trunk. Their daughter, Leaf, searched the car for her backpack before she climbed out.
Leaf took a moment to scan her surroundings, staring in awe at the laboratory, standing in the middle of such a small town. If they were lucky, maybe the people of Pallet Town would accept her and her family with open arms unlike the people back in Viridian City. Cleffa jumped out of the car and skittered towards Leaf, causing her to smile at it while her dad strolled to the front door.
"See?" Leaf chirped, "we didn't have to sit in the car all day!"
"Cleffa," Cleffa nodded in agreement.
Professor Samuel Oak had been working in his lab for the most part of the morning, typing the notes he gathered on Pokémon into his computer to save and load them into this portable encyclopedia device he spent so many years designing. The memory card of the aptly named Pokédex couldn't hold as many data files as he wished, so he had to add only the basics about Pokémon as the appearance, the size, the weight, their sounds, and a little description on their behavior or origins. Hopefully with time, he'd be able to include a much bigger memory card to hold much more data.
"Gramps! Gramps!" a voice called for him as an eight-year-old boy with spiky red hair appeared at the door, "there's a car coming up here!"
"Oh, it must be the Aoyamas," Samuel Oak merely said without looking away from his computer, "I told you we were expecting their visit this morning, Gary."
"Yeah, but you didn't tell me what their business here was," the boy stated, crossing his arms over his chest.
In reply, the professor of Pokémon, as Samuel Oak was called at times, sighed.
"I didn't know I had to justify myself to you, my grandson," he said, finally looking up to stare at his grandson who recoiled a bit, "if you so want to know, I met Kisa Aoyama when she was still studying psychology at the university of Celadon City where I taught for some years. And now, she is coming here to bring me some important equipment that I require. Is your curiosity satisfied?"
"Yes…thank you, Gramps," Gary sheepishly replied.
As he was about to go on his way…most likely in the garden when the Professor kept the Pokémon he had gathered from the time he was a trainer, his grandfather's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"I believe they are bringing their daughter along. It'd be nice if you could be nice and show her around while I talk with her parents," Samuel asked Gary, leaving his computer on standby and, going to leave his laboratory, standing right in front of his grandson.
This made Gary grimace.
"Come on, Gramps…I'm no kid's babysitter!" Gary complained.
"Oh, come now," he thought for a bit, "if I'm not mistaken, she should be around your age. Who knows? Perhaps the both of you could get along nicely."
Professor Oak started making his way to the front door.
"Pfft," Gary simply glanced away with a scoff.
This made his grandfather smile when he looked back at his grandson.
"It'd be best for you if you could get down off your pedestal and be nice to others," Samuel sternly advised.
"Fine," Gary reluctantly said.
"Mr. Aoyama! Kisa!" Samuel greeted his guests with a bright and wide smile, holding out his hand to Kisa's, "I am so pleased to see you. I hope the trip went well."
Kisa grasped the professor's hand and shook it.
"Of course," she agreed, "the trip went smoothly."
Gary blinked twice as he noticed Leaf slowly swaying her torso from side to side. Her Cleffa stared at him from behind Leaf's leg.
"Feel free to come inside," Professor Oak offered.
"Thank you," Kisa nodded with a smile.
"How long has it been since I saw you?" the professor asked, "here, let me take this."
He took the box out of Oliver's hands and gestured them to the living room sofa to indicate they could come in while he placed the precious box on the dinner table.
"Pray, sit down, make yourself at home," he added, pointing at the sofas.
In front of them were cookies, tea and coffee ready for the guests.
"I believe it has been fifteen years?" he suggested, "you were quite a bright young lady, if I had to believe your psychology teacher. Oh, here is my grandson, Gary."
He had just spotted the red haired boy who thought he could escape to the garden.
"Won't you say hello to our guest?"
Gary rolled his eyes though still went to greet Mr. and Mrs. Aoyama and just waved at Leaf.
"Don't mind him. He's not the best at manners," Samuel sighed with a frown to his grandson, "yet I'm sure he'll be delighted to show the various Pokémon species that we have around here, won't you, Gary?"
"Fine," Gary grumbled.
While Professor Oak went back to his conversation with the parents, Gary gave Leaf a brief awkward glance.
"Well," Gary offered, "want me to show you the way?"
Leaf nodded sheepishly before she lifted Cleffa into her arms.
"That…would be great," she answered.
Gary sighed before he led Leaf out of the living room. He didn't wait for her nor made sure she was following him. He just crossed the corridor, opened the back door and walked out onto the vast backyard. Beyond the fence of the backyard led to a grassy field which spread as far as the eye could see. Only a dark green line…the rim of Viridian forest on the horizon stopped the field.
The weather was just fine. Not as fine as it had been when Gary was still in Johto, but still, not as bad. The same sun cast its strong and warm rays on him, the few white clouds occupying the sky as a flock of Mareeps, a soft breeze, just enough to cool the atmosphere. Everything screamed of peace and heaven in that remote place, much to Gary's dismay when he compared his life here with what it had been back in Goldenrod City.
The only good thing here was that he could be in contact with Pokémon much more than he had been back in Johto. The downside was that he still didn't have his own Pokémon. And now, his grandfather had asked him to stick with a girl that already had hers. Speak about justice…
He emitted a low whistle and a tall Charizard, growling loudly from up in the sky, flew down towards the young boy. That would impress Leaf and show her place, Gary thought with a smirk.
"Oh?" Leaf warbled, "that's so cool!"
Gary shrugged before shifting his gaze towards her Cleffa.
"Yeah," Gary agreed, "he sure is huge compared to that little Cleffa of yours."
Gary started scratching his grandfather's Charizard's rough scales. The big dragon-like Pokémon, though it wasn't part of the dragon type category, seemed to be enjoying the human's touch.
"Where'd you get that little guy, anyway?" he asked.
Cleffa shivered nervously as Leaf gave it a pat on the head.
"I…rescued it back at school," she blurted.
Gary didn't pay attention as Leaf started wandering around the fenced-in garden, her Cleffa cooing as they admired a few Nidorans playing with a ball in the yard. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle gathering around food bowls. Squirtle was happily munching down on lettuce while Charmander gnawed at a piece of meat and Bulbasaur chomped down some berries. Leaf was initially content with just watching them eat, but then the three Pokémon stopped and turned to face her.
"Uhh," Leaf stammered, "hello, guys."
Cleffa trembled nervously as Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle stared at it.
"Bulba."
"Char."
"Squirtle!" the Squirtle happily waved its hand.
"Not that I care," Gary added, "I'm just surprised your parents let you have a Pokémon. You don't seem the kind of kid to be able to handle it."
Leaf froze in her tracks and grimaced as she lowered her head. That familiar phrase she heard from before stirred something painful she didn't want to relive.
"What'd I say?" Gary blurted.
Leaf turned for the back door.
"I'd," Leaf muttered, "I'd better head back inside."
Cleffa sighed as it waved goodbye to Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle.
Gary gave Leaf a confused stare as she stepped back into the house and made her way back to the living room. She started searching for a place to sit when Professor Oak tilted his head towards her.
"Oh?"
Leaf allowed Cleffa to jump out of her arms and land onto a sofa cushion.
"I assume you pulled her out of the school, yes?" the professor mentioned.
Kisa nodded.
"Her homeroom teacher, Mr. Gibson, didn't do jack in solving the bullying problem," Kisa explained.
Professor Oak rubbed his chin as he sighed.
"Well then," he replied, "I assure you the smaller school we have here will be much more accommodating to your daughter. Perhaps she could get along well with my grandson along with another boy his age."
Leaf blinked twice.
"Who?" she paused.
"That would be Gary's friend Red," he gently smiled at her, "they balance each other out and I'm sure they'd be willing to keep an eye on you. They're what you might call friendly rivals."
Leaf smiled nervously as she hugged her arms to her chest. She found herself daydreaming of what the new school would be like. Perhaps she could meet a teacher who was willing to respect her like her parents did. Maybe she could have better luck interacting with the kids here than back in Viridian City. Her smile then turned into a small frown as she thought of the one friend who she had to say goodbye to. Maybe one day, they'll meet again at the Indigo Plateau. She snapped out of her thoughts when Gary stepped into the living room.
"Hey, gramps!" Gary waved his hand.
All eyes except for Leaf's focused on the redhead.
"Ah, welcome back," Professor Oak smiled, "my grandson!"
Gary made a brief glance at Leaf.
"Hi, again," he nodded at her.
Leaf nervously waved her hand before she stood up.
"Gary," the professor requested, "why don't you do the young lady a favor and show her around Pallet Town?"
Gary rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
"Oh gee, I'm some tour guide now?" he groaned with a sarcastic tone, "thanks, gramps!"
"Now, Gary, she'll need to know how to get to the school at least, and you can teach her the shortcuts."
Gary sighed as he grabbed a fistful of his hairs with both hands.
"Fine," he grumbled, "if you insist."
Oak shook his head to himself and turned back to Kisa. Gary started making his way to the door, so Leaf followed him out of the lab. Gary glanced back at her every now and then, walking around the basic path of the small town. As they began strolling past the residential houses in the neighborhood, Leaf made a brief glance at each one, wondering which one she and her parents would be living in. Gary stopped by one particular house and scrambled for the front door, ringing the doorbell. Minutes later, the front door opened and a black-haired boy emerged from the house. He smiled in recognition at Gary and glanced at Leaf, nodding shyly.
"Morning, Gary," Red greeted, "is that girl new here?"
Leaf's face reddened nervously as she waddled over to the front door.
"Yeah," Gary answered, "Leaf just moved here and I'm just showing her around."
"Need a second tour guide?" Red quipped.
Once Red closed the door behind him, he gave Leaf a bow of respect. She returned the gesture before she swayed her torso side to side.
"You're Red, right?" Leaf paused.
"Yeah," Red nodded, "nice to meet you."
Leaf shifted her weight between her feet.
"Are you going to show me where the school is?" Leaf clamored.
"Yeah, I can do that," Red nodded, "where have you been so far?"
"Uhh," Leaf stammered, "Viridian City."
"I mean here in Pallet," Red corrected.
"I know she's visited grandpa's lab," Gary remarked.
Red led Gary and Leaf from the front yard.
"Where've you moved to?" Red asked, "that place by the lake?"
Leaf scratched her head as she took a moment to think. Would she have to wait until she got back to the lab to ask her parents? She figured out the answer on her own when she spotted her parents parking the station wagon in front of the house across from Red's.
"Oh, cool," he commented, "short walk to the school from here."
Red, Gary and Leaf turned at a corner and walked down a few blocks. To their right, the young girl noticed a school building smaller than the one in Viridian City.
"So that's the school," Leaf said to herself.
Red glanced over his shoulder.
"Yeah, that's it," Red answered, "you excited about it?"
Leaf nodded sheepishly as she hugged her arms to her chest.
"I guess so," she said, "I wonder who my teacher is…and what he's like."
Gary scratched his head.
"You get ours," the redhead answered, "boring old lady. Well, I think she is. Red thinks she's nice."
Red burst into laughter.
"You do!" Gary nudged his rival.
As Leaf, Red and Gary circled the perimeter of the school, the young girl found herself growing fond of the boys guiding her through her new surroundings.
Maybe Leaf would do more than just thrive in her new home…perhaps she hoped to fulfill her dream of exploring the world when she grew up.