Inside the Indigo Research Institute building, Samuel was attending a meeting with the lead researchers and having a proper introduction to the group. His match against Aloe wasn't one of his best, his mind has been occupied the conundrum known as Anya. He still won the match, having his anchor wipe three of his opponent's Pokémon with brute force wasn't the best of his showings.
Samuel was seated at the end of a long rectangular table with a few important people on either side of him, on the opposite end is the current head of the IRI, Blaine.
"Professor Oak, welcome to the IRI. We are honored to have you join our organization and I believe we will achieve a lot with your expertise and knowledge."
Samuel had met most of the seated people back from his trainer days before he became the champion. There was still a familiar single middle aged man seated next to Blaine.
The meeting continued with basic formalities, greetings and some tea, the middle aged man was introduced as Giovanni from Viridian City who acts as a funder slash sponsor of the IRI.
After the formalities the group soon dispersed, Samuel, Giovanni and Blaine went to Blaine's office.
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"As the head of research, I supervise all of the research that happens in the IRI. But I must confess, my personal study to find the secret of a certain legendary Pokémon has progressed with some of the recent findings"
After a short pause Blaine continued.
"I would like to ask you to join my personal team in the research, to be a more... involved"
"There would be a non disclosure agreement as the study is... quite volatile towards some religious groups. Science and religion doesn't really match, you should know it first hand"
Blaine gave a short pause for Samuel to digest the proposition before continuing on a different topic.
"I heard that you have been seen around with a strange new Pokémon species. I find it rather fascinating, there has not been any mention of it in any of the regional pokedexes all the way to the Sinnoh, not even their old Hisuian entries have anything similar. Which rules out any of the currently known nations as well as the nearby Sevii islands and Orange archipelago."
"The inlands are extremely dangerous to traverse with highly territorial and aggressive species roaming around and thus being mostly unexplored, every now and then a new species wanders near our borders and gets promptly recorded to the ranger database."
"So imagine my surprise when a completely new species appears in Pallet of all places and is seen in the company of the former champion."
Samuel chuckled, there was two reasons why he was joining the IRI, one of them was to announce his area of study and the other was to inform the IRI about some of the information Anya had shared with him.
"I think, I have something for you regarding the Pokémon known to me as Anya" Samuel said while taking out a small folder filled with past conversations with Anya. The papers were full of markings and questions to reference the answers Anya had given with the typewriter. He also had included some of their earliest conversations where Anya had written with messy calligraphy.
"Anya?" asked Blaine, his eyes firmly locked to the folder.
"This here is some of our recorded conversations with a custom made typewriter" He presented a single piece of paper, the earliest communication he has had with Anya, which read MY NAME IS ANYA SPECIES LEAVANNY in a broken and wobbly letters. Samuel chose this page as it has had been the most memorable and uncanny in a weird sense.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
"What's this? A child's first words? It looks like broken Unown script, although I am not sure if it is just the error in calligraphy as they seem similar or if it is intentional and why use paint if you could have ink?" Blaine scoffed
"Fascinating" said Giovanni from the side, Samuel flinched, he had forgotten that Giovanni was still in the room.
"You have more of these?" Giovanni asked even though he knew Samuel had a whole folder with him.
"Of course I do. This is the only page with calligraphy writing and the rest are written with a typewriter." He said while taking the rest of the papers out of the folder and putting them in the middle of the table in a neat stack. "Go ahead" he said.
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After a large amount of shuffling papers, gasps and curses had the stack of paper been rummaged through and its information been sorted through, Giovanni had excused himself out as he had some business to attend to. Blaine and Samuel were both still at the heart of their conversation and didn't even notice Giovanni leaving.
A loud knock on the door and the heated dialogue stilled, the door slowly opened and a young girl came in. "A Phone call for Professor Oak came in and is on hold in at room 2." Her clear voice
Samuel knew this voice, it was from an young adult who had shown interest in a trainer scholarship, who also had pestered Samuel a lot during his vacation days at Pallet to make a lasting impression.
"Thank you Delia, lead the way." Samuel said with fondness in his voice.
"This way Sa- Professor, follow me"
They both departed Blaine's office and on the way they had a moment to catch up.
"So, how is the child?" Samuel asked, remembering that the last time they had met, Delia had been pregnant with a child. Knowing well about the situation he still decided to ask.
"He is just so precious, my sweet little pumpkin pie" Delia beamed. "He was born few months ago and I named him Ash, Ash Ketchum"
"And his father?" asked Samuel, knowing the answer. The question caused Delia's smile to drop for a moment before a soft smile replaced it.
"Already gone, divorced and remarried before Ash was even born. The great life of a trainer he told me"
"My condolences, oh this seems to be room two"
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"Hello? This is Professor Oak speaking"
"Heya, Sammy it is your father speaking, I went to your house and took a look around, just like you asked. The- Anya was it? was quite heartwarming and pleasant to meet."
"Oh, You have been there already?" Samuel couldn't believe what he was hearing, his father has been quite sick lately for the past few years. Even the doctors say he doesn't have too long to live though they do not exactly know what is even wrong with him.
"Did you have a nurse Joy with you?"
"Bah, those nurses can not even do anything about it. I feel fine."
"I slept in one of the spare bedrooms upstairs and left early in the morning"
Samuel and his father Sebastian talked on the phone for a while, Sebastian's mind was racing wild with the possibilities and implications from everything he had glimpsed on Anya.
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The call ended and Samuel sighed, it was mentally taxing to have a scientific conversation with his father as he usually goes of tangent best of times.
He left the room and saw that Delia was still waiting for him.
"Hi, the call has ended. It was important, thank you"
"It's nothing!" The girl said and they both were walking back towards the lobby
"So, what is your plan now, I don't think that a professional trainer would be a recommended career option for a person with a child as young as you have. I would say that at the earliest, you could start your own journey around when Ash himself starts his own. But that would be quite a pickle to have mother and son starting at the same time."
Delia was quiet for a while, she pondered for a bit before speaking out loud.
"I have been thinking for a while now, the dreams of being a model was crushed during my pregnancy and the dreams of a trainer career passed when Ash came into my life. I've been mulling some options in my head for a while."
"I think, I am going to start the first real restaurant in Pallet not those bars and snack houses but a proper restaurant that serves good food and has great atmosphere!"
"That, sound wonderful. I still remember the first time you actually made food, that was great"
"Wait, the wording seems off" She paused and tried to remember the first time she cooked for Samuel. Saying that he must try out the dish even if it was a bit charred.
Samuel just chuckled and left her behind.