Nothing beat walking around in clothes you felt comfortable in. Well, walking was a bit of a stretch.

I was in a wheelchair.

Nurse Elena decided that I needed a day of rest before strength returned to my body after what she described as a ‘traumatic’ incident for my body. I was prepared to start another hissing contest but when Sycamore backed her up along with some scientific evidence that would have refuted any argument I could have made.

It did help that Lucario told me to ‘sit my butt down’, in his words. I’m better at listening to pokemon rather than people. Something about likeability.

Back to the point, I had missed my jacket during those short hours. The hospital had been kind enough to launder all my clothes before giving them back, I heard it was part of the ‘all around care’ they’re supposed to offer. Anyone who needs to be treated, gets treated. Anyone who needs to be cared for, gets seen. Sycamore talked to me about it a bit after I changed, told me that the Kalos region receives enough donations from big entities that public services are always free up to most points and that everyone is entitled to be properly taken care of, people and pokemon.

“Sorry about that.” Sycamore apologizes, putting his phone back in his pocket after a call had interrupted our talk. The vehicle was being driven by one of his assistants and we had a large back seat facing each other all to ourselves. It felt like luxury. “We’ve been doing some research on the evolution of pokemon recently, many of my colleagues need me to give them the ‘ok’ to conduct testing.”

I paused before opening my mouth again. “Ah, so you must’ve been pretty busy before this whole fire… and me, thing.” Dealing with me probably took a lot of time, with how I’ve been watching people in the hospital and especially strangers on our way out treat him, the professor is a pretty important guy.

It’s hard not to feel totally unguilty about that.

“I know what you’re thinking Silvia, don’t worry about it.” Sycamore assures me, a knowing look in his eyes. I’m already growing to hate how good he is at reading people. Or maybe it’s just that I’m easy to read? Either way, it’s a pain in my neck. “I’ve got plenty of people who work for and alongside me for this very reason. Besides, your health has to come first.”

I was tired of saying thanks to him, so I just nodded my head. It was as if this man was a walking sap tree, always producing kind words.

It wasn’t long before we pulled up to a mansion-like building that was 3 stories tall. It was a vibrant blue and yellow mixture with stained glass that made the building itself look like a reflection of the world around it. Blended with nature itself almost. Towards the back just above the roof I was able to see what looked to be the top of a greenhouse, that must be the top of the pokemon garden Gardevoir and Lucario told me about.

The entrance was blocked by a large decorative gate that was as tall as the first story of the building. I watched as the driver pressed a buzzer that was sticking out of a pole and suddenly the twin gates creaked open on their own as if invisible hands were pulling them open.

I’m sure that from the outside I was like a child seeing the world for the first time, and it may look dumb.

But hey, in a way, I kind of was getting that first time experience.

The car drove us around a semicircle and stopped in front of the twin oak doors guarding the mansion like tall trees. The doors were big enough for a Snorlax to roll its way on through if they were both open.

The door opened during my inner musings and Sycamore rolled the wheelchair up to the entrance, to which I gave him a flat stare. “You were actually serious about this Sycamore? I thought we pretended to agree to take the wheelchair just to soothe Elena and the other doctors?”

Sycamore in turn, just grinned. “That was something you thought, I don’t remember ever agreeing to that. Now get in the wheelchair, unless you want me to carry you into the building over my shoulder.

The air in his voice was teasing but inwardly I recoiled. Somehow, I believed he’d actually do that.

Grumbling my many complaints under my breath, all of which were promptly disregarded, he began wheeling me up the ramp of the building with my pokemon in tow behind. Lucario honestly had hyped this place up a little too much. He’d been raving about it on the way over and talking about the space and all the new battle partners, but that’s just all in his head.

Though I can’t really argue that the real estate of a rickety cabin to a mansion is a pretty big jump in property, like a peasant to nobility.

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Both doors in front of us opened just before reaching them and before us stood a woman with long blue hair that reached her back. She was wearing a lab coat with a blue button up shirt tucked into her pants. She was also holding a clipboard.

Arceus, I was tired of seeing those.

“Ah, Sophie. I’m glad you came out to see us.” Sycamore addressed her right away, pushing me into the doorway entrance. “Silvia, this is my lead assistant and colleague, Sophie. Sophie, meet Silvia, she’ll be staying with us for an unknown amount of time.”

Describing my stay as unknown sounds kind of ominous. They did say at the hospital that I only needed another day to recover, so realistically he could have just said one day or two at most. I know he’s smart enough to realize that.

I shouldn’t think too hard about it.

Sophie extended her hand to me first. “Nice to meet you Sil, you’re kind of like the pokemon that come here. We don’t know everything about them but they’re welcome as long as they like. I look forward to getting to know you.” She says with an overly friendly smile.

I shake her hand in return. “Nice to meet you too. Don’t worry, I won’t stay for long anyways.”

Sophie’s smile falters a little for whatever reason, but to give her credit, she quickly recovers. “As long as you know there’s no rush. Let’s go inside and show you around, I heard from Sycamore that you understand your pokemon pretty well?”

What a decisive change in topic on her part.

“I do, it helps that Gardevoir likes to talk a lot. So, I get lots of practice.” I remark.

Not a second later I feel a smack on the back of my head from my friend, inciting chuckles all around when we stop in the main foyer.

“Gardevoir!”

“I’m kidding! You know I love hearing you talk.” Gardevoir only shakes her head in amusement before Sophie coughs politely to get our attention.

“So?” Sophie asks, gesturing with her hands to the main foyer around us. “What do you think?”

There was a grand staircase at the back that split both left and right leading to the second floor. The floor itself was a light brown wood with blue carpets covering all the walkways. Above us was a massive chandelier that sparkled like a lit-up Christmas tree. There were a few people bustling about all in white lab coats and carrying paperwork.

On the other side I noticed several pokemon working alongside their professors, mainly a few Froakie and even a Chespin that was sorting through papers on a desk.

All in all, I think I knew how to describe this place. “It’s… alright.”

Nailed it.

Sophie’s jaw pretty much dropped at my words like a screw had fallen loose and I swear a few people even paused to look at me in the surroundings. It was silent for a moment until Sycamore burst into a fit of laughter.

“Heh-Hah, oh my god Silvia. See what I’m talking about Sophie? I told you you’d like her.” He kept chuckling under his breath, and I looked at him feeling like the one who was left out of a funny joke.

“Mind cluing me in on what’s funny, Sycamore?” I ask him dryly, feeling like I should be annoyed somehow.

“It’s because you’re not the kind of guest we usually get.” Sophie answers for the still laughing professor.

“Gee, thanks.”

I stiffened at the feeling of a hand on my shoulder. “Not in a bad way, Silvia.” Sycamore continues. “Usually, our guests overly flatter us and try to pry into our research beyond what we’ve been revealing. Even many of my colleagues do the same to me and my close assistants. So, it’s refreshing to have you be so honest.”

I nodded my head; I could see how that would be annoying. Having someone suck up to you non-stop and you have to pretend either not to notice or roll with it and be super nice back. I think I’d just have Lucario aura blast them. Then again, that might not be the most…legal course of action.

It was easier when my only problems related to conflict were whomever Lucario decided to pick a fight with that morning. He was quite the rambunctious Riolu. Troublemaker might be a better word in most cases.

Even so, I didn’t really like that I was being compared to other people. All the nurses and staff at the hospital made me uncomfortable and I got a number of stares from people I didn’t know.

The tour continued as Sophie and Sycamore pushed me around the lab, some of it was really interesting. Much of their research involved the healing of pokemon and there were several stations ready to cure any pokemon in need at any time. Not to mention when Mega Evolution came up. The professor could go on and on about that topic. In a way, I understood, it was his life’s work to understand and help people and pokemon.

I’d read quite a bit from the books and tomes Lucario would bring back, they always went into detail that pokemon generally had 1-2 evolutions and stopped at a certain point depending on the pokemon. To hear that, with certain pokemon and under the right conditions, a person and pokemon working together may be able to achieve a temporary evolution past the known stage; was mesmerizing.

I’m sure he’d have gone for another hour if Sophie hadn’t put a stop to his endless tirade. Not that I minded really, it was nice to talk about something that wasn’t related to me. However, based on her reaction it’s clear that it wasn’t the first time that Sycamore went on a tangent when he became passionate.

The tour had been expansive and at this point, I’d seen most of the lab. “We have one more stop, our pokemon sanctuary.” Sophie commented as we headed towards the rear of the mansion.

“Why do you call it a sanctuary?” I asked.

Sophie just gave me a knowing smile as she opened a set of doors that lead to a massive enclosure.

I couldn’t stop myself from gasping out loud.