34 May Birch

"I thought so at first before I managed to get my hands on a pokenav that a Pidgey had been messing with by the stream near my cave and confirmed it personally." I said while digging out the device that I had carefully dirtied and scratched up to make it look like a pokemon had gotten ahold of it. I had thoroughly prepared for what I may face when rejoining civilization again. Birch looked at the device and nodded in understanding. "Probably fell off one of the shipping trucks and got grabbed by the curious pokemon." he said then added with a chuckle "I've found at least three while out in the field just like it."-

"I didn't try to use the rescue feature when I found out how close I was to a village since I figured I could make it with these two on foot." I said answering a question he hadn't even asked yet. Birch chuckled and glanced at both Gaia and Vulcan traveling at either of our sides. "I doubt anything in this area is anywhere strong enough to challenge you. That reminds me for whatever reason but how'd you come across that one by the way?" he asked while pointing towards Vulcan with his thumb.-

"Last I heard it was born up near MT. Chimney a couple months ago before vanishing from the local rangers surveillance." Birch said honestly. I didn't feel the need to lie about that and explained that a much older and stronger Entei had brought Vulcan to me where Gaia and I beat it in a battle and it joined us ever since. "To be honest we would have had a much harder time had it not been for the fact that Vulcan lacked experience and we held a type advantage." I finished the story honestly.-

Birch laughed and patted me on the shoulder "Luck is a part of strength too you know and it all worked out in the end anyways right?" he said cheerfully. "I suppose it did. What about you? why are you traipsing through the underbrush and without a pokemon no less?" I asked curiously. Now it was his turn to scratch his head awkwardly "To be honest I totally forgot to bring a pokemon with me since this part of my job normally doesn't require one."-

"That ties into why I was out here too , see the regional start of the gym season is coming up soon and as the regions professor I am expected to have a set of royal starters on hand in case I find any exceptional new comers. I was actually on my way over to the Treecko tribe near MT. grey to grab one." Birch explained honestly. I was confused by this however since despite living near that tribe I hadn't seen a single variant at all , not even a shiny. "There are no royal Treecko's at Mt. grey though since I've seen that whole tribe regularly since I got there months ago." I said honestly.-

"No no no , I'm not talking about a royal variant when I say royal pokemon or at least not this time. Royal pokemon refers to the three iconic species that exist in each region that can't be found naturally anywhere else. For Hoenn it is Treecko , Torchic and Mudkip listed as the royal species whereas for Kanto it's Charmander , Squirtle and Bulbasaur. Given your own starter I can understand your confusion over the lingo." Birch explained helpfully. I nodded in understanding 'I had wondered why each region in the games had those be impossible to get but that makes sense.' I thought as we walked.-

"I take it that this means you already have the other two species all set and ready to go then?" I asked and Birch nodded. "If you are only going to get a Treecko from that tribe I happen to know a good one that may be a sort of hidden test for whoever chooses it." I said with a tempting smirk. Birch raised and eyebrow intrigued "Oh? It must be a truly special member of it's tribe to catch someone like yours interest. I'm all ears." Birch said casually.-

"It's the runt of the bunch , it's got a birthmark on it's left arm that's hard to miss. Don't let it's size fool you though , out of that whole tribe it alone was the only one willing to strive for strength. It didn't think I noticed but when I'd train these two it would listen in from nearby and secretly use what I said for itself." I said with a smile as Birches eyes lit up. "That does indeed sound like a fine pokemon and test for whoever gets it. Thank you for the tip , I may have passed up that pokemon for being the runt otherwise." Birch said gratefully.-

I waved off his thanks though "It's the least I could do with the help you are offering me for free." I said before holding my hand out in front of him defensively stopping him as Vulcan moved in front of us suddenly. The bushes shook for a moment before a woman with long brown hair tied up in a red bandana and short tight black bike shorts with a red wind braker jacket on stepped out. She appeared to be about my age at twentyish and was quite athletic from what I could tell.-

She froze when she came face to face with Vulcan that was staring her down not more than five feet away from her. "Alex this is my daughter May , May this is Alex and his pokemon Vulcan the Entei and Gaia the Pupitar." Birch said cheerfully once he saw who it was. Hearing his voice May snapped out of her fright induced stiffness and finally got to take in the full picture. A legendary , a double variant pseudo legendary and a man that towered over her father and was covered in lean but well defined bands of muscle as well as barely any clothes at all.-

I could practically see the headache forming in her head as her eyebrows furrowed and her shoulders dropped as she sighed before rubbing her forehead. "Let me get this straight. First you head out into the wilderness without a pokemon but somewhere along the way you pick up a savage man with not one but two very dangerous pokemon?" she asked with a very frustrated tone. "Well that's just rude , Gaia wouldn't hurt a fly." I say with a smirk as May seems to short circuit from the ridiculous comment.-

She just got this blank "no ones home" look on her face that made me laugh. "May.EXE has stopped working it seems huh professor?" I ask jokingly and the man laughs before Mays face turns crimson from embarrassment. "You!" she hisses angrily and I walk right in front of her and stare down at her with a smirk "Me what?" I asked teasingly but get no reply as she seems much more timid now that I was towering over her at my full height of six four to her five eight.