Chapter 7

"The adults have been in the kitchen for almost forty minutes now," White heard Margaret whisper to Danny. "Should we check on them?"

"Why stop them from making plans to keep us from going away?" Danny retorted.

White had been able to persuade Danny and Margaret's families to let them go on a journey, and she was able to get Professor Oak to give them their starter pokemon and Pokedex. However, not everyone was happy that Danny and Margaret were going on a journey. Danny's mother and Margaret's great grandmother were both showing signs of reluctance to let them go to another region, and White had a sneaky suspicion that it was because of her.

Mrs. Parker had let Danny and Margaret's families come to her house when receiving their pokemon, but White hadn't been prepared to meet Mrs. Ketchum. Danny's mother had given White one look before asking Pastor Jonathon and Margaret's grandmothers into the kitchen for "a quick word", and it wasn't long before Mrs. Parker joined them. The adults had left Danny, Margaret, and John with White and Fiona to wait for Professor Oak to arrive.

"When was the old dude supposed to be here?" whined John, who was playing with Fiona, Loopy, and Sowny.

"Don't call the professor that, John!" scolded Margaret.

"Well he is! He's old and cranky! Me and my friends were playing next to his lab once and he yelled at us! He even said he would call the police if we didn't go home!"

"Yeah?" said Danny, who was sitting next to Margaret on the couch. "Well now I have question. Why would you play near his lab? That's private property."

White, who was leaning against the wall, smirked a little as Margaret hissed at John.

"You've been playing on private property?!" She demanded.

"No!" protested her younger brother. "That was before it became private land! But now that I think about it, I think we might have been the reason why he made it into private property."

John seemed to shrink a little at the look on Margaret's face. White had began to notice that Margaret seemed to look after John like a mother would. She was curious to know what happened to their parents.

Thankfully, Mira came downstairs the moment Margaret began telling off her little brother. For some reason, a few hours after White had called Professor Oak, he had called back requesting that both White and Mira be there when Margaret and Danny received their pokemon. While they have been waiting, Mira had taken the time to try and contact Sky Blue.

"White, I'm getting worried!" said Mira as she walked over to White. "I've been trying to contact Sky ever since you said you would come to Kalos with us, and he still hasn't answered back!"

"Have you tried everything?" White asked.

"Yes! I've called him, emailed him, texted him, left voice mails, and I'm considering sending him a letter! He just won't answer!"

"He's half blind, Mira. He could've lost his Xtransceiver in his own room. Plus Amos said that Sky Blue was already going to Kalos to deliver some important papers."

White had taken the responsibility of calling Amos about going to Kalos because Mira and Leia liked to talk to him a lot. She had thought she would have to persuade Amos to come along, but he said yes without being asked twice. However, their conversation was cut short when Mira and Leia wanted to talk to him.

"Still, what if something had happened to him?" Mira argued back.

White sighed and turned to look at her friend.

"Miriam, I can understand why you're scared for him, but he's technically an adult." She told Mira quietly, using Mira's real name. "He's stronger than most people think. He'll be fine."

Mira still looked worried as she nodded. White gave her a reassuring smile as the younger trainer went back upstairs. She had to admit, she was also worried about Sky Blue. He was like their big brother since their own brothers didn't care for them. At first, Sky was the one who watched over Mira and White, but later on it became White being the one to watch over them.

She then felt something roll into her leg. She looked down to see Loopy the Spinda curled up in a ball, bumping against her leg. The spotted panda pokemon uncurled and looked up at White. Loopy squeaked, curled up again, and rolled back over to John and Fiona.

White watched as Loopy rolled into Danny's leg, and the pokemon's trainer picked her up.

"Daddy!" squeaked Loopy, her little paws stretched out.

Though Danny was unable to understand the little panda-like pokemon, he smiled at her and petted her. Loopy made a purring noise and sat in Danny's lap. Despite how Danny's family thought about the idea of him traveling with her, White was glad that she was able to help him go on a journey. She had a feeling that he might live up to being just like his brother.

The kitchen door opened at last, and Mrs. Parker stormed into the living room. She was muttering under her breath and kept glaring at Mrs. Ketchum as the other adults came out. Margaret's strict great grandmother and Mrs. Ketchum looked just as irritated. Pastor Jonathon and Margaret's grandmother just looked slightly overwhelmed.

"Mrs. Parker, what were you guys talking about?" White asked Mrs. Parker as the adults went to be with their child or grandchildren.

"Debating whether they'll allow their children to go on journey with you!" hissed Mrs. Parker.

"Who?"

"Josephine Ketchum and Katrina Kinsley!"

"Is Katrina Kinsley Margaret's great grandmother?"

"Yes!"

"And what did you tell them?"

"I told them that you were a good girl, and that you were responsible, caring, and that you are good with Fiona!"

"I don't think caring for Fiona is a character trait." White pointed out, smirking.

"But it shows that you're a good person!" the elderly woman argued.

Before White could say anything else, the door bell rang.

"Good heavens, he's here!" Mrs. Parker gasped, and grabbing White's gloved fake hand. "Let's go meet him!"

"Wait, what?!" White snapped as her guardian pulled her over the door. "I can't see him!"

"You're the one who invited him!"

"Mrs. Parker, I robbed his lab when I was younger, I have insulted him before, and I've punched his grandson in the guts more than once! I can't face the man!"

"Well that's a good reason why you should see him then!"

White felt her body tense up as Mrs. Parker opened the door. Professor Oak was just as she remembered. Apart from him looking slightly older, he hadn't changed much in the six to seven years since they last met.

"Ah, Susan," Professor Oak greeted Mrs. Parker, shaking the elderly woman's hand. "Thank you for letting us come over here."

"It's no problem at all, Samuel, I'm happy to help." replied Mrs. Parker, stepping aside to let the professor in. To White's horror and shock, she realized that Professor Oak hadn't come alone.

His grandson, Blue, had followed him inside. White had known Blue ever since she had come to Kanto for the first time when she was nine or ten. He had caught her while she had been picking pockets, and he had taken her straight to Professor Oak. When Professor Oak heard about her situation, he had her help around the lab to make up for stealing wallets from people and supplies from the lab, and he had made Blue watch over her to make sure she didn't get into trouble. She knew that he was currently still gym leader of the Viridian City gym, but she tried her best to avoid the place. She and Blue had never gotten along since they were both stubborn and a little harsh.

"It's been awhile since we've met face to face, Whitney," said Professor Oak as he approached White and shook her gloved mechanical hand. "I've heard you've been very busy."

"I-I guess you can say that," White stammered awkwardly.

"I am sorry about what you went through in Unova." He continued on. "I heard you lost a lot."

White spared a glance at her hidden mechanical arm before nodding.

"I'm fine now, professor." She said quietly, stepping away from the professor. "Mrs. Parker has helped me a lot since then."

She then glanced at Blue. He was looking over at Danny, who had been having a quiet argument with his mother. She saw that Danny shot Blue a glare as he looked in his direction. White had a feeling that Blue and Danny knew each other, and from the look of it, they did not like each other very much.

"I believe you remember my grandson, Blue," Professor Oak said to White, making both Blue and White look at him.

"It's kinda hard to forget him." White admitted stiffly, frowning at Blue. Blue looked down at her and gave her a small nod, but he did not meet her gaze.

"Well, let's not just stand by the door, please come in here, gentlemen," Mrs. Parker said to Professor Oak and Blue, beckoning them into the living room.

White tried to keep as far away from Blue as possible as they went into the living room. She tried not to look at him as she sat on the floor next to Fiona. She was slightly distracted as Fiona crawled into her lap.

"I believe you know everyone," Mrs. Parker said as Professor Oak shook hands with Pastor Jonathon and greeted the women. "Blue, have you met Danny and Margaret?"

"Yes, on several occasions." Blue replied quietly, smirking at Danny.

Danny glared at him again before saying, "Blue and I went to the same school for awhile."

White looked at Margaret for any kind of reaction. She was blushing slightly, and she was avoiding looking at the gym leader. She seemed to have known Blue as well.

"I don't believe I have met this little one," said Professor Oak, gesturing to Fiona.

"This is Fiona," White told him. "She's been staying with us for awhile. She's coming to Kalos with us."

White saw Blue look at Fiona after hearing this. He seemed a little surprised that someone so young would be taken on a trip around a region like Kalos. Professor Oak also looked taken aback, but he said nothing else.

"Well should we start right now, or should we wait a little longer?" Professor Oak asked, looking around at everyone.

She noticed that Blue looked irritated at this. He probably had more important things to do than see his two former classmates get their pokemon and Pokedex. Now that she thought about it, why had he come? It was never required for him to go with his grandfather to events like this.

"You can begin whenever you feel like it." Pastor Jonathon told the professor, glancing at Margaret and Danny.

Professor Oak nodded and sat down, pulling a box out of his coat. White recognized it as a box that held the starter pokemon pokeballs.

"Now, you said that Fiona would be going to Kalos as well, I will also being giving her a starter pokemon as well." The professor said, mainly speaking to Mrs. Parker. "There has been some incidents in Kalos lately, so I think she should have one at hand."

"What kind of incidents?" interrupted Margaret's great grandmother sharply. The old woman's eyes had suddenly narrowed, and she had put one of her arms around Margaret's shoulder.

"Most of the incidents haven't been...life threatening." Professor Oak told her slowly. "There has only been one incident that could be considered life threatened, but the victim is recovering well, and we know the reason why he was attacked."

"And you're positive these children won't be next?!" She demanded furiously. "If I find out that my granddaughter has become a victim of one of theseso I called 'incidents'-"

"Mother, please!" said Margaret's grandmother desperately. She did not look very old, apart from a few light gray hairs.

Katrina Kinsley didn't continue her sentence, but she kept shooting Professor Oak accusing looks. Margaret looked slightly embarrassed and she kept her eyes on the floor. White also noticed that Mrs. Ketchum looked as if she agreed with Katrina.

When nobody raised anymore objections, the professor opened the box. Three pokeballs sat in a row inside it. The middle pokeball was quivering violently. The pokeball on its left was merely twitching occasionally. The pokeball on the right of the middle one wasn't moving at all.

"The three of you will be receiving the starter pokemon of Kanto," Professor Oak said to Danny, Margaret, and Fiona. "There is Bulbasaur, the Grass Type," he gestured to the unmoving pokeball. "Charmander, the Fire Type," then to the violently shaking one. "And Squritle, the Water Type." Then to the twitching pokeball.

"How do we choose?" Margaret asked. "It seems like one of us will be left without a choice."

"You might want to go by youngest to oldest." He answered. "So Fiona would go first, next would be you, and then Danny."

"I don't mind going last." Danny reassured them.

Fiona nodded to say that she didn't mind either. Margaret gave a tiny nod as well.

Professor Oak held out the box so Fiona could take a pokeball. The little girl glanced at White before looking over the pokeballs. White was curious on which pokemon Fiona would choose.

Then Fiona reached out and took the pokeball on her left. The pokeball was silent and unmoving.

Fiona had chosen Bulbasaur.

It was Margaret's turn next. She took her time while choosing, but no one rushed her. She looked as if she was about to have a nervous breakdown. After awhile, she chose the pokeball on her right. It was quivering slightly.

Squritle.

This left Danny with the last pokeball. The last pokeball was the one that was shaking the hardest. He reached out for it, but the pokeball gave a practically large shudder. He pulled his hand back a little before trying to take it again. The second his fingers enclosed on the pokeball, it stopped shuddering.

The last pokemon was Charmander.

"Your pokemon will be your partners on this new journey, and I ask that you treat them as friends." The professor told the three rookie trainers. "Danny and Margaret, I will be giving you two each a Pokedex. They have both the Kalos and the Kanto information on it. I'm afraid I don't have a Pokedex to spare for Fiona, though."

Fiona, however, didn't seem to mind not getting a Pokedex. She was rolling her Bulbasaur's pokeball between her hands happily. The little girl held the pokeball up to White. White smiled at her and brushed the hair out of the little girl's face.

"You'll make a good trainer," White said to Fiona in a whisper.

As Margaret and Danny received their Pokedexes, White felt a hand grasp her shoulder. She flinched and looked up at the person. Blue had walked over to her. She glared at him suspiciously.

"I've got nothing to say to you!" She spat at him in a hushed voice.

"I need to talk to you." Blue whispered, ignoring what she just said.

"Its probably not that important!"

"Would I really waste my time trying to speak to you if it wasn't important?"

She didn't say anything. She was dying to say "yes", but the true answer was "no".

"Very well," White snarled at him. "What do you want?"

"I need to speak to you and someone called Miriam Dragonclaw in private." He informed her.

White's curiosity rose. She lifted Fiona out of her lap and stood up. She walked over to the stairs and beckoned Blue to follow.

She opened her bedroom door a little when they reached the second floor. She could see Mira and Leia deep in conversation inside.

"Mira?" White said, opening the door wider so her two friends could see her.

Mira and Leia jumped and turned to look at the door.

"Is it done already?" Leia asked before White could explain.

"Not quite," she replied, looking at Mira. "I need to take Mira for a moment."

Mira looked surprised and a little nervous, but she stood up and left the room. White heard her give a tiny squeak as she realized that Blue was there. She never did well around boys.

"Ok, we're both here, so what's the big deal?" White demanded, turning to face Blue as she shut the door.

He said nothing, but pulled out an envelope. It was stamped with what White recognized as the crest of the Kalos region. Writing was written across the envelope.

To Whitney Gropius and Miriam Dragonclaw

"I think you should read this first." He advised, handing White the envelope.

White and Mira exchanged confused looks. Who would be writing to them? What was this about?

She tore open the envelope and pulled out a typed out letter. White felt Mira move closer so she could read the letter too.

Dear Miss Gropius and Miss Dragonclaw,

This letter is written to you from Lumiose City, Kalos, concerning the Unova assistant, Skyler Azul.

On December 19th in the late night, Mister Azul was ambushed in Lumiose City by an unknown attacker. He was found on Route 5 with severe injuries, and he was taken to the Lumiose City Hospital for immediate help. Most of his pokemon were just as heavily injured, but they have recovered quickly. If one of the starter pokemon from our lab had not intervened, we probably wouldn't have found him until it was too late.

We find it wise to inform you that this isn't the first attack on assistants from other regions. There have been several other attacks since our lab asked for information from other labs. However, this has so far been the worst attack, but it could have been much worse.

Mister Azul has been recovering, and there have been good results. Though he is well enough to travel, we are unsure whether he should return to Unova so soon, or whether he should stay in Kalos. As his closest friends and/or family, we are asking that you decide whether he should stay or not.

We are very sorry about this incident, and we take full responsibility.

Signed,
Bella Hill

Assistant at the Kalos Lab

"December 19th..." Mira whispered in horror. "That was only four days ago!"

White said nothing. She tried blinking back her tears. This explained why Sky Blue wouldn't pick up his Xtransceiver to reply to any of the messages. He was in the hospital with severe injuries.

"Why didn't this get sent to me?" White croaked, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"Yeah, about that...the guy who was delivering the mail was too scared to come here, so he left it at the lab..."

"How badly is he hurt?!" Mira interrupted, tears already falling down her face.

"From what I've heard, I think his wrist broke and his ankle was sprained, plus multiple burns, cuts, and bruises." He said quietly. "Actually, most of the assistants that have been attacked had burns as well."

"I don't care about that!" White snapped, unable to hold back her tears. "I want to know what kind of information Sky Blue almost died for! That one life threatening incident the professor mentioned, the victim was Sky, wasn't it?!"

Blue didn't reply for a moment. Then he whispered, "Yes."

"Then I demand an answer! What information was he dying for?!"

"I don't know!" Blue answered sharply. "I'm not an assistant! All I know is that every professor was asked to send information about certain pokemon to the professor of Kalos! It must have been very top secret information because all the assistants that have been sent to Kalos so far have been ambushed!"

White sniffed and put her head in her hands. This was becoming too much for her.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "This is just the last thing I want to deal with right now..."

The gym leader nodded and told her softly, "I understand."

She saw Blue looked around awkwardly. It was probably weird for him to be with two crying girls.

"I-I'll just leave you two alone, if you want," He stammered, edging toward the stairs.

White nodded and then burst out as he walked downstairs, "T-Thank you for t-telling us this..."

Blue stopped in surprise and glanced back at her. She rarely used her manners around him. He then nodded and disappeared downstairs.

"W-What are we going to do?" Mira stuttered, looking at White.

White knew what they had to do. They would have to leave early, but that was going to be difficult. The letter just reminded her that Christmas was just the day after the next day, and White wanted to stay with Mrs. Parker then. They also had to stop at Unova to get Amos, which would probably take a day.

"You, Leia, Fiona, and I will go to Unova the day after Christmas, ok?" White told her, calming herself down. "Danny and Margaret can leave to Kalos when they are ready."

Mira nodded and suddenly hugged White. White sighed and put her mechanical arm around her friend. She knew Mira wanted to go to Kalos right away to see Sky Blue too, but they would have to wait a little longer.

~~~

Wow, this chapter took shorter time than the last one XD I guess it's because I'm more motivated. But I can't guarantee the next one will be just as short, because I'm planning a flashback (possibly).

SO. I'm just gonna estimate here, it might be two or three chapters before we reach Kalos. For those N fans, Natural Harmonia Gropius will also be coming in the next chapter or so.

I added my first picture! :D I usually add music/lyric/nightcore videos, but I will occasionally add photos. This is the best picture I could find of the three Kanto starters. Picture DOES NOT belong to me! I've tried putting up pictures before, but it just put the gray Wattpad logo instead -_- I hope this works.

WELP, the last thing you want to hear before Christmas is that your best friend/foster brother was ambushed. I wonder if you guys can guess who the attacker was. There were a few hints. Btw, it's spring where I am, but when I started this book, it was almost winter, so it's kinda winter time in this book.

If I need to add anything else, I'll add it later. Thanks for reading, guys! I'll see you later! Bye! :3