Bab 7: C007 - Getting to know Professor Elm
"So, you're from Unova, Pete?"
"Yeah, I could release my Solosis to convince you?"
"Sure, I've never actually seen one before, a great regret of mine! Their species are so totally unique with their physiology - it would make a great topic for a research paper," Professor Elm gushed.
By now, Pete and the professor were seated in a wide open room at a lunch table that could easily fit ten people. The professor, seeing Pete's miserable form, had even allowed him to wash up a little in his restroom and was now serving him snacks the professor's wife had made before. Leppa berry pie.
It was also the very first time Pete saw himself in the mirror and was kind of confused that his young late teenage face from his last life was looking at him. It was a more welcome surprise than looking completely different, so that was okay. He had short, light-brown hair with eyes you couldn't tell if they were blue or green. He was passably handsome in his own opinion and he still held a kind smile, something he liked most about his face.
"Not to brag, but my girl is even more unique! I managed to luck out and hatch a shiny one," Pete boasted as he pulled out Solosis' pokeball.
"Are you okay with me releasing her?" Pete asked as he looked to Professor Elm. It would be rude to just release a pokemon in someone's home without permission. Some might even directly order their own pokemon to attack.
And, despite his good first impression, he was still just a stranger to the professor.
"Yesyes, go ahead," Professor Elm excitedly gave his permission.
The cranky Granbull lurking behind a corner, however, tensed up. It would jump in to defend the professor at a moments notice.
"Ohh, a luxury ball. You don't see those often in Johto," Professor Elm praised as Pete held up the ball to release his pokemon.
"Hey, Solosis. The professor is really excited to meet one of your kind. Is it okay if he asks you a few questions and takes a good look at you?"
'If you're not comfortable, just say so. We want him to like us, but not at the expense of you,' Pete thought at the same time he asked the question from before.
Solosis in kind nodded by rolling her entire body up and down midair.
"Marvelous! Color variants are always a sight to behold. You look magnificent, Solosis," Elm praised. As a professor obsessed with pokemon, he, of course, knew how to become friendly with a pokemon.
Pete watched from the side how the professor worked with Solosis and learned quite a few little things he never really thought about. He even learned that upon evolution, the two ice cream balls that make up her real body would split and then partly reabsorb each other to form Duosis.
Elm had the hypothesis that that would make it so the pokemon had two independent brains, which in turn would greatly boost its psychic powers. Elm asked Pete to absolutely record the evolution if possible and send him a copy.
Pete himself had written about evolutions but had never seen it happen with his own eyes, so he kept quiet mostly and didn't weigh in.
"Getting to meet you was already more than worth the pie your trainer ate, Solosis. Thank you for being so cooperative," Elm said as he finished fussing over the pokemon. Elm was afraid he would reach the limit of its patience.
"Have you ever met a Minccino? I recently hatched two lovely little girls," Pete suggested as the professor sat down again.
"Ah yes, I have met some Cinccinos during my travels. My good friend Professor Juniper has two to help her clean her laboratory. Otherwise, it would probably look as messy as my lab, haha," Elm answered. "Though, sure. You can release them. Granbull loves fussing over little ones, and it might help her calm down a little."
Pete released his two Minccino, and they looked around curiously before Granbull came over eyeing the two. Pete didn't know, but Granbull checked if they were raised and cared for properly, so Pete's standing in Granbull's eyes rose a little when she checked the healthy and cheerful little chinchilla pokemon.
"Those two look very healthy. You're doing a good job," Elm praised.
"Oh, actually, I didn't really do much. They hatched while I was out in the wilderness with no real resources to care for them. So far, they haven't even gotten a proper cooked meal or anything. And they love taking care of each other's fur - so that's not to my credit, too," Pete responded with an awkward chuckle.
"Oh? You know how to cook proper food for these two yourself?"
"Yep, I have a few ideas, and ideally, I want to cook for all my pokemon eventually. Ideally, I want to raise them on a farm and be self-sufficient with the food. I don't have the tools for cooking right now, though. The storm barely left me with a few necessities and a few riches," Pete explained.
"Hmm, so you were surprised by the storm and were made to hide in that cave you mentioned?"
"Yeah, I hid there for a few days. Luckily, Rapidash was able to keep us warm. Though I lost the bag with all the travel utensils along the way, so camping wasn't really a fun endeavor. No cutlery, my tent was damaged. Ugh, it was terrible," Pete narrated, trying his hardest to sound convincing.
"Ah, that's certainly unlucky." And apparently, it somehow worked.
"Well, I made it here with no harm to me and my pokemon. So it could have been worse. The other stuff I can just buy again. Thankfully, I kept the other eggs from Unova save."
"Oho? You have some more eggs? Let me take a look."
Pete agreed because that would be a great conversation starter on the value he could bring as an assistant.
"You see, my family wasn't treating pokemon very well. They trained a whole bunch of dark types like the Sandile line and the Vullaby line to steal eggs from pokemon in the wild to sell them. My grand uncle even has a Spiritomb with the Infiltrator ability for risky snatches. They were poachers, really. But I wanted nothing to do with stealing away another's offspring. So when I planned getting away from there, I hid on a shipment of theirs and made my escape. I packed all the eggs I could get away with to save them from being given to unfit trainers and looked into where I could go now, so far away from home. That led me to you."
Pete's made-up story was based on facts. Not him being part of it, but dark-type pokemon with a naturally more vicious nature were often used to poach pokemon in his story. And if it wasn't a villain group like Team Rocket doing it, big families did 'business' with them.
"Me? You said you wanted to run a farm, no?"
"Yeah, true. But the farm is just so I have all the resources I need to see more of pokemon eating habits and how certain diets influence their growth, behavior, and mating habits," Pete explained with a serious expression.
"That... certainly sounds like an interesting topic. You raise good questions, though to start out, the topic is a little broad, don't you think?"
"Ah yeah, I don't think I'll get definitive results for more than a few species in the first five to ten years."
Professor Elm began to think. The dietary habits were not yet a part of his focus in breeding research, so he could totally justify hiring someone with Pete's goal. But if it would be Pete, he had to be sure, "do you have any credentials, diplomas from Unova? Any background in research at all?"
"No, sorry, professor. My family wouldn't let me attend courses like that. But I do have several observations I have noted down over my years listening in on the poachers of my family, with most of them verified with my own eyes. I believe I even figured out why certain pokemon that came from two different species parents know certain moves they shouldn't. A concept I call 'egg moves'," Pete shamelessly bragged. Breeding wasn't a part of his story, but his world building did include certain rules, some existed in the games, some he made 'more realistic'.
"'Egg moves' you say?"
"Yeah, Minccino - come over here for a second," Pete ordered, shortly forgetting that he had two and he didn't say which one he needed. They both came over hurriedly, much to Granbull's chagrin.
"Sorry, little ones. But this is just as well. You're the cutie who knows Aqua Tail, right? Could you show us?" Pete looked at one Minccino in particular. Over the span of two short days, Pete became really good at telling them apart.
The one that knows Aqua Tail was the more excitable one. She was a bit of a tomboy - if that even was a thing for pokemon.
As it was showing off, Pete started to explain, "you see, Minccino knew this move without being shown and without being introduced to water type energy. I believe it is very likely one of her parents or grandparents was a Floatzel, because they are both in something I call 'egg groups', and the Minccino and Buizel line are both in the egg group I call 'Field', which is mostly pokemon that resemble the rodent classification."
"So you're saying it hatched knowing a move its species shouldn't because a parent of her knew the move and passed it on? Fascinating... I knew about these 'egg moves', but I was still searching for the cause. It makes so much sense! And you know about 'egg groups', too? I only just coined the phrase in a research paper that I sent to my friend Samuel Oak for review!"
Professor Elm didn't think Pete stole any research from him because the young man in front of him explained some concepts, classifications, and terms he didn't yet have enough data to verify. In his mind, the professor already made up his mind to sponsor this promising young man with everything he needed. But he was too engrossed in the discussion to voice his plans.
And since Pete didn't know about that, but was also too afraid to just ask, he kept bringing up some of his hypothesis on classifications, especially the very controversial 'mineral' egg group. He also brought up 'his thoughts' on the fact that several different water pokemon egg groups existed - so far, the only typing group he had 'observed' that had more than one.
Their talks about this lasted until Vivian, Professor Elm's wife, entered the lab with a toddler in her arms and an Aipom behind her, carrying some groceries.
Only now the two noticed that is was already almost time for dinner. And they even forgot inspecting all the eggs.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Nuclide
Nuclide A little shorter at 1.7k words, as announced.
Bab 8: C008 - The first proper meal in the pokemon world
"A young man like you really knows how to cook?" Vivian asked while playing with her son in her arms as she watched over Pete getting the needed groceries ready to make something that would come close to curry with potatoes instead of rice.
He had found a few spices that would give the curry a close enough taste and certainly the correct color.
"Yeah, you could watch to make sure what I create should at the very least be edible," Pete offered with a wink.
Pete was hungry for a decent meal after the tasteless potato stew and poke treats from the last days. So he offered to cook as thanks for having him over, and Professor Elm immediately agreed. Because, if Pete was even half as talented in cooking as he was in explaining his 'egg group' theory, this food will be absolutely delicious.
"Sure, I'm no pokenerd like my husband, so I'll get recipes from you instead of research," Vivian agreed with a wink.
His three pokemon were playing with Aipom and Granbull, who had reluctantly allowed Professor Elm to pull her inflamed tooth, on the deck just outside the giant kitchen. Surely, this oversized kitchen would also allow to cook hundreds of meals for pokemon if necessary.
"Wow, you've already convinced me. That's some nice knife work. Make sure you don't cut yourself, though," Vivian praised as she watched Pete cut up some vegetables.
Growing up, Pete had learned a lot about cooking from his grandfather's second wife. Through sheer coincidence, he then started working as a line cook for a relatively high-scale restaurant to pay for his studies in college. He soaked up a lot of knowledge from there and became very proficient in preparing ingredients in a fast and consistent manner.
"Cooking is one of my biggest hobbies. Also, when you're working with great ingredients, your hands will automatically smell amazing all day. I love that," Pete explained without lifting his eyes from the cutting board.
A Quilava that apparently helped cooking Vivian often was also watching from the side with shining stars for eyes. It was funny that the second evolution stage of the famous Johto fire 'starter' pokemon Cyndaquil was lounging around the kitchen to help people cook. Especially since Typhlosion was a behemoth of a pokemon that wouldn't even fit in this house.
As the onions in the giant pan were slowly glazing over, Pete had asked Quilava to heat up a pot of water for him, where he started cooking the potatoes in. Fire pokemon were really busted helpers in the kitchen.
A good half an hour into the cooking process, everything was done, and all they had to do was wait another half an hour until the flavor had settled properly.
"Steel pokemon eggs are really too hard to find. This Klink egg would be worth an entire research paper on its own," Elm mumbled as Pete got back to the table where he had placed his eggs before. The Klink egg really looked entirely different from the others. If it didn't come in the form of an egg, one might expect it was just a pile of stainless steel gears and plates.
Vivian went upstairs to check up on her toddlers diaper and freshen up for dinner, so the two were alone once again.
"Yeah, this egg is really the odd one out. Do you know if steel type eggs still need heat to hatch? I'm a little worried if the little Klink can get out of this one," Pete asked with a worried frown on his face.
"Ah, Pete. Didn't hear you coming. Hmm, I've seen a Skarmory hatch once and despite the egg looking similar, it got out just fine. It didn't break out like you would expect, but it instinctively used steel type energy to bend the metal apart. It even ate the 'egg shell' by ripping it in little pieces. A truly fascinating process," Elm narrated excitedly. "Though, I do admit, I actually don't know what temperature would be favorable for its growth."
"We'll just wing it then. I wanted to hear your opinion on using evolution stones to speed up the process of hatching. I put a firestone next to the Minccino eggs to keep them warm, but I was thinking about putting a leafstone and a sunstone next to the Snivy and Sunkern eggs. What do you think?"
"Intriguing. Certainly a very extravagant method of hatching compared to an incubator," Elm mused.
"Oh? Incubators?"
"You know about them? They are a rather new invention that I thought only us professors probably know about. My colleague, Professor Bellis, residing in Pasio Island, recently conceived a portable machine that can hatch any kind of pokemon egg. She sent each of us regional professors a few of these machines in the hopes of getting back a diverse amount of research data. She has a very complimentary research direction to mine, so we talk often," Elm explained quickly.
"No-no, it's just that I have often seen pokemon warming eggs with their own body heat, so I thought of a concept where the egg is kept at a constant temperature that their parent's body would emit to help them grow."
"One surprise after another. Even without a diploma from a pokemon institute, I can say that you are probably one of the most quick-witted youths I've had the pleasure of meeting," Elm praised Pete. Though Pete was getting flustered inwardly - that wasn't really his quick wit, but his meta knowledge that he almost exposed just now.
"Hey boys, move the eggs a little to the side, dinner is almost ready," Vivian interrupted their talk by arriving from the kitchen with wet hair. Apparently, she took a quick shower just now. Or her son got the shower and fought back, who knew.
"Are the potatoes already easy to chew?" Pete asked, thinking it should be roughly the correct time for the potatoes to be done.
"Yep, I just taste-tested it myself. You get 10 out of 10 points for the meal, Pete," Vivian jovially countered.
"Alright, is it okay if I over some portions to my pokemon? I want to see if they are fine with my cooking," Pete asked with a strained chuckle. Not only had he invited himself in, now he was even feeding all of his 'extended family' through their generosity.
"Of course. I had already prepared a few plates extra after I saw the giant portion you had prepared," Vivian agreed.
"Great, I'll bring those out then while you set up inside, okay?"
Vivian nodded and Pete got to work, he took out his trusty ceramic bowl he stole from the cabin and got a second big bowl from the kitchen to fill up a dish for the pokemon on the patio and the mother and son pair on the pasture.
"Hey girls, Aipom, Granbull, I have some food I'd like you to taste-test for me," Pete said as he stepped out and placed a bowl on a table outside.
"Ciii-ciino!" "Min~"
Both Minccino's were the first to arrive.
"I promise, this time the potatoes will taste better," Pete explained with a strained smile when Minccino saw the potato pieces in the meal and... almost gasped.
Rapidash and Ponyta were already close to the gate and quickly came over when Pete called for them. There was a sort of shelf he could place the bowl in so that it wouldn't fall and land in the dirt and that's where he left the extra big portion for his two horse pokemon. Rapidash had allowed her son to eat first, and he seemed to like it so Pete hurried back his hosts.
"Come, sit next to me," Vivian ordered. The family was already sitting on the table with the eggs carefully arranged on a free side. Elm was currently trying to convince his son to eat the potatoes.
"Tell me a little about yourself, Pete," the woman of the house started a hushed conversation watching her two boys, the father and son, wrestling with the plastic spoon.
"Uh, not much to say. I'm kinda trying create something that's my own, so I left my old life behind. I just want to live a good life, making the best of it I can. So I came here, hoping your husband would hire me for my dream job," Pete answered by using as little lies as possible.
"Your dream job is to be a stinky professor?"
"Pfft, come on, Vivian. Your husband is a very respected public figure. It's a great job. And it would allow me to live on my own farm, living at my own pace. No corporate overlords with constant deadlines. No camping in the wild constantly, having no place to call home like league trainers. No living on the edge in constant fear your life like the frontier trainers that are opening up new lands for humans," Pete defended with a distant gaze.
"Hmpf, he almost made me wait an entire year before he blessed me with little Benny. Always too caught up in his work. What about your family though, my husband mentioned you're from Unova?" Vivian regarded Pete with narrowed eyes, not that he knew.
"Being in Unova would have never allowed me to live like I want. I'd rather stand on my own two feet and be my own person," Pete explained with a wry smile, trying his best to sell his tragic life before his escape without actually saying those words again.
He thought it was better like that because he wrote Professor Elm to be gullible, but maybe his wife was a little more sharp-eyed. Though Vivian still noticed that he was skirting around the question, not that she minded. Pete was a very pleasant person to be around, she judged. So maybe there was something even darker holding him back from talking about it freely.
"Okay, farm life. Do you want to open one here in New Bark Town then? It's a pleasant city to live in," Vivian decided to change the subject and saw Pete immediately turn more excited.
"If possible, I want to travel to Evergreen Meadows and see if its feasible to convince the pokemon there to allow me to live there. Uh, Evergreen Meadows is by Ilex Forest, south of Goldenrod City."
"Hey, I've lived in Johto all my life, I know where that is! But it's going to be a tall order. I heard that meadow is ground zero for a war between an Ariados tribe and a Vileplume tribe. They've been at it for as long as I can remember," Vivian said in a worried tone.
"Ah, yeah, I'll just try my luck. There's something I want to try and maybe convince them to come to a ceasefire."
"And how would you that, Pete?"
"Hmm? Food, of course!"
Oddish and its evolutions should taste terrible to the Ariados family. From his meta knowledge, Pete knew these Ariados are probably trying to eat the Ledyba and Caterpie of the area, but the Vileplumes probably have a sort of treaty for lack for a better word with the Butterfree and Ledian.
So if Pete introduced a different food source, maybe the leaders of the giant spiders would take their clan to a different place.
He still needed to find it, and honestly, it might piss off Celebi, but Pete thought it was worth a try. All he would do is introduce a certain type of moss that grew on trees and housed a certain small non-pokemon bug. One of the very few non-pokemon fauna left of this world.
His MC saw it introduced to great success in Sinnoh, where a Xatu tribe was on the verge of starvation but refused to leave its ancestral grounds. He was sure he could identify it easily. After all the morning dew gathering on it is blood-red.
He still had to find that moss and get a meaningful amount of it, but he knew where to find it - and it was on his way, too.
Status Power Mingguan
200+ Peringkat
Power 
0 Power
stone 
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