章 6: Graduation Day
Chapter 6: Graduation Day
The sight of Viridian City brought a wave of happiness to Nathan as he drove up in his truck. The truck slowly entered the city and pulled up into the parking lot of the police station.
The cool morning breeze blew over Nathan as he stepped out of his truck and took a deep breath. Ah, the sweet smell of freshly brewed coffee and bagels. It was good to be back.
Growlithe clambered out of the truck next, his bright orange coat illuminated by the sun, followed closely by a Pidgey. It was the brown figure he saw last night.
Growlithe barked at him and then fixed a paw toward the bird.
"I see," Nathan nodded, seemingly understanding what Growlithe meant. He bent down to look at the small Pidgey. Its wings were ruffled, dull eyes glancing up at him curiously.
Nathan smiled reassuringly. "Nice to meet you Pidgey. Thank you for lending me a hand last night."
The small bird chirped back, its head bobbing up and down in acknowledgement. Growlithe barked again, louder this time — almost as if he was trying to tell Nathan something.
He glanced at the puppy, his brows raising in shock. "Really? You sure about that?"
Growlithe nodded eagerly, pushing his snout against his leg. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the Pidgey and asked, "Would you like to come with us?"
Pidgey hesitated for a moment before flapping its wings and lifting off. It circled around Nathan before landing on his shoulder, lightly pecking him on the cheek in what seemed to be a gesture of approval.
The corners of Nathan's mouth turned upwards in a smile as he looked down at the tiny bird perched on his shoulder. Growlithe let out a joyous yelp, seeing that they were getting along.
Just then, two police officers came out of the station and approached him with questioning looks. Nathan raised his hands in surrender and quickly explained the situation to them. He recounted Team Rocket's camp, the children he had rescued, and how he had managed to get away without being caught.
The officers gave him a hard look before finally nodding in understanding. They thanked him for his bravery and offered to take the children in. Nathan agreed to let the police look after them; however, Lily stayed behind with him.
The officers then lead Nathan inside the station and to a large office at the end of the hall. Inside, he was met with an elderly gentleman wearing a polished suit and looking inquisitively at him.
"Ah, you must be Nathan! I am John Lawson, the mayor of Viridian City. It is a pleasure to meet you; I heard about what you did for those children. You are a real hero. We in Viridian City thank you for your brave deeds."
Nathan shook the mayor's hand and said, "It was no trouble at all, sir. Besides, they had taken away my foster sibling. I'm more than happy to do anything necessary if it ever happens again."
Mayor Lawson smiled warmly and nodded in agreement. "That is admirable," he said. "Now I would like to introduce you to someone who I know you'll enjoy meeting."
He then opened the door to the adjacent office and ushered Nathan inside.
The room was filled with the scent of cedar and leather. A man with sharp features sat in an oversized wingback chair, his steel eyes reflecting off the dim light with a fierce intensity. His black suit was tailored to perfection, every inch of it pristine.
Nathan's breath caught in his throat as he felt an invisible force wrapping around him.
"Nathan, this is Giovanni," Mayor Lawson spoke jovially, unaware of what Nathan was experiencing. "He's the Gym Leader of our Viridian City."
Nathan felt like an eternity had passed as he trembled in front of the intimidating figure that was Giovanni. He tried to steady his shaking hands and finally found the courage to speak.
"Hello, sir," he croaked out while slowly extending a shaky hand. "My name is Nathan Martinez... it's an honor to meet you."
"Likewise," Giovanni shook his hand firmly and gave him an appraising look, "so I heard that you rescued those children from Team Rocket right? Can you tell me how you did it?"
Nathan paused, trying to formulate his words in a way that would make the truth sound better. "I… uh, I took a Kakuna from a Beedrill's nest and threw it at the camp," he admitted slowly. "I didn't really think it would work."
The corners of Giovanni's mouth quirked up slightly into what seemed to be a smile though his eyes remained unreadable. He hummed thoughtfully while considering Nathan's story.
"Impressive," he remarked. "You're graduating soon, yes? Have you given thought to an apprenticeship with me?"
Nathan was taken aback by the unexpected offer. Everyone else would have jumped at the chance. But he knew better than that. "I'm sorry sir, but I already have another plan."
"That's a shame," Giovanni sighed in slight disappointment before quickly shrugging it off. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pale green business card with gold embossed letters.
He placed it on the table in front of Nathan and said, "But if you have a change of mind, do pay my gym a visit."
Giovanni then rose from his seat, ready to leave. "I'll be taking my leave first, Mr. Mayor."
"Off so soon? Well then, have a nice day." Mayor Lawson saw him out the door. Seconds later, Nathan was back in the mayor's office.
"You must have made quite an impression on him," Mayor Lawson said as he took his seat. "Giovanni doesn't usually show this level of interest in people."
Nathan couldn't help but wonder whether getting noticed by the boss of Team Rocket was a good thing or not. He snapped out of his thoughts when his gaze fell upon the object on the table – a small wooden box.
Mayor Lawson gently pushed it towards Nathan with a soft gesture and said, "I know this is not much, but here's a little something for your trouble."
Nathan opened it up and saw that inside was a brilliant stone that radiated dazzling light. He knew instantly what it was - a Shiny Stone.
"Thank you sir," he said gratefully.
"No problem young man, consider it as payment for saving those kids," Mayor Lawson replied with a nod.
Nathan closed the box and shook hands with the mayor before leaving. The first thing he saw when he stepped outside the office was Lily sitting on a plush couch in the waiting area with his Pokemon by her side.
As soon as they spotted Nathan, their eyes lit up and they ran to meet him, jumping around his legs. Nathan couldn't help but smile as he crouched down to give them each a pat on the head. "C'mon guys, let's go home."
He then scooped Lily into his arms and the four of them headed for the truck parked outside. Nathan placed Lily in the passenger seat before getting into the driver's side. He started the engine and drove off, heading back to their home.
Back at the orphanage, they were greeted by Miss Cole who had been eagerly awaiting their return. As soon as she saw Lily she enveloped her in a tight hug and gave Nathan a pat on the shoulder.
"You did very well, Nathan. I can't thank you enough for bringing Lily back," Miss Cole said before engulfing him in a big hug too.
Nathan shifted awkwardly, embarrassed but pleased by Miss Cole's praise. He was happy that he had been able to return Lily home safely.
The other kids that were in the orphanage had also heard about what Nathan had done and were eager to celebrate his heroics. As word spread, a small crowd of children gathered around him, patting him on the back and offering words of congratulations.
Miss Cole then suggested that everyone should gather in the dining area for a special dinner in honor of Nathan's successful mission. Everyone agreed and soon enough, they were all gathered around a large table filled with delicious food - roasted chicken, macaroni cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, followed by a tower of freshly-baked chocolate cake.
Nathan sat at the center of the table while Lily made sure he was comfortable by fluffing up his cushion and pouring him a glass of grape juice. He thanked her with a smile before digging into his meal with gusto.
Everyone chatted happily as they enjoyed their dinner together. Growlihe and Pidgey seemed to be having a good time as well, as the children quickly began to warm up to them. The cheerful laughter lingered through the night.
The morning sunlight slowly crept through the blinds, awakening Nathan from a restful sleep. He felt invigorated and was ready for his big day. After a long, hot shower, he got dressed and moved to the mirror to examine himself.
His crisp white shirt was tucked into dark-wash jeans that fit snugly around his hips and were cinched with a black leather belt. A stylish black jacket completed the ensemble. The finishing touch - a red and white cap atop his head and a comfortable pair of brown hiking boots on his feet.
**I'm not sure what the protagonist's outfit will be like, fashion-wise. But I think I got it right**
Nathan smiled at his reflection in the mirror, recalling all that had happened in the past few days; it had been an eventful time.
He sat down to have a quick bite of breakfast. Finished, he grabbed his backpack and pokeballs, bid Miss Cole goodbye before heading out the door. It was a beautiful summer day - the sky was a clear blue without any hint of clouds in sight.
When he arrived at school, all his classmates were already lined up outside the auditorium, waiting. He waved to some familiar faces before spotting Serena at the head of the queue with her arm in the air, calling for him.
"You're nearly late Nathan," Serena chided as he joined her.
Nathan sheepishly smiled, "I overslept this morning. There was a big party at the orphanage yesterday."
"Really? What for?" she asked curiously before realization set in. "Right! I heard about how you saved those kids from Team Rocket. Well done, mate."
"How did you know about that?" Nathan asked her.
Serena beamed, "My mum used to work as a child social worker so she heard about it from the orphanage. Everyone's talking about how brave you were!"
"Oh, so Nathan's a hero now?" A sarcastic voice called out, making both Serena and Nathan turn around. And there was Gary, as usual with a smug expression on his face.
Serena groaned in annoyance. "Ugh! It's you again."
Gary pretended Serena wasn't there and focused on Nathan instead. "So, are you ready for our match later, Nathan?"
Nathan smiled, his gaze steady and full of determination. "I've been itching to get started," he said in a gentle yet resolute tone.
"Haha! Atta boy!" Gary chuckled as he spun on his heel. "Just make sure you don't lose before the big showdown." He strode away with a hearty chuckle.
Serena's jaw clenched as she watched him go. "Seriously, why do you keep talking to him? He's so irritating."
"I guess I think of him as a friend," Nathan replied nonchalantly. Then he gestured for her to be quiet. It looked like the ceremony was about to start.
The heavy auditorium doors creaked open and the students trickled in, buzzing with excitement. Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they took their seats, followed shortly by a hush as the principal began to address them.
He thanked everyone for attending the graduation ceremony and spoke fondly of the students' accomplishments and memories made throughout their years at school.
Each student walked across the stage individually, beaming with pride as their name was called out and cheers erupted from their families and friends.
Finally, a slideshow of photos taken over the course of their time at school played on big screens in the background, which elicited smiles and laughter from the audience.
Afterwards, Mr. Hill, their homeroom teacher called out to them. He asked if they would take a few pictures together before going their separate ways and everyone agreed.
Everyone gathered together closely around Mr. Hill's tripod-mounted camera, flashing grins and smiling wide as he yelled "Say Cheese!"
A hearty chorus of cheese responded and moments later, a shutter clicked - capturing a photograph that would last forever.
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Info Card:
Nathan Martinez
ID No.: 27214
Money: P50,432
Pokemon: Growlithe, Pidgey
Nathan Martinez, aged ten, is an upcoming Pokemon trainer who had just graduated from Viridian Academy. He is a psychic, and has mastered telekinetic manipulation to the point that he could manipulate objects with ease. His dream is to travel across the world.
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