A Sentient Gift

I ran, rushing back to the shore and crossing the lonely beach under a cold drizzle that didn't take long to quell the burning under my skin, replacing it with the bothersome feeling of my bones shaking in both chill and concealed panic.

All the scientists looked my way as I passed through them – they all saw my flustered face, my undone hair, my unchecked race... They could probably guess something was off, I just hoped the Professor's reputation wasn't one to make obvious exactly what was. Sycamore tried to reach me, running as far as the lab's entrance, where he called my name in his sung voice and velvet accent, and stretched fingers that brushed softly against my hair, luckily failing to grasp me. He hesitated then, like a vampire who couldn't bear the light outside; and just like a vampire would, he timidly drew back into his cove, remembering that if he took chase of me, the entire town would bear witness and he would have more than just his colleagues at the lab to explain himself to.

I was quite breathless when I met the rest of the guys at the hotel lobby in Cyllage city. They were all prepared to leave for our training session, as we had planned – and they all followed my approach with ready eyes, proving they had been expecting me for a while.

"What's wrong?" Shauna asked as I stood by her to catch my breath.

"Is something after you?" Calem quickly stood up from the reception couch – either passionate about protecting me or hot for a battle, I couldn't tell.

"Something new?" Trevor's attention got captured as well, and I could see him reaching for his Pokédex.

"No, no, it's nothing!" I quickly interrupted them, suspecting they might go out and meet Sycamore on his way or something, and infer the rest. "I just... I was taking a walk and realized I was late, that's all..."

They all eyed me with somewhat bored expressions. Calem sat back on the couch and stretched himself with a yawn:

"That much you are, it's true..."

"Look at you, Anne!" Shauna walked towards me, all dressed in plastic "You're so wet you don't even need a raincoat anymore!"

I evaluated my own state, and she was right. The run there had been such a frantic one, I was only now beginning to feel how wet and cold I was.

"Well, you go ahead and get changed, we'll just wait here, right guys?" Calem suggested.

But Shauna's expression didn't look so pleased:

"Aww but I promised I was going to show Tierno that dance moves don't guarantee any spot in the battle other than that of a stylish loser... and I look forward to doing so!"

"Ha! We'll see!!" Tierno fiercely replied, firing up.

"I don't really want to battle that much, but I can't wait to study your strategies..." Trevor timidly added, reinforcing the general opinion.

Calem looked around, outnumbered and annoyed, and sighed, picking himself up: "Alright, alright... We'll go ahead and you catch up with us later, if that's okay with you, Anne..."

"Sure!" Tired and stressed as I was, it's not like I cared much...

"Guess we'll be the last ones to battle then, huh, neighbor?" – He walked past me, following the others outside. "Don't take too long, okay?"

"Okay!" I nodded.

Upon returning to my room and closing the door behind me, I sighed with the relief I couldn't show in front of them. I got out of my drenched clothes, filled the tub and took a long, hot bath, not even remotely caring about how long it would take: I wasn't looking forward to going back to the cold drizzle outside. But the experience wasn't completely relaxing and free of trouble: inside the silence that only the water covering my ears could provide, I could recall his whispered words. The strange feelings returned again – the burning in my chest, the skin swelling, hypersensitive, nervous, anxious and angry... Angry that the conscious mind couldn't bend the body once it was willing to be a proud slave of such wild attentions. I was beginning to consider the Professor a most dangerous man – If I allowed him to begin, he would not stop... And I got weaker and weaker in my own resolve of doing so.

It felt wrong. It all felt so wrong! I quickly emerged from the tub, gasping for air – the uncomfortable feeling of drowning immediately associated to how his hands caressed me, it startled me out of the water. I realized that thinking and longing could only make it worse... I finished the bath, now in a hurry to go training.

I opened the bathroom door and quickly walked to the back of the sofa, gathering my things. After a mental lag, I could swear that I had seen the unique contrast between jet black hair and white coat... The sour smell of his cologne, however, was what really gave him away – I quickly turned around and he stood near the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

I couldn't help but scream in a small shock; In response, he moved calmly, thus proving he wasn't just a frozen projection of an inflamed brain.

"Ah! I must admit I am slightly disappointed..." Sycamore charmingly sighed, in a mocking sad expression, as he examined me and found no lack of clothes.

He stretched out his hand... his skin hovered around mine, and I anticipated his touch, bidding my body react properly to it, instead of the usual exaggeration it displayed... But his fingers merely captured some wet tips of my hair – He rubbed it against his thumb, felling the texture, and grunted a smile: "Reckless Anne! You left the door unlocked, and not a single Pokémon standing guard!"

"But Charmander is..." I looked around, searching for him.

"This little guy?" Professor looked down, moving his leg to the side, and Charmander crept out from behind him, gazing at me with his huge and wet eyes –he knew he would be in trouble because of his favoritism to Sycamore.

"So I'll assume I wasn't among the ranks you intended to hold your guard against... Otherwise you would have assigned more efficient personnel..." He petted the little bandit's head.

"What are you doing here?" I angrily asked, blushing to think that I could have left the bathroom with only a towel around myself.

"Waiting, for the most part! You must have been doing something profoundly interesting in that bath! I was beginning to grow impatient ..." He raised an eyebrow, and the smile he flashed made me embarrassed.

After checking the color in my face pick up, he was pleased, and moved on: "The truth is: I still had things to discuss, but must you always escape me in such a hurry?" His soft voice played a joke. Joke or not, however, I thought to myself that he could never have made better use of the word 'escape'. "I had a surprise for you... Or have you so quickly forgotten?"

I awaited – my muscles ready to react if he tried something funny.

"It is this..." He produced a Pokéball from his coat and smiled a lovely smile.

I eyed him for too long without showing any reaction, I suppose...

"Take it! Don't be afraid!" He encouraged me "I wish you wouldn't look like you think I'll charge you a steep price for it!"

I timidly stretched my hand and grabbed it.

"Here, here! This seals it, then?" He placed the ball in my palm "Can we be friends?"

I looked at my blushing reflex on the polished item.

"Through it all..." he sighed uncomfortably, but quickly resumed his smile not to show it too much "...today was a delightful day, was it not, dear?"

I felt myself upset, reminded again – by his awkward smile – about all the reasons behind today, and all the reasons behind the unsolicited gift... If I didn't know there was a living, frail creature inside, I would have thrown it on the wall with all the rage building up inside me... but I couldn't show it. I could never show it, not in his presence...

"I won't tell anyone, Professor. You don't have to trouble yourself with bribing and spoiling me anymore..." I bitterly declared "Thank you for the gift" I turned to go.

"Oh, Anne!" He stopped smiling, somewhat surprised now "But... give me a moment, if you please..." He quickly stretched himself to reach me, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me before him again – now so soft, so warm a touch that it felt painful to think it would eventually part.

As if honoring that inconvenient wish, Sycamore seemed to forget to let go of me once I was in front of him "I would still like to take the rest of the afternoon to talk with you, this time with the sincerest promise that I won't..."

I looked at the door, my eyes growing with the dread of what could be heard...

"Calem!!!" I screamed, announcing his presence much more than answering to it in surprise, so as to interrupt Sycamore's speech.

"What the hell?" He raised a suspicious eyebrow, watching us. "What are you two doing here?"

I walked away from the Professor, whose hands slowly, hesitantly slid down my arms, finally letting go. I grabbed my bag from the couch and put it on my shoulder.

"Weren't you supposed to wait there? I was just leaving, when..." I looked back at Sycamore.

"Tierno needs some potions and I forgot mine here..." He replied, pointing out to his own bag near his bed on the left wall.

Just like I did, Sycamore looked at the direction he pointed at. "Ah..." he sighed unexpectedly, closing his eyes and smiling gently "Good afternoon, Calem! How do you do? I wasn't aware that you and Anne shared a room..." He opened his eyes to look at me – his smile was faint.

"It's an expansive place..." I clarified, stricken by the sudden feeling I had disappointed or injured him.

"And Anne isn't that much into random battles. You can imagine she doesn't get a lot of money, so..." Calem casually added.

Sycamore's smile stretched, looking gentler still... but not less grey.

"I see... You two must be really close, then!" he sighed "I didn't know you weren't being provided proper financial support though, miss Anne. It is my research, after all... If needed be, I can pocket all expenses..." He pleaded, seeking me with his eyes.

"It's okay, we like sharing!" Calem proceeded, walking into the room and throwing himself on the couch. "Don't we, Anne?"

Sycamore' skeptical, cold gaze slowly crossed the room to expectantly wait on my answer. I preferred to be silent.

"But what are you doing here?" Calem interrupted, his words bearing a slightly rough edge.

"Miss Anne forgot something in my lab today. I'm just here to return it" He politely explained through his frozen smile. If I looked too long at his expression there, it had the property of anguishing me, strangely enough... "I'm so sorry to intrude..."

"Hmm... Whatever, it's done already. We have to go now, right Anne?" He snorted.

"Calem!" I censured.

"It's okay, miss Anne... I have been most rude today and should take immediate leave. You kids be careful out there, okay? We can talk more later!"

He hurriedly brushed past me; Calem's eyes nervously followed him.

"Ahh... professor!" I called out, a weird sense of despair filling my chest to see him go like that, in such a quiet, distant march.

He stopped and turned his neck to see me... the smile still lurked there. I realized I didn't know what to say, or what was that burning feeling. He closed his eyes for a short nod and then resumed his walking, going away.

Was that feeling there... because he looked so sad? I watched him disappear into the end of the corridor. I felt Calem get closer –he, too, had a distant look trailing Sycamore's shadow.

"You said you were taking a walk earlier..."

"I was" I replied.

***

I walked to the beach with a suspicious, quiet Calem by my side. At times beneath that cold drizzle and darkening sky, his fingers would carefully entwine with mine – the touch was warm and wet, soft and round like a child's hand. It bothered me now, when all I could think about was Professor Sycamore! But I could not bring myself to reject it...

Later on, I made no ceremony regarding my new Pokémon – when the battle heated up, I let it out of its Pokéball.

"Oh!" There was a quick collective gasp.

"What is that Pokémon?" Shauna asked, running forward and meeting him.

On the sand lay a blueish turtle looking about itself, confused. The thing bent its neck to look back at me. He squinted his eyes, then they flashed, recognizing me as its trainer. I liked how brave he looked... How untroubled, too.

"It's a tirtouga!" Trevor opened his Pokédex, exasperated "Where did you find it?!"

"I... Uhm..." I scratched my head, thinking up of an answer.

"Professor Sycamore gave it to her." Calem harshly replied.

"It's a fossil Pokémon, according to this!"

The Tirtouga followed the voices, looking at the face of every single one of us.

"Do you think we'll get one, too?!" Shauna inquired with a hint of tragedy in her voice.

Calem crossed his arms and walked back on the sand. "Don't get your hopes up!"

Tirtouga turned his neck to me again. His lively eyes waited for instructions. I instantly liked him... No, I was sure I loved him already!

"Alright boy, let's see what you've got!"

Shauna's Delphox assumed a fighting stance.

"It's a water type, and a rock type, since it originated from a fossil..." Trevor grew excited, looking at his Pokedéx. "Delphox doesn't stand a chance!!"