A/N: I do borrow some lines directly from the game here. Unedited. 1/06/15.

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1: Lake Verity and Goldeen

The glistening ripples of Lake Verity nibbled at the steep bank, slowly eroding away at the defenseless earth. With a scuff of his bistre leather shoes, loose soil descended to the water surface leaving soft ripples that wavered off. As he stepped back, soft green grass broke beneath the soles of his shoes and a familiar feeling of unease ate at his mind.

"Professor, there isn't anything out of the ordinary on the other side either..." a feminine voice spoke gently, not wanting to provoke the man by refuting his theory.

"Hmm..." the older gentleman faked deep thought, rubbing his aching jaw that was clenched tensely. "I may have been mistaken... Something appears to be different than it was before, but... Fine! It's enough that we have seen the lake. Sofia, we're leaving." Turning to leave, he twisted his head to the side to look at the unmoving assistant, her ombre hair moving ever so slightly in a breeze.

"Professor, how are you enjoying being back in Sinnoh? After being away for four years, it must be exciting again?" She stared out over the water, clearly reluctant to leave. With a soft sigh, the man returned to the water's edge to stand beside her, repressing the tempting question about her dallying. For a moment, unwanted memories flooded the professor's mind at the reminder of his leave and sound seemed to fade away. His nails, although cut down as far as possible, left definite crescents and a pink stain on his hands as they automatically clenched, bringing him back to reality.

"Hm," Professor Rowan murmured bitterly. "There's one thing I can say. There are many rare kinds of Pokemon in Sinnoh. The region should serve us very well in regard to our studies." Instinct tugged at his gut, forcing him to look up just in time to catch a small glimmer across the lake. Squinting again, he could not identify its origin and looking at his side; Sofia had not seen it as she stared, mesmerized, at a Goldeen blew bubbles at her beneath the water in hopes for a bite to eat.

"Come on, let's go!" Scuffling sounds came from behind the pair, and the professor spun around quickly as two newcomers entered through the passage of trees unexpectedly. The owner of the voice, a young man with a neon blue splash of hair bangs with short black hair, spoke up as he tugged another young man of a slightly shorter stature.

"What a pleasant surprise! It is a honor to meet you Professor Rowan, you being-"

With a sharp cough the professor cut him off, the heat from the marks on his palm still radiating strongly as he curled his cold fingers against them and covered his mouth.

"Yes, yes. It is always a pleasure meeting people whom know of me, but unfortunately my assistant and I were just about to leave." He turned to look at Sofia, motioning to her for our departure, but her brown orbs stared past the famous man and at the unfamiliar males.

"But Professor, my friend has always wanted to meet you! Go on, talk to him quickly, he's a busy man." He pushed his friend lightly towards before striding confidently past the man.

"Um... Well..." The shorter male's mouth gaped as he stuttered, his hand running along the length of his arm uneasily. Glancing back at his assistant, the academic noted the curled ends of her hair bouncing as laughter escaped her lips from something the teen with bright hair had said.

Returning his gaze to the young man in front of him, the professor watched him chew on his lip for a few moments before deciding to put him out of his misery.

"If you do not have anything to say, do not say anything at all," the man said, turning back around towards the pair behind him to retrieve Sofia and leave.

"Wait! I'm sorry for the inconvenience," the teenager blurted out quickly, his hand clasped tightly around his right wrist. Immediately he cringed, tensing up more as a heavy gaze landed on him.

"Inconvenience?" The question escaped the professor's lips without much thought, but he did not regret that I had spoke.

"In truth, we knew that you were visiting Lake Verity today," he motioned to his associate. "He came to meet your assistant in person after meeting her online and getting to know each other. I was supposed to be your distraction." His eyes followed the pair, who had begun to walk a good distance around the lake as they conversed.

"Tell me, what is your name?"

"My name is Lucas." He paused. "Sir."

"So your name is Lucas." The man ignored the teen's formality, the event of meeting the two somehow becoming interesting. "Thank you for your honesty. Now this boy here... I believe he is your friend. What might his name be?"

"Nathan."

"Hmm..." The pair watched the glistening surface of the water, Rowan leaning down to pick up a discarded lemonade can and flattening it in his hand.

"Have you heard about the sighting of a red Gyrados in Johto's Lake of Rage?" The young man couldn't have been more than sixteen the researcher concluded as the boy spoke to break the silence.

"Bits and pieces, I haven't had the time to look into it."

"Oh," he murmured, his eyes lowering to inspect the ground. "I thought you would have, since you specialize in evolution. I heard that the red Gyrados wasn't the only one to appear, the population there has grown a lot for some reason."

"Hm. Does it interest you that much?"

"I guess it was kind of interesting." He shrugged, a nonchalant expression upon his face.

"Have you decided what you want to be when you're older?"

"Nah. Live in the present, you know?" His eyes darted away again, this time to look at some scenery on his left.

"Oh really? You don't seem like the type to believe that."

He pursed his lips, now staring at his reflection in the water, "Why do you say that?"

"Perhaps I'll explain another day Lucas," Professor Rowan replied, seeing Nathan and Sofia nearing the two from their stroll around the lake. "Perhaps you could stop by my lab in Sandgem town, it might interest you as well."

"Maybe." He shrugged, but tension hung heavily in the air as he turned away.

"Sofia! Let's go!" His call sent her hurrying towards him, her empty hands clenched in fists as her olive colored arms swung through the air. Without as much as a glance behind us, he left with Sofia trailing behind behind him.  

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Constructive criticism is welcome! If you see a mistake or have some tips, please don't hesitate to tell me. Voting is appreciated as well. :)