Henry admired the so-called “Bronze Ball.” It bore a coat of dingy metal, dented along the bottom half and scratched along the top half. Located at the south pole were two separate inscriptions. One read “Prof Lab” in scratchy scribble; the other simply said “Amber” chiseled in with more care.

 

Henry figured “Prof Lab” indicated the property to return the ball to, should anyone other than its owner stumble across it. It wasn’t too dissimilar from a tactic he used on his books back home, although hardly any of the other town’s kids ever returned his lost possessions.

 

The Professor’s Lab would be just down the way from the South Wing. Henry pushed past clusters of his roaring peers in his advance to the Southern exit.

 

Compared to the dim orange glow of the dorm’s lightbulbs, the outside was like stepping into a minefield of Discharging Magneton–what with the Observatory reflecting the sun’s light. It was nigh impossible to even glimpse at it, so Henry kept his gaze at eye level.

 

But it wasn’t like there was no marvel to behold on the ground, for shops and luxury locales existed on both sides of him. The bronze-colored brick beneath his feet laid the foundation for a café, an apparel shop, and a general goods store. 

 

The silver stones split into a cross-shaped boulevard. Each end led down to a pair of twin fountains and matching plazas–both with their own wonders to be found. 

The golden path housed statues–visages of scholars long since passed. It also served as the step-off point to explore the surrounding grounds and fields, where most if not all of the Campus’s extracurriculars and sports took place.

 

But the platinum road was solely for the approach to the Observatory. It blended directly into the stairs–a seamless transition watched by dozens of eyes; eyes of Saints, staring stern back towards the dorms, watching over the next generation to surpass them. 

 

Standing guard at the entrance, St.Leonora herself. If there were any life in the stone giving her flesh, she would open the door to welcome students in personally.

 

The interior was unexpectedly straightforward. Henry prepared himself for twists and turns; bends and arrows, but the majority of the ground floor was dedicated solely to the library. Walking in was as simple as proceeding down the winding staircase, where a cornucopia of sacred knowledge lay preserved for millennia. 

 

Along the rightmost wall was a gold plaque, freshly polished, pointing with a carved arrow the way to go. Just follow the wall and step into the hallway, and you’ll be well on your way to the Professor’s Lab.

 

“ –Professor Sequoia, I’m telling you–I just had it!”

 

Henry followed the voices. As it turned out, the hall to the Lab had many branching rooms: some appeared to be for conferences; some were dedicated to charts, charts, and more charts; one was literally for the storage of a mountain of boxes and nothing else. These voices echoing down the hall were his sole beacon.

 

“Ok, ok, just breathe, Amber. It’s alright, hun. I’m sure you just dropped it on your way here.”

 

“I am breathing–but it took me all Summer to catch that for you!”

 

At last, he found his proverbial oasis. Though the door was already open, he still gave a courteous knock to announce his presence.

 

A gaze of fire turned back to stare at him. To her right, a softer look–hidden behind gleaming spectacles.

 

“Umm, sorry to intrude.” Henry presented the ball, cupping it in both hands, for he was sure it must have been some priceless artifact. “I think you dropped this.”

 

The girl with fire in her eyes nearly slammed her leg into the stool behind her; she moved faster than a Ninjask hunting prey.

 

She snatched the ball from Henry. “How did you get this?”

 

Henry held up his hands. He didn’t know why he felt the need to show he wasn’t a threat, as if calming a protective Kangaskhan. “You dropped it when you slipped on that boo–”

 

“Oooh, so you were with Mister Landmine, huh? I nearly broke my neck!”

 

The woman with the soft look wrapped an arm around the fiery girl. “Well, look at that, Amber. See how it worked out in the end? Nothing to lose your head over where logic is involved~ Now, what do we sayyy~?”

 

“Bu–uh–Professor Sequoia! I wouldn’t have dropped the ball if this guy and his friend didn’t turn the boys’ dorm into a game of Mind The Spikes!”

 

Professor Sequoia raised an eyebrow, accompanied by the smirk of a troublesome Delcatty.

 

Amber sighed. She blew a flaming breath that blasted her hair from her eye. “Thank you…”

 

Henry smiled–if anything, just to be polite. “My pleasure! It was the least I could do.”

 

“Damn right it was the least you could do…”

 

Professor Sequoia gave Amber two pats on the shoulder. “Well, we appreciate it immensely! Don’t we~” She beckoned for the ball, which Amber parted with after a second of debate. “These may be cheap, but what lies inside is priceless.”

 

“Inside?” There was something in that ball? What could possibly be small enough–and important enough–to haul around in a ball, of all things? Why not just a bag or a satchel? Surely those would be more efficient.

 

Professor Sequoia shined a smile up at Henry. She was a rather short woman, her forehead meeting his nose. Her hair was a dry chestnut, a single streak of gray  ran down its left trail.

 

“Yes, inside! Care to have a look?!”

 

“Wha–ah–Professor Sequoia,” Amber stuttered, “Why would you show him?”

 

“Huh? Aw well, just look at his face, Amber. That’s curiosity shining in his eyes! Besides, it’s not often I get a voluntary audience~”

 

Professor Sequoia strutted to a blacktop table at the center of the room. “What’s your name?”

 

“Henry, Ma’am.”

 

“Have you ever seen a Vulpix before, Henry?”

 

Henry looked to the ceiling, painting his memories on every crevice. “They’re a bit rare where I grew up, but I’ve maybe seen one or two.”

 

Professor Sequoia smiled. “Good! Then you’ll have a mental image to compare this to!”

 

She pinched the valve atop the ball and gave it two clicks clockwise. The gears dressing the East and West of the rim gave one tight clunk! She dropped the ball from about chin height, and as soon as it met with the surface of the table, it popped open.

 

From a brief flash of light, a creature materialized out of thin air. It had six puffy tails and a floop of hair drooping down the center of its forehead.

 

But it couldn’t have been a Vulpix.

 

“Is it sick?” Henry asked, for the Vulpix was not the Autumnal red and brown he remembered. Maybe it was because he hadn’t seen one in so long, but he was almost certain their coats resembled a Falling leaf. This Vulpix, she was yellow. Still much like a leaf in Fall, but one crispy and golden and not yet ready to let go of its tree. And her fleece had a certain shine to it–a vainglorious sheen that made such a regal creature look even more noble. 

 

Professor Sequoia responded with a light chuckle. “She very well could be, but I doubt that hypothesis. She is what I have dubbed a ‘Chromata Variant’ of Vulpix. Her coat is a different colour. Isn’t that neat?!”

 

Henry reached out to touch the Vulpix. “It’s marvelous…” He expected her to recoil from his hand, but she nuzzled up instead. Her snout was soft and warm, like a blanket left out to dry in the sun. 

 

Professor Sequoia rubbed the little lady’s plume of tails. “Chromata Variants are what I’ve dedicated my study to, here at St.Leonora’s. It’s my latest pursuit.”

 

The way the Vulpix stared into Henry’s eyes as he caressed her cheek, she seemed normal. 

 

“So why is she a different color?”

 

“That’s the thing!” Professor Sequoia paced off in a hurried fit. She yanked a rolling chalkboard seemingly from the ether. “I have soo many theories, and yet, no concrete answers! This enigma truly is the deepest Nincada Burrow I’ve ever undertaken! Is it from a change in diet? Of environment? A mutation or evolutionary advantage? The more questions asked, the more answers only lead to more questions!”

 

Amber came and dominated the Vulpix’s head from Henry’s caress. It wagged its tails with palpitating enthusiasm at just the slightest of her touch.

 

“Chromata Variants are rare,” included Amber, “So it’s difficult to research them in a vacuum. Right now, we only have two in our possession–the other being a Politoed.”

 

“A poly-what?”

 

Amber’s look of annoyance transmuted into one of dumbfounded perplexion. “Are you serious?”

 

Henry nodded.

 

“Where were you raised–the stix?”

 

“Amber~” Professor Sequoia wagged a finger, “Be nice or you’ll never make any friends~” She marched over and revealed a shiny silver ball from the pocket of her lab coat. It resembled the Bronze Ball in structure and shape; the only difference was its pristine metal coat compared to the dingy mustard of the Bronze Ball. “This one is a little goofy and he might try to spray you. So just be wary, okay!”

 

Again, the Professor gave the crank atop the ball two clicks clockwise and dropped it to the floor. Henry could hear wet slapping behind the table before a little Pokémon appeared around the corner. The gloss of his flesh was blue. His suction cups were a toxic purple, as was the swirl on his belly.

 

“Oooooh,” Henry remarked, “He’s just a weird-looking Poliwhirl!”

 

The Politoed let out a series of clicks and croaks, twisting his head at Henry like a pondering Noctowl. Then, he took in a belly of air and unleashed a furious jet of water, just barely skimming Henry’s hair.

 

Amber scooped the Vulpix into her arms. “Professor that did not look like his typical fun and games!” 

 

The Politoed hopped onto the table and reeled back for another attack.

 

Henry ducked, and this beam shot straight out the door and into the hallway.

 

“Professor, ball him now!”

 

Professor Sequoia fumbled with her Silver Ball as the Politoed wound up another attack, and this one looked fierce. Was it to be a Hydro Pump? Henry shielded his face, willing to sacrifice his arms.

 

Relief melted him when no attack came. He opened his eyes to see the Professor twisting the crank atop the Silver Ball counterclockwise, presumably resetting the mechanisms and locking it in place.

 

She exchanged an awkward glance with Amber. “Whoopsy daisies! That was almost bad, huh?!” She offered a hand down to help Henry back up; her strength didn’t contribute much. “Sorry ‘bout that! He’s usually just a big old clown! Guess he didn’t like that comment you made~”

 

Henry dusted off his jacket. “So Politoed aren’t usually blue and purple?”

 

“Nnnnnope~ My Benni is a one-of-a-kind guy! Well, at least until we find another, which will help me prove my theory that–”

 

Suddenly, a silver whistle by the entrance of the lab squealed.

 

“Oh sprockets!” Professor Sequoia smacked herself on the forehead, “Amber, I am so-so sorry! I completely forgot about the Welcome Ceremony–oh, you gotta hurry!”

 

Amber smacked her teeth. “The Director’s just gonna say the same spiel she gave to my sister for four years straight. It’s not like I’m missing anything.”

 

The Professor adjusted the collar of Amber’s maroon sweater. “It’s not about the words, hun. It’s about the message.”

 

“That…those are literally the same thing.”

 

The Professor tapped the Vulpix on the head with the front part of the Bronze Ball. In another flash of light, the little darling seemed to vanish. “You’ll understand after you hear what she has to say with your own two ears.” She gestured towards Henry with a tilt of her head. “Show him the way to the Auditorium.”

 

“Why!?” 

 

“Because, the people you met during your sister’s term are long gone, sweetheart. And you can’t keep expecting the Upperclassmen to dote on you–they’ve got responsibilities. It’s your first official year and you need to start forging relationships. Trust me, you won’t regret having peers to potentially call ‘colleagues’ one day. How do you think I landed here at the University~”

 

Amber threw a side-eye at Henry. He pretended not to notice.

 

“Ok…”

 

“Alrighty then! Off you two go!”

 

Amber practically sprinted out of the Lab. The Professor nodded for Henry to keep toe.

 

“Feel free to stop by during Forge Week! I’ll show you what a normal Politoed looks like! Don’t worry. This one won’t try to take your head off!”

 

Henry nodded back at the Professor. He figured she had to be a genius–what with getting her own lab at the most prestigious institution in the region and all. But he didn’t expect her to be such a nice lady. One just as passionate to teach as he was to learn.