Henry gave three courteous knocks on the Professor’s door. He felt like he was trespassing, but she did say he could stop by during the week.

 

The door to the lab was some manner of sliding contraption. It hissed open just as he went in for his second round of knocks.

 

But there was no Professor to be seen–not by the door, not deeper into the room.

 

“Hello? Professor Sequoia? It’s Henry from yesterday. Are you in here?”

 

There was a dreadful pressure to the room–a weight turning the air thick. If there was no Professor Sequoia, then who opened the door?

 

A garble of strange and unearthly noises wobbled behind Henry’s head. The hairs on his nape stood firm as a Cacnea’s arm. Whatever was “speaking” behind him, it let free no gaseous waste with its breath. In fact, there was no breath; no exhale before or after it “spoke.” Only garble, like a radio gone wonky in the deepest reaches of a hollow cavern.

 

Henry turned, every second feeling like a step into oblivion. 

 

“Staring” back at him–for indeed this creature did have eyes–was a hovering mass of orange. Yellow spears shot from its body in eight points–the four Cardinal Directions all bearing similar length.

 

Henry shrieked. He never felt less like a man, but the red dots for eyes staring him down ripped every hint of courage from his throat in one violent holler. He ran deeper into the lab, away from the creature.

 

He hid beside the Professor’s rolling board, still showcasing that same infographic on Chromata Variants. He watched the creature stare into the darkness. What was it looking at? Surely it saw him run not far from harm?

 

A red glow opened from behind the umbric veil. Henry felt his tangerine sink to his lower intestine.

 

There were two of them. The second one–it was shaped like the crescent moon. It wore the same evil eyes and defied all laws of gravity with its unexplainable ability to hover.

 

The two beings “conversed.” Possibly discussing how they were going to share him. What was the Security Team doing? How did such monstrous entities find their way into the Institution? And what did they do with the Professor?

 

Henry felt something grab his shoulder. His heart stopped.

 

“Hey! What are you doing sitting over here in the dark?”

 

He stifled another scream behind sweaty palms when he realized it was just the Professor.

 

“Professor Sequoia, what in heaven’s name are those things?!”

 

Professor Sequoia cocked an eyebrow. Then, she laughed. “Oh, you poor thing! Sorry, these two aren’t big talkers! Hold on, I’ll hit the lights!”

 

The two beings looked slightly less traumatizing under the laboratory’s bright white bulbs.

 

Professor Sequoia stepped between the two. “Henry, I’d like for you to meet Mr.Sol,” she pointed to the orange one “And Ms.Lunis!” Then to the crescent moon. “They’re Pokémon from Hoenn! Aren’t they neat!?”

 

Henry rubbed the salt from his forehead. “I don’t know if I’d use the word neat, hehe!”

 

“I’m just babysitting for a bit,” the Professor explained, rubbing the coarse surface of Mr.Sol’s face. “They’re sweethearts, I promise! They were probably just trying to greet you!”

 

Henry took a seat at one of the many stools by the blacktop table. “I guess they are kind of cool. How can they float like that without wings? I know Pokémon like Magnemite use electromagnetism?”

 

“These babies are Psychic types–so I’d assume they use some manner of telekinetic power. Man, wouldn’t that be sweet~ I’d never have to walk again~”

 

Professor Sequoia ventured off into the back door she appeared from. She returned hauling a box of Bronze Balls. “Just got a new order straight from the source. Gonna pass ‘em out to the Gladiators Club tomorrow. Speaking of which, find a club yet?”

 

Henry wished he could hide his face in the shadows like Ms.Lunis. “Actually, Professor…I haven’t even joined a Track yet.”

 

“Oh? Awww…Well, chin up, hun! Amber had a tough time deciding on a Track too.”

 

“What’d she pick?”

 

The Professor grabbed at her chin. “Let’s see…I think it was Human & Pokémon Studies? I wasn’t paying super attention and I feel kind of bad. But I’d wager it was something like that. That sounds right up her alley!”

 

So even the hothead who struggled to say thank you could decide on something so grand so easily…

 

“So you think she chose it because she saw it as a good fit?”

 

“Oh yeah! Definitely!” Professor Sequoia inspected a ball. This new batch was way shinier than the dingy old one Amber had. “Amber’s always been a thinker and a lover. She’s been good with the Pokémon here since her sister’s First Year. I knew when the time came for her to step up to bat, she’d choose something along those lines to start off with. I’m more excited to see what she chooses next year, and the year after.”

 

So she picked something she had always been good at…Then was Henry’s fate truly to be in the fields of hay? Again?

 

He pulled his glassy rock from his pocket. Maybe he needed to look deeper. Past the memories with Dad; past the times when he and his sister got along. Somewhere way back, there just had to be the answer. If he stared deep enough into the rock, maybe he could see it reflecting at him. The answer.

 

“Hey, what happened to that little guy?! Looks like he got hit by an Overheat or two!”

 

He lost himself in such depths of the forgotten, he didn’t even notice Professor Sequoia admiring the rock right along with him, over his shoulder. “Oh, this? I found it by the lake.”

 

“Lemme get a look!”

 

Henry passed the stone to the Professor. She held it up to the light. “Oh yeah. This guy’s been scorched a couple dozen times–you can tell by the melting here and here, and the overall coating this feller’s rocking–eh, ya see what I did there!? Very good find, Henry! You know, I know someone who would eat a discovery like this up! In fact,” Professor Sequoia passed Henry’s stone back into his palm, “I think he could help you with your little conundrum~ Do you still have your Track Slip?”

 

Henry pulled a folded sheet of paper from his coat pocket. It was among those given to him at the Security Hall. 

 

Professor Sequoia sprawled it over the blacktop. She retrieved a pen, with a Psyduck head for the cap, from her labcoat and scribbled a line of text on the “Track” line.

 

“There!” she finished, “Go ahead and look for this color! That Track has one of the best men I’ve ever known!”

 

Henry read what the Professor wrote. 

 

“Teal Track.” 

 

He wondered what track that was.