An Outlier Chapter 5

Professor Vanessa Sylvan placed herself down on a comfy chair opposite to Wyatt's and the Delta Ralts he was carrying that was sat on his lap; and though she was still tired she had taken a shower and discarded her lab coat in exchange for a more casual attire. "So, Wyatt, where did-"

The purple haired teenager cut her off abruptly, putting his foot down with his next words. "I told you to call me Leo."

Vanessa bit the inside of her lip, holding back the urge to correct him, deciding to permit him that request out of respect. "Alright then, Leo, where did you come from to get to Telnor? I can't imagine you wandering from Gaea Town all the way over here, so what happened to you?"

The professor's tongue felt like curling when she called Adam's son Leo, knowing that wasn't his name, but did her best not to let it show. He was Adam's son, and she'd call him whatever name he wished.

The teenager answered her question swiftly and calmly. "I honestly don't remember. I remember people, and a few places, but I don't really remember who I was. That name you called me, Wyatt? It just feels wrong to hear someone call me that."

Vanessa frowned. "Then how did you know to come to me? If you had amnesia then you wouldn't remember how we were connected. So, how did you know we've met before."

"I didn't. I just figured that if you did know me, good I had someone close to me. If I didn't, then worst case scenario, I was back to square one. You said you knew my father, you asked if 'Adam' was with me, I suppose that would be him." He said, likely seeking confirmation on who his father was.

Vanessa gave him a look that held no small amount of pity. "You're right, Adam is your father... well might be was, seeing as he wasn't with you. He went missing around a year ago, you vanishing with him, and he hasn't been seen since. How much do you know about him?"

She might have been wrong, but the memory loss he was to be suffering didn't seem to involve loss of information, he knew who she was so maybe he knew his father; if only by cold facts.

Wy- Leo answered after a moment. "I know he was the Augur of the region, and I know he's still alive, but other than that not much else. I don't even remember my mother... what was she like?"

Vanessa could have sworn she heard sadness in his voice, though he seemed mostly unaffected so maybe he didn't really care all that much. Either way-

What could she have told him about his mother. Vanessa and Adam's wife... weren't on the best of terms to say the least. Or, well, they weren't when she was still alive.

She brushed off a few dusty memories in her head and smiled slightly; reliving the old days when her and Adam travelled around Torren as young trainers.

Vanessa had developed feelings for him back then, but at the time she was oblivious, and only realised what she felt for him once he started dating Leo's mother. She was bitter and distance herself, and even made a few snide remarks in her foolish youth. As a result, her friendship with Adam was strained, and his girlfriend ended up disliking her.

They did end up reconnecting after the years, after his wife passed on, and her feelings never truly faded.

Professor Sylvan swallowed, looking to the side. "She wasn't someone I met, me and Adam were childhood friends and only reconnected after she passed. He only had good things to say about her though, so I'm assuming she was a kind woman."

He seemed to accept her lie, but her mind froze when she recalled his previous words and had to question him.

"Adam is still alive?!" Only when those words left did she realise she was shouting, and from the way Ralts jumped onto her trainers chest, she was more than slightly loud.

The purple haired teen patted the pokemon clinging to him and rubbed his ears before responding. "He is alive, but he won't be coming back anytime soon. Jaern and Persephone trapped him inside my head, with Persephone bringing me back to her base to wipe my brain then kill me to erase my father. I managed to escape, but he's still bound to the dream world and I have no idea how to get him out."

Vanessa processed that chunk of information, and her mind could only come out with. "...what?"

"I said-"

She cut him off, barely contained rage building up inside her. "I heard you, but when you say Jaern you don't mean the second Augur do you? The man who stepped in to replace Adam the moment he disappeared? The one who had statues of him, made of gold, created and set up throughout the entire region? The pompous fool who's been spreading propaganda about himself and Adam to put himself on a pedestal and have the people of Torren worshipping him like a god?"

To say the knowledge of Jaern made Vanessa seethe would be an understatement. She'd known he was a narcissistic fool who spread ridiculous propaganda about himself, to the point where half the region worshipped him and the other thought him a clown, but to think he was capable of something so underhanded!

She shouldn't have been surprised, in fact it was obvious when she thought about it. She'd been to Suntouched City, she'd seen the tower sized grinning statue he'd had placed there. It was downright cartoonish!

Leo just nodded, stroking Ralts' head with one hand as he added. "For the record, Persephone is the leader of the Cult of Darkrai, and I know the general location of her base so... if you could do anything about that, that'd be great."

Vanessa felt a slight headache coming on, so she walked over to a cabinet and pulled out some medication and a bottle of red liquid.

Leo burrowed his eyebrows, curiously asking. "What is that?"

"Aspirin and wine. Between you being back, Adam still being alive but trapped in your mind, Jaern being the one who put him there, and Cultists being involved... well it's troubling to say the least."

He looked slightly guilty for a moment. "Sorry about that, it must be a lot to take in. Maybe we should save this for another time."

She gulped down a couple of tablets, and washed it down with wine straight from the bottle, before retaking her seat and just denying his attempts. "No. You're still a boy afterall, even if you are sixteen and able to become a trainer, we adults should be handling this. The very fact you were involved in this at all is a disgrace. We'll speak about that base you were awakened from, and hopefully the Pokemon League can deal with it."

Some might have told her not to drink in front of a teenager, but she didn't care in that moment. Even if he didn't remember, Leo had his entire identity erased. His memories, his father, his name. He wasn't wrong when he said he wasn't Wyatt anymore, and she doubted it was as easy for him as he let on. Lord knows if she were in his shoes she'd have... well she wasn't sure what she'd do.

She just took another gulp and briefly considered offering the boy a drink, Arceus if he didn't deserve one, but decided against it as she set the glass down on a table by her hand heavily.

"So... there anything else I should know, or is that it?" Vanessa hoped it was, she didn't need anymore surprises in her day.

He shook his head, but did it in a way that suggested he was thinking back, not disagreeing. "No, I think that's everything... well, asides from just one more thing."

Vanessa had a bad feeling in her guts, so she picked up her wine glass and took a sip. She had a gut feeling she didn't want to be entirely sober for what she was about to hear. "And what is it?"

Leo looked to the side, running a hand through his purple hair. "Well, it was Mew that rescued me, and he's kinda... picked me as his chosen one. Because of that, I might need to be the one who puts an end to the Cults."

The wine bottle falls out of Vanessa's hand, shattering and splashing all over the wooden floor upon landing. But, that was the last thing on her mind as she considered the implications of what he just told her and what it meant for him.

Vanessa was sure she'd have a full blown migraine if she hadn't just swallowed a few painkillers. She personally blamed Adam for his son's fate, the apple truly didn't fall far from the tree, and because of that Leo was cursed to play a part in whatever happened next.

"Leo, nobody else should dictate your actions, even if a prophecy says you need to do something you truly don't." She gave him what advice she could as she got up from her seat to clean up the mess she'd made.

He frowned when he heard that, getting up from his seat and putting his Delta Ralts on his shoulder as he grabbed a cloth and handed it to her. "Prophecies are nonsense. They imply something that could happen, not what will happen. I make my own destiny."

She smiled slightly, taking what he offered as she knelt down to begin cleaning away the puddle of wine and glass. "Still though, you shouldn't have to get involved with the Cults at all. It was supposed to end with us, Leo. Your father was meant to be the chosen one, he was until Jaern stepped in... it shouldn't have to be you, the disaster coming isn't yours to-" She caught herself before she let that slip and hoped he didn't take notice.

Luckily for her, Leo didn't seem to notice. "Look. I'm no believer in prophecy, but Mew has chosen me for whatever reason, he saved me from dying, and just being connected to him is enough to get me into deep shit with the other Cults. I can't protect myself if all I technically have is a single Ralts, I need to be stronger than that, no offense dear." His pokemon crossed her arms and turned away, sulking at his words.

Vanessa got what he was implying, and quickly formed an idea. "Leo, do you remember all your credentials, Birthday, place of birth and the like?"

"I thinks so, why?"

She grinned slightly at him. "Well, we're going to need that info to get you a trainer licence. As your sponsor, I'd prefer it if you were actually able to compete in the Torren League."

Leo reacted far more controlled than she was hoping for, just tilting his head and asking. "What's a sponsor?"

Vanessa groaned and massaged her forehead. "Right, amnesia." She muttered quietly, but afterwards looked at him sharply. "You do understand what Gym battles and Conferences are, right?"

Leo paused for a moment, but nodded seeming confident in his answer. "Of course. You go around the region collecting Gym Badges, the maximum being eight, and each of them gets stronger the more you beat. Conferences are like tournaments where strong trainers gather and battle, like a sporting event where the winner gets rewarded."

Vanessa nodded, realising she'd need to explain quite a lot to him. "Alright, well a sponsor is quite a sought after position, and a great opportunity for any starting trainer. Being a pokemon trainer is expensive, so people with talent are held back if they lack the resources. Big companies, or important figures like myself, can choose to sponsor a limited number of trainers that will represent them in official tournaments and in exchange they are provided with a stipend from the pokemon league. The deal is, if you battle well and bring prestige to my lab, then I get more funds for my research and you get more income to aid in your rise. Isn't that convenient?"

Leo seemed to realise what she was suggesting, staring back at Ralts who seemed to sense the weight of what just occurred and gazed back at him, then he just asked her. "Why are you offering it to me then? Surely there are better candidates than a complete newbie like me, even if I have been chosen by Mew it's not like he'll battle for me."

The older woman snorted, hardly able to believe his words. "Isn't it obvious, Leo? Even if that prophecy doesn't come true and you don't happen to be the chosen one, a legendary pokemon wouldn't pick just anyone to be their trainer. Plus, Jaern and this Persephone woman will be targeting you now, it would do you well to train and prepare in case they ever find you. What happens next will involve you, Leo, whether you like it or not."

The younger boy groaned, sounding tired all of a sudden. "I know- I know, and I was planning to become a trainer anyway, but is that even a safe option for me? I'm the Augur's son for go- Arceus' sake, and if I really just go around advertising myself like that they'll find me quicker than I can handle!"

Vanessa frowned, and admitted to him. "That's a good point, however it's really the best option available to you if you wish to grow stronger, and if you're worried about Jaern recognising you, then I really wouldn't. Adam made sure to never let the public know of your existence, since him fighting the Cults would make his family a target, so if we changed your appearance then it would probably be enough to lower the attention on you."

He was about to argue, but paused and pulled out a flute from him the inside pocket of his jacket.

Vanessa raised her eyebrow, noting the strange appearance of what appeared to be a flute made quartz, or perhaps marble.

"What's that?"

"Mew said to play it if I even needed to call on him, so maybe he can..." He trailed off, deciding to play the strange instrument as he blew through it and-

"Mew." Vanessa had to avoid jumping as a floating pink pokemon appeared out of thin air, making her heart leap in surprise and a spark of amazement light in her brain as she held back her need to study the legendary pokemon!

Leo, after gaining a slightly offended look, put the flute away in his jacket and asked Mew. "Can you change my appearance? I don't want anything massive, but maybe change my hair and eye colour. I need to hide from Persephone and Jaern, so looking different would go a long way."

Vanessa felt some surprise at the nature of the request, but the tiny Mew did giggle and place a hand on his forehead. Leo's skin shined, and when it faded his hair changed from purple to brown, and so did his eyes, his skin also changed to a slight tanner tone. It wasn't a massive change, but it was enough to throw her off.

He certainly looked more like his mother.

Leo stared at his hand, closing it as he asked. "So, convincing?"

Vanessa smiled back, assuring him with confidence. "Definitely. So, where do you want to sign?"

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"Alright, what's this about Delta pokemon... you're doing a study on them?" Leo questioned curiously when he read one of the things he'd need to sign, Ralts startling when Delta pokemon were mentioned.

The professor nodded in agreement, seemingly getting excited when that subject was touched. "I am, but there's only so much I can do in the lab, if you come across any when you're in the wild make sure to capture them, even if they won't be added to your team."

Leo nodded, but still having questions so he paused his reading. "What exactly are you studying about them, and what will you do with the pokemon I send to you?"

Vanessa smiled, turning to Ralts. "I'm currently studying them as pokemon, because honestly the information we have on them is pitiful. Delta pokemon are almost like a rare sub-species of regular, and they develop different typings due to a special gene they seem to have that their regular counterparts lack. Delta pokemon only started appearing roughly fifty years ago, and since then no major researcher has made any solid ground on why exactly this happens?"

She placed a hand under her chin, sighing solemnly as she explained further. "And it's not just the lack of trying. Delta pokemon are extremely rare because usually in the wild when they develop they won't last. If their new mutations are opposing to their environment, then they could perish, and that's not even taking into account how other members of their species will react to them. I'm hoping to find a way to help these pokemon flourish, and maybe even multiply in the future if possible, and you finding some would go miles to help me."

Leo noticed how the professor's eyes sharpened on Ralts. "Besides, you've already found yourself a Delta pokemon. Who knows, you might have been lucky, but maybe it was more than that."

Satisfied with the answer, Leo signed the paper and handed it to the professor, who practically jumped with joy and wrapped him in a hug. "I have a feeling that this is the start of something special, Leo! Maybe you'll even become the new Augur. Your father would be proud if you were here."

Leo felt stiff for a moment, but quickly relaxed into the hug before he broke away. He hesitated for a moment, but said. "Thank you for everything. I know you're taking a risk by sponsoring me and I'll do my best to help you with your research."

Vanessa just smiled earnestly, putting a hand on his cheek as she reassuringly spoke. "I'm sure you'll do stellar, honey. Besides, you're Adam's son, I'd have to be a pretty terrible friend not to help you in your time of need. Besides, you and Ralts seem comfortable with each other, and that's an achievement on it's own. I can't choose a better candidate than someone with potential, and you certainly seem like a young prospect."

Leo frozen when she touched him so intimately, quickly pulling away from her out of impulse. He coughed into his hand, trying to move past his actions. "Yeah, but thanks anyway. So, when does this sponsorship start?"

Vanessa didn't seem to notice, taking the paperwork to a scanner and turning it on. The machine sucked it in, the red light on it's side flashing green, and it spat out what looked like a licence. Picking it up, she held it towards me with a grin.

"Technically, it already has. Take your Trainer Licence, Leonardo Wyatt."