Chapter Text
Scene 1: [ Ren is jolted in her seat and wakes up. She slowly pulls her feet off the dashboard of the cramped car and stretches. She looks out at the scenery which is mostly lovely woods although the trees are a bit different than she is used to. The car crosses a bridge over a broad estuary at high tide. ]
Ren: How long was I asleep?
Asuka: Not too long, maybe an hour. Anyway, we’re almost there.
Ren: Oh, sorry okasan, I was supposed to keep you company.
Asuka: It’s fine, Ren. You needed the rest and it’s been such a pretty drive. [ She glances over at her daughter. ] Are you nervous at all? I know this is a lot.
Ren: I guess a bit. I mean, I haven’t even seen the house.
Asuka: It’s very nice! You are going to love your room. The region is really beautiful and the town is just lovely. Maybe you could work in the lab for a bit while you figure things out… [ She trails off because Ren is staring out the window and not responding. She takes a breath. ] I just want you to know that your father and I are really grateful for how well you are taking all of this. You’ve been such a big help, even if you maybe aren’t as excited about it as we are.
Ren: [ turns back to face her mother and smiles ] Aw, okasan, no one could hope to be as excited as you. I think it will be fun!
Asuka: [ sighs ] I just think you put on a brave face for us sometimes, but I want you to know you are allowed to feel however you want about this.
Ren: [ takes a deep breath ] I think it’s a good time to pull up roots. I’ll miss Johto and stuff, but I just graduated. Everyone will be going their separate ways anyway. Besides, otosan has been gushing about Hoenn for years. I’m pretty hyped. And we’ll get to see otosan all the time. This is so awesome for you guys. [ She squeezes her mother’s shoulder. ] Try not to worry so much.
[They pull into a small rural town behind the moving truck. ]
Asuka: Here we are!
[ Ren looks up at a cute two-story house with a red tile roof. A mover and a few machoke pile out of the moving van and mother and daughter climb out of their car. We pan out as a woman comes up to greet Asuka and the machokes open the back of the van. Several panels of the three women and the movers bringing in furniture, unpacking boxes, etc. The women are sitting around a table in the kitchen/dining area surrounded by boxes having lunch. Mrs. Birch makes a comment to Ren who proceeds to flex her muscular arms. All laugh. ]
Scene 2: [ Ren is sprawled on her bed, taking in her new room. Her mother pops her head in. ]
Asuka: How’s it going, Ren-chan? [ Ren gives a thumbs up. ] I’m going over to the Birch’s to help Nikau. I was hoping you could stop by the lab and see if you could gently remind Prof. Birch that we are all having dinner together. He was supposed to be here by now. I think he is a bit like your father and just gets very wrapped up in his work.
Ren: [ no visible reaction ] Okay.
Scene 3: [ Ren walks out to the lab. She walks in and looks over the cool equipment. There are a few people working, but she doesn’t see the professor. She approaches one of the lab techs. ]
Ren: Excuse me, I’m looking for Prof. Birch.
Lab tech: He’s still out in the field. [ Turning to face her ] Ah, you must be Senri’s kid. Welcome to Littleroot!
[ The other scientists all look up except one in the corner who is listening to music. ]
Ren: Thanks. Any idea where I can find the professor? I’m supposed to remind him about dinner.
Lab tech: [ laughs ] Sounds like Alan. Route 101, just north of town.
Ren: Thanks again. Nice to meet you.
[ She waves to everyone and backs out. ]
Scene 4: [ Ren is looking around Route 101 when she hears a cry. She runs toward the sound and nearly trips over a shoulder bag in the tall grass. She picks it up and keeps running. She finds Prof. Birch on the ground, an angry poochyena shaking his pant leg vigorously and snarling. ]
Ren: Hey!
[ The poochyena eyes her for a second then continues. Ren takes a step forward. ]
Prof. Birch: Don’t! [ Ren freezes ] In my bag—my pokemon—AHH! [ He screams again as the poochyena tugs harder. ]
[ Ren looks in the bag, pulls out a pokeball and throws it. A treecko pops out, surveys the situation for a moment, then charges the poochyena, smacking it in the face with his tail. The poochyena rolls off and Prof. Birch scrambles back but doesn’t manage to stand. The poochyena lunges at the treecko who dodges, but when he looks back at Birch, the poochyena lands a bite and the treecko flinches, leaving him open for a tackle. ]
Prof. Birch: Oh, ah, pound!
[ The treecko obeys, but the poochyena grabs it by the tail and flips it. The treecko lands heavily, winded. Ren can tell the treecko is losing badly and Birch has no idea what to do. ]
Prof. Birch: [ uncertainly ] Leer?
[ The poochyena shakes it off and lunges again and the treecko just barely dodges. Birch is freaking out. Ren’s face sets. ]
Ren: [ to the treecko ] You are faster than that thing! Wait for it to charge, then dodge and use pound!
[ The treecko’s eyes flash to hers, then it tenses, waiting. When the poochyena charges, the treecko jumps over it and flipping, brings its tail down on the poochyena’s head, slamming it into the ground. The treecko lands gracefully just behind it. ]
Ren: That’s it! [ The poochyena gets up and shakes its head. ] To the side this time!
[ The treecko dives towards the poochyena’s tail and spins as the poochyena wheels around, teeth bared. The treecko’s tail connects heavily with the poochyena’s side, sending it rolling away. ]
Ren: Now hit its back!
[ The treecko leaps over and brings his tail down on the poochyena before it can get to its feet. ]
Ren: Great!
[ The poochyena shudders, trying to stand. ]
Ren: Pin its head and look it in the eye. You’ve won this fight. Let it know.
[ The treecko does as instructed, snorting into the poochyena’s face as he pins its muzzle to the ground with a hand. The treecko holds the poochyena’s gaze until it looks away, then he lets it up slowly. It slinks off with a whine. ]
Ren: Great job! You kicked that mutt’s butt! You sure are fast!
[ The treecko looks up at Ren with what looks like a huge grin and she smiles back. He is a light grass green with small red stripes on his head and back. His throat is a light blue and his tail a deeper green. Little gold scales are sprinkled sparingly over him. ]
Ren: You okay?
[ He nods. Ren turns to Birch, offers him a hand and pulls him up. ]
Ren: You okay, professor?
Prof. Birch: Yes, just a bit shaken up is all. [ Trying to straighten himself out a bit ] I must admit this is not the first time this has happened. Thank you for saving my neck, or maybe I should say my leg. You must be Ren.
Ren: [ deadpans ] Once again my reputation precedes me.
Prof. Birch: [ grins ] It certainly does! You look a lot like your father. You battle like him too. I should have expected as much, I suppose. Only, I though Senri said you weren’t a trainer yet?
Ren: I’m not, but I used to practice with otosan and stuff.
Prof. Birch: You are very talented. I’m a terrible trainer as you’ve probably noticed. I always just panic and blurt out the first move that comes to mind, even when my leg isn’t being chewed on. [ Looking sheepish ] I should really work at it more since I’m out in the field so much.
Ren: Well, you are really good at your job. [ Hands him his bag. ] I’ve seen your work in the news and I read of few of your papers in school. It’s great stuff.
Prof. Birch: Thank you! And thank you again for the help. [ He rummages in his bag, pulls out a potion and sprays it on the treecko, who looks refreshed. ] There you go. Thanks, bud. [ Turns back to Ren. ] I better get home. I was supposed to help my wife with dinner like a good husband for once. [ He pulls out his PokéNav and tries to call his son. Mutters ] He’s still not picking up. [ looking back up at Ren ] You know, I hate to ask a favor when you just saved me, but do you think you could fetch Kai for me? He should be just north of here on Route 103.
Ren: Sure thing. Don’t worry about it.
Prof. Birch: Thanks! Hey, why don’t you take this treecko with you? It can get a bit rough out here and you two seem to get along.
Ren: [ to the treecko ] How about it? [ The treecko nods excitedly and climbs up to her shoulder. She laughs. To Birch ] Will you be alright?
Prof. Birch: Yeah! I still have a few pokemon and it’s not far. [ He hands her the treecko’s pokeball. ] Dinner probably won’t be for a while anyway. We have to wait for Senri. So you two have fun. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ren. [ as he hurries away ] I’ll see you soon!
Ren: Nice meeting you too! See ya! [ to the treecko ] Ready? [ The treecko nods and they set off. ]
Scene 5: [ Before long, they run across a wurmple. The treecko goes rigid and tugs at Ren’s top. ]
Ren: What’s up? [ The treecko wiggles while pointing at the wurmple, then plants a fist in his other hand with an audible smack. ] You want to battle? [ The treecko nods vigorously. She eyes him seriously for a moment. ] Alright, go get ’em, tiger! [ She braces as the treecko vaults off her shoulder and lands in front of the wurmple. The wurmple immediately string-shots him in the face and he staggers back. ] Keep your cool. Listen for it. [ The treecko crouches, eyes closed, and the wurple shifts, readying its stinger. ] It’s gonna try and sting you! Hit it with your left! [ The treecko aims a punch with its left hand and it hits home. He uses the contact to grab the wurmple and flips it, quickly hopping on top of it. He holds it down until it stops struggling, then lets it up, turning back to Ren as it slips away into the grass. ] Masterful job, tiger! Hold still. [ She kneels down and peels the silk off his face. His golden eyes blink open, looking satisfied. He climbs back aboard and they head off. ]
Scene 6: [ They find a clearing near the edge of the woods on Route 103 with a deep, round pool. A young man Ren’s age is sitting next to it, talking to his torchic which is in turn talking to a zigzagoon. ]
Kai: Really ? [ He scrawls excitedly in his notebook. ] Could you ask it if it’s seen any recently, or maybe what time of year it’s seen them? [ The torchic nods, turning back to the zigzagoon who is nibbling on something. They converse for a minute and then the torchic repeats the conversation to the young man, who scratches something in his notebook again. ] That’s great! We’ll have to keep coming back here for a while to see if we can confirm. Thank it for me would you, Jay? [ The torchic turn back to the zigzagoon, but it has obviously spotted Ren and picks up its food before scurrying away into the bushes. The young man and torchic look up at Ren simultaneously. He grins brightly. ] Hi there!
Ren: Hi, I’m Ren Kosugi. [ She offers her hand. He takes it and they shake before she pulls him up. ]
Kai: I’m Kai and this is Jay. It’s nice to meet you. Are you a trainer?
Ren: [ a bit slowly ] No—[ The treecko moves on her shoulder, interrupting her and makes a gurgling sound. The torchic cheeps loudly at Kai and he looks down at her, then back up at Ren. ]
Kai: That’s funny, your treecko says you are.
Ren:[ muttering to the treecko ] I already said I’m not. [ to Kai ] And he’s not my—
[ The torchic interrupts with another excited cheep. ]
Kai: [ to Jay ] Are you sure that’s Dad’s—[ to Ren ] Wait, did you say your name was Kosugi?
Ren: Yeah.
Kai: [ looking flustered ] So you must be Senri’s kid! I’m sorry I wasn’t—I didn’t expect—I mean I guess I just thought you’d be a guy?
Ren: [ deadpans ] Well I’m not.
Kai: I guess so—I mean obviously, haha. [ Kai laughs awkwardly, blush showing off his freckles. Ren looks kind of annoyed, but after a moment of internal struggle, her face softens. ]
Ren: It’s fine. Anyway your father sent me and the treecko to bring you back for dinner.
Kai: Oh, right, jeez. I’m sorry about that. I turned off my nav because the notifications kept spooking my subjects.
Ren: No big deal. I wanted to have a look around anyway. Want to head back? It’s getting kind of late.
Kai: Y-yeah. [ Ren turns around to head home but Kai lingers for a frame before jumping to follow. He is clearly too embarrassed to make further conversation. Ren sighs and takes the initiative. ]
Ren: So I take it you are a trainer?
Kai: Yeah! I just started… [ looks away ]
Ren: But you can already talk to your torchic. That’s pretty cool.
Kai: Thanks. She’s great and really smart. [ Jay headbutts his leg affectionately. He smiles at her. Ren watches out of the corner of her eye and grins a bit. ] It was really awesome to actually be able to speak to a pokemon after waiting practically my entire life…
[ There is another beat of silence, so Ren swoops in once more. ]
Ren: Do you help your father with his research a lot?
Kai: Yeah. [ He smiles again. ] I sort of grew up doing it, but now that I’m old enough I’m an official research assistant. And because I have my own pokemon, I can do field work, which is the fun part. Jay is the best. She is always helping me find rare variants and interviewing wilds. Just back there, this zigzagoon was telling us—
[ Pan out. We can see Ren looking satisfied as Kai continues to babble excitedly about his work. It is getting dark and the sun is setting over the trees to their left. ]
Scene 7: [ The two families, including the torchic, treecko, a mudkip, a vigoroth and an ursaring, are gathered around a table at the Birch’s house finishing dinner. Senri is sitting on one end, tilting back in his chair with his wife and daughter on either side. Ren is seated next to Kai and has one arm on the table so she can better see past him to the other end where Prof. Birch is telling the story of his rescue, gesticulating wildly for emphasis. All laugh as he nearly falls out of his chair in the re-enactment.]
Prof. Birch: —and I’m blithering out inane commands like an idiot so of course my poor treecko is getting his ass kicked—[ to the treecko ] no offence, bud—so I’m just panicking even more. But then Ren steps in—thank Arceus—and starts telling the treecko what to do. And it works, like right away! They had this thing literally beaten into the ground in less than a minute. I’ve never seen anyone turn a battle around like that before. And this poochyena already knew bite, so it was no slouch. I mean, that should have been a tough battle even without the rocky start!
Senri: I can’t say I’m surprised. [ He grins, making brief eye contact with his daughter and she gives him an irritated look. ] She’s always been a natural.
[ The treecko chooses this moment to climb Ren like a tree and rest his head on hers, standing on her shoulders for support. She lowers her other elbow to the table and rests her head in her hands to make the position more comfortable. All are quiet for a moment, watching the pair grin at each other. ]
Prof. Birch: What do you say to taking that treecko off my hands, Ren?
Ren: [ with and embarrassed start ] Wha!—really?
Prof. Birch: Of course. He is a bit of a handful, but he seems to like you already. [ The treecko has grabbed hold of her head so that he can nuzzle it with full force, messing up her hair quite thoroughly. ]
Ren: [ to the treecko ] What do you say, tiger? [ The treecko stops, eyes blowing wide. It has clearly not been listening to the conversation. Ren repeats ] Would you like to be my pokemon? [ The treecko bounces ecstatically for a moment before leapfrogging over her head and landing on the table in front of her. He whirls around to face her, nodding frantically, whole body quivering with excitement. ] Well alright then, I guess you are. [ The treecko does a summersault, which sends a few things flying, then jumps into her arms, nuzzling her neck. After a moment, she puts him back down on the table. ]
Senri: Are you going to battle him?
Ren: I’m not—[ She snorts mid-sentence because the treecko is furiously waggling its eyebrows at her. ]
Prof. Birch: [ chuckles ] He’s been with humans for a while now. He’s picked up a few things… Is that what you are going to call him, Tiger?
Ren: Nah, I’ll think of something better.
Prof. Birch: Do you think you could do me another favor?
Ren: Sure!
Prof. Birch: I know you haven’t decided what you are going to do yet, but I’m sure you won’t be in Littleroot all the time. Would you take one of my pokedexes and log the pokemon you see while you are out?
Ren: That’s hardly a favor, professor. I’d love to have a pokedex.
Prof. Birch: You can come by the lab and pick one up tomorrow then. And you can call me Alan. We’re all friends here.
Ren: Of course, Alan. Thank you. [ Ren smiles. ]
[ Zoom out to show the whole dinner party. The treecko is back on Ren’s shoulder and Jay is nestled between Kai’s arms on the table. Senri has his arm over the back of his wife’s chair as she leans in to talk to Nikau. Alan has started clearing the dishes away since he missed most of the prep work. ]
Scene 8: [ The next day Ren is unpacking more of her things. The treecko is trying to help, but mostly he is just bouncing around and climbing all over her walls with his sticky pads. Ren doesn’t appear to mind his antics. Later they are downstairs helping her mother unpack dishes etc. Asuko is unwrapping and directing while Ren puts things away and the treecko helps put things in the cabinets that are too high for the women to reach. After lunch Ren sees the treecko staring out the window, tapping his foot absently on the sill. ]
Ren: Hey okasan, I think we are going to head out for a bit.
Asuka: Sure thing, Ren-chan. Thanks for the help!
Scene 9: [ The treecko is bounding ahead of Ren on Route 101. He spots a zigzagoon and bounces in place, looking eagerly at Ren. ]
Ren: I’ve told you twice I’m not a trainer. I’m serious. [ The treecko just waggles his tail, grinning at her. She sighs. ] Alright, but we can’t just do this all the time. It’s dangerous because we’re not registered. Do you understand? A real trainer can take you to a pokemon center if something goes wrong. And I’m not even sure I really want to… [ She trails off as he gestures at the zigzagoon, as eager as ever. Her expression softens for a moment. She straightens up. ] Try not to jump around as much this time. These zigzagoons are pretty good at getting you in the gut. [ He nods, bounding forward as the zigzagoon crouches. ] And watch for the front claws! They’ll do a lot more damage. Try to get around back!
Scene 10: [ The next few days follow a similar pattern: unpack, lunch, afternoon foray on Route 101, battles with wilds etc. Just a few frames of this and then focus in on a battle with a poochyena. The treecko is panting as the poochyena watches him carefully from several feet away. It uses growl and he shudders. ]
Ren: This is getting us nowhere. You’re not gonna land another pound without it getting a better hit. Use absorb! [The poochyena staggers while the treecko perks up a bit.] One more! [This time the poochyena collapses.] Great job, tiger! [She crouches down and they high-five, grinning. Ren pulls some jerky out of her bag and places it in front of the poochyena. It gets up and takes the offering cautiously before slinking away. Kai and Jay emerge from the grass behind Ren.]
Kai: You are a good battler.
Ren: Thanks. [ She stands, looking sheepish. ]
Kai: How come you two are out here battling wilds?
Ren: It was his idea. [ The treecko puffs up and Jay titters. ] I mean, we shouldn’t be, but he really likes battling. He gets so damn excited. It’s really hard to say no.
Kai: Maybe it’s not my place, but when I saw you two battling just now, it looked… right? Like you’d been doing it for a long time already. You two were in sync and, well, at least it looked like you were having fun. [ Ren looks unsure and a bit uncomfortable. Kai pauses for a moment before continuing. ] I don’t even have a badge yet, so feel free to totally ignore what I’m saying, but I think you are super talented and you two could totally take the league in time. [ Jay chirps at him. ] Jay says you should do what makes you happy, what feels right, and not worry so much.
Ren: [ Her face brightens a little. ] Smart cookie.
Scene 11: [ Later that night, Ren is lying on her bed with the treecko resting on her chest. She pulls a hand out from under her head and rests it gently on the treecko’s back. His eyes open and he looks at her. ]
Ren: So I’ve been thinking… how do you feel about “Tāraki”—as a name, I mean? [ He scooches up and boops her nose with his. ] Haha, so is that a yes? [ He nods and flops his head down on her collarbone. ] Okay, Tāraki, I’ve also been thinking about what we’re going to do, you know? [ He rumbles against her. ] It seems obvious to me that you really want to be a battler. And I know I’ve been sort of… unclear on whether I want to be a trainer. I really do like battling with you, but I… [ She sighs. ] Maybe I’ll save that explanation for another time. The point is… I’m willing to train you [ His head snaps up, eyes boring into hers. ]—no, I’d be happy to train you. We can even challenge a gym if you want, I just can’t promise we’ll take the league challenge or anything right now, okay? [ She splutters and as he launches himself at her neck, hugging her tight and rubbing his head roughly against her cheek. Giggling ] Tāraki!
