[i]"Trainer, your presence has been requested at the Pokemon HQ lab in Orre. I, professor Birek have made a discovery that could be amazing news to both Pokemon and their trainers. I ask that when you arrive at the lab you wait for the others who have been invited. Speak of this to no one except the others when they arrive. Have a safe journey."[/i]

Nicolette Baudin sipped the last of her Earl Gray tea as she reviewed the letter. After one more moment of quiet contemplation, she neatly slipped the note into her slim bag and looked at the clock. Perfect: just on time to be early. The young woman stood up and straightened out her navy blue skirt.

“Alphonse,” she called, her soft voice laden with a marked Kalos accent. “Ready to go?”

Relaxing on a plush cushion in a corner of the living room, a Furfrou nodded. The dog Pokemon gracefully trotted to Nicolette’s side. The orange dye had begun to dull and blend with his natural hair, and a handful of frizzy curls sprung from his roughly diamond-shaped tail. It was about time for Alphonse to get another haircut, but Nicolette lacked the funds to get it professionally done, and she didn’t want to ask her parents to send more money… yet. The duo began strolling toward the lab.

Unlike some of the other summoned trainers, Nicolette has an idea of why Professor Birek might want to see her. Strange, though… she never knew the professor was part of the Shadow Pokemon rehabilitation effort. The black-haired woman frowned as she glanced at the friend ball attached to the strap of her bag. Rush nearly had a meltdown the evening before. Being around a lot of new trainers and Pokemon might further agitate him, especially if there were other ex-Shadows around. Nicolette decided it was best to keep him in his ball unless somebody really needed to see him.

As Nicolette neared the lab, she noticed two people already chatting there. The girl seemed vaguely familiar, though she couldn't put a name to the face. The woman gave each a slight nod as she passed by them, not really knowing or caring whether they received her gesture.

Nicolette sat at the opposite side of the stairs. She adjusted her glasses and pulled a thick book out of her bag. While the trainer read, Alphonse calmly sat by her side, occasionally looking at the other nearby Pokemon.