[color=f49ac2]“What should I call you, huh?”[/color]

Dark green eyes met large yellow ones as Pokémon and trainer met each other for the first time. Samantha Riley leaned forward over the lab table, elbows resting on its surface and her chin supported by her cupped hands as she stared at her new partner. Sitting on the table in front of her was a small green quadruped with a brown shell on its back and a little leafy sprout on top of its head. And it was adorable.

Behind her a quiet, polite but clearly intended to be intrusive cough came from Professor Sumac as he tried to get her attention. [color=0054a6]“Uh, miss? I need you to head to one of the waiting rooms. We have other recipients arriving soon.”[/color]

Samantha didn’t seem to take any notice of the professor, continuing to stare at her new Pokémon while the grass type in turn gave her his rapt attention. [color=f49ac2]“A cutie like this needs a cute name, don’t you agree? So let’s see.”[/color]

Professor Sumac pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh. Why was everyone being so difficult today? Did whoever was in charge of picking the winners of this thing screen the applicants to find the most troublesome, strange or taxing individuals they could? It has all started so well with that boy and his Axew but then it had just gotten progressively worse as they day went on.

The tired girl, the one who smelled like wet garbage, the one who didn’t laugh at his jokes; it was just one trial after another. Not to mention that last young man who had made him question his entire reason for being here. And now there was this young woman who didn’t look like she was planning on leaving any time soon; he might have to deal with the next trainer while she was still in the room. At least she had let him finish his speech before requesting her Pokémon, though now that she was taking so much of his time he wished she had made him skip it like the rest.

[color=0054a6]“Oh for the love of- miss, I know this is a big moment and I appreciate that you are excited but can you please move to the waiting rooms?”[/color]

Remaining oblivious, Samantha continued to ponder this important and lasting decision. [color=f49ac2]“Hmm, something simple would be good; short and sweet. Something that’s recognisable. Maybe something based off of Turtwig… no, Torterra! The name still has to work after you’ve grown all big and strong.”[/color]

Throwing his arms in the air Professor Sumac turned away and began to pace around the room while muttering loudly to himself. [color=0054a6]“I don’t know why I bother. I studied through eight years of hell at university to be able to call myself Professor, worked my ass off to get a position at the Oak Institute and spent all night practising that speech. Now I see why no one else wanted to do this, I thought greeting the new trainers would be fun. I should have known something was off when everyone was happy to let me do it.”[/color]

Samantha tapped a finger against her cheek, deep in thought as she tried to summon up a good name for her adorable Turtwig from the depths of her imagination. [color=f49ac2]“Torterra, Torterra… Terra, Terra… Terry! I’ll call you Terry.”[/color]

[color=0054a6]“Wonderful. Please leave.”[/color]

Bouncing up from the table Samantha smiled wildly at her new Pokémon. [color=f49ac2]“Yep, Terry it is. Now let’s get you out of here.”[/color] Stepped forward Samantha reached out and grabbed the Turtwig around the middle and lifted him off of the table before quickly transferring him to the ground. [color=f49ac2]“Oof, you’re heavier than I thought. Guess I won’t be carrying you around very much.”[/color]

Walking towards the exit that Professor Sumac gestured her towards, Terry by her side, Samantha turned and gave the professor a happy wave before finally leaving. She followed the corridor, remembering to pick up her Pokeballs along the way, until she reached a small area where the room opened up and she was greeted with six numbered doors.

Picking one at random Samantha approached the door just to the right of the middle which had the numeral 4 above it. As she got closer she began to notice a rather pungent odour growing stronger the nearer she got until she was standing before it with her hand clamped over her nose against the stench. Cautiously pushing the door open she was hit by a wall of stink that almost made her recoil back.

[color=f49ac2]“Oh god, what smells like a salty trash heap in here?”[/color]