Chapter 2: Beggars and Thieves

"Awwww, look at that cute little guy." She said petting the bulbasaur's back bulb. "Let me see that prototype, Richard is upstairs in the first room on the left. He didn't give me his notes. He wasn't in much shape to do anything when he came in this morning. He walked himself half-to-death carrying my daughter home."

"I-if you don't mind ma'am. I'd really love to just sit down somewhere for a few minutes."

Takeshi was a hardy kid, but there were limits and he had hit the upper echelons of those limits. He had reached the point where if he could just take his shoes off and just sit down for thirty uninterrupted minutes, he would be in heaven.

"Make your selves at home." She says distractedly, her attention on the pokedex the professor had sent with you. She waves in the direction of the living room. "This is amazing" she said poking the buttons and looking thought the various screens.

She walks into the living room, taking a seat in a battered old arm-chair, her nose still buried in the pokedex. The room is a cozy one, vinyl covered walls and thick shag carpet. Two old battered couches set in a semi-circle with the other chair all of them surrounding a glass top coffee table.

Takeshi nods in thanks, leaving the others to deal with Professor Maple for the time being. He's tired, hurt, sick and somewhat dehydrated, so social graces and interaction are mostly out of the question. He takes his shoes off and leaves them by the front door and then follows on after the Professor.

He slumps into one of the old couches and finds himself sinking into it. He leaves his jacket on, as his T-shirt is covered in crusted blood. He offers a weak smile to his host before sighing and allowing his head to roll back and his muscles to relax.

Seth slips his pack from his shoulder, pulling the case from within and handing it to Professor Willow;

"This is the prototype that Professor Willow gave us. Richard should have the notes..." He sighed softly, pulling the old pokedex that they had found in the woods from his pack, offering it to her. "We also found this not too far back. According to the entries and the wallet we found on the remains, it belonged to a Professor Hickory..." He pulled out the Pokeball containing Mareth, the Murkrow he'd caught on the scene, and depressed the button to release the creature. The Murkrow glanced about, momentarily stunned by the sudden release, before flapping its wings a few times, perching on Seth's shoulder, cocking her head at the Professor. "From what I can tell, he found a nest of these guys just south of here that hadn't yet been infected and decided to stick around to see if the blight was genetic... Sad to say, but the good professor is no longer with us..."

He remained standing, despite the fatigue that weighed heavily on his shoulders. He knew that the moment he sat, he'd be dead to the world, and wanted to get this out of the way before he crashed out...

She glances up at the mention of the professor. "Poor Melborn, we all figgured he had died in the first few months after the blight started. Looks like you've found quite the trove of old pokemon equipment. " With that she stands up and takes a better look at you.

"Wow, you all look like you've had a hard trip are the roads from Pallet Town really that bad? Regardless feel free to rest up here. I only have two couches, but one of you can sleep on the floor in here if you want. I'll get something started for dinner, hopefully you'll all be up and around by then."

Actually Professor, I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind. Johnny said, feeling tired but not wanting to fall asleep during the day and mess up his sleep schedule, Maybe I could help you cook?

"Sure, I'd love the help if you'd like." She walks out into the kitchen area, It's a cramped little space near the back of the house. With a simple stove, and a small refrigerator. She begins pulling things out of the fridge and turns on one of the burners as she begins to cook.

Takeshi, having no desire to give up his already claimed couch space, simply slumps further into the soft material. Sleep has seldom been an easy thing for him to succumb to, but this time he loses consciousness within seconds. His chest rises and falls softly as the battered boy enters a deserved relaxation.

Learning as much as he can about both cooking and Pokemon, Johnny keeps the conversation flowing with all manner of questions. He asks of how she became a Professor, what it was like before the blight, her thoughts on what the blight is, what most other Professors think the blight is, who are the other Professors that she knows of, and the list goes on.