Pokémon Slate Gray

Season 2 - Episode 02: Soft Reset

"April wants to reassess the situation," Professor Larch had explained in a regretful tone. "She, err, said to tell you to go on without her."

Slate didn't know what to make of this news. He had assumed April would be taking his mother's room at their house in exchange for giving up her own, or else that she and him would be resuming their journey together immediately. He knew that April must have her own doubts about their quest, particularly regarding her battle capabilities, but he hadn't expected his prideful companion to just give up.

Then again, in their short time together, they had witnessed some of the very real dangers that lay ahead of them. He couldn't really blame her for being scared or uncertain, even if it meant he would have to go it alone.

Deflated at first, Slate decided that this meant he had options now. He wasn't going to venture out unprepared again. As he had previously decided at the hospital, he was going to take the time to train. So, after a teary-eyed goodbye with his mother the next day, where he reaffirmed his promise to investigate Team Shade, Slate got to work.

***

Still lying on his back in the grass, Slate's thoughts were disturbed by his phone chiming. Checking it, he saw Professor Larch's daily update. Since seeing his mother was out of the question for now, he appreciated the regular text messages, even though there was rarely anything new to report.

Without the guilt that Slate's presence evoked, and perhaps fueled by his absence, Heather Davy was doing much better. While the professor researched technological solutions to the issues affecting the region, she analyzed the information the professor had compiled on Silph Co. and submitted her work assignments for the Pistachion Chronicle by mail. When this work was interrupted by her regular memory lapses, she was far less disturbed thanks to the professor's presence.

Apparently, Heather often held on to memories of her Saffron College days, so she recognized the professor as Jan Larch, her old friend and roommate. This kept her calm, as long as she didn't get distracted by how they had both aged. In addition, following Slate's example, Professor Larch had surrounded Heather's workstation and bedroom with flashcards and photographs.

Slate read through the professor's text. As expected, it contained the usual content; that his mother was doing fine and sent her love, and that they were working hard. There was nothing about April, though. In fact, he hadn't heard anything about April in the last month.

It wasn't as if he had asked about her. He just thought the professor would have mentioned her in passing by now, especially since Slate had recently hinted in his replies that he was about ready to leave. As a result of his training, the island's wild Pokémon were no longer a challenge for Cryote and Eevee. He expected that the professor and his mother would also be hitting a wall soon without internet access. It was time to go.

The truth was, he had been putting it off for days now, but it seemed clear now that he really would be resuming his journey alone. He was fine with that, of course. He had Cryote and Eevee for company, after all. Still, he supposed he should give the professor advanced notice of his intention to depart in case she wanted to notify her daughter.

So, Slate typed out a quick reply, stating that he would be stopping by in the morning to say goodbye. "Okay, guys," he said to his resting Pokémon partners, getting to his feet now that the pounding in his chest had subsided. "We're heading out in the morning, so let's end the day with one last battle!"

Familiar with the island's wild Pokémon hotspots spots by now, within minutes, Slate came across a group of four Akant foraging for berries. Seeing him as a threat to their pile of food, they clicked their scarlet pincers and attacked.