David led me deeper into the lab. We passed through a security checkpoint with two guards who had an arcanine and a houndoom out alongside them. It took 20 minutes and I was sniffed thoroughly before being let through.

  As we came to the end of the hallway it split into a left and right path. To the left I could see another security checkpoint, but this one was more heavily guarded. There were four guards in front of a steel door that looked like a bank vault.

  “It’s this way to the high quality breeding pokemon.” David says as he began to walk down the right hallway which led to a far more normal door than the other side.

  “What’s through that checkpoint?” I ask as I point over my shoulder, still standing at the middle of the two hallways.

  David turned around and said, “Well, that’s where the experimental breeding groups are kept.” He beckoned me toward him. “There’s a really speedy froakie that we kept for further breeding, I know you had your eye on that other froakie.”

  I started walking in his direction but came to an abrupt stop as an idea blossomed in my head. “David, could I take a look at the experimental pokemon?” I ask, knowing he’ll probably refuse.

  “I’m sorry, but those pokemon groups would need a higher clearance…”

  “Like Mr. Clerry?” I interrupt. “Didn’t he say to show me any first evolution stage that I wanted, and I can have any of them?”

  “Well, I’m sure he didn’t mean…” He replies.

  “Why don’t we ask him?” I say as I lead him to the security checkpoint.

  David quickly calls Mr. Clerry. “Sir, regarding the winner…” He began to say but was interrupted by a loud shout through the phone that even I can hear.

  “Don’t interrupt me again! I’m at a critical stage in my experiment. Isn’t it just giving him a first evolution pokemon!? How hard could that be!?” Mr. Clerry shouted before immediately hanging up.

  David looked chastised at first before he got a dark glint in his eye. “Alright, Orick. You heard him, let’s go. There may be some viable pokemon available.” He said to me as he led us to the security checkpoint.

  Since the guards had heard Mr. Clerry through the phone, our clearance was easily granted. We were searched again and I was required to leave the pokeballs of my team behind. I quickly explained to my team before putting them in the required lockbox.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Finally, we were allowed through the metal door and David led me to the water pokemon that were involved in the experiments. It turns out there were only two species of water pokemon that were involved in the experiments run by this laboratory, squirtle and totodile.

  David explained that they are trying to breed a second type into both species. For squirtle they are trying to make it gain a steel type in its final evolution of blastoise so that it would be water/steel. To promote this, blastoise were bred with empoleon and reared in environments full of steel type energy. Due to the nature of this experiment, the newly bred squirtles need to be trained into blastoise before any potential results would be seen. There were a few promising squirtle in the first batch, but they were quickly absconded to a different facility for training.

  Similarly, for totodile they are trying to introduce a dark typing to the final evolution of feraligatr. To achieve this they are breeding feraligatr with greninja, but they also have a group of feraligatr breeding with krookodile, as ground/dark type. Apparently, this was a controversial decision but eventually was passed through for a trial phase with a small group.

  “...the theory was that their shared crocodilian nature would promote the passing down of traits. Well, we’ve arrived at the enclosure for the feraligatr/krookodile pairing. Their eggs are supposed to be hatching any day now.” David said as he swiped his ID card to open the door.

  The inside was like a dark, cool cave that gave me goosebumps as I entered. I assume that was because of the prevalent dark type energy permeating the area. As we walked a bit further in I was able to make out a fenced area with a man in a lab coat exuberantly shuffling around a group of small pokemon.

  “Saul! So, have the totodile hatched?” David called out.

  “Yes, yes. It’s so exciting.” Replied Saul as he continued to document the totodile around him. There were nine totodile scampering around the researcher as he took measurements and collected data using some high tech handheld device.

  David and I stood at a respectable distance and let the man work. After 15 min, Saul made his way over to us, closing the fence gate as he left.

  “This is amazing, three of the totodile show a proclivity to dark type energy! Five exhibit normal signs, but the last one is the most interesting as it exhibits a proclivity to ground type energy!” Gushed Saul. “Of course this data is meaningless unless one of their evolutions actually changes their type. They are all still water type…for now.”

  “Well, maybe I can help you with that. You see, Mr. Clerry gave me the all clear to adopt any first evolution pokemon in the facility and if I were to adopt a totodile they would be able to evolve faster, giving you quicker results.” I say, trying to smooth over the adoption process.

  Though I tacitly had Mr. Clerry’s approval, if he found out I was adopting an experimental subject I’m sure he would object. So, I hoped to quickly adopt a totodile to avoid any complications.

  Feraligatr were a favourite pokemon of mine when I was younger, but as more and more pokemon came out I guess I forgot about the ferocity of feraligatr. In Gen 2 my feraligatr carried me through the game. With a potential secondary typing, feraligatr should become even more beastly.

  Saul looked over to David who nodded his head. Seeing this, Saul said, “Well, in that case why don’t you look over my notes and assess the totodile. But you have to sign an agreement that allows us to research them when they evolve.”

  I hurriedly nodded my head and took his notes. I quickly read through them, paying the most attention to their type energy readings. Then I began to examine the totodile in the fenced area. They were all prime specimens of their species, but I could see that some of them looked different. They all had the usual blue base but there were three grouped together playing that were a little skinnier and wiry looking that had black bellies and back ridges instead of the usual cream and red. There were five that looked like normal totodile, albeit very robust for their species.

  But the last one was a real chonky boy, easily dwarfing the others which were all rather large. He had a dark red belly and back ridges that had a black stripe going through them horizontally similar to krookodile. He was in a corner by himself where he had dug a burrow and was in the process of expanding it. I could see the ease with which he used ground type energy.

  I pointed at the chonky boy, “I would like to meet him to see if he would like to join my team.” I told Saul and David.

  They acquiesced and I was let through the gate. I made my way up to the totodile with black stripes and started my speech. I waxed poetically about how we would grow stronger together and take on the world. After five minutes of my impassioned speech, the totodile just looked at me blankly.

  Then I took out a berry and he glomped my hand happily, refusing to let go. That was how I met Mongo.