"And here is the lad himself now."
Ranma barely caught the tail-end of the conversation. Most of his attention was on the woman Officer Kuno was addressing. Auburn hair twirled into a bun. Glasses perched on her nose. Heavy-duty labcoat over a modest skirt and blouse. Despite the trappings of academia, there was no mistaking it. That was his mother standing there.
"Ma-" gasped the young man.
"Hello, there, young man. I'm Professor Gohan," said the woman who bore a remarkable resemblance to Nodoka Saotome as she smiled at him. "Officer Kuno here was explaining to me that you were interested in getting a job as one of my assistants. Hmmm. Yes, I think I can fit you in." She even had the same facial expressions though there was something a little off about it.
"Ma-" Ranma continued to mumble, unable to complete the word.
"Well. Thank you, Officer Kuno, for bringing this young man. I'll take it from here," said the Professor as she gently led the officer back to the entranceway. Offers of further assistance were disregarded politely but firmly. She then grabbed the stunned Trainer by the hand and dragged him into a nearby office. Locking the door behind her, she turned towards her prospective employee.
"Hmmm," contemplated the Professor as she placed one hand on her hip. She eyed the scruffy-looking Trainer in front of her. She circled him a couple of times, examining him from all angles. Then she walked up to him, dropped down to her knees in front of him, and started feeling his thighs.
"Yeeeek!" yelled Ranma, startled and now clinging to the ceiling. And it was a manly yell, too, because it couldn't have been a girly yelp. No, of course not. "What are you doing?"
"Come back down here, young man. How am I supposed to check to see how strong you are if you're all the way up there?" admonished the Professor. She remained kneeling on the floor. Excitable lad. Firm leg muscles though. But what about the rest? Definitely have to investigate.
"Do I have to?" asked Ranma plaintively.
"Yes, you do," replied the familiar yet unfamiliar woman while frowning. "I have to know whether or not you have what it takes to do the work I need done. Now hurry up."
Got what it takes? Of course he did! Ranma let the grip of his hands go. He then let go of the pipes his legs were wrapped around as his upper body swung downwards. A quick somersault or two during his descent, Ranma landed back on his feet in front of the woman.
"Now where were we?" mused the Professor. "Oh, yes. The physical examination." There was that smile again on her face.
Ranma glanced nervously down at the woman in front of him. She was making him uneasy. Just like his mother used to, except in a different way.
"Mmmm. Well-developed abdominals- Stopped squirming! You're just making the exam take longer! There, that's better! Now flex your arm. Good, good. Now how about here? Oh, stop yelping! It's not very manly!"
After what seemed hours yet were probably minutes of embarassing poking and prodding and squeezing, Professor Gohan had pronounced him a very healthy young man she was proud to have working under her. The way she said it worried him for some reason.
In any case, he was assigned to help out in the Paddocks, where herd Pokemon roamed free. The ones in charge there were two young men who were very familiar to Ranma. They even had the same names as the people he knew: Hiroshi and Daisuke.
Each day, early in the morning and late in the afternoon, before the three of them headed out into the range to bring the Pokemon their meal and nutritional supplements, it was his responsibility as the new guy to load up the feed into the truck. Each day, it was also his responsibility to milk the half-dozen Miltanks kept in a barn after he had demonstrated a knack of coaxing the most milk from them. It was also his responsibility to keep the barn clean. The only thing he wasn't allowed to help out in was in the stables where expectant mothers were kept with their eggs. The other two were the ones that personally handled the feeding and the grooming of the new mothers and their babies. The Pokemon didn't trust him yet, but that would soon change.
During the rest of the day, during his breaks, Ranma visited the other areas of the research compound that was Pallet Town. He would stop by to talk briefly with the laborers who worked in the fields and fruit orchards and maybe mooch something to eat. He would run along the Beach sometimes, staying well clear of the sea water, to watch as Trainers cavorted in the water with their charges. Occasionally, he would go inside the Tropical Greenhouse or go underground in the Rock Cavern. And everywhere he went, he met people who were just like the ones he had left behind in Nerima.
It was weird yet comforting at the same time to the would-be Trainer. Now if he could just get his not-his-mother to stop creeping him out!
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(Posted Fri, 06 Feb 2004 09:17)
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