Pokémon: Amber [IC]

[Mundeo]

OOC


"Greetings, everyone! Welcome to the world of Pokémon!"

The crowds gave a cacophonous roar. The wide street was filled with people of all ages, but the majority were young trainers-to-be, all filled to the brim with excitement. Surrounding them were towering skyscrapers, all glimmering under the bright sun as they watched from above. At the end of the square was a stage with one microphone, and one man. Everyone was here to see the Professor.

And when the man of the hour stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted into cheer. This man was none other than Professor Leandro Açai, the leading pokémon researcher of the region. He was quite young for a professor, in his mid thirties at most; with tan skin; dark, well-kept hair; and a handsome face. Unlike another proffesor from a similarly tropical region, Açai was somewhat dressed for the job, sporting a white lab coat over beige pants and a blue, yellow, and green checkered shirt. Everyone was so anxious to hear what the professor has to say - all except one.

At the edge of the crowd stood one young, brooding teen with his arms crossed. He responded to the boundless energy of the event with a sigh. He did not want to be here. He could be doing better things, like training, or anything that isn't standing here under the blistering summer sun. It isn't his fault for wearing mostly black. Why was he here? Because his father, Mr. Altorre City Gym Leader himself, wanted him to. "We will go to Leandro's event" His father told him. "We should be there to welcome the new trainers to their adventure!"

Trainers. The thought made him want to laugh. They weren't trainers, they were just a bunch of little kids who didn't have the ambition or will to get a pokémon themselves, and were relying on the good professor to hand one over to them. They were naïve and weak. It wouldn't even be fun to battle any of them, it would barely be a battle at all.

But this gloomy child's feelings did not subtract from the uproar of the rest of the corridor. When Professor Açai began to speak again, the crowd hushed in anticipation.

"My name is Leandro Açai, but you all may also know me as the pokémon professor. I conduct research so that we may learn more about the pokémon that live around us. We live together, play together, work together, and sometimes, we battle together. That is why you are all here today. We are here today, standing in the center of Altorre City, the new, shining heart of the Maderia League!"

The whole crowd erupted into deafening cheer once more. The professor had to wait for the noise to quiet down before he continued. "You, hopefull trainers of the future, are here to begin your pokémon journey, and I am here to help you begin that journey!"

Açai motioned to the screen behind him, and three items appeared on it: a backpack, a pile of five pokéballs, and a pokédex. "These are vital to a trainer who hopes to take on the newly formed Maderia League, and one day become the Champion. Our newest model of the pokédex can not only be used to record and find information on pokémon, but it can be used as a map, communications, and so much more! All of the tools you need to become a pokémon master are now at the palm of your hand! But most importantly..."

The images on the screen were all replaced by a single pokéball. "If you want to become the Champion, you need a companion! That it is why today, I will be giving each and every one of you your very own starter pokémon!"

The uproar grew to even greater heights. At the same time, attendants at the edges of the crowd began to organize the massive crowd into a single line. "Alright, everyone! Form a line!" The professor's voice mixed with murmers of excitements as the future trainers organized themselves. Among the line that snaked around the street were Alexander Lyakhov and Adam Neach.

[Petrovskia]

((Ill post something soon just post to tag this post

[Skylus]

Adam Neach

Adam Neach was one of many standing in line. He had come all the way from the town of Novela, not only to become a Trainer, but to begin a search for his father, who had disappeared from his life around 9 years ago.
The 16 year old was currently wearing a blue ti-shirt and ragged blue jeans, along with a pair of scuffed up while tennis shoes. He actual appearance concluded of blue eyes, messy brown hair, and a few stray freckles dotting his face.

Adam shifted his feet a bit and looked around.
Far in front of him was a line of younger kids, squabbling among-st themselves and acting as if they were wild Pokémon.
He supposed there was a reason he had waited this long until to become a trainer, after all, he was much more mature now than he had been at twelve.
There was someone behind him, a kid that seemed to be around 16, the same age as him.

Adam figured he'd make a few allies while he was here waiting in line.
So Neach turned around and held out his hand to the guy.
"Hello. I'm Adam Neach, native to Novela Town. And you are...?"

[Kita-Hinode]

Lucas Monteiro
Among the many on the line, one was Lucas Monteiro, notable for his fashionable scarf, the golden haircut and his choice of whistling and singing, to the rhythm of Don't Worry, Be Happy that he was getting things for free. He did a small dance, twisting his body every once in a while, walking with a skip and a hop whenever he could walk. Jain, his loaned Vulpix, grumbled. She wasn't very happy that her new trainer acted like this in public.

[The Frozen Forest]

Alexander hadn't scrambled into line, though it would be hard to say he wasn't at least a little bit excited. It had taken a lot to convince his family to allow him to become a Pokemon Trainer, and to get his very first Pokemon here at this very event. If he were younger he would have certainly been among the young ones who pushed and shoved and skipped one another just to get their pokemon a tiny bit faster. He guessed that it would be random? Or perhaps a randomized assortment of Pokeballs? Certainly the professor wasn't following the same ritual Alexanders grandfather had told him about, in letting the trainer choose between a set of three Pokemon. No that was ludicrous, there were far too many people. People were still giving him odd looks here and there, certainly because of the heavy winter jacket he was wearing despite the heat. He was sure that a few were concerned about it, but what they didn't know is that it was insulated and cool on the inside. It had that effect, it tended to hold heat in the cold and disperse it in the hot sun. Not that he liked sun anymore because it bothered him less. He was a Cold-sort of person.

There was a hand extended to him suddenly, he leaned back in momentary surprise. The brown-headed boy ahead of him had turned and introduced himself as Adam Neach, a native of Novela town. He was still excited about the prospect of getting his first Pokemon, the smile on his lips was quite real as he shook Adams hand. "Alexander Lyakhov of Nataluz City-Well, actually a bit outside of Nataluz City. Novela town huh? Thats pretty far off, but i knew a few relatives who lived there when they were younger. Are you excited to become a trainer?"

[Skylus]

Alexander hadn't scrambled into line, though it would be hard to say he wasn't at least a little bit excited. It had taken a lot to convince his family to allow him to become a Pokemon Trainer, and to get his very first Pokemon here at this very event. If he were younger he would have certainly been among the young ones who pushed and shoved and skipped one another just to get their pokemon a tiny bit faster. He guessed that it would be random? Or perhaps a randomized assortment of Pokeballs? Certainly the professor wasn't following the same ritual Alexanders grandfather had told him about, in letting the trainer choose between a set of three Pokemon. No that was ludicrous, there were far too many people. People were still giving him odd looks here and there, certainly because of the heavy winter jacket he was wearing despite the heat. He was sure that a few were concerned about it, but what they didn't know is that it was insulated and cool on the inside. It had that effect, it tended to hold heat in the cold and disperse it in the hot sun. Not that he liked sun anymore because it bothered him less. He was a Cold-sort of person.

There was a hand extended to him suddenly, he leaned back in momentary surprise. The brown-headed boy ahead of him had turned and introduced himself as Adam Neach, a native of Novela town. He was still excited about the prospect of getting his first Pokemon, the smile on his lips was quite real as he shook Adams hand. "Alexander Lyakhov of Nataluz City-Well, actually a bit outside of Nataluz City. Novela town huh? Thats pretty far off, but i knew a few relatives who lived there when they were younger. Are you excited to become a trainer?"

Adam grinned and nodded.
"Of course! Who isn't excited to become a Trainer?"
He looked up into the sky for a second.
"My grandfather was a Trainer. I think he was famous....You ever heard of a name "Daniel Neach"? That was him. He went off into the forest one day on a journey with his team and never returned. No one know what happened to his team, but I intend to find them. Maybe take one up as my own, bring the rest back to my mother, I haven't decided yet..."
He trailed off and shook his head.
"Sorry about that, anyway, what Starter do you want to have?"

[Jovuistan]

Percy Corbyn

In the midst of the crowd stood a young boy, around 12 or so, looking on with a small, sly smile. Donning a black jacket with a black button-up underneath, along with a gray Fedora, Percy Corbyn was there to begin his journey to become the Champion of the new Maderia League, and grow his family name into the most powerful in the region. Over his shoulder was his Pokemon; a Rockruff by the name of Olivia. She watched the professor give his speech with much excitement, looking with a large grin on her face.

Then, the process began. Percy already had his Pokemon in Olivia, but he still needed a Pokedex in order to be able to properly become a Trainer. Getting in the line in front of him, he waited, somewhat impatiently, for his turn with the Professor. He sighed, partially out of boredom, but also knowing the tremendous responsibility he was about to take up.

He made a promise to his family, and he knew he'd have to work hard to fulfill it. Percy remembered just what he had discussed with his parents before he was sent off. They told him to "come back with the trophy" as they put it. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself down. No, he wasn't going to fail at this. No matter what the odds would be, Percy would not stop until he succeeded at his goal; just as he was taught from a young age.

For now, though, there wasn't anything to do outside of the long line, so he had to do something to pass the time. He could talk to someone next to him, maybe. That's what Percy decided upon, and he turned his attention to the person in front of him to see if they were worth his time. The first thing he noticed about the older teenage boy was how they were wearing a scarf in the middle of all the heat. He considered brushing it off, but then he heard whistling, and then saw how the boy was dancing. Percy scoffed lightly to himself, not caring if anyone heard, and tried to turn his attention away.

He now shifted to two other boys talking to each other. Percy decided that it'd be better for him to talk to them, rather than have to deal with the person behind him. He waited a moment to get a feel for them, before he heard one of them mention being the grandson of Daniel Neach himself. That was when they had his complete interest.

He stepped up a bit closer to the two, before he got his opportunity to interject, "You're really the grandson of Daniel Neach?" He looked on, almost in a skeptical way, "That's not something I expected to hear from anyone here today." His appearance softened up a little at that, and he actually smiled a little bit, "Name's Percy Corbyn, and I'm kind of in a similar boat, not in the vein of famous Trainers or anything, but my parents are among the most renowned families in the region."

[The Frozen Forest]

Alexander returned the smile, thinking about his parents they never wanted to be trainers... His eyes widened in surprise as Daniel Neach was revealed to be the grandfather of the boy in front of him. Perhaps he should have made that connection but he hadn't, he had in fact heard of the man. There was a report of him that Alexander had done for a school project, the circumstances around his disappearance were curious. "I've heard of your grandfather actually, he was an admirable trainer." He offered it in a sort of consoling way, but perhaps it didn't come off as intended. When he was asked what starter he was hoping to get, he shook his head. "I dunno what starters are going to be there. I'm just hoping its not a bug type...What about you?"

[Skylus]

Alexander returned the smile, thinking about his parents they never wanted to be trainers... His eyes widened in surprise as Daniel Neach was revealed to be the grandfather of the boy in front of him. Perhaps he should have made that connection but he hadn't, he had in fact heard of the man. There was a report of him that Alexander had done for a school project, the circumstances around his disappearance were curious. "I've heard of your grandfather actually, he was an admirable trainer." He offered it in a sort of consoling way, but perhaps it didn't come off as intended. When he was asked what starter he was hoping to get, he shook his head. "I dunno what starters are going to be there. I'm just hoping its not a bug type...What about you?"

Adam thought about this.
"I...I'm not sure, for one, I don't even know what the Starters are...I guess....a Fire-Type?"
He knew that one of his grandfather's Pokémon had been a Fire-Physic Type, a Delphox. But I don't know where she is or if she's even still alive...."

Percy Corbyn

He now shifted to two other boys talking to each other. Percy decided that it'd be better for him to talk to them, rather than have to deal with the person behind him. He waited a moment to get a feel for them, before he heard one of them mention being the grandson of Daniel Neach himself. That was when they had his complete interest.

He stepped up a bit closer to the two, before he got his opportunity to interject, "You're really the grandson of Daniel Neach?" He looked on, almost in a skeptical way, "That's not something I expected to hear from anyone here today." His appearance softened up a little at that, and he actually smiled a little bit, "Name's Percy Corbyn, and I'm kind of in a similar boat, not in the vein of famous Trainers or anything, but my parents are among the most renowned families in the region."

Adam turned to face the younger kid.
"Yeah. I'm really his grandson. Your name's Percy?"
He once again held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you. I've heard of your parents, too."

[New Roman Empire]

Serana Mysten

Earlier this morning

The room was filled with steam as she sat in the tub, she was submerged almost to her nose with her knees protruding from the water. Might as well enjoy it while I can! Who knows the next time ill be able to have a bath in my own bathroom but, man I'm looking forward to this and the day is finally here the announcement. She smiled at the thought her journey was going to start today. "Serana don't fall asleep in there, you might not wake up in time," a voice from the other side of the door chuckled. She rolled her eyes and laid her head back looking up at the ceiling. She had been in the tub for at least an hour but, it felt much longer than that.

After a little while longer, she stood up, drained the plug and started to dry herself off. Her hair that had been put up as much as possible was now down and wet, she walked over to the mirror. Maybe I should consider getting a haircut, my hair might be a bit too long for a journey. She turned to the side and her hair reached the small of her back. Oh well, I can always leave my hair be and if I need to. She started to wrap her hair in a towel and change before she headed downstairs.
Her parents were already sitting at the table and Munch was sitting in a corner eating a small pile of apples, she smiled at the sight of that.

Present

She stood there with excitement at the professor spoke, she couldn't believe the time had finally come. The announcement was as big as she thought it was going to be. People from all over the region had come to see it and she was sure they were not disappointed. She put most of her hair into a ponytail and had a red hairband which caused several hairs to stand up. She had a white tank top on with a vest over that mainly grey with red accents, she put on the gloves her mother had given her this morning. They went to a little above the wrist and were fingerless. She had yellowish-gold shorts and black knee high socks and boots. She was surprised at the amount of people this place could hold.

Once the professor had started to speak, she grew even more excited than she had when she arrived. She knew her parents were watching somewhere as well. Her dad hadn't been 100% on board for this but, he knew she wasn't going to change her mind. Luckily for me and no doubt I'm the only one who already has a pokemon. So all I need to do now is just get the other items then I can finally start my journey! A huge grin crept on her face as the professor spoke of the items and explained the capabilities of the new pokedex.

Once the professor had concluded his speech everyone started to get into lives several people rushed to the front as soon as they could. Serana just shook her head and smiled as she saw a group of several people talking near her. She walked closer as she heard the name Daniel Neach, she looked shocked for a moment. She had heard that name before, it was some missing person and a very well known person at that. Once she got the group she spoke," Did someone say Daniel Neach? Isnt he the trainer that went missing some time ago?" She asked shyly as she joined the group attemtping to get into the conversation.

[Skylus]

Adam Neach

Adam glanced at the girl before him.
"Yeah. I'm Adam Neach."
He held out a hand.
"Nice to meet you."
Adam noticed the Munchlax that was near the girl and his eyes widened.
"You already have a Pokémon?"

[Ormata]

Elise Houghton
Altorre City

"My name is Leandro Açai, but you all may also know me as the pokémon professor. I conduct research so that we may learn more about the pokémon that live around us. We live together, play together, work together, and sometimes, we battle together. That is why you are all here today. We are here today, standing in the center of Altorre City, the new, shining heart of the Maderia League!"

The whole crowd erupted into deafening cheer once more. The professor had to wait for the noise to quiet down before he continued. "You, hopefull trainers of the future, are here to begin your pokémon journey, and I am here to help you begin that journey!"

Açai motioned to the screen behind him, and three items appeared on it: a backpack, a pile of five pokéballs, and a pokédex. "These are vital to a trainer who hopes to take on the newly formed Maderia League, and one day become the Champion. Our newest model of the pokédex can not only be used to record and find information on pokémon, but it can be used as a map, communications, and so much more! All of the tools you need to become a pokémon master are now at the palm of your hand! But most importantly..."

The images on the screen were all replaced by a single pokéball. "If you want to become the Champion, you need a companion! That it is why today, I will be giving each and every one of you your very own starter pokémon!"

The uproar grew to even greater heights. At the same time, attendants at the edges of the crowd began to organize the massive crowd into a single line. "Alright, everyone! Form a line!"

The man made his speech; of course he called himself “The Pokemon Professor”. It was the same title used by nearly every other regional expert that just didn’t feel like doing fieldwork and instead hired hordes and legions of little oompa-loompas to do the dangerous stuff for them. Honestly, running after stuff that emits fire? Yeah, that’s something a ten year old needs to be doing. Catching a little guy who’s scared and can freeze everything around him? Amazingly safe. Elies snorted, city on her bike as she was and listening to the whole thing. He was talking on trainers, on taking on the new League that was in town, on how amazing the Pokedex was and how the tools were all there.

He talked about needed a companion.

Elise leaned down just a bit; her jacket was damnably hot, yeah, but on the better sides a little bundle was there, tucked into it between her and the thing, lil Red just cuddled up there. He’d fallen asleep on the ride, something she found remarkable considering how twitchy the little guy had been when she first found him. Elise could feel him against her, that steady breathing and snot bubble at the nose, looked down and could see how at peace he was. The fox even see a pair of earbuds, specially made because holy jesus the heat, tucked into the fluff, playing some music or another. Yeah, the professor talked about needing a companion, about how he was giving them away to the new boys and girls. In a way it was sick and annoying, sure, though Elise could tell that most would be getting the love and attention that they deserved. Some, though...some would be the little bastards who couldn’t give a fuck, who wanted to make some other goal and looked at a Pokemon like a tool. Pricks.

The crowds roared and Elise was most certainly glad that the buds were there. She couldn’t imagine how god-awful panicked and scared the little guy would be if he woke-up to a mass of people just screaming and yelling, to the mass being like a wave before him. It’d be a helluva thing to wake up to, especially for just a random normal person. You’d wake up and just be assaulted in the ears and frankly the smell was such that it was annoying. A lot of the kids were young bastards, likely the first time they’d been away from home, and it wasn’t particularly cold outside. Just warm enough to work up a sweat. She sighed, began riding her bike down the street and following the snaking line.

The bike was noiseless, a little electric motor powering the sky-blue piece along, and all Elise could hear was the flutter of her clothes, the talk of the people beside her as they flew past. She was going a decent speed, after all, good enough speed right up until the lady felt a knife against her wrist, a knife with a thousand dull edges all underneath the skin, digging away and away with no entrance to announce themselves to the world. Elise really would have loved to hold it back, but by all the things that were important those knives were really painful.

“FUCK!”

She yelled-out as the bike lost balance, as she lost balance, tumbling off onto the street and rolling once. Red woke-up with a start, a little yell, Elise’s hands wrapped around the little precious bundle even as the bike slowed-down due to no-one pressing the pedal and careened into a bench on the side of the road. Her eyes were squeezed shut, mouth and jaw set, and her knuckles were white.

[Skylus]

Adam heard someone curse really loudly close by and he turned, only to see a teenage girl lying there face-up with with a Fennekin nestled between herself and her jacket, his head poking-out by the zipper. Her hands were wrapped around him on the outside. A bike was resting just before a nearby bench.
He looked back at the group that was close by,
"I'm going to go help. I'll be back in bit."
and then took off across the lawn over to the girl.

When he reached her, he started to move the bike but then noticed a small creature staring at him, a young Fennekin who had a notch in its left ear.
After a few seconds, the creature started to act aggressive, as if it was protecting the girl.
"Easy....easy....I'm just moving the bike..."
Very slowly, Adam grabbed the bike's seat and handlebars, then started to move it backwards, eventually leaning it against a tree, and then he walked back over to the girl.
Making sure the Fennekin was too far away to do anything to him (around a foot away), he got down on one knee and asked "Are you okay?"

Her eyes opened slowly, seeing the kid up above her, before speaking very slowly, words parsed between tight inhales and exhales. The teenager was quite clearly in a bit of pain, not at all needing some sort of professional to diagnose that, and she breathed just the same. Her chest rose with a strange rhythm, slow yet always with sharp exhales and inhales as though holding onto things. A tight little smile reached the corners of her mouth, the pain still underneath the skin about her hand.

"Yeah...sure. Doing just...peachy. It's okay...Red, it's all....fine." The girl's hand, her left, patted against the little fox in her care; he didn't seem to be the worse for wear at all, considering the fact that he'd been awaken so abruptly, and despite that the little guy still started at the boy above them. A growl started in his throat, a warning for any who had a modicum of common sense, and yet she didn't really regard that. "Hush it," came the little little command, and her left hand extended upwards, outstretched, palm and burn scars all visible to him. "Lend a hand?"

While a bit late, the blond boy with the fashionable scarf walked up to the two, not certain if he was doing the right thing, the love of being given free things clearly keeping him from helping out earlier. He rose an eyebrow, somewhat confused with the scene. “Uh… You OK there, miss? I’d come to help earlier, but y’know, free stuff.”

“Glad to see that compassion is alive still,” came that tight-lipped response from the prone lady, a bit more venomous than probably had been intended, yet all the same she was most certainly not happy with the fact that people wanted free stuff more than helping her up. It would’ve been better, in her mind, if they had simply just not said anything to begin with, but stating it? Bastard was the word that came to her mind.

Lucas shrugged, a large, cheeky smile coming from his face. “Well, you know. I’m not exactly bleeding money here.” He then looked up at the boy. “You’re gonna help the miss or not? C’mon, be romantic, fella.”

Adam glanced at the new kid for a second, grabbed the girl’s hand, and in one swift motion, pulled her to her feet, leaning back as “Red” snapped at him. ”Not really friendly, is he?”
Adam then glared at the 16 year old. “In no way is this romantic.” After making sure the girl was alright, he asked her where she was from. Adam asked the same question to the scarf guy.

“Prick,” came the muttered, half-groggy response from Elise to the other kid, the one who said ‘be romantic’. She had half a mind to punch the twit, all things considered. That wasn’t precisely the best idea, though, considering the fact that there was so many people nearby and the fact that one of her hands already hurt. She still needed to ride the bike and hurting both hands? That would make everything not very fun at all, especially since she estimated that Red would need some love and care later on.

The fox snapped at the kid, a little snip at him that was half-hearted. Didn’t know what the kid was doing, after all, and as such Elise twisted her body’s angle just enough to make sure that he couldn’t reach the boy. Not very friendly? That wasn’t wrong. Red just didn’t like people because people really didn’t like him for a good bit of life. Just needed time, she told herself, just needed time. Just needed to warm up to some people and to be healed. “You’re just...not a friend to him. All...all good.” Elise took a few more breaths to make sure that everything was in fact all right, pausing herself and catching her breath. The pain started to fade away from her hand and as such, she rummaged around in a pocket. After a mere moment, Elise found and produced a little clear case, opening it with a twist and popping-out two little capsules before throwing them into her mouth. A moment later, she replied, “Just from a place. Patagol City.”

Lucas realized that he was at fault, to some extent, to these two fellow newbies. Not the finest moment for one former soccer prospect to take. “My bad if it sounded a bit rude… It’s just… Money’s a bit tight at home.” After briefly frowning from the thoughts of home and… well, the accident, he decided to once again flash his pearly whites as he mentioned his home. “Well, well… I’m from Festaía, the beautiful city, home of the…” He once again went somber, remembering of his and his brothers’ former team. “Uh… home of the Monteiros. Yeah. That.”

Adam nodded. “I’m from Novela Town. I’m assuming you both have heard of Daniel Neach? He was my grandfather. Not only am I here to become a trainer, I’m also wanting to go off and look for his Pokemon. I think it’d be more easier if I had some help…”

“Who? What?” Elise hadn’t heard of the ‘Monteiros’, nor of Daniel Neach. Doubtless she’d learned about one of those things at school, but in her mind there were some things that school taught that were simply useless. Presumably, with the way the kid said it, he’d been a trainer. Trainers and learning about them in history had been something the young lady had dumped out of her mind rather rapidly; it didn’t help her to raise the kids in the family, didn’t help her to relax Red whenever he felt like exploding or fighting, didn’t help her with the bullies. It’d been pretty damn useless in her opinion. She frowned at it; he wanted to look for his Pokemon? Odd. Man wasn’t around then, probably. Elise thought on it briefly before patting Red through the fabric, walking over to her bike that was now propped against a tree.

“Thanks for the help, anyways.”

Adam walked over to Lucas. “You play Soccer?” He turned back towards Elise. You’re welcome.”

Lucas chose not to reply to her lack of knowledge of the Monteiros, his family. Instead, he replied to Adam. “Yeah. Used to, at least… I was apparently pretty good but things didn’t exactly… well, work out. So I’m giving training a shot. I even got a Pokémon from a friend of mine. Name’s Lucas, by the way. Lucas Monteiro. And count me in, I’ll help out.”

Adam nodded again. “Name’s Adam, Adam Neach. And thanks."
Adam than heard his name get called from the stage.
“....Well….This is it.” He shook Lucas’s hand. “Good luck, and thanks again”, and then began the long walk to the stage.

[Mundeo]

Altorre City, Monument Avenue

With every child that came up to him, Açai would greet them with a smile, hand them a pokéball out of a large container full of them, and waved them off with a "Your pokémon adventure begins now!"

This went on for quite some time until it was finally Adam's turn to step onto the stage. When he came up to the stage, the Professor smiled. He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself. For a moment, he seemed not like a professor, but a close friend.

And as if he knew that Adam was going to approach him at that time, and that place, long before the event even started, he said, "I've been waiting for someone like you. There's just something about you, and I just can't put my finger on it..." The Professor then had a realization. "Oh, right! I thought I had remembered that face from somewhere. Your Daniel Neach's grandson, aren't you?"

Adam nodded. “Yes sir.”

The Professor continued, "I've met him a few times in my early days of research, when I was stationed in the Selverde Rainforest. He was a spectacular trainer, and I assume that is what you wish to become?"

Adam nodded. “Of course. I’ve read his journal, I know about his team and how powerful they were.”

"He certainly was powerful. I figured that you would have come here today, hoping to follow in your granpap's footsteps. And I was planning on giving you this" Açai reached into his labcoat and produced a pokéball, extending it to Adam. “I found this guy a little while back in the rainforest. He was all alone and injured, so I took him in and cared for him. He’s a Turtwig, and he’s quite the energetic little guy, and I promised that I’d show him the whole region. Will you do that for me? Will you show him the Maderia Region?”

Adam almost stopped breathing for a second and slowly took the shiny white and red Pokeball from Açai.
“I will,” he said firmly, smiling. “I’ll do ask you ask, Professor, thank you.”
He looked down at the ball in his hand, then back up.
“...Do you mind if I release him here?”

“Of course not!” The Professor answered with a hearty chuckle. “I’ll go get the rest of your things while you two get acquainted with each other.”

Adam nodded and then looked down at the Pokeball again. “Okay buddy, time for us to meet.” He then tossed the ball into the air and it opened upon landing on the stage with a bright flash of light. When the light cleared, a young turtle like creature was standing before Adam. The creature had a plant on his head complete with Adam thought was soil, a yellow beak, yellow eyes, green body, a light and dark brown shell and yellow colored feet. The young creature yawned and then walked over to Adam and chirped. Adam sat down on the stage and allowed the Turtwig and sniff his outstretched hand. The Grass Pokemon then leapt into Adam’s arms and chirped again.

“Hi.”

The Turtwig chirped again and nodded his head.

“You can understand me?”

The creature nodded twice.

Adam thought about this for a second.

“I bet you’d like a name, huh?”

Adam thought long and hard about what name to give to the Turtwig, a Pokemon’s name had to be a good fit. Finally, he thought of one.
“....Atlas.”

‘Atlas’ nodded frantically as he started chirping from how happy he was.

Then the small Pokemon looked up for some reason and so did Adam.

“Here you go” The Professor said, now holding a backpack in his hand. “This has everything else you’ll need, including your new Pokédex.”

Adam got up from the stage and accepted everything. “Thanks, Professor.”

Professor Açai waved as Adam made his way off the stage. “Good luck! Your pokémon adventure begins now!”

Once Adam walked off the stage with Atlas in his arms, it was Alexander's turn. The professor met the boy with an equally warming smile. "Not a fan of the heat, are you?" The Professor said. "Trust me, it gets cooler the further south you go. So, what do you say? You think you have what it takes to be a pokémon master?”

Alexander watched Adam receive his Turtwig, the whole ordeal being just as informal as he’d expected. A grass type pokemon, he’d never seen a Turtwig before except for on the occasional advertisement or on TV. Suddenly it was his turn to receive a partner, a bit of nervousness bubbled in his stomach but was dissipated when the professor made a joke about the heat. The fact that he was wearing a huge winter coat suddenly much more amusing to himself. “I’m looking forwards to it. The heat was never my friend.” He glanced at the trainers behind him, a few seemed somewhat impatient.

“I’m ready to begin my journey, no matter what obstacles await.” His tone of voice and false bravado hopefully masked the tinge of nervousness. He knew that he wanted to be here, no one could change that. Please don’t let my partner be a bug type…

“I had no doubts that you can take on whatever obstacles that may stand in your way!” The Professor said with a nod. He first handed Alexander a backpack, pokéballs and Pokédex included. He then reached into the crate of pokéballs behind him. “If I’m correct, this one should be an Oshawott. I found him by the Selverde River one day, abandoned, I believed. I was hoping I can give him a better life. Can you do that for me?”

There he was, with his arm outstretched to Alexander, the pokéball glistening in his hand.

Then, out of nowhere, a hyper beam cut through the intense excitement and struck the screen.

Without a word, Açai pushed Alexander away as the screen and the metal frame that held it came crashing down. Smoke covered the stage as gasps and shouts of shock burst out from the crowd. Alexander's vision was shrouded as he got back to his feet, but he can hear the sounds of scared trainers and someone pushed through them.

"Outta my way, ya little brats! I'm comin' through!

When the smoke cleared, Alexander would see that there was someone else on the stage. Not just one, but three men, and none of them looked like they were here to enjoy the festivities. And they weren't alone - many angry-looking figures emerged from the crowd. Two of the three on the stage looked like regular Altorre citizens, but the one who had just climbed onto the stage looked like he just crawled out of the slums. He had ripped jeans, a fading leather jacket, and a beanie.

"A'right, boys. Take the stash" The tattered man ordered, the other two jumped into action, grabbing onto the box of pokéballs and started making a getaway. Another two jumped on stage to grab the backpacks. They didn't seem to pay any mind to the boy on the ground, and most of the crowd had already dispersed. The sounds of approaching sirens could be heard in the distance. Alexander would turn around to see the Professor stuck under the screen, struggling to get out. It didn't seem like he was going to be injured, but he was not going to get out at the very moment. The pokéball rested just a few feet away from him, just within his reach. The man didn't seem to notice it yet, but it wasn't going to be long until he did.

[Skylus]

Adam Neach

Adam was walking off the stage with Atlas when he heard an explosion behind and then he was airborne.
Moments later, he found himself lying on his back, surrounded by shattered glass; through his hazy vision, he saw several men leap up onto the stage and start grabbing everything in site.
Then he heard a voice besides him.
"Turtwig."
Something nudged his hand and Adam sat up, blinked, then looked down to his right.
Atlas was sitting next to him, eyes wide.
Moments later, the Pokemon was back inside his Pokeball and Adam slowly rose to his feet and staggered a bit, then looked around.
People were hiding behind whatever they could find, all the younger kids were screaming and crying and carrying on.
He heard someone yell out "Go kick their asses kid!", and realized they were talking to him.
The people on stage hadn't noticed him yet, and Adam wasn't sure if he could even think clearly enough to fight them.
But, if it came down to it, he would.

[Kita-Hinode]

Lucas Monteiro

As soon as he could see anything after the explosion, Lucas rose up from the ground, having been shaken by the sudden event. He failed to look at the boy he had promised aid in his task... focusing instead on the bandits who moved after the bags. His brows lowered. "The free things! I can't let them steal it!" In a fairly awkward move for a trainer-to-be, he took out a small ball, his soccer ball and kicked it towards one of the goons going for the backpacks, aiming it at said goon's head. Should that be successful or not, he took out a Pokéball with the sign of a flame on top. "Alright, Marie, time to get you some exercise."

[Phalnia]

Malcolm Brite
Altorre City

---

Malcolm stood among the crowd in Altorre City. The street had long ago overflown and nearly all the windows over the street were crammed with heads straining to catch a glimpse of the speaker. Malcolm was just as excited as the rest of the crowd. In fact, he was so excited that he hardly slept a wink last night. He had arrived at the designated location of the speech before dawn and had even watched as the crew made final preparations. All that time Malcolm had let Eve wander outside her pokéball. She was curious about nearly everything around her and Malcolm was constantly herding her back. As the crowd gathered and grew larger Malcolm had decided to return Eve to her pokéball. She wasn't particularly shy about large crowds, but Malcolm wanted to make sure she didn't wander too far and get lost in the sea of people.

Malcolm listened as Professor Açai came on stage and began to explain the great adventure the assembled trainers were about to undertake. There were countless expressions among the crowd. Some were in awe, soaking up every word and basking in the excitement of Açai. Others seemed less convinced and seemed to only smile cynically. Malcolm rather liked the professor and his speech. His parents had told him about Açai and his research before, so he was at least familiar with the professor by reputation. And his speech was filled with hope, something Malcolm was convinced the world needed and something he knew he needed.

Then the professor announced the giveaway, everything a trainer needed to get started. Pokéballs, backpack, pokédex, and most importantly, a pokémon companion. Malcolm shifted his shoulders and felt the weight of his own backpack. It wasn't flashy like the one on the large screen, but it was broken in. It fit nicely on Malcolm's back and he had already taken the time to sew the various patches he had collected on to it. Then he placed a hand on his belt. There were three pokéballs on either side of it. One already housing a travelling companion. So Malcolm wouldn't need the pokémon the professor was offering, but some extra balls may come in handy. The pokédex was the big draw for Malcolm. An instant encyclopedia of pokémon knowledge. Malcolm was eager to get his hands on that.

The line had quickly formed for young trainers to get their hands on their Maderia League gear. Malcolm took a place near the rear, he was in no rush, there were sure to be plenty of pokémon and battles even if Malcolm was ten minutes behind the first in line. He took the time to examine the crowd. He spied many young trainers introducing themselves, he even saw a young girl take a sliding tumble from her bike. Malcolm would have helped, but there was already a small crowd forming around her. He would have just been in the way.

As the line continued to dwindle and more and more trainers left with their new pokémon and gear, Malcolm couldn't help but feel excited. That excitement turned to fear as a blast shattered the screen and sent debris and smoke flying. Screams drowned out any other sounds as the crowd began to flee. Malcolm was to stunned to run, only able to cough as dust filled his lungs. Then he noticed them, strangers moving against the tide of the fleeing crowd. Then he saw the group on the stage. They had forced their way up and were now looting the pokéballs meant for the new trainers. Malcolm had heard about these criminal groups, but they had always been so far away, in Kanto or Johto, not here in Maderia.

Before Malcolm realized what was happening he found himself jumping on stage and standing beside another teenager, who was receiving his pokémon when the blast hit. In his right hand Malcolm held Eve's pokéball. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with it, but he knew he had to do something. He looked towards the boy next to him, waiting for him to make the first move.

[Eastfield Lodge]

Lloyd Ninten

The boy from Patagol City wasn't particularly enjoying the Altorre heat. Nor was he enjoying the crowds either as a matter of fact. Yes, today was the official opening of the Madeira League, and the square was full of hundreds of overly-excited youngsters waiting to grab a pokemon for the first time, plus the old fogies like himself (at 15) who were just wanting the new pokedex, but still, he didn't enjoy the crowd. He'd borrowed his older brother's dex for the trip here as a stop-gap - he needed to remember to mail it back as soon as possible. But for now, Lloyd was content sitting at one of the cafes dotted around the square, with a perfect view of the day's events but with much fewer people to bother him. He'd already taken a few pics of the build-up, before the crowds got too bad. There were quite a few people just milling about the square as well, definitely not trainers currently interested in the League.

Lloyd watched as the Professor got on stage and made his speech, taking a couple of pictures for good measure, before watching the crowd form a somewhat orderly line - quite surprising, for a crowd full of kids. Sighing to himself, he casually finished his coffee and motioned to Fluxy, who was currently floating half-asleep next to him, to get moving, and the pair made their way to the back of the line. At which point they were barged out of the way by half a dozen rather angry looking folk exiting the cafe. Lloyd managed to stay of his feet, and was about to shout at them, before an explosion shook the square, and panic ensued. He hid back in the cafe, and watched the thugs close in on the stage as the smoke and the crowd cleared. Making his mind up, Lloyd turned to his partner and said, "Come on Fluxy, I don't wanna miss this!", and the two quickly snuck out of the cafe and into a bush on the edge of the square, with a perfect view of what was seemingly becoming a battlefield, and just behind a couple of the thugs.

[The Frozen Forest]

Alexander reached forwards to receive the Poke-ball. An Oshawott, he let out a sight of relief that it wasn't a bug type. His cousin had gotten the choice of an Oshawott when he first got his Sphe-

E X P L O S I O N

The stage was rocked as a hyper beam shot through the air, destroying the huge black screen beside them. Smoke burst from the new holes and filled the stage with a thick-black tarred air. A hand hit him hard and he was sent backwards into the hard floor of the stage. His heart pummeling in his chest he picked himself off the ground, his breath catching in his throat as the smoke loomed across. There was a horrible scream from the crowd as some people panicked and ran. He quickly began to pick himself off the floor, his focus first on the headache that formed in him. As he stood up he became aware of several men on the stage, none were police or the professor. The one who looked to be the leader screamed something to the others. "Take the stash" they began to take the pokeballs and other supplies, running off with them.

Below him on the floor, the professor was crumpled under the screen. He didn't look as though he were hurt but he did seem to be stuck. He locked eyes for a moment and he gestured to something at Alexanders feet. Looking down he saw the Pokeball, still just as shiny as it had been moments prior. He reached for the ball. It wasn't cold like he expected, but warm and alive in his palm. Oshawott seemed to be burning with energy from within, but he didn't know the situation. He glanced down from the stage to where Adam was, hearing some people calling to them. Suddenly he felt an emotion boil from within. A scowl spread across his face, his body tensed up as he began to understand what was going on around him. The men were a gang, just like all the other gangs he had learned about in books back at home. He didn't recognize them, but it was obvious.

He threw the Pokeball and from it sprang a small blue creature who looked wholly confused as to what was going on. "Osha-Osha?" Alexander still didn't have a plan so he bent down, watching the criminal closely as he spoke to the small creature in a quiet whisper. "Hello...I'm your new trainer and um..look there's a bad person over there stealing Pokemon and i-um, i need your help." Oshawotts eyes went wide as it turned to look at the man. By appearances alone, she seemed to believe Alex. "Oshawotte!" It yelled, moving into an odd fighting stance as he rose to his feet. He wondered if Oshawotte had ever been in a battle before, concernedly. He glanced down at Adam, he couldn't take on all the men on his own.

Suddenly there was another trainer in the crowd, he heard her challenging the men. To his side he became aware of another person, a boy that he hadn't seen before who held a Pokeball of his own. Good, maybe we stand a chance.

[Skylus]

Adam Neach

Not even a second later, he too, was on the stage, standing next to Alex and someone he hadn't met before.
However, those on the stage had seen them.
Adam tossed his Pokeball and Atlas was on the stage a second later, standing in an attack position.
"TURTWIG!!!", cried the Pokemon angrily.
Atlas then spoke to Eve and the Oshawott.
"Hello I'm Atlas. We need to help our friends take care of these bad guys. Will you help me?"

[Avoros]

Ness Cordellia

~5 Minutes before the Stage Invasion

"That's the last of 'em.", a young man spoke, placing two large boxes down on the rugged carpet that engulfed the living room floor. He lifted himself back up, stretching his arms and brushing off dust from his grayish-blue t-shirt. His hair, like his shirt, was a shade of periwinkle, though much darker and grayer. He panned the room around him until his eyes met the television, a machine depicting an event going on about a block or two from his apartment. He chuckled to himself as he saw kid after kid hop up on stage eagerly to grab a Pokemon and start their adventure. He thought to himself, "The poor gym leader here's gonna get swarmed by these guys.". As he continues watching the trainers go up one by one, another figure came through the front door, equipped with a small, white box and a Sylveon by her side. She appeared to be a tad shorter than the boy, about 3 inches or so, but clearly bested him in hair length, as her auburn hair graciously fell down a little beyond her shoulders, even in it's pony tail state. The woman had sported a magenta shirt, softer than any cottonee you could imagine, as well as a pair of blue sweatpants. She walked over into the small kitchenette and placed the box on the counter top, wiping a small strand of sweat from her forehead. She looked down at the Intertwining Pokemon by her side, who cheerfully squeaked back. "Thanks for the help, Pearl." she said, reaching into another box to give her helper a treat. The woman turned to face the boy, whose eyes were still glued to the television. "I'm still surprised you didn't want to go to that, Ness. The professor seems like a pretty charitable guy.". Ness briefly turned back to the figure and faintly smiled. "It's fine, mom. I'm just excited for the league to start here!", he said, creating a smile on his mother's face and a small giggle. "You are so much like your father, Ness, always wanting to battle.", she replied as her smile wore off into a haunting frown. Ness saw the sudden fear in her eyes and was quick to act. "Heh, in a way, I guess. But I promise you, I won't end up like him.". The reassurance brought little comfort to her face, but she was interrupted by a faint vibration in her pocket. She went to pick up it's source, a crimson-colored flip phone, and pressed a green button on the key pad. "Hello? Yes, this is Charlotte...mhm...yeah...really? Ok then, I'll be over there tonight.". She ended the call and suddenly her emotions went positive again. "The Pokemon Boutique down the road wants to see the collection I made for Pearl. I may have a job offer, if everything goes well!", she spoke excitedly. Ness's small grin widened, knowing how hard Charlotte had gone in order to find herself a new job. "Glad to hear that, mom! I bet they'll lo—", he was cut off by the sound of an explosion on the TV. He quickly turned back to find the stage covered in smoke before a trio of faces hopped up on stage. Suddenly, the whole area went into chaos, with young trainers running and screaming while thug-looking characters snatched backpacks and pokeballs where they can, even from the boxes the professor was distributing from. Cordellia's eyes widened as he quickly turned back to his mother, who also stood in shock and confusion. "I can't believe it. After all those run-ins with those people back in Hoenn...". Ness rose up sharply and ran into another room to grab his black and blue hoodie, along with his red bandanna and ash blue fedora. "Prosper! Where are you, little buddy?", he yelled hastily. A loud chirp erupted from behind a couple of boxes, of which Ness removed to let the wingull free. "How did you...nevermind. Come on, Pros, we have an event to save!". As he grabbed the rest of his things, he heads for the door before being stopped by one of Pearl's feelers. He looked down at the worried Pokemon, then back to his even more confused mother. "Ness", she started, "Please be careful.". The boy nodded his head confidently before running out the door and down the stairs to get to the sidewalk. He bolted as fast as he could while making sure Prosper wasn't losing sight of him. "I won't let another event be ruined by these stupid hooligans! I WON'T!", he thought to himself before reaching the site itself.

[Phalnia]

Malcolm Brite
Altorre City

---

Malcolm looked as other trainers joined him on stage. They threw out their own pokémon, some Malcolm recognized and some he didn't. He looked at the ball in his hand. With a deep breathe he tossed it up in the air. In a flash Eve materialized in front of Malcolm. She stretched and looked eagerly at her trainere before taking in the devastation around her. She looked back at Malcolm, a calm determination across her face and the hairs along her back raised.

"Alright Eve, get ready." Malcolm said to her.

"Eevee." Eve cried as she spun around and took a low stance ready to pounce at the thugs as soon as Malcolm gave the word. She turned as Atlas, the Turtwig, spoke to her.

"I'm ready." She replied.

[Mundeo]

Altorre City, Monument Avenue
The Ceremony Crashers

The sounds of the three pokémon were enough to grab the attention of the thug, who turned around and looked at the two fledgling trainers menacingly. "Oh, how cute. You three you can take on someone like me?" The thug smirked. "And with what? Some brand new pokémon that the good professor just gave you for free? I'll tell you what. Those pokémon of yours look pretty rare. I think I'll relieve you of the responsibility of raising them!"

You are challenged by a Team Shade thug!

"Let's show 'em, Scrafty!" The thug threw out a single pokéball, releasing the hoodlum pokémon, Scrafty, onto the stage. The had a similarly intimidating aura that his trainer did. "Now, who should I pummel first?" The thug scratched his chin, then added, "I know! I'll blind all of you! Use Sand Attack!'

Scrafty kicked up some of the dust that was on the stage, sending it flying into the eyes of the three pokemon and their trainers. While they were blinded, the thug followed up with another command. "Low Kick on the Eevee!" The Scrafty grunted in response, and went for the low kick on Eve.

---

Elsewhere in the avenue, Lucas' football hit one of the thugs square in the head, making them turn towards the source. "What the..." His eyes set on Lucas, and he snarled. "I don't have for this. Hey! Someone take care of this runt!"

"On it!" Another nearby thug approached Lucas, pokeball already in hand. "How about you leave this to the adults, okay?" The thug threw her pokeball, releasing a Zubat into the air.

Nearby, another grunt confronted Ness. "Come on now, kid. Turn around and go back home before things get ugly"

[Avoros]

Ness Cordellia

Nearby, another grunt confronted Ness. "Come on now, kid. Turn around and go back home before things get ugly"

Ness looked at the grunt with fiery eyes. "Listen here, bub. I've had enough of scum like y'all terrorizing trainers for sick gains. So either throw out your Pokemon or get out of my way, got it?!", he scowled, pushing the grunt aside and marching towards the ensuing chaos. "Don't worry, Pros,", he told his aviary friend, "We're gonna send these jerks back to the sewers!".

Meanwhile, Prosper stood perched on his owner's shoulder, nervously surveying the environment around him. He saw three small Pokemon on the stage taking on a Scrafty. Elsewhere, a grunt had confronted a blonde-haired trainer wearing a stylish scarf, challenging the boy's Vulpix with their mean-looking Zubat. The bird gulped and thought to himself. "I'm gonna have to fight one of these meanies, huh.".

[Phalnia]

Malcolm Brite
Altorre City

---

Malcolm raised his arm over his face as a wave of sand flew towards him. It wasn't completely effective as he could still feel the grains, stinging his eyes. Likewise, Eve had instinctively dropped her head, trying to avoid the sting of the sand. Then Malcolm heard the thug give another order. A direct attack on Eve!

Malcolm raised his head, eyes half closed and shouted, "Quick, Eve jump over the Scrafty!" Malcolm was sure his Eevee was agile enough to dodge the low aiming Scrafty.

"Eevee." Eve gave a quick reply to her trainer. With a glimpse of the speeding Scrafty, Eve vaulted. Her target the patch of stage just behind Scrafty.