Chapter 1- "I Choose You!"
A tall, broad man looked upon many faces. The faces of his followers. The auditorium the group was in was dimly lit with a neon red right, creating a fearful effect in the room. This man was wearing a blue tuxedo with a white button-down and a black tie. He also wore grey slacks and black dress shoes, and his gaze was menacing.
The man smiled darkly. This smile was not of glee or optimism, but a rather maniacal and commanding one that spoke to anyone it saw. The man cleared his throat, popped his knuckles, and then began to spoke.
"Good evening, fellow supporters," his voice boomed in the auditorium. The deep, quiet voice imposed power and full control, which the man hoped to possess over his followers. "I have gathered you here today to inform you of some valuable information. A new legion of trainers begin their journeys throughout the Kalos Region as of tomorrow. Fifty-two new Trainers will get their first Pokémon in just twelve hours." The man paused to let the words soak in to his comrades. The silence in the room was absolute, and it felt fear-imposed. Nobody made a peep, and the only audible noises were from outside of the room, being the fierce winds outside and the small cracks of thunder in the autumn sky. The man cleared his throat again. "Our forces are dominating this region, and if we can nab Trainers like these while they're still gullible, we will rule Kalos with an iron fist!" he yelled, the thunder cracking again to create dramatic effect. "This is our time to strike, and we won't be defeated! We must take full charge, so I have sent you each HQ assignments via the slip under your chair. One singular admin is there already, awaiting your arrival. This is your new assignment."
The man contemplated his next words, forgetting his speech. He popped his knuckles, cleared his throat, and did other things to pass the time. But no one left or said anything. They knew his commanding presence and his authority much to well to challenge it. The man suddenly remembered the general basis of the next section of his speech, but he had an internal struggle. He had to make this order commanding, strict, and fearful. He cleared his throat once more, preparing to speak.
"Go now," he started with calmness in his tone, changing from his previous monologue. Yes, that felt right. This was how he gave commands. "Find these Trainers as fast as you can and bring them to me! But don't make it sudden. Wait for them to come to you, and then strike. I want them here alive, and I repeat, alive!" There was a long pause, and the man continued, "You are all dismissed."
All of the men and women in the seats bended over to pick up a small slip of white paper before leaving, the room becoming flooded with quiet chatter.
But one remained in the room, not walking toward the back doors of the auditorium. She walked toward the stage and met her boss's eyes respectfully. "Boss," she started. "May I ask the location of these Trainers? I was assigned the Anistar Base, but am I correct that they all will start out meeting that fraud of a man Sycamore in Lumiose City to receive their starting Pokémon? "
"Yes, you are correct," The man responded. "Most reside in the areas South of Santalune. You've been put in Anistar for the betterment of our team, as your work is of better quality with preparation. You have five days to get over there, as you won't be needing such quick anticipation. This information is on your slip lest you forget. Thank you for your time, now please, be on your way."
The woman left the auditorium hastily, rushing to who-knew-where. From the man's view, she went to converse with a male figure in the lobby, both walking out of view seconds later.
The man then smiled maniacally, heading backstage to the technological room. There, he awaited the men and women behind a big monitor. The monitor had many buttons and dials, and one singular red lever. The man nodded, and another pushed this specific red lever, receiving a low chuckle from his boss.
Meanwhile, one of the fifty-two coveted Trainers was fast asleep, not aware of anything at all. His brain was working hard, unlike the other areas of his body, as he was dreaming of the day ahead, excited for the journey he would undertake. This boy was becoming a Pokémon Trainer in just a few hours, and like anyone else would be, he was very excited for this occasion.
"Go, Chespin!" The boy mumbled, throwing a Poke Ball, revealing a short, plump Pokemon with green quills and a brown body. "Use Vine Whip!" he called with Chespin then lashed out green vines at its opponent, which was a Panpour. Panpour was a Water-Type Pokemon with a tuft on its head and a beige body.
As the vines whipped Panpour, the boy's dream blurred and faded into a new scene. Then, a Fennekin, a small, beige fox-like Pokémon with red ears and a red tuft on its tail, appeared in front of the boy. "Fennekin, use Ember!" the boy commanded eagerly. Fennekin then launched a small spark of flame at a Pansage. Pansage was a Grass Type with a green tuft on its head and a beige body.
That dream faded away before the attack had hit its target, and a new scene unfolded. Before Jonathan stood a blue frog Pokemon with gummy bubbles around its neck. This Pokemon was Froakie. "Froakie, use Bubble!" the boy yelled, with much more confidence in the frog-like Water Type than in the other two Pokémon. Froakie then launched an array of translucent bubbles at a Pansear obediently. Pansear was a Fire-Type Pokémon with a red tuft on its head and a beige body, like Panpour and Pansage.
As the boy dreamt, he rolled off of his bed. The collision sent him into a state of half-consciousness and he forced himself back to sleep. After that, he kept sleeping peacefully, still excited for the day ahead of him...
Anyway, he continued to dream obliviously, and then he felt a light poke at his side. "Stop," he murmured instinctively. The poking, he soon figured, was repeated and was getting on his nerves. "Stop," he yelled again, putting his pillow on the back of his neck to stop it. Then, the pecking came on his side. He decided to start rolling over to avoid the poking, but it came from all directions. "Fine, Fletchling, I'll get up!" the boy yelled furiously, not in the mood to do so. He stretched and rubbed his eyes, doing his best to get up. "Silly Fletchling," he murmured with a grin. He checked his digital alarm clock to the left of him, on his beside table. '7;53?' the boy thought in confusion. 'Wasn't I supposed to be woken up at 8? Meh, whatever.' Jonathan shrugged the pet peeve off and stretched, sighing as he did so.
"Jonathan!" a deep, resonant voice called from what he supposed was downstairs. "Your breakfast is ready! Hurry, or it's gonna get cold!"
"Okay dad, I'm coming! Be there in a sec!" Jonathan called back. He looked in the mirror and found a short, slightly skinny, pale-skinned boy looking back at him. He smiled for a brief second before confidently trotting along into his closet and changing into his outfit. His outfit consisted of a red cap, purple leather jacket, a black T-shirt underneath that jacket, jeans, a black-and-yellow watch, and black Converse. Jonathan looked in the mirror again and smiled once more. "Man, I look good!" he thought aloud. He then ran downstairs to greet his parents. "Mornin', mom! Morning, dad!" Jonathan said, hugging them. He let go of their embrace, eventually facing his father, who chuckled slightly.
"Good morning, smiley!" Jonathan's father joked. "Today's the big day, huh?"
Jonathan smirked. "C'mon, dad, we've known this would happen since I was born!" he said sarcastically, holding back a small chuckle. "I mean, it's not like I'm not gonna do this! I've been waiting for eleven years to finally explore Kalos!" he added, emphasizing his point.
Isabella, Jonathan's baby sister and who was only two and whom was wearing a light pink onesie with white polka dots scattered around it, cheered. The infant looked at her older brother and said, "Mornin', Jonthin!" In response, Jonathan walked over to his little sister's high chair and tickled her lightly.
"Gotcha!" He cried suddenly, startling his little sister.
"Stop, Jonthin!" Isabella responded instinctively with a higher pitch in her voice. "That tickles! Stop it!" The infant the looked at her mom. "Mom, Jonthin won't stop tickling me!"
Jonathan promptly stopped and spoke. "What are you talking about? I wasn't tickling you in the first place," the boy responded, hiding an approaching chuckle with all of his might.
"Don't fool me with that," their mom said with a slight grin on her face. "I saw you tickling your sister, so you can't say you weren't."
"But I wasn't, I swear!" Jonathan claimed defensively, putting up his hands to symbolize his innocence. "Izzy's just being mean!" he accused, giving a playfully mean glare at his sister.
Isabella had a mischievous grin on her face, and the toddler crossed her arms. "Yes you were, and I'm not being mean," she defended. "I'm just telling the truth."
"Okay, whatever," Jonathan grumbled, taking off his cap and setting it down on a marble counter next to him.
Jonathan then sat down at his seat at the wooden, yet stable dining table and ate his bowl of cereal and two waffles, both of which were perfectly cooked. Jonathan was jittery from excitement and nerves, evident to anyone who saw him, and he couldn't calm down. He was eating in a rush, his arm shaking as he lifted his spoon to take a bite of cereal.
"You okay?" his father asked.
"Yeah," Jonathan responded through chattering teeth. "Just, a bit, excited," he added.
"Well, don't be so nervous," Jonathan's father prompted. "I remember when I was a young boy, picking my first Pokémon. It was exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and definitely scary. However, Pokémon like it when their Trainer is calm, so if you can be that way, then you and your Pokémon will have a strong bond. And that, son, is what makes a truly incredible team."
Within the next hour, Jonathan had finished packing everything, which was the one thing he reminded his mom of approximately a bajillion times that morning. The young boy was all ready for his adventure through the Kalos region. He had his black backpack on him, and- "Everything is in the bag, mom! Stop worrying about it!" He walked downstairs again to say his farewells. He first walked to his dad. "Goodbye, dad," he said, wrapping his arms around his father. "Thanks for everything." He then hugged his mom. "I'll be fine, mom and dad." he added, knowing their concern. "I've got friends to watch me," he added.
His mom cried a tear of joy. "Okay." she confirmed. "Make sure to watch over Riolu for me, okay?"
Jonathan then had a flashback of a memory as his mother said those words.
Jonathan looked around the living room, eyeing the three boxes inside of it. He sat down on the rug in his living room, playfully tagging his father as he did so. "Yay, present time!" he called, evidently wanting to open them. "Can I open them now?" he asked politely, yet impatiently.
"Yes, you can open them now," his father exasperated, taking a seat on a blue couch and taking a sip of water.
Jonathan eyed a square box with red wrapping paper and ripped it open as fast as his hands let him, dividing it into many many sizable, yet varied pieces of the wrapping paper while shredding it. Inside, he found a black T-shirt with an animated lightning bolt in the center. He smiled and put the shirt to the side as he giddily reached for a rectangular box with light green wrapping paper, ripping the paper on the exterior about as fast as he did with the other box. Inside was a purple leather jacket. The boy smiled again, putting it aside. Jonathan then looked a single square box with blue wrapping paper. He opened it with swift motions, not missing a beat. Inside the box was- a card?
Jonathan read the card, very hopeful for its contents and message. He took it out of the envelope and looked at the card. It read:
'Happy Birthday, Jonathan! We're very happy for you. We wanted to make this birthday special, so find mom. She's in your room with your present.'
-Dad
Jonathan closed the card, which contained a thousand Poke Dollars, and rushed to his room. He almost tripped going up the stairs at his extremely fast pace, but he regained his balance. He stumbled the rest of the way there, and when he walked through the doorway, he saw his present.
It was a short, dark blue Pokemon with a black ninja mask that connected to its dangling ears. The little Pokemon yipped as it ran up to Jonathan, sniffing the boy's legs. Jonathan cheered in delight. "Riolu!" he called happily, as the two playfully wrestled.
After a while, Jonathan's mom spoke up. "Jonathan, this Pokemon is yours."
Jonathan looked at his mom, jaw dropped. "Mine? A Pokemon, mine? No way!" The boy hugged his mom tightly. "Thank you so much!"
"Anything for you, son," his mom replied, hugging Jonathan in return.
Riolu, as if on cue, darted down the stairs suddenly, yipping excessively. The Fighting Type then grabbed some kibble and wolfed it down, grabbing some more and repeating the process until the bowl of kibble was gone.
Jonathan chuckled at his Pokémon's behavior and then hugged Isabella. "Goodbye, sis," he remarked, smirking. "I'll miss you all," he muttered before walking out the door.
The door was slammed shut, and Jonathan was on his Pokémon journey. And little did the to-be Trainer know what would be in store for him throughout this ride.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
A quiet grumble sounded in a room covered with purple and blue. The walls were purple, the bed was purple and blue, and even the door was a dark shade of blue. There was one girl in the bed who made the grumbling noise.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The girl felt around for her silver alarm clock and banged her hand against it to stop the excessive racket, grumbling again. The only noise the girl heard now was the chirp of bird Pokémon and the sound of her own grumbling.
She rolled out of bed, landing on her side as she hit the teal rug. She grumbled again, pushing herself off of the ground and lazily walking to her portrait-sized mirror. She then gasped at the abomination standing before her. Her long, wavy brown hair was tangled in many places, and it all covered her face. However, the girl calmed down soon, realizing that it wasn't something she couldn't fix.
She brushed her hair, letting it just stay down. The girl then changed into her clothes, which consisted of a purple bandana, a denim jacket, a purple T-Shirt, a denim skirt with pink gems on the bottom, and purple Converse. After a while, she felt ready for the day. She grumbled again, realizing she still had to pack a few things.
The girl stuffed a tent into her golden backpack and put a purple water bottle in the side container. She then walked into her closet and pulled out some extra clothes, which she neatly folded and put into her backpack as well. After it was all said and done, the girl wiped her brow in relief. She then walked out of her bedroom door, shutting it softly.
The girl walked down the wooden stairs of her house and to the dining room, almost tripping on the way down. As she approached the dining room, she was greeted by her mother and twin brother.
"Morning, Olivia," Olivia's mother welcomed.
"Mornin', mom," the girl replied. "Good morning, Kendall," she added, regarding her twin brother. Kendall simply smiled, rolling his wheelchair to his sister before hugging her. "Thanks."
"What do you want for breakfast?" her mother asked.
"Toast and orange juice, please," Olivia requested. "Thank you, mom." She then walked into her living room, taking a seat on her couch. Olivia turned on the flat-screen TV with a remote, changing the channel to watch the news.
However, nothing interested her. The only thing that got a reaction out of the girl was the fact that Police Chief Joseph had resigned from the Coumarine Station last week. Olivia spread out on the couch, setting down her backpack and stretching for the first time that morning.
"Hey, mom, did you hear that Chief Joseph resigned from the Coumarine Police Station last week?" Olivia asked in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Really?" her mother asked. "That's really surprising, to be honest. I wonder why he did?"
"Who knows?" the girl responded.
Olivia was ready for the journey ahead of her. She had everything packed and was facing the doorway. She hugged her mom and Kendall, and was smiling with a hint of sadness. Olivia looked at her family one more time. "Farewell," she said, turning around and taking a breath before opening the front door to her house and walking out of the doorway.
As Jonathan walked the streets of Kiloude City, his hometown, he found his friend Miles' house and knocked on his door. Then, a tall boy with spiky black hair, a cyan jacket, jeans and blue shoes answered the door.
"Hey, Miles, what's up?" Jonathan asked, giving his friend a high-five.
"Nothing much, except the sky if you think about it," Miles responded immediately. The two cracked up, and Miles' expression suddenly changed. "I just remembered!" he piped up. "I bought three tickets to the subway so that we can get to Lumiose City much quicker!"
Miles was a very smart, moderately tall, young boy with lots of knowledge on anything involving Pokémon. He was a go-to guide for any Trainer, and some considered him a nerd. The boy had met Jonathan at the Battle Mansion when they were very young, and they were very great pals since.
"Sweet!" Jonathan exclaimed. "So, is she coming?" Jonathan asked, waiting for someone to arrive. He looked at his watch, and the numbers read 10:45 a.m. "She should be here soon, shouldn't she?"
Miles smiled. " As a matter of fact, there she is right now," he reciprocated.
Jonathan turned around to find his best friend, Olivia. "Hi, Olivia!" Jonathan called. "Why were you late?" he asked, lightly chuckling at his statement.
Olivia was a tad bit shorter than Jonathan, standing to his nose. However, of the three people who were in the meeting spot, she was the oldest.
"I'm really tired," Olivia remarked. "I stayed up so late last night, I was just so excited."
"Yeah. I am, too," said Miles. "Do you guys remember when we were little, and we would always pretend that we were Trainers, travelling the world and becoming heroes?"
"Yeah!" Jonathan remarked excitedly. "We would always have super powerful Pokémon, and we always fought those mean bad guys. At least part of it won't be so pretend now. I mean, we'll finally live out our dreams. I know for a fact that I'm gonna be one of the strongest Trainers on the planet!"
"Yeah, I can't wait to perform in Showcases!" Olivia said excitedly. "The world is gonna see me perform, on stage, with my Pokémon by my side!"
Jonathan looked at Miles, who seemed to be deep in thought. "Miles, what do you wanna do?" he asked.
Miles cleared his throat. "I don't know," Miles said. "I can't decide if I want to be a strong Trainer, or if I want to advance Pokémon sciences and other studies that could greatly benefit our future."
"Well, you are a smart guy," Olivia stated. "You could use this travel to study and do research."
Miles smiled at the thought. "I always have been interested in Pokémon biology."
The group stayed silent. Soon, Jonathan began to walk, and his friends followed. "Where are we headed now?" Olivia asked.
"The train station," Jonathan said, hopping and doing a 180 degree turn in the air to face his friends and walking backward after he landed. "Miles bought tickets this morning."
Olivia smirked, then began to speak. "Hey, guys, my twelfth birthday is in about a month, and I know you guys are really excited for it. Maybe we could have a party wherever we end up," she suggested sarcastically.
Jonathan smirked. "Wow, Olivia," he retorted, petting Riolu. "What a nice little celebration, ya old hag." The group cracked up, and Jonathan added, "Maybe I'll get you a cane for your birthday."
The group kept walking as they laughed, taking in the scenery of their hometown. Man, I'm gonna miss this place, Jonathan thought. All of the lovely scenery, the great things I can do... Man, I love Kiloude City so much.
The Emanation Pokémon sat on its Trainer's shoulder, relaxing on the boy's back and making faces at Miles. Whenever Jonathan looked back at the Fighting-Type, Riolu would stop making its face and act cute. At this action, Jonathan simply furrowed his brow, unsure of what his friend was doing.
Miles chuckled a bit as well, and he spoke up. "Hey, did you hear that Police Chief Jospeh resigned last week?" he asked.
"Yeah," Olivia responded knowingly, turning to face Miles. "I mean, he was doing so well on the job. And it looked like he didn't really want to leave, to be honest."
"If I was Joseph, I'd leave if I found a job with more money," Jonathan responded tackily, causing the trio to crack up.
The sound of a nearby train stopped their conversation. "Well, it's time to go," Miles told Jonathan and Olivia, walking off to the train station.
"Hello, this your Kalos Subway Train Captain, Amanda. Departure 1012 will be headed to Lumiose City in just a few short minutes. In this spare time, I would like to remind you that there is a restroom facility at the back of the train, one for men and one for women, and the train staff will be coming around to pass out snacks at your convenience periodically. Keep in mind that there are no stops between here and Lumiose, so if needed, you can depart the train now." Five men walked down the aisle of the train, each with suitcases. They then departed the train, and Amanda continued. "If no others will be departing from this particular train, then we will be leaving the station in three minutes. Thank you, and have a good day."
As Jonathan got into his seat, he dozed off. He didn't really care much for train rides, and he needed the sleep anyways. Although he did enjoy snacks, he knew from experience that these were pricy and not that good if it really came down to it. It took him a while to get into a comfortable position with just his seat and everything else he had on hand, and when he had finally managed to do so, he still tossed and turned on the leather. Eventually, he was out cold and slept like a log. Almost instantly after he fell asleep, as if time had seamed itself together, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Of all the things that could annoy him in that moment, this is what got him the most. Disruption to his beauty sleep was not funny to him. Unless it involved food, then he thought it was okay.
"What?" he grumbled, not wanting to get up. He forced his eyes open and saw Olivia's face in front of him. "You rang?" he mumbled again.
"The train stopped," Olivia whispered.
"Yeah, I can tell," Jonathan retorted as he eyed his surroundings. The boy got up and stretched. He then yawned and put on his backpack. "So, where are we headed?" he asked Olivia eagerly.
Miles then walked up to the pair, holding a rather large map that covered his face. "We're going to depart from the station, take a left, and then look for a building with a large Poke Ball on the pillars of the gate," he informed. "That's the lab, if I'm not mistaken."
Knowing this, the three left the train in no particular rush, and made their way to a building that matched Miles's description. Jonathan stood in front of the gate, and it swung wide open. They walked in and opened the doors to the building. It was lined with red carpet and the walls were a very dark blue. There were many windows lining the walls, and there were no running light fixtures. "Professor Sycamore," Jonathan called. "We're here to get our starter Pokémon!"
Then, a tall, lanky man with somewhat long, black hair and a lab coat on showed up. "Hello there," he said. "I'm Sycamore. Are you here to get your Pokémon?" he asked.
"Yes," Miles confirmed, receiving a quick glare from Jonathan. The boy shrugged, asking for his friend's reasoning, but Jonathan shook it off. "We're here to... do that, I guess."
"Then, follow me, please," he requested, walking away. He led them through a hallway that led to an elevator. When the Professor led them out onto a new floor, the three noticed the lack of windows and the office-like feel of the space, being that there were many running light fixtures throughout the halls. There was an endless maze of halls that Sycamore led the trio through before they stopped at a lab-type area. "This is where you'll receive your first Pokémon," he said informatively, propping open the door.
Riolu peered at the room and exclaimed, "Riolu!"
"I know, buddy," its Trainer said, "But be calm for just a second. Okay?"
Riolu pouted a bit, but eventually gave up and decided on blankly staring at Professor Sycamore.
"Now, who is choosing first?" Sycamore asked. Jonathan promptly raised his hand and walked into the room, prompted by Sycamore's gesture to do so.
The room had a dim, mediocre atmosphere to it. The lights were dimmed a bit, and the room was very small and somewhat cramped.
While the boy was looking around for a bit, Jonathan soon found a rectangular, wooden table that held three red-and-white balls. He assumed these were Poke Balls, given he had seen them before. He found a touch pad with a metallic, red border, and confused, he asked, "Um, Professor, what the heck are those things over there?"
"That's a Pokedex," Sycamore answered promptly, noticing the item Jonathan pointed to. "It is used whenever you encounter a new Pokémon, and is a good way of seeing how many Pokémon you've encountered so far. Whenever you find a new Pokémon, you hold the Pokedex up to it, and the device will give you extensive data about it, including various entries by famed researchers, as well as a picture of the Pokemon."
"Okay, cool," Jonathan said, casually picking the spare on the desk up. He first scanned the Poke Ball on the left.
"The Pokémon in this Poke Ball is Chespin," a female robot voice rang. "It is known as the Spiny Nut Pokémon. Its sharp quills sharpen when it's in trouble, and it is very mischievous." The picture provided by the Pokedex showed a short, bipedal Pokémon with small, brown eyes and a big smile. It had five short, pointy quills that resembled grass blades, which resided on a green helmet of armor. Chespin had a beige torso and brown arms.
Smiling, Jonathan then scanned the Poke Ball in the middle. "The Pokémon in this Poke Ball is known as Fennekin," the voice rang. "It is known as the Fox Pokémon. It can be easily angered, but it's a loyal Pokémon to its Trainer. Its favorite pastime is snacking on twigs." The picture provided by the Pokedex showed a short, quadrupedal, fox like Pokémon with a beige body with red tufts of fur in its ears and at the tip of its tail. It also had a cone-shaped nose and endearing, red eyes.
Then, Jonathan scanned the Poke Ball on the right. "The Pokémon in this Poke Ball is a Froakie," the Pokedex rang again. "It is known as the Bubble Frog Pokémon. It is very agile and quiet, like a ninja. Its gummy Frubbles around its neck are used to protect it from attacks, or as an offensive tactic." The picture provided by the Pokedex showed a short, frog like Pokémon. It had a bright blue body, with black irises in its large eyes that were tall and cylinder-like, and the sclera being yellow. Froakie had a white, gummy-like scarf as well around its neck, and white hands and feet.
"Okay," Jonathan said, putting the Pokedex back in its spot. "I think I know what I'm gonna do," he started.
"Take your time," Sycamore prompted. "This Pokémon will be with you for your entire journey, so choose wisely."
This statement made the boy even more nervous. Jonathan took a deep breath and continued to consider his options, but he was indecisive. Oh, man, what do I do? he thought. He bit his lip, and then scanned each Pokemon again.
"Chespin, the Spiny Nut Pokémon. Its quills sharpen when it is in trouble, and this Pokémon is very mischievous." "Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon. It is rather temperamental, yet very loyal to its Trainer. As a pastime, it likes to snack on nearby twigs and tree bark." "Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon. It is very agile and quiet, like a ninja. Its gummy Frubbles around its neck are used offensively and defensively."
After a bit of thinking, he then came to a conclusion. " I've made my decision. I'm gonna choose..."
