It's a wonderful early spring morning; the sun was shining, the plants are beginning to wake up from their long winter sleep, and the chill in the air gave way to a wave of warmth throughout the region. The streets are bustling with the early morning traffic of those trying to get to work and people walking with their Pokemon to wherever it was that they are going. You, the carefully selected group of new trainers, were told to meet at the League Administration Headquarters, which was located somewhere outside of the downtown area. Once there, you all would find a massive white building with the League symbol made out of stain glass installed above the door. Once you go in, you are all waiting in a lobby with nothing happening, so you're stuck with each other. Hell really is other people.

Thankfully, you are all soon greeted by the sight of a woman in her mid-twenties with fair skin, long, orange hair and dark green eyes. She was wearing a pantsuit with the jacket portion open to reveal a white button up shirt. "Oh, you must be the new trainers. I'm Evelyn, the Head Administrator of the League and I'm here to make sure you don't get lost. Originally, the champion was supposed to meet us here, but she's running...late. The look when she said the champion was late reeked of exasperation as this was definitely not the first time she has done something like this, but life goes on. "Anyway! You all must be excited to get your starters. I'll show you were Kapoc's lab is." She led the group up an escalator and down hallway out of the lobby. There were many people passing by, people who obviously looked like they worked there. These were the people that made the League somewhat manageable.

Not too long, they arrived at an automatic sliding glass door and walked into what definitely look like a lab with equipment that should not be touched by anyone who does not know what they are doing. The entire place had an almost overpowering scent of coffee being roasted. In this room was a man with long, messing black hair that was loosely tied into a ponytail, but still had bangs long enough to cover one of his crimson eyes. He wore a dark grey turtleneck underneath his lab coat with matching slacks and dress shoes. The scientist looked like sleep was a foreign concept to him; he had deep circles under his eyes and had scruffy facial hair that made him look way older than he actually was. He was sitting at a glass desk with a metal frame, bearing a bored expression, his head propped by his hand.

"So these are the brats that Adriane picked?" He glanced up and down while sipping his cup of coffee. "Not gonna lie, some of them look like they won't even last a week." He said, specifically staring at Tristan.

"Kapoc, would it kill you to be nice?"

"Would it kill you to let me finish my morning cup?" Kapoc said grumpily, taking a sip from a mug that should technically qualify as a bucket.

Evlyn just stared at him for a moment and then asked, "When was the last time you slept?"

"Tuesday."

"But it's Monday."

"Exactly." He said, followed by another sip of coffee.

Evelyn pinched the bridge of her nose, and her eyes were closed tightly. "For the love of... Are you at least going to explain what you research?"

"Ev, what I research is irrelevant to them, and I pray for it to stay that way," said Kapoc briskly. He stood up and walked to what looked like a safe and punched in a code on a keypad, unlocking the door. Inside, there was a suitcase that he removed and then placed on his desk. After flicking the locks open, he lifted the lid to reveal Pokeballs and Pokedexes, which were in various different colors and may or may not look like iPhones. "I hope you all understand the gravity of the opportunity given to you. You are some of the few new trainers that are allowed to take on the League. We allowed already established trainers to partake, but for new trainers, we had to heavily vet due to the challenge. You are not the only new trainers."

"Well, with that out of the way I believe it's time for an expla-"

Before he could even begin, he was rudely interrupted by someone who ran into the room. This person was a dark-skinned woman with sharp, gold eyes and gunmetal blue hair with a short cut that was buzzed on the sides. She wore a white tee with a black jacket over it and a muslin scarf wrapped around her neck and blue jeans with matching black boots.

"I'm here! Sorry I'm late! I-" She stopped mid-sentence at the sight of Evelyn and looked up and down at her. "Nice."

"Oh my god Adriane..." She buried her face in her palms to hide her blushing. Meanwhile, Kapoc just looked even more done with this than he was before.

"Could you save the flirting for when you two are back home? Some of us are actually working here." He said through his teeth. They seriously needed to give him a raise for dealing with this on a daily basis.

Adriane laughed in response. "Sorry, sorry I couldn't help myself." She said as she sauntered over to Kapoc and then turned over to look at the fresh picks. "It's great to finally to meet you all in person. Those over the phone interviews were all pretty impersonal, huh?" While they had no way of recognizing her appearance, unless they were native to Evig or followed the news in their respective regions, they had heard her voice before. This was the Champion and founder of the Evig League, Adriane Brand. She was considered to be one the strongest trainers in the world even by a Champion's standards.

"So what did I miss? I didn't miss them getting their starters, right?" She asked Kapoc, who was glaring daggers into her.

"I was about to explain how the Trainer ID and Pokedex functions."

"Ohhhhh gotcha. Do your thing." She said, finger gunning him.

Meanwhile, Kapoc was about to bust a blood vessel in his head, but he was pushing through. "These Pokedexes are provided in courtesy by Professor Sycamore. Here."

You received a Pokedex!

He looked pretty tired from that long explanation. "Now just take your Pokemon."

@samreaper

Murkrow, the Darkness Pokémon. They awaken at dusk and take wing in the twilight, leading to the expression, “Get home before the Murkrow fly.” Seen as a symbol of bad luck, it's generally disliked. Yet it gives presents—objects that sparkle or shine—to Trainers it's close to.

@Sanguine Rose

Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon. It is a rare Pokémon that adapts to harsh environments by changing its appearance and capabilities when it evolves. This is due to its unstable genetic makeup that has stumped scientists.

@Zarkun

Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon. Ralts senses the emotions of people using the horns on its head. This Pokémon rarely appears before people. But when it does, it draws closer if it senses that the person has a positive disposition.

@Lunarlord34

Litwick, the Candle Pokemon. The flame on its head keeps its body slightly warm. This Pokémon takes lost children by the hand to guide them to the spirit world. The younger the life this Pokémon absorbs, the brighter and eerier the flame on its head burns.

@CitrusArms

Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokemon. This is an ancient Pokémon, revived in modern times. It has a violent disposition, and it'll tear apart anything it gets between its hefty jaws. This Pokémon is selfish and likes to be pampered. It can also inflict grievous wounds on its Trainer just by playing around.

"Huh, some of you guys got shinies. Rare, but it doesn't change a Pokemon's performance in battle." Kapoc stated. "Oh, and you'll need these Pokeballs."

5x Pokeballs Obtained!

"Well, that's it then. Do what you want. Just leave me alone."

What will you all do now?

Waiting on the champion to show up at the league building was perhaps the most tedious part of the entire day, even for someone as patient as Jason. But eventually, they did all move forward and that was enough for him. Following the League's Head Administrator down into Professor Kopac's lab, who the young man made a mental note as being incredibly rude since, as he understood it, this was partially his idea, and paid attention to everything that was said, making yet another mental note to get his parents numbers before he headed out to find some caves or something. Accepting his new partner after the professor finished explaining the Pokedexs, he wasted no time in letting his new friend out of the Pokeball and couldn't help but smirk when the Ralts appeared. He took a mental snap shot of the Champion's face so that if he ran into her in the future, he'd remember who she was and then put his attention on the Ralts.

Bending down and looking at the small Pokemon, he nods. "Well, first question for you little buddy, are you a guy?" The Ralts took a look at the human in front of him and then gave a small nod.

"Ralts." Nodding back, the young man pats his partner's head and stands up, and looks at the others before deciding on a name. He didn't speak it out loud yet as the Professor dismissed them. Man, I really hope I don't need to talk to this guy that often, guy's nothing like Professor Birch was before I moved back in with mom and dad... Glancing at the others before looking back at his new Partner, Jason beckoned to the Ralts and they headed back out of the lab and up to the main floor. "Alright little buddy, I'm going to name you Slayer, because you'll slay the competition once we really get the ball rolling. Is that OK with you?" The Pokemon looked unsure at first and then, after a moment's consideration, gave a happy "Ral" and nodded agreement. "Fantastic. Glad to have you as my partner Slayer. How about we go explore the nearby woods?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Jason chuckled and returned Slayer to his Pokeball before heading back towards his house to get his camping and spelunking gear, as well as add his parents' numbers to his new Pokedex before he set out on his journey.

For most about to become a trainer this would be considered one of the most exciting days ever with the prospect of an adventure awaiting them and getting their very first pokemon. Tristan, however, found himself in quite the the sour mood as he stood there amongst the group of freshly recruited trainers which he found to be quite the weird gathering of rabble as none of them were the kind of sort one such as him would dare to associate with. But they were not the reason for the young rich teen's unpleasant mood though did nothing to help it; no, it was due to a number of reasons like the pounding headache assaulting his temple and the jetlag from spending more 15 hours traveling from the kalos region to here, via first class only of course.

Yet, the true culprit ultimately had to do with the little meeting shortly prior to entering this building with the long-served family butler not only denying allowing him to bring Chives, his personal servant also along on his travels and leaving him to have to lug around his own pack, but even took away his card to the Glory account which has never left his side upon the moment he received it. Now how was he supposed to get his mousse hair gel and milotic galore skin cream? And the items needed for his traveled (hardly of any priority in his mind to say the least) though the pitiful change allotted to him wouldn't afford even a stick of bread from the restaurant he typically dined at.

Still fuming at both being denied his right and talked down to like he was a child, were it not for the fact they were the orders directly from his father he would give that frumpy old bastard several choice words and letting him look bad in public probably had a hand in Tristan holding his tongue.

The fact he found himself here was purely because he took a brief interest and some strange woman approaching him advising him to accept her sudden offer to become a trainer. He originally had no intention of coming, that is until his father also highly recommend, he do so with the chance of finally doing something to earn the rights to the Glory name and by working to become a pokemon champion stand alongside his older highly successful brothers. For a moment his body shuddered as it took biting his lip to keep from breaking out in cold sweat as he briefly recalled the last image of his father's face before setting off; cold and cruel eyes that betrayed that small smile almost as if to tell him that failure simply was not an option.

A shake of the head to shake off the second bout of shudder wanting to forget that image nor did he want to risk blemishing his skin that has gone through hours meticulous care. Almost thankful to actually hear the dour tone of the sleep deprived professor speaking up to pull him from his thoughts.

Almost, he thought as he simply could not bring himself to look at the man; hair all disheveled and horribly mismanaged and skin all dirty and greasy. The worse of it were those heavy shadows beneath his eyes...dear god did this man have no concept whatsoever about skin care? Even thinking to look at this old geezer's face had Tristan cringing and fighting back an urge to vomit. Opting instead to keep his shades covered eyes on the phone held in his hands, the phone obviously of the latest model not yet on the market which he was currently texting his 'bestie' Trevor.

Only half listening to Professor Kapoc who might as well be living in a cardboard box by the state of him as he prattled on about this being a great opportunity and blah blah blah. His attention pulled away only briefly upon the sudden entrance of that strange woman from before as the manner she coyly flirted with the assistance briefly brought an amused smirk to his devilishly handsome face. An amusement ruined the instant Kapoc spoke up once more and started going on regarding something about some id card and pokedex causing him to roll his eyes while turning his eyes to the two items described. Keeping his own phone in his left hand as the right reached for the pokedex made in design similar to that of a typical iphone and while the model was of the latest line it still looked a tad disapproving. But, without his card he no longer had a way to afford his phone's insanely expensive plan leaving him no choice but to forego using it save for very limited uses, at least for the time being and bid Trevor farewell for the moment which his friend responded with a typical tort remark. The guy did not hold back at all in letting him know how ridiculous and laughable it was to let Tristan of all people be a trainer.

Gritting his teeth while clutching the phone in his hand as he stared at the insulting message. * Just you wait, Trevor. I'll make you eat your words and that pitifully cheaply handled nose job of yours! * Scowling with his frustrated thoughts as he pocketed the phone not wanting to bother with it any further at the moment. Instead putting his focus on getting the pokeball containing the shiny Murkrow he had selected and held the ball up, turning it between his fingers." There..are we done now? I got places to be and..." Tilting his head with an exasperated sigh and in doing so ended up getting a good look at Kapoc's face and quickly turned his head away, hand to his mouth to fight back a gag." And things to do.... plus, your voice and face nausates me." Muttering that last bit under his breath as he then turned to pull away from the group intending to have nothing to do with any of them, making his way to a secluded portion of the lab where he would call out the murkrow.

With a zap of a red beam out came the purple feathered Murkrow crowed with a rising flap of its wings; standing there in place majestically bringing a smile to Tristan's lips." Hmph, that old flop of a professor mentioned shinies offer nothing but those are just the words of jealous losers. It's only fitting that I, a Glory get a shiny starter." Laughing obnoxiously while flipping the bang of silky smooth silver hair covering his right eye as Murkrow could only help but let out an uncertain cawing in a manner of nervous laughter following its trainer. In the next instant Tristan pointed his right index finger at the brightly violet bird.

" How lucky for you to have found yourself under the guise of I, Tristan Glory. A born champion that in turn will conquer this league with this champion in the making before me." Laughing once more while placing his hands on his hips; standing in a victory pose with a smug smirk." With nothing but weak rabble before us, victory will be quick and sweet. So now I deem you the name worthy of a pokemon associated with one fabulous and great as I... King!" Exclaimed while bending his head back looking up at the ceiling." We will soar high into the sky and take over this nation until all are blessed by glory." tilting his head back down and pulling off his shades to give a dazzling smile matched with a sparkle of his visible eye.

" Only the top awaits us kings. So do not fail me." That dazzling smile almost overshadowing the underlying threat in his words and whether King noticed or understand it did not show as the bird crowed out in a loudly proud fashion as if motivated and swayed by Tristan's so called passionate speech, even seeming to shed a tear from being so moved and in awe.

@Zarkun
Well with nothing stopping him, Jason went back wherever he was staying and obtained his camping and spelunking equipment.

You obtained Camping Kit!

You obtained Spelunking Equipment!

Eager to leave the city and go out into the wide-open world to explore the nearest woods, Jason would head south of the city. The further he went, the more he would notice that size of the buildings were less grand and sparce the greater the distance he walked. There was both a main road for vehicles to travel and a well-maintained dirt walkway for travelers making their way to the Starbor Woods and beyond if they were so inclined. You begin to hear the sound of running water.

Welcome to...




(It's actually a sunny day. Ignore the heavy mist and grey clouds.)
Route 4 is a long, hilly, rocky, grassy area with numerous flowing rivers stemming from Lake Charity. It is not nearly as a well-traveled road like Route 1, but it is still a main road from Grand Glory City to Starbor Village. Due to the terrain, there are not many people who live on this route. Just a long route of rocks, hills, and rivers, but it does attract certain kinds of Pokemon. However, it is one of the many popular fishing spots found around Evig and it is filled with many fishermen looking for their next catch. There's even a shop that sells fishing rods and bait.

From here, one could see the towering mass of trees that make up Starbor Forest and the skyline of Grand Glory City. There is a road for vehicles to travel, but for on-foot travelers they would have to settle for a rocky dirt walkway. However, travelers who are going by foot are rewarded with being near some mysterious ruins; massive walls of stone carved with strange symbols. What do they say? Heck if anyone knows.

While walking, one should tread carefully not to step on the rocks because they may not even be rocks at all and are in fact Geodude. There was always some poor, tired traveler who accidentally stepped on one or even sat on them mistaking them for simply a boulder where they could rest their weary feet. Needless to say, the results are not pleasant.

Pokedex Entry #074-Geodude, the Rock Pokemon. Found in fields as well as mountains. They commonly rest, half-buried in the ground and indistinguishable from normal rocks. There are always way more Geodude around than a traveler will notice. Stepping on one by accident may trigger their rage.

Along the river, one can see a classic favorite among most people dude to their goofy, cute appearance are the Bidoof. These Pokemon can be seen building their nests along the water. Meanwhile, there were the heads of the most happy, armless Pokemon in the world, Wooper, poking out of the water.

Pokedex Entry #399-Bidoof, the Plump Mouse Pokemon. With nerves of steel, nothing can perturb it. It is more agile and active than it appears. It constantly gnaws on logs and rocks to whittle down its front teeth. It nests alongside water.

Pokedex Entry #194-Wooper, the Water Fish Pokemon. This Pokémon lives in cold water. It will leave the water to search for food when it gets cold outside. When walking on land, it covers its body with a poisonous film that keeps its skin from dehydrating.

Coasting along the surface of the rivers were Duckletts. Some were diving underwater in hunt of food though it seemed like in general they left everyone alone. Unless you had a bag filled with breadcrumbs. God help your soul.

Pokedex Entry #580-Ducklett, the Water Bird Pokemon. When attacked, it uses its feathers to splash water, escaping under cover of the spray. They are better at swimming than flying, and they happily eat their favorite food, peat moss, as they dive underwater.

What will you do?

---

@samreaper
Was this kid fucking for real? Thought the three far more experienced trainers. Adriane was howling with laughter, Evelyn sighed in exasperation, and Kapoc? He looked like a vein was about to burst from his head as his teeth were grating hard enough to turn diamonds into dust. There was no amount of pay that made dealing with this acceptable on any level.

"Okay that's it." Kapoc snapped his fingers. Tristan would realize that there was a shadow looming behind him, in fact, he could feel the warm breath of something creep against his neck and a sense of menace from an apex predator. Turning around would reveal the culprit; a three headed vicious beast with red eyes was levitating in place, glaring daggers into the rich asshole.

Pokedex Entry #635-Hydreigon, the Brutal Pokemon. There are a slew of stories about villages that were destroyed by Hydreigon. It bites anything that moves. The three heads take turns sinking their teeth into the opponent. Their attacks won't slow until their target goes down.

Without warning, the dragon-type's head lunged down and bit down on the scruff of Tristan's shirt, lifting him in the air. It then would proceed to carry the brat out of the lab whether the victim liked it or not. When they crossed through the automatic glass doors, the Hydreigon tossed him onto his bum and considering Tristan is probably going to insult it, it hissed at him with all three heads and then went back in the lab

Meanwhile, Kapoc searched his drawer and pulled out a bag of Pokesnacks "Good boy." The professor said with a smirk. He pulled out three biscuit looking snack and tossed one for each head that snapped them up in just a second.

"... Is it really a good idea to let that roam around in here?" Evelyn said, a bead of sweat dripped down her head as she watched destruction given flesh wander around a lab with lab equipment worth more than your very soul.

Adrian chuckled. "Eh, it's fine. It's the most well behaved Hydreigon I've ever seen."

Well, Tristan was now in the hallway and definitely not welcomed back in the lab. What will he do now?

Surveying the route with a grin on his face, Jason looks over the route forwards on the walk way, picking the resting Geodudes out almost as second nature from all the time he spent in the wild back home in the Hoenn region. "Right, and with these first steps, I begin my own Pokemon journey here in the Evig region." Setting out at a brisk pace, the new trainer decides that the best place to come across a Pokemon that people didn't see all the time on the route was to hit up the ruins, maybe even set up camp there for the night. The way to Starbor Forest wasn't going to be changing randomly on him and besides, sometimes old ruins had entrances to cave systems, so he figured where better to start fossil hunting. However, first, after setting up his camp site, he would search around to see what rare Pokemon signs, or even the little beastie themselves, might be hanging out.

Tristan felt proud of the speech he had given as he could see the effect it had on his Murkrow who was suddenly trembling with a look of fear in his eyes." Yes, I know that my mere presence can be intimidating but you have nothing to fear from me as long as you don't fail me." Nodding with that smug grin when he felt the rush of breath air against the back of his neck prompting him to turn to see some kind of vicious three headed beast levitating and looming behind him.

A raise of the brow while folding his arms across his chest though before he could open his mouth the pokedex turned on to reveal info on Hydreigon as the part about biting thing in particular got his attention." Do you mind? Your breath stinks and I have no breath mints though I'd probably need a pack for each of those mouth." Waving his left hand in front of his nose; next moment he found himself being lifted up by the scruff of his shirt, the realization of what was happening made his eyes go wide in horror." Oi! Get your filthy mitts off!" He struggled and kicked in the air as he found himself being carried out from the lab as King gave a panicked caw before flying after.

He landed with a pained grunt then quickly sat up checking over the collar of his shirt." You horrid beast! You left bite marks on my limited series cashmere shirt! Do you even have any inkling of how much this worth?!" Growling out his frustration while glaring at the dragon pokemon which responded by hissing at him with all three heads then went back inside." You get back here lizard breath! And bring that sandpaper skinned owner of yours out here! I expect compensation for these damages!" Tristan scowled out with a shake of his fist; hardly taking notice of King having landed on the ground besides him until a few seconds later who would receive the focus of his scowling glare." And you...you just let that lizard brute manhandle me?! Starting to wonder if you really are king material." Still fuming at the horribly rude manner he was treated as he went on to inspect and fixed his slightly disheveled hair to soothe himself, ignoring the murkrow flapping its wings in a panicking manner and cawing while bowing its head rapidly as if trying to apologize.

With a huff the silver haired teen pushed himself off the ground and dusted off his pants." Tch, whatever. Clearly the people around these parts lack any concept of manners on how to treat their betters." Grumbling as he adjusted his shirt; agitated to see it all wrinkled and damp with dragon spit." This isn't over you sleep deprived geezer! Expect to receive my drycleaning bill for this!" He spat out loudly to ensure he was heard while pointing at the door then turned away swiping his hand in a cutting motion." Cease your insistent cawing you blathering birdbrain!" His biting words got King to quickly stop as those wings covered its beak.

Tristan gave a weary sigh while rubbing at his temple once more." Ugh, this day has been absolutely dreadful...and I fear it shall only get worse from here." Glancing down at the bird and his traveling pack and was once again reminded he had no access to the Glory account nor had Chives here to carry his back for him causing the teen to lean forward in a dejected manor sighing once more. After waiting another moment to gather himself did he move to pick up his pack and as expected found himself struggling even to pick it up at first as it took a good couple minute to get it onto his back which he swore heard a crack as it weighed down so much that he could barely hold himself up." Oh Arceus! How can anyone endure such torture?!" Standing on shaky legs panting with beads of sweat dripping down his face. Struggling to get himself steady and after two minutes felt he was ready to try moving." Hmph, well no point wasting our time here. Better to get going and be rid of the eyesore domicile of that foul professor." Scoffing with a sneer as he held up the pokedex to inspect the map only to find that it read like a bunch of gibberish to him.

It became quickly apparent that Tristan had no idea of how to read a map as he flicked over the screen, annoyed." How can anyone expect to read this garbled mess? Tch, whatever..." Grumbling once more; wanting more than anything to go on a shopping spree to forget about the awful affair and way he was treated, but he wouldn't even be able to buy a single sock with the pitiful change in his pocket." Guess I'll just check the pokemart...and hope this hick town has something of actual worth like something for this migraine." Rubbing at his forehead while exhaling slowly as he set off with the pokedex in hand trying to use it to find his way to the pokemart though his horrible direction sense had Tristan find himself at the park.

@Zarkun

Well, he set up a campsite by the ancient ruins. Yup, that is what he did.

So, Jason decided to see if he could find any signs of rare Pokemon in the vicinity of the ruins. Well, there could be rare Pokemon or not. Who is there to say? The issue is that Jason has literally just arrived in this area and has little to no information on what to even look for so the chances of him finding anything rare are slim to none. Let's see how this goes.

While he did not find rare Pokemon, he found some Pokemon that would not be appropriately classified as 'common.'

Every now and again by the ruins, he would see strange, almost automaton beings just walking around aimlessly. Some of them though lining boulders up for some unknown reason. It would've been very easy to mistake them for not being Pokemon if it were not for the fact that the Pokedex did indeed have an entry for them.

Pokedex Entry #622-Golett, the Automaton Pokemon. They were sculpted from clay in ancient times. No one knows why, but some of them are driven to continually line up boulders.

If that was not odd enough, some of the bits of wall would pop off a wall to reveal that the piece was being held by a shadow-like being with purple eyes. They would look at Jason curiously, sometimes float around him before going off on their own business. While they were cute, one would have to wonder if it was safe for someone to camp in a place that was a hot spot for ghosts.

Pokedex Entry #562-Yamask, the Spirit Pokemon. A clay slab with cursed engravings took possession of a Yamask. The slab is said to be absorbing the Yamask's dark power. It's said that this Pokémon was formed when an ancient clay tablet was drawn to a vengeful spirit.

However great as these Pokemon are, these are not the rare Pokemon in the area. While it is possible that he's not wrong to think that there are cave systems in the ruins, he had yet to show any knowledge or ability to access them. Sometimes, rare Pokemon require some knowledge, intuition, or just plain old dumb luck. It seems like Jason was lacking in all three. Perhaps if he asked the locals or those passing through about the area then maybe he would have more to work with.

Well, while he didn't find any leads it seems like someone found something they thought it was interesting.

"Ho there! Hey stranger!" Someone called out our intrepid trainer from not the not so far distance. This figure approached him and revealed himself to be a young man around Jason's age, wearing a brown Stetson hat, matching brown boots, and rather worn-out, sun- bleached jeans, and an orange button up with the last button left open to show a white t-shirt. He was strikingly handsome, 1930s Hollywood handsome. The man could carve wood with his jawline.

"Sorry, I was explorin' the ruins and I couldn't help, but notice that you have one of them Pokedexes that grump Kapoc gave out." This young man reached for his belt and pulled out the exact some model Pokedex that James had just received except this one came in orange. "I guess we're rivals of sorts. The name is Connor, Connor Hagen." He held his hand out with a wide grin for a handshake and if he accepted, it was like being under a hydraulic press. His hand was rough and calloused, as if his palm was covered in a layer of it.

"How about we celebrate our meeting with a battle? After all, if trainers lock eyes with one another, then we must battle." Connor tossed out a Pokeball and what came out was a strange bipedal lizard with saggy yellow skin that acts like pants that it always has to hold up.

Pokedex Entry #559-Scraggy, the Shedding Pokemon. If it locks eyes with you, watch out! Nothing and no one is safe from the reckless headbutts of this troublesome Pokémon. It protects itself with its durable skin. It's thought that this Pokémon will evolve once its skin has completely stretched out.

You have been challenged by Cowboy Connor!

---

@samreaper

Due to Tristan's inhumanly awful sense of direction, he found himself wandering around the sprawling metropolis. People and Pokemon were going about their business, buildings were being constructed among already towering scrapers, and every new business popping up under the sun. What was more impressive, depending on how one would look at it, Tristan kept turning around every corner just before he would find a Pokemart. Somehow, this man missed every Pokemart in the city due to his sheer lack of ability to read a map. Seriously, how in the fresh hell was this guy going to function when he leaves the city is completely beyond me.

Anyway! Besides the residents of the city, there were wild Pokemon as well! Well, a few of them. Everywhere Tristan went he would see little birds looking about, while common, could be great a start for any budding trainer. Well, maybe not in his case since his starter is a Flying-Type.

In this case, it seemed like there were two types of Flying-Types that were in competition to get the most food.

Pokedex Entry #016- Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. They are docile Pokémon that avoid fighting, kicking up sand in an enemy’s face or using Whirlwind to avoid battles. They have sharp senses of direction, capable of finding their nest or destination from very large distances. They inhabit tall grass where they search and prey on small bugs.

Pokedex Entry #519-Pidove, the Tiny Pidgeon Pokemon. Where people go, these Pokémon follow. If you're scattering food for them, be careful— several hundred of them can gather at once. It's forgetful and not very bright, but many Trainers love it anyway for its friendliness and sincerity.

Besides the birds, there were also some felines just lazing about that took advantage of the food offerings that humans gave them and otherwise would just be looting.

Pokédex Entry #052 – Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokémon. During the night Meowth are known to sneak around stealthily in search of prey and shiny objects which it adores with a passion. During the day, Meowth is known to laze around all day. In the dark, its eyes glow.

Then there were scurrying rat Pokemon that seemed to be the prey of the Meowth when they felt like hunting.

Pokédex Entry #019 – Rattata, the Mouse Pokémon. This Pokémon is common but hazardous. Its sharp incisors can easily cut right through hard wood. Its incisors grow continuously throughout its life. If its incisors get too long, this Pokémon becomes unable to eat, and it starves to death.

With that, Tristan and King, assuming he's still not in his Pokeball, made their way to the park. Well, really, they made it to the Trainer School where the park was attached to.

Stopping to take a breather thinking he arrived at his destination but as Tristan glanced around, he would find no pokemart in sight and instead found himself at some park. The panting teen wiped the sweat from his brow with his left hand while glowering at the pokedex held in his right." A park?! Stupid thing can't even guide properly. Figures that I would be given such a useless device from that pitiful geezer." Tristan glared at the pokedex when hearing that voice speak out once more detailing info on the nearby pokemon scanned though none of them interested him really. Two of them being flying type and he already had King currently pecking at the ground around him and meowth was a very familiar one often popular among the rich, the wives in particular.

Pocketing the pokedex with an agitated sigh before it could do more to frustrate him." I'm starting to wonder why I bothered coming here." The silver haired teen grumbled to himself while rubbing at his forehead; not that it mattered as he wouldn't have been able to buy anything with the pittance afforded him. And it didn't help that this pack was killer against his back.

After giving himself a minute to calm down did he give another glance around trying to decide where to go when his eyes came upon the trainer school where several kids could be seen running about. His face cringed in distaste at the sight of them and for a moment thought to just avoid the school altogether, but the glimpses of pokemon around there seemed far more eye-fetching than the plain common ones." Guess I might as well try to get some actual info of worth...more than I can say for this pokedex." With a snap of his fingers for King to follow, he set off towards the school making sure to avoid the group of kids running around as he had no patience to deal with snot nosed brats right now though he did hear of something interesting about some baby blue pokemon in passing.

Hearing this tidbit might just be the pick-me up he needed after all the troublesome affair he had endured bringing a little pep to his wobbling legs. For the moment his mood lifted as he strolled through a pack of pidoves which he waved his hands away to shoo the hooting birds away." Out of the way. I have no bread so be off as I have no time for any nonsense." A few more waves of his hand caused the pidoves to fly off nearly all at once and was about to continue on his way when he felt something splat onto his left shoulder.

Turning his head to see the blot of white bird poop staining the shirt causing eyes to go wide in shock and disgust." NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You damn rats with wings! If I ever get my hands on you, I'll tear your feathers off feather by feather!" He scowled out in pure rage while shaking his fist at the departing pidoves, his face red with anger as he quickly fumbled around in his pockets until he found a hanky." Come on...come on got to get it before it settles.... ugh this day can't get any worse." After a few licks to moisten the hanky, he fervently scrubbed at the poop giving it a good number of hard rubs removing nearly all but a small residue to which he choked back the sobs at seeing his beloved shirt being besmirched once more.

Fifteen minutes later of near crying and panic attacks Tristan finally settled down enough to continue on his way though still continuing to rub at the spot trying to get the bit of residue. Stepping his way over to the young bespectacled woman." Tch, this isn't coming out anytime soon. If only I had proper cleaning supplies." Tristan grumbled to himself before speaking to the teacher." You, the woman wearing those gaudy glasses. What is this I hear about some baby blue pokemon?" He inquired while keeping his attention on rubbing out the stain with little luck while King had settled itself next to him on its right giving a loud caw with a raise of his wings announcing himself.

Jason frowned as the more time he spent searching for signs of a rare Pokemon, the more he realized he didn't know as much about the ruins as he would have liked. Suppose I should have seen that coming after all, I haven't spent that much time learning the Pokemon as I have out in the forest and other wilderness areas learning the lays of the land... Eventually consigning himself to needing to talk to regulars along the trail and others who might live in the area, Jason was about to go try and catch one of the Golett's wandering around when he heard someone approaching from behind.

"Ho there! Hey stranger!" The voice belonged a young man around Jason's age, wearing a brown Stetson hat, matching brown boots, and rather worn-out, sun- bleached jeans, and an orange button up with the last button left open to show a white t-shirt, with looks that looked like they belonged on an actor from the 1930s instead of the young man facing him.

"Afternoon, what can I do for ya?" The young man continued speaking and Jason, being the respectful person he was, paid attention.

"Sorry, I was explorin' the ruins and I couldn't help, but notice that you have one of them Pokedexes that grump Kapoc gave out." As the young man reached for his orange pokedex, Jason chuckled quietly to himself at Kapoc getting called a grump. Certainly a mild way of putting it, without a shadow of a doubt. He brought his attention back to the other trainer as he resumed speaking and waited for another chance to speak.

"I guess we're rivals of sorts. The name is Connor, Connor Hagen." Jason accepted the proffered handshake and returned the hydraulic level handshake with a firm shake of his own, keeping the mental grimace off his face. His hand was rough and calloused, as if his palm was covered in a layer of it, which lead Jason to believe the man spent a lot of time working with his hands.

"Jason Connor. Pleasure." Introductions out of the way, Hagen got to his point.

"How about we celebrate our meeting with a battle? After all, if trainers lock eyes with one another, then we must battle." Connor tossed out a Pokeball and what came out was a strange bipedal lizard with saggy yellow skin that acts like pants that it always has to hold up. Jason's response was to hold out the Pokedex he'd been using to scan the surroundings to scan Connor's pokemon while retrieving Slayer's ball and tossing it to let his partner free.

Pokedex Entry #559-Scraggy, the Shedding Pokemon. If it locks eyes with you, watch out! Nothing and no one is safe from the reckless headbutts of this troublesome Pokémon. It protects itself with its durable skin. It's thought that this Pokémon will evolve once its skin has completely stretched out.

Jason couldn't believe his luck for his first match up against another trainer. Slayer, as the Ralts looked as determined as the cute little guy could, was a Psychic and Fairy type that, according to his Dex, already knew Disarming Voice. Conversely, the Scraggy was a Fighting and Dark type, which meant it was exceptionally weak to the one Fairy type move his partner knew. Still, defensively, Slayer doesn't have a lot going for it...Right then, I know! Coming up with a quick plan, he started to give his partner battle commands.

"Alright Slayer, this is our first step towards getting stronger, so let's win this! Start with Double Team and Growl, confuse it visually and audibly! Then trust your instincts and use Disarming Voice to take out Scraggy!" Nodding back to his trainer, Slayer sets to it, numerous visual doubles appearing in a matter of seconds all around the Scraggy as Growls ring out all around it. After a few seconds the signature pink sound waves of Disarming Voice move towards the Scraggy, with seemingly no real rhyme or reason to their pattern. Jason held his breath involuntarily as he watched, hoping he'd made the right call.

@samreaper
People were not exactly oblivious to some teenager who was on the cusp of having a panic attack. Some were trying to get his attention and ask if he was okay, but the boy was so beside himself that he did not even notice them. So, they instead informed the most responsible person there -that being the teacher, Astrid, the brown-haired lady with glasses- that there was some poor kid having a freak out. Of course, she had another teacher cover for her a moment and rushed to Tristan.

"Hey kid, are you okay?" asked Astrid though she received no response. He seemed way too deep in whatever he was going through right now, so deep that he didn't notice a particular blue baby Pokemon huddled up next to him in an attempt to comfort the teen.

Pokedex Entry #447-Riolu the Emanation Pokemon. It's exceedingly energetic, with enough stamina to keep running all through the night. Taking it for walks can be a challenging experience. It can use waves called auras to gauge how others are feeling. These same waves can also tell this Pokémon about the state of the environment.

Astrid smiled at the baby Pokemon. "Be a good Riolu and keep him company for me. You too, Murkrow." She was also acknowledging that the poor bird was probably doing its best for its trainer.

She couldn't watch over him forever and eventually had to go back to supervising the kids though she made sure to keep herself just close enough to keep a visual on Tristan. Thankfully he was back to himself fifteen-minutes later and he was... not exactly the nicest kid she had the pleasure of ever having to meet.

Gaudy? She thought to herself.

"You mean that thing hugging your leg?" Astrid said, pointing down to the same Riolu that was cuddled up next to him. "Riolu are special little Pokemon; they can sense emotions through what we call aura. It probably sensed how distressed you were and came over to comfort you. Well, still trying to." She giggled.

---

@Zarkun

Wait, this dude had a Ralts? Those things were part Fairy-Type, right? Well shit.

"Well it doesn't matter! As long it's frail we can win!" declared the cowboy... and the Ralts used Double Team and Growl. His Scraggy's attack dropped by one stage, and it wasn't long before Jason had ordered his Ralts to use Disarming Voice.

Now, Disarming Voice was a move that was impossible to avoid like Shock Wave and Arial Ace. No matter Connor could've done, there was no way of ordering Scraggy to avoid the sound waves. The poor thing cried out in pain as it was not only super-effective, but it was also quad-super-effective due to its typing.

"We only have one chance! Use Payback!" There it was! A powered-up Payback that would one shot the Ralts if it were to land. It rushed at one of the images of Ralts and with a glowing strike of its fist it... went through and the clone of Slayer vanished.

Scrag? It looked back at its trainer with an expression that said, 'Why have you forsaken me?'

Connor stood there with a blank expression on his face, knowing of what's to come. "I have made a terrible decision."

One more Disarming Voice later, Scraggy was knocked out and then returned to its Pokeball.

Ralts grew to level 6!
Slayer learned Confusion

"Ah damn, I didn't expect to get thrashed like that. Looks like I gotta catch me some Pokemon to counter Fairies." He sighed, but then cracked a wide-smile. "Well congrats on winning Jason. Now I was gonna keep the info to myself, but I'm sure you can find some use for it. Now it's just a rumor, but apparently at night people are claiming to see some Pokemon with a big jaw swimming about in the rivers. People keep trying to catch it, but it's very illusive. Well, use that info however you like. I gotta head back to the city."

And just like that, Connor was off.

What will you do now?

Rubbing his partner's head as Connor returns his Scraggy and telling him he did a good job, Jason can't help but be happy they won their first match. Of course, the poor thing didn't stand a chance against Double Team and Disarming Voice, but...well, I'll take a little good luck. Letting Ralts look around a bit, the martial artist listens to his fellow trainer as the young man relays the rumor about the big jawed Pokemon and he hums thoughtfully.

"Well congrats on winning Jason. Now I was gonna keep the info to myself, but I'm sure you can find some use for it. Now it's just a rumor, but apparently at night people are claiming to see some Pokemon with a big jaw swimming about in the rivers. People keep trying to catch it, but it's very illusive. Well, use that info however you like. I gotta head back to the city." Before Jason has a chance to ask anything more, the cowboy was gone, already on his way back up the path to get his Scraggy healed at the Pokecenter in town. Sighing, Jason looks towards the river and then towards the sun, which was on its way to night, but still decently high in the sky.

Let's see here, if I take some time to catch a Golett, I should have time to run into town, heal up and then Slayer and I can explore some more until nightfall, when I'll head to the river...Yeah, that'll work. With a plan of action decided, the newly bloodied trainer calls to his partner and sets his sights on the Golett nearest him.

(Quick-catch Golett, using Double Team and Disarming Voice in a manner similar to the battle with Scraggy and then wait for nightfall.)

A part of Tristan was still reeling from the near panic attack and was likely one of the reasons he was avoiding eye contact with the teacher. Not until she mentioned about something hugging his leg prompting him to look down to see blue furred bipedal canine hugging his leg causing the newbie trainer to nearly jump in surprise." Bloody hell?! Where did this thing come from?" Blinking in confusion before hearing the woman speak about him being distress." wha- I...distressed? I bet your pardon? I am far from distressed I assure you." Turning away while giving a forced nervous laugh, his right hand waving rapidly in front of his face hiding the signs of small tear streaks.*Calm down you idiot. I must never show anything but my fabulous and best.* Thinking this to himself while taking deep breaths to sooth yet another panic attack beginning to grow. Clearly Tristan was quite the fragile person that did not take pressure well or letting others see him distraught and looking so unfabulous.

While Tristan was hiding his embarrassed face slick with tear stain and sweat, King had landed next to the Riolu where he gave a happy caw in response to the woman while raising its wing in determination then turned to start chatting with the pokemon as if thanking it for trying to comfort his trainer.

A few calming mantra chanted in his head later Tristan turned his head with a quick brush of his hand wiping the bits of tears then passing it off as flicking his hair." You mentioned something about sensing emotions and aura?" Glancing down at the Riolu; finding it strange that an unknown wild pokemon was willing to come up to a stranger to comfort them and made him ponder on the last time he even received an actual genuine hug. A sad pang struck his heart briefly as he sniffed then coughed as if clearing his throat to play it off." W-well I assure you that one as fabulous as I am in no need in comforting.....but would be rude to refuse a kind gesture. So I offer my thanks little..er...one?" Extending his right hand down to give it a pat on the head as thanks." And thanks to you as well, young lady for offering some actual useful tips unlike a certain grouch." Nodding as he leaned in to get a closer look at the teacher and snapped his fingers." Those glasses do not do your face justice. With those slim cheeks and curve of your chin. I recommend a pair more sleek and compact to really make those blue eyes pop and your hair...perhaps try some softer conditioner to give a more silky and brighter color to your hair." Nodding with a proud smile at the tips he so kindly offered.

"Mom? You okay?" It was weird to hear and see her mom go so stalk still after answering the phone. If it hadn't been for the fact she heard someone on the other side of the line a second time, and her mom suddenly snapped out of the trance, Faye would have taken the phone and just hung up. Even when her mom did start talking, she sounded choked - almost struggling to form simple words - before offering the phone to her without a word and walking out of the room.

"Hello?" And then she was almost as speechless at hearing who it was. Well of course it make sense that Mom had been so weird. But that was the least of the times it would happen. After the call, Mom had seemed weird when Faye excitedly mentioned what it had been about. Dad seemed apprehensive too but neither talked about it much. After much pressing, and two more calls, it made sense. As far as Dad said, Mom was nervous to see her go out and actually start becoming a trainer - that it could be dangerous. She was ready for the danger; she didn't tell her parents that she was actually looking forward to that because this world needed more people that looked to face danger instead of hide away from it. She'd be damned if she sat idle and let fear of Cipher or other organizations like that do instead of prepare to oppose them.

But that was essentially how it always went. Especially the day before the big day.

Mom sat quiet, painting as she did when she felt distressed. Faye almost couldn't bring herself to get her mother's attention and say goodbye like she did to her father. Her father didn't try to talk her out of it like she thought he would. But then, they were always supportive of her going out to explore and learn. He knew there was no talking her out of this, so he helped her pack as best as he could. It took about a dozen reassurances she would call frequently and not take any unnecessary risks. By the time she had her pack all set and was about to step out the door, Mom had stopped her on her way out of the house. One long very tight hug, and a hellavalotta tears later her mother finally wished her luck and promised to always be available to help give her advice if she wanted it. A solemn reminder that her pokemon were not tools but friends and so long as she listened, they would keep her from straying down the wrong path.

---

Stepping off the train then walking out of the station in Grand Glory City, Faye stood for a moment and just stared at the grandeur of the city. It had been years since the last time she came here. She couldn't remember much of where any of the landmarks were, but thankfully in her collection of maps was a map of Grand Glory, just for this. Unfortunately, sightseeing would have to wait. A sleeping Snorlax blocking one of the tracks had caused her to need to switch to a different train and now...a meeting reminder beeped on her phone.

"Shit...I'm going to be late!"" She tucked her phone and the map away. A quick resettling of how her backpack sat on her shoulders, and she set off running down the sidewalk to the Headquarters. She burst in the door, thankfully used to the cardio and not completely out of breath, with a few shouts of "I'm here. I'm here! I made it!" just in time for Evlyn to approach the other trainers present. The leisurely walking pace helped her get her breathing back under control more than just standing still did. It was okay Adriane wasn't there yet, as disappointing as it was, she didn't want to be catching her breath in front of her idol. Not only would that be embarrassing, but it would feel like a stark mark against her worthiness as a hand picked new trainer to take on people that the person who took down Cipher felt could help keep this region in line.

Before she could fall down that rabbit hole of thought, they were in the office of the professor that would be running things remotely. Adriane showed up not long after, but by then Faye was already breathing normally. The smile that bloomed on her face the moment the Champ ran in was nothing short than total admiration and set a bit of a sparkle to her eyes. Even after speaking to her on the phone, it was a whole other level to be standing in the same room with Adriane and being reminded once again that out of so many others she was one of the few to be picked by the Champ to be a new trainer for this region. Failure wasn't an option. She listened intently, taking note of everything he said to ensure she didn't forget it. Half of this was information she already knew, but it never hurt to brush up on the basics.

As soon as she had her pokedex, and the others received their starters, she scanned each of the pokemon before putting it - and her pokeballs - away, then ensured snapping pictures of the pokemon with their trainers - provided they actually looked at their pokemon while still in the laboratory - and then Adriane, Professor Kapoc, and even Evlyn before putting her camera away too. She didn't want to keep swapping back and forth, and proper pictures of her own could would come later. Eevee may not have been as special and flashy on the surface as the others, but he would be someday and he was already that on the inside. She squatted down to get on the same eye level as Eevee and smiled broadly. "You look like a Sage if ever I saw one. We're going to be a great team, you and I." She gently ran her hand over his fur before standing up and eying the pompous loudmouth blathering on about how awesome he and his pokemon would be. What a loser. Everyone knows actions speak louder than words.

She shook her head. If she stood here and dwelled on that loser she'd end up opening a can of worms she didn't want. If someone as pompous as him was chosen by Adriane to be a new trainer setting out to compete in the Evig league, there was a good reason. By right now, she had more important things to do than figure out what that reason was. Another glance down at her pokemon, and she nodded her head toward the doors. "Come on, Sage. The wider world awaits." With a yip, Sage trotted off at her heels.

The first step in any journey is getting familiar with where you have been, and the best way to get to know someone was by being around them. So she checked her city map one last time just after leaving the League Headquarters, picked a random landmark to walk to, and started heading that way. After a few steps though, she stopped and looked at Sage. "Wait, I haven't gotten your picture yet. Come on." She crouched down again and pulled out her phone. The camera was already set on selfie mode, and she made sure to pose just right to snap the picture - which just so happen to catch Tristan being escorted out of the building by a Hydreigon. She snickered and saved the picture, and quickly snapped another shot. "That's a keeper!" then texted it to her parents. She also texted them the number from her pokedex so she could focus on just using that for her phone instead.

"Alright. Now we can go." Hoisting her backpack back into place, she stood up and tucked her phone away once more. Then it was off to start hitting landmarks and see what luck may bring her way.

@Zarkun

Well, Jason found a Golett and decided to fight this particular one. It used Astonish, but spamming Double Team essentially made it borderline impossible for the poor thing to hit the bloody Ralts. Overtime its HP was chipped away by the Ralts Disarming Voice until it was in catching range. Seeing his chance, Jason tossed a Pokeball at the Golett and it was absorbed in a stream of white, digital light!

It rolled once... it rolled twice...it rolled thrice!



Now Jason waits around for nightfall. Since he is resting at the site, he gets a free heal for his team. Jason was probably sitting around a fire that he made, doing whatever he does. It was quiet, save for the occasional passing vehicle on the main road. The night was beautiful. One would have expected there to be large amount of light pollution due the close proximity of Grand Glory City and Route 4, but every star was out on a brilliant display.

Then silence was shattered by a sudden loud splash... and then another. If Jason was to follow the sound, he would obviously have found himself approaching the river. What he would see there would be the big jaw Pokemon splashing around in the water happily. It does not seem to have noticed you just yet.

Pokedex Entry #158-Totodile the Big Jaw Pokemon. Despite the smallness of its body, Totodile's jaws are very powerful. While the Pokémon may think it is just playfully nipping, its bite has enough power to cause serious injury.

However, you weren't alone.

"Get me a Totodile she says, it's so cute she says. God, does she think these things are easy to track down?" A man wearing an all-black suit, including a black balaclava obscuring his face. He was holding a cylindrical object.

"Toto?" It looked up at the man approaching, who was now aiming that object at it. The device shot out a net and caught the poor Totodile. It flailed and cried out desperately for not even its fangs seemed to be able to cut through.

What will Jason do? Will he rescue the Totodile or let it be poached?

---

@samreaper

The Riolu began to chat with the shiny Murkrow, very intrigued with its unique coloring compared to the other Murkrows that it had seen before.

Well, at least it looked like he finally calmed down.

"Yes, I did. This ability makes them quite valuable... and a target. They were almost extinct in the wild in the Evig region due to Cipher's excessive poaching, but thanks to the efforts of breeders, rangers, and scientists we are beginning to see a resurgence in their population." Tristan should have been aware of the devastation that this region had been through thanks to that evil team even if he was not from the region. Evig was on the verge of collapse and so many wild Pokemon were on the brink of extinction. It was a national disaster of unprecedented proportions. Even the city itself was a testament of the efforts of the inhabitants of the region to move forward and recover.

She smiled at the boy's awkward thankfulness. "If you wish to thank me, please call me Astrid. I am one of the teachers at this school." Was this him trying to be nice? They've only just met, and he was already telling her how to take care of her hair and what glasses to wear. Well, it was better to just silently take the advice and let the kid be on his way than let him get under her skin.

"Lou!" the Riolu called out to get Tristan's attention.

"Oh my, I think the Riolu wants to battle you."

"Lou!" It nodded in confirmation.

What will Tristan do?

---

@Sanguine Rose
And the adventures of Faye and Sage have officially begun! They decided to start in Grand Glory City and take pictures of the landmarks around the city. The streets were bustling with people going on about their daily lives, the construction of buildings, and various stores and other businesses serving a wide cliental. Besides that, there were also wild Pokemon around the city.

There were two different kinds of bird Pokemon in competition for a sandwich that had fallen on the ground. It proved to be a tense stare down.

Pokedex Entry #016- Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. They are docile Pokémon that avoid fighting, kicking up sand in an enemy’s face or using Whirlwind to avoid battles. They have sharp senses of direction, capable of finding their nest or destination from very large distances. They inhabit tall grass where they search and prey on small bugs.

Pokedex Entry #519-Pidove, the Tiny Pidgeon Pokemon. Where people go, these Pokémon follow. If you're scattering food for them, be careful— several hundred of them can gather at once. It's forgetful and not very bright, but many Trainers love it anyway for its friendliness and sincerity.

Besides the birds, there were also some felines just lazing about that took advantage of the food offerings that humans gave them and otherwise would just be looting.

Pokédex Entry #052 – Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokémon. During the night Meowth are known to sneak around stealthily in search of prey and shiny objects which it adores with a passion. During the day, Meowth is known to laze around all day. In the dark, its eyes glow.

Then there were scurrying rat Pokemon that seemed to be the prey of the Meowth when they felt like hunting.

Pokédex Entry #019 – Rattata, the Mouse Pokémon. This Pokémon is common but hazardous. Its sharp incisors can easily cut right through hard wood. Its incisors grow continuously throughout its life. If its incisors get too long, this Pokémon becomes unable to eat, and it starves to death.

At some point, she found herself in the city square. Cafes, high-end restaurants, and various stores were all nestled around this space where a fountain was placed dead center. The fountain had statues of the Galarian Legendary Pokemon, Zacian and Zamazenta though because they are statues the Pokedex won't display an entry.

"Yip yip!"

Faye should have heard that behind her, down around her feet. When she looked down, she would see a very cute looking dog Pokemon hopping around her with its eyes very much glued on the camera. Electricity crackled around its feet every time it hopped around her feet.

Pokédex Entry #835 – Yamper, the Puppy Pokémon. This Pokémon is very popular as a herding dog in the Galar region. As it runs, it generates electricity from the base of its tail. It only assists people with their work because it wants treats. As it runs, it crackles with electricity.

It doesn't seem to belong to anyone.

What does Faye do?

It certainly was good she decided to start with learning more about Grand Glory's landmarks. The city felt like it changed so much since she came here after it first opened up 4 years ago. It was nice to see wild pokemon were thriving around the city, but Pidgeys, Pidoves, and Rattatas were not only hardy from everything she saw of them across the regions but became common features around most cities in this region. At least, she was used to seeing them around King's Cross. Even Meowths were starting to seem that way. Given how desolate of pokemon populations the region was after Cipher first left, she was glad to see them. She took the time to scan each breed, and take the best picture she could of them. Pokemon in their natural environment always came through with the best representation of them than getting pictures of captured pokemon.

As she walked, she chatted at Sage about various things - explaining what the pokemon around them were and showing him the pictures she took of the other pokemon. But standing before the fountain and its majestic legendaries again was something else. She snapped another picture, capturing the fountain and the statues at just the right angle to highlight the beauty of the scene, before hearing a yip behind her. She may have had Sage for only a little while, but she'd figured out what his yips sounded like.

Faye blinked and looked down to see the Yamper. She pulled out her pokedex for a quick ID before slipping it back away. She looked around to see if someone might be looking for it before looking back down at the electric pokemon. Well that was odd. A wild yamper in a city like this? Then she did a double take, looking between the dog-like pokemon and her camera. "Oh? You like my camera? If you can be good and not short it out, I'd love to take your picture and show you it. Okay?" She gave it a moment before she took its picture and switched to picture preview mode, then knelt down and showed the Yamper the picture she took. "What do you think? I think that's a pretty good picture of you, wouldn't you say? You know, I'm kind of surprised to see you here. Did you wander off from someone or are you on your own?"

Shouting in both surprise and excitement at the successful catch of the Golett, Jason retrieved the ball and let Slayer high-five him. "This is a great start! Now then, before we let head to town..." Turning and tossing the ball, the Golett emerged and looked around before focusing on its new trainer and turning its stone head slightly. "Your name will be Murus, which means 'wall' in a language my dad studies. Is that OK with you?" The Golett makes what the young man thinks is a humming noise before it responds.

"Golett." Smiling, Jason pats the large construct's gut and pulls out its Pokeball.

"Great! Welcome to the team, Murus." Returning it and then Slayer to their balls, Jason heads back to camp to make them all food. Releasing the pair, he settled into the habits he'd made on other camping trips while also socializing with his fledgling team. Once the food was done and he'd eaten, Jason grabbed his longsword and practiced the forms he'd used back during his days competing, continuing into katas and other martial arts practice to kill time. Eventually, night did fall and his team got a nice rest from spending the time at camp, so he decided to skip the trip to the Pokecenter and instead headed down towards the river. Big jawed Pokemon...I mean, there was the one mom said she saw in Johto but all the way here?

On the way down to the river, it was quiet, save for the occasional passing vehicle on the main road and the night sky was beautiful to behold. Stopping in his walk, he hummed thoughtfully to himself as he looked at the stars. One could have reasonably expected there to be large amounts of light pollution due the close proximity of Grand Glory City and Route 4, but despite that, every star was out on a brilliant display of beauty and calm. Beginning to get why mom and dad didn't come back to Hoenn as fast as I had thought they would...

Then silence was shattered by a sudden loud splash... and then another. Following the sound first to the river and then upstream a little ways, sure enough, Jason found himself looking at exactly the alligator pokemon that his mom had described to him as a kid, even as the Pokedex he'd pulled out beeped and spoke the description to confirm it.

Pokedex Entry #158-Totodile the Big Jaw Pokemon. Despite the smallness of its body, Totodile's jaws are very powerful. While the Pokémon may think it is just playfully nipping, its bite has enough power to cause serious injury.

Guess you can never go wrong with this guy for a water type. Time for Slayer to do his th- Jason's thought is cut short as he spots a man in all black approach the happily splashing alligator Pokemon and mutter to himself. "Get me a Totodile she says, it's so cute she says. God, does she think these things are easy to track down?" The man pulls out a metal cylinder and aims at the Totodile, who turns its head slightly in confusion.

"Toto?" With a mostly silent click, the cylinder shoots a net out at the poor thing and ensnares it, the man almost immediately trying to pull it in, though the struggle it was putting up bought Jason the time he would need.

"Hey you, hold it!" His parents had told him stories about what Cipher's control of the Evig Region had done to the Pokemon populations and he wasn't about to watch it happen in front of him. Even as he ran, he unleashed his partners from their Pokeballs and gave orders to them. "Slayer, use Confusion to slow that guy down! Murus, grab that net and pull the other way!" Jason, meanwhile, would close with the man himself. Using the cellphone function of his Pokedex, Jason dialed the police and let them hear was was being said. "Poaching is wrong, you bastard!"

Now that he was given the proper time to compose himself Tristan could feel his mood improving possibly in part from Riolu's comforting presence. Noticing the woman whose name as he would soon learn to be Astrid continue on to explain more about Riolu and how it was a seemingly well sought after by those of Cypher for its abilities. Shifting in place while folding his arms across his chest as he let out a disappointed sigh with a distasteful look." Hmph, such a horrid group, Cypher. Going to such length to do despicable and ugly things. It makes me proud to know my family is working to help undo the damage of their wicked deeds."

Cypher, a name even he has heard about and while he didn't know the intricate details, he knew enough to abhor the group. They best hope they never have the misfortune to run into him for if he had been around at the time, he would have put an end to the genocidal monsters.

The day he teaches teaches them to regret ever showing their ugly mugs in his presence is one to come all too soon. Pulled from the pleasing thoughts of future feats upon hearing the teacher speak once more and would nod in response." Astrid is it? Then I offer my thanks once more, miss Astrid. Do be sure to keep those tips in mind as they will surely make you popular among the student and fellow staff."

Thinking to offer a few more tips when the Riolu's unexpected shout got his attention as intended having him look down at the canine esque pokemon wondering what it was shouting about. His left eyebrow rose when Astrid offered her suggestion which the Riolu seemed to agree to." A battle?" He pondered over the notion while stroking at his chin as he glanced down at the two pokemon, King holding up his wings confidently to show he was ready and raring to go." Hm, yes. I suppose this is a chance to see what this Murkrow is capable of and no better way to test the skills of Riolu." With a determined nod he pointed down at the blue furred pokemon." I graciously accept this challenge and be ready for this is the day you shall find Glory!" Tristan exclaimed boastfully then gave a tooth dazzling wink to Astrid who he considered quite lucky to witness his first battle and the beginning of his conquest.

Turning away from Astrid and the school he made his way to one of the empty fields used for battles and upon reaching the spot lightly spun into a dramatic pose with a snap of his fingers signaling King to fly over and land before him." Consider yourself honored, Riolu. You shall be the first of countless conquest." Smugly grinning with that dazzling smile once more then pulled out his pokedex to scan the opposing pokemon once more.

Listening to the pokedex's entry while observing the pokemon." Hm...I'm still working to memorize all the types and all that jazz but this one seems to either be normal or...fighting type." Once again pondering while stroking his chin trying to remember the lessons from the family butler; rambling on about something regarding type matching being important and vital and other such facts." ugh..that man really knew how to droll me to sleep. Well, I've never been one to bother overthinking things."

With a flick of his hair, he shifted forward to show he was ready." Alright, King. Time to show your stuff!" The shiny murkrow cawed out with a few flaps of its wings and a sharp glint in its eyes signaling the start of the battle.

Tristan studied the pokemon for a few moments longer thinking over the moves the murkrow trying to figure out his plan of actions. Then without warning he flung his right hand forward pointing his index finger." Quick, take to the sky king and make some distance then follow up with a featherdance." The rookie teen called out his orders as King did as ordered albeit fumbling a bit on the take-off due to not being used to receiving sudden orders as it moved to fly up until it was at a height just short the tree lines from the ground. The bird let out a piercing crow before giving several strong flaps of its wings sending a flurry of black feathers aimed at Riolu aiming to hinder and weaken it physically; this assuming King succeeded in reaching its way into the sky.

It had been a long journey from Galar to here, but it had been worth every minute of the wait. Normally loud and boisterous, she was instead quiet as she kept to herself for the most part. Not out of shyness or anxiety or anything of the sort, more because she was sizing them up. The rich kid seemed just that; some wimpy pampered brat who seemed up himself. The other bloke seemed like a ripper at least, at least in comparison to that other drongo, even if he seemed like a bit of a stick in the mud. The last one, who arrived a little late, was a younger looking bird who wasn't much shorter than herself who seemed like the larrikan sort. So two beauts and one mongrel? Not a bad little start to hang out with I suppose.

Following after Evelyn once she arrived, she rested her hands behind her head and whistled a tune to herself as she walked into Kapocs lab. Jeez what a groochy old mate. And he was even rude to the champion when she finally showed up? Wow. She didn't know what his problem was nor did she care. The same could honestly be said about whatever earbashing he was doing right now so she drowned him out, flat out ignoring him as she walked over and picked up her pokeball. Twirling it on her finger for a moment, she barely even glanced over her shoulder as she heard the flailing and screaming Tristan being picked up and 'escorted' out of the building by a hydreigon. What a complete dorb.

"Yayz does he nayd t' tuffen up aw whaht eh?" The girl commented, letting the ball slide into her hand as she made her way towards the exit. As much as Kapoc didn't want them here, she didn't want to be near this grumblebum any longer than she needed to. As she did, she popped Dusk out of the ball, picked up the flaming candle and placed it on her shoulder. "Oy'mma cohl yah dusk, thaht's foine boy yah roigh'?"

"Litwick!" Came the excited cry on her shoulder.

"Roigh' on, good t' heah cawbbah. haow abeow' we gao cahtch oursaelves some pahtnahs thaen eh?"

With a nod of her head to the candle, she went back the way they came, not even noticing whatever pics Faye would snap of her on the way out, and into the city proper.

---

@Sanguine Rose
The Yamper nodded and let the nice lady take a picture of its adorable self. It was elated when it saw the pictures came out great and puffed its chest out high and held its head up as a show of pride for its absolute cuteness. When asked about if it was on its own or not, it shook its head and turned around, pointing towards a man that must've been only just two-years-older than Jason that looked like he was very busy on his smart phone. It used this as a chance to yip loudly and the young man glanced towards the Yamper almost as if he paid it no mind, but then wide-eyed looked back at it and then at his own feet and then back to the little scamp before he put the phone away, slung a backpack on the verge of death over his shoulder, and rushed over.

"Ah sorry, was he bothering you? I just caught this guy from Route 1, and it doesn't seem like he has any concept of stranger danger." He apologized, then glancing down at the Yamper. "You can't do that when I'm on the phone."

"Yip!" And it looked like it either didn't understand or it just didn't care, much to the exasperation.

He had a very fair complexion, wavy white hair that nearly covered his one of yellow doe eyes. He wore a very dark, desaturated purple bomber jacket, a white t-shirt, slim black jeans, and black low boots. The man had piercings in his ears, some of them were even metal bars going through his ears, and cuffs. Hell, he had a couple of piercings even on his neck of all places and around his neck he wore a necklace with a strange multi-colored gem in place. He also wore a belt that had six Pokeballs and a case.

The young man noticed the Eevee standing by Faye's side. That's a really rare Pokemon, not something that most people could get their hands on. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but you're a new trainer, aren't you?"

---

@Zarkun
"What the hell?!" He was knocked off his feet by an invisible force and landed on his butt, mainly because he was not expecting to be attacked in the middle of the night. The man looked up and saw that it was some kid and honestly it would have pissed him off that some brat got one over him until he said that heroic line.

The poacher physically cringed and not in a slightly embarrassed way, but full on looked like he felt shame for Jason. "Seriously? 'Poaching is wrong, you bastard?' That's your line? God dammit, I'm embarrassed for you. I'd almost rather deal with the police than you if those clever one-liners continue. Almost."

He tossed out two Pokeballs and out came a very ruffled looking bird and a toy lion with a red mohawk.

Pokédex Entry #627 – Rufflet, the Eaglet Pokémon. If it spies a strong Pokémon, Rufflet can't resist challenging it to a battle. But if Rufflet loses, it starts bawling. It has talons that can crush hard berries.

Pokédex Entry #667 – Litleo, the Lion Cub Pokémon. When they're young, they live with a pride. Once they're able to hunt prey on their own, they're kicked out and have to make their own way. A hot-blooded Pokémon that is filled with curiosity. When it gets angry or starts fighting, its short mane gets hot.

"Rufflet, Peck at the Golett! Litleo, use Ember on the Ralts!" The two Pokemon followed their trainer's command. The Rufflet flew over and began to Peck at the Automaton Pokemon while the Litleo shot tiny fire balls at the Ralts.

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@samreaper

Ordering King to keep its distance in the air and use Feather Dance was a very smart move on Tristan's part. The feathers shot down faster than the Riolu could react and stuck to it, decreasing its attack stat sharply since now parts of its body were now just soft pillows now. However, the little fighter was certainly not going to give up just because of that!

As Tristan must've noticed -and if he didn't then shame on him- that the park was filled with trees. The Riolu decided to use this to its advantage and used Quick Attack to climb up a nearby tree to get needed height and then propelled itself towards King at high speeds.

What will Tristan do?

---

@Lunarlord34

What the fuck did she say?

Kapoc just looked at the strange speaking girl, down to his coffee cup, and then back up at Steph as if she had Corphish crawling out of her ears. Never had he ever heard anything as scuffed as this in his life. She was from Galar, right? That sure as hell was not any Galarian accent, but something of an entirely different order.

Meanwhile Evelyn looked just as confused and stared at Adriane, who at a glance was just calmly smiling, but if one paid close attention they would see the corners of her mouth twitch ever so slightly.

Evelyn thought to herself, She is having way too much fun with this. This was on purpose.

It wasn't long until Steph left and there was a stiff silence for the longest time until The Champion finally broke and began laugh so hard she was hugging her stomach. "That girl is a riot! I can't understand a word she says, but she is a riot!"

Meanwhile, Kapoc did not share the sentiment. "What the f-!"

And we cut away to Stephanie who had stepped outside of the League Administration Building. Now it was a beautiful day, especially if you are a Pidove, who coincidentally was flying above her and also coincidentally left shall we say, a very distinguished...mark on certain spoiled boy. This specific Pidove was on a streak and kept landing every god damn hit on every poor person who was unfortunate enough to be under it at the time and this time was no different. It aligned itself perfectly over Steph and took a crap.

Jason slid to a stop as the man went off about his cheesy one-liner and, in hindsight, it probably wasn't the best choice. But at the same time, it got his point across and instead the young man shifted into Poke-battle gear. "Slayer, Double Team followed by Growl and Confusion on the Rufflet! Don't let that flying pain in the rear hurt Murus anymore. Murus, Defense Curl and then use Mud Slap on the Litleo and then Defense Curl again!" Rufflet was the real challenge here, since neither of the moves that Murus knew would actually help against it, but that Litleo was a poor pairing for the Ghost and Ground type with its Mud Slap attack. If they were fortunate, the guy would just give up on the Totodile after this.