Blitz

Aphorism: Skyline Institute

Hi, and oh my goodness I'm sorry for running a little late. I had a party all day and couldn't get on! I'll start my post right now though :D

Aphorism: Skyline Institute

[Kylie]

Kylie felt a small shiver up her spine as she gazed at the gates in front of her. The guards standing vigilant at the gates reminded her of those British guards that stare out onto the streets and have no emotion, no matter what you did to try to distract them. Kylie didn’t feel compelled to test that on them.

Her father had just left. She didn’t want him to stay very long, and his teary goodbye was getting old. It still ticked her off that he was pretending like he cared about her… but whatever. Now she was on her own, finally, like she had wanted. This should be a piece of cake, right?

She peered through the gate’s opening and saw the school was way off in the distance. Luckily, she had passed of her hefty pieces of luggage to inspection before coming here, so she wouldn't have to lug it all the way there. With a deep breath, she started off and crossed the threshold of the gate…

Her vision seemed to flicker for a moment, and before she could even realize what was happening, she saw the school was now considerably closer. Impossibly close. With a little gasp, she glanced behind her and saw there was no gate. Nothing. Just the grass that seemed to go on forever.

“Oh…” she muttered to herself in a small voice. “I guess there’s no turning back now…”

Kylie should’ve expected as much. She knew the school wasn’t… normal. But the fact that she was experiencing this not-normal-ness firsthand was certainly bizarre. She inhaled shakily and turned around to face forward again. Her brown eyes swiftly scanned over the school in front of her. It kinda looked like your typical boarding school. She had expected something along the lines of Hogwarts… but this was okay too. She noticed she was on the field enclosed by a track, and her stomach tingled. Was there a sports team? Maybe she could cheer for them!

She headed off to the field since she saw a group of adults setting up tables there. Must be the place to check in.

“Hello there!” one of them called out suddenly. “Name?”

Kylie nearly jumped. She didn’t expect anyone to reach out to her so out of the blue.

“Eep!” she gasped. “Oh my God… Sorry.” She giggled to diffuse her embarrassment. “It’s Kylie Reith. R-E-I-T-H.”

The well-dressed woman who had addressed her nodded and produced an envelope labeled 4.

“That number is your class. Class 4.”

“Oh, well you won’t need to worry about me showing up,” Kylie laughed, taking it from her hands.

“The first class is required. After that it’s up to you to show up or not.”

Kylie frowned. She hated that word, required.

“Really?”

“Well if you don’t you’ll certainly be in a pickle. Don’t want to get eaten by a bunch of monsters, do you? It starts at 10am so you have a little bit of time.”

Kylie laughed nervously at the odd woman and stared down at her envelope with a frown.

“Okay, one class isn’t too bad, I guess,” she replied quietly.

“Your room key and information are also in there,” said the woman. “The girls’ dormitories are located on the opposite side of campus. Just keep going straight and past the boys’ dorms. Your luggage should already be in your room by now.”

“…Thanks,” Kylie answered. She figured the first thing she should do was locate her room and belongings and unpack before she got to this class. She gently folded the envelope in her hands and took off toward the girls’ dorms.

Aphorism: Skyline Institute

Sorry, I got a little too excited! ^^; But okay, thanks! :)

Aphorism: Skyline Institute

[Kylie]

It was a bright and warm afternoon in Chicago, Illinois. Outside of a decently large house enclosed by a big yard filled with shady oak trees. Parked on the long driveway leading up to the home was a Mercedes-made SUV with its trunk swung open. A tall man with neatly-combed brown hair wearing a blue button-down and khakis was just finishing loading the last piece of his daughter’s luggage into the vehicle. His daughter, speak of the devil, with new blonde highlights in her hair, was sitting on the front steps with phone in hand and earbuds in her ears. She was wearing a white crop-top along with denim high-waisted shorts and a pair of tan sandals.

“Kylie!” her father hollered after slamming the trunk shut. “Kylie!” he hollered again after not getting a response.

Kylie had heard him the first time, but decided to pretend not to, since she had her music on. However, since he called her a second time, she pulled her earbuds out with a sigh and looked up from her phone.

“What is it, Dad?”

“The car’s all packed and ready to go.” Mr. Reith walked up the small path toward the front steps where she was.

“Let’s go then. The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can start doing whatever I want.”

As if she doesn’t do that already, her father thought unsympathetically. “This isn’t a vacation, Kylie. Your mother and I told you already. Skyline is dangerous. Is this the kind of risk you want to take for not having to go to class?”

“Yes,” she shot back, not missing a beat. She sauntered over to the car and hopped into passenger seat. “It was your idea anyway. I’ll get a good job when I graduate.”

Mr. Reith watched her backside and frowned, wondering about what he’d do if the worst were to happen… Kylie was his only child; even though he didn’t get so see her much, and she wasn’t the most fond of him, he still loved her very much. The thought of never seeing her again was just… Well, it was just too much. He rubbed out the tears that brimmed his eyes and got into the car as well.

“Kylie…” he said in a low voice. “You know it’s not too late to decide not to go.”

“But I want to go,” she insisted.

“You could die!” he suddenly burst out, but it’s not like Kylie didn’t already know that. “Your mother and I… We’d miss you terribly, honey…”

Kylie scoffed. “Where is Mom, by the way?” she asked, turning to face him with a frown.

“You know she’s been busy at the office…” Mr. Reith replied helplessly.

“Couldn’t even come see her daughter off to the school she might die at?”

Mr. Reith nearly flinched at her words. “Don’t say that!”

“Don’t act like you all care about me.”

“We do,” he choked out weakly, the tears returning to his eyes. “You’re our only daughter. How couldn’t we care about you? We love you!”

His daughter let out another, even louder sigh.

“Right… Don’t cry, Dad,” she told him. “Just start driving. Wake me up when we get there.” She put her earbuds back on and leaned her head back on the headrest while Mr. Reith sniffled and stuck the keys into the ignition.

Aphorism: Skyline Institute

Would you like me to start my posts with [Kylie] even though I only have one character?

Aphorism: Skyline Institute

I made the necessary edits, and I also fixed some silly typos D:

Thank you so much! I forgot to look at the dictionary.com page for other uses of the word. I'm sure the ability to create/manipulate alcohol and to sneak away unnoticed will go excellently with Kylie. LOL

Aphorism: Skyline Institute

Here goes!

Name: Kylie Reith

Age (only 14-18): 17

Gender: Female

Appearance: Kylie is somewhat taller than average, considering her gender and age. She stands at about 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters), thus giving her body a lithe and limber form. Despite her thin appearance, her athleticism grants her excellent flexibility, agility, and decent speed. Her hair is chestnut, long, and slightly wavy; when down, it reaches to just above the middle of her back. Her eyebrows are thin and arched, her eyes narrow, and her irises the same color as her hair. Her skin is pink (between pale and tanned) and, without the aid of some makeup, slightly wrinkled around the eyes. For this reason, she is rarely seen without makeup on. Her bust is small and her arms are long and thin, which contrasts with her wide hips and visibly muscular legs. She has a flat stomach, with her ribs partially exposed due to her skinniness and her unwillingness to overeat.

Personality: Kylie has an obsession with her looks that often leads to her worrying about her makeup, her hair, and her body. She is ashamed of her small bust, which is probably (and perhaps ironically?) her biggest insecurity. She is often driven to exercise and go on strict diets. She is therefore very sensitive of others’ views of her, but she has recently been trying to get over this. Kylie is a happy-go-lucky, giggly individual but her feelings are easily hurt, leading to either sadness or anger. Due to her hobbies, she has also developed a competitive spirit that emerges every now and again. She has streaks of being rebellious and irresponsible, but that’s mainly part of the altered image she has cultivated for herself due to her social life. She’s not unintelligent, but often comes across as such.

History: Kylie was born in the rich part of Chicago to a lawyer mother and a doctor father, both of whom rarely had the time to spend at home with their daughter. This led to a few issues for Kylie growing up, mainly a lack of real attachment and even slight resentment for her parents. As she grew up, Kylie took up such hobbies as playing sports like soccer and lacrosse, singing, and running. However, as she grew older, she fell in love with two activities in particular: dancing and cheerleading. Meanwhile, she grew and became prettier and more popular. Consequently, upon arriving to her private high school, Kylie had a large network of equally as popular friends. However, due to her already somewhat rebellious nature respecting her parents, as well as her friend group, Kylie quickly fell into a life of partying, drinking, drugs, coming home late, boys, and insecurities. It took her parents until the end of her junior year in high school to realize the path their daughter was going down. After much deliberation, they took Kylie to Springfield and asked her if she could see an island in the sky. When she replied that she could, her parents offered her the proposition that if she attended Skyline, she would be able to graduate without having to actually take any classes but still enter in any lucrative career she wanted. The part about not going to class appealed to her most. Well, the money didn’t sound too bad either. Her parents warned her, in all fairness, that the school is dangerous and not everyone made it out alive, but just to spite her parents, she decided she’d enroll.

Nationality: American

Word: Spirit
1) Fill herself or organisms within her range with energy, enthusiasm, happiness, and even mania.

2) Drain herself or organisms within her range emotionally, leading to more negative moods.

3) Temporary manipulation of temperament, disposition, mood, and attitude to be positive or negative.

4) Create and manipulate alcohol.

5) Summon angels, demons, souls of the deceased for aid, advice/wisdom, and protection. The capabilities of anything summoned are linked to Kylie’s energy, so the more the spirit does, the more she is drained. All spirits must be humanoid.

6) She can also summon fairies, sprites, or elves.

7) Separation of spirit from body. Kylie can basically project her conscious outside of herself at the expense of leaving her body limp, useless, and in a sort of coma (still breathing, living, etc.) She can instantly return to her body at will. If her body is disturbed she will return to her body. If she is killed, she is killed (her spirit is out of her body anyways!) As a spirit, Kylie has no influence on physical matter, but she will remember what she sees while in this state. She cannot possess anyone, read minds, inject/influence thinking. She may travel as far as she wishes, but the longer she stays out, the more energy she expends. Kylie may also temporarily separate body and spirit of organisms in her range, but only for a limited amount of time. This will never kill them, only incapacitate them.

8) The ability to "carry off mysteriously or secretly." (i.e. ability to slip away unnoticed)

Word Range (if applicable to character): 3 meters/10 feet.

Word Location: It is on the palm of her left hand. If she holds her palm facing outwards with her fingers facing up, the word will be right-side up and can be read by someone facing her.

Abilities (optional): I’d feel limited if I listed them. I’ll keep them reasonable, of course.

Other (optional): Uhhhhhh. Nothing I can think of!

Aphorism: Skyline Institute

Hey!!! Room for one more? I could probably whip up a character pretty quick if you're pressed for time.

sup awkward girl coming through

um no one exceeds me in awkward but nice try :D
and welcome!

Blitz's Titleless Pokémon Fanfic

Foreword/Disclaimer

This story is a fanfic placed in the Pokémon universe. I do not take ownership for any of the creatures, concepts, or ideas that Nintendo/GameFreak have the rights to.

I'm writing this in my free time... I decided to post it here in case anyone wanted to read it for fun. I'm going to add bits and pieces (probably by chapter) at my own leisure. I'll occosionally make edits to things I've already posted. Anyway... Hope you enjoy! :D

EDITS:
7/4/15 - Along with small grammatical tweaks, I've added one bit of information of Natasha's description. She has hipster glasses now. No questions.

Chapter 1: The Trainer’s Test!

It was a rainy evening on the southern coast of the Adennia region. The quiet suburb of Thalassa slept peacefully in the darkness, lulled by the constant crashing of the nearby waves. Most of the lights in the houses were out, since it was nearly midnight, but the solitary light coming from one certain bedroom window still blazed brightly, illuminating the night like a beacon.

Inside the room, a boy of about sixteen years of age was sitting at his desk, hunched over a textbook. Occasionally he would stop to stretch his arms, check the clock with a sigh and delve back into his reading. He was trying hard to maintain his focus, but his stomach was filled with distracting butterflies and his mind with anxious thoughts.

“Sunny Day…” he muttered to himself. “Okay, I know it increases the power of Fire-type moves and decreases Water-type moves by fifty percent… Synthesis, Morning Sun, and Moonlight recover two-thirds of the user’s health… Solar Beam can be executed in one turn…”

He stared at the textbook for a few more seconds before groaning and flipping the book shut.

“I don’t know how I’m going to remember all this stuff…” he grumbled, rubbing his temples tiredly before standing up and switching off his desk lamp. He moved over to his bed, deciding that sleep would hopefully solidify this information in his memory. He tried to get comfortable underneath the covers despite the uneasiness that was plaguing his mind. Eventually, after nearly an hour of restless tossing and turning, the boy’s movements gradually slowed down and he fell into a deep sleep listening to the sound of the rain.

* * *

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Adennia Pokémon League Champion… Ike Karamann!”

The roar of the crowd was deafening and the lights blinding.

“Going up against a very special guest to our region, the Champion of chilly Sinnoh: Cynthia!”

More screaming, shouting, and applause pulsated throughout the stadium.

Cynthia stood off in the distance, looking as mysterious and captivating as always.

“Let the battle begin!”

Cynthia, without missing a beat, reached for a Poké Ball.

“Go, Garchomp!”

The sixteen year old boy standing at the opposite end of the stadium also reached for a Poké Ball.

“Go, Heliolisk!”

The peppy, yellow lizard emerged from its ball and danced around, demonstrating not a single trace of fear in front of the dark blue, bipedal land-shark that had appeared from Cynthia’s Poké Ball. A cocky smile cracked on Ike’s lips as he quickly formulated a strategy in his head. He’d have the advantage of speed, and his Heliolisk had a move that would be helpful against this Garchomp.

“Quick, use Dragon Tail!” he shouted. The fearless lizard darted forward with its attack, its tail pulsating with energy, but Cynthia’s Garchomp managed to avoid jump out of the way at the last moment. Ike grit his teeth as the Heliolisk returned to Ike’s side again, also looking exasperated.

“Garchomp, use Sunny Day!” shouted Cynthia.

Immediately the sun’s rays intensified and the temperature rose by almost ten degrees. Ike wiped some sweat off his brow but shook his head.

“What good will that do you…?” he asked, confused. But a small smile played on Cynthia’s lips. Ike desperately tried to think how this would be advantageous for her. Did Garchomp know any powerful Fire-type moves? Can it learn Solar Beam? Maybe she did it to lower the accuracy of Heliolisk’s Thunder move…? No, Garchomp was immune to Electric-type moves anyway…

“Lisk…”

Ike was pulled from his thoughts and immediately turned to see his Heliolisk beginning to lose strength. It staggered, struggling to stay on its feet.

“What?” Ike asked. “But how? Your Garchomp didn’t even touch him!”

Then it hit him. With a profound sense of dread he realized his idiotic mistake.

“No! I forgot! Sunny Day harms any Pokémon with Dry Skin!” He grabbed his head and the scene before him began to distort and fall apart—Cynthia, the Garchomp, Heliolisk, and the stadium slowly began to fade into oblivion.

* * *

With a yelp, Ike sat bolt upright in his bed. His forehead was dampened with sweat and his heart was beating like drum. He was breathing heavily and had to take a few moments to differentiate between dream and reality. He shook his head in frustration, partially because he wasn’t the Pokémon League Champion, but mostly because he had a dream that reminded him of how unprepared he was for the Trainer’s Test…

“The Trainer’s Test!”

Ike glanced at the clock by his bed, which read half past eight in the morning. A wave of relief washed over him and calmed his racing heart. Thankfully he was too anxious to have slept in. The exam started at 10:00am, so he had plenty of time.

With a shaky breath, his gaze drifted over to the textbook “The Pokémon Master’s Ultimate Guide to the Trainer’s Test,” written by none other than Champion Adrian Amara himself. The information contained within was so extensive, Ike often wondered if anyone, even Adrian, had memorized it all. He doubted it.

For a brief moment, he considered cracking the book open. But he stopped himself and concluded cramming wouldn’t really do him much good at this point, if anything only cause him even more anxiety. Instead, he simply followed his usual morning routine of showering, brushing his teeth, and getting dressed. After pulling on a white T-shirt, khaki pants, and a black zip-up jacket with a hood, he grabbed his backpack (already filled with other changes of clothes if necessary, along with any other commodities he’d need just in case), brushed his messy blond hair, and bounded downstairs.

Mrs. Karamann was in the kitchen, standing in front of the stove and holding a frying pan filled with sizzling egg whites, her typical “healthy” breakfast that she enjoyed to eat nowadays. She had the TV in the living room on at a medium volume, set to the news channel, as she cooked. Since the rising sun was still low in the sky, it flooded the room with bright, white light, reflecting off the marble countertops and the tile flooring in the kitchen. In the corner of the living room, which was next to the kitchen and separated by a small bar-style countertop, Max, the Karamann’s pet Mightyena perked up in his bed from the wooden floor when Ike walked into the room.

Ike’s mother also heard him enter and she turned around to face him briefly, her bright smile extremely maternal and welcoming. She grabbed the remote that was at her side and lowered the TV’s volume so they could talk.

“Good morning, honey,” she said to him as she turned back to the frying pan. Her voice was almost singsongy. “Are you ready for your big day? Have you studied?”

Ike sighed and dropped his backpack to the ground, sitting at one of the chairs at the counter.

“Yeah,” he answered. “But there’s so much to remember…”

Mrs. Karamann merely shrugged.

“Well, Ike, it’s a lot like getting your driver’s license,” she explained, grabbing a plate and scooping the fully cooked whites onto it with a spatula. “You study a lot for the driver’s test, and you end up forgetting the unimportant stuff. The most valuable lessons you learn through real experience.”

“That’s true,” Ike nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

“Plus Dash passed the test, so it can’t be that hard!” She laughed a little. “So what would you like for breakfast? I’ll make you anything you want.”

Ike thought for a moment, and decided he’d like pancakes with some orange juice. As Mrs. Karamann began to prepare it, Max yawned loudly and moved over toward Ike to lie down by his feet. As Ike’s mom went along with her cooking, she quizzed him on some basic questions that he’d obviously know the answer to, just to keep everything fresh in his mind.

“What types of attacks are Psychic Pokémon weak to?”

“Dark, Ghost, and Bug.”

“And how can you remember that?”

“Because they’re common fears.”

“Good.”

By then, Ike’s mother had finished preparing the pancakes and she placed all the food before him on the counter, which he ate in the span of about five minutes.

“Don’t eat too fast!” she told him with a laugh when she noticed him scarfing the pancakes down. “You’re gonna get yourself sick!”

Ike took a small break for a sip of the orange juice, after which he let out a big, satisfied “Ahh!”

“Sorry,” he chuckled. “I’m just a little nervous is all.”

“Oh, you’ll do fine,” Mrs. Karamann assured him.

“But my friends say a lot of people have had to take it twice, even three times.”

“The point of the test is to make sure the lab isn’t handing out Pokémon to people who are irresponsible. But you’re not like that, so I’m sure you’ll have no problems at all. Besides, even if you fail, who cares? It took me two times, and your father five!”

“And yet Dash passed his first try,” Ike recalled.

“Oh c’mon, he probably cheated. Or he lucked out.”

Ike laughed at that and grabbed his now empty plate and began to walk toward the sink, but his mother promptly stopped him.

“Oh, I’ll take care of that,” she said. She took the plate from him and turned him around. “You should head off already. You don’t want to be late to the test.” She dropped the plate off in the sink and then reached out and hugged her son tight, almost out of nowhere.

“Mom…” Ike hugged her back halfheartedly, causing her to only squeeze him tighter.

“Mom, are you…?”

A sniffle confirmed what he was about to inquire. Mrs. Karamann finally pulled away from the embrace and smiled at her son, who was now about to overpass her in height. Tears brimmed her eyelids.

“I’m sorry, Ike…” she said with a guilty chuckle, quickly rubbing the tears out. “I promised myself I wouldn’t do this, yet here I am. You’re just growing up too fast, and as a mother it scares me to death to watch my last little baby boy walk out the door and take his Trainer’s Test.”

Ike wanted to roll his eyes, but he smiled warmly at her and shouldered his backpack, the movement causing Max to stand up and wag his tail.

“Well, you might have a little longer with me if I end up flunking,” he joked, heading for the door.

“Maybe you could fail it on purpose, just for me?” she called to him, and they both laughed.

“We’ll have to see about that.” Ike opened up the door and stood in the threshold. “I’ll be meeting Cole at the station. I’ll give you a call after the test.”

“Okay, honey! I love you!”

“I love you too. Don’t wait up!”

Max got up to follow him, as he always did whenever Ike went somewhere. The friendly Mightyena always knew the way back home, and he often enjoyed accompanying Ike to wherever he went, as long as it was still in town, before wandering back to the house. They walked out together and Ike shut the door behind them.

* * *

Thalassa is a very quiet beachside town nestled snugly onto the coast of the Maradin Sea. While the entirety of Adennia could be considered relatively warm, with the only exception being its northernmost parts, Thalassa was especially comfortable. The beach and the sides of streets were decorated with tall, shady palm trees and the sea breeze was just enough to cool your skin while in the sun. The sand by the sea was white and the water was so clear you could still see your feet a good ways into the surf.

The town itself was actually quite small, as the area wasn’t much of a tourist attraction despite its natural beauty. The downtown was comprised of a small strip of about a half of a mile lined with small shops and kiosks. Most of the homes were either within walking distance of the coast or perhaps a little farther inland in more organized neighborhoods.

Ike’s house was located near the sea, though it wasn’t exactly a beachside mansion. It was two stories, with Ike’s parents’ room on the first floor and two bedrooms on the second floor, one for him and the other for his older sibling, Dash, who had moved out a few years prior. And now, it was Ike’s turn to go on his own journey, and he had every intention of not coming home until he was the new Champion of his region—a dream that he shared with many other kids his age, but was almost impossible to fulfill. After all, in order to become the Champion, one had to challenge and defeat the leaders of all eight off the Palmetto League Gyms, each of whom specialized in a different Pokémon type. The Gyms were scattered all over the region and weren’t exactly the easiest to reach, though along the way, Trainers had plenty of opportunities to make their team stronger and stronger by battling other Trainers and meeting new Pokémon. Then, it was off to Adennia's Palmetto Pokémon League to challenge the Elite Four. Finally, if you managed to defeat all of them, you would face the current Champion, Adrian Amara, who had been defending his title for over five years now.

But it would be a while before Ike could even consider going up against Adrian. He hadn’t even received his first Pokémon yet, though he was anxious to learn which it will be. In the Adennia region, children received their Pokémon after taking the Trainer’s Test, which also included a type of personality test used to determine the Pokémon which would be the best fit for each individual. Ike had been studying hard to pass his test on the first try, but rumor was that the test got a little easier each year.

The Trainer’s Test would be held in the nearby city of Panterre, which was much larger and a more popular tourist attraction. It was filled with high rises, shopping districts, and a beautiful beach that was often filled with people. There was even a Gym located there. Since the city was so big, it had its own subway system that connected not only central locations in the city, but also branched out to neighboring towns, such as Thalassa.

When Ike arrived at Thalassa’s subway station, which was only about a ten minutes’ walk from his home, he prompted Max to head back. Max sniffed at him and nuzzled his leg.

“I’ll be fine, Max. Wish me luck,” Ike told the Mightyena before he turned and bounded off back into town.

“Yo, Ike!”

Ike turned around to see a figure leaning against the wall, in the shade from the bright, spring sunlight. A baseball hat obscured his dark brown eyes before he moved the visor up higher on his head. He had clipped, brown hair, solid facial features, and a big, charismatic smile. He was wearing sandals, tan Bermuda shorts, and a black T-shirt. He emerged from where he had been standing and came up to Ike.

“Hey, Cole,” Ike replied as they bumped their fists together as their form of greeting.

Cole Corwin was Ike’s neighbor and had been a close friend since childhood. They went to school together and had the same group of friends. They were the only two from their small town who wanted to pursue the dream of being a competitive Pokémon Trainer.

“Are you ready for this Trainer’s Test?” Cole asked as the two began to head into the station.

“I was studying until late last night. I had a nightmare about forgetting stuff,” Ike laughed.

Ike and Cole both flashed their IDs to the woman at the entrance to the platform. Since they were students, there was no travel fare. They continued up to the platform, just in time for the next train to arrive. They stepped onto the cool, air-conditioned car and took a seat next to each other.

“There’s just so much to remember,” Cole grimaced. “I’m probably gonna fail.”

“If you fail, then we’re both failing,” Ike said with a shrug.

“Wanna do some last-minute cramming?”

Ike thought for a second, but shook his head.

“Nah, there’s nothing new we can possibly learn in a few minutes.”

“Eh, I guess you’re right.”

The train lurched forward and sped westward. The ocean was visible in the south, and the terrain changed from light brush, to a small tropical forest, then to light brush again. The land really opened up as they got closer to Panterre. The skyline of beautiful white buildings gleamed on the horizon before the train ducked into a tunnel, heading underground. Lights flashed by quickly as they sped into the city.

The first stop was the Panterre Mall. It had three floors, and was filled with everything from restaurants, to clothing stores, to item shops. It was beautifully decorated with palm trees and fountains on the inside, and was often crawling with tourists hoping to get some nice merchandise or souvenirs.

The second stop was the local Pokémon Center. It was larger than most since it had its own subway station underneath. It was the most popular spot for people to get their Pokémon healed up after a big battle in the city.

The next stop was the Pokémon lab. It was the only lab in the region that offered the Trainer’s Test, so any prospective Trainer had to get all the way to Panterre in time if they wanted to take it. The test was offered only four times a year to everyone sixteen years or older. Ike and Cole were lucky that they lived so close to the city.

The lab, other than being the place where the Trainer’s Test was conducted, was the biggest research hub for learning about Pokémon, their relationship with humans, their origins, and their nature and behavior. All of the investigations were led by Professor Lucille Hawthorne, an older woman with decades of experience with Pokémon training and breeding. It had been her idea to implement the rather innovative system of having a Trainer’s Test and personality test to assign Trainers their first Pokémon, instead of restricting them to choosing between only three, as was common in other regions.

When the duo arrived at the stop, the train had become somewhat crowded with other youngsters who had come for the exam. The car’s automatic doors slid open and they all emptied out into the small station underneath the lab. Directed by friendly staff, the children proceeded up a flight of stairs and into the main entrance and waiting area of the lab. It had white tile flooring, with wide glass windows lining the walls, where you could look out onto the busy city streets.

The room was filled with Trainers from all over Adennia, with Ike and Cole from the southernmost town Thalassa, as well as trainers from Ultara, the city of the north. The aspiring Trainers chatted excitedly among one another. Ike and Cole checked in at the main desk, where they received their testing room assignments, which were ordered alphabetically by last name.

“Room 104,” Cole read from his slip of paper. Ike’s room was 212. The two found a pair of seats next to each other in the middle of the room and they sat down. Everyone around them seemed very excited to finally be getting a Pokémon very soon.

“I want a Happiny!” a girl squealed. “They’re just so adorable!”

“I want a Seviper,” raved someone else. “They just look so cool!”

The chatter about what types of Pokémon people wanted dominated most conversations. Ike himself wasn’t sure what he wanted. He figured that’s what the personality assessment was for. Whatever he got would be the best match for him, he supposed. Cole was in the same boat.

“There’s a lot more kids here than I expected,” Cole observed. Ike took a look around at his possible future competitors. They all looked as ready as he. It was both unsettling and thrilling at the same time.

Ike continued to observe the different faces in the group of people, when Cole reached over and touched his arm. Ike looked back at him.

“What is it?”

Cole nodded to the left.

“Do you know that girl?”

Ike followed Cole’s gaze and saw he was referring to a tall, lithe, and very tanned girl standing not too far from them. She wore a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and her hands played with her hair idly and she seemed to be focusing intently on something outside the window she was standing by.

“No, I don’t recognize her. Why?”

Cole shrugged. “She was just staring at you. Look—she’s coming this way!”

Ike didn’t want to, but he glanced over at her again in time to see that she was in fact making her way toward them. It was too late to look away, so Ike just smiled at her, trying not to be awkward. The girl smiled back, but her eyes twinkled with embarrassment as she stopped in front of them.

“Hi, um…” She stopped and twisted a lock of her dark hair around her finger.

“What’s up?” Cole asked, trying to be friendly, but probably intimidating the poor girl.

“I—I was just wondering… I came all the way from Oryn and, well, I came by myself, so I wanted to, you know, meet some new people…” Her eyes were fixated on the tiled floor.

“Well, we can be your friends.” Ike beamed at her. She chuckled sheepishly at him, and Cole nodded at her.

“Yeah, the more the merrier,” Cole agreed. “You said you were from Oryn?”

The girl nodded.

“Oh, my brother works at the Gym there,” Ike said. “You know Dash Karamann?”

The girl blinked, looking surprised. She studied him closely and seemed to see the resemblance

“Yes,” she replied. “I’m…kinda a fan of his.”

Ike scoffed. “I never thought the day would come when Dash had a fanbase.”

“What’s your name, by the way?” Cole spoke up, realizing no one had introduced his or herself properly.

“Oh, it’s Natasha. Natasha Morra…”

“I’m Cole, and this is my best buddy Ike. We’re both from Thalassa.”

Natasha looked at them for a second, searching her memory for a town by that name.

“It’s kinda a small town,” Ike cut in. “Not too far from here. It’s not very well-known.”

“It doesn’t have a Gym, does it?” she asked.

“No it doesn’t,” Ike replied. “Though it’d be nice if it did.”

Cole agreed. Natasha looked like she was about to speak up again but she was interrupted by a voice coming over the loud speaker that was up in one of the corners.

“Good morning, prospective Trainers.”

It was Professor Hawthorne speaking; Ike could tell because it sounded like a sweet grandma’s voice.

“I hope you all have studied very hard for today’s Trainer’s Test. Just try not to be too stressed! We have hundreds of excited Pokémon with us at the lab today, very eager to meet their new Trainers. If you pass, you will form a bond with these Pokémon that will last your entire life. I’m so excited for all of you!”

“I guess we’re starting soon,” Natasha whispered to them.

“Hopefully all of you checked in and received a room number for the test. If you could all orderly proceed to your assigned testing room at this time, we will begin the exam shortly thereafter. Don’t be afraid to ask any of the staff for help if you get lost. Thank you all and good luck!”

“What’s your room number?” Ike asked Natasha as the commotion of the others heading to their rooms began.

“213,” Natasha replied.

Cole got up from his chair and stretched his arms.

“I’m on this floor, I guess,” he yawned. “I’ll see you two after the test then?”

He grinned when Natasha and Ike both nodded at him. He clapped Ike on the shoulder and gave Natasha a quick wink before heading off with the other children who were on the first floor.

“I’m in 212, so we’ll be right next to each other,” Ike said, beginning to walk toward the nearby stairwell that led up to the next floor.

Natasha followed next to him.

“I hope I pass,” Ike groaned. “This is my first time taking the test.”

“Have you been studying?”

“Like crazy. I just don’t know if I’ve been absorbing everything, though.”

“Oh, you’ll be fine!” she assured him. “You look like you’re pretty smart.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” He laughed somewhat bitterly but his smile was genuine.

Once they got to the top of the stairs, they continued down the hall, arriving at room 212 first. Ike stopped in front of the door, which was left open.

“Meet me out here after and we can catch up with Cole,” Ike suggested.

“Sure!” Natasha was so glad and also quite relieved that she had already met such nice people. Maybe her journey wouldn’t be so lonely after all. She gave Ike a little wave before hurrying off to her room next door. Ike entered his and saw about twenty desks arranged in neat rows. Name labels were posted on each one to indicate who’d be sitting where.

The room itself didn’t look to serve any other function than being a testing room. It looked like a typical classroom, with a desk and computer up front, a whiteboard, and of course, the multiple desks for the students. There was a water fountain at the back and a few wooden cabinets along the wall opposite to the windows.

Ike sat down at the desk meant for him in the front row. He was one of the last ones to come in, but he quickly noticed there was no type of proctor in the room. The desk at the front of the room was empty. A few of the kids looked around confusedly at each other.

After about a minute or so of this apprehensive waiting, footsteps began to echo up the now empty hall outside the room. The steps were soft but deliberate, approaching the doorway. In through the threshold strode a girl, older but probably only by a year or two, with long, loosely curled blonde hair. She was wearing a white tank top and ripped jean short-shorts, along with a pair of pink sandals. Matching them was a pink hibiscus in her hair above her right ear. She clutched a stack of papers to her chest. A few of the prospective Trainers gasped when they saw her, but Ike didn’t know who she was.

“Sorry for running kinda late,” she apologized quickly. “I completely lost track of time.”

She dropped the stack of papers on her desk and began to shuffle through them. She looked up and saw one boy had his hand raised in the back of the room.

“Yes, what is it?”

“You… Aren’t you…?” He couldn’t seem to get his words out, but the blonde chuckled, understanding.

“Yes. It’s me, the one and only Angel McBride of the Elite Four.”

Everyone, including Ike, gaped at her in amazement.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised,” Angel chuckled. “You all have an exam to take now. Don’t waste your time staring at me. I was exactly where you all were not too long ago!” She scoffed at herself. “Well not exactly as in, in this exact room. But you get my point.”

She looked down at the printed set of instructions she was given.

“Okay, guys. Today you are going to take the Trainer’s Exam and Personality Test. The entire thing is only a half an hour, but if you finish early, I won’t keep you waiting. When I call your name, please raise your hand and I’ll give you your test packet and answer sheet… Ike Karamann?”

Ike raised his hand, not expecting to be at the top of the list. Angel looked up and smiled at him, walking over to his desk and placing a test packet and scannable answer form in front of him. She continued on with the rest of the names as Ike pulled a pencil from his backpack and began the test.

Some of the questions were harder than others. What item cures a poisoned Pokémon? Antidote. What berry heals a paralyzed Pokémon? Cheri berry. Which of these pictures is a Pecha berry? Which of these attacks would be most effective against a Sudowoodo? Most of the Berry questions threw Ike off, but he didn’t feel too worried about the rest of the problems.

After Angel had finished handing out all the papers, she placed a magnetic timer on the whiteboard and set it to count down from thirty minutes. She then sat into the desk chair and watched them carefully, with her feet on top of the desk.

“Good luck everyone,” she said with a smirk.