This fic is in commemoration of the remake of my favorite generation. I was so excited for Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby to come out! So, this is the result.

Note: This chapter is very short, but it's more of an introductory chapter. The following chapters should be much longer, around 3,000-4,000 words.

Enjoy!

Chapter One: The Time is Now

May had always considered herself something of a perfectionist and studious to a fault. Therefore, it was no surprise that with the outstanding effort she put into high school, she was accepted into Harvard. None of her friends were going to her school, though, and not only would she have to move across the country but also find employment to support herself financially. Even with her scholarship—unfortunately, it was not a full ride—the college savings, and student loans, she was going to be in a lot of debt by the time she graduated. Of course, she was studying marine biology with a minor in environmental sciences, so she was certain she would be able to get a decent job at the very least, but still.

However, getting into an Ivy League college was something that she wasn't going to pass up despite those minor inconveniences.

Brendan, her best friend throughout high school, was seeing her off and had generously volunteered to drive her to the airport. Her father, a businessman who traveled more often than not, was out of town and her mother had the flu, so neither of them could go with her. May had already sold her car as she had heard it would not be absolutely necessary in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and she needed as few expenses as possible when she was just starting out on her own. Her parents weren't cutting her off, exactly, but they expected her to be independent as they both had been when they had just set off into the world.

"We're here," Brendan announced as they pulled up to the terminal. May had been able to fit all her worldly belongings into two giant suitcases. Her father had been willing to pay for the plane ticket and the first month's rent for her apartment, but other than that, she was on her own. Luckily, the airfare would cover her luggage.

"Thanks so much for driving me," May said with a grimace as she struggled and failed to lift her suitcase out of the sedan's trunk. Planting her foot on the bumper, she pulled with all her might and the luggage tumbled out, very nearly taking her down with it.

Brendan stifled a chuckle, having already easily lifted the other suitcase—which was, unfortunately for May's ego, the larger of the two—out of the car. "You should have just let me do it," he told her, steadying her on her feet before taking control of both suitcases.

"Yeah, well, independence," May bit back snarkily. "You should have heard my dad go on about it. He's in Singapore and on deadline right now, but he still found half an hour to lecture me on how important it was that I learn to make it on my own."

Brendan only laughed. "At least your dad is there, right? I think all my dad said was 'Good luck, do your best, keep me updated.'"

"Oh, come on, don't exaggerate" May laughed as they made their way towards the line to check in luggage. Inwardly, May sighed. The airport was very busy and the wait in line might turn out to be even longer than the security check.

The boy shrugged good-naturedly. "I don't hold it against him or anything—I mean, his research is really important and all—but when he gets into it, he can be pretty…absentminded."

They sidled up to the back of the line. "Yes, yes he can," May agreed emphatically and they both laughed at Brendan's father, the well-known biochemist Professor Birch.

Surprisingly, the line didn't take nearly as long as May thought it would, although she was sad to realize that her time in Arizona was well and truly coming to an end. She and Brendan continued to reminisce through the wait and security check, but once they reached the counter, Brendan could go no further.

"Well…" May trailed off, uncertain of how to say goodbye to her best friend and archrival since childhood.

"I'll call you tonight," Brendan told her with a smirk, but even that seemed somewhat sad. "And text me when you land, okay?"

"Of course," she replied, her smile watery. "I'll miss you." Even though Brendan wasn't the cuddliest of best friends, he didn't fight her when she pulled him into a tight hug. He even returned it, which showed her just how much he returned the sentiment.

"I'll miss you, too," he whispered into her ear. Then, abruptly, he pulled out of the hug and put on a cheerful grin, holding her at arms' length. "Enjoy the cold weather!"

"Screw you," May snapped, shrugging off his hands and pulling her carry-on backpack higher up on her shoulder. Then, seriously and a bit uncertainly, "Call me?"

"Definitely," Brendan replied, pushing her forward. She smiled and started to head towards her terminal. When she glanced back, Brendan was still waving with a cheesy grin on his face and she waved back, giggling to herself.

With that, she blended into the crowd and made her way to her flight.

xXx

One of the best things about air travel these days was that there was wifi on the plane and the regulations for using electronics on the plane were much more lax. The flight, including the layover, was a total of seven hours, and so May had a lot of time to blow before she reached her destination. It passed by quickly enough, but by the time she landed, it was dark out and around seven o'clock at night. She hadn't expected it, although she should have given the four hour time zone difference.

She was glad she had received the apartment key ahead of time, because by the time she made it to her complex and figured out where her apartment was actually located within the complex, it was almost nine at night and the office was closed. Her arms were sore from dragging her luggage for at least three miles, not including the time on public transportation, and she had never been gladder that she had chosen a furnished apartment.

Slipping her key into the lock, she all but fell into the foyer, dropping her suitcases to the ground and shutting the door behind her. She flicked on the living room light, pulled off her shoes, and then proceeded to explore the apartment.

It was small studio apartment with a queen-sized bed in the far left corner, opposite the kitchen, a bookshelf, a loveseat and a desk for her laptop. However, all she wanted to do was order a pizza and relax. She had sent ahead kitchenware, toiletries, and bedding, thank god, so all she had to do was dress up the bed, plug in her laptop, order the pizza, and then chill for the rest of the night. School didn't start for another two weeks, giving her some time to scope out a job and get settled.

After she ordered the pizza, Brendan called, and they chatted until it arrived. Pepperoni, mushroom, and olive, just how she liked it.

She was eating in peace until, just outside her door, she heard muffled shouting. The words were unintelligible, although it was clear that both participants in the argument were male. In May's opinion, that was unsurprising. What was surprising was the fact that it was happening in what was supposed to be a rather peaceful neighborhood. Nonethless, she ignored it until she heard a crack, the reverberations of something metal being hit, and a yell of pain. She immediately swallowed her food and listened intently. It was completely quiet afterwards and it was only after five minutes of total silence did May realize her heart was racing.

"Don't you dare talk back to me again, kid." The deep, masculine voice was now clearly discernable as one of the participants—obviously, the winner of the scuffle as well. "You'd best keep yourself in line if you ever want to make anything of yourself."

There was a dull thud and the whimper of a younger male. It sounded like the elder of the two had kicked the younger in the ribs. May swallowed heavily. What the hell was going on and why had nobody warned her about this kind of thing?

She waited another five minutes before creeping towards her door and opening it quietly. Luckily, the hinges were greased well enough and she was able to open the door undetected. It occurred to her then that she should have called the police, but when she peeked out through the crack between the door and its frame, there was no evidence of any fighting.

May shut the door and locked both the door and the deadbolt. She wasn't exactly sure what had happened out there and all she could hope was that it was a one-time thing. The apartment wasn't exactly cheap—at least, according to her standards. Then again, she wasn't all that certain as to what constituted cheap and expensive in Cambridge.

Her heart had finally calmed down and May decided that she would tell management about it the next day. However, she certainly wasn't going to tell her parents. She knew they would be concerned for her safety and it wouldn't do to worry them because this wasn't going to change anything. She had started taking self-defense classes when she turned sixteen, at her mother's behest, and she was certain that she could handle herself as long as she did her best to be as inconspicuous as possible and perhaps not stay out too late at night.

May was exhausted from the adrenaline rush and collapsed on her bed. It was almost eleven, so it was probably a good idea to go to bed now anyway—the job hunt started tomorrow.

Pushing aside her suspicious thoughts about what kind of neighborhood she had moved into, May closed her eyes and let herself drift off into dreamless sleep.

Any thoughts as to what was going on outside May's door? Kudos to the reviewer who gets it!

Question: If you could join either Team Aqua or Team Magma, which would you choose?