Pokémon - Vivid Emerald

Chapter I

It was not often that James would wake up at seven am. He was never a morning person and often slept into eleven or twelve if his mother didn't wake him up every morning at eight. No later, no earlier. But today he had set his Voltorb alarm to buzz off at seven. It was a nice alarm clock, Ivan liked it, and it was at least reliable. James' eyelids made way for his bright green eyes as he awoke to the sound of a high pitch buzz. He slammed his hand on his Voltorb alarm clock and sat up, stretching his arms. James was thirteen, the age you were required to be to begin your Pokémon journey. It was new Pokémon League rules, as previously they believed people as young as ten couldn't handle the Gyms. Surveys also found that they hadn't learned everything that they needed to know, due to the fact that they only spent five years at Trainer School and there was only so much you could learn in that amount of time. So they upped it to thirteen, to give trainers an extra three years of learning and three years less of actually training. When James had been ten, he'd seen it as unfair but now he was thirteen, he sort of understood why they had done it.

James slowly dragged himself out of bed and ran his fingers through his dark hair that was growing ever longer. His mother always complained about it - she was worried that he'd get fleas or something because of it. Thankfully, however, his father came to the rescue, stating that James was getting old enough to decide for himself. James liked his father. His father was an expert on Pokémon. He owned a lab in James' hometown of Littleroot, where he had lived since his mother and he had moved from the much busier Mauville City when James had been four and his younger sister, Rhea, had been just six months. His father was known to many as Professor Birch, or simply Birch, and it had caught on - his mother now called him Birch instead of his real name, Charlie. Birch was similar to James in so many ways personality-wise and they had similar interests. James loved doing fieldwork on Route 201, 202 and 203 with his father and on the odd chance, maybe once or twice a year; Birch would take him to other places in Hoenn, like the ash-covered Fallarbor Town or the massive port of Slateport.

Today, however, was different for James. It was the annual trainer's graduation, where the dozens who had graduated from the Trainer School in Rustboro received their Starter Pokémon, Pokédex and Trainer ID from their regional professor. Each new trainer got a choice of which starter they wanted, out of Treecko, Torchic or Mudkip, and all set off from Littleroot Town on their journeys across Hoenn. It had been a previously agonising time for James to see each batch of trainers, every year, leave with a Treecko, Torchic or Mudkip to their side and a Pokédex in their hand. However now, it was incredibly exciting. James went into his en suite and slicked his hair back with gel and checking he at the very least didn't look like a Slakoth and then changed into his trainer outfit - he wore a black and orange thermal t-shirt and green fingerless gloves. He also wore dark sports trousers and orange and green designer trainers. To finish up, he put on a green headband, a common style in Hoenn, and fixed it so it didn't tilt to one side. He then looked at himself in the mirror, nodded in approval, before walking downstairs. Birch had already left to set up the town centre for the graduation but Rhea, James' sister, was already downstairs, stroking the soft fur of Zigzagoon whilst watching television. Zigzagoon had been caught by Birch when the family first arrived in Littleroot Town and it had almost instantly taken to Rhea when she had turned into a toddler. Zigzagoon now was a mature Pokémon and felt inclined to protect James and Rhea. James had basically grown up alongside Zigzagoon and would be sad to leave him.

"What's up?" James asked. Rhea didn't even turn her head to answer him. James shrugged and went into the kitchen, which was connected to the lounge. He made himself a chicken wrap for his journey to Oldale Town after the graduation and got an apple and a bottle of orange juice before putting all three into his green shoulder bag that he would use for his journey. He sat down next to his sister. Rhea was unlike James - she had light blonde hair, like her mother's, and brown eyes, like her father. She smiled at James as he sat down.

"Excited?" she asked. James nodded. Rhea laughed. "I still have another three years."

"They'll go really quickly, I swear. That's what I thought when I was ten." James told her.

"What time's the graduation? I can't wait to see what Pokémon you're going to get!"

"I think it begins at nine but the actual Pokémon and Pokédex receiving doesn't start until ten, so they can give enough time for everyone to get here," James picked up a white PokéNav from the table that he had received for his eleventh birthday. It was the old model, as it didn't have a camera and couldn't play videos like the new one Devon Corporation had brought out could, but it had a town map, a phone and could play music, so he liked it just as much. It could also access any Wi-Fi spot in any Pokémon Centre or at home, so he could browse the internet. After a few minutes, he spoke up again. "Apparently those who live on the east side of Hoenn are also receiving their Starter Pokémon from Steven today..."

"Imagine the amount of Starter Pokémon they had to breed then!" Rhea exclaimed. Just as she said that, James heard his mother enter the living room.

"Ah, looks like your father has already left then. James, have you got everything ready?" she asked. James turned around to see Andrea Birch, his mother. Andrea was in her late thirties but had still retained her youth well. She had light blonde hair trailing down to her waist, like Rhea, but had identical eyes to James. She was already dressed.

"I've packed my lunch and I'm about to pack my PokéNav," James replied. "Calm it, Mum..."

"I just don't want you unprepared."

Andrea then pulled James into a tight motherly embrace.

"Make sure you call me every time you get to a new Pokémon Centre and do your best to visit Rhea and I, when you can."

"I will. I promise, Mum. I can say goodbye to you at graduation, anyway."

"I just didn't want to cramp your style with that girl. Norman's daughter," Andrea winked and James blushed. "Don't worry; your father was the same with me."

"I know the story, Mum. When he saved you from that Dustox in Petalburg Forest." James laughed. Andrea chuckled before opening James' bag and putting in three Poké Balls.

"Your father and I wanted to start you off." she explained. James smiled, showing his thanks, before slinging it over his shoulder.

"I think I may leave. I want to get there fashionably early." James said, laughing. He walked into the hallway and opened the front door, allowing the natural rural smell of Littleroot to hit him. He smiled, closing his eyes before walking out the front door and shutting it behind him. He walked off the outside porch on the dusty pathway that led to the town centre.

It was early September and the summer heat still lingered on in Littleroot. The trees were slowly beginning to lose their green colour. James saw a boy named Eddie, who was the only other boy from Littleroot Town who went to the Trainer School in Rustboro. Eddie was fourteen and had narrowly missed being in the year above and getting his Starter Pokémon last year. He had short dark hair and dark, tanned skin. His eyes were a dark brown. He nodded to James.

"Getting ready for the ceremony?" he asked.

"Yep," James stopped walking. "What Pokémon do you think you'll get?"

"I like Blaziken the most so probably Torchic. You?"

"I'm not sure. Either Torchic or Mudkip." James glanced at his watch.

"Well, I'll see you there, then."

"Yeah, see you."

It took James ten minutes to reach the strangely loud town centre. Most of the locals were already there and all the usual stalls were set up. A grand stage had been set up, where James' father would stand when making the annual speech about how the trainers would be the future. It was a speech James had heard four or five times before. He noticed his father who was talking to two of his aides. They were carrying two heavy metal cases, presumably containing the fifty or so Starter Pokémon for all the new trainers. Birch noticed James and grinned. Birch was in his mid-thirties, slightly younger than his wife, and he had messy brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was wearing a white open neck shirt and what looked like Hawaiian-styled shorts. A weird costume, to say the least, but James expected nothing less from his father.

"Ready to become a trainer?" he asked, embracing his son. "I can't wait to see which one you pick, although your mother and I think that...well, I don't want to influence your decision, so I won't!" Birch laughed rather awkwardly. "There's still an hour until the ceremony begins, you know."

"I know," James responded. "But I wanted to get a look at the stalls first."

"Fair enough. Well, I need to get ready with all the banners and Pokédexes and Pokémon, so I'll leave you to it." Birch smiled at his son before hurrying on after his aides. James turned around and took a look at the stalls that sold everything a new and budding trainer would need.

One stall specifically focused on Potions. He spent some of his pocket money on Potions and two Super Potions; all in all they cost around $25. He then looked at the Poké Balls but decided that he didn't need any, as his mother had already given him four. He continued to look around and bought two Antidotes, one Burn Heal, one Paralyze Heal and even a region map, all in all that cost him a total of $40. He even had a look at old Mrs Perkins' evolutionary stone stall, where she sold rare pieces of Moon Stone and even some Fire and Water Stones but they were $100 plus a time, so James couldn't really afford it.

By the time James had looked at every stall, the trainers began to arrive in great numbers. He recognised all from Trainer School and even saw the son of a Devon Executive, whose bag was full of Luxury, Timer and Premier Balls and had the newest version of the PokéNav, in yellow, with him. By the time ten arrived, the town centre was packed and James struggled to get a good view of the main stage, where his father had just come up to make a speech. The crowd was buzzing and James could not have hoped for a better time to receive his Starter Pokémon, along with so many others. It seemed the whole population of Littleroot, which was 250, had turned out and James wouldn't have been surprised if they did - the graduation ceremonies put Littleroot Town on the map and it was the biggest event they had all year.

"Ahem..." Birch coughed into the microphone and suddenly everything was silent. The soon-to-be-trainers and their parents all focused their attention on the professor. "Welcome to yet another graduation ceremony!" Birch laughed but not many people joined in. James slapped his forehead in embarrassment. "Anyway, it's a massive day for not only all those new trainers out there but also all you parents! As you all know, you can pick from...Treecko, the gecko Pokémon! Torchic, the chick Pokémon and Mudkip, the mud fish Pokémon!" As he said this, the screen behind Birch flashed with photographs of all three Pokémon. It showed a Treecko sitting in a tree, a Torchic spinning around in a flurry of fire and Mudkip swimming in a lake. Everyone cheered and applauded at this and Birch grinned. "Also, you'll receive your very own Pokédex, a device of which we'll show a demonstration for soon after every trainer has received their Starter Pokémon. Pokédexes are essential to a trainer and you cannot buy a replacement - make sure you take care of it," Birch cleared his throat. "The Pokémon League believes that every trainer here is the future and that every one of them has the potential to shine with their Starter Pokémon. Please make your way to one of three stands to receive Treecko, Torchic or Mudkip. Enjoy and battle on, trainers! Good luck for the future!" Birch bowed and everyone cheered and applauded, like before. James was impressed by his father's speech and noticed that everyone was hurrying to one of the stands marked by a water droplet (Mudkip), a flame (Torchic) or a leaf (Treecko). James followed the group of people to the Mudkip queue. It was by far the longest queue and he noticed that only eleven people stood in the queue for a Treecko. Everyone was buzzing excitedly. James found himself grinning from ear to ear as the queue for the Mudkip line got shorter and shorter until it was only him and a few people behind remaining. The attendant behind the stand was a Pokémon League official.

"What would your name be?" she asked. She had electric blue hair cut in a bob and a youthful face.

"James. James Birch." he replied. The woman looked down her list and smiled as she ticked James' name off.

"Impressed by your father's speech? He's a much respected figure at the Pokémon League. You should be proud of him." the attendant said.

"I am." James nodded. The attendant smiled sweetly and handed James a Poké Ball, obviously containing a Mudkip.

"Just so we can make a record...are you planning on giving a nickname to Mudkip?" the attendant enquired. James shook his head and the attendant wrote something down next to James' name on the list before looking back up at him.

"We will be handing out Pokédexes in the professor's lab in around half an hour, okay, James? So just mingle around here until then," the attendant informed him as she glanced behind James. "Next?" James walked into the centre, where many other trainers from the Trainer School were, showing off their Torchics and Mudkips (very few were showing off a Treecko) until someone caught James' attention. He saw a glint from the sun and turned around to find it had come from a pair of modern glasses, on the floor. James picked them up.

"Those are mine. I don't exactly want you picking up my possessions." spat a voice. James looked up and instantly frowned. The boy in front of him was Oscar Whiting, the son of Petalburg Gym Leader Norman Whiting. Due to his father's status, Oscar's view on everyone else was very low, especially James. Oscar had always come top in every exam, either theoretical or practical, and beat James in almost every way he could. Oscar had white hair that trailed down to his shoulders and hazel eyes. He wore glasses, which he had just put on and also wore a black jacket and jeans. He glanced at James' Poké Ball.

"I don't suppose you'd want a battle. You've probably picked a terrible Starter Pokémon anyway," Oscar growled. "I don't want Treecko mixing with the likes of you."

"Just you wait, Oscar. One day, I'll surpass you." James assured him. Oscar laughed.

"Keep telling yourself that, Birch." Oscar then headed off in the direction of the lab, clipping his Poké Ball to his belt. James grunted but then realised most of the other trainers were following him - it was almost time for the Pokédex presentation. He knew a shortcut to the lab, around the back of the local diner, and he made it to the almost homely-looking laboratory. The Birch Research Centre was made out of stone, like most of the other houses in Littleroot, and was slightly larger. It had been built as Littleroot Fort in medieval times, at least according to A History of Western Hoenn, and had been abandoned in the 16th century, until in the early 20th century James' great, great grandparents had bought it and refurbished it into a Research Centre. James had often spent his weekends at the lab when he had been young and as he gradually got older, he took part in more and more experiments with his father. Birch had taught James everything about Pokémon - how to battle with them, how to care for them, how to feed them, how to befriend them and how to catch them - and James had helped his father catch countless numbers of Zizagoons and Poochyenas for his father to look closely at, as well as the odd Lotad and Seedot.

James opened the door into the lab, which was in fact just one large room, and found it was packed with buzzing new graduating trainers and one or two interested parents. He saw the white hair of Oscar at the front before grunting and turning round before seeing a familiar face of a girl standing next to him.

"Yasmina!" he exclaimed. "I was looking for you!" James was talking to a girl of about the same height as him. She had blue eyes and brown hair which stuck out at the sides of her head. On the top of her head was a neat, pink bandana and she wore a pink and white sports shirt and fingerless gloves, like James'. She also wore pink shorts and trainers. On her belt was a single Poké Ball. Yasmina was the youngest daughter of the president of Devon Corporation. She had three brothers and two sisters, all older than her, and the eldest in his late twenties. She had been one of James' only friends at Trainer School and was the only one he really got along with.

"Hey, James. What Starter did you get then?" she asked. James grinned.

"Mudkip," he nodded at her Poké Ball. "What about you?"

"Torchic. Seeing as all but one of my brothers and sisters received a Treecko and Mudkip as their Starter, I thought I'd break the family tradition." Yasmina replied, winking. Their talk was interrupted with Birch standing up in the front of the room and clearing his throat. Everyone was silent but both James and Yasmina got the feeling of excitement in the room.