Hi. My name is DanelleSepthon, one of the writers of this story along with aronpuma. If you like, you can find more of my work on both Fanfiction and AO3 under the same name. We have been working on this Pokemon AU for a while and we are glad to take you into the world we've been building! I hope you enjoy!
Hello! I'm Professor Salvador Aspen. I have been studying the effects of nature on Pokemon in the wild for three years now. My research has allowed me to truly appreciate the love shared between trainers and Pokemon. Though we are not the same species, we both are able to form tight bonds of friendship and brotherhood. It's really something astounding and I hope that everyone in their lifetime can come to have that same kind of bond.
A few months ago, I was given the authority by our region's league to administer starter pokemon to beginning trainers. There is an great joy that comes with starting a journey alongside your first companion, and I consider it an honor to help Saikan's first generation of brand new trainers in their adventures. Anyone under the age of eighteen may come to my lab in the Saikan Airport to receive a starter Pokemon.
As our region does not have any native Pokemon, I have a number of Pokemon from across the world for new trainers to choose from. There is no charge to get a Pokemon, but you as a trainer are expected to understand the responsibilities that come with caring for a Pokemon. I won't lecture on the topic for now. I hope to see you all at my lab.
Professor Salvador Aspen
Two teenagers sat on a ferry. One was asleep, the other held a letter in her hand. She folded it carefully and slipped it into her long grey coat. A woman stood smiling at the the front of the boat, hands waving expressively through the salty sea air as she spoke to the many tourists flashing their cameras at the water.
"Now pay attention everyone! Look here!" she cried. "Since we will be approaching the airport shortly, I'll give you all a quick lesson. Kay?"
A group of small children jumped up and down as they pointed at a passing Feebas. The teenager with the coat smiled at them, amused. She tipped down the brim of her baseball cap to block the sun from her eyes. The girl normally loathed sunshine for fear of burning, but today was an exception she was willing to make. Her companion snored loudly beside her and she sighed into the wind.
The tour guide started to walk up and down the middle of the boat, her white heels clicking on the boards. "Saikan is an artificial island that was formed by the combined effort of all the Pokemon Leagues around the globe. It is a symbol of unity and cooperation that marks a time of peace for all regions." She pointed out to the land they were approaching. "The Saikan Airport was built shortly after the island was officially opened to the public. It is host to much more than just transportation though. Inside you will find many shops and restaurants, along with other amenities. The airport allows for cargo to move to and from the island, as aircraft is normally not allowed over region. This is of course because of Mt. Aaron."
"Why would Mt. Aaron stop it?" asked a small child in a Blue hat, raising his hand.
The tour guide smiled. "Because it is an active volcano. The volcano was triggered with the help of many fire type Pokemon to create Saikan itself. You can find more information about Saikan and Mt. Aaron in either the airports information center or with our region's brand new resident Pokemon Professor, who resides in the airport for research purposes."
"When do we get our Pokemon?" asked the small kid again.
"Not till we meet the professor, stupid," said another one.
"I want a Charizard!" chorused a third.
Suddenly there was a blaring techno beat thundering across the deck. The sleeping teenager snorted, yawning loudly as he returned to the land of the living. He reached into his shirt pocket and turned off his phone's alarm. He glanced around to find his friend as he blinked tiredly.
"Are we there yet Maeve?" he asked. "Is it time to get Pokemon?"
The girl gave a little good-humored snort of her own. "Almost, buddy. You want a Charizard, too?"
He shook his head, straightening up in his seat. "He's a Professor with starters. Why would he have a Charizard? No one starts with that."
"Well why wouldn't he have a Charizard? He's the damn Pokemon Professor!" The girl named Maeve laughed good heartedly. "The Professors people who study pokemon for a living. He probably has every pokemon ever in his lab. Why wouldn't he have a Charizard?"
"I just think he'd have a Charmander instead. You know what, I'll ask him," he said.
"You do that, Em," she said. "You do that." The girl leaned back in her seat and looked down at the water below them. She could see why the kids were so excited by it. The crystal blue was mesmerizing, and it was quite a thing to see the life teeming in it. Wild Pokemon were rarer on their smaller island than the big island, so it was very new for most of the kids. It was pretty new for Maeve too. She had been living on the island just off of Saikan's coast since her mother moved there. All she knew about Pokemon had come from books and from the trainers that lived on the island.
Suddenly, the tour guide spoke up again. "We're about to arrive at our destination, please stay away from gate you got in on until we have the ferry tied up, thank you."
Maeve smiled at the kids as they all ran up to the gate, wanting to get their Pokemon first. Her friend didn't run, but seemed just as gleeful as he stood up and started after the children.
"This is so exciting," he said, turning around to face Maeve and walking backwards. "Don't you think?"
"You should turn around," she said, standing up and reaching out her hand to stop him.
He slipped out. "I'm fine, look," he said, glancing behind him, waiting a second, then following the kids and stepping off the gangway backwards, without looking.
"Aren't you talented," said Maeve rolling her eyes and walking forward.
"Oh you know I- oomph!" he said as he walked into a tall man. They faced each other, briefly, but he quickly cowered beneath the cold bespectacled gaze from the adult's piercing gray eyes. The teen's eyes shrank off his face to his fine clothes, now stained with the ash of a crushed cigarette. A lighter and a package of more cancer sticks lay on the ground.
"Sorry sorry!" he said frantically, stepping back quickly and stumbling right into Maeve.
She sighed. "Em," she said, moving him to her side and looking straight on at the well dressed man, whose face seethed with anger.
"Watch where you're going, boy," said the man, who then turned and walked away from two. Maeve lightly tugged on her friend's arm, who looked quite a bit shaken from him.
"You doofus," she said, starting to pull on him to get him moving. He found his step again, though his excitement seemed tempered for now.
"It was still pretty cool," he muttered, mostly to himself as he entered the airport and they stationed themselves at the back of the crowd. They all were lead through a vast open space that yet seemed quite crowded with places to go and people to go to them. On their left was a vast array of shops, services, even a small cinema—all with hoards of people rushing between them. But on their right were halls to different gates of the airport, and many were rushing every which way to make their flights or check their bags. It was at the end of the hall after the entrance to the airport's hotel that they came to a narrow hall, looping away from the bustle and the noise towards a door. Just above its iron handle hung a sign reading "Welcome to Aspen Labs!".
They entered a small lobby, where the children quickly took up all available couch space, clamouring on that they were tired. The teens took a spot on the wall, Maeve taking in her surroundings as she was apt to do, her friend staring right at lab's door.
"What kinds of Pokemon do you think he's giving out?" he asked, excitement clear in his voice.
Maeve looked at the wall. "I'm not too sure, but I'm sure they're good ones."
He turned and looked at her. "You're the smart, right? Haven't you looked into this?"
"The lab just opened," she said. "And the Professor only set up shop a little while ago. Does it really matter what Pokemon he has? This is just the starting place. It doesn't have to be something extreme. I'm happy with ever I get."
"I suppose…" He bit his lip. "Still though. I can't wait for this. I tried one of my dads to catch me one, but they said I should wait to get one from here." He shifted his mouth into a smile. "We're gonna be trainers, Maeve!"
"Ehem." A sudden cough silenced his thought along with the excited chatter of the kids. "Hello everyone!"
The man couldn't have been older than twenty five. He had dark brown hair. It was rather long, tied back into a small ponytail behind his head. His bangs were pinned back on one side with a few bobby pins. However they only held a portion of his hair—the rest fell into his face in loose strands. He had his hand on his hip and bright smile on his face. His other hand held a little red and white ball that he tossed up and down through the air.
"My name is Salvador Aspen," he said. "But, of course, you all must know that if you are here to receive a Pokemon. Please, though, I don't want you to call me Professor or anything like that. You can just call me Sal."
He tossed his Pokeball out in front of him. The children on the couch were absolutely fascinated as a huge bird appeared, ruffled blue and white wings flapping in the air. "Normally I'd use a smaller Pokemon as an example, but I felt that my Braviary is a perfect for what I want to say." The Braviary nuzzled its head into his hand. "The bond between a trainer and their Pokemon is something irreplaceable. Today you all are going to meet your first partner and gain a bond that will hopefully last a lifetime."
"Where are the pokemon?" asked the kid with the blue hat.
"The Professor's about to show us, stupid," replied another.
"I want a Charizard professor!" said a third.
"Professor, where are the pokemon please?" asked the kid with the blue hat again.
Sal sighed, but smiled as he shook his head. "We'll be there in a second, I just need to make sure everyone who is supposed to be here is here."
"I'm here!" said the kid with the blue hat.
Maeve rolled her eyes. "He's more eager than you, Em."
"What are you talking about? I am more ready for this then I have been for anything else ever," said her friend with a cocky smile.
"Maeve," called Sal, looking down at his paper, then up in the crowd. "Did I pronounce that right?"
"Yes, you did," said Maeve, looking over at him.
Sal nodded. "Good good, say here, um, Emily? Is that your friend there?"
His face went bright red as some of the kids turned to him. He shrank a bit. "No, it's Emile. It rhymes with seal." His voice was a tad shakily, echoing the phrase that had served him for so long with teachers, peers, and everyone else. Everyone else except Maeve; she'd heard him say it rhymes with seal and was determined to never let it rhyme again. She hadn't given up to this day.
"Thank you," said Sal, leaving the flustered Emile to get looked over by a couple of the kids before Sal finished his list.
"Alright, it seems that everyone's here, so follow me this way please," he said, returning his Braviary and walking through the door. He led them into a vast, clean lab that sparled from the light that poured through vast windows and skylights. He carefully managed the children who were trying to run ahead, before opening another door to show a large pen with many different Pokemon in it. He opened the door.
"Come on in and meet them," he said, stepping to the side.
The children rushed in without a second though, Emile following only slightly behind. He seemed a bit rattled, but Maeve understood why he still was so eager. Still though, she held back.
"Is there something wrong, Maeve?" The Professor smiled at her.
She looked up at him. "No, this just… isn't what I expected. I've… done research. Just to have an idea about what I should expect."
"Normally Professors select three Pokemon native to their region and give them to kids that want them," he said. "As Saikan doesn't have anything even remotely 'native', I decided to start the tradition of a Pokeluck."
"A Pokeluck?"
Sal nodded vigorously. "Like a potluck, but so much cuter! I limited the options to what most regions would consider reasonable for a starting trainer. I would have left them in Pokeballs, but I think it would be better for you all to see who you'll be working with. You should get in there before the kids traumatize all of them."
"Yeah… I'll do that." After she slipped in, he closed the gate and watched them happily.
A Weedle scampered past her feet and a little boy ran after it. Two of the other kids clutched a Pichu and Bidoof, laughing at their friend. She saw Emile kneeling with something in the corner. She was tempted to go over to him till something grabbed her pants sleeve.
"H-Hey!" Maeve jumped. A little black fox bit at her foot, tearing the black denim. "What… are you…?" She leaned down to touch the red tuft on its red, but snapped up at her. "Why are you mad? You came after me."
Sal waved from beyond the gate. "Oh shoot. He wasn't supposed to be in there."
"Is it dangerous?" she asked, only to be met with a laugh as the Pokemon gave a playful little growl.
"Not at all! He's just a little mischievous, that's all," he sighed. "I suppose there isn't anything to worry about. Zorua seems to like you after all. You think you'll take him?"
Maeve looked down at the fox and her torn pants. "I… Yeah. Yeah, I think I will..."
"Splendid," said the Professor, clapping his hands. "Let me get you his Pokeball."
Maeve glanced at Sal walking out of the pen before bending down a bit. "Alright Zorua, you're coming with me. But no biting. No biting."
The Zorua pouted, looking up at her with big eyes. Maeve frowned, starting to reach down her hand, perhaps to touch the red again. Zorua suddenly grinned, and gave her finger a light bite, then started to run away.
"You little-" she bit her lip. That bite was just hard enough to hurt, for probably the rest of the day. "Get back here!" she said, starting to run after the Zorua. He ran gleefully, carrying on with reckless abandon through the pen until it crashed right into a Meditite.
"Dadadade," growled the Meditite, before it started to glow white, staring at Zorua with annoyance.
Zorua gave it a leer, and started to move in to use scratch, before Meditite was scooped up into human arms.
"Meditite, what are you doing?" asked Emile, stepping back and looking down at the Zorua as the Meditite stopped its move.
"That was the move Bide," said the Professor, returning with a Pokeball he held out towards Maeve as she skidded to a stop behind her Zorua. "It stores energy from attacks then releases it back in an all out attack."
"No," said Emile, frowning and looking at Maeve. "Why was it trying to fight um…"
"Zorua," said Maeve, taking the Pokeball and looking down at him sternly.
"Oh, yes," said Sal, sighing and rubbing his forehead. "They tussled earlier today over an apple. They're quite the rambunctious two."
"Okay," said Emile, frowning a bit. "Well um, I'd think I'd like her as my uh, starter."
"Sure thing, let me get her Pokeball," said Sal. The Professor walked away from the pair on the balls of his feet. When he was out of view, Emile laughed.
"He's a little weird isn't he?" he said, putting down the Meditite.
Maeve shook the Zorua off her leg again, "I guess so. He reminds me of your pops."
"Hey, pops is not weird, at least not in that way," said Emile, frowning and scratching the back of his neck.
She smirked, "I suppose it depends on what you consider 'weird in that way'."
"Yeah, but he doesn't walk like that, or get nearly as excited about things that aren't, you know, the future," he sighed. "He'll probably say he saw my choice in Pokemon coming."
"It's a fighting/psychic right?" Maeve said.
Emile looked down at his new Pokemon. "Yeah, she is."
"Man, you're gonna get hell for that…" she chuckled. "Sure my mom gonna be upset I didn't find a fairy or something."
The realization all came crashing into a facepalm. "I'm never going to live this down," he groaned. "It's going to be all. 'Our son has a Meditite because he could never choose between us. My husband gave me a Gallade to symbolize our love. Ugh," he said, looking down at his Meditite again.
"Come on, they aren't that bad." Accepting that her own starter would never be pet, Maeve reached down and rubbed her thumb over the other Pokemon's head. "And she's pretty darn cute anyway. As a opposed to Mr. Spawn of Satan, at least."
"They are that bad," said Emile as Meditite ducked off her thumb and clung to his pant leg. Emile shook his leg, stepping away somewhat uncomfortably. "Dad's going to yap on about it to the entire market for weeks. I won't be able to step on the dock without cries off 'Emile, can I see your Meditite?'"
Zorua started to try and climb up Maeve's leg, but she managed to shake him off. "Hey, at least we get to have an adventure before you have to face parental humiliation."
"Oh, an adventure! What sort of adventure?" asked the Professor, holding out a Pokeball for Emile.
Emile took it, quickly brightening up.. "We're going to be the best trainers in ever!" he said. "We're going to train and train until we can take on all of the gym leaders everywhere and then we're going to fight the Champion!"
"Really?" Sal laughed. "That's quite the ambitious plan that you have there."
"It's his plan," Maeve said. "I mean, it sounds like a goal to have, but maybe a bit out of reach."
"It's not out of reach for me," Emile said indignantly, crossing his arms with a sour face.
Maeve shook her head. "It wouldn't matter if that were true. Everything is so disorganized; they only selected the gym leaders for the region less than a week ago. Saikan is too new a place. We don't even have a real Champion, yet."
"Oh, I believe they have, don't worry about organization. That's what adults are for," said Sal, smiling at the familiar passion they shared.
Emile's eyes shot up, brimming with sudden excitement. "There's a champion? Who is it?"
Sal blinked, scratching his head. "Let's see um…" he snapped his fingers, mentally sorting through all the paperwork he'd seen throughout the week. The Professor looked off into the distance for a moment with a strange look in his eyes."Hmm… uh… that's… outstanding! I absolutely cannot remember the Champion's name! What a shame!"
"You," she took in a breath, eyes widening. "You can't remember?" Maeve breathed out, completely stunned. "How can you not remember? It's the champion. Everyone has been waiting to know who they would be for months and you just… just forget? Is that even possible?"
He gave a nervous little smile, backing away slightly from the teen. "My friends do say that I can be a tad forgetful sometimes. I'm very sorry."
"How'd did you find out in the first place? It's got to be written down somewhere. Let me see," said Emile, stepping forward far more than he had stepped back.
"Professor!" cried out the kid in the blue hat. "I want to take Pichu. Do I get a Pokeball?"
"We all do," said another. "We need them."
"Where's Charizard?" asked a kid with a Cyndaquil tugging at his shirt.
"Come this way, kids! They're all right this way," he said, starting to walk, and waving at Maeve and Emile. "Just ask Claude if you need anything else."
"Who?" called Emile as the kids dragged him away. He sighed, then glanced at Maeve. "Who in the world is Claude?"
"I don't know anything anymore." She shook her head. "Except that there is apparently a Champion. Why doesn't the public know yet?"
"They might have just selected them," Emile said. "Why they would tell a ditz like that guy I have no idea."
Maeve started tapping her boot on the ground and bit her lip. "He's the Pokemon Professor. Isn't he like, a part of the League? They probably have to keep him up to date with everything they do. I'm sure we'll find out who the Champion is eventually, but I'm not sure if I trust that guy's word too much. He may be the Professor but he clearly has a few screws loose."
"He didn't seem like too bad a guy," he noted with a nod. "Maybe we should go find whoever Claude is."
"Yeah…" The two of them headed for the door after putting their new Pokemon into their Pokeballs. They left the room and reentered the lab's lobby. A man sat on a leather couch with a handkerchief, trying to clean off his fine jacket.
"Oh? So you're the nosy kids Aspen squealed to?" He glared at them behind his glasses. "First, you ruin my coat and now you annoy my boss. What pests you are."
"You're Claude?!" Emile cried. "I'm so sorry about your coat. Geez! Can I pay for your dry cleaning or something?"
'Claude' waved them off. "No, no, don't bother. Not like you could actually afford it. Besides, I'm not so cruel that I'd punish new trainers for being excited about getting their first Pokemon. Just don't do it again, understand?"
"Yes, sir!" Emile gave a quick salute that made Claude groan. Before he could say anything, though, Maeve stepped in with an extended hand.
"My name is Maeve and this is Emile," she said. "We're from Clearwater Island. Professor Aspen told us to ask you any questions we had?"
"He told me as he was rushing those toddlers out the door." Claude shook her hand. "I am his chief assistant but, of course, you can call me Claude. I specialize in Pokemon typings and their group activities in the wild."
"That sounds exceptionally boring," Emile plopped down onto the couch.
With a huff the assistant pushed him off, "It is not boring! It's science! Anyway, the Professor told me you know about the Champion."
"He let it slip, yeah," Maeve agreed. "Is it true though?"
"That there is one? Yes," said Claude. "Do not blab on about it, either of you. There's an official announcement date. We can't have you two screwing it up."
"But can you tell us who it is?" asked Maeve, looking at him straight on.
Claude scowled. "Of course not, you know too much already. You'll find out with everyone else," he said, standing up and taking a step towards the lab. "Do you need me for anything else?"
"Yes sir," said Emile, getting to his feet. "Are there battling courts in the lab?"
"Hm? Why," asked Claude, looking down at Emile with some interest.
"Just uh," he turned to Maeve. "We've always been friends, but now that we have Pokemon, and we're going to challenge the gyms and all… I guess we're rivals, now."
"And what does that mean, Em?" asked Maeve, a smile growing on her face.
Emile returned with a smirk. "It means that I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"
Heyo, I'm aronpuma, the cowriter of this chapter of whose account you see. If you want to read more from me there is stuff and yes I have stories that I need to update and they will be. So don't be afraid to peruse that.
Danelle and I would love it if you followed and/or favorited, if you're interested. This story is also on DanelleStepthon's AO3 page, so if you want to leave Kudos there well, Kudos to you. And feel free to leave a review either way. Cheers!