Chapter 1

The Journey begins

"Maka! Breakfast is ready!" Mom called from downstairs

"Okay Mom! I'll be down in a minute!" I say putting on my scarf. then I head downstairs and see mom has made oren berry pancakes; my favorite!

Mom and I began eating breakfast when a 'special' report about the search for the red Gyarados came on the tv. A group of people have been searching for this super rare, said to be the only one of its kind in the world, Gyarados for the past decade. To put it simply, they haven't gotten anything done. "Hasn't anyone heard of shiny pokemon. They may not be all that common, but still; pokerus is rarer than shiny pokemon" I say with annoyed tone.

Mom chuckled, "It really shows when you research something, doesn't it?"

"Well, yeah! People learn thing when they take the time to study," I stated.

"You know, Maka, you could become the Pokemon Professor of Sinnoh one of these days. You would be the best one this region has ever had!" Mom said happily. I shook my head.

"I don't want to be stuck in a lab for the rest of my life. I want to explore my home region like you did back in Johto with Dad!"

Mom's face shifted from a smile to a frown. "Yeah," She simply said before smiling again "Speaking of exploring the region, Soul stopped by and told me to remind you that you two planned something about going to Lake Verity."

"OH, that's rights!" I say while stuffing my face with pancakes. I quickly finish chewing my food and grab my bag. "See you later, Mom"

"Okay! Just don't go into the tall grass" Mom called as I ran out the door and quickly met Soul outside of Twinleaf town.

"Yo, Maka. About time you arrived," Soul stated.

"Sorry Soul, I was eating breakfast!" I say in between breaths.

"Yeah, I can tell! You have pancake on the corner of your mouth"

"What?!" I almost yell as I frantically look through my bag for a napkin. However, before i could find one, Soul handed me a napkin.

"Here. For some reason, I knew you would need this" Soul stated. He has a way of what I might need.

"Thanks, Soul. You know me so well" I say shyly

"Well, I have known you my entire life"

"That is true"

Soul smiled. "Come on, let's go. You lead the way"

"Alright!" And we walk to the lake where we saw an old man a young boy talking.

"Professor Rowan, It's been four years since you've been in the Sinnoh region. How does it feel to be back home?" The boy asked the old man.

"It's like I never left. Nothing much has changed since I went to study in the Kanto region." The old man said breathing in the lake air. "Come, Lucas, we must return to Sandgem Town"

The old man and boy walked toward us and I moved out of the way

"Hey! Wait!" Soul called out to them, but they were already gone. "well, we should bring that to them" Soul looked at the suitcase that the two had left behind and started walking toward the tall grass that surrounded the suitcase

"Soul! We Shouldn't go in tall grass! What if wild pokemon jump out?" I called out. Soul turned around.

"Don't worry, Maka. We'll be in and out before a pokemon attacks." He gave me his assuring smile.

"Okay" I say nervously. We walk in the tall grass and grab the suitcase.

"See! Nothing happened! Come on, let's give this back!" Soul stated. We started on going back when Soul saw something heading toward us. "MAKA! WATCH OUT!"

Before I could turn around, Soul pushed me out of the way, and took a hit from two wild Starly, making him drop the suitcase on the ground hard enough for it to open. Three pokeballs fell out in front of me. I grab two of them and tossed one to Soul, who still seemed to be okay.

"Thanks" He said before throwing the pokeball in the air and a Turtwig came out. I did the same, but a Piplup came out instead.

"YAHOO!" The Piplup screamed as he popped out. He looked like a regular Piplup, but he had a scar that was in the perfect shape of a star on his left wing. He looked eager for a battle,. The way he talked even told me that. "Alright who wants battle the great BLACK STAR!"

The two Starly looked at each other; then one charged at Black Star. He easily countered the attack, then kept literally pounding the Starly until it fainted.

"Hahahahaha! That's what you get for messing with the great Black Star!" the piplup exclaimed, then turned around to me. "So you're the one who called me out of my pokeball. As thanks, you can have my autograph!" He promptly grabbed a pen and piece of paper, wrote his name on it and gave it to me.

"uh…. thanks…." I respond, not sure to be happy or irritated. This pokemon is so full of himself that it is annoying; but he did just help me. Accepting his autograph was the least I could do.

"Your pokemon was pretty cool, Maka" Soul said behind me. "Though, my pokemon was much cooler."

Soul's comment made me chuckle, "I wouldn't be so sure. My piplup can write an autograph. Can yours?" Soul's turtwig glared at me.

"BLACK STAR IS ASYMMETRICAL BECAUSE OF HIS SCAR ON HIS LEFT WING!" Soul's turtwig yelled.

"You're one to talk, Kid! One of the leaves on your head was cut in half by a caterpie!" Black Star retorted. Kid the turtwig hung his head low.

"I know! I'm a worthless piece of garbage! I'm nothing more than a pignite! An asymmetrical pokemon does not deserve to exist like I do!"

"What's the matter with turtwig?" Soul asked.

"Kid, the turtwig, called Black Star, the piplup, an asymmetrical pokemon because he has a scar on his left wing, so Black Star pointed out the leaf that is cut in half. Now Kid is calling himself a piece of garbage" I told him.

"Kid… That's a cool name for a pokemon! With a name like that, who cares if he's not semantical? He's awesome!" Soul stated and Kid's face lit up. Then the boy who was with Professor Rowan came running.

"Almost forgot this." The boy said to himself, picking up the suitcase. Then he saw the two pokemon that were standing by us. "Did you two use these pokemon?"

We nodded.

"Oh boy, this isn't good! What is the professor going to say?" the boy muttered to himself. "Can you two please come by the lab in Sandgem Town at some point?"

"Sure." Soul said speaking for the both of us.

"Okay. Please come as soon as possible." The boy said before turning and walking away. "I hope the professor does not get mad because of this"

Back at home, I told mom what had happened while she finished washing the dishes.

"I'm just glad you and Soul are safe. But you should return Black Star to Professor Rowan and apologize for using his pokemon" Mom said, looking at Black Star.

"I know mom. I was already planning on that. Soul already went ahead to do so. I'm going Sandgem Town pretty soon." I told my mom. What else was I going to do? I didn't want to give up Black Star so soon, but he's not my pokemon; I have to return him.

"I don't want to go back! There's nothing to do in that lab! I have no idea why he keeps me, Kid, and Sid there!" Black Star exclaimed in protest.

"What if a trainer comes by to pick his or her first pokemon, and one or two pokemon are missing? What if that trainer wants a water type?" Mom argued.

"What about Maka here? She's got enough potential to rise above the gods if she became a pokemon trainer! And I'm sure that boyfriend of hers would say the same thing!"

"SOUL IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" I yell. Mom and Black Star gave me the same exact look

"Yeah… keep telling yourself that." Black Star muttered. I let him know that the comment was not appreciated in the slightest.

Mom went over to her desk in the corner of the living room, and quickly wrote something and put the paper in an envelope, and handed to me. "Give this to Professor Rowan, and here is some money, and you'll want these running shoes"

"Mom, You don't need to prep me like I'm going out of the region. I'm just going explore Sinnoh and fight some gym leaders, but that's it"

"Maka Kylie Albarn! Do you have any idea what it means to be a pokemon trainer?! A trainer builds bonds with their pokemon ! You're going to lose pokemon on your journey, and those losses will hurt you. And if you get past the Elite Four and the Champion, you'll have to go to different regions like Johto or Kanto. I know I had to when I was Champion of Johto to meet up with other champs. Plus people will expect you to become Champion because you're the daughter of a former Champion!" Mom lectured me for about an hour about the dangers of a journey for a girl my age, and the expectations that people have for me. I rolled my eyes; There is no way for me to become Champion of Sinnoh.

"Mom, I don't even have a slight chance of becoming Champion! I heard that the current champ is the best one in Sinnoh since 1949," I tell mom. "The Champion has a Garchomp! A Garchomp, Mom! Very few people have a chance against a pokemon like that!"

Mom gave me her 'Oh really' look. "Maka, never doubt yourself. You are a strong, independent girl. You need to do your best out there and you'll do fine against the champion. But most importantly, you should always be yourself no matter what your relation to former champions is"

"Thanks Mom." I say hugging her

"Crystal, you haven't given my dear granddaughter everything you have to give," A very familiar voice claimed as Grandma Layla rolled in the living room on her wheel chair. "you forgot the heirloom"

"I was just getting to that, Mom" Mom turned around to grab a small magenta case that looked like it should be holding eye glasses. "Take good care of this. You never know when you're going to need it." She handed me the case and I opened it. Inside was a beautiful hair clip. The clip itself was made from sterling silver and in the center had a diamond as clear as glass. I had no idea my mom had something like this as a heirloom.

"Let me put it in your hair." Grandma said as she moved her wheelchair behind me and carefully, as if to not harm a baby pokemon, clipped the heirloom in my hair. "There, now everyone that isn't living under a rock will know that you are my granddaughter. Now, you are ready for your adventure!"

"Thanks grandma. Thanks Mom." I say, giving them both hugs, "I'll be sure to visit and call often" then I ran out and straight to Sandgem Town where the professor's assistant was waiting for me.

"Hey! Glad you were able to come. Your friend is taking to the professor right now." the assistant said as he lead me to Professor Rowan's lab. I was about to open the door when Soul practically burst out and ran into me, literally!

"OW! What the-" Soul exclaimed as I fell to the ground. "Oh hey Maka. Didn't see you there."

"It's okay. It isn't like you hadn't rammed into me before" I say as Soul extends his hand to help me up.

Black Star coughed, "Boyfriend and girlfriend!" And coughed again, which irritated me.

"MAKA CHOP!" I yell as I hit in the head with the spine of a book.

"What did Black Star do to piss you off?" Soul asked with a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Nothing that you need to be concerned about." I say, then try to get off that topic. "So how was your talk with the professor"

"Better than I expected. I thought Professor Rowan was going to be super scary and pissed off, but he was pretty chill. Any way, I have to get going. See you later, Maka!" Soul said as he ran to the northwest exit of the town.

The assistant shook his head before opening the door to the professor's laboratory. Inside, scientists were looking over DNA strands, studying Pokemon behaviors, and sharing possible discoveries. After looking around for about a minute or two, I find Professor Rowan in the back of the room talking to another scientist.

"So according to your thesis, and your experiments; you believe that within 20 generations or so, over 50% of people in the Sinnoh will be able to understand pokemon" Rowan asked the other scientist.

"Yes sir. However, currently finding a person who understands pokemon is almost impossible," the scientist explained, "plus I'm also finding that some have developed this gene as a mutation at some point in childhood or adolescence."

"Interesting…" Professor pondered for a few minutes. "Send this data to Professor Juniper of Unova; As a scientist just coming out of college, I sure he'll be fascinated by the hypothesis and try to replicate the experiment himself"

"Right away, sir" The scientist said before doing what he was told. Professor Rowan turned around and looked at me, as if he knew I was there.

"So you're the other person who used one of my pokemon to protect yourself from a wild Starly attack?" Rowan asked.

"Yes, And I apologize for using Piplup; Soul and I had no other choice" I say as I pull the letter out of my bag.

"That is something that I completely understand. From what your friend told me, you two were trying to help me out by bringing me my suitcase, but the Starly attacked before you were able to so."

"Yes. It was Soul's idea; he thought we would be in and out of the tall grass before we would get attacked" I tell Rowan and he nodded in understanding.

Black Star was jumping up and down excitedly, "The letter! Give the professor the letter!" The Piplup whispered. I gave a 'be patient' before handing Rowan the envelope with the letter in it.

The professor opened the envelope and read the letter. After a few moments, he looked me in the eye and said "Considering you age, and that your mother is Crystal Albarn, a former champion of the Johto Region, I firmly believe to go on a journey of your own; and seeing as how you've already bonded with this piplup, it seems that you may be a greater champion than your mother or grandmother." The professor hands me what looks like a pokedex. "This is to record all the pokemon you encounter on your journey. Now do you have a name in mind for you piplup?"

Black Star and I look at each other. "I've already decided on a name."

"And that is…?"

"Black Star." I tell Rowan. "Earlier, he gave me his autograph, and that was the the name that he gave me"

"That name fits him in a way." Rowan pondered. "Very well. As of today, you are an official Pokemon Trainer!" Then he gave me a trainer card and case to put my gym badges.

"Thank you" I say while bowing, then proceed to leave the lab. The assistant follows me and points out what buildings are the Pokemon Center, where trainers go to heal up pokemon; and the PokeMart, where on can get healing items as well as pokeballs. He even showed me how to catch pokemon.

"And that's how it's done," the assistant said after he caught a bidoof. "By the way, I never got the chance to introduce myself. My name is Lucas"

I smile and introduce myself. "I'm Maka. Maka Albarn"