Prelude

"Adrasteia," she smiled, looking to the freshly hatched blue bundle in her arms. There was no doubt that it had been love at first sight. That bright red belly, that stub of a tail, there was was no way that this Gible wasn't meant for her.

Bred for her by her father, she vowed then to do everything she could to care for it. Neko smiled again, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose with a tiny giggle. "I love her, Papa... And I swear I always will!" Hugging the tiny pokemon to her chest, there was nothing then that could get her down

00000

A new day was dawning in the Sinnoh region, a deep orange Autumn sun inching its way over the peaks of Mount Coronet. But even the welcoming day wasn't enough to stir the young trainer. Cue Neko, now age twelve, her hair a mess and face down in her pillow. All would seem well were it not for her dear Gible, Adrasteia, gnawing relentlessly at the poor girl's skull. Still, all she did was swat away at the dream disturbance, a groan in her throat.

Adrasteia grumbled, gnawing a bit rougher, desperate to wake her trainer, ready for the new day. The two had been through much together over the past three years, and now was the time for them to grow more. Today the journey began and the training kicked in to overdrive.

One final groan rolled out of Neko before she shot straight up, a rather dazed and zombified expression gracing her features. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she methodically reached up to pry the Gible off her head. "Good morning to you to Adrasteia." It was all monotone. The pokemon gave a rumble of approval. Shifting out of bed, Neko fumbled for her glasses, finally reaching them and sliding them in place.

Her hair was a mess, a tangled black mop all frazzled by her sleep... and partially her partner. With a sigh, she ran her hand through it only to have her fingers catch in the knots. Another sigh and she shuffled into her bathroom, Adrasteia following close behind with a sing-song pattern in its noises. A few quick brush strokes and a little straightening up and she was ready to begin her day.

"I take it you're ready, aren't you, Addy?"

She was met with an enthusiastic mumble of pokemon speak.

Neko chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes." And that is how our story began...