Chapter 1

The sun was beginning to rise above Alice's head as she began her daily chores of sweeping up the house and tending to her sister's Pokémon in the ranch. However, this day she was heading out to the hatchery island to take some notes on the amount of eggs and figure prices for the eggs laid. Alice's sister Annabella was the Pokémon Champion alongside Cynthia. She was famous and beautiful in Alice's eyes. Annabella's love for Pokémon was passed down to Alice, a thirteen year-old girl who was about to begin her journey.

"Alice, would you come over here?" Annabella called from across the field. She was standing over two Misdreavus, hovering peacefully above the ground. Alice rushed over to her sister and looked up into her blue eyes, "Father and I have been discussing how you've never left the ranch or have been outside of Snowpoint city. You've yet to see the Johto, Kanto, Hoenn, and most of the Sinnoh region. And then of course, the Unova region. We've found the perfect way for you to see everything there is to see while helping us."

"I get to go out around the world by myself?" Alice asked.

Annabella shook her head, "We have someone waiting for you in Pallet Town of the Johto region."

"Why am I going? How am I helping you?" Alice had thought about what was happening over and over again but couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she would have her own journey.

Annabella sat on the ground, Alice copied her action, sitting as demurely as her older sister, "Well, you're not exactly helping me… You're helping the Pokémon… And the world."

"The world…?" Alice clarified.

"You see… In all the regions, the Pokémon are acting strange. People have reported that every once in awhile, they'll see a Pokémon emanating a black aura from its body." Annabella began, "These Pokémon have been making people very nervous. We have reasons to believe that one of every Pokémon species has this characteristic. The 'Shadow' Pokémon attack people without reasons, they are twice as strong as a normal Pokémon, and it seems as though the aura is contagious. However, the Pokémon that are affected by the Shadow Pokémon aren't as strong as the original or emit aura. But they do receive the aggressive trait, making them very dangerous."

"So… you want me to go and help these Pokémon return to normal?"

"Yes…" Annabella stood, "Mother and father can explain better than me. Come on," She helped Alice up to her feet and led the way towards a small cabin, "They're in here." Alice followed her sister into the wooden house where hundreds of photos- each of a Pokémon species- covered the room. Each photo had a price on it, indicating the price of the eggs that belong to that Pokémon species. Alice and her sister walked into the adjacent room that was usually locked. Inside were various souvenirs from cities and towns all over the world; from fine diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, to wooden statuettes.

In the middle of the room was a wooden table, a golden and silver cloth spread across the top. At the table sat a woman and man, both in their mid 30s at the most. The woman had long blonde hair, reaching to the middle of her back. The man had a dirtier shade of blonde that was long for a man. It had gone straight down past his shoulders by a few inches. Both had dark, unreadable eyes and equally unreadable expressions. Alice never had a way to understand her parents the way her sister had. Annabella could take one look at their parents and know immediately how they were feeling or what was on their minds.

The woman stood, "Annabella, have you told her?"

Annabella nodded and took a seat beside her father, "Sort of… I explained as far as why Shadow Pokémon are problems. I thought you two could explain the statuettes and shrine better than I ever could."

Alice looked from her mother to her father, confused. Her mother brought Alice to a seat beside Annabella and sat back down. The mother turned to her husband as if to tell him to explain. Finally, after moments of silence, he spoke, "There's an island… It's off the coast the of the Hoenn region. The name of this island is Rebirth Island. On this island is a shrine. The Shrine of Virtue… When you defeat an original Shadow Pokémon, it will turn into a small statuette. Inside is the soul of that Pokémon. When you bring the soul to the shrine, you can purify the Pokémon and its purified form will appear before you as an ally."

Holding up a hand, Alice stopped her father, "Let me see if I've got this so far. By defeating Shadow Pokémon, they become small statues. I take these to the shrine and they will return to their natural form and become my Pokémon?"

Her mother nodded, "That's the idea. Once the Pokémon is purified, you get to keep that statuette. Once the souls are released, you can send the statue back home. We'll keep track of what Pokémon you need if you like."

"But how do I defeat them? I don't have any Pokémon of my own." Alice pointed out.

Alice's father glanced at Annabella who sighed, "You know how you love that Eevee my Vaporeon had a few weeks ago?"

Alice remembered the playful Eevee that had been born a month ago. She loved playing with the Pokémon and had asked her sister over and over again if she could have her, "Yeah, I know. Why? Can I have her!"

Annabella nodded with a smile, "That's why I said no so many times. I was waiting for this."

Jumping up to her feet in excitement, Alice's anticipation grew. She couldn't wait to start her journey, "When do I leave?"

Her father laughed, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave us, Ally?" He sighed, "But if you must know, your sister is flying you to Pallet down in a few hours. She has all you'll need upstairs in her room." Annabella stood and motioned for Alice to follow her. As the two girls disappeared up the stairs, their father turn to his wife, "Do you think she'll be alright?"

"Vincent, you worry too much. Have faith in our daughter, she'll be fine. I'm confident that Alice with be successful with her journey. However, my only worry is the legendaries…" Her mother trailed off.