Hey guys! FinnInTheDark here. I feel that I can't really go anywhere else with Amateur Master, so I'll be putting it on the back burner for a bit while working on this piece. This work will be written with an overview feel, so it'll be a bit new to bit. As always, I do not own Pokemon nor any spin-offs, and I only have rights to my characters and plot. Enjoy, and as always, leave a review.

A soft breeze rolled across New Bark Town, adding to the serenity of the town in its early morning stage. Many of its inhabitants were already starting to wake, getting ready for their daily commute. The laughs and cheers of children could be heard, and the sighs and smoke of independent teens could be seen as well. (Damn kids, get a job and stop wasting my tax money)...what? Oh sorry. Back to the serenity.

There was one such child who was more excited than the others. It was no other than 16 year old Jack Raven. Let's do an awesome camera zoom into his house. *Zwoom!* that was pretty awesome. Anyway, young Jack was packing for a very important journey. Since he was 16 years old, he was eligible to go on a Pokemon journey! The local Pokemon Professor…Eli..? Or Elliot..? Elm? That's it! Professor Elm was going to give him his own starter pokemon, and Jack knew he mustn't be late.

After he had finished packing, he slung the backpack over his shoulder, grabbed his trainer card, and ran downstairs. The idiot forgot what his mother told him about running down stairs, and proceeded to tumble. Defying all laws of physics, he landed on his feet and brushed off the dirt on his shirt, acting like it was nothing. He walked to the nearest mirror and checked himself over one more time. He was 5'11, and fairly toned. He sported black hair and stormy grey eyes, and the tannest skin you'd ever see on a Johtonese. His outfit consisted of a non-douchbag v-neck, black cargo shorts, red fingerless gloves, and green converse shoes.

His mother was standing behind him the whole time, admiring her handsome son and reminiscing about when he was just a child. Jack proceeded to have a heart attack when seeing his mother in the mirror, but recovered fairly quickly and threw her a goodbye. "Wait Jack, you almost forgot your Poke Gear!" His mother called back. 'Damn, just when I thought I was free!' Jack thought to himself. He turned back around, grabbed his Poke Gear, and threw his mother once last goodbye. As the door shut behind him, his mother rushed quickly to the phone and proceeded to order a mountain of booze. What the hell Ms. Raven?

Back the story, Jack was on his way to get his first Pokemon partner! He took once last look around New Bark Town, realizing how much he would miss this place. As he was turning to the direction of the lab, his long time best friend and secret crush, Mara Adams, snuck up behind him and hugged him. "Leaving before saying goodbye?" She said playfully. Jack turned around, smiled, and returned the hug. "I'd never forget my best bud Mara!"

"Good or I would have kicked your ass!" Mara said in a serious tone. Jack became scared for a second, but threw the scary thought away. "I'll miss you Mara. I'll make sure to call plenty of times." Jack said, smiling again, and hugging his secret crush for the last time. As he was walking away, Mara couldn't help but shed a tear, knowing that she wouldn't be seeing him for a while.

Jack made it to the lab in about 5 minutes, sparing no time in getting his new partner. Without knocking, he walked right inside and was met by the whirring sound of machines and distant chatter of scientists. Jack proceeded to walk to the back of the lab, where Professor Elm was waiting for him. "Ah, Jack! Good to you see you. Ready to meet your new Pokemon?" Elm asked. Jack simply nodded, and made his way to the metal table which held three Poke Balls. He had already made up his mind about what he wanted, and picked up the desired Poke Ball. Pressing the middle button of the ball, his new partner materialized. "Toto! Totodile!" It cheered with glee.

Jack bent down and picked up his new Pokemon, hugging it tightly and cradling it. Professor Elm smiled and reached behind his back, pulling out a red, technological device. "Here is your PokeDex, which you would badly need for you journey. It contains information on all known Pokemon, Internet, and Television." Jack took the device happily and set it in his backpack. "Also, here are some Poke Balls for your journey." Elm added in. Jack graciously accepted the five Poke Balls, and proceeded to put them in his bag as well. "Finally, would you like to give your Pokemon a nickname?" Elm asked curiously.

Jack held the Totodile up so they were face-to-face. "I think Sciath fits him perfectly." Jack said smiling. The small water Pokemon grinned in agreement, and jumped from Jacks arms so it could walk next to him. Jack proceeded to pull out the PokeDex again and scan Sciaths data. A sharp, robotic sound could be heard in the start up process. Jack disliked this voice. He went into the setting of the device and changed the voice of the machine to resemble Morgan Freeman. With its new voice, the Morgan Freeman Dex listed of the information:

"Species: Totodile

Nickname: Sciath

Level: 5

Ability: Torrent

Mood: Ecstatic

Known moves: Scratch, Growl

Summary: Its well developed jaws are powerful and capable of crushing anything. Even its trainer must be wary."

Jack smiled at the power of his new friend. He thanked the Professor for everything, and walked out the front door. Elm smiled at the potential of the new trainer, and then got back to his studies.

Jack stood on the edge of New Bark Town, facing the long trail of Route 29. It was beginning trail for many rookies, but was also a dangerous path for anybody. Jack turned around, taking one last look at his birth place, and stepped over the boundary line of the route and the town. His adventure had now begun, and he couldn't be any happier.

What do you guys think? I like this layout a bit more than my other story, and I think it will be better in the long run. Please leave a review if you can, and as always, enjoy.