Crys: Hello~ Thanks to a reviewer (You know who you are!), I decided to actually make a series out of a one-shot I recently randomly jotted down, mainly following the story line of Pokemon Emerald with a little sprinkle of Crystalined here and there. You will most likely notice a few changes here and there throughout the story, but this is my story and I control it. *^* Anyway! Please enjoy and review if you can!

Eventually Sudden

I blankly stared at a cardboard box, tightly gripping thin air as I tried my best to keep my balance. I yelped and suddenly lunged forward as the moving truck stopped, but luckily a nearby box was there to catch me. Painfully. Sighing, I hopped off of the back of the truck, eyes narrowed at the sudden exposure to the bright sun. My mother greeted me with a kind smile, her brown eyes staring into my lovely blue ones. "Sorry for forcing you in there, Skyli, but there weren't enough seats in the front," she apologized as various Normal and Fighting type Pokemon made their way into the back of the truck to carry most of the boxes into the house.

"Look at all the Vigoroth," I softly murmured, entering the house with my mother trailing behind me with a proud grin plastered on her bright face. "They're going to do all the moving for us; isn't that convenient?"

I started my move-in to the house by resetting the clock, all the while chatting with my mom as she turned the TV on. We both ended up snuggling on the couch for ten minutes; Dad was on, in the middle of a League gym match with a trainer. My eyes shined with pride as he mercilessly demolished a young boy's four Pokemon with just his Vigoroth alone.

"Oh, I forgot! Skyli, there's a Pokemon professor in Littleroot town, and he said he wanted to have a word with you later," Mom reminded me, and I flashed her a calm smile before leaving to my room upstairs. I sighed, collapsing onto the bed and lazily staring at the ceiling. Littleroot Town. The Hoenn region. I rolled over, staring at the map I had pasted up on the wall of the Hoenn region. Right next to it was a map of the Johto region, my home country. My dad was invited by the Hoenn League to become a gym leader of Petalburg City, so here we were. Having to move so my dad could do his job that he was so proud of.

After a quick ten-minute rest, I slipped out of bed and turned on my PC, withdrawing a Potion and storing it into my bag. This was a new region; who knew of its dangers? Afterwards I lightly pranced down the stairs, giving my mom a quick goodbye-kiss before wandering the small town of Littleroot to find the laboratory. It honestly wasn't that difficult to search for; it was the largest building around, and there weren't that many houses nearby, either. I smiled to myself as I greeted a few neighbors here and there, and ended up having a long conversation with a very nice lady who seemed to be the professor's wife.

"You must be the daughter of the new gym leader my husband was rambling on about! I'll have to stop by later today to meet your mother, but anyway! We have a son just about your age… Oh, you're 15? Our Brendan is 17, but close enough. Oh, I'm so sorry.. You must be heading over to Professor Birch right now, aren't you? Sorry for keeping you from leaving!" And with that, the sweet lady left me to walk down the road. I was rather amused by the woman, and entered the lab with a friendly smile on my face, timidly greeting a few lab assistants here and there until I saw a broad figure with dark brown hair. "Excuse me…?"

The man turned around with a broad smile on his face. He was wearing a white lab coat, and had a short beard. "Ah, so you must be Skyli! Welcome to the Hoenn region, my girl. I just wanted to meet you, and to know more about you. Oh, right. It'd be helpful if you knew my name, wouldn't it? My name is Professor Birch. I live right next to the house you moved into, actually…"

I ended up talking about my travels in Johto, mainly of field work with my father as a gym leader, as well as my abundant knowledge of Pokemon and academic intellect. He easily grew to like me, as I was careful to be patient and caring to the professor. "Okay, well, Skyli, now that I've gotten to know you, I'm more sure of myself now. I have a request to you, so if you would follow me, please," Professor Birch began, walking deeper into the lab as I timidly followed after him.

I was exposed to three Pokemon out of their PokeBalls; a Torchic, a Mudkip, and a Treecko. Eyes widened out of curiosity, I stepped closer and gave the three a smile. "I would like you to have one of these Pokemon, Skyli, and go out into the Hoenn region as a trainer, and try to climb to the top," the professor explained, leaning back against the wall as the three Hoenn starters began to interact with one another. I gave him a slow nod, having already anticipated this to come. I had discussed it with my parents on the plane ride, and now my dream was coming true. At first, Dad had been so strongly against it that he started to exclude me from his field work back in Johto, as well as his Pokemon. But after awhile, I was able to convince him to let his little girl go.

I kneeled down, patiently greeting each Pokemon. The Torchic gave me a soft chirp, and I sensed the glint of maturity and gentleness in the little chick's eyes. "The Torchic is male, the Mudkip is male, and the Treecko is female," Professor Birch informed me while I continued to play with the Torchic. Afterwards, I moved on to the Mudkip. Completely contrasting the Fire type, this finned Pokemon seemed daring and a little mischievous, even, constantly messing around with the docile and mild Treecko. I had a fun time playing around with the three until I finally made my decision.

"Torchic," I began softly,"want to come with me?" The male bird calmly chirped before hopping into my arms and nuzzling my face with its soft feathers. I grew attached to his warmth; he was a Fire type, after all. "Nice choice," Professor Birch said with a smile, returning the Mudkip and Treecko into their respective PokeBalls. "Would you like to give him a nickname?"

I stared into the Torchic's anticipating eyes, and gave it another smile. "Hm...How about Asper?" I suggested timidly. My new starter gave me an affirmative chirp, and I didn't return him into his PokeBall. "You, my new friend, need a lot of exercise and training," I explained, and my gentle Fire type calmly agreed with another chirp. "This little Fire type is a bit different from others. As you can see, it doesn't have much of a fiery personality and is quite the gentle little bird. You'll be pretty surprised when you see it in battle, though," Professor Birch commented with a light laugh.

"Oh, and, Skyli, Brendan left his PokeNav back in his room, so I can't contact him. He should be a little past Oldale Town, but I need him back. Could you possibly fetch him for me? I also need you to come back with him." I gave the professor a calm nod before making my way out of the laboratory. One of the lab assistants cut off my path towards the door, handing me a few more Potions. "Be safe, Miss. You must be very talented with good potential for Professor Birch to give up one of his starter Pokemon for you," the aide said with a grin, and walked off to return to his work at one of the confusing lab machines.

I stored the additional Potions with the one I already had, and walked out of the door with Asper powerfully hopping behind me. He was a pretty fast Pokemon, for having two little sticks as legs. I then visited my mom again, introducing her to Asper, and she soon grew very attached to the little Torchic. I told her that I was most likely going to leave today, and that I had to go find Professor Birch's son. "Alright. Make me proud out there. Oh, and, here, it must be very uncomfortable for you in those shoes; take these. They were originally for your birthday, but I think now's a great time for them," Mom said with a loving smile, passing me a pair of black and white sneakers. I gave her a grateful hug as Asper explored the house, peacefully chirping at the working Machoke and Vigoroth here and there.

After I bidded Mom a goodbye and changed into my new running shoes, I left Littleroot Town towards the north with my Torchic in tow, towards Oldale Town (Wherever it was and whatever it was). Even though I knew in the back of my mind that Professor Birch was waiting for Brendan and my return, I took my time, mostly training Asper and engaging in countless battles with wild Pokemon, and the occasional bug catcher or youngster. Professor Birch was right; I was surprised by Asper's fighting style, for it greatly contrasted his character. My Torchic was incredibly tough and strong, and it always got pissed every time an attack got too close to me. He was quickly adaptive to many different attacking styles, being very serious (almost a little too serious for a little chicken).

By the time I reached Oldale Town and healed my gentle Torchic in the Pokemon Center, Asper had risen to level 12 according to his panel. Impressed at his growth I gave him an Oran Berry before carrying on and exploring the small town. I received an additional ten Potions from a store clerk who seemed to be camped out in front of the PokeMart, and continued my way up north.

Asper had risen one more level when I finally saw a white cap sticking out from the tall grass. I deducted that the person was male; he seemed to be at least five inches taller than me as I approached him. "Um, excuse me?" I greeted hesitantly, Asper calmly trailing after me like the dependable Pokemon he was. The figure turned around, a female Mudkip padding along at his feet. "I'm sorry for interrupting your work, but are you possibly Brendan…?" I questioned with a timid tilt of my head.

"Hm? Oh, you're fine. And yeah, my name's Brendan. And you are?" the brown-haired boy answered with a friendly grin. "O-Oh. My name is Skyli, and my family just moved to Littleroot Town, next to your house, I think.. My father became the Petalburg gym leader, which is why we moved from Johto. Your father asked me to come fetch you," I patiently explained, returning his friendly smile with a sweet smile of my own. "Oh, really? Why didn't he call me- Oh, I must have left my PokeNav back there. Okay, I understand. Wait, he actually gave you a starter? Can we battle, then? I'm sure it will do you good," Brendan rambled on. I grew a little annoyed at his overconfidence, but accepted his challenge. Asper was ready, and so was I.

"Alright, Sheila, let's start with a Water Gun!" Brendan ordered mercilessly as the battle began. Knowing the dangers of being hit with a Water type move, I opened my mouth to tell Asper to dodge, but as if he could read my mind, the little Torchic lithely side-stepped within a second to avoid the little jet of cold water. I smiled in satisfaction before ordering Asper to get in close for a Scratch attack. The Fire type complied to my desires perfectly, giving the Mudkip's skin a deep gash across its shoulder and flank.

After about two more Scratches and getting hit by a weakened Water Gun, I finally willed Asper to direct an Ember at the Water starter. Once Brendan recalled Sheila, he jogged on ahead of Asper in I, and I guessed that it was to heal his defeated Mudkip back in Oldale Town. I didn't mind, and patiently made my way through the tall grass when suddenly a man's voice stopped me from taking another step. "Wait, please!"

Confused, I turned around to see a steel-blue-haired man making his way towards me. Once he caught up to me, I easily noticed that he was about a foot taller than me or something. Despite running around in the wilderness like this, the attractive man was dressed in a black and gray-striped suit. "I'm very sorry to have interrupted you like this, but could you please take a step back?" he asked with a calming smile. Dazed, I did as I was asked. A little Aron appeared from behind the man's leg, and it sniffed the area where I had once stood before digging out a bright yellow stone.

"Oh, a Thunderstone," I easily identified, lavender eyes widening in awe. The little Steel type must have dug a three-feet hole in the ground just to receive the rare evolution stone. "You're right; it's a Thunderstone. Ryk was tracking it down but I didn't want him to collide into you. My name is Steven, and I like collecting rare stones, as you can see," the man explained with a calming smile. I couldn't help but blush as I looked up into his steel-blue eyes. "Oh, it's fine! I'm sorry for being in your way. My name is Skyli Elementa, and I just moved into Littleroot Town from Johto…" I answered steadily, returning his handsome smile with a sweet smile of my own. Why was I giving a complete stranger all of this information?

"Well, welcome to the Hoenn region, then. It's really nice to meet you, and I hope we can meet again," Steven greeted calmly, and I couldn't help but admire his sereneness and collected self. After the mysterious man left with his little Aron, Ryk, Asper and I made our way back to Oldale Town to see Brendan pacing about the entrance to the route south of the little town.

"There you are! I started to get worried about you. I don't think Dad would have liked the news of me not being able to safely guide you home," Brendan complained with a grin. I didn't really like the fact that he treated me like a helpless princess, but patiently played along with it so that we wouldn't argue. And, if anything, I was sure, it would have been me guiding him home safely, especially since I practically wiped out his Mudkip with Asper. He was two years older than me too - did he ever train Sheila or did he just randomly do field work all those years?

The trip back to Professor Birch's laboratory was good-natured as we both let our Pokemon roam about, as long as we could still see them. Asper seemed pretty tolerant and neutral of the Water type, though the Mudkip showed obvious disdain and smugness towards him as she pranced away every time Asper tried to converse with her. Hm. I guess Pokemon really do take after their trainers.

We ended up conversing about Pokemon, mainly, since I was not really interested in anything else about him. Brendan often tried to bring up a bit more personal matters, such as my favorite color or whatever, which was pretty childish. I mean, I was only fifteen and I was much more mature than him.

Much to both Asper and my delight, we made it to the laboratory, and I sped up in order to get to the professor first. "I'm sorry I took so long!" I apologized humbly with my hands clasped together. Professor Birch let out a hearty laugh before clasping both my and Brendan's shoulders. "You're fine, you're fine! Anyway, I wanted to give each of you a PokeDex. I finally got more shipped from Professor Oak, so here you are. I'm sure you know what the PokeDex does already, so off you go. If you'd like me to comment on your progress, then don't hesitate to consult me anytime you wish to," the middle-aged man said with a lazy grin. I then realized where Brendan got his childishness from.

After leaving Brendan behind to talk with his father, I ran back home in order to get ready with Asper; I was too excited to wait until tomorrow to begin my journey. Once I completed my task, I examined myself in the mirror. I had very long brown hair, the silky locks well-past my waist and probably dangling at the back of my knees. Despite how long it was, my hair never got tangled - an attribute I was proud of. I stared into my eyes next; they were wide and bright, being a lovely mix between lavender and ocean blue. Mom said that I got the lavender from her, and the ocean blue from Norman, my dad, though both their eye colors were dull and dark. My skin was constantly referred to a porcelain doll's. Not that I minded, but I found dolls to be a bit unnerving, and throughout my childhood, I steered well away from them.

I wore black tights to match my black and white sneakers, and pulled a silvery-white dress over it. I searched my still-packed boxes of clothes for my black and white cloak (Which was more of a coat than a cloak, but it's long so everyone assumes that it is a cloak), and wore it once I successfully found it, proudly grinning at my reflection. There was only one thing left that I was missing; my headphones. Finally finding them, with Asper's help, I let them settle around my neck the neon-blue wires connecting to my MP3 player tucked in a safe pocket in my coat.

I finished it all off with an ice-blue shoulder-strap purse, packed with most of the necessities that I needed. Asper retrieved a pair of black gloves from my drawer, gently passing them to me with his beak, and I gratefully put them on. "Ready, Asper? Let's say goodbye to my mom before we leave," I told my Torchic, the Fire type Pokemon happily trailing after me.

Mom seemed to know exactly where I was going to go, because right when she saw me in my traveling outfit, she began to tear up and enveloped me into a tight hug. "M-Mom, you're going to kill me," I gasped, and finally she let go with a wide, supportive smile. "Treat your Pokemon well, alright, Skyli? I wish you the best in your journey, and visit Dad when you can!" my mother said before pushing me out the door so that I wouldn't have to see her have a major breakdown.

With the best timing ever, I walked out only to collide with a face full of chest. Flustered, I quickly apologized, only to find out that it was Brendan at the door. He eyed me up and down, and I saw his face grow a little pink. "Are you going to a nightclub or a Pokemon journey?" he questioned hysterically. I took it as his version of a compliment before flashing him a friendly smile, lavender-blue eyes gleaming. "I'm only 15, I'm not even old enough to go clubbing! Neither are you, Mr. I-Am-Two-Years-Older-Than-You," I protested. "And this is what I always wear for traveling with my father. It's actually really comfortable as well," I continued with Asper staring at us with a chick-equivalent of a smirk. However that looked.

"Alright, Miss Skyli," Brendan scoffed. "I'm going with you, though, up until we get to Rustboro. Dad wanted me to keep you safe," he stated matter-of-factly, and I inwardly groaned. I did not want to spend my first few days of traveling with him, and I could tell Asper wasn't really excited to deal with Sheila for so long. "Only until Rustboro," I confirmed sternly as we made our way back to Oldale Town.

I was going to be a great trainer.

Crys: Please rate and review!