Prologue:

World of Dreams

We all have dreams. We all have hopes, and desires. Every day of our lives, we set one foot in front of the other, not merely content to walk the soil beneath our feet, but to seize it. Because the soil that supports our dreams is not firm, nor does it abide by our whims. Yet our dreams are precious, and to discover those dreams is the purest purpose of youth.

…Today, you gather before me; some of you seeking your dreams; others already firmly on the path to accomplishing them. Hold onto those dreams, and if you have not yet found the path which leads to them, look to your peers and seek aid from them. Often you can find the direction of your own heart by looking to those closest to you.

Know that I have founded this institute for you. I have devoted my life to it, and built it from the ground, all for you; all for your dreams. That is our purpose. To safeguard those dreams, and the dreams of all who walk this world, whether they be Human or Pokémon. Everyone has a right to those dreams.

I'm sure you're all excited to begin your lessons, and I hope you enjoy your time with us. But before you do, I ask that you listen to our story. This is a story of our history, and how the halls you now walk came to be. It is also my story, and so I expect a certain degree of respect during its telling.

…Now. …Our story begins with three youths, much like yourselves. Perhaps a bit older than the youngest of you; and at the start a bit younger than the oldest among you. Hmm-heh. I see a few returning faces. As always, I will remind you that this tale is only mandatory for first years. You're free to stay if you like, but don't expect to skip class for free. You will be expected to catch up on what you miss.

Ah, bother, now I've gotten off track… So, the story; the story begins with three youths. The oldest, Gene Syril the Pokémon Linguist, the youngest, Batou Holland the Pokémon Battle Artist, and the… middle… aged… …*sigh* …And, a young woman named Luna Celeson, the Aura Adept.

It will be important to familiarize yourself with the lead characters before we continue.

Chapter 1- Gene Syril,

and The Messenger of Troubled Times

Let us begin our story with Gene. At the time, Gene was something of a vagrant. He had no home, and spent much of his days listening to his loyal Pokémon Mawile scold him for being a loser. Actually, Mawile is a rather important figure in our story, so this will be a good opportunity to get to know her as well. I will leave the events which led Gene to such a dire situation a mystery for the moment, as I'm sure they'll be brought to light later in our story. For now, know that it was the kindness of a young Librarian named Amy which saved him.

Amy took pity on Gene and his Pokémon, offering them work at her library in Olivine City, and opened her house to them… which technically was built on top of the library. For nearly half a year, Gene lived the quiet, peaceful life of a librarian. And then the harsh hand of fate sent to him a messenger, heralding the dark times which were to come…

"…aaaand, done!" Gene clapped his hands with a cheer, the sudden movement causing the wheeled ladder upon which he was perched to swerve. With a swift thump of his heart Gene clumsily swung his arms forward, latching onto the ladder for dear life. For a moment he forgot to breath, but then with an oddly pleasant breath he exhaled and exclaimed, "Hey, hey! You're supposed to be watching out for me." In spite of the mildly serious nature of the exclamation, Gene's tone remained innocuous and cheerful.

"Maaah… awa…" came the somewhat perturbed reply of his reluctant assistant. Without bothering to look, Mawile forcefully clamped down upon the ladder with her jaw-like horn, nearly toppling the bookshelf it was attached to after Gene had gone to such lengths to properly organize it.

Thanks to his already firm grip of the ladder, Gene was able to remain balanced in spite of Mawile's careless jostling. "Thank you," he called down to her, but Mawile paid him no heed, and merely continued to 'read' the thin tome she had somewhere acquired.

Thankful to once again find himself with firm footing after having climbed down the ladder, Gene took a curious glance over Mawile's shoulder. It appeared she had acquired some sort of children's picture book. It seemed to tell the gallant tale of a Mawile knight, clad in golden armor, a lance in its hands, and a golden shield cast over its horn. While it was unclear to Gene whether his own Mawile was capable of reading the sparsely placed letters upon the pages, he did have to admit that the artwork alone merited attention. …He might even have said that the artwork was ridiculously, even needlessly detailed for a children's book.

With an impish grin, Gene fixed his glasses as he asked, "So, do you want to be that Mawile? …Or is it perhaps your new boyfriend?"

There was a brief moment where time seemed to stand still, yet Gene was sure he could see the veins in Mawile's forehead flare up in rage. …Then again, he may have just imagined it… Either way, the a sharp pain in Gene's foot as Mawile smashed it with her horn made it clear that she did not approve of his jest… "Maa-…ee…"

"Aieee!" Gene cried out, hopping out of the way as he shook his pained foot. An unexpected fit of giggling caused Gene to spin around, still fumbling over his injury.

Amy stood at the corner of the bookshelf, making a vain attempt to hide her laughter in hands. "Heheha… I'm sorry. You're jus- hehe. You're both so fun to watch!"

"O-o… A-amy," Gene dumbly tried to find a response, but his wit had escaped him.

Fortunately, Amy's presence seemed enough to warrant Mawile's attention, as she stood, leaving her book behind as she moved before Amy, a bright expression on her face. "Wa-ee!"

Amy smiled brightly in return. "I'm so glad you both are such good friends."

"I think it's more like a marriage actually. …The kind that ends up with the sad words 'domestic violence' staining the whole memory…" Even as he said all of this, and still nursed his foot, Gene smiled. Amy was right. Mawile could easily have crushed the bones in his foot if she wanted to. In a weird way, this was normal for the two of them.

Mawile seemed to huff at the comment. "Hmph… Mawile, wai law-ee." A smirk spread across her expression at the tail end of her remark.

"Oh, you really think you can do better?" Gene retorted. "I'm quite the catch I'll have you know!" Amy's giggling at the discourse reminded Gene that the two of them weren't alone, and that the person with them now was… Well, suffice it to say Gene suddenly became quite self-conscious and embarrassed, his expression deviating from his usual good cheer to reflect this.

"Hehe. I wish I could learn to understand them so well…" Amy commented, a slight hint of regret in her tone.

Amy was of course referring to the ability to understand the feelings, and intentions of Pokémon; to understand their words. This was precisely the sort of ability which Gene possessed. During his stay at the library, he had made attempts at Amy's request to pass on this skill to her, but doing so proved to be rather difficult.

It wasn't a matter of intelligence. In that area, Amy was more than capable. But rather, the matter was closer to the heart of the issue. Pokémon do not communicate in precisely the same way as humans. The words spoken, and the motions associated matter very little when deprived of the core of the Pokémon's heart. Without seeing the true nature of a Pokémon, understanding the meaning behind their words would be impossible.

Of course, this is a difficult thing to explain to someone who lacks the ability to begin with. "It's alright," Gene replied. "Words are just words. It's the bonds we share with our Pokémon that are important. Long after the words fade, it is these bonds which we remember; both us and Pokémon."

"Yeah… I guess…" Amy said with a sigh. She didn't seem especially convinced.

A silence fell over the group. The oppressive tone of nothingness was almost too much to bear. In this, it was Mawile who broke the silence. A bright expression on her face, she called up to Amy. "Wa-ee!" At that, the girl couldn't help but to smile as well. With a wave of her head, Mawile then moved toward Gene. Slowly, she spoke to him. "Mawile wa mawa. …Wa-ee wa Wai-e… Wawa maile!"

"Erk!" Gene unconsciously recoiled at Mawile's remark. Pokémon do not speak precisely as we would, but to Gene, Mawile's intention was clear. I think now would be a good time. …Amy and Gene… Speak your feelings! With a satisfied, if somewhat devious expression upon her face at seeing Gene's reaction, Mawile collected her book from the floor, departing for places unknown.

Gene didn't know what he was supposed to do. Of course if his 'feelings' were obvious to Mawile they were obvious to him as well. …But it wouldn't be right to speak of them would it? Could he really just come out and say it? Gene debated the matter with himself, almost frantic as beads of sweat sent shivers down his neck, and all the while Amy looked at him, her perplexed expression clearly shown on her face as she canted her head ever so slightly to the side. It was very cute. …And terrifying! Made more so when Gene realized he was wasting precious time being distracted by something as inanely stupid as how the prettiest girl he'd ever met was holding her head!

A short laugh heralded Amy's question. "What did Mawile say just now?"

…Gene froze. This was it. This was 'the moment'. He had to do it. …He had to. Right now, there was only one thing he could think to say. "She excused herself, to go frolic in a field of rainbow colored flowers where she could don impractically designed armor and ride a fire breathing unicorn on a quest to rescue the dashing, but impractically dressed male count-aaaagheahaa!"

"Wai-ee ma-ee! MAAAAAAAA-EEEEEE!"

…That was the last thing Gene heard before he lost consciousness.

The sun cast its crimson glow upon the horizon. Soon it would be swallowed up entirely. Gene let out a sigh. Having just recovered from Mawile's best remained ambiguous assault on his person, he now stood beside the window of his room. Something felt off about this particular sunset. There was something certainly 'not right', but Gene couldn't place what it was.

A knock at the door woke him from his concerns, and shortly after, Amy entered the room followed be a Mawile who was clearly trying to keep her glare to the floor. "H-Hello. I hope we're not intruding."

Gene smiled, the same smile he always had as though nothing had happened. "No, of course not. I'm always glad to see the both of you."

Amy smiled, with a quick nod of her head. Then kneeling over, she nudged the small Pokémon at her feet forward. "Mawile has something to say, don't you Mawile?"

Mawile tilted her head slightly as to look at Gene with one eye. It wasn't a very apologetic look; more like the expression of a child who had been scolded. After a long delay, she simply said, "…Ma-… wile ama."

"That didn't sound like an apology to me," Amy remarked.

"Erk!?" Mawile recoiled back at this. Gene couldn't help but smile at the exchange. Mawile certainly hadn't apologized, but there's no way Amy could have known that. …Good guess though. Apparently realizing she had been caught, Mawile's shoulders sank as her horn drooped dully on the floor. "Mawile… wima…"

Gene smiled to her, his expression sincere and gentle. "Thank you Mawile. And I'm sorry for teasing you."

A short silence between them ended as Amy absently folded her hands and asked, "So… Gene. About… what you, might have wanted to say earlier…" She turned to make eye contact, a slightly reddish tinge in her cheeks. "You never did say what Mawile… suggested… Did you?"

"O-oh… Uh, that was, nothing," Gene answered, almost without thinking. His nerves had already gotten the better of him once. He couldn't do this again; not today. He found he couldn't keep her gaze while she was looking at him that way. He turned away, almost frantically in search of something else to draw his attention. His gaze was drawn to the window.

"I don't know about that… Uhm…" Even as Amy continued to speak, Gene still remained fixed on the window. To his surprise, something beyond did catch his attention. "I know… it's not the easiest thing to say… and me too… but… I think…" Gene was almost entirely distracted now. Not far from the library, by the nearest lamppost a figure waited. It was impossible to discern much, but Gene recognized her immediately. The long, soft white overcoat alone wasn't enough, but the parasol over her shoulder, a parasol which shielded her from neither sun nor rain… It could only be her. "…I-… think you'll be happier if you… be honest… because…"

"I-I gotta… I'll be right back!" Gene stated suddenly. Without waiting for a response he darted past Amy and Mawile.

He could just barely hear Amy's sigh as she said, "…I'm really bad at this."

"…Ma-ee…"

Of course, this exchange was still beyond Gene. As usual, he missed the most important part.

When Gene reached the lamppost, the figure was gone. There was no joy about Gene's expression. That she would appear now...

"Trouble… right?"

Gene spun around to face the woman who had spoken. Somehow, she had gotten behind him. "I mean no offense… but it is true, right?"

The woman paused, her barren expression a contrast to her lively appearance. Her exceedingly curly pink hair and like colored eyes gave the impression of jubilation and good cheer, yet her eyes were hollow, and her expression muted. At length, she answered him, "Yes."

Gene just shook his head. "Why have you come to me, Saya? I've made it very clear; I want nothing to do with you, or your friends." The words were spoken in a polite quality, but there was a firmness in them which made their relationship clear. The two of them were not friends…

"We thought you would… like to know…"

Gene grit his teeth, losing his smile. "Get over yourselves! I don't want to deal with you people anymore!"

Saya stood motionless for a moment before answering. "But that's… hm…?" As she finally began to speak, something seemed to catch her attention. In a fluid, almost ghostly motion, the girl had swayed to the side, just as a giant pair of jaws flew through the air, snapping shut where her head had been a moment ago.

"Maaaaaa!" Mawile tumbled out of the air as her attack whiffed, somersaulting on the ground before coming to her feet in front of Gene, her back to Saya as she glared over her shoulder. …You do not want a Mawile to turn its back to you. Their small, innocuous looking bodies conceal the ferocity of their kind. The large, ponytail like horn on the back of a Mawile's head opens to a pair of fearsome jaws, more than capable of tearing through the support beams of the sturdiest buildings… Frail human bodies don't even compare.

"Ah. …Hello Mawile," Saya greeted in a soft, empty tone.

"Maaaa!" Mawile continued to growl and glare, her horn flared back into a snarl at well, ready to strike.

"Mawile doesn't think highly of you Saya. …Nor do I." Gene almost regretted the harshness of his tone, but he reminded himself he had good reason for his feelings.

Saya stared at the two of them for a while. Her expression was completely unreadable, and Gene had often wished some insight into the workings of her mind. Now though, he feared he did not wish to know. None the less, when Saya answered, "I'm sorry…" there was an unmistakable tone of remorse in her voice. …But it was too late for that now. "…Onikage. …Do you remember him?"

"Uh, yeah…" A name like that is kinda hard to forget… Seriously, who's that guy trying to impress anyway?

"…We don't like him any more…"

"You don't say…" Somehow, this didn't surprise Gene in the slightest. Even among a long list of people Gene didn't like, Onikage was easily the worst. It's no surprise some of the others would agree.

"He needs to be stopped."

"Then stop him. It should be easy enough. Heck, you could do it…"

"That's not it."

"Then, what is it?"

"We need you to do it."

"What!?" Gene was taken aback at this, and the suggestion caused Mawile to snap the jaws of her horn and growl even more fiercely. "Out of me, out of all of your friends… I'm the worst person to ask! I-I mean, geez, have we even met!?"

Saya spoke softly, but had seemingly gotten into a comfortable rhythm of answering Gene as curtly as possible. She made a notable attempt to break this trend. "We do not need you to… fight him… We want you to stop… what he's doing… Just one time… And then, you can go back to… whatever you've been doing."

"What are you even talking about?"

Saya closed her eyes for a moment. "We can't do it. Too much exposure. We don't want that…"

Gene stared at her for a moment, but he was beginning to understand. These people were secretive. They didn't want people to know what they could do; or for that matter, that they even exist. Not yet, anyway. All their grand plans, all their scheming… It would all come crashing down if they acted now.

Saya continued. "We'll stop him. …We'll do it our way. You stop him your way. Stop his works. Protect. …It is… a noble thing."

Gene knew. This really must be serious if they were coming to him. "He's doing something terrible, isn't he?"

Saya cast down her eyes. "Yes… Something…" she paused, her grip tightening around her parasol as she slowly spoke the word, almost pained at its mention, "…evil…"

Gene shook his head. "I knew it. I always knew it… How many more of you people going full lunatic will it take before you get it through your heads?"

Saya paused. She seemed to have lost the ability to look Gene in the eye. "We are not all the same. We do not all agree on what is best. Some of us…" She hesitated, clearly uncertain. These were bounds which few dared to cross. "Some would follow you… if you were to give them purpose. If you were to let them."

This was completely unexpected. Gene was taken aback by the proposal. Even Mawile slacked in her stance at the suggestion. But Gene shook his head. "I'm not interested. But I will help you, just this once. If something evil is about to happen, I have to try to stop it."

A moment longer, and Mawile dropped her stance entirely, grudgingly turning to face Saya. "…Wai…" She agreed with Gene completely.

Taking a breath, Gene spoke once again. "Alright. Saya, tell us what you've seen."

Gene decided to trust Saya. It was a decision which would shape his life from that point on… as well as the lives of many others… By Saya's words, Gene that night found himself at the Olivine City Pokémon Center, where he would meet Luna and Batou, and the threat posed by Onikage would be revealed to the world.