Pokemon: Emerald Masters

Written by DivineGuidanceAlpha

Requests and private comments may be sent to HitoSorrelius

Synopsis: A tale of a group of Trainers. Time-wise, it begins approximately a year after Gold/Silver/Crystal/HeartGold/SoulSilver, and begins in the Kanto region. Not exactly canon to anything, but takes from both games and anime.

Episode 01: A Journey is Beginning

It was rare that Professor Samuel Oak woke up before sunrise anymore. He was old, and he just didn't have the strength of his youth as often as he would have liked. Today, however, was a special day: today was the beginning of the Indigo League, which meant that for the next five months, he was going to get to watch youngsters train and progress through the eight Gyms of Kanto. At the sixth month, the tournament itself started. He was looking forward to seeing who would take home the Championship this year.

By six-thirty, the Professor was dressed, cleaned up, and eating breakfast with his assistant, Tracy. After breakfast, the two fed the Pokemon, no easy feat by any standard these days. If it weren't for his tenure as one of the top Pokemon experts, he probably wouldn't have been able to keep up with his abroad wards. They all sent money when they could, and that helped just as much as the tenure, but the fact remained that most of them simply caught Pokemon and sent the less useful ones to sit with the old Professor. Recently, he had begun asking those Trainers if he could use the Pokemon, not just for the many renovations he had planned, but also to give to younger Trainers when the typical Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur trio he received every year from the League were claimed. Those he had spoken to so far were actually enthusiastic about letting their younger Pokemon experience new adventures with new people, so this year, he also had a Turtwig, a Cyndaquil, and a Mudkip to offer the youngsters he knew were coming, so they could start with two apiece.

It was about eight when the front door's buzzer went off. Tracy shot from the lab and through the home regular to the door, and opened it for two boys. One had red hair so dark it was almost black and eyes as dark as coal. The trend of black and red continued with his wardrobe: a black hoody that looked oddly lumpy in the front, scarlet fur lining the hood; black jeans with red stitching; and black shoes with red soles and laces. The other had straight black hair and icy blue eyes, and his casual attire was hidden by a lab coat much like Professor Oak's.

"Welcome to the Oak Labs," Tracy greeted them, smiling. "I take it you two are Aaya and Kamon, the kids from Johto?" The black-and-red kid nodded at the name "Aaya," and Kamon gave a little bow when his name was mentioned. "Great, you're on time. We were just getting the little ones ready to meet you. Have you given any thought to which Pokemon you are going to pick?"

Kamon smiled apologetically, and stepped aside to reveal the strange thing that had been hiding behind him: a Magnemite holding a camera. It was recording. "My mom's a researcher. She helped us catch a 'mon each before we left. Will that stop us from picking?"

Tracy shook his head. "Lately the Gym Leaders have been stepping it up, so we were planning on giving you two anyway. Now you can start with half a team ready and willing." He looked at Aaya, nodding at the lump in his jacket. "What did you get a hold of?"

Aaya hesitated for a moment, and then unzipped the front of his jacket until a head with a single, long crest poked out of the front, olive green in color. "A Larvitar?" Tracy asked, smiling a bit when the little one opened its eyes. "He looks healthy."

"She," Aaya corrected, stroking the female's head gently. "And she should be, she took out two Pokemon before we could catch her." The little Mon made a "Humph!" noise, sticking her head up. "Sorry, three. There was a wild Zubat that got in the way."

Tracy chuckled, nodding. "She sounds like a feisty little queen." Aaya paused; still stroking the female's head, then nodded. "Well, let's not make the Professor wait any longer to see you." The two nodded in agreement, and Tracy moved aside to let them in. As they passed, he began shutting the door, until he caught a faint voice.

"Wait!" He opened the door wide and saw a young girl at the foot of the hill, full-on sprinting to try and get there before the door closed. She, like the other two, didn't quite look like the average beginner that came through. For one, like Aaya, she was in dark clothes, a black short-sleeved blouse that ended just below her navel, a pair of black jean-shorts, and what looked like a black boonie hat atop her long, braided, forest-green hair. A long ponytail trailed behind her as she stumbled through the opened door, Aaya instantly catching her when she tripped on the welcome mat. For another, she had an Ekans wrapped around her left arm, and it hissed when Aaya caught her.

Tracy chuckled lightly as the girl blushed as red as Aaya's jacket fringe. "I take it you're Emma, from Hoehn?" She nodded as Aaya righted her and stepped away, but she didn't say anything. Her Ekans stopped hissing, however. "And, like these two, someone helped you catch a wild Pokemon before you got here?" She shook her head, the color finally fading.

"I slept in at the Center, then came across this poor little guy caught in a fence on the way here. I got him loose, but he started following me. So, I let him hitch a ride. We talked, and he decided he wanted to go on an adventure with me."

Kamon whistled. "Now that would've been a scene worth catching, huh, Mags?" The Magnemite nodded, but it kept the camera steady by keeping the magnet holding it still, and gave a little buzz. "Oh, well. More heroics will be available to record for our viewers, I guarantee it."

"...Viewers?" Emma looked between the boy and the Mon, paling a bit as she saw the camera.

"Well, future viewers. I have to get something to show, first." Her color returned, but she avoided looking directly at the camera with those rich, emerald-green eyes. "Now, I believe we are all here, yes? Can we go see the Professor now?"

Tracy nodded, chuckling to himself as he led the way. A minute later, they were entering the lab proper, and Professor Oak was sitting at a desk, six red and white orbs lying innocently before him. "Welcome, you three. We have corresponded, so you know who I am and I know who you are, but for the sake of each other, why don't you introduce yourselves?"

Emma and Aaya both started forward, noticed, and tried to gesture for the other to go first, Aaya as a gentleman to a lady, Emma to be polite to a stranger. Kamon walked between them and to the desk, turning to face the other two impassively. "Kamon Erost, 12, son of Hashuun Erost and Professor Moira Redwood. Mags is my Magnemite and cameraman. I intend to become a Pokemon Researcher like Professor Oak and my mother, but I wish to understand the relationship between Trainer and Pokemon better, how it promotes growth or change in Pokemon." Emma bowed a bit, but Aaya knew his best friend, so he wasn't going to greet him. Professor Oak smiled, bowing his head when the boy turned back to face him.

"It is always a joy to see someone who seeks knowledge, and it is a pleasure to meet you in person, young Kamon. Next?"

Aaya glanced at the girl, who glanced back at him. He gestured for her to go, a light smile on his lips. She nodded, and walked up next to Kamon. He gave her a grin which she didn't quite return. "I'm Emma Tulain. I'm 12 too. I would like to see the world a better place, and I want to do something to make it so." She bowed her head to Kamon and Aaya, then turned to the Professor.

Professor Oak had a look of deep thought on his face as she faced him, but he bowed his head to her, rather lower than the one he gave to Kamon. "Another pleasure to meet in person. I do hope you find the strength to make your better place. And last, but certainly not least, Aaya."

The young man stepped up, bowing his head to all three of them, and he even turned back to nod at Tracy, before he started talking. "My name is Aaya Aris. Son of Naomi Aris. I am 13 as of last month. I seek the title of Pokemon Master. More than that, I seek strong opponents. My mother took the Championship of Sinnoh when she was a Trainer. I intend to take Championship of the world." Kamon gave a mock clap, Emma simply stared at him as if he was stupid, and Professor Oak looked even deeper in thought.

Without warning, the old man started laughing, loud and hard. He didn't stop for a while, but when he did, it was because he subsided into a fit of coughs. When he recovered, he still chuckled. "Now that is the type of goal I haven't heard in ages. I believe that with such a lofty goal, you are destined for something great. Maybe you can be the strength Miss Emma needs to make her world a better place, too." The two glanced at each other, then instantly away as their eyes met, blushes spreading across both faces equally.

"Now, let us get down to business," Professor Oak began, completely serious. "I see you each have a Pokemon already. It is good to form a bond with a Pokemon you caught yourself. However, as League participants, you are also entitled to your pick of Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur. In addition, I spoke with some of my old wards, and they agreed to make available some of their excess Pokemon. Some Trainers seek the title Pokemon Master through capturing all of the Pokemon in the region, and they keep only their select team with them. For you three, I have available a Cyndaquil, a Turtwig, and a Mudkip. Decide amongst yourselves how to pick, because I am not going to show favoritism."

The three glanced between each other, then Aaya and Kamon brought up a fist each, shook it three times, and on the third time, Kamon's became a flat hand, and Aaya's became two fingers pointing out. They repeated this two more times, for Kamon formed rock and Aaya repeated scissors the second go, and Aaya got rock to Kamon's own scissors the next time. While they had done their game, Emma had pressed all of the dots on the little orbs, and released the Pokemon to inspect them personally. Aaya knelt down next to her after he won, while Kamon stood back and waited. However, Aaya only stayed down long enough to let his Larvitar out. He stood back up and stepped back to let her interact and choose her subjects.

Immediately, the Bulbasaur was up beside her, little hearts in his eyes. She turned her nose up at him, and the hearts broke. However, while she looked at the others, Bulbasaur was right next to her. Whenever she noticed him, she would blush and turn her nose up and walk around the little group. Emma was chatting animatedly with the Turtwig and Squirtle, though she was whispering since Kamon and his cameramon were watching her, and the red recording light was on.

Aaya knelt next to the Bulbasaur as he tried for the third time to sidle up beside Larvitar. "Look, little guy, she is impressed by strength. Let me help you. I will make you strong. So strong, she won't be able to resist you." The Bulbasaur stared at him for a moment, then a cheery grin broke the little face. "Saur!" He stroked the head, all the way to the plant bulb. "Good boy. You shall be my Atlas, and I shall give you the strength to hold up the world."

Emma made her two picks then, scooping up the Turtwig and Squirtle and setting them on the table, grabbing their PokeBalls and recalling them. Aaya grabbed Bulbasaur's orb and did the same for him, clipping it to his belt like his Larvitar's was. "Tyress, make your second pick. You've got a mate, now pick a rival." She blushed and gave another "humph!" However, her eyes instantly went to the Cyndaquil, whose head had been following her the whole time, but he hadn't moved. Aaya crept in and picked the little guy up. Small flames escaped from his back, but he didn't struggle or squeak in discomfort. "You want to be strong to fight, but you are afraid. I can help you with that. You and I will traverse much together, and you will be my shining star, my Helios. Together, we will blaze a path to glory." The little fire mouse squealed happily at that, diving into the front of the hoody. "Hey, that's the Queen's position. The star gets the top bunk." Emma watched as the lump in the front of his jacket suddenly moved around to the back, and crawled up into the hood. Cyndaquil's head popped out above Aaya's, squeaking as he got comfortable. With that, Tyress, the Larvitar, climbed back up into his hoody, snuggling his chest as he grabbed the orb for his second Pokemon. It took everything Emma had not to squeal at the adorable scene.

Kamon then knelt, and the Charmander and Mudkip both moved forward cautiously and a bit sadly. "It's okay, I know how it is to be the unwanted kid," he whispered to them, petting both on the head. "But you're not unwanted. Truth be told, I wanted you two from the get." That made the two Pokemon smile, and it made the Professor smile, too. "Now, let's be friends. I won't make you fight if you don't want to, and I won't force you to do anything you don't wish to. In return, we will support Aaya, okay? He's got a big dream, and I want to see how he accomplishes it." The two nodded, and he recalled them to the orbs that the Professor handed him personally.

"Spoken like a true friend to Pokemon and people alike," he said, smiling. "You will make a great Professor one day." Kamon beamed as he clipped the orbs to his belt. "Well, you three have just taken one major step forward. Usually this is when the first battles happen."

"I'll battle Aaya," Emma said instantly, Ekans hissing agreement on her bicep. "I don't doubt his goal is high, but I wonder if he can stand behind the claim." Aaya nodded, calm as could be. Tyress looked at Emma curiously, head cocking to one side. "Let's take this outside, then. I don't want to wreck a lab with zealous youth," Aaya said.

Again, Oak laughed. "True, zealous youth has destroyed this lab more than once."

He led them out the back door to the open area that was full of Pokemon life, quickly directing a space be cleared for a battle. Many Pokemon stopped playing and relaxing to watch as Aaya strode to the far side of their cleared field, facing her like a true battler.

Tracy strode to the middle of the sidelines, holding two flags. "This is the first battle of Trainer Emma and Trainer Aaya. It will be a three-on-three battle. Switching is allowed as desired by both sides. Items are not allowed. Begin!"

Aaya unzipped his hoody, letting Tyress jump free. Emma's Ekans slithered off of her arm and down to the field, out to meet the Rock-Type. "Tyress, use Headbutt!" The little mon charged the snake with her head lowered, the horn pointed for its head.

"Counter it with Wrap!" The snake slipped from before the charging female and tripped her with a coil, wrapping her up as soon as she hit the ground. "Now use Bite!" The snake squeezed as it bit down on the back of the Larvitar's neck.

"Use Screech!" The female opened her mouth wide, and the sound that escaped was crippling; Aaya, Emma, and Tracy fell to their knees clutching their heads from the sound, Kamon and Professor Oak merely covering their ears thanks to distance, and Ekans fell limp, twitching. Then, as quickly as the sound started, it was gone. "Now use Crunch!" Aaya yelled, a bit too loudly for normal. The little female went for the back of the neck like the snake had done to her, biting down and throwing the snake a moment later. When the dust cleared on his landing, Ekans was out cold.

"Larvitar wins the first round!" Tracy called, also louder than necessary, as Emma recalled Ekans. He tried cleaning his ears out with a finger then spoke a bit less deafly. "Please send out your next Pokemon, Emma!"

"Turtwig, I choose you!" She called, the only one not suffering after effects. "Use Tackle!" The Grass Turtle slammed into the Rock-Type will a full-body tackle, sending her tumbling.

"Return the favor with Headbutt!" Tyress got up, shook herself, and bull-rushed the Grass Turtle.

"Dodge, and use Tackle again!" Turtwig jumped aside, slamming into the green female from the side this time. She went tumbling again, tried to get up, and fell.

"Turtwig wins the second round!" Tracy announced. Aaya walked out, picked up his queen, and slipped her down the front of his jacket, her head popping out in shame as he returned to his place opposite the girl. "Please send out your second Pokemon, Aaya!"

It should've been a no-brainer, but Aaya found himself weighing the two orbs, smirking to himself after a moment. "I choose you, Atlas!" The Bulbasaur appeared, ready for combat. "Use Tackle!"

"You use Tackle too, Turtwig!" The two Pokemon rammed into each other head-on, and they fell back for a moment, dazed, only to butt heads again a moment later, each pushing at the other with determination. Aaya noted with satisfaction that Tyress was watching the Bulbasaur intently, though her face was expressionless as she watched.

"Atlas, back off. Try to flank him, and use Tackle again!" The little dinosaur jumped back, which caused the turtle to stumble forward, into perfect position for a solid hit.

"Her," Emma corrected hotly, not even seeming bothered by the boy's plan. "Turtwig, use Razor Leaf!" The green turtle began to spin and tuck itself down as the leaves flew from its shell, giving 360 degrees of coverage in offense, and, as it was being used, defense; Bulbasaur couldn't get close enough to hit with the Tackle. Being Grass and Poison, it didn't hurt much, but they affected his vision and there were enough to actually hurt. "Rapid-fire Razor Leaf, keep them down!"

"Keep trying, Atlas! Tackle one more time!" The little Pokemon closed his eyes, and gave a blind charge. The leaves hurt as they hit, but they didn't take him off-course, and Turtwig was too intent upon creating the leaves to dodge. The turtle flew across the field, skidding once before tumbling to a stop at Emma's feet.

"Come on, girl. Get up...You just need to beat the Bulbasaur, then you can rest." Aaya watched this, then held the orb belonging to Atlas out. "Come back, boy. You can impress the queen another day." He swapped for Cyndaquil's PokeBall, tossing it high. "Helios, it's your turn!"

As the Fire Mouse appeared, Turtwig managed to get to her feet, but she was rather shaky. As her vision blurred, a green aura surrounded the little Grass Pokemon. "The Grass Gift, Overgrow," Emma said, staring in awe.

"Doesn't make much difference in the end," Aaya replied, perfectly calm. "Helios, use Ember!" Flames rose from his back first, then the mouse spat burning cinders at the turtle, igniting Turtwig's head leaves. One freak-out later, she collapsed, eyes swirling and head smoking.

"Cyndaquil wins the third round!" Tracy called, and Emma withdrew her Turtwig. "Emma, please call out your last Pokemon!"

"That was dirty, stealing a chance for victory by switching." Emma glared at Aaya as she drew Squirtle's ball from her belt.

"No, that was practical," Aaya retorted, leaving his "star" out.

"It was. So why aren't you swapping back?" She sent out Squirtle, who seemed happy to be out of the orb again.

"Because Atlas has Type advantage," he answered. "It wouldn't be interesting for Tyress, and I am already rooting for the little guy in his quest for love. And," he continued when he noticed her about to say something, "because I want Helios to get stronger, too. A quick hit at the end of a fight won't give him anything."

"How did you know he already knew Ember?" She was calm, more so than she perhaps should have been. Maybe she knew she was going to lose, she just wanted to find out as much about the boy's secrets and combat style before she did.

Aaya slid his sleeve back, revealing the newest PokeGear out of Johto. "It has a stat checker. As soon as they were mine, I checked them out. Helios was a bit stronger, I'm guessing from his time with the other Trainer, however short."

She nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Squirtle, use Water Gun!" If Aaya had thought the starters from the League weren't able to use their skills, he was sadly mistaken. Helios went tumbling from the spray of water that escaped the turtle's mouth.

"Use Tackle!" As soon as he stopped rolling, Helios was up, rushing the turtle and landing a solid hit.

"Fast little mouse," Emma said, still calm. "Squirtle, use Water Gun again!"

"Dodge it, and use Ember!" Helios rolled to the side as the spray came out, and spat more little flames. They didn't hurt Squirtle too much, but it was a distraction to suddenly be standing in a circle of flaming grass. "Now, use Tackle!" Squirtle went tumbling out of the flames, and Cyndaquil was right there to smack into it, sending it skidding across the field. Still, it managed to get up. As with Turtwig, there was a strange glow about the Squirtle, and it almost seemed to radiate power.

"I'm counting on you, boy. Squirtle, use Water Gun!" The spray that erupted from the tiny turtle's mouth was more akin to Hydro Pump than Water Gun, and both Aaya and Cyndaquil were dumbfounded by the attack, so no attempt to dodge was made. The hit was exactly what Emma needed, as it put the poor Fire Mouse out of the match.

"Squirtle wins the fourth round. Aaya, please call out your last Pokemon!"

Aaya sighed, drawing out the orb of the green dinosaur. "What do you think, Tyress? Will you be impressed if he wins now?" The little female rolled her eyes, and made another "Humph!" sound. "Thought not. Atlas, come out!"

The Bulbasaur came back out ready to face the Grass Turtle, and instead was facing his fellow Kanto Starter. "Atlas, get ready to dodge. Don't attack until I tell you to."

"That's a curious strategy," Emma observed, bringing a hand up to tip the boonie back off of her head. This was Aaya's first moment to actually notice the rich, green color of the girl's hair, and when she opened them after shutting them against the light of the sun, her eyes. This was a peaceful moment between opposing Trainers that didn't happen often. He smiled, and she smiled back, though it turned into a smirk as she thought he was getting dazed.

"Try to finish this in one shot, Squirtle! Water Gun again!" And suddenly, the moment was shattered, and Squirtle was firing off another blast of water. Bulbasaur had kept enough distance between himself and his old friend to actually evade it, but his Trainer got rather soaked. At least the distance had lessened the force, so it was only like getting hit with a wide-spray hose rather than a full-force attack. On top of it, Atlas had made the dodge count, getting close enough for a hit.

The attack did do the job of snapping him out of the little daze he had been in, however, and he saw the moment he had been waiting for. "Alright, use Vine Whip! Send Squirtle into the air, and use Tackle!" The vines came from beneath the bulb, and lashed the water-spouting turtle, sending it up into the air. As soon as the water stopped, Atlas was head-butting into the Water Pokemon's stomach, sending him higher. The fall was just as fast, and he landed on his back, all limbs inside the shell. The head popped out, dazed.

"Bulbasaur wins the final round! Trainer Aaya wins!" Tracy called. Aaya looked down, smirking a bit when he saw that his little queen had lied; she was quite impressed with the green dinosaur at the moment, her blush back. Aaya quickly looked back to Atlas, who was bounding back to him with a big grin. He knelt, unzipping his jacket to let Tyress down at the same time. He rubbed the Grass Pokemon's head lightly, scratching under his chin with the other hand.

"I am glad to have you on my team, Atlas. We'll do great things, I know it." He stood and began walking towards Emma, who had recalled her final beaten Pokemon and was walking towards him in return. Atlas walked behind him on the left, and Tyress walked behind him on the right, both shooting each other covert looks, both looking away blushing when they were caught.

When they met in the middle of the field, Aaya held out his hand, and Emma took it. They shook, and Kamon's Magnemite gave a loud buzz. "And that's a wrap, folks! What a perfect first episode of the journey of two great Trainers!"

Aaya started laughing, as did Emma, who had retracted her hand quickly when the Pokemon buzzed, and her laughter was more embarrassed than amused. "I suppose so, Kamon, but what about you? Don't you wanna battle, too?"

Kamon laughed this time, smirking at his friend in a way that was cold, calculated, and far from the aloof nature he expressed. "You have a Bulbasaur left undamaged. Sure, the queen has recovered a bit, and I'm certain the Cyndaquil would give his all with however little energy he has regained, but Mags or Blaze alone would be enough to wipe the floor with you right now. And Emma's team is worse off, so that would be more unfair. No, my friend, I will get my early training in the wilds. As star, you deserve the Trainers."

"Or Emma, right?" She glanced at Aaya in surprise when he asked his friend that, and he looked at her, suddenly blushing a bit. "Er, I mean...uh, that is, if you would like to join us. After all, five months would pass by a lot faster with friends, right?"

Emma had to consider that, a small frown on her face for a moment. "...I think I would like to join you. You two seem like good friends. I want something like that." Aaya grinned, as did Kamon; the former because he had really been afraid she would say no, the latter because he now had twice as much material to cover, two different goals to observe to fruition to make strides in his own.

"Well, with that done, I think we should heal your little ones up, and get you youngsters fully registered in the Indigo League," Professor Oak said, a broad smile on his face. He loved watching young ones mature, and these young ones were already very mature. As they went back into the lab, Professor Oak put the six orbs into a tray, and slid the tray into a machine. As the Pokemon were healed, Oak then brought up something on one of the machines with a monitor. "Ladies first. Miss Emma, if you would stand in front of the camera, we'll get your Trainer Card picture, and then you can get your Pokedex." The girl nearly ran to stand before the camera, and gave a small, warm smile when the lens refocused itself to zoom in on her. There was a clicking sound, then the card was dispensed, a digital thing that would update automatically. There next came a dinging sound from the machine next to it, and Professor Oak produced a Pokedex from it, offering it to her. "Scan your Trainer card to activate it and lock it to you," he said, as she slid it up and the scanner activated.

"Next," he said, and Aaya stepped up. He gave a rather calm, serious expression, no smile, but a hint of one in the curl of his lips. The process repeated, and Kamon was before the camera before the professor had to tell him. When Kamon had his, the three activated their devices at the same time, signifying the unspoken, unified beginning of their journey. "Now, you kids are free to go in any direction you wish, but I suggest you head north, through Viridian City and its subsequent Forest, and go to the Gym in Pewter City. The Gym Leader there, Brock, had been gone for a little while, out training and improving himself. Everywhere is getting harder, but that is just the way of progress. I don't suppose it helped that a boy from Johto-"

"-That a boy from Johto swept two Leagues, one in the off season?" Aaya cut the professor off. "Evan was his name." Emma looked at the boy curiously, but he didn't say more.

"This is true, Evan did become Champion of Johto, and then he came here to Kanto and defeated our eight Gym Leaders. Then, strangely, he abdicated the spot. He said he would be back to claim the Silver Championship when it began anew. That is in six months, after the Indigo League has finished out. Maybe you will encounter him on your journey here. Maybe you will come across someone you didn't expect." The machine holding Aaya's and Emma's teams gave a loud ding, and the tray slid into Tracy's waiting hands. Aaya and Emma quickly retrieved their respective orbs, hands almost touching a few times, but never actually making contact. Aaya sent out Tyress and Helios, the two of them climbed into his jacket and got comfortable, and Emma called out the Ekans, letting it play a bangle on her left bicep again.

Professor Oak beheld the three, smiling like a proud parent. "I see a great future ahead for the three of you. The world of Pokemon is vast, and mysterious. Find the way that you like to live in it, and live your life to the fullest."

The three looked to each other, then the professor, and the trio bowed their heads, smiling. "Thank you Professor," they said in unpracticed unison, and turned, each walking at their own pace and falling into a line of sorts; Aaya leading, Emma behind him, and Kamon bringing up the rear, Mags the Magnemite following him, the camera no longer recording.

As they set off out of the Pallet Town Pokemon Laboratory, they took the old man's advice, and turned north.

What did they find there? Well, that'll have to wait for another episode of Pokemon: Emerald Masters.

(Author's Note: Greetings, all you happy people. Or, since some of you may be readers of my other story, Digimon Adventure: Revised, unhappy people. I do apologize for the sudden stop in production of chapters, and I have intentions of continuing that story, but the portable drive that I had all of my data on was lost, so I will have to piece the plot I had built back together from scratch. It did teach me a valuable lesson, however: Always have backup plans. Anyway, until I can reattach the thread of thought I had with Digimon, I will be working on...well, multiple things. Now, on to the details that I feel may need some explanation in this chapter:

None of these characters can actually speak to Pokemon. They do have very good attunement to Pokemon emotions and feelings, however. Evan, mentioned briefly here, is based upon one of my playthroughs of Soul Silver Version. Whether or not he will make a true character appearance in this "season" is not yet decided. Aaya and Kamon know Evan. Aaya and Kamon are from a town called Borealis Town, northeast of Mahogany Town. It is a fair bit like Snowpoint City in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum Versions. Emma is from Sootopolis City.)