A/N: Hiya! Thank you for finding and reading our story! I hope that you'll stick around, because we have a LOT planned for it!

Anyway, my name is Crisis! If you want to know a little bit about me, then check out my bio on the accounts profile page. But, you're here for the story, and there's a few things I need to touch base on about it before you begin reading.

One, this story isn't written by one person. It's actually written by three, me (Crisis), Altus, and Nexus! You'll be seeing a chapter from each of us in the order of the names that I listed, meaning every fourth chapter will be mine etc. It's almost three different stories in one! But, it really is one larger story told from the perspective of three different characters (who you will be introduced to in the first three chapters) in the same world, which is the pokemon world. But, it's in an entirely new region, one completely fan made: Asmira!

Two, as stated, this story is written by three different authors. As such, the writing style will be a little bit different each chapter. Please don't be dissuaded! We're all really good (XD)! But, the order in which the chapters appear will always be the same: Me, Altus, and Nexus. We will also be uploading all of our chapters at the same time consistently, meaning every update you'll actually get three chapters. So, if you find that you favor one writing style over the other, just skip (but you'll be missing out on a lot ;))!

Three, this chapter is rated M for a reason. There will be swearing, blood and gore, and maybe some in depth romance, depending on the author. We would prefer people who read to be above the age of 18 just to be safe. (But, we don't own or control you, so read at your own discretion.)

And as I don't want to drone on and on about nonsense and stuff that you'll be figuring out as you read anyway, I'm going to end this note here! I hope you all enjoy our story and feel free to tell us your thoughts! Now then, welcome to the world of Pokemon, and welcome to the region of Asmira! (Are you a boy or a girl? XD)

Disclaimer: Crisis, Altus, and Nexus do NOT own Pokemon or any of its affiliates. We do, however, own this story, region, and our characters as well.

"Stay in your room sweetheart!" her dad yelled at her, with tears in his eyes. The young girl paused with her foot still outside of her door. She'd heard her father, who was normally a very polite man, curse and cry, sounding like he was filled with a terrible rage and sadness. She'd never heard him sound so angry or sad.

"Why? What's happened?" she asked worriedly, refusing to obey him until she figured out what was wrong.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'll tell you in the morning, you need to go back to sleep."

She frowned, and nodded slowly. She eased back into her room slowly, shutting the door behind her carefully. Then she crawled into her bed and opened up her laptop, which was connected to her house's security cameras. Clicking on the screen showing the living room, she sat back and watched.

On the tv, clear as if she were in the room watching it, she saw a city with a huge tower of smoke billowing out from the ruins of a building.

[Carma]

"Citizens of Asmira, we are here today to mourn the terrible events that took place in Temple Pavvla five years ago. We give our condolences to those that lost their loved ones during that horrifying, and completely unwarranted, terroristic attack, and offer our support to those in need. Know that the Core will, and always will, stand by and support you."

Carma huffed at the words on the television. Like the Core ever actually cared about Asmira's citizens. She scowled at the screen angrily. They can use their propaganda all they like, I know the truth.

She still remembered that day very clearly. If the media was to be believed, it was the worst terroristic attack in the history of Asmira, which it truly was. But, the media only ever put out a Core sanctioned message. They blamed it on radical opposers of Core rule and law. Rebels. Carma, however, was well aware of what actually happened.

How can people believe their lies, she wondered in disbelief. It's so obvious! But, people will believe what people want to believe. If the media says that radical rebels bombed it, why shouldn't they have?

She knew she was being unfair. Not everyone had the benefits and knowledge that came with her upbringing, what with her father being who he was and all. Not only was he a gym leader, some say the most challenging gym in the circuit, he was also the founder of the modern-day rebellion, which called themselves Asmira's Guardians.

I suppose I'm lucky to have what I have. My dad's a great man.

Almost on que, she heard a familiar voice begin to speak behind her.

"Cary, why do you watch this if it only puts you in a bad mood? Don't torture yourself honey. There's nothing you can do," her father, Dan Grey, said soothingly.

She turned her head over her shoulder to glare at him across the couch she was lounging on. "Not for my lack of trying. How can people believe this! It's bullshit!" she yelled at him. He just smiled sadly at her.

Dan Grey was a tall, middle aged man with short brown, greying hair, a strong jawline, and deep blue eyes. Sometimes she wished her own eyes were that color, so she wasn't reminded of what she had lost five years ago every time she looked in a mirror. He was wearing his usual gym leader attire, that being a smart and rather pricey looking grey tux, as tribute to his name and the town his ancestors had founded hundreds of years ago. Even before the Core took over. Carma knew that many women found her father attractive, and a large number of them had even tried to gain his affection. But, Carma knew that he'd never marry again. He had loved her mother too much.

"There's no need to take it out on me, I'm not the one you're angry at," he smiled calmly. He stepped closer to her, and rested his hand on her shoulder, causing her to relax. "But, I'm glad to see that you take more after your mother than me. You remind me of her more and more every day."

Immediately her anger disappeared, only to be replaced with grief as she lowered her gaze. She sighed sadly, as her dad reached next to her for the remote and turned off the t.v. "Sometimes I wish that I wasn't like her so much," she mumbled.

He stroked her shoulder comfortingly. "I understand honey. But, you should at least be thankful for something," he told her. She raised her gaze to stare at him quizzically.

"What's that?" she asked.

Suddenly he grinned devilishly and winked at her. "You'll never have to worry about finding a husband," he laughed.

Her curious stare turned back into a glare, which made him laugh even harder. Her mask began to crack, before she too was joining him in laughter. She knew that he was just trying to change the topic and lighten the mood. And, as usual, it worked.

However, she knew it was true about her, at least if appearances were all that mattered. She really did take after her mother, though she knew there was also some of her father in her as well. Standing at an average height, she had gorgeous blonde hair, normally kept in a ponytail, beautiful grey eyes and near flawless pale skin. She had her father's high cheekbones and firm jawline, with his straight hair as well, near opposite of her mother's wavy hair. Everything else about her, however, was all her mother, even down to her athletic body. But, she had her grandma's temperament, which she knew took a special sort to be able to deal with.

"I don't think I've ever met anyone who could put up with my attitude enough to love me like that," she laughed.

He grinned at her. "I suppose that's true, isn't it? I might have to end up marrying you off to some deaf person. At least then your tongue wouldn't chase him away," he joked.

She tried to look angry at him, but eventually gave it up as a lost cause. No-one knew how to make her laugh quite like her father.

After they had both calmed down, Carma slowly stood up and began to stretch. As she did so, her father began to speak again.

"You know what today is, right?" he asked.

She nodded slowly. Of course she knew the day. He grinned at her. "Well then, meet me in the kitchen downstairs. Sidious and I have a little surprise for you!" With that, he took off, displaying that he still had a few decades of youth left as he bounded down the stairs like a teen, despite being in his late 30's. She grinned after him, and slowly followed him downstairs, to where her black haxorus, Sidious, was waiting.

As soon as she cleared the final step, she made her way through the halls of their comfortable, though not excessive, home until she reached the kitchen, where she stopped briefly. She took a deep breath, and then slowly rounded the corner into the room.

There she was met to the sight of her younger brother, who was the spitting image of their dad, her father and her childhood pokemon, gifted to her when she was 14 when he was still an axew, Sidious. All looked incredibly happy to see her, especially the shiny dragon, who stood only a little taller than her at six feet.

"Happy birthday!" her brother and father shouted, as Sidious roared happily. She beamed at them, watching her brother approach her while holding a cake with an image of Sidious on it as well as two lit candles forming the number 18.

"Thank you! You all got me something nice, right?" she asked cheekily, knowing they wouldn't mind. They laughed, though Sidious looked slightly worried. Her joy changed to concern for a moment. "Er… what did you guys get me?"

Her father smiled at her and nodded towards a large box on the table. "Well, why don't you go and see?" he suggested.

She nodded once, affirmatively, before pausing for a second and turning to her brother David, who was still holding the cake. He raised an eyebrow at her, shifting the cake towards her slightly. She grinned, then leaned down and blew hard, snuffing out the flames.

I wish that I will be helpful to the resistance in the future.

From a young age, almost from the moment she could walk, she was trained in the skills necessary for defending herself. Not long after that, she had begun to train in the arts of strategy and pokemon battling, essentially being groomed to take over after her father retired from being a gym leader. But, as she grew older, she learned that her parents were actually rebels, and why her mom really wanted her to take lessons in self-defense and strategy. So that she had a higher chance of surviving in whatever hostilities followed.

Initially, her dad had been all for it, saying that it was good for her to learn and to be prepared. However, that changed when her mom died at Temple Pavvla, five years ago. He decided that he didn't want his children to be involved in the fight, and tried to keep them as far from danger as possible. When she was 14 and her uncle had given her Sidious, her father reinforced that he didn't want her to be involved, forbidding her from training as a pokemon trainer. Sidious was to just be a pet, and that was all.

Of course, that didn't stop her. She still trained with her new pokemon every day, in secret of course. Or at least, she had thought it was a secret. A few weeks prior to her birthday, her 18th birthday, the one being celebrated now, her father had confronted her. He told her that he knew she had been training Sidious, despite his wishes. He knew he couldn't stop her, and seeing as her birthday was coming up which signified her as becoming an adult, he decided to ask if she was serious about this. When she answered that she was, more serious than ever before, he had only nodded before disappearing for a few days.

The last five years of her father telling her that it was a horrible idea, that helping the resistance was suicide, made her question if she was really good enough. Really capable enough.

And I wish that I'll truly be strong enough.

Bringing herself out of her thoughts, she smiled at her brother again, before turning around and walking to the box on the table. As she neared, she hesitated, wondering what she would find. She glanced at her father, eyes asking him a question. He nodded again, though now he too looked a little sad. She steeled herself, and then reached for the cover on the box. She removed it, and slowly looked inside.

Inside there were a few items. A rather large black bag rested on the bottom, one she recognized as being the latest in trainer gear and fashion. It was obviously well built, and even appeared to have a few custom elements on it, such as their family crest sewn onto the back, the grey, fern enshrouded moon standing proudly, with the moon appearing to be made of steel. She felt herself begin to smile.

On top of the bag there rested six grey collars, also with their family crest on them each. She knew what these were as well.

In Asmira, ever since the Core took over many years ago, it became a requirement for all pokemon carriers, those who wanted to be official trainers anyway, had to have their pokemon wear a special collar. There were a lot of theories surrounding the collars, but the general consensus is that the collars were a means of keeping track of trainers. Each collar had an I.D. number, which registered the pokemon to their owner via their trainer I.D. Later on, as technology improved, admittedly slower than before the Core, this system evolved into one where six collars could be registered to one earpiece, which served as a trainer's I.D. card in place of plastic. As an added bonus, as well as an apparent incentive to get people to become trainers and have their pokemon wear collars, a feature was included that allowed the wearer of the earpiece connected to the collars to be able to hear and understand their pokemon. Essentially, they became a pokemon to human speech translator.

Very recently however, in the last two years or so, more developments had arrived. Some scientists loyal to the Core had developed an implant, that acted almost exactly the same as an earpiece. The only difference is that the implant was delivered via a shot into the trainer's spine. Although she didn't understand the full science behind it, the basic idea of the shot is that it adjusted the trainer's entire body and brain through the spinal column. It made it so that they could still hear their pokemon, but supposedly it sounded clearer, without any hint of electronic interference or static. As another added bonus, it was easier on the ears.

A downside to the implant was that initial tests left trainers disabled. Some people's bodies rejected a foreign machine being implanted and attached to their spine, causing the body to slowly shut down, usually starting with trainer's losing the ability to control their legs. As a result, these were less common, and only used by those wealthy enough to afford them.

However, even more recent breakthroughs nearly eliminated this risk altogether. Trainer's being paralyzed went from being the 20% range to down to below the .9% range. There was less than a one percent chance that a trainer would be disable via an implant now.

If Carma were to ever get her father's approval to be a trainer, she had assumed that she would be receiving the earpiece. However, laying on top of the collars, plain as day, was what appeared to be an injecting gun. Presumably, it was the safest and most efficient means to getting the implant, although she had to admit that the size of the needle looked absolutely terrifying.

"Father… is this… are you saying what I think you're saying?" Carma asked breathlessly, turning to glance at her father questioningly. He smiled at her, though it looked strained, and nodded.

"Yes Cary, it's exactly what you think it is," he answered slowly.

She turned her head back to look into the gift box. "But… what made you change your mind? And why the implant?"

He rested his hand on her shoulder again. "What changed my mind over these years is how diligently I saw you training, both yourself and Sidious. You've put in so much effort, so much time, that when the time came for you to be 18, I knew you'd become a trainer anyway. This way… this way, you will have the best of the best. If you're going to do this, I don't want you to feel like you're going against me. I want you to know that I will always be there to help and support you. As for why the implant, well… as I said, you'll have the best of the best. That implant right there is the latest one in the market, developed by Guardian scientists. It's an… improved version of what Core troops use. Has all of the benefits, and none of the downsides. Meaning… it's one hundred percent safe." He paused to grin at her, actual mirth in his eyes this time. "Besides, I can only have the best for my angel, now can't I?" he asked her cheekily.

She beamed at him, before stepping closer and quickly wrapping her arms around him, bringing him into a bear-hug. "Thank you so much," she breathed. She felt him chuckle and wrap his arms around her as well, feeling him gently stroke her back.

"You're very welcome dear," he murmured. He then slowly pulled away from her and held her at arms-length. "Now then. Are you ready now, or would you like to wait a day?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

She shook her head furiously. "Oh now, I'm ready now!" she exclaimed excitedly. He chuckled, and nodded.

"I was fairly certain that you'd feel that way," he laughed as he shifted her aside to reach into the box for the injector. He then looked at her and twirled a finger in the air, telling her to turn around. She nodded breathlessly and turned around to face her brother, who was grinning at her. She carefully reached behind her head and pulled her long hair out of the way, giving the big needle access to her neck.

"Now stand still, and don't flinch. This will hurt for a second, but once it's in, it's in. You should be able to connect to the collars immediately once we're done, but it may take a few minutes," he told her. She didn't answer, instead standing motionless.

She felt him shift behind her slowly, before feeling something cold and sharp press against the back of her neck. She breathed in, and then breathed out slowly. As she did so, the needle suddenly pierced her flesh, going all the way to the bone. She heard the sound of pressured gas being released quickly, as well as a sharp, almost fiery pain at the base of her skull. Then she heard an electronic beep, and felt the needle leave her skin.

Immediately the pain dulled, leaving only a small throbbing feeling where the pain had been. She heard a few more beeps, before things went silent. She turned around to look at her father, wearing a broad smile, only to frown as she realized that he was saying something. Only… she couldn't hear it.

She started to panic slightly, wondering if she would be deaf for the rest of her life. Before she could delve too far into thoughts about her being deaf for the rest of her life, she heard another beep, followed by a soft whooshing sound, as though wind were being blown just past her ears.

"-but don't panic, it'll wear off shortly," her father was saying. She glared at him.

"A little warning that I would go deaf for a second would have been nice," she said, before wincing. Her voice sounded louder than normal. Then she heard another beep, before hearing no more. She gazed at her father quizzically. "And why do I keep hearing a beeping sound?" she asked.

He chuckled at her. "I could have told you that you wouldn't be able to hear for a second, but where's the fun in that? As for the beeping, that's the implant calibrating to your brain. It should be done now though," he answered, grinning. She glared at him.

Then she chuckled and shook her head. "Well, no harm no foul I suppose," she said, before looking towards the box once more. "Now how do I connect it to the collars?" she asked.

Her dad nodded. "Oh, you don't need to worry about that. They're already connected. All you have to do is put them on your pokemon, and turn them on. Which reminds me. If you look in the bag, you'll find a couple pokeballs. They're normal Luxury Balls, just customized to go with the rest of the gear," he answered, gesturing at the box again.

Carma raised an eyebrow at him. "Grey I'm assuming," she said, a small smirk on her face. He chuckled again.

"Well, I figured they'd match your eyes," he retorted. She laughed, and reached into the box, pushing the collars aside for now to pullout the bag. Heavier than I expected, she thought as she opened the pocket normally designated to pokeballs. As she did so, she glanced back into the box to see if she had missed anything. As her hand reached into the pocket, she immediately felt the small orbs of pokeballs in their storage form, and also saw that she had missed something. A belt. Trainers belt, obviously, she thought, noticing the small clips on the side designed to connect to a pokeball.

She pulled out one of the pokeballs and saw that they were indeed grey, again with the family crest on them. Guess he doesn't want me to forget my heritage.

She tossed the ball in the air and caught it easily, before pressing the button to enlarge it. She turned to look at her haxorus, who still looked troubled. "Are you ready?" she asked him. He slowly shook his head, and then pointed at the box full of collars. Realization dawned on her. "Ah, you want to talk first?" she asked. He nodded.

She shrugged, and then reached inside the box for one of the collars and pulled it out. She glanced at it, and saw that it had a number on it. Sewn onto the side was the number 4. She frowned, and then searched through the box until she found the one with the number 1. Then she unfastened it, and approached her dragon companion as he bared his neck toward her. Reaching around the blades on his face carefully, she wrapped collar around him before fastening it. Then she reached for one of the buttons on the thicker part, where she knew would be the power button, and pressed the larger one. She heard a faint click, seeming to come from behind her, and then backed away.

"Well…," she started, before trailing off. Then she shrugged. "I guess just say something."

Sidious nodded. Then he opened his mouth and began to speak.

"Can you hear me?" he asked. She grinned brightly at him, and nodded furiously. His own face brightened considerably, and he began to talk excitedly. "Oh Arceus, this is awesome! Alright, so, first thing. What happens to me inside of a pokeball?" he asked.

She grinned, delighted to finally be able to understand him without guessing at what he was saying. "Well, from my understanding, nothing. It'll be as though you're in limbo, with no pain or anything. I've never been inside of one before, but I know it's completely safe," she answered.

He nodded slowly, though he still looked doubtful. He stared at her appraisingly. Then he sighed, and nodded again. "Well, I suppose that we might as well officially capture me. I'll let you know once you bring me back out what it's like," he said dubiously.

She grinned, and then held the enlarged pokeball out to him. He raised his arm, hesitated for just a moment, and then tapped it with his claw.

Immediately the room was filled with a red light. When it disappeared, Sidious was gone, and the ball in her hand began to shake once, then twice, and finally, a third time. Then she heard another click, and the ball was still.

She didn't waste any time, and immediately pressed the button to release him, filling the room with a red light again. Once it disappeared, Sidious was standing where he was a moment before, a stupefied expression on his face.

"Well… that was different," he said after a short while. Then he shook himself and gave his impression of a human grin at her. "I have to say, that was awfully… cozy."

She grinned back. "Well, I'm glad that it wasn't horrible," she said. Then she turned back to her father and brother, both of whom were staring at her curiously. "You know what needs to happen next, don't you?" she asked her father.

The gym leader looked at her curiously. "Oh? What might that be?" he asked. She grinned again.

"Why, I need to challenge you to a pokemon battle of course!" she exclaimed.

He blinked at her slowly. Then he grinned. "Going against the ice type gym first? Said to be one of the toughest, if not the toughest gym in Asmira? With a dragon type as your starter? Quite bold of you I must say. Quite bold of you indeed. But, before we do that, I need to ask you something," he said.

She blinked at him curiously. "Well, ask away then," she replied.

His expression turned serious. "You know that in order to be a member of Asmira's Guardians, you need to have at least one gym badge, right?" he asked. She nodded. He sighed, and looked at his feet. "Well then… I must tell you that I will not be going easy on you," he told her, grinning at her with a challenge in his eyes. "I'll schedule a battle for you tomorrow at around noon."

-!-

[Sidious]

What a wonderful creature, he thought, gazing at his sleeping trainer. He always felt lucky to be with her, despite the fact that she usually had a very short temper. She almost never yelled at him anyway. Almost.

Of course, if he had done something wrong, that was different. But he learned, and as he learned, his mistakes became fewer and fewer. Nowadays, he rarely made any, if at all. And the ones he did make were very minor.

When he had first met her, that was a different story. He was a young axew, barely knew anything. Looking back, he was surprised that she didn't just give up on him so many years ago. He felt that he would have. Instead, she showed an infinite amount of patience, despite her fiery personality. She coached him, guided him, and turned him into the efficient 'mon he was today. And he would always love her for that.

Now, as he watched her sleep, he felt his heart go out to her. Unlike him, her mother was dead. Had been for some time. But she never let that stop her, never let it sway her. She never seemed sad to him, though he knew that she was deeply hurting inside almost every single day. Especially on a day that reminded her of what she had lost, such as her birthday. He felt that it was particularly cruel of Arceus to have let that horrible event occur on a day that should have such a positive meaning in her life. A day where she should have been happy, with nothing to be sad or upset about.

He supposed that it was childish thinking on his part that wanted her special day to be completely flawless. The real world didn't work the way that he might hope. Horrible events could happen on almost any day, regardless of what sort of meaning the day might hold to those that are affected.

The bombing at Temple Pavvla had taken many lives that day, so much so that one life, no matter how important it might seem to another, was just another number in the total count of those affected. Mrs. Grey, while she was an exceptional woman, was much in the same boat.

Real sensitive of you, he thought to himself, frowning slightly. But he knew that that was the truth of it.

He sighed sadly. He didn't know why his thoughts took these turns late at night, but take them it did. It was just part of who he was.

As he gazed at her, he felt a surging wave of intense determination flowing through him. If it is in my power, I will never let any harm or unfortunate circumstance affect her so ever again. I will help her rise to the status that I know she can achieve, and she'll have scarcely a tear on her cheeks along the way. No matter the difficulty, no matter what we might be up against, I will make it so, he swore to himself. And tomorrow, my dear Carma, I will defeat your father for you.

Content with himself for the night, Sidious smiled softly, and then curled on her large bed that was picked with his size in mind. Then he closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

-!-

[Carma]

The next day was bright, with the promise of a great battle ahead, as well as the possibility of her starting out on her greatest adventure yet. As she got out of bed and made her way out to the window to watch the snow-covered mountains glisten and shine in the morning sun, she thought that she had never seen a day that looked quite so beautiful or promising. She grinned determinedly.

This is it, she thought excitedly. This is the day that my life starts anew!

She looked towards her best friend and first pokemon, who was still curled up and snoozing quietly on her bed. She grinned devilishly as she tip-toed around the bed until she was on his side. She stood over him, watching with quiet excitement, before she suddenly leaped onto him with a loud yell.

"Waaah!" she shouted, right before she landed on him and started shaking him.

Despite her provocations, Sidious lazily opened an eye to glare at her. Then he sighed noncommittedly and began to uncurl himself slowly, with her still atop him. At this point in their partnership, he was well used to her behavior.

"Is it really necessary to wake me up like this?" he growled softly.

She grinned down at him. "Of course it is! Especially on today of all days! Today is when we begin our journey!" she exclaimed. His glare deepened.

Then his expression softened and she heard him chuckle. He yawned greatly, before he grinned sharply at her. She felt a feeling of dread fill her.

Oh no, she had time to think, before the great dragon jolted upright, sending her flying across the bed and onto the floor, knocking the wind out of her. "Oof!" she gasped, as she dimly heard him chuckle. Bastard.

By the time she got her breath back, Sidious was already on his way out the door, seemingly in a hurry to leave before she got to her feet. "This isn't over!" she shouted after the fleeing dragon. She heard him laugh as he left through the hall.

When she finally arrived downstairs to the dining room, she saw Sidious sitting quietly next to the table eating a rather large breakfast steak, seeming to all the world as if nothing had taken place. She glared at him mutinously as his eyes caught hers. He couldn't fool her. She just knew that he was laughing internally.

"Asshole," she muttered at him as she took her seat next to his location. He just chuckled in his deep voice, that she was still so unaccustomed to hearing.

She poured herself a bowl of cereal and briefly thought about their strategy for when they faced her father. She knew that he already had his picked out, as he was most likely already at his gym, either preparing or facing off against the few challengers he had scheduled for the morning.

Dragon's are usually weak to ice, and despite the fact that I've been conditioning Sid to get used to and withstand colder temperatures, they'll still be very effective, and his dragon type moves will be not very effective at best. I'll have to use mostly physical moves I'd imagine. Although, Incinerate could be very useful, she mused. She shrugged. We'll win. We have to win.

She glanced at her partner, and smiled. This would indeed be an incredibly tough challenge, but she knew that they could face it. Overcoming it would be a different story entirely, but they would give their all, and that was all that could be asked of them. It certainly wouldn't be no walk in the park, that was guaranteed.

She shook her head, and glanced down at her watch. Her eyes widened in shock almost immediately afterwards.

The time was 11:23am. They'd have to move quickly if they didn't want to be late. She tapped Sidious on his shoulder.

"We've gotta go!" she told him excitedly, before leaping out of her chair, slinging the bag that was still on the table over her shoulder as she did so, and ran to the house's entrance, with her haxorous right behind her.

After a rather lengthy run, they arrived in front of her father's gym, both breathing hard, though Carma significantly more so. She glanced at her watch again, still breathing hard. 11:57am. She let out a sigh of relief. She dimly heard the roar of a crowd as they awaited for the next match to take place.

Then she pulled herself upright and ran through the doors and into the rather plain gym, with nothing more than a pokeball set above the entrance. This was a gym of business, not flashiness.

She made her way to the front desk, where a young woman stood, typing away at a computer. As Carma and Sidious made their entrance, her eyes lifted from the screen to look at them. She smiled warmly.

"Hello you two! You're almost late! Best hurry now, you know where to go," she told them.

Carma nodded and gave the lady her thanks, before sprinting through a door that was just to the left of the main desk.

Once through, they were greeted to the sight of a large room, with no ceiling to cover it, baring the rooms occupants to the elements, regardless of what they might be. Carma's eyes glinted excitedly. This time, I'm an official challenger, she thought. And this time, I'll be the one leaving with the Greyton Badge.

She calmly walked towards the platform that was for the gym challengers, opposite of the one that she knew her father was currently standing on, and ignoring the roar of the crowd. She gracefully made her way to it's top, gesturing for Sidious to take his place below the platform.

"Citizens of Asmira!" she heard an announcer say, his voice seemingly overly loud. But she knew that it had to be, if not for the benefit of the television that was broadcasting the match, then certainly for the people in the stands. She let her eyes wander over them as the announcer introduced her father. They were packed.

I don't think I've ever seen this many people in here before, she thought, smiling softly at the cheers. But, it didn't bother her. Not at all. If anything, it only made her more determined to do the best she could. The entire nation was watching.

All Gyms in Asmira broadcasted their matches to the public, but she knew that Greyton's broadcasts usually brought in the most viewers, as there was rarely a match that wasn't exciting. It had a reputation after all.

She slowly tuned back into her surroundings as the announcer began to introduce her. She grinned at his words, knowing that her father had had it scripted beforehand.

"And ladies and gentlemen, you're in for a treat tonight! This challenger is definitely something special! Introducing Greyton's own, the beautiful, the charming, the firey… Carma Grey!"

And the crowd went berserk.

And that's all!

I hope you all enjoyed it! I know I certainly enjoyed writing it :3.

I also hope that you're excited for Carma's next chapter. You should all know by now what it is going to contain. And why not start off this story with a metaphorical bang? Right into the action! :3

LET'S GO SID!

Truthfully, there isn't much for me to say, other than that I hope you enjoy, and let me know of your thoughts!

This is Crisis, handing the stage over to the next author!