"What are you doing?" My best friend, Ray, asked, walking up to the bench I was sitting on. The two of us had tied for getting the lowest scores of everyone who passed the trainer's exam this year in Littleroot Town. The exams for trainer school were yesterday, which is when we got our licenses.
"Just looking at the scenery while we wait for our turn," I said.
"Yeah. I want to get my starter quick and beat the record for youngest champion," Ray said.
I raised an eyebrow. "Heh, the one Professor Oak of Kanto set? He was only 16 years old when he became champion. He held the position for 50 years exactly, before losing in battle to Red. Also from Kanto. And that was only three years ago."
Ray laughed. "What a nerd you can be. But yes, I plan to become champion in just one year. Those Kanto elitists will bow down before me and my future team!"
When a child turns ten, they can choose to switch from normal education to pokemon trainer school. The child then takes 3 years of courses, and if they pass, they get a trainer's license and a starter pokemon provided by the school. That's why everyone is 13 years old when they start their journey.
I sighed. "I'll be taking my time. I'd rather have fun exploring the world first than rushing to get strong."
I looked around me as Ray zoned out, likely in another champion fantasy of his. The two of us were sitting in a park painted with standard autumn colors. Littleroot town was sparsely populated, so there were barely any people around us. A quiet and peaceful place Ray and I usually spent our time in.
I didn't truly believe Ray or I could become champion. No one from Hoenn or Alola has ever done so. Alola and Hoenn are the only two regions far out in the eastern hemisphere, while the rest of the regions are in or near the mainland, which is in the western hemisphere. Us easterners don't have nearly the same facilities and treatment as those in the west. It wasn't like I'd say that to him, though.
"Well, ten minutes until our turn for getting starters. Let's get going," I said, slapping Ray on the face to wake him up. I put my journal inside my gray backpack as Ray came to.
"Hnuh? Yeah, hnuh." Ray looked around with a dazed look on his face.
The two of us walked to the Pokemon Trainer School of Littleroot Town. It was right next to the park, two stories high, and colored white. If it didn't have windows, it would just look like a large rectangular prism. There wasn't even a label on it.
We went inside, walking through the standard-looking hallways, until we reached the principal's office.
"Hello!" An attendant led us to an adjacent room full of tables and pokemon balls stacked on shelves. We thanked him as he left.
"Ah, right on time," Mrs. Goleeve said. She was a teacher at the school. "Ray, you're up first. We have three options for you, so you get to decide which one of them you want," she said. Mrs. Goleeve was only in her twenties; she had only been teaching for two years. That's why she was still enthusiastic about her job, which was kind of a rarity.
"I want only the best!" Ray exclaimed, bluntly obnoxious as ever. His bright blue eyes flashed with excitement. He had short blonde hair and a muscular frame; the standard look in our area. I was a bit different, with black hair, brown eyes, and a thin frame.
"Yes yes, ok. Your options are Poochyena, Carvanha, or Trapinch," Mrs. Goleeve said with a smile. She took three pokeballs and info cards and set them in front of Ray on a table. "You are a feisty type, and you prefer pokemon strong in battle with offensive battle styles. These are three such pokemon we have that fit the bill."
I stood in the back of the room as Ray thought about what he wanted, waiting with impatience for when I would get my starter. In truth, besides Ray, I had no friends. I would say it was just because of my different appearance, but I guess it would be my personality as well. For some reason, the masses didn't appreciate it. I did hope I could forge strong bonds with my future pokemon.
"Poochyena is quite common, so even though Mightyena is pretty cool, I don't want it," Ray said, eyebrows furrowed. "Trapinch's evolutions are nice, but it is pretty slow itself. I want to start off with a bang. So Carvanha it is."
Ray picked up the pokeball and its info card, looking like a six year old who was on his first sugar high.
"Well, good luck! Carvanha is quite ferocious and difficult to properly bond with, but with your positive attitude, I think you'll manage!" Mrs. Goleeve said, clapping her hands.
Ray shuffled to the back of the room as I walked forward. He had a strange grin on his face. I would admit, Carvanha is a pretty nice pokemon.
"And as for you, we have two options that could fit your tastes," Mrs. Goleeve said, putting away the leftover pokeballs and information cards.
I saw Mrs. Goleeve pick up two pokeballs and their respective information cards from a corner of the room.
"You are more into the mental aspect of battle, rather than physical. Plus, you are known for you indecision. No offense. So, we have an Eevee and a Ralts for you," Mrs. Goleeve said.
"Both have branching evolution lines. That's interesting…" Ray muttered.
"Can I pick from other pokemon? I don't like either option," I said.
Mrs. Goleeve stepped back in surprise. "What!" She yelled. Then she shook her head. "Sorry, that was too loud. I'm just surprised you actually don't want a pokemon from our options selected. No one has ever done that in my time teaching here," she said.
"Yeah," Ray said, speaking up. "They are professionally selected to be of the pokemon the trainer wants and of the pokemon available in the school."
I attempted to smile to seem less rude. "They're both… I don't know, they just aren't for me."
"Fine," Mrs. Goleeve said, pouting. "Now get out," she said.
I stood still, my smile wider than ever. Ray chuckled nervously behind me. "That's a nice joke…" I said slowly.
"It isn't. You didn't say please, you didn't say thank you, you didn't say anything nice. You also have a very low score on the final exam. You may keep your license, but you'll have to catch your own starter," She said, making a shoo-ing motion.
"I... I never liked you anyway," I muttered, and I stormed out of the room, Ray following behind me after realizing what had happened.
An hour later, Ray and I were in the outskirts of Littleroot Town. He had said he would help me catch my starter, and after that, we would part ways until the next league challenge conference all the way west in Kalos, which was in ten months.
"Hey, a Poochyena! Do you want it!" Ray exclaimed, pointing at a wild Poochyena bounding across the nearly perpetual tall grass.
"No," I said. I was sitting atop a boulder with Ray, my head in my hands. "All the pokemon here are lame. I want a cool starter too… I should've just taken the Eevee or something," I said.
"C'mon, cheer up! Any pokemon can become great with some effort!" Ray said. He wasn't very good at cheering people up.
I looked up at the cloudless sky. So vast, so certain. Then there was me. Full of regrets. Unable to get what I wanted. Partly because of bad luck, but also partly because I was... weird? Most people seemed to think so.
Then I saw a large circle appear in the sky. It was black in color, and rimmed with purple. I stared at it for a while, but it didn't do anything.
"What's that?" I asked Ray, pointing to the circle.
He looked up at it, and his eyes bulged. "That's an ultra wormhole!" he said, jumping up. "What in the world! Those have only been seen in the Ultra Beast wars a thousand years ago in Alola!"
"Wow, you actually know something. But seriously? Something like that wouldn't appear in a remote town at the edge of Hoenn," I said, scoffing.
Then I saw the hole suddenly move to ten feet above the ground, right next to us. Ray jumped on top of me, squealing like a… like a Ray.
Ten people in white lab coats appeared from the hole, falling to the ground and looking around. They were all old men; they were either graying or balding.
"Planet X7 reached. Two denizens sighted," One said to some sort of black thingy on his arm.
I got out from under the quivering Ray, and waved to them. "Hello. We are from planet… what was it? X7? Yes, planet X7. We are vile monsters who seek intergalactic domination," I said, evidently lying.
All of the old men turned to look at me. "We have been here before," One of them said. "You are evidently lying. Do not fear us; we are investigating the remains of the ultra beasts that attacked your planet long ago. Where can we find them?"
I raised an eyebrow. Then what happened in the past five minutes finally sank in, and I realized I was actually talking to ten aliens. I took deep breaths, and decided that being nice to these unknown entities would be the best possible course.
"We are currently in a region known as Hoenn. If you go south, you'll reach Alola. That's where the Ultra Beasts were," I said.
The tallest of the old men walked forward. "Thank you for the intel. We have a spare pokemon from our world, if you want it. Two of Reek's Naganadel went wild and thus we got an unwanted egg. It hatched a few minutes ago," he said in a flat monotone.
"Ummm ok?" I responded after a few seconds. I didn't know what a Naganadel was, but I was interested in being able to get a pokemon.
"If you were lying, we will cut off your limbs," He added a second later. After he saw my face pale, he tilted his head to the side. "I was evidently lying."
They gave me a Beast Ball; something I had seen only in textbooks. Apparently it was the only ball that could catch Ultra Beasts. It was chrome and blue in color, with ridges all around it.
My eyes widened. "It is Poipole, which evolves into Naganadel. Enjoy," Another alien said. They all instantly disappeared after that… along with Ray.
I looked around, realizing I was alone… and with a Beast Ball, containing my starter, which was from another planet. "What in the name of Arceus just happened?"
AN: I want to know what the strong points of my writing are, and more importantly, what the weak points are. Reviews from you guys would greatly help with that, so I would be happy if you could review if you have something to say.
Also, this fanfic isn't a SYOC (submit your own character), but if you do get an amazing idea for a character that could tie in to my story nicely, feel free to PM me, and I will let you know if I like it. If I do, I will credit you in the chapter the character is introduced in.
There is a CrobatFang fanfiction group on discord. If you are interested, information is on my profile.
At the bottom of each chapter, I'll be writing the changes of age and/or pokemon for main characters (and if a new main character is introduced). So for chapter 1, here it is:
Viewpoint Character (age: 13) - gets a Poipole
Ray (age: 13) - gets a Carvanha
For a complete list of main characters, ages, and pokemon (as of the latest uploaded chapter), you may check my profile. My profile also has the elite four and champion (as of the latest uploaded chapter).