An afternoon wind blew against the waters of Route 124, carrying with it waves filled with Tentacruel and Magikarp. The effect was calming, gently rocking the ship that rode the waves, and the trainers that resided inside. The familiar smell of a new adventure was in the air, along with the smell of change that came with it.
The SS. Tidal was well known to be Hoenn's link to the other regions. Crafted by the legendary Captain Stern himself, she was a perfect place for trainers from many different parts of the world to train and trade with each other. In many ways she was like her sister cruise ship, the SS. Aqua, but that ship had been out of commission for years now, and it was assumed that the old sailor who captained the ship was long retired. Many trainers from Kanto had claimed they knew him well. Aaron was a Kanto native himself, and he had never met the man. Although he had met his old friend the Lieutenant countless times, including the very day he had earned the Lightning Badge. It was one of the many memories he cherished from his time in Kanto as a rookie trainer. He had grown much since, and was champion of both Johto and Kanto for a time. After three years he had served as such, until a young trainer wrestled the title from him, and he was invited to Hoenn along with plenty of other veteran trainers so he could witness the grand opening of a new championship.
"Good afternoon trainers", a voice announced over the ship's intercom, "This is your captain speaking. We will be arriving in Lilycove City shortly. For those in need of a place to stay, why not stay at our famous Lilycove Motel? Rated four out of five stars for excellent service and a wonderful view of the beach. We would also wish to remind you that daily contests are hold in the contest hall for your entertainment. So why not stop by for a lavishing display of our native Pokemon? We hope you enjoy your stay in Hoenn, and thank you for sailing with us."
Aaron groaned, he was still laying down in his bed, just about ready to rest until the ship's arrival. It appeared as though they were going to dock sooner than he would have liked. He had spent much of last night mingling with other trainers thanks to a party thrown by the ship's employees. He had met a number of strong trainers, but many of them seemed more interested in achieving a new title rather than the chance to discover something new. Aaron wasn't like them; he wanted to travel the world, he wanted to explore new lands. Now that he was free of the title of "champion", he finally had the chance to do just that.
Aaron climbed out of bed and quickly got dressed in his blue zip-up jacket and matching knit hat. No matter where he went he tended to dress warmly, even though he wasn't from a snowy area. Inside his jacket he kept his precious friends; a Blastoise nicknamed Tidus, an Alakazam he had gotten from a trade, a Jolteon he had evolved from an Eevee, a Fearow nicknamed Pegs, an Aipom from his days in Johto, and finally his dear Crobat Vox. He loved each of them dearly, and he knew they felt the same. After putting on his pair of black gloves, Aaron exited the confines of his cabin into the crowded hallways of the ship.
"We have a new adventure ahead of us, my friends" he said to no one in particular, "I hear that this is going to be a big one."
The people standing in the halls were busy talking about the rumored floating castle. in Hoenn. It was said that the Weather Institute as well as the Mossdeep Space Center had a hand in its development. The technology required to create such a feat was unheard of ten years ago, yet a mysterious donar had supplied the Space Center with the means of creating the flying attraction, and now that impossible feat was a reality.
"I hear a family of collectors were involved in its construction. They're all filthy stinkin' rich."
"I heard it was a scientist, who was searching for ways to test the strength of Pokemon."
"I think I met that scientist, come to think of it."
"Hey I did too!"
"You guys are all wrong, it was a nobleman from Kalos. Why else would they build a floating castle."
"I'm telling you, he was a collector. Collectors can live in castles."
"Of course, you would think that."
"How do we even know this person was a 'he'?"
Everyone had their own ideas regarding the identity of the mysterious donar. Aaron himself agreed that the man (or woman) involved had to be very rich. Creating something so large that flies was no easy achievement after all.
Aaron made his way through the gossiping crowds towards the exit to the deck. It was docking time, which meant that the sailors one usually ran into on deck were elsewhere, preparing the ship for when she docked. That meant Aaron wouldn't have to worry about being challenged to a battle, since many trainers he found were restless while traveling. He couldn't blame them, as the anticipation is often too heavy for most trainers to bear. He knew the effects of having an apetite for adventure only too well.
The wind truly was pleasant this day, he was glad. He knew his Pokemon would appreciate being out and about. "Well guys, let's greet this new land together!" After throwing his Pokeballs in the air, there was a flash of light, followed by the sounds of excited and happy Pokemon. They all smiled at him, and Aaron beamed in return. "Turn around you guys, Hoenn's just ahead!"
They went to the edge of the deck together, to look over the railings at the approaching city in the distance, breathing in the sea air. It was a glorious sight to behold; Aaron could see the large building that was the department store towering proudly over the quiet houses of the city's denizens, as well as the esteemed marble museum which housed plenty of ancient arefacts as well as artwork. "What do you guys say? Should we visit the museum first, or go shopping?"
"I think a shopping spree would be great!" responded a voice from behind him, surprising both him and his Pokemon. His Crobat and Blastoise were among the first to jump in front of him protectively, the rest of his Pokemon taking turns glaring at the intruder, which turned out to only be a girl a couple years younger than he was with tanned skin and wild dark hair that was bound in a makeshift ponytail. She blinked in response, tilting her head out of confusion. "Uhhhh, are your Pokemon okay?"
Aaron placed one hand on both his Blastoise and Crobat, calming them down and allowing the other Pokemon to follow suit. "Sorry about that" he apologized, surprised to find that the girl was out here on deck when she could be discussing the mysterious floating castle with the rest of the trainers. "They don't like surprises." He laughed, and so did the girl, the situation felt very awkward yet somehow Aaron was glad to have a friend that wasn't a Pokemon with him on the deck. "So where are you from?" asked the girl.
The former champion shrugged, "Originally I was born in Pewter City, in the Kanto Region. I have traveled through the region of Johto as well, and I'm looking to explore all of Hoenn too, if possible."
The girl beamed, "I'm from Kanto too!" she said, clearly happy to find someone from the same region as her. "Although I grew up in Fuchsia City myself." The girl pulled out a group of four Pokeballs, and released an assortment of Poison Pokemon onto the floor of the deck; a Nidoqueen, a Venomoth, a Tentacruel, and finally a Muk. "As you can see, I have trained underneath the Master of Ninjas himself! Well, his daughter at least. I saw that you had a Crobat and I just had to talk to you! My name is Olea by the way!"
The girl's enthusiasm made Aaron smirk a little. He had to say he was impressed, not many trainers chose to stick with one particular type of Pokemon, instead preferring to branch out in order to have the upper hand. Training a single type of Pokemon took great skill. "It's a pleasure to meet you Olea. My name is Aaron, and the Crobat you refer to is named Vox." As if on queue, the Crobat gave a happy little screech, circling the girl on the basis that her master had put his trust in the poison type trainer. "She really likes you", he chuckled.
"Aaron?" she repeated looking up at him in surprise. "The Aaron?"
"You've heard of me", the former champion frowned, he had hoped she wouldn't recognize him. Although he supposed it was to be expected, given her background.
"Of course I have! You're the champion! Well, you were the champion..." Aaron grimaced, finding that the topic was about to head down a road he didn't want to go on. He didn't mind his recent loss, but he found that many people tend to bring it up as if it was some sort of disappointment. The new champion was strong, if not stronger than he or Lance ever was. He knew Lance would be just as proud as he was to leave Kanto and Johto in his more than capable hands.
Olea giggled, enjoying the attention given to her by the other trainer's Crobat. It never made sense to her the stigma surrounding Zubats. She herself never found their presence in caves annoying. In fact, she found their presence to be a comfort in the darkness, in the knowledge that she was never alone. She danced with the Crobat, inviting her Pokemon to join in and make some new friends. Seeing her Pokemon getting along with the other trainer's Pokemon improved her new found admiration for this trainer. He clearly took good care of his Pokemon, especially since they were so willing to protect him without being ordered to. She wanted to have a similar relationship with her Pokemon.
"So what brings you on this ship?" the question caught her off guard, coming from the trainer she had only just met. "I suppose I wanted to meet new Poison types" she mused, "And I heard there was a really cute Pokemon that could be found in Hoenn. I wanted to find it and see for myself, when I heard about the floating castle, I convinced the Gym Leader to let me come so long as I could confirm a few things for her..." She fidgeted nervously underneath his questioning gaze. "Sorry, I can't say much more than that."
Much to her great relief, the older boy nodded in understanding, "That's alright" he said "I think discovering new Pokemon should be reason enough to go to a new land." She beamed happily, only to have her smile melt away into a frown. The truth was, Koga's daughter had heard rumors pertaining to the castle in the sky from fellow gym leaders, of an entirely separate Pokemon League. Other trainers seemed to be aware of it too, as if the castle were to be a region upon itself. She wondered if the other trainer knew. She didn't have the courage to ask him whether he did or not. It wasn't as widely discussed as the other theories after all.
"Is something the matter?"
Olea nearly jumped out of her shoes. "Nope! Everything's fine!" The older boy was giving her one of those looks that made him seem as if he was suspecting her of something. That was no good of course, so Olea tried changing the subject, "What about you though?" The boy tilted his head, looking curious. "Why are you on this ship?"
There was a moment of silence between them, one that seemed to last longer than Olea would have liked. She initially thought the other boy was upset with her, perhaps even expected him to yell at her. Yet all he did was smile, as if he was waiting for her to ask that question. His answer was honest, and as genuine as they came. "I wish to know everything there is to know about the world."
"Attention trainers, this is your Captain speaking! Please be prepared to exit the ship, as we have nearly arrived at the docks. Once again, I would like to thank you for making use of our services, and wish you safe travels in the Hoenn Region. Happy training!"
Something inside of Aaron felt almost too happy to hear that announcement. He found that the conversation he was having with the girl was turning down an all too awkward route. As much as he liked talking to the girl, he felt that he couldn't bear her presence any longer. He didn't expect to find a Gym Trainer on the ship, usually Gym Leaders kept their trainers within the confines of their town or city, unless they were running some sort of errand. Perhaps this meant that there was more to that floating castle than meets the eye, but Aaron didn't want a younger girl telling him that. He decided that he would let her go her own way for now, and try and get to the bottom of this new mystery.
"Well, it was nice talking to you." The girl had a look of disappointment on her face when he said that, which was to be expected. They only just met after all. Without as much as another word, Aaron silently walked past her, with his Pokemon following suit after a moment's hesitation. His Crobat in particular didn't want to go just yet. She turned toward Olea one last time, giving her an apologetic look. The girl smiled encouragingly, and Vox flew after her trainer. Aaron may not have realized it, but he had unintentionally created a bond between Vox and the girl Olea, a bond that would bring them together again soon enough.