As the oldest region in the known Pokémon universe Sinnoh has captivated travelers for countless generations. Every route and city holds bouts of wonder and excitement for all to enjoy. The League catches the hearts of trainers daring enough to challenge it. Contests Halls are spread all around for up coming coorindators seeking to prove their skills. Professor Rowan resides at his lab in Sandgem Town furthering his studies about Pokémon evolution. Now, enough of these mundane overviews. Sinnoh has important matters to attend to- Cynthia is missing. Yes, arguably the strongest Champion of all the regions, Cynthia has vanished without a trace. And it's up to six youthful spirits to find her and preserve the Sinnoh region.
The chosen six were not selected by mortal hands. A higher power identified them, deemed them worthy above all others. Through dreams they received crucial guidance for how to harness their innate abilities. For most of them their special talents lay dormant and unknown, now they have been truly awakened. The six heroes are comprised of a trainer from Crown City, a stylist from Hearthome City, a lab assistant from Jubilife City, a coordinator from Sunnyshore City, an aura guardian from Canalave City, and second trainer from Snowpoint City. In their visions of sleep each of them saw glimpses of a town with two glorious towers residing over the mesa and surrounding lake. In their own ways they discovered it to be Alamos Town. Each of them decided to embark for the unfamiliar settlement. Yet, before they could hope to go anywhere they had to attain their starter Pokémon. Professor Rowan's laboratory had a full selection of rare partners for young adults beginning their quests. By an odd stroke of fate the six of them were granted their top three choices as none of them conflicted with another. Normally newcomers begin their journeys with just one but the Professor felt that they would need as many strong forces as possible- not to mention they all requested different ones. In a day's time of delivering all of the Pokémon to their new trainers the laboratory faced a grave theft. A lone boy managed to sneak into the lab, while all of the scientists were out transferring Pokémon or collecting research, and steal the three remaining starters. He fled the town and was never properly identified. The only feature a bystander could recognize was his dark red hair. That was only a minor cause for alarm in comparison to the looming threats.
A region without a Champion is no region at all. In Cynthia's absence the Elite Four sent out a call to arms to the Hoenn Champion; Steven Stone. His League was capable of substituting his title with his long time friend Wallace, a water-type Gym Leader. As soon as securing his own region's prospects Steven made preparations to arrive in Sinnoh. He had often visited before with his eyes set on the majestic Mt. Coronet and mining for rocks and minerals. However this stay would be no vacation this time Steven brought only his best Pokémon. The steel-type trainer was ready from the moment his jet touched down to begin searching for the missing Champion and resume her responsibilities. Until this disappearance was solved Steven instructed each of the eight Gym Leaders to be on high alert for any suspicious activities. Instead of sending all of the Elite Four at once, which would surely raise concern for some, they were placed in rotations. In these shifts two would leave to go search the land for Cynthia. Steven took it upon himself to constantly roam the region for any leads. Even in their best efforts it has been to no avail.
Despite all the newfound activity the rest of the Sinnoh region remains blissfully unaware of the situation. Hardly any trainers are challenging the League- even then the Elite Four defeat them. It is the destiny of six individuals to come together as a team and grow strong with one another and their Pokémon. They must also learn how to control and master their unique powers. Only then will they be truly ready and capable of defending the region and saving Cynthia. For now they must train, and train hard, to prepare for their various personal quests to achieve greatness. The six of them are destined to meet each other in Alamos Town where the Space-Time Towers will awaken their true potential.
Chapter One
The majestic Mt. Coronet stood tall far off in the distance from Crown City. Stretching north and south the mountain range continued out of view from her bedroom window. She sat at her windowsill peering out in an endless gaze. Below the city was moving along in a lively manner, people walked throughout the streets- which were filled with greenery. The city was known for its Pokémon Baccer stadium and the World Cup was coming up in a few weeks. But Cadence Chevalier wouldn't be waiting that long to stay for it.
Crown City was off of the Sinnoh Region Route 210, the section of the route that in the lateral directions of north and south. The country life of Solaceon Town was just south of the city at the end of Route 210. North at the end of the north-south portion of Route 210 was Brussel Town and continuing west of that town (now on the east-west section of Route 210) was the historical Celestic Town. Crown City had some history of its own, a while back all of the plant life in the city died from an unknown disaster. It was a horrific incident that had happened close to twenty years ago. It had taken the combined efforts of both humans and Pokémon to restore the natural beauty. The site of where the settlement had previously been built on had native waterways flowing down from the mountains to the bay beside the city. Although the bay was accommodating it was nothing like the three great lakes of the region (Lakes Verity, Acuity, and Valor). Aside from that it was one of the three most populated cities in the entire Sinnoh Region (the other two being Jubilife City and Sunnyshore City).
Petite streams and creeks laced through the city intersecting one another and eventually led to the bay. Decorative bridges constructed of stone, wood, metal, and other materials connected the sections of land to each other. Each footbridge was completely unique from the other. Along the edges of the channels flora grew in light strength. Cadence spent hours roaming the city initially alone but then the day came when she received her starter Pokémon from Professor Rowan.
Cadence had been at the Pokémon Center waiting for the delivery from the Professor to arrive. By use of the Pokémon Transfer System Professor Rowan would send Cadence's selected Pokémon to her from his lab in Sandgem Town. She had been waiting in the lobby area of the Center, where trainers gathered while Nurse Joy tended to their Pokémon. Cadence had seated herself in perfect view of the Transfer System so she would know the moment it arrived.
Like clockwork when the minute hand reached the 12 the Transfer System dinged and glowed to life. The package appeared and attached to the front was a card. Before she opened the gift Cadence looked at the card. On the cover it read; Happy 16th Birthday Cadence! And on the inside there were multiple people's signatures with messages. All of the Professor's scientists and assistants had signed her card with words of wisdom and encouragement. Some even praised her on her selection of Pokémon. In the center was an elegantly written note to her...
Dear Cadence,
Congratulations on the commencement of your Pokémon journey. 16 is a prime age to venture out and explore the world. Exactly as you selected you will find your Pokémon included in this delivery. With proper care and training they will evolve into fine partners and develop life long friendships with you. I still feel the thrill of adventure when I am traveling with my Pokémon and I trust you will grow to feel the same. Alright, Cadence, the time has come. Your very own tale of grand adventure is about to unfold. On your journey, you will meet countless Pokémon and people. I'm sure that along the way you will discover many things, perhaps even something about yourself. Now, go on, leap into the world of Pokémon!
~ Professor Rowan
She smiled at his words. Gone were the days of beginning one's journey at the age of eleven, the world was a dangerous place and subsequently all of the regions had pushed the starting age back to sixteen. Some trainers waited till they were even seventeen years old.
Finally Cadence recognized the package. She pulled the sunny yellow ribbon off the top which was holding the lid secure. The color matched her long blonde hair. The box itself was a peach tone and the inside contents were revealed. Three Poké Balls were snug in traveling stands of velvet. They each shone in a glossy gleam from being polished and brand new. Due to the expanding world trainers were no longer limited in choosing just one Pokémon from their native region, now they could select three from any desired of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola. Cadence released each Poké Ball and in front of her materialized her new partners. From left to right were; Snivy- the Grass Snake Pokémon, Torchic- the Chick Pokémon, and Piplup- the Penguin Pokémon.
Naturally Cadence had liked more than only three starters from the pool of twenty. In all the ones she would have chosen were Charmander, Squirtle, Turtwig, Chimchar, Froakie, Fennekin, and Litten. She had made her final decisions based on the video clips transmitted to her by the Professor and his team of scientists. Cadence liked her new Pokémon's fighting spirits and recommendations made by those at the laboratory in Sandgem Town.
All of that had been over a week ago. Now she walked through Crown City with her Pokémon at her side. Other trainers might have left the day they received their starters, but Cadence wanted to spend time with them in a familiar environment before setting out into the unknown. In the early hours of the morning they would walk around the rim of the inner city along the edge of the river. Around midday they would go to the center of Crown City where there was lots of activities and gathered people. They would watch relaxed battles when they ever arose, not many happened in the city. In the afternoons the four of them would wander through the residential neighborhoods and interact with the other local Pokémon. Throughout the day Cadence would find meals for herself and suitable food for her teammates. When the evenings came around they would return home for dinner and spend the darkened hours gazing at the illuminated sky.
It had been an easy week. When Cadence had at last felt comfortable with her Pokémon she packed her bag and planned to leave the next morning. During the week she had visited a store which sold travel bags in the hopes of finding one fitted for her needs. She had a bleak outlook on the waistband like trainer bags and Cadence thought she could deal with the one strap across the chest with the bag on the wearer's back but it wasn't very comfortable for longer duration. Not to mention it didn't compliment the female body according to her mother. The tiny satchels, or purses, were terribly small or they were vastly unbalanced when fully loaded. The store clerk had various items trainer's used on hand to give customers a real taste of how it would feel. The traveling handbags were not a match and neither were the inconvenient circular bags. After several trial and errors Cadence found the perfect fit. Her bag was a traditional two straps over the shoulders, a dusty grey in color with black reinforced padding on the bottom and yellow accents and designs on the front.
The travel bag was waiting on her bed and it was already filled with her belongings. A map of the Sinnoh Region was tucked away in one of the front pockets, her five Potions were stored away along with her ten Poké Balls both of which she had purchased the day before at the city's PokéMart. As a present from her parents she now had a top of the line sleeping bag and tent. Cadence's Xtransceiver was fastened to her left wrist as she finished packing away her clothes. Since Sinnoh had a wide display of weather patterns she had to include outfits for practically everything. Thankfully the backpack was spacious enough to hold her clothes without even putting a dent in the overall space. In on of the inside pockets Cadence stored all of her Poké Dollars, due to having an extra five years (in comparison to generations previous trainers) she had accumulated a sum of 10,000. Gratitude was granted to her birthday presents of cash and having seasonal jobs throughout her early teen years.
Cadence headed downstairs with her bag strung over her shoulders, her three Pokémon were following her closely. Snivy toddled down the stairs and tried to be as graceful as possible. Torchic flapped its small wings to try and coast down and Piplup did not have the same luck. The four of them reached the last step where Cadence grabbed her coat since it was chilly outside in the last days of winter. She wore a black duffle coat over her cream colored sweater. Around her neck Cadence dawned on a dark maroon scarf. Her parents were still sleeping upstairs and she would leave without seeing them that morning. The evening before they had said their goodbyes.
The fresh air of her hometown greeted her as looked around from stepping outside. Her Pokémon were excited to be setting out instead of just staying in Crown City. They walked through the city, passing under trees and on bridges over creeks. Cadence felt an unfamiliar pang of remorse, the realization dawned on her that she was actually leaving now. It wasn't just another day passing through the city streets, she was really going to walk on a route and reach a new town.
The houses and other buildings were closely knit together, and from each windowsill Cadence could see color flowers among other plants. Trees were on every street corner and square, in the center area of the city there was a stunning and elaborate garden. Crown City's beauty rivaled that of the endless fields of flowers in Floraroma Town and the Space-Time Tower garden in Alamos Town. The rooftops, which were shaded in varying degrees of russet, orange, and brown, painted a homely sight with in tandem of all the vegetation. Cadence thought to herself that she could never be happily at home anywhere else.
The faintest traces of sunlight were filtering down with rays lightly brushing against the surface of the earth. Since she had spent so much time in the city Cadence had heard the tales of how Celebi was famed for once visiting the community, but the mythical Pokémon hadn't been sighted in years. The only visual representation Cadence had even seen was the statue of Celebi in one of the main squares. It was where she had come now.
The commemorating statue was made of stone and depicted Celebi in mid-flight with several stems of leafs and vines sprouting upwards. Cadence had always liked to gaze upon the mythical Pokémon, even if it was just a grey visual. Off in distance the clock tower chimed, Cadence could see the top of the tower from behind structures. The clock tower was the tallest establishment in Crown City and tolled out every third hour (6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12am) and stopped in the wee hours of the morning. On special occasions it was reorganized to sound as needed such as on New Years. That was one of Cadence's favorite festive occasions. The bay was filled with boats and brigs for a firework show that started after sundown.
Her Pokémon accompanied her without hindrance to one of the six entry bridges. The inner part of Crown City was connected to the newer developments by six drawbridges and she had arrived at the one that had a path to the outlook. High above on the farthest rim of the city's boundary there was a noteworthy spot where one could see the whole bay and settlement. Cadence wanted a glimpse of the land from that viewing point before she truly left Crown City. There was no Gym in her hometown, the closest ones being in Eterna City, Hearthome City, and Veilstone City.
A well trodden path led the way from the base of the metropolis and into the climbing terrain. It was a short hike and her Pokémon were still in high bouts of energy. Torchic liked to race around zooming past them and then running back. Snivy aimed to carry himself with dignity and poise. Piplup was wide eyed and merry as she toddled by next to Cadence. The trek wasn't terribly long but it was rather steep as it weaved back and forth till it flattened out at the top. Her Pokémon were hardly worn as they reached the vista. The view was amazing and she took a few minutes to bask in its glory. Cadence watched the dawn rise over the bay where it was said the forest and city coexisted in perfect harmony. With a memorialized valediction she turned to continue down the remainder of the pathway before it merged to Route 210. Cadence was with her Pokémon now, and so began her quest to earn all eight Gym Badges of the Sinnoh League.
