The door to the Pokémon Center chimed as a young man walked in. He was in his mid-teens, with short, shaggy black hair and vibrant green eyes. His skin was lightly tanned from spending so much time in the sun, and the clothes he wore were well-used, patched in various places. Said clothes were a dirty brown shirt, ragged blue jeans, and black boots. However, what drew the eye was the belt he wore, which was looped through only one side and hung lower on the other as consequence. On this belt was a set of six pokéballs.

From the looks of him, he had just gotten done battling one of the various wild pokémon in the area. Ever since Chimney had erupted, they had gotten braver, often attacking humans in the cities. The teenager approached the counter, unhooking his belt and setting it on the counter. "All of them, please," he said softly, his voice somewhat rough. It would be, since he didn't appear to have a mask.

The nurse nodded her head lightly. "Yes sir. You do know we have to charge, now, don't you?" When he raised an eyebrow, she elaborated. "Between the ash fall, feral pokémon, and general lack of any outside communication, our stock has been pretty limited."

He sighed a bit, grabbing the belt back up, removing just one of the balls. "Then just this one. He earned it." The nurse nodded, taking the ball and heading into the back. There, she set the pokéball on her scanner, to see what she was dealing with.

Arcanine, Male

Health: Critical condition

Status: Poisoned, paralyzed

Suggested treatment: Antidote, paralyz heal

She set the healing machine before placing the ball inside. 'An Arcanine,' she thought quietly. 'You don't see many of those around here. Come to think of it, he's from out of town.' She blinked at the realization. She waited for the canid to heal fully before stepping back into the lobby.

As she handed the ball back to him, she leaned forward. "Excuse me, sir?" she asked nervously, watching him. "I was just wondering... You're not from around here, right?"

"That's right," he replied, wondering where she was going with this.

"Well, I was just... Do you have any news from beyond the ash fall?" She was on pins and needles, wondering how the rest of the world was coping with the recent seismic activities.

"Yeah, I have news. I'm supposed to speak with Flannery first, though. Let her decide what the people hear."

"I see. In that case, you'll find what's left of the gym just down the road."

"What's left?"

"You'll see."


As he left the Center, Seth dreaded seeing the remains of Lavaridge Town's gym. It surely wouldn't be pretty, being nestled right at the base of the mountain. As he approached it, his heart sank. The front wall had obviously caught fire, showing various holes through it. The roof was all but non-existant and the glass door, upon closer inspection, appeared to have liquidized for a short time. He shook his head, walking in.

Inside was a young woman with red hair pulled into a high ponytail. As he walked in, she looked up from the ball she'd been rolling around in her palm. Her cherry-colored eyes burned into him with an intensity that matched her personality. "Sorry, gym's closed due to recent occurences." As she said it, a sad look crossed her face.

Seth shook his head lightly. "I'm not here for a fight. I bring news from outside the ash fall."

"Wow, someone actually made it through? We haven't had anyone come in from the south in a few months. Why don't you tell me your story? The news can wait."

"All right, where should I start?"

"Where any good story starts. The beginning."


Nothing like starting in the middle, huh? Read and review, please.