Prologue

In this world, there are many types of people. There are people who love to be admired, seeking out the spot light in any way they can, be it making loud and rude jokes in public or simply flaunting any minor talent they have. Some wish to simply be left alone, avoiding others as much as they can without drawing attention to themselves. Others are easily motivated and work hard until they have reached their goals. Many wish that they didn't have to work so hard, and so strive to be as efficient as possible so that they obtain the maximum amount of leisure time possible. Some don't care at all and never get anything done, simply passing through the day in a lazy stupor. One person may enjoy watching or playing sports. Another enjoys listening to music.

People do not leave this world the same being that entered. When we are born, we have no experience, no ideas, no knowledge to speak of. These things come naturally, and they shape us as human beings. Our tastes, our interests, our opinions, our aesthetics, our ways of thinking, these are all affected by our interactions and experiences with others. One must never underestimate the influence they can exhibit on another. A simple act of kindness can give a person a new reason to continue when they would have otherwise given up, while even the most minor act of cruelty may be just enough to push them over the edge into a place from which they will likely not return unscathed.

In this world, there are as many types of people as there are people. No two are quite exactly alike. No matter how numerous the similarities, there will always be differences, be they easily observable from the outside, such as hair color or build, or hidden deep in the person's mind, close to the very core of their being. One great beauty of the human mind, however, is the ability to ignore these differences and accept one-another, despite the great contrasts that may exist between them.

The sheer vastness of the diversity of Human natures makes it not surprising at all that some will be… less than pleasant. There are of course people with negative aspects mixed into their personalities. In fact, a large portion of the small amount of common-ground shared by all Humans is the presence of negativity. This negativity, this "darkness," will come in all magnitudes, as with the positive components of a person's nature, but is absolutely constant. Both the negatives and the positives are present in everyone, and thus all Humans are capable of both "good" and "evil."

The concepts of "good" and "evil" are very non-substantial. These qualities are completely situational, and are never black and white, as some believe. To many, the act of taking another Human's life is the supreme form of evil. But what if that person wishes to leave this world? What if that person's death can lead to the survival of thousands of others? What if that person is, themselves, "evil?" What if that person is about to commit an act unspeakable "evil," such as killing many others? Does the taking of life remain evil at that point, or does it become "justice," or even "kindness?" Do you become a hero or a monster? Does killing a tyrant or a murderer make you the savior of a people, or simply make you the same? This is ultimately decided by the society that one lives in, and the current idea of "justice."

The Orre region. Far to the north and west of the Johto and Kanto regions, this country is dominated by a massive desert. To the northern edge looms the vastness of Mount Battle, one of the most intimidating challenges available to the world of competitive Pokemon Training. From the center sprouts the Realgam Tower, an architectural wonder and home to several other challenges for Trainers, such as Battle Sims and Bingo. In the ocean to the south lies the dark and formidable Citidark Isle, once home to arguably the most dangerous criminal syndicate the world has seen. To top it all off, to the north-east of Citidark, along the coast, stands the Orre Colosseum, the birthplace of the single most elite competition in the world outside of the Battle Frontier. Needless to say, when surrounded by so many incredible landmarks, the trainers of the Orre Region are almost all intensely strong.

The Orre Region's system of government is incredibly weak. This is partly due to many of the citizens being unfortunately thuggish and unruly in nature, but mostly due to the actions of the criminal group known as Cipher. The initial rising of Cipher was a very dramatic endeavor. Before they made their real push for power, they were almost completely unknown, but succeeded in taking over two entire cities and constructing the Realgam Tower. If it hadn't been for the actions of a young man named Wes, they would have completely taken over the entire region without any trouble at all. Before Wes shut them down, however, they had already managed to severely cripple the government. Then, five years later, just as the country was recovering, Cipher rose again, completely destroying the already diminished semblance of authority the nation held over the people. Cipher was thwarted again, however, by another young man named Michael. The result was an entire country full of highly skilled trainers with muddied concepts of right and wrong, with no way of getting them under control. The people of Orre are by no means unintelligent, however, and realized very quickly that they needed some form of organization.

Many liked the idea of simply getting rid of the original system of organization entirely, so the country was broken up into several independent cities and their surrounding regions. Due to its elegance and location, the Realgam Tower was designated as a neutral, independent area of recreation, socialization, and trade, where people from the other sections could mingle anytime they wanted. That way the sections could remain separate, but still had a way of connecting with each-other. Under this system, after smoothing out a few kinks, the region flourished, soon becoming even more successful than the original country.

All good things end, however. After a long, peaceful, happy, successful era of prosperity, a wicked breeze has begun to rouse old evils...