Disclaimer: Except for Ellen, who is my OC, Pokémon is by Satoshi Tajiri.

Pokémon X.D.: Black Dive

Stone and cement hold together an ancient coliseum located in the desert. Down below the spectator seats were two men and their Pokémon. In the left corner was a Salamence; to the right was a Metagross.

Commanding the Salamence was a boy in his early teenage years with spiky red hair and sea foam green eyes. On his head was a dark blue headband holding some bangs back, he wore a yellow sleeveless shirt under a black shirt with red stripes on the sleeves, blue jeans, and black boots. He was facing his opponent: a man with brown hair, a blue shirt, black pants, and similarly colored shoes.

'Okay,' the red-haired boy thought. 'That Metagross, according to Mom, is Steel-type and Psychic-type. I've got a Salamence, but that's a Dragon-type and a Flying-type. Some of these simulations don't technically help me out.'

'I could go with a move like Dragon Claw, but that won't do very much now, would it?' he asked himself as he suddenly felt like he began seeing in hexagons. 'Metagross can also learn Ice-type moves, which really gives me a tough time.'

'Hang on! I remember now! Salamence can learn a Ground-type attack! And that attack is-!' he realized. "Salamence, Earthquake! Let's go!" the boy instructed.

The dragon roared as it reared back. It slammed its forepaws onto the ground, causing a fissure to rattle the coliseum. The ground broke apart above Metagross, catching it in the earthquake and damaging it.

"Sludge Bomb!" the opposing trainer commanded after Metagross righted itself and the ground reverted to normal. Generating a purple brown ball of toxic goo near its mouth, the Iron Leg fired the bomb at Salamence. It hit and slimed the Dragon Pokémon's head.

"Shake it off and use Earthquake one more time," the redhead told him.

Salamence did so, getting the goo off of its face. Rearing up one more time, it slammed down on the ground, causing another earthquake and knocking out Metagross.

The coliseum promptly faded to black as both Pokémon and the opposing trainer vanished, revealing them to be holograms. Cybernetic blue lines crawled across the fading coliseum as the red head closed his eyes.

It was merely a successful simulation.


Within a research lab filled with many different rooms for laboratory use, a man wearing a headset watched the red haired boy from in front of a computer screen as the Salamance knocked out the opposing Metagross. Next to him was an Eevee that was also watching the fight, smiling excitedly upon seeing its trainer score another win.

This is the Pokémon HQ Lab situated in the Orre region. This place was built in response to the Shadow Incident that took place five years ago. Studies include new methods of purifying Shadow Pokémon, discoveries of new moves Shadow Pokémon may know, and even the concept of how to artificially lock a Pokémon's heart is studied here.

"Ee-vee!" the Eevee cheered happily as it jumped for joy.

"All right, Joshua. This will do for today!" the man told him through the headset.

Going over to a computer, he quickly typed a command into it. Lights swirled around the currently zoned out red-haired boy, bringing him back to reality. The boy, Joshua, blinked his eyes a few times to get used to the change in reality.

"Yes, sir! That was a well-played battle!" the assistant noted proudly. "Joshua, your battle skills have improved by an amazing amount."

"Thank you kindly," Joshua replied.

"I mean, it was impressive the way you handled that big Pokémon with aplomb," he continued. "You took command of it as if it were the same as your Eevee."

"Vee!" Eevee called out as it jumped into Joshua's arms. It proceeded to lick his cheek happily.

"Speaking of which..." the assistant began in an amused tone.

"Eevee, stop! I'm ticklish there," Joshua told it in between a small chuckle.

"Don't you think it's time you considered raising other Pokémon than your Eevee?" he asked, causing Eevee to stop licking him and the two to look at each other.

"Vee?" Eevee asked him.

"I'll think about it," he muttered under his breath.


In stepped Joshua, his Eevee now out of his arms and walking beside him, into a receptionist office with a bookshelf behind a white desk. Behind the desk was a male scientist with brown hair and glasses. Under his lab coat was a yellow-green shirt and black pants, while he wore brown shoes on his feet.

Beside him was a woman with long brown hair tied in a bun by a pink headband and forest green eyes. She wore a short pink dress that befitted a secretary and black slip on flats. Josh, however, wasn't aware that he was meeting them until he heard: "Hi, Joshua. Have you finished training?"

"Y-yes," Joshua told the man as he was brought back to reality.

"Joshua, this is the director's office," the woman told him. "Did you want to pay a visit to Professor Krane?"

"N-no, I-!" the younger boy began nervously, but was stopped by a chuckle. He looked down, but soon heard that the man, Professor Krane, was chuckling at the woman, Lily, for being so formal around her son. "Sorry. Zoned out."

"Relax," the Professor assured him as he looked back at them. "Oh, yes. I've heard the Battle Coach singing high praise about you, Josh. I've heard that your battling skills have improved dramatically recently. That's outstanding. I sure don't think I'd stand much of a chance against you."

"I wish everyone wouldn't drown them with such gushing praise all the time," Lily said. "My son and daughter will become spoiled rotten. And, please, call him by his full name."

Krane countered by saying that he and Jovi were both wonderful kids. The redhead gave a small, nervous smile at this. If his mother loosened up a little, she'd see that the praise actually helped him with some of his confidence issues instead of pamper an ego he would've developed a long time ago.

"By the way," Lily began. "I don't think I've seen Jovi since lunchtime."

She turned to her son. "Joshua, I hate to bother you, but could you go find Jovi for me?" she requested. "I think you already know, but several research phases are in their critical phases in this lab. That's why your mother can't afford to..."

"I'll find her," he agreed.

"Thank you," she thanked with a smile. "I'm counting on you. I don't think she could've wandered off far, but just in case, check outside, too."

"Oh, yes," Krane realized. "I left a PDA in your room, Josh. Go check it out."

"I will!" Josh said as he went out the door in search of his sister.