Chapter 1

A small rowboat cut through the calm sea waters that made up Route 131. With the sun in the middle of the sky and not a cloud in sight the water seemed to sparkle as it reflected the harsh light. The pokémon that called the area home were enjoying the nice day. Several Wailmer were drifting casually not far off and every so often a water-type would leap out of the water and land with a splash. The occupants of the rowboat, however, were not enjoying the weather nearly as much.

There were three of them in the small boat, all of whom were drenched with ocean spray and the two that were actually paddling had begun sweating long before. Shirts that had once been white were plastered against their skin by the saltwater.

The first of the rowers was a large and well-muscled man. It was clear that he had gone bald as he aged despite the grey Monmouth cap he wore on his head. The man paddling beside him was smaller in size and clearly younger in age, but easily as muscular, if not more. Unlike the first, his skin was much darker from sun exposure and he wore a dark blue bandana instead of a cap. Both men rowed in silence, ignoring the third man in the boat who continued to tell his stories despite his companions paying him no attention. Being in his early sixties he was much older than his companions. With the amount of sun and work he'd seen throughout his life he looked even older, though. The long hair he kept back in a ponytail had turned grey long ago and the silver hoops through his ears had faded to a dull grey as well.

"Tha' pod of Wailmer o'er there travels through this 'ere area e'ery year, I swear. I followed 'em when I was but a lad once. Oh did my ma' e'er 'ave a fit o'er that one. She fed me nothin' but sour-tastin' berries fer a week, she did," the grey-haired man rumbled cheerfully to his companions. Using a hand to shade his eyes from the bright sun he watched the round, blue pokémon from his seat at the back of the rowboat. "Bet ya' coulda made e'en tha' taste good, Cedric."

The larger of the two rowers glanced back at his elder with a small smile, but otherwise did not respond to the compliment. A large shadow passed over the boat and blocked out the sun at that moment. All three men glanced up in time to see the light grey-blue underside of a pokémon as it soared over them to land in the water only a few meters ahead of them. It hit the water with a small splash and floated there for a moment. The pokémon used its tail as a rudder to turn around and face the small boat, and so that the person riding it could face the three in the boat.

"Oh for Arceus' sake… What do you think you're doing, Sketch?" the younger rower shouted, shooting an annoyed look at the young man sitting on the Mantine's back.

"Same as you, Sean, except faster, much more enjoyable, and none of Janek's stories," the young man shot back as his Mantine swam over so that they were alongside the small boat. He seemed quite pleased with the reaction he'd gotten from his fellow crew members.

At the young age of twenty, Sketch, as he was called, did not share much in common with his older crewmates. In comparison, he was a lot smaller with his lean build and wiry muscles, though he certainly competed with them for height standing at nearly six feet. He'd slicked his messy, light brown hair back and tied a silk bandana around his head to ensure that his hair stayed out of his eyes. Unlike his crewmates he could never have passed as a sailor, not the way he was dressed with a gold-coloured waistcoat over a black puffed-sleeve shirt. All of which had been taken from the unlucky merchant who had happened to be on the ship they'd captured only two months earlier.

The man, Sean, just shook his head and kept rowing. He listened carefully for any sign that Sketch, or more accurately his Mantine, was going to try anything else, though.

"Boy, 'ow much time do we get 'ere today?" Janek asked. Nothing Sketch said could ever ruin the older man's cheerful mood, no matter how irritating or rude it might seem to others Janek could shrug it off.

"However long Cedric and Sean take to get what they need," Sketch replied easily, sarcastically adding, "So probably all day." When he received a questioning look from Janek he answered properly. "Captain Greyson gave us two hours, but I want us heading back to the ship in about an hour."

Several small buildings came into view as they rounded a rocky pillar that stuck out from the water. There were several small boats docked in among the buildings as well. The buildings themselves floated on small rafts and were connected by floating docks. Many of the buildings were still in the process of being built, and there was no sign of any of the region's soldiers. The kingdom refused to accept the floating village as a town yet, despite the fact that the first building had been built over a decade earlier making it a fairly safe place for those considered to be criminals.

Sketch glanced over at his crewmates with a grin before looking ahead again. "Let's go, Hurricane!" he said to the Mantine.

The two sped off in the direction of Pacifidlog Town, leaving the three to follow along at a slower pace.

Twelve years earlier

Both sides of Canalave's well-known canal were bustling with people. Several ships had come into port and the merchants had set up their stalls where they could hawk their wares. Customers of various social statuses walked in among the booths, studying what was offered by each merchant. Every so often guards could be seen walking the streets and watching for crime.

A small girl only seven years of age walked among the crowds of people, clinging tightly to her father's hand. Her wide blue eyes were filled with amazement and excitement as she took in her surroundings. Not only was it her first trip to the yearly market, it was also the first time she'd been away from home.

The pair approached a small stall run by a man wearing clothes of rich purples and reds. On the makeshift table before him lay a variety of well-made, brand new Poké Balls fashioned from apricorns.

"Stay right here, Alex, I will only be a moment," the little girl's father told her, leaving her to stand on her own at the end of the table while he went to barter with the merchant.

Unsurprisingly, Alex grew bored quickly and her mind and gaze began to wander. Her gaze quickly landed on a small brown pokémon with big ears and a fluffy tail. She almost squealed in excitement and began walking away from the booth where her father was. She followed the pokémon through the crowds though she quickly lost sight of it and stopped. Despite not wandering very far, she had managed to completely lose sight of her father and had no idea where she was. At the moment though, what she cared about were all the amazing booths around her.

Alex caught sight of a stall off to the side with a table that had various round objects on it. Curious, she walked over to the table, not noticing that there were less people in this section of the market. Now that she was closer to the table, she saw that the round objects were all sorts of pokémon eggs. The closest egg to her happened to be small, light brown, and covered in tan specks. Like most children, she couldn't help but reach out and pick it up

A rough hand gripped her long black hair and pulled her back from the table. "Don't touch those," an angry voice snapped. The other hand belonging to the person reached out and ripped the egg from her grasp.

Alex shrieked with pain, and then again with fear when she looked up and saw the large man standing over her. A large scar ran down his tanned cheek, mangling the right side of his face. To her young mind, the man was like some horrible thug or pirate from one of her mother's stories.

The man's hand fell away from her hair as he himself was ripped away from the ground and lifted into the air. A few meters away stood what appeared to be a plant, except with eyes and a mouth. Vines had sprouted from its body and wrapped around the man, lifting him straight up and away from the little girl.

Alex ran to her father, who stood beside his Carnivine and glared up at the man who had harmed his daughter. He took a moment to hug and comfort his daughter, who had started crying, before ordering the pokémon to drop the man. He fell through the air a short ways to land on the hard ground. The egg he'd previously been holding fell from his grip and was caught by one of Carnivine's vines before it could hit the ground.

"I should have you arrested," Alex's father threatened, fairly certain that not only was the man a criminal but that the eggs on the table had not been acquired legally.

"No, no, it's just a misunderstanding!" the man said, panicking. "Keep the egg! A gift." He'd picked himself up and backed towards the table.

"Get out of here. If I ever see you again I'll be sure to turn you in myself," her father threatened. In truth, there was a very slim chance he would be able to get the man arrested. The guards were far too busy with more serious crime in and around the market to deal with this.

Alex watched as her father collected the egg and recalled his pokémon. Together, the two of them left the market area, the little girl clinging tighter than ever before to her father's hand.

When they were farther away from the crowds, her father stopped and kneeled down in front of her. "I want you to take this," he told her, handing her the brown speckled egg. "If you protect it from all the bad people in the world, one day the pokémon inside of this egg will be able to protect you."

Three years earlier

"Are you sure about this, Alexandra?"

Alex sighed slightly and looked her mother in the eyes. "Yes," she stated simply. She turned back around in her chair and waited for the sound of the scissors.

It took a moment longer for Alex's mother to finally make up her mind. She lifted the black braid that fell halfway down Alex's back and began cutting the base of it with the old scissors until the mass of hair fell away. Her head was left feeling much lighter without the long hair weighing it down.

Several minutes passed as her mother began cutting what remained of Alex's hair. It wasn't until the young girl's hair was half an inch in length that she stopped. When Alex turned around, there were tears in her mother's eyes. They'd disagreed and fought for several weeks over the girl's decision. The older woman was devastated with her daughter's choice, but after a while she'd realized that it was pointless to argue with the headstrong girl. She would do as she wanted, whether her mother agreed or not.

Nine years ago her husband, Alex's father, had been called to duty. As a registered trainer he'd been assigned to a protection detail aboard a ship. One year passed where they heard from him every few weeks. A pokémon would stop at their house and drop a letter before taking off again. Then there was nothing. No one would tell them what had happened or where he was. They couldn't even tell them if he was alive.

And now? Her daughter was about to go off and become a trainer like her father. In her mind, it was as though she'd lost both of them.

A small brownish-orange pokémon stood to the side, his over-sized head cocked to the side as he watched the pair with curious eyes. He didn't fully understand what was going on, but it was clear that he recognized the sadness both felt.

"I will come back," Alex reassured her mother, "But I have to do this."

"You can never tell anyone the truth," Alex's mother reminded her once more, desperately hoping the young girl would change her mind.

Alex nodded, growing frustrated with her mother. Alex was fully aware that women weren't allowed to become trainers. They could own pokémon as a means of protection or for their work, but actually going out specifically to train pokémon was illegal. Alex was fully aware of this information, and she was also aware that the tournaments that she would eventually be attempting to enter were off limits to women. Despite all this, Alex was set on becoming a trainer, of following in her father's footsteps.

Over all the years she still remembered that last day she'd had with her father and his words rang in her ears as she looked at her one pokémon. The Trapinch that had hatched from the egg many years earlier was the only thing she really had left of her father. The thought saddened her, yet it was also part of what fueled her dream.

"I love you, Mama," Alex told her mother, wrapping her arms around her one last time.

"Be careful," her mother told her as they parted. Tears stained her cheeks as she watched her daughter walk to the door.

"Come on, Saheer," Alex called to her pokémon, already partway out the door. The small pokémon hurried to her side as the two set out on what Alex hoped would be a successful adventure.

Twenty two days earlier

Three years into her journey and Alex had only just visited Canalave City. In truth, she'd been avoiding it. She hadn't been ready to see the city where her last memory of her father had taken place, but she no longer had much choice. She was close to qualifying for the upcoming tournament. All she had left was to prove her power in the port city.

It was easy enough to do so. What she wasn't expecting, though, was for someone to discover her secret.

She'd battled and won, proving she was ready to truly compete. In order to waste time until the Guardians decided whether or not she qualified she'd gone to the city's archives. It was truly an amazing place. The walls were lined with artifacts, maps, and various ancient pieces of art and throughout the entire building were shelves upon shelves of books containing the history of the region.

She'd been studying an ancient map that had been marked with drawings of what appeared to be sea monsters and treasure chests when three guards entered the building. They spotted her easily and walked across the room straight for her.

"Alex Ross, you are under arrest for deceiving the Crown and breaking the laws prohibiting women from becoming trainers," the nearest guard stated when he was only a few feet away. He stopped before her and the other two guards moved to stand on either side of her.

Before the words were even out of his mouth her entire body had become tense with fear. She'd slipped up. Someone had realized she wasn't what she said she was. It didn't seem possible, but the guards before her made it clear enough. She knew what this meant. Her pokémon would be taken from her, the ones she had sworn to protect, and she would likely be tossed in a cell to rot.

The only problem was that she wasn't about to let that happen. She grabbed one of her Poké Balls off her belt and opened it with a brief flash of light. The pokémon that materialized before them was white with two ice crystals sprouting from her head and a red band around her waist. She floated nearly two feet off the ground so that her head was level with the guards.

Alex shoved past the guard in front of her and ran for the door knowing her Froslass would be able to find her. As she ran, she could feel the temperature in the building drop and heard sounds of horror coming from the guards as they were enveloped by an illusion.

The door was just closing behind her when she collided with a blond-haired boy. He stumbled backwards and looked up at her in surprise. The look in his eyes when he met her gaze was enough to say she'd managed to scare him.

Without bothering to apologize, she took off down the road towards the docks. The air beside her seemed to drop in temperature as her Froslass appeared at her side. Somewhere far behind them she could hear the guards shouting. Several ships came into view ahead of them as they neared the dockyard. She knew she needed to disappear for a while, and her best option seemed to be on a ship. Maybe when people forgot about her she'd be able to return, and until then she would go elsewhere and continue her training.

One of the ships was just being loaded. Several Machamp and Machoke were carrying large crates and barrels aboard a merchant ship and several people were hurrying about trying to get things in order.

"Good job, Frost," she told her pokémon before returning it to the Poké Ball before they'd be noticed.

As she neared the crates she slowed down, trying to avoid drawing attention to herself. She hid behind one of the crates until the pokémon boarded the ship once more. When she was sure no one was looking she pried the lid off of the crate she was beside and pulled herself up and into the crate. She pulled the lid back over until it was as close to the way it was before and lay back. She'd chosen a crate full of apricorns and so her hiding place wasn't entirely comfortable.

Alex felt the crate move after several minutes of waiting. Someone outside, likely one of the pokémon, readjusted the lid and began carrying it across and onto the merchant ship. She let out a quiet sigh of relief when she felt the box become stationary.

Now aboard the ship, she let the tears fall. She'd really screwed things up. Not only was she wanted in Sinnoh, but now she was on a ship with no idea where she was going.

Present

Several weeks had passed, though Alex had no idea of how many. Alex had been hiding in the ship's hold the entire time, and was beginning to feel like she'd never see the sun again. Every so often someone would come down to grab something or to check on the condition of the containers. In the past few days it seemed that the number of people coming down had increased which worried her. If they were becoming suspicious of her presence she could be in trouble.

Alex was in the middle of digging through a barrel full of preserved berries when she heard the sound of feet on the stairs leading down into the hold. She jumped back and ran to hide, but it was too late. The person coming down the steps had seen her already and called out for help.

Upon seeing the three large men storming down the stairs each with a Poké Ball in their grip, she re-thought her idea of grabbing one of her Poké Balls. With nowhere to go and being outnumbered she realized that she would have to do this peacefully. She knew it was the safest idea, but she didn't like it.

Moving slowly, she stepped out into the open. Two of the large men moved to either side of her and grabbed her by the arms. They all but lifted her as they took her up to the deck of the ship. The bright sunlight above deck temporarily blinded her, and it took much longer than it normally would have for her eyes to adjust. Even then the light seemed much too bright. The man who had been the first to spot her ran off to find the ship's captain, returning a moment later with another large man.

"We found this stowaway in the hold, sir," the man to her right informed the newcomer.

The large man who was clearly their captain studied her briefly with a cold expression. "He looks a bit scrawny to be of any use to us. Toss him over board," the captain ordered before turning and walking away.

Alex was momentarily offended at the slight, but had more to worry about as the large men hauled her to the ship deck's railing. They lifted her by her arms despite her weak struggle and threw her over the side of the ship.

The water below was cold as she fell in with a splash and went under momentarily. She kicked her way to the surface and watched as the ship sailed away from her, ultimately leaving her there to die. Looking around there didn't appear to be anything else in sight besides open water. It seemed they'd quite literally just dumped her in the middle of the ocean.

We got to learn quite a bit about Alex this chapter and not overly much about Sketch or the crew (or Captain Greyson). I don't think I've ever written a chapter quite like this before with so much stuff from the past, so it was kind of a new/fun experience. I haven't decided when I'm going to properly introduce the third protagonist. Also, just a quick note about Sketch, it is a nickname. ^-^
Reviews always appreciated!
I had initially placed a form here to submit OCs; however, I've chosen to remove it. I'll still allow for the submission of OCs if people really want to see their characters pop up in here, but you'll have to message me to get the form and guidelines.