Hey everyone. It's been a while, sorry for the delay. I hope you're having a marvelous summer. Anyway, on to Chapter 3. This is an important chapter.

I'll see you at the bottom!

Maverick's Sinnoh Adventure
Arc 1: The Roar of Time & The Spacial Rend

Chapter 3: A Scarring Sight

The moon was brightly lit on the late evening in Sinnoh, providing light to the travelers as they braved on through the region. The wild Pokémon were quiet tonight, having taken refuge in their warm homes, sleeping. It was dark, and Maverick had to break it to himself no matter how hard he tried.

He couldn't sleep.

He kept recounting what happened earlier in the day, how his parents surprised him with the idea of going on a journey, and the fact that tomorrow, he'll be getting his very own Pokémon. That made him feel nervously excited. The young boy's face scrunched as he grumbled dejectedly, his voice carrying the tone of boredom.

"Mgh… Ah! I can't sleep…" he sighed to himself, with his eyebrows drooping in disdain. He frowned as the thought of tomorrow found its way back in his head. Not that he wasn't glad, but he was tired and wanted to at least get some shuteye, but his excitement prevented that action. He crossed his arms as he began to think about what he can possibly do at this late hour. If sleeping was no good, then why try?

The moon's light bled through the window, illuminating the bare white walls of his room. It brought on a sense of calming into his body…

Maybe he shouldn't get so worked up over sleep, he thought. It won't do him good in the morning, after all. Maverick slowly shuffled out of his blue bedsheets and sauntered over to the window, increasing his field of view. Just beyond Twinleaf Town, facing Mt. Coronet, he saw a wide expansive blanket of bushy tall trees, sandy patches and an ocean extending as far as the eye can see. Just in front of him, the light of the moon revealed a beautiful display of dark blue on silvery white. The night sky had stars dotted along the surface, twinkling ever so slightly. Twinleaf's golden glow from the houses illuminated the ground below, all leading up to Route 201 gateway- the place where start of their journey will begin.

"Two days from now," he spoke quietly, almost a whisper. "That's where I'll have to go. The three of us, along with our Pokémon…"

His breath got caught as he felt a small twang of sadness develop in his heart. He'll be leaving his family in just a short while, he realized. Was he ready to take on such an almost intimidating challenge? He boasted about how he wanted to do what Ash did, being a Trainer and all; but he couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive about this whole thing. A brow rose to show his confusion, and he stared at the moon, as if asking for answers.

"I wonder how it'll feel like? Being out on the road almost every day. Sleeping under a blanket of stars…"

The moon gave him a warm glow in response. Despite its inviting warmth, the boy continued to ponder what task lied before him. He heard a slight fluttering sound, causing him to look up. A few Starly and Staraptor glided in the air, darkened by the glow of the moon. The dark didn't seem to bother them in the slightest…

"The dark," he voiced. "and they're just flying through it…"

This suddenly made Maverick realize that there may be some challenges to be faced. He watched as the birds crossed over the bright moon, illuminating their figure.

Maverick shook his head of the thoughts and cracked a smile. "Nah, I'm just thinking too much. Of course, we'll all be OK! We'll grow strong together. Nothing can stand in our way to bring us down…at least, I hope."

His smile faded a little as his eyes grew a little heavy. "…Tomorrow is a big day. I do need to sleep. Maybe a bedtime snack might help." He stepped away from the window and stretched, throwing his arms up. He inched forward and made his way to the door, making doubly sure not to step on Alex (whose body was skewed every which way). He opened the door slowly, and felt the cool air wash over his body. He shivered in content a little, remembering how hot it was previously.

The teen stepped into the hallway, crossed over the stairs, and soon found himself in the kitchen. Maverick turned on the light and cringed at the sudden change of lighting. After recollecting himself, and shaking his head, he began to rummage through the cupboards and pantry, bringing out a cup, sugar and cookies. He then opened the fridge and got the milk. He prepared his snack, pouring milk into the cup, applying sugar and taking a few cookies, and stirring.

There, it was done. A yummy, yet tiresome snack. He smiled at his handiwork.

"Maverick? Is that you down there?"

He turned at the quiet sound of footsteps, and saw that his mother called out to him. He yawned and nodded. "Yeah- ahhh…" He rubbed tears from his eye. Kimberly made her way down and walked into the kitchen.

"Why are you down here this late at night, honey? It's almost midnight. I thought Rika was down here…" Her tone suggested she was tired, that thought solidified when she yawned and rubbed her eye a little. Maverick nodded and grabbed a cookie.

"I couldn't sleep, mom. So, I thought a snack might help." he answered. She walked over and took a few cookies for herself.

"That happens," she smiled at her son. Maverick took a sip of his milk and smiled back, wearing a milk mustache. Kimberly giggled. "Your face…"

"Uh, what about it?" he asked with genuine confusion.

"Here." She grabbed a napkin and wiped off his manly feature. Kimberly gave her son a knowing look while she did so. "I…actually couldn't sleep myself."

This piqued Maverick's attention. "Why not, mom?" he asked. She threw the napkin away and gave her son a sigh.

"Well, it looks like you'll be leaving home soon. You're going to be leaving me with just your father at home, right?"

"Oh. That's what it looks like…" he sighed. That twang of sadness crept back up for another round. He slumped a little in his chair when the breath escaped his body. "I just don't think I'm ready to go so soon."

"Haha, nonsense." The woman said with a small laugh. "I know you're more than ready for what's ahead. With your progress from Trainer's School, and your expressiveness of going on a journey for so long, I know you can do it."

Maverick perked up a bit. "You think so, mom?"

She nodded. "Definitely. You'll do just fine."

His predicament gave her an idea. "You know…" she began, shifting in her spot a little. "I was in your shoes once."

"Really…?"

"Mmhm. As you know, I used to be a Pokémon Coordinator. Like you, I was apprehensive about pursuing my career choice. I trained with my Pokémon, teaching them all sorts of moves, and we tried bunches of combinations. Before we knew it, we found ourselves in the Jubilife Contest Hall. We put all our experiences to the test, and I found myself walking away with the Jubilife Ribbon. Since then, I knew I had what it takes to become a Coordinator. I suffered some losses to my great friend Beverly, but I never gave up. Eventually, her and I made it to the finals of the Grand Festival. We gave it everything we had. It was super close, but I managed to win the 20th Grand Festival. I went on to becoming a Top Coordinator and entering the Advanced Coordination League.

"What I'm trying to say is, it's normal to feel a little reluctant to accept the fact you'll be leaving, but you can't let that serve as a roadblock to becoming something great. The road may be hard, but you have to find the courage to trek it." She then poked a finger at Maverick's chest, particularly where his heart was. "When traveling, you'll experience different types of people with different types of motives for their journeying. Some will come from a good place…and others, not so much. You may face great challenges, but those challenges are there to build you up, not break you down."

Kimberly considered Maverick's eyes so she can give her message across. Maverick stared back and saw that her eyes held many emotions. Fear, worry, happiness, being proud. He knew what she was going to say next came directly from the heart. Her voice was shaky.

"You have to remember to never give up until it's over. Maverick, please, when you go on your journey with Rika and Alex, please remember to be safe, OK? Do your best, and remember to make memories with your friends and Pokémon. Please, train hard, and make me proud!" She then leaned forward and gave him the sincerest hug she could muster. The teen felt small teardrops on his back. Maverick understood, and nodded slightly. He closed his arms around his mother and shut his eyes. He felt his mother's embrace and remembered it.

He was going to miss this dearly…

"Yeah…" Maverick said quietly. "I'll do just that. Thank you, mom." She let go of him slowly and Maverick saw that her face was wet. She had meant every word she had said.

"Ok..." She wiped her face a little with her arm and sniffled. The largest smile suddenly brightened her up when she saw that her boy was smiling back at her. "Are you feeling better now, honey?"

Maverick nodded.

She giggled softly. "Alright, my little Pokémon Master. It's midnight now. Get to bed so you can meet your Pokémon tomorrow! You don't want to be tired when that happens, yeah?"

"Right, mom. Goodnight!" He quickly downed his milk and ate his cookies. Before heading up the stairs, he gave his mom one last hug, and parted ways for the night.

A scream made his eyes dart open.

He jerked his body up from his laid position on the floor, the sudden motion giving his once resting body much discomfort. His back screamed at him for causing it pain, but he ignored it, and tried to get his bearings straight. He blinked his eyes a couple times, trying to get his sight to focus. When it did, he looked up, and looked around. All around him, was black. It was an eerie dark backdrop, only making the teen confused at his surroundings.

This wasn't his room…

"Where…am I?" he asked slowly, as if he was expecting an answer.

He picked himself up from the dark floor and dusted himself off. It was then that he noticed that he was wearing his new clothes he received from his birthday. The black and green jacket, and dark blue jeans. Only this time, he found himself to be wearing a grey shirt underneath, with a black neckline. He didn't pay much mind to his clothing; he was more concerned about that scream he heard.

"Hello…?" he called quietly, a hand to his mouth to project his voice louder. His brow scrunched a little when he heard his voice echo all around him in response. "Who made that scream?" he asked.

'Weird…'

He began to walk aimlessly, his field of view nothing but the color black. His steps echoed around him, only making the boy feel a bit uneasy. His arms crossed as his face began show signs of his confusion. The darkness only appeared to be getting darker as he made his way to whatever destination he didn't have planned.

"Where the heck am I? This is strange…" He didn't get it. Was he still sleeping or was he really…?

There was a muffled noise behind him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hello?" he asked this time, only more certain. Okay, so there is something here. But what? Maverick turned at the sound and kept his gaze at the dreary abyss. He uncrossed his arms and stood a little edgy. "Who's there…? I'm kind of lost…"

The response he got was in the form of fast skittering. The hurried steps made the boy dart his head left and right, trying to find the source. "Where are...!?"

A flash of white and red blew past him and continued to run. "W-woah!"

The sudden flash made him trip over his steps when he stumbled backwards. His hands scrambled to regain his ground. He was breathing quickly, his heart practically leaped a few miles at the scare. He then furrowed his brow. "Okay! Who's there!?" he demanded.

"…Zang."

His eyes instantly bugged out as he leaped out of his skin at the sound. As soon as Maverick calmed down enough, he slowly turned around to the sight of a white creature with a strange red marking across his face. The creature's eyes were narrowed, its fangs bared. It did not look happy.

"W-w-w-wha-!"

"Where do you think you're going?!" a voice said. Maverick took his eyes off the strange creature and looked up, backing away slowly as he did so. The creature only took this chance to inch forward on all fours. He kept moving away from the thing until he felt something press against his back. Maverick tensed and quickly turned around once again.

'Is this…a tree?' he asked in his head. 'What's a tree doing in the middle of nowhere? And who was that?'

The white creature now had him cornered. It then stood up on its hind legs, and Maverick soon realized it was somewhat humanoid. He didn't miss the giant, razor sharp claw it had either.

"You have the audacity to try to run away. How foolish can you get?" the voice spat. Maverick tried to discern the voice that was being spoken to him. It was rough, unhappy, and intense? That's extreme, but that's the most Maverick could infer. "Now, before I get angrier than I already am, I highly suggest you hand over those Pokémon."

This made Maverick rise a brow in confusion. He put a hand to his side, finding nothing but an open palm looking back at him. Aside from the angry creature in front of him, Maverick couldn't notice any Pokémon in sight. 'What Pokémon? I don't have any Pokémon with me,' he answered back thoughtfully. The creature in front of him only stepped in closer when he wasn't complying.

"You never listen, even after all these months. I'm getting sick of you… Zangoose! Use-!"

"Leave these Pokémon alone!" a loud voice adjacent of Maverick suddenly yelled out, cutting off the stranger. Maverick snapped at the source as the darkness around him exploded into a lush, green forest. Sunlight broke through the canopy, finally bringing light to the boy's eye. He was located just off a dirt path, with his back pressed against a wide tree. There were many trees situated next to each other, creating somewhat of a blockade. He looked to the front of him, only to find that the white creature wasn't ahead of him at all. To the right, a little girl wearing what looked to be a blue dress was clutching to two small Pokémon, with the white creature staring her down. She was crying, and she was slowly moving away from the white creature fearfully. Maverick soon realized that he was off to the side, not getting attacked, but observing something instead.

"You really are a pain. Time and time again, you get it in my way, and then when it's your turn, you still are bein' a hard ass. Even in the face of danger, you still dare to defy…" the voice Maverick heard earlier spoke up. Just ahead of the Pokémon that Maverick assumed was Zangoose, a man stood vigilant, with arms crossed and a glare etched on his face. A van was placed behind him, with an open door leading to the back. It seemed awfully high tech. "In that case, Zangoose, get that brat!"

The young girl's eyes grew wide with fear as she quickly scrambled away from it. The gold and brown Pokémon in her arms trying to conceal themselves with their limbs and body, curling up into a ball if they had to. The little girl soon found herself dashing up the beaten path, her heart racing. The Zangoose lunged after her hurriedly, quickly gaining ground. Its claws made tracks, clearly defining how sharp they are. The girl looked back and screamed when she saw how close Zangoose was to her. Her looking back caused her to trip over a root sticking out of the ground. She slid and tumbled, her blue flower patterned dress dirtying with every flip. The Pocket Monsters in her arms jumped out as the Zangoose grabbed hold of her. She screamed and cried as the Cat Ferret Pokémon picked her up, her legs were kicking as she tried to break free.

Maverick screamed out and got up from his position, his face written in fury. 'This man's a bad guy!'

The man smirked. He pulled out a Pokéball, and stepped forward. "Good job, Zangoose. Pangoro, get that scum from him while Zangoose gets the two," he commanded as a white and black Pokémon appeared. It was huge, and it looked rough, as if it has seen better days. It gave off an intimidating complexion, which seemed to fit its behavior. The massive Pokémon walked forward quickly, silencing the once screaming girl. She looked up fearfully as he stared down at her. She breathed in sharply as she looked in its eyes.

"Re…"

"V-vie."

"No…" she started. The Zangoose loosed his grip as he handed her off to his comrade. The Pangoro grabbed her and propped her underneath its arm when the Zangoose dashed forward to grab her Pokémon. "Nononono! Riolu, Eevee! Get out of here quick! Run!" she cried as tears streamed down her face. Maverick was inclined to go running to the girl, but he hesitated. He didn't know what was going on, but he did know he had to help her. Except, he couldn't. His legs stayed glued to the spot, shaking. His breathing was fast paced, and his eyes were wide with fear. He was frozen.

'I…I have to help her! What's going on?! I can't move!'

The man walked forward with a missile looking device in his hands this time. It was now that Maverick was really able to get a good look at him. Black, long sleeved shirt, navy pants, and combat boots. A goatee was present on his face, and his eyes were narrowed. He smirked. "I told you I'll be taking these Pokémon. It's about time that you find yourself stuck, unable to do anything. And I like that, you're vulnerable. Heh. It's almost sad, but I'll be doing it anyway. It pays good money."

"Agh! You…monster." the girl said, an eyelid closed. She kicked harder, but the Pangoro held a strong grip. "I don't know why you want them so much!"

The Riolu and Eevee ran a few meters ahead before the Zangoose caught up to them. The Riolu stopped, and held Eevee back.

"Lu…!" it barked fearfully, with its hand raised. The Zangoose slowed to a crawl and looked as if it tried to stifle a laugh. Before the Riolu could react, the Zangoose swiped his hand and managed to snatch them both up. The two yelped as they were taken, and cried out when they were squeezed harshly. The Zangoose's claws were threatening to rip them both to shreds.

"Shut your mouth. I don't wanna hear another squeak from you. Your Riolu is quite interesting, actually. Rare, even. That's why I'm after it. My superior doesn't exactly like taking 'empty handed' for an answer. Zangoose! Bring them over so I can tie 'em up."

"Zang." Complying with the order, the Ferret walked over to the man. The older male cocked the missile like device and fired when the Zangoose dropped them. A white-ish blue net captured the Riolu and dug into its body, and it screamed in immense pain. The girl cried as she saw what was happening to her Pokémon. The Eevee backed away as the man approached it.

"L-Lu! Rio!" Riolu called out as it squirmed. It was worried for the poor Eevee.

"Hm, I swear this'll only hurt a little," he laughed as he fired a brown net at the foxlike Pokémon. The net wrapped itself around the Eevee and dug into its body. The Eevee cried out and fainted on the spot. Maverick's eyes went wide and his hands clenched.

'Gah!' Maverick thought to himself. 'What can I do? They're getting taken! My stupid body can't...move!'

"No! Eevee! Riolu!"

The poacher grabbed to two Pokémon off the ground and walked to his van, and threw them inside. Riolu yelped when his head slammed against the back of the truck. The blow was harsh, and it ended up knocking him down for the count. The little girl struggled to get out of Pangoro's arms but to no avail. She fought and screamed for help, but her cries fell on deaf ears.

"Finally got those two," he muttered as he shut the back door. He turned and smirked triumphantly as the girl cried harder, yelling to give them back. "Face it! They're mine now. There's no way you can get out no matter how hard you try. You've been a nuisance to me for a while now, I'm glad to have finally put you in your place."

The girl held a fearful gaze at the man. "You…" she said quietly. She seemed to have calmed when she realized there really was nothing she can do. Her limbs dropped defeatedly and her cries ceased.

"S'about damn time you stopped, Arceus." The poacher walked up to them and sneered. "Pangoro, hold her steady."

The Pokémon immediately followed its order. It switched its grip on the girl, holding her arms and making her look forward at his master. The girl squirmed as the pressure on her arms increased. The poacher stopped in his tracks.

"Listen to me," he demanded. "I'm taking your Pokémon for good reason. When the boss heard of your intervening and I saw those two Pokémon, I knew I had to take 'em. You remember that time, yeah?"

She nodded.

"You helped her out. Unfortunately, a month ago…hehe."

She started shaking. "N-no, you didn't…"

"But I did! She had nobody to help her! Now, look around you! Nobody is here to help you in the slightest." He motioned his hands all around the two. True to his word, there was nobody here. They were quite away from the next town over. Nobody could hear the girl out here.

Maverick gritted his teeth. He was rooted at his spot. He was the only one out here that can actually do something. '...I can't protect her.'

"Haha," the man continued. "I almost feel sorry for you." The man lost his smirk and a scowl appeared on his face. "Step in my way again and you'll be sorry. To ensure you don't do anything reckless when I'm done here," he motioned towards his Zangoose and threw his hand out.

"Crush Claw! Attack her directly!" he ordered. The Zangoose was more than happy to carry it out. It smirked and sped towards the girl. Its black claw grew dark red and elongated, becoming sharper with every step the Zangoose made.

Maverick tensed as it moved closer. 'He can't be serious! That'll…'

"Zanngoose!" it cried, swiping its arm forward. The arm moved swiftly…

And slashed her directly in the face, ripping it.

The girl flew through the air, leaving the Panda's grip, blood flying out, before landing harshly on the ground. She did not move.

"Hahaha! Excellent!" The man laughed. "Return you two! I feel that boss will be happy with today's results," the male said. The two Pokémon returned and the man walked back to the van, his boots making tracks on the dirt below. He pulled up his arm and spoke, activating something.

"Incoming. J, they're secured, and the girl has been dealt with. I'll be returning to base momentarily," he spoke sinisterly into his watch as he hopped in. Maverick watched silently as he drove off, leaving the bloody girl behind. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Did that just really happen?

Life found its way back into his legs, and he instantly burst from his spot. He dashed over to the unconscious girl, his heart racing with every step. He slowed when he approached her and he took a gander at the damage. It wasn't a pretty sight.

The young girl's dress was wrinkled and littered with dirt and mud. It was torn, exposing some skin underneath. Her brown and gold hair was skewed messily around her face this time, the tumbling from earlier undoing her braids. And her face…

Maverick shied away from the sight. That's when everything around him disappeared into dark nothingness. The girl moaned a little, before she disappeared as well.

'I couldn't do anything. She…'

"…She…she…"

"She what?"

"She…I couldn't…"

"Spit it out…"

"She…she- "

"Arceus, WAKE UP!" Alex yelled, shaking Maverick awake. The scream made his eyes dart open. Maverick instantly shot up from his bed and smacked Alex on the forehead with his very own. The blow made Alex stumble back while Maverick clutched his head in pain.

What a way to wake up.

"Dammit!"

"Ow ow ow…" Alex moaned. He pitched an eye open, looking at his friend who was now lying on his back with his hands to his face. Maverick almost never cursed. "Mav, what happened?" he asked.

"Arceus, my head." Maverick whined. He ignored Alex's question and closed his eyes. Aside from the pounding headache, all Maverick could think about was what happened. The girl, her Pokémon, the Zangoose, and that man. Who was that girl? Why did he have that dream? Who was that man? Why did that man hurt her the way he did? It all happened so fast.

He opened an eye and saw that he was finally in a safe place. His room. It was finally brightened up from the sun.

Today was the day he'll be receiving his Starter Pokémon. He'll be starting his journey tomorrow morning.

.

.

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To be continued.

Thank you, guys, for reading. This chapter was quite the doozy to write, but I had tons of fun. That girl and that poacher were actually characters that my friend LovingGinger30 created. We talked for a long time, developing the two of them, and eventually created a subplot that'll tie into the main storyline later down the road. Not much info was revealed about the girl other than her interesting Riolu and Eevee. But, for the Poacher, and his superior...well, more information will be revealed at a later date.

So, the time finally came for Maverick and co. to receive their Starters. Who do you think they'll choose? The answer is to come next chapter.

Thank you to Ryu Taylor the Ferret for leaving your thoughts last chapter. Be sure to review to tell me your thoughts on this one! Sorry it took so long to upload. I wanted to make sure everything was as quality as it could be. So please, your response'll mean the world to me. Tell me how I did on this one!

Be sure to Live Long and Shine On, until next update!

~XDiamondX90