Author's Note: Hey guys FireFoxDriver here once again. I know it's been a bit since I posted chapter 1 but that tends to be the case for most SYOC stories due to us Authors having to respond to OC submissions. Well, I'm finally done with the first wave of submissions and I'm really happy with the submitted cast so far. That doesn't mean I'm no longer accepting OCs I'm still accepting them as of right now in fact I'm excited to see more creativity from all of you so keep the OCs coming!
What that being said I'll just list the accepted OCs so far.
Kofi Murasaki created by Rowlets and Oshawotts - Will be introduced in chapter 3.
Sylvie Renaud created by FourHeavenlyKings - Will be introduced in chapter 2. Oh and guys if you do want to leave a review please be sure to let me know your thoughts on Sylvie I'm sure FourHeavenlyKings would love to know your opinion.
Axel Caelestis created by HumanWiki - TBD when introduced but I want him to have his own solo chapter.
Naegi created by electriuser - TBD when introduced.
Eddie created by Alphawolf2196 - TBD when introduced
Remi Spencer created by KingOfFlowers - Should be introduced soon I love this character.
Mina Leighton - created by Spyrocks389 - Planned for chapter 3 but I'm still not too sure.
It was a ton of fun interacting with all of you as we worked out the details for your OCs. It's my intention to have a constant back and forth conversation with the creators of OCs as the story progresses from ways they want to see their character develop over time and team edits. So I hope you guys enjoy the ride as much as me. And as always please feel free to leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter! Or if you didn't enjoy it let me know as well I'm always open to criticisms.
Justin stood in front of a tall building. The building itself was made out of grey concrete and stood several stories tall. The windows on the building reflected all the similar-looking buildings around it. He took in the city stench of Telecaster City and looked around. He couldn't get the events of the S.S Atlanta out of his head. How could he, he saw his little sister get dragged away by her hair without being able to do a single thing.
He reluctantly pushed on the glass door of the building. He stepped inside and greeted the lady at the front desk. The lobby of the building had white tiled floors and a lounge to the left with cozy-looking chairs. To the right were the elevators which had reflective doors. In the middle of the lobby was a large oak desk used to greet clients and patients, and above the desk was a sign that read out "Palmer Prosthetics". The lady at the front desk was shocked to see her boss there. Well, I guess anyone in Justin's building would be shocked to see him at work after hearing the news. Justin couldn't muster any words to greet his employees and decided that it would be best to go to his office. All he could do was say a simple hello to the people who passed by him.
Using his key card he opened up the elevator and stepped inside. Some music started playing but the sound faded into the background becoming nothing but white noise. Employees from the upper floors joined in the elevator, but no one dared to strike up a friendly conversation as just from Justin's presence the air in the elevator was so tense you could cut it with a knife.
Justin made his way to his office sitting down in his black office chair. He placed his elbows on the dark oak table. He interlocked his fingers and he thought about the decision he came to. It was about time he gave the local professor a call about getting his trainer card and his first pokemon. With a heavy heart, he placed his phone up to his ear giving a call to his old classmate.
A soft female voice picked up Justin's call. "Hello? Telecaster Labs, Professor Amber speaking, how can I help?"
"Hey, Amber! It's me, Justin, I'll be stopping by your lab later today and I'm going to need you to be there."
"W-w-what!? You're coming to my lab!? O-okay! I'll get it ready for you! If you're coming by there's also something I need you to do."
"Is it the Pidgeot again? Is the prosthetic wing off balance again?"
"Yeah, unfortunately, it is. I had one of your employees do it but it's never as good as you."
"It's not a problem, I'll tune up its wing. Alright, so I'll see you in thirty minutes top."
Justin made his way over to Telecaster Lab. The walk there was fine, but he was nervous and he couldn't place his finger on it. All he could think about was saving his sister. He knew the police were no longer going to search for her. Even the view of the bustling city couldn't distract him from the longing feeling pulling on his chest.
He had eventually reached the Telecaster Lab. It was a large building even when compared to the towering buildings of the city. It was mostly a large glass dome with one-way glass. The front entrance had a nice clean-cut concrete path that led to a pair of glass sliding doors. When Justin walked into the lab he was met by a blast of cold air thanks to the climate-controlled lab. The actual lab was small as most of the area was used for research Pokemon and the starters that the lab gave out to brand new trainers.
The main lobby of the lab had a very futuristic look to it. It was almost clinical looking and the front desk didn't have anyone. Normally Amber would be there but this time around she wasn't. Justin knew his way around the lab due to being there multiple times a year to tune up some of the prosthetics. Either way, he made his way towards her personal room the door was slightly open so he decided to let himself in. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary for him either, there have been plenty of times in the past that Amber was holed up in her room.
The floor of her room was covered in different lab coats and various amounts of women's clothing. In the middle of her room was a large bed with none of the sheets done. He looked over to her desk and saw that it was a complete mess as well. Justin walked over to Amber's desk picking up a framed picture. The picture was from a few years ago. In the picture, it was mainly just him and Amber from when they were both working in antidote research and development.
The door to Justin's left slowly started to creak open as the smell of lavender seemed to leak into the room. He saw a site he didn't need to see that day. It was Amber, but her long bright red hair was soaking wet and she was barely covered using a simple white towel. Justin's bright blue eyes locked with Amber's brown eyes. Her cheeks turned from a pale peach to a rosy red.
"AGGHHHHHHH! What the hell are you doing in my room right now!? Get out!" Amber threw the towel at Justin's head and quickly pushed him out of her room. Slamming the door in his face.
Justin, who was just outside of Amber's room, was thoroughly embarrassed. He knew he probably should've knocked before just walking in on her room. He knocked on the door a few times. "I'm sorry Amber."
"OH so now you knock! Geez, Justin, I know that it's kinda our thing that you let yourself into my room when I'm not in the lab or at the front desk but… you know what, never mind. Alright, I'm pretty much ready."
Amber opened up the door. She was now in her usual get-up which was a black shirt and a white lab coat with some beige pants and boots. Her long red hair was now tied up into a ponytail and she happened to be wearing a baseball cap this time around. She led Justin through the halls as it was agreed between the two of them that he'd be tunning up Pidgeot's prosthetic wing first before they moved onto Justin's business.
Amber had taken Justin to the outdoor area of the lab. It was a large grass field with a small forest to the left and an artificial lake to the right. The whole area was surrounded by the glass dome which let you see out, but no one outside could look back in. The air inside of the dome was extremely clean almost as if you could taste the sweetness in the air. A Pidgeot was having trouble flying as it circled around Justin and Amber. It slowly landed in front of Justin as it noticed that he was the same person who made the prosthetic. Justin's prosthetics were special for the fact that they moved in almost the exact same way as biological limbs.
As Justin began to fix up Pidgeot's wing Amber began to bring up a few interesting questions. "So you said that you wanted to register as a trainer. What brought that up? Ever since college, you were pretty adamant that you didn't want to be a trainer."
"Let's just say due to recent events I've decided to become a trainer."
Amber rubbed her temples. "I can make the trainer card for you. I am a league official Pokemon professor after all, but you still didn't answer my question. Why are you becoming a trainer now? You're eleven years late to the party."
Justin had finished tuning up Pidgeot's wing. He sat down on the soft grass laying his arm on his knee clenching the metal wrench he held in his hand. He let out a loud sigh in frustration which caught Amber off guard. "I was on the S.S Atlanta with my sister… I'll never forget the terrified look on her face as Fulcrum dragged her away. I need to become a trainer and take Fulcrum on myself. I have to save Maria from them."
Amber bit down on her lip and placed her fist over her heart. "Then I'm sorry but I can't give you a trainer card. I can't willingly send a trainer and a friend into the world with the intent of taking down Fulcrum."
Justin stood up with an angered and strained expression. "What! Why not!? They took Maria away! I have to rescue my sister! The police have already given up on trying to find the missing people!"
With a heavy heart, Amber decided to tell her friend the bad news. "Justin, the Fulcrum problem in our region runs deeper than you could even imagine. It's already been more than a week since the attack on the S.S Atlanta and I'm sure Fulcrum won't just stop there. Wherever your sister is, she's most likely dead. Fulcrum never keeps their prisoners alive for very long. Unless your sister has some sort of special reason to be kept alive she's most likely gone by now."
Justin clenched his fist. "I can't accept that… I know my sister is alive, I can just feel it."
"Justin, you're one of the smartest people that I know. You're also someone who likes to carefully think his way out of situations. Please don't go fighting Fulcrum. I don't want to lose a good friend like you."
Small rustles in the grass could be heard. Justin turned around to see three small Pokemon standing at his feet. The first one was a small orange Pokemon with a flaming tail, the second one was a small blue Pokemon with what seemed to be frothy bubbles around its neck and the last pokemon was a grass type that had a small stick in its mouth. Justin recognized the three of them as Charmander, Froakie, and Treecko.
Amber stared at the three starter Pokemon and was surprised to see those three standing at Justin's feet. "You guys… were you drawn to Justin?" Amber turned to her friend. "Fine… I'll give you a trainer card. Even though I know you won't do as I say, please try to stay away from Fulcrum affairs."
Justin smiled and looked at Amber. "Thank you so much."
Amber pointed to the three starters "Normally in Strato an endorsed trainer has the option of every starter discovered or an Eevee, but that's normally at the start of the year. These three were all returned by their original trainers due to their rebellious natures. They might be a little stronger than a fresh starter, but keeping them might be quite difficult."
Justin stood in front of the three Pokemon. "Froakie, Charmander, and Treecko. I'm going to let you guys know this straight. I'm becoming a trainer to save my sister. So I need strength, and I need a partner with the courage to take on a threat that I—"
A loud explosion was heard just outside the lab, both Justin and Amber covered their ears. The both of them closed their eyes as the resulting explosion caused the thick glass dome surrounding them to completely shatter causing all the bird pokemon to escape.
What followed next was another thing that Justin hoped he'd never have to encounter in his lifetime. He looked all around him as police officers and a full S.W.A.T Team had them completely surrounded. Large guns were pointed at them and the hairs on Justin's neck were standing on end. The look of confusion and shock was only compounded as they all started to yell at him and Amber to get down on the ground. Justin slowly put up his hands and kneeled on the ground. Justin looked over to his left to see Amber forcibly being held down. The sound of heavy boots could be heard as a young man made his way out of the crowd.
This young man seemed to be around Justin's age and his hair was as white as snow, and his eyes glimmered like gold coins. He wore a bulletproof vest and some cargo pants. On his belt were three ultra balls and a handgun. The moment that his eyes locked with Justin's He spoke with a stern voice that seemed to command the air around him. "Professor Amber, you are under arrest! For the illegal and unsanctioned experimentation on both Human and Pokemon experimentations." The young man also motioned for his officers to take Justin as well.
The officers placed thick handcuffs around Amber and Justin's and loaded them into the back of the big metal jeep just outside the lab. Justin's eyes were wide open as he stared at Amber who seemed to know exactly what was going on. The ride to the police station felt heavy. The inside of the jeep was quite warm and the metal seats weren't exactly the most comfortable thing to sit on.
Justin looked at Amber as she was hunched over twiddling her thumbs. She didn't say a single word to him, and all she did was twiddle her thumbs. Justin tried to ask her a few questions, but it was met with complete silence. Justin knew the way to the police station as he had made multiple trips there to ask about the situation with his sister, but he knew something was off as it was obvious that the jeep was driving around the city but in circles.
"Amber, what the hell is going on?!"
Amber stayed silent only tapping on her knuckles a few times. She looked out the window only letting out what seemed to be a worried breath.
Justin pressed further as his old college friend remained quiet. "Human and Pokemon experimentation? What was that about?"
Amber once again stayed silent simply just tapping on her knuckles.
"Are you fucking kidding me, Amber! Are they serious!? Are you doing illegal Human and Pokemon experimentation!?"
Amber bit down on her lip and kicked Justin in the shins. Justin winced in pain and looked down at Amber's knuckles. He saw the tapping she was doing, originally he thought it was simply a self-soothing tactic to let her relax but in reality, it was morse code.
In morse code Amber said. "Justin, shut up! They are watching us. These aren't the police, it's Fulcrum. The man driving the jeep is Damian, Telecaster City's Chief Of Police. He also just so happens to be a Fulcrum agent. This is exactly why I don't want you going after Fulcrum. Their roots run deep in this region and it was only a matter of time before someone like me got targeted by them. If you want any chance at finding your sister you must talk with the Poison-type gym leader."
Justin started tapping his knuckles. "Why are you talking to me like it's the last time we'll ever see each other?"
Amber let out a sigh as the jeep came to a stop. Justin looked out the window and saw that they had stopped in the middle of a bridge that had no traffic on it. The door to Justin's left opened up and a police officer forcibly dragged the two of them out. It was now just on the cusp of sunset, and the air had the stench of rotting flesh. Damian got out of the driver's seat and the sound of his boots crunching on the sand echoed throughout the air.
Justin found himself on the very edge of the bridge alongside Amber. Looking down were rushing rapids and the shore of the rapids were nothing more than sheer rock cliffs.
Amber bit down on the bottom of her lip. "Damian! I know who you really are! Before you do this at least let Justin go! He's a civilian, he doesn't need to see any of this!"
Damian placed his hand on the holster of his gun. "I'm sorry to say this Amber, but I can't let your friend go. You were about to hand this man a starter, and judging by his age this wasn't a normal handout. People of his age don't just decide to become trainers for no reason, and the Telecaster Police Department knows exactly who Justin Palmer is. I also know that he's been to my station several days in a row to ask about his sister who was abducted by Fulcrum. Fulcrum has seen it happen to other regions so Fulcrum makes it a top priority to eliminate any potential threats no matter how small. A man of Justin's intellect going on a journey to save his sister I'd presume is poses too much of a potential threat."
Amber looked all around her as she determined her last moments were upon her. "Weezing come on out!"
A bright white light appeared and formed in front of Amber. The large purple pokemon levitated in front of her. Waiting for Amber's next command. "Weezing smokescreen now!" The Pokemon erupted into a cloud of thick black smoke surrounding both Justin and Amber. She grabbed Justin by the shoulders, shoving something into his pocket. She didn't have a chance to say a single word to her friend, all she could muster up was a smile. She pushed Justin off of the bridge forcing him into a free fall. "Weezing! Explosion full power!"
Justin's eyes were wide open as time around him seemed to freeze. He saw the explosion followed by the sound of gunfire. He reached out with his hand but he knew what had become of Amber, as he was about to hit the rapids below Damian looked over the edge, and the two of them locked eyes. There was a smirk on Damian's face and that was the last thing that Justin remembered before completely blacking out.
Justin's eyes slowly opened and all he could hear was the sound of rushing water and rain. He looked down at his feet and noticed that his legs were completely submerged in the rushing water. He looked above himself and noticed that the only reason he wasn't getting swept away was because a branch had snagged onto his vest. As his vision began to clear the water around him was turning quite murky as he looked behind him and terror struck him to his core. He saw a flash flood. The flood was carrying rocks, trees, and all kinds of debris. Justin bit the bottom of his lip and braced for impact. The flash flood slammed into Justin with incredible force sending searing pain throughout his whole body. It forcibly ripped him from the branch which was clinging onto him forcing him underneath the water's surface.
Justin tried to swim up to the surface of the water, but it was no use trying to push against something like a flash flood in rapids. Every time Justin reached the surface of the water, the rapids quickly swallowed him back up into its clutches. He was dragged along the bottom of the river swallowing rocks, dirt, and mud. His head was banged against a few jagged rocks and eventually, he was slammed and pushed up against a large rock. Justin held on for dear life, he used the force of the rapids to assist himself up towards the surface trying so hard not to slip. His lungs, arms, and torso were all burning. He was taking breaths of nothing but water, he could feel his own eyes welling up underneath the surface. He felt his hand break the surface and with the little might he had left heaved himself up with his aching arms. He could only think about reaching the surface. With all of his might, he gripped onto the rock for dear life and finally broke the surface choking on a mixture of muddy water and air.
Justin cough and coughed over again. Large sticks were hitting him in the back forcing him against the rock, and he could feel his body continuing to bruise. Justin closed his eyes in fear he was trusting the rock to keep him safe until this flood was over. He felt a sharp pain in his arm. Justin was scared to open his eyes. The pain in his arm grew to a point where he could no longer ignore it. He saw a large metal rod stuck in his arm.
At a closer look, the metal rod had impaled Justin's shoulder. He reached over with his mouth and clenched the rod between his teeth. He bit down on the rod and attempted to remove it, but as he did the pain only grew more. Tears were falling down from his eyes, and he wasn't sure if he was going to make it. The metal rod twisted and turned in his shoulder as the water bashed against his back. The pain was growing stronger and stronger, Justin looked up to the sky and closed his eyes.
"Somebody! Anybody! PLEASE HELP ME!" Justin screamed.
Justin felt his fingers as they began to slip, and his tired body just couldn't take the abuse anymore. With one final impact from the flash flood, Justin was throwing back into the river. Much like before Justin tried to swim up to the surface for another breath of air, but with his exhausted body he wasn't able to do much. He tried to break the surface, but the flood swallowed him back in. His head slammed against the bottom of the river and everything went black.
Crack… Snap… Pop… Thoughts of warmth…
Everything was black for what seemed like forever until Justin could hear the sound of a crackling fire. His head ached with a pain that wasn't all that familiar to him. He tried to move his arms but noticed that he could only move his left. He opened up his eyes and noticed a few Pokemon that were soundly snoring beside him. There was a Fennekin, Vivillon and Spritzee. There was a lot of rain surrounding them but they were dry thanks to the fire and a large overhanging rock.
Justin looked over to the fire and saw a young lady who was slim and short. Her pale ash blonde hair fell past her lower back and she was stirring a large pot over the fire. He winced in pain as she turned around. What really stood out to him was her clothing. She wore modern clothing in the smart-chic style.
Her voice was soft and motherly. "Hey, looks like you're awake. Here I have this mushroom stew. It will help you feel better."
Justin groaned in pain. He placed the hot bowl of soup on his lap. "Where am I?"
The girl smiled and said. "Right now we're just outside of Telecaster City. I'm Sylvie by the way, do you have a name?"
"Yeah… It's Justin."
Sylvie walked over to Justin's right arm and replaced the bandages. "Originally I came out here to help clear my mind, so just imagine my surprise when I found some banged-up guy washed up onshore. I did some basic first aid but we're probably going to have to get you into a hospital. So what are you doing out here?"
Justin leaned up against the rock and his blue eyes locked with Sylvie's soft lilac eyes. "Forgive me if I'm coming on a little strong. I sort of just had a near-death experience. As for what I'm doing out here I kind of ran into the same organization that attacked the S.S Atlanta. Turns out an old college friend of mine who also happens to be the Pokemon professor for Telecaster City got caught up in the chaos which is Fulcrum. Next thing I know I'm being driven towards a bridge where my friend sacrificed herself to get me out of there. Soon I find myself tossed into the rapids and now I'm here eating mushroom stew from a stranger, a very kind stranger."
Sylvie ate a spoonful of the stew. "I saw what happened at the S.S Atlanta. I was in complete shock when I heard of the situation. How could a group of people be so evil and attack innocents? When it happened I rushed to the scene and asked if I could help do some first aid, but the police turned me away saying that there was nothing I could do. So it might've been a little selfish of me, but seeing you washed helped me clear the guilt I felt when I couldn't help."
Justin scoffed. "Well, It's no surprise that the police turned you away. I recently just found out that I can't trust the police of Telecaster City. I also happened to be on the S.S Atlanta when the attack happened, and the worst possible thing happened while I was there."
Sylvie gulped. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Justin clenched his fist. "I'm not a Pokemon trainer so I stood no chance in the attack. I was there to enjoy a cruise with my ten-year-old sister. However, when the attack happened they took her. Fulcrum dragged her away and I could do nothing to stop them."
Sylvie clenched her fist. "That's horrible." She took in a deep breath standing up holding her hand out towards Justin. "If the police aren't going to help you then I guess I'll just have to do their job! I feel so bad for everyone on the S.S Atlanta and the fact that the police seem to be doing nothing isn't right! I'll help you with your mission, Justin! Let's save your sister together!"