A/N: Hey it's good to be back after so long! After revisiting the old version of Alana's trial, and with some encouragement from my friends I decided to unleash a remake for the good people of . I like to think my writing style has slightly involved over the years I was absent. Anyway, thank you to TheOneWhoisLostinFantasy and Animeloverdog for the follows. As always please leave any feedback as a review, and I hope that you enjoy this next chapter.
Sunlight fluttered into a room illuminating it. The room was neat, tidy, and organized. On the right side of the room, there was a bookshelf choked full of books that were alphabetized. Next to it there was a desk with a small lamp, a charging phone, and a laptop. Finally, on the leftmost side of the room, there was a backpack with a sleeping bag clearly attached to it. These were at the foot of a queen-sized bed holding Alana Sky. Rolling over her eyes slowly opened. She rubbed them and slipped out of bed yawning and stretching. The girl quickly made sure to make up the bed before heading towards the desk and checking her phone. When she unlocked it, digital confetti fell down the screen with the words 'Happy Birthday!' popping out at her. It was six-fifty am. Alana scrolled until she reached an alarm screen, and deactivated one set for seven am. She quickly pocketed the phone, grabbed the laptop, and both chargers, then walked over to the backpack.
"Berries… check. Pokeballs... Check… fresh clothes… check. Heating pad... check. Cooking supplies… check." Alana muttered to herself sifting through the objects in the bag. She seemed content and zipped it up once she put the laptop and both chargers within it.
Opening the door Alana took one more look at the room. Her expression was one of confliction, but it was slowly replaced by a smile. She closed the door and made her way towards the kitchen. She opened the door to the refrigerator, and rummaged through it a bit, grabbing an apple. Taking a big bite out of it, she closed it and made her way to the front room. By the front door, there was only one pair of shoes, which meant her mom wasn't there. Probably already at work. Alana carefully slipped into her new walking shoes. They would need to last for quite a while. Her ears twitched as the doorknob twisted, and opened.
"Hey Alana, you didn't think I would miss your big send-off would you?" Her mom said stepping in the house.
Catherine Sky was a taller woman with long auburn hair. She was dressed in a league official uniform and had her hands full. Alana's eyes were drawn to a small case that she was carrying. There was a pokemon egg in there, she wondered if it was a favor to one of her mom's colleagues. Catherine set the device down and pulled Alana into a hug.
"Mom I'll be late, and everyone can see." Alana protested, but she reciprocated the hug. She was afraid that she wouldn't be here today but was pleasantly surprised.
"Be late for the shuttle that comes in twenty minutes? Which will get you to Pallet Town thirty minutes before your meeting with Oak?" You can't escape this that easily Alana." After finishing the hug, Catherine put her hands on Alana's shoulders. "I can't believe that you're already thirteen. I remember when I was changing your diapers, kid."
"Too much information mom," Alana replies cringing ever so slightly.
"Haha, I have to get my licks in now. I won't be seeing you for a while after this." Catherine laughed. "You're all packed? Toothbrush, vitamins, and all of the essentials?"
"Packed and checked five times."
"Good girl. Well before you go I've got a few gifts for you. Come on."
Catherine led Alana into the living room and plopped down on the couch in the center of it. Digging in her handbag, she took out two carefully wrapped gifts and passed them to the birthday girl. One was book-sized, and the other was much smaller. Alana's hand hovered over the bigger package before settling for the smaller one. Best for last. Tearing open the package it was revealed to be a small case. Opening it revealed a beautiful silver necklace with a small Pokeball ornament attached. Alana inspected it closer and discovered a button on the necklace. Pressing it revealed a picture of her and Catherine smiling. It was a photo of them visiting the Pewter City museum a few months back.
"Thank you," Alana said quickly putting it on. It felt warm as it thumped against her chest.
"It originally belonged to your grandmother. She passed it down to me before I left for my journey. It looks good on you Alana."
Admiring it for a second, Alana focused on the other present. She made a small incision in the corner of the package to confirm her suspicion. The scent of a fresh book poured out, and she couldn't help but beam as she quickly ripped through the packaging. A surprised expression etched itself onto her face. Kanto and its gym leaders! A book going into details about each gym leader, the towns they oversaw, the history of the title, details on various accomplishments, and the qualifications for becoming one. Alana eagerly flipped the book open to read but stopped herself to look at the time. Seven o five, she couldn't get absorbed into it right now. She slipped the book into her bag and hugged Catherine.
"I really appreciate it, thanks, mom."
"I figure you would kiddo, now you have one final present. It'll be a bit difficult to carry around in the beginning, but it's very close to hatching so you won't have to worry about it for long." Catherine said, presenting the egg to Alana.
"What? That's for me? You shouldn't have!" Alana said in a surprised tone
"It isn't from me," Catherine smiled awkwardly rubbing the back of her head. Alana's eyes narrowed at that expression. That usually meant bad news. "It's from your father."
"Oh." The enthusiasm seemed to leave Alana's voice as she averted her eyes. "He couldn't have come and delivered it himself?"
"I know how you feel, but he's dealing with some dangerous business-"
"And he doesn't want to put us in danger, I know." Alana interrupted. "But you'd think he'd at least send a picture or something."
"Your dad isn't the most emotionally intelligent person."
"I couldn't tell."
"Alana."
"Sorry, mom."
Catherine reached into her bag, and produced a small envelope, and handed it to Alana. On the front of it were embroidered the words to Alana from dad. She quickly took it and slipped it into her backpack without giving it a read. She averted her eyes to avoid her mom's piercing gaze.
"Well, I'd better get going. Thank you so much for the gifts." Alana thanked after a moment of silence. She reluctantly grabbed the egg device as well.
"You're welcome, kid. Stay safe on your journey. Remember to properly put out any fires that you make. Brush your teeth, and take your vitamins. Don't forget to call me every once in a while, too."
Catherine stood up and pulled Alana into one final hug. She walked her daughter to the door and saw her off. Alana took in the sight of her childhood home one last time, before finally leaving. She wouldn't see this place for a while... well she'd pass back through it on the way to Pewter, but she didn't plan to stay. With a bittersweet smile, Alana made her way towards the edge of town. Since she didn't have a pokemon yet this was the safest way to get to Pallet Town. There was someone else already there though. That weird girl from the other day. Was she getting a pokemon from the professor as well? The girl's Eevee seemed to perk up and notice Alana. It excitedly ran up to her then ran around her. This of course grabbed Melody's attention, too.
"Hey Alana, right? Guess it's a small world after all." Melody said cheerfully. "You look super prepared for your journey, and is that an egg? That's awesome!"
Alana smiled, but inside she was a bit sour. She had wanted a quiet ride to Pallet Town, but it seemed that delusion was crushed. On the bright side, the Eevee was cute and Melody's energy was a bit infectious.
"Um yeah, it was a gift. Your name was Melody, right?"
"Since the day I was born! Didn't introduce my partner the other day, so meet Eve." Upon being introduced, the Eevee jumped up to Alana's shoulder and nuzzled against Alana causing her to giggle from the ticklish sensation from the fur. "Looks like she likes you!"
"Eevee is a really rare pokemon. How did you get a hold of one?" Alana asked. Her hand went to pet the pokemon, but she stopped. "You wouldn't mind if I?'
"Go ahead." Melody invited. "Well, I got her as an egg from my mom. It's kinda a tradition in my family, among other things. We've known each other for years now."
Alana pet the small pokemon eliciting a happy reaction from her. As they were talking, the shuttle finally pulled up and opened its doors. Eve jumped off of Alana's shoulder and went back to Melody as she boarded the bus. Alana did so as well and sat down.
"So, got any goals for your journey? Or are you just doing this for fun?" Melody asked. "If you tell me yours I'll tell you mine."
"Um, well I do have something in mind," Alana responded rubbing her fingers together. "As you saw, Viridian City doesn't have a gym. I want to b-be the leader."
Alana tensed up after making this declaration. Was she going to laugh? Was she going to say it was unrealistic? That someone else was better suited for a job like that? She'd heard them all. Especially from her peers.
"That's awesome! Gym leaders are pretty cool. The one where I'm from also grew up in the city as well. What are the requirements though?"
"Well, there are many requirements. You need to be a good enough trainer to possess eight badges in the region you've applied to. You also need to pass written and practical exams. It's so interesting. You can do all sorts of community projects, and you can go to other regions much more easily! I read about this library in Sinnoh. I would love to visit one day." Alana gushed. "There are also worldwide tournaments that you can participate in, and it just opens up the world so much!"
"Didn't even know all of that." Melody laughed. "I just want to explore the world. There's so much to see in it. I want to meet a legend and snap a photo of it! It's a bit shallow, but that's my dream."
The two would keep chatting until the shuttle arrived in Pallet Town. Alana took in the sights but was quickly grabbed by Melody. She held her phone out and snapped a picture.
"That's one for the scrapbook. First moments in Pallet town." Melody commented admiring the photo. "Look Alana you're smiling! You're pretty cute when you do."
"Please give me a warning next time you snap a picture like that. It's weird to just randomly be pulled into a photo op." Alana replies twirling her hair nervously.
"Aw but that's how you get the best reactions," Melody whined.
The two girls made their way to the famous Samuel Oak's Lab. Compared to the more modest-looking houses in the town, it was giant and intimidating. Alana rang the bell and waited. The door was swung open to reveal a lady with chocolatey brunette hair. She had thick glasses on, and a wrinkled lab coat. She looked down at Alana, and recognition flashed through her face.
"Ah, Alana Sky, from the summer internship. Thirty minutes early. Punctual as always. I like it."
"Thank you, Ms. Heather. It's nice to see you again."
"Likewise, are you sure you don't want to take the professor's offer? You'd be a lot more productive than Klein."
"It's tempting, but I want to see the region a bit."
"Well that's a shame, but I understand the sentiment. You can go back if you want. It'll be in the third lab room." Heather instructed. Alana gave Melody a smile and a wave, before disappearing deeper into the lab. Melody on the other hand was marveling at the technologically advanced institute. Heather noticed this and blocked her path. "Excuse me, but you are?"
"Oh sorry, my name is Melody Alaw. I'm just here to see this place. It's super fancy."
"Yes yes, and we're quite busy. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"But I wanted to meet Professor Oak."
"The professor is very busy and is only taking two visitors today. If you wish to see him you can schedule one like everyone else."
It was like talking to a brick wall. It was frustrating, but Melody accepted the fact that she probably wasn't going to be able to see the professor any time soon. She slouched over and turned around to leave. What a bummer.
"I see you already got a head start on crushing children's dreams today. Like damn, throw her a bone." A man in casual clothing walked in. He was tall, blonde, and was noticeably a bit scruffy. He had short untamed facial hair and was wearing his own lab coat more like a cape. "Hey, kid if you want to meet the professor I can set something up for ya. Just do me a solid and go to Viridian City and get this order from the PokeMart." The man handed a receipt to Melody without even checking to see if she was going to refuse or accept it.
"You didn't pick up the parts, and you're late? What the hell, Klein. You know the professor needs those for his special project." Heather said, getting up in the man's face. Seeing as he was a whole head taller than her it was quite a strange sight to see.
"Hey hey I'm taking care of it, aren't I? It's too early in the morning to be getting on my case like this. At least wait until I get my coffee."
"Don't bullshit me, I know you always get up at six sharp and have your coffee no later than six-thirty. What type of game are you playing here?"
"Nothin, I just forgot to get the parts, and I don't have time to get'em. Saw you whaling on the kid and thought I'd throw her a bone. Or have you forgotten the one the old man threw us?"
That seemed to resonate with Heather who scoffed and crossed her arms. Melody just looked back and forth between the two. What a strange dynamic, wouldn't you want people who got along to work together?
"You win this round, Klein. Ms. Melody the shuttle will arrive in five minutes. As my colleague said if you bring back the parts you'll be able to meet the professor. Thank you for picking up my worthless colleague's slack."
"You don't have to be so cold you'll hurt my feelings. Now tell me about that roadblock in the coding you encountered again?"
"It's rather frustrating. It's preventing the device from recognizing samples. It might be fixed with the parts but…"
The two aides walked deeper into the lab confusing Melody even more. Did they go from fighting to working together that fast? Well, that was a bit intriguing, but nothing to think about now. She'd just gotten her golden ticket! Melody darted out of the lab and ran back towards the stop. What a lucky coincidence! Man her mom was going to be so impressed!