Inside the spacious room was a wooden shelf of Poke Balls, a advanced monitor, several collections of organized memorabilia from Cypress's many travel, and a tall, raven-haired man in glasses and a half-rate who Bronze knew to by Cypress, the Rorian Professor of Pokémon.
Cypress! The name was infamous among the learned. He, a near nobody from Roria, had recently been appointed to regional professor. He was shrewd, calculating, but could be kind if the need arose. Many things about him seemed to be for show. He didn't even need his glasses, as he frequently was seen walking about without them and reading very fine print with ease.
Also, he was disturbingly ageless, as odd as it seemed. Bronze's father had told him that Cypress was in his late forties, but he looked like he was in his mid-twenties, although he did not have any sort of youthful look. The man simply felt old, but very intelligent and even manipulative.
Cypress's expertise was philosophy, theosophy, and the morality of Pokémon battling and the human condition. Bronze thought that the Professor often flaunted his skill, but it could have been that he was only greatly knowledge in a wide variety of subjects, and happened to voice his opinions often.
"Hello, young masters," Cypress said, in velvet tones. "Of course, Bronze, Jake, we have already met. Protocol still demands that I tell you a few necessary bits of information, although you already know that you are about to receive a Pokémon."
"As you know, Bronze, I shall be giving you and Jake two devices known as Pokedexes. You certainly have heard of their functions as advanced encyclopedias of data regarding Pokémon, and the legendary exploits their owners have undergone. The latest model included the Pokémon Rotem build directly into them, but a certain trainer in the Sinnoh region that goes by Diamond has recalled his Rotem, making us unable you give you a Pokedex with it implanted in the thoughtrode links inside."
"In the past, trainers who have held Pokedexes have undergone great dangers, vanquished evil organizations, and met legendary Pokémon which most will never see, or have any hope of seeing. It sometimes seems that those who bear a Pokedex are destined to be inevitably involved in great deeds. With this responsibility in mind, it is time for you to chose your partner. Be warned, however, that twenty-one Pokémon are available to your choosing. It may be quite difficult to decide, or very easy."
Cypress then handed them two rectangular, red devices with a plastiglass screen in the center, before moving away. Bronze registered his fingerprint to the Pokedex, and zoomed through the varied functions, including the encyclopedia, camera, built-in map, and even a holographic imaging function.
The professor strode over to the shelf with twenty-one Poke Balls, and pressed a green button on the top angle of the highest counter. Suddenly, all the Capture Devices sprung open, bringing a vast potpourri of many Pokémon out into the dais before the shelf. Bronze and Jake stepped forward to view the unruly crowd.
It was clear that the Pokémon were all at least one of three types: Water, Fire, and Grass, and did not defy convention at all like Bronze wanted. Bronze was initially apprehensive about having to choose one of the Pokemon, but the choice was actually easier than he thought it would have been.
The Kalosi, Hoenn, and Alolan Pokémon were sleeping, not interested at all in the two trainers. This excluded them immediately, as subtle pheromones were being emitted by a docking tube on the Poke Ball shelf that would wake them if they subconsciously sensed a person that they were interested in.
The Unovan and Johtan Pokémon regarded the Trainers, then stepped away, paying more attention to Cypress, who had wisley left the room for a time. The Kanto and Sinnoh Pokémon, however, were observing the trainers with a special interest.
Jake stepped forward, taking initiative of the first pick, and Chimchar and Turtwig came closer. After looking into Jakes eyes, Turtwig turned away, having lost any fascination with the human. But Chimchar stayed in place and looked back, reflecting Jakes persona in it eyes. Jake was thinking furiously, considering every possible outcome.
Finally, Jake declared; "That one. That is the one I want."
With that, Cypress came back into the lab from his personal office, and walked forward, sent back Chimchar and presented the Poke Ball to Jake.
"Well chosen, young trainer. Of course, that is always what they say." Cypress said, "You and your partner will do great things...or rather mediocre things. Don't take my petty words as assurance that you will succeed. Personally, I am more interested in Bronze. At least he seems to know what he is doing."
Cypress turned to face Bronze, before leaving the room again. "And that leaves you, Bronze. Perhaps you have been weighing the options, yes? Then you will know how to proceed."
Bronze walked slowly up to the remaining Pokémon, seeing that the two remaining Sinnoh Pokémon had wandered away, fighting over a strey berry that Cypress had left as food. All three Kantoian Pokémon looked at Bronze, wondering what would happen.
Bronze regarded Squirtle, but it did not return any emotion that could possibly reflect Bronze's own personality. Bulbasaur took a cautious step once Bronze viewed it, but then turned back. Charmander, however, returned the world-wise of Bronze. The trainer saw the possibility for intellectual growth, and the desire to learn.
"That one. That's it."
Bronze suppressed his nearly uncontainable excitement, and waited for Cypress to return to call back the Charmander.
After Cypress had encapsulated the Charmander and given Bronze it's Poke Ball, he put all the other starters back into their respective Capture Devices, ending the selection.
"Very well. The choice has been made, and I will not allow second pickings. The gravity of this decision cannot be understated, as it has propelled you on the start of your journey over Roria. On second thought, it can easily be understated. Just having a Pokémon doesn't make you great. I will stop talking about childish and boorish precepts of 'destiny' and 'journeying.' Of course, this is a long, perilous trek, if you wish to compete in the Rorian League. But I am sure that you two are resourceful and intelligent enough to travel in safety. Please, be off. I need to discuss something with Bronzes' mother and father..."
Bronze's mother beamed at him and Jake, while Bronze's father crossed his arms with a proud, dignified grin. "Your Pokémon is stupendous! Magnificent! Incredible! Amazing!" Bronze's mother said. "We have known that you were going to leave for so long...but now that you are..."
Bronze's mother started to cry. This didn't concern Bronze too much, since his mother would also cry when a contestant at a Battle Arcade would lose, or when she heard that someone declared bankruptcy. Crying was just a thing she did.
"Remember what we taught you," Bronze's father said. "Find Pokémon centers. They are always open, nearly everywhere, and you can usually find a safe place to sleep around them. We wired a sum of twenty thousand units to your bank account, with another smaller donation to Jake as a sort of going away gift. First, maintain your oral health. Second, always, always, whenever possible, stay in the lands west of the Frostveil Mountains! Eastern Roria, as you know, is populated by thieves, vandals, and terrorists. The children will pick your pockets. And never trust any strange women! Travel at day, stick to the established routes. Logarian ruins are usually frequented by friendly foot traffic, so always go there in a pinch."
Bronze's father reached into a pocket on his brown fatigues and pulled out a shimmering object. Upon closer examination, it was a rectangular object made of bronze, with a single metal wire attached through a hole that had been punched through the brick.
"This Brick is for you to remember us, and it may protect you in times of danger, or at least that is what I would like to think. I found it in the dig site a while back, and I intend to give it to you as soon as I found out that it wasn't of historical value. Take care of it, although it probably will take care of itself..."
Cypress was waiting for the two adults, while also curiously eying the brick, his brown eyes searching its contours, trying to tease out its secrets. Even after Bronze's parents entered Cypress's office, Bronze still remembered the Professors gaze.
Jake jumped into the conversation, and said, "Well, Bronze, perhaps we can battle! Let's go outside and see who's stronger!"
"Very well," Bronze replied. "But you understand that I usually beat you, even with rental Pokémon. If you think you can beat me so easily, and without any full understanding of your Pokémon's abilities, you will fail. You have checked the Pokémon's moveset on your Pokedex, right?"
Taking out his Pokedex, Jake saw all his Chimchar's possible moves. "Thanks for reminding me, I almost missed that. Anyway, we should probably move this outside..."
Jake and Bronze stepped outside of the laboratory while Cypress and Bronze's parents remained inside. Walking to a large patch of grass unattended by any researchers, Bronze and Jake sent out their Pokémon, which assumed battle-ready stances, fire huffing out of the two Pokémon's nostrils.
Jake acted first. "Chimchar, Scratch!"
It was a basic move, and one of the weakest. The Pokémon jumped at Bronze's Charmander, but the attack was dodged in time with Bronze's shout. Bronze judged that Fire-type attacks would not be very effective due to the type of the opposing Pokémon, so only Normal-type physical moves should be used. But a continual use of Scratch would prolong the battle...so maybe...
"Charmander, Ember."
A jet of pure fire spurted from Charmander's mouth. Dazed from the impact of the fiery projectile, although not too injured, the Chimchar initiated another Scratch attack without Jake's command. Charmander dodged this haphazard attack once more, it being Bronze's intention to not increase the damage dealt to the enemy Pokémon to such a degree that it would channel its fighting spirit.
Bronze, seeing the opposing fire-ape enraged from its repeated failed attempts to attack, ordered Charmander to use Bite. The attack did not severely injure the other Pokémon, but the concussive force of the trauma caused Chimchar to nearly faint. A few more feinted blows from Charmander, and a critical hit to the back of the head, and the battle was over.
Jake recalled his beaten Pokémon back to it's Capture Device. "Well, I'm beat, fair and square. You sure won that pretty quick. I guess it's your smarts helping you in battle... you probably are going to want to keep training on Route while I go get ready, we'll meet up at the fountain in Chesema Town. I'll tell your parents where you went. Oh, by the way, here are some spare Poke Balls!"
With a single swift motion, Jake handed two devices over to Bronze and begin to run off. "Hold it!" Bronze exclaimed. "You forgot the money, my friend. Rules are still rules, and I am prepared to enforce them."
It was custom in the world of battles to had over a sum of pocket money after defeat. "Oh, blast.." Jake said, haphazardly throwing a handful of ten-unit coins on the ground, while he ran away into town to prepare for his trek.
Bronze picked up the glinting coins, and after looking at Charmander one more time, recalled it back to it's Poke Ball.
With a ever-expansive bag, a single Pokémon, and a share of money and necessary supplies, Bronze set out to Route 1, travelling out into the cool, late morning air. The temperate clime of southern Roria favored today, and a cool breeze blew from the south.
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Northern Roria...
You certainly would never find the structure on your own. It was nested in the labyrinthian depths of a old magma tube system, naturally generated inside a mountain range that few travelled through.
That is what made it so attractive to the Hood.
It was his first choice for a base, five years ago...it was a long and secretive ordeal to build such large complex, but it suited his tastes, at least for security and functionality. He loved the interior, weirdly beautiful with its halls and halls of alloy coatings, troop quarters, storage rooms, expansive workshops and research stations, all powered by a internal geothermal fusion engine.
Stepping briskly through the automatic blast doors, a man in a respirator, mid-twenties, bowed in a reverential fashion before the Hood.
"What news, Henry?"
The Hood's voice, a nightmare of distortion and vocal amplification, always made the admin shudder.
"We have...obtained the archeologists with little difficulty. They didn't make too much of a fuss when we said we would kill the kid. You wanted them to tell you more about the bottle, rig-"
The Hood put up his hand, silencing his underling.
"Loose lips sink ships, dear friend. Even in my own throne room, there are powers at work here, ones that serve us...and others our enemies. Ask Emrett if you wish to know more about such things. And...my intuition tells me that something else happens to be amiss, is it not?"
Henry nodded, telling him the rest of his newfound information.
"We were...seen. Nothing truly compromising, but dangerous nonetheless. Several of our operatives were intercepting a Aether Foundation transportation crate, one containing sensitive materials for the...project. One of ours was caught on camera. Our insiders confirmed this, but we can't put the cork back into the wine bottle on this one. I offer my apologies, my lord."
The Hood expected something far more grievous. Instead, it was a slight exposure of his activities.
"Very well. Is there any other bit of information that you wish to tell me?" It was a statement, not a question.
"Well," Henry said, pensive. "There is another issue...one of the Silph Co. buyers that we have attempted to sway into providing us with the essential technology for the wireless Kyurem Engine did not take up any of our very reasonable offers. He was very uncooperative. Of course, we did not harm him, or even his son. And, if I may ask, isn't it Kett's job to get ahold of Kyurem?"
"Yes. Kett is performing his task with admirable work ethic. And how did you answer to this complication?"
"We threw his aunt in Lake Acuity. The poison was swift, but no one should find the body until it has rotted enough to slip out of the concrete blocks. Also, we sent in our specialists to break the legs of his son's fiance. Strangely, she did not survive. As a parting message, we burned down the barn where his premium-bred Rapidash were. They survived, of course, but now he has a more thorough understanding of our capabilities."
The Hood leaned back into his throne. "So, you have just told me that you threw a women into a river, and you broke the kneecaps of another, and she succumbed to her injuries? How do you think I should react when I hear that information coming from one of my underlings?"
Henry twitched, bracing for a rebuke. "I don't know, my lord."
"Wonderful!" The Hood laughed. "Absolutely wonderful! I knew that I made a bountiful decision when I appointed you! Perfect, simply perfect."
"No matter, Henry. We are many. Our arm is long, and our power great. Soon, we will reveal ourselves to the nations in a tempest of fire! The tottering cities of man will crumble, and a new order shall arise! We will crush the necks of our oppressors as a child crushes a anthill! Not one ear shall not hear us, and not one eye shall not see us. We are the future, and a mere sighting of our movements is not even a delay. It is a trifle, a flight of fancy for our foes. Think no mind of it, and leave such matters to me. As such, you are dismissed, and continue on with the Groudon Project. I expect results shortly, although I understand that the entire prospect it is a speculative venture. I do not expect the same results as we have seen from Project Tartarus or Lethe."
Henry bowed, saluted, and left the throne room, returning to his own duties.
The hologram that was the Hood then vanished, leaving the throne room cold and barren.
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Bronze picked up a stray potion and put it into his bag. It was always curious how some items ended up in the most odd of places. He had already fought his way through some trainers and wild Pokémon on Route 1, and was going to drop by in Chesema City to get a meal, and wait for Jake to catch up.
Being out on Route 1 without repellent was not an entirely new experience, and it was not for the first time that Bronze had dealt with many hostile Pokémon and Trainers patrolling the route, looking for battle.
Near a line of bushes, Bronze observed two people wearing strange uniforms conversing, a Yungoos burrowing into a tree, and wandering trainer in the distance...
"BRONZE!"
The shout snapped him out of his trance and turned him around to see Jake running at him, huffing with exhaustion.
"BRONZE! Something very,very strange happened while you were gone! Come back to your house immediately! I don't have time to explain!"
After arriving at the family home after a half-hour of swift walking, Bronze did not see anything wrong whatsoever. The house was completely intact, but there was a small crowd around it, along with Professor Cypress.
Cypress walked over to Bronze, concern covering his face.
"Bronze, in the short time you have been gone, your parents have also left the house on their own journey. They, from all available evidence, have likely joined a certain organization known as Team Eclipse."
The name was familiar, but Bronze didn't see how it mattered.
"What? Why? They know I am going to be gone for a while. Why does this matter?"
"We found a note detailing their intention of leaving with this group. They probably wanted you to know, I suppose, so I am grateful to be the one to tell you. This would entirely acceptable and not a cause for concern, except for the fact that it was Team Eclipse they went with. To put it shortly, Team Eclipse is a not particularly well known group of people who believe that humans and Pokémon are not at harmony with each other in this world, and have some...interesting ideas on how to solve this perceived problem."
"Like what, exactly?"
"That is...unclear, sadly, but they are likely extremely dangerous and capable of eliminating anyone who stands between them and their aims, and should not be approached or confronted. The fact that your parents have gone with such people is quite unexpected, and I truly don't know what to make of it other then that they were deceived. Please, if you have any information regarding anything they did before you left, please tell me."
"They left me this Bronze Brick, they said it could protect me." Bronze said still trying to understand this bizarre turn of events.
"Interesting..." Cypress said. "It is indeed a powerful artifact, or at least that is what your parents told me in passing reference when I asked about it. If you would like to identify its precise nature and origin, you can go to Chesema City. It is on the route to Silvent City, home of the Electric-type Gym Leader, if you want to challenge him. I have a friend there who specializes in identifying rare objects such as this curiosity. She might be of help to you. Her shop is on the western side of town, Linda's Trinkets and Oddities."
"Thank you, sir!" Bronze said. "I will be on my way. Try to tell me if you learn anything new about my parents!"
Cypress waved goodbye, and Bronze was already past the bridge that connected Mitis Town to the rest of the world.
And with a new mystery to deal with, in his very own family, Bronze headed out to Route 1 again.
"Yes..." Cypress whispered. "Take care, Bronze. It's a dangerous world out there, and you better not go looking for trouble. That would not be very good now, would it? Take care. Oh, take care."