Joshua opened his eyes only to find himself floating in an empty black void, his eyes scanning in the darkness, until a bright light among the darkness forced them open.
Looking around at his immediate surroundings, Joshua couldn't help but utter a confused, "Where am I? What's happening?"
He then realized that his siblings were missing so he called them out. "Michelle? Khaliq? Where are you?"
"Over here." He heard Michelle's voice to his left. He turned to see that she too was floating in the black void. He looked to his right to see Khaliq in the same predicament.
"What's going on here?" Michelle asked bewildered. "This is so confusing."
Khaliq looked around himself, before he heard a deep, reverberating voice.
"Welcome…" the voice echoed from the light at the center of the void, drawing the siblings' attention to it. "Welcome, children, to my realm, which exists beyond both space and time. It is well that you are here."
"Wha…? Who are you?" Joshua asked, his confusion growing by the second.
"I have many names, child, though I am referred to as: the Alpha," the light explained.
Michelle's face became puzzled. "Aren't you also the same light that created time and space? Sorry for asking that, but I don't know if you are one in the same or if that's a different one?" she asked him.
The light chuckles. "That one merely has mastery over aspects of myself and my children. The power of time, space, and the almighty are far beyond the control of a mere pair of humans. But, that aside, I would like to know thy name, child," the being said.
"I'm Joshua," Joshua introduced. "This is Michelle, and this is Khaliq."
"Hm… yes, good… very good…" said the being with a nod. "Children… Soon you will awaken and find yourself in a world that may seem very strange to thee, and far different from the world you know. Find your place within those worlds, seek out and learn all you can about all the inhabitants who call it home, and save the worlds from the impending devastation that threatens it," decreed the One. "Find the rest of the Plates, acquire them, and you will find me once more."
"Uh, sure thing," Michelle replied. She then had a thought ring a bell in her head. "Hold up. Exactly how are these Plates going to work in a human like me?"
"You'll be alright," explained the light, "The Plates will bring no harm nor damage to your life; however, your body can only suppress and manipulate five plates at this point. You will pick a type of plate and it will be inherited. The rest of the plates after that will be unlocked or will be searched for throughout your mission. As an added bonus, you can use moves based on the plate that you have chosen, and your appearance with those plate changes will also change, though not to a great degree."
The shimmering light then formed into a silhouette within the void that looked like… a figure with a cross-like wheel around their body? It certainly seemed like it, especially with the being covering their face, and the appearance they gave out as the trio hovered in front of it. They looked back at the figure and they stared back, with glowing eyes.
"Now," the Alpha continued, "I want you to be aware of the circumstances of taking up this mission. Once you've accepted, there's no turning back. The fate of the universe rests in your hands. You can turn back now, but this is your only chance."
Team Vibrant looked at each other. There was no way the team was gonna stand by and watch as the universe fell apart. They had to figure out a way so that he could have a strong start. They decisively thought of the forces they might face. Eventually, they soon came to a decision.
"If we turn back now, then your efforts would have been for nothing. We'll do it," Joshua proclaimed. Michelle nodded with a "Mhm." Khaliq remained silent, but he gave a nod in affirmation.
"Very well then," the being then summoned forth eighteen rectangular items, all revolving around them in a clockwise manner. "Each of you may choose three of these. The rest will be unlocked or searched for later."
"Alright then, who wants to go first?" Michelle asked her brothers. They looked at each other and back at Michelle, shrugging out of uncertainty. "Well, how about we do rock-paper-scissors?"
They played it, and the result was that Joshua went first, Michelle went second, and Khaliq went last.
Joshua stepped forward and picked his types: Icicle, Mind, and Splash.
Michelle came next and chose her set of the types: Flame, Fist, and Stone.
Khaliq went last and made his selection: Zap, Spooky, and Blank.
Once they were done, the plates of the team's choice glowed and were infused into each of their respective bodies. Already, they could feel their body changing. They felt those three types surge and lay dormant within them.
"Remember…" the voice said. "We will always be by your side…"
As soon as they finished speaking, the team felt their eyes begin to feel extremely heavy and they couldn't resist the urge to close them and drift back to sleep. Before they did, however, the three felt himself getting pulled into the being's soothing and comforting light as their body curled up into the fetal position.
And then, they knew no more.