Cristian Danilo Theobroma ( 1415)
Travis Silva (Archerlord)
Sherman Gold (LevelNineCPU)
Donovan Fell (Cappage Boy)
There is still plenty of time to submit a character! I look forward to seeing who you guys send in, and I hope we can fill up the cap quickly! But without further ado, let's get this story started for real. (-o-)
Charlie observed the horizon, as the dark smudge of an island began to grow larger upon it.
He was leaning against the railing of a boat, as a warm sea breeze whipped through the air, and ocean waves lapped against the hull. Wingulls squawked as they circled in the sky, and Magikarp splashed across the sea.
This boat was the S.S. Plato, and it was the ship used to carry all newly-enrolled students to the island upon which the prestigious Pokemon University was built.
Charlie had rarely ever been on a boat, and he was enjoying the experience. Some students downstairs may disagree with that, but he did not particularly care.
"One year.", he whispered to himself, "One year, and then I can truly start my journey to become the best."
"Hey, dude!", called a voice, and Charlie turned to see who had spoken.
Striding up to him was a somewhat short young man, with smoothed out platinum blond hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a pink T-shirt, dark blue pants, tall trainer's boots, and an odd, puffy white coat, currently unbuttoned because of the warm day. The boy stood with a confident, almost noble air, which was somewhat ridiculous when Charlie was a head taller than him.
"My name is Sherman. How about you?", the boy asked.
"I'm Charlie. Charlie Howston Jr.", replied Charlie.
"That's an interesting name.", Sherman commented, "You look tough. How about a battle when we reach the shore?"
Charlie shrugged. "If we have the time after orientation and such. But you'll have to watch out. I'm enrolled in the Battle Course."
"Really? So am I!", exclaimed Sherman, "We might even be in the same class!"
"Did I hear Battle Course?", came another voice, and the two boys turned to see a rather tall, buff guy come over. He had very dirty, dark blond hair, as well as charming blue eyes and sunglasses. His clothes looked like they'd been dragged through the dirt, attacked with a knife, and ravaged by a Pokemon all at the same time. There were many claw-like scars across the guy's arms as well. His block-like nose continued this trend, as it looked to have been broken several times.
"I'm enrolled in that as well. I can't wait to see how you guys fare against me!", the boy continued.
Appearing on his shoulder was a Meowth, looking rather amused as if he were about to make a really good joke.
"Yeah, bet your Pokemon can't touch this!", the Meowth declared, gesturing at himself.
Sherman's jaw dropped. "Did he just talk!?"
Charlie was similarly astonished.
The boy chuckled. "Yeah, Tom Tom is pretty special. My name is Grant."
"Well, uh, hi Grant.", Charlie greeted, "Nice to meet you, and Tom Tom."
"Oh, you won't consider it nice to meet me for long.", Tom Tom stated, "I'm a bad cat, you know? Very bad..."
He stuck out his tongue and wiggled it at the two of them, before cackling and crawling onto Grant's backpack.
"Yeah, he's weird sometimes.", Grant commented, "How about you guys? Got any interesting Pokemon?"
Sherman nodded. "Oh yeah, we do! I've got four awesome Pokemon, who will totally wreck your team!"
Charlie shrugged. "My team's pretty good, but I'm not bringing any of them out until we land."
Grant nodded. "Yeah, I get it. You don't want to tell me what to prepare against, so you have a shot at winning our first battle. Sounds good to me."
Grant sat down on a nearby bench, and started scratching Tom Tom behind the ears. "Anyone know anything about our fellow students? I haven't really been able to chat with them."
"Well, one of them's a musician.", stated Sherman, "I heard him practicing the guitar earlier. Pretty sure his name was Travis."
"You have that right.", replied the boy in question, who had just stepped out onto the top deck. He had rather unkempt brown hair, green eyes, and was quite slim. He was wearing a dark green shirt and blue jeans, over which he has a black jacket. A pair of headphones was around his neck, and he had a guitar case on his back.
"Now, since you know my name, I'd like to know yours.", he said.
"I'm Charlie, he's Sherman, and that dude is Grant.", Charlie explained.
"Nice to meet you all.", Travis replied, sitting down near Grant. He smiled at the sight of the Meowth. "Cute Pokemon you have there."
"I ain't cute!", shouted Tom Tom.
Travis looked rather surprised. "He talks!"
"Well, course I do.", Tom Tom replied, "No need to comment on it." But he was grinning devilishly at having startled another person.
Charlie asked, "So, I'm assuming you're in the Arts Course, Travis?"
The boy nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I'm going to be a famous musician, and perform with my Pokemon! We'll travel the world, and it'll be like nothing you've ever seen!"
"That certainly sounds like something.", Grant commented, "But personally, I'd rather be a champion."
Sherman replied, "Well, I'm going to be a valiant knight! I'll roam the land, helping those in need and taming the fiercest of dragons!"
Charlie shrugged. "I also want to be a champion, but I'd also be happy as a member of one of the Elite Fours."
Travis commented, "Well, I guess most people want to be a champion. But personally, battles just aren't my thing. I've always preferred seeing all the kinds of shows people put on with their Pokemon."
"I've never actually seen one of those.", Grant said, "Are they really as great as you say?"
"You've never seen a Pokemon contest!? Oh man, you're missing out.", Travis replied, "People do all sorts of crazy and wonderful things with their Pokemon, and they're just so inspiring! I'll have to show you at some point..."
"Okay, cool.", Tom Tom said, "But I think battles sound better. Just with all the action, and the taste of victory, and testing your raw strength against the power of your foes..."
"We all have different tastes.", Travis said, "Pokemon as much as humans."
Tom Tom replied, "Hark! Words of wisdom right there."
Then he reached over to his Trainer's pack and such a berry out, before promptly devouring it.
Grant sighed. "Come on, Tom Tom. Really?"
"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about.", the Meowth said smugly.
Charlie commented, "At least I've trained MY Pokemon not to do something like that."
Tom Tom laughed. "No one ever said that I was trainable! Everything I do, I do of my own volition."
Grant said, "Don't worry, people, I have him under more control than he lets on."
"What if that's just what I want you to think?", asked Tom Tom.
At that moment, the ship's horn blew, and Charlie turned to see the island was now much closer.
"Looks like we're getting off soon.", Sherman said, "How exciting!"
Grant stood up, and Tom Tom pounced onto his shoulder. "Let's go, guys! Our first day at the university is about to begin!" (-o-)
Donovan stirred as he heard the horn of a ship blow. Ugh...where was he?
The last thing he remembered was him and his loyal Emboar, facing off against a literal god of time...and now everything seemed wrong. He had a splitting headache, but as he stirred, he realized he felt younger, more full of energy...like he'd been at thirteen.
Holy Arceus...had he been sent back in time? That ship's horn...it might've been the boat that took him to the university! The time dragon in its rage, must have somehow sent him back to his first day at school, in his teenage body.
Twenty-seven years, reverted in a blink. If time was going to go the exact same way it had before, that was not going to be fun to relive. But Donovan wasn't going to cower back from it.
As he struggled to sit up, he felt a small muzzle rub against him, and a voice asking, "Tep...Tepig?"
"Oh, my beloved Emboar...", whispered Donovan, "Are you okay?"
"Pig!" Leaping onto his lap was his loyal starter, the Tepig he had received all those years ago. Donovan wasn't sure if his other Pokemon would still have their memories, but Boulton had been standing beside him when Dialga (if he remembered correctly, that would be the dragon's name) had roared. If he was in the same boat, Boulton would still have his memories too.
"Boulton...do you remember the Dialga?", he asked.
"Pig!" His Tepig nodded.
"Oh, thank Arceus...at least you'll remember all the old strategies. We appear to have been kicked back in time, all the way to our first day at the university.", Donovan said, "I don't know if we have the rest of the gang, though. Let's see..."
He looked at his Pokeballs, and frowned as he took up a particularly old-looking and beat-up one.
"Boulton, I think that you're the only one who's going to remember.", he said, "This is Brave's Pokeball."
"Tepig!?", gasped his partner, "Te te pigtepig!"
Donovan rubbed his sore forehead. "Ugh, I don't remember what we all knew at this point...I'm going to have to retrain everybody, aren't I?"
"Tepig.", Boulton replied.
At that moment, there were footsteps on the stairwell, and Donovan looked up to see a young woman appear, looking very confused at the sight of him.
'Ah, she's just as beautiful as I remember...', thought Donovan.
She was rather tall, and wore an imposing outfit, consisting of long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, tactical boots, and a vest. A long purple cape hung over her shoulders, and her shoulders were covered by thick, silky black hair. Her eyes shone a warm amber, and were ringed with shadows. Her hands were covered by long, velvet gloves, and were currently resting on her hips. She was studying Donovan suspiciously, an act mirrored by the Luxio standing at her side.
"Who are you?", she asked, "And why are you in the storage room?"
Donovan chuckled. "Oh, uh, I just stumbled my way down here. I think I hit my head or something."
That was, indeed, what had happened twenty-seven years ago, and it still embarrassed him to this day.
The young woman groaned and put a hand to her face. "This ship is full of idiots.", she muttered. Then she said, "Alright then. My name is Gwendolyn. What's yours?"
"The name's Fell. Donovan Fell.", Donovan answered, standing up. He remembered exactly what she said next.
"You certainly did.", Gwendolyn replied, smirking.
Donovan gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, that's right."
Boulton snorted. "Tepig, pig pig pig."
"Lux?", asked Gwendolyn's partner, probably confused by what Boulton had said.
"Tepig.", Boulton answered.
For not nearly the first time, Donovan wondered what the Pokemon were saying.
As he tried to stand up, Gwendolyn strode over and offered him her hand. With a soft smile of thanks, Donovan took her hand, and she pulled him back to his feet.
"Come on, Donovan. We probably don't want to be found down here.", Gwendolyn said.
"Very true.", agreed Donovan.
The two of them headed up the stairs, Gwendolyn being careful not to stand too close to him. Donovan recalled how uncomfortable she'd been in social situations, and was once again reminded of how astonishingly similar things were going already.
As they left the storeroom, Gwendolyn finally asked, "So, um, what course are you in?"
Donovan smiled. "Ranger."
Gwendolyn replied, "Huh. Me too."
Up ahead, Donovan spotted another boy, this one standing smaller than Gwendolyn. He had short black hair, soft brown eyes, and looked somewhat uncomfortable. In front of him sat an Ivysaur, which was trying to take a nap in the corridor.
Donovan waved. "Hello there. Why is your Ivysaur sleeping in the walkway?"
The boy sighed. "Ivy is still tired from last night. We had an intense training session and it appears it exhausted her more than she let on. I think she needs some sun."
Donovan walked over to the sleeping Ivysaur. "Here, I'll help you move her abovedecks."
"Oh, thanks! I just don't have the heart to put her in the ball...", the boy replied.
"No trouble." Donovan grunted as he picked up the plant dinosaur, surprised at how heavy she was, "No trouble at all."
"Pig, tepig!", Boulton cried, seemingly worried.
"Don't worry Boulton. I moved her successfully.", Donovan replied, as he started walking up towards the top deck.
"Moved, past-tense?", asked Gwendolyn.
"Yeah.", Donovan replied, mentally kicking himself, "See?"
He reached the stairs and carefully started walking up them, his Tepig at his heels. The boy and Gwendolyn followed him, curious to see if he would succeed.
Donovan did, reaching the top deck and carefully laying the Ivysaur down on a nearby bench. His arms ached from the Pokemon's weight, but he had successfully done it.
The boy whistled. "Wow, that was impressive! Thank you, uh..."
"Donovan. Call me Donovan.", Donovan replied.
"Well, thank you Donovan! My name's Cristian.", the boy said.
Gwendolyn walked over to the Ivysaur and softly stroked its head. "You have a beautiful Pokemon, Cristian. I can tell you take good care of her."
Cristian smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I do. Homegrown berries, lots of water...I'm pretty good with Grass-types."
Gwendolyn smiled, "That sounds nice."
She sat down, and her Luxio leaped into her lap. Gwendolyn petted her Pokemon, saying, "Hey, Nala, we're almost there. So I can't pet you too long, okay?"
"Luxio...", purred Nala, rubbing against her hand.
Donovan felt a smile come to his face. His old friends were just the way he remembered them.
He couldn't wait to re-meet the others.
Up ahead, he could see that they were sliding into the dock, where two faculty members awaited them. Cristian started trying to wake his Ivysaur back up, while Gwendolyn and Nala stood to their feet. With another horn blast, the ship lowered its anchor, and a crew member slid down a gangplank to allow everyone off the boat. Quite a few students were already climbing off the boat, eager to get to the university.
Donovan slipped into the crowd, lifting his Tepig onto his shoulder. As he walked down the gangplank, he took a look around, reveling in the familiar sights.
The shore was white sand, with sturdy wooden piers built off of it. A couple other boats were here, mostly belonging to the teachers of the Ranger Course. Up the shore there was a large grassy green field, full of flowers and peaceful Pokemon. Snaking through the field was a well-maintained stone path, which led off to the campus. At the edge of the field, Donovan could see the tall fence that blocked off the nature reserve where Ranger students often trained.
The two faculty members awaiting them was a pair of nineteen-year-old twins, both with fiery red hair and sparkling blue eyes. They were a boy and a girl, and beside them was a pair of Pyroars, also male and female.
"Hello there students!", greeted the girl, "My name is Kira, and this is my brother Mira!"
"Yo.", greeted Mira.
"We're here to show you around and get you accustomed to your new home!", Kira continued, "But first, let's take you to Oranguru Hall, where the principal awaits you!"
Donovan smiled to himself. He remembered this part.
The twins led the large crowd of students down the path, and the central campus swiftly came into view. Donovan couldn't see the individual wings, but he could see Oranguru Hall, which was a tall, capitol-style building built of white marble and surrounded by statues of various Pokemon.
Nearby, there were some smaller buildings, but everyone's attention was on the central one. The twins led them right to the doors, where an old man stood in front of a temporary podium.
"Greetings, students!", the old man declared, "You may call me Principal Stiffren, and I am the head of this school. In the upcoming months, you will find yourselves challenged like never before, as you go through our extensive curriculum and learn everything you need to know to become the greatest Trainers of this generation. For many years we have stood here, teaching all who wish to learn, and many more shall we stand. In the next few days, I would like to get to know each of you quite well, and hope that many new friendships are made and cherished! Together, you and your Pokemon will grow and blossom into something great and wonderful, and I am excited to see where your adventures will take you!"
He smiled brightly. "Today, your story begins. Where it will go, you will decide! And all of us will support you the whole way! If you need help, we will be there, in order for you to reach your full potential and break free of your troubles! Welcome to the university!"
He fell quiet for a moment, then said, "Now, I'm certain you and your Pokemon want to get some exercise after your long journey. What better way to do that, then with some Pokemon battles? Choose your opponent, and let's see how you do!"
He stepped away from the podium as the crowd burst into a bunch of discussion and challenges. Donovan was one of the only people here who was not surprised by the battle challenge. He had already known it was going to happen, and his opponent.
"Alright, Cristian.", he declared, "Let's battle!" (-o-)
AN: That's our first chapter! I hope you enjoy the story, and are excited to see what's next! Remember, if you want to, you can submit a character!
Also, reviews are greatly appreciated! I love seeing what people think, and it can help me with ideas and suggestions! So don't be afraid to leave one!
I'll see you all next time! You're all awesome if you read this!