Disclaimer:

This story will 100% contain spoilers for Pokemon Rejuvenation. There will be some events in this story that happen differently in the game or just don't happen at all. Alternatively, there also will be events that may straight up spoil important plot points earlier than they are revealed in the game.

If you haven't played Pokemon Rejuvenation yet, or you're currently playing it: Turn back now! Before it's too late! If you have played and are caught up, or you wish to go into this blind: Read on! I hope you enjoy!

Faraway Lodge
9:10 PM

"Mommy, I'm not tired...!"

On a night like any other, a young girl could be seen lying in her bed with a white blanket covering most of her small body. Sitting beside her was a much older woman, and judging by the similarities between the two, it's safe to assume that this woman was the girl's mother.

"Maria, dear. It's already an hour past your bedtime." The girl's mother spoke in a gentle tone. "We both know how cranky you get when you don't get enough sleep."

"But we were having so much fun today!" Maria puffed out her cheeks, pouting. "I don't want it to end…"

"Oh, my precious little angel. You're too sweet~" The girl's mother smiled. "Tell you what? If you go to sleep now, Mommy promises to have lots of fun with you tomorrow."

"Pinky promise?" Maria stuck her small hand out from underneath the blanket and extended her pinky finger.

"Pinky promise." The girl's mother would do the same and wrap her pinky finger around her daughter's.

"Tee-hee~! Mommy and I made a pinky promise!" The girl would smile brightly. "... Hey, mommy? Can you read me a bedtime story?"

"I don't know, it might be too late for a bedtime story…" The little girl would look at her mother with puppy dog eyes. "... Oh, alright. Just one story, and then it's off to bed!"

"Yay! You're the best!"

Maria's mother blushed lightly and let out a small giggle in response to her daughter's praise. "Is there a specific story you have in mind?"

"Hmm…" Maria pondered for a moment. "Can you tell me the story about the Zorua and the Pangoro again, Mommy?"

"This is the 4th time in a row that you've asked me to read that story!" Maria's mother looked at her in surprise. "Perhaps you'd like me to read another one instead?"

"Nuh-uh! I like this one!" Maria shook her head. "I like it when you tell the story!"

"Is that so?" Maria's mother would let out another small giggle. "Alright, alright."

The woman would adjust herself in her chair and look at her daughter, who was looking back at her with expectant eyes. Maria's mother smiled at her daughter and cleared her throat. "Let me tell you a tale—a tale about a lonely Zorua…"

There once was a lonely Zorua living deep in the darkest forests.
He was a mischievous one. Transforming into other Pokémon and beings that lived around.
He would often use this ability to trick others into handing over food, or using their homes to sleep in.
Because of this, he didn't have many friends. I'm sure you can piece together why?

But one day this changed when Zorua met a powerful Pokémon called "Pangoro".
They were fighting over a rare and coveted golden apple.
Many hours later their fight came to an end and no victor was revealed.
They knew they were evenly matched. One could not take out the other.
With both staring at each other intensely, they knew that they were destined for friendship.

"*Yaaaaawwwwwnnnnn*" Maria rubbed her eye.

The two became quick companions. They were two peas in a pod, if you will.
They traveled the world together. Overcame hardships. Went on thrilling adventures...
Life was good for the two of them... until one day Zorua went too far.

Zorua planned a devious prank on Pangoro.

"I shall transform into Pangoro's fallen mother. That would surely give him a spook!" Zorua said. "It'll be my best prank yet!"

So while Pangoro left to find food, Zorua put his malicious plan into action.
When Pangoro returned home he was greeted with the sight of his dead mother.
Paralyzed with a mixture of extreme emotions, Pangoro dropped his collection of food onto the ground.
In that collection of food was...

"Oh, I know this one…!" Maria rose her hand up in the air. "It was… A golden apple…!"

"Ahaha, yes. That's correct, Maria. It was a golden apple that the Zorua saw."

"Hee-Hee~" Maria smiled sleepily at her mother.

When Zorua saw this, he transformed back into his normal state, looked down at the food, and said...

"Hey! Where did you find this golden apple? It looks fresh and incredibly delicious!"

Zorua raised his head to see a face filled with fury, sadness, but most importantly, disappointment.
Zorua quickly realized that he hurt Pangoro very deeply and tried to apologize.
But Pangoro wouldn't hear any of it and immediately ran into the forest.
Shaken and worried, Zorua ran after him, but Pangoro was nowhere to be found.
Zorua realized that he repelled his only friend with his selfishness.

The woman would soon realize that Maria had finally fallen asleep. Maria brought her so much joy, she couldn't help but smile again.

And Zorua became lonely once more.

The woman would tuck her daughter in, fixing her blanket, adjusting her pillow, and kissing her on the forehead. Maria's mother would eventually get up from her seat and walk towards the door and light switch.

"Sleep tight… Maria."

S.S. Oceana
10:00 PM
2 Days until the S.S. Oceana arrives at Oceana Pier

Meanwhile, at some other point in time, a cruise ship was spotted sailing across the ocean. Aside from a few small islands here and there, the ship was the only thing that could be seen for miles… Excluding the aquatic Pokémon of course!

The S.S. Oceana was her name, and she was currently making her way to the Oceana Pier, located in Gearen City of the Aevium region. While the Oceana wouldn't be arriving for another two days, those onboard would await their arrival with great anticipation.

… Well, this didn't happen to be the case with everyone onboard…

Nancy stood in front of the door to her cabin for what felt like ages. Obviously she wanted to enter the cabin, but the butterfrees in her stomach were saying otherwise.

"Starting tomorrow, you'll fulfill your role. You have until then to prepare yourself."

These words echoed in Nancy's head. At first she thought nothing of it, but as time passed the growing anxiety would start becoming too much to bear. Nancy doubted that she was the right fit for the role that was thrust upon her, but even so…

"(No… I'm the only one who can do this.)" Nancy reassured herself. "(I just need… to take that first step…!)"

After much debate, Nancy had found the courage and determination to slide open the cabin door. Nancy picked up the briefcase that sat on the floor next to her and walked into the cabin.

Nancy closed the door behind her and looked around the room. Like most of the cabins onboard the ship, the room was pretty sizeable—for a ship cabin that is. Compared to a room in a house, this was practically nothing.

There were a few posters of Pokemon hanging on the wall, a nice glass table that sat on top of a rug, a sofa against the left wall, and two beds—one of which was occupied.

On one of the beds sat a person covered from head to toe in blankets. With how much they were covered up, it was practically impossible to tell who or what was underneath the sheets

But Nancy knew.

Nancy stared at them and set her briefcase down. The woman would make her way over to them and slowly place herself at the edge of their bed.

"... Savannah?" Nancy spoke in a warm tone.

"..."

The person underneath the sheets didn't give a verbal response, but they did slightly turn in Nancy's direction, indicating that she got their attention.

"Savannah, sweetie. How...H-How are you feeling?" Nancy was a little nervous. "It's me, Mom…?'

"..."

"It's okay if you don't remember me..." Nancy folded her hands on her lap. "I… know your memories aren't where you want them to be right now and that's okay. I just want you to know that I'll always be here for you."

"..."

Nancy still hadn't gotten any form of response aside from a slight turn. Was she doing something wrong? The woman knew this wasn't going to be an easy job, but something about this felt… impossible.

"I'm… I'm going to head to bed now." Nancy stood up. "If you need something, don't hesitate to-"

Nancy stopped midsentence when she felt something latch onto her sleeve. The woman would turn back to see a shaky hand reaching out from the blankets and grabbing her.

"P-Please… Please don't go…" Inside the fort of blankets, a girl's voice could be heard.

"Savannah…?" Nancy looked shocked.

"The voices… T-They keep talking to me when I'm alone. My head hurts so much..." Savannah's voice was also very shaky, like she could start crying at any moment. "I'm scared of what they're going to do to me…"

Savannah would finally make eye contact with her mother, which in turn allowed Nancy to finally see her face. "I'm scared they're going to hurt me…" Tears streamed down the girl's face. "I'm scared, Mom…"

The anxiety that filled Nancy disappeared almost instantly upon seeing her child's tear-stained face. Any doubts that she may have had before were drowned out by her maternal instincts.

"Oh, Savannah…!" Nancy hugged her daughter tightly. "I promise you that I'm not going anywhere! I'll stay here with you as long as you want me to!"

"T-Thank you…" Savannah sniffed. "I'm sorry for being a bother-"

"Please, don't say that, Savannah. You're the farthest thing from a bother." Nancy cooed. "I love you, sweetie. I'll always have time for you."

Savannah didn't understand what was going on in her head, or what was going on in general. So many questions plagued her mind and with little to no answers, the pain would only get worse. For a time, things had seemed hopeless.

However, there was one thing that she knew.

"(Mom's so warm...)" Savannah felt her eyelids getting heavy. "(Being this close to her feels… nice.)"

S.S. Oceana
1:25 PM
9 hours until the S.S. Oceana arrives at Oceana Pier

"Savannah?" Nancy poked her head into the cabin. "Are you awake yet-"

Nancy would lock eyes with a dark-skinned girl sitting at the table in the center of the room. A plate of food—or a plate scraps to be more precise—sat in front of her. Savannah stared at her mother, knowing full well that her cheeks were the size of a Skwovet's.

"...Hi Maum." Savannah spoke with her mouth full shamelessly. "Dihd you no taht dey surfed non fancshe tuff liek uggs n penkekes?"

"...Hahaha!" Nancy laughed. "Hi to you too, dear. Haven't I told you that it isn't good to talk with your mouth full?"

"I no!" Savannah swallowed her food as Nancy approached her. "I thought it would be okay since it's just the two of us."

"Even so, you're prone to making messes when you're eating." Nancy grabbed some napkins off the table. "Come, I need to wipe your mouth."

"What? I'm not that messy…" Savannah would pout as her mother wiped the crumbs and grease off her face.

"Of course you aren't, dear. I'm just teasing you." Nancy giggled. "Ah, there's that precious little smile I love so much!"

"Moooommmm, stoooopp." Nancy pulled and pinched Savannah's cheeks, while the girl in question complained and groaned in a playful tone.

"Alright, alright." Nancy would end her lighthearted assault. "In all seriousness, I wanted to see if you were awake yet. You remember that you have to register for the Aevium League today, right?"

"Yup yup!" Savannah nodded. "I've been up for a few hours now actually."

"Have you now?"

"Yeah, I woke up around 10 I think? I can't remember, but it was early enough for me to see that you weren't here." Savannah recalled. "Believe it or not, I've been spending most of my time awake rebraiding my hair—And while I was rebraiding my hair, I learned something new about myself."

"What would that be, sweetie?" Nancy seemed genuinely curious.

"I hate braiding my hair!" Savannah exclaimed, falling backward and lying on the floor. "It took so long to braid one side of my head— and that's not counting the number of times I've messed up or had to take breaks because my arms were burning hotter than 5 Magcargos!"

"Seriously, there was practically no room for error when it came to braiding these things!" Savannah held up her twin braids. "Anytime I messed up, I had to start all over again! I don't think I'm an angry person, but doing my hair has turned me into an entity that even God himself should fear.

Savannah would let out an exasperated sigh and look at her mother, who sat there smiling at her. "Was braiding my hair this much of a hassle?" She asked. "I'm really sorry if that was the case."

"Oh, I never braided your hair." Nancy shook her head. "You've always done that by yourself, ahaha."

"Really?" Savannah didn't seem too pleased by that answer. "...Past me made a huge mistake then."

"Now, now. There's no need to get upset." Nancy helped her daughter up off the floor and turned her to the mirror. "It might've been a pain, but it was worth it in the end. I think you look lovely, wouldn't you agree?"

"Hmm…" Savannah stared at her reflection for a bit, silently judging her twin-braided hairstyle. "... Yeah, I'd say it was worth it too."

Not too long after that event, both Savannah and Nancy would leave their cabin. The two would make their way over to the stairs that lead to the upper floors. On their way, they would greet friendly faces that they happened to pass by.

"What do you think they're hiding down in that Cargo Hold?"

"...?"

Savannah would stop and turn to the source of the voice. Huddled in a corner across the hallway were three teens conversing with one another.

"Maybe that's where they keep the safe with all the money!" The girl of the group hypothesized.

"In that case, one of us should act as a distraction. That way the others can get down there!" One of the boys plotted.

"Y-You guys are nuts… There's no way we can actually sneak past that guy!" The other boy, also known as the voice of reason, cried. "What if we get caught and they arrest us? We should go back to our rooms and stay there until-"

"Bro, why're you such a pussy?"

"For real! You've got, like, no balls whatsoever."

"And you wonder why your girlfriend left you for that dude with the six Magikarps."

"Grow a pair, Kendall. Grow. A. Pair."

Savannah was… confused, to say the least. The girl tried her best to wrap her head around the contents of that conversation, but she was having a very hard time doing so.

"Savannah? Is something wrong?" The girl heard her mother call out from the top of the staircase.

"Ah, no! It's nothing!" Savannah replied.

"Alright, I'm going to go and check in with the organizers of the Farewell Banquet and see if there are any last minute preparations they need help with," Nancy told Savannah. "I'll be back as soon as I can!"

"Okaaayyy."

Nancy kissed Savannah on the forehead and gave her a quick hug before leaving the room. Savannah watched her mother off before letting out another sigh and turned back to the screen in front of her.

"Registration process beginning…" Savannah read the only words she saw on the screen. "Sure is taking a long time…"

As mentioned earlier, Savannah was registering herself to take on the newly formed Aevium League. Seeing as the S.S. Oceana was made in Aevium, the cruise ship had a registration area for the league onboard for those Pokemon Trainers that were looking for new opportunities.

At the moment, there were three other people in the room excluding Savannah. Two of them were Trainers like her who were also registering for the Aevium League, and the last one was the Clerk at the desk behind Savannah; she was in charge of distributing Trainer Cards and dealing with an assortment of paperwork.

"I...hing….n?" Savannah was pulled out of her daydream when she heard audio coming out of the terminal's speakers. "'Scuse me? Can you hear me through that thing?"

"Hm? Oh um…" While Savannah could hear a voice, there was no person on the screen to match that voice too. "I can hear you, but I can't see you."

"Aww, dang it." The person with the feminine sounding voice sucked their teeth. "Give me juuusssttt a second. This computer stuff is so complicated…"

A few minutes would pass, and while Savannah didn't see anything, she definitely heard… things. Objects were falling over in the distance and sounds that could only be produced by a woman incredibly frustrated by technology were made.

After what felt like ages, the monitor finally started to display video. "Ah… that's better!" A dark-skinned woman appeared on screen wearing a black jacket over a white shirt.

"U-Um… Hello." Savannah would sweat, not because she was nervous, but because the woman in front of her appeared to be very calm despite the fact that she was fighting with technology moments prior.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you! My name is Amanda." Amanda introduced herself. "I'm what you would call a scout. "For what?" You might ask? The Aevium League of course!"

"(Amanda's a pretty name~)" Savannah smiled to herself.

"Now, I'm not going to bore you with the same ol' boring procedure like how to move your limbs or engage in basic social human interaction-"

"Wait what?"

"I'm just gonna hop right into the expectations and requirements the Aevium League has for trainers like you if that's okay?" Amanda asked.

"Uh… Sure?" Savannah raised an eyebrow. "What was that moving limbs and social interaction-"

"Great! So, as a Trainer entering into the Aevium League you should know that our Gym Challenge is quite different from Gym Challenges of other regions." Amanda continued. "Unlike other regions that only have 8 Gyms and an Elite 4, Trainers taking on the Aevium League must take on 18 Gyms and the Elite 8—that's right, 8!"

"(18 Gyms? The Elite 8?)" Amanda's words echoed in Savannah's head. "(Even though this whole thing is new to me, that seems like a bit… much.)"

"You'd be correct in thinking that!"

"Eh?!" Savannah jumped.

"You were probably thinking that 18 Gyms and the Elite 8 were a bit too much for one trainer, yeah?" Amanda asked. "If so, you'd definitely be right in the regard! However, I mentioned that the Aevium League is different from most Pokemon Leagues found in other regions. Trainers both new and old are more likely to enter into the Aevium League simply because this type of format is different from the norm."

"To put it into simpler terms, new Trainers get a one and a lifetime experience that new Trainers from other regions don't get. Older Trainers, while not getting the same type of experience as newer trainers, get to try out something new!"

"I think I get it…?" Savannah spoke in an unsure tone.

"Experience is the best teacher. You'll understand soon enough!" Amanda laughed. "Moving on—Pokemon in this region also act a little differently to Trainers as opposed to Pokemon of other regions. There's a lot of differences, but I'll just give you the short version."

Savannah shook her head before Amanda continued. "Okay so in short, a Pokemon and their Trainer share a link of sorts with one another. Pokemon are powerful creatures that get stronger with more experience." Amanda shared. "However, if a Pokemon senses that their Trainer isn't growing, they'll stop growing with them. The only way for a Trainer to prove to their Pokemon that they're becoming strong as well is to beat Gym Leaders and earn their badges."

"Really?" Savannah wore a surprised look on her face for a moment before entering into deep thought. "Then again I guess that kind of makes sense. Why would a Pokemon listen to someone who has less experience than them? It wouldn't make sense."

"That's an interesting way of thinking, I like that!" Amanda exclaimed. "Our job as Trainers are to guide our Pokemon and help them become the best versions of themselves, hence the name Pokemon Trainer. Interesting! Speaking of Trainers, we should probably set up your Trainer Card. Mind if I got your name?"

"Oh, it's um… Savannah; Savannah Aeris?"

"Savannah Aeris, let's see…" Amanda turned her head away from the camera, most likely to look at a monitor that was offscreen. "Hm… I don't see anyone in our databases with that- Oh never mind, your file is right here! Looks like everything we need is located here too— which saves me a lot of time and paperwork, ahaha."

"Phew, that's a relief!" Savannah chuckled nervously. "I'm not sure I'd be able to fill out paperwork without my Mom's help, and she's not here so…"

"Yeah, I can see that. Sorry to hear." Amanda turned back to Savannah. "Alright, everything seems settled! The Clerk managing registrations onboard should have your Trainer Card ready for you, so don't forget to talk with them once our little chat here ends."

"Got it, thank you for your help, Amanda!' Savannah smiled.

"No problem! I'll be waiting for you at the Gearen Laboratory in East Gearen City. Don't forget!" Amanda waved. "Safe travels and see you soon, Savannah."

With that the video call came to an end, leaving Savannah staring at a black screen. "(That was… easier than I expected!)" The girl beamed. "(The registration process was a breeze, I was worried for nothing!)" Even in her inner monologue, Savannah wasn't willing to admit that she lost a couple of years of her life when Amanda claimed nothing popped up in the databases.

Savannah got up from the terminal and noticed that the two other Trainers in the room with her were still filling out their information with their appointed league advisors. "Oh, are you finished with the registration process, Miss?" Savannah turned to the clerk at the front desk smiling at her.

"Yup!" Savannah smiled back and walked over to her. "I'm ready to take on the Aevium League!"

"I like that confidence." The Clerk chuckled. "In that case, let me print out your Trainer Card for you. Give me one moment, please."

The Clerk turned to the computer that stood beside her and typed away at the keyboard. The computer would print out a card that had a familiar face on it. "There! All done and ready for you." The Clerk took the card and turned to Savannah. "Please, take this."

Savannah took the card from the Clerk and examined it—sure enough her name and face were on it, along with a bunch of other information.

"With this, you're officially registered. Congratulations!" The Clerk gave Savannah a small applaud. "Please enjoy the rest of your trip, and good luck!"

"I will, thank you!"

Savannah proudly walked out of the registration office with her Trainer Card in hand. "Actually holding this in my hands feels so surreal for some reason…" Savannah looked at her card once again. "I'm really about to become a Pokemon Trainer like Mom!"

"Oh, Savannah!" A familiar voice called out to the girl. "I was just on my way to see how things went."

"Syl!"

Savannah turned her head to find her mother standing not too far from her. To Savannah's surprise, there was a Pokemon next to Nancy—or at least it was next to Nancy, now it was running towards Savannah. "Mom!" Savannah just barely caught the Pokemon that practically jumped into her arms. "Oof! And hello to you too Sylveon!"

"Veon~!" The Sylveon nuzzled up against Savannah.

"Sylveon was so excited to see you that he just couldn't stand to wait in his Pokeball, ahahaha!" Nancy laughed. "I'm honestly a little jealous that Sylveon has taken a liking to you much quicker than he did with me!"

"Aww, don't be Mom! At the end of the day, he is your Pokemon." Savannah put the Pokemon down. "I'm sure he loves you more than anything, isn't that right Sylveon?"

"Syl!" Sylveon went over to Nancy and started rubbing up against her. "Sylveon~!"

"Both of you are too sweet." A smile formed on Nancy's face as she patted her Sylveon. It wouldn't take long for the woman to notice that her daughter was holding something. "That card in your hand— is that what I think it is?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, I finally got it!" Savannah happily showed off her Trainer Card. "It's my Trainer Card, I'm officially a Pokemon Trainer! Well, I don't officially become a Pokemon Trainer until I get my first Pokemon, but you know what I mean!"

"That's wonderful dear!" Nancy was the next in line to give Savannah some form of affection and hugged her. "I was a little worried that I didn't give you enough information, but I'm glad that it all worked out~!"

"You worry too much Mom, I had it all in the bag!"

Liar.

"I'm sure you did, sweetie. I'm sure you did." Even Nancy was able to tell that there was something fishy but decided against pursuing. "Now that you have your Trainer Card, that means you're officially ready to go! Ahh, I can't wait for you to see Aevium, Savannah. It truly is a beautiful region with so much to do and so much to see…"

"You seem to know a lot about Aevium, Mom." Savannah pondered. "Have you been there before?"

"Ah, unfortunately no." Nancy shook her head. "I've always wanted to visit Aevium one day, so I found myself often reading up on the things the region has to offer."

"Aww what? Here I was thinking that you were born in Aevium or something like that!" Savannah didn't seem too pleased with another one of her Mom's answers. "I mean… It's still cool that you know so much, but I was expecting you to tell me a story about how grew up there when you were a little girl or something."

"Ahaha, sorry to burst your bubble sweetie. Not everything has the same type of backstory." Nancy laughed. "But if you do want to hear more about the Aevium region from someone who's actually been there, then you should speak with the Captain. He and I have quite a history with one another, plus I'm sure he'd love to officially meet you in person!"

"You and the Captain know each other?!" Savannah was taken aback. "That's news to me! I wanna hear all about it, come on!"

"A-Ah about that…" Nancy frowned. "I um… I have somewhere to be right now, so you'll just have to go without me."

"Oh." Savannah's hyperactivity was taken down a few notches. "Is… everything alright?"

"Oh of course! There's nothing to worry about Savannah! I just need to meet with someone, that's all." Nancy attempted to reassure her daughter. "I'll see you at the Farewell Banquet. Please take care of yourself, Savannah. I love you."

"O-Oh, um… O-Okay!"

Nancy gave Savannah another hug, followed by an additional kiss on the forehead. Nancy let go of Savannah and went towards the stairs behind her. "Vee! Veon!" Sylveon gave Savannah a parting nuzzle before following after Nancy. Nancy turned around and gave her daughter one last look before disappearing down the staircase with her Pokemon.

Savannah stood there for a couple of minutes. The girl obviously knew what to do, yet she wasn't doing it. All she did was stand there with her hand on her chest. "(...There they are again…)" Savannah gripped her chest. "(Mom left me alone this morning and was gone for a couple of minutes during my registration and they didn't bother me… so why now?)"

Savannah slapped herself on the face a couple of times and shook her head. "N-No! No, I just… need to keep myself occupied… Yeah, that's it! I'm on a cruise ship, right? I should definitely look around before visiting the Captain." Savannah hyped herself up. "Okay! Where to first?"

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by and reading the first chapter of "Path of an Interceptor", I hope you liked it!

So for starters, this is a Fanfiction that's based on Pokemon Rejuvenation, a fangame developed by Team Rejuvenation. As of the release of this first chapter, V13 of the game was released about a month ago (on July 16 I believe?)

I started playing the game maybe a week after the new version was released and eventually fell in love with it. It's got a pretty damn good story in my opinion, a very interesting cast of characters (meaning protagonists, villains, and side characters), and difficult battles that will definitely add wrinkles to your brain. Overall, it's a great experience and I highly recommend you give the game a shot if anything I said piqued your interest!

After completing the latest version of the game, I assumed that I would be done with anything Rejuvenation related until the next version came out or something like that… but then came the brainrot.

Basically, I had a lot of ideas and I needed to do something with those ideas. After a couple of days of writing on and off, this story was eventually born!

I sincerely hope that you enjoyed this chapter and that you stay along for the ride! Thanks again for stopping by, and see you next time!