The Capture Specialist
Chapter One: New Beginnings
A/N: I do not own Pokemon, but I do own the original characters.
The ride on the S.S. Aqua from Slateport City to Vermillion City was an uneventful one for Dana. She spent most of her time sleeping or moping, choosing not to participate in the activities offered by the cruise. Instead, she stayed in her cabin with Aipom, her childhood friend and the family Pokemon, watching as the landmass of Hoenn grew smaller and smaller.
"I hate this. I don't want to move…" Dana said weakly. She had already been defeated on the matter, however, as they were already moving. Aipom hugged her arm, trying to make her feel better.
"Thanks, Aipom," Dana said, patting him on the head. She turned her attention to the next window, as she noticed the city of Vermillion looming ever closer.
"Attention passengers! The S.S. Aqua will be docking soon," a very cheerful voice spoke over the intercom, "please gather your belongings, and head to the main deck area."
Dana scowled as she grabbed her backpack and suitcase that held most of her belongings. The furniture and other important homely items had been shipped earlier in the weak, and set up by movers and their Pokemon companions.
"I hate this," Dana muttered as she opened the door to be greeted by the smiling faces of her parents. Her mother's face was very angular, with a sharp chin and cheekbones. Her brown eyes were always sparkling and full of life, and her curly brown hair fell around her face in curls. Her father had a much fuller face, sharp green eyes like Dana's, and a light stubble on his chin. His raven hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her mother wore a simple skirt and blouse combination with heels, while her father wore a black suit jacket, white dress shirt, and black slacks.
"We're finally here!" Her mother squealed with excitement, before noticing something. "Uhh, Dana, you're not going to change?" Her mother asked, giving her a look that said 'I know your going to change your clothes'.
Dana sighed, closing the door back. "Just a second!!" she said, quickly pulling out a skirt and throwing it on. She changed her shirt to a bright red one with pockets on the front. Dana adjusted her hair, fixing her bangs and fluffing her hair around her head. Walking to the door and opening it, her mother beamed.
"Much better! Alright, we've almost docked, so let's head to the main deck…" her mother said. Aipom jumped on Dana's shoulder as they stepped out to the deck.
The small taxi jeep had driven across the dirt path from Vermillion to Saffron. Dana's parents had purchased a small home here after Dana's father had gotten a job at Silph Co. The taxi had dropped them off at their home, and then pulled away back on the road to Vermillion. The house was small, with a yellow roof, and three small windows.
"Well, let's go inside." Dana's father suggested. The trio opened the front door, and walked inside to find the furniture in the home arranged beautifully by the movers and their Pokemon. Dana's mother was in awe, and her father was impressed with the care and work the movers had put into it.
"Where's my room?" Dana asked, immediately. She wanted to be alone, to shut off the world as she had done on the ship.
"Your room is upstairs, honey. Make sure everything is where you want it to be." Her mother replied.
Dana trudged up the staircase, Aipom slightly distracted by the pictures of the family on the wall, clearly confused as to why this house looked almost identical to their old home in Hoenn. Dana opened the door to the first room on the right. She opened it to find her bed, her aqua linen sheets, and the deep blue beads hanging in front of the window. The cool vibe emanating from her room made Dana feel more at home.
"Dana! Tomorrow, I'm going to show you where I work!!" Dana's father called from downstairs. "Get some sleep. It's been a long day."
Dana had already plopped on the bed, throwing her suitcase and backpack to the floor. Her father was right; it had been a long day. Aipom had jumped off her shoulder to the small hammock in the corner that had been made to accommodate it.
"I miss Hoenn, Aipom." Dana murmured with a yawn, before she fell asleep.
The next morning, Dana and Aipom went downstairs for breakfast. Dana was still moping as she ate her bacon and eggs in silence. Her father joined them shortly, suited up for work.
"Well, Dana, you ready to go with me to work?" Her father asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"Fine." Dana huffed, as she grabbed her bag to leave.
"Have fun!!" her mother called from the kitchen.
Dana and her father walked in silence for most of the way. Her father had told Dana that Aipom wouldn't be allowed to run free in the company building, so Aipom stayed at home with Dana's mother.
"Look at this place, Dana. You'll have a wonderful time here. The boss has a son about your age…I think he said his name was Markus. Maybe you two can meet later?" her father said.
"Whoopie." Dana replied. Her father sighed in defeat, as they kept walking. Finally, they came to the large building of Silph Co.
"Well, let's go inside." Her father said, opening the door for his daughter.
"Thanks, Dad." Dana replied, walking in. Inside, she found that most of the room was reflective; the floors were polished glass, and there was a large fountain in the center. Lots of people in business suits walked past, talking on phones and flipping through sheets of paper.
"Welcome to Silph Co.! May I help you?" the receptionist asked with a cheerful smile.
"Yes, my name is Jack, and this is my daughter, Dana. I brought her to work with me to show her around." Dana's father said.
"Alright, well, you may use the elevator to go to the floor to your office, and have fun!!"
Most of the day was spent in her father's office. Occasionally, Dana would be dragged along as her father requested papers to be signed, or meet with a client to receive some research papers. All in all, Dana was very bored.
"Dad, when do we leave?" Dana asked.
"Well, sweetheart, if you want to leave, you can walk home. Did you enjoy it?"
"Sure, whatever", Dana murmured in reply. She walked out of the office, down the hallway to the elevator. Pressing the button, she rode down to the bottom floor. Once outside, she began walking in the direction of her house.
"Ugh…What a pain." Dana thought to herself as she walked. I've only been in this city for one day, and I already hate it."
As she walked, she noticed a large blue-and-white building. Outside was a sign, that said " Capture Specialist Unit: Compiling and Researching Pokemon Data"
"Capture Specialist Unit? What's that?" Dana thought to herself. Walking up the steps, she opened the front glass doors. Inside, she found several people walking around in suits, but there were a few kids, too, with Poke Balls at their waists. Was this some sort of gathering spot for Trainers?
"Hi! Can I help you?", a young woman asked with bright red hair, and ruby earrings. She smiled at Dana, who flushed, realizing she didn't really know what to say.
"U-um…Well, what is this place?", Dana asked, confused.
"Well, this is the Capture Specialist Unit: To put it simply, we're an international organization that seeks to compile data of the different species of Pokemon. At the current time, we only have partial data for many of the subjects. We seek to use this compiled data in order to understand Pokemon better, so that we may coexist with them."
"I-I see…So, you capture Pokemon and study them? Isn't that kind of cruel?" Dana asked. The woman laughed lightly.
"No! We study Pokemon of their own free will. Sometimes, our agents are called in to capture Pokemon so we can provide medical attention. Additionally, this organization was founded under the combined efforts of the Pokemon Professors Oak, Elm, Birch, and Rowan. So, as you can see, we are a well funded organization."
"I see…What would it take for someone like me to become a Capture Specialist?" Dana asked, becoming more enthralled as the conversation continued, grinning more and more. The red-haired lady beamed as she saw this.
"Well, first you'd have to get your Pokemon Trainer's License, and then you'd have to prove yourself worthy by capturing at least ten different species of Pokemon and bringing them here for study. Once you've accomplished that, you will become a Rank-D Agent." The woman said.
"Rank-D? What's that mean?" Dana asked.
"Rank-D is the lowest ranking agents…They are given the easiest missions to help them improve, and usually they have a Rank-B or Rank-A Agent assisting them on their missions, whether it is in person or over the phone. This is to ensure that the Rank-D Agent doesn't get in over their head, but there is a way to avoid becoming a Rank-D Agent entirely…" the woman said, trailing off.
"How would I do that?" Dana asked, excitedly.
"Well…You see, in addition to having varying ranks of agents, we also rank species of Pokemon on our availability of data. The Pokemon species we have the most data of are Rank-D species. These are usually the easiest to capture, and more often than not, we have nearly complete data on them. To avoid becoming a Rank-D Agent and skip having a higher ranking agent shadow your training, you must capture a Rank-C or higher Pokemon."
"I see. So, I have to get my Trainer's License, and then capture a Rank-C Pokemon, and I'll become a Rank-C Agent?" Dana asked.
"Yes, you've got it!!" the woman said.
"I see, thanks for your help, ma'am." Dana said, as she prepared to run out the door.
"My name's not 'ma'am'. My name is Anna. And I'm sure we'll meet again." Anna said, beaming. Dana smiled back, as she ran out the door.
At dinner, Dana's mother served her and her father a delicious meal of steak, toast, corn, and ice cream for dessert. As they ate, Dana was quiet.
"How was work with your father today?" her mother asked.
"Fine. Mom, Dad, I need to tell you something…" Dana said, putting down her fork.
"What is it, Dana?" her mother asked.
"I went and got my Trainer's License today. I'm going to become a Pokemon Trainer." Dana said. Her mother and father exchanged glances. Dana bit her lip. Were they mad?
"Dana…We're so excited you finally decided to do this. We were afraid ever since we told you we were leaving Hoenn you had given up on your dream of becoming a Gym Leader. So, you finally decided you wanted to explore Kanto?"
"It's not that; I still miss Hoenn. But, I found a new dream. I'm going to become a Capture Specialist, and compile all the data of every species of Pokemon." Dana said, beaming.
"Dana…We're so happy you finally found something to be excited for. We're so happy that your pursuing something for once!!" her father said, standing and hugging her.
"Finish your dinner, and then we'll go pack." Her mother said, encouraging her to finish eating.
A/N: Woo! Lots of information for the first chapter. I felt it was necessary to make it long, because I wanted Dana (and the reader) to be presented with the idea early on of being a Capture Specialist.
Next chapter, Dana travels by ferry to Pallet Town to receive her starter Pokemon, and begin her journey. But a surprise guest will make this choice a difficult one. Read and rate, as always! Thanks for reading!!