CHPT 1 – A BRAVE NEW WORLD(?)

Samuel.

That was his name. It took a bit of thinking to properly remember it, but after a while, the boy stood.

More than a boy, now, having just turned 18. It only made sense that on the day of his birthday, the world would go to hell. His only hope was the fact that his dad happened to be somewhat important to some group, no doubt gone now. Looking around the chamber, he realized that his parents' organization wasn't the only thing that was gone. The lights flickered, electricity somehow still functioning in the long-abandoned lab, the musty smell of a long unopened tomb enveloping him as he stepped out, his feet finding purchase on the ground. His clothes felt dirty, cold, stuck to his body as he carefully glanced around, unsure of what was going on – before it began to come back to him, at least. His belt seemed heavier than usual, the tattered sign on the wall in front of him reading clearly, even through the rips and tears that had come with time, mites eating at the fabric even now:

"Please make sure to empty all Poke balls, pockets, and place them on the counter."

It took him a few minutes to gather his thoughts. The screens on the icy terminal reading different things, taking him a moment more to properly be able to read them again.

Subject X-0094823: Terminated

Subject Y-0094824: Terminated

Subject X-0094825: Open

His own cryo-pod, for lack of better term, had been opened through some mysterious ways. Samuel gathered his things, or at least the things that now belonged to him, and took stock of the situation. The last thing he could remember was the blinding light coming from Kalos, his parents rushing downstairs. He wondered if his house still stood, figuring he couldn't have been asleep for too long.

Samuel did his best to avoid looking at the other pods, unsure if he really wanted to see what laid there, potentially the remains of his parents, but potentially something worse. He averted his gaze, reaching over and patting a kiss onto both, before trying to refocus on the task at hand. He could mourn later: He needed to know what had happened, first. His lone poke ball sat against his belt, still in its holder. He hadn't even thought about what would have happened, glancing once more to the sign that had been there to remind him of such a thing, before looking back with a little grimace. His hands were a bit shaky, looking to the ball as he gave a soft huff, plucking it from his belt, and looking at it.
"Would you even remember me?" Samuel spoke to no one in particular, yet it was obvious who it was directed at. The lights flickered; a soft humming noise was all that could be heard as he furrowed his brow. This poke ball contained his last connection to the world he had left, yet it didn't feel right to open it yet. Not here, not now. The youth stood tall, replacing the ball as he headed to the door, wondering what the world would look like when he returned to it. It couldn't have been that long, after all. "Right?" He asked, voice barely a whisper as he opened the door, the light almost blinding at first, the world going white for a time.