Hi! Before you begin reading, I just want to announce that THIS IS THE LAST INTRODUCTION CHAPTER HFBHJDSKNSD YAY! I HATE INTROS OKAY. Now that you all have a general idea of the characters, it'll be easier for me to just write the general storyline and introduce more about the characters as the time goes on. :)

So, without further ado; Aya, Kristien, and Warren were respectively made by Blackreach, PoisonBanana, and W. R. Winters. Thanks, guys, for creating them!

I hope that you all enjoy the chapter!

Aya Satsuki was an anomaly in Lavender Town.

Not her appearance, though. Aya had waist-length, dark brown hair that was messily curled at the tip, and a single gray hair-clip that swept the bangs out of her eyes. Even her eyes, too, weren't very surprising; born with heterochromia, Aya's right iris was a dark brown, while her left was a stormy blue. She was a very cute girl — "sixteen-years-old and slaying it," as she often said — but the way that she typically dressed in dark clothing, and the way that she stared at a person, instantly brought the place Lavender Town to mind.

People from Pallet Town dressed in color, while people from Lavender Town didn't; it was just a simple stereotype that many people believed.

But that's where the similarities with her home ended. Aya's personality could be described as rather . . . erratic. Known by many to give random outbursts of random tidbits, she was the type of girl that Lavender Town didn't have much of. Cheerful, outgoing, optimistic, sociable — she was a bundle of positivity, and it brought a flurry of color into a town that preferred to stay in the dark.

If only people knew her history. If only they knew the real reason as to why she moved from Sinnoh. Maybe then they wouldn't judge her so quickly. Maybe then there'd be people at least trying to attempt a smile her way as she stood in front of the bus stop, talking to the members of her family and waiting for her ride to Viridian City to show. Maybe then she'd actually have true friends and not just friendly associates, and maybe then she wouldn't be seen as the crazy girl who cringed whenever someone touched her. If only they knew . . .

But people didn't know much. People just assumed that they did. It's something that Aya was painfully well-aware of.

"And how are you feeling, dear?" Miyuki Satsuki asked, giving her daughter a huge smile. "Is my little soldier ready to take on the world?"

Aya shrugged, watching as a group of Spearow flew overhead, making themselves home at the top of the Radio Tower. How did she feel? Happy that she was finally leaving to learn more about the world? Sad that she'd be away from her mother, her two younger brothers, and two aunts? Or maybe it was a mixture of the two?

Whatever she felt, Aya at least knew that she was excited. The thought of leaving dreary Lavender Town and going out to other parts of Kanto had always fascinated the girl; being chained to a single place was horribly stifling, and it made Aya feel anxious. But being able to fly out into the wild, carefree and happy, away from anything that could hurt her . . .

Well, any other emotions could be ignored, because going on an adventure was the only thing that Aya wanted to do with her life. As long as she was moving, nothing could hurt her. Nobody could hurt her. Not again. And just imagine all the new things that she'd learn!

"I feel good," she finally answered, looking up to stare at her beautiful mother. Not in the eye, though; Aya never made eye-contact with anyone. "Content. I'm ready for this."

"And I'm sure you are!" Madoka Satsuki, her aunt, exclaimed. "When I was your age, all that I wanted to do was leave the house and go on my Pokémon journey. It didn't work out very well, as you can clearly see, but I met the love of my life so it was worth it."

Akane smiled at her wife, capturing Madoka's hand in her own. "But you used to hate me."

"True, but that's only because you were better than me, love."

They laughed, shaking their heads as the memories started flooding back. Miyuki just smiled, happy that her sister could be happy. She still remembered the day that Madoka came out to the family, with her own fiery-haired girlfriend to boot, and couldn't help but snort at the memory of their parents' shocked expressions.

"But anyway," Madoka continued, still chuckling. "Don't worry about the specifics, alright? You're a smart girl, but perhaps a bit too smart. Trust me; when you're a few months in and you're re-wearing the same pair of panties for the fourth time, you'll understand where I'm coming from."

They all laughed again, this time with Aya included. She loved her family for this specific reason; while they were sometimes crazy, they were genuine, and they sincerely wanted the best for her. Besides, she owed them a lot; if it wasn't for her auntie agreeing to let their family live with her, Aya would still be stuck in Snowpoint City . . . with her father.

But that was something that neither of them liked to think about.

"Interestingly enough," Aya sniped. "Did'ya know that the world-record for the most underwear worn at a single time is at two-hundred and fifteen? I think the guy's name is Jimmy, and he's from Viridian City. Cool, right?"

Akane — and the rest of Aya's family — immediately deadpanned. It was so like the sixteen-year-old to ruin any form of laughter through one of her random facts. It was as if Aya had no form of social tact. Which, actually, she didn't.

". . . Let's just hope that you don't meet him anytime soon, alright?"

"Hey, your wife just admitted to wearing the same panties for four days. Jimmy just might end up being my husband."

And then they were laughing again. Aya really would miss her little family. Her younger twin brothers were both still at home, too sleepy to come outside and wait for the bus with her, but that was alright. She still managed to say goodbye to them, and she was going to face-time them whenever they woke up.

As the adults began talking again, Aya looked up and gave them each a sad smile. I really will miss all of you . . . But I'll be back. I promise that I'll be back, stronger and smarter than ever! And you all better believe it!

In the distance, Aya could suddenly see a large blur speeding towards them. Digging in her bag, the sixteen-year-old took out her broken glasses and brought them towards her face — though didn't put them on. She had torn off the ends of her glasses because she really, really didn't like for anything to touch her face, and so she simply looked through the lone lenses whenever she needed to see something from far away.

Maybe that was why people thought she was a little insane.

Just as she assumed, the bus that was supposed to take her to Viridian City was approaching at a steady pace. Grinning now, Aya brought a hand to her chest, relishing in the feeling of unadulterated excitement. It was finally happening. She was actually going to do this.

She was taking one more step away from a past that never failed to erase her joy.

"Looks like your ride is here," Miyuki mumbled, bringing an arm around her daughter. For a second, a split second, Aya winced at the contact — and then furiously blushed in embarrassment at her mother's watery gaze.

It wasn't her fault. No matter how many nights Aya used to spend back in Snowpoint, crying and begging for her mother to return. No matter how victimized and dehumanized she used to feel, day after day. No matter how much she wanted her mother to notice the pain that had latched deep inside of her multi-colored irises . . .

It just wasn't right to blame her. They were all victims.

Aya could keep telling herself that, at least.

"Aya . . ." Miyuki bent down to stare her daughter in the eye, the guilt already making itself known in her voice. "I just want you to know how proud and happy I am for you, to be going on this journey. And I want you to know that . . . that I will always be sorry for happened, and that I will never stop blaming my—"

"Stop." Aya wasn't the type of girl for physical contact, for obvious reasons. But for once, she didn't care; she wrapped her arms around her mother, embracing her in a tight hug. "It wasn't your fault. I'm okay. We're okay."

But in the end, words were meaningless. Miyuki would never stop feeling the stabbing pain of guilt that ate at her heart whenever she looked at her daughter, and Aya would never be able to fully let go of her abusive past. But for the time-being, they could both . . . forget. Never forgive, but hopefully forget.

Aya didn't have much of a choice, after all. She and her Starly were going on an adventure that was sure to be far more important than her destabilizing past. She needed to be strong; not only for herself, but for everyone that was soon to be involved with her.

With a grin, Aya released from her mother and put up a peace-sign. "I guess I'm going now. Take care of everything while I'm gone, alright? I'll be texting you each an interesting factoid every day, so don't think that you're rid of me just yet!"

Yes, Aya Satsuki would be strong.

Fuchsia City. A small place located in southwest Kanto, home to the Safari Zone and the Poison Type Gym Leader, Janine Zill. People who chose to reside in Fuchsia were a lot less open-minded than Pallet Town natives, yet a lot more sociable than the Lavender Town stereotype; these people were strict, traditional, yet a lot kinder than people liked to perceive. It's mainly the older people who were stuck in their ways, after all. With the growing technological advances, the younger generations were starting to see the world in a way that's different than what their elders preached.

But that didn't solve most of Fuchsia's issues. The city was given lots of backlash due to their own personal laws and judgements, and most kids did grow up learning to hate rather than love. Janine, as Gym Leader, was trying her best to unite the people of her city with the others — but it was hard, considering that saying the wrong things could place her own hometown against her, and saying anything else could place the rest of Kanto against her.

Fact of the matter was . . . Fuchsia City was controversial and riddled with negativity.

Of course, though, there were people who didn't really fit in with the traditional customs set there. Kristien Frazier, eighteen-years-old and wannabe-Pokémon Champion, was one of them.

Maybe if his mother hadn't died a long time ago due to birthing issues, and his father wasn't an idiotic drunkard, then Kristien would've grown up to become just like the rest of his city. Ignorantly set in his ways, never lending out a helping hand to those who could supposedly help themselves. But because of his home situation, the teenager ended up mainly raising himself, and therefore had a different outlook than his peers.

"Good morning!" Kristien exclaimed happily, waving as he jogged by an elderly couple. They both gave him a look that was a mixture of confusion and distaste; maybe because of his rather loud voice, and probably even because of his appearance.

Kristien didn't look like everyone else, after all. He was taller than the majority of boys his age, standing at 6'1, and he definitely had a different look to him. His normally brown hair was dyed a striking white, and his eyes were a mystifying mixture between green and blue. Kristien was a very attractive boy, as most would agree, and his personality was nothing short of great — but the older generation didn't see that. They only saw a boy who refused to pertain to their unspoken rules.

When they eventually turned around, ignoring him, Kristien only shrugged and continued to happily jog down the street. He was used to their uppity attitude, and even if he wasn't, today was too good of a day to stress over them. Today, he was finally following his dreams. Today, he was finally considered an official Pokémon trainer.

It was all thanks to his little sisters. Kristien had spent the majority of his life taking care of them, since his father was unable to do so after his wife's death. Friends were easily made, considering his personable personality, but they weren't easily kept; he didn't have time to hang with them after school, too busy working and making sure that his family didn't starve. When Kristien had turned sixteen, he desperately wanted to venture out on his own Pokémon journey, away from the judgemental eyes of his city — but that was impossible, because his sisters were too young to fend for themselves, and it wasn't like his father was much help in anything other than making a mess. So he stayed home and continued working, continued surviving, while letting the unhappiness silently sit in the pits of his stomach.

Until today. Today, Kristien's sisters had given him their blessings.

"We can take care of ourselves now," Kaitlyn said, handing him a brand new backpack, full of supplies for the long journey ahead.

"We know how much you want this, Kris. So please, just go and follow your dreams," Karoline had told him, smiling and wrapping her arms around his waist. "We know you don't have a phone or anything, but you could still write us a letter every now and then. And if you're gonna be Champion, then you'll have to stop by here sooner or later!"

Thinking of them made his heart swell and shrink at the same time. He would miss them so, so, so much — and not only that, but he'd be worrying about them at every possible second. Yet at the same time, he thanked them for letting him finally be free of the chains that held him to Fuchsia.

The main reason that Kristien wanted to leave was a simple one, probably too simple to even care about. He wanted to become the Champion of Kanto, and to relish in the fame and wealth that came along with the title. There was nothing wrong with that, though, right? Kristien had spent his entire life barely being able to afford food for the family; there was nothing wrong with him wanting different, right?

Looking behind himself, Kristien Frazier smiled at the Zubat that had an almost annoying tendency to follow him. Years ago, he and his sisters had found the Zubat living in their attic. Instead of chasing the Pokémon away, however, his sisters brought up the idea of keeping it as a pet, and Kristien didn't argue with it.

When the eighteen-year-old had left the house after a long amount of time of hugging and nearly crying, he noticed a short amount of time later that Zubat was following him. There was some confusion, but after a small talk with the Pokémon, Kristien assumed that the poison-type wanted to come along with him. Which was great, since he didn't have a single Pokémon to his name.

"Just wait a little longer, okay?" Kristien told the Zubat, who fluttered behind at an increasingly slower pace. The sun was getting to him, something that the eighteen-year-old clearly noticed. "I'm heading to the PokéMart now to buy you a Pokéball, so just keep holding out. Unless you want me to hold you?"

Kristien could see the Zubat shake his head. Unbeknownst to the human, Zubat was a prideful Pokémon, and therefore didn't like the idea of someone babying him. He could take care of himself.

Laughing a little, Kristien turned around and continued running towards the nearest PokéMart. After a few minutes, the newbie Pokémon trainer finally made it, and wiped off a bead of sweat as he walked inside. Wearing a red hoodie probably wasn't the best decision ever, but it was his favorite. And so he'd wear it.

The first thing that Kristien saw as he walked inside was a little girl, probably no older than six or seven. She was looking through the shelves with a troubled expression on her porcelain face, tears brimming at the corner of her eyes. The girl picked up a bottle, squinted as she read the label, and then put the bottle down and furrowed her brows even more.

Kristien couldn't help but approach the girl, putting on the most reassuring smile that he could muster. While the boy was bubbly and energetic, he was also extremely helpful and too nosey to not push himself into other people's problems.

Ironic, considering he hated people that tried to dig deep into his own life, removing the mask that he held onto with every fiber of his being.

"Are you alright?" Kristien asked, bending down. "Do you need any help?"

"No," the girl murmured, still squinting as she tried to read label after label. After a few seconds, though, a single tear slid down her face, and she sighed. "Y-Yes, actually. My F-Farfetch'd is sick, and daddy d-doesn't believe in using medicine, but she's really, really sick and I-I don't want to lose her . . ."

The girl was practically sobbing now, while Kristien couldn't stop the frown from forming on his face. There were a lot of people from Fuchsia that believed in home remedies and didn't trust PokéMart medicine . . . and apparently, this girl's father was one of them. Unlike him, however, Kristien did believe in man-made medicine, and was fully resolved to help this girl.

Helping people made him forget about his own demons, after all.

"Ssshh, don't cry," Kristien whispered, going in his backpack and taking out . . . a small lollipop.

One thing about the boy was that he had an extremely horrible candy addiction, and carried large chunks of candy in his satchel. Sure, he was bound to get a cavity one day . . . but it hadn't happened yet, so he was free to indulge in the sweets for as long as possible. And give them out to whoever needed some.

The girl took the lollipop and nodded, sniffling back her tears. "I was so worried that I l-left my glasses, and so I don't know what any of these say . . ." She gestured to the shelf. "I-I think that I need some Antidote?"

"Ah, don't worry! I'll get it for you!"

Kristien took out another lollipop and snatched off the wrapper, sticking the candy in his mouth. With a grin, he jumped up and energetically ran to the other half of the PokéMart, fully intent on helping the girl out. Afterwards, he'd get his Pokéballs, capture the Zubat that refused to leave his side, and then head to the bus stop. He heard somewhere that a bus was supposed to show up and take beginners to Viridian City for free, and that seemed like the best plan he had at the moment.

And maybe, hopefully, Kristien could finally be happy with life. Truly, sincerely happy.

It was worth a shot.

"Would you like anything to eat, sir?"

Warren Monger looked up at the flight attendant, his expression blank as he silently shook his head. The lady nodded in understanding, the practiced smile still on her face, before walking over to the person sitting behind him. Sighing a little, Warren turned back towards the window, watching as the clouds flew pass at an outstanding speed.

If only I had bothered to go searching for a flying-type, the twenty-four-year-old man thought to himself. I wouldn't have to be in this plane, and I'd probably get to Viridian a lot faster.

Warren didn't like planes for a multitude of reasons, but the main reason was the almost innumerable amount of people around him. The man was a loner and didn't even talk; having to somehow communicate with the random people around him — who asked the most random things possible — was tediously wearing him down. Not only that, but Warren hated being kept in a single spot for too long.

And of course the ride from Sinnoh to Kanto took hours.

Shifting in his seat, trying to get comfortable, Warren stared at himself in the reflection of the window. His hair was ebony black, styled in a slight wave at the top, and recently trimmed for the move to Kanto. Afflicted with heterochromia, his eyes were two different colors; his left being sapphire blue and his right being a greenish-brown. His eyes gazed over to the extremely noticeable scar at the top of his head, the gears in his brain whirring as memories of that particular event crossed his mind.

The fun, the laughter, the excitement . . .

The gang, the argument, the fighting . . .

The lost, the burn, the ra—

Stop it, Warren.

Looking away from the window, Warren laid his head back against the chair, a world-weary sigh leaving his lips. Warren hated thinking about the past, hated wondering if he could have done something different, hated lamenting over his sister's death. But no matter what he was doing, the memories always came back — and they haunted him. No matter how much time had passed since the incident, and no matter how many regions he had explored . . .

Warren would forever be anguished by the literal ghosts of his past.

The twenty-four-year-old was trying, however. He was trying to move on, to let bygones be bygones, and to continue living his life. Warren had spent an entire year of crying, of moping around, of doing nothing but letting the sadness and hate take over his personality. He had gotten over that depressing point of his life and won the gym badges of Sinnoh, Unova, Johto, and Kalos, as well as completely obliterate their Elite Four members. But even though he had beaten the leagues — and on more than one occasion, the Champions themselves — Warren refused to stay and become the official Champion. It just didn't feel right for someone like him to be seen as a beacon of hope and power, when in-reality he couldn't even protect the one person who mattered the most . . .

In the end, it always came back to bite him in the butt. A long time ago, when he was sixteen and still had that hopeful look in his eyes, Warren wouldn't have hesitated at being called the Champion. He would have taken the title, and probably would have flaunted it as well.

But because of one event, one pivotal moment that happened in nearly everyone's life . . . Well, it'd be a blessing if Warren ever really smiled again.

Suddenly, his phone rang, cutting through the silence of the plane. Everyone turned to stare at him as he quickly — and awkwardly — pulled his phone out, as well as his earplugs to stop the nosey passengers from listening in. Cursing under his breath at the embarrassing situation, Warren stared at the screen and read the name of the person trying to contact him.

Professor Oak.

Tapping the answering screen, Warren gave the professor a blank stare as the man's face appeared on the screen. Why would you call me while I'm flying on a plane?

"Warren Nathaniel Monger!" The elderly man smiled, completely oblivious to the other man's slight irritation. Warren never was good at expressing himself, especially nowadays. "From what I can see, it looks like you're on a plane. Am I correct in that assumption?"

In response, Warren simply turned the camera towards the window, letting Professor Oak see the clear blue sky and the clouds underneath. Turning the camera back towards himself, Warren gave the man a look as if to ask Why did you call me?

"Oh, well I'm glad that you're taking my advice in coming to Kanto!" Professor Oak said happily, not perturbed by Warren's silence at all. Of course, he — and everyone else that associated with Warren — knew about the man's vow of silence, and respected it enough to not ask any tough questions whenever they could help it.

After Astrid's death, the twenty-four-year-old vowed to never say another word until he got revenge on his sister's murderers. And sure, there had been times when Warren had no other choice but to speak, such as the many psychological tests he'd been forced to take . . . but otherwise, he prefered to stay silent, almost as if punishing himself for not being . . . strong enough, or fast enough, or simply enough to save his sister's life.

"I understand that Kanto isn't exactly considered the toughest of the tough," Professor Oak continued, simultaneously writing something down on a sheet of paper. "But I feel like you'd enjoy it here. It's not Hoenn, or even Johto, but you could definitely ease off the stress and just learn to enjoy yourself."

Warren allowed himself a moment to fantasize about what that'd look like. Him sitting on some beach, letting the sun shine against his shades and the water lap at his feet . . . Sandra, his Lopunny, would probably enjoy something like that. But Plasmane, his Luxray, on the other hand . . .

"Are you still planning on taking on the gym leaders and the league?" the elderly man asked next, still writing, almost as if the conversation they were having was nothing more than a way to pass time.

Warren nodded, looking out the window once again. If there were a few things that Warren liked to do, it was travelling another region and relishing in the sweet taste of victory. It momentarily took his mind off of the bad things. And winning anything, in general, was always a nice feeling. Warren couldn't imagine going to Kanto without trying out his luck against the gym leaders, and eventually the Champion.

The Champion . . .

Warren knew a lot of different people, mostly those that have tried to battle him and take away his unofficial title, but Red Johnson was a person that always mystified him. One day, when travelling Mt. Silver, Warren had the pleasure of meeting the legendary trainer of Kanto. They didn't battle, however; for the first time, Warren felt like someone had actually understood him, and so they just sat down and . . . talked.

It was one of the weirdest experiences of his life. Red wasn't the official Champion of Kanto either, but he might as well have been; his strength was legendary, and he was already shown to be capable of defeating the entire Elite Four in one sitting. Not even Warren was that strong. When the twenty-four-year-old eventually managed to collect all eight badges of Kanto . . . Fighting Red took the most priority over anything.

"Well . . ." Professor Oak was finishing his paper up, as Warren could clearly see, and so he figured that the one-sided conversation was nearing its end. "I know that you're heading to Viridian City to show the beginners a little something, correct? Well, before you leave, make sure to come to Pallet Town for a quick visit. I have something that I need to give you, alright?"

Warren simply nodded.

"Oh, and by the way . . ." The elderly man finally looked up from his paper, his suddenly serious eyes boring a hole into Warren's. "You aren't still trying to find that gang who . . . you know." Warren's silence was all the answer needed; the twenty-four-year-old bashfully looked away, while Professor Oak sighed. "Listen, I understand where you're coming from . . . but it's been so long, son. People like them are bound to be punished sooner-or-later, by Arceus or whoever's dishing out calamity. You can't let the past control you, Warren."

I understand, Warren wanted to say — even though it'd be nothing more than a lie. Because no matter what anyone said to him, it'd be nothing but gibberish. It wasn't them who had to watch as their sister was mercilessly raped; it wasn't them who had to take their sister's limp body to the hospital; it wasn't them who had to do nothing but watch as the life drained out of their sister's eyes and she took her last breath.

It would never be them; it would always be him.

Warren always had a problem with holding grudges. Even when he was younger and battling random trainers on the side of the road, he couldn't help but hold onto the fact that he actually lost a battle, and always swore to find that person and beat them. The brutal death of his sister, however, was a bit more serious than losing a random match. Warren swore to Arceus that he'd find the culprits responsible. He didn't know what he'd do when the time came . . . but when it did, Warren would be ready for whatever. He refused to give mercy to the lowlifes that didn't even have the decency to show their faces.

Thankfully, though, there was only one thing that distinguished those thugs from the rest of the numerous gangs out there. One thing that would definitely help get him the answers — and revenge — that he needed.

A large red R on their backs.

And that, folks, is the end of these wretched introduction chapters. I'm so glad that I only accepted 12 (or 11, technically) characters, because I doubt that I'd be able to do more of these. They're seriously the worst part of any story for any fandom. It's sometimes hard to get in the head of a certain character for the first time, and then you end up feeling like you're letting that specific creator down - and it SUCKS. BUT enough of that negativity. Once again, if there's something about your character that you don't particular like or agree with, just send me a quick PM and we can discuss it. :)

Since you guys officially know about every single character, I created a poll that's located on my profile. Please vote! It's basically choosing your favorite 3 characters so far. I think I'll do the same poll every 7th chapter, to see who's popularity rises and falls depending on what they do. :) So yeah, please vote! The poll is at the very top of my profile!

Lastly, lastly, I created an ! It's basically this thing where you can ask me questions, or tell me something, and I'll answer/respond. It'd be awesome to see you guys asking me questions about this story, or about whatever you want to ask! (And my responses might give you a good laugh, too, so that's something to think about xD)

So yeah, the link for my ASK is also on my profile. It's also an app! You can ask me anonymous questions, or you can create an account and, well, still ask me questions xD Give it a try, alright? I find that I really do like answering stuff.

Well, that's all from me! See you guys next time! Don't forget to REVIEW and vote in the poll! And ask me a question on ASK! And . . . yeah!

Bai!