Chapter 3 – Rivals and the Beginnings of the Agency

Naomi jumped in the air with joy and excitement as soon she heard Zayne's reply. Zayne smiled at her reaction. He could tell that it was a huge thing for her; to be in a team with a friend, a companion that she trusts. Zayne felt extremely happy, almost as much as Naomi. She hugged the Pikachu. As they embrace, Zayne felt something inside him. He felt a barrier around his heart vanish as he knew he made the right choice. He had gained a friend in this foreign world.

Naomi broke the hug and said, "Thanks! I have really wanted to do this for a long time." She couldn't stop smiling. It was as if a great amount of weight fell off of her shoulders.

"Your welcome! I really need to know what this world is by the way." She stopped smiling and looked confused. "Like, it was as if fate put me, a human in Pokémon form, here for this reason. There must be a purpose for me here." He stopped to see if she was following along. She nodded to make an understanding gesture. "I really don't know any Pokémon here, except the specific ones here in Rosemere. I need you to help me on knowing the rest of the Pokémon. I need you to help me on who I was. I need you to help me on my purpose here." She was stunned at how much motivation he is giving her. Naomi now knew that it was her duty to help Zayne to find out who he was.

Naomi grabbed Zayne's shoulder. "I'll help you, Zayne. Not just because of fate, but because you're my friend. I'm willing to go the distance with you, partner." She smiled and stared him straight in the eyes. He looked back with a comforting look, letting Naomi know that he understands her too. She let her hand slip, and fell to her side. "But first, I have to do something. Let's go." She went off from the base of the steps and walked to the fountain behind her. Zayne followed her in suit, keeping close. He still sees the markings carved in the structure in different forms and figures. He sees the water flowing from the spout at the top of the fountain, flowing mellifluously through the stone checkpoints and finally onto the base of the fountain.

Naomi stopped before the fountain. "These figures you see on the sides of the walls symbolized different leaders of the UPA. Each shape of the Pokémon is carved." She pointed to the top stone right below the spout and drifted her finger slowly down the structure. "The first leader, Dawn the Aerodactyl, created the UPA due to all of the chaos and turmoil raging in her time. She restored order and started the first settlement. All of these Pokémon were leaders of the UPA at some point." She knelt down and stopped at the last one. "This is Armen the Dragonite. He is the current leader at this time. I haven't known the guy, but I hear he has very impressive stories to tell." She sighed. "The last memory I have with my mother was at this specific spot at the fountain…"

Flashback

"Hey mommy, what's this?" Naomi pointed to the last figure on the fountain. It was Armen when he was first inaugurated to become the leader of the UPA. The town had carved the Pokémon's figure in the small wall. Naomi's mother chuckled at the curious Riolu.

"That's Armen the Dragonite. He just became leader of the Good Guys." She walked toward the Riolu embracing her with a hug. The sunset was shining dimly at the twosome family. It reflected rays on the water as it flowed down the fountain.

Naomi looked confused. "What's a 'good guy'?" She asked which led to more of her mother's laughter. She turned Naomi to face her. She looked straight into her eyes. In doing so, she gave Naomi a coin.

"A good guy is whenever you do something right. People like good guys. They hate bad guys. The bad guys are too mean to them. You don't want to be them." Her voice was so calm and giddy that it entertained the child. Naomi took heed of her mother's warning, even though she is too young to comprehend what she is saying. Naomi threw the coin in the water and let it sink down on the floor of the water.

"Are you a good guy?" asked the young Riolu. The female Lucario chuckled lightly at young Naomi's remark.

"Why yes." She smiled. "I wanted to be the best girl healer in the world. But I'm too old now. I can only help those who come to me."

Naomi became excited at her mother's longed desire. The seeds of the female Lucario's dream were now planted within Naomi. She pushed playfully at her mother's knees. "Is daddy? Is daddy a good guy?" Her voice became giddy for the excitement of her parents.

The mother was shocked at Naomi's curiosity. Not once did she ask about her dad. In truth, she did not want to tell Naomi of her father. She was too young and naïve to know the truth of her father. "Yes." She lied. "He is." To change the conversation, the female Lucario saw a certain figure in the distance coming their way toward the fountain. She pointed to divert the young Riolu's attention. "Look! Who is that?" Of course the mother already knew.

Naomi completely dismisses the previous discussion and gazed in the finger's direction. She also sees the figure walking toward them, much closer than before.

She sees the creature in detail. It was a very large, orange, and bulky dragon-ish creature. It had two turquoise colored green wings that extended from his back. The creature had a tail that extends outward. He had short black hair with a horn sticking out toward the middle of his forehead. Two antennae extended from the sides of his head. He had claws and a tan underbelly, brighter than the color of his outer skin. The creature had a pleasing look on his face, confidently striding toward the UPA behind the family. He was walking along by himself trying to get away from the press, friends, and everything that is currently involving with his inauguration.

Naomi saw him then realized something. She looked at the carved figure on the fountain, then at the dragon creature. She excitedly told his mother, "Mommy! Look! That's Armen! That's Armen the Dragonite!" She ran up to Armen without her mother's permission and hugged him.

Armen was so lost in his thoughts that he was a bit surprised to see Naomi run toward him and embraced him. He saw the mother running toward the young Riolu scolding her. "Naomi! That's not nice! Come back here now, Naomi!"

Armen saw that Naomi went back into despair and slowly walked toward the mother. She knew that she was going to get in trouble and hanged her head in shame. He was brokenhearted at the sight. Her mother hugged her and apologized to the Dragonite. "I am so sorry, Mr. Armen. My daughter didn't mean to run to you like that. You know how children are."

Armen smiled. "No, no. It fine with me. I like children, so gentle yet so kind." He knelt down to Naomi as she tried to hide her shameful face in her mother's fur. He reached out and shook her hair lightly. "It's okay with me. You don't have to hide." He smiled to try and break the ice with the young Riolu, and it worked. She revealed her face from the mother and gave his head a surprising hug.

Naomi told the Dragonite. "Someday when I grow up, I want to be the leader of the club. I want to be the best-est person in the world!" Armen chuckled at the young Riolu's determination.

"Well, you have to work hard and listen to your mother." He pointed to Naomi's mom as she was startled by Armen's advice. "One day, you can be the leader!"

"...Then after that, it is all a faint memory. I haven't had the foggiest idea of what I remembered." Naomi took out a Poké and gazed at the reflection that it is giving off. Oh how she loved those peaceful memories of her mother, when it lasted. Her eyes went from the coin to the fountain, and she tossed the coin like she did with her mother all those years ago. She remembered what Armen had said; to be the leader of the UPA once his leadership was over. This is what she wanted.

Once the coin had hit the water, Naomi released a sigh of relief. The Riolu released herself from her old ways of living only to redeem herself a new way of living. She did not want to only be an alchemist. She wanted to help people. With Zayne by her side, she could fulfill her dream.

The Pikachu walked up to Naomi, and patted her back. She turned around with determination written all over her face. She punched the high air. "I'm ready to go!" Zayne agreed and they walked up the stairs to success.

XXXX

Upon climbing the last step, the twosome Pokémon stopped to view the scenery. There were three buildings that connect each other. The left building was a large stone building, much larger and higher than any other building that were in the area. There was no color to the edifice other than the rocks themselves. It was placed at the top of a very small plateau, as if it is a large castle on the edge of a cliff. The large building connects to the middle building through a long closed corridor.

The middle building was fairly small; however the style is very different than the previous edifice. The long corridor connects to a large mound with large metallic doors that extends outward toward Zayne and Naomi as if they were large wings. Torches were placed where it would light up the spot if it was night time. The UPA's seal was displayed the on the floor just a couple of feet from the facility in front of the two.

A long open corridor stretched along the right side heading south and connected to the right building. The right building seemed more official out of the three edifices. It was another large mound, yet smaller than the castle most northern of the three facilities and larger than the entrance in front of the future agents. It opened out into the courtyard where it displays different targets as if it was a combat facility for the army.

Zayne admired the three buildings with awe, just like before he saw the city of Rosemere. He was waiting for the excitement, the action, and the adventure to figure out who he was.

All of a sudden, his thoughts were interrupted from an unknown creature behind him. "Hey! Can you go any slower?" He jumped at the loud, masculine, and abrupt remark and started to turn around to see the Pokémon, only to be shoved out of the way. Zayne fell on his back and closed his eyes at the bits of rubble flew up.

"Zayne!" Naomi exclaimed as she went to pick the pikachu up. He halfway got up and looked at the attacking figure. It was an orange lizard-type being on his two hind legs. It had large eyes, scaly skin, and sharp claws at the end of his limbs. A slender tail came out of the figure's low backside. The tail emitted a fairly small flame. He had long, black and bushy hair that reaches down to his cheeks, and was also wearing square glasses.

"Rai, did you throw that Pikachu down?" said another creature, only this voice was more feminine than Rai. Zayne gazed on the other Pokémon. She had small eyes, almost to the point that it was closed. It was a bipedal Pokémon with a weird bluish fur on the topside of its body and milky yellow color on the underside. It has a small, yet long compared to her body, snout, and looks as if it was a mouse with a larger head. Very small tongues of fire emitted from her back. She had short red hair and her bangs stretch to the front of her left eye. This was a unique Pokémon, or so Zayne thought.

"Well, Mia, they were taking so agonizing slow!" snapped back Rai as he turned around to his companion. "I'm stupid excited for us to become a team!" He chuckled at his own joke.

With the help of Naomi, Zayne picked himself up, and marched over to the orange Pokémon. "What the hell? Why did you push me down?" Zayne became very angry at the actions of Rai.

Rai turned back around to see Zayne boldly storming towards him. "Well, you just got to go. I mean, we can't wait forever and you were in our way." He plainly said to him, and he stopped.

Naomi joined him. "There's plenty of room for you to walk around us! There's no need for violence, since we are becoming members also."

Rai laughed. "You, members? You guys can't even survive a fight against a Metapod. What makes you think you can survive in a place like this, let alone going on dangerous missions and outlaws." Mia came beside him. She had on a calm face while Rai, Zayne and Naomi were angered.

Naomi retorted, "Just to let you know we just faced an outlaw, named Krook, and we basically beat him." She pointed to Zayne and herself, "We even beat him without using moves."

"Wow! What a badass!" His sarcastic tone irritated the twosome. "Let's see if you two can beat me!" He got into his battle stance toward the two and the future team did the same. Naomi set down her satchel.

What is this guy thinking? Thought Zayne. Are there other guys like this inside the UPA? Rai single-handedly pissed Zayne and Naomi off. He already set off on the wrong foot. They glared at each other with intensity. The tension was so thick that a butter knife would be able to cut through it. Mia put a hand on Rai.

"Let's go, Rai. You had enough fun," straight forwardly, she spoke. However, Rai continued the death stare toward the twosome gritting his teeth.

After a moment, he cracked a small sly smile, and withdrew his battle stance. "Yeah, these two aren't worth my time," he boastfully spoke. He turned around and walked toward the UPA's metal door as Mia followed.

But something made her turn around. "Our apologies." She said. "Once you get to know him, he will grow on you." She motioned to Zayne and Naomi. "Sorry about that Zayne and Miss R-"

"Naomi." Naomi finished. She still had a bit of irritation within her voice, and Mia caught the hint.

"Right. Well, best be on our way." She turned around and walked toward the door.

Zayne turned back toward Naomi. "Are all Pokémon like this?" questioned Zayne as he looked dumbfounded at the small incident.

She picked her satchel up from the ground. "Well, there are different characteristics with different Pokémon. Like that guy, for example. He is so stuck-up and that girl is very clear-cut. How the way that those two are friends, I don't know." She dispelled her angry tone and lightened up. "Well, we just have to keep positive. I am sure that there are 'better' Pokémon in the facility."

Zayne nodded in agreement and asked another query. "Is there anyone that can help me using my moves? And is there a person who can teach me all of the Pokémon?"

This stumped Naomi as she thought of anyone, other than Armen, who is an electric type. Sadly, she couldn't think of one. "Well, I hope so. The only one I know is the leader, Armen." She paused to answer the other question. "And personally, I only know most of the Pokémon. I heard that there are 649 species that we have discovered throughout Aellyn. I only discovered or researched about 600, including the legendaries." The saying caught Zayne off guard.

"Legendaries?" He asked. "What are those?"

She sighed to the curious Pikachu. He asks so many questions, but who can blame him? "Legendaries are magnificent Pokémon that control a specific characteristic. For example, Groudon possesses the ability to control continents and Kyogre possesses the ability to control oceans and seas. There are many other Legendary Pokémon."

He nodded again and smiled. "Thanks." He paused and looked toward the UPA. He noticed that Rai and Mia were already gone, and they were too into the conversation to notice. "How do you get in?"

Naomi pointed to the seal on the ground. "You stand on it, and then something was supposed to happen, I guess. And then you get in!" In truth, she didn't know either. But in her earlier years, she often seen Pokémon standing on the seal and they got in. "Let me go on this, then you can go. Okay?"

Zayne bobbed his head in agreement and let Naomi take the seal confidently. She stepped on the seal and stood still. Zayne looked at her, then around the place; he saw nothing. However, she kept staying still as if she was paralyzed not saying anything. A few more lengthy seconds went by and she exclaimed, "Wow! That was awesome!" It shocked Zayne, because nothing had happened to her, and because she broke the awkward silence.

"What?" asked Zayne who is entirely confused about the situation. "What happened?"

She turned around. "Just do it for yourself! He wants to speak to you." Naomi motioned him to the seal. Zayne was a bit skeptical at first. Who's he? Zayne thought. But then, he notion that if no harm had done to her, then why not? Besides, he would get answers.

He stepped upon the seal and closed his eyes as Naomi stepped back. At first, there was nothing. But just before Zayne had given up and proved his skepticism true, his vision became blank. Then, he felt like as if he was lifted up on the ground. He saw various faded colors of fog blending together. It was all vivid. Then he looked around, he sees his body stand still as he kept feeling himself being apart from it.

The Pikachu suddenly heard a voice, "Why hello there." It was a calm voice as if it was an old man. "Why is it that you want to gain entrance?" The voice echoed around the area, and inside his mind.

He told the unknown, "Well, my friend and I want to be part of the Agency. We want to help Pokémon all across the province, and maybe the globe." He spoke confidently as if he had all ready conversed with the voice before.

The voice said back, "I am Craig the Alakazam. Sentry Duty here in the United Protection Agency. I have the right to banish anyone from this place or welcome them. Now, before we go any further; I can sense your aura, it is pure, and maybe the purest one I have felt in my lifetime. But I sense some doubt in your mind. You do not know anything of this province, am I correct?"

Zayne answered with a bit of shaky tone in his voice, "Yes."

"Well, why are you here?" He asked urgently, almost as if he cut Zayne's response.

"To aid my friend, Naomi, sense she aided me." He spoke confidently and truthfully, turning the conversation around.

"And what else is your heart's desire?" He continued.

"I...I really want to know my purpose here. I want a place to belong, a sense of companionship." He looked towards Naomi frozen in her place, smiling at the carcass of the Pikachu. "My friend, Naomi, is the very first one I have had. She has gave me hospitality and saved my life as I have tried to save hers." He continued. "This organization, the UPA, may be the key to my calling. If she trusts it as much as she says, then I am going to trust it as well." He let out a slight smile waiting for Craig to answer.

A few seconds went by and Craig spoke, "I hereby grant you access to the United Protection Agency. Whenever you or your friend wants to enter, step on the seal and I will scan either of you." He paused. "And good luck on your induction, Pikachu."

His vision faded to white and then to black. He then opened his eyes, viewing the building before him. The large metal door rumbled for a little bit, and then slowly went down towards the ground; only a fissure of the door stood in its place. He heard Naomi come up behind him. "That was awesome, right?" She put a hand on Zayne's shoulder.

He glanced at her. "Yeah, it was." He paused. "But what now?"

"Well, first we have to go inside." She started towards the opening and Zayne followed her inside the UPA.

Once inside, they were greeted by another Pokémon. It was a yellow-furred feline humanoid, covered with several of black stripes of fur. One of the stripes was in shape of a lightning bolt across the figure of the body. He had two antennas on the top of his head, and feet with three toes, two in front and one in the back to support balance. He had short blond hair that is sticking out everywhere. It was perfectly messy. He greeted the two future agents. "Hello! I am Shawn the Electabuzz. Nice to meet you, Zayne and Naomi!" He extended his hand to Zayne.

Naomi asked, "How do you know our names? Did Craig tell you?" Zayne shook his hand and Shawn shook it intensely.

"Yep! And you want to become members of the UPA!" He extended his hand to Naomi who also shook her hand with force. "Well, you guys should talk to our leader, there's another group that came by and they went to the leader's room. A Charmander and a Cyndoquil. Such an odd couple."

"Yeah we met them just awhile ago. They are an odd one in fact," said Naomi.

"Well, if they have the right to be a team, then so do you!" exclaimed Shawn. He motioned them over to the stairs in front of them. "It's the first sub-floor. You turn left, and then it is the first door on the left. Make sure you knock before you walk in." He smiled and walked toward one of the hallways.

Naomi quickly said to Zayne, "Call him back over here!"

Zayne questioned Naomi, "Why? Why do we want him?"

Naomi quickly spoke to the Pokémon walking away. "Shawn! Could you come here? Zayne has a question!" She turned to Zayne, "He is a thunder type. You can learn how to use your moves from Shawn."

The Electabuzz turned around. "Do you Zayne?" He quickly walked back to the team. "What is it that you want?" Zayne became dumbfounded as he searched quickly for a question within his mind. He then came up with one.

"Can you tutor me in moves?" It was an awkward question because the Pikachu should know how to use moves. "I mean, I have trouble handling moves and I only know very few of them. My memory is very foggy and I don't have the slightest clue how to use moves again." He lied. But it was a truthful lie. He really didn't know any moves.

"Oh! Amnesia! That sucks for you, Zayne. But I will be happy helping you." Responded Shawn. "Well, do you remember any moves after you lost your memory?" He asked the pikachu with a hint of concern in his voice.

Zayne acted like he thought for a bit. A moment went by. "Hmm...I am sorry, Shawn. But I do not recall any moves that I had done." He paused for Shawn's reaction.

"Not even tackle?" Shawn was surprised at Zayne's pseudo-status that he was in. "Okay, well here's your first lesson. Tackle, Tail-Whip, and Thundershock. These three are the most basic moves for a Pikachu, so no TM is required." He became serious and focused. "In order to use these moves, you have to focus to a point where you have to give it one-hundred-and-ten percent. You have to go hard on all of these, so you will inflict more damage to your opponent and not inflict any damage upon yourself."

Zayne nodded and he continued explaining the fundamentals of the moves Tackle and Tail-Whip. He continued. "Those types are normal type moves, so it means that Rock and Steel Type Pokémon will get inflicted half the damage, and Ghost Type Pokémon will have no affect on them whatsoever. On any other type, however, it will inflict same damage, if they are at the same strength level." He paused to let Zayne soak up Shawn's lecture. "It's all just common sense basically. Like Fire Types can beat Grass Types, Grass Types can beat Water Types, and Water Types can beat Fire Types."

"In order to use Thundershock," he went on, "you must feel that power inside you. Like normal moves, you go at your enemy 110 percent. However, these moves do not affect you. You subconsciously tap into your power and you use it. Yelling out the move's name and focusing a target will summon the move and it will be used." He took a deep breath. "Basically you focus where you want to hit the target and summon it. However, it takes a small bit of energy once you do use it."

Zayne finally asked, "Is that it?" His voice was full of excitement as he wanted to try the move out.

"Yep! That's just about all I can do for you," said the Electabuzz. "It is quite amazing the first time. Well, it is fundamentally the first time you are doing this because of memory loss. You can train at the School of Training Courtyard over there." He pointed to a door where he was going to before Naomi called him back. "I am one of the directors over there and I am more than happy if you stop by for more training!" He continued on his business, heading down the southern hallway.

Naomi walked next to Zayne. "Well thanks for the tip!" She smiled as Shawn was walking away.

He turned back, "I hope that you will join us! It is really a great union! See ya around!" He walked along until he was out of sight, and the future twosome continued down the stairs, heading to the Leader's room.

Zayne asked Naomi, "Are you ready for this?" He suddenly felt a sense of nervousness as his heartbeat was getting faster and faster. What he seemed to realize was that his emotion really did not feel like him. It was as if something was making him feel this way, like radiance.

Naomi replied back as they stepped on the First Sub-Level, "Y-yeah...I...I am ready." She was nervous also. For what the Pikachu didn't realize was that Naomi's race produces an ability to radiate her emotion towards someone else. Zayne feels what Naomi feels.

They approach the door as the moment climaxed knock on the door, as they heard a booming masculine voice coming from the room within. "Enter."