Volkner.

In Sandgem Town.

"God, Volk, ain't it a bit early for this?"

"It's only eight in the morning, dipass."

Flint lounged in an armchair in the Pokemon Center lobby, a can of lemonade in his hand. Chimchar and Pikachu were sitting in his lap.

I put my backpack next to his chair. "Watch my stuff; I'm going to go turn our room keys in."

Flint nodded, curly red hair bobbing like a metronome. "Ai'ight." He took a sip of Lemonade.

I rolled my eyes, then headed for the front desk. Nurse Joy gladly took the two copper keys I returned to her.

"Thank you, Volkner," She thanked me. "You and Flint have a nice morning, and a safe journey."

I nodded. "Yes, ma'am. You, too."

Just as I turned around around to walk back over, someone accidentally ran into me and we clunked heads. They hit me so hard, I was knocked on my ass.

"Ow!" I seethed, closing my eyes and rubbed my forehead. "Watch it!"

"Sorry!" It was a girl. I heard a male voice ask if she was okay, When I opened my eyes, there was a Riolu and a girl in a red shirt helping her up.

Pikachu must have been watching, because she dashed over. Flint and Chimchar were soon after.

Pikachu bristled her fur at the girl who hit me, growling. The Riolu glared at her.

"What happened?" Flint demanded. He pulled me to my feet. "What's going on?"

A girl with a camoflage jacket stomped up from behind her friend. "Your klutz here ran into Amber, and he better apologize!"

"I didn't run into no one!" I defended myself. "She hit me!"

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted, electricity coming off of her cheeks. The Riolu took a step forward.

The girl, Amber, pushed him back. "I-I'm sorry," She apologized. "I didn't see you, I guess. Please, we're in a hurry..."

"Yeah," The girl in the red shirt murmured. She stared shyly at the floor.

I decide to step aside for them, scooping Pikachu up and reassuring her that I was okay. Flint glared at them as they passed.

That Amber girl looks familiar... Flint and I had known an Amber when we were lityle, but it couldn't be her.

Flint and I gathered our bags, but I hung back at the door. I glanced back at the girls at the front desk.

"Volk?" Flint sounded agitated. "What're you-"

"Amber?" I called out across the Pokemon Center. I cupped my hands around my mouth. "Amberlynn Daniels?"

She turned around and looked at me weird. She left her friends, slowly approaching me with her Riolu. Pikachu, on my shoulder, bristled.

Flint scoffed. "Volkner, I'm leaving." He walked out.

Amber stopped and gave me a cautious once-over. "How do you know my name?"

"I can't believe you didn't recognize us!" I scoffed. "Volkner? Volkner Surge?"

Amber raised her eyebrows. "Little Volkie, from Sunyshore?"

"Hell yeah! It's me."

Amber hesitated, but then squealed and tackled me in a hug. Pikachu jumped down, stunned.

"Oh my God, Volkie, it's relly you!" Amber was really excited to see me again.

We went outside to meet with Flint, and Amber's friends followed soon after.

Flint was halfway up the street when Amber broke into a run and tackled him in a hug, leaving me with her Riolu.

Eventually, Amber's friends warranted an explanation, and we were all introduced by name.

Amber explained how she'd moved around a lot when she was young, but she was born in Sunyshore, where she'd been playmates with Flint and I when her mom would babysit us.

After that story, Camo Girl stuck her hand out at Flint and I.

"My name's Deadra Thompson, and my sister here is Tesserae. But, call us Dee and Tess."

Flint was the one to accept the handshake. "Name's Flint, Dee and Tess. Flint Stone. My friend is Volkner Surge."

"Flint Stone? The hell? I thought Flint IS a stone."

"Yeah. My parents were real comedians, making their child a living pun."

They walked with Flint and I to the Rowan Laboratory, and we caught up. They were newly set off, like us, and when Flint asked if they wanted to ask for Pokedexes, too, Amber accepted.

"Tess and I got ours when we were ten," Dee had added dryly.

When we found the lab, Flint knocked. A man about into his thirties answered.

"You must be those kids from across the region," He said. "The professor isn't in, but I'm still authorized to give you your Pokedexes. Come on in."

He let us inside, and closed the door behind us.

Amber.

The lab was simple, yet impressive. There were a few large computer moniters, with lines of incomprehensible data, lined against the wall. At the back of the room was a machine holding three pokeballs, which I knew contained a Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup.

"Professor Rowan told me your names already, and who ordered which Pokedex," The aide told us. He led us to a table with three small, laptop looking devices.

Ordered? I wondered.

Flint, Volkner, and I lined up, eager to recieve our Pokedexes. Our pokemon stood next to us.

The aide picked up the Pokedexes, and started with Flint.

"Flint Stone?" When Flint nodded, he was handed a sleek, crimson red Pokedex.

"Thank you, sir." Flint turned it around in his hands.

Volkner Surge was next, recieving an electric blue one. The last one was rose pink.

"Cynthia Rose?"

I hesitated. "Sir, I'm-"

Volkner elbowed me. I got the picture.

"I'm grateful," I caught myself, taking some other girl's Pokedex.

He gave us the speech Prof. Rowan would have, about new beginnings and experiences, and then kicked us out.

Flint spotted a girl slightly older than us, with long blonde hair and a Gible, entering the lab after us. He had us run for the road out of Sandgem. Sandgem Town isn't a big place, so it wasn't long before we were surrounded by the wilderness outside town.

When we stopped, we all sat down on the grass, panting.

"You cheap bastards made Amber steal that chick's Pokedex!" Dee laughed.

I groaned, feeling the device in my pocket. "That was a dirty trick, you guys. And I don't even like that shade of pink."

Flint shrugged. He opened his shoulder bag, to put his Pokedex inside.

"Hey, you got one, Amb. You're welcome."

Astro finally sat down, the last one still standing. I knew he didn't like them; his aura was giving off scary vibrations.

Volkner eyed him. "Your Riolu looks well-trained," He observed. "'Course, who could expect less out of YOUR pokemon, Miss Perfectionist?"

I looked away. "Uhh...thanks."

We were all quiet for a minute. Then, Tess whispered, "Astro is really strong...you should see him in battle..."

Flint jumped up, catching on. "Yeah!" He agreed. "You guys oughta battle! C'mon, it'd be great!"

The Pikachu on Volkner's shoulders tweaked her ears. "Pikaah? Chu."

It soon came to a natural consensus that Volkner and I should battle for my first trainer battle of my travels, right there in the field. Flint would be the judge.