Chapter 1: Starly and Starters
It was a cold afternoon on a sunny April day and Dawn was waiting for her door to be broken down.
A harsh wind made the thick branches of the old oak outside Dawn's window sway violently, but the keening wind and the shaking leaves couldn't tear her eyes away from the note sitting on her desk. The crumpled paper and smudged handwriting told the story of many handlings while the ink staining Dawn's hands indicated how recent many of those marks were. The phantom sensation of sweat built in her palms as she continued to read the note over and over again, paper crinkling under her white-knuckled grip. The day was finally here.
Dear Dawn Hikari,
Congratulations on passing the Pokemón Trainer Certification Exam! You are scheduled to receive your partner Pokémon from Professor Rowan on the 8th of April. Please be at the professor's lab in Sandgem Town by 10am on the date listed. If you are late, you may be unable to choose the partner Pokémon you would prefer or in rare cases unable to receive a partner until the next distribution date. We wish you luck as you take your first steps on your Pokémon journey!
Congratulations,
Trainer Certification Board, Lily of the Valley Pokémon League
Years upon years of waiting led up to this day. Years of playing with her parents Pokémon, observing the Pokémon living in the forest outside town, religiously following League competitions from all over the world and cheering on the trainers at the Twinleaf Festival. Hours upon hours of musing over her team composition, daydreaming of her starter and the adventures they would undertake, it all led up to this day. It was finally her time to shine, time to make all those years of waiting and the past few months of studying and anticipation all worth it.
"Dawn are you here?!" But first, she had to make sure Barry didn't destroy anything. Dawn spun around in her desk chair to see her best friend attempt to smash the door into a thousand pieces as he threw it wide open. Huh, that was more restraint than she'd been expecting.
Barry's whole body vibrated with pent-up excitement as he ran over, hands waving wildly and mouth moving faster than an excited Crobat: "Dawn it's the day, come on come on, we gotta get going!"
"Won't that be hard without your bag?" Dawn pointed out, gesturing at the lack of a travel bag on his back.
"Oh jeez! I'll get it and meet you back at the entrance to Route 1! You'd better not be late or I'll fine you!" Barry declared, dashing off down the stairs even as he threatened her. Dawn stood to follow, shaking her head at Barry as she grabbed her bag where it was sitting on her bed. After fifteen years of being best friends with Barry, she knew the best way to get anything done with him around was to prepare early and remind him about what he'd forgotten. At least, if you could stuff a word in between his bouts of enthusiastic chatter.
Dawn took a moment to cast one last look around her room. Her eyes raked over the bookcases stuffed to the brim with Pokémon guides, mystery novels, mythology books and the histories of great trainers. Drawings of new Pokémon species and maps of different regions littered what little wall space remained. Glow in the dark stars traced out constellations dotted the ceiling above her bed. Everything was neat and tidy, down to the fully packed bag on her back. It would be a long while before she saw this room again, she couldn't leave it looking messy.
"You know, it'll be waiting for you when you get back." Johanna's voice was amused but carried an edge of sadness as she walked up the stairs to stand behind her daughter. "Barry came and went quickly. Forgot something I assume?"
"I'm just surprised that he didn't threaten to fine you too," Dawn said, turning to face her mother. Johanna looked quite a bit like her daughter, with long black hair, light skin and slender build. Her green eyes were a direct contrast to Dawn's blue, but the brighter than usual color told Dawn that her mother was trying to hold back tears. "And I know you'll be here. I promised to come back for the Twinleaf Festival, didn't I?"
"Don't you forget it." Johanna pulled her daughter in a quick, fierce hug and Dawn found herself having to hold back tears. No matter how much she'd been looking forward to this day, Dawn would miss her mother. She would miss the commentary on the Contest battles playing on TV, miss playing outside with Kanghaskhan and Gliscor, miss lazy days on the porch watching Pachirisu in the trees and even shoveling away the snow on the path together. When she let go she tried to ignore the tears her mother was surreptitiously trying to wipe away.
"You'll always have a room here, and you'd better come back often. This house is too big for me Kanghaskhan and Gliscor." Johanna said, walking with Dawn as they left the room and headed down the stairs to the front door. Before Dawn could open the door Johanna grabbed a small box sitting on the kitchen table and turned to face her daughter. "I have one last thing for my little Champion-in-the-making," she said, offering Dawn the box. Dawn took it gently, opening it to find a stylized watch patterned in pink and blue.
"A Pokétch! This is amazing, thank you mom!" Dawn threw herself into her mother's arms, hugging her tightly in gratitude.
"I was afraid you'd be back here in a few days if I didn't give you some way of reading your books on the road," Johanna teased, picking up the watch and fastening it on Dawn's wrist. "Also, it has a video camera feature built in, so there aren't any excuses for forgetting to call me!" Johanna told her daughter with mock sternness before straightening and gesturing to the door.
"Well you'd better get going. I expect you to call me the moment you get to the Pokémon Center in Sandgem! I want to see your first partner as much as you do!" Johanna ordered, the edge of sadness in her voice diminished but not entirely gone.
"I really doubt that mom, but I promise!" Dawn walked out the door into the bright sunshine, shivering as the cold wind brushed against her face. Thankfully, her new traveling clothes were made to keep out the elements. Sinnoh was not a warm region, as reflected in her long-sleeved pink coat, thick white scarf and handmade knitted beanie with the Pokéball symbol stitched on the front. Her heavy boots would carry her through the thick snow of Mt. Coronet just as easily as the quiet grasslands of Route 202.
Twinleaf Town spread out before her, little more than a large clearing with neat houses, shops and businesses partially hidden by spruce and oak trees. Snow dotted the worn dirt paths between houses, melting under the lukewarm sunlight as leaves and needles swayed in the wind. The cheerful chirps of Starly and Staravia and the high-pitched cries of Bidoof and Rattata echoed from the trees, occasionally interspersed with the voices of the other townspeople or the opening of a door.
Or in one case, the slamming of a door. Barry's blond hair stood out against the white and brown slush of the path as he rushed towards where Twinleaf Town ran out of houses and split to become Route 1 and the path to Lake Verity. He was almost at the entrance before the sound of his door slamming had faded.
"Mom, I've got to go! I love you, and I'll call tonight!" Dawn took off running, her heavy bag slamming into her back with each step as she tried to catch up to her best friend.
"Be careful, don't go into the tall grass! Love you!" Johanna's voice faded in the wind as Dawn ran off, ignoring her neighbors' waves as she ran, hands beginning to shake again and heart racing from the twin boosts of physical exertion and excitement. It was time to leave the town where she'd been born, she was off on her adventure! Sure, she'd been on Route 1 a hundred times but soon she would walk it with her powerful team at her side!
"Late, late, late! Come on Dawn, I'm gonna fine you!" Barry scolded as she skidded to a stop.
"I'll even it out when I win our first battle." Dawn only grinned wider when he stomped and shook his head, ignoring his protests as she looked out at the entrance to Route 1. What she saw made her smile drop as fast as a Charizard hit by a rock-type attack.
"Barry look!" Dawn's voice made Barry turn, his mouth continuing to voice protests until he saw the dirt path in front of them. Or, what had been the dirt path. While the long Sinnoh winters and remote location of Twinleaf Town meant that most of the roads around the village were battered and overgrown, the huge swathes of tall, waving grass were a new addition to the tree-lined route.
"A grass type must have evolved or something," Dawn speculated, eyes darting around the route in a vain attempt to see if there was a clear path around the grass. She had a knife in her backpack, one meant for cutting food and thin branches for kindling. Would that work to cut through the grass? No, that might disturb whatever grass type made its home in grass or other Pokémon hiding there, not to mention it would take too long. Take a side route through the trees? That would be risky, there were plenty of dangerous, territorial Pokémon that could attack if they strayed off the well-trodden paths and they didn't have any Pokémon to protect them yet. There wasn't even a guarantee that bushwhacking would save them any time, as they would have to pick their way through the undergrowth, and they didn't know how far down the route the grass extended…
"Come on Dawn, let's go!"
"Wait, what?!"
Barry was already running forward, grabbing Dawn's wrist in an attempt to drag her along as well. "What are you doing?!" she yelled, digging her feet in and yanking back on her arm to force Barry to let go.
"You read the letter! We won't be able to get our starters if we don't reach Sandgem Town soon, and I'm not letting some dumb grass get in my way!" He grabbed Dawn's wrist again and pulled but she stood firm, looking at him with no small amount of astonishment.
"Are you insane? We don't have Pokémon and that grass can't be natural! We were here only a few days ago and the route was clear. Something has to be living in that grass or hunting there, and we can't fight it off if it gets aggressive!" She knew Barry had passed the certification exam and thus knew common safety precautions. Had excitement and nervousness had made him forget what little common sense he had?
"Come on, it can't be that big and if we don't risk it, we won't ever get our starters! You've been telling me for years how much you wanted that Piplup, are you going to give up now?!" Dawn bit her lip at that question, her mind and heart at war.
It had taken her so long to decide on Piplup as her starter. Each of the three starters traditionally given out by Professor Rowan had great strengths. Chimchar and their evolutionary line were fast and powerful, their impressive close combat abilities and ranged fire attacks making them offensive powerhouses with enough speed to make up for their frail bodies. Their cheerful nature and tendency to live in large communities meant they were easy to bond with and fire types were very rare in cold Sinnoh. Turtwig and their evolutionary line were the opposite, their naturally tough and heavy bodies allowing them to give and take powerful attacks with ease at the cost of their speed and ranged capabilities. Turtwig were normally quiet and trusting, always willing to help their trainer out and make friends quickly.
But her heart was set on Piplup and its evolutionary line after she saw a documentary showing them in their natural habitat, the icy landscape of the northern ocean, far beyond even the coldest reaches of Sinnoh. Their grace and smooth movements in the water, their regal demeanor and tough bodies that could take the punishment of such a harsh environment with ease, their powerful long-range abilities, there were so many options and abilities that Dawn knew she could use to great effect. Even the knowledge that Piplup were some of the hardest starters to bond with due to their independent streak and rampant pride couldn't dissuade her. Was the Piplup she always imagined at her side on this day really going to be taken away by something as simple as a patch of tall grass?
"Come on come on come on! I'll fine you ten million if we don't get going now! If we rush through, we can surprise the Pokémon and be gone before they even notice we were here. Let's go!" Before she could protest any more Barry was gone, diving into the grass that parted around him in a wave.
That stupid, idiotic, moron! He's going to get eaten by an Ariados or melted by a Roselia's Acid! But Dawn couldn't just leave him to his fate, no matter how moronic or annoying Barry could be. He would never let her put herself in danger without him by her side.
What kind of Pokémon Master would she be if she let her friends get hurt without her there to help?
Dawn dove into the grass, hands waving blindly as she tried to push the grass out of the way. Sight was useless, green stalks the only thing she could see as she stumbled forward. Only the whisper of moving grass, the thuds of rocks kicked aside and Barry's harsh breathing up ahead kept her moving forward without getting lost. Her heart beat in her ears, almost drowning out the sounds she was using to navigate. The still air was heavy with moisture, settling on her shoulders like an extra weight in her bag. More than once she stumbled on something unseen and almost fell, adrenaline the only thing keeping her on her feet.
Wait. Why was it so quiet? This grass was too tall and uniform to be natural, it had to be the nest of a Pokémon or at least created by one. They hadn't met any Pokémon even after endless minutes of tearing their way through the green barrier, so it seemed like no Pokémon lived in the grass. A defense maybe? Something to hide a grass type or multiple grass types from predators. If so, what predators?
Her internal question was answered by high pitched shrieks that froze her to the bone. She stopped stock-still, all too aware of what that sound was and more than aware of how much danger they were now in. Still, there was no choice but to keep moving. She couldn't stay in this grass forever.
When she stumbled out of the grass a minute later, she nearly crashed into Barry, sidestepping at the last minute only to be deafened by the twin sounds of Barry shouting "What's going on?" and the high-pitched shrieks of a frenzied Starly flock.
Starly were normally docile flying types, flocking like nearly all first-evolution flying types to make up for their lack of strength. Occasionally a Staravia would lead a flock of Starly, but in most cases they chose to find a flock of other Staravia instead of sticking with the weaker Starly. The much stronger and rarer Staraptor were solitary almost all their lives unless they chose to take a mate. The flock system meant that when a Starly flock came into contact with a Staravia flock, the Starly almost always went crazy trying to evolve in order to join the stronger flock, leading the Starly flock to attack everything in sight rather than sticking to their normal diet of weak bug-type Pokémon.
A group of five Starly dove at two figures ahead of them who were ducking and diving and running in an attempt to avoid the frenzied flying-types. The grass was flattened and cut in a huge circle around them, likely due to missed Quick Attacks and Wing Attacks. Behind the human figures the trees opened to reveal a huge lake, gentle waves lapping at the shore and mist lying like a heavy blanket over the area. It was impossible to see more than thirty feet in any direction due to the thick fog. They must have gotten turned around in the thick grass because Dawn could recognize Lake Verity anywhere.
Dawn was moving forward before her mind had processed all the information assaulting her senses. She ran forward, hazily noting Barry at her side as she bent down, hand scooping up cut grass to throw at a Starly about to hit one of the figures cowering beneath-was that a briefcase?
Her poorly thought-out attack did make the Starly stop pecking at the briefcase. Probably mostly from confusion. Thankfully instead of continuing its attack the Starly flew up to join its fellows in the branches of the trees around them, all five of the Starly evaluating the new arrivals and waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Professor Rowan? Lucas? What are you doing out here?!" Barry's shocked question made her look over to see that the two figures hiding behind the large briefcase were a familiar boy with black hair, sharp blue eyes and a matching blue jacket and an older man with the silvery gray hair, beard and wrinkles of the elderly and the strength of someone who refused to accept the passing of years softening his body.
"Barry? Dawn?! What are you two doing out here? We don't have Pokémon yet, walking through the tall grass is dangerous!" Lucas replied, sweeping his hair out of his eyes and adjusting his red hat to catch the strands.
"Lucas, you know these two?" Professor Rowan asked, fixing intense brown eyes on the pair of best friends. Dawn felt her spine straighten automatically under his stern gaze. This was the man who had discovered split evolutionary lines, who walked through thunderstorms and on the rims of volcanoes to discover the evolutionary methods of terrifyingly powerful species like Magmortar and Electivire, who figured out how to harness the power of nature to let humans evolve their Pokémon safely, who taught the world-renowned Professor Oak the science of Pokémon. This was the man who would give her the tools she needed to become a Master, the Master, and the partner that would stand at her side.
If they survived the next couple minutes anyway. "They're my friends who live in Twinleaf Town, the ones who were scheduled to pick up their starters with me at the lab," Lucas said quickly, the rising shrieks of the Starly nearly drowning out his voice.
"Then they're reckless fools, walking through this mess without Pokémon. But since I'm sure I know the reason why and we're in a bit of a situation, I'll give them one last chance. You two" Rowan turned his attention to the two friends standing back to back in the tiny clearing. "You truly love Pokémon, do you?"
Dawn didn't even have to think about her answer. "With all my heart."
Barry's "Of course! What kind of question is that?" came out at the exact same time.
Even with the Starly preparing to launch another assault Professor Rowan smiled. Not a fake kind or a simple movement of muscles. The true kind of smile that makes all hearts around it lift, even if just a little.
"Very well then. I will entrust the three of you with Pokémon a little early so that we can escape our current predicament. I ask only that you never endanger yourselves like this again." He lifted the battered briefcase and unlatched the locks, setting it down on the grass. Inside sat a mess of scattered papers full of notes, a pair of binoculars, a pen, a few discarded Rage Candy Bar wrappers and three pristine Pokéballs. "The right is Turtwig, the middle Piplup and the left Chimchar. I suggest you hurry. Your sudden arrival and their curiosity about my briefcase will not deter Starly in evolution frenzy for long."
Dawn and her friends had no need for words or meaningful glances. The three of them had talked about this moment so much over the past few years that they needed no more communication. Lucas grabbed the ball on the right, Barry the ball on the left, and Dawn took the ball from the middle. Lifting it up, the Pokéball felt lighter than expected. Some part of her mind insisted that it should be heavy, probably due to the weight of her expectations and excitement to meet the being inside.
The sound of a Pokéball release was familiar to Dawn from her mother's Pokéballs and the many times she'd heard it on TV, but her heart couldn't help beating faster as the Pokéball split and released a stream of red light that coalesced into a small blue figure. Blue eyes the color of the deepest depths of the ocean opened and looked around before rising to meet Dawn's own.
"Hello Piplup," Dawn began as she knelt down, unable to keep the tremble of mixed excitement and nerves from her voice. Piplup were prideful, she would have to make her request carefully. First impressions were important after all. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Dawn. I'm sorry that I have to ask this of you as we first meet, but I need your help. We're being attacked by a Starly flock and we can't fight them off. I know that a powerful Pokémon like you can win though. Will you lend me your strength?"
The little blue penguin looked around to where the Starly had begun to squawk, unhappy with the new Pokémon and ready to resume the battle now that they were used to the new people and strange slab opening. Piplup looked back up at Dawn, puffed up its chest and trilled, a bubbly sound of assent.
"Thank you! Now, let's show these Starly who the strongest Pokémon here is!" Dawn yelled, pumping one fist into the air. Great, Barry was really rubbing off on her. Piplup copied her though, raising on flipper into the air and trilling again before turning to face the Starly closest to them. In her peripheral vision Dawn saw Lucas and Turtwig standing side by side on her right and Barry with Chimchar on his shoulder on her left, Professor Rowan scooping up his briefcase and standing in the middle of their impromptu defensive formation, his back to the lake. It was time for their first battle.
Okay, I don't have a Pokedex yet so I don't know Piplup's moves, but I do know what simple moves the Piplup line can learn. Let's try…
The Starly closest to Dawn and Piplup swooped down from its branch, shrieking and diving at Piplup with glowing wings. "Piplup, dodge to the right and Pound!" Dawn yelled. Piplup clumsily shuffled to the right and raised one wing glowing with white light as Starly streaked by, bringing the glowing appendage down on Starly's unprotected back for a vicious blow. Piplup's going to need speed and coordination training first, it has trouble moving on land right now. On the plus side, the power in that Pound was pretty impressive for such a young Pokémon. I wonder…
With one Starly down, unconscious in a small pile of dirt kicked up from the forced crash-landing, another dove in to take its place. This Starly was smarter than the last, using Quick Attack to move in faster and avoid Piplup's Pound, landing a solid hit on the penguin's downy blue feathers before flitting back up into the sky. Dawn's heart jumped into her throat as the Starly came too close for comfort, the breeze it kicked up hitting her sweat-streaked face.
"Come on Piplup, let's pay it back for that! Wait for it to dive in again," Dawn instructed, never taking her eyes off the speckled flying type above them while she tried to calm down. Once again it flew down with Quick Attack, this time from a different angle, aiming for Piplup's back. Huh, that was some solid tactical thinking for a wild Pokémon. If only she had her Trainer's License… "Now Piplup, hit the dirt!"
Piplup dove to the ground, narrowly avoiding the streak of white light that was Starly. "Hit it with Bubble!" Still lying prone, Piplup spat a stream of glowing blue bubbles from its beak. They caught Starly in the back as it finished Quick Attack and began climbing, the little bird slowed by its attempts to gain altitude. Starly shrieked and fell out of the sky, knocked back into the treeline and out of sight.
The shrieks of Starly faded into the distance as the few remaining members of the flock fled the clearing, many of them bearing burned or cut feathers. Dawn looked around to see her friends and their Pokémon none the worse for wear before the result finally registered: she had just won her first Pokémon battle!
"Piplup, you were amazing!" Dawn wanted nothing more than to sweep the little penguin up into her arms and hug it, but she knew that Piplup probably wouldn't take kindly to that yet. She hadn't even asked if Piplup would join her on her journey yet. However, the sparkling blue eyes that stared up at her and the chest puffed up in pride did give her an inkling on what the answer would be when she did ask. Piplup squawked loudly, waving both flippers at the direction of the forest where the Starly had flown off. "Thank you so much for your help Piplup," Dawn thanked her new ally before turning to her friends.
"Aww yeah, that was awesome!" Barry cheered, his new Chimchar chittering on his shoulder, both of their arms raised in triumph. "Chimchar was so awesome, you guys won't stand a chance when we battle!"
"Turtwig did a great job as well, especially with a type disadvantage," Lucas said, smiling at his new partner and bending down to rub the little green head. Turtwig's eyes closed in pleasure from the gentle touch.
"Piplup's going to be an amazing battler, I can see it already," Dawn added, smiling at her new friend.
"Thank you all for getting us out of that little scrape," Professor Rowan said, drawing all of their attention. "It turns out my research trip was more exciting than expected. I always carry a Pokémon from the ranch or the latest batch of starters with me when out researching but giving my next batch to their owners ahead of time isn't a situation I've run into before. It goes to show that no matter how old you are, life can still surprise you."
"Thank you, Professor," Dawn said formally, the manners beaten into her by her mother finally surfacing now that they were out of immediate danger.
"You're welcome. Now, if you would all please recall the Pokémon, we'll adjourn to my office so we can finish the process for real." Professor Rowan turned and began walking down the path, not giving them a choice about their next action. Lucas recalled Turtwig with a flash of red light, bent down to pick up a few notes that were scattered around the lake edge and hurried after his mentor, clutching the Pokéball like a precious stone. Barry didn't even bother with the recalling until he was almost in front of Professor Rowan, remembering at the last moment to recall Chimchar before the poor fire-type fell of his shoulder.
Dawn turned to Piplup. "I'm going to recall you now, but I'll release you as soon as I can, and we can get to know each other a little better. Does that sound good?" Piplup eyed her for only a second before nodding. A press of a button and Piplup was red light sucked into the Pokéball. Dawn took a moment to look at the clearing at the lake edge. She watched bits of feather float down to the forest floor, the torn-up and flattened grass rustling in the wind, the rippling waves of the lake gently rising and falling on the sandy lake shore. It wasn't the first battle or meeting with her starter that Dawn had imagined for years, but she couldn't have asked for a better beginning to her story. Dawn raced away after her friends, leaving the mist-covered lake behind her without so much as a final glance.
The lake watched her go.
A shimmer like a heat haze appeared from a ripple at the center of the still lake, watching the small figure walk away. For a moment, a figure in pink and gray with a shining red jewel was visible. A second later the figure was gone, vanished as though it was never there at all.
#
Professor Rowan's lab was large, white, and filled to the brim with books, strange machinery and paper. Dawn loved it. The high ceilings meant that she didn't feel crowded by the endless shelves and huge metal contraptions that covered every inch of available wall space. Despite the notes strewn over tables and helpers in lab coats moving around the room the lab was clean and orderly. No books littered the floor, the shelves were neatly ordered, and the machines were freshly cleaned. There were no wall dividers inside the building, which helped encourage the perception of spaciousness. She could see a refrigerator, sink, oven and tables with chairs near the back of the room right next to the machines, indicating that this was a place where work and daily life were interchangeable.
Professor Rowan led the three children over to a large cabinet at the back of the room, setting his briefcase on a nearby table before unlocking the cabinet and rooting around inside for a moment. He withdrew three familiar devices from the depths and turned around, extending the devices to the three waiting trainers. "Here are your Pokédexes, they already have your Trainer Card and information loaded on them. They also have my number and information, so don't hesitate to call when you need help or need to transfer a Pokémon to my ranch. I may be Lucas' mentor but I'm responsible of all three of you kids."
Barry didn't even wait for the professor to finish speaking before snatching his red Pokédex out of the professor's outstretched hand, opening it up and scrolling through menus eagerly. As usual Lucas and Dawn had more manners, taking their green and blue Pokédexes and opening them up only after the professor was finished speaking. Dawn's Trainer Card was right there on the loading screen, displaying her name, age, Trainer ID number and photo. The part where her Pokémon on hand would normally be displayed was blank though.
"Normally this is the part where I offer you all the Pokéballs for the starters and you all would choose, but we skipped ahead during our outing earlier. I recommend you take this moment to formally ask the Pokémon to join you on your journeys." Professor Rowan gave them a hard stare, indicating that this was not a request.
Dawn's hand shook a little as Piplup's Pokéball opened and the little water type appeared in front of her once again. Now that the elation and adrenaline had worn off somewhat, she was extremely nervous that Piplup wouldn't agree to be her partner. What if she had done something wrong or offended Piplup somehow during the battle? It was likely a silly fear, she knew that, but she couldn't help but worry.
Piplup's cheerful trill made her a little more hopeful as the water type emerged from the red light of release and looked up. "Hi Piplup! We're back in Professor Rowan's lab now. Since we did such a great job together earlier today against the Starly, I had a question for you: would you like to join me on my journey to becoming a Pokémon Master and become my first Pokémon friend? I promise that we'll have a ton of adventures and become the strongest of them all!" Dawn held her breath.
Only a second passed before Piplup gave a decisive nod and made a noise that sounded something like a mix between a bark and a squeak, approval radiating through the odd sound. "Great! I promise you won't regret this decision Piplup. We'll make sure everyone knows us as the strongest of them all!" Piplup trilled and raised a flipper high into the air and Dawn bent down to give it a high five, laughing the whole way down.
Straightening, she took out her Pokédex and opened it, finding the scan app. "Can I scan you please? It won't hurt and it'll tell me a little bit more about you." Piplup nodded and Dawn activated the scanner.
Piplup, the Penguin Pokémon. It lives along shores in northern regions, where its thick down guards it from cold. A skilled swimmer, it can dive over ten minutes to hunt. It is a poor walker and often falls down, but its strong pride makes it puff up its chest without a care. Because it is very proud, it hates accepting food from people. It's difficult to bond with since it won't listen to its Trainer. This Piplup is a male with the ability Torrent. It has learned the moves Pound, Growl and Bubble. It has the ability to learn the egg move Aqua Ring.
"Would you like a nickname Piplup?" Dawn asked once she was sure of Piplup's gender. Piplup nodded, an eager light in his eyes. That eager light didn't die even as Dawn went through name after prepared name, waiting for one that fit just right. She'd come up with quite the list of names in preparation for this day but Piplup turned out to be quite picky. Piplup seemed to like the more uncommon or regal names, allowing Dawn to narrow down the list until a squeak stopped her.
"Crest? Do you want to take the name Crest?" Dawn asked just to be sure. Another squeak, louder this time, answered her. "Great! It's great to have you on board Crest!" Dawn finally turned back to Professor Rowan who was watching the exchange with a faint smile. "Can you register Crest's Pokéball to me Professor?"
"Already done. You're free to head out at any time. Just one last piece of advice: A journey is a grand undertaking, a great part of your life. Like all of life, you'll find that what you get out of it is directly related to how much effort and dedication you put into it. If you keep on believing in yourself and Piplup and take the time to nurture your gifts, I'm sure that you will go far." Professor Rowan graced the pair with a genuine smile before nodding and turning to face Lucas, engaging him in a longer conversation.
"Dawn! Come on come on come on!" Barry was already impatient, and this time Dawn honestly had no idea why.
"Barry, what's the rush this time?" Dawn sighed wearily. By the Legends, Dawn always felt that dealing with Barry could take more energy than racing a Jolteon.
"Come on, we have Pokémon now so what's the first thing we're gonna do as trainers? Battle! I'll wait outside and if you're late I'll fine you ten million!" Barry dashed out the door with his Chimchar once again riding on his shoulder.
"I'll come referee, I want to see this. Plus, I can take on the winner," Lucas said as he walked up to her side.
"You think very highly of yourself, don't you? Fine, I'll smash you to the ground after I'm done with Barry," Dawn teased, punching her friend lightly on the shoulder as they emerged into the bright morning sunlight. Sandgem Town was only marginally larger than Twinleaf Town, but the Professor's lab meant that there was a big enough scientific community there to merit more shops and conveniences instead of the monotonous houses of Twinleaf Town. Plus, the salty sea air and close proximity to the beach attracted some tourists in the summer months, short as they were. At least the snow had fully melted here.
"I have type advantage, of course I'm confident," Lucas pointed out. "Plus, Atlas here wiped the floor with those Starly and he's got a type disadvantage, so I'm sure we could pull it off again against Piplup."
"Crest and I will prove you wrong," Dawn vowed. The next thing she knew she was being dragged across the field in front of the lab by Barry's enthusiastic hand.
"Come on!" He thrust her into position on one side of the field and ran over to the other side, leaving a sizable space between them. Lucas walked to the middle and raised a hand, Chimchar jumped down from Barry's shoulder to land on their makeshift battlefield, Crest waddled over to stand in front of Dawn, and the battle was on.
"The battle between Barry Jun of Twinleaf Town and Dawn Hikari of Twinleaf Town, start!"
Barry started off just the way Dawn expected him to. "Torch, get in close and use Ember!" Torch was apparently of similar mind to his trainer as the Chimchar was already moving by the time the last word was out of Barry's mouth. The fire type raced across the battlefield, arriving right in front of Crest with a mouthful of sparks in mere moments.
He wasn't fast enough to stop Dawn from giving her own commands. "Crest, lean then Pound!" Crest understood her implication, leaning to the right just in time to avoid a volley of Embers right where his head would have been, lashing out with a glowing wing as he did so. Torch was sent stumbling back, hands clutching at his stomach. Dawn grinned as her strategy paid off.
Chimchar might be prized for their agility and attack power, but their bodies couldn't take hits well. Barry had tried to use Crest's slowness to his advantage just like she used Torch's, but even in the small amount of time since she had met Crest, she had shown him how to dodge without needing to move his feet. A solid stance did wonders to add force to a blow. Barry really should know better than to underestimate her, she'd had literal years to plan exactly how this battle would play out.
"Bubble!" Dawn cried, unwilling to give up the momentum. Barry might be rash and impulsive, but he wasn't stupid, she couldn't rely on type advantage alone to win this fight.
"Come on Torch, use your speed! You can run rings around Piplup, don't let it hit you and hit it back!" Barry urged as Torch managed to roll over just in time to dodge the Bubble. Still clutching his bruised stomach, Torch began to run around Crest, always moving to be just out sight even as Crest tried to turn around and catch him. More than a few sparks of Ember left burned patches of feathers behind as Torch got in lucky shots.
Dawn frowned. Torch was faster than she had expected, and Crest was obviously unused to keeping up with speedy enemies. Time for a change of plan.
"Strafe Bubble around the field," Dawn ordered before lowering her voice and continuing, "…but let Torch in close." She had an idea but only time would tell if it could work.
The next minute of so of battle went exactly as the last two had: Torch ran around the battlefield, keeping out of Crest's line of sight and peppering him with Embers while Crest slowly turned on unsteady feet, trying his best to keep up with the Chimchar while blowing Bubbles everywhere. The Bubbles managed to block a few of the Embers but didn't so much as touch Torch once, the move and its creator too slow to match Torch's speed.
"That's it, keep it up! Show them that type advantage doesn't mean anything to us!" Barry cheered, watching his partner with rapt attention while his fist hit the air at regular intervals. "Now finish it off!" Torch dashed into an opening between the lingering Bubbles, hand glowing with a Scratch attack.
"Bubble in front of you!" To anyone but Dawn this command made no sense. Crest was currently facing Barry, not Torch coming in from his right side. In a moment Torch was leaping, hand only inches from Crest when Dawn cried, "Spin and Pound!"
Crest showed off the speed he'd been hiding, spinning around with both wings glowing with Pound and catching Torch's Scratch before it landed. Crest kept spinning, using his momentum to throw Torch bodily across the battlefield. Right into the mass of Bubbles he had created only a few feet away.
Torch shrieked and screamed as the Bubbles popped in unison, inflicting massive damage and soaking the small fire type. The damage was too much for the untrained chimp and he fell limply to the ground, clearly unconscious from the blow. Lucas' hand swept down as he announced the result: "Chimchar is unable to battle, Piplup is the winner!"
"Yes, we won! You were amazing Crest!" Dawn laughed and crouched down, raising one hand for a high five. She wanted to hug the little penguin but she didn't think he'd be comfortable with that. Yet. It couldn't take too long, they'd just won their first trainer battle after all!
"What? We lost?! Aww man. You did great Torch, you almost beat a water type with no training! Don't worry, we'll train until we can beat them no sweat! This is the last time we'll ever lose!" Barry encouraged, helping the little fire type sit up. Torch looked a little ruffled and very tired, but when he looked over at Crest the fire of competition was burning in his eyes.
"Nice battle you two! So, Dawn, ready to put your skills to the test for real?" Lucas asked, throwing Turtwig's Pokéball up and down with a confident smile on his face. The grass type by his side looked over at Crest, eyes slightly narrowed and twig twitching.
"Sorry, but I think I'm gonna have to delay your challenge for now," Dawn told him, looking down at the burns on Crest's wings and noting how he was still breathing heavily. "Barry and I need to go see Nurse Joy and have her look at our new partners."
"Of course," Lucas said, placing the Pokéball back on his belt. "I'm going to Jubilife with the Professor in two days to meet up with another scientist. We can have our battle then. After that though I'll probably have to stay here with the Professor for a while. I can train Atlas here while I do field work and help out around the lab. Maybe we'll see each other on the road when I start doing work further away from the lab and can grab a few gym badges in my downtime."
"We'll have our battle in Jubilife then," Dawn promised, recalling Crest to his Pokéball then looking back at Lucas. She hesitated for a moment, then rushed in and hugged him. Lucas seized up under her touch, as though unsure of what to do. "I'll miss you. Don't do anything too stupid while we're gone, okay?"
"What, are you kidding? You two are the ones always getting into trouble," Lucas answered, slowly hugging her back then letting go quickly. "You'd better build a great team, otherwise Atlas and I will flatten you when we see you again."
"All right! To the Pokémon Center! I'm out of here, see you guys later! You better get stronger so I can flatten you, or I'll fine you ten million!" Barry gave the duo a passing glance backwards as he rushed off towards the red-roofed Pokémon Center in the distance.
"I'd better go too. See you!" Dawn stepped back and walked away, hand raised in a farewell wave. Lucas and Atlas watched her go then walked back inside the lab, Lucas already talking to his partner about some scientific theory he was researching. One day she bet that the lab would be his. She could only hope she was the Champion by the time he rose to take the lab for his own.
Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center looked just like she did everywhere: pink hair, white doctor's uniform, kind smile. The workers at the Pokémon Center all dressed the same way as part of their brand, dying their hair and wearing the same style in order to show Trainers that their Pokémon were in safe, trusted hands no matter what Pokémon Center they went to. Nurse Joy took Crest to heal for about an hour, time which Dawn spent in the lobby of the expansive hospital/hostel, looking at the Pokédex.
The battles with Starly and Chimchar had given her a good idea of what Crest was currently good at and what he needed to improve. Digging out a notebook from her stuffed backpack, she opened the crisp notebook to a blank page and wrote at the top, Strategies and Training Plans, Vol. 1. Minutes later she had filled up three pages with scribbled notes on specific exercises, diet plans, move training plans and everything she could think of about how to train Crest, with some input from the Pokédex files on Piplup.
In what felt like no time at all Nurse Joy was on the intercom calling her name and she was picking up Crest's Pokéball. It gave her a thrill to attach the ball to the section on her belt made for Pokéballs, as if reminding herself that this was real.
"Take care for a little while, those burns weren't bad but his wings might be a little sore for the rest of the day," Nurse Joy advised, giving her a bright smile. "Have fun on your journey!"
"I will!' Dawn replied, heading out the door. Barry was still in the waiting room, as Torch had more extensive injuries than Crest. She would see him later, in Jubilife. For now, all she wanted to do was get on the road.
One press of a button later and Crest stood at her side as she faced the entrance to Route 202. "Hi Crest. I'm just about to set out for Jubilife City, would you like to walk with me?" Crest nodded agreeably and they set out, the patter of small feet trying their best to keep up with Dawn's long stride.
Dawn struck up a meandering conversation, trying to get them comfortable with one another. She told Crest about her mother and living in Twinleaf Town, all her misadventures with Barry and Lucas when they were little and loved to sneak out to explore the woods. How Lucas and his family had moved to Sandgem Town a few years ago, and how she and Barry had walked up the path to see him every week. About the years of discussing their dreams and working together to make sure that they all passed the trainer licensing exam with great scores.
Then she began talking about her goals. "I want to be a Pokémon Master, the Master, the strongest trainer in the world" Dawn said, eyes on where the tops of the trees met the sky. "I want to become strong so that no one has to suffer, so that I can protect everyone and show the world what I can do. I know that's what Dad would want."
Crest looked up at his new partner at those last words. What had the girl meant? She hadn't mentioned a father up until now. Dawn didn't elaborate, eyes fixed on the skyline, right hand clutching something at her neckline. Crest internally shrugged, returning his focus to the road. If she didn't want to tell him now, that was fine. What did he care what humans got up to? If this girl could make him stronger, then he would stick with her until he found something better and that was all that mattered.
"Of course, in order to do that we need to get more teammates," Dawn continued. "I used to think about being a single-type master, but honestly I love all types of Pokémon far too much to do that. I'm aiming to have one Pokémon of every type of my team, so that we have all the variety we'll need for any type of situation. Single-type masters might not have to learn as much about so many different Pokémon and types as I will, but I think it will pay off in the end. We'll always have what we need for anything and anyone we face, so that we always come out on top!" Crest looked up and chirped at that last statement, the promise of future strength catching his attention a bit more.
"I'm hoping to catch another member of the team between now and when we get to Jubilife," Dawn began before she was cut off by a familiar sound. A high-pitched shriek and the flapping of small wings.
A small figure dove from the sky and alighted on a low-hanging branch just ahead of the duo on the trail. Dawn couldn't believe it. "You again?!"
#
…Well what have I gotten myself into now…
Hello! Hope you enjoyed this first chapter, it's a wild ride from here on out. There is a distinct lack of stories about/set in Sinnoh, my first and all-time favorite region, and a lack of Pokémon stories of this type with a female protagonist. I decided it was up to me to write the story I wanted to see, so here we are. This is my first attempt at a long-term fanfiction project, but I intend to see it through to the end! I'd like to stick to a once-a-month update schedule, but real life may interfere, or I may be struck with an abundance of free time and update more often.
This Sinnoh is a mix of the anime and games, meant to explore the possibilities of Pokémon that are only lightly touched on by the franchise. Two quick notes: the starting age for trainers in this fic is fifteen and this Dawn is not the Dawn we know and love from the anime but rather the player character from Diamond/Pearl/Platinum.
Huge thanks to the many amazing writers on this site who showed me what is possible and kept me up late at night reading their stories. If you get a chance check out Traveler by The Straight Elf, Challenger by darkfire1220, Uprising by A Wordsmith, The Road to Champion by The Universal Gamer and The Mortal Earth by Mateusz. These works inspired me to write my own Pokémon fanfic and are well worth a read.
See you next time!