Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Is anyone surprised? Did anyone here think I did, in fact, own Pokemon? No? Splendid.

Chapter 2

Shit hit the fan as soon as Noibat was healed up, which according to the Healer, was male. Fun fact, the Healer uses herbs instead of potions, Noibat was not a fan. Anyways, I was made to kneel in the center of the Village Square in front of Augus and the Village Elders. None of which seemed very happy. Meanwhile, Noibat sat perched on my shoulder completely ignorant to the tension, and was content to press his body into my hair.

Turns out he was very young, just out of his baby phase newly hatched Pokemon go through in fact. Having agreed to be my partner, he'd been very clingy ever since.

'And this one time, a Geodude burrowed out of the ground and threw a bunch of rocks at me, so I used Absorb until it stopped moving…I don't think it ever got back up again.'

I snorted a bit, he'd been very chatty too. That's fine though, we're getting to know each other.

"So boy, of all dragon's you picked an infant Noibat? Because it was injured? According to your story your focus should've been attaining the strongest amongst those three Bagon, not some half-dead whelp." The man looked repulsed at the idea of morality coming before power. "You've utterly disregarded your duties to the tribe."

"I told you before that my choice in starter would have nothing to do with you or anyone else. Noibat has plenty of potential besides." I almost let slip that he had his hidden ability, but I don't know the rules of this world yet, or whether that's a big deal or not. Regardless, the man sneers even more.

"I see no such thing in this sorry excuse for a drake! Your judgment is either flawed, or clouded by useless sentiment. Either way I can see I've failed to raise anything resembling an heir in you. I'm of a mind to have you exiled from the tribe, but for now we shall simply wait and see as you amass your strength."

Augus didn't seem like a very good leader. The only reason he was Chief I could gather was through inheritance, not by merit or any actual leadership skills. The man was short sighted, and firmly a traditionalist not accepting any deviation. This village would stagnate under him, but for now that wasn't my problem.

"That's fine, I'm leaving either way. Come on, Noibat." I stand with my pack strapped over my shoulder and start making my way to the cave that would bring me to Meteor Falls above. All the while having a candid conversation with Noibat, irking Augus even further. "We have to figure out a name for ya. I was thinking Bahamut, a little auspicious, but I think you'll more than live up to it."

Noibat saw my mental images of Bahamut in all his glory, especially his most recent appearance in FF16. He was awed at the potential power to scorch entire planets. 'I love it! I am Bahamut, future King of Dragons!'

"Hey, that has a nice ring to it~"

"And you may not return without adequate evidence of your strength." I wave without stopping, earning a growl this time.

I continue unimpeded right up until I reach the village entrance that would take me through a winding path to Meteor Falls before I'm stopped again.

"Wait!" A girl's voice called out to me this time. Curious, I turned to see someone I somehow hadn't thought about since arriving here. Zinnia, the Lorekeeper. She ran up to me looking very upset. Were we friends?

Searching through the memories the Unown provided, it seems we were very close since we were young… These memories are very inconsistent, I know about past relationships, but not my own name. Whatever…Anyways, Lorekeeper was an extremely important role in the tribe. She was prophesied to summon Rayquaza, the Dragon Lord, and give it the strength to save the world.

Regardless, Zinnia slows to a walk and stops within arms distance. "What the hell are you thinking pissing the Chief off like that? You know how much of a hardass your Dad is!" She backhands my chest lightly. "It's gonna be kinda hard for us to see each other while I'm still stuck here. A year is a long time to go without my best bud you ass!"

I break eye contact, uncomfortable not really knowing how to respond to that. I start Idly scratching Bahamut behind his ears. "My bad Zinnia, I can't really stand authority figures, and since I was leaving anyways I couldn't really help speaking my mind. Anyways, I can't share a landmass with the bastard until I'm strong enough to grind his face into the dirt. I should be back in time for your Trial though."

Zinnia crossed her arms under her chest, "Nia."

"What?"

"I'm Nia to you, not Zinnia, not Lorekeeper. You've always called me Nia." Right, if I'm recalling correctly everyone in the Village has been very reverential to her since her anointment. "I" have known her since we were 5, and I'd called her Nia almost immediately, and I never treated her differently for her title. Although…

"I thought you didn't like your nickname?"

Zinnia huffed. "And you think that means you get to take it away? Nice try bastard, now pull the other leg, I dare ya."

'Heh, she's pretty cute when she's mad.' When Zinnia uncrosses her arms I finally notice she's holding something wrapped in cloth when she starts unwrapping it. "Anyways, I have a going away present for ya. Couldn't let you leave without one of these, but I helped design this one specifically for you. Now shut your eyes and give me your right arm."

I chuckle and do as she says. I feel durable, but comfortable fabric pulled over my hand and forearm. Some kind of long fingerless glove, but heavier. Straps are fastened on the underside of my forearm. "Okay, open em up."

I once again follow my instructions and open my eyes to find a…gauntlet? On my arm was the aforementioned glove, dark red in color, and black armor strapped to the top of it. The armor stopped just past my knuckles with the glove, and 3 quarters of the way up my forearm. In the center was a spherical indent.

"And Voila! I call it the Mega Bracer, patent pending." I marveled at already having received a tool for Mega Evolution, if not the means. Without the necessary stones it was just a sweet ass fashion statement. "Couldn't get you a Keystone of course, but I'm sure you'll find one for yourself eventually."

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this, it looks awesome. And it's better this way. I don't want power handed to me on my journey, I want to put in the blood, sweat, and tears every step of the way. Feeling a little asymmetrical now though."

Zinnia rolls her eyes, "I knew you'd say that. You know, you're pretty obsessed with how you look for a guy sometimes. Anyways, here. For your other arm." She pulls my naked arm up and pulls a black glove of similar design to the Mega bracer, sans the armor. It also bears red lines reminiscent of her shirt's design. Seeing me take note of the similarities she grins. "Can't risk you forgetting about your awesome, and gorgeous best friend now, can we?"

Her grin becomes strained after a moment, a melancholy hung in the air. It was time for me to go, and we both knew it. She looks vulnerable for a moment, something only I and her mentor, Aster, had ever seen. "You're not gonna forget about me, right?"

I almost started to think about how I should behave here, but I pause. It'll do me no good to try and behave a certain way around her if we're to have any meaningful relationship, and we seem to be getting along fine naturally so far anyways.

I smiled and put a hand on top of her head. Mussing the her hair a little, and getting an embarrassed blush from her. "Not on your life. I'll come back in a year and kick my dad's ass with time to spare for your own trial."

Zinnia smiled softly before smacking my hand away, regaining that confident smirk that just suited her so well. "Surpassing your old man in just one year of training is gonna be hilarious, but just so you know, I'll overtake you in half that time!"

I grin right back at her, yeah she definitely seems the competitive type like that. "Considering the plans I have in store, I highly doubt that." We held each other's gaze, daring the other to back down. Our tribe's close connection to dragons rearing its head. Seems I wasn't unaffected after getting this body.

Zinnia breaks first and steps into my chest for a hug. I pat her back comfortingly. "A year isn't so long. I'll be back in no time, you'll see."

"A year will fly by for you cause you'll be traveling and having a blast. A year here is gonna feel like ten cause I'll be bored out of my mind without my best bud." She rubbed her face into my chest before pushing me back towards the village entrance. "Alright, go now while I'm still willing to let you. Otherwise you're getting tied up and keeping me entertained at my house for the next year."

I chuckle, but somehow I get the feeling she wasn't kidding. I decided to not take my chances and walked off with a wave. "Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time for your kink play when I get back."

Zinnia is grinning but sports another blush. Once I was out of ear shot she muttered to herself, "...promises, promises."

An elderly woman with a cane walks up behind her. "Think that dunce got the hint, brat?"

Zinnia crosses her arms again. "Nah, still as dense as ever. Just means I'm moving to Plan B though."

"Jump his bones as soon as you start traveling together?"

The young lorekeeper sports a sultry grin. "As many times as it takes till he gets it…"

Fallarbor Town, 1 hour later…

Bit of a maze getting out of Meteor Falls, and the trek to Fallarbor Town was equally confusing, but that was kind of the point. Fallarbor Town was formed by like minded researchers to study the meteorites that fell here. Naturally they had made many excursions through Meteor Falls, and yet had never once happened upon Meteor Village, or even suspected its existence.

Caves had been made and altered by powerful rock or ground dragons like Tyrantrum and Garchomp to better hide the village when the town had been first constructed nearby.

Fallarbor was relatively dull for non-researchers, unless you were a farmer that is. Unlike in the games, Fallarbor Town also had a great many farmlands around due to the town having some of the most fertile soil in the region. This was of course because of the volcanic ash that almost constantly rained down. So Fallarbor town was responsible for a great deal of Hoenn's food supply.

Why am I explaining any of this? No reason. I think the author just wants to prove he's capable of world building. The poor, deluded fool…Suddenly my boots are replaced with cement blocks, and I'm in front of a lake for some reason. Ah, seems he also has a fragile ego. Message received?

With my boots returned, I was back on track to the Pokemon Center in Fallarbor Town. It looked just about what I imagined, red roof and all, so it was easy to spot. Walking in I can immediately spot Nurse Joy in all her iconic glory, except…she actually looked drastically different from any version of Nurse Joy I'd seen. Her dress reached down to her shins, and her hair was styled much like Yor Forger's from Spy x Family. The colors remained the same, but her eyes were lilac colored with pink and yellow cross shaped pupils.

The hell was going on here?

As I reached the front desk, she greeted me with a clearly practiced line. "Hello, and welcome to Fallarbor Town's Pokemon Center! How may I assist you today?" Should I ask about her eyes? Would that be rude? Then again, if I ask about her's, she'd have every right to ask about mine, and I'd like to keep my Draconid status a secret for now. Don't want too many eyes on me while I'm still gathering strength.

"...I'd like to register as a Pokemon Trainer, and ask if there's some kind of taxi service that could get me to a couple different towns." Nurse Joy smiles at me kindly, which is super effective on me because Yor Forger happens to be amongst my top 5 Waifu's of all time.

"I can handle your registration no problem! As for taxi services, the Galar Region's own Taxi Company has somewhat recently gone national, and can be called upon at any time with their app on any smartphone device!"

Oh thank God, the Regions are all aware of each other! I hated the idea from the early anime that these people that can convert flesh and blood creatures into storable energy and back again were only just discovering other large occupied land masses on their planet.

Also smartphones were commonplace it seems. I don't have one of those in my pack, but I do have a lot of money. Money didn't have any use in Meteor Village, but it was gathered regardless for those going on long excursions from the Village, or exiled, like me. I don't know how much smartphones ran for here, but I figure I likely have more than enough.

"Where can I buy a smartphone around here then? Would the PokeMart have them?"

Nurse Joy nods. "Smartphones are sold at any PokeMart, Electronics Shop, or Department Store. Incidentally, having a smartphone and registering the necessary data will make your Trainer Registration go much more quickly."

"Thanks, you've been extremely helpful. I'll go grab one now and come back." Nurse Joy happily waved at my departure as I made my way to the PokeMart next door. Once again easily identifiable due to the blue roof. Once inside I made my way to a bored looking teen behind the register.

"Hi, I'm looking to buy a smartphone. How much do the typical models Trainers use go for?" The teen barely looks me in the eye before sighing and tapping on a tablet screen.

"Right now the usual models Trainers go for are the Poryphone Z, and Rotom Phone 3. Poryphones have better cyber security, but Rotom Phones have much longer battery life, and more personality."

"Are you saying all these phones have Porygon and Rotom in them?" The teenager rolls his eyes.

"What, have you been living under a rock?" Several tons of them actually. "Porygon have been mass produced since forever ago, same with Rotom, just more recently."

Interesting. Considering what my phone will be used for I can't think of why I'd need the extra security. It's not like I'll have anything too confidential on my phone. I'd rather have the extra battery life for my long travels. "I'll take the Rotom Phone 3 then."

Having bought my new phone along with some extra potions and status healing items, I head back to the Pokemon Center feeling conflicted. On one hand, I needed everything I bought, but on the other hand, I hated spending a lot of money and the phone by itself was worth a quarter of my funds. That doesn't sound that bad but I was given quite a bit more than you would start out with in the games. 15,000 Pokedollars to be exact.

Approaching Yor's cotton candy doppelganger once again, I offer her my newly set up Rotom Phone. "Here you are, one smartphone for my registration."

"I'll have it ready in no time at all!" She plugs my phone into her computer and starts tapping rapidly. Very rapidly… She must be very tech savvy. In no time at all my phone is back in my possession. "You're all set! I took the liberty of installing the PokeDex app as well. Is there anything else I can help you with Mr. Draconid?"

I jolted at the casual use of my family name. Thankfully there wasn't anyone else in the Center at the moment, but that would be a problem… "I don't suppose there's any way to hide my last

name? I had no choice but to put it in while setting my phone up, but I'd like to keep it on the down low for now."

Nurse Joy puts a finger on her chin and ponders cutely. "I don't have much experience with that, but I believe as a Trainer your best bet would be to speak to Prof. Birch. He should have the legal authority to hide your information. You can find him at his lab in Littleroot Town!"

Ah, not gonna lie, I was hoping I'd meet Prof. Oak first, but necessity comes before sentiment. "Then I guess my first stop is Littleroot Town. Thanks for all your help Nurse Joy." She waves as I leave the exact same way as last time. Now I really do hope the Joy's all look the same~

I wonder if Officer Jenny is cuter too? I'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. Anyways, I pulled up the Taxi App pre-installed on my Rotom Phone, punched in the desired destination and waited on a nearby bench. Then I proceeded to kick and punch at the air in excitement. GOD, what a great day! I got my real life Starter Pokemon, I pissed off an authority figure, met Nurse Joy in the flesh, and I got my very own PokeDex…app. I get it, it's more convenient, but it just kinda loses some of the magic as a phone app, ya know? Speaking of which~

I release Bahamut from his Poke Ball, having returned him at the outskirts of the town. He appears in the air squeaking happily at me before touching down at my feet. "Hey Bahamut, I figured while we're waiting for our ride, I'd check you out with the PokeDex real quick."

The Noibat spread his wings out almost challengingly. 'Bring it!' Okay, very challengingly. He's so precious~ Lining him up in the camera lens, the PokeDex does its work.

"Noibat, the Sound Wave Pokemon. Noibat live in pitch black caves, and can emit ultrasonic waves of 200,000 hertz. Noibat hunt for ripe fruit utilizing sonar. No wavelength of sound is beyond Noibat's ability to produce, allowing it to overcome much larger Pokemon."

"This Noibat is Male, with the hidden ability, Telepathy. It knows the moves Absorb, Tackle, Gust, Supersonic, Double Team, and Wing Attack."

"Alert: This Noibat has the Egg Move, Dragon Rush, but does not have the physical parameters to perform it. Waiting until Noibat is more physically developed to attempt Dragon Rush is strongly advised!"

I whistle once the long monologue ends. "A hidden ability and an egg move?! I hit the jackpot with you, didn't I, buddy?" Bahamut's eyes seem to get a little glossy as he puffs his little chest out in pride.

'I'm strong then? I can be a good partner?' Gonna have to work on that confidence if he's gonna be my Ace…

"Of course you can! You've already got a solid moveset right out the gate, and you're a dragon besides! You need to have a Dragon's Pride if you're going to live up to the name Bahamut! Not to mention the fact that I've already got some plans brewing for your sound waves. You'll be the crown jewel amongst the strongest beasts I'll have at my side!"

"Are ya done giving your little bat a pep talk!" I whip my head to the side and see a bearded fellow leaning on a large basket with a larger metal bird on top of it. Corviknight was a beast in the flesh. Noibat wouldn't even be a snack to it.

'What the heck, Master?!' Oops, didn't mean to think that so loudly. Also, Master? Meh, I can live with that. Especially if I take in a mentor kind of way since that's essentially my job now.

"Time is money, kid. Let's get a move on!" I have Bahamut rest on my shoulder as we enter the basket with the…pilot? Captain? Bird Person, he was Bird Person as far as I was concerned from now on. Bird Person closed the basket door and we were off!

I made the mistake of looking down from several miles up briefly and my legs turned into jelly for a second.

'Still not over my fear of heights yet it seems…'

'What do you mean, Master? This is amazing! I've never been so high before! Heck, I've never actually seen the sky before now that I think about it!" Noibats eyes are shining in wonder looking out into the horizon. Seeing him so happy somehow put the feeling back in my legs and a smile on my face. I scratched just behind his ear while gently pushing his head into mine.

'Get used to it buddy, we're gonna be traveling all over the world for our next challenge. We're bound to see all kinds of sights, each crazier than the last! And someday soon we won't even need a taxi to fly around like this once you evolve.'

'Oh I can't WAIT to become a Noivern! I'll be the strongest Noivern on the planet, just you watch, Master!' I chuckled and nodded. That's the spirit buddy.

Littleroot Town…

It took only a little over half an hour to get to Littleroot Town by air. Thankfully Bird Person didn't seem to care for small talk so I didn't have to bother with it. He left with a solitary nod, tip in hand. Despite his attitude, I gave hima fair tip for his trouble. The guy was surly, but I didn't mind. He spoke his mind without reservation, when he did speak, and I could respect that.

Little suited the town just fine. It was bigger than the games of course, but it was certainly a small town. Prof. Birch's lab was the only real landmark of note the town had, making it very

easy to find. Walking in, I see various machines and shelves, as one would expect of a laboratory. Many researchers were busy at work, but there was no sign of the man in charge.

Approaching one of the Lab Aides that had green hair, I tapped on his shoulder, breaking him out of his work trance. He turned around and was sporting large bags under his eyes. "Yes? How can I help you-ahhh~?" He stopped to yawn mid sentence. "Sorry, How can I help you today?"

"No problem, I'm looking for Prof. Birch, is he out right now?" The man seemed genuinely annoyed for a second, his hands tightening into fists.

"Yeah, he's out. He's always out! Always doing his field work, but you know? There's work that needs done here too, but he never listens! Leaving me to handle both his workload, and mine! It's too much!" Rant done he unclenched his fists and sighed. "Sorry, that meltdown was a long time coming. Anyways, last he said, he was researching Poochyena and Mightyena pack mentality a little ways north of town. If you get to Oldale Town, you've gone too far."

"Cool, thanks. And uh, I'll mention his staff are a little worn out shouldering his responsibilities at the lab." The green haired man clasped his hand on my shoulder.

"You're a saint young man. I wish you the best of luck." He drags himself back to his desk as I leave. Entering Route 101 I release my Noibat into the sky.

"See if you can spot a man out in the wilderness in a lab coat. Knowing him? Possibly being chased by local wildlife." Bahamut nods and races off. I reach into my pack and attach a sheath for my Kukri Trench Knife to the back of my belt. The knuckle duster and blade were made of dragon bones dyed black, and the handle was covered in leather made from their scales.

It wouldn't do much in my hands against anything truly powerful, but I can defend myself from small-time predators like Poochyena or even Mightyena if I get lucky. I hope it doesn't come to that, but if it's them or me, I'm choosing me.

Moving in the direction opposite of my Noibat, I make my way through the foliage. After traveling about half a mile I hear the sound of feet pounding on the ground nearby. Making my way through the tree line I see a scene straight out of the source material. Prof. Birch running for his life from wild Poochyena, before scaling up a tree and hanging desperately from a branch.

"Seems you're in quite the predicament, professor. Need help?" The Poochyena paid me no mind, firmly locked onto the hanging professor and barking their heads off. "What did you even do to piss em off this much?"

Prof. Birch snapped his head in my direction and looked at me in relief. "Thank goodness you're here. I stepped on the middle one's tail by accident while I was making my way through the dense foliage. Quickly, do you have any Pokemon with you?!"

I rubbed my neck a bit sheepishly. "I actually had my only Pokemon fly off in the opposite direction looking for you. I could probably whistle for him but it could set the Poochy's off and he might not get here fast enough."

"That's fine! Get my pack off to your left. I have some Pokemon of my own inside! Just throw one of them out and have them battle for you. They're Starters, so they should listen to you!"

Looking to my left, the bag was indeed where he said it'd be. 'Just like in the games… I'm not gonna look too far into that.'

Digging through it I find the three Poke Balls quickly enough. Grabbing one at random, I tossed it out. From the ball came Hoenn's Grass Starter, Treecko. 'Nice, my favorite of the bunch!'

I whip out my PokeDex App and scan the Treecko quickly to learn its moves.

"Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokemon. Treecko bears countless tiny spikes that allow it to scale any vertical surface. Treecko are very calm, cool, and collected, never panicking in the face of an advisory, regardless of their size."

"This Treecko is Male, and has the Ability Overgrow. It knows the moves Pound, Leer, Leafage, and the Egg Moves Leech Seed and Double Kick.

"Alert: This Treecko also has the Egg Moves Dragon Breath and Night Slash, but is unable to perform either due to the following reasons. Dragon Breath: No experience utilizing Dragon Type energy, could be trained to do so however. Night Slash: Physically incompatible with the move until later stage evolutions."

'Well damn, starting to think Egg Moves aren't that uncommon here. Either that, or some new Trainer is going to be very lucky getting this Treecko.' Anyways, there's a Professor to save, so best not to dally too much.

"Treecko, jump towards the Poochyena and use Leafage on the left and right ones. Then come down with Pound on the center one." Treecko surprisingly follows my orders easily with a nod. Leaping into the air he launches two sets of glowing leaves at the designated mon sending them both careening in opposite directions. The center one looks at its damaged pack mates before Treecko front flips for more momentum and slams his tail into the crown of its skull, knocking it out instantly.

The other two Poochy's rise and growl at the offending Treecko, but he stands his ground easily and leers right back at them. One Poochyena rushes Treecko first and lunges at him for a bite.

"Use its momentum against it, Pound at its throat!" A little ruthless maybe, but Throat Chop was already a move anyways. Treecko smirks and whips his tail around just under his foes' waiting

jaws, and smashes said tail into the Poochy's windpipe. The mon landed on its back and did not get back up.

The other Poochyena had used its brethrens' distraction to get behind Treecko but before it could capitalize, it was blown away in a sudden gust of wind. The last Poochy slammed into the tree Prof. Birch was hanging from, knocking him down in the process. I look over my shoulder just as the perpetrator lands on said shoulder. Bahamut had returned.

'I can't say I care much for three-on-one situations, all things considered.' This was the most intense I'd seen Bahamut be so far. It made sense though, seeing as when I'd found him he had also been triple teamed. This must have been a bit cathartic for the little bat dragon.

Treecko considered the Noibat on my shoulder for a moment as Birch and I convened on him before seeming to get angry about something and crossing his arms. Curious.

"Are you upset Bahamut got involved? Sorry about that buddy, he was just trying to watch your back." Treecko looks at me this time before scoffing, still mad it seems. Prof. Birch was watching the interaction in interest.

"I'm not sure if that's it young man, but we can talk about that later. I'm guessing you must have been looking for me if you came all the way out here. Did one of my Lab Aides send you perhaps?"

I nodded. "I came to your lab to make a request and the green haired one sent me your way. He also seemed very overworked by the way."

Prof. Birch rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I might have put too much on his plate just to get out of the lab. Anyways I owe you, so whatever that request was, I'll do my best to honor it."

The bushes rustled before a couple of Mightyena came out. Seeing what was likely their pups unconscious around the forest floor, they immediately started growling at us.

"Perhaps it can wait till we can get back to the lab though…" I nod slowly and return both Bahamut and Treecko, and we make a hasty retreat back to the lab.

Prof. Birch's Laboratory…

Bursting through the front door to the lab I slam it shut behind us. The Professor and I are very out of breath and hunched over. "Thought we'd never lose them…"

Birch chuckled between his wheezing. "We might not have had they not been more concerned about their pups being left to other wild Pokemon's mercy." Recovering a bit later he stands up straight and so do I. "So, about that request you mentioned…"

"Right, do you mind if we take this conversation away from the others?" He nods seriously and we make our way to the back of the lab. "Alright, so the thing is, I'm from the Draconid Tribe."

Birch gasps, but manages to keep his voice down. "Truly? I mean it explains your unique features, but I never thought I'd meet one of your people in the flesh. Most think your people a myth!"

I chuckled, "Yeah I imagine. We're very secluded. Anyways, the problem is that I don't want everyone to know about it. So I'd like for my last name to be kept off the record."

Birch crossed his arms in thought. "Yes, that's understandable. Best to keep a low profile, especially when you're just starting out. I'll take care of it no problem. Meanwhile, there's something I'd like to talk to you about while I'm working on that."

We move to his computer and after he gets my name he begins typing away. "What I wanted to talk about was how well you worked with that Treecko. He's an ornery one, that Treecko. He's been offered to many a trainer and never accepted any of them. Then you come along and work with him flawlessly right off the bat."

I thought for a moment why that would be. "It could've been a heat of the moment kind of thing. It might not work out that well in calmer circumstances."

Birch nods, "I thought about that too once the battle ended, but then I saw how Treecko reacted to your Noibat's arrival. He was angry, not because his battle had been interrupted, but out of jealousy. Once he saw you already had a Pokemon he must have assumed that he wouldn't be going with you. But if you're willing, I'd be more than happy to leave Treecko in your care."

"I'd love to take him with me, but we should probably ask to be sure." While I like the professor's theory, it would be best to actually confirm how Treecko feels on the matter. Birch nods with a smile and takes Treecko's ball from his bag before tossing it to me. As he continued working on his computer, I released Treecko. The Wood Gecko looked around still sulking a bit before turning around and spotting me. His face became neutral but his eyes got a little shine back.

"Hello again, Treecko. I didn't have the chance to thank you before for battling with me. Prof. Birch thought we worked really well together and thought you'd like to come with me. So I thought I'd ask you directly. I want to battle the strongest Pokemon the world has to offer, to climb to new heights and raise my team to be the new pinnacle of power. Would that be something that interests you?"

I already knew the answer of course. Treecko tried to stay stoic, but his eyes were practically glowing, his tail was going nuts, and his little hands were clenched into fists of excitement. "Treecko!"

In his excitement, Treecko let out something akin to a battle cry. I laughed, having not expected it before holding a hand up. "Let's shake the world up then, Treecko!"

The Grass Starter immediately jumped and slapped my hand with his tail like a hi-five.

Prof. Birch looked very pleased. "Well now that that's settled, I've taken care of your Trainer info. For now you'll simply be Allister, just let me know when you're ready for people to know who you are and I'll take care of the rest."

"I really appreciate it. My name shouldn't be as big a problem in Kanto, but this way I won't be taking unnecessary risks." Birch perks up at that.

"So you're leaving for Kanto then? You should hit up Pallet Town and go see Prof. Oak at his lab. I'll let him know you're coming, and ask if you can use his Corral for your extra Pokemon. If you don't mind, I'd like to let him in on your origins. I'm sure he'd be over the moon to help you then!"

I shrugged, "That should be fine, I appreciate it." I made my way to the door, Bahamut on my shoulder and Treecko alongside me. "Thanks for everything Prof. Birch. I'm off to Slateport to catch a boat."

"Good luck out there!"

Slateport City Coast…

One taxi ride and 2000 pokedollars later I was on a cruise ship heading to Kanto. At the stern of the ship I leaned on the railing watching Hoenn disappear over the horizon.

"Feels like it's taking forever to actually begin my adventure…" I look at my two partners on either side of me fondly, both watching their home Region disappear with me. Then I look over the Mega Bracer adorning my forearm, rubbing the empty slot for a Keystone. "I'm starting out pretty advantaged though. At least I still need to find my own Keystone, I don't want too many handouts…"

Idly, I scratched Bahamut's chin while Treecko leaned into my leg. I can feel the grin stretching across my face, "I can't wait to get started!"

End Chapter

Author's Note: Good GOD that was a long chapter! Way longer than the last one anyways. I didn't really have a word goal with these, they just end where it feels natural. Next time we'll be in Kanto, and I don't have to do much more fucking setup for awhile hopefully. The beginning of these stories are the hardest to get through I feel like.

As for Nurse Joy, I found this fan art of her and Officer Jenny as robots, and I loved their designs. The can be found on Twitter @RhymeWithRay. I hope that looks right, I don't know how Twitter works. The idea that they're both Robots or Androids is so much more appealing to me then several dozens of siblings being identical. The other option, and more likely one of course being cloning.