In our previous episode, our Pokéstars got their interviews done and received their first Pokémon! They are not just about ready to start their journey to the Insulae Region! What new challenges and friends will they meet there?
It was a bright and early morning. They had slept in Pokéstar Studios hotel facilities and had nightclothes given to them for their rest. They had gotten ready at a punctual time set by Director Adam and were waiting in a large designated area.
Well, almost all of them.
"Where's Seth?" asked Samson, wearing the same flashy suit as yesterday.
"I saw him in the men's section earlier today," said Diego, his Cyndaquil sitting next to him. The Pokémon hadn't gone back into its pokéball since he first got it.. "He was sleeping on the floor. I woke him up though so he should've gotten ready. In theory."
"Hold up," said Jax. "Let's run that back. You said he was sleeping on the floor?"
"Yup, in the bathroom."
"I guess not everyone is a morning person."
"But the thing is," said Alicia. "What's the difference between not being a morning person and plain laziness?"
At that moment, Seth walked into the room.
"Good morning everyone," he said, stifling a yawn. "Sorry I'm late."
"You better be sorry," said Alicia. "Do you want to know how long we've been waiting here?"
"Not particularly."
"We've been waiting here-"
"When I say not particularly, it means I don't care."
"It's good to see you're alive Seth," said Samson. "The way I heard, you were practically dead."
Zeke chuckled. "More like dead tired."
"All right," said Samson, becoming more business-like. "It looks like everyone's here. How are you guys feeling so far? One at a time."
"Excited to rock this party," said Claire.
"Tired," murmured Kendra.
"Bored," said Katsuya.
"I feel very confident that I'll perform extraordinarily well," said Alicia.
"You keep shooting for that," said Seth. "However, I'm feeling ambiguous."
"Ambiguous?" asked Diego.
"Yeah, y'know. I'm feeling strange, kind of a mixed feeling between happy and unsure."
"I suppose I'm feeling the same. More or less from my displaced memories. Though something was nagging at me the entire night. And then it hit me, I should name my Cyndaquil Snivy because it strangely reminds me of the Pokémon. So I called him Snivy."
"Wait, seriously?" asked Kendra.
"Yeah, I know it seems weird, and I can't draw the connection myself. But it probably has to do with my lost memories. So I'm rolling with it."
"I'm feeling ready for this," said Zeke.
"Same here," said Jax. "And while we're on the topic of Pokémon nicknames, I named my Chimchar Valdez."
"I decided to name my Pokémon Natsu," said Claire. "What about you Kendra?"
"I called my Snivy Amphithere."
"That's an interesting name," said Claire. "I'm sure your Snivy loves it."
"She's pretty proud of it from what I've seen."
"Well I've chosen the best name for my Pokémon," bragged Alicia. "His name is Posiedon!"
"Hmm, that's actually a pretty good name," remarked Seth.
"I wasn't asking for your opinion," said Alicia dismissively. "I know already that it's a good name, I don't need your approval."
"That's good to hear," said Samson. "The way the show will be recorded is very simple. Each group has three different Rotom Drones fitted with cameras to record you guys from various aerial angles. These guys are sentient of course and know who to do their job very well. A lot of them are pretty touchy so don't annoy them. You'll also be wearing hidden microphones to record what you say so you can be heard clearly in the show. What you say will be recorded, so try to leave a good impression on the editors and filmmakers. Any questions?"
"If we say something embarrassing, will it be edited out?" asked Kendra.
"Most probably yes. While you will be recorded most of the time, save for when you're sleeping or taking a break, every single piece of what is recorded won't be in the show. Our editors will work very hard to splice and edit each individual string of footage and create a one hour episode."
"Sounds like hard work," said Zeke.
"Yeah, but their professionals, and they're richly compensated!" Samson said with a hearty laugh. "Anyways, the logistics of the actual challenge are simple. There are twelve gyms, excluding the psychic, fairy, fighting, dragon, ice, and the electric types. Each gym has two leaders who will fight you in double battles. There are eight elite four members who use different types. Then there are two champions for you to face off once you get past the elite four. Any questions?"
"Do you have to beat the elite four members in a row?"
"Yes you do!" said Samson. "We can't deviate too much from the official league now can we?"
"When are we leaving?" asked Alicia.
"Soon, I wanted to first ask about team names?"
"We're team Distant Past," said Diego.
"We're Team Katsuya," said Katsuya, Kendra sighed in the corner.
"We're Team One," said Seth, glaring at Alicia. "And there's no denying that."
"And we're Team Regional," said Claire. "Our name represents all the different regions as one!"
"Interesting choices of names, now follow me everyone!"
They were taken to the front of the building. Outside, there were four normal looking cars. Alicia sighed.
"Whether I'm rich or not, that doesn't matter. But you're seriously going to transport us to the airport in these?"
Two of the cars were slightly beaten down. Seth shared her disappointment in the vehicles.
"I thought we were going to be TV stars," said Seth. "Limousines would've been nice."
"We don't like attracting attention," said Samson. "Having loads of people swarm to your car, trying to get a look at you can be unnerving sometimes."
"Oh I'm used to it," said Alicia.
"Then go ahead and walk beside us," said Seth, rolling his eyes.
"Chill guys," said Zeke. "Save the banter for after during the show. It should spice things up."
"He has a fair point," said Claire. "At this rate you'll run out of snarky comments and snide jokes."
"Pfft, I'd never run out of jokes. Anyways, we're wasting time here. Let's go!"
Samson sighed. "That Seth, always running from one thing to the next."
Thirty minutes later
They had all been transported to Voyanna National Airport without any incidents. Each group had a car to themselves and had a personal driver.
They were taken through baggage check, skipping all the other long flight procedures. They ended up at the plane hangars, where a small and beautiful streamline jet awaited them.
It was silver colored, with the golden Pokéstar logo emblazoned on both sides. The inside was small but comfortable. The eight of them only had carry-on bags filled with a few essentials, some of their carry-ons were even provided by Pokéstar Studios since they hadn't brought any bags themselves.
There were seven rows of seats, each row with one plushy seat. There was a TV screen on the back of the chairs like most planes and built-in headphones.
"I've never been on a plane before," admitted Claire.
"Don't worry," said Diego, "I can at least say for sure I haven't either."
"This is actually a jet," said Alicia. "I get to fly in my own private jet for fun. And it's much better than this one. Though I have to admit, this one is exceptional."
"Good to know you like it," said Samson.
"Don't encourage her," muttered Seth.
They all took their seats on the jet. Katsuya sat all the way in the back and told everyone not to sit near him. Seth sat as far away from Alicia as he could while Diego, Jax, and Zeke sat close to each other and engaged in conversation. Claire sat across from Kendra and tried to make small talk.
Samson walked through the middle way and made sure everyone was here. He radioed the pilot and took a seat.
The pilot ran them through the customary safety drills for a straight ten minutes. Alicia groaned, muttering she did this so many times.
After all was said and done, they were cleared for take off by the tower. The plane flew forward on the runway, moving at exciting speeds as it started to take off.
Claire held her ears in surprise as they took off. Kendra gave her a knowing smile.
"Yeah, I've been on a plane twice with my family and I'm never used to it. It has to do with air pressure and stuff. I've been meaning to- uh, maybe later. You can enjoy the plane ride."
"No, it's fine."
"Uh, well. You see- I don't really want the others to know. But- You seem to be a very good battle.. And well- uh…" she let off slowly, waving her hands as she tried to get her question across
Claire smiled brightly. "You want my advice?"
"Uh- yeah."
"Oh course. The plane ride is going to be about four and a half minutes so we have a lot of time."
"Really?" asked Kendra.
"Of course, I'd love to be friends with you! One thing you need to work on for sure is your confidence though. I thought I was going to have to wait forever!"
Kendra gave a nervous laugh. "Actually, why don't we talk about something normal?"
"What's so not normal about Pokémon battles?"
"I meant subjects other than battling. You know- so we can be friends more."
"Sure," said Claire. She was slightly confused, but didn't think too much about it. "I love training with my Pokémon for sure. But I also love playing video games, watching anime, and online chess. I know I probably sound like a geek but it's fine. If you think that."
"I don't think so. I prefer doing more quiet stuff, like reading or going on walks."
"Seems weird to sign up for a reality TV show then."
"My- mom pushed me to do it."
"Makes sense."
They continued talking for a moment, with Claire doing most of the talking. On the other side of the plane, Jax, Diego, and Zeke were engaging in a conversation about sports. The jet had finished taking off and was now at level flight.
"Honestly," said Jax. "I think Zeke would be a great football player. He has the muscle for it."
"Maybe," said Zeke. "I was on the track team in high school. Football was a bit too rough in my opinion."
"I prefer soccer," said Diego. "I spent some of my free time playing soccer after my amnesia. The sport resonates with me more."
"How good are you?" asked Jax.
"Being honest, I'm somewhat mediocre. The community center I live nearby offers games every Sunday and I play as well as the others."
"Interesting," said Zeke. "Think you're going to do good on the Island of Challenge?"
"A bit too early to tell. But one thing I know for sure is that this entire thing will be fun!"
"Too bad there's a five hour plane ride before we can actually start," said Jax. "I was tossing and turning in my sleep out of anticipation."
"I'm sure you'll do fine," said Diego. "We'll be together and we have the entire plane ride to talk."
"Don'f forget me," said Zeke.
"Don't worry. We may technically be opponents, but that doesn't mean we're enemies."
Five hours later
The plane finally touched down in the Insulae Region. There was a long dirt road that the plane touched down on, slowing down until it stopped. As they got out, they found themselves in a beautiful place.
There was perfectly green grass, almost as if it was artificial. There were big, bright white tents set up all over a marked off area with orange spray paint. The tents all had the Pokéstar logo on them.
They all got off the plane, some of them sleepy. Kendra blinked wearily at the sky and stopped for a moment, trying to get adjusted to the light. She didn't notice that Seth was behind her, half asleep, and he stumbled down the stairs into her.
The two of them fell forward and crashed in a surprised heap. Claire winced as they landed with a thud.
Seth got up and rubbed his head indignantly. "Watchu doin stadin round like dat?" he said, his words slurring from his sleepiness.
"Uh, sorry," Kenda said.
"What?" asked Claire. "Why should Kendra apologize? You need to be more awake and pay attention to where you're going."
"My bad."
"Alright everyone," said Samson, appearing from inside the plane and taking the lead. "Wakey wakey, we got stuff to do. Follow me!"
"I feel like half this journey so far has been following this guy," said Diego.
They followed him to a smaller tent. Inside the tent were twelve, top quality Rotom Drones, all of them empty and lifeless. Nearby were a few electrical tanks, Pokémon sleeping in them.
"Alright guys, wake up and take formation," said Samson, clapping his hands.
The tanks sparked with electricity as Rotom flew out and flew quickly into the drones. All twelve drones glowed with life as they flew into the air, beeping happily. Names were engraved on the front of each drone, directly above the whirring cameras. The tent was soon filled with bright yellow lights and beeping.
"All right, these guys in order are: Lambda, Mu, Nu, Xi, Omicron, Pi, Ro, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon, Phi, and Chi."
"Interesting names," remarked Zeke.
"Pretty unoriginal though. These guys will be split into four teams with three in each group. On the side, are those beautiful backpacks!"
They turned to the side and saw four large camping backpacks. Samson selected a green one and showed them the inside contents.
"As you see, there's all the essentials you'll need on this journey. Two person tents, a small frying pan, food, water, matches, pokéballs, repels, and much much more. At each settlement, which are structured like this one, you'll have the opportunity to restock on any supplies you need. Just know you are never alone. There are emergency radios in each backpack just in case. There is also a map. Once you have selected your backpacks and decided who will carry them. Meet me outside."
As he walked out, Alicia followed him. "Seth, you pick a backpack and bring it outside."
"What! Why me?"
"Because I'm too precious to lug around a huge backpack all day."
Seth groaned and grabbed the green backpack. Zeke took a black backpack and put it on while Jax and Diego politely argued that they should hold their red backpack for the other. Katsuya opened the yellow backpack and grabbed all of the snacks and food, putting them in his own backpack.
"Grab the rest Kendra."
Kendra sighed and picked up the backpack before following Katsuya out the door. Claire gave her a look of sympathy.
Once they were all outside, Samson led them to a flimsy billboard staked to the ground. On the billboard was a huge map of the region, or at least the areas they'd be traveling to. Marked on the map were all twelve gyms. The six closest gyms were marked green, another group of farther out gyms were marked yellow, and the last two were farther out and marked red. Finally, there was a part of the map marked in gold, listed as the Pokémon League hall.
"On this map are the twelve gyms you shall be fighting. You have a similar map stored in your backpacks. Simply put, the green ones are the gyms you should be facing first. The Pokémon around this part of the region tend to be weaker than the ones further up. But of course, there can still be strong Pokémon lurking around. Across the region you may see marked borders. Please do not cross them, they have been marked as danger zones. Take a moment to look at the big map and decide which gyms you'll be going to first. The first six gyms in order of closest proximity are rock, flying, normal, bug, grass, and ground. Good luck out there, any questions?"
"Is the winner of the challenge whoever defeats the champions first?" asked Alicia.
"Yes, but note that if you lose, you have to wait some time before challenging them again. And if another team makes it to the champions before you defeat them, then you aren't declared the winner if you beat the champions. You'll have to wait for the other team to fight them after you. If they lose, you win. If they win, then you two have to battle each other to see who the winner is."
"What if someone else makes it to the champions while the two teams are fighting?" asked Claire.
"Then if they defeat the champion before the two teams finish battling, they're added to the party as well."
"When will recording start?" asked Kendra.
"A few minutes after you leave the settlement. You'll know when the Rotom Drones synchronously beep and emit a red recording light. But don't worry about them, act natural. There's nothing to worry about and you'll be fine. Between you and me, there's nothing an audience and the director hates more than someone trying to act like someone they're not in a reality TV show. You catch me?"
"Y-yeah," said Kendra, shivering a bit.
"But you'll do fine! Trust me! When it comes to reality TV shows, the worst actor can be the best. Any other questions?"
"Do we all have to go to different gyms?" asked Seth.
"Technically, no. It could hold up another team from doing their gym challenge though, especially if they already decided to go and you race them to the gym. So I don't recommend it but- I'm not one to tell you to do anything."
"What if someone decides they don't want to be in the show anymore. Out of nervousness or because they suck?" asked Katsuya, staring pointedly at Kendra.
"Well phrased Katsuya," said Samson sarcastically. "I'm almost considering switching the teams at this point."
"Please do," said Katsuya and Kendra at the same time.
"But then we'd have to rerecord that part, and I'm in a completely different region so that's not an option," said Samson, not hearing them as he spoke to himself. "Anyways, if someone wants to opt out at any moment. That's perfectly acceptable, special accommodations and or a new teammate will be provided. You'll still get to take your Pokémon home, even if you live in the Voyanna Region, considering these Pokémon are from other regions. Including your starters. Any other questions or concerns?"
Everyone shook their heads, eager to start. In Kendra's case however, she was ready to get it over with.
"One more thing. Please refrain from making inappropriate comments and using bad language or insults. This is a supposed family friendly show, and we'd like to keep it that way. Now, good luck adventures, may you succeed in your endeavors!"
As he left, the teams looked at the billboard, trying to decide which gyms they should go.
Seth tapped Alicia on her shoulder, causing her to reel back in disgust."Alicia, I think-"
"A lowlife like you shouldn't touch me! No matter what you think, I'm making the decisions!"
"Look, this is a team event. For us to succeed, we'll have to work together."
"Hmph! I can do this without you!" she turned around. "Just watch me, I'll do this and win by myself. I'll be better than everyone, especially her!"
She turned around and stormed off in one direction. Seth threw his hands up in exasperation.
"Where the heck are you going?"
Alicia didn't answer him. He looked at the map and the direction she was going.
"I guess we're headed to the rock gym. Good thing I was headed there myself. See ya later obviously better teammates," he said, waving a hand as he left.
The other competitors save for Katsuya waved back as Seth jogged to catch up. Katsuya looked back to the board, considering his options.
"If you were a dependable teammate, I would've suggested heading to the rock gym to slow down the rich prissy and her servant, but you aren't."
"Are they only going to talk to me when you have something mean to say?" asked Kendra.
"We're going to the bug type gym. Try to catch a useful Pokémon on the way, your Snivy's not going to do anything."
Kendra clenched her fists. "Y-you can go ahead if you want! I'd rather not be with you anyways."
"Good."
As Katsuya walked off, Kendra sighed. Claire put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, you're not alone in this. I'm sure we'll see each other on the journey. Prove you're a better trainer than him and he'll shut up for good."
As Claire walked back to discuss with Zeke, Kendra gave another sigh.
"That's the problem."
She walked off to follow Katsuya as Jax and Diego came to a decision together. They both nodded and headed off in the direction of the flying type gym.
"That just leaves the grass, ground, and normal gyms. Which one do you think Claire?" asked Zeke.
"I think we should go to the normal gym. Just to get it out of the way while we catch more Pokémon for our team. Does it make sense?"
"I wholeheartedly agree with you. Let's go!"
They ran off together towards the normal type gym. Two minimaps held in their hands. All four teams, some with varying degrees of cooperation, were now all on their way towards the first step of their journey. We'll see in the next episode what challenges and experiences they may encounter!