Boredom, much to Leo's displeasure, has become a staple in his new routine that stubbornly refused to get shaken off.

Staying in the Pokemon Centre reminded him of the times he had to stay in the hospital when he was younger. The hours without entertainment, nothing but a cheap monitor that was far too dim to keep him from just sleeping all day, he might as well have been watching his skin peel.

It was almost as bad as his time at sea, where the plain blue sky and the harsh beat of the July sun were all he had to ground himself and not sink.

Of course, there was also the constant fear of drowning, and the pain he felt from the sunburns, but he didn't really feel like dwelling on that.

His mind was wandering. The point was, he couldn't wait for his time in this dead place to close. In the meantime, he'd have to be content with scrolling through the different TV channels and learning about this new world.

Turns out there was a lot.

"Aaand there's another win for Fern Frieze! Even with the type disadvantage, she managed to overcome Hakamo-o with that monster of a Smeargle! What most trainer's would consider an underdog Pokemon turned out to be a massive powerhouse that cleaved through her opponent's team like wet paper!"

Leo watched with a stroke of his chin as a Smeargle of all things lorded over a beaten down dragon, barely phased, with his purple haired trainer maintaining a stoic image despite her victory. Smeargle were known to have horrible stats in the games, which seemed to hold true here, but this girl was using one anyway, and to great effect.

Interesting.

"With this victory, Fern Frieze, the rising Kalosian star, continues onto the finals where she'll be facing off against Chloe Flannigan for the chance to win fifty thousand pokedollars and three random TM's! But that'll be after the break, make sure to stay tuned and-"

Leo clicked his remote's off switch, letting out a deep sigh as he scratched at the stubble which had been slowly building up over the past days.

This shouldn't be surprising, but he supposed the fact Pokemon was now reality hadn't quite settled in yet. This world had history, people- important people- who were important, outside of the characters he knew from the games that is. A cast of maybe a hundred or two couldn't be connected to everything going on everywhere.

One of the things he'd come to learn, through his television, was that Pokemon battling was the big thing here. In fact, it was beyond that really. He'd referred to it as a Heavyweight sport with a Champion at the head, but that wasn't really accurate. It was no simple sport.

Pokemon Trainers were different to athletes in the fact that people everywhere were actively encouraged to become Trainers at an early age. Now, the world wasn't full of idiots, children weren't just encouraged to become tamers of literal monsters at an age where their voices hadn't even begun to pitch, fifteen was the bare minimum.

The reason why people were encouraged to become Trainers was pure and simple: money. It could be extremely lucrative to be a Trainer if you do it right. That girl he was watching on TV would be getting fifty thousand big ones for that tournament alone, which was crazy considering that was what his annual salary as a firefighter.

That contest wasn't even a big one, from what he's seen it wasn't uncommon for the hotshots of the world to get paid hundreds of thousands for a single tournament.

If Leo didn't have enough of a reason to become a Trainer before, he certainly had one now.

Huffing through his nose, he rose to his feet and didn't even wince at the slight sting he felt all over. His sunburns had mostly healed, with his skin flaking off rapidly, and the pain he did feel was nothing compared to the agony he'd felt when first taken in. So, the nurses that treating him had given the okay to walk around, as long as he didn't go outside unsupervised.

He was equipped in a set of clothes the Pokemon Centre had provided him, and unsurprisingly they were low enough quality to irritate his burns. Turns out that, no matter what version of earth he was on, people were always stingy with handouts. But, like they always say, beggars can't be choosers and he was poor as hell now.

Breezing through the barren halls, Leo found the elevator and entered. It was surprisingly spacious, as though they'd need to fit a giant in there. He could have just gone down the stairs, but the Pokemon Centre was surprisingly big, since the doctors and nurses here had to sometimes go through surgery. The fact Pokemon getting seriously injured during battle was common enough that they felt the need to install rooms for surgery told him that this world was as dangerous as his old one.

"First floor." Leo mumbled to himself as he pressed a button and the doors closed and descended past four floors before the door reopened with a ding and he stepped through.

The bottom floor was much more full that the top. A few groups of Trainers were littered around the lobby, or at least they probably were given the Pokemon by their sides. The were making conversation, so they were probably friends or rivals. It was none of his business.

A few eyes found him, and maybe if he was an awkward teenager then shrinking would have been his move, but instead he straightened up and looked back. Strangely, they all flinched away, which was weird because he wasn't even glaring.

He made his way through the dirtied floors of the bottom level. Some of the medical staff recognised him and gave him a greeting, which he returned with a sincere smile, but otherwise he was on a straight path towards his connection to the world.

The internet.

A small grin crossed Leo's face as walked into the computer room. It smelled lightly of plastic and dust, a familiar scent that reminded him of days spent in the library. A simpler time when his only worry was high school work.

"This brings back memories." Leo uttered out as he slipped into a seat and booted up the computer. It looked pretty old, and it's running speed left a lot to be desired, but it would do. He pulled out a notepad and pen as the monitor flashed on.

He'd been in the hospital for a week now, and he'd been using that time to gather information. His computer was another source for him to burn time with, plus if he was going to be a Trainer then he'd need to learn everything he could about Pokemon. It was all part of the process.

He'd only played the games up to Generation Five, and watched the anime up to Generation Six, so after that any information he got was purely by accident. That meant there were three entire regions he was just clueless about, for the most part.

Yeah... he had a lot of work to do.

Leo leaned back in satisfaction, getting a little crack as he stretched his neck out, and looked at his computer with a contemplative expression. Other people would come in sometimes, but they kept quiet and left within a reasonable timeframe. A few sent him weird glances, probably because he was a scruffy looking, pink skinned, rough looking teenager that refused to acknowledge the outside world, however that wasn't important. He never had been too much of a 'normal' guy.

Poketube- boy, how creative was that?- was essentially this world's version of Youtube, but exclusively for Pokemon related content from all regions in the world. It was strange actually, since the internet in each region was localised, with a few exceptions. Anyway, it was useful because all manner of battles could be posted on it, but he primarily focused on the three regions he didn't know squat about: Alola, Galar and Paldea.

Paldea was actually the easiest to get information on, since Poketube was a Paldean app that was popular there for years before it spread worldwide. They had a unique strength system over there, with Trainers being ranked on an official chart and the top three were deemed 'Champion Rank' Trainers. It was pretty unorthodox, but he could see it working effectively.

Galar also wasn't too difficult to work on, since their region was pretty big on battling hyper competitively with huge arenas. There wasn't an Elite Four over there, just a single big boss everyone was aiming to beat: Leon. The Pokemon battling they did with Dynamaxing was just plain insanity, and he was glad that it was exclusive purely to Galar. It wasn't too shabby for the region that supposedly represented his home country, though he could see several differences in culture just by breezing over it.

As for Alola, it was certainly interesting. The region was essentially this world's version of Hawaii, and it really shined through. There weren't many competitive battles going on in Alola, mainly because there wasn't a League to encourage and push their Trainers. It was a very laid-back culture over there.

But, he did say there was something interesting, didn't he.

Licking his lips, healed but still dry, Leo clicked onto another tab. It was an old news report he'd brought up, since he wasn't in Alola the information it gave wasn't too specific, but it was enough for it to get the message across: Alola had nearly been destroyed.

Reading about some of the public details was eerie to say the least, specifically how literal aliens were a thing in this world. It was facts like this which made him kick himself for not playing the rest of the games. They were called 'Ultra Beasts' and apparently they used to appear in Alola a ton back in the day. The island deities, or the 'Tapus', would always ward them off, but not before they did plenty of damage.

This was a bit of an eye opener to say the least. The Pokemon World was a double-edged sword. Sure, climate change and pollution wasn't a problem due to people having more respect for the environment, but Pokemon like these things could wreck havoc on wide scales.

About twenty years ago the Alola region was swarmed by these Ultra Beasts, with a black Pokemon being the root cause. The reasons why this event even occurred were obscure, but from what he could gather the regions Kahunas had come together and warded the attacks off... or, at least, that's what it says happened.

He personally thought that story was bullshit. However, without a way to confirm it, that was unfortunately just speculation.

Though disturbed by it for some reason, Leo shrugged and moved on. "It's probably nothing." He concluded, though just before he could continue browsing the web, the door to the computer room opened and in walked a familiar face.

"Hey Leo!" A feminine voice demanded his attention, so he turned and faced the stubborn girl that kept coming to the hospital daily.

It wasn't like he was complaining, any human interaction was appreciated at this point, but the girl was strangely insistent on coming to see him every day.

"What does it look like, Frieda?" He answered rhetorically. "I'm studying up on Pokemon, I've gotta pass that fucking test, and I've only got like a month to cram. What do you want anyway?"

"Don't be dour, you should go out and see the city." She added. "Nurse Joy asked that I take you out to see the sights, it might trigger your lost memories."

Hearing that, Leo almost let out a groan. Not this again.

"Nope. Not interested." That was a lie, he did want to see what the Pokemon World was like, but he wasn't ready yet. Like all things, he needed a little time.

"Well, we're going anyway."

Before Leo could respond, he was being aggressively dragged up by the arm, his pen getting dropped as his notes were slightly crumpled. The girl was weak, but his skin was also still sensitive.

"Frieda, let go." Leo demanded.

"No, you need to get outside and breathe some air that hasn't been in someone else's mouth." She tightened her grip, causing his discomfort to increase, but he tore away rather easily. Suffering from slight malnutrition or not, he wasn't about to get dragged around by a teenage girl of all people.

Even if he was also technically a teenager now.

"Don't do that again." Leo hissed as he touched his arm tenderly, the glared at Frieda. "Don't they teach you rich girls to have manners."

She seemed to have a look of mild guilt, but grounded her heels in.

"You need to go outside, being in here won't do you any good." She added. "Hiding inside the Pokemon Centre won't do you any good. You can't put it off forever."

Leo almost considered giving her a lecture, but held himself back and considered her words.

Was he actually trying to hide? He liked to think he was braver than that, he'd dived into accidents back home, but was he scared just to go outside?

Running a hand through his hair, Leo looked back at the last week. Sure, he'd been recovering, but he could have gone outside yesterday, or even the day before that if he wanted to bear the pain. What was stopping him other than his own anxiety?

After a moment, he concluded that he was just scared. It was tempting to blame it on just needing time, but no, he was being cowardly. That was no excuse.

He was meant to be a Firefighter, wasn't he?

"Fine." Leo grounded out, causing Frieda to look up in surprise. "Lets go."

Castelia City was... well, big would be an understatement.

In the games, even from just seeing it on a pixilated screen, it was obviously the largest city in Unova. This was a given, since it was based off of New York City, but the streets were packed full of people and the roads filled with so many cars that, if they were powered by petrol, fumes would be everywhere.

"It's always like this during rush hour." Frieda explained sheepishly as they trekked through the streets. A car honked someone, but she was unphased. "Just wait until we get to the beach, the traffic will become less of a bother there."

Leo simply nodded, adjusting the cap he'd picked up from the Pokemon Centre as he glared upwards at his sworn enemy: The sun.

Frieda noticed this and asked nervously. "You bear a grudge, I presume."

"Sure, lets go with that." Leo huffed as he rubbed his slick arms. Frieda had given him some sunscreen to apply, but it never felt like enough. "How much longer will this heat last."

"Well, it's the tenth of August, so next month things will begin to cool down." Frieda helpfully informed.

"Good. I can't stand the sun." He never did like the heat too much, even before he'd been fried like chicken. It was a damn good thing England was cold and rainy, even in summers it never really got above twenty five.

Here, in Unova it was thirty five degrees. Maybe he should head somewhere colder.

"Anyway, what do you want to do with your life?" Leo asked, only to cringe when he noticed how that sounded. Normally he wasn't stupid enough to ask dumb questions like that. This girl was rubbing off on him.

Frieda was taken aback, but recovered quickly. "That's a um... quite personal."

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"No, it's alright." She rubbed her arm. "Well, I guess I want to take over my mother's company, but that's probably a little beyond me. Even if she's taught me a few things about business, I doubt I could do what she does."

Ah, he's heart this one before. Namely, because he was once in her shoes. Still though, he wasn't exactly the kind of person to give out life advice, since he wasn't exactly a prime example of a stable adult. But, looking at her downcast expression, Leo felt the need to say something.

"Look. Kid-"

"I'm no child-" She began, only for him to immediately cut her off.

"You're fifteen, of course you're a kid. It's basic biology." Leo lectured.

"You're only three years older than me!" Frieda complained childishly, rather inaccurately too considering he was pretending to be older than he physically was.

"Anyways." He started, trying to get the conversation back on track. "Sure, you probably couldn't do whatever your mum does right now, but you've got something priceless in your hands. Know what is?"

His question was rhetorical, but the rich girl still scrunched her face slightly in thought. She opened her mouth to answer, but he just told her.

"Youth." Leo revealed. "The truth is, you're young, you have options. If you wanted to be an astronaut right now, you could probably do it. The only thing holding you back is yourself, by saying you can't do this or that; have confidence and you'll do fine."

Frieda burrowed her eyebrows as she asked almost shyly. "You think so?"

"I know it."

His words were vague, but that was all he could really say. When it came to careers, he was hardly an expert himself.

He became a Firefighter because the job fulfilled him, to an extent. The pay was just okay, but he did it anyway because it fulfilled him whenever he did his job. It could be dangerous, like this one time he had to rush into a burning building, but that never dissuaded him. Not truly.

Still though, the work itself was never what clicked for him, just what it led to. This time, in his new life, he wanted to become a Trainer because it incited a spark of passion he wanted to kindle. A spark he'd lacked before.

Leo shook his head lightly. He was lingering again.

"Look, just have some faith in yourself, that's my advice, you can take it or leave it." He concluded. "Changing the topic though, what does your mum's company even do?"

Frieda expression froze, as though she were dreading this question. She scrambled slightly, which only heightened his curiosity. "Well, that- that is a very personal question that I am not currently comfortable with answering right now!"

"Fine." He shrugged uncaringly. If she wanted to be all dramatic about it, he'd rather just drop the topic.

Frieda blinked. "Huh?"

"Look, if you really don't want to tell me, then that's your choice. I don't care." Leo explained dismissively, beginning to walk at a slightly faster pace.

"Wait, aren't you gonna- wait, don't walk so fast!" Frieda complained, even though he wasn't even jogging.

God, she was out of shape.

A slight oversight on his blatant disinterest in her background was that the tiny girl would sometimes look at him funny when she thought he wouldn't notice. It was uncomfortable as hell, and he really hoped she didn't see him as some kind of role model now.

Seriously, his life was in utter pieces.

On the plus side, since Frieda was strapped with cash, she was more than fine with buying him some street food that was far more nutritious than the literal slop they were serving him up in the hospital. Maybe if he was less broke- he didn't have a Pokedollar to his name- he would have felt bad... but just this once he was fine with mooching off her.

Only a little though.

"Thanks for the food." Leo spoke before chomped away at a meat skewer with enough gusto that his female companion visibly got uncomfortable.

"It's quite alright, but... could you eat your food in a more..." Frieda waved her hand as though trying to grasp the right words. "dignified manner, please?"

"No." Leo paused for a moment, he could feel the grease on his lips. "I've been surviving on shitty hospital food for over a week now, and if I'm poor as shit so forget buying the good stuff. Don't ruin this for me."

"Please don't be so crass. It's not very gentlemanly."

"...Frieda?"

"Yes-"

"I'll talk however the fuck I want." He threw in the F-bomb just to really get the message across.

God, it was times like this that he was reminded of why he hated the upper class.

"Also, who the hell says 'gentlemanly'? Is that even a word?"

Frieda ducked her head, looking around the bench they were sat at. "Please don't swear so openly. People are staring."

With exasperation, Leo looked around to see he'd been loud enough to gain the eyes of on-lookers, but weirdly they avoided his gaze and kept walking when he stared straight back. He wasn't that intimidating, was he?

"Whatever, they don't seem very keen on gaining my attention." Leo noted.

"It is most likely your eyes." Frieda mentioned.

"What about them?" He questioned.

She seemed to fidget. "Well, their isn't anything wrong with them, they're just... distinctive."

Leo looked at her weirdly. "What?"

Frieda returned his gesture. "Red isn't exactly a common colour."

"What?" It was the same question, but completely different tone. "My eyes are brown, not red."

The blonde wordlessly pulled up her sleeve, revealing a Xtransceiver. It was a popular piece of technology in this world developed by a company named X-Corp, and they came in a variety of models. Frieda's was the latest, and he couldn't say he wasn't jealous.

She opened the camera and shoved it in his face. "Then what do you call this?"

Leo tried not to flinch when he saw himself, but he still failed. He'd generally been avoiding mirrors since he'd first seen his reflection, and it cut deep to see his younger self. Though the Pokemon Centre had claimed he looked around seventeen or eighteen, he knew this was his sixteen year old self well. He'd just gone along with it, because every extra year he could claim counted for something.

But, looking closer, he could see something was especially wrong. His eyes were the colour of blood.

Frozen in front of the camera, Leo brought a hand up to his eye and, almost experimentally, tugged his bottom eyelid back to get a better look and hope it was just the angle of the camera.

But no. Instead of his normal hazel irises, there laid two crimson pools glaring back at him.

It was a tiny change, but felt so major.

"So, you've lived in Castelia your whole life?" Leo asked as they walked along the beach, dry sand shifting below his cheap shoes, still slightly shaken by the fact his eyes were now daggers that glared back at him. You'd think he would have noticed over the week, but his eyes just weren't something he was focusing on when he last looked.

"It's a wonderful city, and one of the biggest and most populated in the world." She boated with a tinge of pride. "You could even call us the heart of Unova, since most of the region's trade actually takes place right here at the harbour."

She pointed towards a port in the distance, where a ship with plenty of cargo was docking. Sailors could be seen as little white dots as they walked off, and Leo was left partly wondering how safe boats were to travel with, considering the sea was filled with Pokemon that could be territorial or aggressive.

Then again, he survived just fine stuck at sea, so maybe he was wrong.

"Impressive." Leo spoke dryly. "But that doesn't really answer my question."

Frieda's ears tinted red, before she regained her nerve. "I suppose not. For your information, I live in one of my family's apartment near to the Trainer Prep School I attend. It's a bit small for my tastes, but it's still liveable, I suppose."

Leo felt his eyebrow tick. If the girl wasn't so oblivious to how she was rubbing her privilege in his face, he'd probably lose his patience and call her a brat.

"Cool." He grounded out. "But why aren't you going to business school or something if you want to run your mother's company? Why become a Trainer at all?"

Frieda let out a deep, resigned sigh. "I'd love to, but I'm afraid my mother demands that of me. It's tradition in our family for X-Co- the family business to be handed off to a capable Trainer. So, my mother agreed that she'd give me reigns over the company once I prove my worth and earn eight badges."

Leo couldn't stop himself from grimacing. He'd been watching Poketube enough to know that collecting eight badges was a monumental task, and getting all eight took years even for the most talented. Gym Leaders were the best of the best, the elite who blocked the way of all but the most talented Trainers. Out of the literal thousands upon thousands of Trainers who take on the Gym Circuit, just over one hundred have what it takes to even make it to the Conference.

If Frieda didn't have what it took, then that promise could take years to fulfil. Or maybe never.

"I don't have a chance." Frieda lamented, hugging herself lightly.

"Do you at least like battling?" Leo questioned with a chin rub, scratching at his stubble lightly.

"It can be fun, but I definitely don't want to make it my life. A simple hobby is all it will ever be for me." Frieda spoke almost as though she were trying to convince herself.

"That's fair." Leo began, even if being a Pokemon Trainer was the childhood dream of every kid in his old world. "But I don't think you'll be able to get far enough with that mindset. I want to be a Trainer too, and I'm gonna take that exam to get started, but I'm aiming for the top. I don't just want to get to the Conference, I want to beat it. You'll have to think like that if you want to get there."

"I don't know if I can." Frieda mutters.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you. You're rich, so you've got that going for you, but at the end of the day, if you haven't got the talent then that won't matt-"

Leo caught a swarm of white in the corner of his eyes, rapidly swimming under the waters surface, and he froze in place. It should have freaked him out, but instead he just felt his heartbeat skip in recognition.

He walked towards the water, feeling Frieda's words get drowned out in favour of staring into the blue sea, trying to locate that school. He wanted to jump into the water, but every time he got near, that same feeling of suffocation and darkness shot him still.

For a minute, he just stood there, but a white dot caught his vision. It wasn't very big, in fact he nearly missed it, but it slowly drew closer and larger until he realised it was a Pokemon. One he recognised as it poked it's head above the water and poked out a pair of big, black eyes above.

"Tynamo." Leo breathed.

He recognised the critter, he'd used one back when he was a child when Pokemon was still just fictional to him. He was a cute little thing, that much was for sure.

"Leo, what are you doing?" Frieda asked, hand gripping a Pokeball she'd pulled out tightly. So, she did have a Pokemon of her own.

"He's familiar." Leo ignored the question as he stepped into the water, getting his feet slightly wet. He narrowed his eyes with a slight smile. "I think that I remember you and your friends."

Tynamo shrilled with agreement in agreement as he swam closer, nuzzling up to his leg in the water rapidly. In response, Leo chuckled and lightly brushed his hand over the tiny fish's skin. He felt very slippery, and when his hand met the yellow streak which ran across his side he flinched away when he got shocked.

"Shit." Leo toppled onto his ass, shaking his hand in an attempt to get rid of the tingle. Tynamo was still rubbing up to him, clearly recognising him from somewhere. Where that was exactly was pretty obvious.

Now that he thought about it, just before he passed out in the sea, he remembered seeing something white in his vision. It was vague, but he could also remember a light push on his back. That must have been the Tynamo, the only explanation was that they carried him up to the shore!

"Where are your buddies." Leo muttered as he sat back up, only to drag his eye up when he saw dozens of other white blobs rise up out of the water. In a spectacle of unison, the Tynamo school revealed themselves as they poked their heads out of the water. Unlike the guy nuzzling against him, they maintained a respectable distance.

"Tynamo!" They gave out a greeting that sounded vaguely warm.

"So, you're the ones who saved me." It wasn't a question at this point, but simple fact. It would certainly explain their friendliness with him.

"Tynamo, Ty!" The eel at his side hummed with a nod.

"Thank you." Leo spoke with a shaky breath. "I would have surely died if you weren't all there to bring me to safety."

That earned him a few nods, as though to say 'it was no problem' and he couldn't help but momentarily marvel at them. Pokemon were everywhere in the city, but this was the first time he was talking to any that were wild. From the articles he'd read, wild Pokemon could be extremely vicious depending on the species. Were Tynamo just docile?

An awkward silence descends, and Leo looked back at Frieda for her to add something, only for her to stay silent and stare as though what she was seeing was abnormal.

Great, he was on his own.

Considering what to say next, Leo realised that this could be an opportunity for him. In the games, you got a starter Pokemon from Professor Juniper, but there was no way in hell he could hope to get a member of the starter trio. He'd checked. They were ultra-rare Pokemon in this world, and only the top three ranked students in the country had the privilege of getting a starter specially packaged from the Professor herself. He certainly wasn't making that list with a single month to study, so he could forget that. Other Trainers had to get their own starter somehow, whether they buy one from the League or just catch it.

This could be his chance to snag an Eelektross. They were solid Pokemon, he'd know.

"So, you guys seem like a tight-knit group." Leo started, kneeling down to rub the white part of Tynamo's fin. "I read that, individually, Tynamo are weak, but when they come together as a group they can really shine. But, I believe that all of you all have the potential to make Legendaries give."

Rising back up, Leo stared deep into Tynamo's eyes, then stared up and looked into the face of his school. "You all saved me, so I'm not going to try and manipulate you out of respect. I'll be totally blunt. I want to carve my place in this crazy world, where it feels like I'm nothing but an aberrant. I've been beaten, and put through an emotional roller-coaster, but here I am. Maybe it was just luck, but I believe you guys saved me for a reason."

When none of them interrupt, Leo continues.

"I'll cut to the chase, I want to be the very best Trainer to ever walk this planet." Leo couldn't help but grin at the corny words. "But, to do that, I need to assemble a team worthy of the title. More than that, I need a starter who I can depend on. I need someone tenacious and dependable."

He could see the Tynamo were latching onto his words, and he wanted to check on Frieda, but he couldn't break eyes with this group. If he did, he could lose a lot before he even had it.

"I need the best Pokemon around to help me become the best around. I won't lie and say it'll be easy, I'm not fucking delusional. Sometimes we'll even lose, but none of it will be failure, because failure only happens when you give up. Tears and blood will be shed, but none of it will be in vain. By the end of it all, we'll emerge stronger than the legends themselves."

A few of the Tynamo looked conflicted by the end of it, so Leo finished by crossing his arms. "I can't, and more importantly won't, force any of you to come with me. That's not my style. But, I have immense respect for all of you, so I'd kick myself for not asking this... will any of you start rising to the top with me?"

Leo held his arms open in a grand gesture, and for a moment everything was silent. For a brief second, he was almost panicking internally, but that was laid to rest when a strong nudge hit his legs, making him look down.

Tynamo stared into his eyes. Then at his school, which he'd separated from. Then back at him again, with his black, beady eyes lit ablaze.

Sparks began to fly lightly off Tynamo's skin as he rose, levitating instead of swimming as he met Leo face to face with determination clear on his expression.

"Tynamo." He wasn't sure how one word packed so much meaning, but it made him grin back. He'd found his starter.

'Perfect.'

Watching with batted interest, Leo scratched at his stubble whilst he eyed up the school of Tynamo.

As it turned out, the electric eels were far more emotive than he was expecting, enough that a number of the school's members were visibly distraught by one of their own leaving. The Tynamo who'd volunteered to become his Pokemon was current speaking with his peers, and it was an awkward reminder for him that these weren't just animals, despite their appearances. They were crying and mourning that one of their brothers was leaving them behind, and it sparked a dash of guilt in his chest.

Frieda was stood next to him and shrugged. "I'm no expert, but Tynamo are Pokemon that are... unusually close with their school. Their small size and weak combat abilities force them to depend on each other, so they grow to view the other members of their pod like family."

Leo simply nodded, not sure how he was meant to respond to that.

"I'm surprised that one even wanted to leave with you." Frieda remarked. "Sometimes trainers will rip Tynamo from their group by force, which rarely ends well for anyone involved."

"I thought you said they were weak by themselves." Leo tore his eyes away from the emotional wild Pokemon to face his friend with questioning eyes. "So why do trainers want them in the first place?"

Frieda sighed. "I have heard that their final evolution, Eelektross, are known for their viciousness and natural strength. That sort of mixture is quite potent in competitive battling. If you could obtain one, you'd go far."

His eyebrows burrowed, but before he could respond, Tynamo shrilled as he floated towards him with slightly teary eyes. It seems that, though not quite as emotional as his little buddies, the electric fish was still taking it rough.

Tynamo's eyes were steeled though. He had guts, that much was for sure.

"And you're sure that this is okay with you, leaving your friends to join me in battling the best?" Leo asked, gesturing back towards the other white eels. "You might never see them again."

Tynamo merely stared up at him, stubborn determination obvious in his eyes. It was a look he'd only seen a few times before, the stare that those special few had when they were dead set on obtaining their dream. The type of raw passion that you couldn't light up on a whim. The eyes of a fighter.

Leo could only wonder if he'd ever have eyes like that.

"Welcome aboard." Though Tynamo had no hands, he still held out a closed fist him to pump. "I can tell we're gonna be great partners."

Tynamo, having no appendages, tackled his hand with surprising strength. His fist shook with pain, but he grit his teeth and grinned down. Whilst an electric type was a very odd choice for a starter pokemon, it wasn't an unwelcomed, and he could already feel the beginnings of a bond forming.

The two of them stayed on the beach, giving the rest of the Tynamo school one final goodbye before they slipped under the water and began to disappear into the horizon. It was an stuffy moment that made Tynamo nearly choke up, however he refused to let any tears fall.

Just like him, Tynamo wasn't a crier.

After they left, Frieda, who was fine with staying out of the private moment, suddenly approached the two of them and offered Leo a Pokeball to keep his starter in. She was casual about it, insisting it was no big deal, even though a single Pokeball cost two hundred Pokedollars in a store!

Leo nearly refused, not wanting to become indebted to his new friend, but the price of a Pokeball was something he couldn't pay, so he accepted with little reluctance. He grabbed the tiny device and held a button on top, causing it to to enlarge.

Leo pointed the Pokeball at the electric type. Tynamo merely stared in confusion, unsure what he wanted him to do.

"Right, you don't know what this is. You've probably lived in the sea all your life." Leo realised. "This is a Pokeball. It's a device that lets a person store a Pokemon in stasis, Trainers use them to keep any team members they have close."

"Namo." The electric type nodded, seeming to understand what he was talking about now. Leo got into position to throw, only to stop himself at the last second.

"Wait, what am I doing, that would have hurt like hell!" Leo nearly facepalmed. Throwing a solid metal container at his starter with extreme force is just unnecessary pain.

Tynamo sent him a confused glance, but he just brushed it off and leaned over to gently tap him on the head.

Amazingly, the contraption opened up and sucked Tynamo inside. Red light flashed as the Pokeball sealed itself and began to shake.

Tynamo didn't break out.

If you want to support me, then look towards The Magician 565 in the place of patrons. I am a pretty broke student all things considered, so if you want to read additional works of mine then the donations would be much appreciated. I hope to write for you all, and if you could show your support more openly then I'd be happy to crack down!

Additional chapters:

Rising To the Top - 5

Now It's My Turn - 1

An Outlier - 5

The All Mighty Earth - 5

Power Grasping - 3

Dealing With Darkness - 2

God of Destruction - 5

Counterattack - 5

Total - 31