A/N: Here we go into chapter two, and hopefully into longer chapters! X'D Gonna try to put a bit more fluff in so that it's not just going from point A to point B directly (and have enough interactions between characters, too). Anyway, let's get on with it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's nor Pokémon. Both go to their respective owners. I only claim my OCs. And prepare the soap for Ren's potty mouth.

Chapter 2:

(?'s POV)

"Hey, get back here!" the Tepig called behind me. A pair of humans had spotted me while I was poking around and decided to try to catch me. Ha! As if. Like I'm gonna join a new Trainer.

"You sure ain't showing it much," I called back, sticking my forked tongue out at her and the Oshawott.

"That's it!" the Oshawott shouted, grabbing the scallop on his stomach. He threw it at me which I nimbly dodged.

"Wow, so impressive. Missed your mark by a mile," I teased.

"Grrr...when I get to ya, you won't be looking so smug anymore!"

"Uh, dude. Maybe you should calm down," the Tepig said to the Oshawott.

"I am calm!"

I gave a yawn while the two bickered. This is so boring. Maybe it's about time to end this. The sound of an engine caught my attention. A bus stopped nearby with some humans coming out. One caught my eye. The human looked quite a bit older than the two Trainers that spotted me and sent their Pokémon after me, and they also had some gnarly scars on one side of their face. Hmm...I've got an idea. "Well, there's my Trainer. See ya, suckers!"

"Hey!" the Tepig and Oshawott yelled. I ignored them, making a run for the group of humans, specifically the one I spotted.

(Ren's POV)

"You have an idea where the assistant is?" Yusei asked me.

"Pretty sure. She was wanting to catch up with a traveling buddy that became a new Gym Leader. The Gym should be-" I couldn't finish as a commotion started up. A few people were yelling out as a green blur shot through the crowd. The small form skidded to a stop in front of us, revealing a Snivy. "The hell..?"

The Snivy looked behind, smirked, and rushed at me and started climbing up to my shoulders. "Whoa whoa hey!" I yelped. The Pokémon ignored me, curling around my neck like a scarf.

An Oshawott and Tepig came skidding up, both looking like they've been running a marathon. "Hey, Tidal!" "Nikita, did you find the Snivy?" came a pair of voices. Two guys walked up, the Pokémon's Trainers from what it sounded like.

"Ah crud, the Snivy isn't wild," one boy sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, didn't hurt to check," the other replied. The Trainers recalled their Pokémon.

"Uh, what?" I said, being utterly confused.

"Sorry, we thought the Snivy was a wild one. We didn't mean to chase it. Come on, Hugh. Let's get back to the school." The two headed off.

"...wait, what the shit just happened?!" I yelled.

"Looks like you just got a new Pokémon," Yusei replied.

"But I can't have another starter! I already got one years ago in this region. Isn't that against some sort of rule?"

"Oh..."

"Snivy," the Snivy purred. The Grass-type seemed pretty pleased with themselves.

"You, hush. You probably just got me into a crap load of trouble." I poked the Snivy's nose. That got a forked tongue stuck out at me.

"Let's hurry up and find this person you're looking for. If she works with the Professor of this region, she can clear things up."

I sighed heavily. "Okay..."

(One Hour Later, Aspertia Gym)

"Hello? Bianca? Is something wrong?" Professor Junpier said on the Xtransceiver. Yusei and I (and the Snivy which I found was a boy) made it to the Aspertia Gym which doubled as the nearby school. I asked Bianca if the Snivy she brought as part of the starters for the new Trainers got loose only to find out that no and the Snivy was still there. She even let them out to prove it.

"Well, um, sort of. Ren got to Aspertia like scheduled, but there's a little dilemma," Bianca replied, scratching her cheek.

"Oh? What would that be?"

"Seems like the new Trainers had found a wild Snivy and chased it to him, and now he can't seem to get it to leave."

"A wild Snivy? That's quite rare. Is Ren still there?"

"Right here," I spoke up. "And he's not letting me go. At all."

"Hmm...well, normally it would be an issue as a starter tends to be the Pokémon that each Professor gives out to Trainers in each region when they reach there. Unless they get permission to bring their current teams in. I would say that since this Snivy is wild, there shouldn't be a clash with the League. He'll register as a caught Pokémon."

"I dunno...Blue was my first, so maybe..." I couldn't finish my trail of thought as a sharp pain came from my ear. I let out a yell, turning to glare a bit at the Snivy who leaned back with his own. "Seriously, what is your problem?!"

"Sni Sni! Vy!" the Snivy retorted.

"Well, sounds like he's made his decision. Don't forget to get a Poké ball to make sure it's registered that he is yours," Professor Juniper said.

"Great. Always wanted to have a Pokémon that wants to take bits of me." I walked away from view of the Xtransceiver and to where I set my bag down. I opened it and started to dig around for one of the Poké balls I got from shopping in Castelia City.

"Great! Be sure to call me if anything else comes up. I look forward to hearing about your journey!" I heard the click as Bianca hung up the call.

"Man, what a mess," I mumbled, pulling a ball out. I tapped the button on the Snivy's nose as he disappeared in a flash of red light. The ball jiggled in my hand a bit before a ding came, indicating the catch was successful.

"At least you got it cleared up," Yusei pointed out.

"Only at the cost of worrying if I'm going to need to get earrings to cover up the bite marks this guy leaves."

"Oh, right! Before you go, Ren. There's been a few changes to the Gyms," Bianca piped up.

"Like what? Don't I need to get to Striaton and work from there?" I asked.

"Not anymore. The Striaton Gym changed to just being a restaurant and the Nacrene and Icirrus Gym Leaders both retired."

"So where do I start? Castelia? Nimbasa?"

"Actually, you start here," Cheren said, coming in and setting down the books in his arms. "I registered as being the first Gym Leader since opening the Gym here. And since you're a rather experienced Trainer, I'll be testing your skills a bit more than the average Trainer."

"What type will your Gym focus on?"

"Normal-type."

"Normal-type? Isn't that a bit rough for a first Gym, considering the Normal-types of Unova and also that there's not a lot of Fighting-types around here?"

"No more so than how Striaton went with the type strongest to your starting Pokémon."

"Touché."

Yusei and I left after that. "So, where to next?" he asked once we were out.

"Well, I think I better just wander around and get a few other Pokémon before I even think about challenging Cheren. He was a pretty skilled Trainer a few years back, so he's nothing to sneeze at. Though, being the first Gym, he won't have overly strong Pokémon," I answered. "And I want to check on something at the ranch by Flocessy."

"Okay. Lead away, then."

(Flashback, Nuvema Town)

"Ellis, I don't think this is a good idea. I'm not ready to try out for the Pokémon League!" I panicked as we neared the Professor's lab.

"You don't have to take on the Gyms, Ren," Ellis replied. "You can go around and have fun with this trip. Just because I'm taking the League on doesn't mean you have to."

"But...doesn't getting a Pokémon from the region's Professor mean you have to go on a League Challenge?"

"Not always. It's mainly finding out what you want to do and making friends with the Pokémon you have. The League is optional."

"Oh..."

"Seriously, though. Is something eating you?"

"Well...it's just...I don't even know what I want to do as far as anything. I keep feeling pressured that every person that does a journey is expected to challenge the Gyms. All the other students made fun of me for not being interested in battles, so..."

I felt Ellis pat my shoulder. "Hey now, don't listen to them. They don't get to decide who you are. I might have made a name for myself back in Kalos and want to test my skills here, but that's my choice. Nobody else's. I can help guide you here, but you get to decide what you want to do. I'll support you each step of the way."

I gave a small smile. "Thanks, Els..."

"That's what I'm here for. Now, come on. Let's see what the Professor has got for ya." He opened the door.

"Oh! Welcome, you two!" the Professor greeted.

(Present Day)

The Poké ball wiggled a few times before a click came, the button no longer flashing. I gave a breath of relief. "Oh thank Arceus," I sighed. "I didn't think that would work."

"Wouldn't it be easier to have used Emerald to weaken the Purrloin?" Yusei questioned as I went and picked up the Poké ball.

"Well, I didn't want to scare 'em. Plus, Emerald has been a bit rough with some of his battles."

"Sni Snivy!' Emerald hissed.

"Yeah, say that to the Patrat you sent flying before we left. Pretty sure you lowered his and the Trainer's lifespans by a few years."

Emerald huffed. I had decided to name the Snivy Emerald, kind of reminiscent of my very first Pokémon Blue. Not exactly the most unique name in the world, but a bit more interesting than calling him Green. The PokéDex dinged, indicating the notes for Purrloin had been documented. I picked up the Poké ball, letting the Dark-type out.

"Mreow?" the Purrloin meowed. He tilted his head up at me.

"Uh, sorry about that. Do you mind the name Jason?" I said awkwardly. I heard Emerald snicker in the background.

The Purrloin didn't reply. Instead, he walked up and jumped onto my shoulder, curling his tail around. "Guess that answers it...maybe?"

"Sni sni sni!" Emerald exclaimed, running up to me.

"Hey, I'll let you hitch a ride on my shoulder when you stop trying to pierce my ears." Emerald huffed, crossing his arms and turning around. "I could have sworn that Grass-types were supposed to be easy to train."

"Pretty sure you're mixing up your types," Yusei retorted, walking up. "Or maybe he's being stubborn for a different reason."

"Like what? I tried to give him the option to go back to the wild since I doubt I'm going to be the Trainer he's wanting me to be, but he jumped back into the Poké ball. Not even sure what he's wanting from me."

"It might be something you'll find out training with him. Anyway, I think I see Flocessy in the distance. We better get there before it gets too dark."

I sighed, recalling Jason and Emerald into their Poké balls. "Yeah, I'd like not to get jumped and stabbed to death in the middle of the night."

"Charming thought."

As we headed through the forest, I pulled out the PokéDex that Bianca handed me in exchange for my old one. She mentioned that due to Team Plasma's influence, a lot of non-native Unova Pokémon started appearing in the wild. More than likely because of the whole 'release your Pokémon for their happiness' Tauros crap they fed many people back then. Maybe even because of the ones they deemed too weak to be used for their real plans and threw out to fend for themselves. Calm down, Ren. They didn't succeed, right? The more you get worked up about this, the more likely you'll... My thoughts were cut off when Yusei put out his arm, causing me to run into it.

"Ow! The hell, man?" I grunted, rubbing where I bumped into him.

"I heard something," he replied in a low voice.

That got me nervous. Since that incident in Castelia, I could barely sleep during the boat ride. If it wasn't for Cross and Ciel popping out to check on me, I probably would have stayed up the whole time and not slept at all. According to Cross, Ciel wasn't happy that I wasn't resting after the run around. Even threatened to Headbutt me until I passed out.

The bushes rustled, causing the both of us to tense. My heart jumped to my throat, and I knew I couldn't rely on Cross should it be someone associated with Team Plasma or even a common thug. I already noticed Yusei was reaching for one of the two Poké balls on his waist, about to let out Argen or maybe the second Pokémon he had. Then the figure came out. "Ren? Is that you?" the person, Alder, asked.

(Yusei's POV)

"Al...Alder?" Ren stammered. I looked at Ren. Well, he did say he was in Unova a few years ago, so he must have run into the previous Champion once or twice. I lowered my arm and relaxed.

"Wow, it's good to see you, kid! Well, can't call you that now, huh? Gotten big while you were gone," Alder greeted with a light chuckle at the end.

"What are you doing here? Why aren't you at the Pokémon League?" There was a slight tone shift in Ren's voice, like he wasn't as happy to see Alder as the other was.

"Ah right, you probably didn't hear. I stepped down after what had happened. After an impromptu tournament, Iris has taken the reigns as the new Champion of Unova. So that's been giving me enough time to help aid new Trainers."

"I...see. Well, nice running into you, but Yusei and I still need to check in at the Pokémon Center before dark." Ren started heading down the road That's odd. Ren's acting a bit more distant with Alder than he did with Bianca or Cheren. He didn't seem entirely friendly with the two, but he wasn't acting like he wanted to immediately leave.

"Wait, Ren. Before you go, I hadn't gotten a chance to say this back then, but I'm so sorry for what happened with Ellis and-" Alder didn't get a chance to finish as Ren took off in a run.

"Ren, hey!" I called, but I doubt he heard me. I pulled out Argen's Poké ball and let him out.

"Ray!" Argen roared.

"Argen, go catch up with Ren and keep him safe. I'll catch up in a minute." He nodded, chasing after him.

Alder let out a sigh. "Guess I should have listened to Juniper after all," he said.

"What do you mean by being sorry for what happened to this Ellis?" I asked. "That's his brother, right?"

"Yes, err, 'was' is more accurate. During the attack on the Pokémon League by Team Plasma over two years ago, Ellis was killed along with most of his Pokémon. Ren and a few others were able to be rescued from the collapse. It looked like a war zone when I got there with the Elite Four and the police. The Plasma members we could get any info from talked about a battle of dragons with their king and the other hero. I'm not sure what happened, but it was no ordinary Pokémon battle."

Hearing that shocked me. So that explains why Ren was so dodgy about his brother. He lost him in such a traumatic way that the mention of him causes distress. "Excuse me, I better catch up with him."

"Oh, of course. Take care, both of you."

I gave a nod and headed where Ren had ran.

(Ren's POV)

I panted, leaning against the wall of the nearest building. I had barely noticed that I had run to Flocessy and focused more on getting enough distance. I just...I couldn't handle it. I could barely say his name, much less hear it. Running into Alder didn't exactly make things any better.

At first, I did feel a lot of anger at him after the whole incident. I mean, if he hadn't lost, Ellis wouldn't have had to put himself at risk, right? Over time, and talking with therapists, I got over a lot of it, but I still couldn't face him. Ellis had talked about testing his skills against him after bumping into him outside Nimbasa. At least he's not the Trainer I'll have to fight in the end, I thought Not sure if I can get through a fight with him without a breakdown or running. Guess I'm going to keep being a coward, huh?

"Lux?"

"Gah!" I yelped as I was face to face with Argen. I gave a sigh of relief before getting stern. "Dammit, don't sneak up like that! You wanna give me a heart attack?"

"Lux Luxray."

"Yeah, thought so." I let out a breath. "I...better head back, huh? Probably worried Yusei to all hell, and I was the one who asked him to come with me."

"Lux Lux."

(Yusei's POV)

Argen came trotting back up once I reached the Center, Ren following close behind. "Hey," I greeted.

"Hey," Ren replied.

"You okay?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was?"

I shrugged. "Probably not, but I won't force you to say otherwise. Let's get checked into a room."

"Okay."

I figured Ren wouldn't be wanting to talk out in the open where anyone passing by could overhear. I recalled Argen, and we headed into the Pokémon Center. We quickly got checked in and headed into our room. Once we got settled in, I figured it was time to approach the subject.

"Alder told me what happened years ago," I stated.

"...oh, he did, huh," Ren replied after a pause. He had been unpacking his bag and had his back to me.

"Yeah, or at least what he had seen." I paused. "You don't have to tell me what went down if you're not comfortable with it. Based on your reaction to even hearing your brother's name, I can't imagine what you had seen."

Ren turned to be, shocked. "Never had someone not ask about all the details before."

"Well, I don't have to know what happened. It's up to you if you want to tell me or not. I'm okay with just summing it up with your brother passing during the event. Just know I'm here if you want to talk about anything."

"I, um...thanks."

"No problem. Now, let's get to sleep if we want to get to the ranch as soon as possible tomorrow."

"Right."

A/N: Well, that was longer, right? I think I might follow the example of one Pokémon comic series I followed which is YTWC's Nuzlocke and Black comics (the latter having had the Nuzlocke label dropped by the artist) and only include the more important captures. I might make a mention of some later on, but for the most part I'll focus on the ones I used in the Team Plasma battles and some others. Also, the little scene with Ren getting his starter was also inspired by Yamashita-akaDoragon's comic YTWC's Black.

Anyway, next chapter will introduce the old team Ren had in Unova as well, along with maybe a bit more information on the Team Plasma incident. I will say that how that ended will go more from the manga version of the games than the actual game. Also! The Tepig named Nikita was actually based on the Tepig I had in my first ever playthrough of Black 2. I'd have to boot up my Omega Ruby copy to see more details, but I thought it'd be interesting to have the Trainers nicknaming their Pokémon. (And I guess it's also a call back to the trailer of Black 2/White 2 where the male player character is shown having an Emboar as well as a Lucario and Arcanine while Hugh has a Samurott). Well, I'll see you in the next chapter! Also, any guesses on Yusei's second Pokémon? I'd like to hear theories if anyone has one, and I'm always open for suggestions.