[Pokémon] Menrionas

Rated T
Genres: Action, attempted Mystery, perhaps a touch of Drama, possibly Romance, includes both Canon-Based Characters and Original Trainers all played out in a School setting (with justification - not AU).

Welcome and thank you for selecting Menrionas for your daily dose of fanfiction today. The first thing I'd like to complain about is the title. I was really stuck choosing the title so just went with the type that sounds odd and interesting to start with but is boring once you know what it means.
Or at least once you think you know what it means.
Oops! Spoiler! Ignore that.
Basically I haven't written fanfiction in...a long time and writing is a hobby I'd like to take further, so I really should practice. I should state now that I am terrible at writing short stories, so chances are this is going to go on for a while unless I forget to feed it. This story follows game canon mostly but might borrow elements, intentional or otherwise, from other Pokemon media.

Summary: It has been seven years since Leaf last saw her brother, the legendary Champion of Kanto Red. With his name tied to hers, she finds herself constantly living in his shadow. After the Education Reform of 20xx, she can no longer surpass him on a Journey but is instead locked to school! But Menrionas Academy has more than just awards in its history... And the world outside refuses to stop. Leaf soon finds herself entangled in a web of mystery that stretches from the depths of Time and Space and into her own past.

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"You must be getting rusty!" the masked man laughed, the stream of flame shooting harmlessly over his shoulder. The Magnezone beneath his feet soared further away from the cliff face. Red gritted his teeth, urging his Charizard to give chase. The Magnezone kept its distance, blasting off Thunderbolts like a cannon. Charizard returned fire with Flamethrower, the distance keeping both attacks from striking true.

A cold wind was swirling through the air. Suppressing a shiver, Red glanced down at the crags below. If either of them fell, it was certain death.

"Fire a Twister, aim for the trainer." He whispered into his Pokémon's ear. Growling in acknowledgement, he let loose a blast of spiralling wind trained on the enemy.

"Halt." Psi ordered his Magnezone. Without hesitation it stopped dead in its tracks to face the attack. He spread his arms in welcome. The Twister hit them with full force, tearing at the man's clothes. But he didn't even flinch. "Anyone else feel a light breeze?" he asked with a faceless grin.

Red's eyes narrowed. That's not right...

"Get closer. Let's tear him off ourselves." With a roar of approval, Charizard surged forward with a stretch of the wings. Red could feel the dragon-like Pokémon's excitement flowing into him and had to admit he felt the same. It had been a long time since his blood had truly boiled with fighting energy so. But his blood was boiling with something else too, which was also being transferred to the Flame Pokémon. Rage.

Charizard tucked in his wings to avoid another incoming flashing yellow streak. Red blinked out the stars in his eyes, subconsciously ordering a Smokescreen. Black smog billowed out of Charizard's mouth as he began to dive. Now as Psi looked down, all he could see was a dark cloud shielding his opponent.

"I expected something more original from you, Red!" The champion heard the masked man yell. Charizard had extended his wings, maintaining height just below the smoke, waiting. Above, the man's mask lit up as a thin beam of lighting shot up from the Magnet Area Pokémon's antennae. The beam pierced a cloud like a needle, turning it black like a poison. "Let it pour."

Suddenly the orange dragon burst through his own cloud, rising rapidly towards his foe's position. Red tightened his grip on Charizard's shoulders, the wind threatening to pry him off. The instant he had appeared, Magnezone's three magnets aimed downwards. Charizard nimbly strafed and twirled between the heated blasts of voltage, focus unshakeable.

In a matter of seconds they were face to face.

"You're open!" Red roared in triumph, a grin slashed across his face. Charizard's claw ripped forward towards the enemy trainer, intent to rend him in two. There was nowhere to escape to.

Or so he thought.

Laughing almost maniacally, Psi leapt backwards off his Magnezone, plummeting to the vicious depths below.

"Discharge!" The Magnezone blasted a field of electricity, striking both Red and his Pokémon point-blank.

For but a moment, Red could contain the pain. He could feel the electricity ravage him, rampaging through his bones, stabbing spikes into his muscles.

The moment passed.

"Red!" Leaf shouted out desperately, hearing her brother's tortured scream. She instinctively tried to reach for him. The pain in her shoulder and leg flared in protest to the sudden movement. Slumping back against the boulder, a tear took shape in her eye. "I'm so useless...I can't...I can't help him."[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
It started to rain.

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Author's Notes


~~~~~~~

The S.S Elpis was bobbing ever so slightly as she waited impatiently in Vermillion Harbour. Huge and imposing, the Elpis was hardly forgiving to those with Butterfree in their stomachs. She was certainly a beautiful ship, comparable to the world famous S.S Anne, with her glinting white hull spotless from religious scrubbing from state of the art machinery and a lone, prideful, black funnel. Adorning both sides of the Elpis was both her name and a large symbol: two golden, mirroring half rings enclosing a black circle with the initials MA within.

Menrionas Academy.

Leaf was transfixed by the emblem, her Butterfree mutating into a rampaging Tauros. Thirteen years old, average height and weight, long brown hair, to Leaf, she was completely alien to the grand ship that commanded attention. Unsure what to wear, she stuck with her simple duo of a sleeveless blue shirt and red skirt. She tugged the brim of what she considered her signature white hat nervously, pulling it further over her face. A familiar hand placed itself soothingly on her shoulder;

"Don't worry so much, everything will be fine." Her mother smiled, slightly teary-eyed, "My baby is growing up." Leaf tried to smile back, though the Tauros was having none of it. "The crowd is certainly smaller than I'd expect." She added, trying to change the subject. There were certainly a lot of people, yet not the huge masses one would expect at a send-off to one of the most prestigious schools on this side of the planet. "That entry exam must have really been something."

"It's better this way." Leaf muttered. She hated crowds; the fewer the merrier. The air was filled with timorous chatter as they waited to say their last goodbyes. The girl watched as another student ascended the stairs to the ship. Two of them in fact: a boy and a girl. With the human blockade in front of them, she couldn't see who they were waving to. That'll be me soon. "Do I really have to go Mum?"

"Now Leaf..." she replied slowly, "This is an opportunity many people would give their right arm for and-"

"If they did that, they'd be kicked out because they couldn't keep up with the work."

"Enough of the cheek, thank you." Her mother snapped dryly, "Listen, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. Chances like this don't come often so-"

"You're repeating yourself."

"So you should make the most of it, just like..." She suddenly trailed off, "We're almost there."

"We have plenty of time. Finish your speech." Leaf said with more than a flash of annoyance. "Just like my brother and his friends? Just like Red and Blue and...and Yellow right?" People were beginning to turn round as a young girl's voice rose spectacularly. Picking this up, Leaf decided to devolve to simmering silently. The mother exhaled heavily,

"You are not them and they aren't you. Life isn't a competition y'know."

"Because I wouldn't stand a chance, right?"

"You don't make this easy, do you?"

"Well Brendan? We're finally on our way!" The girl grinned to the boy, "I'm so excited!" Her shoulder-length, brown hair was parted at the back to each side in a rather unique style with a red bandanna with a white Pokéball print. Following the colour scheme was her red t-shirt with a high collar and black shorts, along with a pair of red running shoes that were all the rage. She leant over the railing to wave her gloved hand one last time at the man, her father, still waiting for the boat to leave.

"Yeah, great. From travelling to school. Really, really great. Can't wait." grimaced the boy, Brendan. He was fairly tall for his age with short black hair and golden-brown eyes. He sported a black and red long-sleeved shirt and long black trousers which turned yellow near the bottom. "Hey, May, do you know where the food is?"

"Already hungry? Jeez, that didn't take long." May smirked as she left the railing. "Come on, I know the way!" She punched a fist into the air, heading decidedly in one direction.

"Hey, care to keep a low profile? I don't want people to notice me..." he winced, "And what do you mean you 'know the way'? You've never been on this boat before!"

"People will find out about you eventually, second-placer. No doubt you'll manage to get into a battle somewhere along the way. And I've been on boats before." She called back over her shoulder. Brendan raised his eyebrows at the last remark,

"That one ferry to Johto was nothing like a boat." He said irritably, not approving the 'second-placer' comment.

"Wasn't talking about that. The boats between Slateport and Lilycove, ha!"

"Those are ferries as well! How can you not tell the difference!?" But apparently she was already out of earshot, marching right past the sign pointing to the cafeteria. Resigning himself to his fate, he followed after her, wondering when he'd ever get something to eat. "How can someone so smart be so...?"

Professor Birch smiled contently to himself as his daughter left his sight, hidden by the bulk of the ship. A man nearing forty now still in light green shorts and a navy blue vest with a short yet thick beard along his jaw, one would hardly believe him to be a famous and accomplished Pokémon researcher, head of the Hoenn Pokémon Research Branch. Stepping aside to allow the next family to approach, he found himself gazing wistfully out to sea. A specialist in Pokémon Habitats and Distribution, the seas between regions held an allure of mystery about them and at the present moment he longed for nothing more than to get on that boat and head into the great blue.

He probably could have arranged to join his daughter and protégé on board, but he decided that it would be best to let them thrive on their own. Obviously meaning that May had talked him down till he agreed to let her go alone. Still, he had managed to convince her to let him join them to visit Brendan's native region, Johto, before they left for Menrionas. He shuddered at the thought of taking the Magnet Train again.

"I think I'll take the ferry to Olivine instead..." he grumbled to himself. Just then a clear ringing noise began emanating from his pocket. He dug out his Pok[FONT=&quot]éNav: a compact, orange, vaguely disk-shaped device that could double as a handheld video phone. Activating it by pressing the large blue button in its centre, the square top half slip up to reveal a small screen flashing a name. "Oh?" he muttered in surprise, pressing the blue button again, "Now why would you of all people be contacting me?"[/FONT]

I guess it's time. Leaf thought numbly as the stairs to the deck faced her. Her mother was nattering away about looking after herself, not mixing with the wrong crowd, being sure to brush her teeth every day, eat well...the exact same stuff she had told Leaf about a dozen times before even arriving in Vermillion. Meanwhile, her daughter's Tauros had turned into a Gyarados: she was really starting to feel sick. Her mother smiled as she saw this, deciding to spare her one last lecture. She could be cheeky and over-competitive, but Leaf was a responsible young girl who really wanted to achieve.

"Just give me one last hug and be sure to come back for the holidays." She beamed, wrapping her arms around the nervous girl, "You're gonna do brilliant, I just know it." Leaf hugged her back, mumbling something. "If only your father could see you now. He'd be just as proud of you as I am." She felt the girl's arms tighten around her. "Now off you go." They broke apart.

"Love you Mum." She said, taking the stairs. Her suitcase had already been brought aboard, so she only had her yellow hip bag with her. The journey would last a day and a half and she knew absolutely no-one on board.

"Love you sweetheart! Good luck!" Leaf waved over her shoulder, smiling weakly in reply. Her mother sighed deeply as her daughter stepped onto the deck. Moving out of the way for the next family, she looked for a place to wait – eyeing a miraculously empty bench.

She sat for a while, watching the queue thin as more children ascended the boat, saying their teary yet joyful goodbyes. After watching a pair of girls break away from their respective families to head up together, she noticed someone approaching her.

"Um...ah, Mrs. Yamaguchi?" Professor Birch asked. She looked up in surprise, but he didn't look like a news flunky.

"Yes, that's me."

"Ah...ah yes, good." He said, sitting down next to her. He seemed anxious. "I need to talk to you about..."

The deck was thankfully not greatly crowded; the congregation in the harbour was mostly family it seemed. There certainly were plenty of people but she still had enough breathing space. Unsure what to do with herself, Leaf chose to merely wander the deck. They would soon be in uniform, something Leaf had never had to do in her previous school, so this would be the first chance in a while to get a real idea of her new peers. You could figure out a lot about a kid from his wardrobe. Was she popular? A rebel? A wannabe? Was she a loner? Studious? An outcast?

She felt incredibly conscious of how lame she must look, wandering around alone. The girl considered checking out the food, determined to find it an inadequate replacement for her mother's, but kept thinking the horn will blow for departure if she did anything. Smiling to herself as a rather loud girl passed her as she metaphorically dragged a boy with her, Leaf decided to just go and sit down.

The horn sounded.

Naturally... She smirked to herself, taking pleasure in successfully predicting the world's attempt to annoy her. Joining the rush to port side, waving her hands frantically at the crowd, she managed to single out her mother, returning her blown kisses. Her mother was standing next to a strange man also waving into the crowd with a goofy grin on his face.

The boat pulled away, the families shrinking with each rise and fall of the deck. Her own journey had begun. The sun felt fantastic on her face. The waves sounded safe and reassuring.

Everything will be fine.

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Menrionas Academy Fact:

Menrionas Academy is located on an island (named Menrionas, hence the name) between Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and the Sevii Islands, the first regions to join the United Regions. The island resides in an area of the sea previously unclaimed, not in any of its surrounding region's waters.

The very first congresses between Kanto and Sevii were held there to discuss union, later joined by Kanto's neighbour, Johto, and Hoenn. Thus the seas around Menrionas Island were proclaimed to be the territory of the United Regions, rather than any single region.

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Author's Notes:

I just finished the prologue...and I have to say...I loved it!:)It was well writtten, creative, intrigueing, and having me crave for more! *Now starts chapter 1*

Leaf had to say she was certainly impressed when she entered the cafeteria. The floor was carpeted in an expensive looking crimson, giving the room a high society feel that made her feel out of place. A silver buffet table probably as long as her house dominated the room from the centre from which emanated the mix-mash smell of dozens of different dishes that managed to meld together perfectly to create a truly enticing aroma. Bronze chairs with red cushions, matching the carpet, surrounded approximately fifty dark wooden chairs. A door on the far side of the room stood ajar, allowing a glimpse of white and a wisp of smoke: the kitchen. Long rectangular windows gleaming translucent lined the walls.

"A bit...overboard." she said weakly. This is...for kids? Clearly she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Despite almost two hundred chairs, only a dozen of her peers had dared to even sit down. Most everyone else simply floated around awkwardly, perhaps plucking one of the titbits from the buffet table if they felt particularly bold. She spotted an amused adult sitting at the table closest to the kitchen watching the new students mill around.

"You can tell exactly what he's thinking." A voice snickered behind her. She almost jumped out of her skin, cracking her neck as she looked behind her. Two pretty girls had just stepped through the door, one smirking at the adult while the other scanned the room. The smirking girl caught her eye and smiled brightly. Leaf flushed a little but smiled back all the same. She was the shorter of the two, but still slightly taller than Leaf. Her golden hair was tied into a high ponytail that extended far down her back, almost tickling her waist. She wore a red top with the logo of a TV show splashed across her chest and jeans.

"Come on, let's get a window seat." The other girl said, taking her friend by the hand and leading the way. In complete contrast to her friend, her hair was dark as charcoal and tied into a short side-tail over her left ear. She was already dressed in her school uniform, a short sleeved buttoned shirt with, interestingly, a Pokéball hanging around her neck like a necklace and a plain black skirt. Watching as they moved on in their search for a seat, she found herself envying the pair. She knew she would feel better if she had a friend with her.

Feeling slightly put-out, Leaf abandoned the cafeteria, not quite sure why she came in the first place.

"Seriously, just admit you don't know where it is. I know the way. Let's just get this over with." Brendan and his stomach growled. Right now he was imagining two things. One: Sitting down to a double-decker cheeseburger in Goldenrod City and Two: Pushing May off the boat.

"Puh-lease, second-placer. When have I ever been wrong or lost?" she said without looking as she turned into yet another corridor.

"Why the hell is this boat so big anyway?" he grumbled to himself before responding, "I lost count somewhere after thirty. When have you ever admitted you were wrong or lost? Now there's a question without an answer." May simply ignored him, pushing open a large pair of double doors.

"I think I can smell the food down these stairs." She grinned.

"The stench of failure." The boy said, covering his eyes with his palm.

"ATTENTION, ATTENTION." A speaker blared from somewhere. All over the boat, the message was being broadcasted to the passengers from hidden speakers. "CAN ALL STUDENTS PLEASE REPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY ON THE DECK. THANK YOU."

"Such a shame, I was really looking forward to lunch down there." He said sarcastically, pulling May up from her descent. As she opened her mouth, he cut her off, "Let me lead this time."

A slightly longer than it should've been trip later and the pair emerged from the belly of the Elpis. The other children were being shepherded into a line, an odd looking machine being manned by two older students, about seventeen years old, at the front. "I wonder why they're so few adults about." Brendan thought aloud, dragging his companion onto the end of the line.

"Menrionas Academy is famous for its responsible students. They strive to create a system where the students can learn and develop in a society crafted from their own hands. This allows them to see the faults of society and how to correct them, for the betterment of the world." She recited, adding cheekily, "In theory of course."

"Sounds like they're just lazy to me."

"They say that there's a student town on the Menrionas grounds that runs after school hours. The Seniors run their own stores and businesses, with select supervision of course, that are open to all other students and residents." The girl was almost giggling, "Talk about extracurricular!"

"Residents? Are there like towns and stuff there?" he queried. He had assumed the whole island was dedicated to the Academy.

"Err, duh? Although the island is mostly covered in a forest, there are at least three established towns there."

"Well, uh," Brendan spluttered, trying to figure something intelligent to say, "The whole student society thing, won't that actually detract from their ability to meld with the rest of the world?"

"Go on." She prompted, already knowing her response.

"Eyah, well...Would it not be like...overspecialising? Or something?" Brendan's cheek twitched as she mockingly sighed with pity,

"Don't hurt yourself, dear. I know what you mean. And according to them, the answer is no. The key thing is the build up of confidence, organisational skills and responsibility, all of which carry over into being a 'productive member of society' as the government put it." May pouted, "I think 'Head Field Researcher of the Hoenn Branch of Pokémon Research' is pretty productive! Why did he make me go to school?"

"Be quiet loudmouth!" he hissed back, quickly switching to an overly cheery smile to the kid in front looking back curiously, "I thought you were looking forward to this?" She just shrugged.

"Um, hi." Leaf said clumsily as she finally reached the front of the queue.

"Heya." An older boy grinned, "Please step over here please." He was almost double her size in height with hair gleaming of gel, spiking up his hair in every conceivable direction and plastering his fringe across the left side of his face.

"Sure." Once their turn rolled around, the new student was taken out of earshot of the rest and presented to the machine. It was a large silvery thing, bigger than her (a feeling she was getting used to), with a wide blank screen and several horizontal slits running underneath it. A girl was waiting there, dark in both skin and hair, who also smiled pleasantly at her.

"Hey, I'm Hannah and that's Sally." She smirked at the boy.

"Oh haha, would be brilliant if anyone else but you and I knew what you were on about." He retorted with a touch of bitterness. Hannah kept herself from slipping into a fit of giggles,

"He's Jacob. Don't let his style fool you; he's a bigger geek than the entire Devon Corp. Dev team."

"Yes, yes, mock all you want. Soon! Oh yes very soon the day will be over and I will be free of the evil b-" He glanced over at Leaf, "-witch." Leaf wasn't quite sure what to make of them so settled for bemused smiling. "A-Anyway, could I ask you to take of your hat?"

"Saucy."

"Shut. Up."

Removing her hat, she followed the rest of his instructions: stand very still in front of the screen and to stare dead ahead. A thin beam of light scrolled down the screen then up again, analysing her face. They explained to her that it was to make sure she was registered and on-file as having applied for and passed the entry exam to Menrionas Academy. The machine beeped an affirmative, drooling a slip of paper from one of the slits. They were a fun pair, Hannah and Jacob. Mostly Hannah would poke fun at his explanations and he would react comically over the top. It was kind of obvious he was putting it on, but still funny nonetheless.

"Well let's have a look-see." Hannah said swiping the paper from the machine's lips. It was a list of her details including, more interestingly, her exam result. To pass you needed at least seventy percent. Leaf had pulled through comfortably at seventy-nine.

"Aaand your Student Card." Added Jacob, retrieving a thin piece of plastic. He flipped it over for a look and suddenly his face froze. Leaf tensed up. How could I have forgotten? He switched his gaze to her, astonished. "Yamaguchi? Your last name is Yamaguchi?"

"What?" his partner exclaimed, breaking the rules by checking Leaf's details, "No way, you're that Leaf? I knew I'd heard that name somewhere!"

"Yeah, they tend to hang around trees. Well Leaf, you can..." Jacob quickly interjected, picking up on the young girl's anxiety and keen to fix his mistake.

"Do you know where he is? Think you could introduce me? Can I at least get an autograph?" Hannah asked enthusiastically, unintentionally grabbing Leaf's shoulders.

"I think she wants to be on her way now." He said hastily, gently pulling her out of the Senior's reach.

"Oh, yeah, sure, 'course." Hannah stuttered, stepping away sheepishly, "Sorry."

"Now your cabin number is listed on your card," Jacob was speaking fairly hurriedly now, "Just swipe it through and you're good to go. That card will only be effective on this boat for the trip though. You should go check out your cabin first and then you're free to roam around till dinner. There'll be an announcement when dinner's ready so no worries. Now off you go...before fangirl wets herself."

Nodding silently, she almost snatched back her hat and walked as quickly as she could away. Not quickly enough to miss hearing them;

"Way to go there. You totally freaked her out. Moron."

"I can't believe it... The sister of the legendary Champion!"

The sea breeze ruffled her hair as it passed on its carefree journey. Leaf had delayed visiting her cabin to brood alone on the other side of the boat. She wasn't freaked out like Jacob had said, just rather depressed. The part of the ship was almost completely empty; everyone else was checking out their assigned cabin mates. They would be sharing rooms together at Menrionas unless they requested otherwise, so she should really have been down there making friends or enemies. But at the moment she didn't really care. I'm sure everyone will want to be my friend once they find out who I am. She thought sourly, leaning on the railing.

It had been the same back in Pallet Town. Red was the youngest trainer in history to claim the title of Champion of the Pokémon League at age eleven. Once that happened, Leaf was promoted to a celebrity among the younger generation in Pallet Town. She was about six years old at the time and enjoyed it at first. But it soon wore off once she grew up and realised that she wasn't liked for being her, just for being her brother's sister. The brother who had the nerve to vanish for seven years. Her fists clenched in anger as she thought about it. He was a modern day legend, shrouded in mystery. The ultimate goal of every aspiring trainer. A symbol of the golden age before the reform. Which he helped bring about. Not that anyone remembers anything bad about the 'legendary Champion'.

Pushing herself off the rail, she glared out to sea, renewing her vow to herself. Brother, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, I won't let you define me. Not you, not Blue, not even that jerk Yellow. Soon, I won't be your sister. You'll be my brother.

"So mysterious!" A voice giggled. It was the blonde girl from before, leaning against the wall with a knowing smile on her face. Leaf's heart jumped as she noticed the stranger.
"Who are you?" she shot, feeling incredibly lame and embarrassed. The girl grinned again, cocking her head to the left,

"It certainly suits you, knowing who you are." She said, ignoring the question. The stranger walked past her, leaning her back against the railing as she drunk in Leaf's image.

"Who are you?" Leaf repeated steadily.

"Me? My name is Helena Kiseki. Weird combination, I know. I'm one of your roommates."


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Pokémon Journeys and the Education Reform 2024:

Throughout modern history, education had always played second fiddle to Pokémon – the core of the world's culture. Before the age of ten, children either attended the local school or were home tutored by their parents. However, at the age of ten they were legally able to set out on a Pokémon Journey. A Pokémon Journey involved travelling their native region, and possibly other regions, with at least one Pokémon. Many Pokémon Journeys would go on all the way into and through adult life. A Pokémon Trainer is a profitable career recognised by almost all governments and so Journeys were approved as such. Having been on a Pokémon Journey was also an excellent qualification, measured by the amount of badges of ribbons received, for almost any job for the experience with Pokémon.

The Education Reform 2024 had its seed planted six years before the present day. It first began with a campaign to increase the age limit of Pokémon Journeys from ten to thirteen and was spearheaded by Professor Pine, who had completed his journey a year before. The grounds for his argument were that the world was far too dangerous for children of the tender age of ten to be allowed to roam free. It has been recorded that he said that thirteen wasn't much better and that he planned to increase it further if his initial proposal was accepted. At first, he was naturally scorned; the Journey system had been working for years and few saw the need to change it. However, a lot changed when the Rocket Files were declassified, along with a list of victims. He also produced a disturbing amount of evidence on the dangers of wild Pokémon, composing an extensive list of children injured by both wild and tame Pokémon. The government took his proposal under consideration but felt that because the Rocket incident was seemingly isolated, it might be an unnecessary precaution.

This later became a shakier argument as there were later two more Rocket incidents in quick succession: one small one in the Sevii Islands region which was quickly put down but then a much larger and more dangerous rising in the Johto region two years later. Much mystery surrounded both occasions but the fact remains that many were harmed.

Less than a year later, a mysterious event involving the ex-criminal organisation Team Galactic (now Galactic Corporation) occurred in Sinnoh, a recent addition to the United Regions. So far, information concerning the event are still heavily classified.

A year after the Johto Rocket incident, Hoenn was subjected to a war of eco-terrorists that almost destroyed the entire world's eco-system. The details of this incident, like in Sinnoh, remain classified to this day, but it is commonly believed by conspiracy theorists that the two opposing terrorist organisations, Teams Aqua and Magma, used highly advanced machines plundered from the government to throw the eco-system in their favour which then malfunctioned. Not only was this potentially disastrous, several young trainers were involved trying to solve a problem best left to adults. While they were admittedly successful, they chose not to inform authorities and try to tackle the problem alone, believing themselves capable with Pokémon. This, Pine argued, could very easily have resulted tragically for not only the children but the entire world. They were simply too young and naive.



This, along with plenty of ulterior evidence, led the initial proposal to increase the age limit to evolve. Pokémon Journeys were proclaimed illegal until the age of eighteen and education was made compulsory. That was two years from present day and it has become accepted throughout the United Regions, happily by parents but begrudgingly from the younger generation – especially those who were interrupted from their own Journey.

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Author's Notes: