OOC: Here goes a super-long post... Yay for starter Pokemon! :D Oh, and Pika_Master414, this post can be considered to take place just before yours, in case this is a bit confusing.
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In a flash of light, the Pokeball split open. A bright white burst of energy emerged and travelled down to the floor, seeming to explode with a miraculous sensation of excitement for Amelia. Ever so slowly, it cleared away, and the first Pokemon Amelia would befriend appeared.
The little thing was curled up tightly, and at first she thought it was not a Pokemon, but a peculiar yellow ball. Then she noticed its breathing, and saw tufts of white fur sticking out on its sides. Its whole back was a curled, round orb of bricklike golden-brown patterns in this position, and she could barely see a pair of triangular ears poking out from under what she guessed was its head.
"Oh, Sandshrew!" Elm said to the Pokemon in an encouraging tone, "It's okay. This is Amelia, your new trainer!"
"A... Sandshrew?" Amelia asked quizically. This wasn't exactly what she'd expected. She had been hoping for something neat and noticable, like a sparky little Shinx or a flaming Ponyta. But Sandshrew was just... well, plain. Ordinary. Nothing special. The look of disdain on her face was quite obvious for a few seconds. Then, the tiny creature nervously uncoiled itself.
Amelia turned her head down to her new Pokemon, and the first look it gave her melted her heart. Those eyes, big and black, stared up at her with hope and worry. Ears held slightly back, tail curled arounds its back paws... It almost looked scared of her. Please accept me, its eyes begged helplessly. Please. All I want is a loving trainer...
That was all it took. She scooped up the Sandshrew in her arms and gave it a tight hug. As if acknowledging her acceptance, it let her do this and made a small sound that was remotely similar to a purr. The white fur on its underbelly was so soft... as it it had never before been touched by anything...
"Haha," Oak laughed, "It looks like you two are already friends. That's good. We could tell based on what we'd heard about you that Sandshrew would be your perfect starter out of the bunch! You'll see that he's really quite friendly, and he's also quite a good battler as well. Just a bit shy at first; that's all."
So it's a he, eh? Amelia thought to herself, looking at the Sandshrew again, who was contently resting in her arms with a sleepy look.
"I suppose we'll have to give you these, now, Amelia," Professor Elm said, handing her five shrunken Pokeballs and a handheld device. Amelia set down Sandshrew and accepted the items, clipping the Pokeballs to her special belt (her mom got it for her saying it was specifically for this purpose). Upon seeing her confused expression while looking at the device, Elm's eyes widened. "So I see you're not familiar with the Pokedex! It's something most trainers use. Whenever you meet a Pokemon, it automatically records data on it to let you keep track of how many you've seen. It also comes with plenty of extra features, but you can figure them out for yourself later."
"Well, I'm assuming you know the basics of what to do, right?" Oak asked. "After all, you know about raising Pokemon if I'm correct, with your grandparants running the Day Care and Breeding Center back in Solaceon?" Amelia nodded, shoving the Pokedex into her right pocket. Besides, even if she did have trouble, she'd manage to find out what to do on her own with experience.
"Alright, then," Elm said conclusively, "Take care on your journey. And good luck with Sandshrew, too!"
"Should I put him back in his Pokeball now?" Amelia asked.
Elm shrugged. "You can if you want to. You don't have to, though."
Amelia picked her Pokemon up again, and with that, she stepped out of he room, Sandshrew in one arm and his Pokeball in the opposite hand.