goddess of a remnant; (M) [IC]

[Fuyu]

It's time to get started! Everybody! Time to rock and rolla!

First Stop: Littleroot Town

Welcome! You're about to take your first real step into the world of Pokemon. My name is Professor Birch. I am very pleased to be testing this dual program. I hope you all enjoy this journey and I'll see you at my lab later this morning!

Everyone, please read carefully from this point forward.

Mentors: I'm going to need to speak with you all privately when you arrive at my Littleroot lab before you get your trainer. This is more than a simple teaching job. It's best that you know what you're getting into.

Trainers: Your Pokemon will be waiting in the back yard. If they haven't made it through their check up all right, you will be informed. The aides will keep an eye on you while I finish last minute preparations in the lab. They will give you your Pokedexes and a few Pokeballs. Now after that, please remain in the yard until you are dismissed. Is that understood? Good!

Okay if that wasn't clear... first posts entail you all getting your/ picking up your starter and meeting your mentor. The trainers have no idea about the mentorship and the mentors know very limited information about the Darigans. After that you guys may get acquainted and proceed to... Route 101!

Route 101:

Here you may catch Pokemon, battle trainers, and generally interact. However, being a short route, there aren't that many trainers. Too bad.

Your posts may include you catching your Pokemon but we will decide the level/abilities, which will be posted in the OOC thread.

Pokemon on this route are...

Wurmple- Worm Pokemon
Abilities: Shield Dust/Run Away
Levels: 4-6
Moves: Tackle, String Shot, Poison Sting

Poochyena- Bite Pokemon
Abilities: Quick Feet/Run Away/ Rattled
Levels: 5-7
Moves: Tackle, Howl

Zigzagoon-Tiny Raccoon Pokemon
Abilities: Pickup/Gluttony/Quick Feet
Levels: 4-6
Moves: Tackle, Growl, Tail Whip

Pidgey-Tiny Bird Pokemon
Abilities: Keen Eye/ Tangled Feet/ Big Pecks
Levels: 5-7
Moves: Tackle, Sand Attack

I shall start!

~~

Piku was bored. He was really bored. And when the little mouse got bored, he got anxious. The mouse rolled over onto his backside, smiling in slight relief as the grass stopped tickling his nose. His long ears were itchy now. Dear God he couldn't win. What time was it... eight o'clock in the morning? He needed to get out of here. Stupid Birch. The man didn't know a paw from an ear.

He hated Birch, especially for keeping him from Nai. He had not left his human's side since the kid was five and he himself was a bloody hatchling. If Nai hadn't said it was okay, he wouldn't have been away at all. Nai was not supposed to be lonely and sad. He was supposed to be happy and surrounded by people! But people made fun of his human, used him. He had let it slide before but not anymore. He would fry anyone who messed with his human. He was gonna destroy one of the human's machines. Yeah that was justice.

The Pikachu sighed again and rolled to his paws. Seriously, he needed something to do. He looked around at the other Pokemon. There were all kinds, a statue-looking thing, a couple of weird foxes like Eevee on evil acid. One looked like it was pissing itself though. Must be one terrified little fox. There were more too but that was a bipedal canine with blue fur. Dear Mew, Arceus was so high when it created some of the creatures for Mew to turn into. Sighing, he realized he should go calm down the panicking fox before its heart burst. He moved to all fours and walked over. He could use two but that would look really weird right now. He didn't want to intimidate the creature more by being taller.

He stopped in front of the shaking whatever it was, a Zorua. "Uh hey," he greeted, sounding a mixture of soothing and chill. "You feeling okay little dude?"

~~

Nai was normally very patient. He could wait for hours for the sunrise just because it was pretty. He could wait for Si to stop talking on the phone before asking him to play soccer. He could wait until Piku wanted to take a bath.

But right now... Kat was taking forever!

"Do not bother a girl when she's doing her makeup," Simon told him snidely as he passed the black-haired male sitting outside the white-painted door. Nai pouted at him, his blue backpack bouncing on his shoulders as he whirled to face him.

"Buh-But she'll be mad if Nai doesn't say bye to her!" he whined expertly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes I will," came a muffled voice as a girl in a bathrobe tackled him. Nai jolted but chirped. "I'll miss you."

"Yes you'll miss your errand boy," Simon sneered, glowering playfully. "Now hurry up in there. I need to get my stuff out before I go to Rustboro. I'm finally helping out at Silph Co and I refuse to be late because you choose to be girly just once!"

"We're going together silly boy," she shot back. "So be patient! I have school too!" Nai giggled a bit and went down to the kitchen. He saw Miss Marcia, his stepmother, flipping another pancake as casually as she could a certain stepson of hers.

"Bye Miss Marcia! Say bye-bye to Papa for Nai okay?" he asked, grabbing a bag of carrots off the counter with cheese and some toast.

"Stay safe," she called as he ran out the door with toast in his mouth. He was so excitable.

Nai ran as fast as he could, munching happily on the toast while zipping his extra food in his bag. He wanted to see Piku! Piku must be lonely without him! The lab was really obvious, with the glass roof and all. There was also an aide outside, who smiled nervously. He was interesting. "Good morning Nai," the man greeted.

"Hi hi!" Nai greeted quickly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Can Nai see Piku? Can he Please?"

The man chuckled. He was always so eager. "Only after you get your trainer card."

"Yay!" He followed the aid, who handed him his trainer card, Pokedex, and a few Pokeballs. The boy knew the drill; he had seen it before. Before the man could even tell him anything, Nai had bolted outside. "PIKU!"

The Pikachu turned from whatever he was doing and his ears perked. He looked at the fox. "Sorry kid." He bolted off and tackled. "Nai! Took you long enough!"

[Nideous]

Dusk looked around timidly. He refused to cry. But where was Jen? She had left him here with these strange people who had poked and prodded and stuck him with needles. What had they called it again? Vacinations? Something like that. And now he was trapped in a yard with no where to go. No escape from all these strange pokemon that were looming over him. Like that weird blue dog thing that was standing on two legs. He took a few steps back until his tail brushed the fence and he remembered he had no where to run to. Dusk watched as the Pikachu just came out of nowhere and began to talk to him. Dusk nearly jumped right out of his fur.

"Nuh-no! Where is Jen! I want Jen!" he said anxiously, wanting nothing more than to get out of here. What if she never came back? Before the Pikachu could answer, a boy came running out of the building. The boy gave a shout so suddenly that Dusk nearly wet himself. He crouched lower and put his paws over his head as the Pikachu left.

~~~~~

Jen yawned and checked the clock on the wall. It was nearly time to go. She had been squatting on this property for too long anyways. Who knew when the real owner would be back. Jen would highly prefer it if she wasn't here when they did return. That would be very unfortunate. And Jen really didn't feel likt bashing the real owner over the head with the baseball bat she had found in the upstairs bedroom. She ransacked the house one more time, but only found a really cool bag. Shrugging, she put it on her shoulder. She picked up the bat and considered it. It was a well made piece of wood. But she didn't want to carry it around with her everywhere she went. So, because there was nothing good to take with her, she slammed the bat into the TV, watching as it sparked and fizzled. She walked out the door to the house, making sure to lock it back properly, just as she had found it, and set out for the lab. There was an Aide inside and she walked right up to him.

"Name?" he asked. She frowned. It should be obvious who she was. After all, how many 14 year old girls with white hair in her particular style were there?

"Jennifer Atlantica," she stated calmly. No need to anger this man while Dusk was still here. He rifled through the trainer cards and eventually handed her one, along with a Pokedex and several Pokeballs, Including one marked Dusk. Oh god, those bastards had made him go inside a pokeball! Now she would have to spend weeks trying to calm him down again! She heard a wild cry outside and tutted to herself. She walked out after the boy that was playing with his Pikachu and spotted Dusk, cowering in fear as far from the other pokemon as he could possibly get.

"Dusk. I'm back," Jen said flatly. Upon hearing the sound of her voice, Dusk's ears perked up and he ran towards her. She bent down and scooped him into her arms and found he was shaking even more than she would have expected him to be.

"What's wrong sweety?" she asked as he buried his head into her arm and kept shaking. She frowned at the boy and his Pikachu.

"Tch. You know that yelling frightened my poor Dusk. Think about the impact your actions may have on others before you do something stupid like that again!" she said angrily. Funny that she should talk about thinking about the impact of his actions on other. As for her, she was always thinking about the reactions hers would have on others. And she delighted in it. Why those idiots had approved her to become a trainer, she would never understand.

[Fuyu]

Nai looked up,briefly confused. Piku had been trying to help Nai understand his dreams again. This one had been about shooting stars. Nai was terrible at dream interpretation, particularly his own. But Piku was a genius so he naturally understood! So when the girl had started talking to him, Nai had just stared at her, baffled. Then it clicked and he looked guilty.

"I'm sorry Dusk," he said softly. "Nai just got really excited. Piku is important to Nai and Piku gets-um, what's it called-separation anxiety. So Nai has to be careful, cause he can take it out on people like you. Nai is very sorry."

Piku scowled and said nothing, glaring at the white-haired human. He cursed at her, causing Nai to clamp a hand over the mouse's mouth. "Bad Piku," he said, looking at the other trainer. Granted she didn't seem like a good person but it wasn't polite to be so rude. "And nai is sorry," he told the girl. "But you're being mean. People make mistakes. You don't have to yell."

Piku snorted. "First mistake was letting this albino brat live past infancy."

"Piku..." Simon had corrupted his Pikachu! He was going to yell at him! Yes he would. Heroes were not supposed to be so mean!

[MichaelaTheUchiha]

Miharu whistled. She had just teleported at the front of the lab when she noticed two of the young trainers arguing. She raised an eyebrow. One of them, the boy, seemed kind of innocent. However, there was something about the girl with the white hair that just felt off to her. She smiled. Well, this might be a fun rivalry to look out for. Hopefully, she wouldn't have any of those kids.

As she walked past them, in order to make the white haired girl mad, she ruffled both of their hairs at the same time before walking into the gym.

Bishamon, be sure to tell me their reactions.

Will do, master.

Miharu walked into the back door where Professor Birch was. "Hey man!"

Professor Birch looked up. "Oh, hi Miharu."

Miharu paused. "Wow, you sound totally excited to see me."

Professor Birch let out a huge sigh. "Sorry, it's just that with all the new trainers and the mentors, I'll have to get people paired up..."

Miharu raised an eyebrow. "You still haven't paired people up?"

"No, I have," Professor Birch reassured Miharu. "I'm just second guessing myself."

Miharu nodded. "So, who did I get?"

Professor Birch smiled. "I gave you the most...well, let's say "difficult" one."

Miharu pouted. "Legit?"

Professor Birch nodded, already used to Miharu's verbal ticks. "Legit."

Miharu groaned. "Damn it, Professor!"

Professor Birch chuckled as he shifted through the papers. "Now, I have something to tell you...but we'll have to wait for the other mentors to arrive."

Miharu raised an eyebrow. "I'm the first one here. Huh, that's strange. Need help?"

Professor Birch nodded. He pointed to a stack of papers near the door on a desk. "Those are some trainers pokedex data. I need you to sort them into piles."

Miharu nodded. "What sort of piles?"

"A through Z."

Miharu sighed. "Alrighty then." Miharu started alphabetizing the papers.

((OOC: Uh, what does Professor Birch say anyway? Or do you control his speech?))

[Pirate Hunter]

Some say sleeping is the best part of a day. I say, it's waking up. Not many truly understand my fondness of the moment of waking up, the first chance you get to open your eyes and see the world around you, and to take a moment of your time to remember where you are, and what brought you to this place. For most people, they open there eyes to see themselves in a place they expected to be. Because I am a nomad, a wanderer of sorts, every place I wake up is a different one. In other words, every time I wake up, it is often a surprise, and I take a moment of my time to figure out where I am, perhaps a bit longer than others. And don't even get me started about tying in dreams with this! Imagine waking up from a nightmare and finding yourself in a random pleasant location! That in it of itself would be creepy. But then again, imagine the opposite...

This time, luckily, I had no such contradictions. Like many nights for many people, I had no dream, or at least none I could remember. I remember I was not it in, so maybe that means I probably wasn't in it, or perhaps there was no dream at all. Anyways, back to reality. I open my eyes for the first time to a tingling sensation on my rib cage. I then notice a young boy poking a stick at me.

"Ugh..." I say, confused and bewildered by his behavior, and my location at the present time. The young boy jumped back, surprised it seemed.

"Oh! I thought you were dead!" he says as a smile appears on his face. I look up at him as I see he is missing a front tooth. I drag myself off of what I now understand to be a bench.

"Why would you think that?" I say, looking at the boy with the missing tooth. I too smile a bit. The youth replies, obviously proud, but of what, I do not know.

"My big sis told me about it! He says that a dead body is really filthy, and it smells really bad, and it doesn't move, and you were doing all of that!"

With that, the boy skipped off, humming something. I pondered his last words he said. He looked up and down myself. Was I really that filthy? I did take a bath a few days ago, did I really smell that much? I lifted my arm into the air and took a whiff of m armpit. The repugnant smell went right into my nostrils, and straight into my brain, it seemed, and I fell back on my bench, unconscious.

***A few hours Later***

I wake up once more. It was faster for me to remember where I was this time, although my head feels a little light upon awakening. I am on a bench, just in Littleroot Town. It was a quaint town, small and pleasant. In all my Pokemon adventures to this point, though, I had never been here. I looked around with interest as I observed the climate, and the houses. Pleasant. I looked at the blue sky now as I observed the general aura of this place. It could not be a better day.

Oh, but yes it could. I arrive in front of my destination. A program I had signed up for. I am eager to be in it, helping the youth of today become the masters of tomorrow. I was also eager to meet this Birch fellow. I Never met him before, so this should surely be interesting. I wonder for a second how he would be like as I twist the knob to the lab, and walk in. The lab is filled with assistants and equipment. If I never walked into a lab before, and I only saw one on TV, which is the case, this is exactly how I'd imagine it to look, filled with scientists doing...science and electronic things doing their electronic thing, and of course, the guy in charge, doing his...er...charginess. There, over to the side, I spot who I believe to be Birch. I greet him.

"Professor Birch? I am Erik Aizuh (EYE-zuh), signed up for the mentorship thing! Pleased to meet you!", as I shake his hand. I remember I must smell rather awful, as I could see from his face. I await his reply as I look once more at the lab. I wonder if I am the only mentor. Nah, that couldn't be right. It wouldn't be much of a program with one person, but then, I didn't so obviously see the other mentor standing right next to me, assuming she was just a scientist.

[Nideous]

"Quite a mouth that rat of yours has. Heh, he's got a lot of attitude... Shame I don't train Electric types..." Jen said with a smirk. She had no idea what Piku had said, but from his tone and clear annoyance, it had not been good. She pet Dusk carefully as he shook on her arm. He peeked his head out and glanced around quickly. He was starting to calm down now that Jen was here.

"I-it's ok..." He said, still very distressed, even though he was calming down. Jen looked down at him when he gave a few short whimpers and pet him reassuringly.

"Anyways, Nai, I have not, nor will I ever yell. It's just not good for my image. So back off with your holier-than-thou crap. And get one thing straight, you make mistakes. I don't," Jen said, mildly annoyed by now. But not enough to want to hurt the kid. He had no idea, so she supposed she could cut him some slack. Then some older girl came by and carelessly toussled her hair. She shook her head, bristling with anger. She didn't know who that older girl had been, but she was going to find out.

"You ever touch me again, and I'll murder you!" Jen shouted angrily as the door swung closed. She scowled angrily as she fixed her hair with one hand.

[Fuyu]

Piku growled. "Yeah and I have a criminal record too! Want me to prove it by frying your defective brain? Or maybe I'll roast your heart instead you-" Nai scratched behind his ears and the mouse fell silent. Nai decided to ignore the girl for a second. The fox was still scared.

"Can I pet you Dusk? Can we be friends?" He spoke slowly to the creature, knowing easily startled since he met the Zigzagoon babies in the back of his dad's garage. Those were so nice. Once the Pokemon stopped cowering, they told him stories, gossip they heard. There had been a break in the other day. And supposedly someone had been found stealing data from Silph Co. Really, Zigzagoon were everywhere!

Finally he processed the rest of Jen's words. He ung his head a little, looking sad. He had been just trying to help. What if she had been that way to someone bigger and stronger than Nai? The hand mussing his hair made him smile. He watched a second and frowned. Why did she threaten someone like that! She can't say she doesn't make mistakes cause that's a big one!

So he decided to be polite again. "Um, what does holier-than-thou mean? And Nai makes mistakes yes, but you just made a big one. That person was strong, I could feel it! You need to be careful now, especially since you said that in a place full of cameras." He knew they were there; he had actually snuck past them before. He didn't want to mention what Piku had sensed, some other nearby presence.

[-DeepImpact-]

Jack just finished his third can of his favorite energy drink. He was feeling as active as ever, wanting to jump, wanting to run, which is exactly what he was doing.

"I'MA GONNA GET A POKEMON! A POKEMON! I'M GONNA GO ON AN AD-VEN-TUUUUUUUUUUUREEEEEEE!" He yelled a thte top of voice, running around town. He had now officially informed the whole neighborhood that he was going, and almost everybody inside the safety of their homes breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally, good riddance." was the thought in everybody's minds. But Jack didn't know that, and neither did he care. He was going to go an adventure, with his own Pokemon. And he was no position to care either, he was extremely sugar high.

He ran straight towards Professor Birch's house, and banged into the fence, falling face down onto the ground. "YOOOOOWCHIE!" He yelled, but the pain didn't even have time to set in, as Jack was already up and ready to go. As the energy wore off, he felt a bit more calm as he walked towards the lab. Inside, there was an aide waiting for him, and he asked some generic questions.

"Name?" He said, quite calm.

"Asfifneibfib" Jack replied.

"Um, what?" The man was quite taken aback, he wasn't quite sure how to reply. Was that actually his name? Was the boy talking in some kind of foreign language?

"HAHA! I GOT YOU! YOU GOT SCARED!" Jack stuck his tongue out, and the man gave him a rather angry look. Jack immediately stopped laughing, and said, "Jack Spark, happy?"

"Okay, Mr. 'Jack Spark I'msofunny' here's your trainer card." He handed Jack his trainer card, and his Pokeballs.

"Your Pokemon is in the yard. You know what you requested for, so you'll find him there."

Jack nodded, and pocketed his stuff. He ran out again, yelling "OH MY POKEMON WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The aide sighed. "Hyperactive kid..." He mumbled to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack ran out into the yard, and started to look for his Pokemon. "I asked for a Zorua... he should be somewhere nearby." Jack had requested for a Shiny Zorua, a rarer kind of Zorua that was different from the rest. But it was rare, so he didn't have very high hopes about getting a Shiny one, but a normal one.

That's when he spotted 2 people nearby, one of them was a girl, with a kind of arrogant aura around her, and the other was a boy. Both of them were holding Pokemon, and Jack slowly walked towards them.

"Anyways, Nai, I have not, nor will I ever yell. It's just not good for my image. So back off with your holier-than-thou crap. And get one thing straight, you make mistakes. I don't," The girl said. She had white hair, and she looked really weird.

An older woman walked by them both, ruffling their hair. The girl immediately yelled a threat. "You ever touch me again, and I'll murder you!"

"Wow. SO touchy." Jack thought. He started to feel uneasy, standing quietly, hearing a conversation. He wasn't very keen on listening, more keen on talking.

Then the boy, called Nai, spoke up. He was a polite guy, maybe Jack could be friends with him? "Um, what does holier-than-thou mean? And Nai makes mistakes yes, but you just made a big one. That person was strong, I could feel it! You need to be careful now, especially since you said that in a place full of cameras."

Jack could hold it in no longer, he walked up tot the two of them, and first turned to Nai.

"Hi! Nice to meet you, I'm Jack, I'm going to go on an adventure! You seem like a nice guy, maybe we can be friends? Yes, no doubt about it, we ARE going to be friends!" Jack spoke the words very quickly, is hyperactive nature taking over. He turned to the other girl.

"And wow, miss, you have a big mouth, and a much bigger ego! If you aren't careful in controlling that, people will call you a bi*ch! Whoops, sorry for the curse word, but it's true! You're very rude!" Jack said. That's when he spotted the Zorua with her. Jack had asked for a Zorua, and it seemed as if she had picked him up for herself.

"Um, that is my Zorua, please hand him over to me!" Jack said, and he walked over to her. He started to pull the Zorua away from her, and then he felt a tug on his trousers. He stopped, looking down, he saw another Zorua, this one different from the one in the girl's arms. The tiny Zorua gave him a smile, and Jack immediately realized that his Pokemon was right in front of him.

"ZORUAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He yelled, and picked up the Zorua in his arms, hugging him tightly. "I FINALLY FOUND YOU!" He scratched the Zorua's ears, he was really beautiful. Jack then turned towards the girl, and apologized. "I'm sorry, I thought that was my Pokemon! I hadn't expected that they would actually find a shiny Zorua for me, haha!"

[Diamond1304]

"Dexter! Where are you? Stop dillydallying and get in right this INSTANCE!!"

Rowena yelled at the top pitch her lungs could bring, making small vibrations throughout the hallway of their mansion. The Umbreon sniffed as it stalked out of a room, whimpering at its mistress. Rowena forced a smile as she gently aimed the PokeBall at the dark Eeveelution. In a few seconds, a red beam of energy wrapped around the Umbreon and sucked him into the ball. Waiting elegantly behind her mistress, was a Cinccino with a strong air of prideful confidence. Her nose twitched as she shuffled along behind Rowena and they left the mansion.

Rowena entered the limousine, which was relatively shorter in length compared to those of her more opulent acquaintances in the industry. She sat herself comfortably, opposite Countess Caitlyn and a sleeping snuggled-up Emolga. Disturbed from her sleep by the movement and sounds of people in the limousine, Eleanor made an irritated noise and she sat up groggily. Rowena articulated her directions to her chauffeur, "Littleroot Town. Laboratory of Birch, Tony."

Tony, her chauffeur, curtly nodded in reply and activated the engine. The vehicle started to move out of the actress' residence, and with good skill, merged into the main roads of Hoenn's highways. On the trip, Dexter's PokeBall trembled, as if its occupant was pleading for something. Eleanor gazed at Rowena, both Trainer and Pokemon seemed to be engaged in a telepathic conversation. The actress shook her head, glancing at the capsule.

"Ciiin, cin?" <Should we let him out?>
"Emolga, emmo." <Well he hasn't been behaving well for the whole of this morning...>
"Cinccino! Ciiiiinn." <Let's just give him one more chance to behave.>
"Emol....emolga! Emo emol." <Okay then...if he doesn't, Rowena will punish him and he knows that.>

The brief chatter ensuing between the Scarf and Sky Squirrel Pokemon ended. The Cinccino gracefully reached for the PokeBall with her long extending tails and swept it right next to her seat. She put her paw out and nudged the button, causing the ball to swiftly unlatch and released a cloud of red energy.

"Umm! Breon!" <Finally, I need to stretch!> The Moonlight Pokemon yawned and stretched his body, before shooting a watchful glance at Rowena and the PokeBall. The Cinccino had already passed the capsule back to Rowena, who sighed in boredom. Slowly, a devious smile crept onto Dexter's face, but Eleanor noticed first and glared at him. He pouted but obliged to behave until the journey was over; he sat at the window with a daydreaming stare. Manoeuvring through the traffic, Tony was able to brought the actress and her entourage to Littleroot Town. Rowena pushed the door open, and came out. Her Pokemon hopped out, Dexter being the most eager. Donning her purple-framed heart-shaped shades, Rowena strolled across the path towards the Pokemon Lab. A signpost on the way encouraged her to walk on. Eleanor glided through the air, occasionally doing a back-flip which was given sounds of approval from the Cinccino 'countess'. Dexter padded along ahead of his mistress. He caught sight of a Pidgey busy pecking away at the undergrowth off the path. Instantly, his naughty juices began to flow and he pounded after the little bird. Rowena clucked her tongue when she saw the Umbreon chasing away the bird Pokemon. Ruffled, the Pidgey released an unhappy coo before taking flight into the treetops. Dexter continued to sprint ahead, reaching at the doorstep of the Lab before the rest.

As she arrived, Rowena Yueresbligh caught a glimpse of a pair of children chatting. They were a boy and a girl, the girl appearing to be much more domineering in her aura but not the type that would seized any audience's attention for a good length of time, Rowena thought. She sauntered in a ladylike manner up to the door, producing a hurried series of audible knocks against the door. There seemed to be a few people already inside, Rowena mentally hoped that she wouldn't be too late to create some scene of any kind. She looked around her surroundings, noticing that Dexter had been off to do some pranks as usual. Eleanor flew above her head and glided to where the children were. A boy with an oddly-coloured Zorua had just joined the duo, seeming to have an outburst earlier on. Caitlyn hesitantly paced forward and gave a nudge to the door. Amazingly, it was left unlocked which concluded Rowena's theory. Inside, conversation of a man and a woman was going on. From her interviews with Steven, she was able to recognize the Professor's voice. She took note of her surroundings and found a seat to wait for Professor Birch. Her Cinccino did the same. She quickly leaned to glance out of the window to ensure nothing was harming any of her Pokemon, especially to worry about that Umbreon.

Looks like I'm quite early. Being the only one here. Rowena clucked her tongue thoughtfully and heaved a sigh.

[Nideous]

Jen glared at the little rat in Nai's arms as he extended his hand toward Dusk. She didn't mind him petting Dusk. As long as Dusk was ok with it, which he clearly wasn't. Dusk shut his eyes and tensed up, and Jen shidted him around a little. She gave a short shrug.

"Looks like Dusk isn't comfortable around you yet Nai. That's what you get for scaring him," Jen said calmly, with an air of superiority. She pet him reassuringly and smiled down at him. It wasn't her usual 'I'm going to kill you and have fun while doing it' smile. It was a genuine, sweet smile, and it looked very out of place on her. Ten she snapped to attention.

"Like I care how much security they have here. If they made me a trainer, they clearly aren't going to throw me in jail for insults and threats," Jen said, completely ignoring his question. She was confident they wouldn't throw her in jail. Especially considering some of what she had admitted in the profile. Then some other brat showed up. She completely ignored him... Until he started yanking on Dusk.

"Hey! Let go of Dusk you little freak! Go get your own Zorua!!!" she shouted even louder than Dusk was screaming.Then he let go and picked up his own Zorua. This one was Shiny, but Jen wasn't jealous. Dusk was far more beautiful than the other Zorua. She spent a moment calming Dusk back to his usual twitchy state then turned to the new boy. She raised her fist and punched him right in the face as hard as she could.

"If... You EVER!... Touch Dusk again I WILL make sure you are incapable of grabbing anything ever again! And keep your worthless apology to yourself! I don't care to hear it!" Jen said angrily. She was done with both of these fools. She turned and walked to the other side of the yard and leaned against the fence, hoping they would be smart and leave her alone.

[PsychoJigglypuff]

It was a very important day, so Jackie absolutely had to look the part. Make-up was a must, but not too much. You simply cannot overdo it. The wig was perfectly bushed, so that no hair would be out of place. Long wigs are so tough to maintain, but it really adds to the look. The usual dress was spotless, although he was worried it might be a bit too formal. Still, Jackie wanted to make a good impression on his peers and protégé.

It was a long way from his home in Lilycove, but since he stopped by his home in Rustboro the day before, he didn't have to worry about leaving too early. Still, he was very excited, so he left for Littleroot as soon as he was ready. Thank goodness for the nice weather.

As he neared the town, he wondered about what types of people he would meet. The other mentors were probably very friendly, since they volunteered to work with kids. The uptight, serious types usually avoid children. They supposed to be around his age, so he could probably get along with them. Who knows, perhaps there was even a cute guy there? Jackie giggled to himself.

Of course, what he should really be thinking about are the new trainers. What would they be like? Perhaps he would mentor a spunky kid with attitude, or possibly one who is very sweet and caring. What gender would the trainer be? If he was a boy, he may not be too positive on the cross dressing. If so, Jackie would just teach him to be more open-minded. That's generally a good trait to have anyway. A girl trainer might be easier to get along with, but that mostly depends on the personality.

Before he knew it, he was already there in front of the laboratory. Without hesitation, he strutted forward into the building, too excited to notice the children outdoors.

"Good morning~" he trilled, greeting whoever was inside. There were a couple scientists, and other people that he assumed were mentors like him. There was a lovely looking lady, which made him feel less out of place. There was also a scruffy looking man, and an older teen girl wearing all black. Next to them, was the famous Professor Birch.

"Nice to meet you, Professor. I'm Jackie Belrose." He introduced himself.

"Ah yes, it's you. Nice to meet you, uh, miss?" He seemed slightly confused on how to address him. "Please wait until the other mentors get here, then we will get down to business."

"Alrighty~" He smiled, and went to get himself aquatinted with the others.

[Fuyu]

Nai had smiled at Jack. He was loud... even for Nai! Piku was growling at the new boy. "Nai is called Nai," he told him politely, looking back as Jen stormed off. Huh... she seemed all, um, the word, the word, the big word Simon used, oh! That mean girl was self-centered! Yes that was it! But she seemed to care about Dusk so that was okay. At least, judging by the Pokemon's behavior, he thought she did. Or maybe that was that weird disorder people could get when they were kidnapped. He wasn't quite sure.

"Why is that girl mean?" he asked Piku, who shrugged. "Nai was just trying to help." He had no clue why she thought they woudn't arrest her. Maybe they wouldn't now, but they would later, once they had proof.

"It's what happens when you're selfish."

Nai nodded. It made sense. He sat down in the grass now, seeing that Jack was hit in the face. He decided to leave these two alone. They were rather odd, even by his standards. Looks like heroes have more trouble starting than ending. Piku climbed down and walked around him. Then Nai looked up and smiled innocently at Jen. Would being nice get her to be nice? He hoped she would pretend to be anyway. Piku wasn't very tolerant.

[ohHeyVaporeon.]

"I do look quite smashing, don't I?"

Jayvn Gi took a few more glances in the mirror, much to the annoyance of his Vaporeon, doing the full "Glamorous, baby!" turn and head-nod. He was quite prideful in his looks, you see... He couldn't be seen looking a mess in front of those poor trainers and the other mentors. Much less the Professor! Not that he would tell anyone, but Jayvn had always had a bit more... Respect for Professor Birch than anyone else. There weren't many people in the world that could demand his respect or earn it, except for those that had defeated him before, and even those trainers he still had trouble respecting. Arrogance wasn't too cute in his book, but those who beat him were always full of it. Not that they had much reason to be...

He was just a simple guy.

"Let's go, Vaporeon. I'm sure Glaceon and Jolteon are done fighting by now..."

Vaporeon jumped to Jayvn's side, running quickly in between the trainers legs and grabbing one last slice of watermelon from his plate at his own little miniature table.

"Even if they're not, it's time that we get going."

Jayvn patted his stomach over his green vest, opening and then locking the door to his temporary home. Glaceon and Jolteon were indeed done fighting, actually napping across one another, but awoke as they heard the clicking of Jayvn's dress shoes. Both had pokeballs, as did Vaporeon, but for this particular occasion he would not make any of his pokemon conceal themselves. Besides... Except for Jolteon and Glaceon's tuft over an orange, things had been calm. Eh... Calm-ish.

Jayvn's temporary home was not far from the professor's lab at all, so he was there with relative ease and little walking. In the yard behind the lab he could see that the trainer's were already gathering, including a boy who seemed frightful, a boy that seemed spastic, and... Oh my. A girl that had just punched the spastic one. Nice?

"I hope I get the quiet one..."

Entering the front door, he was able to spot some of the mentors with ease. They all seemed pleasant enough. And one... Was... He... Or was it actually a she... A cross-dresser? Oh Jayvn sure did love those... That would be interesting, for sure! The others were dressed nicely as well, besides the... Scruffy... Yes scruffy, that's what I'll call him... Man that was standing there as well. Even he looked nice, though.

"Morning, professor. I do believe, I have arrived."

Jayvn gave a gentleman's bow, quickly glancing at each mentor.

"Morning, Jayvn. We still have a few on there way, so wait there with the rest, please."

Jayvn nodded, looking to his pokemon, all full of energy.

"Patience, you guys. That's what got us here in the first place. Patience. We're going to be working with kids. So practice that patience."

Jayvn offered a warm smile to his pokemon once more, before looking up to the ceiling of the building in thought. He didn't notice the faces his pokemon were making behind his back. He could sense it, however...

"Not nice..."

[Miss Doronjo]

Professor Birch looked around the lab. He saw that the mentors were eagerly awaiting the news. Professor Birch counted each one, and realized: everyone was accounted for. He put on a smile and clapped his hands, looking for everyone's undivided attention. The room was then quiet, as he then stood at the far end of the lab, getting ready to address the mentors.

"Ah, good, looks like everyone is here!" the professor began, as he put on a smile, but then had a more serious tone. "Everyone, heed closely to what I'm about to tell you."

Professor Birch then turned off all the lights in his lab, and then quickly turned on the nearby projector, as the projector then showed images of creatures. They didn't look all that pleasant. "As you might or not know, the Darigans are a group of half human, half Pokemon, that are in need of one thing...power." Birch then clicked his projector slide, as he then showed another image. It was an image of small buildings; all scattered throughout the Hoenn region. "They also have their laboratories, in order to extract this power. But you might be asking: how do they do it? Through the process of experimentation on both humans, and Pokemon. Afterwords, the energy extracted from humans and Pokemon are put into a solid form of a more concentrated for of energy. Why do they want this power? That is unknown."

He then turned off the projector, and turned on all the lights once again, turning once more to the mentors. "This is the reason why Steven, the current champion, created the mentor program: to protect the young trainers that are beginning to set off in their journey. Also, you guys, if you can, I want you all to investigate the reasons of the Darigans behavior. For what ever their plan is...it can't be good. So, in short, I want you all to investigate these...labs and camps of theirs, and help the captured humans and Pokemon that are captive. Is that okay?"

Then Birch gave another smile. "But I digress," he said. "This is a mentor program! And, I think it's about time you all meet the trainers which you will be mentoring! So! Have fun, and...try not to kill each other, okay? Kaylee? KAYLEE?! KAY--"

"I'm heeeeeeeere!" a girl called out, as she burst in the back door of the lab. She had a black dress and was a brunette. She also had a golden yellow hair band, which her orange shoes matched. "Sorry I'm late! I ran into a bit of trouble while we were away! You see, we were at home, gathering our things, when all of a sudden the dresser came to life and tried to eat us! It wasn’t easy, but Amer and I managed to prevent it from munching on me with its nasty coat hanger teeth! Then, out of nowhere, a Hydreigon came crashing through my window, and Amer and I had to fend it off with squirtguns! You really should have been there!"

"Do you honestly expect me to believe--" Birch started to say, but then stopped since he realized that this conversations wasn't going to go anywhere. He then sighed, and put on a more defeated tone. "...No matter. Kaylee, show the trainers in here, if you please?"

"NO PROBLEMO-KABAMOOOOOO!" Kaylee cheered as she jogged through the lab, and opened the back yard door. There, she saw some of the trainers awaiting with some pokemon. She greeted them all with a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting kids! ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FUUUUUN IN THE SUUUUN? THEN STEP RIGHT IN! YOU'RE ON THE PRICE IS RIGHT! Well, not really, since this is Birch's lab, and he'd kill me if I turned his lab into a live game show, but COME ON IN ANYWAY!"

Meanwhile, Professor birch took out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it, revealing the paper to be some sort of note for him to remember at this time. "Alright guys, listen up for your pairs," Birch explained. "Miharu...was it? You're going to be paired with someone named Jennifer. Erm, she may be a bit...eritable, but just bear with her. She's a hard worker. Okay... Jackie? You're going to be paired with a trainer named Seria Clover. She's a bit shy, but she's nice. Erik? You're going to be paired with Jack Spark, and boy is he energetic! Let me see... Jayvn, you're with someone named Nai. I'd call him weird, but hey, that's my opinion! And um, finally, Rowenda...was it? You're going to be paired with Jeffery Anderson. Okay? Don't get lost now, haha."

[-Nocturnal]

Another day another dollar...


"What time is it?" I croaked, laying under a thick blanket. The alarm beeped non-stop, but it was too dang comfortable and I didn't want to get out. Slamming my hand around in search for the blasted alarm, I found the button and turned it off. Peace, and quiet. What more could you ask for?


But then, it hit me. I had something important to do. My Riolu was waiting. He was at the Professor's place, probably for some sort of checkup, but I wasn’t sure. The Professor's name always managed to make me smile. Birch sounded like a cuss word, or was it just me? As I thought about the name, my eyelids were getting heavy again, and my eyelid muscles were starting to let go, causing my eyes to close. Opening them had never been harder. It was like lifting a hundred KG weight or something. Curse me and my late video gaming...but the urge to see the Riolu again made me fight against Hypno's grasp, and I wriggled around, trying to make me a tad less sleepy.


"Wait what time is it again?" With my method working, I scurried out of my sheets. Then, I reached for the box-like alarm clock and checked the time. 9:02a.m, "Well I'll...just...sleep some more...." Then before I could say anything, I crashed onto the bed and drifted into sleep again. Hypnos had won THAT fight.


"Ugh...asleep again..." I rubbed my eyes, sitting up before I could fall asleep again, and shook my head like a dog shaking water out of its fur. After glancing at the clock, I swear that my eyes were a few times larger. "Holy Cranidos 3:30pm!" Flinging the sheets away, I stormed down the stairs and got into my 'outdoor clothes', then grabbed a random chocolate bar before exiting the house.


Birch's place- There's the name again! Anyway, his place wasn't too far from my house, but with the sun shining right at me from above, the walk seemed to be going on forever. Oh and did I mention that it was summertime? Did Pokemon have an extra layer of anti-sunlight skin? How the heck could they survive with the sun tormenting them from above? My trail of thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of coins clanging against a metal plate, and a beggar could be seen sitting against a wall, staring right at me.


"Change...?" He spoke, shaking the plate to attract my attention. He had a little blue hat, which was awfully old and torn, and his clothes weren't new as well. To be honest, deep inside me, I did want to help him. He did look pitiful and helpless there. But then. It's not like that I'm a millionaire. I needed the cash too. I needed it to survive, I needed it as much as he needed it. Every penny counted to me. And I needed to save every one in order to get that awesome looking iPhone everyone's been talking about. So why waste cash? Ignoring the man, I continued to walk along the street. I was sure I could hear some cursing back there, but I kept going. Self centered all right, now that I think about it. But who cares. One penny won't save his life.


Birch's place was just around the corner, and I picked up the pace. I found him in a room, and he asked me some normal questions. Like 'Name', 'Age', and some other normal and expected details. Getting the trainer card wasn't hard at all. It was almost too easy. After obtaining the card, the Professor pointed the way to the backyard, and told me that my Pokemon had been waiting for me there. I made my way to the backyard, and once there, the place was full of people, girls and boys, with some people holding their Pokemon, and some were actually...arguing with each other? Two people were talking Zoruas, and I could overhear some of their conversations.


"Hey! Let go of Dusk you little freak! Go get your own Zorua!!!" The girl shouted. Apparently the boy had gotten the wrong one. Looking around, there weren't any other Riolus around here so he couldn't possible mess up. Just then, there was a sudden push from behind, and I tumbled onto the floor, face first. Turning around, spitting grass out of my mouth, I saw a familiar Riolu looking at me from above, his eyes full of happiness and impatience at the same time.


"Well...sorry I'm late?" I spoke, rolling my eyes, "Not a big deal is it?"


Getting off my body, he stood there, crossing his arms, and I chucked, scooping him up and giving him a friendly brother-hug, "Well it's been a while since we've last seen each other. How's everything?"


Without warning, the Pokemon in my arms kicked forwards, his Riolu feet slamming onto my stomach and I was launched away from him, my body sliding back by a meter or so.


"Ahh...been practicing your feet power huh?" I chuckled again and shrugged, "Well , good to know! We've got a journey ahead of us.

[Pirate Hunter]

As the good professor began speaking to us initially, I had a smile on my face as I listened to him. But when he turned off the lights in his lab and turned on the projector, that smile vanished. I now had a cold, dead serious expression on my face. I don't think I was ever this serious in my life. I wonder briefly what the real plans of these Darigans are. Why are they experimenting on Pokemon and humans? What do the hope to gain? Why the energy extraction? I honestly wish Birch had more answers. I didn't blame him, no, but going into a conflict without knowing a bit about it more made me uncomfortable.

When Birch turned back on the lights, the whole air of the room seemed to alter. As he brought in the paired Trainers we would be with, I put on a smile once again, a smile for the children. This program wasn't just about finding the Darigans, and stopping them. It was also about helping children on their dream. I looked at the door, and imagine the faces of the youths. They were about to set out on a journey of a lifetime. I'm glad I would be helping one on the path to victory, to glory, or maybe just to fun, to excitement.

I wonder who this Jack Spark was? As I recall, Birch says it is someone with a lot of energy! Energy is good, a lot better than sadness and gloominess, but maybe sometimes too much energy might be bad too! I'll get him to calm down a bit, maybe. I'll teach him about the little things in life. Having energy and excitement is important. But having a calm and cool head in the heat of a Pokemon battle is just as important. I await eagerly for my trainer to come in. I now feel a bit of shame as I realize that perhaps I should have taken a shower beforehand. Oh well, I'm sure it'll all work out...

[ohHeyVaporeon.]

Lights out?

Jayvn snickered to himself as the lights in the lab were turned off, trying not to stumble over his own feet, waiting for his pokemon to offer their own displeasure's of the situation. They didn't however, and with quietness he recalled all of his pokemon except for his favorite mermaid-like friend. After all, he'd surely hate to stumble over one of them, or someone else stumble over them... THAT would surely be a great way to start things off with his fellow mentors. Trip 'em up, beat 'em up... Such a lovely, friendly approach right? Of course, it was just a bit of speculation that any of the others would be moving around like him, or even moving at all... They all seemed to be quite set where they were standing. Comfortable even. Oh, how nice...

FOCUS Jayvn, focus!

After a casual whack from Vaporeon's tail, Jayvn began to actually listen to what Professor Birch was saying to himself and the other mentors. The Darigans... A group of half-human, half-Pokemon crossbreeds that were on the loose. Jayvn had heard a few things about them... Even been in a few towns at the same time as they were, but he had never encountered them. Of course, that was mostly thanks to the help of his Gardevoir and her "Teleport" skills, but it had been close a few times. Too close. Looking at the images of the towns that popped up, steadily listening to Birch, Jayvn realized that he was rooted to his exact spot. He was scared... He wouldn't admit it to just anyone, but in his head... He was screaming out in fear. What had he got himself into?

"This is the reason why Steven, the current champion, created the mentor program: to protect the young trainers that are beginning to set off in their journey. Also, you guys, if you can, I want you all to investigate the reasons of the Darigans behavior. For what ever their plan is...it can't be good. So, in short, I want you all to investigate these...labs and camps of theirs, and help the captured humans and Pokemon that are captive. Is that okay?"

That was why.

As difficult as it was to overcome the fear that was finding it's way through Jayvn's entire body, he had a purpose here. His purpose was to not only protect the new way of young trainers, but to protect those that were already trainers. Including himself. The Darigans were nothing to underestimate... Whether it was one or two, he had heard enough about the strength they possessed to know that they were too dangerous to underestimate. Not just that, but they weren't going to just "back down" to the challenge of one trainer, or two trainers. It would take a group. That's a lot of pressure. As Jayvn looked at the mentors gathered around him now, he noticed what he hadn't noticed before; strength. They were all here for one reason or another, and he was sure that each had their own strength. His own being a mix of brute force and tactics, with just a pinch of using one's surroundings. A decent mix... At times confusing, but overall effective. He could only wonder what the others possessed.

"This is a mentor program! And, I think it's about time you all meet the trainers which you will be mentoring! So! Have fun, and...try not to kill each other, okay? Kaylee? KAYLEE?! KAY--"

Jayvn's eye gave a slight twitch as a bubbly and eccentric girl entered the lab. He had never seen her before, but, whatever it was that she did she sure was a bubbly little thing. Maybe not little... She appeared to be at least the same age as Jayvn. She did just as she was instructed by Professor Birch, after a bit of a comical explanation as for why she was apparently late. He could sense the frustration in the professor's voice, but still he had to let out a laugh. Even Vaporeon gave a small snicker of sorts.

"...Jayvn, you're with someone named Nai. I'd call him weird, but hey, that's my opinion!"

"Err, get-off-it, Vaporeon! Have some watermelon?"

Jayvn could tell that he wasn't the only one excited to greet his trainer, his eyes falling to his chowing down (but anxious) Vaporeon. For someone who was supposedly addicted to the taste of watermelon, he sure did like the way Jayvn's shoelaces tasted. Jayvn reached down and wrapped his arms tightly around the Vaporeon, picking him up and perching him carefully-so across his shoulders as to add to the "presentation" for his trainer. Man, though... Vaporeon sure was starting to get a little fat for all of Jayvn's theatrics.

Jayvn gave a bit of a grin to the professor, watching as the young trainers entered. He didn't see his trainer yet, but he knew based off the words that the professor had used to describe this "Nai" that "Nai" was indeed the trainer that he had wanted. Weird or not... Jayvn had his quirks too, so they'd mesh together.

"Let's see what this Nai is about, Vaporeon... I hope he's as quiet as he looked."

[Fuyu]

Nai was still sitting on the ground, but he was talking again. He was chatting merrily with Piku and a Zigzagoon, one of the babies he had raised from the garage. Zoom was a very nice raccoon, if a little long-winded. Piku found him funny for some reason. Nobody quite got why, especially not Nai. The mouse was climbing up to Nai's head, the boy munching on his breakfast, occassionally giing some to the two Pokemon.

The latest morsel, a carrot, caused Zoom to burp loudly. "Ah see that's a good human right there. Thanks kid. You're so much better than those clean freaks at Oldale. Honestly, dey act like I'm a burglar or somethin'."

"You are a burglar Zoom," Piku told him nonchalantly, scratching at his ear. The raccoon scoffed at him, rolling his beady black eyes.

"All I'm doin' is takin' their fallen Berries! It ain't like I'm pullin 'em off the stems." He growled playfully at the air as Nai giggled obliviously. All around them, kids were heading inside. Nai paid no attention, Zoom off on a new rambling.

"So yest'day I was runnin' m' rounds, going tuh' the flower shop down by Rustboro an' there's this Taillow, see? She is such a yappy little bird, goin' on an' on about how I'm one of the lowest 'mons that was made and Berries should be for the flyin' little monsters. But get this Pik-" Piku twitched at the name. That was not what you called him. "Guess who gets da goods? Tha's right: moi. And that uppoty little featha' head's beat off with a broom. All ya gotta do is turn on the charm, amirite?"

Piku cackles delightedly. He didn't like the Taillow species. They seemed to think that Arceus and Mew declared them the awesome creatures of the world. It was so darn obnoxious. Nai however, looked concerned. "Is the bird okay?"

Zoom chortled. "Kid, it's a Taillow. It's just got a bruised ego."

[Nideous]

(OOC: I is tired of waiting for Deep Impact.)

Jen was leaning against the fence, totally ignoring everyone around her. Some new people had arrived. She laughed a little bit as the Riolu drop kicked some poor guy. It was funny. Anyways, she hoped they would let her leave soon. She wanted to get back out on the road. She had spent too much time here anyways. Dusk had finally calmed down somewhat. She glared at the boy that had tried to steal him right out of her arms. Dusk looked at him and whimpered.

"Shh... It's alright... I won't let anyone hurt you... I won't let anyone take you away..." Jen whispered lovingly to him. This was a side of her that never showed to anyone except for Dusk. Everyone else got her cold, sarcastic, violent nature. Or worse, her more murderous aspect. Then some idiot came out and yelled at them to come inside.

"Ugh! Finally!" Jen said as she turned and walked inside, glaring at the idiot that had hollared at them all. There was no need to be so damn hyper. Between her and Nai and the boy she had popped, she was sure that she would not be able to make it here without killing someone, cameras or no.

"Well, Birch, what now?" she asked defiantly as she walked back into the lab.

[ohHeyVaporeon.]

Whack.

"I don't need you to tell me, Vaporeon... I know he hasn't came in yet."

Jayvn watched as each of the trainers seemed to anxiously trot in, but he noticed that the "quiet one" he assumed was his trainee was not to be seen. The boy had been playing with his Pikachu in the yard, and Jayvn thought he might of spotted him talking to a Zigzagoon. He wasn't sure. Professor Birch surely wouldn't mind if Jayvn went and retrieved his trainer, would he? I mean, it wasn't all that big of a deal... Right? Jayvn was going to have to get the boy in here some how. Might as well go ahead and get after him in advance. Not that Jayvn enjoyed having to go after the boy... He feared it might make him look a bit pushy. That was the last thing he needed, especially if this boy was a so-called quiet one... Jayvn would surely scare him off then.

"Professor Birch, excuse me for a moment..."

The square-bodied professor gave Jayvn a quick nod, and Jayvn stepped out of the door the trainers had just came in, and past the peppy girl.

"Hey there, kid! Nai is it?"

Jayvn gave a quick bow to the boy, spotting him almost instantly. As he bowed, Vaporeon leaped from his shoulders, spinning like a whirlpool in air before landing on his hind legs close to Nai and giving him a small wink. As Jayvn assumed his upright position, he pulled two intricately designed pokeballs from his vest pocket. Jayvn's eye took on a glint of cheer, and he threw the Fast Ball and Quick Ball high into the air, the pokeballs hitting on another and bouncing off wildly. Just as they hit, the two pokemon erupted out in a flash, Jolteon from the Fast Ball and Glaceon from the Quick Ball. They landed tactfully beside Vaporeon, assuming their own positions and watching the boy named Nai closely.

"Nai, I would like for you to meet my Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Glaceon."

Jayvn grinned.

"Oh! And my name is Jayvn... Jayvn Gi. I know it's a bit late to say now, but I am going to be your mentor. It is my truest pleasure to meet you."

Jayvn kneeled, picking up the pokeballs and returning them to the pocket beside Vaporeon's Net Ball. As he did, it was then that his eyes fell on the Pikachu and the Zigzagoon. As much as he was tempted to reach a hand out to both, and to "pet" them, he did not. If either one were anything like his Jolteon had been early on with strangers, they would not react well. Instead he offered them a smile as well, climbing up from his knees and walking the short walk back over to his pokemon. He hoped that he hadn't scared the poor boy, or the other pokemon, but only time would tell.

"What do you say we go back inside with the others? Professor Birch would probably prefer it that way, since he's about to send us all out "into the world" together."

[Fuyu]

Piku burst into a frenzied set of yelping and snarling, looking agitated as he ran to Nai's lap. He had smelled the human but had not expected that. Piku did not like surprises. He hated them in truth. Zoom seemed unconcerned though, turning to raise a paw of farewell to his friends. "Catch ya on the flipside mates, amirite?"

Nai for a moment seemed oblivious to Jayvn's presence, despite the male having just been right in his face a second ago. He lifted an arm and waved cheerily. "Bye-bye Zoom! See you later!" Then he turned to see the Pokemon watching them. Piku kept hissing angrily and Nai smiled up at Jayvn. "Hello. Yes this is Nai. You are my mentor? Why do we need those? THen again, Nai is pretty helpless." He giggled obliviously.

Nai then looked again at the Pokemon. "Can Nai talk to your friends? They seem very nice." Without waiting for an answer, he walked up to them. "Hello, Nai is Nai. Will you let me be your friend?" Piku huffed and looked away. Nai was his. Stupid other people... he hated being jealous. Then he looked at the Jolteon. He wondered if it knew Double Kick. Oh wait the human had said something else.

Piku nudged his human and Nai looked up again. "Yeah let's go inside!" He went to run in but paused, looking confused. "Did Nai do something wrong Mr. Jayvn? You seem all nervous..." He looked suddenly guilty. "Did Nai scare you like he scared the fox? He's sorry, he didn't mean to. Nai doesn't bite..."

[ohHeyVaporeon.]

"Hello. Yes this is Nai. You are my mentor? Why do we need those? Then again, Nai is pretty helpless."

"To be honest with you, I don't really have all the answers right now about why you guys need us." Jayvn smiled. "Let's not worry with that right now, though. I'm here, and you're here... We're obviously here for a reason. I'm sure that we are in really good hands with Professor Birch. He wouldn't let us astray, I am positive about that. I've known him for a fairly long time... He's a good man. Very caring. Of course, I'm rambling now, but I digress... You're in good hands."

"Can Nai talk to your friends? They seem very nice."

"Hello, Nai is Nai. Will you let me be your friend?"

Jayvn was about to reply, when he saw Nai was already getting acquainted. He smiled. Whether Nai knew it or not, or whether or not any of the others knew it, Nai reminded him a lot of some of his siblings back home. With almost too many to remember, Jayvn had done quite a bit of parenting. Wiped a lot of wet eyes, hugged a lot of distraught babies, and rocked a lot of restless hellions to their "sleepy time". Nai wasn't necessarily "little", but he was a good reminder of what was back home. Maybe this pairing was going to be more beneficial for both, and not just Nai.

"Yeah let's go inside!"

"Did Nai do something wrong Mr. Jayvn? You seem all nervous..."

"Did Nai scare you like he scared the fox? He's sorry, he didn't mean to. Nai doesn't bite..."

Jayvn watched as the young boys excitement turned to fear, a frown reaching across his own face. "No, no Nai... You didn't do anything wrong. I'm not nervous either, goofy. I'm just ready to see what Professor Birch has in store for you. For us." Jayvn then looked back to his pokemon, to Nai's seemingly resentful Pikachu, and then back to the door to the lab. "I'll lead the way, not that you need me to... Everyone else is already in there. Waiting on us, I'm sure. Let's not piss off that feisty one if we don't have to, okay Nai? Not that I'm yelling at you already... She just seems to already be quite a handful. I'd rather not have any problems with that one. Or her mentor..."

Jayvn offered yet another flashy smile, turning with his pokemon and heading back into the lab. He smiled as he passed Kaylee, then smiled to Professor Birch as he reentered, not bothering to call his pokemon back into their pokeballs just yet. They were harmless, anyways... The only real danger with any of them being that they all liked food. A lot. Not just pokefood, either... Jolteon had a special liking for french fries, and Glaceon for Ice Cream. Ironic, right? Hardly.

"I'm back professor, and I found my dearest Nai."

Jayvn winked to Nai.

"We're ready when you are. Or at least, I assume we are... Nai?"

[-DeepImpact-]

As soon as the Zorua climbed into Jack's arms, the girl with the other Zorua got mad at him for pulling her Zorua, and immediately punched him in the face. Jack stumbled backwards, e was able to maintain his balance and not fall, but he was quite dazed and surprised by this. This was the first time he had been punched, and he couldn't hit a girl, it would look bad to the Professor and his Mentor.

"If... You EVER!... Touch Dusk again I WILL make sure you are incapable of grabbing anything ever again! And keep your worthless apology to yourself! I don't care to hear it!"

"Ugh, you stupid girl... I don't even care about your stupid Dusk! All he can do is pee himself anyways!" Jack yelled, as the girl walked away. His own Zorua had fallen from his arms, and was sitting down on the ground, looking at him with a confused look, his head slightly tilted. Jack rubbed his face, trying to soothe the pain, and when his Zorua saw he was in pain, he immediately turned around and started to growl at the girl.

"Leave it, Kytes. She's not worth it." Jack said, not with his full energy he usually had. He had just named his Zorua Kytes, and felt quite proud about the nickname, no matter how stupid it sounded. It was his Pokemon after all, and he wouldn't give a damn about other's opinions anyways. He picked Kytes up in his arms, and walked around a bit, waiting for his Mentor to finally meet him. He petted Kytes, and each time he saw the stupid girl who had punched him, he gave her a glare.

Finally, get got sick of waiting for the Mentor's to come out, so he just decided to enter to lab. He started running towards it, and opened the doors, yelling, "Hello Mentors! Jack Spark here, ready to receive your-" Suddenly, the most disgusting smell he had ever smelled entered his nostrils, and at the top of his voice, in a high pitched tone he yelled, "HOLY MOTHER OF ARCEUS WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SMELL?!"

Jack immediately ran out of the lab, with a face that would make people think he was about to puke (which he probably was). He lay down on the ground, panting hard, taking in deep breaths of clean, fresh, air. Of course, he was probably overreacting, but Jack was one who always overreacted.

[Fuyu]

Nai nodded a bit, smiling some more. "Nai doesn't know if it really matters, he already made her upset by accident." The boy sighed. "She's not really nice." Piku sniffed at the mentor, glowering. What the heck was wrong with that guy? He growled a bit until Nai gently pet his head. He relaxed instantly as Nai got up and followed the human. He growled a little at Jack as he yelled. Nai had jumped a little before following.

"You don't have to worry," his human said to Jayvn. "You aren't yelling. That boy is yelling." He smiled absurdly again and followed the boy. Piku scoffed. A mentor program? Hah! He was all Nai needed. Who needed a lot of humans around? They just left anyways. Pfft.

At the elder's comment, Nai smiled. 'Yes sir, Mr. Birch," he reported with a salute. "We are ready to go!" He stepped back as Jack went running past him, mumbling to Piku's ears only. "Am I doing okay Piku?"

"Yes you are," Piku replied gently. "She's proud of you. You know she is."Nai just beamed at him and scratched one of his ears, waiting for the professor.

[Pirate Hunter]

I saw the doors open, and a young boy came out, who quickly introduced himself as Jack Spark. All of a sudden, he cut himself off as he appeared to take a whiff of the air around, shouted loudly, and retreated back to the freshness of the outside.

A lot of energy indeed. I notice one of the Pokemon appear to growl at me as well. It appears I really let myself go this time around, I'll be sure to get a shower before we actually get started on this thing...and if not, I'll get one sometime down the road. It'll all work out, the world always works out. I tend not to let myself get troubled by all these little things. They'll pass.

But now I was concerned for my mentee's well-being. He did seem to be bothered by the smell and awful lot, perhaps a bit too much. I wondered for a second. Was he one of those extra-clean, no-nonsense guys? If so, I guess I'll just have to make a mental note to let him relax a bit. I secretly hope he's not one of those guys, though. I was really looking forward in teaching a new mind about the ways of peaceful zen, about the beauty of a breath of air, the smell of sunflowers, the warmth of the sun, the little things. You always, always, have to enjoy the little things. I intend, as the kid's mentor, to teach him that. And maybe, who knows? The kid might teach me a thing or two as well. I exchange a look with Birch as I apologetically excuse myself to the outside where Jack was.

I walk out to the kid who seems to be hunched over on the ground, panting hard. I pat him once on the back, and spoke.

"Hey there, Jack. Are you alright? You seemed to be awfully startled in there. I don't know if you know, but I'm your mentor. The name's Erik! Erik Aikuh. That's pronounced EYE-kuh. I hope we'll get along." I say, giving him a faint smile, and another pat on the shoulder.

I offer him a hand up. The hand that would unite use for a brief second, and then, the boy's Pokemon journey would soon begin.