[Pokémon] Alabaster Daze: Unova Chronicle [10+]

Chapter 1: Every journey has a boring start, right?

To say that the Unova region was exotic compared to others in the world would be an understatement. Ava knew this through personal experience: she had only been here for roughly ten hours, but compared to her home region of Johto, it was certainly unique. It had rolling hills, trees dotting its surface so close to even the most industrialized areas, and of course, the Pokemon.

She reached down and gently stroked the head of the brown-furred, short bear-like thing beside her, flashing it a quick grin. "Hey, Ted. You excited? This is gonna be real big fun."

"Ursa! Teddi teddi ursa!" Ted cried excitedly.

Ava nodded slowly, then looked back to the scenery in front of her. She was on top of a rather large hill, looking down onto the smallest town of the region. She was able to see the entire thing with almost perfect clarity from her height. It consisted of about ten houses, considering the possibility of one hiding. One building overshadowed them all, larger than the rest: obviously some sort of major business. The place was surrounded by trees on all sides except for the northeastern corner.

"Nuvema Town, here we come!" Ava said, and Ted made his agreement known. Ava fell down to her knees, then lay herself on her back. Ted copied her, sitting on the right. The two of them began to roll on their sides down the grassy hillside, giggling like little children. But that was okay: everyone needed some fun every once in a while.


"Aw, geez, Bianca's late. As usual."

Blair lowered himself onto his bed, pulling himself against the wall and sitting with his legs crossed, hands resting in his lap. He blew a swift sigh, pushing a bit of his brown hair out of his eyes. It fell up against his blue cap, and fell back down to resting a bit over his eyes, which were focused on the boy in the corner of the room.

"It's only been a minute after the time she said she would be here, Blair," the boy said. He let a small, amused grin spread across his lips. Through his glasses, he glanced toward the stairway. "Have some patients, Doctor."

"Shaddup, will ya, Cheren? That still means she's late!" Blair protested. But he knew that Cheren was right, and that he needed to shut his mouth and wait.

"Patience," Cheren repeated. His tone was almost taunting. "Or perhaps I'll amuse the two of us through making fun of your girlish name, Blair, my dear gal Lindsey."

"DAMN YOU MOTHER!" Blair thought. "Cursing me with a name like Blair Lindsey!"

Almost as if on cue to his mental curses, Blair heard a gentle, repeating thud; signature of someone walking up a flight of stairs. From the light footsteps, Blair could tell that the person was female, but not exactly the swift and childlike rushing he had been expecting. His mother popped her head up, and the rest followed suit.

"Waiting for Bianca?" she asked.

Cheren nodded, speaking before Blair had the opportunity to. "Yes, ma'am. It would be kind of rude to open this gift without her, if the gift was also addressed to her."

"I thought so," Blair's mother said. "Well, would you boys like anything to drink while you wait? Since Cheren's here, I'll allow soda. You know, for the occasion."

Blair cracked a smile. Cheren was often off in his room at his home, doing other things: Blair only talked to him at rare outings, at the local school, or on the home telephone. It was seen as a god-given miracle to see Cheren willingly present at anything else.

"That so? That's awful nice of you, ma'am. Yes, could you just bring me a cola?" Cheren asked.

Blair's mother nodded. "And you, dear?"

"I'll have the same. Thanks, mom."

She nodded, and moved down the steps. "I'll be back up with them in a minute."

"Thanks, Miss Lindsey," Cheren said.

"And now to wait for Bianca," Blair muttered.

"Don't worry, my gal Lindsey," Cheren said. "I'm sure she'll show up before the end of the month."

Blair felt himself smiling again. "Yeah right. I'm thinking maybe some time in March."

Cheren slapped his palm against his face. "Blair, it's March the first."

Blair felt the blood rush to his face, a warmness he dreaded. "...Exactly! I was agreein' with you. Heh. Heheh..."

"You're an idiot, Lindsey."

"At least call me by my first name, Cheren!" Blair said.

"Would you prefer 'my dear gal Lindsey', then?" Cheren asked.

"Call me Blair, damn you!" Blair exclaimed.

Cheren cracked a wide smile. "Okay, okay. No need for the language, Blair."

Just then, they heard the sound of a girl saying something. It wasn't quite audible enough to be understood sentence-wise, but the two of them recognized the high, giggly sound of her voice. Next, the light sound of someone thudding up the stairs occurred again, but this time at a much quicker pace. Finally, she pushed her way up the stairs, and into sight.

The blond girl stopped for a moment, placing her hands on her knees and pressing the white fabric of her dress up against her skin, catching her breath. Hair dangling in front of her eyes, she looked up at the two boys in the room and immediately stood up, giving the two of them a goofy grin. "Sorry! I'm sorry!"

Blair looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Nice to meet you, Sorry."

Time seemed to stop for a moment. Then the three of them burst into laughter.

Catching his breath, Cheren was the first one to speak up afterward. "That was perhaps the single most stupid joke I have ever heard in my life, Lindsey-"

"BLAIR!"

"...Yes, yes, Blair. How in the world you managed to make me laugh, I'll never know."

The blond girl straightened herself up, then moved toward the bed and sat down next to Blair, pulling him into a headlock. "Ah, but our old friend here has the talent of being an absolute moron! So he can always provide entertainment, right, Cheren?"

"This is coming from the Queen, Bianca," Blair muttered. He wasn't angry, though; in fact, he wore a wide grin still.

Bianca tightened her grip around his neck, and Blair flailed his arms in futile resistance. Bianca let go a moment later. "We all know I'm the second smartest in this room, eh, Cheren?"

"Next to my bedsheets, maybe," Blair said.

"What was that, Lindsey?" Bianca asked.

"Nothing!"

"Thought so! Hahaha! Anyways, what do you guys say we get to opening this gift up!" Bianca said.

Cheren nodded, a glint of excitement in his eyes. Blair slipped off his bed, and Bianca followed suit. Soon, the three of them stood in front of Blair's computer desk, staring at the green package sitting on it.

"Since it was delivered to your place, my gal Lindsey, what do you say you open it?" Cheren said.

"Right," Blair responded.

He lifted the top off of the box, and looked at what was inside: it appeared to be a sheet of paper with writing on it.

"...A piece of paper," Blair whispered. "...That's it?"

He picked it up and began to read it aloud.




He flipped it over on the back, his heart racing, to see if there was anything else.


Blair shoved the box aside, and saw the three spheres resting on the table behind it. They had red paint on their tops, while the bottom half was white. A metallic, silver button was in the center of each. Beneath each one was an individual note card, and Blair grabbed each sphere, setting them next to their respective cards.

The one on the far left read, "Snivy: Grass Snake Pokemon: Grass Type".

The one in the middle read, "Oshawott: Sea Otter Pokemon: Water Type".

Finally, the last one, on the right, read, "Tepig: Fire Pig Pokemon: Fire Type".

Now, Blair thought, it was time for the tough decision.

"Who's gonna pick first?"

Cheren snapped his fingers, and Blair looked to him immediately. It was a Cheren-ism. If he had an idea, he snapped his fingers: an odd thing, but whatever floated his boat, Blair supposed.

"We will settle this the way man has settled conflicts for centuries!" Cheren exclaimed.

Blair looked to Bianca, who's face had gone pale. He cocked an eyebrow.

"But I'm too young to die, Cheren!" she exclaimed.

Cheren grinned devilishly. It was a peculiar sight, considering his dress shirt, tie and khaki pants: he looked like a corrupt businessman.

"Combat? No, Bianca. Much... MUCH... worse."

Blair's eyes widened. It struck him what the plan was.

Cheren's hand tightened into a fist. Blair's did the same. Bianca, after a moment of hesitation, followed suit.

"Rock, paper, scissors, SHOOT!"

Blair's hand thrust forward first, shaped into scissors. Cheren's came next, his palm open and extended, as paper. Bianca's form was the same as Blair's.

Cheren was out of the game. "Oh, c'mon..."

"Looks like it's just you and me, eh, Bianca?" Blair said, his tone filled to the brim with cockiness. He was gonna win this! He knew he was.

Cheren counted down. "Rock, paper, scissors... SHOOT!"

Blair's hand shot forward, still as a fist. Bianca's was open, palm extended.

"Bianca wins!" Cheren announced. "Miracles never cease."

"Excuse me, Phelps?" Bianca asked.

"Nothing, ol' Missy Nicholson. You win. You get to pick first."

Bianca stepped up to the balls on the table, and immediately swiped one. She held it in her hand, and nodded toward the other two. "Now who's gonna pick next?"

Blair cocked an eyebrow. "Quick pick, Bianca."

Bianca nodded slowly, wisely. "Of course! From the names, only one of them really suits me anyway."

"Okey doke, then," Blair said. "One more R-P-S, Cheren?"

"Yeah," Cheren said. "Bianca, count us down."

"Rock, papers, scissors..." Bianca took a long pause, grinning from ear to ear. "...sssshhhhooooooo...tuh!"

The two remaining competitors sped their hands forward, Cheren's in the form of paper, Blair's in the form of scissors.

Cheren scowled. "Oh come on, I'm left to be the one without a choice?" He sighed, placing a hand on Blair's shoulder. "Pick well."

Blair was grinning from ear to ear. His heart was pounding faster than he had ever felt it before. He looked at his choices. Bianca had swiped the water-type. She was an odd person, and Oshawott was kind of an odd name: he saw her point. Therefore, his choices were down to the grass-type Snivy, and the fire type Tepig.

He closed his eyes, and placed his hand out in front of him, grabbing onto the first one his hand touched. He held it tight, and opened his eyes, looking down at the cards to see which one he had chosen.

The only card left coupled with a ball was the one labeled Tepig. So he had chosen Snivy.

"Well, my gal Lindsey, I said to choose wisely, not play a blind roulette. Fool," Cheren muttered. He grabbed the last ball. "Oh well. I wanted Tepig from the start anyway."

The three friends turned to each other, all of them wearing a wide grin.


Ava stood in front of the door, licking her lips. It was a nervous habit: she couldn't help but be kind of nervous right now, standing in front of one of the most famed laboratories in the world. Aurea Juniper was no pushover in the world of research, standing second only to the likes of Kanto's Samuel Oak.

"Time to meet the head," she said, glancing down toward Ted.

"Ursa!" Ted said. "Teddi di!"

She allowed herself a grin, and knocked on the door. She was left without any sort of response for quite a few minutes, but she waited with as much patience as she could muster, and managed to keep her grin once the door finally slid open to reveal the tall, slim figure of Professor Juniper.

"Hi!" she said. "What can I do ya for, Little Miss?" She glanced down at the Pokemon next to her, her eyes glinting with excitement, but she said nothing further.

"Hello," Ava said. "My name is Ava Kodach? I was scheduled to come-"

"Oh, my! I had forgotten all about you. So sorry, so sorry, Missy."

Ava shook her head. "It's okay, Professor."

"Come on in!" Juniper said, stepping aside and placing her arm inside.

Ava nodded and walked in, Ted jogging after her dutifully.

The three of them moved toward the back of the large lab, where Juniper offered her a seat. The two of them sat down, and Ted sat on the floor next to Ava.

"So, Missy, a question I've been wanting to ask," Juniper started, her eyes going over Ava's figure, one hand twirling her own caramel brown hair, the other on the table, strumming its metallic surface. "What in the world is up with those grass stains?"

Ava glanced down on her shirt, seeing smears of green and brown on her shirt. She grinned widely. "Me and Ted were rollin' down a hill earlier. All sorts of fun - you should try it some time."

Juniper smiled softly. "I see. So, if my memory serves me correctly, you come here from Johto?"

"Yes, ma'am. My father came from this region, and I kind of want to explore my roots. You know?" Ava said.

"Ah, a good cause. Not many people like to take an initiative like that. I respect it."

"Thanks, Professor," Ava said.

"M'hm. Well, what do you plan to do while here? Simply explore? Or is there something more?" Juniper asked.

"I've been considering taking the League Challenge. But just considering, so far - I haven't made up my mind yet."

"The League Challenge is a good experience for any trainer. It allows them to grow personally, as well as grower a stronger bond with their Pokemon. I think you should do it."

"I'll keep that in mind, Professor."

Juniper nodded. "Well, I've never been one for small talk, Missy. So shall I get to the point?"

Ava nodded.

"Alrighty, then. I asked you to come visit me because I want to request something of you. I want you to have this."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, rectangular device. It had a blank silver screen on the inside, surrounded by a rim of red, with a black ball printed on the top. Ava took it, and examined it.

"Is this a Pokedex?" Ava asked.

Juniper nodded. "I'm impressed. Yes, it's a Pokedex. This is the version used here in Unova. It contains data on all 142 Pokemon native to Unova. It's an essential tool to any trainer, but this is one of four models in existence for Unova. It's yours, Missy. But only if you make me a promise."

Ava looked at Juniper as if she were growing lobsters out of her ears. Why would this woman give HER of all people such a rare model of Pokedex? It baffled her. "Sure..."

Juniper leaned in close on the table. "Travel to your heart's content. Catch as many Pokemon as you can. Learn about them. Grow to be friends with them. And overall, grow as a person, Missy Kodach."

Ava nodded swiftly, grinning from ear to ear. She spoke in an excited tone of voice, which seemed to be contagious, as Ted leaped up on the table, leaning in and embracing Ava. She embraced him back. "Yes, ma'am. It's a promise."


Author's Notes: Recently, I obtained a copy of Pokemon White Version. I have been playing it every opportunity I have had since the day I got it, and I'm surprised I managed to tear myself away from it long enough to write this. I am absolutely addicted: and as with anything I grow seriously addicted to, I feel the compulsion to write about it.

This story, for the most part, will be an adaptation of my personal experiences playing. As to entertain anyone, certain twists will be thrown in: that's a given. But don't expect any sort of deviation from the "versus Team Plasma" and "Beat all Eight Gym Leaders" storyline. Sorry if that's a turn-off.

This may seem a fifth project. It is, in a sense. But I regret to say that this will take place of one of my current ongoing projects: "Rescue". Rescue is now on an indefinite hiatus. I apologize to anyone who has read it and enjoyed it, but I will not lie and say that I really liked writing it. I didn't.

So as of the moment, my projects are:
- Sinnoh Stories: The Legend of Volkner!
- Best Laid Plans
- Summersville [A Dragon Ball Z Fan Fiction]
and...
- Pokemon White [Preliminary Title]

Be sure to check out the other three if you enjoyed this! And don't hesitate to drop in a review for any of them.

I'm going to cut this review short, because otherwise it would just be a mess of ramblings.

First of all, I'm happy to see a story from you. Just from Best Laid Plans I know that I enjoy your writing, so I was glad to see this posted. And now that I see it's a story based on B/W, I'm even more happy. But the best part of all?

You wrote about my three favorite B/W characters wonderfully. And that's my favorite part about this chapter. The way that Cheren, Blair (y no Herbert?), and Bianca interacted together shows their friendship. That's something that I haven't seen enough of in fanfics, and to see an occasion of it--and one done so well!--just made my week. I especially enjoyed seeing them tease one another like friends do. Oh Cheren. "My dear gal Lindsey" was great.

Ava's going to be interesting to learn about. And again, you already got a great pair of trainer and Pokemon, with Ava and Ted. Imagining them rolling down the hill brought a smile to my face. As I said, it's going to be interesting how she fits in with the storyline and the Nuvema Trio.

I'm kind of too tired to really pick out grammar mistakes. There was one sentence that needs some rewording, because currently it's too confusing.

Almost as if on cue to his mental curses, the gentle thud repeating itself, signature of someone heading up the staircase, was heard.

Click to expand...

I think your trying to say too much in this sentence, so it gets jumbled up. Rework it around a bit to either split it in two or take some parts out. See what works.

So, um, yes. I would like to see more of this fanfic. Since you're playing White so much, I hope we don't have to wait too long!

Astinus said:

I'm going to cut this review short, because otherwise it would just be a mess of ramblings.

WILD ASTINUS APPEARS.

First of all, I'm happy to see a story from you. Just from Best Laid Plans I know that I enjoy your writing, so I was glad to see this posted. And now that I see it's a story based on B/W, I'm even more happy. But the best part of all?

IAN USED THANKS.

You wrote about my three favorite B/W characters wonderfully. And that's my favorite part about this chapter. The way that Cheren, Blair (y no Herbert?), and Bianca interacted together shows their friendship. That's something that I haven't seen enough of in fanfics, and to see an occasion of it--and one done so well!--just made my week. I especially enjoyed seeing them tease one another like friends do. Oh Cheren. "My dear gal Lindsey" was great.

IAN USED- okay, screw this. Muchos Gracias: 'twas fun to write Cheren, and I'm sure he'll be even more fun to write in the future. :3

Ava's going to be interesting to learn about. And again, you already got a great pair of trainer and Pokemon, with Ava and Ted. Imagining them rolling down the hill brought a smile to my face. As I said, it's going to be interesting how she fits in with the storyline and the Nuvema Trio.

In all honesty? I just basically tried to make a female Christopher Avrich. Personality-wise, I mean.


I'm kind of too tired to really pick out grammar mistakes. There was one sentence that needs some rewording, because currently it's too confusing.

*shrug* Alrighty.

I think your trying to say too much in this sentence, so it gets jumbled up. Rework it around a bit to either split it in two or take some parts out. See what works.

Got'cha.

So, um, yes. I would like to see more of this fanfic. Since you're playing White so much, I hope we don't have to wait too long!

Click to expand...

IAN USED DRAGON TAIL. WILD BATTLE ENDED.

I'm glad you liked it! I'd expect to see a new chapter by the end of the week at the very latest: only that late because I'm putting finishing touches on the next chapter of Best Laid Plans. =p

Thanks!
- Ian

Chapter 2: And then someone pulls the ol' switcharoo!

"Oi," Cheren said. "I think something's wrong here, Lindsey."

Blair stared at the scene in front of him with confusion, nodding his head slowly, too confused to comment on the girl's-name-insult. He was looking at a small blue creature, with a darker blue tail, white arms and a white face. It had come from his Pokeball, which had been labeled as Snivy's: Blair was pretty damn sure this wasn't a Snivy.

"Juniper called us meatheads," Blair mused. "Well, at least we didn't label our friggin' balls wrong."

It seemed that there was one heck of a mixup: in front of Cheren stood a snake-like Pokemon with a green back, a pronounced snout, and a lazy look in his eyes. He looked to be bored; until a smug grin crossed his lips. The yellow foliage from his neck ruffled a bit, and the leafy tail behind him began to thump against the ground. From the yellow foliage shot a pair of vines, which grabbed onto Cheren's glasses, pulling them off and holding them above him.

"Hey!" Cheren cried. "Give me my glasses back, you little freak!"

Snivy's eyes lit up, and he snapped the glasses right in two, right in front of his cream colored stomach.

Cheren flinched at the sound. Blair was glad that Cheren could see, albeit badly, without those things: because if he couldn't, then he would really look like a jackass when he fell to the floor, laughing like a hyena.

Cheren ignored Blair and Snivy, his face a bright shade of red. "And what about you, Bianca? I'm guessing you got Tepig?"

Bianca shook her head, and then seemed to realize what she had done with that. She spoke up. "No."

Blair looked over to where Bianca stood, and allowed his giggles to die down. Her Pokemon matched up perfectly, in terms of looks, to Blair's.
Blair's Pokemon looked up at him with curious eyes. "...Sha?"

Blair fell to a single knee, and extended a hand toward the Pokemon. He forced a smile, nodding toward it. The Pokemon did not take the bait: it reached its head forward, taking a nice little bite out of Blair's extended fingers.

"Ow! My fingers! You little MONSTER! C'mere, why, I OUGHT'A-"

"...WOTTTTT!"

The Pokemon, which Blair had now deduced as Oshawott, opened his mouth and shot forth a spray of water. It hit Blair dead on, soaking him, his blue jacket clinging to his thin chest, blue jeans now looking as if he peed himself. Oshawott then ran toward the other corner of the room, sliding under Blair's bed.

Perhaps it was the fact that his sight was bad without glasses, or he was just a little too annoyed to be returning Blair's laughter, but Cheren continued on as if nothing had happened. "Bianca, or Blair, one of you, go over to my place and grab my spare pair of glasses, will you? We'll get this Pokemon situation straightened out later."

Blair stood up and nodded. He returned Oshawott, and darted toward the stairs. "I'll be back in a few."

As Blair left, Cheren let loose a tired sigh. "Wonder if he'll remember the glasses."


"And so the Snivy ended up snapping your son's glasses right in two. Boy, was it a sight to see! But, uh, yeah. He asked me to run over and grab his spare pair. Where are they?" Blair asked.

"I believe they're right next to his computer. But yes - are you sure you and him don't want to... you know, switch Pokemon? We can't afford to buy pair after pair of glasses," Mrs. Phelps responded.

"I'm pretty sure my Pokemon would try and drown him in his sleep."

"...Right," Mrs. Phelps murmured. "Well, I'll go grab them for him. I'll be right down."

"No, no, I insist," Blair said.

"Fine. Hurry."


Blair moved toward the steps, and darted up them. He was met with something he had never thought he would see. His heart nearly stopped in his chest, sweat trickling down his forehead: Cheren's room had the light on. He cracked a thin smile at his own incredibly stupid joke, then glanced around the room for Cheren's computer.

He saw it, then ran toward it. He leaned in, accidentally bumping into the mouse. The screen flashed to life, and Blair observed it contents. Cheren had apparently left it online. He was reading some sort of news article, which was more than enough to distract Blair's interest. He sighed, and looked around the desk for a glasses case.

"Team Plasma, Team Schmashma," he murmured. He spotted the glasses, grabbed them and slipped them into his pocket. "Not like those wackos are gonna be that important. Sure Cheren thinks the same."


Blair rushed into his home, darting past his confused mother. She called his name, and Blair swiftly turned around, glaring down the steps at her. "Yeah, mom?"

"Blair, honey, Cheren and Bianca have already left for Professor Juniper's lab."

"...Damn those two!" Blair cursed, and dashed down the steps once again, heading out the door. "See you later, mom!"


He had slowed to a limping walk by the time he made it up to Professor Juniper's lab, where Cheren and Bianca stood outside waiting. Cheren had his arm around Bianca's shoulder. He smirked, removed the glasses from his pocket, and handed them to Cheren.

"Bianca, you guided him?" Blair mused.

Bianca nodded, slipping out of Cheren's grip. "Uh-huh."

Blair's smirk widened. "You were his seeing-eye dog?"

Bianca nodded again. "Uh-huh..."

"Thanks, Lindsey," Cheren muttered. He looked a lot better now with those glasses on, Blair had to admit. He ignored him however, and continued to go onto his joke on Bianca.

"You were a female dog, huh?" Blair asked.

"Uh-h- WAIT." Bianca stopped herself midsentence, trudging over to Blair and grabbing his ear. She pulled him by it toward the door, and knocked on it roughly for a moment.

"Hey, hey, lemme go, c'mon, it was just a joke!" Blair cried.

Cheren slid his palm over his face, ignoring the barrier of glasses there, and let it move down, as if it would wash away the stupidity that had utterly blasted him just moments before.

The door opened swiftly, and Bianca let go of Blair's ear. Blair rubbed it furiously, murmuring something inaudible. He looked up and saw a slim, professional looking figure in a green dress and white shirt, a lab coat covering her. She ran a hand through her chestnut hair, and looked toward the three at the door with a grin.

"And the prodigal sons... and daughter... arrive!" the woman exclaimed.

"Bianca, Blair, and Cheren, right?"

The three of them nodded.

"Got'cha. My name is Professor Aurea Juniper, and Welcome to the World of Pokemon-"

"We know who you are, Professor," Cheren muttered.

"...Oh. Well, then, come on inside!"

The three of them followed the woman, stepping inside the large red building.

The lab was a rather large place, at least compared to what one would expect from looking at the tiny, not-at-all-intimidating outside. Boxes dotted the front area of the lab, mixed in with the tables that sported laptop computers and the bookshelves that had an array of thick books on them. At the back, past a set of bookshelves, the four of them set down at a table.

"So, Professor," Cheren said. "We have a bit of a problem."

The Professor cocked an eyebrow. "And this would be?"

"You're the meathead," Blair butted in. "You left us with Snivy, Oshawott and... Oshawott."

Juniper's eyes widened. "...Oh my. Did I accidentally give you the behaviourly impaired Oshawott?"

Cheren slid his glasses up his nose and spoke. "...and Snivy."

Juniper shook her head. "Snivy is just naturally a bit of an ass. It is a smug little devil. When it gets close to you, it will start to be nicer. Toward you, anyway."

Bianca frowned. "Don't worry, my Oshawott is just fine! As cute as a button, too."

Juniper sighed. "Well, then - It must have been Tepig that I shipped off to Fennel. I apologize so much for this, you two. Blair, if you would prefer it, I can go out and help you catch something new. Maybe you can get Tepig when you arrive in Striaton-"

"Who says we were going there?" Blair asked. He felt a slight pang of suspicion at this woman - not a negative one, though. It excited him, if his thought proccess worked right.

Juniper's eyes flashed, as she momentarily forgot the issue. "Because I'm not giving you those Pokemon for free."

Cheren cocked an eyebrow. "Do you mean you're going to bribe us into becoming full-time trainers?"

Juniper shook her head. "No. Well, yes, sort of. But there's a task I want to ask you children to complete for me."

The Professor stood up, walking toward a desk with a laptop computer on it, sliding her hand into a box that rested beside it. She pulled out one small, black device. Then another. Finally, a third one was pulled out, and she bundled them into her arms, approaching the table and setting them down. She slid one to each of them.

Blair looked at his with a mixed sense of emotion: he was, for some reason, awestruck. He was also very, very confused. This was a black device with a screen in the center of it, an array of tiny buttons at the bottom, and a Pokeball mark at the top, giving it a semicircle tip. He pressed the button labelled "ON/OFF", and watched it flare to life. It spoke out in a robotic, monotone voice.

"Pokedex - Model U2, name Dexera. How might I serve you today?"

Juniper looked over to Blair. "Dexera, please show Blair the 'dex in normal function."

"Activating 'dex - no customization. Please enjoy," Dexerta stated.
Suddenly, a wall-like structure appeared on the screen. It appeared to be a vault of some sort. Its center spun for a moment, and then the walls pulled apart, revealing an array of blank spots: only three of them were full. And these were labeled, "SNIVY", "TEPIG", and "OSHAWOTT".

"Show entry on Oshawott," Professor Juniper said.

"OSHAWOTT: The sea otter Pokemon. It fights using the 'scalchop' on its stomach as a blade. The 'scalchop' is made with the same element as claws are. In response to an attack, it removes its 'schalchop' and slashes the opponent," Dexera droned. "Would you like to view another entry?"

"No, Dexera, thank you. Please shut off."

"Pokedex, Model U2, name Dexera. Shutting down."

Blair's only motion was a steady set of blinks. Finally, he spoke up with a simple, surprised, "...Whoa."

"Now, children. I ask you to undertake an important, tedious task. It might take years. It could take a month with you four working together. It will be tough: you see, this model of Pokedex is the first one in the Unova region. Our government has rejected such, quote-unquote, 'Heinous technological pish-posh', up until our new President has come. Therefore, we are behind, and the entries on this thing are blank. When a Pokedex senses a Pokeball catching a Pokemon, it links with that ball, sensing through the Pokemon's life, its instincts, to learn of its past and its habits, its techniques, everything about it."

Cheren spoke up. "You want us to complete it, don't you?"

Juniper grinned. "Yes, Cheren, I do."

Blair spoke next. "There are only three of us, Professor."

Juniper's face flushed red. "Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry. A bit of a brain fart."

Blair nodded. "It's okay, I s'pose. Okay, Professor, I'll do it."

Bianca nodded next. "I'll do it too! It sounds like fun, plus... I guess I have a few motives of my own."

Cheren was the last, but the most adamant to agree. "So here we are, about to become full-fledged trainers. I'm going to take the Gym Circuit challenge. I will complete the Pokedex - I will make myself a name in the Unova region! Thank you, Professor, so much."

Juniper's grin returned. "Then there we go. I look forward to seeing the names of you three on the news - as the Unova region's champions!"


Author's Notes: I am well aware that this model of 'dex is more similar to the Sinnoh region's. This is more than anything an author's bias - I like that model the best. =p

Chapter 2 of Pokemon White is finally here! Enjoy.

Chapter 3: The Emancipated Boy's Proclamation of Emancipation from his proclamations of cowardice. THINK THAT ONE OVER.


The obvious solution, Blair thought, would be to catch another Pokemon and use that in place of Oshawott until he arrived at Striaton City and could get the Tepig (not his starter of choice, but it seemed he wasn't getting his choice this time) from this "Fennel" person. But Blair's niche in the world was not following obvious, logical solutions. He was the type of person who's thoughts nagged him.

C'mon, ya damn fool, he cursed mentally. You can either train this thing like a real trainer would, fix those issues, or be a pussy and get the nice, docile little Tepig. Bla, bla, bla...

Blair hated his mentality sometimes, especially when he gave himself ultimatums like that. He stood in Professor Juniper's bathroom, not doing anything, contemplating just what he needed to do. He sighed, flushed the toilet for convincing purposes, and then headed out the door.
"And Lindsey has pissed for ten minutes. Quickly, Bianca, let's build... Cheren's Ark! I love the sound of it. We'll grab two of each Pokemon, one male, one female and..." Cheren droned.

"Shut up, Phelps," Blair deadpanned.

"Right, right."

"So!" Professor Juniper butted in. "Let's all head out to Route One, shall we? I'll catch Blair a new Pokemon, and in the process teach you three how to do it yourselves!"

Cheren and Bianca both muttered their agreements, while Blair remained silent. But he nodded, and the three of them were off.

Aurea Juniper smiled softly as she led the trio of children down the road to Route One, her Mincinno's Pokeball in hand. She wondered if Amy's request was all that worth it. Her son was a bit of a goofball, this was made clear: Aurea couldn't help but wonder just why she had asked for this. Her son didn't seem the type who could handle the job. He was willingly following her so he could get RID of the job, in fact. But maybe she was wrong.
She hoped she was.


Blair stood just inches in front of the sign, Bianca and Cheren at his side. The three of them had their arms looped together, eyes focused on the ground.

"You guys ready?" Bianca asked.

"This is incredibly stupid," Blair muttered. But he would be lying if he said he didn't like said stupid idea. Bianca's plan was for the three of them to take their first step as Pokemon Trainer's outside of Nuvema Town together. They would start their true journey in sync.

"Rude, aren't we, Lindsey?" Cheren asked.

"Stop bickering, both of you!" Bianca chided. "We'll step forward five paces in five... four... three..."

Blair couldn't believe this was about to occur. All of a sudden, he felt incredibly nervous. His legs were like towers of thick Jell-O beneath him, but he forced them to stay firm.

"...two..."

He closed his eyes and prepared for those fateful steps. He heard Bianca say "GO!" and the three of them, arms linked together, stepped onto Route One, each of them grinning from ear to ear.

Blair opened his eyes, and saw Professor Juniper standing there in front of them. She too was smiling, her eyes echoing her admiration for the three of them. She clapped slowly.

"Ones for theatrics, aren't we? Still, it was cute. And appropriate."

Bianca curtsied. "Thank you!"

Blair moved his hand behind his head, rubbing his hair timidly. "Right, right... well, let's get on with this."

Professor Juniper nodded, and the three of them continued on their way.
The search took forever, Blair thought. But finally, they had come upon a Pokemon wandering its way through the grass. It was a small brown thing, standing about a foot tall, with wide orange eyes. It held a hand on its head, as if doing some sort of odd salute. Its tail, tipped in white, thumped the grass behind it.

"Alright, Time! It's kids!- I mean, alright, kids, it's- nevermind, let's just go on out, Mincinno!" Professor Juniper cried. She let her arm burst forward, the sphere clenched in her hand expanding and opening up, sending forth a flash of white light. The white light hit the ground and eventually disappeared, leaving a grayish figure in its place. It stood at about the same height, with huge ears tipped in white, and a relatively large tail also tipped in white. It thumped behind him, sending up clouds of dirt. It turned around and frantically watched it move, glancing around, careful to prevent it from falling on him.

Blair pulled out Dexera, and pointed it at the creature, pressing the on button.

"Blair, nice thinking!" Juniper praised quickly. "Of course, my Mincinno also has an entry!"

"Welcome to Pokedex Model U2, Dexera. How may I help you today?"
"Pull up 'dex entry on 'Mincinno'," Blair said.

"MINCINNO - Chinchilla Pokemon. They are incredibly tidy Pokemon, and prefer a habitat that is such. They are always sweeping the ground with their tails, and greet each other with them."

"Alright, Mincinno!" Juniper exclaimed, pointing at the brown Pokemon. "Let's take out that Patrat!"

"...Ciii!" Mincinno cried. It rushed forward, leaping carefully among the grass, and slammed its paw across the face of the frozen Pokemon called Patrat. Patrat broke out of his frozen state, and jumped back, glaring at Mincinno. Mincinno hesitantly moved forward again, preparing a second slap. But Patrat rammed forward into Mincinno's exposed gut, sending the Pokemon skittering backward.

"Hang in there, girl! Return the favor with a Doubleslap!" Juniper exclaimed.
Mincinno picked herself up off the ground and rushed toward Patrat, leaping once again and this time landing on top of Patrat. The Pokemon was sent crumbling to the ground, and Mincinno wasted no time as he began to repeatedly slap the Patrat with an open paw. Seconds later, Mincinno got up - but the Patrat didn't.

"And now for the grand finale!" Juniper cried, and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a small ball with a red top and white bottom, her thumb over a silver switch in the exact center. She pressed down on it, then tossed the ball forward toward Patrat. The ball hit the Pokemon on the head, then opened and sucked it in with a blast of red light. The ball hit the ground, and began to roll. Once to the left, a second time to the right, a third time to the left... and then it sat still. A thin "ding" sound entered the air, and Professor Juniper walked over to the ball and picked it up, tossing it to Blair afterward.

Blair reached into his pocket, and pulled out Oshawott's Pokeball. He let the Patrat's ball fall to his feet, slowly shaking his head.

"Thanks, Professor, really. But I decided I don't want it. I want to keep Oshawott. I wanna... well, I wanna see if I can tame the little bastard." Blair looked up from the ball, grinning. "Because a real trainer doesn't give up that easy. Because a real trainer faces challenges and takes them down. And guess what Professor?" He reached up, and pressed a thumb against his chest. "I'm gonna be a real trainer."


"Okay," Ava said, looking down to her right side, her hand on top of her Pokemon's head. She gently stroked hs on the crescent-shaped marks on his forehead. "You ready, Ted? This'll be our first catch!"

Ted nodded slowly, looking at the creature in front of them. His eyes followed it with interest, though it didn't really move that much. It was resting on top of a tree branch, feeding off an unfortunate Pokemon with a leaf on its back.

"And let's go! Ted, headbutt on that tree!"

Ted rushed forward, his head tucked downward. He slammed into the tree, shaking it a little bit. The Pokemon in the branch seemed surprised. Its yellow eyes darted down from its meal down to Ava and within moments, it was off. The bird-like creature rushed off its branch and dived toward Ava.

Ava rolled out of the way, watching the Pokemon hit the ground. "Ted, c'mon! Let's see what we can do here! Hone Claws, then let's get to our fiercest Fury Swipes!"

Ted turned around. "Ursa!" He slipped around and scratched his claws together, creating a similar sound to a fork sliding across the blade of a knife. He continued this for a few moments, performed a few stretches, all while leaving Ava to run around in circles, the gray bird Pokemon circling around behind her; leaving in a peck or two every five or six seconds.

"C'mon, Ted, hurry it up, I'm bein' chased by a mad birdy here! Oh god, oh god, OH GOD."

Ted nodded and dashed toward the gray bird. He leaped into the air behind Ava, taking one of the pecks directly in the chest, in return for the opportunity to slam the Pokemon down. It cried out in surprise, but Ted wasn't going to let it even cry any longer: he swiped his paws across the back of the poor thing until he couldn't any longer. It lay there, groaning.

"...dooo..."

Ava nodded toward Ted. "Alright!" She jumped into the air, her red jacket shaking. She reached into the pocket of her blue jean shorts and pulled out a Pokeball, pressing its center switch and tossing it toward the downed Pokemon. It hit it right on the head, earning another surprised, "DOOOVV!", before it was sucked inside with a beam of red light.

And after it shook three times, the Pokemon inside furiously fighting for escape, it let loose a barely audible 'ding', and the Pokemon was caught. Ava's Pokedex flared to life in her pocket and she pulled it out, listening to its droning voice.

"PIDOVE: Tiny Pidgeon Pokemon. These Pokemon are highly domesticated, living in cities beside people as well as in the forests. Flocks often gather in parks and plazas. Each follows its trainers commands the best they can, but they fail to understand complicated commands."

Ava nodded slowly. "Is my Pidove a male or a female?"

"PIDOVE: Female Gender."

"Right. So, Ted! I'll name her... Ruby. What do you think?"

"Ursa!" Ted cried in agreement.

Ava slipped her Pokedex back into her pocket, clipped Pidove's Pokeball to her belt, folded her arms over her chest and nodded. "Alright! Ted, Ruby, let's go! Off to Striaton City!"

Blair felt a sense of pride as he stood there, waiting for some form of response. His outburst seemed to shock the other three in the area. He decided he would get off of the subject though, as the silence was a bit awkward. He took his foot, slipped the Pokeball at his feet onto one, and thrust his foot upward. He caught the Pokeball in his free hand, then tossed it toward Juniper.

"Well? Are we gonna get going to Accumula Town, or what?"


Spoiler for Next Chapter: A Preview!

Author's Note: Some parts of the Plasma speech (Ghetsis and N) are taken directly from the dialogue spoken in "Pokemon White Version". I don't own these words, nor do I own the Pokemon franchise in the first place. Also, I understand the beginning is list-y. I figured it best here, because of the importance of what happens in this chapter in comparison to the plot.


Chapter 4: The Emancipated Boy's internal struggle with guilt! Is training bad, or am I a bad trainer?

Accumula Town was little even in the comparison of Nuvema, a place consisting of a few apartment buildings, a couple shops, a Pokemon Center - and that was it. Very little else was noteworthy about the place, but today was the exception. Today, Cheren and Blair stood side-by-side, staring up onto the small hill at the sight before them alongside the crowd surrounding them.

Man after man stood there, side-by-side, close together in military-like stance. Their eyes were focused onto the ground, each one gleaming with excitement. They wore odd gray tops, black leathery pants, a white cape-like structure draped across them decorated with what appeared to be a coat of arms on them. Some had hoods up on their heads, while others had their buzzed haircuts exposed to the wind.

But the real sight was in front of these men. Another man with long, unkempt green hair flowing down to the crown-like (or, possibly a castle's top, neither Cheren or Blair could really tell) garment on his shoulders. On his right eye a red screen of what appeared to be glass cased in a white plastic rested. He wore a large robe, halved in two different appearances: one side as a dim yellow, decorated with a mass of purple streaks and a purple eye. The other side was the inverse, being a dark purple decorated with a mass of yellow streaks and a dim yellow eye.

On either side of the hill, two flags rested. They were a blown up version of the coat of arms on the cape-like garments that the majority of the men wore, blue background with a P in the center, a Z behind it.

The man at the front began to speak, stepping to the right a few paces. He looked out at the crowd, smiled softly then nodded toward them. "Hello, people of Accumula Town. I understand that seeing such a sight might be strange for you. I assure you, you need not fear us. We are the Plasma Gang, also known as Team Plasma."

Blair scoffed. "Those pro-Pokeliberation freaks?"

Cheren nodded, but shushed him.

"I'm sure you have heard of us if you pay attention to the news. They call us freaks. They call us morons. They call us the most controversial thing since the invention of the Pokeball itself. The only one of those which is true is the last. We are controversial, and we are proud to be so - right, men?"

The men all shouted out the same answer. "Yes, Ghetsis, sir!"

"As these men have told you, my name is Ghetsis. Ghetsis Harmonia. The reason I am here today is to give you all a short lesson on our beliefs, to set the record straight from the lies of the modern media. We follow the philosophy of Pokeliberation. An idea that has been around since the invention of the Pokeball itself!"

Ghetsis turned to the left again, moving a few paces forward.

Blair folded his arms over his chest, shifting uncomfortably.

"Tell me. It is a belief by all but the 'crazies', the 'wackos', the 'loonies', that Pokemon and humans are direct equals. That they are friends, pals who fight alongside each other and bond. Right?"

A few voices piped out of the crowd around them, and Blair shouted out his agreement as well. Cheren remained silent.

"We fight alongside Pokemon for our own purpose, under the guise of partnership. We work them to the bone, and for what? An imprisonment, at the end of the day? Pokemon are creatures who have unlimited potential. But alongside human beings, they will never truly prosper. Ponder this, folks."

The crowd fell silent. Blair felt a blush fall over his face. Ghetsis finally moved back to where he originally stood, turned to face the crowd fully, and brought his arms outward.

"We obsess over things as human beings. We see things that we do not fully understand, and we strive to gain the knowledge that we do not have. Pokemon are creatures that we do not truly understand: and we strive for knowledge on them. We, as human beings, are selfish! Do we not realize how this feels? To be worked to the bone, to be studied like rabid diseases, to receive a false sense of friendship, of partnership? We, as ambassadors to the oppressed, must release our Pokemon! We, as the people who always spout nonsense of searching for justice, need to grow senses of it! We must free our 'pals', our 'buddies', our 'good friends', to truly live among side them as equals!"

Ghetsis let his arms fall to his side and nodded toward the crowd one more time. "And that, my friends, is the conclusion of my speech. I implore you, I am not blaming you. You were raised in a world like this. It is not your fault that you believe what you do. But please think it over: please do the right thing. Thank you for your time."

Two of the robed men rushed over to either side of the hill, pulled up the flags and drew them into compacted forms. One man rushed off, while the other stood where they where with the flag bundled in their arms. The men moved into an odd formation, the men with the flags on the north and south sides of Ghetsis, while the other men stood at their left and right. They moved off, and soon slipped out of sight.

Blair stood there, frozen in place. The odd man, Ghetsis, spoke some words of truth. Had he not, just hours before, spoke about how he would tame Oshawott? Like a "real trainer"? The crowd's conversation around him was dim, barely heard. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out Oshawott's Pokeball. He stared at the sphere with wider ones; his eyes were wide with thought, his brain working to the point of where he thought they would pop out of their sockets.

The crowd dispersed, somewhere in that mix, Cheren's words meeting his ears - but he didn't hear them. He broke out of his trance only as Cheren touched him and the shoulder, pointing toward the only other remaining person.

He was a man of relatively average height, wearing a baseball cap atop his long green hair (oddly similar to the man called Ghetsis, Blair thought), with a white jacket covering his black shirt visible through its collar. An odd rubix-like cube structure hung from his belt. He looked toward Blair, his sky-blue eyes flashing with confusion. He nodded toward him.

"...Your Pokemon," he said. "He says odd things. He appears to be conflicted - he can sense your struggle."

Cheren butted in. "Pokemon? Speaking? Okayyy... "

"Yes, they're talking. The two of you can't hear it then... how sad..."

"...Right. Uhm, hi, my name is Cheren Phelps."

Blair stared back down to Oshawott's Pokeball for a moment, then looked back up. "Blair Lindsey."

The man nodded. "You may call me N. I am a trainer, but I too conflict over the decency."

"We're trying to complete the Pokedex, as asked of us. But I, at least, plan on challenging the gym circuit as well. How about you... uhm, N?"

N shut his eyes and shook his head disapprovingly. "So you plan to confine so many Pokemon to those little Pokeballs. Are Pokemon really happy that way?"

Cheren smirked confidently. "Pokemon and humans need each other."

N looked at Cheren, regarded him with indifference, then turned back to Blair. "Are we really making our Pokemon happy... Blair, was it? Let me hear more of your Pokemon's voice! Let us see just what your Pokemon and mine think of us!" He fell to a single knee, placing fingers against a set of pursed lips, then whistled in a slow, melodic tune.

Seconds later, a nearby bush began to rustle. A purple figure burst out from it, looked toward N and nodded to him. The creature now stood in front of him, on its hind legs. It wore a smug grin, its tail waving behind it. It raised one of its pink eyelids.

"Shall we go, Purrloin?" N asked. "I want you to show me just what you think! Give me your exact opinion in your actions!"

Blair looked at Oshawott's Pokeball, nodding slowly. He pressed the silver release switch, feeling the Pokeball expand in his hand. A flash of white light emitted from the opened ball, hitting the ground and materializing into Oshawott. Blair knelt in front of his Pokemon, extending a hand to him again. He suffered through another bite, taking it with pride.

"Okay, Oshawott. I want you to tell me something. You don't have to say a word. Just tell me through your actions. Give me your exact opinion. Do you hate me? Or do you hate being cooped up in that little ball? I'll trust N here to tell me just what you think. Now please show me in this battle. We'll be fighting Purrloin."

"...Wott," Oshawott responded. He turned to face the opposing Pokemon, removed the schalchop from his belly, and stuck out in front of him. "Wott!"

"Your Pokemon," N mused, "is saying that it is willing to fight. Not for you, but because... 'That purple thing's face makes my eyes hurt'. How amusing."

"Loin! Purr..." Purrloin responded, sounding quite hurt.

"That's enough of this nonsense! Purrloin, shall we fight?"

"Purrr!"

"I'll put my faith in you, then. Do as you wish." N stepped back, setting the stage for Purrloin.

Blair shut his eyes, letting loose a thin sigh. "Alright, Oshawott! Let's start this off with a simple Tackle!"

N scoffed at this, but said nothing further. Oshawott stopped, reattached its schalchop (glaring at Blair for it) then ran forward, his shoulder pressed in Purrloin's direction. Purrloin moved out of the way of the attack with a simple leap, sending Oshawott crashing. The cat-like Pokemon then turned around and dashed toward the downed otter, slipping its claws across Oshawott's back. Oshawott cried out in pain.

Blair flinched. "Alright, Oshawott! C'mon, get up, and let's douse it with a Water Gun!"

Oshawott leaped back up to his feet, turning toward Purrloin and rushing in its direction. He skidded to a stop in front of it, grabbed it with its stubby arms and placed their faces close together. He opened his mouth and a high-pressure blast of water burst out, totally soaking Purrloin. Oshawott jumped back, then fell on his back, laughing wildly.

"Wott! Osha, sha, sha, Osha! WOTT!"

"...Your Pokemon says, 'Problem fixed'," N muttered.

Purrloin sat there for a moment, its hair clinging to its body. It looked like a drowned rat, water dripping from its fur, creating a small puddle around it. Suddenly, it pulled itself back up onto its hind legs and ran toward Oshawott, turning itself around and slapping him with its tail. Oshawott let out a cry of surprise, trying to grab for the furiously flailing tail. This was found to be a mistake. Purrloin's tail was now glowing a dark gray and quickly dimming; within seconds, it was now black. He slipped it across Oshawott's chest, and Oshawott screamed.

Blair's heart broke right in two at the sound. This was the sound of true pain: not something from a scratch, or a little bump or bruise. This was a true, tortured wail. Oshawott fell back onto the ground, immediately unconscious.

N nodded toward Purrloin. "That was unnecessary. But thank you. You may go now." With those words, Purrloin darted off into the bushes again. N walked toward Oshawott, glancing at the puddle of blood coagulating beneath him. He sighed. "Pokemon battles do things like this. They hurt an innocent Pokemon to the point where blood is drawn. It is not a life-threatening wound, thank the Goddesses, but it is certainly a nasty one." He fell to a single knee, placing his hand on the wound. Oshawott cringed, but as N began to whisper something, some sort of inaudible and unintelligible language, the wound began to emit a sizzling sound. It was closing up, much to Blair and Cheren's amazement.

Within ten seconds of this, Oshawott was perfectly healthy, looking like he was taking little more than an innocent nap. Blair extended his hand, Pokeball in it, thumb on the center switch. A red burst of light flashed forward, taking in Oshawott.

N looked at Blair. "Your Pokemon's emotions are conflicted. He does not know what he wants. On one hand, he believes you to be a, quote unquote, 'Pompous looking jerkface'. On the other hand, he can sense your kind intentions. It is those kind intentions that will prevent me from plain out thieving you of him. But think about it, Blair. Do we really make our Pokemon happy? Do we really give them the best services we can, such wonderful creatures, by imprisoning them and making them fight? My goal is to make a separate world for Pokemon and humans each. We do not deserve the same world. Not with people who abuse their Pokemon, people who treat them like vermin. Think about it, Blair."

Blair looked at the tiny sphere in his hand with wider ones. Was this strange man right? Oshawott did seem to hate him. If he had really sensed his 'kind intentions', then he did not believe them - for he still seemed to hate Blair. Was it because he was a bad trainer? Or was it because training was bad? He needed time to think it over. He felt the tears slowly tear at him from the inside, rising up. He pocketed Oshawott's ball and dashed out into the distance. Before he left, he heard this man's cries one more time.

"Think about it, Blair! Think about it!"

ALABASTER DAZE: UNOVA CHRONICLE
Chapter Five: Out like a lamb, back in like a lion, the traveling trainer goes!

Perhaps one of the most memorable moments of Blair Lindsey's life was when he was walking along Route 2, his eyes focused on the ground and his hands in his pockets, mind somewhere on Pluto. He wondered many things, most of them thoughts that were otherworldly to him, foreign to his mind. He stopped in the midst of his walk and fell to one knee, removing Oshawott's Pokeball from his belt.

"Well, little guy, I guess... no," he said, hooking the Pokeball back onto his belt and standing up, continuing his walk. He continued this up until he reached a small section of boscage. He rested up against one of the trees and slid down to the ground, his eyes falling shut.

His hand instinctively moved toward his belt again, removing the ball and pressing the release switch before he could have second thoughts. He felt his heart begin to pound furiously as his hand expanded alongside the tiny ball, which opened up to send forth a flash of light, materializing into the blue otter called Oshawott.

The two had a momentary staredown.

"You can go now," Blair said, finally. "Be free."

Oshawott continued looking at him, anger evident in his beady eyes. "Wott! Osha, oshawottttt!" His mouth opened and sent forth a blast of foamy water, dousing Blair. Blair didn't object.

"I understand. You're angry at me. I'm releasing you. Go."

"Wottt!" Oshawott cried in response. He turned away from Blair, his stubby arms moving over his chest. "Sha! Oshawott!"

Blair smiled sadly. He supposed he would have to make it understood in a better way: Oshawott obviously had trouble understanding the basic english.

"Scram, ya little rat!" Blair exclaimed. "I don't want you! Go!"

Oshawott seemed to understand now. He began to walk north, walking straight out of Blair's sight.

Blair got up and turned toward the south. Now he just had to get back to Nuvema, and he supposed he could go on with his life. He let the tears flow.

Ava lay on the ground, her hands behind her hair like a sort of pillow, hazel eyes staring into the morning sky and admiring its beauty. She didn't particularly feel like moving, despite the energetic aura Ted seemed to be giving off. She was in a feel-good, lovin'-the-world apathetic mood and couldn't have had it any other way. Her thoughts went back to home: her friends like Sierra, whom she missed dearly, her parents and her pet Meowth... all sorts of things that made her feel homesick. From feel-good to homesick in an instant. She sighed and looked over to Ted. "Well, Ted, so what're we gonna do today?" she mused. "Striaton City sounds like a good target destination."

"Urs! Di." She understood from the sound of his voice that he was throwing his approval to her, grinning happily. His paw was dripping with a yellowish, golden liquid, and after he spoke he stuck it in his mouth, sucking it off.

She grinned. "Stole my honey reserves! You sneaky little bear. C'mere!"

She pulled herself off the ground, grabbed Ted and hugged him tight. He let loose a cry of surprise, but ended up snuggling in close to her. She gave him a peck on the forehead. Having to be so far from home wasn't preferable: but she had to admit that it wasn't so bad either.

She let Ted go and pulled herself up to her feet, dusting off her new pair of jean shorts. They felt odd on her, but she liked how they looked. She would get used to the soon, she supposed. She straightened out her pink cap with the tiny Pokeball that was Unova's national mascot and looked toward the north. "Let's go, Ted."

She began to walk. She felt good and would continue to do so, but her path was cut short when a scream pierced the air. Her senses went hyperactive, her eyes nearly slamming shut, her sense of hearing growing slightly. Whimpers, she heard. A smile crossed her face: west.

"Let's go, Ted!" she exclaimed. The two bolted off to find the source of the problem, moving past trees and swiveling past bushes, until they laid their eyes on the source of the shriek.

"...Really?" she asked. "It's... a..."

"Help me!" the boy screamed. "That thing is... is a little, brown DEVIL! Just walkin' along, minding my own business and it jumps out, roaring like a frickin' lion!"

The boy was an odd dresser. His garb consisted of a pair of jeans, a blue and white jacket and a hat much like her own. He had frightened, somewhat sad, blue eyes.

"...Here," she said, reaching into her pocket. She sighed, tossing him an empty Pokeball. "Toss this thing at him. Catch him. He can be your friend-"

The boy flinched, but grabbed the Pokeball nonetheless. She cocked an eyebrow; at the mention of friendship, he had done his little jerking reaction, prompting her to think he had some bad experience with it.

The "little brown devil" was just that. It was small, quadrupedal and brown, with a mass of pale fur covering its face. It had beady black eyes that echoed innocence.

"Okay, I'll..."

"PPPPPUUUUUPPPPP!"

The boy shrieked at the sound. Ava didn't blame him. Ted hung onto her leg, figuring her much more apt to protect him than the shrieking boy. That small, dog thing had just let loose the most fierce roar that Ava had ever heard.

"...Okay, this may be a bit more serious than I thought," she whispered. She unhooked a Pokeball from her belt and let it expand in her hand, crying out, "Let's go, Ruby!"

In a flash of white light, her gray bird appeared. It let loose its signature cawing cry, flapping lightly in the air.

Ava pulled out her Pokedex, flipping it to the section on moves. She examined the list with mild interest, before nodding and slipping it back into her pocket.

"Alright, Ruby! Gust! Blow that thing into a tree or something!"

"Doooo!" Ruby flapped her wings fiercely, flying higher into the air and creating a small twister. Leaves and twigs from the ground swirled around inside it. With a second shriek, Ruby sent the gust toward the dog Pokemon.

"Pokedex Model U2, Dexera. How can I help you today?" Ava heard. She paid no attention to it, hyperfocused on the battle at hand.

The dog was hit by a few stray twigs from the gust, but was otherwise unmoved. She scowled. "Alright!"

She looked down to the ground and motioned for Ted to pay attention to her. She nodded toward Ruby, doing the same thing. Her commands were given, both Pokemon seeming to understand (albeit Ruby showed a bit of confusion: but wasn't that what the 'dex entry had said?).

Ted rushed forward, and Ruby dashed through the trees and out of sight. Her attention focused on Ted, who was now standing in front of the tiny dog Pokemon, claws barred like swords.

"Ursa! Ted! Di Teddi!"

"Puppp! Lil! Lilipup!"

The two exchanged dialogue that Ava understood none of. But it sounded fierce, and that was enough.

She snapped her fingers.

Ruby came down through the trees, performing a full-force tackle on the distracted Pokemon. It buckled under the pressure, sliding forward a few inches: Ted took this opportunity to deliver a quick scratch attack on its stomach. It crumpled down to the ground, unconscious.

She grinned. "Good job, you two!" With another nod, she returned Ruby and pulled her attention toward the boy.

"Now catch it. C'mon! I'm sure you'll love him."

The boy shook his head slowly. "...No. I can't."

Ava cocked an eyebrow. "Why not-"

As if by some miracle on its part, the downed dog Pokemon stood again and let loose an angry roar. It leaped toward the boy with jaws wide open, prepared to take a nice little chunk of human meat home for dinner tonight: only to be blasted aside by a blue "beam" of dripping water.

This time, it crumpled down to the ground for real, soaking wet. From the thicket of trees nearby, a small blue otter stepped forth, drying off its dripping mouth with a stubby arm.

"Wott."

Blair shut his eyes only after a few moments of trying to force himself. Then he opened them again, his frozen muscles too strong for him to fight against. "Oshawott?"

"Wott!" the Pokemon cried.

The gil looked at him, seeing his confusion. She smiled slyly. "Looks like your Pokemon missed you... where was it?"

Blair ignored her, continuing to stare at Oshawott. "What're you doing here, OshawottT? I... I let you go..."

Oshawott walked over to Blair and extended his right arm, as if asking for a handshake, or offering his hand for leverage in getting off the ground. Blair wasn't sure which it was, but both confused him.

But he understood the basic meaning well enough. He smiled softly, grabbed Oshawott's small arm with two of his fingers and shook it gently.

"Name's Blair Lindsey, girl," he said, standing up. He picked up Oshawott, drawing him in close before setting him down. The blue otter looked mildly annoyed, but didn't actually object. "And thanks."

Blair looked at the downed dog Pokemon, and grinned, tossing the empty Pokeball the girl had given him at it. It bonked it upside the head, sucking it in with a flash of red light. There was no struggle.

"Name's Ava. Ava Hilda Kodach, in full. A pleasure, Mister... wait, Mister LINDSEY? Blair Lindsey-... oh my god that is priceless."

"Ursa! TEDDIII!" the small bear Pokemon beside her roared in laughter.

"...Shut up. Both of you."

"Oshaaaaa...wott!"

Blair grinned simply. He felt renewed, realizing that his Pokemon didn't quite hate him. He looked toward the mid-day sky and let his grin widen, before he simply burst out into laughter as well. Before long, Oshawott joined in, more than likely just to fit in (but he laughed nonetheless), and then they were all in a state of nonsensical, hysterical giggles and they wouldn't have it any other way.

I now know who Ava is! Oh, that was sneaky, getting both player characters in your story without making it obvious. As soon as Ava got some new jean shorts that felt weird, I knew exactly what your plans were for her.

I have to make mention of how you wrote N's pre-battle scene. When Purrloin arrived, I liked how it wasn't in a Pokeball like N's Pokemon were in the games. It was a good touch for N's characterization, especially after the emphasis that Ghetsis put on how controversial the Pokeball's invention was.

Blair's relationship with Oshawott is also interesting. I'm wondering if we'll get some insight on just what made Oshawott return to rescue Blair (from that horribly evil Lillipup). But it's good to see that team together and beginning to work together.

Now that I've caught up (on those surprise chapters), I can say that now I'm looking forward to more of this.

I have made a decision. It was a hard one. I've been thinking about it for almost a month now; but I've come to the conclusion that it is too much for me to be writing this.

I will continue it. Some day. But as of right now, ALABASTER DAZE: UNOVA CHRONICLE IS ON AN INDEFINITE HIATUS. I will continue to work on two of my other three main projects, SINNOH STORIES - THE LEGEND OF VOLKNER, and BEST LAID PLANS (I will also be closing down Summersville for the moment). Thank you to all those who have read and enjoyed this, and I will let you know the moment that it is recontinued.

Thank you!
- IanDonyer