[Pokémon] Pokémon Raze

Pokémon Raze

Synopsis:
Every year, the 8 clans of Sorcha City send out trainers from their clan to compete to see who can become the strongest. This year, it is Kaitlyn's time to shine. Her main opponent is a member of the Garchomp Clan named Darius. Along the way Kaitlyn meets the "strongest trainer" Hikaru and professor's assistant Jason. Meanwhile, a religion called Ordism has taken Silvcus by storm. Despite that it looks like a normal religion, a sinister intent beneath. Unbeknownst to Kaitlyn, she's about to experience destruction on a scale she has only heard about in legend.

Rating: M

Prologue:

The two Pokémon clashed: fist on claw. The large, draconic beast dug its claw into the arm of the blue canine-like Pokémon. Lucario grunted in pain as the claw cut his skin. He countered with a few well delivered punches to the gut of the Garchomp.

"You can do this, Lucario!" A young, white haired man cheered.

"Don't give in, Garchomp!" The man's opponent, a tall blonde haired woman, yelled.

Both Pokémon jumped backwards to stand with their trainers. The stadium erupted into cheers as the two powerful trainers faced off.

"Aura Sphere!" The man commanded, a stupid grin on his face.

Lucario held up a paw and a sphere of blue energy formed, growing in size and power until it was the size of a basketball. Lucario blasted Garchomp with the Aura Sphere, sending it flying into the stadium wall.

"You are as strong as ever, Hikaru," the blonde haired woman said, "but this battle isn't even close to over!"

"Thanks, Cynthia!" Hikaru grinned, "it means a lot coming from you!"

Garchomp got back up onto her feet, shaking off the rubble.

"Garchomp, use Brick Break!"

Garchomp launched forward, her claw glowing. She brought the claw down onto Lucario.

"Lucario!" Hikaru's voice echoed throughout the stadium.

Lucario grabbed onto Garchomp's claw, stopping the attack. Garchomp pushed forward making her claw inch towards Lucario's face. Sweat popped up on Lucario's face as he struggled to stop the Brick Break.

✧✧✧✧✧

Kaitlyn grinned as she watched the battle unfold on the screen. The glow of the tv illuminated her excited face. Sitting around her were her cousins and siblings.

"I think Hikaru is going to win," Kaitlyn's older brother, Charles, commented.

"No way! Cynthia has totally got this!" Replied Kaitlyn's cousin, Lucy.

"I don't think neither will win," Kaitlyn's younger brother, Zack, piped up, "I believe they will stalemate each other until the timer goes off. It is only a mock battle after all."

"I don't care who wins. This is still an awesome battle!" Kaitlyn added.

✧✧✧✧✧

The claw edged closer despite Lucario's effort to stop it. Even though the situation looked grim, Hikaru maintained a giant grin on his face.

"Lucario I think it's time to turn this around!"

Lucario grunted in agreement before sending a concentrated blast of aura through Garchomp's claw, snapping it like a twig. The audience roared in excitement.

"Follow up with Ice Punch!"

Lucario surrounded his fist with icy energy and slammed it into Garchomp's stomach. Garchomp coughed as all of the air was knocked out of her but she stood her ground.

"Flamethrower!"

Garchomp opened her mouth and out blasted a torrent of white-hot flames. Lucario was consumed by the inferno.

Lucario launches himself backwards to escape the flames. The Aura Pokémon's chest heaved as it tried to regain the oxygen stolen from the fire. His fur was scorched and he had sustained a lot of damage.

"Five minutes remaining for the mock battle!" The announcer announced to the crowd.

"Damn," Hikaru said, his smile fading a bit, "I was having fun. Well, Lucario, let's finish this!"

Lucario nodded in agreement to his trainer's words.

"Lucario, Max Aura!"

Intense blue energy flared up around Lucario's body. The crowd and referee cowered before the pressure coming from Lucario. Cynthia and Hikaru were the only ones unfazed.

"I should've expected this sooner or later," Cynthia smiled, "show us how strong you've gotten!"

"You asked for it! Lucario, you know what to do!"

Lucario rushed forward with blinding speed and hit Garchomp with a series of blows. Each punch landed ended in a miniature explosion of Aura.

"Counter with Brick Break!"

Garchomp met each of Lucario's blows with a Brick Break, this time using its wings because of the broken claw. The two Sinnoh Pokémon hit each other with devastating attacks but it was clear that Lucario was dealing out more damage. Garchomp went for an uppercut but Lucario used it to launch himself upwards.

"Lucario, Aura Battle-Axe!"

"Garchomp, counter with Dragon Rush!"

Aura gathered in Lucario's leg as he brought it down for a drop kick. Garchomp surrounded herself with energy shaped like a skeletal dragon as she launched herself towards Lucario. The two fearsome attacks met in a clash that shook the battlefield.

"And time is up! This mock battle is over!" The announce yelled to the audience.

The two opposing Pokémon landed on the battlefield. Lucario put most of his weight on his left foot as his right was injured. Garchomp was sporting many injuries across her body and was struggling to remain upright.

The two trainers walked across the battlefield and shook hands.

"You've gotten much much stronger, Hikaru. Despite it being a mock battle, that was the most fun I've had in awhile," Cynthia said, her eyes still twinkling with excitement from the battle.

"Thanks! I feel the same way! Let's battle again sometime!" Hikaru grinned at Cynthia, excitement and admiration glinting in his gold eyes.

✧✧✧✧✧

"That battle was so awesome!" Kaitlyn gushed.

"It was alright," Charles said, getting up from the couch, "but now I'm going to go train with Zweilous."

"You'll still be the weakest trainer of the clans," Lucy teased.

"Shut up! I could still beat you," Charles grumbled.

"Oh yeah? Let's battle then!"

"Yeah let's so I can kick your ass!"

"Language, Charles," Kaitlyn's mom chided.

"Sorry, Ma."

Kaitlyn giggled at what had just transpired. She loved her brother and cousin but it was just so fun to watch them fight.

"I can't wait until next year so I can go out and beat the rest of the clans!" Kaitlyn said excitedly.

"Be careful. That Darius from the Garchomp Clan is very determined to beat us," Kaitlyn's mom warned.

"I can handle him!" Kaitlyn said, dismissing her mother's warning.

"He will make a formidable rival. Just don't come crying home if he beats you," Lucy chimed in.

"You may not be strong enough," Charles added.

"He'll be the one crying after I'm through with him!" Kaitlyn was beginning to get frustrated at her family for treating her like a baby. She was already twelve!

"Ah screw this I'm going to bed," Kaitlyn grumbled before stomping up the stairs to her room. Kaitlyn collapsed on her bed where her Deino was laying.

Kaitlyn stared up at her ceiling, her insecurities eating at her. Maybe Charles and Lucy were right. Maybe she was too weak to beat Darius and the rest of the clans. Deep down she knew they were just teasing her but she couldn't help wondering if what they said was true. Just thinking about it made her mad!

Deino lightly head butted her arm, snapping her out of her thoughts. She pulled Deino against her body and hugged him tight. She could tell that Deino had confidence in her.

"You're right as always Deino," Kaitlyn sighed, "I need to stop over worrying. I'll show them I can be the strongest trainer of the 8 clans... no, I'll go beyond the eight clans and be the strongest trainer in Silvcus! Just you watch me!"

Chapter 1: Tournaments and Masters:

"Let's go, Deino!"

Kaitlyn and Deino ran through the woods behind her house, exploring. Deino kept on tripping on roots and bumping into trees.

"Woah there, Deino," Kaitlyn bent down and picked up Deino after he fell for what seemed like the millionth time, "You've got to be more careful!"

Deino squeaked in thanks and proceeded to run ahead. Kaitlyn ran after Deino to keep up.

A few hours later, Kaitlyn and Deino returned to the house covered in dirt.

"Kaitlyn, you're tracking dirt in the house," one of Kaitlyn's aunts complained.

"Sorry, Auntie," Kaitlyn apologized, "I'll go take a bath. Come on, Deino!"

Kaitlyn ran up the stairs, still trailing mud behind her. Deino happily followed her.

"She's a lively one as always," one of Kaitlyn's uncles grumbled around his cigar.

"That's good, considering she starts her journey tomorrow," Lucy said as she walked into the Kitchen, "she needs the energy."

"You obviously didn't have enough energy as you quit after six badges," Charles snickered from the table.

"Shut up! You didn't do much better! You only got, what, seven badges?" Lucy shot back. "Not much better than me!"

"I'm still better than you, lil miss six badges."

"Give it a rest you two. When will you ever stop arguing?" Kaitlyn and Charles' mom cut in exasperated.

"Never!" The two bickering cousins shouted in unison.

Kaitlyn stifled a laugh at the top of the stairs. Listening to Charles and Lucy bicker never got old. Kaitlyn turned her back to the stairs and slipped towards the bathroom to bathe.

~

The next day, Kaitlyn awoke, excitement coursing throughout her body. Today was April 13! She was finally thirteen! Kaitlyn jumped from bed and ran down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday, dear," Kaitlyn's mom said from the stove.

"Happy Birthday, loser," Charles called from the table.

The rest of Kaitlyn's family greeted her with 'Happy Birthday' as she sat down at the table. Her mom walked over and served her some Chansey egg omelette and a drink of Moomoo Milk. Kaitlyn dug into the omelette as her family discussed some recent news.

"What do you think of that new Ordism church that was set up in Silvcus City?" Kaitlyn's mom asked.

"I don't like it," huffed one of her uncles, "those people seem a bit weird. I don't trust Ordism one bit!"

"I think people should believe in what religion they want without being bothered," one of Kaitlyn's aunts chimes in.

Kaitlyn wasn't paying attention as she was bolting down here breakfast as fast as she could. As soon as she finished, she rushed upstairs to get ready.

Kaitlyn pulled on a blue and red shirt and black cargo pants. She tied her long black hair into a ponytail before placing a red and blue baseball cap on her head. She completed the look with a brown fanny pack to store poke Balls and other trainer essentials. She ran downstairs to say goodbye to her family before heading out.

"You look so grown up!" Her mother gushed, giving her a huge hug.

Kaitlyn hugged the rest of her family but as she hugged Charles he whispered in her ear, "go kick some ass for me."

"Be careful!" Her mother called as Kaitlyn laced on brown hiking boots. "I love you!" Her mother continued.

As Kaitlyn walked out the door with Deino, she turned around and called out, "I love you all! See you when I'm the champion!"

Kaitlyn walked out into a circle of eight mansions. The homes of each of the eight clans of Sorcha. Each house had a banner out front displaying the clan's emblem. There was the Hydreigon Clan (which Kaitlyn hailed from), the Goodra Clan, the Kommo-o Clan, the Garchomp Clan (which Darius hailed from), the Metagross Clan, the Salamence Clan, the Tyranitar Clan, and the Dragonite Clan. Each clan housed powerful trainers and were all biter rivals with each other. Every year the clans sent out a batch of trainers to see who could become the strongest. This year, only two trainers were sent out. Kaitlyn and Darius.

In a break between two of the mansions was a dirt path leading through a forest and down a steep hill. At the end of the path was the large city of Sorcha. Kaitlyn headed down the path, Deino trotting at her heels.

After a twenty minute walk, Kaitlyn reached the sprawling city of Sorcha. With its criss-crossing roads filled with honking cars to the myriad of wild Pokémon running around the back alleys and parks. Kaitlyn loved the place.

She started her way to the Satoshi Arena where the Trainer's School would be holding their annual tournament. The winner of the Tournament would get a Pokédex and have lunch with one of the seven Pokémon masters! The Pokémon Master in question was the most famous of the Pokémon masters. His name was Hikaru and he's known as the World's Strongest Trainer! Kaitlyn was so excited and determined to win the tournament.

One taxi cab ride later, Kaitlyn arrived at the Satoshi arena. She stood in awe in front of the ginormous stadium. The arena was owned by the Fighter's Club but the school has rented it out.

Kaitlyn walked through the coliseum until she reached the battlefield in the center. Standing in the center of the battlefield was her class and her teacher Mrs. Nova Smith. Mrs. Smith had long blonde hair tied up in a bun, blue jeans, and a pastel sweater with a swollen belly indicating pregnancy. Standing next to her was a young, white haired man wearing a white tee and jeans. Despite his casual and inconspicuous look, Kaitlyn knew that young man was Hikaru.

Kaitlyn quickly joined her friends in the crowd as Mrs. Smith began to speak.

"Alright class, now that you're all here, let's begin!" Mrs. Smith announced. "This is Hikaru! He has agreed to oversee our little tournament as well as provide himself as one of the 'prizes'. The winner will have lunch with him as well as obtain a Pokédex. Anything to add, Hika?" She said that last part with a cutesy smile.

"Mrs. Smith acts like she's friends with Hikaru with that stupid little nickname. As if!" One of the girls in front of Kaitlyn snickered.

"Actually, I AM friends with Mrs. Smith, Samantha," Hikaru said, stepping forward, the grin on his face not fading. Samantha flinched at her name.

"Now, any other comments before I begin?"

The class remained silent.

"Good. Well anyways, yo, I'm Hikaru! But you guys already know that. I'm so excited to watch this tournament! I'm sure you all will have some amazing battles! I have already drawn up the tournament bracket so we can just hop right into this!" The whole time he spoke, Hikaru drummed his fingers against his thigh. He also talked really fast.

Hikaru turned around and picked up a paper board behind him that Kaitlyn didn't notice until now. He displayed the board to the class. There were twenty kids in the class with ten battles each in round one.

"Ok class, there's no need to wait so let's jump right into it! The first battle of round one is… Kaitlyn vs. Samantha!" Hikaru announced, his ever present grin still plastered on his face. "Everyone besides Samantha and Kaitlyn, let's head to the stands!"

~

Kaitlyn stood at one end of the battlefield and Samantha stood at the other. Hikaru stood in the middle at the edge as he was refereeing. Sam and Kaitlyn readied their pokeballs.

"This will be a one-on-one battle! The winner will be decided when one person either forfeits or their Pokémon is unable to battle. Sam gets the first move!" Hikaru through his arms open in a grandiose gesture. "Let the battle begin!"

"Torchic, it's time to battle!" Sam yelled, releasing a Torchic from her Poké Ball.

"Deino, let them tremble before our might!" Kaitlyn called out as she let out Deino.

"Ember!" Sam commanded.

Torchic opened its beak and out came a stream of embers. Kaitlyn smirked as they surrounded Deino, slowly dying down and leaving Deino totally unfazed

"That sure was a weak Ember. Are you sure that Torchic is a fire type?" Kaitlyn taunted. "Let's show them true power with Dragon Rage!"

Deino opened his mouth and a blue fiery energy jetted out. Torchic tried to dodge but was overtaken by it. Deino then closed his mouth, shutting down the attack and revealing an unconscious Torchic.

"Torchic is unable to battle! Kaitlyn is the winner and advances to the next round!" Hikaru shouted out the results to the cheering class.

"You did amazing, Deino." Kaitlyn returned Deino to his Poké Ball.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Sam stomped her foot as she returned Torchic. Without even shooting Kaitlyn a backward glance she stomped over to her friends.

"That was a brilliant first battle!" Hikaru thumped Kaitlyn on the back. "Great job!"

Now that she saw him up close, Kaitlyn noticed that Hikaru had a nervous energy to him. He drummed his fingers on his thighs and was generally very twitchy. He couldn't sit still at all.

"Well let's move to the next battle!" Hikaru called. "Next is Darius vs Hailey!"

Darius and Hailey took their place at each end of the battlefield and proceeded to battle. Darius sent out his Gible and Hailey sent out her Pikachu.

The battle was embarrassing for Hailey. Gible dodged all of Pikachu's attacks and slammed into it with Tackle. Pikachu had tried to go for Quick Attack but Gible easily sidestepped it and tripped Pikachu. Gible finished the battle by using Dig to attack Pikachu from behind.

Hikaru declared the battle over and cheerfully congratulated Darius. Hikaru then called forth the next two combatants.

The rest of the battles were pretty boring. Hikaru seemed to lose energy as the battles dragged on. Finally, it was time for round two.

The first battle of round two (Mason vs Jaren) was fairly intense but ended pretty quickly. Mason moved on to the next round and Hikaru got ready to call out the next battle. When he saw the matchup an excited gleam sparkled in his eyes.

"Now this will be interesting," Hikaru muttered to himself. "This battle may actually be entertaining. It's always destructive when Clan members battle."

Hearing part of that, Kaitlyn knew what the matchup was. Excitement coursed through her as she realized now was the time to prove herself.

Hikaru cleared his throat and called out the matchup to everyone in the arena. "Battle two of round two will be Kaitlyn vs Darius!"

Chapter 2: First Clash:

"Battle two of round two will be Kaitlyn vs Darius!"

Kaitlyn was thrilled at the announcement, grinning from ear to ear. Finally, she would get to battle another clan member! She'd never been allowed to back home, as the clans maintained a peace treaty where they only had friendly tournaments on occasion. Without a moment's hesitation, Kaitlyn and Darius took their places at the opposite ends of the battlefield. Hikaru took his place at the center to the side as the referee.

"Like the others, each person in this battle is only allowed one Pokémon and the winner is decided when all of the opposing Pokémon are unable to battle. Kaitlyn gets the first move! Let's hop right into this!" Hikaru threw his hand down towards the ground, signaling the start of the clash. "Let the battle begin!"

"We'll show them what the best clan is! I choose you, Deino!" Kaitlyn shouted as she threw her Poké Ball, releasing Deino.

"Stomp them into the earth, Gible!" Darius responded throwing his Poké Ball to send out his own partner.

Deino and Gible stood glaring at each other. They both wanted to prove that they were the best.

"Deino, Headbutt!" Kaitlyn called out to her beloved partner.

Deino propelled himself forward towards his opponent. With blinding speed he reached the Gible and slammed his head into Gible's stomach. Gible retched as he tumbled backward.

"Yes!" Kaitlyn cheered. "We got 'em!"

Gible got up panting heavily but mostly unfazed. Kaitlyn's smile melted.

"You think that puny attack was enough to do actual damage?!" Darius laughed in a cruel fashion. "Let's show them real power! Gible, use Bulldoze!"

Gible stomped the ground causing tremors to go throughout the battlefield. The ground splintered and sharp chunks of rock scraped Deino's legs. With a cry, Deino fell to his knees.

"That'll stop you from moving around so fast!" Darius' laugh echoed through the arena. "Gible, let's end this with Rock Smash!"
Gible's arm glowed with a red aura as he launched himself at Deino. Gible reached Deino and punched downward at Deino's head.

"Bite!" Kaitlyn screeched in desperation.

Deino opened his mouth and caught Gible's punch in his mouth. Darius and Gible stared in shock.

"Dragon Rage!"

With Gible's arm still in his mouth, Deino unleashed a blue fire-like energy that consumed Gible. When the energy cleared, Gible fell over backwards unconscious.

"Gible is unable to battle! The winner is Kaitlyn!"

Darius stared in shock at his defeated partner. Anger mixed with what seemed to be disappointment flashed across his sharp features before being masked by a nonchalant smile though his dark blue eyes still contained a glint of anger.

"It's not like this is some major tournament like the Pokémon League or Masters Qualifier," Darius sneered. "I'm out of here. Congrats on your worthless victory."

Darius returned Gible and left the battlefield. As he reached the exit and turned around to face Kaitlyn.

"Prepare to get your ass kicked next time we battle." A cold laugh came from Darius as he left the arena. Mrs. Smith looked like she was about to stop him from leaving but decided against it. Since this wasn't technically a school day she couldn't stop him if she desired to.

"Asshole," Kaitlyn muttered angrily as she walked back to stand with the class.

"Well anyways, let's move on to the next match!" Hikaru announced, maintaining his cheerful demeanor.

The next few matches flew by without anything interesting happening. Kaitlyn zoned out thinking about how she'd kick Darius' ass next time they battle, though she wasn't so sure if she actually would. His confidence that he will win next time made her doubt herself. Yes, she may have won this time, but it was only because of a desperate idea that paid off. Kaitlyn slapped her cheek in frustration. No! That was just what Darius wanted her to think. She had to just ignore him and focus on the tournament.

"Now it's time for the final match of the quarterfinals. Kaitlyn vs Mason!"

Kaitlyn and Mason took their places at both ends of the battlefield. Their battle was over in one move. Mason's Mudkip made the mistake of attacking Deino directly with Tackle and was blasted point blank by a Dragon Rage. Kaitlyn took her seat as the matchups of the semifinals were announced. Excitement levels began to rise as there were only four students left.

The first match of the semifinals was Kaitlyn vs a girl in her class named Bailey. Kaitlyn sent out Deino and Bailey sent out Swablu.

"Dragon Rage!" Kaitlyn shouted.

Deino's mouth open and out came the familiar fiery blue energy that has vanquished many opponents before them.

"Dodge it, my love," Bailey commanded calmly.

Swablu spread its wings and gracefully soared around the Dragon Rage.

"Peck!"

Swablu tucked in its wings and dived towards Deino. Swablu gave Deino a sharp, precise peck before flying away so Deino couldn't retaliate. Kaitlyn felt a smile creep to her face. This was the first time since Darius that she hasn't won the battle in a single move. She was getting excited.

"Peck again, darling," Bailey said with a slightly smug look on her face.

Swablu angled its body downwards toward Deino and dived.

"Wait," Kaitlyn said to Deino.

Deino almost leapt forward, but ignored its instincts and stood his ground. Swablu was almost to Deino when Kaitlyn yelled, "Use Bite on its wings!"

As Swablu reached Deino he ducked around the peck and sank his teeth into Swablu's left wing. Swablu tried to break free but Deino wouldn't let go.

"Swablu, Sing!"

"Deino, Headbutt!"

As Swablu opened its beak to use sing, Deino yanked its main body towards him and slammed his head into it. Swablu's body gave a shudder before going limp in Deino's mouth. Deino dropped the unconscious Pokémon before walking over to stand with Kaitlyn. The smug look melted off of Bailey's face as she returned her partner.

"Great battle! It was fun!" Kaitlyn grinned at her opponent.

"Whatever," Bailey said as she went to stand with her friends.

The final battle of the semifinals wasn't nearly as interesting as Kaitlyn vs Bailey. The match was Ben vs Jessie in which Ben took an easy win. Jessie's Munchlax end up tripping over its own feet and got hit by a Confusion from Ben's Abra.

"Now it's time for what you've all been waiting for!" Hikaru's eyes glinted excitedly. "It's time for the final round! Ben vs Kaitlyn! Abra vs Deino! Let's hope for an exciting match!"

Ben and Kaitlyn took their places as Hikaru signaled the start of the battle. Kaitlyn was about to call a move when Ben raised his hand.

"Yes?" A questioning look crossed Hikaru's face.

"I forfeit," Ben announced.

The entire class erupted. Shouts and complaints washed over Ben.

"We've been waiting for this!"

"That's stupid!"

"Bullshit!" One bold student shouted, which gained him a withering glare from Mrs. Smith.

Hikaru held up his hands and tried to placate the angry crowd.

"Everyone, quiet!" Mrs. Smith shouted over the noise.

Once everyone calmed down Hikaru turned back to Ben.

"Why do you forfeit?" Hikaru asked trying to hide the disappointment on his face.

"Look at the matchup! My Abra only knows Confusion and Teleport. It can't hit a Dark type like Deino! Plus, I've seen Kaitlyn battle. I have no hope of beating a Clan member. Just give her the win!" Ben stalked back to the stand with the class.

"Oh," Hikaru said, realizing now why Ben had forfeited but still upset about it.

Kaitlyn couldn't help but feel disappointed and angry. She was looking forward to the finals and this loser ended up forfeiting, even if it was an already lost cause for him. She was about to also shout before Hikaru spoke.

"Well, it looks like the winner of this tournament is Kaitlyn Dreichen of the Hydreigon Clan! Kaitlyn, please come up and receive your prize!" Hikaru seemed to have regained his normal hyperactive demeanor rather quickly.

Kaitlyn approached Hikaru to halfhearted applause from the class. Unlike Hikaru, the class hadn't yet recovered from the controversial ending to the tournament. They'd likely eventually get over it, though.

Hikaru handed Kaitlyn a Pokédex, the grand prize of the tournament. He then proceeded to embrace Kaitlyn in a friendly sort of way.

"Great job," Hikaru whispered in Kaitlyn's ear. "You're an amazing battler. You'll become as great as Pluto, I'm sure if it."

Kaitlyn tried not to blush or get overly excited. One of the greatest Trainers in the world just complimented her battling skills and compared her to one of, if not the greatest Trainer to come from the clans. As she stepped back from Hikaru she managed to stammer out a "Thank you."

"Well, the tournament's finally over. Any last words for the class, Mrs. Smith?" Hikaru asked.

"You all did a wonderful job," Mrs. Smith smiled at the class. "I'm positive all of you will become amazing Trainers. Just remember to always be kind to any person or Pokémon you encounter and you'll achieve great things."

"Well time to fulfill the second part of the prize," Hikaru said addressing Kaitlyn. "I'll meet you in the back room for lunch!"

Hikaru left the arena and the crowd began to dissipate. Kaitlyn was sure that after the tournament everyone in her class was very eager to start their journeys. Kaitlyn pushed through the crowd and walked towards one of the back rooms of the arena.

"Kaitlyn, wait up!" Mrs. Smith jogged towards Kaitlyn as fast as her pregnant belly would allow.

"Yes, Mrs. Smith?"

"Hikaru never told you where you'd meet him. I swear, that man can be so forgetful sometimes."

Kaitlyn didn't even realize that Hikaru didn't tell her where to meet him. She wondered where she would've ended up.

"Follow me and I'll take you to where the lunch will be held," Mrs. Smith offered. "I have no clue why he ran off ahead. He is so impulsive sometimes. Well anyways, let's go!"

Kaitlyn followed down the hallway. As they walked a question popped into Kaitlyn's mind.

"How long have you known Hikaru?" Kaitlyn asked. "He mentioned being your friend, and I'm just wondering how long have you known him."

"Hikaru and I go way back, dear. We've known each other since we were around thirteen or fourteen. Though my husband goes way way back with Hikaru. They're rivals, you know." Mrs. Smith answered.

"Oh yeah! Isn't your husband Indigo, one of the Pokémon Masters?"

"Yes he is. Well, anyways, we're here now."

They had arrived at the room. Mrs. Smith opened the door. Hikaru was sitting on a low, black leather couch in front of a low table ladened with dishes of a great variety of different foods. In his hand was a Luxury Ball that held his concentration. The ball radiated an intense pressure that scared Kaitlyn a little. She knew that the Pokémon in that ball was extremely powerful and dangerous, and she did not want to face it in battle. Hikaru looked up at their approach and smiled. He put the Luxury Ball in his pocket as he stood to greet them.

"Hey, Kaitlyn, Noves! Come grab a seat and dig in!" Hikaru said as he embraced Mrs. Smith and patted Kaitlyn on the back.

Hikaru returned to his seat while Kaitlyn and Mrs. Smith sat down on the couch across the table from him. Kaitlyn began to tear into the delicious meal.

"I hope you like it! My wife spent a lot of time making it," Hikaru grinned at Kaitlyn.

"It's delicious Mr. Solarian!" Kaitlyn said around a mouthful of food.

"Please, just call me Hikaru. I hate it when people are so formal."

"Ok."

Hikaru began to dig into a slice of Oran Berry pie. Mrs. Smith contented herself with some Moomoo Cheese.

"So… there's something I wanted to talk to you about," Hikaru said, breaking the silence.

"Y-yeah?" Kaitlyn said, caught completely off guard.

"I noticed that you have the makings of a wonderful Trainer. I want to help you hone your skills. Guess you could say I want to be your teacher. Help make you the best Trainer you could be."

Kaitlyn was rendered speechless. THE Hikaru wanted to be HER teacher. She was about to stammer out thanks but Hikaru cut her off.

"This is the third prize of the Trainer School Tournament. I wanted to help hone some Trainer's skills but I didn't want to teach any t
Trainer. I reached out to Nova here and helped her set up the tournament to help me scout out promising Trainers. I should've expected the winner to be a member of the Clans."

Holy crap, this dude could ramble on, Kaitlyn thought.

"So do you agree to be my student?" Hikaru asked.

"Hell yeah!" Kaitlyn beamed at Hikaru.

"Since I'm so busy this is how it's going to work. When you're traveling on your journey, I'll just show up whenever I can to help you train. Can I have your number so I can find you when I'm open?"

Kaitlyn gave Hikaru her number, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Now that that's settled, let's enjoy this lunch!" Hikaru said.

The three of them proceeded to eat lunch, talk, and laugh without a care in the world. Kaitlyn's excitement was at its peak because she knew that after this, her journey would truly start.

Chapter 3: First Step to Adventure:

Kaitlyn walked through the sliding glass doors into the brightly lit Pokémon Center. Soft music emanated from a pair of speakers hanging from the ceiling. The center was filled with a myriad of trainers lounging about, eating at the center's cafe, waiting in line for their Pokémon to be healed, or just standing around talking to one another. Pokémon ran about through the forest of legs to play with one another or to just explore.

Kaitlyn had her sights set on a counter off to the side with a small line of kids her age. Kaitlyn took her place at the back of the line. Within ten minutes she had reached the front. The pretty lady behind the counter looked up at her and smiled.

"Here to register as a trainer," the lady asked.

"Yep!" Kaitlyn answered excitedly.

"What's your name?"

"Kaitlyn Dreichen."

The lady turned to her computer, most likely bringing up her data from the trainer school database. After a second she turned to Kaitlyn and smiled.

"You have completed seven years of schooling and are of the required age of thirteen. You are eligible to become a trainer!" The lady said.

Kaitlyn beamed.

"Step in that booth to have your picture taken for your trainer card," the lady said, pointing to a bright blue booth next to the counter.

Kaitlyn stepped into the booth to take her picture. A part of her wondered if she looked good but she was also in a hurry. She was too excited to start her journey to spend time worrying about looks. With a flash the booth took Kaitlyn's picture, then printed a Trainer Card with Kaitlyn's name and picture on it. The date on the card read April 13, 2019: the date that the card was obtained. Kaitlyn pocketed her card and returned to the counter.

"Note that if you lose your Trainer Card all of the data is stored on the computer so you can just go to a Pokémon Center to obtain a new one," the lady told Kaitlyn helpfully.

"Thanks for telling me that!" Kaitlyn responded politely.

"Here's another thing," the lady said, handing Kaitlyn a pocket-sized blue case. "This is your Badge case. If you take the Gym challenge, this is where you should store your badges. When you obtain a badge, it'll be put on your file, so if you end up losing your badges, you'll be able to get new ones without any hassle. Helps with verifying you actually got them, too. Here's some pokeballs as well. Because of the varying financial situations within Silvcus, we give each new trainer five pokeballs."

"Thanks so much!" Kaitlyn said while putting the badge case and pokeballs in her fanny pack.

"Is that all?" Kaitlyn inquired.

"Nope! There's another thing to tell you. For the sake of time, I'll simplify it. As a trainer, you have a rank. As you are just starting your journey, currently, you are the rank of Trainer. That is the lowest rank. You continue to rank up as you collect gym badges until you reach Veteran. To rank up further, you have to be entered into a region's Hall of Fame where you'll receive the rank of Champion. There's a few more ranks after that but you just need to know what I've told you for now. Any questions?"

"Uh…," Kaitlyn said, still stunned by the load of information she received. "What's the highest trainer rank?"

"The highest trainer rank is Legend which is incredibly hard to receive. There's only six trainers in the world that rank: Hikaru, Indigo, Celeste, Red, Blue, and Lucile."

Kaitlyn stared shocked at the lady. She knew that Hikaru was a powerful and famous trainer but for him to be one of the few Pokémon Legends, she had no clue.

"How do you obtain the rank of Pokémon Legend?" Kaitlyn asked.

"To become a Pokémon Legend, you'd have to show almost inhuman levels of battle prowess or perform a feat that shows that you deserve the title of Pokémon Legend," the lady answered, smiling at Kaitlyn's shock.

Kaitlyn shook off her shock and smiled to herself. She now had a new goal in mind. Now it was time to actually start her journey.

"Thanks for the info!" Kaitlyn called to the lady as she practically ran out of the Pokémon Center.

Kaitlyn continued to run until she reached the outskirts of Sorcha where the city met Route 1. Route 1 was split into two sections: a paved road where normal civilians and travel on and a wild, untamed dirt road filled with wild Pokémon that trainers travel on. Excitement swelled up in Kaitlyn's chest like a balloon as she stepped foot onto the beaten dirt road. Kaitlyn grinned as she walked down the road. Her adventure had officially begun!

✧✧✧✧✧

A pale, dark haired man stood in the middle of a forest clearing. The grass he stood upon was dead and brown, and the same could be said about the surrounding trees. It was like the forest around him had rapidly decayed. Wild Pokémon cowered in fear in the shelter of the dead trees, staring warily both at the man and the Pokémon behind him. The Pokémon was bright red and black, it seemed to be a large bird but it had distinctly draconic features. Most unnerving of all was the dark aura that both the man and the Pokémon radiated.

"Fuck," the man cursed as three brave yet foolish Zizagoon began to approach him.

"If you value your fuckin' lives, don't come any closer," the man warned, "I'm extremely pissed right now."

The Zigzagoon did not heed his warning and leapt at him, snarling. The man's face twisted in pain and anguish as a wave of black energy blasted from his body and washed over the Zigzagoon. The tiny raccoon Pokémon crumbled into ashes before they could finish their leap.

"I warned you, damn fools. Even after so long, I still don't have complete control when I'm upset."

The man turned towards his companion, a sad smile tugging at his lips.

"Let's go, Bud, we need tell that damn sister of mine what we found out."