The sun rose outside, shining brightly in the lightening sky. The sun beams tried to peek through the window of a tall, sky blue victorian house, but the blinds were closed in the upper room. Akira was subconciously thankful for this, six-thirty in the morning was no time for a normal person to be awake. Just then, the still silence was shattered by a loud ramming on her door.
"GET UP!! RISE AND SHINE!!" an off-tone, musical voice filtered through the slighlty open doorway.
"Come off it mum, its only six-" Akira blinked for a moment, then turned to look at her clock, "Yeah, six-thirty. I have to be at the lab at seven, I have twenty five more minutes of sleep," she pulled the covers over her head.
The covers were promptly pulled off by a thin, aging woman in her lower fourties who had a little too much eye shadow and dark red lipstick complementing her short, dark blue hair. There was another yell of 'UP!' before she left the room, tossing the comforter to the floor. Shivering slightly, Akira stood and changed into her clothes for the day, brushed her hair, washed her face, etc. She was downstairs in enough time for a couple slices of toast, she grabbed a breakfast bar on her way out the door. Just as she saw the lab up ahead, she noticed a certain impatient professor standing outside, looking around for something. Or someone... Akira thought, smiling sheepishly as she approached the middle aged, brown haired woman.
"You're three point five minutes late Miss Doujinshi," the woman mused, dusting her white lab coat off as they walked inside.
"I'm sorry professor, my alarm clock-" Akira began, but she was cut off with a wave of Jessica's hand.
"Its alright, I forgive you," she smiled, adjusting the thin, black rimmed glasses on her nose, "Now then, here is the starter you chose the other day," she handed Akira a pokeball, and through the semi-clear red top you could see a Torchic sleeping peacefully, "As for the search for the Diamond Pokeball, my suggestion is that you begin your search in New Bark Town... travel around, ask each gym leader you defeat for information on the ball. I'm sure they're holding out on something," she looked over at Akira, who was crestfallen.
"I was hoping it would be in Hoenn, I'd much rather be a Coordinator than a Trainer, but there are no contests in Johto..." she sighed, "But I'll go anyway," she replied reluctantly.
"Good, good. Here, your father asked me to give you this for the trip," Jessica handed Akira another pokeball, inside was an Xatu, staring blankly up at her, "You can fly on her to Johto, he says. Once you get to New Bark Town your father will be awaiting Nakoko's return. I wish you the best of luck," the professor smiled as Akira walked out the door.
"Alright..." she tossed the ball up into the air, releasing Torchic, "Hi there, I'm Akira. You're okay with traveling with me, right?" she questioned, the small bird seemed to nod enthusiastically, "Good. Now, howsabout a name, huh?" she scanned the male Torchic, "... Brian?" the bird nodded again, "Sweet, alright, how'd you like to go for a flight on Nakoko?"
The orange fire bird seemed confused, and backed up a step in surprise when Akira released her father's beloved Xatu. Placing Brian on her shoulder and the pokeball in her bookbag, she directed Nakoko in the direction of New Bark Town, hoping that they wouldn't be blown off course. The psychic bird lifted off, Akira holding to its back tightly.
