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~ Prologue ~
The Gorgeon was watching.
Athena’s forces were stationed around the dig site, awaiting the command to move in. Athena wanted this operation to run smoothly. In and out. No witnesses. She had come to Crest Island with the intent of liberating precious artifacts from incompetent bufoons. With luck, this heist could yield more than old pottery.
Athena gave the signal to move in. Most of her employees remained on the hill, keeping watch in case things got out of hand. Only she and the Gorgeon advanced.
The archeologists numbered to about twenty. A few were dusting away in the dig site. The majority sat on a makeshift bench having lunch. It was half past noon. The sun had passed its highest point, yet its rays still beat down on Athena’s neck. She wouldn’t be here long.
“Gentleman,” she said, greeting the archeoligists heartily.
A few of them looked up with startled expressions.
“And ladies,” Athena amended, “I’m sorry to interrupt your repast, but I will be taking over this site.”
It wasn’t a threat. It was a declaration.
“And who on Arceus’s great Earth gave you that authority?”
Athena smiled, fighting back the scowl that was desperately trying to creep its way onto her face.
“You misunderstand.”
She snapped her fingers and pointed to the man who had spoken out. There was a sigh from the Gorgeon. The tall serpentine Pokémon glided towards the archaeologist. With a pale blue hand, it brushed its coils of hair away from its face. There were several screams. The man who had spoken to Athena fell silent, his face pale and his body as rigid as stone. Within seconds, his entire body was encased in rock.
“I’ll say it again.”
Athena calmly pushed the petrified archeologist. His body fell onto the ground.
“I will be taking over this site. You can either point me to the artifacts…”
She snapped her fingers once more for emphasis.
“...or join them. Your choice.”
Two hours later...
Sky was about to snap. She had just rung up twelve Super Potions, eight Revives, and one Escape Rope. Now, the eleven year old at her register was throwing a tempertantrum over Poké Balls.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “We cannot sell Ultra Balls to trainers with less than five gym badges.”
“But why?”
Sky opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her mind was drawing a blank.
“Because the League wants to ensure the wild Pokémon population remains stable.”
Sky and the boy both turned to the man who had spoken. He had dull brown hair and wore grey rimmed glasses. His attire consisted of a blue polo shirt and an orange apron with the Poké Mart logo on the front, the same uniform Sky herself wore.
“Ultra Balls will allow you to catch almost any Pokémon,” the man continued, “but they don’t force the Pokémon to obey you. Without the badge regulation, any kid with enough pocket money could buy out our stock, deplete the wild population, and throw the environment into chaos.”
“Not to mention Pokémon can be strong willed,” Sky added. “If they don’t respect you, they won’t listen to you. Having gym badges is usually a sign that you worked hard and are capable of dealing with difficult Pokémon. If you go straight after wild Aggrons or Cidraigas, you could do considerable harm to yourself or the people around you.”
The boy grumbled, but decided to go with the plain red and white Poké Balls. Sky rang him up.
“You bought ten Poké Balls,” Sky said, handing him a paper bag. “You get one Premier Ball on the house.”
“Great.”
The boy snatched his bag and ran out the door. Sky let out a low sigh, and turned to the man behind standing next to her.
“Thanks, Guy.”
That was his name. Guy the Poké Mart Guy. Nobody bothered to use his last name. He was Sky’s manager.
“No problem,” he said. “We better get your till counted. Don’t want to miss your appointment.”
My appointment.
Sky still couldn’t believe it. She had read the letter at least a million times since it arrived. This morning, she tucked the envelope into her apron pocket, just to be certain it was real. She took it out and read it one last time.
Dear Sky,
The Professors Myrtle would like to congratulate you as you start your Pokémon Journey. The league reserves starter Pokémon for immigrants and promising young trainers between the ages of 10 and 16. Based on your essay, we believe you are qualified to receive one of these special Pokémon.
Please report to our laboratory by 3 p.m. to receive your starter. We hope that you and your Pokémon will grow and thrive in our beloved Mithos Region.
Wishing you the best,
Octavia and Troy
Sky clutched the letter to her chest. It was finally happening. She was going to receive her starter and become an actual Pokémon trainer.
Unless something goes wrong.
That nasty little voice inside of Sky’s head was going off. She had tried to take on the league before. Back when her parents first divorced, her mother had adopted a charming Skitty called Fritz. When her mother moved to Crest Island, Sky had waisted no time in signing up to challenge Thalassa’s Water-type Gym. It took some convincing, but she eventually persuaded her Mom to let her borrow Fritz. It took three tries, what with Fritz’s stubbornness and Sky’s confusion when it came to orders, but they managed to secure her first badge.
Unfortunately for Sky, she came home to find her mother crying on the living room floor. The next day, she was told her mother’s latest boyfriend had broken up with her and that she and her brother would be moving back to Chaplet Town to live with their father. Fritz would not be going with them.
Sky loved her Dad, but she found his opinion of Pokémon frustrating. He said that unless they could do chores and pull their weight, they were basically useless. He had grown up in a small neighborhood near Circlet Town where his parents kept Duckletts, Arcanines, Meowths, and several Purruglies. He said that once cat Pokémon got old, they became irritable and annoying. Arcanines shed terribly, and bird Pokémon were just plain messy. He had even kept a Bidoof as a pet once, and the only think he would say about it was that it made chewing noises during the night.
Sky had almost given up on being a Pokémon Trainer, until she heard that the league would be lowering its badge requirement to participate in the Labors Challenge. This was her big chance to prove her Dad wrong, about Pokémon and about herself.
She took off her work apron and handed it to Guy.
“Wish me luck.”
She grabbed her bag and her hat and walked out.
~ Prologue ~
The Gorgeon was watching.
Athena’s forces were stationed around the dig site, awaiting the command to move in. Athena wanted this operation to run smoothly. In and out. No witnesses. She had come to Crest Island with the intent of liberating precious artifacts from incompetent bufoons. With luck, this heist could yield more than old pottery.
Athena gave the signal to move in. Most of her employees remained on the hill, keeping watch in case things got out of hand. Only she and the Gorgeon advanced.
The archeologists numbered to about twenty. A few were dusting away in the dig site. The majority sat on a makeshift bench having lunch. It was half past noon. The sun had passed its highest point, yet its rays still beat down on Athena’s neck. She wouldn’t be here long.
“Gentleman,” she said, greeting the archeoligists heartily.
A few of them looked up with startled expressions.
“And ladies,” Athena amended, “I’m sorry to interrupt your repast, but I will be taking over this site.”
It wasn’t a threat. It was a declaration.
“And who on Arceus’s great Earth gave you that authority?”
Athena smiled, fighting back the scowl that was desperately trying to creep its way onto her face.
“You misunderstand.”
She snapped her fingers and pointed to the man who had spoken out. There was a sigh from the Gorgeon. The tall serpentine Pokémon glided towards the archaeologist. With a pale blue hand, it brushed its coils of hair away from its face. There were several screams. The man who had spoken to Athena fell silent, his face pale and his body as rigid as stone. Within seconds, his entire body was encased in rock.
“I’ll say it again.”
Athena calmly pushed the petrified archeologist. His body fell onto the ground.
“I will be taking over this site. You can either point me to the artifacts…”
She snapped her fingers once more for emphasis.
“...or join them. Your choice.”
Two hours later...
Sky was about to snap. She had just rung up twelve Super Potions, eight Revives, and one Escape Rope. Now, the eleven year old at her register was throwing a tempertantrum over Poké Balls.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “We cannot sell Ultra Balls to trainers with less than five gym badges.”
“But why?”
Sky opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her mind was drawing a blank.
“Because the League wants to ensure the wild Pokémon population remains stable.”
Sky and the boy both turned to the man who had spoken. He had dull brown hair and wore grey rimmed glasses. His attire consisted of a blue polo shirt and an orange apron with the Poké Mart logo on the front, the same uniform Sky herself wore.
“Ultra Balls will allow you to catch almost any Pokémon,” the man continued, “but they don’t force the Pokémon to obey you. Without the badge regulation, any kid with enough pocket money could buy out our stock, deplete the wild population, and throw the environment into chaos.”
“Not to mention Pokémon can be strong willed,” Sky added. “If they don’t respect you, they won’t listen to you. Having gym badges is usually a sign that you worked hard and are capable of dealing with difficult Pokémon. If you go straight after wild Aggrons or Cidraigas, you could do considerable harm to yourself or the people around you.”
The boy grumbled, but decided to go with the plain red and white Poké Balls. Sky rang him up.
“You bought ten Poké Balls,” Sky said, handing him a paper bag. “You get one Premier Ball on the house.”
“Great.”
The boy snatched his bag and ran out the door. Sky let out a low sigh, and turned to the man behind standing next to her.
“Thanks, Guy.”
That was his name. Guy the Poké Mart Guy. Nobody bothered to use his last name. He was Sky’s manager.
“No problem,” he said. “We better get your till counted. Don’t want to miss your appointment.”
My appointment.
Sky still couldn’t believe it. She had read the letter at least a million times since it arrived. This morning, she tucked the envelope into her apron pocket, just to be certain it was real. She took it out and read it one last time.
Dear Sky,
The Professors Myrtle would like to congratulate you as you start your Pokémon Journey. The league reserves starter Pokémon for immigrants and promising young trainers between the ages of 10 and 16. Based on your essay, we believe you are qualified to receive one of these special Pokémon.
Please report to our laboratory by 3 p.m. to receive your starter. We hope that you and your Pokémon will grow and thrive in our beloved Mithos Region.
Wishing you the best,
Octavia and Troy
Sky clutched the letter to her chest. It was finally happening. She was going to receive her starter and become an actual Pokémon trainer.
Unless something goes wrong.
That nasty little voice inside of Sky’s head was going off. She had tried to take on the league before. Back when her parents first divorced, her mother had adopted a charming Skitty called Fritz. When her mother moved to Crest Island, Sky had waisted no time in signing up to challenge Thalassa’s Water-type Gym. It took some convincing, but she eventually persuaded her Mom to let her borrow Fritz. It took three tries, what with Fritz’s stubbornness and Sky’s confusion when it came to orders, but they managed to secure her first badge.
Unfortunately for Sky, she came home to find her mother crying on the living room floor. The next day, she was told her mother’s latest boyfriend had broken up with her and that she and her brother would be moving back to Chaplet Town to live with their father. Fritz would not be going with them.
Sky loved her Dad, but she found his opinion of Pokémon frustrating. He said that unless they could do chores and pull their weight, they were basically useless. He had grown up in a small neighborhood near Circlet Town where his parents kept Duckletts, Arcanines, Meowths, and several Purruglies. He said that once cat Pokémon got old, they became irritable and annoying. Arcanines shed terribly, and bird Pokémon were just plain messy. He had even kept a Bidoof as a pet once, and the only think he would say about it was that it made chewing noises during the night.
Sky had almost given up on being a Pokémon Trainer, until she heard that the league would be lowering its badge requirement to participate in the Labors Challenge. This was her big chance to prove her Dad wrong, about Pokémon and about herself.
She took off her work apron and handed it to Guy.
“Wish me luck.”
She grabbed her bag and her hat and walked out.
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