Chapter 1: Pilot

In retrospect; it should have happened sooner. The events within the Paldean Region had been kept quiet for years, but, ultimately, they surfaced. The Pokemon League’s attempt to take responsibility for what happened did more harm than good. An international outcry followed and with it, investigations into other events that had taken place over the years. The Galar Crisis, The Aether Incident, The Kalos Attack, The Unova Insurrection, The Events in Sinnoh, The Hoenn Disaster, and the activities of Team Rocket. Soon sources mounted, first-hand accounts were revealed, and what was shaping to be a global conspiracy to cover up these world-shaking events began to circulate in the public eye. One fact arrested the public consciousness.

League Trainers-children-were at the center of all of them. Protests broke out over the danger that young people were exposed to in these crises. Press conferences were held and a vote was called to increase the minimum age and qualifications to enter the league and travel alone. Champion-ranked trainers from across the world staged a counter-protest. After years of service, reigning leaders within the Pokemon League were quietly pressed into retirement for their roles in encouraging this dangerous behavior. When the vote was held, Chairman Geeta of Paldea publicly acknowledged her own part in what had happened and urged those voting to reconsider by tendering her own resignation. It was refused by those present.

The vote happened anyway, the measure passed. A central authority was the second topic for the League. In a startling upset, Geeta was elected as Director and her position in her home country was taken by Chairwoman Nemona. The Pokemon League reformed itself under a new leadership and new charter. The uproar died down and the world returned to business as usual.

Years passed…

The roar of the helicopter's blades over her head made it hard to hear anything, even with the headset on. She glanced out the window and watched the eerily still ocean down below, crystal clear water teeming with life. A flash of movement caught her eye and she looked up, spotting a pair of Wingul soaring nearby, their wings pumping to keep up with the fast-moving aircraft. She looked down at her hands, rubbing her thumbs over one another and jerking once when the helicopter adjusted its trajectory a little. She hated flying but they’d insisted that it was the best way to get to their destination.

“Hanging in there, kid?” A voice came over the headset. She glanced up at the man sitting across from her, the upper half of his face hidden by a flight helmet. He was grinning and gesturing at her hands. “Nervous?”

“Just not a fan of flying,” She called back, “And my name’s Paula.”

She could hear his whistle over the headset, he crossed his arms over his flight suit and leaned back, giving her an appraising look. “With that kind of backbone you’re a shoo-in to make the cut. Kid.”

Paula looked away from him, peering out the opening again to try and see their destination. Her long, dark hair, streaked with red, fluttered around her face. She tugged on one of the colored strands, it was a popular look in Paldea these days. She was wearing her traveling clothes, fitted hiking shorts, tall boots, a pokeball-logo shirt, and a long sleeve jacket to go over it. She had a hat but she’d tucked it away in her Rotom storage when she’d climbed into the helicopter. It was the same ensemble she’d worn for her final exam. Years of study and work had amounted to this. Top of her class, student council president, she’d been showered with so many accolades she’d grown a little tired of it. 

That was until the offer came just after passing her licensing exam. Unexplored lands, new and unusual pokemon, excitement, and more. More importantly, along with all the other newly licensed trainers invited, she would just be another face in the crowd. Everyone else had left an impression strong enough to get them invited by the league. To top it all off, she would be getting her first partner in a matter of hours. Her foot tapped anxiously on the metal surface beneath her only to stop when she saw it.

The SS Baumsat was huge! Less a ship and more a floating city, it was a vast warped disk of gleaming metal and glass sitting in the middle of the teal-blue sea. Several other aircraft were approaching it from other directions, other trainers and personnel no doubt.

“Every time I see it, I can’t believe it. The world's biggest pokemon center and hospital,” The man said, “I hear there’s an entire nature preserve at the center. With all the glass.”

She squinted and leaned against the straps holding her in place. Trees! There were trees growing beneath the dome of glass at the center of the facility. “What the heck do they do here?”

“Didn’t get a briefing, huh?” The man asked with a laugh.

“Nope, I took the offer and got on the helicopter,” She said.

“Ballsy,” The man admitted, “The Baumsat is the home of Professors Maple and Champa. They travel all over the world doing humanitarian work. Professor Champa is the current Chief of the Pokemon Center Committee, their best doctor. Professor Maple is a doctor too, but he works on advanced medical technology. Apparently, he’s got something big prepared for you kids.”

The helicopter turned just a little more before starting to descend and slow down. Paula leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes, feeling the sensation through her entire body. The man laughed and she shot him a dirty look as the aircraft drew closer and closer. The final jerk of the helicopter touching down drew a squeak of surprise out of her and the man laughed even harder. “You sure you’re the same girl who-”

“Shut it and get me out of this thing,” She snapped, immediately going for the straps and struggling to get herself free. He hopped off his seat and pressed the button at the center of the clip holding the straps together, releasing her. She scowled at the contraption and got to her feet, her face red and a frown on her face, “Thanks.”

He rubbed the back of his helmet, “It’s okay to be nervous, you know.”

Paula shook her head, “Not for this,” she grumbled and made her way to the opening, looking down at the smooth white ground beneath her. Paint strips marked the spaces for helicopters to land. Across from her a helicopter’s blades were beginning to slow down, and a dark-haired young man her age stepped off and onto the surface below. He looked up and made eye contact, casting her a bright smile. The cap on his head screamed Galar and the studs in his ears screamed trouble. Even so, she returned the gesture with a tepid wave and turned at the first sign of movement out of the corner of her eye.

A woman with short, cropped, pink hair had come to a stop a good fifty feet away. She was framed by an enormous arch that contained a pair of huge sliding doors that lead inside the facility. She looked oddly familiar, with her blue eyes and a little-too-perfect smile. She wore a white blouse, white-gray fatigues, and heavy boots. She brandished an even wider smile in Paula’s direction before waving her over. Paula glanced back at the helicopter, her nerves getting the best of her. It suddenly seemed a lot safer up in the sky. The man in the helmet crouched in the opening and gave her a thumbs-up. “Knock ‘em dead, Kid!”

She puffed up her cheeks and turned away, marching in the direction of the woman. “I will!” She shouted back at him, tearing the headset off and chucking it back in his direction. “And my name is Paula!”

In a flash, the dark-haired boy was next to her, eyeing her with bright eyes. She glanced in his direction, “What?”

“Where you from? What’s your name? You excited? How was the helicopter ride? Did you see any pokemon? Do you know what we’re in for?” He peppered rapid-fire.

She sighed but decided on politeness at the very least, “Paldea, Paula, Yes, Long, Yes, No,” She clipped, keeping her pace a bit faster to try to lose him just a little. 

He hurried to catch up, counting on his fingers before laughing. “You’re quick! I like you! I’m Gregory! But when I become a champ I’m going to be called Glory!”

She squinted against the overwhelming radiance just washing off the boisterous guy and picked up her pace, coming to a stop in front of the pink-haired woman who had crossed her arms behind her back. She looked like a soldier but Paula really felt like there was something else familiar about her. She looked up at the woman and made eye contact, she had hard lines beneath her eyes framing her nose and a scar on her chin. The woman cracked a grin.

“Eager, huh? Good,” The woman said with a nod, “Name’s Jubilee.”

“You look like Nurse Joy!” Gregory practically barked next to Paula, startling her.

Jubilee snorted, “I should hope I look like my sisters,” She laughed.

Paula blinked and tilted her head to the side, squinting a little at Jubilee’s face. What the heck! She did look like Nurse Joy! Sisters? Well, she supposed she never asked exactly how they were all related, just that there were so damn many of them. She shook the spiraling thoughts off, she’d known this Gregory guy for a matter of seconds and his pace was already trying to trip her up. She cleared her throat and inclined her head, now was time for some answers, “Nice to meet you Miss… Joy? I’m Paula. I-”

Jubilee held up her hand, “No time for questions, I’m sure you’re very curious about what the League has in mind for you here but it’s not my place. And please, just call me Captain J if you have to be formal.”

A little crestfallen, Paula let out a breath and nodded, “Alright, lead the way.”

Next to her, Gregory was practically vibrating with excitement or suppressed questions, Paula wasn’t sure which and she really didn’t care. Jubilee glanced over Paula’s shoulder and waved once at the guy hanging out of Paula’s helicopter before turning around and walking toward the doors. As they drew close the doors began to slide open. Paula glanced up in wonder, the doors had to be almost fifty feet high. Why on earth would they need doors that big?

“The portal doors on every side of the Baumsat are forty feet high,” Jubilee began without preamble, “As are the hallways, forty feet by forty feet, this is to allow for high traffic and to move even the largest land-based pokemon through the hallways. We can transport three steelix side-by-side through the halls of the facility with room for personnel to pass by on the side.”

“What about larger water pokemon?” Paula asked, impressed.

“There’s a sub-surface dock and medical area for aquatic pokemon beneath the facility,” Jubilee said as they passed into the hall.

Dozens of men and women in medical team uniforms came and went through the halls, talking to one another and staying focused on their work. It was like a small city back home, it was so crowded. Gregory had fallen silent, staring around the space with his mouth wide open in shock. Occasionally an alarm would sound before dying down only for a group of people to come hurrying out of one of the doors in the hallway and race ahead of them before darting into another doorway. An emergency? Was a place this remote really that busy? Or were the people and pokemon being treated here really in that serious condition?

She looked up at Jubilee but the woman didn’t offer any explanation for the activity. Instead, she led them along the hallway to the same door the rushed crew had entered. She held up a security pass to the surface and the shiny white metal parted. Inside was a room lined with glossy platforms in rows. More notably, the team that had entered ahead of them was nowhere in sight. Paula blinked a few times before it clicked, “Silph Co. warp pads.”

“Nice!” Gregory shouted, “Never used one before, does it hurt?”

Paula groaned and Jubilee laughed, “No it doesn’t hurt but you might feel a little woozy the first time,” Jubilee said, “There are pad rooms scattered across the facility. Over here, we’re going through this one.”

She led them to a pad near the very rear of the room with a plaque over it indicating ‘Director’s Office’. She stepped back and gestured to the panel, “You two first, please.”

Gregory practically leaped onto the panel before Paula could so much as move. He landed on the glossy surface and blinked, looking at the two of them. “Nothing’s hap-” He vanished before he could complete his statement.

Paula sighed, “How did he get invited to this?” She grumbled, marching over to the panel and stepping onto it. 

“See you in a sec!” Jubilee said just before a rushing feeling overtook Paula, she felt herself get sucked into the air and an instant later she felt her entire body come to an abrupt stop. 

She was standing in the corner of a large waiting room with benches set out in rows. To her right, Gregory was crouching, his chin pressed against his chest, and taking deep breaths. Paula shook off the momentary queasiness before stepping off the panel herself. She crossed her arms and glanced in his direction, “You good?”

He raised his thumb in confirmation but didn’t say anything for a moment. He took another deep breath and threw his arms into the air, letting out a whoop, “That was awesome!”

Paula’s expression thinned but she had to admit, it was pretty cool. She hadn’t used one of those in a long time. She rubbed her nose and glanced back at it. Seconds passed and finally, Jubilee stepped out of a rush of light and color, completely unfazed by the instantaneous travel. She raised an eyebrow at Gregory who was rambling on about how absolutely completely awesome the warp panels were and then at Paula who shook her head and shrugged. Jubilee laughed and nodded toward the far side of the waiting room where a pair of large heavy wooden doors waited for them. They looked out of place in this bastion of modernity.

Jubilee took a few strides past them and stepped into the middle of the waiting room. She put her hands on her hips and raised her head a bit, “Now for the official stuff. I need your League Identification Cards.”

Paula reached into her coat pocket and pulled out hers, it was tucked into a folding wallet. She passed the whole thing over to Jubilee. Gregory had to scramble for a moment before remembering he kept it loose in his pocket. He handed it over to Jubilee and looked them both over. “Paula, Sixteen, Paldea Region native. Gregory, Sixteen, Galar Region native. Your identities have been confirmed. Welcome to the Baumsat. You are the final invitees to this Official Pokemon League endeavor. Please proceed into the room behind me for the next phase.”

Gregory started to hustle forward but Jubilee didn’t make a single hint at movement. Paula glanced at her, “You’re not coming?”

“You’re on your own past this point,” She said, “The interview isn’t difficult, just make sure to take it seriously.”

“Interview?” Paula gasped, “No one said there was going to be an interview!” She hadn’t prepared any responses to common questions. What about her outfit? She was hardly dressed for that kind of thing!

Jubilee laughed, “Of course not. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Go on in.”

Not convinced, Paula let out an aggrieved sigh and trudged past her, falling into step with Gregory who was bouncing on his heels in front of the door. She moved past him and reached for the doors only for Gregory to grab her by the shoulder. She spun on him and he shook his head, a twinkle coming to his eye. “You can’t go in like that! This is the big time! Hold that head high, right?”

She pursed her lips and sighed, he was right. Dragging herself soberly into an interview wasn’t a good idea. She took a deep breath and straightened her back, forcing a small smile. He shot her an exaggerated thumbs up and hurried over to the other door, grabbing the handle and pushing the doors open with her. 

They stepped into one of the most comfortable offices Paula had ever seen. No lab equipment, no gadgets, no intense lighting. Instead, it looked more like a lounge than anything. Portraits and photographs hung all over the walls while trophies and artifacts were set on every possible surface. A single couch was set off to the side in front of a small pit where a Quilava was sleeping peacefully. Ahead of her was a wide desk and in front of that desk was a woman in a lab coat. 

The woman had an almost gloomy look about her. Dark lipstick and piercings on her ears were framed by fire-engine red hair. She wore dark clothing beneath the lab coat and what looked like fishnet sleeves that stretched up to her thumbs. Her high heels were crossed beneath her as she leaned against the desk, her arms crossed. The woman pushed off the desk and brandished an almost wicked smile, “You must be Paula and Gregory, I’m Professor Champa.”

Paula swallowed and nodded, “Y-yes ma’am.”

“Darn right!” Gregory barked.

A bit of movement to Professor Champa’s left caught Paula’s attention and she glanced over to lock with the most intense pair of blue eyes she’d ever seen in her life. Attached to them was a furrowed brow beneath a shock of paper-white hair. The man was probably in his fifties by the look of his face. His arms said otherwise though, powerful muscles bulged beneath his lab coat, and his knuckles tensed with hidden strength. He got to his feet, stepping up out of the chair he had been sitting in, and brought a shovel-sized hand up to his chin to stroke his thick white beard. He shoved a hand into one of his labcoat pockets, not fast enough to hide the ring on his finger. He stepped around the desk to stand next to Champa.

“And this is Professor Maple,” Champa said before glancing in his direction, frowning, and elbowing him in the arm. “Say something, dear, you’re scaring them.”

He blinked, coughed, and cleared his throat, his voice was deep enough to make Paula’s bones shake a little bit. He should be narrating films. “Ah, yes, sorry! Was just trying to place- right! Yes, now I recognize you, boy!” He barked out a laugh and slammed his fist into his palm. “How’s your uncle doing, son? I haven’t seen him in ages!”

Paula whipped her head in Gregory’s direction, Gregory gave her a sidelong glance and scratched his nose. “Aha, uh, no idea what you’re talking about. Uncle, who?”

“Martin,” Champa chastised Maple.

Professor Maple blinked and frowned, then as if a sudden realization dawned on him he slapped his fist into his palm again, “I have no idea who you are! Apologies!”

Champa pressed her palm to her face and let out a sigh, “Right. Let’s try this again,” She let out a breath, “I’m sure the two of you are very curious as to what the details of this project are and why we invited you here instead of starting your journeys like normal trainers with the league. Professor Maple?”

Maple cleared his throat and put both hands into his pockets. For a moment his coat fluttered and Paula spotted something strapped to his thigh. Was that a knife? She looked up from the deadly implement and focused on the Professors. “You are now standing on the SS Baumsat. As for where we are located, we are in the Still Sea, the vast waters outside of the Roelle Region!”

“Roelle Region?” Gregory scratched his head, “Never heard of it.”

“That’s perfectly normal,” Champa said with a nod, “The Roelle Region is not a part of the international community.”

“Not yet!” Maple added, “You see, in order to join the international community, certain goals and metrics must be met. Population, Economic Stability, Humanitarian Rules, and so on. The Roelle region has met nearly all of the qualifications to complete their petition for membership.”

He paused and raised a finger, “Now, can either of you tell me an important requirement that I did not mention? One that might be relevant to you two?”

Paula glanced at Gregory who was scratching his head, “Got my head full of wooloo, honestly, Professor. Didn’t know much about those rules to be honest.”

Paula winced and cleared her throat, thinking back to her civics classes at the Academy, “There are two, actually, Professor.”

Maple’s right eye widened and he leaned forward, “Do tell!”

“A Pokemon League presence, whether it be in the form of licensed trainers or a full league,” Paula began, holding up one finger. The professor nodded eagerly, waiting for her to continue. She held up the second finger, “And a comprehensive Regional Pokedex.”

“Correct!” Professor Maple cheered, “Aha! Finally, someone got both!”

“Well done,” Professor Champa chimed in, “Yes, those are two additional requirements along with the litany of others. Roelle currently has a moderate league presence, there are official trainers in the region right now helping develop the infrastructure for a future full league. However, their presence is not intended to assist in the cataloging of the local pokemon.”

“In short, Roelle has one step left before it can really stand up and join the rest of the world, a Regional Pokedex! That is where you and the others who have been invited come in!” Maple barked, “You are going to be tasked with the creation of a Regional Pokedex for Roelle. While you’re at it, you’ll also be given the opportunity to stress-test the regional league and its gym leaders.”

“Wait,” Gregory said, holding up his hands, “This is a brand-new league, yeah?”

“That is correct,” Champa confirmed.

“So Roelle doesn’t have a champion?” He pressed.

“It goes without saying, yes.”

He threw his hands up into the air with a whoop, “Yes! This is so exciting! A chance at being the region's first champion! Paula isn’t that awesome? We could make history here!”

You are reading story Pokemon: Roelle at novel35.com

Paula felt a chill work its way up her spine, “Is he right? Is that a possibility?”

Champa and Maple looked at one another, Maple cracked a wide smile, “I daresay that’s the idea, yes,” He chortled.

“I’m in,” Paula clipped. “What do I have to do?”

Gregory whipped his head towards her, “You’re aiming for champion too?”

Paula huffed, “Of course I am, I won’t settle for anything less.”

Gregory stomped his feet in barely suppressed delight, “Then you and I are rivals!”

Paula blinked at him, “I wouldn’t go that far-”

“We gotta be! As new trainers our eyes met, our goals are the same, and we’re here at the same time, it's fate!” Gregory laughed, “A rival! This is huge!”

Paula sighed and scratched her head, “Yeah, sure, whatever.”

Champa and Maple looked at one another again and smiled, Maple took a few steps forward and stood between the two new trainers. Paula looked up at him, he was huge! He looked into her eyes for a moment and for a heartbeat it felt like he was looking so deep he could see her very soul. He turned and looked down at Gregory next before letting out a breath and nodding. “Very good, you two pass. Jubilee will take you to the main hall where I will explain the final details as well as how you will acquire your first partner.”

Paula blinked, “Wait, that’s it?”

He nodded, “That’s it. I just wanted to see the two of you for myself.”

“Good luck to the both of you,” Champa said with a smile before raising her voice, “Jubilee!”

The door opened behind the pair and Jubilee poked her head in, “Yeah, mom?” She paused and quickly corrected herself, “Err… Yes, Professor?”

Champa raised an amused eyebrow and gestured to Paula and Gregory, “They pass, take them downstairs with the others. Let everyone know the briefing will start shortly.”

Jubilee beamed at the two of them, “I knew you had the stuff, I’m on it! Come on you guys, your wait’s almost over!”

Paula’s head was spinning, it was all happening so fast. That was it? This was such a serious project and the interview had been nothing more than a few smiles and a short briefing. She scratched her head, trying to wrap her head around it while Gregory cheerily darted past her to join Jubilee at the door. She sighed, she’d been so shocked by how things had played out she hadn’t even picked up on the small slip Jubilee made. Instead, she turned her attention to her surroundings, taking in what details she could as she made her way out of the room. The only thing that caught her eye was an old photograph of what looked like a much younger Professor Maple, white hair and all, with his big arm slung around the shoulder of a tan man in a lab coat holding a diploma in one hand and the biggest, gaudiest belt she’d ever seen in the other.

“Paula? You good?” Jubilee asked.

Paula lingered on the picture before clearing her throat and nodding, “R-right, yeah I’m coming!”

She hurried out the door and fell into step with Jubilee on the left, Gregory threw his arms up behind his head and stretched a little over to the right. “So that was your mom, huh?”

Jubilee scratched the back of her head, “Heard that, huh? Yeah.”

Paula on the other hand was lost in thought, they hadn’t been given any details about how selecting their starters would proceed or what the Roelle region was even like. She figured that was being held off for the meeting in the main hall, but they could have at least told them a little bit more. Even so, the prospects that were on the table were way too enticing to not try to snatch up. The last new League to be created was the Alola league and that was years ago! This was once in a lifetime. She couldn’t screw this up.

“Gonna burn a hole in the ground you keep frownin’ like that,” Gregory quipped.

Paula rounded on him, “How can you be so relaxed? Do you have any idea how important this is? The League is putting something huge on our shoulders and we still know next to nothing! What did you even do to get invited to this thing?”

Gregory clasped his hands behind his head and shrugged, “I figure we’ll know when we need to know. Besides, I don’t panic over something I can’t control. Just work through it, yeah?” He laughed, “As for how I got here, that’s my business. Just like you.”

She froze and lowered her hand, was he just playing dumb? “I…” She closed her eyes and took a deep, centering breath, “Okay, yes, you’re right, I’m sorry for coming at you like that.”

“No worries, we all got our own thing going on,” He said with a shrug, “Ain’t that right Cap’n J?”

Jubilee had made her way to the warp pad and stopped next to it, she smiled at the two of them and gave Paula a knowing look before jerking her head over to the pad. “You’ll get all the answers you need pretty soon, let’s get going.”

They took the first pad, returning to the pad room before crossing the room and stepping onto a second warp pad with a plaque marked by “Main Hall”. Paula stepped off the panel into a huge, domed room, filled with at least a hundred other people her age. They were all scattered about, some sitting or standing alone while others had clustered into small groups, talking among themselves. A few looked her way only to return to what they were doing a moment later.

Gregory came through next, stepping off and crouching with his head between his legs and taking a few deep breaths. When he’d managed to shake it off he stood up, throwing his arms up and drawing in a breath to do another one of his obnoxious shouts. He paused, his eyes scanning the room, and she followed his gaze until it landed on a group wearing what looked like Galarian trainer jerseys. He lowered his arms, “Yeah, maybe not here.”

Before Paula could comment, Jubilee followed them through and cleared her throat. “Take a load off a minute while the Professor finishes getting ready, there are drink and snack machines over there,” She said, pointing off to the right where a line of machines were standing.

Paula turned and inclined her head, “Thanks for showing us around, Captain.”

Jubilee raised a hand and waved it off, “Good luck kids, rooting for ya,” She chirped and took a step backward, vanishing into a faint flash of light.

Next to Paula, Gregory stretched his back and looked up at the ceiling, “Welp, I’m parched. Want a drink?”

Paula glanced at him and then back at the scattered cliques, a group of youths from Paldea were laughing about something. She frowned and scratched the back of her neck, “Yeah, that sounds good actually.”

He froze and glanced back at her, surprised. “Really?”

She frowned at him, “It’s just a soda.”

Gregory grinned and strode over to the machines with her, moments later she was downing a caramel-flavored fizzy drink and leaning against the glowing machine. He was crouched on the ground, staring out into space. She noted the pile of folding tables off to the side, this was probably some kind of break room usually. Or maybe a conference room, given that there was a stage at the far end. “So what’s up with you and your homeland? Not a fan?”

“Mm?” Gregory looked up at her and raised an eyebrow, “Me? Nah, I like Galar a lot.”

“Why don’t you join the others, then?” She asked.

“Could ask you the same,” He shot back.

She shrugged, “I asked you first.”

He laughed, “I just,” He paused, “I don’t want to get caught up in all that us versus them stuff. To me, it’s not about where you come from, yeah?”

She went quiet for a moment and sipped at her drink. She glanced down at him while he was peering into his bottle, trying to see if there were any drops left probably. She sniffed and sipped again, “I’m sorry, you know, about earlier. I was pretty cold.”

He looked up at her and blinked, then grinned one of his goofy grins, “No biggie, you looked pretty frazzled after the helicopter. Don’t like flying?”

“Giant, noisy, explosive, deathtrap,” She grumbled, tugging on one of her colored strands. She watched the Galar group start showing off their league card collection to each other and polished off her drink. “I prefer to be as close to the surface as possible, thanks.”

“So you wouldn’t mind a corviknight taxi?” He asked, chuckling.

She turned to him, “That’s even worse! What if it gets tired? You also gotta worry about Tinkaton where I’m from. They’ll knock a corviknight right out of the sky!”

He cringed, “I’ve heard of those. Never seen one before.”

“They look cute, but they’re mean,” Paula said, throwing her trash in the receptacle. As she did the lights began to dim and faint music began to play. It was just enough to draw everyone’s attention. The gathered freshly-licensed trainers all turned towards the stage where a screen was beginning to come down from overhead. A moment later, the professor stepped out onto the stage to a round of applause. 

He held up his hands to quiet everyone down, “None of that please! Thank you! Aha ha!” He chortled. “Let’s get to business!”

Silence followed and he cleared his throat, slipping a hand into his pocket and pulling out a small device. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Roelle region! You’ve all been briefed on the implications of your visit so I won’t waste your time,” He began as the screen lit up behind him. Soon an image of an enormous island chain took shape. There was one very large island at the head of the chain with a dense series of small islands tailing it, almost like a comet. Paula glanced at the measuring line at the corner of the screen. Her eyes widened, the largest island had to be as big as Paldea!

“This, is Roelle! As you can see, the region is made of numerous islands. We are here,” He gestured with the remote and the screen zoomed in on the very end of the ‘comet tail’, a red dot was positioned not far from one of the larger tail islands. “We are about fifty miles south of Oracay Island. That island is the main port of entry for outsiders like ourselves and is home to Nagua City. You will be entering the region through the Nagua City Port.”

He flicked his wrist and the screen zoomed out again, “Roelle is home to numerous small islands, many of them are completely unexplored. There is a reason for this. In the distant past, a tremendous ecological disaster took place, centered on the main island. This fundamentally altered the region long before the arrival of the first human settlers. Each island was affected differently and as a result, each island has its own unique and sometimes hazardous climate.”

A young woman raised her hand amidst the crowd.

“Yes, young lady?” He barked, pointing at her.

“What about the main island? How was it affected? Are there any settlements there?” She asked.

“From afar, all we have been able to see is a consistently calm climate on the island,” Professor Maple explained, “Unfortunately, there is something protecting the island from further investigation or settlement. We have attempted to approach by air and by teleportation via pokemon. Both have resulted in collisions with an impassable and invisible protective barrier extending out about a mile from the coast. As for approaching by sea,” He cleared his throat, “You may have noticed the unusually calm waters near here.”

He paused for dramatic effect, “The uniquely tame waters in this region coupled with the extensive depths and warm temperatures make it a breeding ground for wild aquatic pokemon. These pokemon fiercely protect their territory, making sea travel nearly impossible.”

A hushed murmur fell over those gathered. He held up his hands, “There are safe ways to travel between the islands up to a point, however, you will find that you may have to make your own way as you travel deeper into the region. Fortunately, during our visits, we have noted numerous species of large bird pokemon in the region.”

Paula swallowed, this wasn’t going to be easy. Extreme climates, dangerous waters, unknown species of pokemon. It was no wonder that they were only allowing those people who had made an impression on the league during their exam to participate. She clenched her fists, it was so damn exciting. She glanced at Gregory who was practically trembling with excitement. She looked back up at the Professor who was waiting patiently for everyone to settle again.

“The Roelle Region is steeped in culture and tradition, I will expect all of you to be respectful of the uniqueness of the region while you are there,” He said and cleared his throat, “Now, on to your starting pokemon.”

Electricity ran through the room as everyone grew even more attentive than before. The Professor grinned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a pokeball. It opened of its own accord and in a flash of light, an Alakazam took shape on the stage next to him. The Alakazam eyed the crowd for a moment before stepping back to stand at its trainer’s side. The Professor slipped his hands into his pocket. “As you all know, this facility is a reserve and recovery home for pokemon across the world. Wild pokemon are treated here and rehabilitated before being returned to the wild.”

He scanned the room, “Most pokemon complete rehabilitation and are returned safely. Some, unfortunately, are designated as unable to return to their habitats for whatever reason. They are still at the peak of health but may have, in some cases, adapted to the rehabilitation center.”

He cleared his throat, “In the reserve area there are many pokemon with this designation that have been tagged with shining tags. You will enter the reserve area and over the course of forty-eight hours you will attempt to capture one of these pokemon with the use of a special pokeball that will be provided to you,” He pulled a standard red-and-white pokeball out of his pocket, on the surface of the ball was the seal of the Pokemon Center. “You will be provided a number of these balls. Once you have captured one you can continue to attempt to catch pokemon, however, you will have to release all but one when the time is up.”

“As for the other pokemon in the area,” He went on, “You will not under any circumstances attempt to capture or harass a pokemon without a shining tag.”

A boy raised his hand this time.

“Yes, young man?”

“What if we accidentally catch one? I mean, it might be hard to see. Besides, these are all wild pokemon, right? Won’t they just react to us on sight?” The guy asked, a bit of a laugh in his tone.

The Professor’s face went stony and his voice dropped dangerously, he snapped his finger and the Alakazam behind him glowed faintly. A moment later Paula felt something pop into existence next to her. She jumped and turned with a gasp, An Abra was floating in the air to her left. It stared at her curiously, its creepy little fingers twitching now and then. She looked over at Gregory who was having the same sort of interaction.

“Each and every one of you has been assigned an Abra. This Abra is telepathically connected to my Alakazam,” The professor growled, “If you fail the survival portion of this test and are injured or under the threat of immediate, serious harm, it will teleport you out and you will be disqualified from this project. If it reports back any inappropriate behavior towards the pokemon in rehabilitation. It will teleport you out, I will walk you out of this facility, and personally sign the request to have your license revoked,” He ground out, “Is that absolutely clear, young man?”

“C-crystal s-sir,” The boy replied, shrinking back into the crowd.

The Professor took a breath, “The glass above the reserve is special, it produces a light similar to the ones used in the emergency rooms at pokemon centers. It has a calming effect that reduces anxiety and eases predatorial instinct. Unless you intentionally antagonize these pokemon, they will not respond in kind to your presence,” He explained.

“What if we don’t catch any pokemon?” A girl called, throwing up her hand a second later.

“Then you will be disqualified from participation in the project,” The professor said a little sharply. “Put bluntly, if you cannot handle forty-eight hours of wilderness survival, cannot treat the local pokemon with respect, and cannot catch a pokemon on your own. You should not be here.”

Paula’s heart was pounding, now this was a test. Not like the paper exams and battle simulations back at home. This was the real thing. Unforgiving. She couldn’t suppress the smile that crossed her face.

“Are there any other questions?” The Professor asked.

Paula’s hand shot up before she could even stop herself.

“Yes, in the back!” The Professor called.

She lowered her hand, “When do we start?”

The Professor raised an eyebrow and scanned the room, he chortled out a laugh. “Now,” He barked and snapped his fingers. The abra to her left latched onto her arm. The next thing she knew, she was being sucked into the air before vanishing into a collective flash of light that filled the room.

 

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