The sparkling, glorious blue sea stretched out beneath the plane I was in, splashing against itself in small waves reflecting the bright blue sky illuminated by the sun poking out shyly behind glowing white clouds.

June was next to me, leaning close and gazing out the window.

Several clouds blocked my view on occasion for a few seconds before my continuous view of fresh waters proceeded. I leaned back against my seat and sighed, staring at the ceiling of the plane, my mind crowded with worrisome thoughts. I quickly stood up and glanced around, spotting several passengers in their seats eating lunch and having conversations with each other.

A few of them turned to me and stared back, a few of them smiling, others giving me blank glances.

A couple of stewards were chatting together, laughing in a corner.

I sat back down and let out a weary sigh.

“Where do you think that thing is?” June asked cautiously.

I didn’t like her tone. “Don’t speak about it like that!” I said sharply. “I’m really worried. Porygon-Z hasn’t shown up yet, and I have no clue as to where it went.”

“I hope it’s okay,” June said in a quieter tone. “I just... wish I knew where it was right now.” She glanced around quickly, her eyes wide with fear.

“Will you get over your stupid fear?” I said angrily. Noticing that it was getting quieter on the plane from my loud voice, I spoke my next words in a calmer tone. “I’m not in the mood for your stupidity.”

“It’s not stupid!” June cried. “That thing is damn well terrifying to me, okay? You don’t like Bugs, and I don’t like that Porygon-Z!”

“Okay, okay,” I whispered, staring into her eyes, knowing that everyone was paying attention to us now. “I’m just a little freaked out.” I leaned back against my seat, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t want that thing running loose on the plane. Who knows what it could do?” I could feel June’s stare on me, but I didn’t turn to her.

“Round Crossways, Flight 646, is now preparing for landing,” a man’s voice, clear and smooth, came out through the speakers of the plane. “Passengers are required to stay seated and buckle their seatbelts as the plane prepares to land. We hope you enjoyed your time with Round Crossways and hope you’ll be flying with us again.”

I turned to June, worry in my eyes.

She glanced back, a concerned look in her eyes.

I wanted to say something, but I knew she knew what I was thinking.

She glanced around again, swallowing, and then turned back to me.

My eyes shut tight as I cried out in pain and grabbed my head as it split down the middle, the plane shaking roughly, my ears popping continuously.

*

“PORYGON-Z!!!” My hands cupped around my mouth as I called for my Pokemon. “PORYGON-Z!!!!”

June was close by me, looking around the inside of the airport with me.

“PORYGON-ZEEEEEEEEE!!!!!” I yelled as loud as I could.

June and I had been searching the airport for my Pokemon for almost an hour after leaving the plane after our nearly eight hour flight had ended and after my head had stopped feeling like an axe had its way with it. Our search turned up no results.

Where did it go? I wondered, scared. Where is my Pokemon? My Porygon-Z! Where?

June hadn’t called out my Pokemon’s name once, and I didn’t ask her to do so. If she wasn’t going to really make an effort to assist in the search, then fine.

I wasn’t in the mood to argue with her over her ridiculous fear of my Pokemon. I just let her look for it in silence while I continued to scream as loud as I could, people looking at us curiously. Why is this happening? Why is my Porygon-Z missing? Where did it go? I remembered the cry I had heard before being blinded by the flash of light, and the fact that the cry sounded exactly like Porygon-Z’s. Porygon-Z definitely was the cause of the flash and the reason why June and I had been able to get on the plane to Unova. But after that, where did my friend go? “PORYGON-Z!!!” I bellowed. A tap on my shoulder made me leap and turn around, my heart pounding in surprise.

“Excuse me, kid.” A security officer in a black uniform was glaring down at me. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes!” I nodded. “I’ve lost my Pokemon. My Porygon-Z! I can’t find it!”

“I see,” he replied, his stare softening. “Well, we can assist you in finding it, but you can’t run around here screaming at the top of your lungs like that.”

“We’re sorry, sir,” June apologized beside me.

He smiled and nodded. “Not to worry. We can check the security cameras to find your Pokemon. Where did you have the Pokemon last?”

I opened my mouth, but froze on my answer, realizing that I couldn’t answer him honestly. The truth would be that I last saw it in the airport at Kanto. If those cameras were checked, it might reveal that my Porygon-Z had hacked the computer system. I swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. My mouth opened again, but I just stared at the man stupidly.

He waved his hand in my face, causing me to blink. “Hey! You alright?”

I nodded quickly. “I am! I’m… sorry.” My eyes lowered to the floor.

“Do you remember where you last saw your Pokemon?” he asked again.

I shook my head. “No,” I murmured.

“Well, what flight did you just come off of? We can check the cameras based on that,” he offered.

I shook my head hard, looking up again. “No. I…” My body started to shake as I tried to find a way out of this conversation. “I’m really sorry. I think I know where it went to. I’m sorry for causing such a raucous. We’ll be okay. Please, excuse us, sir.”

I turned away from the security officer and walked away quickly.

“Hold on!” the man called out. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’ve wasted your time!” I said loudly, not turning back to him. “Everything’s fine! I left it in cargo!” I picked up my pace, hearing footsteps following behind me.

June and I walked silently together as I tried to find the way out of the airport. It seemed like we spent an hour pushing through crowds of people, walking by little stores, and taking escalators both up and down, repeatedly. The entire time, I was holding back tears. Finally, I saw the enormous glass doors leading outside, crowds of people coming in and out of the building through the same doors that stood between sets of tall windows on either side of it where walls would be, stretching along the building. I moved even quicker, and in another few minutes, I had pushed through crowds to finally get through the doors and was finally standing outside. I now saw that there were many buildings that made up this airport other that the one I had exited, hundreds of people coming in and out of every area possible. The sun shined brightly above as the morning sun’s heat surrounded me. My back pressed against the window as I slid down to the ground and closed my eyes. I rested my head on my knees, wrapping my arms around them, and remained still. I didn’t cry, but I felt distraught. Defeated. Devastated. My Pokemon was missing after its help getting us into Unova. Why? Where did it go? I could sense June sit down next to me and my eyebrows furrowed in anger as thoughts swirled around in my head.

“Gary, I know I’m not fond of Porygon-Z, but I really am concerned about where it is,” June said with the tone of sincerity. “I want to find it.”

I only had one answer in my mind for why Porygon-Z was missing. It was one that I didn’t want to accept, but it was the only answer I had at this point. But Porygon-Z would never just run away from me, no matter how stupid it acted, I thought strongly. Suddenly, I recalled when I had first sent out my Porygon-Z to introduce it to my team. It had run off and unintentionally scared a lady when it was trying to be friendly to her. Was it somewhere right now, scaring somebody by accident? How would I ever find it in this huge place? Why wasn’t it on the plane? Was it still in Kanto?

June’s hand landed on my shoulder and rubbed it gently.

I shrugged it off with an angry grunt and stayed in my sad position. I had run away to Unova with June and five of her Pokemon, and ended up losing the only two Pokemon I had. Porygon-Z… I thought sadly, my eyes watering now. I hugged my knees even tighter and pressed my eyes against them until it hurt, but I didn’t relieve myself of the pain. Charizard…

“You two kids alright?” a voice asked.

I halted my tears and rubbed my eyes swiftly as I sniffled before looking up at a young man with a dark blonde color to his hair, hazel eyes with concern within them, and a warm smile.

He wore baggy brown pants and a brown vest over a black, long sleeved shirt, his feet in black boots that reached over his pants and stopped above his ankles.

An Eevee sat on his right shoulder.

I squinted at the unfamiliar young man.

June didn’t say a word, staring at the guy.

“Sorry if I’m intruding in on a bad moment,” the man said, his smile vanishing. “I just noticed you two kids seemed rather down and thought I’d see if you were okay. I just dropped my wife off here. She’s exploring the Johto region for her boss.”

The Eevee cried out happily and smiled down at June and I.

I looked down. “We’re fine,” I said shortly.

“Yeah,” June quickly agreed. “That’s a beautiful Eevee you have there.”

“Thank you very much,” the man replied happily.

“I own an Eevee, too!” June said, her voice getting more excited. “She’s so special to me!”

“That’s really great! I own most of his evolutions, as well. I’ve raised all the known evolutions at some point in my life, though a couple of my friends have passed on. This here Eevee is the newest one that hatched about one month ago. Who knows what he’ll evolve into!”

“I’m sorry to hear about your other Pokemon, but it is nice that you have this new little cutie! I want to evolve my Eevee someday, too!”

“Oh? Into what?”

June giggled. “That’s a little secret of mine!”

The man laughed in a gentle voice. “Well, that’s fair enough for me. If you don’t mind me asking, what are you two kids doing here?” He had been staring at June, but suddenly whipped his head to me, his smile fading slightly.

June didn’t speak.

The man looked back and forth between us, and his smile broadened. “Well, no need to tell me if you don’t want to,” he said with a small chuckle. “I’ll be on my way, then.”

“Wait!” June jumped up as the guy turned his back to us, making him stop. “To be honest, we’re kind of… visiting the Unova region, but we don’t know where to go from here!”

The guy turned around, still smiling. “Is that so? Well, Unova is pretty big. There’s so much to see! Where are you guys coming from?”

“The Kanto region,” June told him.

“Ah, Kanto,” the man sighed, maintaining his warm smile. “What a beautiful area. I’ve been there only a couple of times, the last time being a few years ago, but I’d like to go back sometime soon. Unova is quite a different atmosphere, but very easy to love. Since you have Pokemon, perhaps the best place for you to start your tour is by speaking to the expert on Pokemon in this region; Professor Juniper!”

“Professor...” June started, her eyes wide and ready to pop. “Juniper...?” June ended.

“That’s right. Professor Juniper. That’s who my wife works for. Why not-?”

“PROFESSOR JUNIPERRRR!!!!! OH MY GOOOOOSH!!!!!” June shrieked. “WE’RE IN THE UNOVA REGION!!!!!!”

I stared at June in shock, confused by her sudden outburst.

“Um…” the man said. “Why, yes. You are indeed in Unova.” He gave a light chuckle.

“I just realized this is the region of the amazing, astounding, fantastic, mind blowing Prof. Juniperrr!!!” June waved her arms frantically.

“Prof. Juniper,” I muttered, the name ringing a bell.

“Sounds like it’s settled, then,” the stranger said gently. “If you’re willing, I’ll happily drop you all off at Prof. Juniper’s Lab.”

Who is this guy? I thought to myself.

“YES!” June jumped in the air excitedly. “PLEASE! PROFESSOR JUNIPER!!!” Her eyes glistened like gems, her hands clasped together, looking at this young man as if he were made of gold.

The man pointed at a dark brown minivan parked several feet away from us. “Well, let’s get in and I’ll happily take you guys there.” He walked towards it and opened the door to the driver’s seat, turning back to us with a welcoming smile that refused to leave.

June ran up to the minivan and turned back to me. “Come on!” she spoke happily, impatiently.

I stood up and stared at this mystery man as I walked over to his vehicle. “Who… are you?” I asked suspiciously.

The man laughed loudly, bending over, holding his sides. He wiped at his eyes. “Oh, my.”

June looked at me and her face went a little red as she lowered her eyes. Perhaps she was embarrassed at being so eager to leap into a stranger’s car.

That’s what I had hoped, at least.

The man stood up straight, puffing out his chest, bouncing on the toes of his black boots once. “My name is Virgil.”

“You’re a stranger to me,” I replied. “My mom always said to beware of strangers.”

June suddenly gasped. “WAIT!”

All eyes turned to June.

“YOU! I KNOW YOU! YOU ARE FAMILIAR TO ME!!!”

“I am?” the man claiming to be named Virgil, asked.

“YEAH!” June responded. “You’re the cutest winner of the Unova League, like, ever!! You are definitely him!!”

Virgil’s face flushed a deep red as he stared at June. “Wow. Well, thank you,” he mumbled, looking at the ground, smirking.

“I want to meet Prof. Juniper!” June said, nodding. “Please! Virgil! Take us there!”

“I’d be glad to.” Virgil then turned to me. “Will you accompany us?”

I stared at the happiness on June’s face.

She was clapping her hands, her eyes closed, bouncing on her feet in a pure thrill. She seemed to recognize Virgil, and seemed excited to meet this Prof. Juniper.

The name Virgil wasn’t familiar to me at all, but neither was this region I was now stuck in. There also wasn’t really a plan on what June and I would be doing in Unova. All of these things considered, I felt like I had no choice but to trust in June’s enthusiasm and, hesitantly, I agreed. “Okay,” I sighed, and approached his minivan, opening one of the side doors and cautiously stepping inside.

June hopped into the passenger seat and Virgil got behind the wheel.

The four windows of the vehicle opened a little.

I gazed out of the door at the airport building.

“Is everything okay?” I heard Virgil ask.

I didn’t respond. Where did you go? I questioned sadly before slowly closing the door. I kept my eyes out the window, waiting for Porygon-Z to show up at the last second.

“Buckle up,” Virgil said in a friendly voice.

I absentmindedly grabbed the seat belt and snapped it into place around me.

The vehicle began to move forward, and within a few minutes, I was looking out the back window at the airport as it slowly began to fade from my view. A smooth turn to the right, and the buildings were completely gone.

I turned around and sighed, looking at my feet.

“Hey!” Virgil’s voice came out.

I looked up quickly.

Virgil was looking at me through the rearview mirror, still smiling. “What are your names? I never got them.”

“I’m June!” June said quickly, and then turned back to me with a caring smile. “This is my friend, Gary.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Virgil nodded, returning his eyes to the road. “I think you’ll both enjoy the Unova region. Wow, Kanto. If you don’t mind me asking, where were you guys during that bombing at the Indigo Plateau a couple of years ago?”

June and I exchanged glances. The silence was lasting too long, but neither of us spoke.

Virgil stopped at a stoplight and glanced at the rearview mirror again, staring at me, and then turned to June. “I’m sorry if that was a sensitive question. What matters is that you’re both okay. Such a terrible time that must have been.” The vehicle moved forward again when the light turned green.

The ride was smooth and made me feel comfortable. Drowsiness was sinking in, my eyelids getting heavy, but I wouldn’t let myself fall asleep here and I kept my eyes open. I was in a completely new region, had attacked Prof. Oak, and was missing two of my Pokemon. I felt like some kind of fugitive. In reality, I guess I was.

The environment in this area had a noticeably different feel than I was used to. We drove by a lot of concrete. Buildings. Sidewalks. Streets. Even the air seemed different. Heavier, perhaps. It felt busier in this region. Kids ran around without a parent in sight, chasing each other. Groups of men in suits strolled by, laughing about their conversations. Skyscrapers lined one block we drove by. Cars drove by constantly around the one I was in, slowing down the pace of our trip and creating a lot of noise with the repeated honking of horns.

All of this grabbed my attention. I wasn’t used to so much… congestion!

An airplane flew overhead, seeming to be flying sideways, keeping up with Virgil’s driving, but once he stopped at a light, the visual effect ended and the plane flew straight, disappearing over a building in seconds.

“Enjoying the sights?” Virgil asked.

“Yeah! This is so much more… city than I’m used to!” June responded. “Kanto is quite different than here.”

“We do have our green places, too,” Virgil informed us. “In fact, once we get closer to the lab, you’ll be seeing some Pokemon in the nearby woods.”

Eevee cried out happily in Virgil’s lap, his head out the window, his tail wagging slowly.

“Your Eevee is such a doll!” June gushed.

“Thank you.”

Eevee turned to June and cried out cutely before looking out the window again, his tail wagging even faster.

“You’re so kind to be taking us to Miss Aurea Juniper herself!” June squealed.

Virgil laughed. “You seem to be quite a fan of hers.”

“How couldn’t I be? She’s a strong woman in the field of Pokemon research and is just, like, an idol!”

“I couldn’t agree more. She’s quite knowledgeable. I can’t wait to see her again, someday. I have to get back to work as soon as I drop you off, so I won’t be able to stop by and greet her. I don’t get a lot of time to just travel around.”

“Oh! Are we holding you up? I don’t want to make you late!”

“No, no. Don’t worry about that. I’ll make it in time. I have a couple of minutes. I’m glad to have a moment to just drive around. Working for the Pokemon Rescue Squad is hard work.”

“Pokemon Rescue Squad?” I asked in a low voice, looking at him.

We were now driving past many houses in a beautiful neighborhood. It wasn’t filled with the city feel of where we had just been. It was empty, quiet, and peaceful, but somehow still had a lot more of a cluttered feeling compared to similar places in Kanto.

“Yes. I work for the Pokemon Rescue Squad. We report to various incidents, such as problems with Pokemon, or natural disasters, big or small. We have many different teams, and my team is Team Eevee.”

“Oh,” was all I muttered, focusing back at the houses, my mind on my Porygon-Z and Charizard.

“Wow! A whole team full of Eevee?” June squeaked.

“No, no,” Virgil laughed. “It’s a team with the evolutions of Eevee, and also this little one.” Virgil rubbed his Eevee’s head, and the Pokemon turned around with a happy purr and closed his eyes, enjoying the touch.

“Oh! So your battle at the Pokemon League was with Team Eevee?” June asked.

“That’s right,” Virgil nodded. “After our victory, we tried to further our journey by challenging the Elite Four, but we didn’t get anywhere. It took us months to even locate a member of the Elite Four, and then to have lost so horribly to Caitlin. She completely chewed through us. Afterwards, she was rather upset we had disturbed her sleep for such a weak battle, and then she went inside of some kind of flower cocoon thing which wrapped around her and drifted away into the sky! Strange girl, but strong as the warning of the wrath of a woman scorned. Team Eevee and I have a lot more work to do before I can even think about becoming a Pokemon Master.” He gazed briefly, lovingly, at his Eevee before looking back up at the road.

We were now curving around a bend, woods surrounding the path.

Several strange Pokemon looked at us before running off. One almost looked like a Bibarel; perhaps its pre evolution? A couple of others resembled small fawn, and were orange. A pair of large deer with cream fur on their chests and limbs watched us, their antlers holding red and brown leaves on them. Glancing up into the trees, I saw several Pokemon resembling gray birds resting on tree branches. A sharp curve drove us alongside a huge lake where the enormous swan looking Pokemon, Swanna, turned to stare at us, some flapping their beautiful, snow white wings and flying into the air, causing the entire flock to follow suit.

They are so beautiful, I thought, mesmerized.

The wonderful view of trees and Pokemon in their natural habitat was interrupted as we soon found ourselves in another city, driving by crowded sidewalks and a few cars rolling by us quickly.

“This is Nuvema Town,” Virgil told us. “Our trip will end shortly, but I’ll drop you off right in front of the lab.”

“Thank you so much, Virgil,” June said. “Your hospitality was just wonderful! We’re so appreciative.”

I nodded. “Yes. Thanks a lot.”

A huge building soon came into view. Virgil drove past a large circular stone structure full of grass and varying flowers. The edge of the structure was lined with especially large daffodils that were spaced out several feet apart. Cement flooring encircled the outside of this setup, and circling around that were raised stone blocks in front of a landing that held even more grass and flowers, lined by a few bushes and a couple of trees. This led to a large building with a standing steel tower with flat plates and rods that reminded me of a radio tower. Much more plant life and a small building that looked like a greenhouse were beyond it.

With a sharp turn, Virgil stopped his car. “This is it. Prof. Juniper’s lab.”

“Thanks again,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and reaching out to shake his hand.

He grabbed my hand strongly and shook it.

June leaned forward and hugged Virgil, and he hugged her back. “It was such an honor!” She released Virgil and rubbed Eevee’s head, making Eevee sing out and wag his tail as he rubbed up against her hand. “Take care, sweetheart!”

We got out of Virgil’s minivan and he waved at us. “Tell Professor Juniper I said hello! And enjoy your stay here!” He quickly drove off.

“He sure was nice, huh?” June asked.

I didn’t answer her and just watched as Virgil drove away before turning to her. “So, now what?”

“What do you mean? We go see Professor Juniper, duh!” June answered, crossing her arms.

“June, are you mad? What are we going to see her for? We don’t even belong here! What was the point of coming here? This whole thing was a mistake. We shouldn’t have done it. We’re probably in huge trouble right now and I’ve lost my Pokemon. This woman surely knows Prof. Oak. We probably have a warrant out for our arrest!”

“Maybe you and Porygon-Z do, but I don’t. I didn’t do anything.”

“You’re an accomplice.”

June now had an uncertain look on her face. “Oh, stop worrying. If anything, it’s your Pokemon’s fault. And now it’s missing. We’re innocent. Now let’s meet Professor Juniper!!” Before I could argue any further, she grabbed my hand tightly and yanked me forward, running towards the building before us. June reached the front of the building and the electronic glass doors slid open immediately, so she pulled me after her as she flew inside.

The inside of the building was huge, the brown ceramic floor looking freshly polished, the white walls looking freshly painted, and a few closed doors leading to unknown places.

A metal cart stood near a woman with long brown hair reaching down past her shoulders. Two large wooden trays and a smaller wooden tray sat on the metal cart.

The lady looked at me and June with surprise.

My eyes widened as they took in this new person.

The woman wore a short, black skirt and a white tank top tucked into the skirt, a white lab coat around her shoulders, standing in blue heels.

I felt a little bit weak in her presence suddenly.

June stepped forward and squinted at the woman.

“Hello,” she greeted us with a sly, confused smile. “I think I was expecting two female Trainers here today. Perhaps I’m mistaken?”

My eyes continued to scan this woman up and down repeatedly, my mind spinning, my heart beating, my body shaking. Whoever this lady was, I was taken by her.

She was stunning! The way her heels made the rest of her legs look, along with the added appeal of appearing taller. The smooth look of her skin. The glow her body gave off. The shape of her in her fitting outfit. Her-

A loud shriek destroyed the rest of my mesmerized thoughts and I jumped, whipping around to June.

June ran up to the woman in a flash and grabbed her hands, pressing them against her face as she closed her eyes, smiling in a ditsy daze. She rubbed her face against the woman’s hands and sighed, and then pulled them away and sniffed them hard. “Prof. Juniper!! It’s really you!”

Professor Juniper stared down at June in complete shock, her mouth hanging open.

June released Prof. Juniper’s hands and wrapped her arms around her waist, squeezing her hard. “Miss Aurea!! Miss Juniper!! Prof. Juniper!! I can’t believe this moment has actually arrived!! I never thought it’d happen. My honor. My love. My dearest dear of loves! I thought I was blessed to have met Prof. Oak, but to think I’d take an even more advanced step in my life’s goals and meet Prof. Juniper, toooooo?! This is beyond comprehension! Beyond deserving! I deserve to die tonight, having fulfilled such an unworthy achievement! My Juniper! My Professor!” She shrieked loudly again.

I shook my head and ran up to June. “Let go of her!” I shouted. “What is wrong with you?” I grabbed June by her shoulders and tugged her back.

“NOOOOOOOO!!!!” June refused to let go of the professor. “GET OFF OF ME!!!”

“What’s going on here??” Prof. Juniper uttered in confusion.

“Prof. Juniper, I’m sorry,” I told her, struggling to pull June off of the woman. “She’s retarded. June, I said to get off!”

“But she smells so goooooooooood!!” June pleaded.

“June, you idiot!” I was embarrassed by her behavior.

I heard the electronic doors open and turned around to see who had entered, still holding onto June.

June turned around, still clinging to Prof. Juniper.

Prof. Juniper looked up and sighed. “Are you two the girls I was expecting?”

I released June and faced the new arrivals.

One of the girls was wearing cream colored sneakers and a white dress, her long, brown hair reaching far down her back. Her dark eyes had a warm, alluring twinkle to them. She had a large, red backpack on her back.

The other girl had on white sneakers, dark blue short shorts, and a light blue shirt. Her black hair reached past her shoulders, a black bow on the right side of her head, and she wore a heart stealing smile, an epicanthal fold to her black eyes. She was carrying a large, baby blue backpack on her back.

For some reason, my heart began to hurt as it beat hard into my chest as I stared at this girl in shorts.

“Are we interrupting something?” the girl in the dress asked, staring at us in shock.

Prof. Juniper laughed. “Possibly. If so, that might be a good thing.”

June immediately blushed and let go of Prof. Juniper, keeping her stare down. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“I can come back later, if you need,” the girl in the dress offered. “Like, tomorrow, even.”

“No! No! You two are here for your Starter Pokemon, right?” Prof. Juniper stepped towards them.

“Yes!” the girl in shorts said, stepping up to the professor eagerly, smiling.

“Wow…” I whispered, my eyes glued to her. I had no chance to get with Prof. Juniper, but this girl looked about my age. But could I just walk up to her and ask her out? No. I knew I didn’t have the courage. She was just too gorgeous. There was no chance. Just looking at her, I was unsure of my own existence.

Nothing made sense. Nothing was real. It was just me and her in a white room. Nothing else.

“I’m Ella,” she greeted Prof. Juniper, shaking her hand.

“Ella…” I repeated quietly, staring at her.

“And I’m Trixa,” the girl in the dress introduced herself, bouncing over to Prof. Juniper and bowing strangely.

Ella smiled and turned around, our eyes meeting.

My mouth opened in shock, unable to breathe, my eyes darting around nervously before returning to hers.

She was still staring at me. Her smile broadened and I could feel myself starting to melt at once.

I managed to smile back.

She stepped up to me and extended her hand. “Who are you? Are you both getting your Starter Pokemon, too?”

I grabbed her hand gently and shook it, and my hand slid right off in about a second. Embarrassed that I may have let go too soon and it might be taken rudely, I reached out again.

Ella laughed as she grabbed my hand a second time.

I took a large step back as I released her hand, my face getting extremely hot now.

Ella shook June’s hand.

“I’m June, and this is Gary. And, no, we’re not here for a Starter,” June answered, making me realize I had completely forgotten about Ella’s questions. “We traveled here from Kanto for a little visit.”

“Oh! So you two are boyfriend and girlfriend!” Ella’s eyes locked on mine.

“NO!” I screamed out, stepping forward.

Ella stared at me in shock, her beautiful eyes wide.

June, Prof. Juniper, and Trixa stared at me with the same look.

“I mean, no,” I tried more quietly, looking down.

“Oh. Well, you two would make a cute couple,” Ella commented, winking at me. “You both are traveling from different regions together already! Seems like love might be in the air.”

“NO! No!” I said frantically. “We’re just friends! I haven’t even known her that long! This is just a huge misunderstanding!” I laughed nervously.

June squinted her eyes at me and I could feel a coldness surround my body instantly.

Ella laughed. “Well, you seemed pretty close when we got here. You were holding her from behind!”

“No, no, no! I was restraining her from bothering Prof. Juniper!”

“Aahhh. I do remember she was holding Prof. Juniper pretty closely, too!” Ella giggled. “I wish me and my boyfriend could travel around the world like you two do, but he doesn’t want to be a Pokemon Trainer. So, I’m going off on my own.”

Glass shattered from inside of my body as my heart dropped down, down, down in a million and one pieces into a dark, deep area within me. “Boyfriend…?” I croaked out.

Ella nodded, still smiling. “I love him to death. He’s a great guy, I just wish he would accompany me. But, he just isn’t into Pokemon so much.” She looked away in dismay.

What a stupid jerk, I thought. I’d follow you around the planet on foot, several times over, without rest, for the rest of my life! He doesn’t deserve you. That worthless-

“Well, since we have our two Trainers here, how about I show you your options?” Prof. Juniper suggested. She walked over to the cart and stood by the three trays.

The larger trays contained five Poke Balls each. A thick blue and yellow box, and a thin pink box, sat in each tray. The smaller tray only contained three Poke Balls.

Prof. Juniper grabbed one of the Poke Balls from the smaller tray and pressed the middle button. The ball quadrupled in size before the Professor tossed it into the air.

A white beam shot out and a green, snake like creature looked up at us, its hands on its sides, and confidently exclaimed its name.

“This one is a Snivy, the Grass type Starter!” Prof. Juniper introduced it. She threw the second Poke Ball. “And this is Tepig, the Fire type!”

A red and black pig Pokemon landed on the ground, released from the ball, and grunted. It squealed fire from its snout.

“And finally, the Water type, Oshawott!”

Oshawott stood tall, grabbed a shell that sat on its stomach, and swung it around strongly.

“So, who will go first?” Prof. Juniper asked.

“I WANT TEPIG!” Trixa screamed.

“I WANT SNIVY!” Ella shouted at the same time.

Tepig squealed with excitement and leaped into the air.

Snivy closed its eyes as it nodded and crossed its arms, smiling. “Snivy,” it said cooly.

Oshawott dropped its shell and looked up at the two young girls in shock. Angrily, it picked up its shell, dusted it off, and placed it back on its belly before angrily crossing its arms and turning its back on us.

Prof. Juniper laughed lightly and returned Oshawott to its Poke Ball. “Sorry, Oshawott.” She slipped Oshawott’s Poke Ball into her lab coat pocket and then took the two large trays over to Trixa and Ella. “These are your five Poke Balls. Use them wisely to capture Pokemon.”

Ella and Trixa grabbed their Poke Balls from the tray, also taking their Pokemon’s Poke Ball from Prof. Juniper.

“Use the Pokedex to record captured and seen Pokemon on your journey. It also doubles as your ID.”

Both Trainers took a pink box and opened them, turning it to their individual Pokemon.

Snivy. The Grass Snake Pokemon. One of the Unova region Starter Pokemon, it is very fast and often described as prideful.

Tepig. The Fire Pig Pokemon. One of the Unova region Starters. This Pokemon is very nimble and can dodge attacks with ease.

The Trainers then decided to scan each other’s Pokemon.

Tepig. The Fire Pig Pokemon. A Starter Pokemon from Unova. This Pokemon will wag its tail when happy, and exhale smoke instead of flames whenever sick.

Snivy. The Grass Snake Pokemon and a Starter Pokemon of the Unova region. This is a very smart Pokemon and it remains cool under intense circumstances.

“Awwwww, look at them, Gary!” June cooed, kneeling close to Snivy. “Aren’t they so cute? She looks so strong! And this Tepig looks so soft! Can I hug him?” June looked up eagerly at Trixa.

“Him?” Trixa responded.

“She?” Ella questioned.

“Yes! Tepig is a male, and Snivy is female!”

“How do you know that so easily?” Prof. Juniper asked, stepping up to June, squinting down at Snivy and Tepig.

June lifted up Tepig and squeezed him in her arms until he happily squealed, and then set him down. She rubbed Snivy’s head and kept her eyes on her, causing Snivy to smile as she closed her eyes. “I can read Pokemon. I’m able to communicate with them and understand them.”

“Really?” Prof. Juniper crossed her arms, an impressed, and surprisingly calm look on her face as she cocked her head slightly.

June nodded, not taking her eyes off of Snivy. “I can tell a lot about Pokemon just by looking at them.”

“It’s true,” I chimed in. “There’s no denying it. I’ve known her long enough to confirm this.”

“That kind of gift would sure be useful during research here in the lab...” Prof. Juniper said thoughtfully.

June vanished from Snivy, and Snivy looked up in confusion.

In the next second, June was in front of Prof. Juniper’s face, their noses practically touching!

Prof. Juniper gasped.

June had a psychotic glint in her eyes and a disturbing smile on her face. “Does that mean you want me to work for you?? I’ll do it for free! I’ll live in the lab! I’ll do anything and everything and whatever and all things you say! I’LL DO IT!!!”

Prof. Juniper nervously laughed, taking a deep, long stretch of a step back from June, but June instantly took a step forward, keeping in the Professor’s face.

“Come on!” I scolded and pulled her back. “She has an assistant already. Virgil’s wife. Remember?”

“Oh! You’ve met Virgil?” Prof. Juniper said to me.

“Yeah. We met him when we got out of the airport, and he suggested our first trip in Unova be to meet you,” I informed her. “He actually drove us here, but was really busy and had to go. But he said hello.”

“Yes. That young man is always off somewhere with Team Eevee. It’s kind of him to have driven you two out here. I’m sorry you couldn’t meet Bianca. She just left to do some research for me in the Johto region.”

“Bianca? Is that Virgil’s wife?”

“Yes! By the way, do you both know Prof. Oak? He’s a good friend of mine. I should call him at some point later today.”

I nodded. Yeah, much later. Like after June and I are far away from here. Just great. Now, Prof. Oak will know where June and I went for sure.

June kept her eyes down and didn’t say anything.

“Oh, and here is your Town Map!” Prof. Juniper was still holding out the trays to Trixa and Ella.

They both grabbed a blue and yellow box.

“Originally, another girl was going to be obtaining a Pokemon, as well, but at the last minute, she wasn’t able to be a part of this,” Prof. Juniper said sadly to June and I. “So, I do have an extra Town Map if you two need one.”

“Um…” I thought about it. “If you just have one lying around, sure!”

“I do! Hold on and I’ll get it.” Prof. Juniper walked away, disappearing behind one of the many doors.

I turned around to find Ella staring directly at me, causing me to shyly look down and avoid her glance, and I found myself staring at her Snivy. “You made a great choice with Snivy. She’s nice.”

“Thanks a lot, Gary. You’re really sweet. Do you own any Pokemon?”

I hesitated before answering. “I own a few back in Pallet Town.”

“What’s Pallet Town like?”

“It’s nice. Quiet. It’s a bit different than here, but Unova is very nice as well. Just different.”

I turned as a humming noise grabbed my attention and saw Trixa knelt down by her Tepig, lifting the upper half of his body and making him dance to the strange tune she was humming.

Tepig looked confused by this as he stared up at Trixa.

I turned to Ella and June, who both were watching Trixa, dumbfounded.

“Um, Trixa?” Ella tried.

Trixa didn’t respond, but continued making her Tepig dance as she hummed.

“Trixa?” Ella tried louder.

Trixa released Tepig and he landed on his front legs. She turned to Ella and stood up. “Yes?” she said with a smile, her eyes seeming distant and in another place.

“How about a Pokemon battle?” Ella asked, raising a fist in excitement. “Tepig versus Snivy.”

“Oh! Well, I dunno…” Trixa said, lowering her eyes.

“Oh, come on! Let’s use them, fresh out the Poke Ball, and see which is stronger!”

Trixa sighed. “I guess…”

“If you don’t want to, we don’t have to,” Ella said with disappointment.

The door Prof. Juniper went through opened and she stepped out holding a thin, light blue, electronic box in her hand. She reached me and handed me the object.

I opened it and it made a beep, whirring mechanically. It was a Town Map! I could see the entire Unova region within it. I touched the touch screen and played around with it for a bit. “Wow! With this thing, we’ll have no problems reaching new places! This is amazing!”

“It can tell you about new events happening in towns and cities, it acts as a compass, can tell wind direction, has turn-by-turn navigation, and is just about the most useful bit of technology a Pokemon Trainer or anyone in general could have!” Prof. Juniper praised.

“Yeah! Thanks a bunch, Professor!”

“Not a problem. Oh!”

June took Professor Juniper by surprise as she appeared in front of her face again and cocked her head to the side.

For a moment, I thought June was about to plant a kiss on the Professor’s lips!

“Miss Professor Aurea Juniper, ma’am? The last time I saw a photo of you, I’m certain your hair was piled on top of your head in a bun! Is this new?” She reached up and gently grabbed Prof. Juniper’s long hair in each hand, feeling it tenderly as it were made of the finest material, gazing at it as if it were made from a rare, expensive diamond.

Prof. Juniper looked very creeped out as she slowly nodded, eyeing June. “Why, yes. I thought a new hairstyle was necessary. I changed it a few months ago, actually. Do… you… like it?”

June released the Professor’s hair and pulled her into a hug, burying her face into Prof. Juniper’s chest as the woman cried out in shock from the attack. June released her and backed up, clapping happily. “Love iiiiiit!!”

Prof. Juniper fixed her hair with her hands and laughed uncomfortably. “I’m happy to hear that.”

“Professor, should Ella and I battle now?” Trixa asked. “Or is it better to wait until our Pokemon are more experienced so we can show our Pokemon’s skills based on how we raised them, as opposed to how they are right now?”

“Hmm,” Prof. Juniper responded with a smile, gazing at Trixa. “What a deep way to consider that. Personally, I say you should battle now. See how you mend with your Pokemon and get an understanding of the personality, characteristics, and skills of what you have chosen before working with your Pokemon alone. You can then spot and work on any faults and deepen your bond as you travel from here, battling wild Pokemon and other Trainers. The next time you two battle, it’ll be a true test of your skills as Trainers and a display of the bond you both have built with your Pokemon. That’s just my opinion, of course.”

June sighed dreamily as she gazed lovingly at Prof. Juniper, taken by her words.

Prof. Juniper’s eyes widened as she gazed back at June cautiously.

I extended my arm as a barricade in front of June, just in case she got too crazy and tried to fondle the Professor again.

Trixa nodded and turned to Tepig. “Tepig, are you ready for our first battle?”

Tepig cocked his head and stared at Trixa. “Tepig?”

“Then how about we all step out to the battlefield?” Prof. Juniper then led the way through one of the doors of her lab.

We all followed her to a battlefield outlined in white outside in a grassy plain in the back of the lab, and Ella and Trixa stood in opposite places within it.

June and I stood off to the side, next to Prof. Juniper. I had tried to stand in between June and the Professor, not wanting June to bother her, but June blatantly nudged me out of the way and stood in between the Professor and I without giving me a glance, her eyes on the battlefield.

“Good luck, Ella!” I called out, beaming.

Ella turned to me and smiled dazzlingly.

I suddenly realized how awkward my words were and turned to Trixa. “Um, good luck, Trixa,” I said, instantly embarrassed that I sounded so obviously less excited.

Trixa didn’t pay me any mind. She looked down at her Tepig by her side and nodded.

Tepig squealed and walked forward.

“Snivy! Go!” Ella ordered, and Snivy ran forward to her position.

“This will be a one-on-one match with a five minute time limit!” Prof. Juniper declared.

“Five minutes? Why?” I asked her.

She turned to me with a smile. “This is just a test match. If it lasts longer than five minutes, it should just be stopped at that point. These are brand new Pokemon, after all. Five minutes is long enough for the Trainer and their Pokemon to feel each other out.”

“I see.”

“Professor Juniper’s mind is like no other!” June gushed, her eyes literally tearing with delight as she looked up into the sunny sky above, her hands clasped together.

I shook my head slowly, staring at June warily.

Professor Juniper actually blushed, staring at June, before quickly turning back to the battle waiting to start. “Begin!”

“Snivy! Leer!”

“Tepig! Tackle attack!”