All the people turned their eyes towards the screen as a serious reporter appeared.
"A group of criminals have been spotted trying to steal the Adamant Orb from Eterna City's Eterna Historical Museum. Recent reports suggest that the group is affiliated with Team Galactic, a crime syndicate operating in our region but was wiped out by our champion, Cynthia Shirona. Last night, the museum was said to have been covered by fogs, which were actually sleeping powder when our trainers verified it. The relic was almost stolen if it wasn't for our City's Gym Leader, Gardenia taking action. All trainers are warned to void all contact with the criminals and report any suspicious activity."
Clan whistled. "That sound pretty serious if Gardenia has to step in. I heard she was a very strong Gym Leader."
"Yes. Yes, he is." Noraima muttered. She had a frown on her face. She prayed to Arceus her son wouldn't encounter those awful criminals, if something happened to her baby boy, ot would be like lossing her world.
She pressed the remote on her hand to switch the channel.
"-And there has recently been a swarm of Pidgeys sighted near the east of Jubilife City, in Route 203. Which was an unusual sight considering their migration pattern. Researchers still didn't have a clue where they came from. Any trainers seeking to catch one, best hurry! That's it for Pokemon News today. Expect the next update tomorrow, same time, same channel!"
Clint sipped from his glass of tea and looked back at his son. "Make sure you keep up with the news while you're traveling, okay, Clan? You never know when an exotic pokemon species might be moving to the area you're in."
"I'll keep it in mind." Clan answered, then shoveled the last of his pancake down his throat. He'd miss his mother's cooking a lot. He gazed at his mother after swallowing the remnants of his breakfast. "I'm pretty sure the pokedex has a feature that will keep me up to date on such things."
The rest of breakfast was consumed in silence, with the two simply enjoying each other's company for the time being. At this moment, it was all they could do. Clan, like his mother, had tears in the corner of his eyes too. This was their last day for a while, and it seemed to them that, despite everything, neither of them could escape it.
A son would leave his parents behind to pursue their dream, and a mother would be among those that he would leave.
It was about time for him to leave. He shrugged and shouldered his slingbag. "Well, I'm heading off."
...
Clan left with the condition his mother put out, that he would stop by one more time, along with his new starter before officially leaving Sandgem Town to start his journey. How can he say no to his mother? Also he would miss her dearly and his father.
Sandgem Town was similiar to appearance as Twinleaf Town, with the exception of the rolling hills; instead Sandgem is on a single flat terrain.
Professor Rowan's Pokemon Laboratory was probably the only grandoise thing about Sandgem Town. It was the site of Sinnoh's greatest Pokemon Research, where the territory's leading Pokemon Researcher lead a team that consisted of gifted individuals who were making all the greatest brrakthroughs about pokemon. The only other person in the Pokemon Research field that Clan could recall having a similiar reputation that rivaled even that of the reputation of Professor Rowan was Professor Oak of the Kanto Region, an old friend, and colleague of Professor Rowan's who had conducted studies with him with multiple projects.
The professor's Story? A glorious one. A legend. One of the greatest success stories of the pokemon world. All detailed within the pages of the world famous biography book that Clan had done a book report on.
Rowan, a young lad from Sinnoh Region with humble beginnings, has always aspired to be a world-renowned Pokemon Researcher. Someone who has the ability to take the field of studies to new heights in the quest for knowledge. But, first and foremost, he aspired to be a great Pokemon trainer. If he wants to assist trainers, becoming a trainer himself would do quite a bit of wonderns in his aim.
And what a Trainer he was.
One of only a handful of trainers in history to attend the conference on their first year. Not just in Lily of the Valley, but in the world. One of the very few trainers in history to make it on the six-on-six rounds in their second year as a trainer. Once again, in the world. The runner up in his third year as a trainer. Finally, in his fourth year as a trainer, he won the conference. One of the youngest conference winners. At that time, nobody in Sinnoh have ever won a comference before their fourth year. Then, he didn't took up the challenge in battling the Elite Four.
He hadn't forgotten his true reasons for becoming a Pokemon Trainer. It was to pursue knowledge. Knowledge that he now had. He politely declined the Sinnoh League's offer of challenging the Elite Four, but he joined the league as part of his research field. After quickly rising to the top of its research field, he chose to set up shop in his hometown, Sandgem Town.
He had made multiple breakthroughs throughout his research. New discoveries on pokemon biology. Ways for pokemon to grow and learn moves. He even collaborated with his old friend, Samuel Oak, who was now the head of the Indigo League's research field. Together, with Oak as the main researcher, led a genius team that eventually culminated to the creation of the legendary Pokedex.
Rowan's particular field of study is Pokemon evolution, having discovered that 90% of all Pokemon are connected in some way to others through evolution. He is also interested in determining if evolution is supposed to be a form of Pokemon reaching maturity, or a way for an "incomplete" being to become "more complete", and the implications that the process has on legendary Pokémon, which don't evolve. Professor Rowan taught Professor Sycamore much about Pokemon Evolution when he was young, who also was now, the leading researcher of Kalos Region.
Professor Rowan was many thing. A famous Pokemon Trainer. One of the single greatest Pokemon Researchers that the world has ever known. And a wonderful teacher.
And this was his Lab, where he ran everything from.
It was early in the morning and a Friday, there was a crowed of people gathered around outside the Lab by the fact that it was the day that trainers recieved their Trainer IDs and starter pokemon. Clan smoothly slid through the crowd taking advantage of his slim and average frame.
Then he came to a stop in front of a gate outside the Laboratory. The Lab was mixed between a classical and neo-modern architecural design, because of there being a windmill made by bricks which Clan assumed to be one of the main generators of electricity in Rowan's lab, which was more modernized than the classical structure of the windmill.
Clan entered the already opened gate with people from the crowd. Clan expected for them to come here for the same reasons as his. They walked through the trails of the ground. Clan looked around the people who entered and passed the gate but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't find his friends, Dawn and Barry.
'How come they still haven't shown up? Did something happened?' Clan thought. They all agreed in coming to Sandgem Town at this time of the day, so that they can select more varieties of pokemon breed than coming later. He was sure they wouldn't pass out for such an oppurtunity, did something happend?
Clan entered the building. It was warm, filled with paintings and helpful interns. One man with green hair and wearing a lab coat led them to a hallway, he directed them to the left and only two turns later entered what had to have been the Laboratory's main research hall.
It was tall, nearly three stories to allow huge or flying type pokemons to have their fare share. The lab has many different environments for the correct development of all kinds of Pokemon. There are areas of grass, sand, rocks, and lakes to promote good interaction between the different types of Pokemon. The laboratory has the technology to keep Pokemon healthy and to make the largest scientific investigations in the region.
Clan paused, staring around. The selection ceremony for starter pokemons should start soon in about a few minutes, but was he supposed to do something before then? The person who guide them here cleared that up, he coughed to gain their attention.
"Salutations fellow trainers, I'm Pascal, an intern and assistant to Professor Rowan here in his Laboratory. The Professor would come shortly, in the meantime you may have to form a line and sign in. Me and my collegues would call your name according to your rank results of your PRLEs. Any questions?"
Clan raised his hand after he saw no one from the crowd was planning on asking. "Uhmm, what would happen to the individuals who came late but ranked higher than us, Sir Pascal?"
Pascal turned to face Clan and answered with a smile. "The order would be based on the rankings. However, that is when we're talking generally. The professor don't particullarly like tardiness, so we will still follow the order shown by your results, but it would be a first come first serve basis. Whoever would arrive late, would be unfortunate, so even when you all placed in the last fifty's, you're allowed to choose first for coming early."
"Woah! That's awesome!"
"Hell ya!"
"Haha! I was worried I'd have to be last, I'll thank my mom for waking me up early!"
The crowd of new pokemon trainers cheered to themselves, distinctively those who wore worried expressions earlier on their faces are much louder than the rest. 'It seems they were rank quite on the low.' Clan thought amusingly. But, he immediately was the one who became worried, since Dawn and Barry still wasn't around.
He turned and walked towards a desk, this was where Pascal gestured them to fill up.
"Hello. You excited?" A feminine voice suddenly greeted him after he filled up his form. He turned towards the voice and was stunned to see a gorgeous girl with black hair, fair skin and majorly black and green clothing.
"Of course. You?" Clan was a little mesmerized by this girl's beauty, so when he spoke it sounded a little cold to hear from him speaking.
"Yeah. Not too much though, by the way, I'm Bell Moonthief from Kalos Region." The girl who introduced herself, held out her hand for a handshake. When he grasp and shook it he noticed the hard calluses from her hand, it was very unusual to have for such a delicate and beautiful girl.
Clan was surprise to hear she was a foreigner, but it explain the distinct accent he notices from her tone. "Clan Eclairè. I'm not a foreigner like you, I'm from Twinleaf Town here in Sinnoh."
They spoke a few more words, but they hadn't talk much, other than their burning excitement, they didn't have many topics to talk about. Eventually, they both turned back to watch the growing crowd.
The clock strucked 10:00 with a quiet click yet the noise from the crowd picked it up several times over. The starting trainers were shoved to the front of the crowd, with bright excited eyed and red cheeks. Clan walked forward, towards the front with the girl following behind.
This was it. He would be getting his pokemon today, as well as the license that allowed him to to capture more and compete in the Lily of the Valley Conference. It was the moment of a lifetime.
(Anada wan. Also, shout out to this person - Layous.)