Bulbascreen
Youngster
- Pronouns
- he/him
Summary: After the Cataclysm that lead to a downfall of cities across the world humans now live in secluded cities separated from nature by tall walls. Pokemon and their trainers are feared due to the wild nature of these animals. Forced to become a trainer, Ava does her best to survive in this dangerous world.
Author's Note: This story is based upon the world Pokemon: Chaotic World by Revenantzero with their permission. So there are going to be similar parts throughout. It's a great story and you should read it but this stands on its own with new characters.
This is my first fanfic and it is set in a world where pokemon are more aggressive. Expect to see occasional cursing/blood/injuries/death, etc. I don't plan of being too gratuitous but let me know if there are any tags that I am missing. Hopefully y'all enjoy reading!
Chapter 1: Origins
Becoming a trainer was the last thing Ava Stanton, or anyone her age, wanted to do.
As she rode the bus away from the only life she ever knew, in her panic, there was only one repeating thought in her head.
“I am going to die”.
…
A long time ago, becoming a pokemon trainer and taking on the Gym Challenge was what every kid dreamed about, and most at least attempted it. Even those who weren't trainers often had one pokemon as a pet or used one for work. Pokemon were so ingrained in the fabric of society that when that Cataclysm came, everything broke down.
The driving force behind the Cataclysm was due to the actions of Team Rocket, one of the most notorious pokemon gangs around. They had been working on capturing legendary pokemon to aid them in their crimes and use their destructive power to take control of the government and beat the League.
Team Rocket had created plans and preparations to be ready to fight against some of the strongest trainers in the world. Then, when they successfully captured the three legendary birds, Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos, they were ready to put their plan into action. What they weren't ready for was the response of the legendary pokemon when they combined forces.
The legendary pokemon led the charge against all of humanity, across all regions of the word. Millions of pokemon, once friendly, became enraged by the legendaries and started attacking people across the globe. These animals, which once lived in peace and community with humanity, became feral and destroyed cities and towns.
The trainers were able to put up some sort of fight with the pokemon they trained previously, not seeming to be affected by the changes caused by the legendary pokemon. However, for the majority of towns and small cities, there simply were not enough people or resources to fight against the onslaught of superpowered attacks. Within a week, all that was left of humanity were the most populous cities with high League and trainer support and the few individuals who managed to hide away.
The reason these towns survived was due to the League taking strong action by rallying the remaining trainers and refugees in the bigger cities. To protect themselves they started building walls around the cities to keep out the pokemon. Trainers guarded the walls and were constantly at war to keep pokemon out.
This all seemed to be for naught as the waves of pokemon kept coming, and even bigger cities were starting to be destroyed. Then a final wave of pokemon came and broke through the walls of every city and started rampaging. It seemed to be the end of everything until, all at once, the wild pokemon froze, stopping the fighting and returning to nature.
No one knows why the coordinated attacks stopped. There were theories that it was due to the mercy of the legendaries or that they stopped, while others believed they had accomplished their goal of finding the captured legendaries and saving them. In the end, the reason was never discovered, but whatever it was allowed humanity the chance to survive.
Rebuilding was a massive undertaking, and not every place survived. With 90% of the population decimated, a lot of society collapsed. There were food shortages, an increase in crime, and a lack of essential infrastructure. The remaining Leagues and cities gathered together to figure out how to survive and keep what's left of humanity safe.
Since there were no centralized governments left, each city was declared as a city-state and given the right to rule themselves without outside interference, with the exception of the regional League having offices in all areas to deal with matters related to pokemon. With transport being extremely dangerous, it was essential that these cities could be self-sufficient and not have to rely on others for supplies.
Pokemon training also underwent massive changes. Since pokemon were still essential for protecting against outside threats and growing the city, it was necessary to keep training and catching pokemon . Things were different now, and the first generation that tried to restart training almost ended up wiped out. The changes in pokemon were permanent, and while they were not being led in battle by legendaries, they still remained extremely aggressive compared to before and would attack ruthlessly.
No longer were people flocking to train pokemon, instead they became a source of terror for most people and something they actively avoided. This shortage of trainers was dangerous and put many cities at risk of collapsing. A mandate for trainer conscription was put in place for all cities. Once a year, all people aged 15-20 would be required to take part in a ceremony to randomly choose people to become pokemon trainers for the rest of their lives.
Two hundred years have passed since then, and this ceremony, which came to be known as the Selection Day, is still in place.
This was also the day that Ava’s old life was over, and she began her new life reluctantly as a pokemon trainer.
…
Selection Day was always a gloomy affair. As the thousands of people eligible to be chosen trickled into the stadium used for the ceremony, all you could hear was the shuffling of feet and the officers directing traffic. Ava’s stomach was tangled in knots, thinking about what the future could hold. If she were chosen, the worst that could happen would be a quick death in the first week of becoming a trainer. The best she could hope for is to be forever ostracized by most people in her life, never be able to get a real job, and be stuck in a dangerous profession til she was either killed, unable to work, or could retire. She tried steeling herself. She had already survived three selections, if she gets through today, she will only have two left.
The tension in the air could be cut with a knife, everything felt much more oppressive than it had at the start of the previous year's ceremonies. Every year, the number of trainers chosen fluctuates based on the needs of the city. The previous year, there had been over 100 people drafted, the highest any of them had ever seen. Higher than anyone thought possible. That now weighed on all their minds, especially Ava's, as she had been one of the first group to sit, so all she could do was overthink and wonder if that would happen again.
Ava had been sitting in her spot for the past hour when the final group of people came and were seated. If it was quiet before, now it was deathly still as a strict-looking woman walked up the stage in her trainer uniform. Quite enough to hear the steps, she climbed the stage and walked towards the microphone.
“Good afternoon, citizens of Taluda. I am Captain Cunningham, the official representative of the League. I have been tasked with leading this year's Selection Ceremony and the recruits that come from it. Furthermore, I know a lot of you are scared right now.” She paused. “And you have every right to be. Pokemon are immense in their danger, and now a select few of you are going to be in charge of training and raising them to help protect and provide for the rest of the civilians. This comes at a high risk for your life and wellbeing. I will do my best to make sure that each one of you survives,” she said as she looked out across the crowd.
Cunningham’s remarks did nothing to appease the tightly wound audience, and it only made the pit Ava felt in her stomach dig even deeper. She finished her look around the stadium before continuing, “Due to high performance and a lack of deaths in the past year, we will only have to pick out six new people to join the League as trainers.” The wave of relief across the stadium was palpable, and even Ava started to feel a little more secure.
“Before I start with the ceremony, if there is anyone who wants to volunteer and take up the mantle and join our ranks as a pokemon trainer, please stand up and raise your hand. One of the officers will be able to walk you down.” Ava turned her head, much like the rest of the people around her, trying to see if anyone would volunteer. She didn't notice anything until an officer three columns to her right started walking down toward the field with a boy following behind him. He looked to be one of the younger people here. Ava secretly thought he was an idiot, but she still felt better now that one spot had already been taken. The volunteer confidently walked down the field and up the stage to be greeted by Captain Cunningham.
After a brief conversation between them, Captain Cunningham turned back to the mic and spoke up, “This year we are honored to have a volunteer. Please welcome Oliver and thank him for his service.” After a half-hearted applause, she continued. “We now only have to fill five more spots for this year, do we have any more volunteers?” After seeing no response she said “Alright then we will move on”.
The large screen behind her lit up and started flashing through the names of all the people here. The suspense built in the air as the names started slowing down before stopping on one. “We are honored to welcome Ava Stanton as our second pick this year, please stand up and follow an officer down to the stage”.
Ava could barely hear her, her blood was rushing through her ears, and all she could process was her name, undeniably large on the screen.
...
Everything that happened after hearing her name happened in a blur. Ava was led down to join Captain Cunningham and the volunteer in the middle of the field. She knows more people were chosen and joined her on the stage, but did not remember anything about them.
Now she sat on the bus that was taking them away, and it really started to sink in. She was going to be forced to become a trainer. No longer would she be able to go to college like she planned or get to choose any job she wanted. Would she even be able to see her family anymore? Would they even want to see her? All of these questions rattled in her head as she steadily pulled herself out of the daze. This was real, and this was happening to her.
Looking around, she noticed the other people selected. Besides the volunteer, they all seemed to have a mix of shock, fear, and despair, just like she was sure she had on her face. There were four boys and one other girl, they all seemed to be processing what had just happened, so she didn't want to bother them.
As she gazed through the window, the bus entered more and more areas she had never been to, and eventually they entered the trainer district. This was the 10% of the city that was put aside solely for pokemon trainers. They passed multiple pokemon centers, stores and what seemed to be residential areas. She also happened to notice there were some pokemon traveling alongside their trainers, a sight not usually seen unless there were emergencies.
The bus finally pulled into a pokemon center, and as they piled off, they were greeted by Cunningham, who had been waiting for them in front of the building, saying, “Welcome to your new home. This pokemon center is going to be where you will stay while preparing for the Ordeals and until you are able to provide for yourself.” She led them through the doors and to the woman stationed at the desk. “This is Mary, she is in charge of this pokemon center and will be the one giving you your tours.” Mary gave a small wave before Captain Cunningham continued, “Once you have finished the tour, you will have the rest of the day and tomorrow off to gather yourself and get acquainted with the area. You will also be able to call any family or friends that you may want to talk to. Then, on Monday, we will start your week of training to prepare you for your Ordeals. I wish you luck and will see you on Monday.” With that, she left the pokemon center.
Mary took charge after Captain Cunningham left. “Hello, it is great to meet you all. As Captain mentioned, my name is Mary, and I am the one in charge of this pokemon center. You may see other people or trainers helping out, but I should be around most of the time to answer any questions you may have. Now follow me”. As she spoke, she led them through a door further into the building. “This is the lounge area where you can relax and wait between missions. It is open 24/7; however, there is no food allowed and a strict intolerance to any pokemon battles or fighting. Failure to follow these rules can result in a ban from the area. The Lounge connects to the most important areas you will use as trainers, the cafeteria, the healing center, the poke mart, the computer rooms, and the barracks”.
She continued down the hallway and entered on the first door to the left. Once Ava and the rest of the trainers filled in after her, they were greeted with rows of computers. Each computer had a device next to it where there were six indentations that would fit poke balls. “Here is the computer room,” Mary said. “This is where you will be able to access the local internet, communicate with your families, and, like all pokemon center computers, you will have the ability to view and accept missions once you become recognized as official trainers”. Ava could see a few people who were in the computer lab doing just that.
Pointing toward the device that held poke balls, Mary continued, “This device next to all the computers is called the Pokemon Connector, or a PC for short. By putting your poke ball in the slots, you will be able to access a large portion of the capabilities. You will be able to view all the data about your pokemon including gender, age, and more. Not only will you be able to view data, but you will also be able to break down poke balls into computer code to be stored in your trainer account or used to trade or sell your pokemon to other trainers. There are more specifics regarding long-term pokemon storage, but Captain Cunningham will go over that with those who pass the exam”.
The group was then led to the door right across the hall, where there were six large devices with a similar structure, “This is the healing center and will be the most used room by any of you.” Here, she paused and took on a more serious tone. “These devices are one of the most important pieces of technology that allow us to maintain a fighting force and protect the city. By putting your pokemon in here and pressing this button,” she showed them all a green button on the front of the machine, “you will be able to restore your pokemon back to full health. The healing center is open 24/7; however, under absolutely no circumstances are any pokemon allowed out of their poke balls inside this room. The same goes for any food, drink, or goofing around. If you break or damage any of these, you will be cited with a fine that would take most of your life to pay off, and your wages from any missions would be garnished until it is paid off”.
Seeing the slightly scared looks on everyone's faces, Mary felt they were properly warned. Leading them out of the room and further down the hall, they entered a glass door with a blue sign that held a white poke ball. “This is the poke mart. This is where you can buy all the supplies you need for your pokemon like poke food, potions, antidotes, poke balls, and more. This is open 8am to 5pm. We do have the ability to open it up after hours, however that is only done for emergencies, often specifically related to missions. So make sure you are always prepared.”
Walking to the door at the end of the hallway, she stopped in front of it. “This door leads to the cafeteria, for the duration of your Ordeal, and then for one month after, we will provide free lunch and dinner for you. After that period, you will join the rest of the trainers, who get one free meal a day. Any other meals or snacks will come at your own personal expense.” Ava perked up at the thought of a meal, her appetite had been nonexistent this morning and afternoon, and she was only now starting to realize how hungry she was. She was a little disappointed when Mary followed up by saying they would get a meal at the end of the tour.
Turning to the right, Mary opened the door and walked up a flight of stairs to the second floor. “Our final stop of the tour is the barracks. This will be your home for the foreseeable future. There are over a dozen bunk beds for trainers to sleep in. There are storage lockers that you can use, and laundry is at the end of the hall. You will be able to use the barracks at no cost to yourself; however, there is a limited supply of beds and storage, and they are on a first-come, first-served basis. Once you start making money, you will be able to leave and rent your own place for more privacy if you so desire. We have cleared out any current trainers to other pokemon centers for the duration of your Ordeals, so you won't have to worry about that. The boys barracks are off to the left, and the girls are to the right. Each of you should have a package with your name on it on your bed.” With a clap of her hands, Mary said, “Well, that concludes the rest of our tour, are there any questions?” When no one had any, she took her leave and left them alone.
No one seemed to know what to do until the volunteer boy scoffed, “I am going to go to my bed, you idiots can keep standing around here if you want” before stomping off. Ava thought that was really rude and wondered if she should call him a rude boy instead of a volunteer boy.
It seemed as though everyone took his lead, though, because the rest of the boys followed him while the other girl had already started to the girls' barracks. Ava scrambled to catch up to her and then reached the two beds that had a package on them. Finding hers, Ava immediately opened it. Inside was a basic change of clothes, toiletries, a single piece of chocolate, and a note letting her know her family could ship them additional clothing and items. The note also mentioned that Captain Cunningham wanted them to meet in the computer labs on Monday morning at 8 a.m.
Looking up from her package, she took a good look at the other girl, she was shorter than Ava with long, dark hair and glasses. Mustering up some courage, Ava stuck out her hand. “Hi there, it's nice to meet you. My name is Ava”.
The other girl looked up from her package and gingerly grasped her hand. “Nice to meet you, my name's Amiyra.” They both fell silent, not really sure what else to say.
Ava broke the silence. “This might just be because I was not super focused, but did they ever explain what they meant by Ordeals?”
That seemed to break some of the tension because Amiyra smiled and said, “I was thinking the exact same thing! I felt kind of stupid cause it seemed like everyone else knew.” With that, they both started laughing a little.
“Well, I was going to go grab something to eat. I was wondering if you wanted to join me?” Ava offered.
With a smile, she nodded, “I would love that,” and they both started walking down to the cafeteria. Even though there was no one else staying in the barracks, the cafeteria still had more people than expected. Ava had stopped, unsure of where to go next, and Amiyra grabbed her hand and led her to where a small line had formed. After going through the line, they were handed a plate that had a sandwich and some fresh fruit and went to find a spot to sit.
Ava noticed a rude boy and another boy from the selection ceremony and made her way over to them. “Can we sit with you guys”.
The rude boy stood up with a glare and grabbed his tray. “The tables are all yours, we’re all done here”. Ava knew this wasn't true, as he still had food on his tray. It looks like rude boy has evolved even further into asshole boy.
“Sorry guys, he's not super friendly right now,” apologized the mousy boy who had been sitting next to him. “We should definitely talk later though!” he said before shoveling the rest of the food into his mouth, real quick following after the asshole boy.
“God what a dick,” Ava said.
Amiyra seemed to be a little nicer as she tried to reason out his behavior. “He's probably just stressed and nervous, like the rest of us.”
“But he's the one who volunteered; he at least had some idea he'd end up here. The rest of us were totally random”
“Yeah, I guess you're right, he was kinda acting like a dick for someone who chose this”. Amiyra said.
Sitting down to eat, in between bites, Ava started conversations between the two. “So, how old are you?”
“I turned 20 a couple of months ago,” Amiyra said, “frustratingly close to being free from this.”
“Oh god, I'm so sorry” Ava responded. She couldn't even imagine what it must feel like getting so close to being safe and then having the rug swept out from her. At least hers happened halfway through instead of right at the end.
“It's fine. I was the one who had gotten my hopes up after not being picked last year. I shouldn't have started planning for a future that I knew could drastically change,” she said ruefully, “but what about you? How old are you?”
“Well, I turned 18 last month, so this was my fourth selection day, and I…” Ave continued to talk with Amiyra throughout dinner, each learning new things about each other, their past, and their families. After feeling more full and after the stress of the day, both of them started to feel exhausted and went back to the barracks to spend the night. Ava ate the small chocolate from her package, enjoying the small comfort it gave her.
And if Ava heard any crying that night, she wouldn't tell a soul, as long as her new friend ignored any crying that she heard.
Author's Note: This story is based upon the world Pokemon: Chaotic World by Revenantzero with their permission. So there are going to be similar parts throughout. It's a great story and you should read it but this stands on its own with new characters.
This is my first fanfic and it is set in a world where pokemon are more aggressive. Expect to see occasional cursing/blood/injuries/death, etc. I don't plan of being too gratuitous but let me know if there are any tags that I am missing. Hopefully y'all enjoy reading!
Chapter 1: Origins
Becoming a trainer was the last thing Ava Stanton, or anyone her age, wanted to do.
As she rode the bus away from the only life she ever knew, in her panic, there was only one repeating thought in her head.
“I am going to die”.
…
A long time ago, becoming a pokemon trainer and taking on the Gym Challenge was what every kid dreamed about, and most at least attempted it. Even those who weren't trainers often had one pokemon as a pet or used one for work. Pokemon were so ingrained in the fabric of society that when that Cataclysm came, everything broke down.
The driving force behind the Cataclysm was due to the actions of Team Rocket, one of the most notorious pokemon gangs around. They had been working on capturing legendary pokemon to aid them in their crimes and use their destructive power to take control of the government and beat the League.
Team Rocket had created plans and preparations to be ready to fight against some of the strongest trainers in the world. Then, when they successfully captured the three legendary birds, Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos, they were ready to put their plan into action. What they weren't ready for was the response of the legendary pokemon when they combined forces.
The legendary pokemon led the charge against all of humanity, across all regions of the word. Millions of pokemon, once friendly, became enraged by the legendaries and started attacking people across the globe. These animals, which once lived in peace and community with humanity, became feral and destroyed cities and towns.
The trainers were able to put up some sort of fight with the pokemon they trained previously, not seeming to be affected by the changes caused by the legendary pokemon. However, for the majority of towns and small cities, there simply were not enough people or resources to fight against the onslaught of superpowered attacks. Within a week, all that was left of humanity were the most populous cities with high League and trainer support and the few individuals who managed to hide away.
The reason these towns survived was due to the League taking strong action by rallying the remaining trainers and refugees in the bigger cities. To protect themselves they started building walls around the cities to keep out the pokemon. Trainers guarded the walls and were constantly at war to keep pokemon out.
This all seemed to be for naught as the waves of pokemon kept coming, and even bigger cities were starting to be destroyed. Then a final wave of pokemon came and broke through the walls of every city and started rampaging. It seemed to be the end of everything until, all at once, the wild pokemon froze, stopping the fighting and returning to nature.
No one knows why the coordinated attacks stopped. There were theories that it was due to the mercy of the legendaries or that they stopped, while others believed they had accomplished their goal of finding the captured legendaries and saving them. In the end, the reason was never discovered, but whatever it was allowed humanity the chance to survive.
Rebuilding was a massive undertaking, and not every place survived. With 90% of the population decimated, a lot of society collapsed. There were food shortages, an increase in crime, and a lack of essential infrastructure. The remaining Leagues and cities gathered together to figure out how to survive and keep what's left of humanity safe.
Since there were no centralized governments left, each city was declared as a city-state and given the right to rule themselves without outside interference, with the exception of the regional League having offices in all areas to deal with matters related to pokemon. With transport being extremely dangerous, it was essential that these cities could be self-sufficient and not have to rely on others for supplies.
Pokemon training also underwent massive changes. Since pokemon were still essential for protecting against outside threats and growing the city, it was necessary to keep training and catching pokemon . Things were different now, and the first generation that tried to restart training almost ended up wiped out. The changes in pokemon were permanent, and while they were not being led in battle by legendaries, they still remained extremely aggressive compared to before and would attack ruthlessly.
No longer were people flocking to train pokemon, instead they became a source of terror for most people and something they actively avoided. This shortage of trainers was dangerous and put many cities at risk of collapsing. A mandate for trainer conscription was put in place for all cities. Once a year, all people aged 15-20 would be required to take part in a ceremony to randomly choose people to become pokemon trainers for the rest of their lives.
Two hundred years have passed since then, and this ceremony, which came to be known as the Selection Day, is still in place.
This was also the day that Ava’s old life was over, and she began her new life reluctantly as a pokemon trainer.
…
Selection Day was always a gloomy affair. As the thousands of people eligible to be chosen trickled into the stadium used for the ceremony, all you could hear was the shuffling of feet and the officers directing traffic. Ava’s stomach was tangled in knots, thinking about what the future could hold. If she were chosen, the worst that could happen would be a quick death in the first week of becoming a trainer. The best she could hope for is to be forever ostracized by most people in her life, never be able to get a real job, and be stuck in a dangerous profession til she was either killed, unable to work, or could retire. She tried steeling herself. She had already survived three selections, if she gets through today, she will only have two left.
The tension in the air could be cut with a knife, everything felt much more oppressive than it had at the start of the previous year's ceremonies. Every year, the number of trainers chosen fluctuates based on the needs of the city. The previous year, there had been over 100 people drafted, the highest any of them had ever seen. Higher than anyone thought possible. That now weighed on all their minds, especially Ava's, as she had been one of the first group to sit, so all she could do was overthink and wonder if that would happen again.
Ava had been sitting in her spot for the past hour when the final group of people came and were seated. If it was quiet before, now it was deathly still as a strict-looking woman walked up the stage in her trainer uniform. Quite enough to hear the steps, she climbed the stage and walked towards the microphone.
“Good afternoon, citizens of Taluda. I am Captain Cunningham, the official representative of the League. I have been tasked with leading this year's Selection Ceremony and the recruits that come from it. Furthermore, I know a lot of you are scared right now.” She paused. “And you have every right to be. Pokemon are immense in their danger, and now a select few of you are going to be in charge of training and raising them to help protect and provide for the rest of the civilians. This comes at a high risk for your life and wellbeing. I will do my best to make sure that each one of you survives,” she said as she looked out across the crowd.
Cunningham’s remarks did nothing to appease the tightly wound audience, and it only made the pit Ava felt in her stomach dig even deeper. She finished her look around the stadium before continuing, “Due to high performance and a lack of deaths in the past year, we will only have to pick out six new people to join the League as trainers.” The wave of relief across the stadium was palpable, and even Ava started to feel a little more secure.
“Before I start with the ceremony, if there is anyone who wants to volunteer and take up the mantle and join our ranks as a pokemon trainer, please stand up and raise your hand. One of the officers will be able to walk you down.” Ava turned her head, much like the rest of the people around her, trying to see if anyone would volunteer. She didn't notice anything until an officer three columns to her right started walking down toward the field with a boy following behind him. He looked to be one of the younger people here. Ava secretly thought he was an idiot, but she still felt better now that one spot had already been taken. The volunteer confidently walked down the field and up the stage to be greeted by Captain Cunningham.
After a brief conversation between them, Captain Cunningham turned back to the mic and spoke up, “This year we are honored to have a volunteer. Please welcome Oliver and thank him for his service.” After a half-hearted applause, she continued. “We now only have to fill five more spots for this year, do we have any more volunteers?” After seeing no response she said “Alright then we will move on”.
The large screen behind her lit up and started flashing through the names of all the people here. The suspense built in the air as the names started slowing down before stopping on one. “We are honored to welcome Ava Stanton as our second pick this year, please stand up and follow an officer down to the stage”.
Ava could barely hear her, her blood was rushing through her ears, and all she could process was her name, undeniably large on the screen.
...
Everything that happened after hearing her name happened in a blur. Ava was led down to join Captain Cunningham and the volunteer in the middle of the field. She knows more people were chosen and joined her on the stage, but did not remember anything about them.
Now she sat on the bus that was taking them away, and it really started to sink in. She was going to be forced to become a trainer. No longer would she be able to go to college like she planned or get to choose any job she wanted. Would she even be able to see her family anymore? Would they even want to see her? All of these questions rattled in her head as she steadily pulled herself out of the daze. This was real, and this was happening to her.
Looking around, she noticed the other people selected. Besides the volunteer, they all seemed to have a mix of shock, fear, and despair, just like she was sure she had on her face. There were four boys and one other girl, they all seemed to be processing what had just happened, so she didn't want to bother them.
As she gazed through the window, the bus entered more and more areas she had never been to, and eventually they entered the trainer district. This was the 10% of the city that was put aside solely for pokemon trainers. They passed multiple pokemon centers, stores and what seemed to be residential areas. She also happened to notice there were some pokemon traveling alongside their trainers, a sight not usually seen unless there were emergencies.
The bus finally pulled into a pokemon center, and as they piled off, they were greeted by Cunningham, who had been waiting for them in front of the building, saying, “Welcome to your new home. This pokemon center is going to be where you will stay while preparing for the Ordeals and until you are able to provide for yourself.” She led them through the doors and to the woman stationed at the desk. “This is Mary, she is in charge of this pokemon center and will be the one giving you your tours.” Mary gave a small wave before Captain Cunningham continued, “Once you have finished the tour, you will have the rest of the day and tomorrow off to gather yourself and get acquainted with the area. You will also be able to call any family or friends that you may want to talk to. Then, on Monday, we will start your week of training to prepare you for your Ordeals. I wish you luck and will see you on Monday.” With that, she left the pokemon center.
Mary took charge after Captain Cunningham left. “Hello, it is great to meet you all. As Captain mentioned, my name is Mary, and I am the one in charge of this pokemon center. You may see other people or trainers helping out, but I should be around most of the time to answer any questions you may have. Now follow me”. As she spoke, she led them through a door further into the building. “This is the lounge area where you can relax and wait between missions. It is open 24/7; however, there is no food allowed and a strict intolerance to any pokemon battles or fighting. Failure to follow these rules can result in a ban from the area. The Lounge connects to the most important areas you will use as trainers, the cafeteria, the healing center, the poke mart, the computer rooms, and the barracks”.
She continued down the hallway and entered on the first door to the left. Once Ava and the rest of the trainers filled in after her, they were greeted with rows of computers. Each computer had a device next to it where there were six indentations that would fit poke balls. “Here is the computer room,” Mary said. “This is where you will be able to access the local internet, communicate with your families, and, like all pokemon center computers, you will have the ability to view and accept missions once you become recognized as official trainers”. Ava could see a few people who were in the computer lab doing just that.
Pointing toward the device that held poke balls, Mary continued, “This device next to all the computers is called the Pokemon Connector, or a PC for short. By putting your poke ball in the slots, you will be able to access a large portion of the capabilities. You will be able to view all the data about your pokemon including gender, age, and more. Not only will you be able to view data, but you will also be able to break down poke balls into computer code to be stored in your trainer account or used to trade or sell your pokemon to other trainers. There are more specifics regarding long-term pokemon storage, but Captain Cunningham will go over that with those who pass the exam”.
The group was then led to the door right across the hall, where there were six large devices with a similar structure, “This is the healing center and will be the most used room by any of you.” Here, she paused and took on a more serious tone. “These devices are one of the most important pieces of technology that allow us to maintain a fighting force and protect the city. By putting your pokemon in here and pressing this button,” she showed them all a green button on the front of the machine, “you will be able to restore your pokemon back to full health. The healing center is open 24/7; however, under absolutely no circumstances are any pokemon allowed out of their poke balls inside this room. The same goes for any food, drink, or goofing around. If you break or damage any of these, you will be cited with a fine that would take most of your life to pay off, and your wages from any missions would be garnished until it is paid off”.
Seeing the slightly scared looks on everyone's faces, Mary felt they were properly warned. Leading them out of the room and further down the hall, they entered a glass door with a blue sign that held a white poke ball. “This is the poke mart. This is where you can buy all the supplies you need for your pokemon like poke food, potions, antidotes, poke balls, and more. This is open 8am to 5pm. We do have the ability to open it up after hours, however that is only done for emergencies, often specifically related to missions. So make sure you are always prepared.”
Walking to the door at the end of the hallway, she stopped in front of it. “This door leads to the cafeteria, for the duration of your Ordeal, and then for one month after, we will provide free lunch and dinner for you. After that period, you will join the rest of the trainers, who get one free meal a day. Any other meals or snacks will come at your own personal expense.” Ava perked up at the thought of a meal, her appetite had been nonexistent this morning and afternoon, and she was only now starting to realize how hungry she was. She was a little disappointed when Mary followed up by saying they would get a meal at the end of the tour.
Turning to the right, Mary opened the door and walked up a flight of stairs to the second floor. “Our final stop of the tour is the barracks. This will be your home for the foreseeable future. There are over a dozen bunk beds for trainers to sleep in. There are storage lockers that you can use, and laundry is at the end of the hall. You will be able to use the barracks at no cost to yourself; however, there is a limited supply of beds and storage, and they are on a first-come, first-served basis. Once you start making money, you will be able to leave and rent your own place for more privacy if you so desire. We have cleared out any current trainers to other pokemon centers for the duration of your Ordeals, so you won't have to worry about that. The boys barracks are off to the left, and the girls are to the right. Each of you should have a package with your name on it on your bed.” With a clap of her hands, Mary said, “Well, that concludes the rest of our tour, are there any questions?” When no one had any, she took her leave and left them alone.
No one seemed to know what to do until the volunteer boy scoffed, “I am going to go to my bed, you idiots can keep standing around here if you want” before stomping off. Ava thought that was really rude and wondered if she should call him a rude boy instead of a volunteer boy.
It seemed as though everyone took his lead, though, because the rest of the boys followed him while the other girl had already started to the girls' barracks. Ava scrambled to catch up to her and then reached the two beds that had a package on them. Finding hers, Ava immediately opened it. Inside was a basic change of clothes, toiletries, a single piece of chocolate, and a note letting her know her family could ship them additional clothing and items. The note also mentioned that Captain Cunningham wanted them to meet in the computer labs on Monday morning at 8 a.m.
Looking up from her package, she took a good look at the other girl, she was shorter than Ava with long, dark hair and glasses. Mustering up some courage, Ava stuck out her hand. “Hi there, it's nice to meet you. My name is Ava”.
The other girl looked up from her package and gingerly grasped her hand. “Nice to meet you, my name's Amiyra.” They both fell silent, not really sure what else to say.
Ava broke the silence. “This might just be because I was not super focused, but did they ever explain what they meant by Ordeals?”
That seemed to break some of the tension because Amiyra smiled and said, “I was thinking the exact same thing! I felt kind of stupid cause it seemed like everyone else knew.” With that, they both started laughing a little.
“Well, I was going to go grab something to eat. I was wondering if you wanted to join me?” Ava offered.
With a smile, she nodded, “I would love that,” and they both started walking down to the cafeteria. Even though there was no one else staying in the barracks, the cafeteria still had more people than expected. Ava had stopped, unsure of where to go next, and Amiyra grabbed her hand and led her to where a small line had formed. After going through the line, they were handed a plate that had a sandwich and some fresh fruit and went to find a spot to sit.
Ava noticed a rude boy and another boy from the selection ceremony and made her way over to them. “Can we sit with you guys”.
The rude boy stood up with a glare and grabbed his tray. “The tables are all yours, we’re all done here”. Ava knew this wasn't true, as he still had food on his tray. It looks like rude boy has evolved even further into asshole boy.
“Sorry guys, he's not super friendly right now,” apologized the mousy boy who had been sitting next to him. “We should definitely talk later though!” he said before shoveling the rest of the food into his mouth, real quick following after the asshole boy.
“God what a dick,” Ava said.
Amiyra seemed to be a little nicer as she tried to reason out his behavior. “He's probably just stressed and nervous, like the rest of us.”
“But he's the one who volunteered; he at least had some idea he'd end up here. The rest of us were totally random”
“Yeah, I guess you're right, he was kinda acting like a dick for someone who chose this”. Amiyra said.
Sitting down to eat, in between bites, Ava started conversations between the two. “So, how old are you?”
“I turned 20 a couple of months ago,” Amiyra said, “frustratingly close to being free from this.”
“Oh god, I'm so sorry” Ava responded. She couldn't even imagine what it must feel like getting so close to being safe and then having the rug swept out from her. At least hers happened halfway through instead of right at the end.
“It's fine. I was the one who had gotten my hopes up after not being picked last year. I shouldn't have started planning for a future that I knew could drastically change,” she said ruefully, “but what about you? How old are you?”
“Well, I turned 18 last month, so this was my fourth selection day, and I…” Ave continued to talk with Amiyra throughout dinner, each learning new things about each other, their past, and their families. After feeling more full and after the stress of the day, both of them started to feel exhausted and went back to the barracks to spend the night. Ava ate the small chocolate from her package, enjoying the small comfort it gave her.
And if Ava heard any crying that night, she wouldn't tell a soul, as long as her new friend ignored any crying that she heard.