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Generation Omega (Chp1 Up)

RaZoR LeAf

Night Terror
This is my trainer fic based on an RPG. The RPG itself was popular, but as most RPGs do, it died due to lack of commitment. So I've turned it into a fic, which lets me do all the things I've ever though about for it. The prologue tells the main history and set up for the rest of the fic, so it's more of a history lesson than an actually story at the moment, but I should have chapter one finished by tomorrow.

Generation Omega
Prologue


By the latter half off the 20th century, organised crime had become a staple part of society, operating out of the underground black market on various illegal ventures. At first these were basic offences. Robbery, hijacking, smuggling and providing 'services' that were below board. It wasn't long before these events began mix, and the leaders of these rings were merged into one. While grunts were sent out to continue the menial crimes of theft, more experienced criminals were working behind the scenes on greater projects.

Following a tip off that a counterfeit money scheme was being operated out of a small business in the outer rim of Saffron, several arrests were made. After many weeks of questioning and going through evidence, several facts were known. The number of felons arrested paled in comparison to the numbers of the criminal organisation that identified itself as Team Rocket. When this news went public, so did the Rockets and crime increased ten fold.

After a concerted effort, street crime was being dealt with on a fast and daily basis, but what happened behind the scenes in the hierarchy of Team Rocket remained a mystery to all except those involved. Though attempts to find out proved worthless, the results of what was happening could be seen all around. Several high ranking politicians fell from grace after it was uncovered they were running an insurance fraud scam. An Indigo League Gym Leader was found dead and some time later was replaced by a relatively unknown business man named Giovanni Rocket. Despite extreme in-depth background checks, there was nothing to link this man to the organisation other than a coincidence of name.

Businesses began to open, that had hearsay been believed were all just another part of the now global dominating organisation. The Casino in Celadon was more than a few times seen playing host to a number of security guards bearing a red R on their uniforms, the symbol representing Team Rocket. At the turn of the century, things were beginning to spiral out of control. An explosion at Cinnabar Island was blamed on faulty power lines, but too many people knew the location of the blast was being used to house illegal genetic experiments. There was a glimmer of hope however, when Team Rocket suffered a major setback. Their attempts to commandeer and hold the staff of Silph Co. hostage failed due to the intervention of a small group of pokemon trainers.

Be it luck or intention they drove the Rockets out in hordes, many straight into the waiting arms of the massive police presence nearby. It wasn't long after this that Giovannni Rocket, the Gym Leader in Viridian went missing and criminal activity in Kanto diminished. After an attempted revival in Johto, the Rocket crime spree appeared to have faded away. However by 2005, they were back on track, illegally mining precious ore from the Sevii Islands. This was eventually stopped and the role of Team Rocket appeared to degenerate into nothing more than petty crimes again.

A few years later, after a united effort of police work, the leader of Team Rocket was found. A man by the name of Dan Roketto. However, it was during this man's trial that the startling evidence was uncovered. This man was a fake. The paper trail that led to his arrest was just another manufactured distraction, designed to lure investigators away from the truth. It took another two years until the real perpetrator was discovered. Found in a secret base beneath Viridian Gym, Giovanni Rocket was dragged out into the reality he had hidden from. His trial was broadcast across the world, yet he showed no guilt or displeasure at being caught out. He admitted to every charge put before him. With his imprisonment, Team Rocket seemed to fall apart at the seems. Multiple small groups were the outcome, each vying for the power, turning against each other and as a result getting each and everyone of them locked up.

There was of course the heirarchy of Team Rocket that, while broken, was not destroyed. The smarter Rockets fled further underground, into the shadows of the black market and continued to operate in utter secrecy. They began to take on jobs that involved experimentation, genetic engineering, chemical warfare and other projects with equally dangerous results. One of these subjects, the development of an infectious pathogen aimed at disabling possibly even killing a wide range of pokemon was set to change the world. After information was leaked, police operatives stormed a hidden lab, and fights broke out. In chambers filled with glass tubes that housed any degree of chemicals, for only one to break would be disastrous. Unfortunately, at least one did break. A small glass vial that contained the most lethal of pathogens. It was code-named 'Omicron'.

One of the key factors of the pathogen was it's construction. It was not a purely organic virus. It was bonded with a fledgling technology known as nanites. Nano-technology allowed the virus to not only survive outside of a host body, but to use excess carbon in the air to duplicate itself. The moment it was released into free flowing air, the viral strain duplicated on an impossible to track level. It was inhaled by all those in the vicinity, both human and pokemon alike. For several weeks, there was no sign of ill effects. Then several of the pokemon involved in the break in began to exhibit an inability to perform even the most basic of abilities pokemon were so well known for. Some of these pokemon tried to fight off the infection using abilities such as Refresh and Serene Grace, but it was this that caused the virus to mutate in way none could have foreseen.

Even the Rocket scientists had no way of stopping it, and the new strain of virus was given the name 'Omega'. The virus presented itself similar to Necrotizing fasciitis, causing initial blistering of the skin or external epidermis, but quickly moved on to break down the cells below resulting in flesh, muscle and in some cases bone, to literally waste away. Reported cases of the infection began to spread, and it became clear that unless something was done, the extinction of the entire pokemon species looked imminent. Information taken straight from the Rocket scientists that constructed the virus showed that it was latching on to the unique chromosomes that only pokemon possessed. The ones that granted them the ability to use the attacks and skills they possessed. It was because of this, that humans remained unaffected by the disease. The virus was dying out in their bodies, destroyed by normal white blood cells before it had a chance to latch onto a cell or for an effective antibody against it to be created.

The Rockets, fearing their own futures if they were ever convicted of genocide, helped to find a way to stop extinction. There was no time left to synthesis an antidote, so drastic measures were taken. Using the same Nano Technology that had been used to reinforce the virus, it was re-programmed to seek out the sources the virus was attacking and to literally hold the cells together, rebuilding them faster than they were decaying. Early tests showed an almost instant success, and the nano's were released into the air in hopes that they would spread far enough to halt the deterioration of pokemon. A number of dispersal's were made all over the world in an effort to spread the nano's faster than the virus, and after a few days, reports stopped coming in.

Tests showed that pokemon were still infected with the virus, and that it was being passed on from mother to child. However, the nano technology, christened NoTek, was doing the same, constantly reinforcing the pokemon biology against the infection, stopping it from developing further. Was was becoming evident though, was how well the pokemon themselves were adapting to the NoTek. Since the virus primarily attacked the chromosomes that allowed them to use their attacks, it was these that were being reinforced the most by the NoTek. Pokemon were suddenly able to perform attacks, and use their abilities to a much greater and more sophisticated level.

The world was forced to change to meet this new development. Silph Co, who had long supported and funded the legal research into nano-technology began to market new equipment designed to interact with the NoTek, without interfering with it's primary purpose of keeping the virus under control. Pokeballs were soon off the market, replaced by the new and improved Beta Ball and Alpha Ball. The unique feature of these balls was their ability to hold more than one pokemon within it's form. Beta balls, for the beginning trainer held up to twelve, while Alpha Balls could hold a massive thirty at once.

Pokemon Trainers were given new licences, that allowed them to have an on person team of eight pokemon, however the starting age was increased to sixteen, meaning all trainers were required to study at least the minimum requirement of school. Pokedex's came fitted with e-mail and satellite phone, as well as the usual pokemon identifying features of old. Trainers starting out were given two starter pokemon, of practically any species, unlike a choice of only three in the past. Each trainer is given a wristwatch, that when in close proximity to another, generates a holographic display of the opponent's battling statistics.

Battling remained much the same. Though an attack could affect so much more of the arena now, sometimes inhibiting a pokemon, or completely blocking them. Some pokemon develop attacks on their own, some are helped along by their trainers. Other attacks come as a standard like the days of old. Since most of the original Gym Leaders and Elite Members had grown older or moved on, a new, fresh faced league was created. Though they followed the same rules and type affection as those in the past, a few modifications were made.

Team Rocket themselves have since given up and most have handed themselves over to the authorities. Crime it seems, has reverted back to it's original pettiness. Of course, there's no telling how many are left that are still firm believers in Giovanni Rocket's ways. Only time will tell.
 

PDL

disenchanted
great backstory... nothing that hasn't been done before, but it was well written...

although I kind of find it hard to beleive that Giovanni's last name would be "Rocket" of all things...

and how exactly would these balls that can hold more then one pokemon be benefical exactly?
 

The Big Al

I just keeping Octo
I've always loved Team centered fics because it gives more of a purpose to Pokemon training. Also, you create something with them you can't with gym leaders. Reason they do what they do ect. I'll be checking in on this and might become a regular.

But please, get Giovanni a better last name. Rocket doesn't work with an Italian name.
 
Last edited:

Dias

Fenrir
All right Dan, you know I'm looking forward to this as I've been pressing you to hurry your *** up writing recently. After seeing the prologue pop up in the omega rpg and when you posted it before, I can't wait now until I finally get to read the first chapter. The idea is good and I know from participating in the RPGs made of it that it is interesting and a bit refreshing, what with the new technologies and new attacks and such. I also know that you put a lot of character into the pokemon, another plus.

I'm sure you know that I like the prologue and backstory as I've reviewed it before, and of course I'll be looking forward to chapter 1.
 

foxkitty

Gilmore Girls lover
Okay nice job.

But on one part you put the words "Was" next to each other, so it read Was was. It could have been a mistake, and that's fine, everybody makes mistakes, but if oyur using word or another typing system use spelling and grammer check.

But other then that it was really good, keep it up.
 

RaZoR LeAf

Night Terror
PDL said:
great backstory... nothing that hasn't been done before, but it was well written...

although I kind of find it hard to beleive that Giovanni's last name would be "Rocket" of all things...

and how exactly would these balls that can hold more then one pokemon be benefical exactly?

Can't say I've ever seen a fanfic with Nano-technology infected pokemon but ok. Beta Balls hold pokemon and restore them to full health at the same time. It massively reduces the costs spent on producing hundreds of pokeballs every day, so that money can be spent on more important things.

The Big Al said:
I've always loved Team centered fics because it gives more of a purpose to Pokemon training. Also, you create something with them you can't with gym leaders. Reason they do what they do ect. I'll be checking in on this and might become a regular.

But please, get Giovanni a better last name. Rocket doesn't work with an Italian name.

If I said anything more about teams I'd be giving too much away. As for Rocket, I wanted the name to be ironic.

Dias said:
All right Dan, you know I'm looking forward to this as I've been pressing you to hurry your *** up writing recently. After seeing the prologue pop up in the omega rpg and when you posted it before, I can't wait now until I finally get to read the first chapter. The idea is good and I know from participating in the RPGs made of it that it is interesting and a bit refreshing, what with the new technologies and new attacks and such. I also know that you put a lot of character into the pokemon, another plus.

I'm sure you know that I like the prologue and backstory as I've reviewed it before, and of course I'll be looking forward to chapter 1.

Thanks.

foxkitty said:
Okay nice job.

But on one part you put the words "Was" next to each other, so it read Was was. It could have been a mistake, and that's fine, everybody makes mistakes, but if oyur using word or another typing system use spelling and grammer check.

But other then that it was really good, keep it up.

I use Text Edit to write in, but the Spelling doesn't pick up on duplicated words like that, so thanks for pointing it out.
 

The Big Al

I just keeping Octo
I mean that as the story progresses, objectives, internal workings, and other things come into the light.
 

RaZoR LeAf

Night Terror
OK, here we go with Chapter One. Now I thought it would be cool to name each chapter with a spoken line from the chapter itself, one that kind of gives the feeling to the evens of the chapter. Tell me what you think of that idea when you reveiw please.



Chapter One
I don't think I'm ready for a battle just yet


A diminutive Pidgy sat on the edge of a narrow branch, staring down at the forestry below. A noise from far away broke her concentration, but glancing around revealed nothing. Turning back, she found that a rather podgy but no less attractive male Pidgey had landed on the branch beside her. The other bird puffed out his chest and whistled a short tune. A low rumble nearby interrupted his song, but as he put more effort into the song, the rumbling became louder. Joining the noise, the tree itself began to vibrate slightly, growing more and more frantic as the rumbling grew into a loud roar. Both Pidgey's looked down just in time to stare at a massive steel beast racing past below them. Every step it took it made a noise, but it did not stray from it's path for a second.

Eventually, the beast disappeared into the distance, it's roaring growing quieter. Two steel winged Skarmory flew overhead, following the monster and keeping a sharp eye on it's path. Eventually, they too moved on and the forest returned to it's peaceful nature. The young female Pidgey turned back to her male friend only to find he had fallen off the branch and disappeared. She cooed a disappointment, and fluttered away to search for a bite to eat.


Had he been awake, Michael Alexander still wouldn't have noticed the altercations between the two birds, nor the effect the giant beast had on the forest. That was the least of his problems. Though, were he awake he would not have mistaken the Monorail train for a giant steel beast, and he wouldn't have been trying to woo a young female Pidgey with amorous sing song. In any case, Michael was fast asleep, his head leaning against the window, bouncing against his rolled up coat as the vibrations of train fed through it. Since the noise of the train wasn't enough to wake him, the announcement that Viridian City was just a few minutes away didn't phase him either, even though it was his stop off point.

The train began to slow down as in entered the busy city of Viridian. The trench created by the surrounding mountains radiated with a green hue, the famous malachite deposits found in the rock and the cause for Viridian's name. Down beneath the huge metal frame supporting the monorail, the people of Viridian went about their usual business. After Giovanni Rocket's arrest, it was learnt that his role as Gym Leader was in fact the cause of several embezzlements of funds the city drastically needed. When all was well in the world, Viridian quickly flourished. It was after all, one of the most visited cities in Kanto after the capital Saffron. With Pokemon trainers passing through on their way to the Indigo League, it had to follow the times.

The monorail ground to a halt and those travelling on it began to disembark, stepping onto the platform and being welcomed by staff, who in turn apologised for the noise the monorail was making lately. Still fast asleep, it wasn't until somebody jabbed him in the ribs with the end of an umbrella, that Michael Alexander woke with a jolt and shouted,

"Huzzaweyami?"

"Poor grasp of English, dreadful attire, I thought you looked like a fool, clearly I was right."

Michael looked up at the man. Dressed in a sharp and stylish suit, with white shirt, matching black tie and closely trimmed goatee he stared down with a sour face hiding just a hint of that upper class attitude that was all too familiar. It was definitely a step up from his scratched jeans and loose fitting t-shirt.

"I imagine you have some place to be. Not that I wouldn't find hours of enjoyment at the thought of you stranded at the end of the line in Saffron, but I have business there later and would not want to endure the chaos that would likely ensue from your presence there. I imagine you have a reason to get off here?"

"Uhm.. yeah.. Oh hell I'm supposed to be at Pallet Town." Michael cried, jumping up and grabbing at his bag that hung loosely from the overhead compartment. He leaped out of his seat almost pushing the guy over, spinning around to apologise the look on his face suggested that stopping wouldn't be the best idea. Michael stepped out onto the platform and quickly lost himself in the crowds of people. He looked back, seeing the man growling at the staff as he finally got off the train, checking around then disappearing off in the opposite direction.

Michael sighed a breath of relief, then turned and walked out of the station using another exit. He was just outside Viridian City centre, so the bustle of people wasn't as hectic as it was further into the developing metropolis. Viridian would have to wait, he had an appointment to keep at Pallet Town and he was already running late. Swinging his bag up onto his shoulder, he looked around for his angered assailant and set off along the road towards the small town barely visible in the distant. On route, he walked past several people who were all holding a single blue Pokéball in their possession. The Beta Ball. It looked like a regular old Pokéball, but with a navy blue casing and the Greek symbol 'ß' embossed on the surface it was anything but. Beta Balls were a combination of the PC Storage System and a Pokéball, allowing trainers to store the patterns of up to twelve pokemon at once.

As the road from Viridian started to turn into a dirt path, Michael realised that Pallet wasn't as far as he originally thought. It felt weird to be walking along a little country lane to a small town especially considering how much of the world was so industrialised. Bushes and patches of long grass were sure to be homes of small pokemon, but there were none brave enough to venture onto this route. Not anymore. There were so many being caught by first time trainers that the pokemon finally caught on and kept away from the well walked path. The small wooden archway that marked the entrance to Pallet Town paled beneath the large windmill whose blades turned in the gentle breeze. The mill was the tallest structure in Pallet, but compared to the rest of Kanto's towns and cities, it was tiny. Dotted around the green pasture were small white washed houses, and one larger two story building that bore a large Pokéball symbol above the door.

Michael crossed the small town, smiling to himself at the name. Pallet was barely big enough to call itself a village, let alone a town. Still, the few people he passed that were out walking or tending to their gardens were friendly and cheerful, a trait not commonly found in many places. The Pokemon Lab was home to Kanto's leading expert in the field of pokemon studies. Doctor Gary Oak, grandson of the long retired Professor Oak, who followed in his footsteps entering the scientific profession. Unlike his famous grandfather, Gary chose medicine and pokemon biology, a wise choice after the Omega Incident. His theories regarding NoTek and it's interaction with the virus are still used to help others understand it.

Michael pushed his way through the glass doors into the building, where sterile white tiles and walls of computer equipment met him. He was expecting cages with pokemon in being drip fed and prodded with strange instruments, but was mildly surprised to find several large and dominating pokemon interacting with other staff members without worry. There's something about seeing a Charizard with a thermometer in it's mouth that's quite funny. Michael didn't notice a young girl in a white lab coat approach from nearby.

"Can I help you?" she said, her voice made Michael jump, and her face bore the smirk that betrayed her professional exterior.

"Uh sure. I'm Michael Alexander, I'm here to receive my license." he said, staring at the events unfolding around the lab.

"Yes of course Mr Alexander, if you'd like to follow me I'll introduce you to Doctor Oak and he'll get you started."

The assistant led Michael through a winding path surrounded by strange round machinery, hanging lamps that carved messages in rock with lasers, and several incubators that held a variety of coloured eggs. Standing around a huge machine stood Doctor Oak. Looking just like he did when he was a hot shot trainer, if not a little older, Doctor Gary Oak stood with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other, noting down the results of yet another experiment. Totally absorbed in the results, he didn't notice Michael come in and his assistant leave. Left standing there, Michael wondered if Gary Oak was dying out the grey hair he was surely getting, or if the off colour streaks in his hair were natural, and not the result of bad colour matching. Doctor Oak looked up and stared at Michael with some confusion.

"Can I help you?" the doctor asked.

"Uh. Yeah," Michael said slowly, stuck for what to actually say "I'm Michael Alexander, I'm here to pick up my license."

Oak frowned, and flipped through a few pages on his board until he finally nodded his head and dropped the board onto a table nearby. Wordlessly he motioned for Michael to follow him over to a small machine that held several Beta Balls behind it's clear perspex front. With the click of a button, one of the balls rolled out into Oak's palm, which he then handed over to Michael.

"There are a few question I have to ask you first Michael, may I call you that?"

"You can use Mike if it's easier, I don't mind."

"Ok Mike, now did you study basic pokemon training in school or college?"

"Yeah," Michael said, casting his mind back to learning how to operate Betaballs, and finding out where not to stand when a Nosepass has a cold "good times."

"Indeed. Well in that case, I wont have to explain all the details to you, I can just give you two pokemon along with your license and you can be on your way."

Oak tapped away at a few buttons on a keypad, and from nearby shoots, two old fashioned Pokéballs dropped down. One was marked on the upper red lip with a silver snowflake the other bore two symbols, a yellow lightning bolt and a grey cog. Oak took them both and released the pokemon stored inside onto the floor of the lab.

The first to appear was a Magnemite. Well known for it's command of the earth's magnetic field, the small round pokemon bore two huge magnets on it's body and several nuts and bolts surrounding it's huge single eye. This pokemon seemed to dip at one corner, hanging down to the left whereas it should have floated above the ground level. The second pokemon was jumping up and down with glee, shaking it's arms and gibbering in it's own language. A black face with a huge grin was hidden behind a conical yellow fur coat, but the unmistakable face of a Snorunt was there to behold.

"These two pokemon have been matched to your personality and prior experience." Oak explained "Unlike any wild pokemon you will come across, they are much more domesticated and less likely to disobey. They are not however completely tame, as doing so would make them less able to stand up to wild pokemon."

Michael kneeled down and tried to lift the Magnemite up so it was straight. It moved up fine, but then fell back into it's diagonal position straight away. It didn't seem bothered though, so he left it alone. The Snorunt on the other hand was still shaking with ecstasy.

"It's ok, she's just over excitable. I'm sure with a trainer looking after her, she'll start to calm down."

"Ok, considering your predicament, I'm going to call you Lefty." Michael said to the Magnemite. It buzzed and rotated it's magnets once. "And you, I'm going to call you DeeDee." The Snorunt grinned and hugged Michael's leg, sending him crashing backwards from the sudden change in weight proportion.

"DeeDee?" Oak asked "As in Deficit Disorder?"

"Something like that yeah."

"Very clever." Oak put out a hand and helped Michael to his feet. He then took the Beta Ball and called both pokemon into it. A small LCD display bar on the ball flashed with 'CONTENT: 2 / MAGNEMITE / SNORUNT'. Michael used the small buttons next to the display to scroll through the information. It was also what allowed him to choose which pokemon he could call out of the ball at anytime.

"Eventually, your pokemon will get used to the sound of your voice, and they will come out of the ball on your command, without the need for you to select them. You'll want to remember that when your battles get more intense."

"I see."

"Now, you'll want this." Oak opened a draw and pulled out a wristwatch with a small computer screen attached to the sturdy leather strap. Michael held out his right arm, and Oak folded the device around his forearm, clasping it shut. "You'll get used to it being there soon, and you don't have to wear it all the time. There are three buttons on the side. The first will activate your own data display screen, and subsequent presses of it, will cycle through your opponents screens too. The second button will show your pokedex. When that is running, it's voice activated. The Pokedex stores information on all known pokemon, and is automatically updated with new information through wireless downloads."

"The third button will give you personalised access to all telecommunication and internet stations that can be found in all Pokemon Centres. The stations will also let you access your bank account. Away from that, it will display a map and any local news and information. The device will deactivate on it's own, and has a constantly recharging battery so it wont fail."

"That's a lot of information to remember, but I'm sure I'll do fine." Michael said, trying his best to recall which button did what and already forgetting.

"Don't worry, all League staff are fully knowledgeable about it's workings and will help you. It'll become like second nature soon enough. Well, that's everything, all that's left now is for you to decide where you're head to first."

Michael hesitated for a moment then clicked the third button on the wrist device. The small screen blinked into life, and immediately a larger screen was projected a few inches above his arm. No matter where he moved her arm, the screen stayed relatively in place and undisturbed. It showed his current location on the map, residing in Pallet town on the southern coast.

"Most people go up to Viridian and then on to Pewter, but I'm thinking of taking a different route, so I'll be heading south, to Cinnabar."

"A good choice. I'll inform the Cinnabar Pokecenter to expect your arrival. If you could check in at the Pokécentre when you arrive, just so I know you've arrived safely, that would be great."

"Will do. Thanks Doctor Oak."

Michael left the doctor, who returned to his studies, and headed out of the lab back onto the idillic greenery of Pallet Town. Back the way he had come from, lay the path that would lead to Viridian City, but straight ahead of him was a small dock built on the shoreline, where a boat bobbed up and down on the tide. He approached the wooden pier and found a white faced sailor laying back on the deck of the boat, smoking a cigarette and reading a book. Michael coughed to announce his presence, and the sailor glanced up at him.

"Hey there son, you want something?" the guy said looking up from his book but not putting it down. His voice was dry and coarse, probably from all the years spent smoking or inhaling sea air.

"Uh, yeah. I was hoping to get to Cinnabar Island. Is that ok?"

"Well sure!" the guy said, dropping the book and stubbing out the stick and jumping to his feet. "Been a good few weeks since anyone wanted to head down that way, and to tell the truth it's been getting pretty boring around here. Not that there's anything wrong with pallet Town, but when your scooting back and forth between a country village and the entertainment capital of Kanto, you notice the change. Sorry kid, I'm rambling again. Name's Bartholomew, nice to meet you."

Michael shook his hand "Michael. Likewise."

"Well hop on Michael and take a seat. Cinnabar isn't that far, you can just make it out on the horizon. Is there anyone else catching this boat too?"

"Not that I know of."

"Just you and me then." Bartholomew said "Say how old are you kid?"

"Nineteen."

"Really? Well I'd say something like 'that's a late age to become a trainer' but with the new laws and stuff I guess it's not really. Woah, hold on a second the first few seconds are a bit rough as we leave the dock." he paused for a second as the boat shuddered, then started to move out away from the dock and onto the rolling waves "There we go. You know I started out as a Trainer when I was eleven. Back then it was common practice, pretty much all beginning trainers were kids. Had me a Squirtle on my birthday and I was ready to take on the world."

"How did you do?" Michael asked, interested in the story but keeping a watchful eye out over the sea, spotting an occasional pokemon bobbing above the water, then swimming back down below.

"Dreadful. I wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility, not at that age. When I was eleven, I still wanted to be out climbing trees, running around with my friends and getting into trouble, you know? I was a child, and I wanted a childhood. But everything centred around training. Pokemon this pokemon that. My parents were insistent that I do what every body else in the street was doing."

"I know what you mean. When I was ten, the news about Team Rocket was just hitting the headlines. I was desperate to start training, then the next thing I knew, it looked like it would never happen. I was devastated for weeks, but I gradually got over it. I was out playing games with my friends, chasing girls, exploring. Heck I couldn't care less. Then of course, the whole NoTek thing came about, and it looked like there may be a future. I was mature enough to decide to stick through school, and start training after that. I stayed on after my sixteenth birthday, and studied Pokemon Training, League History and Team Rocket, so I was better prepared for the world."

"You made the right choice kid. I couldn't hack it. I didn't know where to go, and I was on my own. No ten year old should be left to wander a country on their own. Even with a pokemon or two, it's dangerous. I was in trouble more times than I'd like to remember, and if it wasn't for Bubbles, that was my Squirtle's name, I may not be here now to tell the tale."

"What happened to your pokemon?"

"Well. I never caught any other pokemon, it was just me and Bubbles. He evolved into a Wartortle, but in the end, even he could see I wasn't enjoying it. I took him back to Oak's place and went home. My parents took me back, but it was lonely, all my friends had gone off with their pokemon, and I grew up in solitude. Hey don't look at me like that, it wasn't so bad. I got into work with a guy who worked at the docks in Vermillion, and that's how I ended up here."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Would you do it again? Train I mean? There's a lot of older people who start off now, just the same as the youngsters."

"Nah, that part of my life has been and gone. I enjoy what I do here, and besides, I meet so many trainers going back and forth between Cinnabar and pallet, hearing their stories that it's enough for me. Hey looks like Cinnabar is getting close now."

Surprised at how fast they'd been travelling, and how engrossed he was in Bartholomew's tale, Michael hadn't realised that Cinnabar was right in front of them. The huge island was a centre for holidays and entertainment all year round. It's almost tropical conditions was thanks to the huge volcano that rose up out of the ground and towered over the island, puffing grey-white smoke out occasionally. Faint music seemed to carry on the wind, and the sounds of people chattering and shouting intermixed perfectly. The boat slowed down as it came into the dock, one that was massively bigger than the one in Pallet. Coming to a stop, Bartholomew jumped out and tied the boat in place before helping Michael onto the pier.

"Well, this is where you and I part ways Michael. I imagine you'll be heading east to Fuschia eventually, so we probably wont see each other again. So let me wish you good luck, I'll keep my ear to the ground for you."

"Thanks Bartholomew, the next time I'm in Pallet, I'll pay you a visit."

"Thanks kid, but don't go out of your way for me. You should head into town and check in, I'll bet Oak is worried I wouldn't get you here in one piece."

"Yeah something like that. See you around."

Michael left the dock and headed up a cobble stone path into the main reception area of Cinnabar Island. Directly ahead of him was the entrance to a huge theme park, where roller coasters, log flumes and other assorted rides could all be heard chugging along. Just next to it was a Pokemart, now selling everything a person would want to help them battle, and according to a sign pinned up on the wall, a discount on Ice Heals. Michael checked out a board with a map of the island. An 'X' marked his current location, and it looked like the theme park took up about a quarter of the island. There was a beach at the opposite end of the island, away from all the noise, while the rest of the island consisted of various rocky regions, and industrial sites. The largest and more dominant feature of Cinnabar, was the huge volcano. Famous for it's deposits of red Cinnibarite, the island was named after it.

The island was also pretty famous for being almost entirely reconstructed after a massive eruption devastated much of the island. It was blamed on excessive activity within the volcano, mostly as a result of the pokemon Gym being located within the crater itself. Since then, Pewter Industries worked with Cinnabar inhabitants to rebuild the island into it's current state, an the Gym was moved to a safe location where it would not interfere with the volcanic activity. Michael made a mental note of where the best place to train was, then headed for the Pokemon Centre, that was just up the road.

The doors to the centre were wide open, most likely to get some air in, despite air conditioning and fans running constantly throughout the building. There were a few people gathered both inside and out, most sitting down enjoying a drink or a meal. The Pokecentres had changed over the years. Original they catered for pokemon, healing them of weakness or injury, and giving trainers a place to stay overnight for free. Since the Beta Ball's creation and it's joining of both Poke-ball and Poke Centre technology, the main use of the Pokecentre was gone. It became more like a hostel. Open to all the public, but catering mainly for pokemon trainers. It would provide food and drinks, and a free room to stay in overnight, as well as continuing to help any pokemon that were seriously injured during a battle.

"Excuse me?" Michael said, leaning on the counter. A young man with short cut hair and a red and white uniform turned to face him "I was asked by Doctor Oak to check in when I arrived here."

"Oh." the man said, as if he'd heard it a million times before "Yeah ok, just call up the ID on your watch and the computers will scan it automatically."

He turned away and left Michael to ponder over which button he should press. The man didn't bother to turn around but said "The first one" as mono toned as his first sentence was. Michael clicked the button, and his statistics appeared above the watch. It flashed white once, and the computer screen began to upload the statistics. They rolled down the screen until it finally stopped and read LOGGED. The guy wandered off, leaving Michael on his own.

"I take it I'm done then." he mumbled to himself before walking out.

Michael ran a hand across his forehead wiping the sweat away, as he began to realise just how hot it was on the island. Happy enough that he wasn't wearing his jacket, but still he wished he had something a little less heavy than a pair of jeans on. At this temperature, the gel in his hair would start melting too, and the results of that would be messy to say the least. He clicked the third button on his watch, to bring up the local information. It suggested the best place to train against young wild pokemon, so he headed in that direction.

Strolling up an inclined hill, he encountered several people who were either with their pokemon, arranging a battle, or just finishing one. The small route was getting busier, as more people seemed to appear from nowhere. Someone bumped into Michael, who then turned to apologise, only to see the guy sprinting off down the road. Puzzled for a moment, he instinctively put his hand to his belt only to find his Betaball was missing.

"Hey! Hey that guy stole my Betaball!" Michael shouted, giving chase. People around either ignored him and or stopped, mostly getting in the way as he tried to catch up to the petty thief. Someone further down the road stepped out in front of the guy, and the next thing Michael saw was the guy lying on his back, clutching a nose that was spitting blood out at every angle. Michael skidded to a halt, and looked down at him.

"This yours?" a girl's voice said, from above him. Michael looked up to see a young girl, with dreadlocks in her hair, beads at the tips and some crazy tie-dyed clothes.

"Yeah, thanks. What did you do?" Michael said taking the ball back off her.

"Elbowed him in the face as he ran past." she said matter of factly. "The name's Taz, but you can call me Taz."

"Is he going to be ok?" Michael asked as two smartly dressed officers came to drag the guy away.

"I expect his pride is a bit crushed that's all." Taz replied "Hey guys, he tripped over and fell flat on his nose. Crazy guy wasn't paying any attention where he was going." she shouted after them. "So you going to thank me?"

"I did just thank you."

"Nah, I mean really thank me. A battle, that'll be good. You up for that?"

"I've only just started out, I don't think I'm ready for a battle just yet."

"Ah you'll be fine," Taz said, waving away his excuse and leading the way to an open spot where a pair of trainers had just finished a battle. "If you win, you can buy me a drink later. If you lose, well you can buy me a drink anyway, your a man, you're supposed to buy girl's drinks it's in your nature."

"It's in other men's nature maybe not mine." Michael said, this time he was speaking matter of factly.

"Really?" Taz said, slightly surprised "Well in that case, we'll have plenty to talk about. Come on, one on one should do. You ready? Shine, lets go!"

Taz threw her Betaball into the centre of the arena, where before it hit the ground, a blue light shot out of the ball and formed a five tipped star. The ball returned to her hand as the pokemon fully formed into the brown skinned Staryu, sporting a glittering red orb central on it's body.

"You don't waste any time do you?" Michael said grinning. He selected a pokemon from the list on the Betaball and readied himself for a battle. "Lefty, lets go!"
 

Dias

Fenrir
Yey, chapter one at long last. It was an enjoyable read and a good start. There were a lot of things that I liked which came together to form a nice and fluid read. First off, there was a good amount of description. Enough to get a good and clear picture fo what was going on but not too much so it was bogged down and made boring. The opening dream sequence was a pretty interesting way to kick off the chapter and was more fresh than what is usually seen. Also, the continued hint of background served to reinforce the backstory but not obnoxiously stand out and take center off current events.

A part I realy enojyed was the conversation between Bartholomew (haha you used tha name, awesome). You really humanized him as a background character and didnt make him some colorless drone who performs some sort of service and that's it. It was really natural. Also with the pokecenter attendant at cinnabar when he was bored and annoyed with having yet another trainer come and check in with him.

I caught I think 1 punctuation mistake, which was at the part when Mike was talking to Oak and there was a lack of punctuation before "Good times." Also, when Taz introduced herself, she said "My name's Taz but you can call me Taz." I thinky ou meant to use her full name first.

And I think the idea of taking a line from the chapter to support the Chapter One and what not is a good one. It gives a look at what is to come, and it's just pretty cool in general.

Keep up the good work, Dan. Can't wait to read chapter two.
 

RaZoR LeAf

Night Terror
Well Taz doesn't like being called by her real name (Tamsin) so she says her nickname twice to kind of reinforce the message. I'll make something of it in the next chapter when Michael checks her stats. Thanks for the veiw, I'm pleased you liked it, I was worried if I didn't finish it you'd cut my fingers off or somehting.
 
Although I haven't read most of this, this seems to be off to a REALLY great start. My only comment is not to use Ok.
 

Lupin

Legendary Pokémon Coordinator
Well I have to say that this is an amazing storyline (I thought your banner looked great so decided to read the story that went with it). Very orginal storyline as I can't think of a single fic that has Nano tech infecting pokemon and the beta ball idea is very cool itself. I also like the idea of having your first two pokemon being matched to your personality and prior experience, so in actual fact, you don't get to choose them yourself. Its a pretty interesting twist to the story. The fact that his first two pokemon are a Magnemite and a Snorunt is funny as you rarely see those pokemon on a characters team, let alone his first ones. Can I ask why Mike has gone to Cinnabar instead of Viridian (another noticable difference, the trainer not following the order we are acustomed to, nice touch)?

Overall, I believe that this story has excellant promise and I will look forward to reading future chapters.
 
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