Time for a New Beginning

[Nyomi]

<sub>Nyomi whistled as she walked toward the Jentan lab, her gaze flowing from the cloudless sky to the tree tops being blown slightly by the light wind. She was positively beaming at finally going to have a Pokemon partner.

She twitched a little, not from nervousness, but from the excitement bubbling inside of her. She had to fight the urge to start skipping to the lab, had to stop herself from yelling out with glee. So, she whistled to keep her calm.

Which Pokemon would she choose? She had reviewed the list, but had not come to a conclusion. There were so many! Fire, Water, or Electric... each had at least one Pokemon that she had spent endless minutes looking over. She stopped whistling, falling back into her mind to try to choose a Pokemon before she saw the Professor.

Finally, the lab came into view. Forgetting that she still had not decided, Nyomi broke into a run. She stopped right in front of the labratory door, panting for breath. Straightening up, Nyomi brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and knocked on the door. She bagan whistling again.</sub>

[/sub]

[Nyaa-Neko]

Professor Cherry opened the door with a murderous look in his eye. "I'm not donating to - oh," he paused, his look softening, "you're the new trainer, eh? Nyomi, was it? Come in, come in." With that, he ushered the whistling girl inside the lab, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. He then looked her over from head to toe, trying to obtain a first impression on the girl.

Two ekans looked up from the cage in the middle of the room, blinking sleepily at the new arrival. What with the professor's recent sickness, they had the arduous job of maintaining the lab - the likes of which had exhausted them quite thoroughly. One, Hana, decided to go back to sleep, while the other, Haru, just stared at Nyomi with a blank look.

The professor ignored his Pokemon, crossed his arms, and looked at the girl again. "Well, you're here for your starters, eh? You know all about the group system, I'm sure. Even so," he began, pulling out a pamphlet from a lab coat pocket and handing it to the girl. "You may want to check up on what you know. Everything about the system's right here in this pamphlet, just in case you missed something on the trip here." He paused, his light blue eyes staring at the girl. "What you need to know for the lab is this: you get three starters, one of which you choose, and two of which you don't. They're generated by a computer, so it's random, and please don't blame me if you don't get an eevee," he supressed a shudder, "or a bagon."

He then pointed one grubbly old finger at a list on the wall. "Over there's the list of what we offer for Group 1 starters. You get to pick your Group 1 starter from that list. Please don't ask for anything else - you'll be getting Pokemon off that list, most likely, for your other two starters. Also, keep in mind that the Group 1 starter is level 5, so it might not be evolving for awhile. So, which one're you interested in, girl?"

((Pamphlet on the Grouping System
List of Starters))

[Nyomi]

<sub>Nyomi immediately stopped her whistling and took a step back when the Professor first opened the door, but she calmed down when the murderous glint left his eyes. She quickly entered when she was ushered inside, then stood quietly taking a moment to look around the lab.

Her gaze fell on the two Ekans and she offered a smile to the one who stared at her. Then Nyomi turned her attention back to the Professor to see him looking her over. She blushed a little and shifted her left foot, but other than that she stayed perfectly still.

Nyomi took the pamphlet that was offered to her, smiling with increasing anticipation. She merely offered a couple of nods as the Professor spoke, and listened intently. When he had finished, Nyomi walked over to the list and quickly looked it over to confirm her choice. She also took a quick glance at the pamphlet.

"Could I have a Pachirisu? I don't really mind what personality, anything is fine," Nyomi finally said as she turned back to face Professor Cherry. A broad grin crossed her face and her eyes twinkled happily. SHe couldn't believe that she was finally going to get a Pokemon!</sub>

[/sub]

[MorriganFearn]

"Are you certain about that?" Professor Cherry asked, a little taken a back. How could someone not care what the personality of her starter was? He wouldn't intentionally give anyone a bored pokemon, or anything like that, unless they asked for it, but it did seem a little rash.

From the cage Haru hissed laughingly. <She knows what she wants, Eddie, and she's confident that she can get along with just about anyone. We've got enough of those squirrel-mice running around anyway. Let's give her one. They make me too hungry.>

The professor rolled his eyes. "Haru, one of these days your little "jokes" are going to go too far and I'll offer you to a trainer. Come to think of it: Miss, would you like him as a starter? He's incredibly well trained, does his business in the litter box and everything. True, you have to put up with his smart aleck attitude, and he pines when he's away from his mate for too long. Writes absolutely awful love poems. But, hey, I can throw her in, too. Could finally get some peace and quiet from her bossing."

<I heard that,> Hana muttered from the bottom of the cage, her eyes still filmed over as if in reptilian sleep, although her alread wide mouth stretched in a good humored smile.

"All right, all right," the professor shook his head. "You probably don't need the trouble. Have you picked out a pokedex color, you'd like? We have red, green, yellow, blue, black, and something called pistachio. They're in the box over there, pick one out while I find you a pachirisu."

[Nyomi]

<sub>Nyomi laughed good-naturedly at the exchange between the Pokemon and the Professor. She could tell that the Professor was only joking about giving her the two Ekans.

"Oh, I don't know. They couldn't be any more trouble than sibling, could they? But you love them jut the same," she laughed, a smile still stamped upon her face. She looked to the two snake Pokemon and gave them a wink. She turned back to the Professor and thought about his question for a second.

"Hmmm, I guess a blue one would be good," Nyomi replied nodding. "Oh, and yes, I would try my best to get along with any personality of Pokemon I get." she added.</sub>

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[MorriganFearn]

"Perfect," Professor Cherry rubbed his hands together, and moved over to a book case full of pokeballs. He ran his fingers down the electric shelf and plucked a pokeball from its indent. "Here we are. Now, just let me get this into the computer," he moved over to the battered desk top and began entering the information of the pachirisu's stats.

"All right, I'll let it run the starter generator while I get your other items," Professor Cherry told Nyomi. "We have 5000 pyen for you, courtesy of the Pokemon League of Jenta. Would you like that transfered to a back account, or would you prefer cash?" he inquired, as he headed over to another card board box, and brought out five minimized pokeballs. "These are yours, if you need more, try the wishing well, or the pokemarts. You also get this berry bag to hold berries for quick healing in the wild," he picked up a small leather bag hanging on a peg on the wall.

The computer beeped cheerily, and the professor rushed over to check what Nyomi had. "Okay, I hope you like this," he told her before hurrying off to he back room of doom -- i.e. where the group two and three starters were kept.

He came back quickly enough. "Here you are, this is your group three pokemon, finneon, and your group two pokemon is a swinub. Are you ready for this? When you take these pokeballs you're an official Jentan trainer, and are responsible for these pokemon," Professor Cherry smiled.

~~~

((Here is your copy and paste shtuffs. Get it in your profile and keep it updated, so we know how many levels you should gain when you defeat other pokemon ^^.

YOUR POKEMON:

Group One
Pachirisu
Name: ? ? ?
Gender: Male
Level: 5
Attacks: Growl, Bide, Quick Attack
Special Ability: Pick up - May find items on the ground after battle
Personality: Serious and intense, he wants to win, so Nyomi better train him very well -- or he'll knaw her kneecaps off. Well, maybe not, but he does want to win, and probably could use a little loosening up.

Group Two
Swinub
Name: ? ? ?
Gender: Male
Level: 25
Attacks: Icy Wind, Mud Bomb, Endure, Tackle
Special Ability: Oblivious - can't be attracted by the other gender
Personality: Easy going. He's got a fuzzy fur coat, and he is happy about that, and every other simple thing in life. C'mon, let's dance and celebrate the simple things that give us joy.

Group 3
Finneon
Name: ? ? ?
Gender: Female
Level: 45
Attacks:
Special Ability:
Personality: She's very proud of her beautiful fins. She hopes that Nyomi notices how pretty she is. If she had her way she would be a contest pokemon rather than a battling one, however, since Jenta has no contest halls she's fine with battling for her trainer. Very friendly as long as no one calls her ugly, she tends to be cheerful and happy, if a bit arrogant.

YOUR PACK:
1 pokedex (blue)
1 Berry Bag, with assorted berries for all your healing needs
5 pokeballs
5000 pyen

[Nyomi]

<sub>Nyomi watched intently while Professor Cherry grabbed the pokeball from the shelf and then typed the Pokemon's stats into the computer. "Okay. Um, I'd prefer cash. That way I'll have it on hand in case of an emergency," she answered as the Professor went over to the cardboard box.

Nyomi took the offered balls and berry bag with a smile. "Okay, thanks," she said while placing the empty balls and the bag into a pack that she had slung over her shoulder, and placing the Pachirisu's ball onto a belt she wore simply for carrying her Pokemon. Then the computer beeped indicating that it was finished picking the other Pokemon.

"I'm sure I will like them," she said happily, but the professor had already went into the back room. Nyomi shifted her feet again, this time in anticipation, while Professor Cherry was retrieving the other starters. But, he was back again before Nyomi even had time to ponder what the generator may have come up with.

"Yes sir. I am ready," Nyomi replied determinedly as she took the two pokeballs. She looked them over fondly before placing the pokeballs on her belt by the Pachirisu's. "I will take very good care of them, Professor," she assured.

"So, is that all? Do I just go to whichever group area I feel most ready for? Which one do you think I should go to?" she asked, eager to be on her way. If smiles could extend from someone's face, then Nyomi's surely would have. Instead, it simply spread from ear to ear.</sub>

[/sub]

[MorriganFearn]

"Well, you could go along route one to challenge Arisa's ice gym," Professor Cherry replied. "Arisa uses the double battle style, and her first two pokemon are also water types, so it would be possible for you to blast through with a lotad, your pachirisu, and a mawile from the Underground Maze to deal with her jynx. However, I'm not certain that this would be the best course of action, since pachirisu don't learn any electric attacks until level 13. You would have to go to the wishing well when it was feeling generous and hope that your pachirisu would learn spark a few levels early. Besides, the Iikagen city ground type gym, which is located on route two, will mean that you will have to rearrange your whole group one team.

"Route three is probably a better choice. Botan's grass type gym lies there, and Corwin's dragon gym beyond. Your swinub has a type advantage in both gyms with his ice attacks. You may want to go to the move relearner in order to get access to older attacks that he doesn't have anymore. Botan's gym will be fairly tough because of your swinub's secondary ground type type, but if you capture a pidgeotto on route three, for example, and another pokemon that is strong against grass types, it could be worth it," Professor Cherry nodded.

"I think that while you have the most obvious advantages against the group two gyms, your easiest gym battle might be Bahti's steel type gym with your finneon. Her strong watter type attacks will help you beat Bahti's Aggron, and Steelix, while a slugma from Sunstone Tunnel would help against her metagross and the other two, in case they wear out your finneon. I will warn you, however, that Route Six leads to Shing's normal type gym in Li Jing, and you don't really have any advantages against his pokemon. Was that helpful?"

[Nyomi]

<sub>Nyomi stood for a moment, indecisive about what she should do. Her gaze drifted off, looking past the Professor and yet not really focusing on anything. She began to imagine her battles with each of the prospective gym leaders.

On the one hand, she would enjoy training up her Pachirisu, but there was that level cap on the gym. She couldn't train him past level ten, too low for the electric attack. And she would have a really hard time if she didn't catch any of the Pokemon that the professor had mentioned.

She could go to Route three. The professor told her that Swinub had a type. advantage against both gyms in that area. She would still need to catch other Pokemon, but it shouldn't be too terribly hard to find something strong against Grass types. As for the secondary type of Botan's Grass gym, she enjoyed a challenge. It would be a good way to test herself.

And then there was Route Two. She would have to travel around a lot to get the right Pokemon types for Bahti's steel type gym. But, she didn't mind that either, and in fact would enjoy it as well. But, there was the Normal type gym. She would be hard pressed to beat Shing.

After what seemed like quite a while, but was in reality only about two minutes, Nyomi focused her eyes back onto Professor Cherry. She seemed only to just now register his question. "Oh, sorry. Yes, it was very helpful. Thank you!" she replied, a blush covering the tops of her cheeks.

"I think that I'll go to Route Three. A Dragon gym will be a challenge, even with an Ice type," she said voicing her opinion aloud. Her blush dissapated as she nodded her head determinedly. She turned to the door, a grin once again plastered on her face. "Bye Professor, and thanks again!" she called before walking out the door.</sub>

[/sub]

[MorriganFearn]

"I'm wishing you luck in capturing the pokemon you need," Professor Cherry called after here. "I'm certain that you won't need it for the gyms if you prepare and try your best."

Haru's snakey head bobbed up and down in agreement. <Get out there Nyomi!>