Author's Note: Hey guys! So, this is a story idea I've been nurturing for a while, and I'm finally ready to give it a shot! This is based off the games, B2/W2 to be specific, though there will be some adaptations from the anime thrown in there. The biggest thing to note is that Ash, Cilan, and Iris will not be making any appearances in this story (aside from their game counterpart)! Also, I modified the age that trainer's go on their journey — I feel like ten is just a bit too young, y'know? Anyway, I won't ramble on for too much longer. So, without further ado, here's chapter one! Enjoy!

Chapter One

"Imagine a world where owning pokémon was a crime. A world where even befriending a pokémon was worthy of jail time. For so many, living in a world without pokémon companions used to be unimaginable. Pokémon were a seemingly permanent part of everyone's lives, the thought of not having them around was something that never crossed their minds. However, things changed when an organization by the name of Team Plasma rose to power in the Unova region. Their first attempt to free pokémon was almost successful, but two unnamed heroes battled and defeated Team Plasma, thwarting their efforts, and sending them into hiding. However, after two years of keeping a low profile and hiding underground, Team Plasma once again began to steal and free pokémon, but this time, the two heroes were no where to be found.

"One man rose to the occasion and attempted to stop Team Plasma — a man by the name of Weston Gates. He and his pokémon fought vigilantly, but in the end, he was defeated and was never seen again. Ghetsis, the leader the Team Plasma, summoned and captured the legendary pokémon, Kyruem. With the power of Kyruem and his countless followers at his disposal, Ghetsis forced everyone in Unova to release their pokémon, and shut off any connections the region had to other parts of the world.

"It's been twenty years since Lord Ghetsis rose to power, and his power has reached to the Sinnoh, Kanto, and Johto region. Each city in Unova is under the careful watch of his men. Pokéball production came to a screeching halt when Lord Ghetsis took control. The only people who had pokémon were members of Team Plasma and Ghetsis himself — if anyone else was found with pokémon in their possession, they would be arrested immediately and taken to see Lord Ghetsis himself. What happened from there, though, no one knew.

"Some people think there's no hope for the Unova region, and that one day, Lord Ghetsis will spread his grasp to the entire globe. Then, there are some hopeful spirits who think that our savior is coming, and soon, people and pokémon will be reunited. No one is to say who is right and who is wrong, but when it comes to personal opinion, I can't help but to believe in wishful thinking. However, as for when either of those days will come, only time will tell."

Applause filled the class room filled with high school seniors. Before the class stood a young girl with long, curly brown hair and blue eyes hidden behind thick framed glasses. The girl blushed from her classmate's applause, and she smiled sheepishly, rubbing her arm as she waited for her teacher to send her back to her desk.

"Very nice, Callie," mused Mrs. Hightower, her history teacher. "You kept it short but interesting, and you managed to avoid being too biased on a very sensitive subject — but you did seem to take sides towards the end. All in all, you did spectacularly. Take your seat."

Callie nodded and quickly returned to her desk amongst her peers. Her heart was beating in her ears, and her face was burning from embarrassment — public speaking triggered her anxiety. However, classmate after classmate went to the front and read their own papers on important historical moments, and Callie felt herself calming down with each passing moment.

As soon as the last student sat down, the bell rang, signifying the end of class, and the end of the school day. Callie stood, gathering her books in her arms and tossing her bag over her shoulder, determined to make it out of the classroom first — she had plans for after school, and trying to fight her way through the crowd would just make her late. She squeezed past her classmates and headed down the hallway, taking various turns and cutting corners, trying to avoid other students. Soon, she was walking through the front doors of her high school, stepping out into Castelia City. The sun was high in the sky, which was clear of any clouds. Spring was definitely in the air, and Callie grinned — it was Friday, her favorite day of the week, and not just because she was out of school for two days.

She took off down the sidewalk away from her school, traveling at a brisk walk speed. However, she didn't make it very far before the pink Holo Caster on her wrist began vibrating. Callie sighed, coming to a halt, and shifted her books to one arm before answering the call. As soon as she did so, a hologram of her mother appeared before her, smiling brightly.

"Callie, you're out of class!"

"Sure am," Callie said, sighing inwardly — her mother did this everyday.

"Are you on your way home?"

"No, Mom, it's Friday — I'm seeing Zoro today, you know that," Callie reminded her mother.

Her mother frowned. "I know, I know. . . . When am I going to get to know this Zoro friend of yours, hm? You've spent every Friday for years with him, and I've only met him a handful of times. He's not a very talkative person. . . . Are you sure you two are just friends?"

"I've told you, Mom, he's shy — and his parents are divorced, so he's only in Castelia City on the weekends when he's visiting his dad, so he can't come over a lot. And I promise, Zoro is nothing more than a friend — stop asking."

"Fine, but you can't blame a mother for worrying!" her mother said with a sigh.

"I know, I know," Callie said, shaking her head.

Her mother was silent for a few moments before she spoke again.

"You're not going to be around any pokémon, right?"

Callie eyes widened, and she shook her head quickly.

"W-what?" Callie said with wide eyes. "Pokémon? Mom, you know I would never do that —"

"I know you wouldn't, but I don't know your little Zoro friend," her mother said. "I just want to make sure you're always making good decisions, okay? Don't let anyone peer pressure you into anything especially playing with pokémon! You know you can't trust those things — stay away from them!"

Callie rolled her eyes at her mother — she could go on about how terrible pokémon were for hours.

"I understand, Mom," Callie said with a sigh. "I'll be good, okay?"

"Alright, well. . . . Just don't stay out too late, okay?"

"Got it. See you tonight. Love you, Mom."

"Love you too, sweetie — be safe!"

The Holo Caster shut off, and Callie sighed — her mother was a nosey one, that's for sure. And she was always so worried about Callie coming into contact with pokémon — her mother was vehemently against pokémon. She hated them for some reason or another; she never really answered Callie whenever she asked for her mother's reasoning to hate pokémon.

Callie shook her head and took a moment to tuck her books into her bag before heading off again, her mind set on finding Zoro. She walked through the large city, avoiding the gazes of the Team Plasma officers who patrolled the street — lucky for Callie, she didn't draw much attention, so she was able to get to her destination without anyone stopping her.

Finally, after twenty minutes of walking, Callie came to a halt — she was standing in front of what used to be the Pokémon Center in Castelia City, but it was shut down shortly after Lord Ghetsis took control. The paint on the outside of the building was chipped and faded, and the neon sign was cracked and broken. The windows and doors were boarded up to keep people out. Callie had never seen a functioning Pokémon Center. She was only seventeen, which meant that she was born three years after Team Plasma rose to power. In fact, Callie had only seen actual pokémon a few times — Team Plasma officers carried them around in pokéballs, and sometimes they used them to scare civilians.

Callie walked around to the side of the building to an alley, glancing over her shoulder before walking down the dark alley. She walked quickly, ducking behind a dumpster that was pushed against the side of the old Pokémon Center — this is where she met Zoro every Friday after school. Callie knew she was risking everything by coming here, because if she was caught, it would be the end of the line for her, but she loved seeing Zoro, and that made the risk worth it.

"Zoro," she whispered. "I'm here — you can come on out!"

For a moment, Callie heard nothing. She was starting to worry that something happened to her friend when she heard tiny footsteps rushing down the alley towards her. She looked over her shoulder and saw a boy roughly her age making his way towards the dumpster Callie was hiding behind. The boy was short and had a slender frame, and he had short black hair. He wore loose-fitting clothes and walked around barefoot. A large smile broke across Callie's face, and she came out from behind the dumpster, opening her arms.

"Zoro! There you are! I was worried!"

Zoro smiled and jumped through the air, and something strange happened — Zoro curled into a ball and spun in the air before being consumed by a pink light. Then, once the light faded, it was revealed that Zoro wasn't a boy at all — Zoro was actually a Zorua.

Callie caught the small, slate grey fox-like pokémon in her arms. Zoro nuzzled into her neck, hiding under Callie's curls. The young girl giggled, pulling Zorua back, and said, "Alright, so, what are we doing today? Any plans?"

Zoro's eyes lit up, and he nodded excitedly — Callie had never seen that look in his eyes before. So, she smiled and said, "Well, transform then!"

Zoro transformed, and Callie was staring at the same dark haired boy he always transformed into. The two started walking, emerging from the alley, and headed down the sidewalk. Zoro seemed a bit jumpy as they walked — he was constantly checking over his shoulder, making sure no one was following them. It bothered Callie to see him so scared, so she tried some small talk in order to calm his nerves.

"So, are we getting coffee today? Or maybe one of those Casteliacones you like so much?"

Zoro just shook his head, frowning softly, his face creased with worry. Callie frowned, but continued to follow Zoro and didn't speak anymore — he must be worried about Team Plasma. The two walked through the city, earning side glances from the strangers they walked past — Callie didn't draw the attention. Zoro did, which puzzled Callie. Sure, he wasn't wearing any shoes, but it wasn't that strange. She looked over Zoro quickly, trying to figure out what people were staring at — his clothes were fine, he wasn't messy, his hair was rather tame. The only thing odd was his lack of shoes . . . and the tail sticking out from under his shirt.

Callie's eyes widened and she reached out, quickly tugging down the hem of Zoro's shirt, covering his tail — she forgot that whenever Zoro took to his human form, his tail would stay. She looked around, making sure no one saw, but it was too late — she saw an elderly lady whispering to a Plasma officer and pointing their way. Callie's stomach dropped, and she reached forward, grabbing Zoro's hand.

"Zoro," she whispered lowly. "We may need to run."

Zoro gave Callie a questioning look, and she opened her mouth to explain, but stopped when they heard deep voice from behind say, "Hey, you two — stop."

Callie's eyes widened, and both she and Zoro froze. They turned slowly, and came face to face with the Plasma Officer. The man had a burly build and dark eyes, and the badge on his shirt told Callie that this was a higher ranked officer — which wasn't good news for her.

"H-hello, officer," Callie stammered. "Can w-we help you?"

"You can't," he muttered. "But your friend here can. Sir, mind turning around for me?"

Zoro's eyes widened, and he shook his head. The officer glared sharply at him and rested a hand on one of the pokéballs on his belt.

"Sir, I said turn around."

Once again, Zoro shook his head, and Callie could feel her heart about to rip out of her chest.

"W-what seems to b-be the m-matter, officer?" Callie said, trying to calm herself.

"I've been tipped off that your friend here is sporting a pokémon tail — you two should know that wearing such things is not allowed. We can't let you go around appropriating human-pokémon interaction. So, you can either remove the tail and hand it to me, or I'll remove it myself."

Zoro narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head in a defiant 'no'. The officer reached out, grabbing his shoulder and lifted his shirt, reaching for his tail. Panicking, Callie snatched the officer's hand, pulling it away from Zoro's tail.

"No! Leave him alone!" Callie shouted, holding the officer back.

"Why you little — get off of me!" The officer snatched his hand away from Callie and reached for his belt, pulling off a pokéball and releasing a massive Krookodile.

"Krookodile! Hold the girl while I take care of this pest!"

The Krookodile towered over Callie, and the young girl had never been more terrified in her entire life — Krookodile had thick maroon-colored body, black back, and white stomach. It had five triangular spikes on its back: four around the middle of its back, and one large one at the beginning of its tail. Each of the smaller spikes on its back were linked to black, triangular spikes that reached around to its front, slightly overlapping its white stomach. The largest spike sat at the beginning of its long thick tail, which had three, thick, black stripes. The last stripe covered the tip of the tail. Its legs were very short and directly attached to its feet. The feet were wrapped in black and have three white claws facing forward. Krookodile's arms were short and thin with a black stripe around the elbow. Its long, thin fingers were each tipped with a white claw.

Callie's eyes widened as she took in the appearance of the pokémon before her — she had never been face to face with one of Team Plasma's pokémon, much less a Krookodile. The large, reptilian pokémon seized Callie by each of her arms, hoisting her into the air.

"Zoro! Run!" Callie exclaimed.

Zoro looked between her and the officer, who was grinning evilly. Then, with a quick movement, the officer made a move for Zoro's tail. The moment his fingers wrapped around the fluffy tail, Zoro turned into a pink spinning ball before falling on the ground, dazed, in his true, Zorua-form.

The officer's eyes widened. "I can't believe it — a Zorua! Oh, Lord Ghetsis will love this!" He turned to Callie, smirking. "You're gonna get it, girl — harboring a pokémon? Oh boy, you're not gonna like what's gonna happen to you."

Callie glared at the man, struggling in Krookodile's grasp. "I don't care. . . . Zorua, just run!"

Zoro looked up at Callie, his eyes wide, and the officer laughed, reaching towards the small pokémon.

"Oh no ya' don't!"

He seized Zoro by the scruff of his neck and picked him up. "You're coming with me!"

"Put Zoro down!" Callie snapped. "He's a wild pokémon! Leave him alone!"

"He won't be wild for long," said the officer, reaching into his pocket. He pulled a small pokéball out, holding it in his hand. With the press of a button, the pokéball grew to the size of a softball. "I'll capture this Zorua for myself!"

"Zor!"

Zoro, who had reached the end of his patience, was staring at the officer with pure hatred. He turned and bit the man's wrist, and the officer let out a yelp of pain, meanwhile dropping Zoro. The small pokémon quickly shifted, taking on the appearance of a Rapidash. Callie's eyes widened, and Krookodile was surprised as well, letting Callie go in his shock. Zoro rushed forward, still as a Rapidash, and caught Callie on his back, before turning and bucking his two back hooves directly into the chest of the Krookodile, sending the Ground-type pokémon flying. The officer, after recovering from his surprise, put a hand on the other pokéball on his belt, and Callie knew they were in for a fight.

Callie grabbed a fistful of fur in each hand, and said, "Zoro! Quickly, run!"

Zoro didn't need any convincing, and he took off, full speed, galloping through the street. People screamed and jumped, trying to get out of their way as they barreled through the crowds of people.

"Stop them!"

Callie turned and saw the officer was pursuing them on the back of a Fearow, flying dangerously low to the ground. People were ducking, and Fearow was having to make sharp movements to avoid buildings and trees. Callie got down close to Zoro, the flames on his back licking at her skin but not burning her — how was this happening?

"We have to lose them, Zoro!" Callie exclaimed.

Zoro nodded, signifying he understood, but he continued to run down the sidewalk in a straight line, passing alleys and other turn offs that they could use to get away. Callie wanted to yell at Zoro, but she thought about how he was acting earlier, and she realized he must be heading towards his original destination. Callie stole a glance over her shoulder and stifled a scream — the original Plasma officer was now accompanied by four other officers, all barreling towards them.

"Er — Zoro! You better have a plan! They're gaining on us!" Callie exclaimed.

Zoro looked at Callie over his shoulder, making it known that he heard her, loud and clear. Finally, as they dove through a crowd of people, he darted down an alleyway, and Callie looked ahead — the alleyway led straight to the old pokémon gym. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the five Plasma officers run by the alleyway, not realizing where they went. Callie let out a sigh of relief — they had lost them for a moment.

The side of town with the abandoned gym was practically deserted — not many people ventured this way. The only people who really hung out on this side of the city were those who liked to cause trouble. Zoro ran straight towards the gym, and, much to Callie's surprise, right through the doors — they had opened by themselves. Zoro slowed down once in the lobby of the abandoned gym, and he came to a halt. Callie slid off Zoro's back, glancing around the gym — it was dark and dusty, and there was a stench of musk that hung in the air. The botanical garden inside the gym, which used to be kept well groomed and tidy before Team Plasma's rise to power, was now over grown, tangled, and mostly dead, giving a savage look to the already decrepit building. She looked behind them and saw that the doors had mysteriously shut themselves, leaving them in the dark gym, the only light coming from the sunlight that filtered its way through the dirty windows that lined the walls of the building. There was a soft 'whoosh' beside her, and she glanced to the side and saw Zoro was now his normal self again, a small Zorua, and he was looking up at Callie patiently.

"Why'd you bring me here, Zoro?" Callie crossed her arms and glanced from side-to-side — no one was allowed in this gym. It was blocked off shortly after Team Plasma took over and Burgh, the former gym leader, was taken away under Ghetsis's orders.

Zoro just motioned for Callie to follow him, and he began to wander deeper into the gym. Callie stood at the entrance for a moment, looking around nervously — she really shouldn't be there. She was sure it wouldn't be long before Team Plasma tracked them down to the old gym, and once they were here, she had no idea where they would go — Zoro could transform into a Flying-type and get them out of there, sure, but where would they go? She was only seventeen — she had no idea how to properly run away from the authorities.

"Zoro!"

Zoro's call echoed throughout the eerily empty building and Callie shook her head, clearing her thoughts — she needed to find Zoro before anything else. So she looked across the barren gym and saw Zoro standing in the middle of the gym floor looking around impatiently. She gave a curious look and made her way towards him before she knelt down in front of him, frowning.

"Zoro, I don't know why you brought me here, but we can't stay long — if those Team Plasma officers show up, they'll take us both away, and I have no idea what they'd do to you, but I think it's best if we don't find out," she muttered, furrowing her brows.

However, Zoro continued to ignore her, instead just turning his head from side to side and he looked around for whatever it was he was seeking. She attempted to get his attention again, but to no avail, and she quickly began to grow frustrated — their lives were on the line, but he didn't seem to care.

"Zoro," Callie said, her voice rising — it was hard to keep calm when she felt like Team Plasma would come barging through the doors any second now. "We really need to get moving — I don't know what you wanted to show me, but it has to wait — they'll find us soon, I'm sure." She made a move to pick him up, but Zoro quickly darted away from her, still looking around. Callie growled in frustration but held her tongue — there was no use in getting mad at Zoro, it would only scare him. So she took a deep breath and sighed heavily before saying, "Zoro, come on — we need to move. I'm sorry, but we can't wait around all day for whatever you want to show me — whatever it is, it's not here. We need to start —"

"Zor! Zor!"

Zoro suddenly began yipping wildly, his eyes wide with delight as he ran around in circles. Callie stopped in her tracks and watched her small pokémon friend in bewilderment — what had him so riled up? She opened her mouth to speak, but paused when she saw something moving — somethings moving. The trees and bushes planted in the gym's botanical garden were moving — the black and brown leaves were becoming the most beautiful shade of green she had ever witnessed. Shriveled vines and dead branches were coming back to life right before her very eyes — the whole garden was being revived! Flowers were blooming, filling the abandoned gym with the most pleasant array of aromas. Within moments, the entire botanical garden appeared to be alive and healthy, appearing as if nothing had happened — twenty years of neglect erased in a matter of seconds, and Callie was there to witness it with her very eyes.

She stared around with wide eyes and mouth agape — she was born after the Team Plasma take over, so she never had the chance to see the botanical garden at its finest, and there she was, witnessing the garden's rebirth. She looked to Zoro, wondering what his reaction was, and was surprised to find that he was simply sitting there smiling, as if the garden coming to life wasn't surprising whatsoever.

"Zoro," she said slowly. "Is this what you wanted to show me?"

The small fox-like pokémon simply smirked and turned his attention back towards the garden — Callie got the feeling there was more for her to see.

And oh boy was she right.

At first she only caught a glimpse — a flash of light green went by. She turned her head but saw nothing — there were only trees. She frowned and turned back to Zoro, only to let out a gasp.

There, standing in front of her, was Zoro, staring up happily at a pokémon Callie had only heard of in legends — the pokémon was a green fairy-like creature. It had round toeless feet, three-fingered hands, and clear wings on its back. Its head was round and came to a curved point, and it had large baby-blue eyes with thick black rings around them, and a pair of green antennae with blue tips.

She took a few hesitant steps forward as the two pokémon muttered quietly to one another. Finally, once Callie only stood a few feet away from them, she managed to find the will to speak.

"Cel. . . . Celebi?"

The mythical pokémon looked up from Zoro to Callie, its large eyes staring at her, taking in her every feature it seemed.

"Are you. . . . Callie?" A gentle voice echoed, and Callie's eyes widened.

"Who said that?" Callie said quickly, turning her head all around.

Celebi seemed to laugh and Callie heard the voice again. "I did."

Callie paused and turned her head towards Celebi, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Celebi?" She said slowly, cocking her head to the side. "You said that? But. . . . How? Unless. . . . Telepathy?"

"You're very smart," Celebi replied with a nod. "So. . . . Are you Callie?"

Slowly, Callie nodded. "Yes, I am. But how did you know?"

"Zoro has told me much about you," said Celebi.

"Zoro told you about . . . me?" echoed Callie. Celebi nodded and Callie simply shook her head — she should have guessed. "Zoro brought me here — he wanted to show me something. I-I guess that you were what he wanted to show me."

Celebi giggled, covering its mouth, and nodded. "Yes, I wanted to meet you."

The young girl's face twisted into one of confusion. "I'm sorry — you wanted to meet me?"

Celebi nodded. "That's right — there's something I need from you."

Callie stared blankly at Celebi. "You need something from me? What in the world could I possibly do for you? You're Celebi!"

"This is something that I can't do — only a human can, and Zoro says that I can trust you."

Callie looked down at Zoro, who was looking up at her with a smug smile. She cracked a soft smile and looked back to Celebi. "Well, I think I'm rather trustworthy — what is it that you need me to do?"

Celebi's expression changed — it seemed rather troubled. It motioned for Callie to sit, which she did, and Zoro sat in her lap, and the two stared up at Celebi, who hovered above them.

"Well, as you know, things weren't always how they were now," Celebi said. "Pokémon and humans once lived in harmony together — some as pets, others as partners — whatever the relationship, it was mutually beneficial to both pokémon and trainer. However, twenty years ago, Team Plasma took over the Unova region and forced all humans to liberate their pokémon, and soon enough, they extended their reach to many other regions."

"I know," Callie muttered, shaking her head. "But why are you coming to me? How can I help?"

Celebi pursed its lips. "Are you aware of my abilities, Callie?"

The young girl paused and thought about it. "Well. . . . You make plant life flourish, and. . . . I know you can travel through time."

Celebi nodded. "Exactly — and not only can I travel through time, I can bring people back with me, to whenever and wherever I want."

Callie's eyes widened. "That's. . . . That's incredible, don't get me wrong, but. . . . What does that have to do with me?"

Celebi sighed. "I need someone I can trust, Callie — someone I can entrust to fix the past, and I believe that someone is you."

Callie froze — someone to fix the past? Celebi couldn't possibly be suggesting. . . .

"Are you. . . . Are you saying you want to send me back in time?"

"I know it's a lot to take in, but you're the only one I can trust to fix it. You've been friends with Zoro for many years now, and you've never once turned him over to Team Plasma, even though you had the chance. You've voiced to him how you wish things were different, how you wish things were back to how they used to be, before you were born, when humans and pokémon could work side-by-side, both as friends and partners. He's told me everything, and I know I can trust you to do this. It won't be easy, but you're the only person I can entrust with this task."

Callie stood there, dumbfounded, shaking her head. "I. . . . I don't know. I'm only seventeen! I-I don't have any pokémon, I've never seen a pokéball except for the ones in books! And you want to send me back in time to stop Team Plasma?"

"You wouldn't be alone!" Celebi said reassuringly. "Zoro will accompany you." Callie looked down at Zoro, who gazed back up at her with a calming gaze. "And I plan to bring you back in time to the perfect time and place — you'll receive your own pokémon, a set of pokéballs and other supplies."

Callie looked between Celebi and Zoro, her face creased with worry — how was she expected to accomplish a task such as stopping Team Plasma? She shook her head, taking Zoro in her arms and standing up. "I'm sorry, Celebi, but I don't think I can," Callie said. "I have a life here — I have my mom, school, a few friends — I can't just leave all that and go back in time! Won't that change everything, the whole course of history in the past twenty years? I may not be born if I accomplish stopping Team Plasma!"

Celebi shook her head. "If you can stop Team Plasma, I can assure you that I will bring you back to the present, and your life will be the same — the only difference will be that Team Plasma is no longer in control."

"Can you really do that?" Callie said, her eyes wide.

Celebi nodded. "I can — it'll be tricky, I'll give you that, but I can do it."

Callie paused for a moment — she was being chosen for something as big as this. She needed to think about it — she needed to prepare for it. She sighed heavily and nodded.

"Okay, okay, I'll think about it, but I need some time," she said. "I need to go home, do some research and pack — all I have on me is my history book and my pokémon encyclopedia. I have to pack some more clothes — I don't know if they'll take the money I have now," she muttered, rambling on about things she could bring.

Celebi shook its head. "I'm afraid there's no time for that — we must leave now."

"Now?" Callie said. "But why now?"

"Because we're no longer alone — this building in surrounded by Team Plasma guards."

Callie froze and her body tensed, and that's when she heard a booming voice from outside the door.

"Alright! We know you're in there!" It was no doubt a Plasma Officer calling to her. "Come out with your hands up! If you give up the pokémon and come willingly, you will have a lighter punishment!"

Callie looked to Celebi and Zoro, her eyes wide with panic.

"What do I do?" she whispered in harsh tones.

"We must go," Celebi said.

"But I'm not ready!"

"You'll be fine! Zoro will help you, and I'll watch over you!"

"You don't understand — this is bigger than anything I've ever done! I've never battled before, I've never owned a pokémon!"

"It's in your blood, Callie! You were born for this!" Celebi flew towards her and sat on her shoulder.

"What do you mean it's in my blood? How was I born for something like this?"

"If you don't come out now, we're coming in!" The booming voice outside the doors was growing louder and more irritated — she only had seconds before Team Plasma and their pokémon would come bursting through those doors.

Celebi gave Callie a pleading look — there was truly no time to argue. Finally, Callie nodded. "Alright, fine — let's go."

Celebi nodded and let out a startlingly beautiful cry. Suddenly the newly blossomed leaves and flowers began glowing blue, and pulsating waves of white and blue surged through the plants, and Callie watched, completely mesmerized. However, she was brought back to reality when a voice rang through her ears.

"That's it! We're coming in — Arcanine, use Take Down!"

"Celebi, hurry!" Callie shouted.

"Almost . . . Ready," Celebi grunted — it sounded like it was really straining itself.

Suddenly, a crash rang through the air, and Callie turned her attention to the doors of the gym, where she saw the silhouetted figure of a man and Arcanine. Behind him she could see other Plasma officers armed with pokémon. The figure in the doorway ran forward, revealing a high ranking office with coffee brown hair and a stern face.

"Alright, surrender the pokémon or — is that Celebi?"

The officer came skidding to a halt and stared wide-eyed at Callie, Zoro, and Celebi. Then rage filled his eyes and he opened his mouth to shout, but Callie heard nothing — all she could hear was the high pitched cries of Celebi, which were growing louder and louder. She watched the man mouth an order to his Arcanine, and the large canine pokémon took three large steps forward, opening its mouth. As Callie gazed upon it, she saw a small ember building in the back of its throat, and it didn't take her long to realize he was charging up a Flamethrower attack to direct towards them.

She went to look towards Celebi, but suddenly, everything went white, and she couldn't see anything. Her chest felt tight, and for a moment, she thought she had vanished from existence — she couldn't feel, see, or hear anything. She couldn't even smell the fragrance of all the flowers anymore. It happened so suddenly, and while it lasted for mere seconds, it felt like an eternity. Then, all at once, it ended very abruptly, and Callie's senses hit her all at once — it was pleasantly warm with a slight breeze and it smelled distinctly of spring air. She could hear people chattering excitedly amongst themselves, and when she opened her eyes, Callie couldn't help but gasp — she was standing in an alley between two towering buildings that casted looming shadows over them. Her eyes widened, and she looked down at Zoro in her arms, who smiled up at her. Callie then glanced towards Celebi, who was now slouched on her shoulder, exhausted. The pokémon's light green shade had paled considerable, and it began to wobble back and forth for a moment before falling forward off her shoulder.

"Ah! Celebi!"

Zoro jumped from Callie's arms just as she grabbed Celebi, catching it just in time.

"Celebi! Are you okay?"

"I'm. . . . I'm fine. . . . I just need to rest," Celebi muttered.

"Okay, but. . . . Did it work? Are we back in time?"

Slowly, Celebi nodded and said, "We're back. . . . Twenty-one years. . . . Exactly one year from Team Plasma's take over. . . . We're in. . . . Aspertia City. . . . Find the Professor, and you will find your partner."

Callie furrowed her brows. "My partner?"

Celebi shook its head. "Please. . . . Let me rest."

Callie nodded. "Right — there's room in my bag. Is that okay?"

"No. . . . I must go. . . . Home. . . ."

Celebi's small wings began flapping weakly and it rose into the air rather unsteadily.

"Where's home?" Callie said, her face creased with worry as she watched Celebi attempt to fly.

"Home," Celebi said weakly.

"But, I need you! How will I get home?" Callie said desperately as Celebi floated out of sight.

"When it is time. . . . For you to return. . . . I will find you. . . ," Celebi said. Suddenly, its body became translucent, and it disappeared from sight.

Callie watched for a moment, hoping that it would show up suddenly, but nothing happened.

"How am I supposed to fix this if I don't know how?" Callie called up into the air.

But still, Celebi didn't appear, and Callie sighed heavily. It looked like it was just Zoro and herself now. She looked down at Zoro, who was sitting on the ground staring up patiently at her.

"Well, Zoro, you heard what it said," Callie said looking at the end of the alley where she saw a bright road filled with people walking up and down the sidewalk. "We're in Aspertia City — twenty-one years ago."

Zoro nodded and Callie took a deep breath. "We need to find the Professor, so that means she'll probably have a lab around here, which means we need to go . . . out there. . . . I wonder what I'm gonna see."

Zoro took a few steps forward and nuzzled against Callie's leg, trying to reassure her. She forced a smile and nodded. "Alright. . . . Let's go." She saw Zoro tense, just as he would before he transformed. Quickly, she held up her hands, stopping him. "Zoro, it's okay! You don't have to hide — you can sit on my shoulder. We're safe here."

Slowly, Zoro's body relaxed, and he stared warily up at Callie, who smiled softly and knelt down in front of him, extending her arms. "This is a different time now — you don't have to hide anymore, okay?"

A small smile speed across the Zorua's face, and he nodded before jumping on to Callie's shoulder, and she stood to her feet, straightened up, and held her shoulders back. "Alright, Zoro! Let's go!"

She ran forward into the crowded street, looking from side to side, and immediately, she found herself awe-struck. There were pokémon everywhere. And not feral pokémon, like Rattata and Patrat, which roamed through the sewers and streets of Castelia City back home. Trained pokémon, like Emolga, Lillipup, Purrloin, walking next to their trainers, smiling and enjoying each other's company. There was no fear, no disdain — nothing but the love the pokémon and their trainers. Callie had never seen anything like it before, but it filled her with so much happiness, she knew she wanted to see it more often, and she couldn't help but stare at the trainers and their pokémon. However, she didn't stare long, as people started to notice her gaze and give her strange looks in return. Quickly, she averted her gaze and frowned — she had to try her best not to stick out.

"Okay, so, we need to find the Pokémon Lab, right? Well, there's a GPS system built into my Holo Caster, so I'm sure that will do the trick!" She brought her wrist up to her chest and tapped the screen of the watch-like device on her arm, and it lit up. She smiled lightly as she looked at the background of her screen — a photo of her and her mom together. Callie paused for a moment, thinking about her mom — what was she doing right now? Had she heard from Team Plasma? Did she know Callie was wanted by them for harboring a pokémon?

Callie sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Mom. . . . I promise, I'll fix everything, and I'll be home soon, okay?" She then opened her eyes and clicked the GPS app on her Holo Caster.

"Where would you like to go?" the robotic, feminine voice from her Holo Caster.

"Pokémon Lab, Aspertia City," Callie said quietly.

"Searching for Pokémon Lab, Aspertia City," said her Holo Caster. The screen then changed to a spinning pokéball, something it did whenever it was loading.

"Searching. . . . Searching. . . . Searching. . . . Searching. . . ."

For several minutes, the pokéball rotated over and over again, and Callie found herself growing rather impatient. She poked and prodded the screen of her Holo Caster, trying to get it to work, but she got no where.

"What the heck is going on? This should be working — unless. . . . Ugh," Callie let out a loud sigh, shaking her head. "It must not work since we've gone back in time so far. This probably hasn't even been invented yet. . . ."

"Hey! What kind of Xtransceiver is that? I've never seen that model before," a voice from behind Callie said, startling her.

Callie turned towards the source of the voice and found herself looking at a boy, perhaps only a few years older than herself. He was considerably taller than her, and he had dark brown hair and the eyes to match. He wore a small grin on his face, obviously amused by her startled reaction.

"Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you, I just thought I was up to date with the Xtransceiver — where did you get that?"

Callie smiled nervously, taking a small step backwards as she muttered, "Oh, well, I got it from a fr-friend not to long ago —"

"Wow, is that a Zorua?" The boy interrupted Callie, his attention focused solely on Zoro, who was still perched on Callie's shoulder. She sighed inwardly out of relief — she wasn't sure how she would have explained her Holo Caster. The boy picked up Zoro, holding him in the air. "I've never seen a Zorua in person — amazing!"

Callie nodded hesitantly, quickly taking Zorua back. "Erm, yeah, thanks. . . ."

"Where'd you get one?" said the boy, his eyes wide. "I want to catch one!"

"Well, he's not actually my pokémon," she said as she smiled at Zoro. "We're just really good friends — I don't think I'd ever catch him unless that's what he wanted."

"So you don't have any pokémon then?" said the boy. Callie shook her head and he smiled. "Oh! So you must be one of the other trainers on the way to get your starter pokémon from Professor Juniper's assistant, right?"

"No, I was going to go to her lab," Callie said quietly.

The boy laughed. "Man, you're funny! Her lab is all the way in Nuvema Town — I like your humor," he said with a grin. Callie just gave a nervous laugh, playing along — she hadn't been kidding, but since the Professor's lab was apparently in Nuvema Town, she had to pretend she belonged.

He then held his hand out to Callie, who looked at him blankly. "My name is Wes! It's nice to meet you!"

Callie felt a small smile form and she nodded, holding out her hand while Zorua moved to her shoulder. She shook Wes's hand and said, "My name is Callie, and this is Zoro — do you think there's any way you could help me find Professor Juniper's assistant?"

Wes nodded happily. "Sure thing! She said she'd be at the Aspertia Outlook! We're only a few minutes away, so it shouldn't take too long," he said, taking off down the sidewalk. "You better keep up!"

"Er — okay!" Callie said, taking off after him.

The two of them ran down the sidewalk towards the outlook, which was a raised platform on the outskirts of town. Wes ushered Callie up the stairs, both of them taking their time with the climb.

"So you traveled all the way here from Castelia City?" said Wes with wide eyes. Callie nodded and he smiled. "That's awesome! You must really be excited for your pokémon journey if you traveled all the way here just for a pokémon! It was really nice of Zoro to join you," he added, smiling at the small Zorua who was still perched on her shoulder.

Callie nodded, smiling over at Zoro. "Like I said, we're good friends — he keeps me company."

"Well, I think that's awesome," said Wes. "Maybe one day, you can make him an official part of your party — oh, look, there she is!"

The two of them had reached the top of the stairs and were standing at the top of the Aspertia Outlook. Wes instantly ran over to a young blonde-haired woman standing by a bench. Callie joined him, and the woman continued looking out across the view form the top of the outlook.

"It's sooo pretty!" the woman sighed dreamily. Then, as if she was just realizing that Callie and Wes were standing beside her, she jumped slightly, startled, and smiled. "Oh! My name is Bianca! I'm the assistant of the Pokémon Professor — Professor Juniper. By the way, I'm looking for someone. Do you know a person named Wes?"

"Erm, yeah," Wes said slowly. "That'd be —"

"Oh, wait! You're Wes! Wooow! You're ex-act-ly like what I heard! Nice to meet you!" Bianca looked at Callie quizzically. "You must be the other trainer I'm supposed to meet — you're here early, I like it! What's your name again?"

"Oh, I-I'm Callie," said Callie with a nervous chuckle, her face flushing.

"Oh, great! Well, it's very nice to finally meet the two of you! I have a really important request to ask the both of you! Will you help us complete the PokéDex?" Bianca said with wide, hopeful eyes, holding up a PokéDex to the two of them.

Callie stared at her, mouth agape, but Wes nodded eagerly.

"Of course I will!" Wes practically shouted.

Then the two of them turned and looked at Callie, who was still looking between Bianca and the PokéDex she displayed in her hand. Zoro nudged her gently with his nose, trying to get her to snap out of it. She quickly straightened up, clearing her throat.

"Oh, erm, right," Callie said quickly. She bit her lip nervously, slow shaking her head. "I-I don't know if I should really take a PokéDex."

Bianca's eyes widened, blinking very slowly. "N-no way... I-I must have misheard you. Right? This is a very important request. Will you please help us complete the PokéDex?"

Wes looked at Callie doubtfully. "Hey, c'mon, Callie — you can fill out the PokéDex with Zoro and your new starter pokémon," Wes said encouragingly.

Callie sighed and looked to Zoro, who nodded in agreement with Wes, and then she looked back to Bianca, who was giving her a doe-eyed look, as if trying to wordlessly beg Callie to agree.

With yet another sigh, Callie nodded. "Fine, fine, I just — I don't know if I'm really the best person for a PokéDex."

"Of course you are — you wouldn't have been selected otherwise!" Bianca said excitedly as Callie eyed the PokéDex warily, Zoro inspecting it from a distance as well. Bianca clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh, wow, thanks! Your support will help Professor Juniper's research move forward! Anyway, filling up the PokéDex is totally fun!"

She then put the PokéDex down and picked up a suitcase she had sitting beside her, a knowing smile on her face.

"Okay, then! Ta-daaa! In here is the pokémon that will be your partner!" said Bianca, opening the suitcase that contained three pokéballs inside — Callie couldn't help but marvel at the sight of the capsules. She had never seen a pokéball in person this close before. "There is a pokémon inside each pokéball — a Tepig, which is a Fire-type, Snivy, which is a Grass-type, and then Oshawott, which is a Water-type! So, how about you guys pick your starter pokémon, hm?"

Wes nodded and looked to Callie, smiling gently. "Why don't you go ahead a pick first?"

"A-are you sure, Wes?" Callie said quietly. He gave her another nod and she smiled. "Okay then — I'll pick. . . . Oshawott!"

"Oh, good choice!" Bianca said while picking up a pokéball and handing it to Callie, who's eyes widened — she was actually holding a pokéball in her hand, and inside that pokéball was a pokémon. . . . Her pokémon. Oshawott.

"Great! Because I wanted Tepig!" Wes said happily, grinning as Bianca handed him his pokéball.

"Well then, you two are all set! You both have your first pokémon, and now it's time for you to both start your adventure!" Bianca said happily, clapping her hands together. "Now, are you two traveling together?"

"Hm? Oh, no, we actually just met on our way here to see you!" Wes said with a laugh. "No, it's just Tepig and me; but I hope I run into you, Callie! I'd love to battle you once we've both gotten the chance to catch some pokémon and train! I think you're going to be a great pokémon trainer!"

Callie smiled softly, still giddy with the fact that she actually possessed a pokémon for the first time in her entire life. Wanting to meet her new friend right then and there, she tossed the pokéball into the air.

"Oshawott! Come on out!"

Suddenly, before her, a sea otter-like Pokémon appeared. It had a spherical white head with small, triangular dark-blue ears on the sides. Oshawott's eyes were dark and its dark orange nose was shaped like a horizontal oval. Several freckles covered its cheeks, and two pointed teeth could be seen in its opened mouth. The light blue fur on its body formed bubble shapes around its neck. Its arms were white and rounded, while its feet were dark blue with three toes each, and it also possessed a rudder-like dark blue tail. The small pokémon stared up at Callie with wide-eyes, and the new trainer couldn't contain her excitement any longer.

"Oshawott, I'm so glad to meet you!" Callie said quickly, kneeling down in front of the pokémon. "My name is Callie, and from here on out, you and I are friends! Oh, and this is Zoro — he's a friend of mine! I'm sure you two will get along!"

Oshawott stared at Callie for second, then to Zoro, then back to Callie, trying to take in everything. For a minute it looked as if he were about to burst into tears from fright, but then a sudden smile spread across his face, and he jumped towards Callie. She was slightly taken aback, but she caught Oshawott, laughing merrily.

"I think he likes us, Zoro!" Callie said to the small Zorua, who grinned wildly.

Bianca clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, wow! You and Oshawott are a perfect match! By the way, would you like to give a nickname to the Pokémon you chose?"

Callie thought about it for a moment, looking down at the small otter-like pokémon in her arms, who was still smiling broadly up at his new trainer. With a soft grin, Callie looked back to Bianca, shaking her head.

"No, I don't think I will," Callie said.

"Okay, gotcha! So, now you've got your pokémon, so I'll give you this, too — a PokéDex! You want to know what it does? The PokéDex is a high-tech device that automatically records the pokémon you encounter! So Professor Juniper wants you to carry this PokéDex, visit a lot of places, and meet all the pokémon in the Unova region!" Bianca said excitedly, handing her and Wes a PokéDex, each one a gleaming red color.

Callie placed Oshawott down beside Zoro and stood up, taking the PokéDex in her hand and looking it over, amazed — she couldn't believe this was happening. Within the last hour, she had traveled back in time, gotten her first pokémon, and was being given a PokéDex so she could go on her very own pokémon journey! This was the more than she could have ever imagined for herself! She looked down at Zoro and Oshawott, who were both watching her with smiles on their faces.

"Well you guys, it looks like this is the beginning — this is our pokémon journey! Can you believe it?" Callie said with a soft smile. She then turned to Wes, who was smiling down at the pokéball in his hand. "Hey, Wes, I just wanted to say thanks for getting me here."

"Absolutely, Callie! And good luck on your —"

"Heeey! How long are you planning on keeping me waiting?" a voice said from behind them

Callie and Wes both jumped slightly and turned, only to see a boy standing there behind them. He had navy blue hair and wore a red jacket and dark pants. Bianca's eyes widened slightly as she stared at the boy, obviously just as startled as Callie and Wes.

"Um . . . who are you again?" Bianca said, blinking slowly.

"I'm Hugh! I'm going to travel the Unova region with my Pokémon partner in order to search for something very important!"

Bianca stood there for a moment, apparently at a loss for words before she suddenly said, "Well, okay! I don't really get it, but going on a journey is always good! Anyway, I just happen to have another PokéDex on me! It looks like the pokémon distribution has really changed compared to two years ago, so the more, the merrier!"

Hugh grinned as Bianca handed him a PokéDex.

"Now, I'll let you know, these two were here first, and they've already picked their pokémon, so I only have one pokémon left," Bianca warned him, motioning to the lone pokéball left in the suitcase.

Hugh shook his head, still smiling, and reached down, picking the pokéball up. "I don't care what kind of pokémon it is! All that matters is that this is my partner! And from this moment forward, we're a team! Come on out!"

Hugh threw his pokéball into the air and released a Snivy, who looked blankly up at him. Callie looked at Snivy, taking in its appearance — it was a reptilian-like Pokémon with a yellow stripe running down the length of its back and tail, and it has yellow markings around its large eyes. Two curved yellow structures that resembled leaves protruded from its shoulders and bent backwards. Its slender arms had three fingers, while its tiny feet had no toes whatsoever. It had a large, palmate leaf with three prongs on the end of is tail. Hugh let out an excited yell, startling his pokémon.

"Oh man, oh man! Look at this! A Snivy! I got a Snivy! How cool is that?" Hugh said happily. He looked around eagerly, his gaze focusing on Wes. "Hey! How about a battle before we start our journeys?"

Wes raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. "Uh, thanks, but no thanks — Tepig and I are gonna hit the road. Nice meeting you, Hugh." Wes then looked to Bianca, smiling politely. "Thanks for Tepig and the PokéDex, Bianca — I promise I won't let you or Professor Juniper down!"

"I'm sure you won't! Bianca said cheerily.

Wes nodded and then looked back to Callie. "Well, Callie, I'm really glad I got the chance to meet you! I can't wait to run into you on the road — I'm really looking forward to battling you!"

Callie smiled softly and gave a firm nod. "Sounds great. Good luck out there, Wes!"

"You too, Callie! See you around!" Wes said before turning and walking off, descending the stairs of the outlook.

Callie watched him disappear and looked down to Oshawott and Snivy.

"Alright, you two, are you ready to hit the road?" she said eagerly to the two pokémon. They both smiled and nodded, and she was just about to invite the two of them to sit on her shoulder when the boy, Hugh, spoke up.

"What's your name? I've never seen you around," Hugh said, eyeing Callie oddly.

"Oh me? I'm Callie," she said gently, smiling. "I'm from Castelia City."

"Castelia City, eh?" Hugh grinned. "You came a long way just to get a pokémon!"

"Yeah, well, I really wanted to start my journey, and —"

"Is that Zorua yours?" Hugh said with wide eyes.

Callie shook her head. "No, no, Zorua is just a good friend — the only pokémon I own is Oshawott."

"That's great, so you're just starting out on your journey then?"

"Sure am!"

"Ooh, I just thought of something cool!" Bianca said suddenly, clapping her hands together excitedly. "You both have Pokémon, right? Why don't you have a pokémon battle?"

"That's a great idea!" Hugh said, smiling fiercely. "Let's see how good a trainer you are, Callie! I'll use my Snivy!"

Callie's eyes widened. "W-what?"

Hugh grinned. "Like Bianca said — let's battle! Your Oshawott against my Snivy! What better way to kick off our journeys?"

"B-but I've never battled before, a-and neither has Oshawott," Callie said, looking down at Oshawott for backup — surely he wouldn't want to battle. However, much to her surprise, Oshawott was looking up at her with a determined look.

"Wait, Oshawott, you want to . . . battle?" Callie said softly.

"Osha!" Oshawott said, giving Callie a firm nod.

The new trainer bit her lip nervously and looked to Bianca and Hugh. "B-but, I don't know any of Oshawott's attacks!"

"Check your pokédex!" said Bianca. "It can tell you all of Oshawott's known moves!"

Callie frowned and looked back down to Oshawott. "You really think we have a chance?"

"Osha!"

She nodded slowly and sighed before turning her attention to Hugh. "Okay, we'll battle, but I've never battled before, so I'm not sure how good I'll be. . . ."

"Don't sweat it! Snivy and I will take it easy on you, won't we, Snivy?" Hugh said to his new grass-type partner. However, Snivy looked at Hugh for a mere moment before turning his head away from him.

"Sniv!" Snivy said shortly.

"Uh oh," Bianca giggled. "I don't think Snivy likes you very much, Hugh."

Hugh frowned. "Well — we can still beat you, Callie! Let's go!"

The two of them stood thirty paces apart facing each other, with Bianca standing in between them — she was going to referee. Zorua stood beside Callie, cheering on Oshawott, who stood in front of Callie, ready to battle. Hugh stood across from her, his Snivy standing in front of him, not looking very interested in the battle whatsoever.

"Okay, this is a one-on-one battle between Callie and Hugh!" Bianca called from between he two trainers, giggling excitedly. "The first pokémon to knock the other out will be the winner! Let the battle — begin!"

"Alright, Callie, since you seem to be newer to this than me, I'll let you make the first move!" Hugh called for across the way.

"Me? Well, okay," Callie muttered. She pulled out the PokéDex and opened it. "Dexter, what are Oshawott's moves?"

A robotic voice instantly responded. "Oshawott's known moves are Tackle, Tail Whip, and Water Gun."

Callie nodded. "Alright, alright — I can do this. . . . Oshawott, use your Tackle attack!"

"Osh!"

Oshawott took off towards Hugh's Snivy and dove at it with his Tackle attack. Before Hugh could even tell his Snivy to dodge it, Oshawott collided with Snivy, sending it rolling backwards.

Hugh clenched his jaw. "Alright, lucky shot — I won't forget the pain you've caused my pokémon! Now, Snivy, retaliate with your own Tackle attack!"

"Sni?" Snivy looked back at Hugh, obviously not caring much for what he was saying.

"Er, Snivy, come on, please? Tackle attack?" Hugh said, frowning.

"Oh no," Bianca frowned. "It doesn't look like Snivy is going to listen to you, Hugh."

"What? No! Why not? Come on, Snivy, please use your Tackle attack?" Hugh begged.

Oshawott looked back at Callie, waiting for some kind of direction. Callie glanced between Oshawott and Hugh, frowning.

"C-can I really attack again without Hugh making a move?" Callie said to Bianca.

Bianca nodded. "That's totally allowed! Wow, you must not know anything about pokémon battles, huh, Callie? It's like you've never seen a battle in your entire life!"

"Yeah, something like that," Callie sighed. "Well, if we don't have to wait then, Oshawott, use Water Gun!"

"Osha!"

Oshawott jumped into the air and used Water Gun, hitting Snivy point blank and sending it tumbling backwards. Oshawott landed on the ground, grinning, and Callie smiled — they were doing it! However, much to her and Oshawott's surprise, Snivy stood up, narrowing its eyes at Oshawott, looking completely fine aside from being wet and annoyed.

"I don't get it! We hit it right on, how could it be fine?" Callie grumbled.

"Ha! Don't you know that Water-type moves aren't very effective against Grass-type Pokémon?" said Hugh. "You have a huge disadvantage for this battle, Callie! Now, Snivy, use Vine Whip and show Callie and Oshawott a thing or two about type advantages!"

"Sni!"

Snivy jumped into the air, finally listening to Hugh — it appeared as though Oshawott had annoyed it enough to pressure it into battling. Suddenly, two small pale yellow light flashed where the yellow collar and Snivy's green skin met, and a pair of green vines came out, shooting straight towards Oshawott.

"Oshawott! Dodge it!" Callie called out, her eyes widening.

But it was too late — Snivy was just too fast for Oshawott, and its Vine Whip attack hit him head on, sending him flying backwards. He skidded across the ground several feet and landed in front of Callie and Zorua.

"Oshawott, are you okay?" Callie gasped, kneeling beside the small water-type pokémon. Much to her surprise, Oshawott stood up, rather unsteadily, and stared across the field to Snivy, who now appeared ready to battle. "Oshawott, that Snivy is really strong — we should try to find a way to weaken it first, but how. . . ?"

"The move Tail Whip lowers the opponents defense," said the PokéDex in Callie's hand. "The user wags its tail cutely, making opposing Pokémon less wary and lowering their Defense stat."

Callie looked down at the PokéDex, obviously surprised, but thankful to have the handy gadget in her hand. She looked back to Oshawott, who was also looking at the PokéDex, and she shrugged.

"Well, it's worth a shot, right?" Callie said with a shrug.

Oshawott smiled and gave a determined nod, and Callie stood up, ready to go with their next move.

"Alright, Oshawott! Let's use Tail Whip, go!"

"Osh!"

Oshawott turned around quickly and began wagging its tail from side to side. Snivy and Hugh both looked very confused.

"Tail Whip? That's the move your going with?" Hugh laughed. "Snivy, let's give them a powerful Tackle attack!"

"Snivy!"

Snivy began charging at Oshawott.

"Oshawott, keep up your Tail Whip!" "Osha!"

Snivy was still charging at Oshawott, who began wagging his tail more fiercely from side to side. Snivy seemed to be trying to ignore it, but the wagging tail finally caught its eye, and it began to slow down, seemingly put in a trance by Oshawott's tail. Eventually, Snivy came to a complete stop behind Oshawott, watching his tail sway back and forth.

"Alright, Oshawott! Good job!" Callie cheered.

"What? No, Snivy, come on, Tackle attack!" Hugh called.

Snivy shook his head, snapping itself out of its trance, but it was too late.

"Oshawott, Tail Whip, one more time! Make this one count!"

"Wott!"

Oshawott jumped up and spun around quickly, bringing his tail down hard across Snivy's face, sending it flying backwards. Snivy let out a cry and flew backward, landing on the ground. Slowly, it got up, obviously struggling to stand.

"Oh, wow! That Tail Whip did a great job of lowering Snivy's Defense!" Bianca called.

"Er — if they can lower our defense, we can lower theirs! Snivy, give 'em a Leer attack!"

"Snivy!"

Snivy glared across the field at Oshawott, its eyes glowing yellow, and Oshawott stopped in his tracks, frozen by fear.

"That's a powerful Leer attack!" Bianca said.

"Oshawott, pull yourself out of it!" Callie called. Oshawott heard Callie's voice and his ears twitched and he quickly shook head, bringing himself back to reality. Callie smiled. "Good job, Oshawott! Now, we have them on the ropes! Use Water Gun again!"

"Osha!"

"Ha, you must have forgotten, but Water Gun won't be very effective against Snivy!" Hugh called. "Snivy, counter with your Vine Whip!"

"Snivy!"

Oshawott launched his Water Gun attack jut as Snivy laughed its Vine Whip attack. The two attacks met in the middle, and Callie knew that if Snivy hit Oshawott, this would be then end of the battle. But she wasn't so sure about Snivy — did they lower its defense enough for Oshawott's Water Gun attack to work? Or would it still be able to fight?

"Er — Oshawott! I know you can do it!" Callie called. "You can beat Snivy! I believe in you!"

"Zorua! Zor!" Zoro cheered.

Oshawott, feeling suddenly emboldened by his new trainer's encouragement, gave all his remaining energy to the attack, wanting to win this battle for her. It was then that his Water Gun attack over powered Snivy's Vine Whip, pushing past them and landing a direct hit on Snivy, sending it flying backwards and crashing into Hugh's feet. Oshawott's Water Gun subsided and he, Callie, and Zoro all held their breath as they watched, waiting to see if Snivy would stand up.

"Ergh — Snivy! Are you okay?" Hugh exclaimed, looking down at his pokémon.

"Sni. . . . Snivy," Snivy groaned, slowly standing up, its body trembling. Oshawott tensed, ready to attack again, but then, Snivy let out a cry and fell forward, unconscious.

"Snivy is unable to battle! Oshawott and Callie are the winners!" Bianca called out.

Callie stood there for a moment, frozen, barely hearing Zorua and Oshawott's cheers around her. She had . . . won? She won. . . . Her first pokémon battle ever and she actually won. She couldn't believe it.

"We won," she said quietly. Then, as the realization set in, she picked up Oshawott, still very excited. "Oshawott! We won! We did it! You did it! I can't believe it!"

"Zor! Zorua!" Zoro cheering, jumping on to Callie's shoulder to celebrate.

"I couldn't achieve victory for my partner," Hugh muttered, returning his fainted Snivy to its pokéball. "I won't let myself forget this frustration!"

Callie, Zoro, and Oshawott stopped cheering and looked across the field to Hugh, who was walking towards them. He looked thoroughly disappointed in his loss, but when he stepped in front of Callie, he looked her in the eyes.

"I lost. . . . This is different than battling with wild Pokémon," he said, frowning. Then, he suddenly smiled. "Well, whatever! I'm just happy to know you're a Trainer I can count on! Cool. I'm heading off first! Get stronger!"

And with that, Hugh took off, running down the stairs of Aspertia Outlook. Callie watched him leave, and Bianca walked over to her, holding her suitcase in her hand.

"The Pokémon on both sides did their best! But this one is still weak, so battle with it and make it stronger," Bianca said cheerily, patting Oshawott's head gently. "All right, let's go make your Pokémon better at the Pokémon Center! It's like the best place ever for Pokémon who battle and get hurt!"

"A Pokémon Center?" Callie echoed, thinking back to the abandoned Pokémon Center in Castelia City, boarded up and run down. How would it look now, during a time when it was actually functioning?

"Well, yeah! You do know about Pokémon Centers, right?" Bianca giggled, heading for the stairs.

"Er — of course I do," Callie said with a nervous laugh. She gave Zoro a side glance, obviously unsure of what was happening, but followed after Bianca all the same, holding Oshawott tightly in her arms.

As Callie and Bianca walked towards Aspertia City's Pokémon Center, Bianca spoke fondly of Professor Juniper, and told Callie stories from when she first became a trainer a few years before. However, the conversation soon strayed away from Bianca and focused in on Callie.

"So, how old are you, Callie?" Bianca said.

"Oh, I'm seventeen."

"Seventeen? Wow, that's awesome! Did I hear you say you're from Castelia City? What do your parents think about you finally starting your pokémon journey? I'm sure they're excited, huh?"

"Well, uh, they weren't expecting it, that's for sure," Callie said with a nervous smile. "I'm sure my mom will probably worry about me — she's never really been a fan of pokémon."

This wasn't a lie — back in her own time, her mom was very much against pokémon. She always cautioned Callie to stay as far away from them as possible, and to never go around looking for pokémon. Whenever Callie would ask questions about the time before she was born, when pokémon and humans were partners, her mother would ignore her questions, never giving her any real answers. Callie never knew if her mother ever had any pokémon before Team Plasma took over, but she liked to think that maybe she did, that she maybe hadn't always hated pokémon.

"Well, we're here!" Bianca said, suddenly pulling Callie out of her thoughts. Callie turned and looked at the Pokémon Center, and her jaw dropped slightly — it was better than she could have ever imagined.

The Pokémon Center was the same two story building that stood in Castelia City, but this one was a brilliant white color, as if freshly painted, and the windows that lined the building were gleaming and perfectly clean, not boarded up or broken. The roof was in impeccable condition and was a bright, glaring red color. A pokéball was painted on the front of the building, and the doors slid open automatically as people walked in and out of the Pokémon Center, all of them with a pokémon in tow.

"This is the Pokémon Center?" Callie breathed.

"Of course it is, silly!" Bianca laughed.

"Do they all look like this?" Callie said with a raised eyebrow, still in shock.

Bianca nodded. "Of course! The Pokémon Center is the same no matter where you are! Let's go inside!"

The two of them walked inside, and Callie found that the interior was just as magnificent as the exterior.

"Okay! I'll show you around the Pokémon Center," said Bianca. "So, the Pokémon Center heals pokémon for free! You should bring your pokémon here anytime they are weak."

Callie watched as a young trainer stood at the counter, conversing with Nurse Joy before handing her a few pokéballs. Nurse Joy smiled and nodded, taking the pokéballs and placing them on a tray before handing them off to the pokémon beside her. The pokémon was pink-and-cream with oval, blue eyes. Its head, its back, and arms were pink, while the lower half of its face, body, and ears were cream colored.

"What pokémon is that?" Callie whispered.

"Audino, the Hearing Pokémon. Audino can assess a Pokémon's overall physical condition and mood using its ears," said the PokéDex in the side of her book bag, only partially muffled due to being packed away.

"So, that's an Audino," Callie said with wide eyes as she watched the pink pokémon smile brightly and disappear into the back room with all of the pokéballs. "I've read about them in my textbook! They were often used as medical assistants, right?"

"Exactly!" said Bianca with a smile. "Now, how about we give Oshawott to Nurse Joy, and I'll show you around a bit more, okay?"

Callie nodded and the two of them neared the counter where Nurse Joy stood. The slender pinkett smiled broadly at them, and Bianca motioned for Callie to step forward. Hesitantly, Callie took a few steps towards Nurse Joy, still holding Oshawott in her arms.

"E-erm, hello," Callie said softly.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Center! We restore your tired Pokémon to full health! Would you like to rest your Pokémon?" said Nurse Joy cheerfully.

Callie nodded. "Erm, y-yes, exactly! I'd really like it if you could take a look at Oshawott for me!"

Nurse Joy smiled. "Of course! Let me see him!"

Callie held out Oshawott to Nurse Joy, who took him in her arms gently. Oshawott smiled broadly up at Nurse Joy and cooed happily.

"Osh! Oshawott!" he said excitedly.

"My, my, you seem to have plenty of energy, little one," Nurse Joy giggled.

"Well, you see, we just had a pokémon battle, and, well, Oshawott is my first pokémon, s-so I'm just trying to be extra careful," Callie said sheepishly.

Nurse Joy chuckled. "That's a-okay! I'll keep Oshawott over night and make sure he's well rested in the morning! Would you like me to take a look at your Zorua as well?"

"Hm? Oh, Zorua isn't mine," Callie said with a laugh. "He's just a good friend of mine."

"Oh, I see. Well, I can still take a look at him if you'd like," Nurse Joy said with a smile.

Callie glanced at Zoro — he had never once been checked over at a Pokémon Center by an actual nurse. If he had ever gotten hurt, Callie would just bring her first aid kit from home and tend to his wounds the best she could since there was no one who could actually care for Zoro. Perhaps it would be good for him if Nurse Joy took a look at him.

"You know, I think that'd be great," Callie said, smiling. "Zoro, why don't you go with Nurse Joy and let her watch over you tonight?"

"Zor!" Zoro said with a nod, jumping off her shoulder and onto Nurse Joy's.

"Great! I'll look over them tonight and make sure they're fighting fit in the morning!" said Nurse Joy with a short bow. "In the mean time, you're more than welcomed to stay in one of our rooms for the night!"

"O-oh, I'm not sure if I can afford that," Callie frowned.

Nurse Joy shook her head, laughing. "Oh, no! We don't charge for that! It's completely free of charge."

"Y-you can't be serious?" Callie said, her eyes wide.

Nurse Joy smiled, waving her hand casually. "Why, of course! We take care of pokémon and trainers! That's what we're here for! We heal all pokémon, and offer free food and lodging!"

"That's amazing," Callie said softly.

"Yeah! So you should never have any trouble finding a place to stay during your journey," Bianca said cheerily.

"Let me get Zorua and Oshawott all set for the night, and then I'll show you to your room," Nurse Joy said with a smile before disappearing through the door behind the counter.

"Well, how about I finish that tour, huh?" Bianca said, taking Callie by the hand and dragging her behind her. "So next, I'll explain the PC!"

"PC?" Callie echoed.

"Yup!" Bianca said proudly as she stopped in front of a strange computer. "This square thing is a PC! Any Trainer is free to use it! You can deposit Pokémon in it. Also, you can withdraw Pokémon from it!"

"What happens to the Pokémon you deposit in it?" Callie said warily.

"They go to Professor Juniper's lab!" said Bianca. "She has lots of assistants that work diligently to tend to all the trainer's pokémon left in her care!"

"Well, I don't know if I want to do that," Callie muttered.

"Well you can only keep six pokémon on you at all times," said Bianca. "If you have a full team and you catch another pokémon, the pokéball it's in will be automatically transported to Professor Juniper's lab! If you want to exchange that pokémon for one you have on your team, you'll have to come to the Pokémon Center and use the PC to contact Professor Juniper! We really encourage you try to catch as many pokémon as you can!"

Callie nodded softly and Bianca opened her mouth to say something when Nurse Joy came back into the lobby.

"Ah, there you are!" Nurse Joy said, walking over to the two of them. "Your Zorua and Oshawott are settling in just fine! Now, how about I show you to your room?"

Callie looked to Bianca with wide eyes, but Bianca smiled brightly.

"That'd be great — I'm sure you need your rest, Callie! After all, you've had a long day, and this is just the start! Tomorrow you'll start your very own pokémon journey, so you better rest up!"

"But, I still have so many questions!" Callie said. "H-how do I catch pokémon? Where do I buy supplies? Where am I going?"

Bianca laughed. "Oh, don't worry, Callie! I'm staying in the hotel right next door! Tomorrow after breakfast, I'll get you all set for your journey, okay?"

Callie swallowed hard and nodded. Bianca seemed pleased.

"Great! Then I'll see you tomorrow, Callie! Try to get some rest! Tomorrow is going to be the biggest day of your life!" Bianca called as she walked out the front doors of the Pokémon Center.

Now alone with Nurse Joy, Callie turned back to the pinkett.

"Now, how about that room? You look like you could use a good night's rest," Nurse Joy said.

"That sounds great," Callie said with a confident nod. However, it was then that her stomach growled very loudly, and Nurse Joy giggled.

"Well, maybe dinner, and then bed, huh?" Nurse Joy laughed.

Callie nodded and Nurse Joy showed her to the cafeteria. After she ate, Callie was showed to her room, and Nurse Joy gave her some complimentary pajamas, and she took Callie's clothes, promising to return them in the morning once she had cleaned them. Settling down in the surprisingly comfortable bed, Callie found herself restless for obvious reasons.

'Tomorrow is going to be the biggest day of your life!'

Bianca's words rang in her head, echoing over and over.

That was a possibility, but Callie had a funny feeling today was going to be hard to beat. It had started off just like any other day, sure, but it turned into something to extraordinary. First she and Zoro had been chased by Team Plasma Officers, then she met Celebi and was told she had to go back in time to prevent Team Plasma from taking over. Then she met Wes, and Bianca, and got her very first pokémon, Oshawott! Then she and Hugh had a pokémon battle and she won, and now she was just mere hours away from beginning her very own pokémon journey. Her very own pokémon journey. . . . The start of her mission to change the course of history as she knew it.

"I have no idea how I'm going to stop Team Plasma," Callie muttered to herself as she laid in bed, a sudden exhaustion washing over her. "But with Oshawott and Zorua by my side. . . . I think. . . . I think we may just figure it out."

She yawned loudly and rolled over in her bed, closing her eyes. It was time to rest. After all, tomorrow was going to be the start of something amazing. Something huge. And she had to be ready for it.