The one thing I thought while writing this Chapter, is 'how did this get so long?'

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except for some things which I do own.

-XXX-

We rushed past buildings, fields, and forests. Fearow began to build speed as we left the city, and the landscape around us became a blur.

I was a bit scared that I might fall, but Fearow was clearly an experienced flyer, even with two passengers on his back. I held tight on the thin, white plastic handle which sticked out from the saddle.

Both of us, Duncan and myself, were slightly leaning forward. Since Duncan's frame was directly in front of me, his body blocked the wind rushing into myself. Fearow had ascended to a great height, and the trees below looked like tiny grains more than anything.

The flight was quite exhilarating. It was as if I was on a car, but several hundred metres in the air. I could fall to the ground, to my death, at any time during this flight, but that only excited me further.

Fearow are not the fastest bird Pokemon. With a few exceptions like Skarmory and Xatu, nearly every other fully evolved flying type can reach faster speeds than a Fearow can. But what they lack in speed, they make up for in stamina. A single Fearow would be able to travel great distances without any breaks, and they are capable of making circuits around the continent with ease.

No words were exchanged between rider, passenger or Pokemon during the flight. Through silent gestures, Duncan guided the bird to my destination. They had practised flying a lot, and it showed in the manner by which Duncan guided his partner. I knew better than to disturb someone during their work.

As I watch the farmland and the forests around me whiz by, I recall something I had studied during my time as a student of Westbrooke. The northern portion of the Hoenn mainland, particularly the areas around Mt. Chimney, Fallarbor Town, and the hills around the Northern Desert, focused on the mining of iron and other minerals for economic development. While the southern regions particularly the stretches of land between Littleroot and Oldale, and between Mauville and Slateport were economically inclined towards agriculture. In fact, over 20% of Hoenn's food supply comes from the land we were flying over now.

I could see farmers hard at work below, and tractors whirring around fields of grain. We flew past a herd of Tauros, Milktank and other Pokemon used in farm work, grazing on meadows of green grass. The terrain we were crossing was flat, with occasional patches of dense grass and trees. Quite a few times we crossed a thin, gushing streams of water, all of them connected by pale white, wooden bridges. I would have to cross them on my way back to Oldale, I noted.

One minute became two, and two became ten. The rapidly changing countryside is quite distracting, and makes one lose their sense of time.

Then we travelled over a thick grove of trees. Dense foliage covered the ground for a few moments, only occasionally interrupted by small clearings.

Then, slightly beyond us, I could see a collection of houses. And with small patches of land attached to them.

My destination, Littleroot had arrived.

-XXX-

The major settlements, the ones which appeared in a trainer's digital map when he or she first opens it, are not the only settlements in the world.

There are often small villages and towns, out of their way from the main Routes. There are those, which while acknowledged by the governing body, are not sizable or relevant enough to be considered as 'Major' settlements. All the towns which first appear on a Trainer's map are typically considered Major. While they are there and acknowledged, they lack the importance or relevance of the likes of Rustabro or Sootopolis.

Initially, Littleroot was just the same. It was not on the famous trading route which connected Rustboro and Petalburg with Mauville and Slateport. It was a quaint town south of Oldale, with only grassland, gentle, rolling hills and a proximity to the southern coast.

But then the establishment of the Hoenn National Research Centre there changed everything.

Unova and Sinnoh were the first to create some kind of devoted scientific program under the direct control of the government, and other global powers of the world realized that in order to compete with them, they too must replicate their National Facilities.

Several names were thrown around on where the Headquarters of this new facility was to be built. Some suggested an area close to where the Safari Zone is located today, while others suggested the lands east of Mauville. Eventually Littleroot was selected as the site where the headquarters of the Hoenn National Research Centre.

Littleroot had ticked off all criteria required. Between plains, hills and forests it was simple to recreate the habitats of various Pokemon. Land was also cheap here, at least when compared to the other proposed places, and the environment was clean. It was also located close to the coast, making transportation a lot more convenient.

Due to the state being in war during that time, it was difficult to allocated funds for the project. While a guarantee was given to assure that funds would be granted after the war, those in charge were doubtful of the validity of the project. Some even spoke of scrapping the whole thing. The Professors assigned had to begin their work in shabby housing and poor conditions, especially compared to today's standards.

And thus, under Prof. Terrance Blackwood, the first iteration of the National Pokemon Research Centre was started.

-Excerpts from a scrapped, unnamed manuscript, dated 102 AI. It was supposed to be a book about all the major cities in Hoenn., but the author never managed to finish it.

-XXX-

On first glance, I could tell that there were fewer houses in Littleroot than in Oldale. But each of them had a fairly large plot of land attached them. This led to the overall size of the town being much greater than that of Oldale. And that was without considering the size of all the territory belonging to the Research Centre.

Unlike the Pokemon Center at Oldale which was located smack in the middle of town, the Center at Littleroot was a bit closer to the northern side of the town. The field allocated for flying types was also substantially smaller than that of Oldale, and there was no elaborate architecture and design like the Pokemon Center of Oldale. Why would there be? Typically a Pokemon Center's primary role is to provide medical services for a trainer's Pokemon, but the facilities provided by the Research Centre was considerably superior.

Duncan's Fearow fluttered its wings and its talons touched the dirt ground. The older trainer jumped off his mount and motioned me to do the same. I carefully stepped down, putting both feet on the ground. I had no desire for my journey to be spoiled even before it begins by a sprained ankle or something similar.

"So... this is Littleroot," my pilot spoke.

"It's... quiet."

And it was. Oldale was nothing compared to larger cities and towns, but every moment there, the presence of some kind of sound was constant. The scurrying of a Zigazagoon in the bushes, the chirps of the Tailow above, of Wurmple chewing on leaves off a tree. Oldale was full of such small, minute noises, if one decides to wait and listen.

But Littleroot? It was completely silent. There was no sound whatsoever. I could tell why.

In Oldale, the source of these sounds were the wild Pokemon inhabiting the area. They were very weak creatures, those who flocked in areas primarily inhabited by humans since food and water were easier to find there.

In Littleroot however, most, if not all wild Pokemon lived in the specially prepared ranches owned by the Hoenn Research Centre. While the competition was fierce, it was not high enough to deter the wild Pokemon from accessing the plentiful resources in the artificial habitats set up by the researchers. No Wild Pokemon, no sound but those that were made by man.

The silence, while a bit unnerving, was not unnatural. In fact, it was a bit soothing in a way.

"I prefer it to be called serene."

I look at the older Trainer for a second. It appeared that he had some kind of connection with this place. Maybe it was his hometown? I didn't bother asking any further though.

"Do you know where the Lab is?" I asked.

Duncan nodded, and pointed me to a path leading up a hill which was just outside the boundary wall. "Go up through there and keep walking straight. You'll see the lab in the side soon enough, it's a massive building, the largest one in this town. You can't miss it. "

I nodded my thanks, and departed for my destination. Waving my goodbye, I saw Duncan take off back for Oldale. It was natural that such a short flight would not tire that Fearow.

I sighed and made my way to the Lab. The path I followed was flanked by fences or walls on either side. And the scenery, unlike what was visible from the back of Fearow, was rather bland, to be honest.

As my body moved in autopilot, my thoughts went to the unknown Starter I will be picking.

Selecting a Starter from the Research Lab is a bit more complicated than simply walking up to the Director of the Facility (who is Birch in case you were wondering) and asking for a Starter.

There are two criteria a rookie Trainer has to go through in order to get a Starter Pokemon. For starters (heh. pun.), you need a recommendation from some commendable official in the Pokemon business to even be considered to receive a Pokemon from the Research Centre. Either a sufficiently famous Trainer, like a Gym Leader or something, or a noted Researcher.

This is typically hard to achieve, but someone can approach a Gym Leader directly and acquire a recommendation that way. You still have to prove yourself though, and some Gym Leaders like Norman are infamous for nearly never giving out recommendations.

My sister had somehow managed to acquire a recommendation from a researcher friend she had made during her own Pokemon journey. An assistant researcher named Alan. I am well acquainted with him. He is actually currently working at the Lab I am walking to right now.

The second criteria is to pass a certain threshold of marks in the Trainer Licence Application examination. There were three benchmarks and that would determine the type of Starter you could get. Crossing the first benchmark means that you can choose an admittedly common Pokemon, though it would be of superior heritage, and it could be of another region, like Growlithe, Shinx, or Poliwag. Crossing the second benchmark meant that you could choose a fairly rare Pokemon like Riolu, Eevee and Ralts. Crossing the last benchmark meant that you could get one of the prized Starters of your home region.

All Pokemon who qualify for as 'Regional Starter' Pokemon are extremely rare, to the point that some are on the verge of being considered endangered species. All of them are worthwhile members on any Pokemon Team, and are incredibly powerful, to the point that a highly Trained, fully evolved Starter could easily defeat an average pseudo-legendary. There are few avenues to get a 'Starter' Pokemon, but one of the best ways is to get is a Starting partner.

While I had known about this threshold system, I didn't really mind which Starter I was given. I had written the exam rather carelessly, and only putting the minimal effort I needed to put. It was only by chance that I crossed the First threshold. I could get a unique Pokemon, possibly out of this region.

Two months after I wrote the paper, I got the result in the mail. And now I'm here.

As I have said before, I do not mind what species my first partner belongs to, as long as he or she is intelligent, and willing to stand with me as an equal.

Then, just beyond this hill I had just climbed, on the other side of a stream, was the Hoenn Research Centre.

It was a pretty damn big building, especially when you compare it to the houses I have seen so far in Littleroot. It's pure white, and is elevated on top of a flight of obsidian stairs. A massive steel gate, the kind you see in a mansion, was open, and a small crowd of roughly two dozen people had accumulated there.

The way this works is that each new Trainer is assigned a Researcher who escorts them throughout the facility, giving them an opportunity to look at all the potential Pokemon they could chose as their Starters. After that is over, they could interact with these Pokemon, under supervision, of course. Then, they get to choose their Starter. It happens a bit differently in the case of those who get to chose the from the Hoenn Starter Trio, but it is what's going to happen to me.

As I stare at the crowd gathered around the gate while crossing the bridge, I spot a single child, a blonde-haired girl run up the stairs. I could see a man's hand waving at her, and a woman's voice cheering her, and I suddenly felt a spike of jealousy. Why couldn't my sister come for me the way this random girl's parents have done for her?

I did not understand this emotion, specifically in this particular instance. I had lived much of my previous life alone, not having friends and distant from my family. I lived that life, and I was satisfied with it. Why can't Jason Adams do the same? We are the same people, aren't we?

Why was I sad that my sister had not come for this day? I understood that she tried her best, didn't I?

I shut these emotions down, as I walked up the flight of stairs to the Research Centre.

The time was 11:00. The sun was rising fast, and minuscule droplets of sweat had formed on my forehead.

-XXX-

The reception area of the Lab was large, spacious and well-furnished. It resembled the reception of an affluent hotel, more than anything, but more inclined towards practicality than comfort. Small, circular lights were attached to the ceiling and shed white light on the room. A single, large, pale white desk with a Pokeball symbol on its front and an elaborate design stood in the centre of the entrance hall, along with glass doors on either side. There was no receptionist on its other side.

In the western corner of the room, there were couches for visitors, and a flat-screened TV mounted on the wall opposite to them. The TV was turned off now. The other side of the room had a similar arrangement, but with newspapers and magazines on a rack instead. I recognized a few of the titles placed there.

There was a small crowd of teenagers there and none of them were looking much older than me. I counted that there were twenty of us, including myself. Each of them were donning Trainer outfits to various degrees, and had a backpack strapped behind them. Some had separated themselves in groups, and were eagerly discussing what Pokemon they would pick.

I shifted uncomfortably, as I moved to join them. While I was not anti-social, and I did not lack in charisma, I simply had no desire to speak to some people who I will most likely never see again.

The death rates in the Pokemon Training field was roughly a little more than 15 per cent. It used to be greater in the past, but it is still a very high number, at least to me. Apart from that, a lot of Trainers simply quit during the difficulty spike provided by the last four Gyms. They simply couldn't handle the physical and mental strain of Training.

Even if they scored well in the Trainer Application test, that was just a test. The numbers shown there did not affect one's potential as a Trainer. It's unlikely that any more than half of these brats will ever reach the level of battling in the Regional Championships.

A familiar voice spoke from my right. "You know, you should socialize a bit more, kid."

I turn to see who spoke. A tall, reedy man, maybe a decade older than me was standing there with his hands in the pockets of his Lab coat. He had messy hair and a pale complexion which looked out of place, as if he had not ventured out for so long. There was a strange sharpness in his eyes which betrayed his intelligence, and a grin on his face.

I knew this man. His name was Alan Benedict. He was actually a travelling companion and a good friend of my sister. I was somewhat friends with him, even though our opportunities to interact were limited and that he sometimes had a very irritating personality.

He had been working as an Assistant Researcher in this facility for the last four years by now. He was also the one who gave me a recommendation for the Starter Program.

My lips twitched upward slightly. "Alan," I greeted my benefactor.

"Jason. How have you been? You ready for this wonderful day?" he asked, a lazy smile on his face.

"I am. How have you been, Alan?"

"I've been good. How's your sister, Jason? Is she as pretty as ever?"

I rolled my eyes at the comment. For as long as I have known him, Alan has been trying to get into my sister's pants. He is absolutely infatuated with her, but he doesn't show it in front of her, instead playing the role of an aloof, but caring friend. I have no idea why he doesn't ask her out already. Even with my urging, he simply refuses to initiate a romantic relationship with her.

I wonder why.

"Don't ask me that. If you want to know that much, then why don't you go ahead and visit her?"

Pokemon Trainers once they quit their journeys typically go into fields like breeding (no, not like that, get your mind out of the gutter) or research. Those who are skilled in combat often join the Rangers or government military regiments like ACE or organizations like Interpol. Less than 1% acquire an official title such as Gym Leader and Elite Four Member.

While it was rare for a Trainer to join a profession not related to Pokemon, it was not uncommon. My sister had found her calling in medicine. She works at a hospital in Petalburg, one meant for humans, not Pokemon. She is actually a very skilled surgeon, and often assists in life-saving, emergency procedures.

Due to this, she is often asked for at even odd times, and rarely does she get free time. Speaking with one of her only friends would probably do her much good.

While going to Petalburg through Oldale would take too long, there are several narrow paths, through woods, over hills and along the coast that one can take to directly reach Petalburg City from Littleroot. If one has a fast flying type, or a ground-based mount like a Rapidash then they would be able to reach the city in a little more than an hour.

I know that Alan has a Pokemon like that. He had once fought in the League Championships after all. He could go and visit my sister, and return by dusk if he wanted to.

"Meh," he said as he shook his hand in a negative. "It's too much of a hassle, and I've got crap tons of work piled up. I have to make a report tomorrow about the interactions of Pokemon in the Habitats east of here, and then I have to go tally my monthly expense to the accounts department. I'll talk to her on the phone or something."

Alan is a procrastinator to the highest degree. He will do everything in his power to delay working until the last moment. Sis had once said about him, 'A naturally lazy person, who is pretty freaking intelligent when motivated.'

Alan looked around for a second, froze and sneaked away, muttering an "I have to go" as he left. I wonder why did he...?

Ah. Two people, a man and a woman have entered the room. Both of them are wearing lab coats and are probably people who work here. The woman had blonde hair tied in an elaborate bun behind her. The man was grey-haired, but he did not seem old. In fact, he seemed rather baby faced more than anything.

Apart from him over three-fourth of the people in this room have hairstyles and colouration which would be considered weird or outright bizarre in my old world. Strangely enough, coloured hair seems extremely natural in this world. I still find it a bit weird though.

The labcoat wearing lady had been glaring at Alan. This was the reason why he moved back to join his colleagues. He seemed a bit embarrassed more than anything. And was that... a slight blush on his face I see?

I gasped mentally. Could it be...? A Love Triangle? The most important literary device recommended by 9 out of 10 young adult novelists in my old world.

I'm probably over-reacting on this situation anyway. Probably.

I have decided that my brain is very weird and it goes to bizarre places.

The three of them were discussing something in furious whispers. Judging from their expressions, the man and the woman were apparently berating Alan for something. He glanced at me a couple of times during this threeway conversation.

Mutterings ensue in the crowd of Trainers upon the arrival of the two researchers and then them being joined by a third one. The man turned to the crowd of trainers and coughed in a shut fist, an indication for the mutterings to cease. Slowly the mutterings halted, and the crowd of twenty stood in attention to listen to whatever the researcher had to say.

"Welcome to the National Research Centre. I am Assistant Professor Joseph Conwell. To my right is Field Researcher Ema Baston. And to my left is Assistant Researcher Alan Benedict. We will be the ones who will escort you throughout the facility."

A short pause, of perhaps a fraction of a second, occurred until about fifteen trainers out of the twenty present muttered out a "Good Afternoon".

I was not among that number.

Joseph nodded, but I could not tell if it was a nod of approval or not.

This time, Alan was the one who spoke.

"Today, all of you have been gathered here since you have qualified for two of the criteria required to qualify for the Hoenn Government's Starter Distribution Program."

That was... a weird way to put it. The wording was off. 'Two of the -'

No. Don't tell me.

A devious smirk appeared on Ema's face. She immediately picks up where Alan left off, the way Alan picked up from where Joseph left off.

A stray thought passed through my mind. Did they rehearse this or something? They probably did, that kind of cinematic timing only comes through practice.

"You brats may be the cream of the crop, but-," she spoke in a voice, loud and clear. "You still have one test to go before you can truly claim your Starters!"

My mind went blank for a second. What the heck-? What was this plot twist?

The room exploded in indignant shouting and mutters. All twenty of us were surprised at this sudden declaration. The fact that there was a third phase of testing was never mentioned when any of us signed up for this.

"Hey!" someone, a female in the crowd shouted. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Relax," Joseph said. "The results of this test will not affect the variety of starters you could chose from. In fact," he smirked as he said this. " there is a chance that the selection of Starters you could chose from will increase if you do well."

On hearing this there was a litany of excited whispers in the crowd of trainers. Obviously, a chance to get a Ralts or Eevee over a Phanpy or Growlithe is an opportunity too valuable to pass up. Despite this, some members of the crowd looked sceptical and suspicious of this 'third test'. I was merely curious about what kind of test it would be.

"For starters, do you have any idea why the Starter Distribution Program exists in the first place?" Alan asked.

This caught everyone's attention, including my own. The official reason for this was to control the distribution of rare species like the Regional Starters as Starting partners for new Trainers. A long time ago, these Starters were freely given, and their numbers declined to dangerous levels. A lot of these Pokemon also failed to reach their true potential, being way weaker than they should have been under a competent trainer, making giving them away so freely a waste. This is why a few decades ago this new system was implemented.

"While the official reason is to control the distribution of Starters, and yes, that is a major reason, there is also a second reason why this system was implemented," Joseph spoke, and all of us listened. "It's quite simple really, but let me explain using an example. In the last five years, in all the Championships which have happened in all regions, not just in Hoenn, over 70 per cent had been those who had received a Starter through their respective national Program."

The Trainer Aptitude Examination was an admittedly tricky test, and all of us present had aced it to varying degrees. It was a mixture of trivia, logic, mathematics, history and questions regarding a myriad of other, random topics. All of us present were somewhat intelligent, and thus were quick to catch on to what Joseph was implying.

"You mean to say that-," one boy spoke, slowly as if carefully choosing which word he had to say next.

"Yep. It's as you think," Ema spoke nonchalantly. "The second reason why this Trainer examination exists is so that you kids have a chance of showing what you are capable of."

"You guys have not just been selected at random. You have shown that you possessed enough knowledge and intellect by scoring high marks in the Trainer's Exam. But anyone could do that," Alan spoke next. "But each of you had gotten a recommendation from either a Gym Leader, Researcher, or a Trainer of note. And let me tell you, those guys don't just give these out like free candy."

'But you gave me my recommendation when I just asked,' I thought silently in my head.

"A recommendation isn't just a piece of paper saying 'I approve of this person'. It is also a certificate of character. By submitting one of these, a Gym Leader has essentially stated that the person whom they have recommended has the required character and aptitude to become an ideal Pokemon Trainer."

"Of course, it's up to their judgement on whether to give a recommendation or not. All of these people also have high expectations from all of you, so it's your duty to live up to them."

"People who receive their Starters from here, especially those who are allowed to pick one of the Regional Starters, are considered those who have the highest potential of their generation to become a competent and successful Trainers."

"These people have consistently acquired high ranks like Contest Champion, League Champion and even Gym Leader. Most of them are those who are considered in the top 5 per cent of all Trainers."

"The existence of the 'Third Test' is similar to that of an experiment. It's not even a test really, just a way to see how many of you have the potential to reach that level, and perhaps show you flaws in your thinking so that you may acquire that potential."

"In any case, the next test is simple. There are twenty of you here. When we call you, you will enter the room number '207' in pairs. We will be announcing through the speakers above," Alan pointed at the black, trapezoid boxes overhead. "Once you get there, one of us will be there and we will interview you. Ask you questions regarding a variety of subjects. Depending on your answers your score in this test will be determined by a team of experts."

"One more thing," Joseph interjected. "This test is not compulsory at all. You can choose not to do it as well. The variety of Starters you can already choose from will remain constant regardless. But the Starters will be distributed only after everyone is done with their interviews. So you would have for quite a while anyway," he shrugged. "It's your decision. You could wait for that long, or you could take the interview and get the opportunity to improve your chances of getting a superior Pokemon."

"If you choose to take the test, then walk up to the reception desk, and write your name on that sheet of paper over there," Ema spoke, pointing at said sheet using her thumb. "Using those names we will determine the pairs and the order in which the interview takes place."

"You have ten minutes to decide on whether or not to do this. Starting from now," Joseph said, as all three professors vanished without a trace.

"Eh, where the hell did they go?" One kid said, somewhat befuddled by their sudden disappearance.

"Teleport," a darker skinned boy, with pitch black hair commented gruffly as he moved to sign the document. Drawing out a pen from somewhere, he swiftly wrote down his name on the paper sheet. A couple of other kids, three girls and four boys also moved in to write their names down.

I decided to move forward. There is no point in waiting, and I honestly doubt that failure would lead to any major negative repercussions. As I wrote my name down in that list of twenty boxes, I wondered about the strange test they were about to make us go through.

If they wanted to make us take interviews, then why would they have as group up in pairs, and go to this room '207'? That sounds like an incredibly inefficient and overcomplicated way of doing things. Especially since it;s only for an interview.

Unless...

I look around the room, scanning the entrance hall for a very specific item. On the glass table near the visitor's sofa, no. Hanging on the wall somewhere like a painting,... no. I lean in the empty reception desk, taking a quick glance at the storage space under the glass table-top... nope.

I look around at the others for a second, they were discussing something, most likely about the test. It appeared that no one had bothered to pay me any attention. The drawers of the table slid open smoothly.

The drawers of the reception desk? Nope.

Maybe outside? Well, I don't remember seeing one, so nope.

Maybe under the desk? I return to in front of the desk, where the angle of the light would help me search. I crouch down and try to examine the shadowy areas under the desk.

I suddenly felt a disturbance in the force, as if a thousand orthopaedic doctors scream at me once, yelling at me to remove my backpack before doing this, otherwise I will be a hunchback for the rest of my life.

Hmm... there was a bottle cap, and a few coins. Something about this felt...off, but I dismissed it. I promptly snatched the change from under the table. The object I was looking for was clearly absent, so nop-

"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing?" an annoyed, female voice says behind me.

Oh shit.

I scramble back on to my feet, to see this new person who addressed me. She was a pretty girl, with shoulder-length blonde hair, and leaf green eyes which shined with intelligence. She was wearing a cream coloured jacket and a white frock which were really impractical to get the mud off from. She had some kind of annoyed expression at me, as if I was doing something wrong or improper. Which I sort of was, so I could see why she had that expression on her face.

"Umm... Well, I was...," I stuttered for an instant, my mind blank with this sudden attack. Think, Jason, think. Some proper excuse, which I can twist into an elaborate lie, which I can hold until my suspicions are confirmed... aha!

"I was looking for coins," I spoke in a shaky, unconfident voice. The aim in doing so was to make her seem superior to me. I was already a bit messy due to my walking and flying here while she was fairly cleaner, which suggested that she had arrived in an automobile, or was maybe a local.

No, it was probably the latter. She doesn't have a Trainer's bag strangely enough, and that suggested that she would return home after picking up her Pokemon and then proceed with her journey.

Hang on, why didn't I do that? Oh, yeah. I have to walk from Littleroot to Oldale.

She looks at me with a little shock, but mostly disbelief. "Looking. for. coins," she spoke, accentuating each word with a dramatic pause.

But then it occurred to me, that if she saw me open the drawer of the reception table, then my whole lie would fall apart. Internally, I started panicking, but I knew that if I showed it outside then I will lose.

I felt like a Japanese teenager in Egypt trying to win his friends and grandfathers' souls in a poker match against a soul-stealing cheat-master. Except here it wasn't my soul at stake, it was my dignity.

Wait a minute. Something was very wrong with that statement.

I simply nodded

"What the-," she openly gaped, clearly disgusted at my behaviour. "That's- Have you not been taught proper etiquette? Its bad manners to go around, snooping under desks for coins."

I was lucky. It seems that she didn't see me open those drawers.

I cast a lazy, uncaring eye at her. At least that's what I wanted it to look like.

She appeared to be the type of girl with rich parents, a typical spoiled brat. A sheltered girl, who was given everything he needed in life. Everything from the way she holds herself, to the manner in which she speaks to others indicates this.

But that didn't mean that she was incompetent. If she is standing in this room, with all of us, then that would mean that there is some degree of skill in her.

She is merely blind to certain truths of this world.

Come to think of it, I know that my acting skills aren't very good, but they are somehow fooling this girl. Maybe she is just that gullible.

Note to self: watch old movies to learn acting. Most of them have a better plot than their modern reboots and sequels which are typically barely watchable. That is one thing that will remain consistent regardless of alternate dimension.

I shrug my shoulders and speak in a careless manner, having seemingly overcome my surprise of this random girl dictating her moral code to me. "Look, girl, people drop coins, they lose coins, and people like me pick those coins up. If not, they would have been gathering dirt their anyways, so why not pick them up and use it myself."

She scowled at me, and I scooted away. I noted that our conversation had attracted a lot of attention from the other Trainers, who were staring at us.

Well, I don't mind. You can look. If you view me as a spendthrift then that's fine. It's your mistake if I turn out to be the exact opposite though.

I observed that the dark-skinned boy who first wrote his name on the sheet had a strangely angry scowl on his face. Perhaps I have offended him in some manner?

I continue my survey of the room, checking behind the curtains, near the TV, and beneath the sofa and at every corner of the hall. I simply had to know if it's that kind of test.

It was absent. There was not a single trace of a very important tool, which should be used by everyone using this massive facility, especially those who are visitors to the place.

But why would that be? The interview felt strange and made me realize on thing.

This test may be a lot more than just an interview.

Then suddenly the speakers overhead turn on, releasing a deafening screech. I instinctively blocked my ears to the noise, and a couple of others did the dame.

"Testing, testing, one, two, three...," the voice of Alan resounded through the speaker. "Is this working? Hmm... yeah, I think it is."

"Hmm... it appears like all twenty of you have decided to do this. Excellent."

Huh. The document on which we had written our names down had disappeared. A Psychic-type had probably teleported it out.

"I will call out the pairs now. After I am done, I will call each pair individually. Remember, you have to come to Room '207'. After you reach there, we will conduct the interviews."

Everyone in the room were paying the utmost of attention to what Alan was saying now.

"Team 1 will consist of Joana Smith and Arthur Collins. Team 2 will consist of Kaya Misaki and Martin Schells. Team 3 will consist of David Conner and Wallace Frost..."

As each name was called out, two of the people in the crowd would go and look for their partners. This process was short, since they immediately spotted each other looking for the other. As soon as they laid eyes on each other, they began conversation.

"Team 7 will consist of Jason Adams and Ana Fouquet."

Oh. So, I am in team 7, aren't I? And with someone named Ana.

I look out for the person who reacts the most for that, while hiding my won reaction to that name with a facade of boredom.

One girl reacts and immediately begins looking for her partner.

Oh dear, she wouldn't be pleased at all. Though her reaction will be entertaining.

I decide to talk to her anyway. It's best to be the first to approach her than to let her make the first move.

"Oi. Girly," I talk while modifying my tone to match with what I was speaking to her earlier.

She looked at me with the look on her face that suggests that she would rather be anywhere else instead of here. But realization struck her, and her countenance displayed only pure shock.

"Your Ana, right?", the girl who chastised me earlier for 'looking for coins' had an incredulous expression on her face, which sharply contrasted the calm smile on mine. "It seems like your my partner." I offer her my hand for a handshake. " 'Suppose we have no other choice than to work together, I guess."

She stared at the outstretched hand for a few seconds, before her face twists in disgust and she moved away from me.

I sighed. I think I can see a problem here.

This was going to be a long day, wasn't it?

-XXX-

A/N: Yeah, this new mini-sub-arc was not supposed to exist in the first place. It was supposed to be simple, Jason meets Alan, they go inside, check out some Pokemon, and Jason picks the one he finds the most interesting. But then, the opportunity of introducing a couple of more named Characters was too good to pass up, and this is a good place to show what exactly is needed for a Trainer to be successful.

I would like to think of these two extra chapters as compensation for the chapters about Jason's past and childhood. Which I had purposefully dropped. Since a kid growing up is going to be boring.

It will be two, maybe three chapters long including this one. And on that last chapter, or maybe the one after that, we will finally get to see Jason's Starter. What I mean to say is that this arc is like filler, and it doesn't affect the plot of the rest of the story.

Also, even if you ignore this little portion and skip directly to the upcoming Starter selection, it would be fine. Apart from a bit of confusion in the regarding who some characters are, I doubt that there is much you would lose.

That's it I suppose. Have a nice day.