"500 years ago, where the world was with regions...a man by the name of Dyä fought against a terrifying pokemon called Crystoria....at the end, the cost was to merge between all the regions into one that we now live in as Frontier." A female says to the male child reading a children's book.
"Woah...so cool...because of him we can explore ruins of old cities and more." Says the kid as the female smiles.
"Make your own adventure hun...." She says as the kids eyes sparkled.
[10 Years Later]
Alto was on his bed sleeping sound fully. Larxene Dray, his childhood friend, opens the door quietly and sees him sleeping. She giggles softly while her Sewaddle crawls up onto the bed.
"Hey sleepyhead, wake up! We're going to be late for orientation at the Union!" She playfully shakes your shoulder. He moans and turns over.
Larxene sits on the edge of the bed, gently poking his cheek while Sewaddle makes a soft sound, trying to rouse him.
"Come on Alto, you promised you'd join me as a Union Ranger! Don't make me use my ultimate weapon..." She threatens with a pillow at the ready.
"Five more minutes..." He says with a groan.
Larxene's face turns slightly red as she watches him mumble in your sleep, then with a determined look, she swings the pillow at his head.
"Nope! Not happening! We're going NOW!" She starts tugging at his blanket while Sewaddle tries pulling on his sleeve.
"Ow! Okay okay. I'm getting up." He begrudgingly says
Larxene steps back, giving him space while smoothing down her white sundress with pink flower patterns.
"About time! Now hurry and get dressed. I've already packed some snacks for the trip to Union Headquarters." She watches him with a mix of amusement and anticipation. He turns over and sees her.
". . . Why you dressed like that and not in the uniform?"
Larxene fidgets with her dress, looking slightly embarrassed but maintaining her usual cheerful demeanor.
"I thought it'd be nice to wear something special for orientation! And besides..." she whispers "...you look really cute when you just wake up."
Gets up and bed sheet rolls down. Larxene's face turns bright red as she quickly looks away, trying to hide her obvious blush.
"I-I'll be waiting outside! Come down when you're decent!" She rushes out of the room, Sewaddle following after her.
"Oh gosh, why did I say that? Now he's going to think I'm weird..." Larxene mutters to herself while leaning against the wall outside, trying to calm her racing heart.
She glances at her reflection in the hallway mirror, adjusting her dress nervously while fanning herself with her hand.
Not long after Alto comes out wearing the union ranger uniform. Black cargo shorts, black t-shirt and thrn a red bandanna with the Union Emblem. He also had Union issued fingerless strap on gloves.
Larxene's eyes light up as she sees Alto in the uniform, her previous nervousness forgotten.
"Looking good, Union Ranger!" She straightens up and gives you a thumbs up
"Ready to protect our continent together?" He asked
"Of course! Just like old times when we'd explore the nearby forest!" Larxene says excitedly while walking beside you, her Sewaddle perched on her shoulder.
She notices the way the uniform fits him, and her cheeks flush slightly as she steals quick glances at Alto.
"Well, let's get going." He says as he walks with her out of the house.
"Right behind you!" Larxene follows, matching his pace while adjusting her bag
"The headquarters is only a 20-minute walk from here. I wonder what our first mission will be..." She muses out loud, trying to hide her growing excitement.
The morning sun casts a warm glow as they walk through the streets of their town, familiar sights and sounds greeting them. Other Union Rangers in similar uniforms pass by, giving friendly nods
Larxene keeps close to him, occasionally pointing out interesting things they see along the way. Her Sewaddle seems particularly interested in everything.
"Surprised you're keeping Sewaddle out. You usually keep him within your pokeball." He says
"Well, today's a special day!" Larxene says cheerfully, her Sewaddle chirping in agreement "And Sewaddle loves being out in the fresh air, don't you little guy?"
She scratches her Pokemon's head affectionately while maintaining her stride beside him.
They both continued walking in the silence with the serene grace of nature in the background.
As they approach the majestic headquarters building, Larxene suddenly stops, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.
"You know...we've been best friends forever." She says softly, looking up at him "Now that we're Union Rangers together...maybe we could make it official?"
"What do you mean Larx?" He asked
Larxene's cheeks turn pink as she fidgets with her dress, struggling to find the right words.
"I mean...becoming more than just childhood friends. I've had feelings for you for a long time, Alto..." She confesses shyly, looking down at the ground.
"O-..oh...I-uh...never thought you would ask this so soon." Alto says with a hand behind his head rubbing
Larxene's heart races as she sees his flustered reaction, her face turning even redder.
"We don't have to rush anything! I just...wanted you to know how I feel." She smiles softly, though there's a hint of nervousness in her eyes.
"Larx...I...well." He calms himself and thinks straight. "This is new to us. Finally being able to join the Union was our goal and have adventures together...and I agree that we shouldn't rush. It's not a no nor is it a yes.." He says in a respectful way trying to maintain their friendship.
Larxene's expression brightens at your response, though she's still blushing.
"That's actually really mature of you to say, Alto." She touches his arm gently. "You're right - let's focus on being Union Rangers first. And maybe..." Her voice becomes hopeful "... we can see where things go naturally?"
"I'd like that." He says with a smile looking at her.
Larxene's face lights up with joy, and she impulsively gives him a quick hug before stepping back, her Sewaddle squeaking happily.
"Thank you for being understanding." She smooths down her dress again, looking more confident "Shall we go in now? Our orientation awaits!"
The two then walk inside the building. Inside, the spacious lobby is bustling with new recruits and experienced Rangers. An elegant receptionist greets them with a warm smile
"Welcome to Union Headquarters! Here's your orientation schedule." She hands them both tablets.
"First stop is registration and equipment check. Follow the hallway to the left!"
The two nod as they take they put their arms through a circular scanner that scans their pokegear watch for the first step. The scanner beeps green as it registers their Pokedex and Union IDs.
"Excellent! Now please proceed to the registration desk for your badge and equipment." A voice from the speakers directs them.
The room is filled with the sound of typing and occasional excited chatter as other Rangers process their paperwork.
"Union operators." Alto says looking at the ones behind desks that navigate the rangers.
Larxene follows his gaze to the Union Operators, who are dressed in white uniforms with blue accents.
"They're the ones who manage our missions and track our movements." She whispers, though one operator catches her speaking and winks at her.
"I'm already getting jealous," Larxene jokes under her breath as she playfully bumps his shoulder.
After completing registration, they're directed to a specialized lab where they'll receive their official Ranger gear. A middle-aged scientist wearing a lab coat approaches them with two metal cases.
"Welcome to Union Research and Development. Also, here let me integrate your pokegear for pokedex usage." He updates their pokegear watch for new applications.
"There is a capture styler mode for the wild pokemon and note only pokemon partner is allowed with you.."
Larxene looks at her styler with childlike wonder as it transforms into its new form.
"This is so cool! I can't wait to catch new friends!" She turns to Alto excitedly "Let's check out what else our stylers can do!"
"Let's wait until we need to use them." Alto says trying to calm her down as Larxene turned off Capture Mode as its back to watch mode.
"Right, right... safety first." Larxene says sheepishly, though her enthusiasm is still visible.
"Here are your Ranger Badges and starter packs." The scientist hands them each a shiny badge with a red outline. "Now you're officially part of the Union!"
"Basic necessities for the field? Minus the pokeballs since we can only have one partner?" Alto asked
"That's correct." *The scientist points to different sections of their starter packs* "Food rations, water filtration systems, survival gear, basic medicine... everything you'll need for fieldwork."
Larxene starts unpacking her pack excitedly. "Ooh, look at this! Emergency flares, first aid kit, and even a special communicator!"
The two then move on to explore the rest of the Union as they came across the cafeteria, barracks, lounge, training facility.
Larxene is especially drawn to the training facility, watching experienced Rangers battle simulated opponents with their Pokemon.
"Can we try some of the training machines? I want to see how my Sewaddle does against these holograms!" She tugs at his sleeve eagerly.
"I guess so..." Alto follows her as he got a ding sound from his poke gear watch as he looks and he has a mission. He opened it and checked the details.
"I got a mission Larxene. Gotta go." He said. Larxene's expression falls slightly, clearly disappointed at his mission notification.
"Oh... already? But we just got here!" She tries to hide her pout. "I understand though. Duty calls."
She adjusts her backpack and Sewaddle climbs onto her shoulder. "Stay safe, Alto. And maybe I'll join you on your next mission?"
Larxene got one too as hers wasn't in the same area, but the opposite direction.
"I gotta go to Kalis Desert at the ruined city." He says. Larxene's eyes light up at your destination.
"The Kalis Desert? That's where the ancient ruins are! I'm headed to the southern coast to help with some sea Pokemon sightings." She pulls out her map. "Maybe we'll cross paths on our way back?"
She waves goodbye as she heads towards the docks, looking over her shoulder one last time. "Don't be too reckless out there!"
~Meanwhile in the Kalis desert, Ruin City~
The night grew fonder with red skies as within, a biker gang hung out at an abandoned garage depot as a male with a Pyroar tail appendage, a big Pyroar mane and a big build sits in a chair eating.*
"Hey yo boss. What are we gonna do with this Union Ranger? His badge says his name is Ryoku Niziki." Asked a biker grunt.
A male with dark green hair hangs with his wrists cuffed together.
*The male in the chair - clearly the gang leader - takes a bite of his food before responding*
"Leave him to me." He rises from his seat, his Pyroar-like tail swishing menacingly. "I've got some questions about what he was doing in the desert."
The gang leader approaches Ryoku with a predatory gleam in his eyes.
"Now, little Ranger... care to explain why you're poking around our territory?"
The man walked up to Ryoku and his hand grabbed his chin and lifted it up forcing him to look at him. Ryoku's teeth seething.
The gang leader's grip tightens slightly as he examines Ryoku's face.
"Feisty one, aren't you?" *He chuckles darkly* "Don't worry, we'll break that attitude soon enough. Bring him to the holding cell."
The gang members start dragging Ryoku away while the leader follows behind, whistling a tune.