The First of Many First Steps [DONE.]

[Crim]

This place was beautiful.

Terrance was never one to simply stop and appreciate the beauty of a place, particularly because, as far as he had known, there had never really be anything to appreciate. After all, the smoggy, broken part of the city his family resided in could hardly be called beautiful. And yet... this place was different. As he departed from the Port, he paused for a few moments, feeling overwhelmed. Even though he had seen the isle from one of the ferry's many windows, actually experiencing the area was another matter entirely. For a few moments, he simply stood there, eyes closed, almost savoring the slightly shilled, autumn air as it ruffled his fur.

However, he then was once again aware of the other people which had been on the ferry, quickly straightening up and pushing all thoughts of simply standing and savoring to the back of his mind. s of yet, no one had really seemed cruel to him, though he had wondered whether or not they were merely hiding their actual emotions. Odder still, he hadn't seen any other Morphs since leaving his region. He supposed it was so odd to see so many humans simply because of where he had been raised, where the population had been almost entirely Pokemorphs. He had heard many things about how horrible humans were in general... But, he knew that the Morphs could be as well. In fact, he thought they might have been overexaggerating the faults of humans.

Still, this little, introspective question about human and morph nature was a question to be pondered on another time. He had much more pressing, and more exciting, matters to attend to. This isle was covered in fields and meadows, and rimmed in beaches (obviously), but... he wasn't here to enjoy the scenery. He was here only for the lab.

It was, thankfully, not terribly difficult to find, and as Terrance approached, he realized that he was not exactly sure what starter he wanted, or what were available, for that matter. He had heard that the Region had a much more... liberal choice of starters than most, but he simply wasn't sure exactly what was meant by such a description. He had a single Pokémon in his mind at the moment, however; and, if that one were available, his dilemma would be easily solved.

Terrance reached the lab, flicking his tattered, left ear as he glanced up at the sign on the lab, seemingly slightly hesitant. He wondered what sort of person the professor, or whoever was inside, would be. He didn't want to get into an argument or fight right away, especially when the person would be responsible for giving him his first Pokémon. Therefore, he resolved to attempt to not act like an intolerable jerk for the time being. Taking a final, deep breath, regaining his almost constant confidence with ease, he entered the lab, gazing around before speaking. His words were slightly muffled by his large, frontal fangs, but they were, thankfully, able to be understood.

"Hello? I'm here for a Pokémon... obviously." he grumbled mentally at himself. Well, of course he was here for a Pokémon. What else would he be here for, a cup of tea?

[➤ GRAZ !]

<sub>The homely lab was a juxtaposition of comfortable cosiness and ardent high technology, with sleek wooden panelling and warm sofas filling a lounge that brimmed with golden light. Though the fringes of the leaves on the island, one of the more northerly of the vibrant tropical chain, were beginning to redden, the warmth of summer had not yet completely given way to autumn.

The wide windows were open, letting a cool sea breeze flow into the laboratory. In the distance, empty meadows sprinkled with flowers waved in the wind. It was pleasant, and a little chilly at times, but by and large the sunlight prevailed through the gentle clouds.

Suddenly, a lab assistant wandered into the room. She was around twenty or so, with bright auburn air. She was wearing jeans and trainers, and in her hand was a book: A Study In Pok?mon History. Her other hand clutched a cup of tea, from which she took occasional sips. She didn’t emerge from her book for a few seconds, before she suddenly noticed Terrance.

”Oh! Oh, hello there!” she offered, smiling sheepishly. She placed her tea on a coffee table in the middle of the room before collapsing on a sofa. She relaxed for a minute, relishing the warm, comfortable fabric and the glorious sun. As she basked, she heard the trainer request a Pok?mon.

”Haha, well, even I could have guessed that. Any Pok?mon in particular? You’ll also need to enter your details to be registered with the Solastella League - that way you can get a Trainer Card and everything! I’m Jennifer, by the way.”

She smiled warmly at him once more, before re-immersing herself in her book.

”Please, take a seat. You’re in Solastella now, you might as well get used to leisure.”</sub>

[Crim]

Gazing around the lab, Terrance blinked, somewhat surprised by the interior. It held some of the high-tech feel that he had assumed it would, even if he had not seen many areas like that personally, and yet, there was still some comfort in it all. In fact, it almost reminded him of home, although home was infinitely messier, especially his own room. He had never been one to keep things immaculate.

His attention was caught by the open window, and a small smile actually managed to quirk itself onto his lips, though the right side had an odd little downturn that seemed unable to change. This place was so relaxing so far, it was almost unbelievable. Terrance had been traveling for a few months to get here, seemingly always hindered by some minor thing... it was nice to have arrived, especially since it was different than he had imagined, in a very positive sort of way.

The woman that wandered into the room was seen from the corner of his eye, and he jolted to attention, eyes focusing rapidly. He watched her with some distrust, more habitual than anything else. She appeared to be immersed in both a book and some tea (which Terrance found slightly humorous, for he had just been thinking about tea himself) to the point where she didn't notice him initially. Terrance was simply happy that she appeared friendly. Or, at least, he assumed it was friendliness. He hadn't really seen many people for a long time, so he could ever be sure.

She noticed him then, and he gave a small, awkward smile as a response to her surprised greeting. "Oh, hi there." The words seemed odd in his mouth, as they weren't laced with bitterness or sarcasm in the slightest. He must have simply been too used to being a horrible person.

The male flicked an ear as she seemed amused by his question, though he brushed it off as her laughing at the obviousness rather than laughing at possible stupidity. However, her query of whether he had a Pok?mon in mind made him slightly more hopeful. If she asked, they must have had a lot of Pok?mon. Surely they'd have the one he wanted. After all, it wasn't an uncommon Pok?mon.

"Well... Do you have any Meowths?" he stated the question almost boldly, not caring whether it seemed silly of a Rattata Morph to want a cat Pok?mon as his starter. That was part of the reason he had wanted it in the first place. He certainly wouldn't avoid cats. That would only imply that he was a coward.

At her suggestion, he only nodded, still not used to the relaxed feeling, sinking down into a chair and waiting for her response,or the papers that he needed to fill out.

[➤ GRAZ !]

<sub>Jennifer giggled a little as Terrance moved his ears, peering over the top of her book. Her eyes were sparkling with a fanciful enjoyment.

”Aha, you’re kind of cute,” she opined, ”and of course we have Meowth here. Let me just go and get them.”

She put her book down on the table, resting it face-down. Picking up her cup of tea, she sipped it gently before walking over to leave. She wasn’t wearing what one might expect a lab assistant to wear. She was dressed in a casual skirt and blouse, with a smart, fashionably cardigan on the top. It was unbuttoned and hung loosely around her, swaying slightly as she moved.

She returned after a brief moment with a small phone in her hand, what appeared to be a plain black credit-card and three poke balls. Juggling all of this with her cup of tea, she eventually laid them all out on the table.

First, she pushed the three poke balls forward.

”Alright, there are three Meowth here that you’re welcome to take with you to start your journey. Let me know which of the three you’d like to choose.”

Rather briskly she moved on, before hesitating, flashing Terrance another sheepish smile, and holding up the camera. She took a picture of Terrance, and immediately the credit card burst into life.

The entire surface of the card was a screen. The photo that Jennifer had taken immediately filled one side of it, showing Terrance in all his mousy splendour.

”This is your Trainer Card. It’s the most important piece of kit you’ll get in Solastella. It stores your Soleres, your identity and your progress in the league. Now then, I need to fill out a few things - so, if you’ll please enter your name, age and pokemorph type (there’s a chart on the cupboard you can look at if you get stuck). Then you’ll basically be ready to go. It should be preloaded with Ƨ100, so that’s good.”

She sat back, crossing her legs and resumed her book. With one hand she suspended the tome in the air, while her other picked up her tea and occasionally brought it to her lips. Something about this book must have been extremely thrilling...</sub>

[atrb=border,0,true] ♂ Meowth, Lv 5 #1 Scroll for more details This Meowth is quite a little ruffian, he’s always running after this or getting into a fight with something or other. His sense of mischief can be off-putting, but equally it can be endearing. He’s scrappy in battle, but he also has a low attention-span, often getting distracted or bored. Name: - Ability: Technician Moves: Scratch, Growl

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♀
Meowth, Lv 5
#2

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There’s something quite meek about this Meowth, who tends to shy away from new people, new places and new situations. She’s not very used to strangers, but nonetheless, she will eventually warm up. When she does finally emerge from her shell, she’s talkative and affectionate - even loyal, depending on the trainer.

Name:
-

Ability:
Pickup

Moves:
Scratch, Growl

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♂
Meowth, Lv 5
#3

Scroll for more details

This Meowth is a tough customer. He’s always got some opinion or other and he never ever hesitates to express it. For those as strong-minded as him, this can either be a real turn-off or something to be admired. Rest assured though, this Meowth is anything but quiet.

Name:
-

Ability:
Technician

Moves:
Scratch, Growl

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[Crim]

Terrance blinked confusedly as the assistant mentioned that he was cute, at a loss as to how to respond. He wound up merely shrugging awkwardly and glancing away. However, as he heard that there were indeed Meowth at the lab, he couldn't help but smile again, pleased that the first part of his journey was going just as he had intended it to go.

The woman left the room then, and Terrance glanced at her book, though he made no move to touch it. He wondered what sort of things were written in their about history, and whether or not there was more bad or more good in the book as a whole. He would not have been surprised if there had been more darkness. The Rattata Morph flicked his tail idly as he waited, barely taking note of her odd attire. This place really was different than he had expected.

When she returned, he couldn't help but be impressed at the way she managed to hold everything, including her cup of tea. He had known someone who was capable of that... he'd been an Aipom Morph, though, and the extra 'hand' had proven insanely useful. For a human, she seemed to have significant talent in that area.

His attention was turned to the three Pok?mon, and he looked in curiosity at his options. He had no real way of knowing whether or not he'd get along with any of them, or what each of them was like, for that matter. However, he allowed his eyes to close for a moment, reaching out and allowing his hand to take whichever one it happened to migrate to.

He had wound up grabbing the first one, and he felt incredibly odd as he grabbed it, opening his eyes and peering at it curiously. It just felt... right to him, and he hoped that his instinct was not leading him astray in its choice. His attention was caught by the lab assistant, and suddenly, his picture was taken.

He was stunned when the seemingly plain card burst into life, displaying his picture as well as some blank fields which he needed to fill in. Very intrigued, he grabbed it, looking it over in his hand. From what he was told, it seemed like an important thing to have, almost as important as the starter Pok?mon itself. He nodded, before going about filling out the card. It was fairly easy, especially since the Pokemorph chart had been referred to. In the end, he had input three simple things.

Terrance Jacobs
Fourteen
Rattata Morph-- Type 3

Pleased with himself, he glanced at the card, then at the Pokeball, before glancing back to the woman who seemed to love books and tea. With a nod, he rose up. "Well... If that's all, I guess I'll be going now? Thanks..." The Morph felt odd, being so grateful. This new region was going to be an interesting experience indeed.

[➤ GRAZ !]

Jennifer nodded and watched the trainer take the first pokeball. ”Uh-huh. Solastella region used to have a Pokémon starter pack, but then we thought it was probably just easier to let you guys decide what you need for your journey. There’s a small mart on the way to Verda Bridge - I highly suggest you stop there for supplies before you carry on to Remus Isle. Have you heard of Verda Bridge? There’s a map function on your Trainer Card - see? It’s that big long bridge that stretches all the way from Romulus Isle to Remus. It’s made of brick, but it’s so big it acts like a giant park. It’s filled with trees and grass and all sorts of Pokémon. You can get some great views of the sea from there!”

As she spoke, she did her best to smile warmly. Something about this trainer piqued her interest. It was as though he had come to Solastella expecting troubles and hardship. No more. She picked up her tea, finished it, and then blew Terrance a cheeky kiss, taking the empty mug into what one can only presume was the kitchen. The book remained unfinished, at least for now.

”The card should be loaded with enough Soleres to get you started - let me know if you have any other questions!”


[img]http://veekun.com/dex/media/Pok?mon/main-sprites/black-white/back.52.png[/img][img]http://veekun.com/dex/media/Pok?mon/main-sprites/black-white/52.png[/img]
[b]Meowth, Level 5[/b]
Name: -
Gender: Male
Ability: Technician
Moves: Scratch, Growl
Overworld Moves: -
Personality: This Meowth is quite a little ruffian, he’s always running after this or getting into a fight with something or other. His sense of mischief can be off-putting, but equally it can be endearing. He’s scrappy in battle, but he also has a low attention-span, often getting distracted or bored.

—————

[img]http://i.imgur.com/C8Owi.png[/img]
[b]Smartphone[/b];
[i]This trusty smartphone is filled with a touchscreen and is vital for survival in Solastella. It can access the Gazette online, surf the web and even has a built in Pokedex! Not to mention its calling, e-mail and text messaging prowess. It’s not the best smartphone in the world, but nonetheless, it gets the job done!

[img]http://i.imgur.com/IjiL1.png[/img]
[b]Trainer Card[/b];
[i]Trainer Cards are rather more advanced in the Solastella region. For one thing, this one is entirely electronic, and it automatically updates itself as you progress through the region. It also acts as a credit card and ID badge. At the same time, it measures your progress across different disciplines.

ooc | I’ve added the Soleres to your account