"Cha Cha Cha! Tah-Dum-Dum!"

"Pound the Earth! Speeding across the land! Soaring across the sky!"

"Combining to become ProTeam Omega! Take down the Demon Brioche!"

"Beat those bad guys down, down, down!"

Footsteps bounce up the stairs. "Dia! Pearl's here to see you!"

"Coming, Mom!" Dia turns off the TV. The Proteam Omega figurine set sits undisturbed on the counter, their plastic shells shining from a recent dusting. With a quick salute to a grinning Commander Venusaur, the boy heads downstairs.

That spiky yellow head perks up. "Dia! Look what my mom gave me!" He rummages through his bag, bringing out a pair of—

"Gen IV Ultra-light Sneakers with Sole Ventilation Technology!" Dia gasps.

"Hah! The one and only!" Then Pearl clears this throat. "So, uh… since we've known each other since childhood, my mom also got you a pair… I hope that's okay, Miss Joanna."

Joanna gives a small smile. "Knowing your mother, she must've forgotten to give me the receipt as well." Pearl chuckles nervously. "Do you like it, Dia?"

"I love it!" Light, just like walking on clouds. "Mom, Pearl and I are going to test these out."

"Sure, but don't venture too far! And watch out for strangers!"

"We won't, Miss Joanna!" Pearl nudges his best friend. "Dia, remember the lake we always play at? Last one there gets fined ten million!"

People jump from the boys' blazing path. Pearl's green scarf billows in the chilly Sinnoh weather as they tear through the sleeping grounds of Twinleaf Town.

"D… Dia!"

"Yeah?"

"I…" Pearl grips his fists. "I FEEL SO ALIVE!" At the sound of his voice, a parrot bursts through the fern trees. "Hey, Chatler!" he wheezes. The Chatot gives an eager squawk at its name.

A round mass is also struggling to catch up to Dia. "Lax!" cries the boy. "You're dropping Berries everywhere!"

The boys turn a sharp left on Route 201. They barrel through the gates of Lake Verity, collapsing in a breathless pile on the cold, wet grass.

"Whew!" Pearl is the first to get up. "A tie again. Good job, Chatler and Lax!" He dusts off his striped jacket. "Oh, Dia, come on. Sleep on your own bed."

"But it's so comfortable…" Indeed, the tranquility of Lake Verity is something unfound in the outside world: pure snow, pristine, crystalline waters that reflect faces to microscopic detail. Sunlight breathes a gentle warmth on the pleasant coldness of this great lake.

Pearl sits down. He props a hand against his chin, golden eyes scanning the cerulean horizon. Some curious Starly stop chattering to return his curious gaze.

"Dia."

"Yeah?"

"Let's practice our comedy routine." Pearl produces a notepad—his exhaustive list of slapsticks. "If the Starly laugh, then it's guaranteed to be a hit!"

"Speaking of hits, it still hurts where you slapped me yesterday."

"Oh, that's all part of the job!" Pearl takes a deep breath. The Starly are indeed watching, as are Chatler and Lax. "Speaking of Pokemon!"

Dia yawns. "Speaking of Pokemon."

"There are lots of different types of Pokemon! Fire-types, Water-type, Grass-type, Rock-type, Poison-type, Ground-type…"

"Candy-type…"

Pearl smacks Dia's face. "That's not a type!" the former roars. "Listen, each type has its strengths and weaknesses. Some attacks are stronger than others. Do you know what that's called?"

Dia's brows furrow. "Spicy, not spicy, super spicy…?"

"Can't you think of anything besides food?"

"Oh, I know! It's called complimentary… FLAVORS!"

Pearl slams a fist on his palm. "Right…" SMACK! "You dolt!"

Chatler coughs politely. The Pokemon are indeed staring back with blank faces. A Starly would occasionally blink. Lax had lost interest ages ago, as it's gazing longingly at a plump Sitrus Berry in its paws.

Pearl deflates. "Aw. I spent all last night on that joke…"

"Why did you hit your friend?"

The boys jump. "W-When did he get here?" Pearl hisses to an equally flabbergasted Dia. "Was he here from the beginning?!"

Said man tilts his head. There's just something strange about him, something Dia can't really put his finger on. Perhaps it was that weird stance of his, with his arms clasped behind his back as if he's observing a specimen. Maybe it was the complete lack of emotion on his sunken face.

"Candy-type is not a Pokemon-type," says the man after an awkward silence. "And I believe the term you're looking for is complimentary 'types,' not… flavors."

Pearl's jaw drops. "Dia, he's trying to upstage my role!"

"Did you like our comedy routine?" Dia shouts. The man stares at him. "I'm Dia, and this is Pearl! We're traveling comedians!"

Pearl seizes his best friend's ear. "Dia, are you crazy?!"

"Lax likes him, Pearl!"

"Lax likes everyone so it can get food!" Pearl tugs that red scarf. "Come on, let's go. He's not exactly giving out good vibes."

The man's big ears twitch. He approaches the boys, who cower under the sudden drop of temperature. "Allow me to pass," he states flatly. They're too horrified to move. That frown hardens, and Pearl's knees buckle under his weight. "Step aside."

That, and they move like double doors.

Silence returns to the lake after the Starly take off to places unknown. Lax sniffs the grass where that stranger had just stood, says something to a scowling Chatler before proceeding to rubs its face against Dia's shin.

Pearl grabs his head. "I can't believe he was our first audience. Who the heck was that though? Did you see that emblem on his vest? I know I've seen it somewhere, but… augh! He messed up my comedic rhythm!

"Let's go back, Dia. You should check on your mom…" Pearl takes one last glance around the silent lake. "I have a bad feeling about this…"