Welcome one and all to Star Academy! Now, this is a reboot of my original story, "Pokemon Academy: A New Dawn" and its sequel "Pokemon Academy: Power of Chaos." For those of you who never read either of those two, you won't need to, to understand this story. This is an SYOC (of course), so be sure to submit your characters if you'd like to. The rules and form can be found on my profile. For those of you who had a character in my previous story, you may re-submit them or submit a new character or not submit at all if you just want to read. Whichever is fine. Now, let's get into the prologue of this reboot! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters.

Prologue:

"Charizard, use Flame Burst!"

The large orange dragon-like beast spat a small shot of fire from his mouth, which exploded on contact with the opposing four-winged bat, causing it to fall to the mossy ground below them.

"Oh no, Crobat!" a young woman with violet hair, matching her Pokemon's skin color, exclaimed as she pressed her creamy palms against the sides of her pale face. Her large, round eyes, which matched her ponytailed hair, close shut from frustration, but soon reopened with a glint of acceptance sparkling in them. "Well, a match is a match and you managed to outmaneuver my overwhelming ninja tactics!" She held her ring and pinky fingers with her thumbs and lifted one hand to her chest while the other pressed against her forehead to prove her point.

Charizard descended as a young teenager stepped onto the shrub-infested field, feeling his battered shoes dig into the soft mud underneath. He lifted a slightly tanned hand to pet Charizard behind his ear and shot a cheery smile at the girl. His light emerald eyes were lit with a youthful vitality as he continued his approach towards her and responded, "Thanks, Janine! After losing our last battle, I went through a lot of training. Looks like it paid off!"

His red and white sneakers parted the mud underneath them with each step he took towards them, but he was too excited to care for the cleanliness of material objects.

Janine took a second to observe the fourteen-year old in front of her. His short spiked brown hair and rosy cheeks attributed to his young demeanor. His outfit was rather common for people in Kanto, consisting of a red flannel left open over a plain white shirt and a pair of light baggy blue jeans. Despite being so young, he already surpassed her in height, enough for his eyes to be aimed downwards.

Janine reached into one of her gi's pockets and pulled out a pink heart-shaped badge and presented it to her victorious opponent. "Here you go, the Soul Badge. You deserve it, Alex!"

The brunette's grin tripled in size as Janine dropped the proof of victory into his hands. Alex's Charizard approached the duo and the boy quickly turned to give his companion a hug, wrapping an arm around his long neck.

"Alright, we did it! We did it!" he cheered. The orange dragon celebrated along with his owner, releasing a puff of embers into the air.

"You know, Alex," Janine said, interrupting his revelry and capturing his attention, "I think you'd do well at Star Academy. That's the school I graduated from a couple years ago. My dad had me go there to hone my skills and other than you, I haven't lost a single battle since I took up this gym leader position."

The side of Alex's lips tugged as he skeptically responded, "Thanks, but to be honest, I'm trying to become champion as fast as possible." He casually placed his hands behind his head and added, "I'd rather not waste time sitting in a classroom, you know?"

Janine nodded, "Yes, I understand, but perhaps taking your time will prevent you from wasting your time."

Alex scratched the back of his head with a clueless look on his face and responded, "That makes no sense." He reached into his pocket and his hand emerged with a spherical device. The top hemisphere was cherry red in color while the bottom was marble white. A black ring cut the device in half with a round silver button in the center. Alex aimed the Poke Ball at his orange companion and a red beam shot out from the silver button. Upon connecting with the scaly beast, he was converted into energy and pulled into the device.

The brunette then rushed out of the gym and called back, "Thanks for the badge!"

As the sliding doors at the front of the building parted, he felt an iron wall preventing his advancement as well as knocking him down onto his backside.

"Who put that wall there?" he asked himself while rubbing his head. Emerald orbs floated up to find not an iron wall, but a behemoth of a young man standing with his hands in his pockets. This giant had to have been at least six feet tall with bulky arms and chest which suffocated in his black T-shirt. His tan cargo shorts revealed just as muscular legs coated in a light tan. The finishing touch to his outfit was a pair of silver dog tags which were draped over his neck.

"Who you calling a wall, Scrawny?" Discriminating chocolate eyes glared down at the brunette, accompanied by a clenched jaw.

Alex stood up and gave the behemoth a goofy grin, "Sorry about that, big guy."

The older boy aggressively pushed past him and simply said, "Watch where you're going, punk."

Alex watched the back of his black-haired head and yelled, "Hey! I said I was sorry, douchebag!"

He stopped with a thunderous step, causing the brunette to flinch. "Maybe if you weren't running back to the Pokemon Center to recover from your defeat, you wouldn't have anything to apologize for."

Alex snickered, "Defeat? Wrong!" He quickly pulled out his wallet and opened it to reveal the four badges tacked onto its fold. "I just won the Soul Badge so you better talk to me with more respect."

The behemoth turned around with a confident grin and responded, "Well then, I'll just have to prove my statement right."

The ends of Alex's lips tugged as his excitement levels increased. "Are you challenging me to a battle?"

"It'll be a good warm-up so I can see how easy this gym leader will be."

"You won't even make it to her."

"Let's take this outside then?"

"Let's."

The adolescents stood on opposite ends of the Fuchsia City Park just across the street from the gym. The temperature outside was a little warm, courtesy of the sun plastered against the bright blue background. Not a cloud was in sight. People and cars passed by and children frolicked on the playground. A myriad of noises filled Alex and the behemoth's ears – some of them included the creaking emitted from the swing set every time a child hovered over the warm sand, the subtle humming of the car engines passing by, and the cooing of Pidgey, accepting offerings from the fragile senior citizens.

"So, big fellah, I never got your name."

"Doesn't matter."

"Well whatever. My name's Alex. That way, you'll know the name of the guy who beat you today."

"For a little guy, you sure have a big mouth."

Alex stomped wildly and shouted, "I'm not even little! You're just a giant!"

The behemoth smirked, "Fair enough." He reached down for the gray and black belt holstering his Poke Balls. He unclipped one and pressed the silver button to enlarge it. Alex followed suit and the two called out their first Pokemon.

Alex called out, "Pidgeotto, you're up!"

"Let's annihilate them, Fearow!"

The two bird Pokemon flapped their mighty wings to stay afloat above the makeshift battlefield. Both had a dark brown plumage but Alex's had a cream-colored underbelly, a pale red mane, and bright red and yellow tail feathers. Fearow had red spikes atop his head and a long, sharp beak.

"Pidgeotto, let's start things off with a Gust!"

The female bird cried in compliance and began flapping her wings to conjure a small tornado, whirling sand from the field below.

The behemoth scoffed, "Pathetic! Fearow, Drill Peck!" The avian Pokemon brought his wings together and began spinning, transforming himself into a drill. He flew towards Pidgeotto, piercing both Gust and his opponent.

"Pidgeotto!" she cried in agony as she fell out of the air and landed on the ground.

"Pidgeotto!" Upon further examination, Alex found that her eyes were closed indicating that she was unconscious. The crimson beam retrieved Pidgeotto, allowing Alex to make his next choice. "Let's go, Pikachu!"

A small yellow mouse with red circular cheek pouches, brown stripes on his back, and a lightning-bolt-shaped tail appeared on the ground before Alex.

"Pika! Pikachu!" he called confidently.

"Hit him with an Electro Ball!"

A sphere of electrical energy formed on the tip of the electric-type's tail as he spun around and swung his tail to launch the projectile.

"Take a dive!" Fearow closed his wings, allowing for a quick descent. As he approached the ground, his owner shouted the command, "Drill Run!" Once again, Fearow began spinning, utilizing his beak as a drill, but this time, the sand beneath gathered around, creating a rotating lance of minerals. The flying-type made contact with Pikachu, knocking him out as well.

"Cha!" the mouse cried as he fell onto his stomach.

"Pikachu, no!"

"I guess the gym leader won't be much of a challenge then."

"I've still got one more Pokemon! My strongest one! Go Charizard!" Alex's most trusted companion landed with a loud thud, tossing dust into the air around him. He expanded his navy wings as a means of intimidation and released a powerful roar accompanied by a puff of embers.

"That's not saying much," chastised the opponent.

Alex grit his teeth so hard, his annual dentist's appointment was on the verge of being moved up. "Charizard, Dragon Rage!" The fire-type Pokemon released a dark blue stream of draconic energy, but Fearow dodge it with ease.

"Drill Peck!"

Alex allowed the avian to approach and waited until the right time to call out, "Use Flame Burst!"

"Dodge!" Fearow kept to the side, but upon hitting the ground, Flame Burst exploded and his wing was hit by stray residue.

"Follow up with Fire Fang!" Charizard bit down Fearow's other wing with a mouth full of fire, causing the bird to squawk frantically until he passed out from the pain.

"Didn't I tell you Charizard was my strongest?" Alex taunted.

The behemoth simply scoffed again as he recalled Fearow and brought out his second Pokemon. "Finish this, Kabutops!" A bipedal arthropod with a rock-layered exoskeleton and sharp scythe-like claws appeared. He confidently sharpened his blade, sending a threat message to Charizard who merely spat a sliver of fire onto the field and crushed it with his powerful foot in response.

"Kabutops, Aqua Jet!" Surrounding himself in water, the rock/water-type dashed across the field and rammed right into Charizard. The scaly beast was thrown back, but his prideful nature kept him from succumbing to the pain of the super-effective attack so easily.

"Awesome, Charizard! Now use Dragon Rage!" He unleashed another stream of draconic energy but Kabutops easily dodged it and countered with another Aqua Jet, knocking the fire/flying-type upside the head. Charizard fell onto his back. When his head met the floor, it was clear that Alex had lost. The brunette crouched down to check on his partner who was completely out cold.

The behemoth recalled Kabutops and chortled, "For all that big talk, you were a big disappointment. Of course, you don't get to graduate from Star Academy by being a pushover," he boasted. Emerald spheres dilated upon hearing his claim. As the older boy turned to walk away, he stopped and said, "By the way, the name's Chayton. Just thought you'd like to know the name of the guy who beat you today," he mocked. He completed his turn and walked in the direction of the gym, overconfidence apparent in his refusal to heal his injured Pokemon.

Watching the behemoth walk away, Alex told Charizard, "Guess Janine was right, buddy…we might have to get some training after all." Alex knew that the fire/flying-type most likely could not hear what he said, but speaking it, brought the thought out making it more real.

An elderly man with graying brown hair sat behind his desk, scrolling through the information on his computer screen while sipping from a mug filled to the brim with scalding coffee. He chuckled to himself after reading an article about how Diglet and Dugtrio have feet and took drink of the dark liquid. As strange as it was, he never did like his coffee with milk, preferring the powerfully bitter taste.

His appearance was that of a scientist, indicated primarily by the white lab coat adorned over his lavender dress shirt and khakis.

"Professor Oak!" The sudden shout coupled with the slamming of the laboratory's front door, alarmed the graying man, ultimately leaving his shirt and pants dowsed by the scorching liquid. He immediately sprang up from his chair and without thinking of the context he was in, unzipped his pants to throw them on the ground.

Realizing that someone else was in his lab, the professor's dark eyes locked onto the young brunette standing at the entrance to his laboratory.

Alex covered his eyes, "I'm guessing this is a bad time!"

"Only because you made it one!" scolded Professor Oak.

"Didn't my dad tell you to stop drinking coffee? The stuff's bad for you!"

Oak grumbled before stating, "Just wait outside! I have to go change."

"Isn't your house next door?"

"I always keep a spare set of clothes in the closet inside the break room. Now go outside! I'll only be a minute." After getting dressed, Professor Oak opened the front door for Alex to come in. "Now what can I do for you, Alex?"

"I want to go to Star Academy!" Alex was not one to dance around a topic. He had to make his point across as quickly as possible.

"Star Academy? Hmm…" The professor scratched his cleanly shaved chin in ponder before responding, "I didn't take you for the academic type, Alex."

"I heard that trainers my age go there to get stronger and I need to get stronger if I'm going to defeat the Pokemon League."

"I see. How many badges have you acquired?"

"Four." Alex pulled out his wallet and handed it to the professor so he could examine his spoils.

"Mhm. The Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, Rainbow Badge, and Soul Badge. Very impressive for someone who's only been a trainer for a few months."

"Yeah, I challenged Brock for the Boulder badge but my team can't do anything against his. Next up was the Saffron Badge but after I beat Janine, this jerk who graduated from Star Academy beat me in a battle without breaking a sweat. If he got that strong from going there, then I can get even stronger than him!" Alex chanted, more to motivate himself than to convince the professor.

"Well, I see your point. You're dad has always been a fantastic assistant and your drive is very inspiring so tell you what? I'm actually good friends with the headmaster, Professor Cedar. I'll get started on a letter of recommendation and I'll contact you as soon as I get a response from him. I advise you to stay at home until then."

Alex beamed with exhilaration, "Thanks so much, Professor!" He held his fist up as a sign of confidence and excitement. "I promise you that you won't regret taking a chance on me!"

Days went by and Alex did not leave the house phone's company. He watched it all day, slept with it in his grasp all night, and even took it with him into the bathroom. He'd even go as far as growling whenever his parents tried to use the phone, earning him thorough scolding but because they understood the vitality of the situation, they humored him by using the neighbors' phone. Alex was lucky that his sisters were too young to even need the phone. What would they talk to their classmates about? Creating alliances during the kickball games?

The day of the call, Alex was sitting on the couch, flipping between channels on the television – the phone rested comfortably on his lap. He wore a pair of black basketball shorts and a plain white T-shirt and his skin was unusually light from having sheltered himself from sunlight.

His mother passed by dressed in her work uniform – a navy blue skirt and blazer with golden buttons. She worked as an attendant on the S.S. Anne and would be away for a few days. The brunette woman had long tresses which flowed down to her mid-back and bright green eyes, but unlike Alex's, hers were a softer hue, appearing jade. She had creamy light skin coating her body and a round face, however she was by no means plump. She was actually very thin and in her work heels, stood at her son's height of five feet and seven inches.

The rushed woman began sifting through the fridge to make sure there was enough food for her husband to cook for their children during her absence. She called out to her son as she grabbed her luggage, "I'm going off to work, sweetie!" Alex leaned forward and stood up to give his mother a hug and kiss on the cheek to send her on her way. She instructed, "Make sure Annie and Ariel do their homework when they get home from school, okay? And tell you dad that there's tomato sauce and pasta in the cabinets for him to make spaghetti tonight."

"Alright, mom. Be safe." The brunette woman could not help but smile from her son's concern.

"Bye, Alex." As she began walking away, the emerald-eyed boy closed the door behind him and plopped down onto the couch. During the middle of a show about video-reels, the phone chirped cheerily. It was a heavenly noise, one that left Alex in a state of temporary paralysis. He'd been expecting this call for days, desperately hoping for it to come, but not once did he think about what would happen when it did. He felt his body tremble from fear of rejection, or worse, of hearing that perhaps the professor did not even try.

On the fourth ring, Alex swiftly reached for the phone and lifted it, to prevent the opportunity from slipping away. He allowed the onyx device to hover over its charger before finally pressing it to his ear and croaking, "H-hello?"

"Ah, Alex!" a voice he recognized as Professor Oak's greeted.

"Hey, Professor Oak."

"I emailed Professor Cedar the day you visited my office, telling him that you would like to attend and he responded last night."

Last night?! Why didn't you call me last night, you old fart?! Alex chastised in his head. But instead, his response was calm, "What did he say?"

"Alex…" No. Professor Oak was purposely pausing to drive Alex insane. It was probably payback for the coffee incident. "Pack your bags because you've been accepted!"

"Are you serious?!" Alex shouted, a little too loud for Oak's withering eardrums, but he did not care because of how excited he was. Sure, a week ago, school was something he was glad to be over with, but the drive to sharpen his skills as a trainer gave him a new perspective.

Oak chuckled, "Yes, because I helped fund his research on 'Special Evolution,' he was more than willing to take in a trainer that I vouched for."

"Thank you so much, Professor! This is great! No! This is awesome! No! There isn't a word to describe how amazing this is!"

"Of course, I'm glad to help a young trainer. Now Alex, remember, because you are going on my word, you are representing me during your time at the academy so I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"Don't worry, Professor, you can count on me!" Oak could not see Alex, but he could picture the brunette giving him one of his signature goofy grins.

"I'm sure I can. You should tell your parents the great new. And don't worry, Professor Cedar and I are both covering a portion of your total expenses so your parents will really only have to pay for the meal plan. He told me that the admissions office will send you an email entailing the expenses as well as a student handbook which you can read for the rules, procedures, and information about the school's classes and buildings and you'll be on your way to Star Academy in September. Be sure to tell Professor Cedar I said hello."

Alex smiled, "It's the least I can do!"

Woo! I know that this was kind of a long prologue but that only tells you how long the actual chapters are going to be so let me know how you feel about long chapters (~6-7K words). It's long to me because I used to do 2K chapters and slowly but steadily bumped up as I continued writing.

For those of you who read A New Dawn and Power of Chaos, what do you think of Alex as of right now and do you feel he is different from before or the same? Let me know in the reviews! Also, remember to submit in those OCs because we're starting off with a clean slate. In one week's time, I will have made my choices.