Disclaimer

The creatures referred herein as Pokémon do not belong to me, but to The Pokémon Company/Nintendo. I make no money from this venture, and I'm only doing this for fun.

This is based on the anime and on Pokémon Go, so I mention teams, but not just the regular Team Mystic, Valor, and Instinct: there are many others that you will encounter, should you decide to keep reading.

Now, the idea for the additional teams did not come from me. I saw some fan art, which immediately triggered my imagination, and I want to credit the artist here: Seoxys Art. Some of the teams are of her creation, and some of them are mine, but the idea was hers. I just elaborated on it.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Lunarelle

Prologue

The Pokémon showed up practically overnight. Nobody understood where they'd come from, only that one day there weren't any, and the next day, there they were, mingling with many other animals.

It wasn't just a phenomena restricted to one area, no. It was worldwide. From the Sea of Japan, which had suddenly been invaded by Tentacruel and Lanturn, to Texas, where Tauros and Bouffalant were prevalent.

People couldn't understand how it had suddenly happened, but they had been thrilled to have new living beings to examine. Universities suddenly began research on all of the new creatures, which had such amazing powers. Some of them were deemed to be harmless enough, like Pidgey, while others were known to be very dangerous to people.

"I still find it amazing that they showed up out of nowhere."

The woman who had spoken looked at her daughter, a sixteen-year-old teenager who was getting ready to go on a Pokémon journey to learn more about them.

"We all do, Mom," she said. "But they're here now, so we have to make the best of it. I mean, you can't deny the fact that they've greatly helped the world."

It was true. Ever since they had showed up, people had been too flabbergasted by them to quarrel in their usual ways. Conflicts hadn't exactly gone away, but people, even terrorists, had found themselves enthralled with Pokémon, and had started studying them and their benefits.

People in remote areas has been delighted to find that electric Pokémon such as Magnemite could power a house for no cost at all, other than the cost of feeding them. People in harsher climates found that having a water Pokémon could help them grow crops much faster, and people in colder countries were really grateful to have fire Pokémon around.

"Yes. But not everyone appreciates them, Summer."

"Well, I sure do!" said Summer, tying her long dark hair in a ponytail.

"Are you going to do what your cousin did, and collect thirty Pokémon for yourself?"

Summer smiled at her mother, "Why not? They're a lot of fun, you know, and if I collect enough of them, I'll be able to be a Pokémon Researcher. That would be so cool!"

Almost giddy at the prospect, Summer ran to her room, where she'd packed a bag. She and two of her best friends would be spending a couple of months going around the country to look for Pokémon. Summer's father had recently bought an RV that would be perfect for their needs, and he was allowing them to use it so that they wouldn't always have to stay in hotels, which would get expensive.

Her phone rang just as she was putting on her favorite pair of black shorts. She answered on the third ring.

It was Ella, one of her best friends who would be going with her on the journey.

"Are you almost ready?" she screeched.

"Calm down!" cried Summer, laughing. "I said I'd pick you up at seven-thirty, and it's not even seven yet!"

"But we have to go get our Pokémon!"

Summer tried not to roll her eyes. It was June 20th, which was the day to get one's starter Pokémon. Every sixteen-year-old registered as a trainer in the United States had to get their Pokémon by that exact date if they were interested in going on their own journey and participating in the tournaments for their teams. Summer had been looking forward to that day for several years, ever since she'd realized the things she could do with Pokémon. Since her decision, she had worked as hard as she could in school, making sure to get the best grades possible so that her parents wouldn't be able to stop her from going.

"I know. I'm excited too. But the Pokémon Center won't open until nine o'clock. Anyway, I'm almost ready to go, don't worry. I'll see you soon!"

She hung up a few minutes later, and continued getting dressed, putting on a black shirt with a sparkly silver Poké Ball on the front, thigh-high black socks and black and silver sneakers. Her heart hammered in her chest with excitement.

"Do you know which Pokémon you're going to choose?" her mother asked her when she came downstairs again, this time hauling her duffel bag and backpack.

"Actually, Mom, you don't get to choose your first Pokémon. It's assigned to you. I don't really know how it works, though, because people don't talk about it. But I do know that three different types that you could get: fire, water, and grass."

"And which Pokémon could you get?"

"Oh, you could get one of twenty-one starter Pokémon, so there are a lot to choose from. I know that Ella would love to have a water Pokémon."

"What about Megan?"

"Flying."

Summer's mother began to laugh, "There are so many Pidgeys around, I'm surprised she hasn't caught one yet."

"You know that you can't have a Pokémon without first getting your license, and you can't get a license until you've gone to the Pokémon Center to get your first Pokémon and be assigned to your team." Summer rummaged in her bag to check that she had everything, including her laptop and all of her chargers.

"So I guess you're ready to go?"

"Yes. If I don't show up soon to pick up Ella, she's going to freak out completely."

She made her way outside where the RV was parked. It was a huge thing, big enough for at least three people. Painted black, silver and blue, it hadn't been new when her father had purchased it, and he had spent quite some time making it look better than any RV Summer had seen in magazines. It was his pride and joy, so much so that he had taken over one of the motorhome shops in the city.

"Don't leave until you've put your things away in the drawers," he told her, getting out of the RV. "You know how quickly these places can get messy, especially with three teenagers."

Summer smiled, "We're going to put everything away once we're all together. Don't worry, Daddy, we have everything under control."

"You have your laptop?"

"Yes. I have my laptop, my phone, and first-aid kits for both people and Pokémon. Don't worry. We'll make sure to call you when we're on the road. We're going to be stopping at Uncle George's ranch down by San Antonio in a couple of weeks, so we won't be completely alone out there."

"Okay, okay. Go then, and have a great time. Be careful on the road, though! We don't want to get a phone call at two o'clock in the morning that start with 'We have your daughter Summer'."

A laugh, "I'll be careful, I promise."

She hugged both her parents, kissing their cheeks before climbing into the RV and starting the engine. Giving a happy cry, she started to drive away from home and towards a brand new adventure.

Chapter One

Several flying Pokémon mingled with regular birds, calling out to Summer as she drove past their trees in the RV. Pidgeys and their evolutions were very common, although she also saw a Murkrow not far from the road.

Her excitement grew as she got closer to Ella's house. The time was finally there. They were going to get their Pokémon after such a long wait.

The RV's phone rang. Summer pushed a button on the steering wheel, answering it, "Hi Ella."

"Are you on your way?"

"I'm just about to turn on your street."

"I see you!" shrieked Ella. "Hurry! Hurry!"

Summer giggled and deliberately slowed down. By the time she pulled up in front of her friend's house, Ella was standing there, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her parents stood behind her, shaking their heads in despair.

"I can't believe we're letting you girls do this."

"Oh, we'll be okay, Daddy!" exclaimed Ella, hugging him and hopping into the RV, "This is so awesome!" She hugged Summer tightly, "Come on, come on! We have to go pick up Megan!"

"Girl! Let me say hello to your parents first." Summer playfully pushed Ella away before getting out of the RV. "Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont, hello."

"Hi Summer, how are you?" asked Mrs. Beaumont, shaking her hand.

"I'm doing good thanks. Excited."

"I trust you know how to drive that thing?" asked Ella's father, looking at the RV.

"Oh yeah. My dad insisted on my getting the license to drive it as soon as I got my regular driver's license. I know that Megan also got hers, so she'll be able to drive as well."

"Good. Be careful on the roads, don't get in over your head with the Pokémon, and try not to bring back all six hundred of them, okay?"

"I can't promise we won't bring a lot of Pokémon back. I've been studying for a while, and know exactly which ones I want to get. Ella too, I think."

"Water Pokémon, as many as I can carry!"

"Hey now," cautioned Mr. Beaumont, "you need to be able to take care of each and every one of them. I expect you to be responsible about this. Think of how much money it costs to take care of each of them, even if they are in their Pokéballs."

"I'm sure we'll do fine," said Ella. "Can we go now? We have to pick up Megan and go to the Pokémon Center!"

"Both of which are only few minutes away, now calm down, Ella. Honestly, you'd think that you'd never done anything exciting before."

But nothing could curb her enthusiasm, and so they were finally allowed to leave. Ella took her spot on the passenger side, checking her reflection in the rearview mirror. She was gorgeous, the type of girl who looked like she'd stepped off a runway without any effort. As a matter of fact, she had done some modeling, which had helped her save enough money for the journey.

When I think that I had to work in a restaurant for eight months to save money… said Summer to herself.

Shaking her head and smiling, she started the RV again.

"Oh, I can't wait!" squealed Ella, stomping her feet in excitement. "It's going to be awesome! Did you see yesterday's battle on Channel Five?"

"Team Valor against Team Discord? Yeah, I saw it. It was quite a show."

"When that trainer sent out that Bewear, I thought I was going to explode! It was huge!"

Summer nodded, "But then the other trainer sent out a Blaziken, so it evened out in the end."

"Still, I didn't think that Discord was going to lose. They hardly ever lose."

"It goes to show you that it doesn't matter which team you're assigned to. I mean, there are eighteen teams out there. The same one can't always win."

Turning onto Megan's street, Summer eased the RV to a stop, seeing the last member of their group in front of her house, bags at the ready.

"Five blocks, and it takes you forever to get here!" she cried, laughing. Her unruly brown hair had been coaxed into dozens of braids, and she had applied makeup to her coffee-colored skin, something she usually only did before going on a date. She waved as she hefted her backpack higher on her shoulder.

"The Pokémon Center's just down your block," said Ella, getting out of the RV and hugging Megan. "You could have just waited there for us."

"By myself? I don't think so. We said we were going together, so we're going together."

Summer also hugged Megan, "Are you ready?"

"Totally! Let's go! Mom packed us a lunch."

"So did mine," said Ella.

Summer began to laugh, "Mine did too. It's in the fridge. I guess we won't starve today, and neither will our Pokémon."

"You have Pokémon food?" wondered Megan. "Because I have a whole bag."

A nod, "Food, snacks, beverages, medication, I think I have more for Pokémon than I do for myself."

"Yahoo!" screamed Ella, giving a little jump.

"Shhh! You'll wake the neighbors!"

Ella put a hand over her mouth and giggled, "Sorry. But come on, everyone's excited today!"

"All right, all right, let's go! I don't want there to be too many people ahead of us."

"You think there will be?" asked Ella, looking at Summer uneasily.

"I think that it's a good thing that people were forbidden from camping out. But even if there were a hundred kids before us, there would be enough Pokémon for everyone." Summer was thinking about the first time the journeys had begun for trainers. Kids had been terrified that there would be no more Pokémon available, and the Pokémon Centers had been overwhelmed. Since then, the Pokémon Committee had asked trainers to set up ahead of time so that things could be done in an orderly fashion when the time came.

Megan took her place inside the RV. "It's huge in here!" she exclaimed. "Wow! How much did this thing cost your family?"

Summer started to laugh, "You don't want to know how much work my father put in to renovate it."

"Seriously? It looks like one of those luxury RVs that we see in the movies. There are three beds in here?"

"One above the cab, one in the back, and the sofa there pulls out into a bed as well."

"This is so cool! I don't know if I'm more excited about spending time in here or getting my Pokémon."

"Pokémon," said Summer and Ella at the same time.

Megan grinned, "Let's go then!"

And so they did, getting to the Pokémon Center a few minutes later. There were several people there already, and they watched Summer pulling up with interest.

"Looks like about twenty people will be ahead of us," said Megan, glancing out the window and counting them quickly. "That's not too bad, I guess."

"Remember how bad it was when we signed up?" asked Ella. "The site crashed on me twice."

Summer remembered that evening well. It had happened the previous January, and she'd been so nervous that she had mistyped her name three times. "I remember. It was so slow I thought I'd never get it to work." She turned off the engine and got up. "We should put our things away now. Would you guys mind if I took the bed above the cab?"

"It's your RV," laughed Ella. "You take whichever bed you want." She glanced at Megan and made a run for the bed that was at the back of the camper, "I take the big bed!" she cried.

Megan stared after her, "Then I guess I'll take the pull-out?"

Summer chuckled, "It's comfortable."

They began to put their things away, and by the time they got out of the camper, ten more people had arrived.

Pokémon gossip was everywhere. Everyone talked about their favorite teams, and where they were hoping to end up. As nobody knew exactly how the selection process went, everyone was either excited or nervous.

"I know I'm going to be on Team Motion," one youth was saying. "Raikou's my favorite legendary Pokémon."

"Is that how it works?" a girl asked, biting her lip. "They assign you based on what your favorite Pokémon are?"

"Well, nobody knows, do they? I've tried accessing the different team websites, but I could only get to the generic ones. Do you have any idea why?"

It was a good question. Summer had wondered about that time and again as she'd prepared for her journey. She and her parents had sifted through all of the different teams, but had only been able to find, as the boy had said, generic information, such as the names of each teams and the legendary Pokémon they took after.

"He's right," said Megan. "How do we know which team will be right for us? All I know is that Team Chaos and Team Discord win a lot of tournaments, but we know that from watching them battle. I wonder why trainers can't talk about their teams with non-trainers."

"Probably to keep the secret," said Summer.

"What secret?"

"Well, I guess it's like when you were in gymnastics. You wouldn't have told everyone what dismount you were going to use, right? You had to keep that between you and your team."

Two girls further down the line were worriedly talking about what they would do if they weren't put on the same team. Both of them loved Team Legend, but it was very unlikely that they would remain together.

"I hadn't even thought of that," said Ella. "Because there are eighteen teams, we're probably going to be separated. Will we even be able to travel together?"

Summer gave a nod, "If I hadn't been sure, I wouldn't have invited you guys on a cross-country trip to find Pokémon. Members of different teams are encouraged to work together, as long as they don't reveal too much about their own teams. Stop worrying."

"Oh, like you're not worried!"

She didn't answer. In truth, she had been so focused on the Pokémon that she hadn't given much thoughts to the team she would be joining until the previous month.

All new trainers were assigned to one of eighteen Legendary Teams, named after the legendary Pokémon that had been discovered in the world. The teams each participated in regional, national, and international tournaments, which enhanced their prestige, depending on whether its members won or lost.

Tournament participation wasn't mandatory, as far as Summer knew, but it was something that most trainers looked forward to, because the victors usually received prizes. A boy the previous year from Team Mystic had gotten a full scholarship to a university in Australia thanks to his win in the Oceanic Pokémon League.

Ella poked Summer's shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Summer smiled, "Oh yeah. Sorry, I was just thinking about the different teams and the tournaments."

"You can still be a trainer and not be a part of any teams, right?" asked Megan. "I thought I read that somewhere."

It was a woman in line with her daughter who answered, "Oh yes, that's certainly possible. If you're not interested in tournaments, you can leave the team you've been assigned to almost immediately. It's what my son did. But he regretted it, because being part of a team gives you lots of advantages."

"Like what?" wondered Ella.

"You'll see. But if you want to leave your team, there is a Pokémon trainer community that's called Teamless."

"Why wouldn't you want to be part of a team? Can you get kicked out?"

"I've never heard of anybody being kicked out of a team," said Summer. "But I have heard of this Teamless community. They don't have tournaments, but work with Pokémon in any case."

The woman nodded, "You'll find out soon enough. Which team are you hoping to be a part of?"

"Team Illusion," said Summer immediately.

"Team Zephyr," answered Megan.

"Team Mystic for me," said Ella, showing her blue backpack, which indeed had the team's logo on it. "But we'd really like to be on the same team."

"Oh, that probably won't happen. It might, but it's unlikely."

Time seemed to move more slowly as more and more people arrived. News crews arrived as well, to report on what was happening. Summer saw a camera pointed in her direction more than once, and hoped that she didn't look like a clown.

Megan looked around, "Hey, what do you think happens to the kids who weren't able to sign up for today? Do they get a make-up day?"

"No, Megan," said Ella. "Remember? They get to sign up for the December date. In countries like Australia, December 20th is actually their huge date, because it's right at the beginning of their summer season."

"Oh, that's right, I completely forgot about December. Oh, look! Something's happening!"

At Megan's cry, everyone in line straightened up, their energies renewed.

Four people in long lab coats had come out of the Pokémon Center. One of them, a man with black hair and a trimmed goatee, was holding a microphone.

"Welcome, new Pokémon trainers!" he said. "Today is the day you've been waiting for, where you finally get your Pokémon and are assigned to your Legendary Teams!"

There was a colossal cheer from the crowd. Next to Summer, Ella screamed and clapped her hands, jumping up and down.

"Good to see that you're all excited! Now, we're going to have you come in in groups of eight. Make sure to have your IDs ready so that we can check you in quickly. See you inside, and again, congratulations!"

Excited, Summer took Megan and Ella's hands, squeezing them tightly. "It's finally happening!"

The line began to move as the first eight people were let through.

"How long does the process take?" asked Ella.

"Around thirty minutes or so, depending on the questions the trainer has," answered the woman who had spoken previously. "You'll be in there before you know it."

She was right. Less than an hour later, Summer found herself giving her ID to an attendant and stepping inside the Pokémon Center for the first time.

Author's Note:

Hi everyone!

This first chapter is just a test to see people's responses. I'm currently writing quite a bit of this particular fan fic, and I'm hoping to have more chapters eventually to post. So, please, let me know whether you like it and want me to update!

Lunarelle