There were four of them, and all four were around the pier. There were two boys and two girls. All but one of them was sitting on the concrete ledge of the pier, gazing out at the endless sea that surrounded the island they had called home for a while now. Behind them, back on the other side of the safety gate, a girl bit her lip nervously, not wanting to caution the stronger rangers before her. The other girl swung her legs boldly, a grey mincinno struggling in an attempt to clean some of the dust that had collected on the loading area. Today was the day the new recruits would arrive, and the four rangers had been tasked with introducing the new rangers-in-training to their new lives and give them their first mission immediately. 

"H-H-Hollocaster, World Map, Browser Dex... and... and..." Annemarie struggled, trying to list everything the new rangers would need. She held a bag that contained many World Maps, devices similar to the hollocaster, but instead of utilizing the simulation as a means of communication, it was used as a map. The Browser Dex was a newer invention that worked similar to a pokedex, but with less information. 

"The Capture Styler, stupid." One of the boys sitting with their feet hanging over the edge offered rudely. He stroked a hand through his long white hair as the girl blubbered for an apology. How could she forget the capture styler? Without it, all she had to use in her missions was her partner, Torkoal. Someone was about to say something else, but there was a loud honk. As the four looked up, they could see a single ship begin to roll into the port. As it approached, a few mantyke skipped across the surface of the sea. 

"Look, fresh meat." The girl with shining black hair mused jokingly. It was no tiny ship, for it had embarked on a worldwide cruise to pick up all the recruits. The massive yacht had many cabins, though only about half were occupied. It had departed from the Nature Preserve just two days ago. "Hm... I remember when I first came on that boat. It feels like it was yesterday." Viva continued, reminiscing pleasantly. The four fairly fresh-faced rangers stood up, each one carrying a bag filled with a different tool that the new recruits would need. In no time at all, the ship pulled in and lowered its bridge, blowing its foghorn a few more times as a small crowd of to-be rangers got off. 

It had been a long ride. Dirge had the luxury of his own cabin in the interior of the ship- for over twelve hours, he wasn't able to occupy himself by looking out the window because there were only windows on the rooms facing the ocean. That was the only thing that was wrong with his journey. The rest had been, literally, smooth sailing. That is, until the fog horn blew and woke him up from his long nap. Yawning and rubbing his eyes, the brunette struggled to hit feet and fumbled around for his rolling luggage. 

For the first time since the ship left, Dirge was once again on the open deck. There was a lot of idle chat , and screams of excitement as the Nature Preserve island came into view. From here, it looked so tiny, yet it was probably bigger than Icirrus City. Dirge joined in the chorus of the other cheering passengers. "Today, your new life begins. So don't screw it up with your attitude!" He whispered to himself. 

The wind had seawater in it, and Dirge had to close his eyes as it blew toward the ship. He adjusted his backpack with a slight grunt. In less than five minutes, the port was an arm's length away, and if it wasn't for the yacht being about as tall a three story building, he would have just hopped over the rail and onto the Pokemon Ranger Association Headquarters. Noticing a mantyke bobbing in the water not too far away, Dirge waved eagerly. Mantyke were known to be friendly creatures. As it swam over, the young man felt overjoyed. That is, until it spat a beam of hard water at him! Dirge ducked just in time, though it tinged the top of his head. Hopefully it didn't hit anyone standing behind him. 

As he descended the bridge, Dirge noticed the staircase didn't have a rail on either side. He wondered how many people had fallen off of the side before, and if they still got to be rangers after showing how dull their reflexes and clumsy their footwork was. His sunglasses were tucked in his front coat pocket, but it evening was quickly approaching so he didn't need them. Fiddling with his tie, Dirge felt only a bit nostalgic as he thought of living in a new place, in a bungalow with people he had never met before. 

As four rangers met the group on the other side of the port, they began speaking, but everything they said was already included in the letter, so Dirge didn't bother to pay close attention. They then went on to explain what a Capture Styler and Browser Dex was and how nowadays most things were powered by holograms. He tapped his foot against the concrete port impatiently, but soon the boy who looked like a blaziken spoke up. 

"So, the vacant bungalows are this way. We'll organize you into squads and then you can put your junk away. Oh, and then you're off on your first mission, so hurry up and get your stuff." Once had obtained everything, Dirge put everything but the Capture Styler in his backpack. This tool marked him as a ranger. He swung it in the air a few times, enjoying the whistle it made. "None of them are activated yet, so don't try to use 'em on the local Pokemon. You'll probably die," One of the girls warned. 

"They won't be activated until after you receive your mission." A black haired ranger sneered. "So follow me." He continued, leading the group toward a dirt path that lead into a dark rainforest. It smelled like rainwater and sickly sweet rotting berries. Dirge wore his hiking boots, so the occasional squish of the ground harshly bothered him. He still had a wide gin on his face, excited to go on a mission so soon, not even considering that he could mess up. "Can't wait!" He sang happily as he tailed near the back of the group.