Alix took a minute or so to cast an eye across the others that had turned up for registration. A somewhat ditzy-looking girl in full black, a younger kid in a lab coat with a Froakie on his shoulder, a darker-skinned guy presumably from Platinos judging by the Denhun taking a nap, and another girl with some sort of medical-looking attachment on her right leg, a Petilil in her arms. Alix returned the wave that this last girl gave. The first impressions were... never something to go on, she reminded herself. Besides, these Trainers all looked like they had Pokémon with them, and she didn't even have hers yet.

The receptionist, Sam, touched a finger to the earpiece in his left ear, then quickly glanced around the group waiting for registrations. "Five, Professor, plus Ato has returned from the courier job. Shall I bring them in?" A pause. "All right, they're on their way." He stood up. "The Professors Ilex are ready for you now, if you'll follow me." Alix was up on her feet almost immediately, soon followed by the others. With everyone ready, Sam led the way into the building proper.

The central room of Ilex Labs was an open, spacious one. Assistants in lab coats were hard at work in corners; through a glass door, two more were outside, distributing bowls of food before a large group of small Pokémon. Their scuffling and jockeying for position was audible from inside the Lab. Standing in the center of the room, beside a large desk laden with gadgetry, were the Professors Ilex: twin siblings, though you'd never know it from their appearances. Acer, the taller of the two, had brown skin and short black hair, while Yang was paler and styled her blonde locks in a hime cut much like Alix wore herself. Both wore lab coats, lanyards and worker's boots.

"Professors Acer and Yang Ilex, these are Miss Alix Pearce, Mr Shinsuke Yamada, Miss Evie Black, Miss Robyn Springs, and Mr Liam Hamne," Sam introduced the younger Trainers. As he spoke, the kid, Ato, left the group to stand with the Professors, his Mareep in tow.

"A good morning to the five of you. For the three that are unfamiliar with who we are and what we do, I, Acer Ilex, am a historian by trade. Among other things, I study the history of Sengun's Warriors, how Pokémon adapt and change over the years, and the effects of both on the present day."

His sister chimed in. "I'm Yang, and I examine the ways Pokémon adapt to their environments, as well as the habits and behaviours of some species in the Sengun region. Our research often leads to both of us drawing close parallels, which is why we work together on a regular basis."

[hr]
"Before we get to further business, there is one item that we need to take care of. Miss Pearce, you requested a Torchic be reserved for pickup?" At Alix's nod, Yang beckoned to her to follow. She led the way to the door leading to the open-air pen, and several of the Pokémon present looked up to see what was going on. At one of the bowls of food, several Torchics were chirping to one another while their siblings scuffled over the food. Yang opened the door, and gestured to Alix that she should choose one. Tentatively, the aspiring Trainer picked her way through the groups of busy Pokémon to reach the small Fire-types, and knelt down to examine them closer. Some shied away, but two of them, one male, one female, hopped closer, looking up with curiosity. [color=FF6103]"Tor?"[/color]

Alix chose the female of the two that hadn't backed away, reaching out to pick up the Chick Pokémon. She was super warm, and quickly settled into her new friend's arms, chirruping and shifting around a bit before she quieted down. Smiling, happy with her choice, Alix picked her way back through the pen to the door. Yang was smiling. "Aw, she likes you. Sometimes the Pokémon we give out are a bit skittish about meeting new people. Here, you'll need this." She tucked a Poké Ball into the crook of Alix's arm, since the Trainer's hands were rather occupied by the ball of orange fuzz and feathers, and led the way back to the others.

[hr]
As Yang and Alix headed off, Acer was explaining the presence of their teenage assistant. "Young Ato Redfern here, whom you met earlier, is one of my younger assistants. We run a work experience program for those who wish to learn more in addition to their studies. Ato helps with odd jobs around the Lab, working with several different research teams, and occasionally runs back and forth between cities as a courier."

Ato nodded. "The Lab is a fascinating place. Always something new to discover."

"But we digress. Here, we have the Sengun Pokédex. Designed to record information on the Pokémon you see or catch, our model's scanning feature also allows Trainers to assess the health and fitness of Pokémon in the owner's care, and the device can apply the contents of a TM with ease." As Alix and Yang returned to the group, Acer took up a tray of Pokédexes and passed one to each of the five, along with a map of the Sengun region. Alix quickly tucked hers into a pocket, wanting to keep her new acquaintance secure in her arms.

"So there you have it. Your Pokédex has been pre-loaded with your ID as a participant in Sengun's Pokémon League... which leads to the other point we should discuss. The League itself. Once you've started to build up your team, the first Gym Leader you'll challenge is Kelsea, on Mystriver Isle to the northeast. To get there, you'll need to pass through the East Sengun Forest, in Verdan territory. Who knows, you might find a Pokémon that could help you out against Kelsea's challenge, if you don't already have one." Yang gave a short laugh, having noticed the sleeping Denhun that Liam carried.

"If anyone has any questions about the Sengun League, now's the time to ask them. Otherwise, Ato will lead the five of you out of Regala and through the forest to Verdan. From there you can head north to Mystriver Isle," Acer concluded.