[@LuckyBlackCat][@Cerces22][@Zarkun][@Dusksong] [h3][color=c4df9b]March, 2020[/color][/h3] [@LuckyBlackCat][@Dusksong] [b]Camden[/b] and [b]Ryan[/b] were both taking their exams on the same day. Only Camden was in Washington D.C., USA, and Ryan was in London, England. Despite the [i]pond[/i] between them, their exams were being conducted in the exact same format, just the same as everyone else in the world. With the written exams and practical exams now finished and lunch packed away into hungry bellies, the two young men entered their final exam room, the interview room. [b]Ryan[/b]'s interviewer was a short stalky man, by the name of Eugene; he seemed rather genuine and welcoming. [b]Camden[/b]'s interviewer on the other hand was a tall lanky man named Oliver; he was more the 'no-nonsence type', direct and to the point. Then came the moment of truth, the surprise Pokemon reveal, the moment where they would be judged on their base instinct reaction. For [b]Ryan[/b], his surprise Pokemon would be a small 1 foot tall [url=https://cdn.weasyl.com/~khaarma/submissions/416594/60b2336b749ced59c42ebe8a7468fe723deb1c59a7060bf009a8f595627aa10c/khaarma-421-cherrim-overcast-form.jpg]Cherrim (Overcast Form)[/url]. For [b]Camden[/b], things wouldn't be as pleaseant, because his Pokemon would be a 5 foot tall [url=https://img00.deviantart.net/91c0/i/2013/029/6/f/cofagrigus_pokemon_by_marceloryuuku-d5t4x3y.png]Cofagrigus[/url] with a malicious aura about it. The interviewers watched their reactions very carefully... [color=fff79a][b]Meanwhile...[/b][/color] [@LuckyBlackCat][@Dusksong] [b]Mililani[/b] and [b]Dana[/b] were now sitting through a long winded debreifing given in the English language that they had spent a little more than two months learning. Of course the accents were completely different as [b]Mililani[/b] was still in London, England, and [b]Dana[/b] had been taken to Ottowa, Canada. Nevertheless, the topics covered were the same. They were being asked to help prepare this world's first Pokemon trainers while a way home was being researched. When the meeting was over, the two ladies were given brand new Pokeballs for their Pokemon, as well as credit cards. Now able to hide their Pokemon on their person, they could explore their surroundings with a little more freedom, but there would always be at least one government official tailing them at all times... [h3][color=c4df9b]April, 2020[/color][/h3] [@LuckyBlackCat][@Dusksong] It was the second week of April, on a Tuesday, when [b]Ryan[/b] recieved his congradulatory call. The following day, over in Seattle, USA, [b]Camden[/b] recieved his. They would then find [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4627745]"The Email"[/url]. Naturally, the two did not wait long to reply. Less than an hour later, they recieved another confirmation email containing their plane tickets. Their flights would obviously start at different airports, but the end destination would be the same: [url=https://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/32349353.jpg]Norilsk Airport, Russia.[/url]... [h3][color=c4df9b]May 4th, 2020, Norilsk Airport, 14:00 Local Time[/color][/h3] [@LuckyBlackCat][@Dusksong][@Zarkun][@Cerces22] Two white minibusses arrived to pick up the trainers from the airport, while a third cargo van would carry their suitcases. They were only allowed to bring one suitcase each and one carry on. There were no outward complaints about luggage restrictions though. After all, they were all about to become Pokemon trainers! As chance would have it, all four of our would-be heroes were boarded onto the same bus (i.e. [b]Circe, Forest, Ryan, and Camden[/b]). It was a short ride, to their final destination, about ten minutes to be exact. As they stepped out of the busses, they were instructed to line up, military style. The military feel was driven home by a scowling faced man that paced back and forth, waiting on everyone to line up. Behind the man, a few more people were gathered (about twelve). None of these people seemed to be military affiliated. The very second the last person stepped off the second bus, the man stopped pacing back and forth. With a thick Russian accent, he began to speak, almost shouting, [b]"Okay! My name is Seargent Sokolov! While you are here, I will be your primary intructor! It is my responsibility to make sure you all learn skills to survive in environments like this! We will run twice a day, every day. By the time you leave, you will either want to give up, or you will become strong. This is up to you! "Lucky for you though, today is free! Behind me, you will find your home for the week. The rooms are small, but you get your own, and they are well made and new. Me? I think you are being spoiled! If it were up to me, we would start running now, and we would sleep in tents!... Okay! That is all for today, but be ready. Tomorrow, at 08:00, we run!"[/b] The moment his little "welcoming speach" ended, he turned and marched toward a small building off the the right. A couple of confused individuals began to follow him. He stopped them right away, first pointing to where he was going [b]"My home."[/b] and then pointing to the larger building [b]"Your home."[/b] The large building they would be calling home for the next week also seemed to be home for the others that were gathered behind Seargent Sokolov. Some of them already turned around and began to walk off in that direction. Others seemed eager to walk toward the would-be trainers, and say hello... [color=fff79a][b]Fifteen minutes earlier...[/b][/color] [@LuckyBlackCat][@Dusksong][@Zarkun][@Cerces22] [b]Liz[/b], [b]Jason[/b], [b]Mililani[/b], and [b]Dana[/b] were all in the cafateria when [url=https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Professor_Rowan]Professor Rowan[/url] entered the room. There were about 20 other people in the large space, none of them too excited, pretty quiet. This made the professor's mild mannored announcement easier to hear. [b]"Excuse me everyone. I have just recieved word that the trainer canidates are getting ready to head this way from the airport. They should be here in about fifteen minutes. They will be dropped off just outside. Some of you may want to go out and greet them. After all, they will be your training companions for the next seven weeks."[/b] Professor Rowan himself would wait for the new arrivals in the front lobby to say hello while they got checked into their rooms. The lobby was a wide open communal space that closesly resembled Pokemon Centers in the anime. To the right, a double door connected to the cafeteria. Straight ahead of the main entrance double doors led to the medical wing. To the left, double doors led into a wide open room that seemed to have no other purpose than to be a large room (maybe for battles?). On either side of the medical wing, there were stairs leading up to the rooms that each trainer would be claiming. Floor two was reserved for Pokemon World trainers, but floors three and four were open for the taking.