The professor looked up and smiled as the three youths all piled into the lab. The first one, George Pendragon III, had been recruited by Cypress during one of his strolls through Mercer Town. He'd heard rumors of the legendary family of dragon tamers and was interested to see their skills firsthand. Fortunately the boy's parents had been willing to let him recruit the young man for his work. 

Next was Orianna. She was an interesting case, having been the only member of the group to actively seek him out. Cypress could only assume that she'd overheard one of his conversations about looking for new team members at the lab as well as the Pokémon he'd be bringing in for them. Regardless, he'd decided to visit her parents' shop in town and found himself fascinated by her knowledge of geology and Pokémon fossils. In a region like Kaida, that information would be quite valuble.

Finally, there was Arden. Prof. Cypress had been a frequent buyers of the Pokémon food his family manufactured in their home. The Alolan Exeggutor he owned had cost him an arm and a leg on more than one occasion. If this team wanted to survive out in the wilds, having an expert on Pokémon care would certainly come in handy. The professor knew all too well that keeping a Pokémon happy and well-fed was a key part of raising a strong partner.

[color=39b54a]"Ahh. It's good to see you all here. Thankfully it seems like no one was late. No one except..."[/color] Before he could get much further, the doors to the lab flung open and in dashed a young man with sopping wet reddish-brown hair followed by a large orange otter/weasel Pokémon. The kids all recognized him as the professor's assistant Rory Bennett and his partner Pokémon: Floatzel.

[color=0072bc]"Ugh... I'm sorry, Prof. Cypress! Floatzel forgot Water Gun last week and blasted my face with a Hydro Pump this morning. I had to spend an hour airing out my sheets AND mattress![/color] To the group's surprise, Cypress just laughed. 

[color=39b54a]"Not to worry, Rory. The other three only just got here."[/color] Cypress stood and gestured to the three soon-to-be trainers who were all playing with their respective dragon Pokémon on the floor. 

[color=39b54a]"Unfortunately, I think you may have missed them making their choices. Or... I guess you could say the Pokémon chose them? Anyway, your attention, kids!"[/color] 

As the trio turned their attention to Prof. Cypress, Rory dimmed the lights and a holographic screen flared to life behind Cypress, [color=39b54a]"As you all know, you've been recruited by the Cypress Lab to help study the Pokémon of the Kaida Region. Specifically the Dragon-Types which are the best."[/color] Cypress paused for emphasis and took a hit of coffee. [color=39b54a]"This will naturally require you to journey up the Calagon mountains to gather data, but you need the Marks from the Overseers in order to get that far. This is where your partners come in."[/color] The screen changed from a map of the region to the three Pokémon the trio had received. 

[color=39b54a]"These three are your first step towards becoming proper Pokémon trainers. I'd give you stronger ones, but they need to grow and learn alongside you, otherwise it's not worth the time. Once this briefing is over, it's up to the three of you to work as a team and gather Pokémon data from across the region, dragon-type or not. You may think this strange, but every species of Pokémon can offer information that may reveal something about another. That's what makes the Kaida region so special.[/color] The screen faded away as the presentation concluded and the lights turned on. 

[color=0072bc]"And don't think you guys will be going in blind,"[/color] said Rory as he and Floatzel walked up with a tray. On top of the tray were three Pokeballs, trainer cards, and a strange-looking set of wristbands. 

[color=0072bc]"Here are your partners' pokeballs, your new trainer cards, and..."[/color] Rory smiled as he revealed a similar wristband on his own arm. [color=0072bc]"Your DexWatches. I'm sure you've seen the ads on TV, but the Professor special ordered these for our team. Think of them as a Pokedex, a Poketch, and an Xtransceiver all built into one!"[/color] With the press of a button, the three teens watched as a holographic screen flared to life above Rory's wrist. The layout displayed options for 'Prof. Oak's Pokedex', 'Applications', and an 'Xtranceiver' function!

[@Such a Birch] [@LuckyBlackCat] [@Crimson Flame]