New Horizons

DEET-DEET-DEET-DEET...
Cieran rolled over and groaned. He didn't want to get up. He was nice and warm and had been having a great dream-
DEET-DEET-DEET-DEET...
The dream... What had it been? Darnnit, it was gone. No wait, there it was. He'd been getting his starter Pokemon and-
HE WAS GETTING HIS STARTER POKEMON!!!
Grogginess forgotten, Cieran sat bolt upright and blinked. Was he late? What time was it? He had to get drressed! He had to-
DEET-DEET-DEET-DEE-
Annoyed, Cieran slapped the snooze button on the alarm before switching it off. Hauling himself to his feet, he shivered, as much from anticipation as from the change in temperatures. Shucking off his pajamas, Cieran quickly got dressed before taking off down the stairs, pulling on shoes and nearly tripping in his haste as he did so. He needed to pack!
As he had guessed, his mom had overslept. Grabbing some leftovers from the fridge, he shoved them into the microwave before dashing off to pack. Grabbing his backpack, he began stuffing the items he would need into it everywhichway. The microwave dinged. Cieran grabbed his food and wolfed it down before charging off to pack more.
As soon as he was done packing, Cieran tore off out the door.

<Any time now, Meap>

<I know, just bumping for when he gets back.>

(Mel, you have to power to mod people just as d00m does and loco does)

You run and notice the lab just ahead. You knock on the door and a girl opens it. "Hiya!"

"Hi. I'm not late, am I?"

<Note: It's a tad odd that all of the rivals so far have the same cap and ponytail. Please, I beg you, something, anything, different, or the remarkable number of girls with brown hair and caps is going to drive me crazier.>

"Nope! You're the first one today!" she said, pulling you to the back of the lab.

"Well, that's a relief!"

"Pick whichever you want. The Cabinets are labeled." she said, pointing up at cabinets each with a Pokémon name on it.

(D00m, go on the portal pleaseee)

Cieran walked over to the cabinet labeled "Machop" and withdrew a Pokeball.

"See ya." the girl said, now reading a magazine.

Cieran left the building.

"Yeah, Eli, I am." Cieran's reply was gaurded. His relationship with Eli was a confusing one. He respected Eli generally, and was nice to him, but he felt a constant desire to outdo him which he knew was matched, if not surpassed, by Eliott's desire to beat him. Furthermore, though he knew Eli to be skilled in many areas, in some he found the other boy loathesome. His attitude about Pokemon, as a means to achieve a goal, was one such characteristic in Eliott.

"You bet!" Cieran said, grinning savagely as he released Machop from its ball.