Changing Fate -Pokémon Platinum (FortuneShipping)

Chapter One

September 27
Twinleaf Town

It was early morning in Sinnoh, the sun barely rising from the faint outline of Mt. Coronet off in the distance. A few white flakes of snow drifted lazily down to Earth, and light gray clouds scattered across the sky. Starly and Bidoof chattered with one another, before running off in opposite directions.

Deerling and Sawsbuck trudged silently through the thin blanket of snow, their brown and white pelt blending in with the background of trees and snow.

It could even be considered a peaceful morning, free of worry and stress. That is, until...

"Hey, you awake?!"

A gray-haired boy, in his late teens, sat up in his bed, pale eyes wide in fear. He let out a sigh of relief as he saw that it was just his friend Barry. He fell back onto his pillow, letting his eyes close once more. "Barry, it's too early for this... Can't you just go back to sleep?"

Barry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and miss out on everything? I don't think so— I'm not like you." He leaned his back along the wall beside Lucas's door and gazed silently out the widow. "Come on, Lucas. It's already snowing and I wanna get over to Sandgem Town before nightfall."

Lucas rolled over in his bed and snuggled deeper into the blankets. "Why not just go without me, then?" he mumbled.

"What? But that'd be so boring! I can't go there by myself!"

Lucas was about to comment, when the covers were suddenly pulled off of him. "Gah!" He quickly sat up again, goosebumps already forming on his limbs.

"Get up!" Barry told him again. "Come on, even your mom says you should go and travel the region." A smirk formed on his face as an idea came to him. "I'll be over at my house waiting for you. You have five minutes before I'm fining you ₽1,000!"

"Okay, okay! I'm up!" Lucas scrambled to his feet, just as Barry bolted out his door, snickering. The younger boy groaned and looked in his closet for an outfit to wear for now. He eventually settled on a pair of black pants and a red long-sleeved shirt. He grabbed his black-and-blue coat and white scarf and put those on too. He pulled out his white backpack and glanced at everything else in his closet.

Once every few years, Trainers would be given one of three Starter Pokémon if the Pokémon Professor seemed them worthy of such creatures. Trainers were to accept these Pokémon and journey across Sinnoh, taking notes, battling, and completing their Pokédex. Lucas would be lying if he said he wasn't excited; he'd been waiting for this for weeks. Though, he did wish he was able to sleep in some more.

He tossed a couple more pairs of pants and shirts for the warmer weather, as well as a red scarf. With his bag now pretty much packed, he threw on his red Poké Ball beret and shoved his gray shoes onto his feet. He zipped up his jacket and went to his door, grabbing the last few things he saw that he thought he might need.

"Well, look who's up early," Lucas's mom said as he walked down the stairs. Her eyebrow was raised in suspicion.

Johanna was a beautiful woman, with gray-brown hair and gray eyes that always lit up when she was happy. A retired Pokémon Contest star, she appeared much younger than she really was, though no one ever bothered to ask her age.

Lucas sighed. "Well... Barry kinda woke me up." He reached the bottom step and looked at her. "So I guess this is goodbye, huh?" He motioned to his backpack.

She tilted her head. "You grabbed your toothbrush, right?"

Her son blinked. "Huh? Mom, I—"

"Healthy teeth means a healthy you! Go get it!"