Legacy Rising: A Pokémon Story

Prologue

Today's the day.. Graduation

Eli sat rigid, features set showing no emotion as he awaited his call. Normally, graduation was a day of celebration and freedom, the beginning to a new season of life. Here he was, graduating from the Trainer's Academy of Gratto, albeit not an elite chapter but respected in it's own right, yet frustration still clung tightly to him.

Only one-hundred students were invited to the academies each year and by the end of each two year term, usually no more than a third remained to graduate. The curriculum and expectations were almost impossibly demanding both physically and intellectually. The Academies produced some of the best trainers in the world, including three of the current Elite Four and nearly half of all gym leaders worldwide. Of those who graduated, only the top of the class are truly rewarded. Although the professors claim otherwise in their remarks that the knowledge and experience gained over the past semesters are the greatest reward, everyone knew better. The top of each class were each given a Pokémon to start out with of their pre-requested type along with ten poke-balls and years supply of free potions and poke-feed redeemable at any market. And then there was the money. $50,000 to each to help with other rookie expenses. All other graduates received their trainer's license and a pat on the back for making it through. For most graduates, that was enough. It wasn't for Eli. The top of each class consisted of the five highest ranked students. Eli was the sixth. Almost one of the best.

Two years of all my energy, all my effort and all of my focus just to wind up the first loser..

Since the final rankings came out, he'd spent every night wracking his brain for where he may have slipped up. Eli was no prodigy, but he had been one of the most highly recruited students since he turned 16. Now, two years later at the precipice of all his hard work, he'd fallen short. He'd done well on all his exams and completed his practical components better than most. The only place he may have slipped up was with his final assessment and career track. Eli submitted it two weeks late simply because he had no idea of what he wanted to do as a Pokémon trainer. He had no great ambitions beyond honing his own skills to become the best he could. If that lead to him becoming a gym leader, or even a trainer of the highest echelon, a Grand Master, or competing in the Poke-Olympics with his team, fantastic, but he had no definition for the peak of his career or the path before him. It had only been a small deduction in points and drop in his rank, but it must have been enough to shift him out of the top five.

Before he could brood on his fate any longer, the President of the Academy announced his name. Eli forced himself to relax, unconsciously rolled and loosened his neck as he stood. Pushing a weak smile to its place on his face, Eli approached, gave a brief nod of acknowledgment followed by a genuine, if not half-hearted thanks at the congratulations and received his Trainer's License. He glanced up to where he knew his parents were seated, and despite his disappointment, couldn't help it as a real grin broke through. His mom was bouncing up and down waving at him while his dad stood, face beaming as he looked proudly at him and clapped along with the rest of the crowd. They were proud of him. Beyond proud even since he had been selected to join the Academy. All they'd ever asked is that he do his best. Eli felt he had, yet still managed to come up short. He shook his head to clear it and focused on what he had accomplished.

I've made it this far. One of few who are legal Trainers, able to leave the safety of home and enter the wilderness, the world of Pokémon.

It was an uplifting and exciting thought, one to cling to, to carry him though until tomorrow.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow my journey, my legacy begins.