Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
With excitement steadily building in her stomach, Liv couldn't believe that she was finally getting ahead in the part of her life that she deemed, so far, the most exciting. She had an appointment with the professor to finally pick out her Pokémon and start her journey to be the best writer that Arciel's ever seen. At least in her head, that's how it was going to go, and quickly. Standing oh-so-casually on the side of a street, hands firmly planted on her hips as she tried to shake her head to carefully cause her sunglasses to tip onto her nose, Liv took in the air of what's supposed to be a wonderful day.
However, all the excitement mixed with a penchant for getting distracted of what to do after she finished at the lab meant that she... wandered a bit off the beaten path, so to speak. Specifically, not in the direction she meant to go while she was busy admiring a park. By the time she realized what she was doing, she wore a sheepish smile on her face that said it all. "Haha. I have no idea what I'm doing," she relayed to literally no one in particular, but still aloud.
Eventually, she found the lab and opened the door carefully, almost like she was trying to sneak in without anyone noticing that she was actually... maybe... perhaps... like ten minutes late. And covered in a little bit (see: quite a bit) of sweat, panic written on her face. "Ah... Hellooo? My watch ran a little slow, but I'm here for picking a Pokémon? Liv Sheridan in the house?"
Professor Holly was waiting by the door when Liv attempted to "sneak" in, so therefore was fully present when the young blonde girl crept slowly through the door and called out into the (mostly) empty lab. There were a few assistants in the back who were writing up reports, but for the most part it was just the two of them present.
Holly checked her watch idly, taking note that the blonde woman was most definitely not wearing one and that was possibly the reason for her tardiness, before rising to a stand. "Liv Sheridan I presume? We've been waiting for you." The "we" was revealed to be a set of three pokeballs, each of which she took from their shared case and opened to reveal the pokemon waiting within.
"Your starter choices." She said simply by way of introduction. The girl would probably know what to do next.
Letting out a sheepish laugh, feeling like some weight was lifted from her shoulders for not being completely torn a new one for being so late. It wasn't her fault that Birch City so readily appealed to her sensibilities! At least that meant that she knew what she could do after picking up her new partner: take in the sights and visit the gardens. That thought was exciting enough, but had to be pushed aside as she tidied up her clothes as she approached the Professor, eyes scanning the possibilities set before her.
"Um..." She mused, tapping a finger to her own chin. Some of these Pokémon seemed like they were kind of... big. Which was surprising enough, but so was the choices available. Obviously, Chimchar was probably a great climber and definitely a help if there were a lot of trees nearby. And Fennekin would be a good choice too. But that wasn't what spoke out to her. The moment her eyes locked onto the choice of Chespin, Liv felt her gut dictate her actions... oooor she ate something bad earlier. Whichever it was, it felt like something to roll with.
He was a Grass-type and she liked getting lost in the trees pretty often, and at least she wouldn't have to worry about burning anything down when she got mad. Not that she got mad often. At all. Why was she reasoning that with herself?
Extending a finger out, she pointed confidently to Chespin. "This little guy looks like he'd make a great partner. Isn't that right?" She didn't wait for any kind of answer from the Pokémon before brightly smiling and turning to Professor Holly, her expression almost screaming that she obviously made the best choice. "I'm picking Chespin! I think he's perfect for the life I'm going to be leading!"
It was a rather random assortment of starters, that much was certain; usually regional ones like the ones presented to Liv weren't really offered unless someone specifically requested it, but there had been times where this wasn't the case. It was just whatever they had on-hand.
As the blonde made her choice Holly couldn't help but be a little curious as to her reasoning. Chespin wasn't always a popular pick, but she surmised that its size might have something to do with it. Returning the other pokemon to their balls, she gave Liv a light nod and set the balls in their case on a nearby table. From this table she also took out a few supplies, which she handed to the eager young trainer without much ceremony. "It's suggested you pick out a good name for him," She stated. "These items will also help you get started on your journey. Use them wisely."
Once that was done she stepped back, looking at girl and pokemon and appraising them carefully. The blonde seemed extremely confident in her choice, so there was nothing to worry about there. Still, Holly waited a few moments before inquiring, "Do you have any questions for me? Or are you ready to start your journey?"
Eagerly, Liv took the supplies without so much as a thank you, more or less lost in the excitement of how this was really happening. No flukes, no barriers, no awful people from Kanto getting in her way or dragging her down. It was happening, truly, and this Chespin was going to be her partner in crime as they rose through the literary world. It wasn't until Professor Holly kept speaking that things began to sink into Liv's thick skull.
"Oh, uh... questions..." She thought for a moment, before shaking her head as she put those supplies away, looking to Chespin for affirmation. "I think we'll be fine from here on out," she started, looking to the Professor with a genuine smile that betrayed some of her unintentional rudeness up to this point. "Thank you for everything, really! Come on, uh... um..."
She had turned to gesture toward Chespin to follow her, taking a few steps to leave the Lab before stopping with a pensive look. Nickname... It was obvious after a few seconds of thought. "Aster! Come on, Aster! Let's get rolling!"