Matthew Carpenter's Story

It was, as usual, a bright and sunny day in the Alola Region. A young woman could be seen in casual clothes as she isn't working today. Said young woman had a tight grip on a young man's hand and was leading him along. A little Eevee resting on the woman's head as well lightly purred as they walked.

"Come on! The building is just over here! I'm sure they'll hire you! They pay really good so it should help you out~"

The woman, by the name of Lori, cheerily reassured the man, Matthew, about it being a good thing to check out this employer. She was leading Matthew to a building of sorts in the distance.

"I know, I know, I've looked up a few things on the PC in the Pokemon Center. It's just...I don't know. Something doesn't feel right about this." A young man in ragged, layered clothes struggled to keep up with Lori's energetic pace. "Careful, I think my shoes are going to wear another hole at this rate!"

It's not that he wasn't capable in his own right, it's that Lori always seemed to be one step ahead of him, be it in school, fashion, or battles, plus she was always paying for stuff. She was so smart, and pretty...ugh, now was not the time!

"I'm coming, damn it!"

"Oh, I'll get you another pair of shoes! And yeah, something does feel off about them, but the pay is still really good! And something important is that you get another set of clothes! Always gotta look at the good things, otherwise you'll just be depressed because you're always looking at the bad things."

Lori slows down her pace to a walk because her dragging run was causing a bit of distress for Matthew.

"Ehehe~ It's really easy work too! You're helping people!"

"It's never easy work if they're paying you to do it, especially not with this much money being thrown at you. Still, it seems straightforward enough. Almost like that time I was flipping malasada. I want to believe that this is my big chance, but well...I've been burned before. Also, I think this is the place."

"Yeah it sure looks like it is~ And I know you've been burned before, but things will work out, I promise~ And you were doing good at flipping malasada! Better than that brunette, all she did was flirt with the manager. Besides, if you get burnt, Pecky can always drop you off for a quick swim in the ocean~"

Lori giggled at her own silly joke before entering the building with Matthew.

Inside the small temporary structure, employees inside directed the pair to the Overseer present, who quickly used the warp tiles they had inside the building to take Matthew and Lori to the main HQ on Alola Route 13, on Ula'ula Island.

((Story continues here.))

NILL

"Nill," was indeed the best descriptor for the bizarre sensation of the warp tile transfer. Weightless and with no sensation, the surreal experience soon ended with the Overseer, Lori, and Matthew, all appearing in a relatively plain room.

--

Route 13: Z-Force Alolan Branch HQ - Lobby

--

Matthew and Lori were now in a room that seemed to serve no purpose other than to house a one-way exit warp tile. The Overseer, whom Lori already knew as Jeremy, lead the two into the lobby. He was dressed in the uniform, with jacket and pants, and he bore the Z-Force Emblazon and an Overseer Rank Medal. "I'm proud to say that you really are making the right choice, Matthew."

Chipper as he always was, Jeremy approached the receptionist behind the desk, a Blissey that had a black garrison cap and a black jacket, as well as a couple of medals pinned to the jacket. One was the Z-Force Emblazon, and beside it, an Administrator Rank Medal.

J: "Afternoon, Blythe!"

B: "Well, afternoon, Jeremy! Two new ones?"

J: "Just one. Lori's been here a while, but Matthew here is new, and I'd like you to get us in touch with Kelley if she's around."

B: "Sure thing! Just head on through the door to the Main Hall, and wait for her there!"

The Blissey spoke relatively solid English. She picked up the phone she had at the desk and pressed a button on the monitor before her. "Attention! Kelley to the Main Hall! Kelley, to the Main Hall!"

Jeremy lead both of you into the Main Hall at this time. Inside the Main Hall, Lori would immediately recognize the smaller branching halls that lead to the various rooms in the building. Also present were benches, a water feature, and other decorations. A few Associates were currently hanging out and talking with each other, or their Pokemon, and the environment was lively. The decor was purple trimmed greys, whites, and blacks, with a bit of darker blues here or there. Any glowing lights were a bright fluorescent blue or a shining electric yellow, though most were too dim to be more than decoration. The actual lighting inside the building was relatively bright, to a comfortable level.

Among the Associates, there were four girls and six guys, as well as a total of six Pokemon with their Trainers out of their Poke Balls, and three Pokemon without. Among the Pokemon with their Trainers were a Ledyba, a Bonsly, an Alolan Grimer, and a Cutiefly, as well as the more intimidating Golduck and Araquanid.

Most of the girls had miniskirts, though one had pants, but otherwise wore the uniform well. Each had their garrison cap and jacket, as well as stockings if they had the skirt. All but one of the girls had the Emblazons and Associate Rank Medals; the last had the Emblazon and a Supervisor Rank Medal. Two of the guys had Emblazons and the Supervisor Rank Medals; the same two also wore shorts with their uniform, instead of the pants the other male Associates (based on their Medals) were wearing.

The Trainer-less Pokemon were a Kecleon, a Starmie, and a Morelull, though all three seemed to be talking with each other. Kecleon had a garrison cap and jacket in black, as well as a Z-Force Emblazon and an Associate Rank Medal, while the Starmie had a Z-Force Emblazon Sticker and a Supervisor Rank Sticker, but no other outfit pieces. The Morelull had a small garrison cap sized just for it, but no jacket, and it had an Emblazon and an Associate Rank Medal.

Among the rooms down the side halls, there was a Break Room, which featured all sorts of useful features, such as Vending Machines, tables and chairs, refrigerators, microwaves, and even some table games, such as the Foosball table. There was also the Stockpile, where supplies and materials were stored, the Main Office, which was explanatory, and a Mess Hall for meal times. Also among those rooms was the Force Barracks, which came in male and female segregated varieties, further segregated by whether Pokemon or Human focused. There was even a mixed all-access Force Barrack, presumably for those Pokemon and Trainers who didn't identify strictly as a boy or girl, much to the chagrin of Pokemon Professors everywhere, or for those who didn't mind mixed quarters and company.

There was also a door that lead to the main work areas, though they had a sign that read a warning in large print...

"EMBLAZONS REQUIRED BEYOND THIS POINT"

Jeremy smiled. "Kelley should be out at any moment to handle your questions, Matthew. She'll also be able to get you started on the process of joining the Z-Force. In the meantime, feel free to explore the Main Hall here. Most of the employees are friendly, and I'm sure Lori can get you acquainted!"

"Well I may not know a few of them, Jeremy, but I'm certain I can get a conversation going~ The warp tiles certainly work well, that's for sure. I remember they used to make you nauseous upon use. But yeah, if you wanna go anywhere, just tell me and I'll bring ya if I can. I don't have my uniform with me but I'm kinda well known for my personality around here. Rules are still rules though so I won't enter certain doors."

Lori had her usual smile going on as she spoke. The Eevee on her head simply called out happily as it hopped to the floor and stretched out.

All this was a lot for Matt to go through. Lori was always a step ahead of him, but she was always there to lift him up when he needed a hand, so for that he wasn't jealous. Still, the very sight of Pokemon being full members of the Z-Force as individuals, instead of in the employ of trainers, was a huge shock to the system.

"Uh...wait. What? Are you kidding me? I knew Pokemon were smart and capable, but you're saying that wild mon are members all by themselves? I didn't think they were...oh my god." He was visibly shaking, barely able to walk up to the desk. This was all just a little too much, too fast. But he had to try.

The lobby looked nice, though. Matt looked down at his lowly two balls. Would they have to sign up to be part of the Z-Force, too? He could always ask that when Kelly got there. But he couldn't hide his fear anymore at this paradigm shift...all he could do was huddle in a corner, shivering hard even though it was nice and warm. What was this place? What was this organization that let Pokemon be members in good standing by themselves?

"L-L-Lori? I'm, uh...I'm scared. There's so much going on here. Will I have to have my Pokemon apply for membership as well?"

"Lily and the others didn't have to. It's just that the Pokemon who are above average in intelligence and such. Like those who can speak, learn human things like math and science and stuff. And I understand being freaked out, it is a huge change. Took me a bit to get used to it as well."

She had her usual comforting smile on. Lily, the Eevee, tried to be comforting by rubbing against Matthew's legs as well.

"Hehe, even Lily thinks you'll be fine! There isn't much to worry about. They treat you fine here, human and Pokemon. Of course there are those who aren't very nice, but you always find those types in any line of work. I'm sure Kelly can give you some relief with her explanations as well. She knows a bit more than I do about this place and how everything works. If you need something to hold on to, I'm here~ I know when I joined, I wouldn't let go of Lily. I kept hugging her because I thought they'd take her from me, even though Kelly continuously assured me otherwise. It's fairly disturbing to see Pokemon like that for the first time."

"You...you could have at least warned me!" Lori's presence seemed to steady him quite a bit, bringing him back from the verge of a nervous breakdown. She was always there for him. He never would have gotten this far if it weren't for her support and guidance.

"Okay, so when Kelly gets back, I can start the interview, right? Come on...this will be just like when I interviewed for flipping malasadas. I can do this."

"Exactly! You can totally do this Matt! And sorry for not telling you about the pokemon, I honestly forgot. Hey, after this, we can go get some malasadas, my treat~"

Lily jumped up and down excitedly, staring at Lori.

"You get some too, Lily~"

The Eevee happily cries out before hopping up onto Lori's shoulders.

"Hehehe. Anyway, Kelly's a nice person, so don't get scared. I know interviews are always hard, but just relax! You so got this!"

Almost as if on cue, a woman walked back into the main hall, holding a clipboard as she approached Matthew and Lori. She was wearing a headset, plus glasses, and had long brown hair and blueish-purple eyes. Her attire was a tight white dress shirt and a black buttoned vest over it for the formal look. A black pencil skirt, black silk gloves, darker sheer silk pantyhose, black heels, and a black necktie all completed the outfit. The necktie was notably tucked beneath the vest.

Lori would know her as one of Zoltan's many Secretaries. Kelley was her name, and she was responsible for Zoltan's Alolan operations. Unlike most of the others, she was rather enigmatic and thoroughly enjoyed teasing others, as well as playing tricks and generally being a bit of a sly woman overall.

Good afternoon, Lori. I heard you had a friend you were recommending to us? I take it this is he.

She looked to Matthew and gave a greeting nod.

A pleasure to meet you. May I have your name?

"Uh...Oh! You're talking to me! Heheh." He reached out a gloved hand that was on its way to being fingerless. "Matt. Matt Carpenter. Oh, I'm so excited!"

He looked like he was expecting Kelley to shake his hand, even though none of the rest of his ensemble was exactly fresh off the rack at the mall. "Oh, I do hope I get the pleasure of working with you guys, you've done so much for me. Can't wait to give back."

Kelley shook his hand. Her grip was loose, but it sufficed.

Matt Carpenter. I'll remember that name. Well, if you'd follow me. The Chairman has already ascertained the details about you that he needs to make an informed decision. Follow me please. He shall conduct the interview in person.

Kelley lead Lori and Matt up a flight of stairs to the second story, and from there guided them to a special room, separate from the rest. She knocked lightly.

Oh, Lord Zoltan. I've brought the interviewee here. One "Matt Carpenter".

With barely a skip of a beat, a voice rang out from the other side. It was deep, affable, and tinted with a hint of upper-class mannerisms.

Ahh, Kelley. Please, do welcome him in. I'm already prepared.

Kelley then lead Matt and Lori inside. The room was fitting to the decor and theme of the base, but it was dark in tone with dark purples and blues being the primary colors. Bright yellow trim and light trails accented the darker colors.

Standing behind a fancy and upscale desk was a Pokemon that resembled an upside-down squid. Several purple tentacles with bright blue undersides were sprouting from the top of its head, and it had yellow eyes with black sclerae. It also had a dark pink beak-like mouth and light purple eyelids. Its main body was dark purple and featured six circular yellow lights on both the front and back. There were also yellow stripes that nearly encircled its entire upper body. Covering its main body was a transparent mantle with two white fins on the bottom that seemed to function as legs. On each side of the mantle was a long tentacle with dark pink tips at the top, as well as white, scythe-like fins.

The Pokemon then spoke. It was the owner of the voice heard earlier.

Welcome to the Alolan Z-Force HQ, Matthew Carpenter. I hope your visit has been a pleasant one so far. As you can see, many other young Trainers like you and your friends have liked it here so much that they've decided to stay. A wise decision- marahahaha! A similar sentiment is found among the Pokemon who have passed our rigorous self-sufficiency test and also work for me.

Lori was, likely for the first time, standing before Zoltan. The Chairman. The Zoltan that was her boss. In person.

Lori was kind of excited that she gets to actually see Zoltan. She was slightly taken by surprise by Kelly saying "Lord" but that was a minor issue.

Upon entering the room, she spotted the Malmar, wondering if that was him. When he spoke, she knew for sure.

"Eek! Oh my gosh! M-Mr. Zoltan, sir! It's really a big pleasure to see you! A-Ah! Where are my manners? U-Um, sorry... it's just I've heard so much and always wanted to see you and and... I'm going to be quiet, sorry."

Lori went silent and stood up straight with her hands behind her back. Lily simply looked at Zoltan curiously, not sharing Lori's excitement. It more or less made her think of seafood and gave her odd thoughts about it.

"Er...uh...Lord Zoltan, was it? I see we've already been introduced. I've already made use of your organization's services for low-income families a few times." Matt was visibly off-put by the sight of a talking Pokémon.

"Rigorous self-sufficiency test? So...you're going to test me before you let me join you? That's fine, I'm no stranger to hard work and learning fast. It was my friend Lori that gave me the courage to even apply...I was getting by on working in a malasada shop, but the chance to really make a difference in the world...if it means I can rescue myself and my family from the slums, then it'll be worth it."

Despite his layered, bundled appearance, Matthew was shaking like a leaf. It didn't take an expert Trainer to realize that he was standing in the presence of a Pokémon of overwhelming strength and capability. Just what might this Zoltan make him do to prove himself worthy of joining the organization...? "This is more nerve-wracking than any island trial," he added weakly. "But I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"You'll do great, Matt! No matter what is thrown at you, you'll come out on top!"

Lori gives some cheery support from the back. Lily chipped in as well with an affectionate cry.

Do not be so amazed, Lori. Do your work well as you do; that will suffice for me. Additionally, relax, Matthew. You do not need to take the test. You are not a Pokemon upon my last observation, done just now. Ongoing. I am pleased that you've fully used the resources we make available. It adds some familiarity between us already. I had my Secretary, Kelley, handle all the paperwork. I don't spend too much effort on it. Everything I need to keep tabs on concerning you are tabs already kept. We'll see you out of your state of living current.

Zoltan laughed once more.

Marahaha! If Lori is recommending you, then that is a valid vouch for I can accept. However, I will not have you begin unattended. General Sheed! Please, come forth!

Entering the room quickly, a young Trainer in model military-inspired garb stepped forward and briefly struck a pose invoking a familiar Z-shape, apparently a salute of some kind.

Sir...!

General Sheed, I am assigning our new Associate to your supervision. His name is Matthew Carpenter, though I am certain he prefers, "Matt." Ensure he does suitably; Lori speaks highly of him, and her opinions carry weight. I'll also leave his training and introduction to you as well. I will transfer Lori to your supervision, so he has a good friend to lean on while he learns.

Understood... I will make sure he succeeds.

She struck the odd Z-shaped pose once more briefly, then turned to Matt and Lori. Zoltan addressed Matt one more time.

Do not fail us, Matthew. You will be given all the opportunities you require, and all the tools you need, to succeed. Success and merit will be earned by you alone; no one else can do it for you. Work hard, and you will go far- marahahaha! Now go!

Victoria would have Lori and Matt follow her out of the room, and back down the stairs to the main hall. From there, she lead them both down a second set of stairs to an underground Training Area. Aside from having a small arena, there were also all sorts of devices and other items that were no doubt used as a part of work.

It was here that Matt and Lori got a good look at Victoria. She looked young, and couldn't be older than 14. She was shorter than them, but she had long blond hair, piercing red eyes, and a stoic look that nonetheless created a striking presence. Along her belt, four special Poke Balls resided, each with a unique design based on the Z-Force colors. The medallion she wore reflected the badge that indicated her rank of General and it had slots for a Keystone and a Z-Crystal, of which both were present. Lori would know the General rank was rare and awarded only to a select few. Only Secretaries enjoyed as much merit within the Z-Force as Generals did (Secretaries did the paperwork, while Generals did the fieldwork) and being made a General was exclusively Zoltan's choice; it could not be earned through doing the work or earning promotions.

Associate... You are new. I must assess your strength, so we shall do battle. Take your place at one end of the arena. The area for you to stand is marked. I will be looking at your potential, and this battle will tell me much of what I need to know...so do not hold back. I will work you fitting your performance, but Lord Zoltan is expectant. Winning or losing is of no importance here... I only wish to see your full strength.

Victoria then walked to one end of the arena and stood.

I will use a single Pokemon... Use a single one of yours. The most common battle you will encounter will be Single Battles.

Victoria was no-nonsense it seemed.