Welcome to Gaia! ::

The ride had been a long one, in which the lass thought deeply about what had been and what was to come. This was the start of her journey. New opportunities and experiences would follow suit, accelerating Wren Sterling's heartbeat as she watched the town pass by in the taxi window. The prestigious building that fit right in with the traditional ambiance of this place caught her eye, and she watched it leave her view all too quickly. She twisted her upper body to watch as it grew smaller in the rear window. That was where she would earn her first gym badge. From trainer school, the plum maiden knew about the Gym leader that occupied it currently. Viola, the bug enthusiast. Some trainers were biased against bug types, most of which were females, but not she. Growing up in a daycare center, Wren loved all pokemon, though she did have her favorites. On her person, she carried the pokemon from home that had been abandoned. It broke her heart with each addition of a misfit, each broken in their own way. Before departing from home, she had decided to give them a new life and she would do her best to make them happy. Hoovering on this subject, Wren's brow furrowed, returning to her comfortable seated position and eyes fixed out the window once more. There was one pokemon in particular that had become a misfit in a horrible fashion. One she was all too fearful to release for it's ball. It was the Garchomp that belonged to her late brother. That time would come eventually.

"Is everything all right, miss?" The taxi driver asked with a worried expression. The old man had a mustache that had lost it's youthful color and now hung gray. His deep brown eyes were glancing at his passenger through the rear-view window. Prying her attention away, Wren locked her round, blue-green hues on his, but only for a moment before his had to return to the road, but they would return every few seconds. To appease his distress, the plum lass smiled politely and nodded her head once she was in his view. "Well, alright. If you are sure..." He trailed off in a voice that grew rougher over the span of the many years he had lived. Wren knew he was too wise to be fooled by the subtle display she had given him. He saw through her and knew she wasn't okay. She was anxious about this new start. Down this road, she would face her past once more but she hoped by then, she would be ready and strong enough to do so. To take the blame others would place on her for her brother's departure from the world of the living and to finally be able to step out of his shadow.

Shifting his hands, the driver directed the taxi to turn down the road that would bring the young girl in his taxi to her desired destination. He worried about her. It had been a long time since he watched his own children go off on their journey and he felt for her as he would for his own. Inwardly, he hoped she would be graced with laughter and smiles on this new path she was taking. Did she have everything she needed? When he had first picked her up, she had been drenched from the rain of the marsh. It was almost hard to tell from her red eyes if she was tear-stricken, or if it was just the illusion of the rain playing him for a fool. From the urgency the girl seemed to be in, something ill must have happened. Was she a runaway? During the ride, he would take note of the occasional times the girl would grimace and rub her leg. Did it hurt? Had she injured it somewhere? He couldn't bring himself to break the invisible wall and ask about it, risking making her feel uncomfortable. He could at least offer her a relaxing ride. That would be the role he played for the new life she would lead. He could be happy with that.

The slow stop of the taxi cab brought Wren's attention back to the world outside the window. It felt like a dream to be here. The dream she had so many times when she was younger; if someone pinched her, she would wake up back in her bed at home, and get up for breakfast with her brother and they would go to trainer school together. Pulling the strap of her backpack over her shoulder, Wren grabbed the handle and forced the door open to step out. What stood before her, harboring knowledge and the key to the beginning of her journey as a trainer and a Pokémon coordinator, was Professor Sycamore's lab. Within, she would receive her own first Pokémon, aside from the one she had taken from home. Wren already knew which she would pick. Taking a deep breath, the lass could hear the hastening beat of her own heart and shut the door behind her, then took a step forward. The taxi behind her took off without any word of goodbye.

Outside the front door, Wren hesitated. She pondered whether to knock. It was common courtesy. Re-adjusting the weight of the straps of her backpack, the lass just pushed open the door which felt all too easy, almost welcoming. The inner layout was a wonder; every nook and cranny was filled with knowledge. The plum maiden drank in the ambiance. She loved to learn by reading books, to discover new truths and facts. Blue-green orbs glazed over the laboratory and noticed a man who stood out against those with glasses and neat hairstyles. His dark hair hung in short. loose curls and noticeable sideburns cradled his angular jaw. To a an adolescent youth, he had an attractive appeal, but this lass was impervious to such qualities. Her interest dove deeper than that.

Eager to set things in motion, Wren called out to the Professor. "Excuse me! Professor Sycamore?" She paused, to make sure she was addressing the right person. "I'm a new trainer. My name is Wren Sterling from Laverre City. I'm ready to start my journey." Her voice was laced with a peculiar confidence. The lady was convinced she was prepared for what would come.