WARNING: SPOILERS!!! ~A Watty's 2019 Submission!

Saved for the Pure Hearted Heroine

"And you're sure these Pokémon are going to be able to help us?" Nicky asked Jayden as they walked into the new world. Jayden nodded.
"I guarantee it! While a Pokémon isn't anymore powerful than a well leveled up familiar, the Pokémon can learn moves that no familiar can! My Vaporeon knows way more water moves than any familiar I've ever seen, but I left it back on the Wyvern."
"Look at that!" Evan suddenly shouted, and Nicky, Jayden, looked ahead to see an enormous building within an enormous city! Nicky looked around in awe, taking in the sight of each Pokémon as Jayden read the sign in front of the building.
"Kalos Pokémon Research Centre." Jayden read. "This must be where we get our first Pokémon here. Saps, you know where we are?" Sappy jumped up.
"Of course I do, mun! Lumios City, in the Kalos region!"
"Hello? May I help you four?" A woman with dark hair, glasses, and a lab coat came out of the office building.
"Hey there, Sophie-girl!" Sappy called, and the woman, Sophie, looked down and smiled when she saw Sappy.
"Sappy! How nice to see you again! What can I do for you?" Sappy gestured to the humans.
"Well, mun, you see, Nicky-girl, Jaydie-boy, and Froggy here need some Pokémon! And I thought that there'd be no better place than right here in Kalos region! And I... May or may not have wanted to see you, mun." Sophie blushed at the fairy's words, then gestured her hand for them to follow her.
"Please, come with me. I'll take you to Professor Sycamore and he can help you pick out your starter. Though, Froggy-"
"Evan." Evan told her quickly. "Sappy just calls me Froggy, but my name is Evan. And that's Jayden!" Jayden gave a small wave, and Sophie nodded.
"Well Evan, I'm afraid that you may too young to get a Pokémon. You can only get them once you turn ten years old." Evan crossed his arms and pouted.
"Phooey!" Nicky felt bad for Evan. After all, he was the one who had suggested getting Pokémon and had been so excited to get one, and now he was too young.
When they entered the building, Sophie gave a call. "Professor Sycamore! Can you please send in the starters? We have two very eager trainers waiting for them!" Then a man with messy dark hair and a long lab coat came in, three strange little creatures following him. Nicky looked at Jayden in alarm. She'd just gotten use to the weird familiars! And now she had too get used to these Pokémon too?
"Welcome to the lab." The man said kindly. "My name is Professor Sycamore." Nicky shook hands with him.
"My name is Nicky. And these are my friends Jayden, Evan, and Sappy. Me and Jayden are the only ones getting Pokémon." Jayden crouched down and peered at the strange creatures.
"What type of Pokémon are these? I've only really ever seen the ones in the Cantos region." Professor Sycamore smiled at him.
"These are Froakie, Chespin, and Fennekin."
"Ches, ches!" The one that the professor had called Chespin shouted. It had a green hood over his head with pointy spikes on it, and he had a similar appearance to badger. "Ches pin pin!" It shouted again, and Evan came over and crouched down before it.
"Hi, Chespin." He said quietly. "I'm Evan." The Chespin tilted his head, looking at Evan, then jumped up.
"Pin!" And tackled Evan down, making the little boy laugh. Nicky giggled.
"Froak!" Shouted a little blue frog at Jayden. That one was Froakie. It had a white fluffy collar around its neck, and its eyes were huge and yellow. Jayden kneeled down and picked up the little frog, smiling at it.
"What type of Pokémon is this one?" He asked. Professor Sycamore smiled again.
"Froakie is a water type Pokémon, but he can also use the collar around his neck for protection." Jayden felt the collar gently, grimacing as his hand came away gooey, but he was laughing.
"I think I'll take Froakie." He told Professor Sycamore. Professor Sycamore nodded and handed him a Pokeball, then turned to Nicky, who was looking between Chespin, who was playing with Evan, and Fennekin. Fennekin was adorable. It was a little fox with red fur coming out of its ears and soft yellow fur. And when it sneezed, fire came out!
"Fenn!" It called to Nicky. Even the sound it made was adorable! Nicky knelt down and held her arms open.
"Come here, Fennekin. Want to join our team?"
"Fenn fenn!" It squealed, and the little fire fox ran into her arms. Nicky held Fennekin close, laughing as the Fennican licked her ear, making it tickle.
When Evan saw that Nicky hadn't chosen Chespin, he sighed and stood up. The Chespin gave him a sad look.
"Chespin?" It asked, and Evan shook his head.
"Sorry, Chespin. But I'm not old enough for Pokémon. I'm only eight years old." Evan wiped his eyes, sniffling, and Sophie came over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"You know Evan, I know a boy who holds onto Pokémon for his little sister because she's too young. Would you like one of your friends to hold onto Chespin for you until your old enough?" Evan's eyes lit up and he jumped up, nodding.
"Yes, please!" Then he ran over picked up Chespin around the middle, then ran back to Nicky. "Nicky, would you please please PLEASE hold onto Chespin for me?" Chespin's eyes went as big as Evan's pouting lip.
"Ches! Ches ches ches!" Nicky sighed, but she nodded.
"Alright. But you're responsible for him when he's running around." Evan jumped up, then grabbed Chespin in a tight hug.
"Guess what Chespin! You can come with us!"
"Che-eh-eh-eh-espin!" Chespin exclaimed as Evan spun around. Nicky, Jayden, Sappy, Professor Sycamore, and Sophie all laughed as Professor Sycamore handed Nicky two Pokeballs and a small computer.
"This is your Pokedex. It will give you all the information you need on Pokémon."
"Professor." Jayden cut in. "We need to train up our Pokémon as quickly as possible. We're on a bit of a tight schedule. Do you know anyone who knows how to get Pokémon as powerful as possible?" Professor Sycamore scratched his chin, then nodded.
"Of course! There's a young man called Ash Ketchum who knows plenty about Pokémon! He's been travelling to all of the different regions to become a Pokémon master!" Nicky smiled, setting Fennekin on the ground.
"Perfect! Do you know where he is? Right now?"
"I would assume he's heading towards Laverre city." Sophie told them. "You could probably catch him on route fifteen if you hurry."
"Thank you." Nicky told her and Professor Sycamore. To her friends, she said "Come on, boys! We have a Pokémon trainer to find!" 
As they walked, Nicky noticed that Jayden was keeping his eyes on the sides of the path. He seemed distracted.
"Hey, Jayden? What's wrong?" He shook his head.
"Nothing. Just... doing something for Esther." Nicky remembered Esther whispering to Jayden before they had left for Motorville before, and she walked a little quicker to keep pace with Jayden, while Evan and Sappy were busy playing with Chespin.
"What did she tell you? Before she got captured?" Jayden rubbed the back of his neck.
"Nothing. She just wanted me to find something for her."
"What is it?" Jayden sighed, but he leaned into her ear.
"A man called James. He's on Team Rocket here, and they're Pokémon thieves. She wanted him to come back to Ni No Kuni, to see her one last time if... if anything happened to her." Nicky remembered hearing about James from Team Rocket.
"Were you, James, Jessie, and Meowth still friends, even though they were bad guys?" Oliver scratched his head, thinking.
"Well, it was kind of weird. I mean, they weren't friends with Ash by all means, and they had been pretty kind to us, but we told them that if we caught them doing anything wrong, we would stop being friends with them."
"And did they stop?" Oliver shook his head.
"Well, they were constantly after Pikachu and all of our Pokémon, but Esther had a bit of a soft spot for James..."