As Celastrina pushes the confirmation button to affirm her readiness to enter the game, she feels a jolt as if suddenly awoken from a dream. The character creation space is gone, and she now stands in what looks like a zoologist's tent. She wears a simple pastel-green dress with semicircle designs along its hem (which long-time Pokémon fans might recognize as "Cute Dress B" from Pokémon Battle Revolution). Rina looks around, taking in every detail, before the professor gets her attention by using her name. David recognized her immediately from the promotional material (and all the memes that had cropped up on the internet about her name): it was Professor Ash herself.

“Yes, Professor! ...um, it's a pleasure to meet you!” Rina replies, giving a quick curtsy (a gesture she'd spent some time practicing in the character creation room). She takes deep breaths as she looks at the poster depicting the starters, trying to steady her nerves. It doesn't feel like it's really sunk in that this was really happening- well, happening in a video game, at least.

Rina takes the seat across from Professor Ash, shifting until it's comfortable. Despite all the practicing she'd done in the creation room, it was still going to take a while to get used to interacting with the world from a child's perspective. Everything seems just a bit too big!

Rina nods, smiling back, after Professor Ash explains the need for some personality questions. “...Sure, I don't mind at all,” she says. The professor had looked pretty intimidating at first, but her smile brought some comfort. And the mention of a game... did Professor Ash talk like that to all the new players, or just the ones with child avatars? There had been a lot of hype around the AI elements of the game before its release, but it was hard to tell just how advanced it really was.

Rina sits politely, waiting for the professor's questions.

Rina's head tilts a little, as she ponders the first question.

"I try to stay out of fights," she begins. "If I think I can talk things out, I'll try that. If I can get help from a grownup, then I'll try that next. I'd even run and hide if I needed to. But... well, I know there are times when fighting back is all you can do," she says with a firm nod to the professor.

For the next question, Rina is asked about her past. This is a good opportunity to add an interesting anecdote to her backstory. Anything she says might as well be the truth, as far as the game was concerned, right? That was certainly how it worked in many tabletop RPGs David had been involved in back in the real world. So, she should tell a story that suited her character- maybe one focusing on her love of nature?

"There was this one time... I found a wild Zigzagoon while I was out playing. He looked awfully hurt..." Rina begins. She mimes carrying the creature in her arms as she continues. "I brought him home and looked for all the books I could find on taking care of hurt Pokémon. I did everything I could, and... he survived, thank Xerneas. I was so happy when he was able to walk and run around again. Of course, I had to let him go back to the wild," she adds with a wistful smile. "I wasn't old enough to take care of a Pokémon yet. But I think it was for the best."

The third question takes some thinking. Undoubtedly, Rina would face some critics on her journey. Sometimes they'd have a point, sometimes they wouldn't.
"If they were right, I think I'd feel a little ashamed of myself, that I'd done something wrong or made a mistake," she says. "And, of course, I'd try to learn from that mistake. But, if I knew I was right... why, I'd try my best to stand up for myself, of course."

As she finishes her answers, she smiles back at the Professor. "Is that all you needed, Professor?" she asks sweetly.

This is it. Rina leans forward, eagerly anticipating the Pokémon she's about to receive. Of course, she'd prefer a Grass-type like Bulbasaur or Chikorita to help grow her insect garden. But, she decided, whichever Pokémon she ended up with, that would be the one she'd keep. She wouldn't quit or reset if she got a less-than-ideal choice. Abandoning a Pokémon that had been waiting however long for a trainer wasn't the Celastrina-like thing to do. And besides, Ash Ketchum didn't get his first choice, or his second or third, and look where that got him!

At last, the professor returns from searching the cabinet, handing over the ball containing Rina's first new partner. And it is...

"A Totodile!" Rina exclaims. "Wonderful!" It certainly brought back some fond memories of Johto journeys past. Sure, it wasn't the most obvious choice for an aspiring insect expert, but she could make this work. She gave the ball a few short upward tosses, testing the weight of it in her hands. At last, it was time.

"Well then, Totodile..." Rina prepares for an epic, Ketchum-esque ball throw, before quickly rethinking it. Instead, she goes for a cuter, underhand toss as she opens the ball. "I choose you!"

In a burst of energy, the Totodile materializes in midair, doing a somersault before landing on his feet. He turns and looks up at Rina with his big red eyes.

<Are you... my new friend?> the Totodile asks. Rina looks a bit surprised- oh yeah, "PKMN SPEECH" was on. It had seemed fitting for a character who was supposed to be close to nature to have the ability to hear what Pokémon were saying, but hearing actual words instead of "Toto-toto-toto" would take some getting used to.

Rina kneels down to get on eye level with the Totodile and smiles brightly. "That's right," she replies in a soft tone. "I'm Celastrina Nestlewood. But... you can call me Rina," she says. She offers a hand in friendship to the reptile.

<FRIEND!> the Totodile exclaims. Rather than taking Rina's hand, he leaps forward, jaws open wide... and clamps them around one of Rina's pigtails. She yelps in surprise, falling backwards as she tries to pull the Totodile away. At last, he comes loose- a few golden hairs stuck in his teeth.

"That's not polite, Totodile!" Rina scolds. "But... don't worry, I'm not angry. You were just showing your affection, weren't you?"

The Totodile nods in reply.

"Now then... you should have a name. Well... there was this story once, about a girl. She went on a journey in a strange world, and gathered a lot of friends, but her first companion's name was... well, Toto. How about that, may I call you Toto?"

The Totodile nods again, grinning toothily. <Yeah yeah! Toto's a good name! But... what if I evolve?> he asks. That was a good point, Rina thought. Having a Pokémon's name not fit as well with its evolution wasn't really a big issue in previous games, but... now that Rina was talking to a Pokémon who could talk back, things were different.

"I suppose... we can talk about that when the time comes," Rina answers. Turning back to Professor Ash, she curtsies once more. "Thank you so much, professor," she says. "We'll be going now. Let's go, Toto!"

Gathering up Toto's Poké Ball and clipping it to her belt, Rina turns and exits the tent. <Bye-bye, Professor Ash!> Toto adds, waving as he follows Rina away- not that the professor can actually understand him.