Today is your twelfth birthday, which means today is the day you receive your first Pokémon. The journey through the Tunod region that follows is not the quiet coming-of-age adventure the occasion might suggest. A mysterious energy source is pushing the Pokémon world and the real world toward a collision. A shadowy team lurks in the ruins of ancient Tunod with a purpose that is not yet clear. Three traveling trainers from the Johto region arrive as unexpected allies. And then there is the scarfed Pikachu — determined, focused, and pursuing a grudge that seems specifically personal. Welcome to your twelfth year.