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TEEN: Storm Island

chapter 38
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 38: Letchworth​

    "I... I don't know how much further I can go... I'm so exhausted..." Kimberly groaned as she slogged through the mud and the muck. The 'road' they had been following for the past day was becoming more and more like a road they recognized, with footprints embedded in the damp mud, tire tracks and even the occasional distance marker. These sights offered the relief that they were edging closer towards the town of Letchworth, but it did little to ease her. She tried as hard as she could, lifting one heavy leg after the next, fighting back at the stinging pain of exhaustion, but it was proving to be too much. She tumbled into the mud with an audible splat.

    "We have to be close," Andrea reassured her, walking over to help her back up. "Push yourself, I'm not spending another night in this jungle if I don't have to. Come on, up this hill and we'll be there, I promise."

    "And what if we aren't there?" she asked as she accepted Andrea's hand and pulled herself out of the dirt.

    "Then I've broken my promise, I apologize, and we keep walking."

    "Fair enough."

    The two found themselves at the bottom of a fairly steep hill that appeared to stretch into the depths of eternity. Challenge awaited the exhausted pair as they began their climb. It was difficult at first and seemed to be a mercilessly daunting task, but when they found a rhythm of left foot forward, right foot forward, things began to feel easier. The climb up the hill grew shorter and shorter as they made a game of it; the last one up the hill would have to buy dinner for the other when they finally arrived home.

    The agreement sparked Andrea's mad dash up the hill, giving her a significant lead. Kimberly seemed less interested in the race, despite the agreement being her idea; instead, she was more concerned with having to make the climb on her own again. Abandoned by her friend's helpful hand, she found herself stumbling once more and she eventually resorted to clawing her way up the rest of the hill. When she reached the top of the hill, however, she was greeted with a pleasant sight. The town of Letchworth was just a few hundred feet away!

    "I suppose I owe you dinner, now..." Kimberly said as she picked herself up off of the ground. "How dreadful."

    "It was your idea," Andrea reminded her.

    The two crossed into the town and were delighted to find that it wasn't as bizarre as they imagined it would be. From what little they knew of Sakala, they imagined that Letchworth would be a collection of muddy huts of questionable structural integrity. They imagined the people would be tribal in nature, with revealing clothing and bizarre jewelry and other accessories. They were pleasantly surprised to see that this wasn't the case, as what they found was something vaguely familiar to the both of them. It was like looking at a history book, but instead of seeing dusty old pages, they saw the real thing.

    The architecture of the houses told the story of the town's colonial roots. The houses were simple in overall design, with most of them being square or rectangular in shape. The white plaster walls were framed in oak timber, topped with slate tile roofs and decorated with ornate wooden trim. The windows were tall, narrow and built of smaller diamond-shaped panes, each held in place by corroded metal framing. There was little space between the houses, forming an elaborate network of alleys and dead ends.

    "Well, the houses are kind of nice looking..."

    Kimberly was much more fascinated by the scenery around her. "They are! This town is like a time capsule! We don't have many of these kinds of houses left standing in Kanto, this is... Ooh, I'm in love!"

    "They're... they're houses! What's the big deal?"

    "This is fine architecture! It's the kind of home that housed the people that built the modern era!"

    "What does it--" Andrea started, pausing for a brief moment to think of her words carefully. She didn't want to get Kimberly all wound up, especially in her weakened health. "That is kind of cool, isn't it? But maybe we can admire the sights later and find these people we're supposed to talk to?"

    A quick glance at the folks who were in the street offered a glimpse at the institutionalized segregation that Nigel and Aman had mentioned. There were two major ethnic groups who made up the population of Letchworth, the fair skinned 'Nationals', and the darker toned native Sakalans. The two were largely separated from each other, walking on opposite sides of the street and mingling with each other only briefly, if ever. Just the sight of it had the two girls on alert; they had never dealt with such a situation, and their schooling tried to sweep similar situations in history under the carpet. They were truly clueless as to what to expect. They decided to err on the side of caution and avoid contact with the locals, no matter who they were.

    The two ventured further into the town, garnering strange looks from National and Sakalan alike. Most were busy with their tasks while the rest refused to associate with them. All they did was stare and mutter to each other as they did so, making the two feel like outsiders. It's true, they were, but were they really all that different? Were they really so exotic?

    "I don't like the way these people are looking at us..." Andrea said, locking eyes with a young boy who glared at her.

    "I don't either... but let's try to ignore it. Where are we going, exactly?" Kimberly asked.

    Andrea reached into the depleted bag of supplies and grabbed the carefully folded note that Aman had given her. She unfolded the note and began to read from it, hoping that it might provide a clue of what to do, but there was none. She flipped the paper to see if anything was on the back and found a crude drawing of the town. "Let's see..."

    She studied the map, finding that the town was separated into five districts. The largest district was simply labeled 'Sakalan', paired with a skull and crossbones insignia. Andrea scoffed at the meaning behind the symbol, but figured that avoiding the area would be for the best. Several landmarks were represented with small drawings; in the center of the district was a landmark labeled as the Shrine to Valakasa, with the words 'visible from much of town' scribbled nearby.

    The second largest district sat at the center of the town, labeled 'Market'. At the center of the district was another distinguishable landmark, the Letchworth Customs House. Nearby, the following words were scrawled; 'Beware tax collectors! Like sharks!'. The warning didn't instill Andrea with much confidence about visiting the area.

    The third district was labeled 'Olde Town' and was much more lavishly detailed than the rest of the map. A fairly detailed drawing of what appeared to be a military fortress flanked the district, as did visual depictions of old, stone walls. Individual houses were drawn, showing that the district, and possibly the whole town, featured snake-like alleyways. One particular house was boldly highlighted and marked with the words 'Roger and Estelle Kent'.

    The fourth district featured a palace and lavish garden. While initially appealing to Andrea, she decided against visiting it when she noticed the words 'Do not enter! Unsafe!' scribbled nearby. The final district and the smallest, was labeled 'Olde Guard'. Lacking any identified landmarks, Andrea deemed that the district would be of little interest to them.

    Andrea showed the map to Kimberly. "Here, in Olde Town. I think it's this house."

    "That is a start."

    "The problem is..." she started, rotating the map around in all different directions. "Which direction is that? That guy didn't draw a very good map."

    "Perhaps we should head to the market and find the city's center? We can get our bearings there." Kimberly suggested. She pointed towards a large, domed building on the horizon. "I assume that is the customs house the map speaks of."

    Exhausted from the long journey and the past week in the jungle, Andrea searched for an excuse to avoid wandering the town. "Are you sure you're up for it? You're still quite weak."

    "Oh stop it. I'm not some frail flower. We've come this far, what's a few more miles of footwork?"

    Keeping Aman's warnings in mind, Andrea was terrified of the idea of talking to anyone. In a town such as this, she reasoned, it wouldn't be hard to find the wrong person to talk to. She sighed, then agreed. "Fine, let's walk around a bit. But I don't want to hear any complaining."

    The two put their feet to work and began their journey across town. As they walked down the main road, they kept an eye on the locals. Most returned the favor. They noticed that most of the Sakalans were friendly and jovial with each other, but quieted down as they passed by. Even the Nationals behaved in a similar way, but they were a bit more friendly. The atmosphere made them feel nervous. Still, it was better than being yelled at and called monsters, as Aman had warned them about.

    The journey to the market district didn't take long. The Letchworth Customs House loomed over them like a giant, stretching to a height of roughly 245 feet at the top of its central bronzed dome. Its marble walls were worn and stained with age, yet it still commanded a regal presence over the surrounding area. Stained glass windows, depicting many events in Sakala's long and trouble history, lined the walls.

    At the foot of the grand steps leading into the customs house was a large and rectangular reflecting pool. Contrary to the rather grubby surroundings, the water looked crystal clear and offered a mirror-like reflection of the customs house. The two approached the pool and realized that it also served as a memorial of some sort; Nearly every brick at the bottom of the pool had a name stamped onto it, followed by a military rank, years of service, date of birth and date of death. There were no nearby plaques or monuments to indicate what the memorial was for.

    As she gazed into the pool, Andrea noticed that a large majority of the memorial bricks shared a common year. "What in the world happened in 1872?"

    Kimberly searched the depths of her memory, but couldn't think of anything interesting happening that year. "I couldn't say."

    "Our education was useless, wasn't it? I don't think I learned anything in my history classes, and I actually paid attention to them." Andrea lamented. She took a look at the sky around her, looking for any of the landmarks that were listed on the map. A large sandstone spire topped with the largest crystal she had ever seen stretched toward the heavens in the western sky. "What do you think? Could that be the shrine that's on the map?"

    "I would guess so. I doubt a normal building would be so lavishly decorated."

    Andrea took another look at the map, rotating it so that the shrine was in the western portion. She traced a path through the town from their current location towards the house marked as Roger and Estelle's. "I think we're going through the market to get there... Should we?"

    "You sound hesitant."

    "Well, markets always have a lot of people, don't they? I don't want to get in someone's way."

    "There will be a lot of people, but if we don't cause a scene, I'm sure we'll be fine."

    Andrea took a deep breath in an attempt to set aside her fears. "Let's go."

    The two ventured into the market. Almost immediately, they were overwhelmed by the sights, the smells and the sounds of the busy marketplace. Hundreds of people shuffled through tightly packed lanes. Personal space was a foreign concept, and no one seemed upset at the fact that the market was little more than a glorified mosh pit. The customers strolling through the market were immensely diverse; from children to the elderly, from rich to poor, from nearly a dozen different ethnic backgrounds, there was no limit to who could be seen browsing the goods and services available. However, a detail that both of them noticed was that there were very few women amongst the hustle and bustle, and none behind the tables selling the wares.

    The smell was something they weren't expecting, either. They battled their way through a thick haze as they passed by an artisan perfume salesman, only to be assaulted by the smell of fish as they pushed through a row of fishmongers. Next came the spices, including the likes of sweet smelling cinnamon, expensive saffron, and nose-burning star anise powder. Beyond the spices were the merchants who specialized in the sale of incense.

    "Hooooof... I can't breathe!" Kimberly complained.

    The noise was incredible. The crowd roared in an incomprehensible blur as they tried to outshout each other while browsing for and bartering for wares. Every now and then, a stray phrase would catch their attention, but it was of little importance to them. Musicians played a variety of music, seemingly oblivious to the fact that nobody could hear them. A small band was playing rock music, another group was performing a piece of classical music, and various individuals were performing folk music from around the continent. The one that had gathered the largest crowd was a young woman who seemed to be charming a small serpentine creature with a hand crafted hulusi.

    As they passed through to another area of the market, they noticed the crowds thinning a bit. Ahead of them were two large men dressed in lavishly jeweled robes, walking around with a commanding presence. The customers gave them a wide berth, like they were fish avoiding a marauding shark.

    "Have your coin ready!" one of them shouted as the other approached a stall. The other man extended his hand, collecting a handful of silver coins from the merchant.

    The sight reminded Andrea of the warning that was written on the map about avoiding 'tax collectors'. She wrapped her arms around Kimberly and pulled her to the far side of the lane. "Blend in, quick." she ordered.

    "Tax time!" one of the men shouted as he passed by the two girls.

    "Bring out your coin!" the other ordered.

    After putting a sizeable distance between them, Andrea and Kimberly looked back to see the two tax collectors harassing one of the merchants. One distracted and then intimidated the merchant while the other ran his greedy fingers through the stall's money box. Without counting the coins he was rummaging through, the tax collector grabbed a handful and put them into his pocket.

    The tax collector who provided the distraction shouted at the merchant menacingly. "Do not be late with your next payment!" He grabbed the merchant by the collar of his robe and brought his fist hard and fast into the man's face. As he savagely beat the poor merchant, his partner trashed the stall, overturning the table, ripping down the decorations and scattering the merchandise around the area.

    "Goodness... Is that how they treat each other in this land?" Kimberly pondered, turning to look away from the senseless violence.

    "Let's get out of here before more of these guys show up."

    - - - - -​

    It was a short and uneventful journey across the town. The people still stared, gawked and muttered to each other as the two passed. Things began to improve as they passed into the Olde Town district; the people were friendlier, some showed compassionate concern, and one even offered to take them to a local homeless shelter for some help. While it was a tempting offer, they decided to stick to the plan and continue on their course towards Roger and Estelle's house.

    It didn't take long. The map that the two were given was surprisingly accurate in regards to Olde Town, despite being utterly useless for the rest of the town. The two story house loomed over them, taunting them with the comfort and security that was hidden inside. They had come this far and fought hard against the odds, it was time to collect their prize.

    "Well. Here we are." Andrea said, gazing upwards at the house. She thought about how far she had come, even though she had gone similar distances during her time on Storm Island. But to her, it wasn't the distance that was important, it was the truly awful experience she had been subjected to. She was happy that it was finally over, or so she hoped.

    After a lengthy wait, Kimberly pushed forward. "If you're not going to knock, I will." She approached the door and searched for a doorbell, but there didn't seem to be one. Instead, she grabbed the beautifully designed cast iron door knocker and banged it against the door three times. While waiting for whoever was inside to answer, she made a few last minute adjustments to her hair and tattered clothing, attempting to salvage what little modesty and beauty she still had.

    The door opened and a man who appeared to be in his fifties answered. The man studied the two girls, taking note of their tattered clothing, dirt covered skin and withered looks. He instantly assumed they were homeless and not worth his time. "Piss off, you'll find no charity here."

    As the man began to close the door, Andrea threw herself in the way. "Sir, please! I have gone through hell and much, much worse to get here. I am not going to be turned away after coming so far."

    "Yes you are!" the man shouted as he tried to force her out of the door. "Leave now, or I'll have the town militia visit!"

    "Your brother-in-law sent us!" she pleaded.

    The man's demeanor shifted toward suspicion. "My brother-in-law? He would never send a pair of tramps to my doorstep unless it was some sick joke."

    "Tramp?!"

    "Tramp means homeless in this land, Andrea," Kimberly said in an attempt to defuse the situation. "Listen, Mr... Kent was it? We have a letter from him explaining the situation." She handed the folded up letter over.

    The man accepted the letter and began to speak softly as he read to himself. He paused, glared at the two, then returned to reading. "I see... So you two were on that ship that went down..." He looked at Andrea and studied her up and down. "That would explain your... odd clothing."

    Andrea looked down at her shredded clothes, curious of what he meant. "Yes, sir."

    The man sighed and lowered his head. "My apologies, ladies. If only I had known the troubles you had seen, I would not have been so rude."

    "Don't worry about it," Andrea said.

    The man extended his hand in a friendly manner. "It can get quite rough here in the countryside, I do beg your forgiveness. I am Roger Kent. I'm glad to do what I can to help."

    Andrea shook his hand. "Andrea Dennison."

    Kimberly did as well. "Kimberly Fairbrooke."

    Roger's face lit up. "Fairbrooke, you say? Now that is a name I've heard! You wouldn't happen to have an Annabelle in your family, would you?"

    "That's my mother's name."

    He gasped, then smiled. "I see! Your mother's charity work has done many great things in this part of the world. When you see her, let her know how much we appreciate it."

    "I will."

    Roger studied the two again. "I'll tell you, you're very lucky to be alive, especially if the reports are true of what happened to that ship. A ship, blasted into tiny splinters? And yet here you stand."

    "If I may ask, how many survivors have been found?" she pondered. "Or do I not want to know?"

    Roger lowered his head in silence. "Perhaps later. I can see that you've already suffered enough. Now, please, come inside. It's hotter than blazes out here." He opened the door wider and headed inside. "Estelle! We have guests!"

    Andrea quickly followed him inside, finding the interior to be much cooler than the outside. The house was relatively basic, but cozy. The first floor was divided into three rooms; the living area sat at the front of the house, offering an array of immensely comfortable-looking furniture that tempted her to have a seat. Across the house was a small kitchen area, equipped with a rustic stone cooking stove and a stone floor, contrasting the worn wooden floorboards of the rest of the house. The final room appeared to be a dining hall and was filled with cabinets full of expensive looking dishes and plates.

    "It looks comfortable, doesn't it?" she asked. When she didn't get an answer, she looked at Kimberly and found a blank stare on her face. "You okay?"

    "What did he mean by that?" Kimberly wondered. "Are all those--"

    Andrea could immediately sense what was on her friend's mind and pushed her index finger up against Kimberly's lips. "You're terrible at following your own advice!"

    "Wha?"

    "'Let's focus on ourselves, then we can take the time to remember those we've lost.' That's what you told me the day we met out here." She patted Kimberly on the back. "Clear your mind. We've suffered a lot, and you almost slipped away, but we made it. We fucking made it. We should be happy."

    Hearing the expletive filled Kimberly with vigor. "Language!" she shouted, then giggled. "Sorry, I'll try to keep my head held high."

    A younger woman, probably in her forties, came downstairs to see what all the commotion was. She eyed the two with suspicion. "Guests? Since when do we get guests, Rog?" she asked. "And why are they so... disastrous looking?"

    "Because they survived a disaster, my dear. This is Andrea." he said, then pointed towards Kimberly. "And this is Kimberly Fairbrooke."

    "Fairbrooke?" Estelle questioned. "You mean..."

    "That Fairbrooke." he said with a nod. "Anyways, to put a long story short, if your brother is not lying to me, these two were on the S.S. Beckinshire, that ship that went down a few dozen miles off the coast of Tradewind."

    "Oh! Oooooh! Oh dear!" she blundered with genuine concern in her voice. "Please, if there's anything we can do to help, let us know!"

    "Get them some new clothes, dear, something more suited to their new environment," As his wife returned upstairs, Roger continued, "It's been ten days since that ship sank. It must have been an incredibly difficult time."

    "You have no idea..." Andrea said.

    "And you met my brother-in-law... I'm curious, where did you wash ashore?"

    Andrea and Kimberly stared blankly at each other. "I couldn't say. I was on foot for a day before I found Kim, then another two before your brother-in-law found us."

    "Hmm, Aman's lodge is only a day away, what took so long?" he wondered. "...He didn't... he didn't... hurt you, did he?"

    "What? No! Goodness, no! He was a wonderful host!" Kimberly said. "I became dreadfully ill while on the road to town, and Andrea here nursed me back to health." She turned to Andrea. "How long was it, six days?"

    "Five. And if I knew how short of a walk it actually was to get here, I probably would have dragged you instead of wasting so much time out there."

    "You may have had better luck out there than in this blasted town. The only hospital we have is overcrowded and understaffed, I doubt your friend would have made it if you brought her in."

    There was a moment of silence between the three, which Andrea broke. "It's not a nice place here, is it? Sakala, I mean."

    Roger let out a deep sigh, trying to think of ways to paint Letchworth, and Sakala as a whole, in a better light. "This place has its charm, but... I do miss my days in Thousand Pines, across the canyon. Things are much too different here, especially in recent years. I trust that Aman gave you a basic idea of how things work here in Sakala?"

    Both of them nodded.

    "Good. If you want to know more, just ask."

    Estelle returned from the second floor with a large collection of clothing in her arms. "Luckily, my dear young ladies, we appear to be similar sizes!" she said as she handed a bundle of clothing to Kimberly. "Miss Fairbrooke,"

    "Thank you, Mrs. Kent."

    "And you, my dear," She offered the remaining bundle of folded up clothing to Andrea.

    She accepted the clothes, but without even looking at them, she already had a feeling that she wouldn't like them. She refused to be rude and bowed graciously in thanks.

    "The shower is upstairs, but you might have trouble getting some warm water. The gas lines into the city have been on the fritz in recent weeks. Part of Sakala's charm, I say." Roger said with a half-hearted chuckle. "Decide amongst yourselves who will be getting what's left in the water hea--"

    "Dibs!" Andrea shouted.

    "I-- Hmm, very well," Kimberly said.

    Estelle smiled. "I can tell you two are close friends."

    "If only you know how much I appreciated all she's done for me, ma'am,"

    "Come along, you two, I'll show you to where you'll be sleeping," she said as she motioned for them to follow and started climbing the stairs. "It just so happens that we have a spare room that you may use. Our son moved out two months ago to attend classes at the Grand University, over in the westcountry."

    Andrea gasped. "The Grand University? I... I wanted to study there ever since I was a little girl... What is your son majoring in?"

    "Something fancy that I don't understand. 'Nano-engineering', I believe he called it?"

    "Ah, I don't know anything about that."

    Estelle stopped at a door at the summit of the stairs and pushed it open. The room inside was fairly barren and lifeless, and the only indication that anyone had lived in it for the past eighteen years was the presence of a bed and a chair. "I hope you don't mind sharing, but it's the best we can offer."

    Kimberly stepped into the room and twirled around as she inspected her surroundings. The room was small, yet empty enough that the two wouldn't bump into each other from the slightest movement. The view out of the window offered a glimpse at the old governor's palace, as well as its lavish and beautiful gardens. "It's cozy... I like it, this will do fine. Thank you so much!"

    "I'll let you two get to it, then. If you need anything, please, let me or my husband know."

    "Yes ma'am!"

    Estelle left and the room fell silent again. As Andrea was looking through the clothing she was given, she felt an energetic and constricting hug from behind. "Woah! Hey!" she shouted as she struggled against Kimberly's vice-like grip. "What gives?"

    Kimberly refused to let go. "Sorry, I'm just so happy... We're safe, we have a place to stay, we have people that have our interests at heart... Things are finally coming around..."

    - - - - -​

    Author's note: There are many references to 'National' as an ethnic group. In this story, Nationals are basically Caucasians and are generally native to (or have ancestry in) Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. As such, these regions, despite retaining Japanese names, have been Europeanized in most aspects. The name 'National' comes from the term used to describe these regions in the anime, the 'Pokemon Nation'. I couldn't think of a better term for it.

    It's all confusing nonsense, I know. Just roll with it, because I have.
     
    • chapter 39
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 39: Contact​

    Andrea looked at her new clothes in the mirror and reeled in disgust before quietly muttering to herself, "Good god... These are awful!" The clothes she was given certainly weren't what she was used to. The brown-vested white dress she had slipped into felt oddly restrictive and uncomfortable. She wasn't accustomed to silk, instead preferring cotton for warding off the heat of Storm Island's summer months. Her ragged sneakers had been replaced by heeled sandals, making it difficult for her to walk around.

    It had only been about half an hour, but she already missed the comfort of her old clothes. She was tempted to put them back on, but they were far too destroyed and dirty for that to be a wise move. She dug through them anyways and found her bandana. It was old and worn down, the pink Pokéball design on it nearly faded from years of sun exposure. She remembered the day she got it as a birthday gift from Larson.

    She had received many gifts from him since then, but the bandana was always the most memorable. She remembered being self-conscious about her long hair, of all things, during her youth, and her bandana helped her to hide it away. She eventually outgrew those feelings, but the bandana stayed; It had been with her for so long that it almost felt like a part of her, a part she wasn't ready to give up.

    Even though it didn't match her new clothing and had seen better days, she decided to put it on anyways. It was worth far too much to her to abandon in a strange land. She folded it numerous times and wrapped it around her forehead, then tied it into a knot and adjusted it. As she stared at it in the mirror, a smile crept across her face. Her moment was interrupted by a knock at the door.

    "Come in," she said, still fiddling with the bandana.

    The door opened and Kimberly walked in. She was dressed in similar clothing, but her general attitude indicated that she was much happier about the wardrobe change. "Wow, you shape up nicely! You're so pretty..."

    "Don't even start, I can't stand these clothes!" Andrea protested. She lifted up the bottom of her dress then dropped it back down in disgust. "I haven't worn one of these since I was seven!"

    Kimberly giggled. "I think it looks good on you."

    "I don't!" she shouted, looking back into the mirror. "I'm not some prim and 'proper' lady like you are, this isn't me. I need jeans, I need black, that's who I am."

    "You're right, it's not who you are. But for the next few days... weeks, maybe, it will have to be." Kimberly said as she approached. She wrapped her arm around Andrea's shoulders and studied their reflections. "I think you look great. That will be important."

    "What do you mean?"

    "While you were up here, Mrs. Kent and I were talking. As guests of this land, and as women in particular, much is expected of us. We must do all that we can to blend in, even if that means acting the part of a proper... 'helpless' lady." she said, as she wandered over to the window and looked out. "I don't like it either, but we do not want to get in trouble with the locals. My mother would always stress that when she told me about her visits to this land."

    "That... I..." Andrea blundered. "You're scaring me."

    "Sorry... But it's an unfortunate truth. Remember, you're not on Storm Island, nor am I in Kanto. The freedoms we took for granted as women don't exist here."

    The more Andrea thought over it, the more she felt the shadow of despair beginning to loom over her. She missed the comforts of home now more than ever. Her parents, her comfortable bed, her friends, her career, her culture... all nearly five hundred miles away. What was worse was that she was in a land she couldn't comprehend, a land that didn't understand her. The people, the Pokémon, the customs, all of it was so alien to her. "I just want to go home..." she whimpered.

    "I do as well, and we'll get there. It will take some time, but we will get there." she said before stretching and yawning as she wandered over to the bed. "Today will not be that day, unfortunately. I'm exhausted..."

    "Aren't we going to get in touch with our parents?"

    "Tomorrow, friend. Why is it always rush rush with you? We spent a week in that bloody jungle and nearly died because of it, can't you slow down a bit? Smell the flowers sometime."

    Andrea sighed. "Fine. I guess it would do me some good to get off of my feet..."

    - - - - -​

    "Rise and shine!"

    Andrea groaned and turned aside. "Later..." As she tried to drift back to sleep, she felt the gentle pitter-patter of tiny feet climbing over her. Curious, she pulled the covers off of herself and looked around. Patches, Kimberly's Skitty, was gently walking in circles on top of the bed, purring loudly as she bumped her head against Andrea's foot. Kimberly was sitting near the window with two plates of food on the table.

    "Oh, so you are going to wake up!" Kimberly said. "I brought something for you, something you might actually like." she said, bringing a plate over to Andrea. "Dried sandpear, scrambled eggs and a strip of bacon."

    Andrea was delighted to have a 'normal' breakfast for the first time in over a month. "Breakfast in bed? That's very thoughtful of you, thanks."

    "It's the least I can do. I owe you quite a bit, you know."

    "You don't owe me anything," she said as she eyed her breakfast with scrutiny. The sandpear chunks were dried to perfection and the scrambled eggs were done just right. She grabbed the strip of bacon and eyed it suspiciously; it was much thicker and longer than she was used to and was a deep orange in color, rather than the brown she was familiar with back on Storm Island. "I wonder what they make their bacon from over here."

    "In a country such this, it might be best not to ask..." Kimberly said.

    "As long as it's not people..." she joked. She sniffed the bacon before sampling it. She was greeted with a surprising flavor, a mixture between spicy sausage and apricot. Despite the odd combination, she enjoyed it immensely. "Wow! I'm going to have to see if I can get this stuff back at home..." She snapped the bacon in half and offered it. "Want some?"

    Kimberly shook her head. "I'm a vegetarian. Regardless, I'm on a strict diet and I'd like to keep my figure."

    "One little piece won't turn you into a cow, but suit yourself," she said, popping the bacon into her mouth. "So, you're up for getting in touch with your family today, right?"

    Kimberly nodded. "I spoke with Mr. and Mrs. Kent about it, our best bet would be to visit the PokéCenter on Comstock Lane, just a few blocks up. He's agreed to escort us."

    "Wait, wait... escort? I'm pretty sure we can take care of ourselves, we've proven that in the jungle."

    "Did we? I remember falling terribly ill... We probably could take care of ourselves, but we must remember that this is not a land we're familiar with and that things work differently over here." she said as she offered a bit of her breakfast to Patches. "Mrs. Kent told me that women must be accompanied by a man while in a town or city."

    "What?! That's bullshit!" she loudly objected.

    "It's for... religious reasons, I think she said? I don't agree with it either, but if you would rather be picked up by the Society of Vice and Virtue..."

    "Oh my god..."

    Kimberly could sense Andrea's stress levels rising sharply. She reached out and placed her hand on top of Andrea's. "We'll be fine as long as we keep our heads on straight and be alert."

    "You keep saying that, but I'm not so sure. We have, what, two more towns to pass through? And a bunch of jungle and swampland in between? All while avoiding the fucking religious police, killer wildlife, and adhering to customs that we don't even know about?! And we'll be fine through all of that? Are you kidding me?!"

    "It... Mmm..." she bumbled as she tried to remain optimistic. "It does... sound... rather difficult, if you put it that way..."

    "And you said you envied my optimism..." she grumbled. Awkward silence overtook the two. Andrea noticed that Kimberly's usual bubbly personality had given way to despair, and she wanted to fix it. "Sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. It just seems a bit ridiculous with all of the sh-- stuff we'll have to deal with. But I think you're right, we can do it. But instead of thinking we can, why don't we get off our asses and actually do it?"

    "After thinking about it, do you really think we can?"

    "You kept telling me to stop being so negative when we first met, it's about time that I listen to you. You bet we can do it!"

    - - - - -​

    Roger laughed heartily. "Kanto sounds like a hoot! I should visit sometime before I die..."

    "Perhaps one day," Kimberly said.

    The group stopped in front of a building that clearly contrasted the rest of the town; while the houses and buildings in the town were of simple construction using outdated materials, this one was sleek and almost futuristic looking. The smooth concrete walls were surrounded by shining metallic trim and supports, and a red painted tin roof covered the top. Thick plastic served as windows, rather than the fragile and bubbly glass seen throughout the town.

    "Here we are, ladies, the Comstock Lane PokéCenter." Roger said.

    They entered to an equally contrasting interior, one that immediately filled Andrea with relief. The inside of the PokéCenter reminded her of home, and everything about it screamed 'modern', unlike the rest of the town. The floor had an abstract laminated tile design, the walls were a smooth, sterile white and long rows of fluorescent lamps lit the lobby. It was as if they had stepped into another time period.

    Roger reached into his jacket's pocket and pulled out two Pokéballs that appeared to be made out of polished mahogany. "While I'm here, I'll get my Pocket Monsters looked after by the nurse. You ladies do what you need to do."

    "Thank you, Mr. Kent." Kimberly said, before turning to Andrea. "So... how do we reach our parents from here, exactly? I haven't been in a PokéCenter in nearly a year."

    "Over here," Andrea motioned for her friend to follow her to the far side of the lobby, towards an area that featured four high tech work stations. Each had a large screen hanging over them, an oversized keyboard built into the table, a small bay containing four Pokéball slots and an array of cables for connecting various pieces of technological equipment to the station. "I hope this works, I don't have my phone with me..." she said as she slid the chair out and sat down.

    The screen turned on automatically at her presence, displaying the Unity Operating Systems logo along with several options for her to choose from. She tapped on the communications option, then entered a phone number. She briefly went over her hair and adjusted her clothing slightly before finally sending the call. "How do I look?"

    "Great, but what does that matter?" Kimberly asked.

    After four rings, the screen turned on and showed a grainy video feed of Andrea's father holding his phone out. "Video call? Hey look, pal, this is expensive, this bett--" Before he could complete his sentence, his eyes widened and he pulled his phone in closer for a better view. "An-Andrea? Is... Am I dreaming? Is it really you?"

    "Yeah, it's... it's me," she said.

    "But... are... are you--" Her father groaned, stumbled and lost his balance, sending the video feed on a careening path towards the ground. After a moment, he returned, slumped up against a fence. "Hooooly shit... We thought we lost you... We had given up hope... We made plans to... to say good bye..."

    Andrea sighed. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I wish I could have gotten in touch sooner."

    "All that matters is that you're alive," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Where are you?"

    "We're in Letchworth, in some country called Sakala."

    "Sakala... Wow, that's... that's so far away! You're okay, right?"

    "I'm about as safe as I can be in this god forsaken place..."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Don't worry about that, it will only stress you out," she warned. "How has mom been?"

    There was a long pause. "She hasn't been well... She's slipped into the deepest depression I've ever seen, I can barely get her out of bed. I've gotta go let her know that you're alive and well. Maybe that'll snap her out of her funk."

    "Oh no... I knew she cared about me, but I didn't think she'd take it so badly."

    "She may be tough on you and not believe in you, but you're still her little princess. If you can, call again tonight, she needs to see you."

    "I'll try, but I can't promise..."

    There was another long pause before Marvin asked a question. "What happened? It's been two weeks and we still haven't heard from the Storm Island Naval Service what happened on that boat."

    "I don't want to talk about it," she in a dismissive manner.

    "Can you at least let me know if it was Team Rocket that was responsible?"

    She nodded.

    "Got it," There was another long period of silence between the two. The two were too emotionally charged to conversate properly, but Marvin did his best to keep the discussion going. "So... how are we going to get you home? I couldn't hope to put the money together to get you a plane ticket..."

    Kimberly interrupted the conversation and wandered into the camera's field of view. "You leave that to me, Mr. Dennison!"

    Marvin's expression changed to confusion.

    "Oh! Sorry, I should have introduced her. This is my friend, Kimberly. We met on the cruise ship and we've been stuck together ever since. Without her, I don't think I would have made it this far."

    Marvin sheepishly waved. "Hello." he squeaked nervously.

    Thinking about it, Andrea was confused by what she meant by 'leaving it to her'. "What did you mean by that, anyways? About the plane ticket?"

    "Have you forgotten? I have some savings I can dip into." She clasped her hands together happily. "You will not have to pay me back either, Mr. Dennison, this is important enough to let go!"

    "Well, there we go! I should be home soon, then."

    "Thank you, young lady. You're doing everyone a major favor by bringing my daughter home. I'll be there when you get here, Andrea. Your mom will be, too, even if I have to drag her across the island."

    "I'm looking forward to it... It's been great talking to you, dad, but I should get going. I'm sure Kim wants to talk to her parents as well."

    "Before you go..." her father said, taking a long pause as he welled up with emotion. "I just want you to know how much I love you."

    She was waiting for this moment, and dreading it as well. She did her best to remain stoic and straight faced. "No, dad, c'mon. Don't."

    "I mean it, Andrea. I never say it, because it never feels like the right moment, and I regretted it every day once I thought I lost you. You're my little angel. When you were growing up, it was you that made me get out of bed in the morning. Seeing you grow up from a charming little rascal into the strong and self-reliant young woman you are today is what made these past twenty years worth living."

    "Please, don't," she pleaded, trying her hardest to contain her emotions.

    "Look at you now. In another country, with nobody looking out for you, nothing to your name. All that stuff you went through... A shipwreck, the wilderness, surviving in a strange country you know nothing about... You've grown so much since you left home. You've been given the worst luck, but you're making it work. I'm proud of you, and I always will be."

    "I miss you, dad..."

    "I miss you too, sweetie. Come home soon, okay?"

    "I'll try."

    "That's my girl. I'll get out of your hair now and let your friend talk to her parents."

    "Bye," she said. The screen went black and she collapsed in the chair. She covered her face in her hands as she tried desperately to hold her emotions in.

    Kimberly was confused. "What's the matter? You should be happy!"

    "I... I am!" she cried. "It's just... that's the first time he's ever showed any sort of affection like that. I never knew. Me and him were always closer than my mother and I were, but it was always in a best friend kind of way... To think I came so close to... never... And my mom! She's..."

    "Aww, let it out, it's good to keep in touch with your emotions!"

    She tried to laugh it out as she wiped away her tears and stood up. "If only it felt good, ya know?"

    "Emotions can be tricky sometimes," Kimberly said. "I suppose it's my turn now." She took a seat and opened the communications option, then slowly typed in her home's phone number, struggling at several points to get the correct numbers. "How embarrassing, I'm twenty one and I can barely type!" she commented as she hit the call button. She waited patiently for an answer as the phone rang... and rang... and rang, until eventually an automated message began to play.

    "Greetings! You have reached Fairbrooke Manor! I regret to inform you that neither head of the household is available right now. My husband is currently away on a business trip, and I have taken the time to visit one of the schools my charity group has established in the Andalla Basin. If you would like to contact either of us, please leave a message and one of our retainers will pass it along."

    "Oh dear... She left? Why did she not--?" she said, her musings being interrupted by a loud beeping noise. "I... Mother, it's Kimberly. Where are you? Do you have any idea what's been happening over the past week? I was involved in a shipwreck, but I want you to know that I am safe and in good health. I am currently in Sakala, visiting a town by the name of Letchworth, but I will not be here long. I'll be home soon." She ended the call and slumped in the chair, balancing her chin on her wrist as she stared into space.

    "Not there?" Andrea groaned. "Sorry to hear that. Sounds like your mother is up to important things, she might not even know."

    "She is, but... When I last spoke to her, the morning we boarded the S.S. Beckinshire, she was at home. To think that she left between then and now..." She sighed deeply, frustrated with her mother's apparent lack of care. "Let me try my father. I doubt I will reach him, but I must try."

    "Do you know where your father is?"

    "The last I heard, he was on the S.S. Glastonfell as part of its three month world tour. He might not even be aware of what happened."

    Andrea was perplexed by what her friend said, as it didn't match up with what little she knew about Kimberly's father. "World tour? What's he doing on a ship in the middle of nowhere, didn't you say he was a chef?"

    "He is, and a bloody good one at that. He receives many requests from foreign dignitaries to cater for them, many of which he declines. I suppose this time they made him an offer he couldn't refuse." she explained. She entered her father's phone number and sent the call.

    After a few rings, an error popped up on the screen and a robotic voice chimed, "We're sorry, but the number you are trying to reach is not accepting calls from public communication lines."

    Kimberly sighed again. "It can be so frustrating to be the daughter of such busy parents sometimes. When you need comforting the most, they may not be there... this is one of those times, I guess." Silence washed over them as she waited for a sympathetic response from Andrea, but received none. "Uhh... was there anyone else you wanted to get in touch with while we were here?"

    "I should get in touch with my boss, let her know I'm okay. Bet she's worried about me."

    "Very well, I'll get out of the way," she said, offering the chair to Andrea.

    Andrea took a seat and began to type in the professor's phone number. "Don't let this get you down." she said.

    "Let what get me down?"

    "Your parents, I mean. I'm sure they're... I mean..." she stammered, struggling to find a sensitive response. "I'm not good at this whole emotional support thing, so if I come across as crude, I apologize, but..."

    "Before you say something hurtful... Just don't. I appreciate what you're trying to say. I guess it doesn't matter who I get that comfort from. You're doing what you can to smooth this over, and I'm grateful for that. Besides, friends are more important than parents you barely ever speak to, right?"

    "I... I guess? You're going to have to teach me about positivity and emotions, sometime. I never learned how to be sensitive to other people." She tapped on the call button and waited for the call to go through.

    After three rings, the screen turned on to show Professor Ansen seated at her desk in Blueleaf Village, with her Cyndaquil curled up on her shoulder. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw the video feed and she lurched forward in her chair in disbelief. "Andrea? Holy shit, you're alive!"

    "Yes, I am."

    "What the hell happened out there?"

    "The ship sank. I washed ashore. I'm not going to talk about it." she nonchalantly said.

    "Color me impressed, you're unkillable! First the Blackwood Forest, then Slate Valley... are you a witch?"

    Andrea giggled. "I wish. I'm just insanely lucky."

    "A witch, lucky, what's it matter? You're alive, and that's what counts! Where are you? I've only heard of one survivor, and he was found on Whelk Island, a few hundred miles off the coast."

    "I'm in Sakala."

    The professor wheeled out of frame and could be heard muttering basic directions and a few names, before shouting out, "Over there?!" She wheeled back into frame and continued her disbelief. "That's quite a distance! How are you going to get back?"

    "I met someone who has agreed to help get me on a flight back to Storm Island. I should be back in a couple of weeks at the latest, then I'll be ready to work on that research project we agreed on."

    "Oh... Umm, about that. I've... already got a guy working on that." the professor said, stretching out her words as she gauged Andrea's reaction. "Awkward..."

    She was dumbstruck. "You gave my position away?"

    "Well... we thought you died. I wasn't going to keep that position open forever. I mean, I'm very interested in learning the truth behind what you found in the Silver Ridge Cav--"

    "So... I'm out of luck, then?"

    "I'm afraid so."

    Andrea sighed. "I was so close... Why did I think that something nice was going to happen to me for a change?"

    "Hold on, now! Now that I know you're alive, the next lab position that opens up is yours, guaranteed. I don't care if you're still stuck over there, I'll keep it open, no matter what." she said. "You've been through so much since I've hired you, I owe you a massive break."

    Andrea's face lit up a bit. "I really wanted to look over the stuff I had found, but I guess that'll work."

    "Don't worry, I'll find something interesting for you. Or, who knows, you might find something interesting yourself! There's a lot of possibility out there. I hear there's a lot of strange Pokémon that make their home in that part of the world."

    "I've already met a few. Oh, caught one, too!" She reached into her pocket and grabbed the Love Ball that she had used to capture the strange crystalline creature a few days prior with.

    Professor Ansen smiled. "I like you, you're still hard at work despite your circumstances. Keep this up and I might have a rival in a few years." she said as she tapped a few buttons on her desk. "Do you mind if I get a closer look at what you have there? If only for a day or two, then you can have it back."

    She was hesitant to give her new capture over. She wanted to study it herself, but she realized this was neither the time nor place. She had more important things to do, and she lacked the tools to do any proper research. "Can I get it back tomorrow? We'll probably be leaving town then, and I have a feeling I'll need all the protection I can get in this place."

    "Yes, give me a ring in the morning and I'll get it back to you." the professor said. "What is it, exactly?"

    Andrea shrugged as she dropped the Love Ball into one of the circular slots in the table. "I don't know, I don't know what anything in this country is, my R-Kit was destroyed in the ocean."

    The professor gasped. "That's not good! Here, hold on just a moment." She wheeled her chair out of frame for a few moments, then returned with a standard red and white Pokéball, which she placed on a machine behind her. "How about we trade?" She tapped a button on the machine and it whirred to life, shining a bright light on the Pokéball.

    Andrea did the same. She watched as the Love Ball began to fade with a blue hue and disassemble before her eyes. The shower of digital sparkles dispersed, and another began to form in the slot next to it. The Pokéball that Professor Ansen had sitting on her machine began to sparkle and fade away, then appeared in front of her.

    Kimberly gasped at the sight. "What just happened?"

    "Instant transportation, ma'am. The future is here!" Professor Ansen said.

    Andrea picked up the Pokéball and clicked the button on it. It snapped open and a bright white light began to blorp out of it, splashing onto the table. The light formed into the shape of a bracelet with a small screen attached to it, then dimmed to reveal a brand new pink R-Kit sitting on the table. She picked the R-Kit up and gave it a quick look to see if it was indeed real. "Wow, didn't know Pokéballs could do that!"

    "They're not just for holding Pokémon, you know," she said. "Test the features out, make sure it works. I've never transported something so complex before. Usually it's a bundle of berries, or a bottle of medicine, never sophisticated technology."

    Andrea strapped the R-Kit to her wrist and began to click through the functions on it. Everything seemed to be in order, but she would only truly know when she began to use it on a regular basis. She opened the map function and watched it center on her location in Letchworth. "Finally, a map that doesn't suck!"

    Professor Ansen giggled. "Now, let's see what we've got here..." she grabbed the Love Ball and gave it a slight toss into the air. It exploded into a garish display of glowing cartoonish hearts and unleashed the crystalline creature within. Her eyes widened as she studied the creature. "What in the world..."

    "That was my thought, too," Andrea said.

    Professor Ansen raised her own silver R-Kit and gave it a quick scan, but she had trouble keeping it locked onto the curious creature as it bounced around the room as if it were inspecting its surroundings. "Apparently it's a... Garna? Never heard of it. Where did you find it?"

    "It attacked us while we were on the road, in the jungle."

    "This is fascinating... It's an actual silicon-based life form! These-these-these things aren't even supposed to exist!" she stammered with excitement. "Do you have any idea what you found? This could be big!"

    "Really? What about all those other things, like that rock with the arms?"

    "Geodude," Kimberly said.

    "Yeah, that thing. I think."

    "Carbon based, if you can believe it," the professor said. "This is... I'm going to have so much fun with this!"

    Andrea was slightly worried about the professor's enthusiasm. "Does that mean I won't get it back by tomorrow, then?"

    "I've got a whole day to run some tests on this thing, you'll be getting it back," the professor replied. "I want you to study this thing in the field, see how it reacts to stuff. That should bring in some interesting data."

    "Oh, like I... umm... haven't been doing for Furball?" she sheepishly asked, her voice squeaking towards the end.

    "I'm still waiting on some information about him, but I'll give it time. You're still a novice Pokémon trainer at this point, I wouldn't expect groundbreaking research within a month."

    "I think I might have found something interesting, but I need to do some more investigating, first."

    "By all means. Gather your information. Test it. Test it again. Come up with some theories, then get back to me. I'm sure that genetic anomaly Dr. Spruce and I discovered in his DNA must mean something."

    "I'll try."

    "Speaking of gathering information, I should get to work on this thing. It's been good hearing from you! I'm glad you're alive and still kicking ass out there! I knew you were the right person to hire when I first met you... We'll be in touch tomorrow. Until then, take it easy."

    "That's the plan..."

    The screen faded to black and the Unity Operating Systems logo returned.

    "That's that..." Andrea said, pushing the chair under the table. "Sorry you didn't get to talk to your parents. I'm sure they'll be relieved to know that you're fine, though."

    "Pfff, if they even know what happened. They can be so out of touch sometimes. My father I won't blame... but my mother? Ooooh, I don't want to talk about this! Let's find something to do to take my mind off of it."
     
    • chapter 40
    • Updated November 5th, 2015: Altered the discussion about whether Andrea can cook or not.

    Storm Island
    Chapter 40: Danger Abroad​

    "So, young ladies, is there anything else you needed to do?" Roger asked, leading them out of the Pokécenter and up Comstock Lane. "I don't have much that I need to do today, and I must admit that it gets quite boring at home sometimes."

    Andrea was unsure of what else they could do. "Any ideas, Kim?"

    Still upset about not being able to speak to her parents, Kimberly wanted to do something to take her mind off of the situation, so she began to think of things. She suggested a walk in the local park, but both Roger and Andrea convinced her of the danger involved for foreigners. Another suggestion was to return to Roger's home, pick up his wife and visit a restaurant for lunch, but he told her that she had already started on the first steps of preparing the night's dinner and couldn't leave. She had one last idea. "We'll be leaving town soon, right? It might be a good idea to buy some supplies for the road."

    "That sounds like a good idea, ma'am. I would offer some to help you, but I'm afraid things aren't in order for that." Roger said.

    "I can afford it, trust me," Kimberly replied. "...They do have banks in this part of the world, right? Seems there's a lot missing here that I took for granted back at home."

    Roger laughed. "Of course! But I'd like to warn you, they're dangerous if you don't look after yourself. And that says nothing for the streets and the scum that roams them."

    "How bad could it be?" she said in a dismissive manner.

    "Very. By any chance, did you pass through the Market District on your way to my home?"

    Both girls nodded.

    "Did anything seem out of place?"

    "Besides us?" Andrea joked.

    "The 'tax collectors'... those vultures. They can smell a coin from a mile away. And then there are the thieves! Some have gotten so good at what they do that they could take the clothes off your back and you wouldn't even notice."

    "Good, let them. I hate wearing these things." she said, looking down at her new dress.

    "Mr. Kent, I appreciate the concern you have for us, but we can take care of ourselves." Kimberly added.

    "I... have my doubts," he sheepishly said. "Not because you're women, but because you honestly don't know any better. You don't know this land, or its peoples. You don't know the struggle hundreds of thousands go through on a daily basis, and the limits those struggles push people towards. I'm not saying I won't take you to the Letchworth Customs House, but I want you to understand the risk involved. Displays of wealth are an effective way to become a target."

    "I understand the risk, Mr. Kent, it's not like we don't have thieves in Kanto. They may not be as scary as the ones here, but if we work together, we can handle them." She turned to Andrea for her input. "What do you think? Do we skip the shopping and struggle on the road to Tradewind?"

    Andrea shook her head. "Hell no. We're picking up supplies, no questions. I've had enough of being on the road with nothing to rely on."

    Roger bowed his head in defeat. "Very well. Off to the Customs House we go."

    - - - - -​

    The sights, sounds and smells of the Letchworth Marketplace greeted Andrea and Kimberly once again as the group approached the luxurious and stately customs house. Much to their relief, they weren't in the middle of it all this time, and could observe from a relatively safe distance. They watched as the customers bumped against each other, shouting at and threatening each other, painting the scene of a large medieval battle rather than a place of business. The tax collectors were also roaming about just as they were before, stealing from the merchants and harassing the customers.

    Andrea was just as stunned as she was before about the whole situation. "On second thought, maybe we don't need supplies..." she said, gazing at the aggressive marketplace.

    "What do you mean?" Roger asked.

    "If we're going to have to look for supplies in that mess..."

    "Ah, I see! Don't worry, the marketplace is not the only place you can find supplies in a town like this. We have a general store in Olde Town... their supplies are a bit dated, but they should do well enough."

    "Is this the only banking establishment, then?" Kimberly asked.

    "Aye."

    Roger led the girls across the lawn of the Letchworth Customs House, taking care to avoid the folks who were streaming out of the marketplace with their newly bought items. As they ascended the luxurious marble steps, he warned them to keep an eye out for anyone who might look out of place, as there would surely be a few thieves and robbers lurking in the shadows. They entered the customs house and found themselves in a sparsely decorated lobby; in front of them was a doorway into a large room that held a variety of shops like the ones in the marketplace, while their sides were flanked with stairways to the second floor and basement. He led the two down into the basement.

    "I won't need you looking over my shoulder just to talk to a banker, will I?" Kimberly asked.

    "As luck would have it, you won't," Roger answered. "But do be ready to have them try to haggle with you."

    "Haggle? At a bank? Are you serious?" she grumbled. She took his words to heart as she approached one of the waiting bank tellers.

    "Good evening, m'lady," the teller said, bowing his head graciously.

    "Hello, I'd like to make a withdrawal," she said.

    The man paused for a moment and studied her. He took special note of her accent and immediately recognized that she wasn't from around the area. His eyes narrowed and a smile crept across his face, but he did his best to mask it as politeness. "Very well, ma'am. I'll need some form of ID."

    "Just a moment..." she said. She dug through her leather handbag, retrieved a small corrugated metal pocketbook and opened it. Inside were eight slots, two of which were filled with the Rainbow and Volcano Badges from Kanto. She lifted the slots upward, revealing a small plastic card with a wealth of information about her printed onto it:

    NAME: Kimberly Fairbrooke
    DOB: March 27th
    GEN: Female
    HGHT: 5'5"
    WGHT: 107lbs.
    EYE: Hazel
    HAIR: Tan
    HOME: Visalia, Kanto
    ID: KA-77213    ​

    The teller took the card and looked it over. Every now and then, he would look at up her and eye her with intense scrutiny. Satisfied enough that the ID was genuine, he handed it back to her and continued, "Kanto, huh?"

    "Mhmm!" she nodded.

    "You're a long way from home. How much are you looking to withdraw?"

    "Hmm... twenty golden coins? That should do."

    He opened a box and began to pull some coins out of it, and she carefully watched as he did so. He started by counting out the twenty golden coins that she requested, then took five away. Another three were taken next and slid aside, and five silver coins were brought in. He slid another golden coin away, followed by another. He slid the total of ten golden coins and five silver coins under the window. "There you are, ma'am."

    She looked down and counted the coins, insulted by what she had received. "Umm, I recall asking for twenty? I barely have half of that."

    "Ah, yes. Well, let me explain. All withdrawals from this bank are subject to a 25% administration fee. Then there is the service fee, followed by the foreigner--"

    "Excuse me? Is this a bank, or a den of thieves?" she said, her patience thinning.

    "These fees are how an establishment such as ours stays in business."

    "Nonsense!" she shouted. "I'm not going to be robbed!"

    "If you don't like our service, perhaps... go jump in a ditch? You'll find better terms there."

    Her patience had snapped, but she tried to remain diplomatic. "You do know who I am, don't you?"

    The teller remained stone faced, uninterested in the details of Kimberly's personal life.

    "I'm Kimberly Fairbrooke, Annabelle Fairbrooke's daughter. Do you know who that is?"

    The teller's expression shifted somewhat as he searched the depths of his memory. "Hmm... Isn't she the lady that does the charity work around here?"

    She nodded. "One more attempt to steal from me, and I'll make sure another cent of her organization's relief funds never reaches these shores."

    The teller remained silent as he typed away at his keyboard, checking to make sure Kimberly was indeed who she said she was. After a few moments of research, he quietly said, "Let's go and knock that administration fee down to ten percent, shall we..."

    She stared at him and raised her eyebrow, expecting more from him.

    "...Fine. I'll waive the service fee..." He was met with an endless piercing glare. "And the... look, lady, I've got kids to feed. They don't pay me very well--"

    "Ugh! Fine. Just take two and let me be on my way. I've had enough of this." As the teller began to count out the coins according to his new math, she grumbled and shook her head.

    Meanwhile, Andrea and Roger had been keeping an eye on their surroundings. Everything seemed in order for the most part; men, women and children waited patiently in line or on the benches, chatting about their day. The guards were on high alert, standing like sentries. Men in fancy suits were standing around, speaking of which investment to make next. The poor did what they could to scrape by, offering services such as shoe polishing or entertainment.

    Despite the hustle and bustle of the lobby, Roger noticed something that did seem out of place. Two shady looking men were prowling about in the corner, making a poor attempt at hiding behind a potted plant as they observed the patrons from afar. Roger was able to quickly identify one of the men as a refugee from the neighboring country of Durandas by his traditional garb; Atop his dreadlock hair was a long black linen head scarf which draped over his shoulder. A ragged and dirty zip-up woolen tunic that was missing its sleeves covered his torso, complimented by equally unkempt leather leggings. The ragged look stood out even amongst the poor who were congregating around.

    He nudged Andrea on the shoulder to grab her attention. "You see that man over there, young lady? With the black head scarf?"

    Andrea quickly found the man he was talking about. "Looks kinda creepy."

    "My thoughts exactly..." he said, noticing that the man appeared to be studying Kimberly from a distance. "I won't say for certain, but I'm... certain he's a thief."

    "You sure?"

    "They all are, damned refugees," he said in a condescending tone.

    Andrea was uncomfortable by the sweeping accusation against the man, but figured he might have a point. "What do we do then?"

    Roger took another quick look around the lobby, taking note of the large number of patrons waiting around. "Nothing, I don't want to cause a scene. Chances are, if that slimy bastard is indeed a thief, he won't target your friend. There are a lot of people here to choose from. But please, keep your eyes open and watch this man. Thieves in this land are ruthless and will stop at nothing for their payday."

    "I can do that."

    "Ah, looks like your friend is returning. Perhaps we can leave before they realize it."

    Kimberly returned to the two with a small satchel of coins. "You weren't wrong, Mr. Kent... Liars and cheaters are everywhere in this town!"

    "Yes... and it's only gotten worse with time. Before we leave, you must know... Look over towards that wall, near the plants in the corner... That man with the black bandana."

    Kimberly found the man hiding behind the plant. As she was observing him, he looked over and the two made eye contact. "What about him?" she asked, continuing to observe.

    "I think he may be a thief. Stay alert as we leave, things may get ugly..." he said. He huddled his arms around the two and led them towards the exit. "Come, let's move quickly."

    - - - - -​

    It didn't take long to return to Olde Town and reach their next destination, the general goods store. Much like the PokéCenter on Comstock Lane, the general goods store had an updated and modern look compared to the rest of the town, similar to the convenience stores one would find on Storm Island or in Kanto. The two felt at home inside, and felt as if they'd get a fair deal on the supplies they'd need for the rest of their journey through Sakala.

    "You two pick out what you need. I will keep a watch out for any suspicious folk." Roger said.

    "Thank you, Mr. Kent," Kimberly said. She led Andrea away towards the outdoor section of the store and began looking through the backpacks. "What color do you want?"

    "Black will do," Andrea said. "So, we're leaving tomorrow, right?"

    Kimberly grabbed one of the black backpacks and handed it to her. "Probably. Why?"

    She looked back at Roger, who was standing guard at the magazine rack, then lowered her voice. "I get the feeling that he's a bit prejudiced towards others, and I'm not comfortable with that."

    "Are you only just realizing that?" Kimberly asked with a giggle, picking out a pink and white backpack for herself. "I don't like that about him either, but things work differently over here. Perhaps skepticism of others is wise in this kind of social climate..."

    "Maybe? I don't know... Let's just find what we need."

    The two parted ways for a bit as they gathered up the supplies they might need on the road ahead. Andrea picked up a lighter to help with building campfires and a small knife to cut through vegetation and aid in survival. As she was passing through the shop, she noticed a lantern that was very similar to the one she had during her travels in Storm Island. She remembered it serving her well and decided to buy another; she wasn't sure what was on the road ahead of her, but she didn't want to take any chances on being unprepared.

    Kimberly was a bit more experienced with travelling and stocked up on the things that Andrea didn't even think of, such as insect repellent, first aid supplies, water bottles and water purification tablets. As she was looking through the canned rations, a thought crossed her mind. "Andrea?"

    "Yes?"

    "Do you know how to cook, by any chance?" she asked. "I remember that story you told me... you worked in a restaurant, right?"

    "I did, as a waitress. I can cook, but I don't think I'm that good at it."

    She grabbed a wok from one of the racks and handed it to Andrea. "You say that about a lot of things you end up being good at..."

    Andrea accepted the gift. "We'll see... But if either of us gets poisoned, it's your fault for encouraging me."

    "I'm willing to bet you're better at it than you think."

    As the two sought out their supplies, Roger kept a watchful gaze on the door of the shop. There was little for him to watch, as the streets were mostly empty and he found the task boring and tiresome. He continued to idly flip one of the magazines, noticing something out of the corner of his eye that he nearly missed. The same man seen in the bank with the dreadlocks and black head scarf was walking up the street. He watched the man with suspicion, but the man did nothing out of the ordinary; all he did was walk by the shop slowly. It was enough, however, to set Roger on high alert.

    He approached Andrea and Kimberly, who were checking out at the register. "We might have a problem... That man we saw at the bank is lurking around here."

    "Lurking?" Andrea asked with skepticism.

    "Yes, I just saw him walk down the road."

    "That doesn't mean anything! Just cause he's different doesn't mean he's a some sort of criminal, and you should know better than that!" she chastised. "You said you didn't want to cause a scene. Let's get back to your house before you actually do cause one."

    "Hmmph. Very well. But don't say I did not warn you."

    - - - - -​

    It was a rather uneventful trip through the winding alleyways of Olde Town, but not a comfortable one. The group had remained vigilant as they kept an eye out for the two mysterious individuals who had been following them all day. They hadn't seen the two since leaving the general goods store which put them at ease. Just as it looked as if they would return home with no problem, they came across a broken down wagon in the middle of the road ahead of them. Fruit spilled out of the wagon, and the entire narrow street was blocked by the wagon's cargo as well as the people who had been trying to clean it up.

    "Being followed by two mysterious men, only to have a broken down wagon block our path... Where have I seen this before?" Andrea joked, poking Kimberly with her elbow.

    Roger was not amused. "Follow me, ladies, there's another way around back a ways a bit."

    As they made their way back the way they came, they were greeted with an alarming sight; the two men that had been following them all day were quickly approaching! Behind the man with the black linen head scarf were two Pokémon. One could be identified almost immediately as Meowth, but the second Pokémon was a strange sight to all of them. The other was a serpentine creature that stretched to about six feet in length. The snake was tan in color except for its underbelly, which had creamy tones instead, and thin brown stripes lined its back every few inches. It had a diamond-shaped hood around its 'neck'; the pattern inside resembled an eyeball.

    The second robber lagged behind his partner, pushing through the crowded street in a desperate attempt to catch up. Behind him was a large bat creature that Kimberly was all too familiar with during her brief travels in Kanto: Golbat. It swooped through the air like an overweight bird, struggling to keep afloat as its lengthy tongue dribbled a foul smelling liquid behind it.

    Roger grabbed a Pokéball that was fashioned out of polished mahogany lumber from his jacket and tossed it skyward. The ball popped open without any special effects to accompany it; instead, it released a white stream of light towards the ground. The light piled up and formed into the shape of a monstrous, four legged beast. The boar-like creature stood at a height of four feet tall. Its icy white skin was decorated with various tribal markings ranging from squiggly lines to intricate pictograms. Along its back were large pentagonal fins, similar to those present on some dinosaurs. Gargantuan, curved tusks erupted from its stubby face, and each had a variety of handcrafted charms dangling from them.

    "Are either of you Pocket Monster trainers? I don't know if I can handle three at once!" Roger asked.

    "I'm not, but I can try to help," Andrea said, reaching into her purse. She pulled out one of her Pokéballs and threw it forward. Sorrow appeared in an explosion of jet black feathers, ready for action.

    "Hold on! Maybe we can resolve--" Kimberly started, with the intention of putting an end to the violence before it began. However, her misplaced good faith in resolving the conflict was dashed before she could even get the words out when the Meowth leapt forward with its claws outstretched. She knew it was too late and reached for Juliano's Master Ball. She tossed it ahead and summoned him with a burst of water and bubbles.

    "Leave us be! I don't want to hurt anyone but I will if I have to!" Roger warned. "Wartlord here will be very happy to oblige!"

    The robbers had a look of doubt on their faces as they looked at the monstrous Wartlord. They looked at each other and spoke to each other in a language not even Roger could understand, then turned their attention back to the group. "Give half. No hurt." the man with the black bandana said with a peculiar accent.

    "Screw that!" Andrea shouted.

    "You heard her! Back off while you still can." Roger added. The robbers either ignored him or didn't understand him and ordered an attack. "You two take care of the Meowth and that bat. I'll handle the Arbok!"

    "Very well. Juliano? After that Meowth!" Kimberly ordered.

    Juliano obeyed and extended his cannons outward. He took aim at the Meowth and readied a barrage of ice shards, but the Meowth was quick on his feet and difficult to track. Each shard of ice that Juliano launched at the Meowth missed, but the Meowth did little in response other than continue to run around. The Meowth appeared to flicker and fade for a brief second and slid to a stop behind a potted plant. Juliano rushed over and attempted to stomp on the Meowth, but it was just an illusion!

    Meanwhile, Sorrow had engaged with the Golbat in an effort to see who would be the superior master of flight. Sorrow soared through the air with ease and finesse, while the Golbat flopped through the air in a desperate attempt to stay airborne. Its eyes were set on her and it kept trying to close the distance towards her, but it was neither quick enough nor stable enough to remain in pursuit for long.

    Even with her inexperience, Andrea could sense that this Golbat was not much of a threat due to its sluggish movements, but she also knew that getting in close for an attack would likely end in disaster for Sorrow. "Sorrow, keep your distance! That thing's got some pretty gruesome looking fangs! Attack from a range if you can!"

    Sorrow knew just what to do and slowed to a hover. Her eyes began to glow with an intense golden light, as did her talons. Tiny whisps of the same golden light began to form on the tips of her claws. Each rocketed away towards the Golbat and hung in place above it until a cryptic rune of power had formed. Upon the rune's completion, a bright flash of light occurred, followed by a loud sonic boom. A massive bolt of electricity arced between, sending the Golbat falling to the ground. It plopped into the dirt road with an audible splat and began to twitch uncontrollably.

    "Good work!" she commended.

    "Impressive little bird you've got there," Roger added, stunned by the powerful performance. His attention quickly returned to Wartlord and the opposing Arbok, who had been attempting to intimidate Wartlord with the pattern on its hood. "Wartlord, charge!" he shouted.

    Wartlord lowered his tiny head and began to claw at the dirt road with his hoofed foot. He let loose like a wound up spring and charged with remarkable speed, lunging straight at the Arbok. The Arbok reeled in terror and closed its hood, then slithered away as quickly as it could. Its speed was no match for the charging Wartlord and it soon found itself trampled under the lumbering beast.

    "These are not very well trained..." Roger commented. "How are you doing, Ms. Fairbrooke?"

    Things had not gone as smoothly for Kimberly. The Meowth she and Juliano had been trying to fight had seemingly disappeared, and no amount of searching through the clutter on the sides of the street revealed it. "I can't find the cat!" she shouted.

    "Maybe you don't need to!" Roger said with excitement. He turned to the two robbers and taunted them. "It's over! Why not run while you still have the chance?" The robbers either ignored him or didn't understand him and remained steadfast. "Bloody idiots..."

    Before Roger could issue one final order to end the confrontation, a loud hiss rang out. The Meowth reappeared behind the group, almost from thin air. It ran forward as fast as it could, its eyes on its prize: the coin purse dangling from Kimberly's belt. It leapt through the air, latched onto the coin purse with one paw and sliced it off with with the claws on its other paw. Kimberly was knocked to the ground from the force of the attack and she rolled around in pain, clutching the deep cut she had received.

    "Ah, there it is!" Roger shouted. "Wartlord, after that cat!"

    The Meowth blazed past Andrea and Roger as it returned to the two robbers with the satchel of coins. It tossed the coins to its master and continued onward, prompting the two robbers to follow. They abandoned the defeated Golbat and Arbok; they got what they wanted, and that's all that mattered to them.

    Kimberly sat up and looked at her blood covered hand. "Call it back!" she cried out. "It's not worth it!"

    "But those bastards stole--"

    She struggled her way back to her feet. "I only had three silver coins and a handful of irons left over... hardly worth fighting over, I say. That's why I didn't want to fight in the first place."

    Roger lifted his polished mahogany Pokéball and recalled his Wartlord. "Fine, have it your way."

    Andrea rushed over to get a closer look at the cut on Kimberly's hip. "Are you okay?"

    "I hope so!"

    "Let me have a look."

    She swatted Andrea's hand away. "Not here. Not while everyone is looking. Let's get back to the house."

    - - - - -​

    Initializing R-Kit... Identification routine. Scanning. One subject found.

    Entry found for Wartlord. Detailed information can be found below.

    Wartlord, the Jungle Hog Pokémon, and the evolved form of Wartrek. Wartlord is a fearsome creature rarely found in the jungles of Sakala and the foothills of Shinikara. They are highly rebellious creatures, and only master Pokémon trainers are known to reliably control them in battle. If not trained properly, they are incredibly destructive, and one highly publicized event in the 19th century attests to this. During that event, one destroyed much of the village of Kanooru and killed dozens before its rampage was put to an end.​
     
    Last edited:
    • chapter 41
    • Author's note: This sudden change of which route the characters take on their way to Mankala may seem a bit weird. It came practically as a last minute decision to alter the plot, allowing more time for Andrea and Kimberly's friendship to strengthen before they return to Storm Island, as well as explore more of Sakala while they're there. I created an entire region, why not use it?

    Storm Island
    Chapter 41: A Change of Plans    ​

    Things had been calm since Andrea, Kimberly and Roger returned to the safety of the Kent residence. Roger wanted to get the local police involved and search for the two robbers so that the justice system could deal with them, but Kimberly wasn't interested. All she wanted to do was wind down from, as she described it, a 'rather exciting' day. Likewise, Andrea didn't want to get involved, either; she knew little about this land, but she assumed that she couldn't trust the local police to take the matter seriously. After all, so little had been taken from them. Instead, the two retired to their guest room and made plans for the next leg of their journey.

    Kimberly took a deep breath to focus herself as she applied pressure to the cut on her hip. The pain from the Meowth's scratch was starting to truly bother her, but she tried her best to downplay it. To her, it was just that, a scratch; she didn't want to worry her friends over something that probably didn't matter. Despite her efforts at masking her pain, it was clearly obvious to Andrea.

    "Are you sure you're okay?" Andrea asked.

    "Yes," she answered.

    Andrea didn't buy it. "Come on. People who are fine don't make that kind of face."

    "What face?" she curiously asked.

    "You know, that 'I might sneeze, but I'm totally not going to' face," Andrea said, wandering over to the bed. "Come on, let me look."

    "No, it's just a scratch! Honest!" she adamantly insisted, slapping Andrea's hand away again.

    "What's the big deal?" Andrea asked.

    "Just... I'm a little... I don't know."

    "Look, if you're shy, that's fine. I don't blame you. But if we're going to be on the road together in this god forsaken country, I want to make sure you're up for the challenge. A little scratch can turn into a big problem in the jungle, and I'm not dealing with you getting sick again if I can help it. I'm pretty sure you don't want to deal with that either."

    She sighed in defeat. "Very well." She lifted up the hem of her dress all the way up to the cut on her hip, giving Andrea just enough room to inspect her injury. The Meowth had certainly done some damage when it cut her coin purse free, but it wasn't as bad as either of them thought it might be. "How does is it look?"

    "I think I can take care of this..." Andrea said as she dug around in the first aid kit she bought earlier in the day. She grabbed the bottle of antiseptic and opened it, then squirted a few drops of it onto a cotton ball. "This will sting a bit..."

    As Andrea pressed the cotton ball against her cut, Kimberly winced in pain, which she also tried to downplay. "Thank you."

    "I'm only doing what needs to be done."

    "No, honestly. It warms my heart to see that you're so interested in my well being... You've risked yourself many, many times for me, and I mean it. Thank you."

    Andrea's expression changed as she grabbed a bandage from the first aid kit, and it looked like she was dying of the plague. "Ugh. Come on, don't go soft on me now."

    "When have I ever been anything but soft?" She laughed. "You don't take praise very well, do you?"

    "No. I don't." she said, squishing the wound together and covering it with a gauze strap. "That should do the trick for now. I guess we can take the road to Tradewind a bit slower if you feel like you need to."

    "I'll try not to be a burden. It's the least I can do after all of this."

    - - - - -​

    BONG! BONG! BONG!

    The bell tower in the center of Olde Town rang out, signaling the start of a new day as the sun bathed the town of Letchworth in a golden glow. Andrea and Kimberly were already wide awake despite it being so early in the morning, making some last minute preparations for their journey to Tradewind. Andrea reorganized the supplies in her backpack in an orderly and efficient manner, while Kimberly made some adjustments to the bandage on her hip. As they discussed their plans for the road, there was a knock at the door.

    "Enter!" Kimberly answered.

    The door opened and Roger peaked inside. "Good morning, ladies." He noticed that they were already prepared for an early start to their travels. "Ah, getting ready to leave? It's a shame you two are leaving so soon... but I do suppose you have lives, families and homes to get back to."

    "Yep," Andrea said, continuing to focus on her supplies.

    He entered the room. "You girls are off to Tradewind, right?"

    "Yes!" Kimberly said with excitement, using her faint reflection in the window to adjust her hair. "I'm looking forward to it, Andrea told me about how she saw old sailing ships docked in the harbor when she was exploring the cliffs."

    "Ah, the old pirate ships. You'll like them." he said as he sat on the bed. "But... There's something you need to know, if you're heading that way. The road... it is not in the best shape, I must say."

    Andrea zipped up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

    "The civil unrest and poverty this country faces has had a nasty toll on its infrastructure, at least in the southern tier around here. The road to Tradewind will be difficult, as we have not had many opportunities to maintain it."

    The warning filled Kimberly with a vague sense of dread. "What should we expect?"

    "Swampland, and lots of it."

    She groaned. "I hate swamps and marshes! So sticky and gross..." She paused for a moment to think and remembered the map that Aman had drawn for them the previous week. "Isn't there another option? I recall seeing a map with a road that led north out of here."

    "That is an option, yes," Roger answered. "Just a moment, I'll grab a map. It will be much easier for me to describe." He stood and left the room, his loud footsteps heading downstairs.

    Andrea sat down on the bed and looked up at Kimberly with a look of disappointment on her face. "I thought we had a plan already."

    "It's always wise to know your options," she answered back. "Besides, have you ever been to a swamp?"

    Andrea shook her head.

    "They're awful places. A friend and I got bogged down in one for a week solid when we tried to pass through Fuchsia City in Kanto. I never want to experience something like that again if I don't have to."

    As Andrea opened the map on her R-Kit, she replied, "I don't know, we might have to." She began her studies of the surrounding area, but Roger's heavy footsteps interrupted her.

    The door swung open and Roger stepped in with a large map in his hands. He motioned for Andrea to move aside so that he could sprawl it out on the bed. "There are a few options for you." he started, placing his finger down on Letchworth's location. "I'll guess that my brother-in-law pointed you towards Tradewind because it's a shorter road to travel."

    "Yes, and that was the road I wanted to stay on," Andrea said. "I have stuff I need to do back home, I don't want to waste time here if I can help it."

    "If time is of the essence, then the road to Tradewind is probably your best bet," He ran his finger north from Letchworth towards a location marked as Shenzin Pass. "However, if you would like a much less dangerous journey, I might suggest heading north to the Shenzin Monastery. Not only does heading north avoid a trip through swampland, the roads around the monastery are well maintained by the monks." He slid his finger further north. "Past the monastery, you'll find Yulong-la or 'Cliff of the Jade Dragon' in Shinikari language."

    Andrea interrupted the geography lesson. "What about here?" she asked. She pointed to a fork in the road between the monastery and Yulong-La. The road cut a path eastward towards the coastline and linked directly to Mankala, their ultimate destination. In the middle of it all was a location labeled 'Satya'.

    "Satya is a place of purity, and where the East Sakala independence movement is based in. Foreigners are forbidden from entering and may not pass through it." He returned his finger to Yulong-La and followed another road eastward. "Here you will find Longjichui."

    Kimberly's face lit up upon hearing the name. "Longjichui!?" She wrapped her arm around Andrea's shoulder and pulled her in with excitement. "We have to go this way!"

    "Long... gee... w-what?" she asked, trying to figure out a reason for Kimberly's excitement. Her limited knowledge on geography didn't help. "What's so special about it?"

    Kimberly and Roger looked at each other in brief disbelief before sharing a chuckle. "Have you seriously not heard about the Dragonspine Wall? It's one of the few remaining wonders of the ancient world! Longjichui is the only city built within walking distance!"

    She bashfully shook her head. Her knowledge of world geography was even worse than she thought.

    Kimberly giggled. "So uncultured! We're going to have to fix that."

    Roger continued with the geography lesson by sliding his finger southeast from Dragonspine towards another town labeled as An-Xian. "This is An-Xian. I'm afraid I don't know much about this location, but..." His finger continued in a southeastern direction towards another marked location, Meigui Zhan. "Between An-Xian and Meigui Zhan is a bamboo forest, I hear. Should be beautiful this time of the year."

    "A bamboo forest, you say?" Kimberly asked. Her eyes twinkled at the thought.

    Roger slid his finger almost directly south from Meigui Zhan, ending with Mankala. "And here she is, the jewel of Sakala. Quite literally."

    "Hmm..." Andrea started, ready to raise her concerns about the newly proposed route.

    Kimberly would have none of it. She stared at her friend as if to suggest it wasn't even up for debate. "Do you still want to travel through a swamp?"

    Andrea could sense her desire to go down this new route, but was hesitant to do so herself. She wanted to return home as quickly as she could and get back to her own life. Even more, she wanted to return to a culture she knew respected her for who she was. But to her, this was a team effort, and she didn't want to trample Kimberly's desires so easily. She figured she'd regret it, but she decided to ask. "How long would this other route take?"

    Roger scratched at his beard. "A fair bit longer, I'd say. I don't know specifically."

    "Maybe this thing can tell me..." Andrea said, poking around in her R-Kit's map. She plotted a rudimentary route between Letchworth and Mankala by following the road eastward towards Tradewind.

    "Estimated travel time from Letchworth to Mankala via the highlighted route is eight and a half days. Delays due to road conditions, weather and other factors are possible." the R-Kit droned.

    "That sounds about right," Roger added.

    She started to plot the alternate route on her R-Kit. As she did so, the path grew and grew, and she was hesitant to even continue, knowing that it would be a much longer journey. Still, she continued.

    The R-Kit answered. "Estimated travel time from Letchworth to Mankala via the highlighted route is fourteen days. Delays due to road conditions, weather and other factors are possible."

    "Fourteen days?!" she shouted.

    "Fourteen days doesn't sound so bad, especially if it keeps me out of a swamp," Kimberly reassured. "Andrea, think about it. A visit to the Shenzin Monastery, a view of the jade cliffs, the Dragonspine Wall, cherry blossoms... When will we get another chance like this? It'll be so enlightening... So romantic! So... just so bloody interesting!"

    "Romantic? I don't know about that." She rubbed her forehead and sighed as she thought about the decision before her.

    "Which ever way you decide to go, it would be wise to hire a guide. However, if you decide to go through Tradewind, you will definitely want an experienced one, and experience doesn't come cheap." Roger said.

    Andrea took careful consideration over the decision, but at the same time wondered if it were even her's to make. She knew Kimberly well enough by now that she was aware of her somewhat bossy nature, and her absolute abhorrence towards swamps wouldn't make convincing her any easier. Roger's mentioning that going through Shenzin Pass would be an easier and safer alternative started to tip the balance of the decision, not to mention the possibility of coming across some spectacular sights, both natural and man made. Even more, she began to think, what would a few more days actually hurt? It's not like her parents or Professor Ansen needed her back on Storm Island as soon as humanly possible.

    "If you want to go that way, then we'll go that way. A few more days shouldn't hurt, right?" she decided.

    "Marvelous!" Kimberly exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.

    "Easy there!" she said, prying her friend off. "What do you say we get started?"

    - - - - -​

    Andrea, Kimberly, Roger and Estelle were gathered on the doorstep of the Kent residence, spending a few final moments together before they went their separate ways. It was a bittersweet moment; Though they had only known each other for a brief time, they felt as if they had a long-lasting friendship. Roger and Estelle were grateful that they could give back to those who needed help, while Andrea and Kimberly were thankful that they got the help they so desperately needed. It was tough, but they said their final good byes.

    "Thanks again for everything," Andrea said.

    Roger nodded silently.

    "By the by, Mr. Kent, where can we find one of these guides that you mentioned?" Kimberly asked.

    "A few places. Most do their business outside of the marketplace, or in taverns and inns throughout the town."

    "What about a Pokécenter?" Andrea asked.

    He scratched at his beard in thought. "Hmm! Never met one there, but I suppose it's possible. I would suggest the tavern first, I'll take you there."

    "Actually, I needed to visit the Pokécenter before we left town. I need to pick something up."

    "Ah! Very well." He turned to Estelle. "I may be a bit late for our prior arrangements, love."

    Andrea perked up. "Prior arrangements? If you've got something to do, don't worry about us." She nudged Kimberly with her shoulder. "We can make it on our own, can't we?"

    Kimberly was caught off guard and wavered in her answer. "Uhh..? I think... we could? But--"

    "And we could probably find a guide while we're there. Don't worry!"

    "You still need an escort when you're in this town," Roger sternly reminded her.

    Andrea protested. "It's a short walk, that won't be necessary!"

    "Hmm... Perhaps we could get an early start to our day, Estelle. What do you say?"

    "Roger, you aren't--" Estelle started.

    He shook his head. "No, no. If these girls are so confident that they can break the law and get away with it, who am I to stop them?"

    "But--"

    He studied the two girls up and down. "They're tough, I'll give 'em that. But they're also young, maybe they need a lesson."

    "Roger!"

    Kimberly decided to break the tension by being warm and cordial. "Thank you for letting us stay during our time of need, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. We are in your debt, and I'll never forget that."

    Roger shook his head and smiled. "Bah! It was nothing. Here in Letchworth, we usually rely on the charity of others to get by, it was nice to give back for once." He offered his hand to the girls. "May the wind be at your back. If you need assistance again, don't hesitate to drop by."

    Andrea shook his hand and nodded. Kimberly did the same and followed with a courteous bow. With that, the four split apart; Andrea and Kimberly headed deeper into Olde Town, while Roger and Estelle made their way to the market district.

    Kimberly was curious about her friend's behavior. "What was that about?" she asked.

    "What?"

    "He wanted to help us and you dismissed him so readily."

    "And I wanted to get away from him, honestly... Something about him creeps me out." she said, looking back. Roger and Estelle had disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the town, to her relief. "You didn't notice the way he was staring at me ever since we landed on his doorstep, did you?" She shuddered.

    Kimberly looked back as well. "I did notice that, but I didn't mention it for fear of being rude... Well, you got your wish. Let's hope it wasn't a mistake."

    - - - - -​

    It was a short walk to the Comstock Lane Pokécenter, a walk that didn't even take five minutes. The pair hadn't experienced any problems while on their way, as Andrea had predicted. It brought her a sense of satisfaction. She knew she could take care of herself, even if no one else in this land thought so. She wanted to prove them wrong, and she did.

    With daylight quickly burning away, the two wanted their stay at the Pokécenter to be as brief as possible. Andrea planned to call Professor Ansen's office and retrieve her Garna; while that was happening, Kimberly decided she would attempt to get in touch with her parents again, but she almost felt certain she wouldn't reach them. The two split apart and went to opposite ends of the Pokécenter so that they wouldn't interrupt each other.

    Andrea took a seat at the communications hub and turned the screen on. She diligently typed in Professor Ansen's phone number, then waited patiently for her to pick up. After a few rings, the professor appeared on the screen.

    "Ah, my faithful assistant, good!" the professor warmly greeted. "How are things working out for ya?"

    "Things could be better. The food is terrible, the people are terrible... Everything is terrible."

    The professor was skeptical. "I'm sure it's not all that bad... You're just not used to other cultures, that's all."

    "There is some good news, at least. Kimberly and I are heading out of town today. That puts us one step closer to home."

    "That's the spirit!"

    "There's been a slight change in plans, it might take me a bit longer to get home."

    "Change in plans?"

    "Yeah, that girl I'm with... she was pretty adamant about not travelling through a swamp, so we had to redirect ourselves a bit. I wanted to carry on through the swamp, but..." she trailed off before pausing. "Anyways, don't worry! If things go according to plan, I should be back in about two weeks."

    "That'll give you more opportunity to see new things, I guess," the professor shrugged. "You're leaving now, right?"

    She nodded.

    The professor wheeled her chair out of frame for a brief moment, then returned. "Then I should give this Garna you captured back to you."

    "You said you had a few things you wanted to look at, did you find any answers?"

    "Barely! I have even more questions than I started with!" the professor said. She held up the Love Ball that the Garna was contained in and rolled it around in her hand. "But I was right about it being a silicon based life form. Of course, that poses a whole new set of problems... I don't know anything about its biology."

    "Anything else interesting about it?"

    "I could gab all day about it, so I'll try to keep it short. I ran an array of physical tests on it. This thing's got quite the magnetic field coming off of it. If you're using an old fashioned compass for navigation, you might want to keep it in its Pokéball." the professor warned. "You might not want to physically touch it, either. You wouldn't believe how hot this thing gets."

    "Now you have to tell me."

    "You know how it changes color, right? When it was green, I measured it at around 175 degrees C. Orange was close to 370 degrees C. I can think of a lot of tactics that could take advantage of that little quirk. Call it out in battle, see what you can do with it." She slipped the Love Ball into the slot in her desk and began to push a few buttons. "Here, I'll send it over right now."

    The slot on the table in front of Andrea started to shimmer with a faint blue light as a shower of digital sparkles began to effervesce. The sparkles shifted towards a pink hue as the Love Ball slowly formed.

    As the ball continued to fade into existence, the professor continued. "So, any thoughts on a name for it?"

    "I have an idea, actually. I was thinking... 'Dilithium'."

    "Dilithium, eh?" the professor said as she leaned back in her chair. She pointed at the screen. "I like you. You're a nerd just like me."

    "I hope it fits."

    "That name might not be too outlandish. There's one thing I noticed during my short time studying it. This thing seems to create its own energy, seemingly out of nothing. That goes against the laws of physics, but... Most Pokémon need food to survive, but this one doesn't seem interested in that. I looked at sunlight being a possible energy source, but I haven't found any indications of that."

    Andrea took a long look at the Love Ball that held Dilithium inside. "When I'm studying it, what do you want me to look out for?"

    "Anything, really. You've stumbled on a remarkable find, so little is known about 'em. I looked it up, there's only nine in the world that have been captured, and that one in your hands would be the tenth. All nine of those other ones are in the hands of wealthy collectors, and only one has actually contacted the scientific community about studying it. Predictably, access to it hasn't been cheap."

    She slipped the Love Ball into her vest pocket. "Understood. Is that everything?"

    The professor nodded. "I'll let you get going. Best of luck out there. Come home in one piece, ya hear?"

    "I'll try."

    "Alright! See ya later!" The screen faded to black.

    Andrea stood up and pushed her chair in, then opened up the map function on her R-Kit. As she wandered to the waiting room, she began to study the roads that snaked their way through the Shenzin Pass. Much to her relief, there was only one documented road, and it was noted to be in 'exceptional' condition. As she continued planning further ahead, she bumped into Kimberly. "Oof! My mistake!" she said in apology. "How did it go on your end? Did you get in touch with either of your parents?"

    Kimberly shook her head.

    "What the hell..." she said as she struggled to find the right words. "I really wish I knew what to say."

    She sighed. "I've grown used to it, I guess... My parents haven't been a big part of my life since I was about fifteen years old... unless it involved boys. Father had his restaurants to take care of... My mother was busy being a socialite." She shook her head as she thought about it. "Before I get all wound up, maybe we should find our escort?"

    "Escort? I don't think so." Andrea said, making her way to the front door.

    "But shouldn't we--"

    Andrea pushed the door open. "No."

    Before she could get far, however, Kimberly grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around. "Didn't Mr. Kent tell us that it would be wise to have someone escort us?"

    "If you want to wait here for someone to offer to escort two young women into the wilderness... all alone... You can wait here by yourself. I'm leaving. I'm sick of the way this country treats women and I won't have a part in it. I'm going to show them how we do it on Storm Island."

    "But--"

    "Estelle warned us last night, the men in this country prey on young women."

    "Surely not all of them!"

    "Look, I'm sure there's a lot of lovely people here, but I don't trust anyone. Think about it. We find someone, then what? After what happened yesterday... How do we know if we can trust them? We don't know what the people in this country are like. We don't know how easy it is for someone to hide a dagger behind their smile. At least if we're on our own, we won't let our guard down."

    Kimberly remained adamant. "Mr. Kent said we needed an experienced guide if we were heading north."

    "We'll be fiiiine," she said in an attempt to reassure her friend. "What about you? You said you travelled through Kanto before you went to Storm Island, right?"

    "I did."

    "And how long did that last?"

    Kimberly paused for a moment to recall her travels in Kanto. "Let's see... Nicole... there was two months... another eight with Juliano... then I had to..." she muttered to herself as she counted on her fingers. "About a year, I think."

    "That makes you an experienced traveller in my book!"

    "It would still be dangerous for us out there..."

    "It would even if we had some dope following us around," she explained. "We can take care of each other, we've definitely proven that. I took care of you while you were sick and helpless, you know what you're doing when it comes to being a road warrior." She waited for Kimberly to agree with her, but was met with a concerned stare instead. "Come on, have a little faith, cause I'm putting a lot in you. You're the only person around here I truly trust. We can do this!"

    Kimberly was shocked by Andrea's iron will, as she had never seen it before. She questioned the wisdom of Andrea's choice, but at the same time didn't want to risk being left alone over a decision of how to move forward. She decided on the passive route. "We've not known each other for very long, but... It means a lot that you trust me as much as you do. Take the lead, and I'll follow."

    "Good. That's all I needed to hear. Let's go!"

    - - - - -​

    Edits: Swapped the locations of An-Xian and Meigui Zhan in Roger's advice to the girls, to better fit an upcoming plot.
     
    Last edited:
    • chapter 42
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 42: A Thousand Steps    ​

    Andrea and Kimberly ventured out of the town limits of Letchworth and the buildings began to disappear behind the thick jungle canopy. Despite Roger's assurances, the road ahead of them looked miserably deteriorated, completely covered in pot holes, mud, overgrown weeds and fallen logs, not to mention how bumpy and uneven it was. It was a stone road, at least, something neither had seen during their travels in the wilderness of Sakala, and that alone lifted their spirits. Still, Andrea found room to complain about it.

    "I have never seen such a disastrously maintained road..." she said. She struggled to adjust her footing on the loose bricks and stones, a task made much more difficult with the heeled sandals she was wearing. "I thought Roger said this road was in better shape."

    "If this is in better shape, I dread to think what the road to Tradewind looks like!" Kimberly added.

    The heel on Andrea's sandal snagged in between two bricks and sent her tumbling forward. As she picked herself up off of the ground and dusted herself off, she lamented, "Even then, how difficult can it be to build something flat?!"

    "Evidently, quite challenging..." Kimberly said, having much less trouble.

    "And these stupid shoes! How do you do it? I haven't seen you stumble once!"

    Kimberly looked down at her boots. "Oh. You get used to them. I've worn heels practically every day since my fifth birthday. The only time I haven't was during my travels in Kanto."

    "Your poor feet..."

    "On the contrary, your poor feet! You might not have any left by the time we get back home. Those things are going to be an endless challenge for you."

    "It's too late to go back and get my ragged old sneakers, isn't it?" she lamented.

    Kimberly nodded.

    She sighed. "Figures."


    - - - - -​

    Four hours had passed. Four hours of slogging through the mud and the muck, climbing over fallen trees or stumbling around collapsed sections of the road. They began to question if Roger even knew what he was talking about; he had stated quite clearly that the road north of Letchworth was well maintained by the monks of the Shenzin Monastery, but even the quickest glance would prove that wrong. Perhaps he was mistaken, and mixed up the roads north and east of town? As they ventured further and further from the town, they began to lose faith. But just as they were considering turning around, the jungle rapidly thinned around them and the road flattened.

    Before them was a marvelous sight, but a disheartening one at the same time. Two large and imposing stone statues, carved from marble into the shape of what appeared to be a pair of majestic tigers, reached skyward. Their paws met overhead, forming an archway. Beyond the archway was a set of intricately engraved stone stairs, delicately carved into the cliff face. A look upward and to the right offered a glimpse of what was to come; snaking up the cliff were more stairs, wrapping around the mountain.

    Climbing them seemed foolish, as certain sections of the stairs lacked guard rails, despite being dozens or hundreds of feet in the air. Even worse, some of the stairs looked as if they'd crumble at the slightest touch. But it wasn't all bad. From what they could see, chains and ropes were fastened to the cliff face the entire way up, allowing inexperienced climbers and hikers such as themselves to climb even the most dangerous areas.

    "So this must be the 'thousand steps' I heard about..." Kimberly marvelled.

    Andrea was hesitant to even start and was tempted to turn around right then. "We have to climb that?!" she shouted, before continuing under her voice, "Why did I let you talk me into this..."

    "Do you not want to do this? If it seems too daunting a task, we can try the swamp. But it's a long walk back to Letchworth."

    "No, I can do it, it's just... I can do it. Let's get started."

    Before they did, however, Kimberly knelt down and began to undo the buckles on her boots. She slipped them off, then unzipped her backpack and placed them inside. She slung her backpack over her shoulders and continued onward towards the first steps, completely barefoot.

    Andrea was mystified. "What are you doing!?"

    She stopped and looked down at her wiggling toes, then back at Andrea. "I'm not climbing a mountain in heels. Are you?"

    Andrea dropped to her knees and unfastened the straps on her sandals. "You know, that actually makes sense. Why didn't I think of that? I'm supposed to be the smart one here."

    Kimberly giggled.

    She strapped the sandals to her backpack and led her friend forward. As soon as they passed under the tiger statues, Andrea felt a vague sense of dread wash over her. She couldn't figure out why, as nothing about the journey ahead of them felt particularly terrifying. Even more, among her long list of fears, heights were not among them, as luck would have it. "This is going to be fun..." she muttered.

    Kimberly, on the other hand, felt a renewed sense of wonder. As she gazed up the stairs in front of her, she felt as if she were starting a proper adventure, rather than struggling to find her way back home. She didn't want to focus on her hardships. To her, the long road ahead wasn't a burden, but an opportunity to explore the land, a chance to experience new cultures, meet new people and learn new things. "Don't be sarcastic! It will be!"

    The two started their journey along the cliff side, trudging slowly up the steps. A closer look at the steps under their feet showed that each one was intricately carved with either ornate patterns, pictograms or entire scenes. They were clean and smooth, rather than dirt covered and offered a glimpse into the local culture. Perhaps this is what Roger meant when he said that the monks had properly maintained the road, they thought.

    The steps were quiet. In about a hour of travel, that had only met one other person, and they didn't speak the same language as the girls did. Kimberly found it odd, as even the most remote locations in Kanto were populated with tourists, hikers and trainers. On the rare occasion that such locations weren't, wild Pokémon were usually abundant, but that didn't apply here. The area was completely empty; No birds, no rodents, no insects. Just emptiness. That changed, however, when they reached the summit of another set of stairs.

    Before them was a small feline creature, reaching up to about their knees. What it lacked in size, it made up in strength, sporting a stocky and muscular frame, particularly in its front legs. Its fur was frosty white from the tip of its tail to its head, interrupted by dozens of black and gray stripes. Round, twitching ears sat on its head and large fangs poked out of its mouth.

    Andrea held her arm out to stop Kimberly. "Hold it." She scanned the tiny tiger-like cat with her R-Kit.

    "Serenikitten, the White Kitten of Serenity!" the R-Kit droned.

    "How original..." Andrea commented.

    The R-Kit continued. "Serenikitten is the center of many myths, legends and fables, and is regarded as the offspring of the legendary Shenzin of Shinikari and Sakalan myth, though no such link has been proven. Despite their aggressive and territorial nature towards other members of its species, it treats humans with respect and dignity. Historical research has indicated this strong bond is the result of thousands of years of peaceful co-existence, similar to ancient man and ancient wolves."

    "It's so adorable!" Kimberly squealed.

    "I don't know if I want to get closer to it... Those are some mean looking fangs."

    Kimberly took a few cautious steps towards the Serenikitten. It responded by standing up and arching its back, dancing and around in place as she came closer. Before she could get within an arm's length, however, it hopped up the stairs.

    "You don't have to be afraid!" she called out. Her attempts to coax the Serenikitten into approaching were met with failure.

    They followed the Serenikitten along the path, almost as if it were guiding them. The tiger trotted up and down the hills and dips of the stairway, stopping to wait for them whenever it was too far ahead. This pattern repeated numerous times, until finally they reached a fork in the trail. One path led further up the mountain, while the other path climbed downwards. The tiger looked back at them, bellowed, then took the lower road.

    "Goodbye, then!" Kimberly called out. She studied both paths, but neither seemed more promising than the other. "Which way do you think we should go?"

    "Why not up? It seems like the most logical conclusion if we're trying to reach the pass, right?" Andrea suggested, taking the first few steps up.

    The path was a dead end, unfortunately, and led them to a small circular plateau. In the center of the ring was a rustic stone well, topped with a conical, sloped roof. Around the ring were decorative hedges, bushes and topiaries, trimmed into intricate shapes of tigers, dragons and birds. Along the cliff wall, graffiti was scrawled in several different languages by hundreds of visitors over the decades.

    "This isn't the monastery, is it?" Andrea asked. "It can't be!"

    "I don't think so, no," Kimberly commented, drawn to the graffiti on the walls. Much of it was written in languages she couldn't understand, but a few in her own language popped out of the mess of words and symbols.

    'Life is short. LIVE!' said one message.

    'Love has no limits, Janine x Amber were here!' read another.

    Another stuck in her mind. 'Everything happens for a reason. Make the best of it.' It made her question the situation she was in. Was there an important reason for why she was here? When she survived the cataclysmic destruction of the S.S. Beckinshire, was there truly a reason why? Or her meeting with Andrea shortly after; were both of them dumb luck, or fate? The questions buzzed in her mind, but she knew one thing: She would take this message to heart and make the best of her time in Sakala.

    Andrea crept up behind her and asked, "What are you looking at?"

    "These writings on the wall... Specifically that one." She pointed out the message that was on her mind. "What do you think? Is there a reason why we're here, and not on the ocean floor?"

    "You know? I have this strange feeling there is, but... I'm more convinced it was just dumb luck that we survived... Anyways, there's nothing here, maybe we should take that other path."

    She wouldn't hear it. "Hold on! I want to explore a little bit!"

    "Be quick about it. We've only got a few hours of sunlight left."

    "You're coming with me, silly!" she said as she wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulder. Her eyes drifted towards the well at the center of the plateau. "What's this well about?"

    The two approached the well and found a small sign hanging from one of the gables. Rather than words indicating what it was, the sign depicted a man tossing a coin into the well with an empty bubble-like cloud above his head.

    Kimberly easily understood the meaning behind the sign. "A wishing well!" She reached into her purse and grabbed a silver coin. "There's something that's been on my mind... maybe I can get some clarity if I wish on it."

    "What's up?"

    "No, it's embarrassing!" she protested. "Once I figure it out, we'll talk about it." Before tossing the coin in, she began to read to herself from the plaque in front of it.

    'A wishing well we thought would be great,
    And this is how you participate.

    A gift of money is placed in the well.
    Then, make your wish, but do not tell!

    If your wish is not too much to ask for, not too high in price,
    It may very well come true. Wouldn't that be nice?'

    She cleared her mind and made her wish. With a smile, she flipped the coin into the air, then watched it plummet into the depths below.

    While Kimberly was busy at the wishing well, Andrea wandered over to the edge of the plateau and rested on the stone railing. The view was quite spectacular, offering a glimpse of the expansive countryside. To the south, she could see the skyline of Letchworth; in the center of the town stood the Letchworth Customs House, it's giant bronze dome glinting in the sunlight. In another part of the town was a sandstone spire topped with a monstrous violet crystal. She remembered using that spire as a reference point when first arriving in town, and it was still no less impressive, stretching into the sky as it dwarfed every other building in the town.

    Further south in the far distance, but she couldn't be certain, she thought she could make out the faint outline of Hodgemanor, sat in the middle of a clearing in the jungle. She began to appreciate just how far she had come now that she could see it all from above.

    She continued to scan the horizon. Far to the west was the skyline of another settlement, lined with tall buildings. The ocean nearby was populated by large sailing ships from an age long gone. "Tradewind..." she muttered to herself. She lamented the fact that she wouldn't get to see the ships up close, but it was too late now. She called out, "Hey, Kim, check this out!"

    Kimberly walked over and peered into the distance. "Beautiful..." she said.

    "You've got the binoculars, right?"

    Dropping her backpack to the ground, Kimberly began to dig through it. "I believe I do, yes."

    "Look over there, ya see that?" she asked, pointing out Tradewind's skyline.

    Kimberly raised the binoculars to her eyes and zeroed in on Tradewind. Her attention immediately shifted towards the harbor and the sailing ships. She gasped in amazement. "I love ships like that!" she said. "We used to have one in Visalia's harbor when I was a little girl... A friend and I used to visit every spring for the annual harbor festival... The memories..."

    As the two continued to appreciate the view, Andrea let out a content sigh. "I'm glad I let you talk me into going this way. For the first time, I feel like I'm at peace in this stupid country." There was a long pause. "So, done with your wish?"

    Kimberly lowered the binoculars and returned them to her backpack. "Yes."

    "What was it?"

    "If I tell you what it is, it won't come true!" She dug through her purse and grabbed another silver coin, then offered it to Andrea. "How about it? Do you want to make a wish, too?"

    She looked at the coin, then politely shook her head. "No. I don't believe in that whole wishing business."

    "Ah... Shall we move on, then?"

    "Yeah." She took one last gaze at the horizon. "Let's go."

    Before they could get far, however, the creature they saw before, Serenikitten, appeared to be waiting for them at the entrance to the plateau. It was calmly seated on the top step, gently licking the back of its paw and running it over its head while maintaining direct eye contact with them.

    "There it is again!" She knelt down and clapped her hands, calling out to the Serenikitten in a loving manner. "Come here, you!"

    The Serenikitten spun in place, then meowed and arched its striped tail, almost taunting the two girls to approach it. When they didn't, it did the same as before and took off down the steps, looking back at them while doing so.

    "May I see that thing on your wrist, Andrea?" she asked. "I want to know more about that cat."

    Andrea undid the strap on the R-Kit and handed it to her. "If you can figure out how to use it, knock yourself out."

    She tapped on the screen and was greeted with over a dozen options, all of them which grabbed her interest. "This might take a bit..." she said as she followed Andrea down the stairs. "Let me know if I'm about to walk off of the mountain, okay?"

    Andrea laughed. "Don't worry, I've got your back."

    It didn't take her long to figure out how to access the index of information on every documented species of Pokémon, but it did take quite a while to manually dig through the thousands of entries in order to find Serenikitten's article. There was a wide array of information available about Serenikitten, including average height, average weight, related species, natural habitat, zoos and parks across the world which had one on display, names in other languages, as well as speculative and currently unproven information taken from old myths, tales and legends.

    The wealth of information about Serenikitten both stunned and amazed her. It was simply too much for her to care about, so she skimmed through each section until she found something interesting. "Oh! It says here that according to an old myth, Serenikitten is said to serve as a guide for pilgrims on their way to sacred sites, such as temples, monasteries and shrines. This is detailed in the Ode to Nirmala Ka."

    "The ode to what?" Andrea inquisitively asked.

    "I don't know. It must be some old poem or something," she said, trying to search for further information. "The point is, that cat is a guide! We should follow it!"

    "A guide, huh? Hmm, I don't know..."

    "Where's your sense of wonder?" she asked. "A cat, guiding travellers through the misty mountains on their way to a monastery..."

    Andrea couldn't help but laugh, but stifled herself to avoid being rude. "You get too caught up in the 'magic' sometimes."

    "Is there something wrong with that?"

    "Probably not..." Andrea said with a sigh. "Okay, we'll follow that cat if we see it again. I'll try to not complain when we end up lost."


    - - - - -​

    Andrea and Kimberly continued their march up the cliff side stairs, passing several hours with idle chatter, word games and other activities. The journey was starting to take a toll on them, with exhaustion setting in. The sun was quickly dropping in the western sky, as well. They were looking for safe areas to establish a camp, but they couldn't find any.

    It would have been a nice place to stop. They had climbed nearly 1500 feet, which gave them a breathtaking view of the surrounding lowlands. All around them were dozens of thin spires of stone that stretched thousands of feet into the air, choked with mosses, bushes and other plant life. Surrounding these peculiar stone formations were fertile farmlands, almost evenly divided into terraced farmlands. Heavy mist hung in the air below them, blocking an otherwise spectacular view.

    Despite the beauty around her, Andrea was over it. All she wanted was to stop and rest. "Surely we've climbed more than a thousand of these stupid steps by now, but it keeps going..."

    "That thing on your wrist... It wouldn't happen to have travel related information, such as rest stops, would it?"

    "I'd be surprised if this ass backwards country even had the concept of a rest stop..." she grumbled. She decided to search anyways, and brought up a list of landmarks in the immediate area. There were nearly a dozen different points of interest on the Thousand Steps alone, but one grabbed her attention. "Southwind Tavern... maybe that's like a bed and breakfast?"

    "How far away are we?"

    "Hmm, let's see..." she muttered as she tried her best to calculate how long it would take. Despite how advanced the R-Kit was in terms of a detailed map, it lacked the ability to determine vertical distances. "Uhh... half an hour, at least?"

    "That's great! We can make it if we push hard!"

    She groaned loudly, but agreed to push onward and they resumed what felt like an eternal climb. Time was ticking as the sun dipped lower and lower into the sky. As they kept an eye on it, they began to notice that it was becoming dimmer and dimmer, as if obscured by smoke.

    "Kim..." Andrea started. "You've been up a mountain before, right?"

    "Yes..." Kimberly said, cautiously looking around at the surrounding sky. "Fog..."

    "What do we do?"

    "We continue, but slowly," she said, slowing her pace somewhat.

    Andrea disagreed. "Wouldn't it be smarter to stay put?"

    "It's not as bad as you might think, fog. I've been in it a few times while up on Mount Moon, or near Cerulean. We have a clearly defined trail ahead of us, I wouldn't worry about getting lost."

    "It's not getting lost I'm worried about... We could walk over a cliff!"

    "That's why we are going to move slowly."

    Visibility continued to steadily drop as heavy fog began to form in the evening sky. Within a few short minutes, the horizon disappeared, and all they could see were the stone spires in the distance. In short order, those began to disappear one by one. Andrea's nerves began to crack one by one, despite her friend's best assurances. Worse yet, the fog was becoming so thick that what remained of the sunlight was starting to fade, until visibility had dropped to almost nothing.

    Andrea strained to see anything around her, but all she could see was the wall she was pressed up against. Kimberly had disappeared into the fog, even though she was certain she was just a few feet away. A look up showed a blank, gloomy gray canvas. Below her, the fog swirled as it collided with and wrapped around the mountain. She put her hand out in front of her and it faded from existence. Dread overcame her as she clutched the chain railing and stopped in her tracks. Her heartbeat elevated and her breathing became heavy and erratic. "Kim? Where are you?!"

    "I'm here!" Kimberly's voice called out from beyond the fog.

    "I can't... I can't do this!" she shouted. "I can't see a thing!"

    "Take a deep breath, I'm on my way back!"

    She tried to do as she was told. She pressed up against the wall, closed her eyes and took in a deep, slow breath, but it did very little to calm her. She knew that as soon as she opened her eyes again, the clouds would still be there, and she would still be trapped.

    After a few moments, Kimberly's hand emerged from the mists. "Grab and hold on, I'm here."

    She grabbed her friend's hand and interlocked their fingers. It wasn't much, but it was a sense of relief to know that she hadn't been abandoned.

    "That lantern you picked up in Letchworth might be useful here. Hand it to me, please."

    She did as she was asked and unlatched the lantern that dangled from her backpack, then handed it forward through the dense fog. The light turned on; while it didn't illuminate much, it served as a fixed point of reference in front of her. She felt a slight tug on her hand.

    "Come along now, one step at a time. I'll take the lead."

    "Is that a smart idea?"

    There was a momentary pause. "Truth be told, I've never been in fog this bad... But, we'll be fine. Hold onto the chain, and don't let go of my hand."


    - - - - -​

    More time passed in relative silence. By now, the sun had likely set, and the mountain only grew darker and darker. Andrea insisted they stay put and wait for the fog to clear. Despite her confidence in her ability to lead, Kimberly began to see the wisdom in such a suggestion. Their pace slowed to a crawl, before they finally stopped once they had found somewhere flat. As they fumbled about in the fog and the darkness, a peculiar sound, similar to howling but not quite the same, echoed across the cliff side. It came closer and closer at first, then sounded as if it were fading into the distance.

    "Do you hear that?" Andrea asked. "What do you think it is?"

    "I haven't the foggiest," Kimberly started, then realized what she had just said. "Oh dear. I apologize."

    After a brief moment, the sound returned. The noise came closer and closer again until it sounded as if it were right above them. A moment passed before a contented meow rang out. The two looked up, but could barely see anything.

    "Is it that tiger thing again? Or something else?" Andrea asked.

    Kimberly cupped her hands around her mouth and called out. "Kitty! Are you out there?"

    "What are you doing?! It could be some predator for all we know!"

    "I have a feeling that it's not," She stood up and waved the lantern around. "Kitty?"

    A meow of excitement could be heard coming from the darkness, followed by heavy and quick footsteps. The figure of a small feline creature appeared in the mists and slowly approached the two.

    "There you are!" she said as she offered her hand forward.

    The Serenikitten rubbed up against her outstretched hand and meowed happily, acting as if she were a long time friend that it hadn't seen in years.

    "Have you come to guide us through the mountains?" she asked.

    The Serenikitten nodded, then wandered out into the thick fog. The black stripes all along its body began to glow with an icy blue light, and faint sparkles began to shimmer in the air all around it. As the sparkles gently wafted into the Serenikitten's bristling fur, the fog around it began to slowly lift until a bubble of fresh, pure air had formed. It looked back at the two girls and meowed, then began to walk up the steps.

    "I take back what I said earlier about you getting caught up in the magic..." Andrea said as the Serenikitten led them up the mountain.
     
    Last edited:
    • chapter 43
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 43: Tavern Tales: How It Began    ​

    "♫ Somewhere in the mountains,
    Way up high
    With the dreams you had,
    Under the summer sky ♫

    ♫ Someday I'll wish upon a star,
    Is it there, do I see?
    You'll have to travel pretty far,
    But that's where you'll find me ♫"

    Andrea interrupted the music. "What the hell is that?"

    "In The Mountains!" Kimberly answered. "Have you seriously never heard it?"

    She shook her head. "I don't listen to happy music like that very often."

    "Ah. Perhaps you should, it really lifts the soul and improves your mood."

    "What does that mean? Are you saying I'm always in a bad mood?"

    "Nothing meant by it, friend, just some advice."

    She sighed. "Maybe you're right." Bright, fog-obscured light in the distance caught her attention. "Hey, do you think that light up there is this tavern we're supposed to find?"

    The Serenikitten they had been following for the previous half hour let out a meow and rushed ahead. The mist soon began to envelope them again the further it went, prompting them to fight through their exhaustion to keep up. When they finally caught up to the Pokémon, they were met with an unexpected sight: nestled on the cliff side was a rather large cottage, which was brightly lit with what appeared to be oil lamps dangling from the gables. Paper lanterns hung from the solitary tree next to the cottage, giving off a faint red glow to the surrounding area. Decorative topiaries and hedges lined the borders of the property.

    There was a certain sort of magic in the air, and Kimberly could feel it. "Hold me, Andrea, I might faint..."

    "Feeling light headed? Kneel down, put your head between--"

    She pulled Andrea closer and pointed out the various features of the cottage in front of them. "No! Look at how magical it is!" she let out a content sigh. "This. This right here is the reason I left Visalia. This is the stuff I wanted to see when I left home. To think it took a sinking ship to get to this point..."

    The magic was lost on Andrea. "Well, it's... it's, uh... welcoming, I'll give it that." she said, not sharing anywhere near the same level of enthusiasm.

    "It is! Let's head inside!"

    The Serenikitten sensed that its job was done and began to wander away. After putting considerable distance between itself and the two girls, it turned around and meowed, then bounded off into the darkness. In short order, the thick, obscuring mist began to roll back in and thicken.

    "Good bye, friend!" Kimberly called out.

    The inside of the tavern was just as magical as the exterior. Every wall, shelf and table was crammed full of objects and knick knacks that displayed and defined the culture of the land; scroll murals lined the walls, showing off numerous scenes from flowing rivers to snow capped mountains. The bookshelves were stocked with old leatherbound books that looked as if they were centuries old. The tables were covered in faintly scented candles, providing the only light throughout the entire house. The smell of spring rain incense wafted from a burner in the corner of the room and was thick in the air.

    An elderly lady behind the register looked up and bowed her head before addressing the two. "Wanshang hao!" she said. The fact that she chose to speak in a language neither were familiar with immediately put the two girls on alert.

    Kimberly bowed graciously before cautiously asking, "Umm... Do you, do you speak..."

    "English?" the elderly lady asked. "I do."

    "Ah! That's great!" she said with a nervous laugh. "I was slightly worried for a second... Do you have room available for two?"

    "Luckily there is one more room available, if you do not mind a room in the basement. The rate for that one is a single golden coin. Double for two people." she said, passing a book and an old fashioned quill pen across the counter. "Please, leave your name in the registry if you wish to stay."

    Andrea attempted to write her name into the book, but struggled with the quill pen. She had never used one before, nor even seen one; what she left on the page barely qualified as writing. She handed the book to Kimberly, and watched what appeared to be a master at work; Kimberly effortlessly drew each letter of her name and connected them together in a beautiful display of calligraphy. She added the day's date off to the side and handed the book back to the elderly lady.

    "How did you..." Andrea wondered.

    "Practice. I was... 'forced' into calligraphy classes when I was younger." she answered as she dropped two golden coins onto the table.

    The elderly lady grabbed one of the coins and inspected it closely, attempted to bend it against the corner of the table, then put it back down. "Follow. I will show you to your room."

    The two followed the elderly lady towards the stairwell. Muffled talking could be heard coming from upstairs, while a chilly draft could be felt coming from downstairs. As they went down the steps, they began to question the quality of the room they would be staying in; thick, dusty cobwebs hung in the corners of the rustic cobblestone walls, and the smell of potatoes and rice was thick in the air. She led them down a hallway towards a dark room.

    They were relieved when the elderly lady began to light the candles and oil lamps throughout the room. The room was small, but very lavishly decorated from top to bottom. A table in the corner of the room was covered in melted candles, surrounding a statue of a meditating bear. Next to it was a bookshelf stocked with books and ancient-looking scrolls, mostly written in a language neither Andrea or Kimberly could understand. Another table had several photos on it, mostly of the surrounding mountains. The smell of the bundled lilies that hung from the ceiling created a soothing atmosphere, and incense burners throughout the room offered a change for those who wanted it. Among it all was a solitary bed, covered with a silk sheet.

    "Oh my..." Kimberly started, stepping into the room. She was taken by surprise by how nice it was. "Where I come from, a room like this costs much more than a single coin..."

    "I could tell that you were not from around here. I am not familiar with your accent... Where are you from?" the elderly lady said as she continued to set the lamps ablaze.

    "I am from Kanto," She pointed towards Andrea. "And she is from Storm Island."

    "Ah, interesting! We do not get many visitors from beyond the seas. How are you enjoying your time here?"

    "I have not been enjoying it," Andrea boldly stated.

    "I am not surprised, considering the land you come from..." she said. "Are you visiting the monastery, by any chance? Most people who come this way are."

    "Yes," Kimberly answered. "And then we are moving on towards Yulong-la."

    "Ah! Good! Perhaps you will see that this land is not all bad, then."

    "Why is that?"

    "The culture is very different north of the monastery... In southern cities, such as Letchworth, Tradewind and Patali, a strong nationalist movement has taken root and spread like duliu. They want to return to how things were a thousand years ago, a much darker time..."

    "I'm just happy that I'm going to be back home soon," Andrea said.

    "I don't blame you... it's such a shame what is happening... But perhaps your view of this country can be redeemed. North of the monastery is the homeland of my ancestors, land that once belonged to the nation of Shinikara. We are a friendly and welcoming people, be it friend or foreigner, for the better or the worse. We have resisted their calls for independence so far, and you will find the folk around there a lot more friendly and accepting of strangers." She paused to visibly inspect the room, to make sure that everything was in order. "I hope you will enjoy the room."

    "We will! Thank you!" Kimberly joyously said.

    The elderly lady bowed graciously. "If you need anything, you will find me upstairs. Enjoy your evening."

    Andrea sat down on the bed and looked around the small room. "Jeeze. I feel like royalty! This room is small, but it's certainly something..."

    "I know, right? The last time I stayed in a room like this, I remember the bill being sixty golden coins for just one night!"

    "...crying out loud..."

    Kimberly wandered over to the incense burner and began to look through the different varieties available. "Would you mind if I used this?"

    "Go for it. Let's live a little." she said as she pushed her sandals under the bed and flopped over from exhaustion.

    "Is there anything specific you'd like? Let's see... river cattails... bamboo thicket... spring rain... summer seaside... orange blossoms..."

    "It doesn't matter to me."

    Kimberly opened the box of incense sticks and placed them into the burner, then grabbed one of the candles and used it to ignite the burner. The room quickly filled with thin, translucent wisps of smoke and the faint smell of citrus began to choke the atmosphere. She wandered over to the bed and placed her backpack onto the floor, then dug through it to find a journal and a pencil.

    "I should have gotten a journal, as well..." Andrea said, watching her friend take a seat at the table. "As much as I'm not enjoying this 'vacation', I guess it is a once in a life time opportunity..."

    Kimberly placed her pencil against the page and began to draw broad strokes up and down the page. "Tell you what. The next time we're in town, I'll head to the shops and buy you one."

    "That's really not necessary, but I appreciate the offer."

    "Consider it done," she said. She took a look at her drawing so far and noticed a few key errors that she needed to fix before continuing. "Can you have a poke through my bag and look for an eraser? The one on this pencil is rubbish!"

    Andrea did as she was asked and began to dig through Kimberly's backpack. As she was doing so, she came across the corrugated metal pocketbook that Kimberly used to hold her badges and her ID card. After a few minutes of searching, she finally found the eraser and tossed it across the room, then grabbed the pocketbook. She opened it up and looked at the two badges inside, which piqued her curiosity. "You're some sort of rich heiress, aren't you? Why would someone like you ever get into competitive Pokémon training?"

    She turned around and met with Andrea's eyes. There was a certain sense of gravity in her words that Andrea had never heard before; "Do you have any idea how boring it is to be the child of wealthy parents? All the time... it was balls, galas, social gatherings, events, ballets, operas, theatrical performances, dinners... I could go on and on." Her attention shifted back to her drawing. "I was never interested in that kind of stuff when I was younger... I am now, I suppose... I didn't like the people my parents dealt with, either. They were usually self-centered scum. As I grew older and older, it only grew worse and worse. I needed a way away from it."

    "How did you get out of it?"

    "I guess it's my turn to tell a story, then! I remember it well, it started in May, nearly two years ago..."


    - - - - -​

    It was a warm and breezy May afternoon. The sun hung high in the sky, shining brightly off of the sleek marble walls and bright orange tiled rooves of the luxurious homes that made up the port town of Visalia. There were many impressive estates, mansions and houses scattered along the pristine and winding coastline of Visalia, and one such mansion was Fairbrooke Manor, home to the renowned chef and businessman Richard Fairbrooke, his philanthropic wife, Annabelle, and their only child, Kimberly.

    While it wasn't the largest or most iconic mansion in Visalia, Fairbrooke Manor was viewed by many as the epitome of excess. High walls topped with spiked fences surrounded the entire property. The mansion itself was three stories tall, boasted thirty five rooms and was staffed by a twelve member team of servants, butlers and attendants. Outside of the mansion was a sprawling and luxurious garden, filled with exotic plants from far away lands, classical and Renaissance-era art sculptures and water features.

    Inside of the garden's only gazebo was Kimberly, seated in front of an unfinished painting with a paintbrush in her hand. The subject of her painting was the most prominent feature of Fairbrooke Manor's garden, the 245 year old, 134 foot tall willow tree, known around town as 'Big Willie'. She had spent the majority of the day working on the painting, spending hours trying to capture every meticulous detail. With a few final strokes, she finished her artwork.

    She took a step back to focus on the tree, then compared it to her painting. There were many notable differences, each of which she was unhappy with. She placed her hand to her forehead in frustration and muttered to herself, "Why? Why can I not do this?" She knew it was bad practice for a budding artist, but she couldn't help to critically analyze every minute problem that she saw: the branches were too thick. The drooping leaves were too short. The trunk was crooked and leaning. The lighting of the leaves was inconsistent. Minor problems, but they all added up to ruin hours of work.

    She picked up her brush and began to touch up the lighting. "Perhaps this could be saved..." she thought to herself, but her hopes remained low.

    As she fiddled with the leaves of her tree, a young woman was approaching from behind. She was very out of place in the surrounding environment; Her ragged black hair, highlighted with tones of cyan and magenta, was pulled into a pair of pigtails, allowing full view of her dozen ear piercings. Her jacket was mostly made of leather and featured studs and spikes, while her tartan skirt carried the colors of her ancestors, green and white. Bulky, knee high boots covered her feet. None of it matched the regal atmosphere of the garden around her.

    As the young woman tromped through the garden towards the gazebo, a well dressed butler was by her side, feverishly attempting to explain to her that Kimberly was busy. Every attempt was ignored and she continued her pace until she reached the gazebo.

    "I am so terribly sorry, Ms. Fairbrooke. I told her that you were busy but she refused to listen and barged through!" the butler said. His words were shaky and his voice was squeaky, as if he were afraid that his career had just been ended.

    Kimberly put down her paintbrush and turned around to address the two. "Charles, it's okay! I don't mind a visitor every now and then!" she said, reassuring her nervous servant. She turned to the young woman, opened her arms and pulled her in for a hug. "Nicole! It's been too long!"

    The young woman pried herself out of Kimberly's grip and took a step back. "Too long? Whatcha talkin' 'bout? I was there for your birthday party!"

    "That was four months ago, friend. You should visit more often!"

    "You know how it is... Meet a new guy, all of a sudden your world revolves around him..."

    Kimberly turned back to her painting and studied it some more, looking over her mistakes as she thought of ways to fix them. "No, I don't know how that is, and you know that." She grabbed her paint brush and continued working on the lighting. "I've been working on this all day. What do you think of it?"

    "Ehh, I ain't no art critic. You know that."

    "Nothing? Not even a comment?"

    "Look, all I see is a tree," she said in a dismissive tone before changing the topic. "So, hey! I wanted to ask you somethin'! My parents are bein' total jerkbags and are tellin' me I need a job, but I ain't ready to sit in an office for eight hours a day. So I was thinkin', why not go on the road as one of those Pokémon trainers? That's like a job, ain't it?"

    "I suppose it is. Those competitive types that compete in tournaments can make quite a bit of money if they do well at it. And from what I've seen, you know what you're doing."

    "Yeah, right? It's a win win!" she said with excitement. "How 'bout you? Your parents riding your ass about it, too?"

    "Oh... maybe not as much as yours, but they do want me to decide what I want to do with my life soon. That's why I've been working so hard on my art for these past two years. I was hoping to make a career of it, but..." she trailed off, comparing her painting to her subject tree again. "They don't think it'll work, and I'm starting to believe them..."

    "What do they want you to do?"

    Kimberly placed her brush on the easel and took Nicole on a leisurely walk through the garden. "As my father's only child, he wants me to take over the family business that he built from the ground up. He wants me to be a chef, just like him."

    Nicole burst into an uproarious laugh.

    "I know! I can't cook to save my life! I've tried and I've tried, but I just don't get it!" she said. "How he expects me to reach his level before he retires... I'll never understand the way he thinks sometimes."

    "What about your mom?"

    "She wants me to step up my participation in her organization's charity efforts. Since I can't cook, it seems like the option to choose... but much of her charity work is in Andalla, Sakala and Durandas! Those are not nice places, and all I've known my entire life is comfort..."

    "Charity? Screw that shit, I got an even better idea!"

    "Language!" she chastised quickly, as if it were a regular occurrence.

    Nicole dismissed her concerns and continued, "So I'm goin' on the road as a Pokémon trainer, and I need someone by my side. I want that someone to be you. My best friend in the whole world! C'mon, think about it! Just me 'n' you, on the road together, with nothin' to stop us, nothin' to get in our way!"

    "Hmm..."

    "Think of it as escapin' from your parents. They want you to do all that borin' shit you're not any good at! But you been around Kanto a lot with your dad right? You must know some of the cities like the back of your hand!"

    "Is 'escape' really the right word?" she lamented, then sighed. "I suppose it would be nice to leave town again, it's been a few years..."

    "There ya go! Hey! You can be a tour guide! I don't even know how to get to Fuchsia from here!"

    Kimberly giggled. "You don't need me for that. It's just up the road, friend."

    "I'll pay ya a share of my winnings from all those competitions I'll be dominatin'."

    Kimberly giggled as she twirled about, pointing out the garden, the seaside view and the mansion she lived in. "You don't have to pay me, you know. I'm not exactly struggling."

    "Always flauntin' that wealth... Well come on, will ya?"

    She took a moment to think about it. "I suppose it would give me an opportunity to explore other possibilities... I wanted to visit Mulberry and speak to some people for some time, as well..."

    "Mulberry? Yeah, I can make that happen."

    "I understand if you're expecting an answer today, but I will need some time to think this over. And then I will need some time to prepare if I do decide that this is a good idea."

    "You got it. I wasn't plannin' on leavin' until next week at the earliest."


    - - - - -​

    Andrea interrupted the story. "This Nicole lady sounds like a total punk."

    "She has a bit of a jagged personality, yes," Kimberly answered.

    "So you left a life of comfort behind to travel the roads with this girl? That seems so... out of character for you."

    "I felt like I had to! I could never see myself learning to become a master chef, let alone a novice chef. My mother's ideas did not appeal to me, either... I understand the importance of charity work, but to follow her to an active war zone? I couldn't!"

    "Yeah, no kidding... So what happened next?"

    "The first two months were boring, so I'll skip that..."


    - - - - -​

    The door to the Pewter City Pokécenter whooshed open, and Kimberly and Nicole walked in. Following them was a stubby, round creature with a green body. Adorning its rounded body was a bright yellow flower with a white center at the top and large flopping ears beside it. Every now and then, the creature would shed a petal from the flower on top of its head and leave a trail behind it, quickly replacing it with a new petal. The creature had numerous cuts and bruises along its body, but it kept a cartoonish grin on its face through all of its pain.

    "Very well done today, Nicole," Kimberly said.

    Nicole wouldn't hear it. "I could'a done better... I lost one of my fighters this time and poor Skippy got all tore up. That didn't happen in Celadon or Cerulean." She wandered up to the reception area and dropped her Pokéball collection onto the front desk, then knelt down and picked up her Skiploom. "C'mon, up ya go."

    "Full service, ma'am?" the nurse asked, scooping the Pokéballs up.

    "Yeah, make 'em smile," She patted her Skiploom on the back and continued, "You follow the nice nurse, ya hear? I'll be back for ya in a bit. Me and Kimmy are going out for a bite."

    The two took a walk down the street towards the Pewter Street Family Restaurant and entered. While being seated, taking their orders and receiving their food, Kimberly tried to start numerous conversations, none of which interested Nicole. Nicole wanted only one thing, to continue the relentless study of the strategy book her nose was buried in.

    She felt ignored, and it certainly wasn't the first time since they had started travelling together. She decided to try a topic that her friend might be interested in. "You are the only person I know who can take a stunning victory like that and turn it into a criticism."

    Without looking up from her book, Nicole answered, "I'm not gonna get better if I settle for mediocrity. This is my life now, and I need to be the best. There are hundreds of thousands of people out there doin' the same thing I'm doin'. If I'm not better than them, I've already lost."

    "Look at what you've accomplished so far! You've been a Pokémon trainer for four months, and you've only started taking it seriously these past two months. What have you done in that time?" She reached across the table and opened Nicole's vest, displaying the three badges and a blue ribbon that were pinned to the inside. "You've defeated three of these gym leaders and placed first in the Mulberry Competitor's Conference. I don't know much about being a Pokémon trainer, but isn't that impressive?"

    "It is, but there are people who've done better in shorter time periods."

    "There's no getting through to you, is there?"

    Nicole chuckled. "I understand what you're saying and I 'preciate it. But please, don't try to dampen my competitive spirit. This is when I work best, when I'm all fired up."

    There was a long period of silence as Nicole continued to skim through her strategy book and Kimberly finished her salad. She wanted to break the silence and ask a question that had been on her mind for the previous few weeks, and figured now would be a good time to ask.

    "They say that great people teach others... They share their knowledge, their expertise. That is the hallmark of a true master."

    "Wha?" Nicole asked, looking up from her book. "What's that supposed to mean?"

    "I've been watching you train these past two months, and every day I grow more and more interested in trying it for myself."

    Nicole closed her book and put it down. "Oh! Yeah? You, a trainer?"

    "It would give me something to do while you're busy."

    She shook her head. "I dunno, you're gettin' pretty good at that music stuff. Do ya really need Pokémon distractin' ya from that?"

    "I can work on both, can't I?"

    "But you can't be the best at both. Remember that."

    "Has it not occurred to you that perhaps I am not looking to be the world's greatest in either? I don't give a flip if I end up being terrible at both, I just want to try. That's why I'm here, to find new things to do."

    "Alright, alright! Chill! If you wanna try it out, I'll do what I can to help." she said. "Tell ya what, let's take a few days off and swing on over to Pallet Town, getcha a nice and easy starter to work with."


    - - - - -​

    The story was interrupted once again by a curious Andrea. "Hold on! You didn't even have a Pokémon of your own for those two months?"

    Kimberly shook her head. "I did not."

    "So what were you doing while your friend was dragging you around?"

    "Mostly just enjoying myself! It had been ages since I'd gotten out of the house. I planned on using it as an opportunity to look for inspiration for my paintings, but painting while on the road simply isn't feasible."

    "Yeah, I wouldn't want to carry all of that with me. So, you turned to music instead?"

    "I did. I was thinking that a career in music would be a way out of inheriting my father's business, or ending up at a refugee camp with my mother... Perhaps you might get to hear it sometime, but I lost my guitar when the S.S. Beckinshire sank..." She looked at the mechanical clock hanging on the wall above her. "Oh, It's getting a little late, isn't it..."

    "That's fine! Keep going, this is actually pretty interesting!"
     
    Last edited:
    • chapter 44
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 44: Tavern Tales: A Girl and Her Turtle    ​

    "So what was it like that first day you received a Pokémon? I bet you were excited, right?" Andrea asked.

    "How did you guess?" she asked in a sarcastic yet friendly manner.

    "The day I see you not showing excitement for something, I'll be impressed," Andrea said. "So? It was a run of the mill day when I met Furball, any different for you?"

    "Well, for starters, the weather was dreadful..."


    - - - - -​

    The rain was coming down pretty hard over Pallet Town, accompanied by sporadic lightning and thunder. A fierce wind had kicked up, strong enough to sway even the sturdiest of the trees around the town. Today was supposed to be a big day for Kimberly, but it was already shaping up to be a bad one if the weather was any indication.

    "Ugh! I hate the rain! And it's so cold!" Kimberly complained. She rubbed her arms to warm them up, shivering intensely from the unseasonably cool and wet weather. "What kind of town is this, anyways? There's nowhere to take shelter!"

    "It's a farmin' community populated by hicks, what do ya expect?" Nicole said.

    "Why would Professor Oak set his laboratory up out here?"

    "Hell if I know, I don't understand old people."

    A gust of wind caught Kimberly's umbrella and tried to rip it away from her, but she was able to hold on. "I do hope we arrive soon. I do not like this weather."

    "Are you kiddin'? Rain is awesome!"

    "Rain is only nice when it's warm and breezy..."

    It was a long walk from where they were to Professor Oak's lab. They spent nearly an hour passing corn fields, wheat fields and potato fields, each with a small farm house nearby. Despite being on the road for nearly two months beforehand, neither had seen true rural countryside like this before. They expected the locals to be friendly, but every single one that they passed gave them mean looks or dismissed them as city slickers. A rapidly spinning windmill eventually poked out of the foggy rain, which was the most prominent and memorable feature of Professor Oak's lab. They had finally made it!

    Inside was dry and warm, a very welcome change from the drab and dreary weather outside.

    "Okay, we made it. Now what?" Nicole asked.

    "I would assume we let them know we are here. Follow me." she said, leading Nicole to a counter in the far corner of the room. A quick look around showed that nobody was manning the office. She rang the bell that sat on the counter and waited patiently. "By the by, thank you for taking the time to come out this way."

    "Ehh. Weren't nothin'. I wasn't gonna send you off alone."

    More time passed as they waited for someone to answer the bell. The smooth jazz that softly blared from the radio in the corner paired with the gentle pitter patter of the rain and rumbling thunder in the distance helped to create a soothing atmosphere that melted the time away. Eventually a young man entered the room and took his place behind the counter.

    "Sorry about that, ladies, the professor needed help moving something large," the man said. "How may I help you?"

    "I'm here to see Professor Oak," Kimberly said.

    "Sure. What's your name?" the secretary asked as he grabbed a notebook and opened it.

    "Kimberly Fairbrooke."

    He skimmed through a list of names, times and dates. "Let's see... Ah! Here you are." He looked at his watch. "Right on time, too! I'll go fetch him for ya."

    The secretary disappeared through the doorway and more time passed in relative silence. The minutes seemed to drag on and on as Kimberly anxiously waited for her upcoming appointment. She began to realize the importance of the day as she anticipated the events awaiting her; today would mark the day she would officially become a Pokémon trainer, and the day she would take on some of the first major responsibilities she ever had. It wasn't quite the same, but she likened it to adopting a child. Whichever creature she chose would depend on her for its every need. It was a sobering thought.

    The door swung open and a young man in his late 20s emerged. "Ah, my guests are here! Good!" He offered his hand out to the two. "Welcome to my lab!"

    Kimberly shook his hand. "Thank you for seeing me, professor!"

    Nicole blinked rapidly as she tried to understand the situation. "Wait, you're Professor Oak? I thought you were supposed to be some old dude!"

    He laughed. "No, that's my grandfather. He retired a few months ago and handed off the lab to me and my sister. The name's Gary, by the way."

    "Gary--" she muttered, then feverishly shook his hand. "Oh shit, the Gary Oak? Indigo League Champion? Master of the Silver Conference? Dude, you are an absolute legend! I can't believe I'm in the same room as you!"

    "Stop, you're flattering me!" Professor Oak blushed. "Those days are in the past now... So, which one of you was it that was here for a pick up?"

    Kimberly took a step forward. "That would be me. Kimberly Fairbrooke."

    "Right. Please, follow me."

    Professor Oak led them down a hallway, passing by several doors on the way. Windows offered a glimpse of what was in each of the rooms that they were passing by; One was a fully featured emergency room with medical staff inside, hard at work on an injured Pokémon. Another room was filled with shelves, stocked from top to bottom with all sorts of books, assorted Pokéballs, and medical supplies. The final room lacked a window and appeared to be locked down tightly, only opening with a key card and a hand signature.

    He opened a door at the end of the hallway and stepped inside. The room was very comfortable compared to everything else they had seen in the rest of the building, with a plush carpet, comfortable looking leather chairs and the kinds of decorations one might find in a home rather than a place of research. In the center of the room was a large oaken desk with several pictures on it from the professor's past, ranging from his brief time as Champion of the Indigo League to when he and his sister inherited the lab from his grandfather.

    He opened a cupboard and pulled out a small glass case. Inside were three shining, freshly polished Pokéballs, each decorated with a small pattern; a leaf on one, a flame on another and a water droplet on the last one. He placed the case on the table and opened it. "Here at my lab, we offer a variety of different Pokémon to aspiring trainers. However, these three have proven to be the most popular, so we'll start out with them." He grabbed the Pokéball with a leaf design on it and tossed it into the center of the room.

    The Pokéball bounced on the floor, then exploded with a shower of fluttering flower petals. In its place was a small reptilian creature with mottled green skin. The most prominent feature about the creature was the giant, leafy bulb affixed to its back. It examined its surroundings with curiosity, then walked over to the shelf in the corner of the room. Vines extended from under the bulb and reached upwards, grabbing an unmarked flask filled with a syrupy silver liquid.

    "Bulbasaur!" Professor Oak chastised.

    The Bulbasaur looked back at him, then put the flask down in disappointment. "Myeeeeh!"

    "Right. This is Bulbasaur. If you hadn't guessed already, he's very closely associated with nature and plants, despite being an animal. The bulb on his back--" He stopped when he noticed that the Bulbasaur had wandered off and started going through the drawers in his desk. "Bulbasaur! We have guests!" The Bulbasaur refused to listen to him. "Just a moment please."

    Kimberly and Nicole looked at each other in amusement as Professor Oak chased after and struggled to get a firm grip on the marauding Bulbasaur. With it successfully in his arms, he returned to the table and continued.

    "Where was I... Ah, yes! The bulb on his back is very interesting. Not only is it a source of energy for him during sunny days, it's also useful for garden enthusiasts; it lets off--"

    As Professor Oak continued his enthralling lesson, the Bulbasaur was busy getting into more trouble. When he realized his struggles to break free from the professor's arms were fruitless, he extended his vines outward, towards Kimberly. She initially just moved out of the way, then started to swat at the vines as she continued to listen to the professor. The Bulbasaur upped the ante, wrapping his vines around her shoulders, then rubbed down her back.

    "Can you not, please?" she asked in a commanding tone, making eye contact with the Bulbasaur.

    The Bulbasaur ignored her and slipped his vines beneath her collar.

    She yanked the vines out and took a few steps back while her friend laughed uncontrollably. "I've seen enough. If he's going to act that way now, he's going to act that way later, and I won't put up with it."

    Professor Oak sighed and grabbed the Bulbasaur's Pokéball. "My apologies. Bulbasaur, return!" The Bulbasaur deformed into a blob of red light, then rocketed back into the Pokéball. "Sorry about that... Bulbasaur and his family members usually have manners." He grabbed the Pokéball with the flame pattern from the table. "Let's have a look at the next one, shall we?" He tossed the Pokéball forward, causing it to crack open with a burst of flickering flames. A small, orange bipedal lizard appeared, with a stream of fire sparking off of its tail. "This here is Charmander, best known for his mastery of fire."

    Kimberly knelt down to interact with him. "Hello, there!"

    The Charmander responded by hissing at her, expelling his hot breath in her face, then dashed about the room.

    "He's not a friendly one, is he?"

    "It's nothing personal. Charmander can be quite temperamental at times, especially when he wants to exercise."

    "How difficult would it be to train him? And would he be a creep like that Bulbasaur?"

    Professor Oak chuckled. "No, most likely not. Charmander is usually too focused on improving itself to get into too much trouble. It's by far the most difficult of these three to raise, but also the most rewarding. His final evolved form is arguably the most powerful of the three, and certainly the most intimidating." He took a second to judge Kimberly by her appearance and figured she wasn't the type interested in power or intimidation. "But... if all you're looking to become is a casual trainer, I might suggest against him."

    She looked to Nicole for advice. "What do you think?"

    "I say go for it. You can never go wrong with a powerful Pokémon as long as you train 'em right."

    Professor Oak watched as the Charmander thrashed around. "Well... Power is a good thing to have, but it isn't everything. I didn't pick a Charmander when I started as a Pokémon trainer almost a decade ago, and I did well enough. It's all about how you use the potential of your Pokémon, rather than brute force."

    "Hmm... What about the next one?"

    Professor Oak grabbed the last remaining Pokéball on the desk and tossed it upwards. The ball exploded with a deluge of water that evaporated almost as soon as it came into contact with a solid surface, revealing a short and pudgy turtle-like creature with blue, scaly skin. The top half of its brown shell was covered in a mixture of swirly and ring patterns on each fragment. It crawled along the ground as it studied its surroundings.

    He knelt down and patted the Squirtle on its still soft shell. "This one is Squirtle. He's our youngest, he just hatched about two weeks ago."

    "Aww, he's adorable!" Kimberly said with glee as she watched the Squirtle investigate every inch of the floor around it. "If he's younger, that should make it easier to bond with him, correct?"

    "Yes."

    The Squirtle pushed himself up onto his hind legs and began to explore the room from his new vantage point. He noticed the Charmander from earlier in the corner of the room and decided to approach. He plodded along as fast as his little legs could take him, stumbling a few times along the way. Upon reaching the Charmander, he became entranced by the flickering flame that danced at the end of his tail. The Charmander turned around and growled; he wasn't happy about the Squirtle being so close, and when the Squirtle didn't back away, he snarled into a hissing roar.

    The Squirtle let out a squeaking sound and ran for cover. The nearest thing he found to hide behind was Kimberly's leg, which he used to great effect.

    "Aww! Don't be scared!" she said, kneeling down to comfort him. "He's just a big bully!"

    The Squirtle climbed up her arm and rested on her shoulder, then buried his head into her hair and fixed a watchful gaze on the Charmander.

    "I think he likes you!" Professor Oak said.

    "He's adorable..."

    Professor Oak grabbed the Charmander's Pokéball and recalled him. "That's our three most popular ones..." he said as he reached into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out another Pokéball with a snowflake pattern stamped into it. "We've got some more, this one's from the foothills of Johto and goes by--"

    "That won't be necessary, professor! I think I found what I was looking for." She grabbed the Squirtle off of her shoulder and held him above her head, then spun around. The Squirtle giggled with glee and clapped as he flew through the air.

    "Are you sure? There's a few more for you to look at."

    "I like this one," she said, placing him onto the floor. He instantly clung to her leg like a magnet.

    "Very well!" Professor Oak said. He handed the Pokéball with the water drop decal on it to Kimberly. "Let me run you through the basics. When you want to recall a Pokémon, simply click on the button in the middle. The Pokéball will increase in size, and then pressure sensors in the top half will tell the Pokéball what you want it to do depending on how you hold it. Most trainers add on a catchphrase as well, such as 'Return!', but that's more of a tradition than a requirement." He demonstrated the proper technique of how to hold a Pokéball for recalling a Pokémon.

    Kimberly tried to emulate him, but held the Pokéball upside down. She aimed it at the Squirtle and shouted, "Squirtle, in you go!" However, the Pokéball refused to act.

    "Try turnin' it around," Nicole said.

    She did as she was asked, and this time it worked. A beam of light surged out of the Pokéball and hit the Squirtle, deforming it into a blob of red light which surged back into the Pokéball. She studied the Pokéball, worried that her new Squirtle might have been harmed by the process.

    "There ya go."

    "Yup! And in order to release him again, it's just as simple as throwing it." Professor Oak added. "So are you two on the road together?"

    "Sure are!" Nicole said.

    "Are you a trainer yourself?"

    She opened her vest and displayed the three badges she had already earned. "That's right!"

    "Good! Maybe you can teach her what you know." he said, grabbing a book from his desk. He handed the book to Kimberly and continued, "This book details the basics of being a Pokémon trainer. Study it, learn it, live it. However, reading a book isn't quite the same as learning from someone who already knows."

    Kimberly opened the book and idly flipped through the pages. She was mortified to see that it was over 300 pages long and only sparsely populated by images and diagrams. She never intended to be a serious competitive trainer, but she began to wonder just how complicated being a casual trainer might be as well.

    "Oh, before I forget, bring him out again," Professor Oak requested.

    She did as she was asked and tossed the Pokéball into the air. The Squirtle appeared in a shower of splashing water, then landed on the floor.

    "One of the most important parts about bonding properly with your Pokémon is choosing a unique name for them."

    "A name?"

    "Yeah. Think of him as a pet. Every good pet needs a good name."

    Nicole shook her head in disagreement, but kept quiet.

    "Hmm... a name..." Kimberly knelt down and stroked her Squirtle on the head. "I fear I'm not the creative type... How about..."

    "Your grandad passed recently, didn't he?" Nicole asked. "Maybe you could name him in his memory?"

    "Juliano?" she asked, then studied her Squirtle. She wasn't sure if Juliano was a proper fit for him, but her lack of other ideas prompted her to ask, "What do you think of it, little guy? Are you okay with Juliano?"

    The Squirtle tilted his head with curiosity.

    She began to wonder. "Do they understand us?"

    "It's a very interesting question, and a subject of great debate amongst the scientific community. Some researchers swear that they don't, but from what I've seen in my own time as a trainer, Pokémon can pick up on human language, even at a young age like his. There aren't many that can speak it back to us, though... Most lack the jaw structure for complicated speech."

    She turned back to her Squirtle. "My grandfather Juliano was a very special part of my life when I was younger. I hadn't seen him much in the past few years, but it was tragic when he passed... Would you like to take on his role as my special somebody?"

    The Squirtle grinned and nodded with excitement.

    "That settles it!" she said as she patted him on the head. "We're going to be great friends, Juliano!"


    - - - - -​

    "That was kind of heartwarming!" Andrea said. "So that's how you and Juliano met, huh? You protecting him from a bully?"

    "Yes."

    "Heh. If only we knew each other when I was younger..."

    Kimberly looked up at the clock, seeing that it was about twenty minutes after midnight. "Oh dear. I gabbed on the whole evening! We might not get an early start in the morning." She closed her journal and gathered up her pencil and eraser, the headed over towards the bed. "Maybe it's for the best. Fog likes to stick around in the early morning."

    Andrea adjusted herself on the bed and wrapped the silken sheet around her. "What were you writing over there, by the way?" she asked.

    "I wasn't writing anything," Kimberly said as she put her pencil and eraser back into her backpack. She flipped open her journal to her unfinished drawing and showed it to Andrea. "I was drawing something, instead."

    Andrea sat up to get a better look at the drawing. Despite being unfinished, it was very detailed; on one side was a very rough sketch of a humanoid figure, likely the unfinished part. The other side featured a young woman who appeared to be leaning on the roughly drawn figure with one of the happiest smiles she had ever seen. Considerable time was spent on the young woman, especially with her hair and clothing, which were fully detailed and shaded. "Wow, this is incredible! I thought you might have been stretching the truth when you were talking about painting that tree, but... Maybe painting just isn't your thing, but look at this! You're a master with pencil work!"

    "Thank you!"

    "Seriously, you are so much more talented than I am... You can draw, you can paint, you're a Pokémon trainer, a coordinator, a singer... And what am I but just a dumb waitress who got scammed into doing some professor's dirty work..."

    "You're much more than that! We need to find your talents and work on them!"

    "Eh..." she groaned, then sighed as she turned away. "Sorry, I bummed myself out, I think I'm going to get some sleep..."
     
    • chapter 45
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 45: Mistweaver    ​

    It was a bright and early start to the day. Kimberly was wide awake, seated at a table in the courtyard that had a spectacular view of the stone spires that dotted the valley below. Beside her was Patches, and they were both sharing their morning breakfast of diced carrots, spiced rice and orange slices, all drenched in honey. Her journal was open and contained an exhaustive list of potential ideas for material for her coordination routines, but most had been crossed out.

    "Once I return to Storm Island, perhaps I could buy a new guitar and work that into one of my routines somehow... Maybe with Wiggles..? Hmm..." she said as she took notes. "What do you think, Patches?"

    Patches meowed and shook her head.

    "I know that didn't go well in the Winter Carnival last year, but I've had more time to practice since then! Remember, that was my first appearance. Much of my performance was hampered by the limelight, and that's something I've grown accustomed to."

    Patches remained steadfast and shook her head even harder.

    "C'mere you little rascal!" she shouted as she picked up her Skitty and cuddled with her. "You just don't like my music do you?"

    The cellar door swung open and the elderly tavern keeper emerged with an empty wooden bucket in her hands. She noticed Kimberly seated in the courtyard and approached. "Ah, the young traveller from afar! Are you enjoying your breakfast?"

    Kimberly turned around to face the elderly woman. "I am! Your son prepared this, correct?"

    The elderly woman nodded.

    "Extend my gratitude to him. This meal is simple, but there's something elegant about it... I dare say it rivals my father's cooking!"

    "I'll let him know that you're happy with it," the elderly woman said as she placed the bucket down on the table next to them. "How about the room? Did you enjoy that, as well?"

    "It was a bit chilly, but I would expect that from being in the basement."

    "Hmm... a common complaint... perhaps I can move another heater down there..." the elderly woman mused. "Besides that, did you have a good night?"

    "I did! My friend and I stayed up most of the night, having a nice chat. It was the first time that she seemed truly interested in me, in what I have to say. I feel like I'm getting somewhere with her." Her excitement began to fade as she recalled how the previous night ended, then sighed. "But I feel like I might have bragged a little too much..."

    "Oh?"

    "Her and I are similar in age, but I've accomplished so much more than she has, and I've been so much more fortunate as well. I hadn't realized it until now, but she must feel so inferior when comparing herself to me, and she does that an awful lot."

    The elderly woman leaned on the railing beside her. "In my many, many years, I've learned that the downtrodden are always their own harshest critics. Perhaps she needs greater encouragement? The great men and women of history rarely achieved what they did when no one believed in them."

    "Yes, I'll try to encourage her. I owe her that much at least."

    Andrea approached from behind. "I'm ready to go, I guess..." However, she looked haggard and worn down, the complete opposite of someone who was ready for a day of travel.

    "Ready to go? You haven't had breakfast yet!" Kimberly said.

    She shook her head. "Not hungry..." she muttered, then turned to the elderly lady. "Thank you for the room. It was a nice change from camping."

    The elderly lady bowed courteously. "No, thank you for visiting, young one. May the wind be at your back!"

    "Ehh, feels like it's always in my face..." she groaned. After a moment, she shook her head and apologized. "Sorry. Grumpy morning. My fault, really."

    The elderly lady turned to Kimberly. "I see what you mean."

    Andrea grumbled. "What, talking about me behind my back now? I get it, you're better than me. You don't have to rub it in..."

    Kimberly was shocked by her friend's words. "No, no! That's not it at all. I was only asking our host for advice about cheering you up!"

    The elderly lady nodded. "It's true. She wants you to be happy."

    "Whatever. Can we just go already?"


    - - - - -​

    Along the road, Kimberly tried to strike up numerous conversations, but Andrea was hardly interested in talking. Nothing could hold her attention longer than a few seconds; childhood memories, favorite movies, dreams and aspirations, battle and coordination strategies, none of it could break her silence. Concerned about her friend's silence and wondering if it might be related to the story she told last night, Kimberly tried to dig in and understand just what was wrong, and began asking a long line of questions.

    Eventually, Andrea lost her temper and snapped. "Nothing's wrong!" she shouted.

    "I only wanted to--"

    "Please, just shut up! Can we not talk for once? Is that too much to ask? I have nothing interesting to say, I never have. I just want to get to where we're going, okay?"

    "I... umm..." she bumbled, completely speechless. "Oh... okay..." Her voice wavered with sadness. It had been the first time in years that a friend had been so rude to her, she had almost forgotten how to react in such situations.

    The rest of the journey was long, silent and awkward. The tension between the two girls was almost solid. Andrea fumed away in anger and frustration, jumping immediately at every opportunity to interrupt her friend, even if it was interrupting something as harmless as a cough. Kimberly began to realize that something didn't feel quite right about the way Andrea was acting, but figured that poking the hornet's nest would be a bad idea. Instead, they walked in relative silence for what felt like hours, but in reality was closer to only twenty minutes. As they rounded a corner and climbed one last set of steps, they began to realize that they had arrived at the Shenzin Monastery.

    The monastery was hidden from sight by an imposing brown brick wall that stretched to heights of nearly thirty feet. The wall was flat and bland, with no decorations or windows, and the only way through it was a small gateway. Hanging from the gateway was a peculiar ornament; forty crystal shards of varying sizes and shapes dangled from red silken ribbons. The crystals appeared to be deliberately ordered, as they were hung in such a way that they created a symmetrical, almost-alien shape. The crystals had a soft, white glow to them, contrasting quite clearly against the dark background around them.

    As they passed through the gate and under the crystalline ornament, Andrea began to feel different. Even though she had yet to properly cross into the monastery's grounds, she felt as if she had found a sanctuary from all of the troubles of the world. The stresses of the journey she been on since waking up on the shores of Sakala seemed to fade from her mind, as did the uncertainty of what was ahead of her.

    The two crossed into the courtyard and were met with a beautiful sight; The monastery itself was very regal in appearance, decorated with bright red, white and gold coloring. The central spire of the main pagoda towered over the area, stretching eleven stories tall. The windows were filled with stained glass depictions detailing the religious history of the region, with most focusing on imagery of tigers, dragons, doves and shapes similar to the crystal ornament hanging from the main gateway. Several smaller pagodas dotted the landscape, decorated with similar imagery. Various ornaments, ribbons and lamps hung from the sloped rooves, stretching between the main pagoda and its satellites.

    The garden surrounding the monastery was impressive in its own right. Numerous trees were scattered throughout it, ranging from leafy trident maples and dogwoods to the more hardy hornbeams which the surrounding area was known for. Polished stone pathways snaked through the garden, surrounding ponds and connecting bridges that crossed a myriad of creeks and cliffs. Hedges divided the garden into distinct districts, where monks could be seen meditating, practicing martial arts or studying other disciplines.

    The monastery was not as busy as they expected. They heard about the Shenzin Monastery's popularity as a tourist attraction, but there wasn't a single visitor besides them in sight. All they could see were dozens of monks, all of them with shaved heads and dressed in simplistic crimson robes. The monks were performing a variety of tasks, from tending to the gardens to sweeping the polished stone walkways, and they all seemed to be enjoying what amounted to little more than menial labor.

    As the two wandered through the gardens and admired their surroundings, Andrea began to think about what had happened earlier that morning. She felt awful about the argument, the yelling and the name calling. She realized that her own shortcomings were no excuse to try to bring down others. "Kimberly?" she started.

    "Yes?"

    "I'm really sorry that I yelled at you this morning."

    Kimberly turned to look at her, then rested her hand on Andrea's shoulder. "You were feeling down, I understand!"

    "That doesn't make it right. You were trying to cheer me up and I wasn't having any of it." She shook her head. "I shouldn't be comparing myself to you, anyways."

    "You're correct, you shouldn't. We all have our own story. Our own standards. The life I was given, while fortunate, is not the one you were given and by comparing your achievements to mine, you are only being dishonest with yourself."

    "Yeah..."

    "Besides, success isn't about what's given to us, it's defined by what we've earned. While it might seem like I've done a lot with my life, the truth is that I've failed at things more often than getting it right from the start. It's only natural! The most important part about being a successful person is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."

    "Right."

    "Maybe something one of my role models once said can help inspire you. I believe she said, 'I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down.' I'll be that friend who believes in you. I am that friend, because I do honestly believe you have what it takes to achieve whatever your heart desires!"

    She let out a chuckle. "Somehow I doubt I'll ever explore the stars, but... I just need to try a bit harder, don't I?"

    "Trying harder never hurts, and I will be very glad to help if you need a hand!"

    "Thank you. I don't know why I was doubting myself so hard this morning." She pulled Kimberly in closer for a tight, squeezing hug, who found it a bit strange and unexpected. "Now that I feel a little bit better, let's enjoy this day, let's enjoy this monastery!"


    - - - - -​

    The two had spent nearly an hour wandering through the extensive gardens before moving onto their next stop, the main pagoda. Unlike the rather simplistic exterior, the interior of the pagoda was incredibly detailed: the red walls and pillars were covered in all sorts of decorations, from murals and scrolls to intricately chiseled brass tiles. Wine racks lined the walls, each paired with a rack of martial arts staves next to them. Every table in the main room was littered with golden, silver and jade statues of tigers, doves and dragons.

    Andrea and Kimberly wandered around the room, soaking in the culture around them like sponges. The imagery on the murals and scrolls were easy enough to understand, but everything else was written in a language neither of them could understand.

    "Can that thing on your wrist translate other languages? I'd be interested to know what any of this actually is."

    Andrea searched through the features of her R-Kit and eventually found a translation app. "I guess it can! That might have come in useful a few times..." she said.

    She scanned the sign next to one of the doors, which her R-Kit was able to translate with surprising speed. The screen displayed the intricate symbols on the sign followed by a translation below them.

    "Great Shard of Valakasa," she read out.

    "Shall we have a gander?"

    "Why not? We're here."

    Through the door was a spiraled stairwell that led underground. The stone steps downward were littered with pink and red flower petals, leaves and lit candles. At the bottom was a large room with an intricate tile floor. A golden statue of a roaring tiger was on one end of the room, while a silver statue of a meditating monk was on the opposite side of the room. The most obvious feature in the room was the large, glowing crystal embedded into the floor in the center of the room, shining so brightly that it was difficult to look at for more than a few seconds. They cautiously approached it.

    "What do you think it is?" Kimberly asked. "This 'great shard', I mean."

    "Maybe we can find out," Andrea raised her R-Kit to the shard and noticed that it was radiating a considerable amount of heat.

    As she began to scan the crystal in hopes of determining its physical properties, the R-Kit bleated, "Anomalous energy signatures detected. Energy analysis commencing..." After a few brief moments of it scanning and working with the incoming data, it added, "Analysis complete. Wavelength is measured to be 10 to the power of negative 15.8. Frequency in Hertz is measured to be approximate 10 to the power of 24.7."

    Based on her knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum, she instinctively backed away from the crystal, but quickly realized there was no point. It spurred her memory, as she couldn't help but think she had an experience very similar to this before.

    "Something wrong?" Kimberly asked.

    "I've seen something like this before!" she said as she tried to recall when and where. "Back on Storm Island, in the Blackwood Forest... Yes! There was a stone obelisk in the forest that let off similar levels of electromagnetic radiation, I'm sure of it!"

    Kimberly looked up at the crystal with fear and worry. "R-radiation? I don't know a lot about science, but isn't that bad?"

    "I would think so, but... I mean, you don't feel weird, do you? Not sick, dizzy?"

    Kimberly shook her head. "If anything, I feel... happy, maybe?"

    "You're always happy, though..." she said. "I don't feel weird either, though... But I should definitely be feeling something! This thing is putting out energy waves far above gamma radiation."

    "Gamma radiation?"

    "It's the most powerful form of energy that science has uncovered. To put it simply... we should be dead right now. But we're not..." She placed her hand on the crystal. "What the hell is this thing? And that black stone I found in the Blackwood Forest... are they related in some way?"

    "Perhaps we could find one of the monks and ask them?"

    They decided to do that later and continued to have a look throughout the room. Their attention was drawn towards some scrolls that were hanging from the walls, which Andrea translated with her R-Kit; one appeared to be full of quotes about world peace and self improvement, while another likened taking care of a garden to cultivating the soul. Another detailed the proper way to practice the 'martial art of tiger's fury', with the one next to it describing the importance of meditation.

    As they continued to explore the writings together, a monk entered the room, his head hung in silence. He noticed the two in the corner. "Ah! Visitors!" he said.

    Kimberly turned around to greet him. "Hello, sir!"

    The monk clasped his hands together with delight. "Ah, good, you speak English! That should make this easier."

    "A surprising amount of people speak English in this land..." she said.

    "Well, I'm not from around here, and judging by your accent, neither are you," he said as he approached and offered his hand out to them. "I am known as Brother Dent."

    She shook his hand. "I am Kimberly, and this is my friend, Andrea."

    Andrea shook his hand next. "Nice to meet you."

    Brother Dent wandered across the room and grabbed a broom, then started to sweep away at the floor. "So, what brings you two to the monastery today? Are you here on a pilgrimage?"

    "We're trying to get home, but the monastery was along the way. I didn't want to come at first, but I'm glad I did." Andrea answered.

    "Oh?"

    "I was in a pretty bad mood this morning, but now... I don't know how to explain it, but it's like all of that washed away when we came here."

    "I am not surprised, most of the people who visit say the same. Here at the monastery, we teach that inner peace is a gift from the Grand Spirits, specifically the Grand Spirit of Serenity, Shenzin, which the monastery is named after." Brother Dent said as he continued sweeping. "Most people don't believe it, but I've been here long enough to see that it's very true."

    "What is Shenzin? Is it this giant crystal?" she asked.

    "No, the crystal is something else. Shenzin is the embodiment of inner peace, a core aspect of life. You may have noticed the tiger motifs around the monastery and in the surrounding wilds, that all relates to Shenzin."

    "What about this crystal, then?" Andrea asked, placing her hand on it again.

    Brother Dent walked over to the crystal, sweeping at the floor along the way. "That crystal is rumored to be the remains of an ancient god that the people of this land used to worship. Ancient legends tell of a battle waged by the stars themselves. I can't say if that's accurate or not, but when the Shenzin Order was originally founded nearly five thousand years ago, the monks chose to build the monastery around this crystal, and I'm sure they had their reasons. They called it the Shard of Valakasa, named for their god."

    "Why does this thing give off such weird energy?"

    He shrugged. "If I knew, I would be happy to tell you. But I'm little more than a humble monk, I'm not a physicist or anything." He paused for a moment and watched them inspect the crystal again. "Say, would you two like to take part in our Mistweaving ritual? It seems like you two are interested in this kind of stuff, and it's about to begin shortly."

    "Mistweaving?" Kimberly asked, clearly curious.

    "You've come to this monastery and you haven't heard about Mistweaving? Perhaps we need to increase our efforts at getting the word out... Well, it's a ritual of healing, both of the body and of the mind. Pilgrims come to us from all across the world in hopes that we can relieve them of their troubles."

    "I'd love to!" she said, then looked at Andrea. "What do you say?"

    "Hmm... I don't know..."

    "Today's ritual will be a special one. A blind man has come all the way from Shinikara to seek our help." Brother Dent said.

    Andrea wasn't sure if she heard correctly. "Come again? A blind person?"

    "Yes, ma'am."

    "And he expects you to be able to heal him? Now this I've gotta see..."

    "I can almost feel your skepticism! Perhaps today we will make a believer out of you." he said with a laugh. He began to sweep the floor even more vigorously. "It should start soon. I have to get this finished!"

    "Where should we go to take part in this?" Kimberly asked.

    "Will we even be allowed to? This sounds like something that should be kept low key, ya know? I wouldn't want random strangers showing up to something so important." Andrea added.

    Brother Dent nodded. "We do have guests from time to time, especially for our more... 'difficult' requests. As for where, the ritual takes place here in the glow of the Shard of Valakasa."

    Andrea pulled Kimberly to the opposite side of the room to voice her doubt. "Healing a blind man, huh? This should be interesting."

    "It is a little hard to believe, isn't it..."

    "Well, if these monks are supposedly able to do what they're claiming... You think they can heal a broken heart, too?" she joked.

    "Don't be rude now, we've yet to see what this is all about!"

    "I wasn't trying to be mean about it, but maybe that did come across as a little insensitive... Sorry."

    Kimberly jokingly gasped. "Two apologies in one day? What's gotten into you?"

    The door to the spiral stairs swung open and three monks entered the room, their heads hung in silence. One was carrying an incense burner attached to a thick metal chain, while the other two carried small crystal globes with them. Behind them, the door opened again and in walked an elderly man, guided by a young woman about the same age as Kimberly. She slowly walked across the room with her arm wrapped around his shoulder, offering him words of encouragement in her native language.

    Brother Dent approached the three monks. "Brother Mohar, we will be having guests join us for this ritual." he said as he pointed at Andrea and Kimberly.

    "Ah, guests. Very good." Brother Mohar said. "Will you direct them as to what to do? Brothers Darbhan, Dalhi and I must make a few final preparations before the ritual begins."

    Brother Dent bowed graciously. "Yes, will do." He motioned for Andrea and Kimberly to come over. "Brother Mohar will be leading the ritual today, and he has agreed to let you two take part in this ritual."

    "What do we have to do?" Kimberly asked.

    "If you think you might screw something up, don't even worry about it. Participation is minimal. This ritual asks a lot from us monks, but not much from onlookers."

    Brother Mohar placed the incense burner in front of the large crystal and bowed his head to offer a quick and quiet prayer in his native Sakalan language. The other two monks who had joined him did likewise as they rested the crystal globes beside the incense burner.

    Brother Mohar spoke with a heavy accent. "Before we begin, I would like to bring attention to the fact that we will be having guests take part in the ritual today. Brother Dent has informed me that they have come from afar and displayed an interest in what we do here." he turned to Andrea and Kimberly and bowed with respect. "Would you like to talk a little about yourselves so that our pilgrim may get to know those who wish to help him?"

    Kimberly nodded and sheepishly started. "My name is Kimberly Fairbrooke, and I am from Visalia, in Kanto. I did not come to this country by choice, but I have decided to use my being here as a rare opportunity to explore new cultures and ideas, perhaps even find myself, my purpose in life."

    He turned to Andrea. "And you?"

    "Umm. I'm Andrea, and I'm from Storm Island. That's about all I have to say."

    Kimberly placed her hand on Andrea's shoulder. "She can be a quiet type sometimes!"

    "That is no issue! Brevity can be just as important as florid detail." one of the monks added.

    Brother Mohar took a seat in the center of the room, with his back to the large crystal. He assumed the half-lotus meditative position and closed his eyes. "Brothers and sisters, today we gather before the Shard of Valakasa to help our fellow man. A pilgrim has undergone a risky journey to join us today, in the hopes that we may cure him of the blindness that has stricken him. It seems an enormous and impossible task, but through the awe inspiring power of the Grand Spirit of Purity, and through the power of his faithful servant, the Grand Spirit of Serenity, all is achievable. Please, brothers and sisters, join me in meditation."

    The three monks sat beside him and took up the same position. The elderly man and his grand daughter took their seats next, sitting across from the monks. She directed him on the proper meditative posture to take, then did so herself. Andrea and Kimberly joined in shortly after. The two tried to join the rest of the gathering in meditation, but were a little unsure of how to properly go about it; neither had meditated in their lives, and their makeshift attempts at clearing their thoughts were interrupted as Brother Mohar moved on with the ritual.

    "And now we begin the tradition of purity... Through purity, we expunge the evil within ourselves, the darkness from within our hearts, and the guilt from our minds." He opened his eyes and raised his head. "Brother Dalhi, we begin with you. Confess your misdeeds and shed the shawl of corruption, so that you may purify yourself for our coming ritual."

    Without opening his eyes or breaking from his meditation, Brother Dalhi spoke. "I have taken strides to act with purity, but no man is perfect. During this past Festival of Lights, I partook of too much wine. In doing so, I made a fool of myself... and more importantly, I broke a vow that I had made in the presence of others."

    "Admission is absolution. Brother Darbhan?"

    Brother Darbhan spoke softly. "When I was a child, I found a woman bathing by the river. When she wasn't looking, I stole her clothing and she was forced to return home indecent." There was a collective, soft chuckle from the monks participating in the ritual. "It has been half a century, and I wish that I could take it back, but what's done is done."

    "Admission is absolution. Brother Dent?"

    Brother Dent took a deep breath, as if he was preparing for a great deal of judgement from his fellow monks. "I continue to lie to my family... about where I've gone, what I've been doing with my life. They would not understand the work I do here, but that is no justification for speaking falsehoods."

    "Admission is absolution. I understand the pressures your family may be putting on you. While it may be difficult to speak to them about the life you have chosen, they must know. Be true to others, or you may never be true with yourself. Self truth is the mother of purity." Brother Mohar said, nodding. He closed his eyes and lowered his head again. "Myself... I did not keep stock on our reagents. Through my laziness, my fellow brothers of the monastery could not properly perform the tradition of cleansing last week."

    Brothers Dalhi, Darbhan and Dent spoke in unison, "Admission is absolution."

    Brother Mohar opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on Andrea and Kimberly. "Would our guests from afar like to join? It is by no means required, but spiritual purity is never a bad thing."

    The two looked at each other bashfully, wondering if they should. It seemed easy enough; confess for a crime or misdeed, and be absolved of responsibility. However, they both worried that they didn't properly understand the ritual and would insult the monks, ruin the ritual or make some other mistake.

    Andrea wanted to try anyways. "Oh, hmm..." she started, then realized she had a long list of things to confess for spanning her entire lifetime. "We would be here all day..."

    "Just one confession is all that purity asks of."

    "Well..." she said as she searched her mind for something that wouldn't be too embarrassing. "I've never been close to my mom, but I've always tried to keep our disagreements somewhat civil... A few months ago, I lost it when I was arguing with her. I called her every name in the book." She looked down with a hint of sadness and remorse on her face. "I owe her an apology when I get home... For everything I've ever done."

    "Admission is absolution," Brother Mohar said. "Good relations with parents are the foundation of a good man. Without that, one can never hope to be good to others." He turned to Kimberly to ask her next. "And you, young one?"

    "Have you even done anything wrong in your life?" Andrea joked.

    "My fair share, yes," Kimberly answered. "The only thing I feel comfortable talking about today is the time I lied to my parents about being in a relationship with someone so that they would stop trying to arrange one for me, I suppose?"

    "Admission is absolution," Brother Mohar repeated. "And now, the devotee's granddaughter. Do you have anything you wish to confess?"

    The young woman bowed her head forward. "I have committed acts of violence against those who did not deserve it. I was blinded by the idea that I was defending the innocent, but I was not."

    "Admission is absolution," Brother Mohar said once more. "Finally we come to the devotee. Only through purity can the healing process begin. Speak, and confess your sins."

    The elderly man struggled to find his way to his feet and reached out for his granddaughter's support. She took his hand and led him across the room, towards the bright, shining crystal. He placed his other hand on the crystal and began to speak, "I... have done many terrible things in my life. I have lied. I have cheated. I have had relations with a married woman. I have gambled with the fortunes of others. I have been violent, and encouraged others to be as well. I have shunned the sacred tenets of life in favor of pleasure. Wisdom. Kindness. Serenity. I stand here in the presence of the Bright Star and his many servants, and I offer my penance."

    "Admission. Absolution." all four of the monks said in unison.

    As the elderly man and his granddaughter returned to their places, Brother Mohar moved forward with the ritual. "As we invoke the healing powers of the Mist, I ask that all present join me in meditation. Those unfamiliar may follow my lead; cross your legs, straighten your back, stretch your shoulders back, interlock your fingers and rest your hands in your lap. Hold your head high, close your eyes, filter out the sounds around you..."

    Each member of the group did as they were told. Andrea tried her best to let go of her thoughts, but it was a difficult concept to grasp. She was always thinking and piecing together ideas, even during periods of rest and relaxation her entire life. To change that felt unnatural to her.

    After nearly ten minutes of clearing their thoughts, Brother Mohar spoke up and led the group with a prayer. "Grand Spirit of Serenity, a devotee has travelled a long distance to visit us to receive your healing power, from the far away land of Shinikara. Stricken with blindness, he has risked life and limb to join us, and upon arrival, confessed past crimes. We humbly ask for your aid, White Tiger, so that we may help this man, and in turn, help others through him."

    More time passed by as they continued to focus on the ritual. Brother Mohar offered another prayer. "Grand Spirit of Purity, we beseech your blessing, your unending and inspiring power. Through you and within you, purity of the body, mind and spirit can be achieved. Another sick pilgrim has turned to your guidance, and we have gathered around him in solidarity. Will you bless this child of yours and restore his health?"

    Moments after his prayer was finished, Andrea began to hear a peculiar sound, a sound she had heard many times during her travels in East Sakala: the gentle song of wind chimes dancing in the breeze. Her eyes snapped open and she looked around, careful not to break the concentration of those around her. As she looked around for the source of the angelic sound, she remembered that she was in an enclosed room and that there was no wind. Even more, she couldn't find a source for the sound. As abruptly as the sound began, it ceased nearly a minute later.

    Brother Mohar rested his elbows on his knees and extended his hands outward. Small puffs of icy blue mist began to coalesce within his cupped palms, growing in size until his hands were completely enveloped. The mist began to rise off of his hands and slowly swirl around the room.

    Andrea was shocked by what she saw. She had just gotten accustomed to the idea of Pokémon conjuring elemental forces such as fire and water from thin air, but to see a human capable of it was beyond her imagination. She reached over and tapped on Kimberly's shoulder.

    Kimberly opened her eyes in silence and saw the mist beginning to form in the hands of the other monks. Her eyes widened with disbelief as the mist began to billow around her. She too was shocked to see that humans were capable of calling on primal powers in a manner similar to Pokémon.

    As the mist slowly began to wrap around them, the two felt the soreness and exhaustion from the previous day's grueling mountain climb begin to subside. The pain in their legs went away, their lungs began to soothe and their minds began to feel refreshed.

    The four monks began a strange dance of martial arts stances and vivid somatic gestures. The mist that had formed a dense cloud throughout the room began to condense into steady streams that wrapped around the monks like ribbons hanging from a festive holiday tree. The mist followed every movement of their hands. Without words, each monk outstretched his left arm towards the elderly man, redirecting the mist towards him. The mist covered the man from top to bottom, clinging to his skin and clothing as it slowly began to thin, until eventually none was left.

    "Open your eyes, devotee, and gaze upon the world!" Brother Mohar commanded.

    The elderly man slowly opened his eyes. They quickly widened; for the first time in over thirty years, he could see! With the incredible gift he had received, his first reaction was to look at the granddaughter he had never seen. He gasped as he marveled at her beauty, reminded of when his wife was her age. "Shantiang... You're... you're beautiful!" He grabbed ahold of her and hugged her dearly as tears began to stream from his eyes. "You're beautiful! This monastery is beautiful... it's all... so beautiful..."

    "By the gods, it worked..." she said. "How does it feel, grandpa?"

    "Words can't even begin begin to tell..." He took a second to look over his granddaughter one more time, then pulled her back in for a hug. "If only I could lay eyes on your grandmother one more time..."

    "You have our thanks, monks. We'll never be able to repay this debt."

    Brother Mohar shook his head. "No! There is no debt! One can not put a price on divine healing."

    The old man let his granddaughter go and approached the four monks and bowed graciously. "Regardless, you have given me a gift that I have only dreamt of for so long. You have my eternal gratitude." He motioned for his granddaughter to follow as he rushed for the doorway. "Come along, Shantiang! Let's see if the garden is as beautiful as you described..."

    As the room began to slowly empty, Andrea asked, "Wow... did that really just happen?" She was shocked by what she had witnessed. "Is this real? A man's sight restored by... what was that, magic?"

    "I can barely believe it, as well," Kimberly added. "I must know more about this..."

    Brother Dent approached the two. "So, what did you think? It's quite something, huh?"

    "You're telling me!" Andrea said, still having a hard time believing what she saw. "It doesn't make sense. At all. I mean, how does it work? How can man harness, control and redirect energy with his hands and mind? And how can he tell that harnessed energy to just fix a man's blindness? That's a delicate medical procedure! And... I just don't see how it's possible!"

    Brother Dent chuckled. "Are you a physicist, by any chance?"

    "No, but I did study it while working on my mechanical engineering degree."

    "To answer your question, it is not man who performs these miracles of wonder. The Grand Spirit of Purity, Valakasa, he is the one who does that. We merely bring such situations to his attention so that he may act accordingly."

    She shook her head as she tried to accept it. "I guess I have seen stranger things..."

    "I understand, it can be difficult to believe for the uninitiated, especially those that are scientifically minded. When I first witnessed the power of the Mistweavers, I was just as skeptical." he said, then bowed with grace. "Thank you for taking part in the ritual, by the way. It means a lot to my fellow brothers of the monastery that outsiders such as us show an interest in their beliefs."

    "Of course!" she happily said.

    "You're welcome, Brother Dent. It was an eye opening experience." Kimberly added.

    "It was, literally!" he said as he clasped his hands together. "Now, I'll leave you two to ponder what you saw today. The art of Mistweaving is physically draining, and I feel like I'm about to fall over. So if you'll excuse me... Enjoy the rest of your stay at the monastery!"
     
    • chapter 46
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 46: An Ancient Art    ​

    The full moon hung high in the air, brightly illuminating the gardens of the Shenzin Monastery. Despite it being relatively late in the night, the gardens were still busy; several monks were practicing a particularly fluid style of martial arts, while more were gathered under the trees for meditation. Kimberly was wandering through the gardens alone, taking in the scenery around her.

    She wasn't just wandering idly, however; she had a purpose. She was searching the gardens for Brother Dent in the hopes that she could ask him a few questions about what she had seen earlier that day. She was so fascinated by what she saw that she needed to know more. Her search was over fairly quickly, as she found him meditating in front of a well known as the Well of Spring and Summer.

    She timidly approached with the hope that she wasn't interrupting important meditation. "Excuse me, Brother Dent?"

    Brother Dent's posture loosened and his eyes opened. "Ah! Hello! You are Andrea, correct?"

    "No, Kimberly," she said.

    "Ah..." he said, then pointed at his head. "You'll have to excuse me, my mind can be a bit fuzzy after a long day. How can I help you?"

    "I was curious about some things..."

    "Oh? About what?"

    "Mistweaving, for a start."

    "Ahhh... Yes..." He motioned for Kimberly to sit in front of him. "What would you like to know?"

    "I want to know more about... about everything, really! How does it work? Can anyone do that? What is the source of this miraculous power? I have so many questions!"

    Brother Dent resumed his meditative posture and closed his eyes. "I'm afraid there are no easy answers. The Mist is shrouded in... mistery..." He paused for a second and opened his eyes to gauge her reaction. "Get it? No? Moving on then... We here at the Shenzin Monastery don't understand the nuances of how it works. All we know is that it does."

    "I suppose it's magic, then?" she asked.

    He closed his eyes again. "I guess it is, isn't it? Anything we don't understand could be called magic. Take electricity for example." He paused. "Actually, no... I learned about electricity when I was in school, back in Thousand Pines... My point is, what my brothers and I understand about the Mist is rather limited. All we know is that our power is granted by our connection to the White Tiger and the Spirit of Purity, and this is only achieved through years of study, training and spiritual cleansing."

    She was disheartened by what she heard. "So not just anyone can use this miraculous power?"

    "That's a question I don't have an answer for. There are so few of us who practice the art that we can't say it's limited to just us. Could anyone do it? Maybe. But I don't think many people are willing to put in the effort and time to reach the level of dedication that my brothers and I have." He opened his eyes again and studied her. "You were interested, weren't you?"

    "After seeing what I saw, absolutely!" she said with excitement. "I'm just afraid I might not have what it takes."

    "I understand that fear. I didn't think I could do it either. For man, it takes so much..."

    She perked up. "For man? What do you mean, do women have it easier?"

    "What? Oh! No! That's not what I meant!" he said with a laugh. "I haven't seen it much, but my fellow brothers tell me that certain Pokémon are capable of mastering the art of the Mist much easier than us humans. It'd make sense, wouldn't it? They can already do crazy things like breath fire, shoot lightning and use psychic abilities."

    "What kinds of Pokémon, if you know?"

    "Have you seen the Serenikitten that wanders the mountain pass, by any chance? That one seems to have an almost unnatural ability with the Mist. I can see why, considering his close relations with the White Tiger." he said, then began to think deeply. "As for what I've seen... One of the local farmers owns a Psyduck, and I've seen it use the Mist before. Same goes for the Politoed of the White Spring, near the summit of one of these mountains. My brothers have mentioned Xingli, a Slowking that used to live here at the monastery before I arrived. He was a Mistweaver as well."

    "Psyduck... Politoed..." she muttered as she tried to piece together a connection between the Pokémon he mentioned. "Besides Serenikitten, those are all closely associated with water, correct?"

    "Yup, that's right!" he said. "You're a smart one."

    "I have something that's fits that description!" she said with joy as she reached into her purse. She retrieved Juliano's Master Ball and tossed it up into the air. The Master Ball exploded with a lavish display of soothing rain and Juliano dropped to the ground. "This is my Blastoise, Juliano."

    "Ah, Blastoise! I have heard about them, but I've never seen one before!" Brother Dent stood up and studied Juliano closely. Juliano twitched lightly as he touched the cannons extending out of his shell. "If you want an affinity with water, I don't think there is a better choice than Blastoise."

    She waited for him to say something more, but he was too busy looking Juliano over to continue speaking. She broke the silence with a question, "This may be a bit much to ask, but would it be possible to arrange some sort of... I don't know, a test of some sort? To see if Juliano or I might have the potential?"

    Brother Dent broke away from his inspection. "I could possibly set that up... But please, understand this, it took me years of dedication and work. Don't expect instant results. Even if my brothers and I did study you as a person of purity, a week, let alone a single day, wouldn't be enough to see if you're capable." he warned. "Your Blastoise on the other hand... he may be capable of it, but again, it may be difficult to see in just one day."

    "This could be the only time in my life that I find myself in this part of the world, I simply must try!"

    "Very well. I'll speak with Brother Mohar, my mentor in the art of Mistweaving. Meet me here tomorrow morning at this spot, I'll have his decision ready for you." he said.

    "What should I do to prepare? Should I bring anything?" she asked.

    He scratched his chin in thought as he attempted to remember his initial training. "It wouldn't hurt to meditate. Like spiritual purity, mental clarity is key to becoming a Mistweaver. As far as what to bring goes, bring a good mood, and bring the faith that you can succeed."

    "Thank you, sir!" she said. She stretched her arms out wide and fell onto Juliano, hugging him tightly. "Isn't this exciting, Juliano? It's been awhile since we've learned something new!"

    Juliano picked her up and spun around. Despite his hardened and usually-gruff facial expression, his enthusiasm was on full display.

    Brother Dent closed his eyes and resumed his meditation. "You've got a lot to prepare for, I suggest getting a good night's sleep. In the meanwhile, I've got a lot to prepare for as well..." He placed his thumbs and his index fingers together and began to hum loudly. In just a few seconds, he entered a trance and completely zoned out.

    She leaned in closer to Juliano and whispered, "I think that means, 'stop bugging me'." She took his scaly hand and led him away. "This is so exciting, isn't it Juliano?" she said, bubbling with joy and anticipation. "Just think of the things we could accomplish if one of us learned how to do this Mistweaving stuff!"

    He held his head high as he imagined it.

    "This is going to be so great, I can't wait for tomorr-- oh... Oh no..."

    He looked at her with curiosity.

    She shook her head in despair as she took the time to think it over. "Andrea is going to throw a fit, I just know it! She wants to get home as quick as possible, she'll never agree to this!"

    He placed his stubby hand on her shoulder as if to reassure her.

    "Maybe you're right. We won't know unless we talk to her..."


    - - - - -​

    Meanwhile, at the inn situated outside of the monastery's stone walls, Andrea was busy with her research. Her Garna, Dilithium, was gently hovering near a table in the courtyard, pulsing with a dim, green light. Furball was behind it, patiently awaiting his next order, while Andrea was seated at the table as she took notes on her R-Kit.

    "Okay, so this thing has a sense of touch... Somehow..." she muttered and shook her head. "God, I wish I paid attention in my biology classes..." She looked up and studied the Garna closely. "I want to try something else, Furball. Make as much noise as you can, let's see if it reacts."

    Furball let out a loud, high pitched squealing noise as he flailed about behind Dilithium. Every attempt he made to capture the gemstone's attention ended in failure; no matter what he did, Dilithium didn't seem to react and continued to hover in silence.

    "Hmm... Circle around it and head off in one direction. Be as flashy as you can!"

    Furball did as he was asked and approached Dilithium from behind. As soon as he circled towards the other side, Dilithium's attention snapped almost instantly, and the gemstone core rotated as if it were now studying his movements. He ran to the left and to the right and jumped through the air, with each movement of his tracked carefully.

    "Let's see... sense of hearing... none. Sense of sight... Maybe, but how... from where..?" Andrea muttered to herself as she entered her findings into her R-Kit. "This thing doesn't have eyes, but it can see... I think? I don't get it..." She looked up and noticed that Kimberly and Juliano were approaching and waved to them.

    Kimberly waved back. "Hello! Am I interrupting something?" Kimberly asked.

    She shook her head. "No, I was just finishing up. I'm doing a bit of research."

    "Research? About what?"

    She held out Dilithium's Love Ball and recalled it, then studied the ball closely. "I'm trying to figure out what the hell this thing is. I haven't found out much yet, but at least I'm actually doing something productive this time."

    "What do you mean?"

    "When Professor Ansen first hired me, she wanted me to study Furball and see if there was anything strange about him. That was over a month ago, and I've yet to even start... I get the feeling that she's starting to become a little impatient with me. It's a wonder she hasn't fired me yet! But I'm not going to make the same mistake with Dilithium here. I'm going to figure out what this thing is, and hopefully it won't take me nearly as long."

    "If you need any help, I'll do what I can!"

    "I get the feeling I'll need a little help. I'll let you know when I get closer to testing a few of my theories." She took a seat on the table and began to dig through the encyclopedia on her R-Kit for an interesting topic to read about. "So, how was your walk in the garden? Enjoy it?"

    "I did! There are so many beautiful sights to see around here!" she said, her eyes glittering as she remembered what she saw. "The koi pond, the Spring and Summer Well, the banquet garden... You really did miss out, friend!" Her discussion with Brother Dent came to mind next. "Oh, but, umm... Oh sugar..."

    "What is it?"

    "Promise you won't be mad?"

    Andrea's head tilted with curiosity. "Oh god, what did you do?"

    Kimberly hesitated to speak. "I might have spoken to one of the monks about learning more about Mistweaving tomorrow." She cringed slightly as she awaited the angry outburst she knew Andrea so well for.

    However, Andrea didn't explode with rage. "Oh, is that it? That's fine!"

    "Really?"

    "Yeah, why not? I like it here! I'm so relaxed... Maybe there is something to all of this spiritual hocus pocus... What was this monastery dedicated to? A white tiger? Serenity?"

    Kimberly nodded.

    "Well, I'm certainly feeling serenity, definitely. So yeah, we'll stay here another day if you want. Especially if you're as interested in this Mistweaver stuff as you say you are."

    Kimberly couldn't help but grapple her into a friendly bear hug. "That makes me so happy! I was so worried you'd flip out and tell me I was wasting too much time!"

    "That does sound like me, doesn't it?" she asked, then pried herself out of Kimberly's vice-like grip. "Look, we're in this together. If you want to take a detour or two, that's fine. I'm sure I'll want to do the same eventually."

    "Good! It means so much to me that you're letting me do this." Kimberly said, then yawned. "Speaking of, I should get to bed. I want to be wide awake and ready for this."

    "Sounds good."

    "You coming?"

    She looked up at the star lit sky above her. "I think I'll stay out here a bit."


    - - - - -​

    "He said to meet him here in the morning..." Kimberly said, tapping her foot as she waited. "What time is it?"

    "Time for you to buy a watch..." Andrea joked. She raised her R-Kit to look at the time. "8:24 AM. Maybe it's just a little too early for him?"

    "Maybe..."

    Several minutes passed by as they waited patiently beside the Spring and Summer Well. Several monks approached with buckets in hand to take water from the well. When asked about where Brother Dent might be, those that spoke their language told them that he was often late with his appointments, though had been making recent strides to be more punctual.

    Before long, Brother Dent appeared at the bridge leading to the well. His face lit up as he saw the two waiting for him. "Ah! Very eager! You got here before I did!"

    "When an opportunity like this comes along, it's hard not to be eager!" Kimberly replied. "What did Brother Mohar say? Please let it be good news!"

    "Brother Mohar has agreed to administer a test. This test will see if you, your friend or Juliano are indeed worthy in the eyes of the Grand Spirit of Purity, and are ready for further training. He has asked me to bring you to the cliffs, he has an idea of how to perform the test... and maybe do a bit of garden work, as well."

    Andrea raised her eyebrow with suspicion. "Garden work?"

    "You'll see. Come!"


    - - - - -​

    Their journey to the cliffs was a short one and took them behind the main pagoda. The view from the cliffs was nothing short of magical; stretching into the distance were the majestic stone spires the area was known for. A clear view of Letchworth revealed just how segregated the town was, with each of the five districts being clearly divided based on the colors of the roofs. Far in the distance was the skyline of Tradewind, complete with its antiquated harbor and accompanying sailing ships. Just looking at them filled Kimberly with regret that she wouldn't get to see them closer, but their decision to visit the Monastery instead was even more rewarding than looking at old, waterlogged wood.

    Brother Mohar was seated under a sickly looking tree. He saw them approach and stood up to greet them. "Ah, the aspirants arrive! Are we ready to begin?"

    Andrea interjected quickly. "Before we do anything, what's this about garden work?"

    Brother Dent wandered over to the tree that Brother Mohar was under. He placed his hand on the trunk, which caused a piece of bark to splinter off and fall to the ground. "This dying tree will assist us. If either of you are capable of Mistweaving, this tree will be the first test of your powers."

    "Oh, okay. I was worried you'd have us slaving away in the garden. I don't think we have the time for that."

    The two monks walked over. "Yes. Brother Dent has informed me that you two are on a tight schedule. We should begin immediately."

    Kimberly reached into her purse and grabbed Juliano's Master Ball. With a toss in the air and a glitzy display of radiant bubbles, Juliano appeared.

    "Ah, yes! The Blastoise, what a treat! I haven't seen one of these since I was a child." Brother Mohar marvelled. "Your Blastoise's close affinity with the waters of life will be beneficial. I do not have any answers why, but those acquainted with the sea are blessed with a natural connection to the Mist." Brother Mohar turned to Andrea and asked, "Will you be joining your friend and her Blastoise?"

    Andrea shook her head at the offer. "No. I definitely don't have what it takes, I'll sit this one out."

    Brother Dent leaned in and spoke softly. "She is the skeptical one."

    "Ah. Very well. You are free to believe or disbelieve what you want. Are you ready to begin, Kimberly?"

    "Yes, I am," she said.

    "And you, Juliano?"

    Juliano nodded.

    "The most important part of this trial is learning the basics. Without the basics, there can be no measurement of readiness. I had my eyes closed for the ritual we took part in yesterday, so please, demonstrate the meditative posture you took then."

    Kimberly assumed the same position she had taken for the ritual the day before; crossed legs, straightened back, shoulders apart, head high, and with her fingers interlocked, resting in her lap. Juliano hopped into the air and put his stubby legs out, shaking the ground as he 'sat down'. He followed Kimberly's guidance and did his best to assume the same meditative position, but found it difficult due to his shell, shorter arms and stubby legs. Regardless, he did his best.

    Brother Mohar circled around the two as he inspected them closely, making brief corrections to their posture as he did so. "Hmm. Yes. You have the correct posture. Improvements could be made, but the basis is there. Now, do you remember what is next?"

    "Meditation," she stated.

    "Mmm. You were paying attention. You may begin. Clear your thoughts."

    She closed her eyes and began to empty her mind. Seconds of focusing turned to minutes of concentration. She tried as hard as she could, but she couldn't properly empty her mind. There was always a lingering thought, or a picture forming. She started to become frustrated by it.

    "I can see it in your face, your muscle movements... You still have lingering doubts. Thoughts that you may not be able to do this. You lack the concentration required."

    She ignored his comment and continued to try. Eventually, she began to realize that he was right; as much as she wanted to believe she could do it, she had never meditated before. It was new to her. "I... I... I can't do it." she bumbled. "I want to, but I can't focus."

    "I would not expect the uninitiated to be able to achieve a state of Zen so readily."

    She opened her eyes and hung her head in disappointment. "So is that it? Am I not capable?"

    "Not today, unfortunately," he said, as he switched his attention to Juliano and studied intently. "Your Blastoise on the other hand... I can see a sense of purpose in his face. A willingness to learn. A primal mastery of the basics. Look at him. No twitching muscles, steady breathing, rock solid posture, perfect balance."

    "Do you think he's ready?"

    "We shall see. Let's move on to the next step."

    "Confession, if I recall," she said. "How will that work? He can't speak like we can."

    "Humans express themselves through speech. Pokémon express themselves through their actions and their thoughts." He knelt down in front of Juliano. "Juliano, I want you to think of a misdeed you have committed in the past. When you have done so, you may open your eyes."

    Juliano scoured the depths of his mind. He had always been reasonably well behaved ever since he was newly hatched, which made it difficult to think of a misdeed. He tried to remember the times that he was punished, as punishment always had a reason behind it, then remembered the time that he stole a piece of fruit from Wiggles. He remembered the look of sadness on Wiggles' face, and the angry glare he received from Kimberly. He lowered his head slightly and opened his eyes.

    "Admission is absolution, gentle creature," Brother Mohar said.

    "What's next?" Kimberly asked.

    "Conjuration of the Mists. He does not need to focus all of his energy into it; he merely needs to create it, first."

    She knelt down and rested her hand on his shell. "You can do it, Juliano. I believe in you."

    Juliano closed his eyes and began to clear his mind once again.

    "I want you to focus on happy thoughts, friend," she said.

    As Juliano resumed his meditation, happy memories began to flood his mind. He remembered the time that he and Kimberly first met, when she protected him from a rowdy Charmander. Next, he remembered when the two began to start training for coordination rather than competitive battling, and then went on to compete in their first contest. They didn't win that contest, but it was one of his fondest memories, as he enjoyed coordination far more than battling. More memories surfaced, including when he met and became friends with Patches, when they set sail for Storm Island, and finally when his efforts spent towards taking care of his sick master were rewarded when her health returned.

    His cannons began to slowly recalibrate themselves without any effort on his behalf; A dim silver light began to illuminate the insides, followed shortly by a thin fog that began to coalesce in the center. The mist grew in size until it began to pour out of his cannons and fall to the ground around him. It was weak, but it was a start.

    "There it is..." Brother Dent whispered.

    "Interesting..." Brother Mohar added.

    He ignored the commentary and continued to concentrate. More and more foggy mist billowed out of his cannons until eventually a small cloud had formed around the bottom half of his body. He was unsure of what to do next and opened his eyes, looking towards Kimberly for guidance.

    She was unable to give that guidance. She tried her best to contain her excitement and asked, "What does he do next?"

    "Next is the most important part, the application. He focuses his energy on the tree. If he is well trained in the art of battle, he should know how to do this. It may be difficult, though... Blastoise focuses mainly on attacks of a physical nature, correct? Mistweaving is more of a mental art."

    She leaned in closer and spoke softly, "So they say that this is a mental thing... we can do this, Juliano. I want you to close your eyes and picture that tree. Visualize that tree being brought back to health. Maybe that will work?"

    Juliano followed her directions. With his eyes closed, he imagined the tree in front of him, all sickly, brown and wilting. He visualized the tree being pelted with soft rain, which perked it up. Next, he envisioned the tree being wrapped up in a thin, soothing cloud; as the cloud cleared, the tree was no longer a sickly, brown sapling, but a vibrant, green tree, full of life.

    As he continued to visualize the tree's health returning, a peculiar sound began to echo deep within his subconscious thoughts: wind chimes. It wasn't just him that heard it, either; everyone present could hear the angelic noise.

    Juliano opened his eyes and the dim, silver light that illuminated his cannons began to glow brightly. The mist that lingered on the ground around him started to swirl in a counter-clockwise motion, then began to slowly rise around him like a serpent climbing a tree.

    "Yes, good..." Brother Mohar commended. "We're making good progress. Now comes a part that is merely tradition for us monks... the gestures."

    Despite not having taken part in the ritual the previous day, Juliano already had a fairly good idea of what Brother Mohar meant. With the mist billowing around him, he stood up and outstretched his arms. It was a slow and tedious process, but the mist eventually began to obey his thoughts and follow his hands. He raised his left arm and the mist quickly surged towards the tree. The mist dispersed as it made contact with the tree, eventually obscuring it from vision.

    "Is it actually working?" Andrea asked as she watched in anticipation.

    "We can only hope," Brother Dent said.

    That hope soon became a reality; Just as the day before, the mist began to fizzle away, and with it, the tree slowly began to perk up. The sickly leaves shifted from brown to a vibrant green, the branches straightened with new strength and the withered flower buds began to open and bloom in vibrant colors. Little by little, every part of the tree was affected.

    Kimberly rushed over to the tree to give it a closer look. She wanted to make sure it wasn't just a trick being played on her. Everything about the tree indicated that Juliano's attempt at using the power of the Mist was a moderate success: Most of the leaves were smooth and flexible, most of the flowers gave off a sweet smell and the branches were no longer losing their bark. "I think he did it!" she said with excitement. "This is unbelievable!"

    Brother Mohar led everyone present over to the tree to inspect it. "Not unbelievable. Unusual, to say the least. It has been a long time since I've seen a Pokémon master the art of Mistweaving so readily." Satisfied with what he saw, he turned to Juliano, pressed his hands together and bowed graciously. "You have passed the Grand Spirit's test with finesse. He has seen within you a worthy wielder of the Mist, a noble spirit of peace, kindness and wisdom. Congratulations!"

    "I knew you could do it," Kimberly added.

    Brother Mohar turned to her. "As for you... While you did not pass the test today, there is always potential, even more so in your case. A Pokémon is nothing without its master. Only with the guidance of a caring and loving trainer can a Pokémon learn the tenets of life that the Grand Spirit looks for in a servant, and learn them well. Juliano's apparent mastery of these concepts gives me faith that you, too, are capable. It may only require patience, study, training and a little bit of luck... Or I could be totally wrong. I have no answers, only suggestions."

    "I would love to stay and train, but I have a life to get on with..." she said, downtrodden. "Oh! That's a point, actually! I imagine Juliano will want to continue working on this. Is there anything I could do to help him with that?"

    Brother Dent scratched his chin in thought. "That's a good question. All trainees in the art stay here to hone their skills, but that obviously won't work for you. We have a gift shop that sells literature about our training methods, across all of our disciplines. I don't know for certain, but maybe you'll find some answers in one of those books?"

    "I'll have a look!" she said with excitement. "Thank you for everything! The progress Juliano made is more than I could have ever hoped for!"

    "It was our honor," Brother Mohar said.

    She turned to Andrea for input. "So what do you think? Should we get ready to leave? Or do you want to look around some more?"

    "I think I'm ready to go. We shouldn't waste too much time." Andrea said. She turned to the monks to offer her gratitude. "Thanks for taking the time. I think she's going to be in a good mood all the way until we get back home. You've saved me a bit of trouble."

    "Trouble? I'm always in a good mood!" she protested.

    Brother Mohar let out a polite chuckle. "Safe travels, you two. May the Grand Spirits watch over you."

    The two groups parted ways; the monks returned to their daily routines, while Andrea, Kimberly and Juliano headed for the exit.

    "Let's find that gift shop, I want to find that book Brother Dent mentioned..."


    - - - - -​

    A bell rang as the door opened, and a short and gruff looking elderly man behind the counter stood up and bowed. "Welcome, customers! If you need help finding something, let me know."

    "Yes, actually!" Kimberly said. "One of the monks told me that I could find a book here. He said it was about their training methods."

    "Training methods? What kind? Pokémon? Martial Arts? Cooking? Herbalism? We have many books for training, all written by the monks."

    Andrea perked up upon hearing the mention of herbalism. "'Herbalism'? Could I get a quick look at that?"

    The elderly man turned around and inspected the bookshelf behind him. He found a green leatherbound book decorated with golden Hanzi symbols and offered it to Andrea. "A very fascinating book, that one. It's a complete catalogue of most of the plants, trees, bushes, berries, fruits and vegetables native to this land."

    As Andrea flipped through the pages of the book she was given, Kimberly described the one she was after. "He mentioned that the book I wanted encompassed 'all disciplines' a monk of the Shenzin Monastery uses in his daily life."

    "Hmm. I know the book he speaks of. We don't have many in stock." He turned around again and reached for the top shelf.

    "It must be popular, then?"

    "Quite the opposite! We haven't sold a copy in nearly seven years." He grabbed a large red book and dropped it onto the counter, causing it to shake.

    She opened the book and found that it appeared to be completely written by hand, but in what she assumed was the Shinikaran language. The pages were lined with diagrams and beautiful, hand drawn illustrations. Much to her relief, the book was split into two sections, with the second half being written entirely in English. A quick inspection showed the types of training the monks did, from martial arts to mental perfection, cooking to cleaning and almost everything in between. "Yes, this is it, I believe. How much is it?"

    "That will be sixteen golden coins."

    She reeled at the price and debated the purchase with herself. "Sixteen! Oof... that's quite expensive for a book..." she muttered. "But look at how beautiful it is... And the knowledge inside..."

    "Can one put a price on knowledge? Especially knowledge that one is evidently seeking..."

    She dug through her purse to scrounge up the coins. "I hope there's a bank in Yulong-la..."

    "There is."

    "Fairer than the one in Letchworth?"

    "I can only imagine. I have never been to Letchworth, but it has quite the reputation as a den of thieves."

    "I can confirm that..." She placed the coins on the table. "Here are your coins."

    Andrea spoke up. "How much for this one?"

    The elderly man scooped the golden coins up. "That one is three silver coins."

    "Now that's more reasonable!" Kimberly said. "Did you want to buy that one?"

    She placed the book on the counter. "Yeah, this looks like it could be useful on our travels. Even if it's not, I bet my mom would love it."

    "Oh yeah? That's nice of you!" she said. She dropped three silver coins into the elderly man's hand. "Thank you, sir."

    "Thank you!" the elderly man said. "Will that be all?"

    They both nodded.

    "Farewell! Enjoy your books!"
     
    • chapter 47
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 47: Theories
    Co-written by Kimberly Prescott and Caitlin​

    Andrea let out a deep sigh. "I don't like the look of that..." she muttered. She was stood in front of a rocky tunnel entrance nestled deep within the Hanzi mountain range, a tunnel that was the only passage forward from the monastery towards their next destination, Yulong-la. She recalled her second day on the job, when Larson had suckered her into 'training' inside the Silver Ridge Caverns. The darkness, the smell, the killer vines and Larson's poor leadership and judgement all brought back bad memories. They made her question if she was in for another bad experience in this cave as well, but she reasoned that it couldn't possibly be as bad.

    She paced back and forth as she waited for Kimberly to catch up, and took the time to study the entrance of the cave. She couldn't see much without going in deeper, but could see that there was a clearly marked path at the very least. The path's surface appeared to be relatively smooth and flat, as well, and she was relieved to see it; she was tired of constantly tripping on loose rocks with her heeled sandals, or snagging them in roots.

    Just as her impatience began to get the better of her, she spotted Kimberly weaving through the fallen rocks that surrounded the cavern entrance. She noticed that her skin appeared to be smoother than before they left, coupled with coral red lipstick and fancy eyeliner. She wanted to be angry at her for wasting her time on this, yet at the same time felt oddly captivated by her looks. "Wow, you look... almost too nice to be out here."

    Kimberly rubbed her ring finger across her left eyebrow and giggled shyly. "You mean it?"

    "Yeah, but... why? I mean, I guess I could kind of see if we're going to be meeting with people, but we're in the middle of nowhere..."

    "I just wanted to look nice, that's all."

    "For who, though? I'll be surprised if we run into anyone out here!"

    "Why not you?" Her hopes of receiving some sort of positive response were dashed, so she sheepishly pointed towards the rocky cavern's entrance. "Where are we going next? Through there?"

    Andrea nodded.

    She took a deep breath, tried to steel her nerves and took her first few steps forward. "Very well." There was a sense of shakiness and unease in her voice.

    Andrea could tell that something wasn't quite right with her friend, but she wasn't sure what it could be. "What's the matter?"

    She stopped in her tracks and turned around. "What do you mean?"

    "You're not afraid, are you?"

    She spent a moment thinking about the situation ahead of her. "I'll be okay."

    "You are, aren't you? That's fine! It's just... a surprise, I've never seen you afraid of anything before."

    "'Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.'"

    "What?"

    "It's a quote I read in a book while I was in school. Robert Louis Stevenson." She turned to face the cavernous entrance again and took another deep breath. "I've faced quite a few of my fears since we've arrived in this country... I've tried to keep that to myself, however. In times of hardship, a clear leader needs to step up to the task, and a good leader never shows how afraid she is."

    "That's pretty cool of you, I have to admit," Andrea said. "So what is it, then? Claustrophobia? Getting lost?"

    She shook her head. "No, it's the darkness. I don't like darkness."

    Andrea chuckled nervously. "Damn it..."

    "I don't like the sound of that..."

    "Well, darkness is one of my biggest fears, too. I was hoping you could take the lead, but... you want me to try?"

    She nodded. "I'll be right behind you. If it gets to be too much for you, I'll take over. Sound like a plan?"

    Andrea unhooked the lantern that was swinging from the bottom of her backpack and turned it on. "Let's go slowly then." She led Kimberly into the cavern with great caution. As soon as they crossed the rocks that created the entrance, they were nearly overwhelmed by the thick stench of mildew. The smell brought back the memories Andrea had of the Silver Ridge Caverns. "Watch your step. When Larson and I explored a cave on Storm Island, he fell down a pit like a damned idiot. I don't want the same thing happening here."

    "I learned a similar lesson when passing through the Diglett Cave..."

    Andrea shined the lantern around and looked at the hundreds of dozen-foot-tall stalactites that hung from the ceiling. Thick, silky webs hung from a few of them, but she couldn't see any creatures or large insects in them, much to her relief. It was still an unnerving experience, but she wanted to take Kimberly's advice and remain strong.

    The two followed along a small trail of burnt out glass lanterns. It didn't take them long to realize that this road was not as well maintained by the monks of the Shenzin Monastery as the Thousand Steps were, but at least they had an obvious path ahead of them.

    Andrea tried to take her mind off of the environment around her with a bit of idle chatter. "So... you're into music, right?"

    Kimberly was far less interested in distracting herself and kept a watchful eye on the brown stone walls around her. "Yes, I am."

    "What kind?" she asked.

    "Ooh, all kinds, really. There's the folk music from Visalia and the surrounding countryside, then there's soft rock... I'm a huge fan of artists such as Freddie Gallium, Shield of Roses, Heartfelt Tears and Honest Fears, Danielle Burke..." she said, counting each one off on her fingers. "And then there's classical music... you know, Beethoven, Mozart, that variety of music."

    "We have much different tastes, then," she said as she came to a stop and flashed the lantern up a small ledge. She handed the lantern back to Kimberly. "I think we have to go up here. I'll go first." She struggled against her loose-fitting dress to lift herself up the ledge, but eventually made it. She reached down and offered her hand out. "Pass me the lantern and then I'll pull you up."

    Kimberly did as she was asked; as soon as the lantern left her hand and disappeared over the ledge, a sense of dread overcame her. She pressed up against the wall and peered out into the darkness behind her, absolutely sure that she would see something, but she couldn't. Andrea lowered her arm downward and the two grabbed onto each other.

    "One... two... three..." she said before lifting with all of her might. She stood back up, grabbed the lantern and brushed herself off, then looked down at her filthy clothes. "I hope Estelle didn't want this back once we got home... Never thought I'd be climbing through a dirty cave in something this fancy."

    "That's the thing with travel, it's always a new and often unexpected experience. It's partly why I do it." Kimberly said as she dusted herself off. "So what did you mean by us having different tastes in music? What do you listen to?"

    "I'm a metal person myself..." she answered. "I don't think you'd like it."

    Kimberly shook her head. "You would be correct. Nicole was always listening to it when she was sick of hearing my voice. It's just noise to me."

    "Yeah, I can see why you'd say that."


    - - - - -​

    Nearly half an hour had passed since they entered the tunnel. In that time, they navigated slippery slopes, climbed up and down ladders, passed through cramped and narrow tunnels and made their way through a maze of thick stone spires. Yet through it all, they remained on the marked pathway, and both of them began to think it was a miracle that they hadn't gotten lost yet. Their journey took them into a large, seemingly empty room that echoed with the sound of running water and carried the thick smell of dead fish.

    "I hope we're almost through this place..." Andrea mumbled. "This is almost as bad as the Silver Ridge Caverns... at least we haven't been attacked by the walls."

    "Don't even say that," Kimberly scolded.

    "Yeah, I should keep my big mouth shut," she said, then reached into her pocket. "You know, that's a good point, one of us should really have a Pokémon out, just in case." She held the Pokéball that she grabbed up to her lantern and bathed the area in a pink glow; she had grabbed Dilithium's Love Ball, and figured that it would do. She tossed the Love Ball ahead of her, which caused it to explode in a shower of cartoonish hearts and let out an angelic harp sound.

    Her decision to call out a Pokémon for protection was a foolish one, however; the light and sound from the Love Ball both illuminated the cavern and echoed throughout it. It was only a brief glimpse, but it was all that she needed to see that every inch of the ceiling was covered in bat-like creatures. The bats dropped from the ceiling and began to fly around in a frenzy.

    "Shit, bad idea!" she shouted. She tackled Kimberly as she dived for the ground.

    Without even an order, Dilithium could easily sense the distress of its master and took action. It quickly shifted from a green hue towards red and began to rise into the cloud of bats. Every few seconds, a beam of energy would erupt from its central core and strike one of the bats hard enough to send it plummeting to the ground. The swarm began to disperse as more and more were shot out of the sky, until eventually most had vacated the room through a dozen different tunnels.

    Andrea poked her head up when the deafening screeching of the bats had ceased. "Holy... That was, uhh... Wow! Unexpected!" She rushed over to help Kimberly up off of the ground and found that she was trembling heavily and her skin three shades lighter. "You're not hurt, are you?"

    Kimberly put her hands out in front of her and tried her hardest to stop them from shaking, but she couldn't. She let out a deep breath and said, "I hate bats... I bloody hate bats!"

    Andrea pulled her up to her feet and led her forward. "It's going to be okay, let's just get out of here and hope we don't run into anymore." She looked back to see that Dilithium was following them closely. "I need you to take the lead and protect us."

    Dilithium continued to bob up and down slowly behind them.

    She remembered the observation she made the other night. "Right, no sense of hearing..." She pointed at it, then pointed at herself and Kimberly, then pointed ahead of them. Dilithium appeared to understand her gestures and floated forward to lead them down the pathway. "I have no idea how I'm going to work with that thing..." She looked back at Kimberly and could sense the discomfort of the situation radiating through her. "You okay?"

    "This is too much... First it's the darkness, and now bats? I could never hope to deal with both..."

    Andrea offered her hand out. "Come here, I'll keep you safe."

    Kimberly eagerly grabbed her hand and held it close to her chest for comfort. She never had any particular faith that Andrea could actually keep her safe, but the promise, however hollow it might have been, meant something to her.


    - - - - -​

    More time passed in relative silence. Their initial plan of speaking during their entire trip through the cavern gave way to silence and suspicion of their surroundings. The increasing frequency of unknown noises began to shake what little confidence they had left. The experience had disturbed Kimberly so much that she didn't call out just one Pokémon to protect her, but two: Wiggles joined Dilithium at the front of the group, while Juliano protected their rear flank.

    "This must be what Mr. Kent was talking about when he said to hire a guide..." Kimberly mumbled. "I should have known better than to try this without one."

    "It's okay, we can do this! We've been through worse before."

    "I can only hope so..."

    The group entered another large room and stopped as Andrea flashed the lantern around. Like before, the room echoed with the sound of rushing water, but at least this room was different in structure; the room was split almost down the middle by a large crack in the ground, and a look down that crack showed a raging subterranean river, choked by debris such as large boulders, fallen logs and discarded plastic. It was difficult to gauge how fast the water was flowing due to the darkness, but the deafening roar of the water told them that falling in would likely be certain death.

    The two investigated the cavern further. Much to their relief, there was only one clear path forward. On the contrary, much to their dismay, the path forward was on the other side of the rushing river. To make matters worse, the only bridge over the river was totally destroyed. Further investigation revealed a large boulder halfway down the river, surrounded by bricks and stones that appeared to be from the bridge. They had reached a dead end.

    "This is just our luck, isn't it..." Andrea lamented. "We come all this way..."

    Kimberly tried to reassure her friend. "Before we give up hope, let's look around a bit more. I may have an idea. May I see the lantern?"

    Andrea handed the lantern over and Kimberly took the lead. Her investigation took them along the entirety of the crack in the ground. As she assumed, the crack was too wide to simply jump across. She was relieved to find that in some areas, the distance down to the water was only about six feet.

    "Yes, this might work..." she muttered to herself as she handed the lantern back to Andrea. "Juliano!" she called. "Do you think you would be able to cross that river?"

    Juliano carefully approached the cliff and jumped down towards the bank of the rushing river.

    "Careful now, there's no telling how fast that water is moving," she warned.

    Juliano agreed and gingerly raised his left foot, then slowly placed it into the water. The force of the river quickly overwhelmed him and knocked him onto his back, but thankfully he landed on the riverbank.

    "No, that won't work..." she said as she quickly retrieved his Master Ball and recalled him before he fell in. "But... Hmm..."

    "Any other ideas?" Andrea asked.

    She exchanged the Master Ball with Patches' fuzzy Feline Ball and tossed it into the air. Patches appeared with a flash of brilliant light and landed on the ground in front of her. "I think that Patches may be able to help." she said. She motioned for the roaring river and asked, "Patches, I need you to put everything you have into this. Can you blast that river with arctic wind?"

    Patches wandered up to the edge of the cliff side and hopped down towards the river. She cautiously approached the rushing water, then sat down at the bank of the river. She closed her eyes and lifted her head towards the skies. Her fur began to bristle and blow about as a soft wind kicked up around her. Ice crystals and snowflakes formed and orbited around her as her fur began to frost over. Her eyes opened and revealed a bright, icy white light that seemed to sublimate into the air around her. With a howl, she exhaled a frigid blast of arctic wind that froze a large section of the river instantly.

    Andrea was amazed. "Holy..."

    Kimberly tugged on her arm. "Come along now, we won't have much time before the water begins to flow over the ice. You too, Wiggles!"

    Both Wiggles and Dilithium ignored the makeshift bridge; Dilithium simply floated across, while Wiggles deftly jumped the gap with little effort. The two girls carefully made their way down the cliff side and approached the ice. The platform of ice that Patches had formed was coarse and covered in snow, giving them a stable footing as they rushed across. Safely on the other side of the river, they climbed back up the cliff side. They watched as the ice began to crack from the force of the water rushing into it, until it eventually crumbled and gave way.

    Andrea knelt down and motioned for Patches to come over. "What is this thing?"

    "She's a Skitty, silly!"

    "I know that much! But I mean, like... how does she do it? First lightning, and now ice."

    Kimberly shrugged.

    "What else can she do?" she asked as she cradled the exhausted Skitty in her arms. "Just those two things, I think. I haven't seen her do anything else."

    "I wonder... Furball can do something similar..."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Oh yeah! You were still out cold with the jungle fever, you didn't see that! When we were camping out before we made it to Letchworth, our camp was attacked by Dilithium. Furball defeated that thing with a rapid barrage of fire attacks. I was completely shocked when I saw it!"

    "Fire, you say?" Kimberly pondered. She searched the depths of her memory and recalled nearly a dozen times that she had been confronted by a Furret or a Sentret while on the road in Kanto, and none of them displayed similar abilities. "So what are you thinking?"

    "Well, when I first started my job as Professor Ansen's assistant, she told me that Furball had some sort of anomaly in his genetics... Like a mutation, I guess." She reached into her pocket and grabbed Furball's Pokéball, then held it up to her R-Kit. "She wants me to find out what exactly this anomaly is, but I have no idea what it could be." The screen on her R-Kit flashed as it displayed all sorts of information about Furball. "Here, look at this."

    Kimberly leaned in and took a closer look at the R-Kit. Furball's genetic code was displayed on screen, with 'ANOMALY DOCUMENTED' flashing below his species name.

    "I was wondering... maybe this genetic anomaly might explain his abilities?"

    "You think so?"

    She nodded. "Here's what I have in mind. I know that Furball has some sort of anomaly in his genetics. I know that he has something that both of us are assuming to be 'unusual', some sort of basic control over fire." She looked down at Patches, who had fallen asleep in her arms. "And here we have Patches. I know that she can control electricity and now work with ice... Maybe she has this anomaly as well? I mean, I don't know a lot about Skitty, but... Something tells me that a house cat being able to shoot lightning and freeze the air around it isn't exactly common."

    Kimberly grabbed Patches' Feline Ball and recalled her. "Can your R-Kit determine if she might have it, as well?" She offered the Feline Ball to Andrea.

    "Hmm..." She grabbed the Feline Ball and scanned it with her R-Kit. The screen flashed with similar information about Patches, but there was no mention of any anomalies in her genetics. After a few more clicks on the screen, the R-Kit advised her to take Patches to a dedicated laboratory for further analysis. "I guess we won't find out here. Still, this may have put me on the right path for my research."

    The discussion was interrupted by a squeaking noise, which caused Kimberly to flinch and look towards the pitch black ceiling. "Perhaps we can discuss it further later on?"

    "Yeah, good idea..."


    - - - - -​

    "Here goes nothing..." Andrea said as she grabbed a small loop of steel from her backpack. With it firmly wrapped around her fingers, she grabbed a black stone that sat next to her and began rubbing the two together. A shower of sparks erupted from the metallic loop and rained down onto a pile of dry, flaky wood. Small embers began to glow until eventually a small fire engulfed the wood. Satisfied with how the fire had progressed, she took a step back and studied the piece of metal. "Huh... Who knew something so simple could work so well..."

    "Hmm?" Kimberly asked, her attention buried in the book she bought at the Shenzin Monastery.

    She unhooked the wok from her backpack and rested it on the growing campfire. "Nothing, I'm just thinking out loud." She opened her backpack, placed the fire starting kit inside, then unburied a small wooden box from the bottom. She opened the box of cooking supplies and began to rummage through it as she thought about what she could make.

    "Are you going to make us dinner?" Kimberly asked, still focused on her book.

    "Gonna try."

    "May I request something?"

    "If I have the stuff, sure."

    She put down her book and crawled over to Andrea's box of supplies to see what might be available. "Mushrooms!" she said with joy as she saw a small bag of them. "Got any garlic? How about basil?"

    Andrea retrieved the small bag of pre-cut mushrooms, then dug through her herbs and spices. "I do! I think I can make what you have in mind."

    "I'm looking forward to it!"

    "Don't, I'm terrible at cooking."

    "We'll see!" she said, before returning to her book.

    "Alright, let's see here..." Andrea murmured as she retrieved a small packet of butter from the box of supplies. "Butter first, uhh... then the mushrooms... I hope I'm doing this right..." she said as she waited for the butter to melt. When the butter was all melted and formed a thin layer at the bottom of the pan, she began to toss in the mushrooms, then sprinkled on some of the basil. When she grabbed the garlic, she realized that she didn't have a knife to cut it with. Lamenting her forgetfulness, she clawed it apart with her fingers and tossed the small bits in next, all the while watching to make sure she didn't burn anything.

    Several minutes passed by as she used a nearby stick to flip the mushrooms. The aroma coming off of the pan was heavenly and almost intoxicating. "Maybe I haven't forgotten..." Satisfied with how they looked, she began to separate the meal into two separate sides of the pan and rested it on a nearby stone. After a few moments of waiting for the pan to cool down, she said, "Dinner's done... I hope."

    Kimberly scooted over to join Andrea and picked up one of the mushrooms. She popped it into her mouth to sample Andrea's cooking and was pleasantly surprised by the taste. "Are you sure you've never cooked before?"

    "Not enough to consider myself even terrible at it, why? Is it good?"

    She nodded before gobbling up a few more. She may have embellished the truth slightly, but she praised Andrea's attempt. "My goodness, this is to die for!"

    "And that asshole fired me..." Andrea grumbled. "Maybe it was a good thing. If he didn't, I'd still be back at home. As much as I'd hate to admit it, I'm actually starting to enjoy being in this country..."


    - - - - -​

    Co-author's note: It's good to be back and doing some writing! Prescott has warmly welcomed me back to the project, but I can't say how much I'll actively contribute as the story progresses. I'll take this opportunity to note that Andrea's cooking abilities have been retconned. There have been a few references to her absolute inability earlier in the story which Prescott has decided to ignore. I'll trust her judgement on that one, since she was actually a waitress for some time much like Andrea, and picked up quite a bit of knowledge despite never being officially assigned to the kitchen.
     
    • chapter 48
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 48: Fertile Farmlands    ​

    "Let's see, how much further to Yulong-la..." Andrea muttered as she fiddled with her R-Kit. The map function was open, and while it wasn't providing detailed information due to her presence in a cave, it at least gave her a rough estimate of how much time it would take to reach the end of the tunnel. After some quick math in her head, she sighed heavily; they had perhaps a twenty minute walk until they reached the exit, so camping for the night wasn't necessary. "Of course..."

    "Is something the matter?" Kimberly asked as she read from the training manual she purchased at the monastery.

    "It's good news, actually. We'll be out of this cave pretty soon."

    "That is indeed good news."

    She stood up, stretched, then grabbed her backpack. "No kidding. You ready to leave?"

    Kimberly closed the book and slid it into her backpack. "I've been ready since we met those bats last night..."


    - - - - -​

    It took a moment for their vision to adjust to the brightness, but when it did, Andrea and Kimberly were greeted with a beautiful sight. Far off into the distance was a chain of mountains composed primarily of a green stone that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, even at that far distance. Scattered in the surrounding foothills was a large collection of skyscrapers and towers, themselves lost in a sea of smaller buildings. Even though neither had visited the place, they both immediately recognized it as the next stop on their journey, the city of Yulong-la.

    But before they'd get there, they'd have to travel through the wilderness before them first: rolling hills as far as the eye could see, tamed by humanity and carved into hundreds of terrace farms. Each layer was a distinct color, from green to greenish-blue, amber to brown, with a few patches of purple mixed in. It highlighted the diversity of the farming done in this part of the world. A few settlements could be seen between themselves and the horizon. None looked particularly interesting to them, but they knew they'd have to pass through at least one of them in order to reach the city.

    "It never ends, does it?" Andrea asked. "You get to one place, and you've gotta keep going..."

    "That is the very essence of travel, is it not?" Kimberly responded.

    "It is, but I've gotta be honest, my legs are starting to hurt from all of this mountain climbing and cave spelunking. And now I've got a few hours of walking ahead of me?" she said as she took turns to stretch her sore legs. "Gimme a break... How have I not gotten used to this by now?"

    "It takes awhile," Kimberly offered her hand out. "May I see your... R-Kit, was it?"

    She unwrapped it from around her wrist and handed it over. "I need to get you one of these things. Kamin was never interested in using it, but you seem to ask for it every day."

    Kimberly opened the map function and began to study the surrounding landscape. From the mouth of the tunnel that they had just emerged from, literally hundreds of marked trails and paths snaked into the surrounding hills and mountains. Her head spun as she tried to make sense of it and figure out which direction they should travel, until she grew frustrated and asked it to do it for her.

    The R-Kit droned in its robotic voice, "Estimated travel time from the current location to Yulong-la via the highlighted route is estimated to be eighteen hours. Delays due to road--"

    "Eighteen hours?!" she shouted.

    "I was hoping this thing would be a bit quieter..." Kimberly lamented as she refined their path. "Let's see what it says now."

    The R-Kit adjusted for Kimberly's new route. "Estimated travel time from the current location to Muyang via the highlighted route is estimated to be four hours."

    "That's more reasonable, isn't it?"

    "Maybe... I just hope my legs can carry me that far."

    Kimberly wrapped her arm around Andrea's shoulders and guided her forward. "It'll help if we distract ourselves with conversation!"

    "More talking, huh?" she asked, then lowered her voice to mutter, "It never ends with you..."

    "What was that?"

    "Nothing!" she said as she tried to think of an interesting subject to talk about. "Hmm..."

    "I've talked a lot about myself, why not you this time?"

    She gave Kimberly a funny look. "Me? What do you want to know?"

    "Didn't you say you went to university? What was it like? What did you study?"

    "Oh god, college," she laughed. "Those were... dark, depressing days."

    Kimberly was surprised. "What?! How so?"

    "I didn't know any one. I don't know how it is at other places, but at the Azure Ridge Community College, most people aren't there for an education. It's a glorified rat den, and people throw parties almost every day... I never went to any of them."

    "I'd say you made a good choice! University is for education, and education alone, and I'm proud of you for focusing on that."

    She shook her head. "Maybe not the best choice. I was so alone there... any time I tried to socialize outside of class, I was thrown aside as 'that nerdy girl'. It was... so horribly depressing. I couldn't focus on my work." She sighed. "Maybe if I had a little fun every now and then, I might still be there, I might have been able to focus on my grades."

    "Oh, uhh..."

    She could feel that her friend was starting to feel downtrodden and decided to move on. "Anyways! I was majoring in mechanical engineering while I was there. Quite fascinating stuff, I must say."

    "Oh yeah? How so?"

    "Well! First off, you can't appreciate the nitty-gritty of mechanical engineering without realizing the incredible progress humanity has made thanks to it. Like the internal combustion engine, steam power, motor vehicles, refrigeration equipment, I could go on and on! Without it, we wouldn't have electricity, we wouldn't have plastics, the DeWitt sisters would have never gotten that first airplane off the ground... Not to mention things like modern construction being rooted in engineering. And trains! You know trains? Well, trains--"

    Kimberly blinked and nodded as Andrea enthusiastically assaulted her ears with a barrage of topics she was completely clueless about.

    "--really quite fascinating how those old engines work. To think, it's as simple as bringing water to a boil and using that energy to spin a gear system. I mean, history itself has been forever changed by just a few simple inventions that we take for granted, it's really humbling to think about it all."

    "Umm, yeah! I hadn't thought about it that way." Kimberly answered, slightly lost. "I never quite understood how all of these fancy machines work, but if what you say is true..."

    "It is!"

    "How much of it have you actually worked with? Did you ever work on any hands-on projects during your studies?"

    She thought back to her classes. "A few. I remember building a textile loom in my dad's garage... getting that thing up to the campus to display it to the class was so difficult."

    Kimberly's interest was piqued. "Did you ever make anything with it?"

    She shook her head. "No. I only had enough material to show my professor that it worked."

    "Ah. I suppose if you only build it to show it off, you don't care to actually use it.

    She nodded. "I also pulled apart an old sterling engine and put it back together without consulting a technical manual. My professor was very impressed, I was the only person in the class that restored it to working condition."

    "I'm going to take your word for it that doing so is quite difficult."

    She shrugged. "Well, it kinda ticked for me, ya know? It probably is difficult, but it's like I had a sixth sense on how to put it together. That's about it, really, I dropped out before any other big projects. Anything else I did was a personal project I did at home."

    "Did you study anything else while you were there?"

    "The usual. Literature, physics, finance... One of my favorites was probably astronomy, though. It's such a great subject." she said. "I always wanted to be an astronomer when I grew up, but I figured that getting into mechanical engineering was probably more practical."

    "What can you do that hasn't been done already as an astronomer?" Kimberly asked, genuinely curious.

    "Loads! Did you know that we can determine if a far away star has planets just by measuring the effect of gravitational fluctuations on light?"

    Kimberly stared at her with a blank expression on her face.

    "I lost you again, didn't I... Well, they say that space is the final frontier. Some place we'll 'boldly go' someday. We're not exactly exploring it yet, but today's astronomers are laying the groundwork for it. If we ever do journey to the stars, we'd know which ones are worth visiting."

    "That sounds awfully boring, if I'm honest."

    "Yeah. It's not for everyone, I guess." she conceded. "But it was for me. I remember building a dobsonian reflector with my father when I was about thirteen years old."

    "A what?"

    "It's a type of telescope an amateur can build in their back garden. Cheap and very easy to build. My father and I were supposed to take it out into the wilderness so that we could get a better look at the night sky, but that never happened."

    "Why the countryside?"

    "The city is way too bright to see much of anything... But I did see a few interesting things. I got to see the craters on the moon, a few of the stars that can't be seen by the naked eye... I was even able to see some of the planets in our solar system, too. Specifically Vulcan, Minerva and Jove."

    "Oh, that's cool! Jove is the big one with the red spot on it, right?"

    "Yeah!"

    "That's pretty impressive that you can see that far with something you built in your back yard. Minerva is the one with the rings around it, right?"

    She nodded. "You actually know your stuff, it sounds like."

    "I was interested in it briefly, when I was a child."

    Her words made Andrea think. "Why did you never go to college? You're one of the few people who could actually afford it."

    "I just figured it wasn't for me. I was either going to be a philanthropist, a chef or an artist... University would have been a waste of my time."

    "Hmm. Good point, I guess."

    As they continued their conversation, they traversed through dozens of terraced fields. While most of the farms in the area specialized in growing immense fields of rice, others grew a variety of crops that neither expected to see. Giant pumpkins, fields of rectangular melons, cabbage patches, orderly rows of carrots, turnips and scallions, and forests of violet amaranth stretched as far as the eye could see. The fields were tended to by dozens of workers, including a few that appeared to be black and white bear-like Pokémon. Curious about them, Andrea scanned one with her R-Kit as she passed by.

    "Nongmao, the Panda Pokémon!" the R-Kit said. "Nongmao is a critically endangered Pokémon, often poached for its luxurious black and white fur. There are no known members of the species in the wild anymore, but rigorous conservation programs have ensured a small and thriving population. In ancient times, they were regarded as nature spirits, as they protected both farmers and their fields from encroaching threats. In accordance with this ancient tradition, a majority of the surviving members of the species are currently owned by farmers in the Shinikara, Sakala and Ahnkol regions."

    Each of the Nongmao carried a long stick with them. Fastened to the ends of the sticks were small jars of what appeared to be honey. Every now and then, one of the Nongmao would retrieve the small jar and dribble the mysterious, syrup-like substance onto the larger crops.

    "What are they doing, do you think?" Kimberly asked.

    Andrea shrugged. "Maybe it's a special sort of fertilizer? Might explain why some of these plants are so huge."

    Their chatter caught the attention of one of the Nongmao, who turned around with surprising speed and glared at the two as they passed by. Deep growling and a show of its fangs was enough to put Andrea on high alert. She instinctively reached into her purse to grab one of her Pokéballs, but felt a tug on her arm.

    Kimberly pulled her aside and gingerly approached the Nongmao, but remained ready to run at a moment's notice. She placed her hands together and rested them just below her chin, then bowed slowly and graciously. She hoped that the gesture would be welcomed by the creature and that it would no longer see them as a threat to the farm.

    The Nongmao approached the road and stood still for a moment as it examined her body language. After a few seconds of study, its bulging muscles relaxed and its posture loosened. It offered the same gesture back to her before returning to its duties in the field.

    She let out a sigh of relief.

    Andrea was ready to rip her head off. "Are you kidding me?! That could have gone so horribly wrong!"

    The two continued down the road. "Yes... It very well could have. I understand that. But I also understand that violence isn't always the answer."

    Andrea returned a puzzled stare.

    "Have you not learned that yet? Is that not one of the first lessons you learned when you were given your first Pokémon?"

    "Umm..."

    It was a worrying thought, but she couldn't help but giggle. "Oh dear... What were those boys teaching you before we started travelling together?"

    Andrea shook her head. "Practically nothing. Larson taught me how to turn a good day into a disaster and Kamin taught me how to be rude and disrespectful to people."

    Another giggle followed.


    - - - - -​

    Another uneventful hour of navigating the farmlands had passed before they finally reached something that resembled civilization. The village of Muyang was very much unlike the town of Letchworth; the houses were crude in design and fashioned from bamboo, untreated wood and even long reeds in some places. They were crammed together as if the concept of personal space didn't exist.

    What stood out the most to both of them was the complete lack of ethnic diversity compared to Letchworth. The people were quite busy and very quiet as they moved quickly and efficiently up and down the gravel paths with baskets full of farm produce stapped to their backs. There were no loiterers, but mostly because there was no room to simply stand around. What little discussion occurred amongst the locals indicated that most, if not all of them, spoke the Shinikaran language.

    "I really hope we can find someone who understands us..." Andrea said.

    "I would not hold your breath on that one, friend."

    She grumbled as she raised her arm to look at her R-Kit. She brought the translation application up and began to meticulously scan every word she came across with it. They came across a structure labeled as the 'Muyang Storehouse', where a large collection of farm produce was kept. Another location was 'Qian's General Goods', which unsurprisingly specialized in farm equipment. More locations included a tailor, a metalworking shop and a schoolhouse. After much hesitation, the two decided to ask around to see if there was an inn that they could stay at.

    "Hey, uhh, do you know--" Andrea asked as she approached one of the busy farm workers.

    "Shenme?" the man interrupted, then quickly moved on.

    Kimberly had similar luck when approaching one as well. "Excuse me, sir?"

    "Wo bu hui yinghua!" was the response she received.

    After a few minutes of asking around in the hopes that at least one of them would understand, the two reconvened near the metalworking shop.

    "Any luck?" Andrea asked.

    Kimberly shook her head.

    She sighed. "Great..."

    As Kimberly thought the situation over, a light bulb flashed in her mind. "Your R-Kit can translate written text, correct? Can it also do something for spoken language as well?"

    "I really doubt it..." she muttered as she began to search through the translation application's options. She almost wanted to smack herself when she noticed the voice tab. "Maybe, uhh..." She set the target language to English and tapped on a button that said 'begin'. "I think it's... listening? How do we know if it works?"

    "Cela va nous dire," Kimberly said in a strange language. "Au moins qui est... l'espoir?"

    Andrea's eyes widened with surprise as the R-Kit took a moment to analyze her words.

    "This will tell us," the R-Kit droned. "At least that is the hope?"

    "It works!" Kimberly said with excitement. "Mostly. It got a word wrong, but it's good enough."

    The fact that her R-Kit was able to accurately translate other languages in real time was lost on Andrea. "Oh my god, you speak other languages, too?"

    Kimberly shook her head. "No. I only learned a bit when my father and I lived in Kalos for about a year, when I was a little girl. I'm surprised I remember that much. But that doesn't matter, what matters is that we can talk with people now!"

    "Only if they're patient enough to listen to us savagely butcher their language..."

    They decided to continue exploring the town, but found themselves swept up by the local farmhands, who were pouring out of the fields and into the village after a hard day of work. There was very little opportunity to break free from the bustling 'traffic'. It worked in their favor, as they were led towards the center of the village, which was full of establishments dedicated to food, drink and lodging.

    "Let's try this one!" Kimberly said as she led Andrea over to a place known as Yating's Ranch, a small, family run canteen that had been operating for nearly four hundred years, if the sign hanging above the entrance was to be believed.

    The inside was just as rustic as the outside. Rickety, splintering wooden chairs surrounded nearly a dozen tables, each decorated with a clay vase that held a few wilting reeds. There were no other customers inside yet, but there were employees gathered near the back, ready for an evening of hard work.

    As they entered, a young woman greeted them warmly. "Ah! Welcome, welcome!" she said in her native language. Her demeanor was beyond friendly to the point of excessive sweetness, and her giggly nature only added to it. "Please, have a seat! I'll be right with you!"

    The two chose a table to sit at and waited. "Well. She's certainly friendly." Andrea said.

    "That's what I like about closely knit communities such as this. Everyone is so friendly!"

    The canteen began to fill up as they waited patiently for the waitress to return. Most gave them the odd look every now and then, but largely ignored the presence of visitors in their village. As time passed, each table was served, one by one, with bowls of steaming hot rice coupled with a small ceramic cup of tea. Andrea was slightly dismayed by the lack of a menu, but figured that such a small establishment in such a small village wouldn't have many choices.

    Eventually, the waitress returned to their table with the same dish that was given to everyone else; bland looking amber-colored rice and very strong tea, accompanied by a pair of chop sticks. "Please, enjoy!" she said as she bowed with respect.

    "Thank you," they both attempted to say.

    Andrea picked up the two chop sticks and immediately realized she had no idea how to use them. She held them like a spoon and tried to scoop some of her rice onto them, only to see it easily fall off. She took a second to think of how they were actually meant to be used and adjusted her grip on them accordingly. To her dismay, her new grip did absolutely nothing to help, as the rice simply fell off once again. She looked around at all of the locals and watched as they effortlessly used their own chop sticks and wondered how it was even possible. "Hmm..." she mumbled.

    She looked across the table to see if Kimberly was having as much difficulty as she was. She was unsurprised to see that her friend had knowledge of how to use chop sticks properly. "She's too talented. It's inhuman, I swear..." she thought to herself.

    "Is something the matter?" Kimberly asked.

    "Huh?"

    "You're staring a hole into me, friend! What's on your mind?"

    "Oh, uhh..." she whimpered as she tried one last time to use her chopsticks, only to fail once again. "I'm just wondering how to use these stupid things. They don't make sense."

    "Well, you have to hold them correctly, first!" Kimberly said as she put her own down and reached across the table. She grabbed the two that Andrea was holding and said, "Hold your hand out, as if you're about to shake someone else's."

    She did so.

    "First, you hold the lower stick against your thumb and rest it on your palm, like so," Kimberly said as she placed the stick in her friend's hand. She grabbed the other one. "And now you hold this one between your thumb and your index finger."

    "Like this?"

    "Yes! Now, curl your ring and pinkie fingers and rest the lower stick on them, then rest the top stick against your middle finger."

    She tried to follow her friend's advice and found the new grip surprisingly easy to maintain despite how delicate it was. Its effectiveness was proven when she was able to actually pick up some of the rice this time. "Thanks... I was about to scream at these stupid things and maybe shatter this bowl against the wall." She peered upwards and found her friend giving her a funny look. "It was a joke! But really, thank you."

    "You're welcome!" Kimberly said. "How is it?"

    "It's... different than what I'm used to, I can say that much. But it's also better than I was expecting."

    "I know! I had always hated when rice was a part of dinner, even when my father would cook it, but I love this stuff! I wonder what they do differently here?"

    "They probably use a different kind. When I'd fill in for someone in the kitchen back at the Crimson Crawdaunt, I remember we briefly had an older man from this part of the world working there with us, and he always criticized our 'inferior' rice."

    "Hmm. That makes sense."

    As they enjoyed their dinner, there was a long silence between them which Andrea decided to break. "You know... as much as I complained about being stuck in this country, I think I'm actually starting to... I don't know, like it a bit."

    "That's good!" Kimberly responded. "I think I can see why... What did Mr. Kent say this place was, 'Old Shinikara'? It's certainly been very different up here in the mountains."

    "I know! The people are actually nice! And they don't treat us like animals simply because we're women!"

    "Yes! That's probably been my favorite part."

    She pushed her empty bowl forward slightly. "I think my favorite part so far has probably been travelling with you."

    The praise caught Kimberly off guard. "Huh?"

    "I mean it! When I think about it... when I was on the road with Kamin, it always felt like such a chore to deal with him. He was rude, he was secretive, he was cold and I'm not even sure he had any emotions. Larson wasn't much different... We didn't spend much time together, but he had little regard for what I wanted to do. It was always 'Let's do this! Let's do that! It'll be good for you!' but it never really was. It's not just those two, either... none of my friends throughout my entire life have been particularly, well, friendly."

    Kimberly listened intently.

    "You're different, though. You care. You listen. You're excited about everything. At first, I was sick of the endless spring in your step, the endless positivity... but it's grown on me. Because of your hopeful attitude, I no longer wake up scared that I might not survive this journey... You've turned this nightmare into something I can actually enjoy, and I think it's your bubbly personality that's done it."

    She was humbled by her friend's words and praise, almost to the point of speechlessness. "That's... that's very nice of you! It's nice to hear that. It gives me something to think about."

    Their conversation was interrupted by the waitress, who approached from behind. "Did you enjoy the rice?"

    "Yes, thank you!" Kimberly attempted to say. She dug through her purse and grabbed a few coins, then counted out a few silvers and offered them to the waitress.

    The waitress' eyes widened. "Oh! No! This is too much!" she said as she divided the coins up and offered some back. "I appreciate generosity, but I can't accept this much!"

    She hesitantly grabbed the coins back and looked across the table at Andrea. "So cheap!" she whispered.

    After the waitress left, Andrea stood up and pushed her chair in. "Let's go and see if we can find a place to stay for the night."

    Kimberly remained seated and dug through her backpack. "I think I'd rather stay here a bit, actually. I want to do some reading, if you don't mind, maybe a bit of writing, too. If you need me, though, come and get me."


    - - - - -​

    Author's note: Speech written entirely in italics is intended to mean that the characters are speaking another language, unless specifically stated that is a character's inner thoughts. Obviously, attempting to read my horribly broken attempts at Chinese (or in one instance, French) would severely impact the flow of the story, so I've written it in English instead. Rather than painstakingly remind the reader that each line is translated, it's assumed that the R-Kit is constantly running its translations for Andrea and Kimberly in both directions.
     
    Last edited:
    • chapter 49
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 49: The Seeds Are Blossoming    ​

    Journal entry, September 16th

    It's another fine day! The temperature is moderate, the skies are clear, the surrounding landscape is simply marvelous, and the local people are very welcoming! Andrea and I just enjoyed dinner at a family ranch and got a taste of the local cuisine. I was never a fan of rice as I was growing up in Kanto, but the rice here? Out of this world! There's something different about it, and I can't quite put my finger on what... Even my father's mastery of cooking couldn't compare to what I just experienced at this small, family-owned establishment!

    Today felt... almost surreal. Andrea and I have only known each other for about three weeks now, but it feels like we've become the greatest of friends. We spent all day discussing what we want out of life... I already knew one of her goals was to help research things that might save lives, but she still doesn't know what that research might be or how to apply herself. She spoke a lot about astronomy as well, and how she had dreams of working at an observatory. I didn't know she was so passionate about it! And then hearing her talk about her mechanical engineering studies, during her college years... She lost me many times on the way, which tells me she knows what she's talking about. How did she end up as a waitress!? She's a smart girl, and I hope she realizes that, but sometimes it feels like she actively looks for ways to deny it.

    She listened intently to every word I've said, as well. I find that... unusual for her. Perhaps it was just the stress of trying to survive, but she was never terribly interested in what I had to say until recently. I'm grateful that she can sit there and listen to me waffle on about my time in Kanto, about my family, about my hopes, my dreams. When she agreed to stay at the monastery so that Juliano and I could learn more about Mistweaving, it struck me... I've stumbled on a very great friend, such a rare find these days! Andrea is very much unlike Nicole, who often ignored me, or grew impatient with me when I wanted to take a break from the road to see something new.

    She was adorable, too! During dinner tonight, she was struggling without end on the proper way to use chop sticks, until she finally asked me. I would not call myself an expert, but I was happy to help. The look on her face, the look of genuine gratitude when she finally got it right with my help... I haven't seen something like that in years. Her personality can be jagged at times, but when she opens up... It warms my heart unlike anything else.

    Which brings me to something that's been bothering me. Andrea has been on my mind a lot since we found our footing at that hunting safari. I'm starting to worry... I fear I'm falling for her. To most people, this wouldn't be a fear, but... I'm genuinely worried that if this continues, it will only end with me having my heart broken, and that I might lose a great friend over it. It's happened too many times before. I feel I've done an adequate job of hiding this from her, but secrets can only be kept for so long.

    My biggest fear is her ongoing obsession with her old flame, Larson. It feels like a day doesn't go by where she doesn't mention him, or think about him in some form. She's beginning to think he's a monster due to what he did on that cruise ship, but yet he still captivates her imagination. How could I possibly compete against that? Can I even? I have a feeling she couldn't possibly reciprocate my feelings if I opened up to her. It's very likely that she doesn't like girls in that way, and that weighs the heaviest on my mind...

    While Andrea and I were climbing the Thousand Steps on our way to the monastery, we came across a wishing well. I feel like I've had good luck with wishing wells in the past, as most of the wishes I made on them have come true. I do hope this does not break the unwritten rule of wishes, as I am not technically telling anyone... I wanted a bit of clarity on the feelings I am developing for Andrea, and whether they are harmless and just friendship as usual, or more... It may be a bit early to draw any conclusions, but I think I'm starting to get a good idea.

    She has sacrificed and suffered a lot to ensure my well-being. When she could have easily abandoned me to the monstrous mammoth when we first met, she came back for me. When I became gravely ill with the jungle fever, she used every last bit of her knowledge to bring me back from the edge, at great risk to herself. She stood firm and defended me from a pair of robbers, without even thinking of the consequences if she failed. And then her bravery in the tunnels yesterday, despite her own fears... I owe her a lot, and it's weighed heavily on my mind. Nobody has been so selfless for me in my entire life, not even my parents.

    And then there is the way she's acted since I made that wish... There was one rough moment, admittedly, but the rest? I've never seen the like of it from her! Her patience, her friendly demeanor, her willingness to listen and to learn, her desire to learn about the culture of this land with me... Was that all a result of this harmless little wish? Is this the clear sign I asked for, regarding my feelings for her? From the stories she's told me, she was never a patient person growing up. The more I think about it--"

    "Whatcha writing?" Andrea's voice called out.

    She seized up and slammed her journal shut. "Oh dear! You frightened me!" she said as she caught her breath. "Nothing you'd be interested in, I imagine. Just personal musings."

    "Try me," Andrea replied.

    "No, no. This is something I need to think about deeply before I speak about it."

    Andrea paused briefly. "Hmm. Anyways, I 'spoke' with the owner of the ranch, or at least I tried. I think we can rent a room from them tonight for twenty silvers."

    "Oh, lovely!" she said.

    "I could be very wrong about that, just keep that in mind. I have no idea how well my R-Kit actually does when it comes to translation..."

    "It seems to have worked for us so far, hasn't it?"

    "Has it? The owner kept giving me strange looks and telling me I was using the wrong words."

    She packed her journal away and slung her backpack over her shoulders. "I'm sure it will be fine. Let's go negotiate with him, I'm starting to get a little sleepy."


    - - - - -​

    Author's note: This is a very short one, and that was by choice. I felt like an entire chapter needed to be dedicated to what is perhaps the most important piece of character development for Kimberly, yet I wanted to be short and concise with it at the same time.
     
    • chapter 49.5
    • Storm Island
    Rocket 4: Civic Center Subterfuge    ​

    September 14th, Azure Ridge
    12:32 PM

    It was a bright and sunny summer afternoon in the city of Azure Ridge. Another gripping heat wave was blasting the city and the surrounding countryside with no relief in sight. Most folks were smart enough to be inside, hidden away from the triple digit temperatures, but there were several crowds of young people congregating around the Azure Ridge Civic Center. Most were segregated far away from each other, and each had a specific trait that set themselves apart from the others. For some, it was their outfits, while for others, a specific color theme distinguished each group from each other.

    Across the street from the civic center, a woman with auburn hair kept an eye on each group, studying each as closely as she could from that distance. Across the table she was sitting at was a man, enjoying a salad as he flipped through a stack of papers. Between them was a radio, tuned to Storm Island's 24 hour talk radio station. The subject of that afternoon's discussion was the aftermath of the S.S. Beckinshire's destruction.

    "...conference early this morning, Rear Admiral Blackmoore has announced that the search and rescue operation in the western sea has officially ended; two weeks following the deadly attack on the S.S. Beckinshire, officials are now calling this a recovery operation. With only thirty seven confirmed survivors out of the nearly 8000 aboard the ship, it's a grim--"

    Before the hosts of the radio show could discuss the subject, the woman objected to hearing it entirely. "Travis, turn that off, please."

    The man flipped the power on the radio off, then sighed. "Yeah, it is a bit depressing, isn't it..."

    "It's not depressing, it's angering. I don't need to be angry today." Eliza reached into a sack at her feet and grabbed a pair of binoculars, then raised them to her eyes. She scanned the grounds of the Azure Ridge Civic Center, moving quickly from group to group as she tried to get a feeling of who they were.

    "What are you looking for, exactly? When I agreed to help you with this, I thought I was going to be told stuff, not kept in the dark." Travis asked.

    "We're looking for leads into Team Rocket's plans," she answered.

    "And how, exactly, are we going to do that? What are we going to learn by watching a bunch of kids at a community center?"

    She lowered her binoculars and looked across the table at him. He noticed two things in her eyes: a burning passion for what she was doing, and slight annoyance at him for asking so many questions. "That letter I got from that former member of Team Rocket... she told me this would be a good place to start. I'm looking for a band of Shinikari youth with red bandanas, apparently they've gotten involved with Team Rocket somehow."

    "That's it? Some kids with bandanas? No known connection, either?"

    She raised the binoculars and began to look around again. "Look, I don't have a lot of information to go on either. It frustrates me, but it's what I've got to work with. Besides, this is our job, remember. We seek out information with little to start with, and this will be no different."

    "We better get something out of this. I had to use my vacation time to come all this way with you!" He chuckled angrily. "My wife is not going to be happy. Using vacation days, just to go to work? What am I doing with my life?"

    "I don't want to hear it. This is important work we're doing, more important than a day with the family."

    "Then why don't we do it through the official channels?" he protested. "At least we'd get paid for it."

    She turned around and aggressively addressed him. "We tried that once before. It didn't work. The less people involved, the better, because I don't know who to trust."

    "So you're going to take Team Rocket on all by yourself?"

    She shook her head as she continued inspecting the congregating crowds. "No, I'm going to be getting some help along the way. You, for a start."

    He sighed. "I just hope we can do something good for a change."

    Nearly twenty minutes passed by. Just as she was about to give up, she noticed the door to the gymnasium open up and several young people spill out onto the lawn. Each person seemed to meet the standards she was looking for; they were all Shinikari youth, they all wore black and red bandanas, and they all appeared to have an unspoken but unbreakable bond between them.

    "I think these are the people I was told about..." she said, lowering the binoculars again. She handed them across the table.

    "So now what?" he asked.

    "I have to get in closer and listen to what they're saying."

    "What?! Are you insane?! They would eat you alive the moment they realized you were a cop!"

    She looked down at her clothing; long and loose fitting tan cargo pants, a cropped tank top that exposed her midriff, gaudy coral pink hoop earrings and a black and red bandana, similar in design to the style worn by the people she was about to approach. It was much different than she was used to. "It's a good thing I don't look like a cop, then."

    "I was going to ask what was with those clothes..."

    As she prepared to cross the street and approach the crowd, she adjusted her clothing one last time. "Well, how do I look?"

    "Like an aging beach babe."

    "That doesn't fill me with confidence..." she said. She raised her aviator sunglasses and slipped them over her eyes, then pointed out to some bushes at the side of the street, adjacent to some tennis courts. "See those bushes? I want you to hang around there. Keep an eye on me. If things start to go tits up, I'm going to need some help."

    "Got it."

    She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "Let's do this."

    "Hold up! Before you go..." He grabbed the bandana off of her head, then stashed it into his pocket. "You want to blend in, but probably not too much. If you go over there flashing their colors, they might be a bit suspicious, maybe think you're one of them. The second they start talking to you, they'll figure out that you're not."

    She nodded. "Good point."

    They crossed the street towards the civic center, and the game was afoot. Travis approached the bushes that Eliza pointed out, while she made her way across the vast, freshly cut lawn towards the basketball courts. She thought of ways to appear less out-of-place and settled on the one thing she saw most other people doing: she pulled out her phone and buried her nose in it. She idly approached the group of Shinikari youth, her attention locked on them. Luckily for her, she found a bench relatively close to them, and even luckier, close enough to eavesdrop. Now all she had to do was wait and listen.

    "--definitely looking forward to it. The big match up between Caelshire and Glengary is tonight! Who you think's goin' to the finals?" one of the youths asked.

    "Glengary for sure. Bonnett's the best forward in the league, they can't lose with him on the field." another commented.

    "Ah, you're full of shit!" one of the others protested. "Hartle's the better forward!"

    "Oh yeah? How come he's only scored three goals this season? My grandma could do better than that, and she's got a walking cane!"

    Hartle's fan was upset by the claim and forcefully shoved the other. "You take that back!"

    "He might have been good a couple years ago, but he's gettin' old, man! C'mon!"

    Eliza groaned as she listened to the youths debate sports. It wasn't what she was hoping to hear about. Still, she remained determined, her attention still fixated on her phone. She took a brief moment to look around her, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

    Nearly half an hour passed by as she listened in on their conversations. Most of it was uninteresting and had little to do with the information she was after; more spirited sports discussion, the results of the previous night's reality TV contests, relationship drama and personal problems all came up as discussion topics. As she continued to eavesdrop, a man in his early thirties approached the group of youths. He was dressed in a similar way to them, but she could tell that he wasn't Shinikari.

    "Wassup, Lu'?" one of the youths asked.

    "Not much," the man said.

    "How'd things go with Molly last night?"

    Lu grinned wickedly and chuckled.

    There was a collective gasp of surprise, followed by uproarious laughter and animal-like hooting.

    "Best part is, I'm seeing her sister tonight, too! She doesn't even have a clue!"

    The group erupted with noise and admiration again, and high fives went all around. Eliza was disgusted with their behavior, but put it out of mind as she continued her eavesdropping. Domino had suggested she look into these folks, surely there must be something to learn from them. Her patience was quickly rewarded after the noise began to die down.

    "How's business been?"

    "Pretty well, considering all that's happened," Lu answered. "Money's coming in from Ambervale. We're expanding into Silvermist. Mixie and Gavin have been scoping out places for our next operation."

    Eliza immediately perked up upon hearing the name. "Mixie?" she thought. "Now that's a name I recognize..."

    "We're picking up a lot of support, too. I was skeptical of our future when that cruise ship went down, but a lot of people have come forward to join our organization because of it."

    One of the youths shook his head in disgust. "I dunno, man. Do we really want people like that in our crew? We're not savages."

    "I actually agree. But who's in and who's not isn't up to me." he replied. He looked down at his watch, then clapped his hands together. "Anyways, I've gotta jet. Shit to do. See y'all around."

    Lu's abrupt departure caused the group to scatter, and Eliza saw an opportunity in it. She was slightly curious of what stuff he 'had to do', but figured it wasn't as important as extracting information from him. His mentions of a person named 'Mixie', as well as his apparent intimate knowledge surrounding Team Rocket's inner workings told her that this was a leader of the crime syndicate, or at least a high ranking member. The knowledge he held would go a long way towards preventing whatever they planned next. She made the decision: he was being brought in for questioning. She hopped off of the bench and began to pursue him. As she followed him, she opened her phone and began to dial Travis' number.

    After a few rings, Travis answered. "I see you're following someone, what's up?"

    "I think this guy's important," she said softly and quietly. "Keep up with me, but stay out of sight. I don't know where he's going."

    "What's so important about him?"

    "He seems to know a lot. Operations, finances, speaking with leaders. Your average member doesn't know that much."

    "What's your plan?"

    "I'm gonna make a move on him when he's isolated."

    Travis sighed. "Okay. Give a signal if you need a hand, I'll be ready."

    Lu looked behind him and noticed that Eliza was following him. He shrugged it off at first, but a second look back showed that she was still following. He decided to test her. As soon as he reached the end of the wall beside him, he turned the corner and continued in that direction. He turned around again, and there she was, following the same as always. "Hey! You followin' me, lady?" he hollered.

    Without a word, she pulled a white and green Pokéball that was emblazoned with a golden shield out of her pocket and tossed it to the ground. The ball exploded with a bright flash of golden light. An orange canine creature with blackened stripes running along its back and puffy, white fur running along its chest appeared and immediately lowered to all fours.

    "Sweet, after him!" she commanded.

    Sweet charged forward with incredible speed. Lu could do little to escape the approaching Growlithe, but he tried anyways. He barely made it ten feet before Sweet pounced through the air at him. He shouted in agony as her fangs sunk into his arm; she swung around him like a sling, and the momentum slammed him into the ground with considerable force.

    Eliza quickly approached and jumped on top of him. With him tightly pinned to the ground, she reached into his pockets and began to empty their contents onto the ground around him; a switchblade, some crumpled papers, a few filthy coins, a small bag of nondescript pills, and a wallet. She opened the wallet and had a look at his ID.

    "Luigi Andelli, huh?" she asked. The name sounded vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't figure why.

    "Get off of me, I didn't do shit!" the man protested, completely motionless as he shouted.

    She reached into her pocket and grabbed her phone. "We'll see about that."

    "You can't just--"

    She pressed her knee down on the back of his head and rubbed his face into the dirt. "Be quiet and make this easier for yourself." She began to dial a number she became very familiar with over the past month, Marvin Dennison's phone number.

    The phone rang several times before it was answered. "Eeyello?" Marvin asked in a cheery manner.

    "Marvin! It's Eliza!"

    "Oh, hey! What's up?"

    "Can you do me a favor? Are you in the office?"

    "Yeah, just sitting down for lunch. What do you need?"

    "Can you run a database check on a man named Andelli, first name Luigi?"

    "Luigi Andelli, huh... Sure, let me look." There was a long pause. "Got something. Two outstanding warrants: one for armed robbery and another for assault with a deadly weapon. A very, very long arrest record, too. Why?"

    She looked down at the man and patted him on the head. "Because I'm sitting on top of him right now and I needed an excuse to bring him in for questioning."

    Marvin was confused. "What? Why are you--"

    "I'll explain later, it's not important right now. What matters is that I'm bringing someone in for an interrogation. Can you arrange that for me?"

    "Uhh..." he blustered. "I dunno, that's the Silvermist branch's responsibility, right?"

    "I'm here in Azure Ridge, it'll be quicker and easier to bring him into your office."

    "What are you doing--" he started, then stopped himself. "I guess I can take care of that. You'll tell me what's going on after that, right?"

    She paused for a moment to think. She knew that he would be a trustworthy and valuable person to bring into her investigation, but she also remembered the warning she received a week prior about involving him in it all. She carefully tried to craft her words. "I have to play this one close to the chest for awhile, Marvin. I don't think you'd go and blab, but the less people who know, the better."

    "Huh... well, alright. I'll trust that this is all above board." Despite his words, there was a noticeable tone of skepticism in his voice. "I'll get that interrogation set up, then forward you the details."

    "Thanks."

    "See ya soon."

    "Yep." She closed her phone and placed it back into her pocket, then made a flailing arm gesture towards the street.

    Travis saw the signal and quickly approached, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. "We bringing this guy in?"

    She nodded.

    He reached into his pocket and grabbed a pair of handcuffs. "Alright, big guy. Nice and easy."

    As her partner handcuffed Luigi, Eliza began to recite his rights to him. "Mr. Andelli, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be--"

    "Yeah, yeah, stow it, ya bitch. I know my rights." Luigi replied. "Just bring me in already."
     
    • chapter 50
    • The quality of this one may be terrible. After being stuck for three months, I felt like I had to get something out. Hopefully it's not too mangled.

    Storm Island
    Chapter 50: The Important Things We Do
    Written by Kimberly Prescott, consultation by Caitlin​

    It was a long and boring slog through the remainder of the farmlands surrounding the village of Muyang. Little of interest had happened to Andrea and Kimberly as they made their way towards their next destination, the city of Yulong-la, a journey that took them nearly twelve straight hours of walking, a feat and distance that would impress even a professional marathon runner. At long last, and through considerable effort, they reached the city limits.

    It was different than they were expecting. The transition from rural farmland to the busy city was almost instant; one moment, they were in a muddy rice field, and the next moment, they found themselves in an urban jungle characterized by concrete, metal and the chaotic hustle and bustle of human activity. Despite the fact that it was late at night, the city was more active than both had expected, and it was something the likes of which neither had ever seen before. Loud music blared from nearly every establishment they walked by, and brightly lit electronic billboards illuminated the surrounding environment to near day-time levels.

    Fighting through the immense crowds was a difficult task; despite the fact that she had grown up in a large and bustling city, Andrea felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people on the streets. Kimberly was even less accustomed to the hustle and bustle. Thousands of people filled the streets like water, ebbing and flowing like tides as they reached each intersection. Not wanting to become separated, the two wrapped their arms around each other tightly and braved the hordes as they tried to find a place to sleep for the night.

    "This is incredible!" Kimberly said. "I've never seen anything like it! We have to look around!" The sense of wonder in her voice was palpable, even through the deafening amount of noise that came from both the people and the businesses around them. Her eyes were drawn to the animated billboards, the neon signs, the blinking lights, and everything in between.

    Andrea was remarkably less captivated by the sights around her. "I just hope we don't get lost... Where was this hotel again?"

    "Ummm... was it Ganju Boulevard?" she asked, trying to remember the details.

    "You're not even certain?" Andrea looked at the map on her R-Kit, taking care not to bump into the crowds around her. "There's Ganju Avenue coming up in just a few blocks. I really hope they don't reuse street names in this country, or I'm gonna be pissed."

    "We'll get there soon, surely!"

    "I hope so... My legs gave up on me a long time ago."

    Just as Andrea was about to keel over from exhaustion, they reached Ganju Avenue, which gave her the final bits of motivation needed to arrive safely at the hotel. Luckily for them, they could see their destination just a few blocks down the road. It was a short walk, much to their relief.

    Before them was the Palatium Romatti. Unlike most hotels which are simple towers or sprawling complexes, this one was a carefully crafted building, characterized by a sloped tile roof, supported by dozens of marble pillars and lavishly carved limestone walls. Numerous marble statues surrounded the building, carved into the shapes of great leaders of history, mythical creatures and other depictions of classical beauty. A large pool of water graced the front lawn of the hotel, and an intricate network of sprinklers bathed the area in a soothing mist. They were drawn in by the sheer beauty of it, but also put on alert.

    "Umm, are we even going to be able to afford this place? It looks awful expensive..." Andrea gawked.

    "Yes, we'll be able to. Trust me, I knew what I was doing when I chose this place."

    The interior continued the theme of opulent antiquity. The first thing they noticed was the fountain in the center of the lobby, decorated with a statue of the greatest emperor of ancient Romatti, Gaeus Andretalus. Murals lined the walls, telling the stories of Emperor Andretalus' conquests of much of the known world. Even someone fluent in the history of the Romatti Empire could learn something new just from standing in that lobby.

    The two approached the front desk, ready to negotiate with the attendant. Much to their surprise, however, the attendant spoke reasonably understandable English.

    "Welcome to the Palatium Romatti!" he said. "How may I help you two?"

    Kimberly took charge of the negotiations. "We'd like to rent a room, please."

    "Very well. Do you have a reservation?"

    She shook her head. "No, sir."

    "Give me a moment, then..." The attendant began to tap away furiously at his keyboard. "We have a room available on the seventh floor... Twenty gold coins."

    Andrea was a bit dismayed by the price. "Wow..."

    The attendant nodded as if he understood her shock. "I can assure you, you pay for the best here, ma'am."

    Kimberly dug through her purse to gather up the payment, only to find that she was several coins short. Instead, she retrieved the corrugated metal pocketbook that contained her gym badges and grabbed a small plastic card from inside, then handed it to the attendant. "You have an ID scanner, correct?"

    "We do! A moment, please." The man took the card and disappeared into the office behind the front desk.

    Andrea took the time to study her surroundings further and was almost disgusted by how needlessly expensive everything looked. She knew she was in a different part of the country and that neither were connected, but she couldn't help to think back to the abject poverty she observed while she was in Letchworth. She began to think that some of the exorbitant wealth that went into the design of the hotel would perhaps be better spent aiding the poor. "Are you sure about this? We can find somewhere a bit more... reasonable."

    Kimberly rested her hand on Andrea's shoulder and patted it. "I'm sure, friend! It will be awhile before my savings start to run low. What's wrong with enjoying a bit of luxury when we can?"

    "I dunno, all I need is a bed, not royal treatment."

    The attendant returned and handed the card back to Kimberly. "Everything is in order, Ms. Fairbrooke. You'll both be sharing this room, correct?"

    "Yes."

    He slid a guest registry across the desk, then began to tap away at his keyboard some more. A machine beside his computer began to whir with life as it spat out two small metallic cards. He grabbed the cards and handed one each to the girls after they both signed the registry. "These are the keys to your room. Enjoy!"

    Their room was no less grand than the rest of the hotel. Azure silk curtains in the windows, a queen size bed, luxurious leather furniture, a delicately designed chandelier and a marble floor hidden beneath the blue and gold carpet greeted them with decadent charm.

    Andrea groaned with delight as she crashed onto the bed. She tried to fall asleep right there, but couldn't. Despite being completely and utterly exhausted, she felt oddly energized by the lengthy walk that brought her here. The silence and the strange atmosphere started to drive her insane, so she sat up and looked around. The first thing that caught her attention was the phone sitting on the bedside table next to her. Thoughts of home immediately rushed to her head; she wanted to get in touch with her parents again to update them on what was happening. She picked up the phone.

    "Oh? Do you need some privacy? I can have a bit of a wander." Kimberly asked.

    "No, that's fine," She picked up the phone and took a deep breath. As she started to dial her parents' phone number, she began to think about what time it might be back on Storm Island; while she was genuinely worried about waking her parents up, she was also partially looking for an excuse to put the phone call off. Before she could finish dialing, she asked, "Hey, do you happen to know what time zone we're in?"

    Kimberly tried to remember her foggy geography lessons. "Ummm... I don't. Sorry."

    A quick check of her R-Kit indicated that it was 3 AM on Storm Island. "Yeah, it's definitely way too late..." she said. "I'll call tomorrow, maybe."

    "If you don't mind my asking, who were you going to call?"

    "My parents. I dunno though... I should, but I almost don't want to."

    "Huh? Why!? Your parents would love to hear from you!"

    "Maybe, but... I'm kinda scared..."

    "Scared? By what?"

    She shook her head and sighed.

    Her silence piqued Kimberly's curiosity, and she could tell that her friend was clearly troubled by something. She closed her book, put it on the table, then hopped off of the couch to join Andrea on the bed. "Whatever it is, we can talk about it if you'd like."

    She groaned, crossed her arms and looked away.

    Kimberly rested her arm on Andrea's shoulder and leaned into her. "There's nothing to be afraid of! Please, tell me what is on your mind, I don't want you to face whatever is bothering you alone."

    It took a moment of silence and consideration before Andrea opened up. "I messed up. When I called home back in Letchworth, I made things right with my dad... but not my mom. He told me to call again that night so that me and her could talk, and I said that I would... but I never did." She shook her head in disgust. "What's wrong with me? I mean, we've never been particularly close, but... Ugh..."

    "It's okay, you were--"

    "No! It's not okay! That was terrible of me!"

    "Okay, maybe it was, but you have a chance to right that wrong."

    "I'm just terrified of how she'll react. I know it won't be nice."

    "She may be a bit upset--"

    Andrea interrupted with a laugh. "Heh. 'May'. You don't know her, she'll go nuclear."

    "And yet you were still thinking about calling her. I think that says a lot about you as a person, that you're ready to let past experiences go. Maybe she'll see that."

    "I don't have high hopes... But, stranger things have happened, haven't they?" She let out a deep and sad sigh. "I just want to apologize to her, ya know? For all the fighting, all the yelling... If I can just do that, even if she flips out, maybe I'll begin to feel better about myself."

    "I admire you for wanting to try. It takes a lot of strength, most people would be happy to just let a bad relationship fall apart." Her stomach began to growl loudly. "Oof! Pardon me! I know we shouldn't eat just before we go to bed, but maybe we should grab dinner first?"

    "Sure, sounds good."


    - - - - -​

    Angelic humming echoed throughout the bathroom, fighting for dominance against the harsh sound of a running shower. When the shower was shut off, the humming continued, accompanied by softly spoken, broken up lyrics. An arm stretched out from behind the shower curtain and grabbed onto a nearby towel, then disappeared back behind the curtain again. A moment later, the shower curtain was pulled aside and Kimberly approached the mirror, still humming her tune.

    "Ahh..." she murmured. "So refreshing..."

    She studied herself carefully in the mirror. Even though she realized there was nothing particularly wrong with it, she couldn't help but be critical of her appearance. What bothered her the most was her eyebrows; she hadn't had the time to properly trim and shape them in the past few weeks, and she feared that it was showing. She licked her finger and ran it over both in an attempt to hide the minor flaws she found in them. She reached for the tweezers that were resting beside the mirror and raised them to her left eyebrow, then paused.

    "Wait a tick, when did I become so vain?" she asked. She sighed and shook her head as she placed the tweezers back. "I doubt it matters. She probably wouldn't notice, anyway..." she thought to herself.

    She dropped the towel to the floor and slipped her ragged, filthy clothing back on, almost defeating the purpose of the shower she just took. "I should really buy a second set of clothes before we leave this city..." She wandered out into the main room to suggest the idea to Andrea, only to find her all packed and ready to go.

    "Ready to leave?" Andrea asked.

    "Weren't you going to call your mother before we left?"

    She looked off to the side and sighed. "I... think I reconsidered."

    "Oh? Why? You seemed so adamant in doing it last night."

    "I also did a bit of thinking after I said that, and I don't know if I can," she said. "I can see it now, she's going to yell so hard her head's going to pop. She always does when I make her angry."

    Kimberly approached the bed and brought Andrea along with her. "This is the perfect opportunity. I can understand if this is difficult, Andrea. We've all dealt with difficult circumstances in our lives, in one way or another."

    "Oh yeah?" she asked, with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "And what difficult circumstances, our current situation excluded, have you dealt with?"

    Kimberly could sense her friend's skepticism. She grabbed her hands and looked her deep in the eyes, a gesture that made Andrea slightly uncomfortable. She tried to ignore it as she listened carefully to her friend's advice:

    "I'm sure you know this by now, but honesty is one of the things I hold most dearly. I've had to keep secrets from close friends and family, and it's painful to do so... Sometimes, I have to keep secrets even from my best friends... But this isn't about me. This is about you, your mother, the regret you feel over your actions, and a chance at repairing the damage that has been done. You don't have to do this today, but the longer you put it off, the worse things will be when you finally see her again. Do you really want that to loom over you as we get closer and closer to home?"

    She shook her head. "I don't."

    "Do you want to put the situation with your mother behind you?"

    She nodded. "I do."

    Kimberly picked up the phone and handed it to Andrea. "Then do what you can to make things right. I'll be at your side if you need any support."

    She grumbled and shook her head, then took a deep breath and steeled her nerves as she began to dial her mother's phone number. "Here we go..."

    The phone rang several times before it was finally answered. "Hello?" a feminine voice answered.

    "Mom? It's Andrea. I... I--"

    There was an audible gasp on the other land. "Andrea?! I'm so glad you're okay! You had me worried sick!"

    "Sorry about that..."

    It didn't take long for conflict to begin. "Why didn't you call me?! Why didn't you let me know you were okay?!" The anger in her mother's tone was obvious.

    "Well, I--"

    Before she could offer an explanation, Meredith's verbal blitzkrieg started. "What? Are you too good for me? Can't you call your mother every now and then? Especially when she most needs to hear that her daughter is alive? Is that too much to ask?"

    "It's not like that, I--"

    "It is just like that, and it's just like you... what happened to my sweet little girl? When did you become such a frigid--"

    She was already beginning to regret calling home, but fought the growing temptation to hang up. She didn't want to do it, but she felt like she had to yell even louder in order to get a word in. "ENOUGH!" she roared. "This is why I don't call you! It's always yelling, it's always how bad I am at things, it's always something! But I don't care about any of that, just... Let me say something, please. This is important."

    "Go ahead," her mother said in a stone cold manner.

    She took a deep breath before letting it all out. "I... I'm sorry. For everything. Everything! For being such a pain in the ass when I was growing up, for being such a rebel during my teenage years, for wasting your money at college... I want to apologize for all of the times I've been rude over the past couple of years, especially the last time we saw each other. I especially want to apologize for not calling you once I reached someplace safe. That wasn't right of me, no, it was fucking terrible of me! I can't even begin to explain how bad I feel about that, and how deeply sorry I am for it."

    Andrea's genuinely remorseful tone caught Meredith by surprise. She was speechless.

    "I didn't agree with the way you were trying to guide me through life. I didn't feel like I needed to be protected from the world. I thought you were trying to keep me from reaching my potential, but the more I think about it, what mother would do that? You just wanted what was best for me, even if it didn't seem like it." She paused in an effort to contain her emotions. "We... disagreed about a lot over the past few years. We yelled, we fought... But despite all of that, I want you to know... I still love you, with every ounce of my heart."

    "Andrea... It's been so long since I've heard that from you..."

    "I'm lucky to have survived when that cruise ship sank. The experiences I've been having these past few weeks, in this strange land... They've taught me that life is far too fragile to hold petty grudges, especially with those you love. We're family. No matter what's happened in the past, we're in this together, and we always will be."

    Her mother's voice was shaky. "I... I just wanted what was best for you. You're my little angel."

    "I understand that, mom, but things have to change eventually. I'm almost twenty years old, I have to leave the nest at some point. I have my own life, and I need to live it. I can't do it if I'm attached to your hip."

    "Maybe you're right..."

    There was a long and silent pause between the two.

    "How have you been?" Meredith asked. "I hope things have been okay."

    "It's been a struggle at times, but I've kept my feet on the ground. I'm safe, I'm in good health, I've found someone reliable to travel with... Oh! That reminds me! You're going to love this! Remember how little interest I showed over the years to your gardening hobby? How much I said it would never come in useful for me?"

    "I suppose you're going to tell me that it did come in useful, right?"

    "Yes! A couple weeks ago, my travel partner was gravely ill with some sort of fever, and she was getting worse and worse by the hour. I didn't know what to do, but then I thought back to all that time you spent in the garden, all that work you put into understanding the medicinal properties of the plants you were growing... I mean, I was never interested in it, but it must have stuck in my head, because I figured out a way to bring her back to health with the knowledge you taught me."

    "Oh yeah? What did you use? Dragonlily extract? Salveya?"

    "Witchfinger, actually. You know, that really horrible stuff that Spud seems to like."

    "Oh! Witchfinger grows over there? I didn't know that!" The joy in her voice was obvious. "It makes me happy to know that you actually learned a thing or two from me."

    "Same. I don't think she would have survived if it weren't for the things you taught me. I got my best friend back because of you, and I can't even put into words how much that means to me."

    "That's what I do my work for..."

    She opened her backpack and began to dig through it. "I also got a gift for you when I get back to Storm Island. I visited a monastery and I picked up a book written by one of the monks that you might like." She grabbed the green leatherbound book she was talking about and began to idly flip through it. "It's called 'The Sacred Art of the Herb', and it details all sorts of practical uses for the plants found in this part of the world."

    Her mother gasped. "That sounds interesting! You got that for me?"

    "Partly for myself, too. I figured it would be useful if I needed to create some sort of remedy again, but once I'm back home, you can have it."

    "Thank you!" she said. "You know, I honestly started to think you hated me, but... maybe we just had some differences we need to work through."

    "There were times when I..." She paused momentarily to think carefully about her words. "Well, I don't think 'hatred' could ever define us."

    "Good."

    There was another long pause between the two.

    "When do you think you'll be home?" Meredith continued. "I want to see you again! I miss you!"

    Andrea tried to calculate a rough estimate of when she'd arrive in Mankala. "Umm... a week, maybe? That might be a bit generous... We still have a few cities to go through on our way to Mankala, and I imagine my friend will want to stop and smell the roses along the way. Even then, we haven't figured out the details of how we're getting home... we could be here awhile."

    "Regardless of how long it takes, you're always welcome here at home. Until then, please, stay safe!"

    "I will, don't worry! I can handle myself out here." Once again, there was another moment of silence between them, this one longer than the previous ones. It was so long that Andrea began to feel awkward about it. "I... I should go. My friend and I have things we need to do."

    "I understand... It was good to hear from you after all this time."

    "I'll try to be in touch more often, with both you and dad."

    "I'd like that. I'll talk to you later."

    She hung the phone up and let out a deep sigh of relief. "That went surprisingly well, all things considered."

    "I'm proud of you for taking a stand and making things right with her!"

    She blew off the praise. "Pfft! Doing what's right isn't taking a stand."

    "Hmm... I'm not sure I agree with that, but... Hey! When you were talking to your mother, you said... I'm your best friend?"

    She nodded. "Absolutely. The only real friend I had before was Larson, and sometimes I'm not so sure about him anymore..."

    Kimberly rested her arm on Andrea's shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. "You have no idea of how happy I am to hear that."

    She tried to pry Kimberly off of her. "You look for any excuse to hug me, don't you?"

    "Oh... I can tone it down a bit, if you'd like."

    She shrugged before gathering up her belongings. "Now that that's out of the way, let's have a look around this city. I want to check out the mountains, we've got a good view of them from here and I want to get a closer look."

    "Do you mind if I tried to get in touch with my parents while we're here?"

    She picked up the phone again and handed it to Kimberly. "Go ahead."

    Kimberly dialed her parents' phone number and waited patiently. "Let's hope that there is someone home this time..." she said. The phone rang nearly five times, her heart sinking with each unanswered ring. Just as she was about to hang up, someone answered.

    "You've reached Fairbrooke Manor, this is Mr. Keepsley speaking. How may I help you?" an elderly voice replied.

    "Mr. Keepsley!" Kimberly joyously said. "It's Kimberly!"

    "Ah! Miss Kimberly! It's very good to hear from you! We here were very worried when we heard the news about the cruise liner... Likewise, we were very relieved to hear about your survival! Your father especially."

    "Where is my father? Would I be able to speak with him?"

    "Yes, he has returned early from his obligations upon hearing what happened. Allow me to go fetch him."

    "Yes! Please!"

    "Very well, he will be right with you."

    As she waited for her father to answer, she turned to Andrea and smiled widely.

    "That smile is both adorable and creepy," Andrea responded.

    She giggled.

    The silence on the other line was broken by a refined yet blustering voice. "Hello? Kimberly?"

    "Father!"

    "Ahh! Yes! Words can not describe how much I've been wanting to hear your voice... It's good to hear that you're in good health... And in good company, from what I hear!"

    She looked up at Andrea. "Yes, the best company. I owe her very much... Wait, how did you know about her?" While she remembered saying that she was in Sakala the last time she tried to reach her parents, she didn't remember mentioning Andrea.

    "While I was aboard the S.S. Glastonfell, I was contacted my a member of the Storm Island police. I thought this to be odd, but I quickly learned why he contacted me. His daughter had found you! From what I heard, she's been instrumental in keeping you safe out there. Please, extend my gratitude!"

    "I will, father!"

    "Where are you, by the by? Sakala, that's a given, but where? Are you still in Letchworth?"

    "I'm in a city called..." She looked to Andrea for guidance. "Yulong-la, was it? Yes."

    "Yulong-la..." her father started, his voice trailing off as if he were researching the subject. "Let's see... there is no airport from what I can tell..."

    "Correct. One of the locals told me that the only airport in this country is in Mankala, so that is the direction we are heading. We're planning to arrive there in about a week."

    "Ah, marvelous! When you arrive, do let me know and I'll have the family jet flown out to pick you and your friend up."

    "That was the plan!"

    "That's my girl... I must admit, I was worried when you said that you would be travelling to Storm Island. I always knew that you were a capable young woman, but in the back of my mind, I feared that you wouldn't be able to manage it. It's no secret that you were given the royal treatment and spoiled rotten as a child... and yet, by the sound of things, you've been managing just fine! Alive, healthy, a plan and a reliable partner to lean on... Most people screw at least one of those up. In fact, I seem to recall a certain young lady by the name of Nicole who didn't have much of a plan..."

    The two shared a laugh of agreement.

    "Where is mother? When I tried to call last week, I wasn't able to reach her."

    "Ah, yes, Annabelle," he blustered. "She is still in Um-Boro, over in the basin, and I fear she will be for some time. I'm sure you're aware of the stresses of running an international relief organization, and the dangers of working in an active war zone. But she is very happy to hear that you're alive and well! She misses you very much and looks forward to the next time you see her!"

    "That's good to hear. I was a wee bit worried that she didn't care about what happened... When I told her I was to be on that cruise--"

    "Kimberly, allow me to stop you right here," he said in a very stern yet stoic manner. "I admit, her decision to leave for the Andalla Basin the day after may seem suspect, but do remember: she had been planning this trip for months! She very much loves you, and while some might question her decisions sometimes, she decided it was best to continue her hard work while she had the chance."

    "I know she does, it's just... You're right, silly me! It's been a stressful few weeks, sometimes awful thoughts enter the mind in these circumstances."

    "I understand... So... how are things? Kept your spirits up?"

    "This may sound strange, but things have been going very well! The first few days were rough, but we've found our footing. Horrible circumstances brought us here, but I'll be darned if I let that ruin an opportunity I might not have had. Andrea and I plan to see the sights while we're here... We've already done so, actually!"

    "Ah, the Fairbrooke spirit! That's my daughter! What have you visited?"

    "Have you heard of the Shenzin Monastery?" she asked.

    "I have! I even almost visited when I was in that country a few years ago, but I couldn't find the time. How was it?"

    "Incredible!" The excitement in her voice was incredibly apparent. "I learned a lot while I was there! Myself, spirituality, the local people, the bond I share with my Pokémon... I may have even learned some new tricks I can work into my coordination routines somehow... but I'll have to see about that."

    "Ah, yes..."

    There was a certain distance in his reaction, or rather lack of reaction, that Kimberly picked up on. She knew that he held little enthusiasm for her career choice and decided to change the subject. "Andrea and I were planning to see the sights of the city today. Do you know anything about this place?"

    "Unfortunately I do not. I didn't have the opportunity to visit. I do know that there is a growing media industry somewhere in that city, but I don't know if that would be interesting to look at. I often hear that there are some fantastic mountains nearby, perhaps you and your friend could have a look at that?"

    "Andrea wanted to look at that, so maybe that's what we'll do."

    "I would get started now, my dear. Time has a nasty habit of running out when you're enjoying yourself, you may as well make the most of your day!"

    Kimberly looked up to see that Andrea was pacing in circles around the window. "That sounds like a good idea, my friend seems to be getting a little restless."

    "Very well! It was such a relief to hear from you!"

    "The same, father. I'll get in touch with you when Andrea and I reach Mankala!"

    "I'm looking forward to it! Be careful out there."

    "I will. Bye!"
     
    • chapter 51
    • Storm Island
    Chapter 51: The Hound and the Mountain Lion    ​

    Nearly an hour passed as Andrea and Kimberly made their way north towards the mountains of Yulong-la. Neither knew what to expect of them, so they romanticized an idea based on the name of the mountains: Jade Dragon Cliffs.

    Kimberly pictured something out of fantasy. She expected to see tall cliffs of silky smooth jade, cut by raging rivers and waterfalls, carved by the wind and delicately polished by time, accompanied by large steppes of lush and fertile grass. Images of large dragon statues carved into the sides of the mountains filled her head. Along the pathways, she hoped, would be beautiful and ornate structures, designed to highlight the deep culture and history of the land.

    Andrea had a different picture in her head. She tried to deconstruct the name; she thought it was unlikely that the cliffs were indeed made of jade. Rather, she thought, the area may have earned its name from some sort of local tale. She understood the local population as a superstitious people, still wrapped up in ancient myths and legends. Perhaps a powerful dragon-like Pokémon made its home here many centuries ago. Maybe even a legendary warlord who styled himself as the Jade Dragon centered his holdings in these foothills, and a great palace erected to honor his accomplishments would be there.

    It became quickly evident that neither were right. As they climbed higher and higher through the winding, rocky trails, the land became more barren and desolate. The green tinge of the stone around them seemed to fade as they progressed further into the mountains, the plant life started to thin and the trees began to appear wiry and moribund. Even the air started to feel stagnant and the wind began to die down. There were no grand buildings or ornate structures, just bland, rough rock. It was the opposite of what they expected.

    "This place is ugly, isn't it?" Andrea asked. "Want to turn back?"

    Kimberly was conflicted. The visuals were depressing, but she was certain there was more to the surrounding wilderness than met the eye. "Let's keep going. Surely there's more to this place, the travel brochures said so!"

    "Maybe it's a tourist trap... We can't rule that out."

    "Hmm..."

    Andrea began to search for information about the Jade Dragon Cliffs on her R-Kit. She hoped to find some sort of review of the area by a previous visitor, but there was very little information about it. There were a few unhelpful and uninformative reviews by locals, and the Sakala Board of Tourism's website was remarkably brief about the area. "I'm not finding anything."

    "Nothing?"

    "Unless you count 'My wife and I enjoyed our time at the Mojjan Hotspring!', no. Nothing."

    Kimberly's face lit up upon the mention of a hotspring. "That is something! I'd love to check out a hotspring!" she said with excitement. "It's been so long since I've been to one..."

    "Do you think we'll even find it?" she asked, trying to locate it on the map.

    "We should definitely try! It'd be so relaxing to soak in some nice, hot water..."

    Indifference is all that Andrea felt. She really wanted to press on with their journey to Mankala, but she also didn't see the harm in exploring a country she might never visit again. She unwrapped the R-Kit from her wrist and handed it to Kimberly, then pointed down the trail in front of her. "Lead the way."

    As they made their way across the precarious cliffs and through the dusty valleys, they noticed how quiet it was. Fellow travellers were few and far between, and all of them kept to themselves. Most didn't even nod as they passed, or offer a short and friendly greeting, instead staring at them as if they were strangers at best or monsters at worst. Andrea thought it was rude of them, but began to think it may have been a local custom to not interact with strangers. Kimberly didn't mind, as it allowed her to focus on the surrounding landscape; while it was barren, rocky and unmistakably drab, she could still find the magic in it.

    At every fork in the road, the two debated on which path to take. Kimberly wanted to climb higher into the mountains in the hopes that they'd come across some grand vistas, but Andrea wanted none of it. She was still sore from the long walk between Muyang and Yulong-la and wanted to remain on the flat roads. They reached a compromise and decided that for every two straight roads they crossed, they'd climb up a level.

    Their compromise quickly rewarded them. The path ended in a circular plateau that definitely appeared to be manmade; ornate stone railings were carved around the outside, decorative hedges lined the railings, and a pagoda-style gazebo sat in the center. It reminded them of the wishing well plateau they visited on the Thousand Steps. The two wandered up to the edge and looked out over the vista. The city of Yulong-la sat below them, nestled in a valley between two mountains. They were both awestruck by the size of the city, with skyscrapers and high rises stretching out towards the distant and foggy horizon. Andrea tried to count the tallest of the buildings that stood out amongst the rest of the urban jungle, only to lose count somewhere around sixty.

    "Quite a big city isn't it..." she marvelled. "And I thought Azure Ridge was big."

    "Is it not? You always said it was." Kimberly asked.

    She shook her head. "Not like this! I can't even see where this place ends! At least you can walk from one end of Azure Ridge to the other without needing to book a hotel!"

    Kimberly giggled at the idea.

    She sighed. "I just want to get home... Maybe not back to Azure Ridge, but back to a place I understand."

    Kimberly grabbed onto her shoulder and pulled her in for a friendly embrace. "I feel you on that one, friend."

    "Are you going back to Lanark when we're done here? Or are you going to resume your trip to Storm Island?"

    "I haven't decided. A decision like that will hinge on a lot, and I'm not ready to make it yet."

    "Oh yeah? Like what?"

    Kimberly retracted her hand and laughed nervously. "I don't know. My health, maybe? Or I might find a different calling in life, besides coordination... Or maybe I'll fall in love with someone out here... The possibilities are endless."

    "Ha. Love, huh? Wouldn't that be nice..." She pushed against the railing and began to wander over to the gazebo. "Well, I'm going to get some rest while I can... These damned legs..."

    Kimberly watched as her friend wandered away, then began to curse at herself. "Did I honestly just say that?" she thought. "Fall in love with someone? She must think I'm a bloody sap!" She gazed out over the city again and tried to think about another subject, but she found it difficult. "Why now? Why did I find such a nice and lovely friend now, when it could mean so little, so soon?"

    As she tried to collect her thoughts, the serene silence that blanketed the area was shattered with a deep, guttural howl that echoed through the valley. A quick-moving blur slid down a cliff nearly forty yards away and vaulted over a gorge towards a trail just a short distance away from the girls, roaring loudly as it did so. The creature was feline in appearance, with a beautiful coat of white, fuzzy fur that covered a majority of its body. Circular patches of brown fur covered its face, ears, tail and feet. Large, sabre-like fangs that hung out of its mouth only added to its menacing presence.

    The creature charged with incredible speed towards a young hiker who had only just realized that he'd been targeted. It leapt through the air at him and extended its claws as they began to gleam with a bright, white light. The man shrieked in pain as the mountain lion's claws sunk into his arm and ripped away at his flesh. As fast as the man was brought down by the beast, he made his escape and found his way back to his feet again. He did his best to scurry up a rickety tree in an effort to buy himself a few crucial seconds to think of how to escape.

    Kimberly gasped at the sight and began to walk backwards in disbelief, something that caught Andrea's attention. "Oh my god!"

    "What's the matter?" Andrea asked. She hopped to her feet and rushed over, only to see the mountain lion eyeing the man as if he were a delicious meal. "Shit!" she shouted. "We gotta help him!"

    Kimberly reached for her purse and grabbed her prized Master Ball, then tossed it into the air. With a bubbling torrent of water, Juliano appeared and looked towards his master for direction.

    "That man is in serious danger, we have to help him!" she pleaded.

    Juliano nodded and bolted forward, completely disregarding his own safety as he nearly tumbled down the stony path towards the man and the mountain lion.

    Andrea, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment. She thought about which of her Pokémon would be most likely able to protect the man from such a creature; Furball was certainly brave, but wouldn't stand a chance. Likewise, while Sorrow had served her well in the past, she seemed both too small and too fragile to fight such a beast. She didn't understand Dilithium enough to know whether it would be a bad idea or not. She hesitated to think about it, but she grabbed Dune's Pokéball and held it close to her chest. "If he doesn't listen... he'll at least make a great distraction..." she thought.

    She tossed the Pokéball forward and a ring of darkened energy surged outward from it. Before she could even issue an order, Dune lowered to all fours and charged towards Juliano, the injured man and the attacking mountain lion.

    "Please don't let this be a bad idea..." she whimpered. "Dune! Distract that mountain lion!"

    Whether or not Dune had listened to her order was anyone's guess. He appeared to be much more furious than usual, stumbling over his clumsy feet as he attempted to move quicker than his legs could carry him. He blazed past Juliano and leapt into the air. The hiss of fire began to radiate outward as a bright orange light flickered between his fangs. Dune and the mountain line collided in mid-air with a cloud of fire, no doubt saving the treebound man's life.

    The two appeared to be evenly matched: Every movement, every swipe, even every growl and snarling roar was mirrored between the two as they circled around each other. Dune took the opportunity to strike first and lunged forward in an effort to surprise the mountain lion with his agility. Unfortunately, the mountain lion proved to be his better and easily dodged his attack. The mountain lion followed up by jumping onto his back and sinking its jaws into his rump.

    "Dune! That's not going to work, that thing is way too fast!" Andrea shouted. She raised her R-Kit to scan the creature, hoping that it would give her some sort of strategy to employ against it.

    "Balinia, the Balin Wildcat Pokémon!" the R-Kit noted. "Balinia are aggressive and territorial feral cats found in equatorial regions around the world. They are prized for their luxurious and soft furs, which fetch high prices on the illegal fur market. They are also prized amongst competitive Pokémon trainers due to their relentlessly aggressive nature, often fighting to the bitter end despite overwhelming odds against them."

    "That's not very helpful..."

    Juliano jumped at the opportunity and snuck around the brawling beasts towards the tree. He outstretched his stubby arms and motioned upwards towards the stranded man, as if encouraging him to jump. The man didn't hesitate and dropped from the tree directly into his arms, and the two made a quick escape back towards Andrea and Kimberly. He dropped the man off in front of them and took up a defensive pose between them and the Balinia, ready to protect them, or follow more orders.

    "Try to relax, we're going to do everything we can to keep you safe," Kimberly said, hoping to quiet the man's agony. She took a quick look at the man's injuries, noting four deep lacerations in his left arm, each of them bleeding profusely. While she wasn't a medical professional, she deduced that the man's injuries were likely life threatening. "We have to get this man back to town, quick!" she said.

    "We have to deal with this mountain lion first, or it's just going to follow us. I have a feeling I'm going to need your help." Andrea answered back. She tried to formulate a plan, but the savage combat between Dune and the Balinia was too much of a distraction to think clearly. She had never seen anything quite like it.

    "Juliano, keep us safe," Kimberly ordered as she dropped her backpack to the ground. She rummaged through it for first aid supplies. She knew it wouldn't be enough, but it would have to do until they got back into town.

    In the fight between Dune and the Balinia, something had to change if he hoped to win. He fought wildly and without strategy, lashing out with immense power and speed. It had likely served him well in his native environment of the Blackwood Forest, where he enjoyed his position as the top predator, but in this new set of circumstances, he was at a clear disadvantage. No longer could he leap out of the darkness at unsuspecting prey and end the fight before it began. In this case, he had to fight, and it was becoming more and more apparent that he didn't know how to. Every attempted lunge and every failed swipe was met with a painful counterattack, and each served as a lesson for him.

    Andrea tried to focus. She knew she had seen herself through worse situations before, and this would be no different. She observed the Balinia from her safe vantage point, trying to find some sort of weakness for her to exploit. As she did so, the nagging thought that Dune would continue to ignore her carefully thought out plans taunted her, so much so that she thought about simply abandoning him. She tried to remain optimistic, however.

    One thing she observed about the Balinia was its extremely long and slender tail. It acted as a sort of rudder, allowing it to counterbalance the weight the rest of its body threw around during the fighting. She noticed that its tail would twitch and lean heavily just as it leapt out of the way of each of Dune's attempted attacks, then quickly pivot in the opposite direction to slow the creature's momentum and allow it to maintain its footing. Perhaps this could be exploited somehow.

    "Dune! I have an idea!" she shouted, in the vague hope that he might actually listen for a change. "Aim for the tail! The tail is allowing it to move efficiently, if you cripple it, maybe you can slow it down!" She realized that aiming for the tail on a quick moving creature would likely be difficult, and added to the strategy: "Try to fake your movements, as well! Trick it into thinking you're moving in the opposite direction!"

    She waited to see if any of her advice got through to him. At first glance, it didn't look like it. He lunged forward again without any sort of strategy, only to be met with raking claws all along the side of his body. However, he stopped in his tracks as he readied himself for his next attack; he stepped towards the right then quickly changed direction as the Balinia moved to counter him. The Balinia's side flank was exposed and Dune capitalized on it. He latched onto the Balinia's long tail and crushed it between his massive jaws. When he let go, the Balinia's tail fell limp.

    "Holy shit, he's listening..." Andrea murmured.

    The tide of the battle shifted quickly. The Balinia struggled to maintain its footing now that its tail was crippled, and it was notably slower when attempting to dodge Dune's attacks. Dune turned the tables and used his now-superior agility to his advantage. Now it was he who was avoiding the attacks and countering them, and it almost seemed as if he cruelly enjoyed his newfound advantage. When he could have easily ended the battle in a decisive manner, he drew it out to show the Balinia who was really in charge.

    Meanwhile, the injured man had gone into shock. His breathing was erratic, his limbs were shaky, and he frantically tried to either fight Kimberly off or compress the wounds on his arm with his other hand. "Gotta... gotta get..." he muttered over and over. Kimberly tried her best to calm the man down, but nothing she did seemed to have any effect on him. To him, all that mattered was getting his wound treated.

    "We have to get him out of here, now!" she pleaded as she motioned for Juliano to pick the man up.

    Andrea was torn between what to do. She wanted to escort the man to safety, but she also didn't want to leave the Balinia unattended, only for it to follow them, or regain its strength and attack someone else. A quick look at the state of the injured man pushed her towards fleeing from the mountain lion. "Oh man, he's in bad shape..." she commented, then raised her voice. "Dune! That's enough, follow us!"

    Dune perked up upon hearing the command and looked over towards the group, then returned his attention to the crippled Balinia and began to circle it like a vulture, growling and showing off his fangs as he did so.

    "Now!" she commanded. Dune stopped his circling and snarled one last time before rushing over towards her. She grabbed his Pokéball and held it out in front of her, ready to recall him at a moment's notice, but she didn't. The way he approached her was different than every time before; rather than charge at her like a savage animal, he approached her in a more refined yet still intimidating manner. "Are you okay, Dune?" she asked.

    He sat at her feet and looked up at her, staring intently and endlessly as if he were judging her. It almost appeared as if he was fighting the urge to attack her.

    She pointed down the road in front of them. "Go on. Keep us safe until we get back to town."

    He growled at her, turned his attention back to the Balinia for a moment, then did as she asked. He took off down the path, studying his exotic surroundings with intense scrutiny as he did so.

    She turned her attention to the injured man and tried her best to reassure him. "Don't worry, mister, we're gonna get you the help you need..." She patted Juliano on the back and urged him forward.

    "Ah... an... angel..." the man whimpered.


    - - - - -

    Author's note: Previous chapters have firmly established Kimberly as being from the region of Kanto, specifically the town of Visalia, which was a custom addition I made to the region. Going forward, I am changing her home region to the Republic of Lanark, to accommodate the growing world of the 'Storm Island-verse'. Previous chapters will be altered accordingly to reflect this change.
     

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