Post by Te-em on Jul 20, 2008 17:33:22 GMT -5
In the great city of Gintokai, at the centre of Regendia, the eight sages gathered in the Great Hall for their last council. One of them was Fushigi, the Sage of the Grass element, with his emerald on his wooden staff, Hi, the Sage of Fire, with his ruby ring, and Kame, the Sage of Water, who had his turtle sculpture with a gleaming sapphire. Rai, the Sage of Lightning, with the ligtning pearl, Kuro, the Sage of Darkness, with the diamond. Keishii, the Sage of Psychic with the crystal. Ishiriki, the Sage of Earth, had the silver stone and Haga, the Sage of Metal, had the gold. They were called Seijin and their stones were the Seijin Stones, the source of all these eight elements. The sages had all gathered here because Gintokai, and maybe even Regendia, was in danger.
”An enemy is upon us,” said Kame to the others. ”And he has the Meteorite in his possession. Our powers are not enough.”
”We cannot let the fate of our people fall into the hands of the enemy and never will we let go of the stones!” Hi said without hesitation.
”But we cannot defend Gintokai any longer,” Keishii, the Sage of Psychic, said sadly.
”But that does not mean we will hand over the source of all elements!” Hi said, his anger of this situation rising.
”What are we to do then?” Fushigi asked, but Hi found no answer.
”There is only one way . . . ” Rai begun looking from one Seijin to another and they looked curiously his way. ”We have to send away the stones, far away where the enemy cannot find them, and far apart from each other in case he would find any one of them.”
”Even if this will work for some time that time will sure come to an end,” said Kuro. ”Only if all the nine elements unite we can defeat our enemy.”
”But the ninth element is gone,” Fushigi reminded them. ”During the War of the Elements the ninth Seijin Stone was lost!”
”Still, let us scatter the stones across the world and let it be a long time ere they all are united again!” said Kame and they all took their each precious item and raised it into the centre of one circle they had made.
As Regendia was lost to the enemy the stones were sent away to unknown lands.
It was a late evening, with a starlit sky and a cool breeze, when Satoshi saw Mei calling for her Pocket Monster Kinogassa. The kangaroo-like creature with the mushroom on its head jumped through the high grass towards its friend and thereafter they both walked into the village to rest. Satoshi did not feel so tired, so he stood on a hill and looked at the fields and forests that covered their land. He saw no wild Pocket Monsters, but they were probably hiding in the shadows of trees and bushes. Pocket Monsters, or Pokémon for short, were creatures that lived everywhere over the world and if you caught one it could be your friend. Some tamed Pokémon ran about in the village and Satoshi used to play with them. When he was little he used to chase the Evees around, the small fox-like Pokémon that came to the village for food. Now, Satoshi was 14 years old and had grown into a more calm personality.
”What do you see, Satoshi?” His grandfather Ran appeared behind him.
”Nothing special,” Satoshi replied. ”All the living creatures have gone hiding and the forest looks like it has always done.”
”You’d ever try to capture a Pocket Monster, Satoshi?”
He had that, some time ago, but let it go off into the wild again. He had never had a Pokémon as his own. Since he did not travel far he had no need of a Pokémon to protect him. To be a friend of the village’s Pokémon was enough for Satoshi, but he sometimes thought how fun it would be to go on adventure to find Pocket Monsters. To see how many different kinds there were, and where they lived. Yet he stayed at home, to help his friends and his mother. They all would miss him if he went away, and where would he go anyway?
”Look,” Ran said and pointed towards the sky. ”Do you see that star up there?”
There was a glowing, lilac dot that was different from the other stars. Satoshi had never seen such before.
”It’s growing bigger isn’t it?” Ran said.
Yes . . . no . . . it was coming towards them. The star fell into the forest and the glow slowly left their sight.
”What was it, Grandfather Ran?” Satoshi asked curiously.
”I don’t know, but it was no ordinary star I’m sure. Why don’t go and look?”
Satoshi felt excited. He wanted to see what it was and beckoned Ran to come with him.
”I do not know if I have the strength enough. I’m tired . . . and growing old. But you can take Zigzaguma with you would any wild Pokémon appear.” He called for his Pocket Monster.
A little, furry badger-like creature with a brown zigzag pattern ran happily to them. It looked gladly up at Satoshi, since it liked him, and it followed him down the hill towards the forest without any hesitation.
The leaves rustled in the wind as Satoshi and Zigzaguma entered the forest. The little creature smelled on stones, bushes and trees, maybe scenting what kind of Pokémon had been there before. Satoshi looked around. It was dark in the forest, but soon he spotted a faint glow behind the trees.
”Come on, Zigzaguma.” As they drew near the shining object, the glow seemed a little stronger. The flap of a bird’s wings was heard somewhere and the leaves rustled in the trees again. The wind was getting stronger and the air a little colder, but soon the boy and the Pokémon came upon a crater with trees all around it. It was not so big, but big compared to that glowing stone in its centre. Satoshi was very curious and could not stop himself from going down inside the crater to see what the stone was. He carefully picked the stone up. It was somewhat the size of his head and it looked to be made by a lot of crystals fused together.
”Look!” Satoshi said happily and looked up toward Zigzaguma where it sat at the edge of the crater. He went up to his little friend. ”Wait ’til Grandfather Ran sees this one!”
They were on their way back when they encountered a Pachirisu, ’bright squirrel’, a white squirrel with a blue stripe going from it head and over its fluffy tail. It had a yellow dot on each cheek where it generates electricity. When it saw Satoshi and Zigzaguma it hurried up a tree, where it lived with its friends. Satoshi saw no other wild Pokémon on his way to the village.
Satoshi hurried home and found Ran waiting there for him. Zigzaguma playfully jumped around inside the little house.
“Look what I found!” Satoshi said eagerly while he reached out his hands holding the purple stone, which glow was weak now.
Ran looked very surprised and curious. He let his grandson hand it over to him and then examined it through his glasses.
“What is it?” Satoshi said calmly, since his excitement was wearing off.
“I have no idea, but why not ask Elder Haku?”
Satoshi knew the elder lived in a house on a little hill in the village. He took the crystal stone with him as he went out, while Zigzaguma went to sleep in a couch.
It was blowing outside and Satoshi’s black hair flattered. He followed a path up the hill and knocked at the elder’s front door. Another boy his age opened. Satoshi knew him well. It was Shigeru.
“Grandfather! Satoshi has come for a visit!” Shigeru was replied by a distant voice telling him to let the guest in.
As Satoshi entered the house he came into a big room. Shigeru told him to sit and wait for Haku. There was a sofa and a round table in the room and as he sat down Shigeru left him there. There was a magazine lying on the table, but it was nothing that interested him. It was quite dark in the room, only lit up by an orange light, but Satoshi could see there were many bookshelves crammed with books. Most of them were about Pocket Monsters, since the elder was a Pokémon professor. Haku was very old though, older than Satoshi’s own grandfather, and soon Shigeru had to take his place. Shigeru had been a friend of Satoshi’s since they were babies. Maybe not friend . . . since they never got on well with each other. He was more like Satoshi’s rival.
Soon Haku appeared in the room. The old man had a long, white beard and a wooden staff to support him.
“I was just trying to find out . . . oh, never mind. I better go off to sleep soon, but first my little friend here wanted to ask me something. If it is about Pokémon I’m sure I can be of some help to you.”
“Not really about Pokémon,” Satoshi began. “You see this stone here . . .?”
Elder Haku looked at it, trying to see if he recognized it. “What is it? My sight is not what it used to be and I’m tired, but if you leave it here I will probably have solved your problem tomorrow.”
Satoshi put the stone down onto the table. “Thank you, Elder Haku.”
On his way home he felt tired so when he got there he went to bed. He was sleeping in a little room of his own, while his mother slept in the bigger room of the house. His Grandfather also lived in this house with them and he, too, was in bed. Zigzaguma woke up at Satoshi’s approach and went to sleep by the boy’s feet.
Satoshi woke up late the next morning and the furry Pokémon woke up with him. To the left beside the bed there was a window and through it he could see children playing with their Pocket Monsters. The sight made him a little more alert so he went to take some breakfast. He found bread in a cupboard, out in the common room, and also some food for Zigzaguma. As they ate Ran appeared through the front door. It looked like he had been off shopping something.
Satoshi suddenly remembered the stone he had found yesterday and took his bread with him as he headed outside. He ate it on the way to the elder’s house.
“Wait, Satoshi,” said Ran and tried to keep up with his grandson.
Satoshi waited for him at the small hill, so that they could visit Haku together.
“I know what the stone is now,” Haku said in his laboratory. Satoshi and his grandfather listen clearly to him and Shigeru also listened curiously. “It is a Seijin Stone.”
“I don’t understand,” Satoshi said.
“You have not read about them, have you? I do not think Shigeru knows about them either. The Seijin Stones are guarded by the Seijin, nine great sages. Each stone possesses its own element; Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Darkness, Esper, Ground and Metal.”
“But they are eight elements, Grandfather,” Shigeru said.
“Yes . . . the ninth element was lost during the War of the Elements, thousands of years ago,” Haku explained.
“So this is a Seijin Stone,” his grandson said amazed to himself.
“What is it doing here?” Satoshi wondered. “Where’s the Seijin?”
“They live very far from here, Satoshi,” Haku said. “In the land of Regendia they live. What the stone is doing here . . . I don’t know. Where did you find it?”
“It fell from the sky,” Ran said.
“They must have lost it, because the Seijin would never give up their stones.”
“Can we hand it back to them?” Satoshi asked. “They may be looking for it.”
“You mean to take it to Regendia? Yes, but it is very, very far.”
“We’ll do it, right Satoshi?” Shigeru said thinking he could manage anything.
The other boy was unsure, but did not want to be taken for a coward. “Yes, we can do it,” he said hesitantly.
“You’re sure you will be alright, Satoshi?” Ran asked.
“Of course . . . I’m not a little boy any more. You can trust me.”
“That’s the sound of it, Satoshi!” Shigeru said, glad that Satoshi had agreed to go with him.
“You know there are many dangers out there . . . “ Haku said, “ . . . but together I think you can make it, as long as you each bring another friend with you.” He slowly went to a shelf and looked for something. Later he returned with a white and red ball. “This is a Monster Ball, and if you did not know, you may store a Pokémon in it. Here, Satoshi.” He held it out for him.
Shigeru took it eagerly from his grandfather’s hand.
“No, not you, Shigeru.”
“But I wanted one, Grandfather Haku. You know I always wanted an own Pocket Monster.”
“Yes, yes . . . But I was going to give you one any way.” He looked at Satoshi again. “I will have to give you this one then.” He put his hand in the pocket of his long robe and held out another ball, identical to the one Shigeru had snatched.
Satoshi took it and looked curiously at the orb and suddenly it opened . . .
“Oh, a Pachirisu!” Satoshi said. Maybe not the strongest of Pokémon, but that was not what mattered. What mattered was that he had a new friend.
Shigeru opened his Monster Ball and out came a little brown monkey with a tail of flames. “What’s this s’posed to mean?” he said looking at the weak-looking creature.
“Do not underestimate your Pokémon, Shigeru,” Haku said. “. . . or any other Pokémon for that matter. The Pokémon, Hikozaru, can be a strong one if trained properly.”
“Stronger than Satoshi’s?” The squirrel did not look any stronger than his own monkey Pokémon, and as long as his rival had no stronger Pokémon than himself he was satisfied.
Satoshi thanked Elder Haku and petted Pachirisu. His Pokémon seemed happy. It climbed up and sat on the boy’s shoulder, playing with his red and white cap that had belonged to his grandfather when he was a young adventurer.
“Then, let’s get ready,” Shigeru said eagerly and ran to his room.
Satoshi followed Ran home to pack everything needed on the journey.
An hour or two later, Satoshi and Shigeru had said goodbye to their friends and relatives and met at the edge of the village.
“So you have not backed out, Satoshi,” Shigeru said.
“Of course not. “ Satoshi tried to sound a little tougher than he really was.
“Then let’s go, but you have to keep up with me.” He walked quickly toward the forest and Satoshi followed. “By the way, did you bring the stone?”
“Yes, I have it in my backpack. Did you bring your Pokémon?”
Shigeru did not have to reply, since Hikozaru’s head popped out of his backpack. Pachirisu looked happily at the monkey from Satoshi’s shoulder, but the other Pokémon disappeared again.
They reached the forest and walked in among the trees. Sounds of birds and other wild creatures could be heard distantly. The two companions followed a narrow path that led them past the crater. Satoshi told Shigeru that the stone fell down here. His rival looked around.
“Look there, Satoshi,”
The other boy turned around and saw something moving. “What is it?”
“A wild Pokémon of course,” his rival said in a way that made Satoshi feel stupid.
Of course he knew it was a wild Pokémon, but that was all he knew. He carefully stepped forward to get a better look on it. It was a pale-brown, furry Pokémon with a long body and a long, furry tail.
“Why not catch it?” Shigeru said and before his companion and rival could reply he added: “We were given these by my grandpa.” He handed the other boy five Monster Balls.
Satoshi turned toward the Pokémon with the brown rings around its furry body. It was time to get some Pokémon! Though its legs were short the wild Pocket Monster quickly moved away to escape. “Hey!” Satoshi followed the creature, which swiftly went under a tree root and was about to vanish out of sight. Satoshi threw the Monster Ball. It hit the Pokémon, which was absorbed inside. Yes, I got it!
But suddenly the ball opened and the Pokémon went free. Satoshi did nothing as it fled into the forest.
“Pachirisu,” his own Pokémon said, unhappy of its friend’s failure.
“Ha, ha, ha!” his rival laughed and Satoshi felt embarrassed. “You get no Pokémon that way. You have to let your own Pokémon weaken it before catching. Let me show how it’s done.” He looked around to see if there were any Pokémon around.
Satoshi knew his rival knew more about Pokémon than himself, after all Shigeru’s grandfather was a Pokémon professor, but he often tried to do his best by himself. Still, he watched as his rival found a weak, green caterpillar, let Hikozaru attack it and then he threw the ball. Shigeru had caught his first Pokémon.
Whatever the two boys were doing Shigeru would always be a step before Satoshi.
They went on and soon the air got cooler and the sky turned darker.
“I’m tired, Shigeru.”
“Let’s just go one a little more, then we’ll rest.”
After a while they were going to stop. Satoshi felt hungry, too, and in his mind was an image of the sandwiches his mother had sent with him. Unfortunately Shigeru spotted a wild Pokémon he wanted. The white bug flapped its eye-patterned wings and went off through the trees.
“Get it, Hikozaru!” Shigeru and his Pokémon went the way it had gone.
Satoshi was not prepared for that. “Wait, Shigeru!” He ran as fast as he could after his rival, but had lost sight of him.
“Fire sparks, Hikozaru! Fire sparks! Get it!” was heard through out the forest.
Satoshi followed the sounds, but they faded away more and more. “Shigeru, where are you?!”
“Hikozaru!” was heard distantly and then no more.
Satoshi had to slow down and breathe. He would not catch up with his rival anyway.
“Pachii,” his Pokémon said as he sat down to rest. At least he was not alone. Pachirisu sat in his lap as he leaned against a large tree. The forest was full of sounds, but it was too dark to see any wild Pokémon now.
He woke up suddenly. He had fallen asleep. He still felt a little drowsy, but the forest was brighter. The sunrays lit up the leaves and made them shine with a green light. Sounds of wild creatures were heard clearly and wild Pokémon showed themselves. A Subame, a tiny, blue swallow, sat chirping on a branch above Satoshi before it joined its friends in a flight among the great trees. A Zigzaguma, the badger-or racoon-like Pokémon, watched the boy from a safe distance, while some flying butterflies flew past into the sunlight.
“Furiiiiiii!” they said happily, their cute voices full of kindness.
Satoshi watched the Butterfrees play with each others and flapping their transparent, black-patterned wings, big compared to their small, purple, round bodies. He suddenly realised he was hungry so he took his sandwiches he had longed for. He had a little box full of tasty berries and he gave some of them to Pachirisu.
Soon they began to walk through the forest again. The little squirrel ran some paces before Satoshi as they passed the sunlit area where the Butterfrees had just been. Even if Satoshi had been left in the deep forest by Shigeru, he did not feel afraid or alone. The Pokémon here had kindly and curious looks upon him. There was nothing to be afraid of. Since the rival had the map of this forest and maybe of what lay beyond, Satoshi did not know where to go but he followed Pachirisu as it ran playing with the wild Pokémon. They were shy and hid when the boy approached, but peeked curiously when he petted his happy friend. He let the wild ones eat of his berries and they seemed to like him, yet they were cautious.
He wandered with Pachirisu through the woods, wondering if he should have tried to find his way back to the village. He decided not to. When have gotten this far he would only be more lost by heading back. Instead he went on with his friend until evening once again closed in on them. As his feet began to hurt from walking he spotted a light further on. The forest was very dark now and the light very bright, but small. Pachirisu looked curiously from his shoulder as he carefully went further.
It was a fire made by a man resting against a tree, his hat hiding his face. Satoshi looked at him from a distance, wondering if he should approach further and talk to the stranger. Suddenly Pachirisu was gone.
The little Pokémon quietly sneaked to the man’s backpack, scenting a good smell.
“Pachirisu,” Satoshi called as quietly as possible.
Still, the man begun to move in his sleep. Pachirisu, fast as lightning, hid behind the young boy.
“Who’s there?” the man said, pulling up the hat from his face and looking around. As he noticed Satoshi he looked even more curious. “Not often I see any one else out here. Only wild Pokémon.”
Another squirrel, brown and unlike Pachirisu, jumped down on his hat and thus brought it down over his face again; then the creature went off back among the bushes.
As the man pulled up his hat again Satoshi wondered what he would say to this stranger. “I am Satoshi,” he said at last. “I come from a little village two days from here.”
“I’m Junichi. I come from afar. Are you travelling alone?”
“No . . . or yes. Have you seen another boy my age pass here?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t. Lost your friend?”
“Yeah . . . we lost each other. I have to find him . . . Shigeru . . . I’m lost.” He let out a sigh, but the soft, warm fur of his little friend against his cheek comforted him. Pachirisu sat on his shoulder looking toward the stranger now known as Junichi.
“Maybe I can be of some help,” the man said. “Please join me by the fire and tell me a little about yourself.”
Satoshi sat down and talked with Junichi, who did not tell much of his own history, but maybe there were not much to be said by him. He had a Pokémon with him on his journeys. He kept it in the Monster Ball and said it was very large and that it was unnecessary to summon it here.
“Lizardon fits better inside its orb,” Junichi said holding the ball in his hands, looking at it. “But maybe I will show him to you one day.”
Junichi let Satoshi and Pachirisu eat of his food before they went to sleep. The boy slept easily beside his friend during the cool night. The nice, but mysterious, Junichi lay some paces away, with his backpack as a pillow.
During the next day Junichi led Satoshi through the forest toward the Hiroinohara, a vast field that lay yonder. On the way they saw many wild Pocket Monsters and Junichi seemed to know all about them. A strange, uncommon creature sat sleeping by a tree. Satoshi and Pachirisu looked curiously at the Pokémon with the pointy ears and nose. Its face may look like that of a fox, but the rest of its body was almost human like, but smaller than Satoshi himself.
“It’s an Esper,” Junichi said.
“Esper . . .?”
“Called Psychic by many.”
“Oh, so it is?”
They went on and Satoshi learned much from his new companion, but still he knew that Shigeru would always know something he didn’t, no matter how much he was taught. At last they came to the Hiroinohara plains and there were no edges of it visible, but the forest behind them. The trees that grew on the field, at the end of the forest, were cherry trees in blossom, but they did not get Satoshi’s attention. He hurried on through the high grass and looked around. There is no end to it! He had never ever beheld something as so vast as the Hiroinohara field.
Junichi let the boy run, watching as Pachirisu tried to keep up with its human friend. In the cherry trees the Cherrym came to life, the flower Pokémon absorbing the bright sunlight.
Birds scattered where Satoshi and Pachirisu ran. Satoshi realised how happy he was when with his friend. To have a Pokémon of his own was more joyfully than he had expected it to be. Pachirisu seemed to like it to, to be with its friend. As they ran on, Junichi following them some paces behind, they came upon a travelling party in the distance. They waved at the boy and the man. Satoshi ran to them.
“Caught some Pokémon, have you?” a young man asked. With him were four other young men, but no Pocket Monsters to be seen.
Pachirisu climbed to Satoshi’s shoulder as the boy said: “Not yet. He, he, he,” The laugh was happy but still he sounded a little embarrassed. “But I’ve just become a . . . Pokémon Trainer, that is,” he added remembering the title of those that captured and trained the various creatures.
“We’re also Trainers,” the young man said and looked up a little as he saw Satoshi’s companion approach them.
Satoshi noticed his curious look and said: “This is Junichi. I’m Satoshi and this,” looking at his little friend, “is Pachirisu.”
“I’m Matsu. This is Max, Rinda, Koji and Sami.”
Satoshi had not noticed until now that one of the five youths was a girl, but she looked much like the one Matsu referred to as Max; maybe they were relatives.
“So . . . are you off finding some new wild creatures?” Matsu asked.
“I’m on a quest,” Satoshi said and this he had already told Junichi when in the forest. “But there is nothing bad in trying to get new Pokémon on our way, eh?”
The others agreed with him.
“No bad in finding some new friends either,” he went on, referring to human friends.
“Pachirisu!” A happy cry from Pachirisu, agreeing.
“Did you come out from the forest?” Max, the one with brown, short hair, asked Satoshi and Junichi. “Live anywhere near here?”
“There is a village in the forest,” Satoshi explained.
“Oh, so that’s it? How come I’ve never heard of that village?” It was Matsu speaking again.
“Not usual any of us comes out here and if we do, we come to trade.”
“Yeah, Aoiro Town has a fine market. Come with us and we’ll show you.”
Together they travelled through Hiroinohara, often called just Hara by most, toward Aoiro. Matsu and his friends told about their happy town, about the people and such, so that Junichi and Satoshi knew what awaited them. To the rookie Trainer it sounded like there were cheerful townspeople in Aoiro, just as friendly as the five youths they’d just met.
There was still no end to the great field as they came upon the beautiful town built upon it. Even though the town looked peaceful and welcoming from afar, Satoshi still got a feeling that something was wrong. His Pokémon did not notice anything out of the ordinary, just being as happy as usual, so he thought himself just unnecessarily anxious. He joined the talk with his new friends, but Junichi was always silent. Instead he listened interested to the prattle of the young Trainers.
“I caught a Pikachuu the other day,” Rinda told them.
“But it got beaten by my Sando,” Max said and Rinda started to counter back in a friendly way.
“Yeah, keep on boasting you two,” Sami said. “You cannot defeat me in a Pokémon battle anyway.” He began to laugh a little to tease them.
They closed in on the town, but Satoshi got this uncomfortable feeling again.
“Pachi?” Pachirisu sounded anxious, too, but maybe it just became aware of its Trainer’s feelings.
“So quiet here is,” Sami, the youngest of the five, said, expecting the town to be full of life. From here, no people were heard or seen.
“They’ve probably just gathered at the square, having a good time.” Matsu walked in among the wooden houses.
As they all went together along a street made of small stones toward the centre of the town they spotted no living being. Satoshi looked up into the sky and it was getting cloudy. Then he hurried after the others, his footsteps echoing strangely around.
At the square only the silence was present.
“Search for the people, Spear!” Matsu released a giant bee from its Monster Ball. The loudest sound around was the buzzing of the one metre sized insect as it searched amongst the houses.
Rinda sat down on her heels on the smooth stones and looked very uncomfortable.
“Are you alright?” Max asked and crouched down beside her.
“I’m feeling kinda . . . sick.”
“Uh?” Max sounded worried.
“Like I’m gonna throw up any time. It’s this place. Something about this place.”
“But we’re home. This is Aoiro.”
“This is not my home,” she denied. “My home is full of cheerful people laughing and playing.”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Matsu agreed.
A sparrow Pokémon landed within the square, looking for something to eat. Satoshi watched it, wondering to himself: “Wonder if Shigeru’s been through here . . .”
“Who’s Shigeru?” Matsu had overheard.
“A rival of mine. I lost sight of him in the forest. He has spiky hair and he always looks confident, would you see him somewhere.”
“He had a Hikozaru?”
“Yeah,” Satoshi looked up suddenly.
“He defeated me in a Pokémon battle while on our way from town. He then headed this way . . .”
Satoshi was eager now. “We have to find him. Maybe he saw what happened here. Maybe he can help us.”
The others turned their looks toward the boy, having heard clearly what he had been saying.
Suddenly Max let out a cry and every one turned his way, to find Rinda unconscious.
“What happened to her?” Matsu asked, but Max did not know what to say.
“Why don’t we just leave this forsaken town?” Sami said, afraid of what might happen.
Everyone agreed with him and left for the Hara field. Koji helped Max to carry their unconscious friend, and Junichi just looked curiously around, saying nothing.
“Pachichi?”
“What is it, Pachirisu?” Satoshi said. “Don’t worry. We’ll soon on Hara again.”
“Chi.”
They found a place to rest beneath some trees. A strong wind had showed up and the air was a little chilly. Pachirisu slept in Satoshi’s jacket. There was a little fire burning and Koji prepared some food. Rinda was still not awake and the worried Max let her lie in his lap. They did not know what to do right now and they were tired, so they stayed here until evening came and then they fell asleep.
Satoshi woke up and found it hard to rest. He picked up the crystal stone from his backpack and examined it some more. Pachirisu lay in the grass, still sleeping. It was quite all around now and the rookie Trainer was the only one awake. He looked at Junichi and he was also sleeping. Soon Satoshi began to feel more tired and at last he, too, was able to rest.
Sa-to-shi . . .
He woke up the next day. Every one else save Junichi was still sleeping. The older man made some breakfast and as Satoshi got up they ate together.
“Strange about the town, eh?” Satoshi asked to break the silence.
“Very strange, it is,” Junichi said looking at his soup. “How could people of a whole town just vanish like that . . .? All I know is that they have been gone recently.”
“How do you know?”
“I found fresh food in one of the houses. At least someone has been there recently.”
“But Matsu and his friends maybe just arrived from home when we met them. They encountered Shigeru on their way from town . . .”
As if hearing his name, Matsu started to wake up.
“We should head to Hari,” Junichi said to Satoshi. “It’s another town on Hara.”
“Hari . . .” Matsu said drowsily. “But it’s far from here.”
“It is the closest town from here.”
When every one had woken up and were ready, they set off again. Rinda had started waking up, but she was still sick. Max thought that she was going to get better and was glad he could talk to her.
They crossed the Hiroinohara field towards the north. The air was getting misty and when the day came to an end they rested not far from a lake.
“The mist comes from the Kiri Mounatins,” Junichi explained to Satoshi. “Many strong Pokémon dwell there, so it’s not a place for weak Trainers. A good place for becoming strong, though.”
“Have you trained there?” Satoshi asked.
“Yes.”
“I had a strange dream last night,” the boy said suddenly.
“Will you tell me about it?”
“I got some fish from the lake,” Matsu said as he appeared from the mist. “Good enough for a late dinner.”
They ate the fish and went to sleep. They had no tent to sleep in, but fortunately there was no rain or storm.
Sa-to-shi . . .
Huh? Who’s saying my name? Hello . . .
“She’s gone!”
Satoshi woke from his dream when he heard the sound. At first he was confused and thought that they had been attacked by something, but soon he realised it was only Max who was shouting. Every one was awake, but Rinda was gone.
“Where is she?” Max said panicky and ran about looking, calling her name.
“You cannot find her in this mist . . . unless she hears you,” Junichi said.
“What is happening around here . . .?” Koji wondered for himself.
At last Max sat down with his face in his hands. No one had in mind of going back to sleep, since it was already morning. Max did not look up until he could feel something gently licking his hand. As he looked he found a little red-brown fox with six tails behind him.
“Who may you be?” he asked it and stroked its soft fur. The creature seemed to like him.
“You found a friend, Max?” Matsu said.
“Yes, I think so.”
“That’s good.” Matsu was glad to see Max a little happier. “Don’t worry, we’ll find Rinda soon. Maybe she just wandered off to pee somewhere.”
“Get away!” Sami said, not far away. His new-catched fish had been attacked by a crow which feather-crest looked like a witch’s hat and which tail looked like the end of a broom. “Be off, bad luck!” Sami said and at last the crow took wing. It flew across the lake and vanished into the mist.
Satoshi looked after it; he had never seen that Pokémon before.
“They are supposed to bring ill fortune, especially if you see it at night,” Sami explained. “Now, it ruined my fish!”
“It’s morning now, so we’re lucky . . .” Koji said, looking into the mist. “She must be there somewhere . . .”
“You mean Rinda?” Satoshi asked the tall boy. “I’m worried, too.” He looked at Max, who was petting the Rokon, the fox Pokémon, while giving it some of his food. Then Satoshi walked away from the others to look around. He saw grass, mist, the lake and some trees and bushes. No Rinda and no wild creatures either. He went a little further. The electric squirrel followed him in the grass.
Suddenly he realised he could no longer see the others and they could probably not see him either so he decided to head back before getting lost, but then a saw something in the mist by the lake.
“What do you think it is, Pachirisu?” He asked his Pokémon, which he now noticed had followed him.
“Chiri.”
“Not me either. Should we take a look?” He hoped the others would not start getting worried when they realised he was gone, as he approached the large shape in the mist.
It was a house, but a very strange one. It was built just by the lake on a little cliff. The dark roof stretched high like a pointed hat. Suddenly he saw something in the corner of his eye. He turned and looked into the water. Had something moved in it? Probably just a fish . . .
“Come on, Pachirisu,” he said as they went on.
As they came to the house, Satoshi decided to approach the door. “Maybe Rinda went here.” He knocked at the wooden door and waited for any reply. Nothing happened. He looked at his little friend who looked puzzled up at him. Then he grabbed the door knob and found out that the door was unlocked. The creaky sound as it opened was very clear in this quite place, but no one seemed to hear him.
“I hope we do not bother any one,” he said as he walked in.
They came into a big room, only lit up by the sunlight through an arched window. There were many strange items here; very few of them did Satoshi understand. This room reminded him of the little lab Elder Haku had in his home, with bottles filled with alien liquids and strange tubes and tools. Only that this looked even more strange and bizarre.
“Hello.” Although his voice seemed to echo faintly within the house, no one revealed any sign of hearing him. He thought of leaving, not wanting to be in a stranger’s home when the person was not there, but then Pachirisu said something.
“Pachichi?”
He looked the way the squirrel looked and saw the black crow sitting in the window, looking at them. Its gaze was uncomfortable.
“I think we better get out of here, Pachirisu. We should not walk into someone else’s house like this. I do not like this place anyway.”
“Chi.”
Satoshi turned toward the door and as he tried to open it he failed.
“It’s got stuck,” he said and pushed it. He pulled it, too, but nothing happened. The croaking of the black bird annoyed him. “Let’s find another way out, Pachirisu.”
They found stair leading up and a stair leading down. There may be and exit in the basement, so they went down. It was very dark down there, but there was a faint glow coming from his Pokémon. Satoshi found another door and tried to open it. It went up as he pushed it and he came into a room lit up by a small lamp in the ceiling. It was possible to see that the room was filled with cages containing various Pocket Monsters. Poor, Pokémon! Who is keeping them here?
A growling sound welcomed him and he did not know where it came from.
“Be careful, Pachirisu . . .”
“Chi!”
Suddenly his friend was attacked by a black hyena that appeared from the shadows. It clutched Pachirisu in its mouth and shook it, trying to make the little squirrel unconscious, but immediately let go of its victim as an electric shock struck it. Pachirisu was thrown into a wall and almost fainted.
“Pachirisu!” Satoshi said, afraid for the Pokémon.
Pachirisu got up and charged electric energy and released another electric shock before the enemy was to close to attack. The hyena howled in pain, but rushed at Pachirisu and struck it with it paw. The little squirrel landed on the floor and did not move.
Satoshi did not know what to do. He was angry and afraid. Suddenly the large, black hyena came for him. He ran for the door, finding no way to save his friend which he thought was dead now, but the creature attacked him from behind and he fell to the floor. His head hit something and he fainted. The last thing he heard was a terrible, old laugh, like the croaking of a crow.
”An enemy is upon us,” said Kame to the others. ”And he has the Meteorite in his possession. Our powers are not enough.”
”We cannot let the fate of our people fall into the hands of the enemy and never will we let go of the stones!” Hi said without hesitation.
”But we cannot defend Gintokai any longer,” Keishii, the Sage of Psychic, said sadly.
”But that does not mean we will hand over the source of all elements!” Hi said, his anger of this situation rising.
”What are we to do then?” Fushigi asked, but Hi found no answer.
”There is only one way . . . ” Rai begun looking from one Seijin to another and they looked curiously his way. ”We have to send away the stones, far away where the enemy cannot find them, and far apart from each other in case he would find any one of them.”
”Even if this will work for some time that time will sure come to an end,” said Kuro. ”Only if all the nine elements unite we can defeat our enemy.”
”But the ninth element is gone,” Fushigi reminded them. ”During the War of the Elements the ninth Seijin Stone was lost!”
”Still, let us scatter the stones across the world and let it be a long time ere they all are united again!” said Kame and they all took their each precious item and raised it into the centre of one circle they had made.
As Regendia was lost to the enemy the stones were sent away to unknown lands.
A New Friend. A New Adventure.
It was a late evening, with a starlit sky and a cool breeze, when Satoshi saw Mei calling for her Pocket Monster Kinogassa. The kangaroo-like creature with the mushroom on its head jumped through the high grass towards its friend and thereafter they both walked into the village to rest. Satoshi did not feel so tired, so he stood on a hill and looked at the fields and forests that covered their land. He saw no wild Pocket Monsters, but they were probably hiding in the shadows of trees and bushes. Pocket Monsters, or Pokémon for short, were creatures that lived everywhere over the world and if you caught one it could be your friend. Some tamed Pokémon ran about in the village and Satoshi used to play with them. When he was little he used to chase the Evees around, the small fox-like Pokémon that came to the village for food. Now, Satoshi was 14 years old and had grown into a more calm personality.
”What do you see, Satoshi?” His grandfather Ran appeared behind him.
”Nothing special,” Satoshi replied. ”All the living creatures have gone hiding and the forest looks like it has always done.”
”You’d ever try to capture a Pocket Monster, Satoshi?”
He had that, some time ago, but let it go off into the wild again. He had never had a Pokémon as his own. Since he did not travel far he had no need of a Pokémon to protect him. To be a friend of the village’s Pokémon was enough for Satoshi, but he sometimes thought how fun it would be to go on adventure to find Pocket Monsters. To see how many different kinds there were, and where they lived. Yet he stayed at home, to help his friends and his mother. They all would miss him if he went away, and where would he go anyway?
”Look,” Ran said and pointed towards the sky. ”Do you see that star up there?”
There was a glowing, lilac dot that was different from the other stars. Satoshi had never seen such before.
”It’s growing bigger isn’t it?” Ran said.
Yes . . . no . . . it was coming towards them. The star fell into the forest and the glow slowly left their sight.
”What was it, Grandfather Ran?” Satoshi asked curiously.
”I don’t know, but it was no ordinary star I’m sure. Why don’t go and look?”
Satoshi felt excited. He wanted to see what it was and beckoned Ran to come with him.
”I do not know if I have the strength enough. I’m tired . . . and growing old. But you can take Zigzaguma with you would any wild Pokémon appear.” He called for his Pocket Monster.
A little, furry badger-like creature with a brown zigzag pattern ran happily to them. It looked gladly up at Satoshi, since it liked him, and it followed him down the hill towards the forest without any hesitation.
The leaves rustled in the wind as Satoshi and Zigzaguma entered the forest. The little creature smelled on stones, bushes and trees, maybe scenting what kind of Pokémon had been there before. Satoshi looked around. It was dark in the forest, but soon he spotted a faint glow behind the trees.
”Come on, Zigzaguma.” As they drew near the shining object, the glow seemed a little stronger. The flap of a bird’s wings was heard somewhere and the leaves rustled in the trees again. The wind was getting stronger and the air a little colder, but soon the boy and the Pokémon came upon a crater with trees all around it. It was not so big, but big compared to that glowing stone in its centre. Satoshi was very curious and could not stop himself from going down inside the crater to see what the stone was. He carefully picked the stone up. It was somewhat the size of his head and it looked to be made by a lot of crystals fused together.
”Look!” Satoshi said happily and looked up toward Zigzaguma where it sat at the edge of the crater. He went up to his little friend. ”Wait ’til Grandfather Ran sees this one!”
They were on their way back when they encountered a Pachirisu, ’bright squirrel’, a white squirrel with a blue stripe going from it head and over its fluffy tail. It had a yellow dot on each cheek where it generates electricity. When it saw Satoshi and Zigzaguma it hurried up a tree, where it lived with its friends. Satoshi saw no other wild Pokémon on his way to the village.
Satoshi hurried home and found Ran waiting there for him. Zigzaguma playfully jumped around inside the little house.
“Look what I found!” Satoshi said eagerly while he reached out his hands holding the purple stone, which glow was weak now.
Ran looked very surprised and curious. He let his grandson hand it over to him and then examined it through his glasses.
“What is it?” Satoshi said calmly, since his excitement was wearing off.
“I have no idea, but why not ask Elder Haku?”
Satoshi knew the elder lived in a house on a little hill in the village. He took the crystal stone with him as he went out, while Zigzaguma went to sleep in a couch.
It was blowing outside and Satoshi’s black hair flattered. He followed a path up the hill and knocked at the elder’s front door. Another boy his age opened. Satoshi knew him well. It was Shigeru.
“Grandfather! Satoshi has come for a visit!” Shigeru was replied by a distant voice telling him to let the guest in.
As Satoshi entered the house he came into a big room. Shigeru told him to sit and wait for Haku. There was a sofa and a round table in the room and as he sat down Shigeru left him there. There was a magazine lying on the table, but it was nothing that interested him. It was quite dark in the room, only lit up by an orange light, but Satoshi could see there were many bookshelves crammed with books. Most of them were about Pocket Monsters, since the elder was a Pokémon professor. Haku was very old though, older than Satoshi’s own grandfather, and soon Shigeru had to take his place. Shigeru had been a friend of Satoshi’s since they were babies. Maybe not friend . . . since they never got on well with each other. He was more like Satoshi’s rival.
Soon Haku appeared in the room. The old man had a long, white beard and a wooden staff to support him.
“I was just trying to find out . . . oh, never mind. I better go off to sleep soon, but first my little friend here wanted to ask me something. If it is about Pokémon I’m sure I can be of some help to you.”
“Not really about Pokémon,” Satoshi began. “You see this stone here . . .?”
Elder Haku looked at it, trying to see if he recognized it. “What is it? My sight is not what it used to be and I’m tired, but if you leave it here I will probably have solved your problem tomorrow.”
Satoshi put the stone down onto the table. “Thank you, Elder Haku.”
On his way home he felt tired so when he got there he went to bed. He was sleeping in a little room of his own, while his mother slept in the bigger room of the house. His Grandfather also lived in this house with them and he, too, was in bed. Zigzaguma woke up at Satoshi’s approach and went to sleep by the boy’s feet.
Satoshi woke up late the next morning and the furry Pokémon woke up with him. To the left beside the bed there was a window and through it he could see children playing with their Pocket Monsters. The sight made him a little more alert so he went to take some breakfast. He found bread in a cupboard, out in the common room, and also some food for Zigzaguma. As they ate Ran appeared through the front door. It looked like he had been off shopping something.
Satoshi suddenly remembered the stone he had found yesterday and took his bread with him as he headed outside. He ate it on the way to the elder’s house.
“Wait, Satoshi,” said Ran and tried to keep up with his grandson.
Satoshi waited for him at the small hill, so that they could visit Haku together.
“I know what the stone is now,” Haku said in his laboratory. Satoshi and his grandfather listen clearly to him and Shigeru also listened curiously. “It is a Seijin Stone.”
“I don’t understand,” Satoshi said.
“You have not read about them, have you? I do not think Shigeru knows about them either. The Seijin Stones are guarded by the Seijin, nine great sages. Each stone possesses its own element; Grass, Fire, Water, Lightning, Darkness, Esper, Ground and Metal.”
“But they are eight elements, Grandfather,” Shigeru said.
“Yes . . . the ninth element was lost during the War of the Elements, thousands of years ago,” Haku explained.
“So this is a Seijin Stone,” his grandson said amazed to himself.
“What is it doing here?” Satoshi wondered. “Where’s the Seijin?”
“They live very far from here, Satoshi,” Haku said. “In the land of Regendia they live. What the stone is doing here . . . I don’t know. Where did you find it?”
“It fell from the sky,” Ran said.
“They must have lost it, because the Seijin would never give up their stones.”
“Can we hand it back to them?” Satoshi asked. “They may be looking for it.”
“You mean to take it to Regendia? Yes, but it is very, very far.”
“We’ll do it, right Satoshi?” Shigeru said thinking he could manage anything.
The other boy was unsure, but did not want to be taken for a coward. “Yes, we can do it,” he said hesitantly.
“You’re sure you will be alright, Satoshi?” Ran asked.
“Of course . . . I’m not a little boy any more. You can trust me.”
“That’s the sound of it, Satoshi!” Shigeru said, glad that Satoshi had agreed to go with him.
“You know there are many dangers out there . . . “ Haku said, “ . . . but together I think you can make it, as long as you each bring another friend with you.” He slowly went to a shelf and looked for something. Later he returned with a white and red ball. “This is a Monster Ball, and if you did not know, you may store a Pokémon in it. Here, Satoshi.” He held it out for him.
Shigeru took it eagerly from his grandfather’s hand.
“No, not you, Shigeru.”
“But I wanted one, Grandfather Haku. You know I always wanted an own Pocket Monster.”
“Yes, yes . . . But I was going to give you one any way.” He looked at Satoshi again. “I will have to give you this one then.” He put his hand in the pocket of his long robe and held out another ball, identical to the one Shigeru had snatched.
Satoshi took it and looked curiously at the orb and suddenly it opened . . .
“Oh, a Pachirisu!” Satoshi said. Maybe not the strongest of Pokémon, but that was not what mattered. What mattered was that he had a new friend.
Shigeru opened his Monster Ball and out came a little brown monkey with a tail of flames. “What’s this s’posed to mean?” he said looking at the weak-looking creature.
“Do not underestimate your Pokémon, Shigeru,” Haku said. “. . . or any other Pokémon for that matter. The Pokémon, Hikozaru, can be a strong one if trained properly.”
“Stronger than Satoshi’s?” The squirrel did not look any stronger than his own monkey Pokémon, and as long as his rival had no stronger Pokémon than himself he was satisfied.
Satoshi thanked Elder Haku and petted Pachirisu. His Pokémon seemed happy. It climbed up and sat on the boy’s shoulder, playing with his red and white cap that had belonged to his grandfather when he was a young adventurer.
“Then, let’s get ready,” Shigeru said eagerly and ran to his room.
Satoshi followed Ran home to pack everything needed on the journey.
An hour or two later, Satoshi and Shigeru had said goodbye to their friends and relatives and met at the edge of the village.
“So you have not backed out, Satoshi,” Shigeru said.
“Of course not. “ Satoshi tried to sound a little tougher than he really was.
“Then let’s go, but you have to keep up with me.” He walked quickly toward the forest and Satoshi followed. “By the way, did you bring the stone?”
“Yes, I have it in my backpack. Did you bring your Pokémon?”
Shigeru did not have to reply, since Hikozaru’s head popped out of his backpack. Pachirisu looked happily at the monkey from Satoshi’s shoulder, but the other Pokémon disappeared again.
They reached the forest and walked in among the trees. Sounds of birds and other wild creatures could be heard distantly. The two companions followed a narrow path that led them past the crater. Satoshi told Shigeru that the stone fell down here. His rival looked around.
“Look there, Satoshi,”
The other boy turned around and saw something moving. “What is it?”
“A wild Pokémon of course,” his rival said in a way that made Satoshi feel stupid.
Of course he knew it was a wild Pokémon, but that was all he knew. He carefully stepped forward to get a better look on it. It was a pale-brown, furry Pokémon with a long body and a long, furry tail.
“Why not catch it?” Shigeru said and before his companion and rival could reply he added: “We were given these by my grandpa.” He handed the other boy five Monster Balls.
Satoshi turned toward the Pokémon with the brown rings around its furry body. It was time to get some Pokémon! Though its legs were short the wild Pocket Monster quickly moved away to escape. “Hey!” Satoshi followed the creature, which swiftly went under a tree root and was about to vanish out of sight. Satoshi threw the Monster Ball. It hit the Pokémon, which was absorbed inside. Yes, I got it!
But suddenly the ball opened and the Pokémon went free. Satoshi did nothing as it fled into the forest.
“Pachirisu,” his own Pokémon said, unhappy of its friend’s failure.
“Ha, ha, ha!” his rival laughed and Satoshi felt embarrassed. “You get no Pokémon that way. You have to let your own Pokémon weaken it before catching. Let me show how it’s done.” He looked around to see if there were any Pokémon around.
Satoshi knew his rival knew more about Pokémon than himself, after all Shigeru’s grandfather was a Pokémon professor, but he often tried to do his best by himself. Still, he watched as his rival found a weak, green caterpillar, let Hikozaru attack it and then he threw the ball. Shigeru had caught his first Pokémon.
Whatever the two boys were doing Shigeru would always be a step before Satoshi.
They went on and soon the air got cooler and the sky turned darker.
“I’m tired, Shigeru.”
“Let’s just go one a little more, then we’ll rest.”
After a while they were going to stop. Satoshi felt hungry, too, and in his mind was an image of the sandwiches his mother had sent with him. Unfortunately Shigeru spotted a wild Pokémon he wanted. The white bug flapped its eye-patterned wings and went off through the trees.
“Get it, Hikozaru!” Shigeru and his Pokémon went the way it had gone.
Satoshi was not prepared for that. “Wait, Shigeru!” He ran as fast as he could after his rival, but had lost sight of him.
“Fire sparks, Hikozaru! Fire sparks! Get it!” was heard through out the forest.
Satoshi followed the sounds, but they faded away more and more. “Shigeru, where are you?!”
“Hikozaru!” was heard distantly and then no more.
Satoshi had to slow down and breathe. He would not catch up with his rival anyway.
“Pachii,” his Pokémon said as he sat down to rest. At least he was not alone. Pachirisu sat in his lap as he leaned against a large tree. The forest was full of sounds, but it was too dark to see any wild Pokémon now.
He woke up suddenly. He had fallen asleep. He still felt a little drowsy, but the forest was brighter. The sunrays lit up the leaves and made them shine with a green light. Sounds of wild creatures were heard clearly and wild Pokémon showed themselves. A Subame, a tiny, blue swallow, sat chirping on a branch above Satoshi before it joined its friends in a flight among the great trees. A Zigzaguma, the badger-or racoon-like Pokémon, watched the boy from a safe distance, while some flying butterflies flew past into the sunlight.
“Furiiiiiii!” they said happily, their cute voices full of kindness.
Satoshi watched the Butterfrees play with each others and flapping their transparent, black-patterned wings, big compared to their small, purple, round bodies. He suddenly realised he was hungry so he took his sandwiches he had longed for. He had a little box full of tasty berries and he gave some of them to Pachirisu.
Soon they began to walk through the forest again. The little squirrel ran some paces before Satoshi as they passed the sunlit area where the Butterfrees had just been. Even if Satoshi had been left in the deep forest by Shigeru, he did not feel afraid or alone. The Pokémon here had kindly and curious looks upon him. There was nothing to be afraid of. Since the rival had the map of this forest and maybe of what lay beyond, Satoshi did not know where to go but he followed Pachirisu as it ran playing with the wild Pokémon. They were shy and hid when the boy approached, but peeked curiously when he petted his happy friend. He let the wild ones eat of his berries and they seemed to like him, yet they were cautious.
He wandered with Pachirisu through the woods, wondering if he should have tried to find his way back to the village. He decided not to. When have gotten this far he would only be more lost by heading back. Instead he went on with his friend until evening once again closed in on them. As his feet began to hurt from walking he spotted a light further on. The forest was very dark now and the light very bright, but small. Pachirisu looked curiously from his shoulder as he carefully went further.
It was a fire made by a man resting against a tree, his hat hiding his face. Satoshi looked at him from a distance, wondering if he should approach further and talk to the stranger. Suddenly Pachirisu was gone.
The little Pokémon quietly sneaked to the man’s backpack, scenting a good smell.
“Pachirisu,” Satoshi called as quietly as possible.
Still, the man begun to move in his sleep. Pachirisu, fast as lightning, hid behind the young boy.
“Who’s there?” the man said, pulling up the hat from his face and looking around. As he noticed Satoshi he looked even more curious. “Not often I see any one else out here. Only wild Pokémon.”
Another squirrel, brown and unlike Pachirisu, jumped down on his hat and thus brought it down over his face again; then the creature went off back among the bushes.
As the man pulled up his hat again Satoshi wondered what he would say to this stranger. “I am Satoshi,” he said at last. “I come from a little village two days from here.”
“I’m Junichi. I come from afar. Are you travelling alone?”
“No . . . or yes. Have you seen another boy my age pass here?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t. Lost your friend?”
“Yeah . . . we lost each other. I have to find him . . . Shigeru . . . I’m lost.” He let out a sigh, but the soft, warm fur of his little friend against his cheek comforted him. Pachirisu sat on his shoulder looking toward the stranger now known as Junichi.
“Maybe I can be of some help,” the man said. “Please join me by the fire and tell me a little about yourself.”
Satoshi sat down and talked with Junichi, who did not tell much of his own history, but maybe there were not much to be said by him. He had a Pokémon with him on his journeys. He kept it in the Monster Ball and said it was very large and that it was unnecessary to summon it here.
“Lizardon fits better inside its orb,” Junichi said holding the ball in his hands, looking at it. “But maybe I will show him to you one day.”
Junichi let Satoshi and Pachirisu eat of his food before they went to sleep. The boy slept easily beside his friend during the cool night. The nice, but mysterious, Junichi lay some paces away, with his backpack as a pillow.
During the next day Junichi led Satoshi through the forest toward the Hiroinohara, a vast field that lay yonder. On the way they saw many wild Pocket Monsters and Junichi seemed to know all about them. A strange, uncommon creature sat sleeping by a tree. Satoshi and Pachirisu looked curiously at the Pokémon with the pointy ears and nose. Its face may look like that of a fox, but the rest of its body was almost human like, but smaller than Satoshi himself.
“It’s an Esper,” Junichi said.
“Esper . . .?”
“Called Psychic by many.”
“Oh, so it is?”
They went on and Satoshi learned much from his new companion, but still he knew that Shigeru would always know something he didn’t, no matter how much he was taught. At last they came to the Hiroinohara plains and there were no edges of it visible, but the forest behind them. The trees that grew on the field, at the end of the forest, were cherry trees in blossom, but they did not get Satoshi’s attention. He hurried on through the high grass and looked around. There is no end to it! He had never ever beheld something as so vast as the Hiroinohara field.
Junichi let the boy run, watching as Pachirisu tried to keep up with its human friend. In the cherry trees the Cherrym came to life, the flower Pokémon absorbing the bright sunlight.
Birds scattered where Satoshi and Pachirisu ran. Satoshi realised how happy he was when with his friend. To have a Pokémon of his own was more joyfully than he had expected it to be. Pachirisu seemed to like it to, to be with its friend. As they ran on, Junichi following them some paces behind, they came upon a travelling party in the distance. They waved at the boy and the man. Satoshi ran to them.
“Caught some Pokémon, have you?” a young man asked. With him were four other young men, but no Pocket Monsters to be seen.
Pachirisu climbed to Satoshi’s shoulder as the boy said: “Not yet. He, he, he,” The laugh was happy but still he sounded a little embarrassed. “But I’ve just become a . . . Pokémon Trainer, that is,” he added remembering the title of those that captured and trained the various creatures.
“We’re also Trainers,” the young man said and looked up a little as he saw Satoshi’s companion approach them.
Satoshi noticed his curious look and said: “This is Junichi. I’m Satoshi and this,” looking at his little friend, “is Pachirisu.”
“I’m Matsu. This is Max, Rinda, Koji and Sami.”
Satoshi had not noticed until now that one of the five youths was a girl, but she looked much like the one Matsu referred to as Max; maybe they were relatives.
“So . . . are you off finding some new wild creatures?” Matsu asked.
“I’m on a quest,” Satoshi said and this he had already told Junichi when in the forest. “But there is nothing bad in trying to get new Pokémon on our way, eh?”
The others agreed with him.
“No bad in finding some new friends either,” he went on, referring to human friends.
“Pachirisu!” A happy cry from Pachirisu, agreeing.
“Did you come out from the forest?” Max, the one with brown, short hair, asked Satoshi and Junichi. “Live anywhere near here?”
“There is a village in the forest,” Satoshi explained.
“Oh, so that’s it? How come I’ve never heard of that village?” It was Matsu speaking again.
“Not usual any of us comes out here and if we do, we come to trade.”
“Yeah, Aoiro Town has a fine market. Come with us and we’ll show you.”
Together they travelled through Hiroinohara, often called just Hara by most, toward Aoiro. Matsu and his friends told about their happy town, about the people and such, so that Junichi and Satoshi knew what awaited them. To the rookie Trainer it sounded like there were cheerful townspeople in Aoiro, just as friendly as the five youths they’d just met.
There was still no end to the great field as they came upon the beautiful town built upon it. Even though the town looked peaceful and welcoming from afar, Satoshi still got a feeling that something was wrong. His Pokémon did not notice anything out of the ordinary, just being as happy as usual, so he thought himself just unnecessarily anxious. He joined the talk with his new friends, but Junichi was always silent. Instead he listened interested to the prattle of the young Trainers.
“I caught a Pikachuu the other day,” Rinda told them.
“But it got beaten by my Sando,” Max said and Rinda started to counter back in a friendly way.
“Yeah, keep on boasting you two,” Sami said. “You cannot defeat me in a Pokémon battle anyway.” He began to laugh a little to tease them.
They closed in on the town, but Satoshi got this uncomfortable feeling again.
“Pachi?” Pachirisu sounded anxious, too, but maybe it just became aware of its Trainer’s feelings.
“So quiet here is,” Sami, the youngest of the five, said, expecting the town to be full of life. From here, no people were heard or seen.
“They’ve probably just gathered at the square, having a good time.” Matsu walked in among the wooden houses.
As they all went together along a street made of small stones toward the centre of the town they spotted no living being. Satoshi looked up into the sky and it was getting cloudy. Then he hurried after the others, his footsteps echoing strangely around.
At the square only the silence was present.
“Search for the people, Spear!” Matsu released a giant bee from its Monster Ball. The loudest sound around was the buzzing of the one metre sized insect as it searched amongst the houses.
Rinda sat down on her heels on the smooth stones and looked very uncomfortable.
“Are you alright?” Max asked and crouched down beside her.
“I’m feeling kinda . . . sick.”
“Uh?” Max sounded worried.
“Like I’m gonna throw up any time. It’s this place. Something about this place.”
“But we’re home. This is Aoiro.”
“This is not my home,” she denied. “My home is full of cheerful people laughing and playing.”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Matsu agreed.
A sparrow Pokémon landed within the square, looking for something to eat. Satoshi watched it, wondering to himself: “Wonder if Shigeru’s been through here . . .”
“Who’s Shigeru?” Matsu had overheard.
“A rival of mine. I lost sight of him in the forest. He has spiky hair and he always looks confident, would you see him somewhere.”
“He had a Hikozaru?”
“Yeah,” Satoshi looked up suddenly.
“He defeated me in a Pokémon battle while on our way from town. He then headed this way . . .”
Satoshi was eager now. “We have to find him. Maybe he saw what happened here. Maybe he can help us.”
The others turned their looks toward the boy, having heard clearly what he had been saying.
Suddenly Max let out a cry and every one turned his way, to find Rinda unconscious.
“What happened to her?” Matsu asked, but Max did not know what to say.
“Why don’t we just leave this forsaken town?” Sami said, afraid of what might happen.
Everyone agreed with him and left for the Hara field. Koji helped Max to carry their unconscious friend, and Junichi just looked curiously around, saying nothing.
“Pachichi?”
“What is it, Pachirisu?” Satoshi said. “Don’t worry. We’ll soon on Hara again.”
“Chi.”
They found a place to rest beneath some trees. A strong wind had showed up and the air was a little chilly. Pachirisu slept in Satoshi’s jacket. There was a little fire burning and Koji prepared some food. Rinda was still not awake and the worried Max let her lie in his lap. They did not know what to do right now and they were tired, so they stayed here until evening came and then they fell asleep.
Satoshi woke up and found it hard to rest. He picked up the crystal stone from his backpack and examined it some more. Pachirisu lay in the grass, still sleeping. It was quite all around now and the rookie Trainer was the only one awake. He looked at Junichi and he was also sleeping. Soon Satoshi began to feel more tired and at last he, too, was able to rest.
Sa-to-shi . . .
He woke up the next day. Every one else save Junichi was still sleeping. The older man made some breakfast and as Satoshi got up they ate together.
“Strange about the town, eh?” Satoshi asked to break the silence.
“Very strange, it is,” Junichi said looking at his soup. “How could people of a whole town just vanish like that . . .? All I know is that they have been gone recently.”
“How do you know?”
“I found fresh food in one of the houses. At least someone has been there recently.”
“But Matsu and his friends maybe just arrived from home when we met them. They encountered Shigeru on their way from town . . .”
As if hearing his name, Matsu started to wake up.
“We should head to Hari,” Junichi said to Satoshi. “It’s another town on Hara.”
“Hari . . .” Matsu said drowsily. “But it’s far from here.”
“It is the closest town from here.”
When every one had woken up and were ready, they set off again. Rinda had started waking up, but she was still sick. Max thought that she was going to get better and was glad he could talk to her.
They crossed the Hiroinohara field towards the north. The air was getting misty and when the day came to an end they rested not far from a lake.
“The mist comes from the Kiri Mounatins,” Junichi explained to Satoshi. “Many strong Pokémon dwell there, so it’s not a place for weak Trainers. A good place for becoming strong, though.”
“Have you trained there?” Satoshi asked.
“Yes.”
“I had a strange dream last night,” the boy said suddenly.
“Will you tell me about it?”
“I got some fish from the lake,” Matsu said as he appeared from the mist. “Good enough for a late dinner.”
They ate the fish and went to sleep. They had no tent to sleep in, but fortunately there was no rain or storm.
Sa-to-shi . . .
Huh? Who’s saying my name? Hello . . .
“She’s gone!”
Satoshi woke from his dream when he heard the sound. At first he was confused and thought that they had been attacked by something, but soon he realised it was only Max who was shouting. Every one was awake, but Rinda was gone.
“Where is she?” Max said panicky and ran about looking, calling her name.
“You cannot find her in this mist . . . unless she hears you,” Junichi said.
“What is happening around here . . .?” Koji wondered for himself.
At last Max sat down with his face in his hands. No one had in mind of going back to sleep, since it was already morning. Max did not look up until he could feel something gently licking his hand. As he looked he found a little red-brown fox with six tails behind him.
“Who may you be?” he asked it and stroked its soft fur. The creature seemed to like him.
“You found a friend, Max?” Matsu said.
“Yes, I think so.”
“That’s good.” Matsu was glad to see Max a little happier. “Don’t worry, we’ll find Rinda soon. Maybe she just wandered off to pee somewhere.”
“Get away!” Sami said, not far away. His new-catched fish had been attacked by a crow which feather-crest looked like a witch’s hat and which tail looked like the end of a broom. “Be off, bad luck!” Sami said and at last the crow took wing. It flew across the lake and vanished into the mist.
Satoshi looked after it; he had never seen that Pokémon before.
“They are supposed to bring ill fortune, especially if you see it at night,” Sami explained. “Now, it ruined my fish!”
“It’s morning now, so we’re lucky . . .” Koji said, looking into the mist. “She must be there somewhere . . .”
“You mean Rinda?” Satoshi asked the tall boy. “I’m worried, too.” He looked at Max, who was petting the Rokon, the fox Pokémon, while giving it some of his food. Then Satoshi walked away from the others to look around. He saw grass, mist, the lake and some trees and bushes. No Rinda and no wild creatures either. He went a little further. The electric squirrel followed him in the grass.
Suddenly he realised he could no longer see the others and they could probably not see him either so he decided to head back before getting lost, but then a saw something in the mist by the lake.
“What do you think it is, Pachirisu?” He asked his Pokémon, which he now noticed had followed him.
“Chiri.”
“Not me either. Should we take a look?” He hoped the others would not start getting worried when they realised he was gone, as he approached the large shape in the mist.
It was a house, but a very strange one. It was built just by the lake on a little cliff. The dark roof stretched high like a pointed hat. Suddenly he saw something in the corner of his eye. He turned and looked into the water. Had something moved in it? Probably just a fish . . .
“Come on, Pachirisu,” he said as they went on.
As they came to the house, Satoshi decided to approach the door. “Maybe Rinda went here.” He knocked at the wooden door and waited for any reply. Nothing happened. He looked at his little friend who looked puzzled up at him. Then he grabbed the door knob and found out that the door was unlocked. The creaky sound as it opened was very clear in this quite place, but no one seemed to hear him.
“I hope we do not bother any one,” he said as he walked in.
They came into a big room, only lit up by the sunlight through an arched window. There were many strange items here; very few of them did Satoshi understand. This room reminded him of the little lab Elder Haku had in his home, with bottles filled with alien liquids and strange tubes and tools. Only that this looked even more strange and bizarre.
“Hello.” Although his voice seemed to echo faintly within the house, no one revealed any sign of hearing him. He thought of leaving, not wanting to be in a stranger’s home when the person was not there, but then Pachirisu said something.
“Pachichi?”
He looked the way the squirrel looked and saw the black crow sitting in the window, looking at them. Its gaze was uncomfortable.
“I think we better get out of here, Pachirisu. We should not walk into someone else’s house like this. I do not like this place anyway.”
“Chi.”
Satoshi turned toward the door and as he tried to open it he failed.
“It’s got stuck,” he said and pushed it. He pulled it, too, but nothing happened. The croaking of the black bird annoyed him. “Let’s find another way out, Pachirisu.”
They found stair leading up and a stair leading down. There may be and exit in the basement, so they went down. It was very dark down there, but there was a faint glow coming from his Pokémon. Satoshi found another door and tried to open it. It went up as he pushed it and he came into a room lit up by a small lamp in the ceiling. It was possible to see that the room was filled with cages containing various Pocket Monsters. Poor, Pokémon! Who is keeping them here?
A growling sound welcomed him and he did not know where it came from.
“Be careful, Pachirisu . . .”
“Chi!”
Suddenly his friend was attacked by a black hyena that appeared from the shadows. It clutched Pachirisu in its mouth and shook it, trying to make the little squirrel unconscious, but immediately let go of its victim as an electric shock struck it. Pachirisu was thrown into a wall and almost fainted.
“Pachirisu!” Satoshi said, afraid for the Pokémon.
Pachirisu got up and charged electric energy and released another electric shock before the enemy was to close to attack. The hyena howled in pain, but rushed at Pachirisu and struck it with it paw. The little squirrel landed on the floor and did not move.
Satoshi did not know what to do. He was angry and afraid. Suddenly the large, black hyena came for him. He ran for the door, finding no way to save his friend which he thought was dead now, but the creature attacked him from behind and he fell to the floor. His head hit something and he fainted. The last thing he heard was a terrible, old laugh, like the croaking of a crow.
