Chapter 1: Starting Point
Pokémon around the world called it Steel City, the 'Epicenter of the Mechanical Age'; a description for the city of the largest collection of the continent's steel forges. The city was located in the mountain Mt. Flame, a large mountain on the north side of the continent, carved out from the inside. While mostly rock and steel Pokémon made their home there, many types lived there for jobs or simply passing through. As a result, it stood as one of the largest trading hubs on the continent.
The major attraction was the main smithing area in the city called The Forge. It was a large sphere carved out the inside of the mountain consisting of rings of steel platforms that created floors in the room. Dozens of furnaces were located on each floor with pipes lining each of them, connecting the floors together or connecting to other areas of the city. In the morning, fire Pokémon billowed the flames of the forges to heat them up, while steel Pokémon readied themselves for smelting the metal. All types of Pokémon found their use for metal smithing, but steel types were found the most useful in the craft appropriately enough. During the day rock Pokémon delivered daily shipments of rock and ore that were smelted and forged into various shapes and sizes, ranging from steel panels to construction materials to weapons and items for exploration teams. As for the specifics -
"I've read this a bunch of times now!" A thud echoed in the small room as a book bounced off the floor; the title "Metal Smelting – A History" labeled across the cover in footrunes. A small bed laid in the corner, with a simple table and a bookshelf on the opposite wall. "I don't know why pops won't let me..." The source of the voice came from a small Pokémon sitting on the floor, a Larvitar. He folded his arms and looked crossly at the book he tossed across the floor, as if expecting it to talk back to him. He watched it for a few more moments before sighing, dropping his arms, and getting to his feet. He looked around a moment before opening the door and walking out.
The room was part of the house he lived in: three rooms cut into the mountain. It was a modest space, but it was more than enough for him and his father. As for the room itself, there was a small kitchen and table, enough for them to cook meals. A water pipe extended out of one of the walls with a simple valve on it. After a quick check of the kitchen, the Larvitar guessed his father was at work again before he opened the door and walked out of the house.
The sound of talking Pokémon immediately assaulted him: the voice of thousands of Pokémon at the trading post. He lived at the very top of the Trading Post, and as such was a short walk to most of the city's areas. Closing the door and making a right, he walked through a small crowd of Pokémon, and took the tunnel labeled 'The Forge'. The tunnel lightly dulled the din of the city, but only grew once more as he made his way to the top of The Forge. He walked to the railing of the small overlook and looked down, trying to find his father. A pair of Pokémon haggled prices from one of the vendors. The clang as a steel type Pokémon forged a new part. The heat wave as a blast of air was pushed into a forge. The Larvitar scanned the area and after a few moments found his pops at his usual station, making his way down the sets of stairs.
After working through the crowds, he found his father talking with a pair of Pokémon, nodding on occasion and talking. Getting bored from waiting, he inched closer to eavesdrop on them.
"- can definitely be done." His father. "You requested five of them?"
"Yes. 'Ere's the payment for them and we'll be back in two days to get 'em." The Scizor of the group handed him a small bag of Poké, and the Bisharp took it and counted through. Comfortable with the amount, he nodded at them. "Many thanks for working on such short notice Winard."
"No problem, and thank you for your business." The pair of Pokémon nodded at him and walked away. After waiting for them to leave, the Larvitar walked up to his father.
"Hey pops." He said. The Bisharp turned around at the sound and smiled lightly at him. His father, a Bisharp, cared for him ever since he was small. He worked as a metal smither and was one of the most famous ones; his speciality was items for exploration teams, but he rarely denied requests of other types.
"Hello kid. What brings you by?"
"Nothing, bored. Another request?" He nodded his head in the direction the Pokémon left in.
His father nodded. "Yeah. They wanted items specifically made for their exploration team. Paid a hefty amount to have it done fast." He shrugged. "So, did you study your smithing techniques?"
While the Larvitar was annoyed at some subjects with his father, he knew he cared for him. It didn't make it any easier though. "Yes," He replied.
His father looked pointedly at him. "Oh really? Then at what temperature does a Quilava have to heat it's breath to - "
"Okay fine, I didn't read that part again." Tarvir cut him off, and his father faintly smiled at catching him. "But I mean I've read it like what, three times now? I mean I know how to hit the metal, how to heat it, how to shape it. Mostly. That's good enough to start practicing, right?"
Winard sighed. "Tarvir, look," His father sat on a stool near his smithing table. "You can't 'mostly' do something if you want to make a good career out of it. You need to know a lot of small details if you want to be good, and you need plans for when something goes wrong, because it will go wrong. This is why I want you studying right now, and why I'm trying to teach you smithing," He shifted in his seat. "You need to be prepared for any of situation in this field. When you are ready, we can start practicing, but not yet."
Tarvir frowned, but he understood what he meant. "Fine. Then can I ask something?"
"Of course, what is it?" Winard replied, waiting patiently waiting.
"When can I start learning how to explore? I've asked before, but thats what I really want to do still!" Winard's patience visibly broke at those words, eyes flaring and mouth forming into a frown.
"No, you're too young. Not for a while, so just practice your smithing." Tarvir saw he looked visibily upset at the question. He hoped for a better response, or even an answer, but left it alone. One thing he learned about his father was some things were best left alone.
"Okay, I understand." Tarvir said, and found his father looking a little less tense.
"Good. Now, if you want to do something a bit safer, how about joining me on a trip?" Tarvir did perk up at this.
"You and I are going with a friend of mine." Winard clarified. "I need to get materials from Spirerock Town tomorrow for a request. Seeing as you want to get out for a bit, I figured you could join me." Tarvir looked excited at the prospect, and nodded enthusiastically. "Good. Tomorrow, we'll set out. Head home for now and start getting ready. As for tonight, I have a few things I need to finish, so I will be back later."
Drip. Drip. Drip.
In a cavern tunnel at the top of Steel City, the sound of rain echoed along the walls. Vertical shafts lined one of the walls, letting feeble sunlight through the tunnel. A small metal half-pipe extended through each shaft leading outside, catching the rain falling from the storm clouds outside. They stretched across the floor of the tunnel to the opposite wall where they emptied into another pipe that lined the tunnel.
"Yeah, looks like its starting to rain again Ramph." The voice belonged to a Rhyhorn standing in the tunnel, looking out one of the shafts in the cavern wall. Storm clouds were clearly visible in the sky, and rain fell down into the half-pipes where they flowed into the tunnel. And as far down the tunnel as the Rhyhorn was, the sound of The Forge was almost entirely silent.
The Rhyhorn did not stand out brightly from the tunnel rock, but still had distinguishing features of his own; various marks and scratches scored his rock hide, with one of the many spikes broken off.
His partner sighed, a Ramparados. "Guess we're stuck here another night." One of the rarer types of Pokémon, the blue-striped Ramparados brightly stood out from the gray rock. A visible frown was on his face, an expression mirrored by the Rhyhorn standing next to him. "Maybe we'll get lucky and it doesn't rain over the city?" The Rhyhorn looked over to him.
"The rock absorbs the water so unless you plan to stop the rain clouds, that won't happen."
Ramph thought a moment, and sighed. "Yeah, you're right Rhyl. I just wish for once we didn't have to spend the day once again moving mud and rocks."
Rhyl nodded. "So do I, but we need to do it," He looked down the tunnel pointedly. "Come on, we got to go check the north side of the tunnel and make sure nothing collapsed." Rhyl trodded along with Ramph following behind. A water irrigation system was built to funnel water from the mountaintop down into the city, where constant fresh water filled the storage. As a result, two job positions were created for a pair of Pokémon to inspect and maintain the integrity of the irrigation system at the mountaintop and to report any issues to the city. The two Pokémon enjoyed the job, but there were moments were they had to truly work for their pay.
Crash.
A bolt of lightning crashed outside, echoing loudly through the tunnel as the two continued to walk down it while the outside storm picked up intensity.
"So Rhyl, did you hear the latest news from the Mountain Exploration Division?" Ramph asked Rhyl.
"No, and it better not be another great discovery like the 'rare gemstone' that turned out to be an Sitrus Berry with mud on it," He retorted. Ramph chuckled and shook his head.
"That was just some excited new member who forgot what one looked like," His expression turned more serious. "No, it's about the fissures." At this, his partner looked up at Ramph. "You remember the cracks in the ground near Sanddune City? They said they ripped the ground apart into a fissure. Luckily, they only went a bit into the city, so only a few buildings were damaged. But judging from the how wide and deep the fissure was," Ramph jumped over a small pile of rocks, shaking the tunnel slightly and splashing the water in the water pipes. "They estimated it to be more than ten Onixs deep."
A thoughtful expression crossed the Rhyhorn's face and he hummed quietly. "That quick? They only had an examination a few days ago."
"Yeah, that quick." Ramph replied.
"And no one felt the ground move at all?" Rhyl asked.
"The report said they felt something move, but mistook it for a Steelix."
Rhyl frowned. "That's quite a thing to mistake for an Steelix." Ramph shrugged.
"Well I can't exactly blame them for wanting to deny it, not with what happens eventually. Wait a moment," Ramph said, stopping next to one of the water pipes and putting a claw on top of it. He waited a moment before taking it off and turning back to Ryhl. "Pipes seem fine, I felt the water moving." Rhyl nodded and the two of them started to walk again. "But yeah, still nothing on the causes." Rhyl quietly hummed in response. He heard the general rumors before: cracks in the ground suddenly appeared along the ground, and the next thing was a massive fissure tearing up the ground. He heard reports of it taking from one day to several weeks, but once the cracks began to appear it was only a matter of time. And he heard of the destructive power of whatever they were: it completely demolished Earthswamp Town on an earlier occasion, taking the buildings down with it and forcing the survivors to evacuate.
As the two kept walking, they eventually came to a fork in their path: one path to their left and one to their right.
"Well, looks like the pipes are good for now, and it isn't raining that hard. I'll be back in a moment before our next pass," Ramph said before walking off to the left path labeled 'Exit'. Rhyl shook his head and simply sat down on the rock floor.
He could hear the quiet splashes of rain echoing in the tunnel from outside. It wasn't a heavy rain, so in truth it was possible they wouldn't have to do anything here or in the city itself. Rhyl glanced to the right tunnel, keeping an eye on it. The tunnel was dark so it was impossible to make anything out, but he tried to feel any vibrations in the rock, sensing if the structure was shifting. After a moment, he had felt something, but in the opposite direction. He started to turn and -
"Seeing things?" Rhyl tensed and spun around in a flash. The source of the voice, a Pokémon, stepped back at the reaction. Rhyl took a moment to see what the source was, and found it was his friend Winard.
"Ugh, sorry about that Winard," Rhyl shook his head. "I didn't expect you to be there. I was trying to sense rock vibrations but I found you walking instead. What brings you here?"
"Since you're still on duty, I'll be quick: it's about the trip tomorrow. I'm going to bring Tarvir with me, and wanted to tell you. I figured he could use something like this."
"Huh?" Rhyl asked, confused. The name completely slipped his mind at the moment. "Oh, yeah. Sure, thats fine." Winard looked at him quizzically, but seemingly shrugged it off. "It's just a supply trip. Did something happen?"
Winard chuckled. "Yeah, I told him he needs to keep studying before he starts practicing."
"Hmm." Rhyl thought. I don't entirely agree, but it's your son. "You aren't wrong if I may say," Rhyl said, "Its good advice to live by. He does need to be careful. He is still only twelve." Winard nodded in response. "With us however, he should be relatively safe."
"Yeah. Alright, I'm going to head back and get ready for the trip. You sure you'll be fine for work tomorrow?"
" I don't take this shift until late in the day, so as long as we are back before the sun starts to set we should be fine." Rhyl affirmed.
"Good. See you then."
"See you."
Rhyl watched him go before making his way in the same direction, hoping to find Ramph so they could finish the rest of the shift.
The next day, Tarvir found himself in the city library; the book "Metallurgy – A Pokémon's Guide To Metal" in his hands. He flipped a page on occasion but barely paid attention to the printed words. At the moment, the only thing that was registering in his head was the trip that he and his father were about to go on. He spent the majority of his time last night gathering stuff he might want to take. He knew he couldn't take everything, but he gathered the most useful stuff he could think of: a map of the area, some Oran berries, and an apple. It wasn't much, but he wanted to think it was a real expedition.
Ring.
Ring.
The bell signalling the hour rang, and Tarvir gathered his stuff and shot out of the library, dropping the books off as he went past the desk. He weaved in and out of the crowd as he headed home, careful not to knock anyone over.
"Hey, whats the rush?" A voice called out to him, and he stopped to find the source. He looked and found it belonging to Cynder, a Cyndaquil, one of his friends.
"We're going on a trip, and I can't miss it. Sorry, I'll tell you later!" He shouted and started running again, just barely noticed his friend shaking his head. Tunnel after tunnel, he finally arriving at the intersection to the Trading Post. After some time he made it to his house and knocked on the door and opened it.
"Pops, I'm back," He called out to the room. After a moment, Winard walked out of his bedroom carrying a large rucksack.
"Hello son," He responded. "Done studying?"
"Yes. Are we heading out now?" He said, clearly excited from the trip to Spirerock Town.
Winard laughed. "Yes we are. Do you have everything packed?" Tarvir didn't even respond as he ran into his room and dropped his books off on the small table. Turning around, he grabbed his small rucksack he packed last night and put it on as he walked back into the kitchen. "Okay, I'm ready," Winard smiled, amused at his response.
"Okay then, let's go," He said, walking towards the door. Once Tarvir exited, Winard locked the door behind them and signaled towards The Forge. "We need to pick someone up before we head out. He will be traveling with us." Tarvir nodded, somewhat curious. They walked through the tunnels and down the stairs but when they arrived at Winard's work floor, Winard pointed to his shop. "They're waiting at my stand." Tarvir nodded. As they approached the stand, Tarvir noticed a lone Pokémon standing there, obviously waiting for something. As the Pokémon became more clear, and Tarvir recognized it: it was a Rhyhorn. As if on cue, the Rhyhorn glanced to them and walked towards the two of them.
"There you are Winard," Rhyl said, acknowledging the pair. The three of them stopped as they met, and Rhyl turned towards Tarvir. "And you must be Tarvir. I'm one of your father's friends, Rhyl."
Tarvir smiled. "Nice to meet you!"
Rhyl nodded his head at him, then turned towards Winard. "I take it you two are ready to leave?"
"We are. Let's get going," Winard responded, and the three of them headed towards the stairs. Tarvir followed them as the two took the stairs down, all the way to the bottom floor. "Since I haven't told you yet Tarvir, Rhyl is one of my old friends. We've known each other for a long time now."
Rhyl nodded, agreeing. "Indeed. I remember when he took you in all those years ago." Winard nodded, but said nothing else. Once they reached the bottom of The Forge, Tarvir found a plethora of signs pointing in all directions.
"Let's see," Winard quietly said, looking down one of the tunnels. "We'll take this exit, it'll be easier to get out at this time." He pointed towards the southern tunnel; a sign labelled "Southern Exit" nailed above the path. The trio walked down the tunnel, and the sound of The Forge steadily grew quieter. They passed the occasional Pokémon, but none bothered them as they approached the exit of the city. Tarvir found himself getting excited, knowing he would finally be taking a trip outside of the city. Even the two Pokémon with him didn't dampen the idea of it being an expedition for him, but he humored the thought of it only being him walking outside the city.
"Ah yes, Winard. Please, continue out and be careful on your trip," The guard said, taking a bow and opened the large rock gate that blocked the entrance. As the stone gate opened, Tarvir could finally see the outside again: the clear sky, the winding rock paths that lead out of the city, and crowds of Pokémon that gathered along the road. Tarvir looked down, eyes drooping -
"Did you zone out Tarvir?" Tarvir blinked and realized what happened; his father shook him, taking him out of his daydream. He looked around and found they were quite a distance from the city exit, and found no crowd of Pokémon cheering his name. Embarrassment swept over him.
"Oh, uh, heh. I guess it did," He responded, scratching the spike on his head. Looking around, he saw the final path that led out of the rocky outcrop and into the grass meadows below.
Winard pointed down the path, "Once we take this route, we can start heading towards Spirerock Town. Shouldn't be more than an hour out." The trio walked down the path, and once they arrived at the road below, they walked towards their destination. Winard and Rhyl conversed with each other, but Tarvir barely paid attention to the conversation and instead, focused on the surroundings.
The day had cooperated with them: the sky was cloudless, the temperature was comfortable, and the breeze was soft. Tarvir was glad to finally get out of the city for the day, and relished the air. Whenever he had thought of the sky and being outside, he only could remember the feelings of being in Mt. Flame. Excitement grew in him as they marched on, and despite his father's earlier statement about not learning exploring, he couldn't help but feel that it was his calling.
