"Sinking down and waiting for a chance to feel alive" Linkin Park – In My Remains.
Just another dull day, standing on top of that cliff, underneath that tree, looking at the city in front of me and thinking of the reason of my existence...
I'm just another trainer... One of those who beat the Champion of Hoenn, which nowadays is common thing. So I came here, to Rakuen, a quiet place where I can think about what comes ahead, where I don't hear of Team Magma or Team Aqua, where I can live without worrying about my few friends or the family I left in Hoenn. My only problem is my faith in the fate. I always thought a challenge was prepared for me. I felt it. But I never knew when it would come. Is it even normal for a teenager like me to think that kind of thing?
I never felt safe. I spent half of my days sitting under a common tree, over a common cliff , but with a privileged view of the city of Paradise, where I lived. I spent so much time there that I came to consider it mine. I kept thinking about my future. What would happen from now on? Will I lose more friends to the destiny? Mark stood in Hoenn and never spoke to me since I left ... Hyule went to Unova, aiming to be someone in his life. He went there to make his dreams come true... I also thought: What if Rakuen to becomes too urbanized just like Unova? The company "MechTech" doesn't stop growing... Moreover, their motto is "Thinking big, doing great." I would not want to live here any longer if this place reaches the level of Unova.
Sometimes Cyan, my Swampert, left her Pokéball by herself and tried to console me. I understood what she meant before. Not anymore... Yet I admired her initiative... But unfortunately, it never worked. Just made me think: What if Cyan abandons me? And if she stops liking me because of what I became after leaving Hoenn? All these were questions I could never answer.
In a Tuesday, the day was beautiful and lighter than normal. I took it to spend more time under my tree, looking at the majestic sky, trying to find answers to my endless questions, preparing for whatever the destiny put me through in the coming days…
Chapter 1 - The Renaissance of a Trainer
Kaze walked beside Cyan, on the way to the "Destiny Cliff," as he called it. Usually he flew up there using Stratos, his Latios, but that day he wanted to take a walk over, looking at the landscape being beautiful as he never saw before at this majestic day. In the way, Kaze found Mia, a friend that he met when he arrived in Rakuen, one of the few people with whom he still talked in Rakuen.
"Apple!" She said. Apple is the nickname she gave Kaze when they met. She gave nicknames to people and then attributed a meaning to those nicknames. Kaze did not know exactly the meaning of Apple, but accepted the nickname without any problems. It was even funny in his opinion.
He replied to her:
"Hi, Mia."
"You are going to your cliff again?" She asked.
"Yes."
"Me too! I'm going to enjoy this beautiful day to let my Pokémon play while I rest. I need some time without all the bustle of the city."
"Hm." was all he said. Mia was good with words, but Kaze wasn't.
They talked a little more in the way, what did make Kaze forget a little the concerns he had. He had even forgotten what it was like to chat with friends.
When they arrived, Mia let Ekans, Glaceon, Altaria, Staraptor and Chingling out of their Pokéballs and let them play around. Kaze decided to do the same, let Cyan the Swampert, Melia, the Gardevoir, Rathalos, the Salamence, Ravager,the Machamp and Stratos, the Latios to walk out with Mia's Pokémon. Meanwhile, the two stared at the scenery without saying a single word.
After a few minutes, she said:
"Apple... What you always do up here?"
"I think."
"Think of what?"
"I think of the future. I try to predict what awaits me tomorrow and get ready for it..."
"But... if you just stay here, there is no reason to prepare."
He looked down and didn't say anything.
"Had you never thought of that?"
"No. I always think that something wrong will happen... I do not know if it's just pessimism or..."
Shadows passed around the two. They looked forward and saw Cyan flying with Altaria and Glaceon flying with Rathalos. Looking at that scene, Kaze said:
"It's amazing how they became friends so quickly..."
"Just like us…"
It was the truth. Kaze and Mia met there, at the Destiny Cliff, when Mia made Kaze forget his problems and smile.
"I remember that day..."
"How about we do the same as them?" Said Mia getting up.
"Fly? Sounds fun."
Mia took his arm and led him to where the other Pokémon were talking.
The other Pokémon were near the tree, playing, but Melia was on the tree, thinking of the same things that her trainer always thought of.
Kaze flew on Stratos, Mia on Staraptor, and they flyed away.
Meanwhile, Cyan, Altaria, Glaceon and Rathalos decided to go further. On the way, Cyan said:
"It was some time since I've seen my trainer so active... I hope he stays like that."
"What's wrong with him?" Asked Altaria.
"I see that he is so down for a long time." Said Rathalos.
Glaceon looked at Cyan and said:
"Looks like you really care about him…"
"Yes!" Exclaimed Cyan. –"We owe a lot to him. Kaze looked after me since I was a Mudkip, I am what I am today because of him."
"I would not fly if it was not for him." Said Rathalos. – "He caught me when I was a lonely Bagon. At first I thought it was bad, but he gave me the strength to be who I am today."
"Maybe we can help you!" Said Altaria in a tone somewhat cheerful. – "Is there some kind of Pokémon he likes in particular and doesn't have?"
"Vespiquen!" Exclaimed Rathalos.
"Indeed. He always looked at Vespiquens of other trainers with bright eyes when we were in Hoenn. But he could not get any, they are not native there, and he was always afraid of swarms of Combees here Rakuen" said Cyan.
"I know a place filled with Combees not very far from here. We could get one for him."
"Pokémon catching more Pokémon? Isn't that strange? Never heard of anyone doing this before…" Said Glaceon, afraid that she would get in trouble for doing that.
"Well, being the first to do something isn't bad, is it?" Said Rathalos before laughing.
"I would do anything to see Kaze happy once again." Mumbled Cyan.
"Come on, Glaceon, we didn't have a good battle in a while! And if their trainer is as nice as they say, there may be no problem in getting a new Pokémon for him!" Said Altaria, anxious to meet a new challenge.
"Okay… but if something bad happens, it's not my fault!"
They flew to the Giant central tree of the Tsuta forest, not very far from the Paradise city bounds. Altaria and Glaceon had already been there before. When they were under the tree, Altaria said:
"I will call the Combees up there in that hive, and check if the queen will leave. Get ready for the onslaught that can leave this opening in the lowest part of the tree. Cyan, you will carry the first fainted Combee and go back to the cliff on Rathalos."
"OK!" The other three accepted.
Altaria flew to the hive, that could be considered giant relatively to others. In front of the big entrance hall, she called for Combees, receiving no response. She decided to use her Echoed Voice. After the attack, an army of Combees left the same entrance. There were more enemies than expected, and the answer to the invaders wasn't friendly. Altaria dived in the air shouting:
"RUN! GET AWAY FROM HERE!"
"What!?" Said Rathalos looking at the swarm. Among those Combees, Rathalos saw one in particular with a size much above normal.
Meanwhile Vespiquen, the queen of the hive, went outside to command her army.
"We will not make it, there are too many of them!" Screamed Glaceon desperate and frightened by the noise that the swarm was making.
"Cyan, you know what to do!" Said Rathalos.
Cyan was in attack position, staring mindedly at the diving Combees. Rathalos quickly pulled away, taking Glaceon with him.
"Muddy..." said Cyan slowly.
"Get down!" Said Rathalos, covering Glaceon with his right wing.
"WATER!" Cyan completed while a large swirl of water and mud rose from the ground around her.
Glaceon looked with surprise to the collision of Combees and the strike of Cyan. The Combees were all pushed up, with the exception of one, the giant Combee. He collided violently with Cyan, who got stunned on the ground. The weight of Combee was too much, since its size was the same as a Tyranitar's.
"Cyan!" Shouted Rathalos. – "Do not worry, I'll help you!"
With a strong bite, Rathalos took the giant biting Combee off Cyan.
"Are you okay? I'll carry you back to safety, climb on my back."
Cyan got on Rathalos. Altaria reached the ground and was talking to Glaceon, who was already on her back. The two pairs flew back, but the furious Vespiquen commanded the second Attack Order. The four were persecuted by Combees in the sky, including the giant one.
"It seems that the plan did not work, did not think it would be so hard..." regretted Altaria.
"We have other priorities now, let's go back and flee quickly from these Combees." Rathalos said in a surprisingly serious tone.
Cyan recovered quickly, and already prepared a way to counteract the swarm of Combees. She said:
"Rathalos, loop while using your Flamethrower."
"Are you sure you have recovered?" Rathalos asked, impressed.
"Yes, thank you for saving me and for caring... Now it's time to give the attack back to them!"
"Got it!"
Cyan held firmly on the wings of Rathalos as he began the loop. When they were upside down, Cyan came loose and Rathalos used Flamethrower at the Combees. In the fall, Cyan used Ice Beam and fell to Rathalos' back. Although burning and weakened, the swarm was still chasing the quartet. Rathalos catched Altaria up quickly due to his superior speed.
"They are persistent!" Shouted Glaceon.
"Do not worry, we're almost there!" Cyan exclaimed.
Kaze and Mia, back from the air stroll, were worried, searching for their missing Pokémon, until they saw a huge yellow blur in the sky. As the blur got closer they could identify Glaceon, Altaria, Cyan and Rathalos trying to get away from it.
Both the trainers called all their available Pokémon to help them. Ravager, Melia, Stratos, Phione, Chingling and Staraptor, all looking at the great swarm, prepared to repel the attack.
"What the hell is that...?" Kaze asked, surprised.
"I wonder why the Combees are acting like that..." Mia said.
"It doesn't matter right now. We got to defend our Pokémon at any cost!"
Mia looked at Kaze, amazed, she had never seen anyone to change mood that fast.
Kaze was nervous, he couldn't think of a good strategy to protect the Pokémon. He looked at Melia and said:
"Melia, I know you are the newest in the team, but I know you are more intelligent than me. You shall command the team to save the others."
Melia looked at Kaze, surprised with his initiative, and at the same time proud to have the confidence of such a cold and serious trainer. It was the first time in which she felt that someone really trusted her, it was the time in which she experienced what everyone around her called friendship.
"Ravager, on top of the tree, Flamethrower, Stratos, Dragonbreath passing through them. Good luck, everyone!"
Mia also commanded her Pokemon:
"Chingling, Psyshock, Staraptor, Gust, Ekans, Acid Spray!"
Stratos passed multiple times in the middle of Combees using Dragonbreath. Several went down with a single attack of him. Melia floated in the middle of the swarm using Thunderbolt. Salamence flew over the swarm using Dragonbreath, carrying Ekans that shooted Acid Sprays at the yellow blur. The others threw their attacks from where they were.
The attacks were effective, several Combees fell down burning, the weakened ones retreated, obeying Vespiquen's order, and those who were falling were carried to safety by others. Cyan, Rathalos, Altaria and Glaceon perched on the cliff.
One of the wounded Combees was falling, when Kaze holded her in his arms. The young soldier briefly looked at him with gratitude for saving her and a natural fear of humans at the same time, before fainting. Somehow Kaze knew what the look meant, and caught the young weakened Combee inside a Pokéball. Cyan and Altaria watched their mission being fulfilled.
A few meters behind the tree, the giant Combee fell burning. Mia ran to him, amazed at his size. She used a Burn Heal, and soon after, captured him. While the rest of Combees retreated, Cyan looked at Kaze with joy. Kaze did not know what it meant, until a voice came to mind:
"She was the one who got the Combee for you."
Confused, Kaze said:
"Mia?"
Mia came up and said:
"Yes?"
"You said something?"
"No..."
Kaze looked around. Melia, his Gardevoir, was looking directly at him with a smile.
"I am the one speaking to you."
"But... how?"
"Who are you talking to?" Mia asked, confused.
"I developed an emotional bond with you. A bond that is enough for me to communicate with you telepathically, since I am psychic. Cyan, Rathalos, Altaria and Glaceon are the ones who got you the Combee." Melia explained.
Without words, Kaze looked at her amazed. Soon after, he looked at four that brought the Combee to him. They were celebrating their accomplished mission.
"You were talking to your Gardevoir?" Asked Mia.
"Yes... she can communicate with me telepathically."
"This is awesome! Why did not you tell me before?"
"Because I did not even know…"
For a moment, staring at the floor, he thought of everything that had happened that day, thought if every day could be special as this one, thought if he was being fair with the Pokémon proved the love for their trainer.
"Thanks, Cyan, Rathalos, Altaria and Glaceon! I guess nobody has ever done anything like this for me ..." Then he explained to Mia: "They are who brought that Combee to me."
"Wow..." She then looked at the four and said: "I am proud to be your trainer, Altaria and Glaceon!" Then she looked back to Kaze. "Looks like your Pokémon like you very much!"
"It is a pity that so far I doubted it…" said Kaze.
"But now you know they adore you! Moreover, changing the subject, look what I got." She said taking her giant Combee out of the Pokéball.
"Whoa! This thing is not normal..." commented Kaze, in a tone of astonishment.
"I know... But I guess I can keep him."
"I see no problem with that. But I'll try to figure out how he got that way."
Kaze had bigger plans for what seemed like just another rare Pokémon. He wondered if that was the day in which he would stop only existing, and would finally start living.
"Are YOU saying that? Now you surprised me! But why will you do that?"
At that moment he thought: "I surprised myself too..." Then he said.
"Not long ago I saw on TV that a fisherman caught a giant Magikarp. A little later, bug catchers claimed to see a giant Butterfree. Again on TV, I saw a story about a giant Staravia. All of these cases occurred in Rakuen. Discover the cause of this is my chance to be someone, chance I was waiting for a long time."
"You look determined. I'm going with you!"
"If that's what you want... Now let's heal our Pokémon and the Combees who fell on top of the cliff to get them flying back to their hive, then we'll go back to city for lunch. We have time to think of what to do."
"Back to the city...? My backpack has enough food for me and my Pokémon…"
"I think I have enough in mine to eat and feed my Pokémon... OK, let's get started, I guess?"