Bloodline
Disclaimer: Pokemon is copyrighted to Nintendo and is not used in this arena for profit in any way.
A/N: Thank you so very much for checking out this story. Yes, I realize it is incredibly ahead of schedule. But is that really so bad?
This story only uses first gen. Pokemon (mostly, but no spoilers).
If you previously read this chapter, continue. Section breaks have been altered for better reading ease.
Sarah Adams. Known on the battlefield as the famous Shaiya. Anyone who has seen Sarah in battle knows her well. For there is no other trainer that fights alongside their Pokemon.
Five years ago, a scientific experiment gave Sarah the unique ability to change her body into that of any Pokemon. While at first many saw it as nothing more than a carnival spectacle, she has slowly proved to the world that her ability is a great gift that she treasures, using it almost at the cost of her life in order to win the Grand Tournament.
That was three years ago. Now, Sarah runs a special clinic in Safron City with her fiancé, Luke Anderson. There, Sarah helps trainers communicate and build better relationships with their Pokemon as well as train them to be better partners on and off the field.
--
Sarah sat at the front of a large room floored with mats. She was in a nondescript white tunic. The others in the room wore similar uniforms. They and their Pokemon were laid out in a large grid before her. She always felt that a relaxed atmosphere such as this helped the trainers learn much better.
"A proper relationship between trainer and Pokemon is all about balance. A trainer does not control the Pokemon, yet the Pokemon cannot to as it pleases. There must always be a setting of responsibility and trust that is shared by both parties.
"Even the world goes by this rule. When there is a disturbance, favoring one situation for another, the world resolves it, bringing it back to perfect balance.
"That is what we will be working on this session. Each of you settle into a comfortable position next to your partner." Everyone did as she asked.
She was about to continue when a Pidgey flew through the window to the next room and landed beside her. "There are a few men here to see you. Luke says it's urgent." The bird held a small roll of paper in her claw and handed it to her.
Sarah opened the roll and read only two three letter words.
OAK MIA
--
Sarah burst into the clinic's small conference room. "What's wrong? What's wrong with Prof. Oak?"
Luke was already inside. With him were two men in navy blue business suits. They all stood as she entered. "Sarah, these men are with the BPI."
One man held out a hand to her. "Hello, Ms. Adams. I am Agent Smith. This is my partner, Agent Hamilton."
She accepted the handshake. "I've never heard of the BPI."
The men retook their seats. "Not many people have. We are a small group. The Bureau of Paranormal Investigation prefers to keep itself on a low level."
"Paranormal? You mean like me?"
Smith seemed to suddenly get a bit nervous. "Well, to be honest we've had tabs on you for some time but had no reason to approach you until now."
Luke jumped in. "Wait, she's not in trouble is she?"
"Oh, quite the contrary."
"Good. Now what's happened to Oak?" Professor Oak had been a good friend of Sarah's ever since he had inadvertently given her the gift and had been her primary financer for the clinic. Anything going on about him she wanted to know as soon as possible.
"We…don't exactly know yet," Hamilton said.
"He went on a solo expedition to the north several months ago." Smith slid a file across the table. "One week ago, we received an emergency beacon from this location with Oak's signal code." He pointed to a dot on a map inside the folder. "But there was nothing save for some survival gear and a few artifacts. We then discovered a hidden signal inside the emergency beacon giving the code to Oak's personal safe. It contained basic stuff: money, personal items, and a folder labeled 'Shaiya'."
Sarah perked up. "So it was about me?" Smith nodded. "What was in it?"
Smith fidgeted for a moment. "That…is classified." Luke gave him a fierce stare. Smith must not have been very long on the force. He caved after only a few seconds. "Have you ever heard of the Mäyto?"
Sarah and looked at each other before shaking their heads.
"The Mäyto were one the world's original great people. In the early times, a Ditto somehow figured out how to take human form and took a human as its mate. The children they created were unique, maintaining the human form and intelligence but also keeping the Ditto's incredible ability to mimic any other form and ability."
The description stuck inside Sarah's head. It was exactly like her. "What happened to them?"
"Arrogance. Pride. The usual human sins. They felt themselves better than the other human races and swiftly took control of the entire globe. But the Great Spirits saw this and were displeased. It created too much of an imbalance. So they sent their messenger, Mew, to wipe out the Mäyto people."
Sarah and Luke both gasped. "Are you serious?"
"But what does that have to do with Sarah?"
Smith flipped through the file and pulled out a piece of paper. It had Oak's name across the top. "Prof. Oak believed that you were a descendent of the Mäyto."
Sarah looked up in shock, but Smith's eyes held nothing but stern seriousness.
"How can that be? You said the Mäyto were all killed by Mew," Luke asked.
"It is very well possible that several Mäyto were not involved in the takeover and were spared. But to prevent further trouble, their abilities would have been removed."
Sarah read over the sheet of paper in front of her. Oak had apparently found parts of her DNA that matched those found in old ruins. It also stated that the pill originally used to give her the ability to understand Pokemon speech was what reactivated the long-dormant ability. The final paragraph outlined that Oak planned a trip to the north in order to find a lost city of the Mäyto.
"I still don't understand. If all of this is real, why are you coming to me now?"
"There is another piece of the legend," Hamilton took over. "According to it, only one of re-awakened Mäytonian blood can enter their city."
Luke cut in first. "No. Sarah is not some archeologist to be sent all over the world."
"If I go, what's in it for you? Wealth or power?" Luke appeared shocked at Sarah's sudden answer, but held his tongue.
"Prof. Oak is our main concern right now. He is the world's leading researcher. And if you happen to find the lost city, the knowledge we gain will be tremendous."
Sarah examined Smith's face closely, even using a few of her enhanced Pokemon senses. He seemed to be telling the truth.
She took a deep breath, reading over a few of the papers before her one more time. "I'll go."