Author's Corner.
Awesome: This is it! The long awaited movie that we've all been waiting for!
Slybill: I am sooo winning that award for Budding Author of the Year.
LP: Oscar! Where's ma oscar for Best Main Character?!
Luca: Um...Mr LP, you weren't slated to participate in this movie.
LP: ...huh...?
White: Scarly! That guy with the hairdo is dressed like a Team Plasma grunt.
Scarlet: Actually White, we're-
White: Go Emboar! Use Arm Thrust!
LP: And I'm blasting off again!
Scarlet: -supposed to wear costumes for the award ceremony. Hey...where'd he go?
Draco: SSHH! The movie's about to start!
Burgh: The stage is set! The lights dimming ever so slightly as our weeks and weeks of hard labour finally unravel like a Beautifly from its cocoon. I...I...I FEEL INSPIRED TO-
Everyone: SHUT THE FUCK UP!
DISCLAIMER: IT'S A LITTLE UNFORTUNATE BUT SLYBILL DOESN'T OWN POKEMON. CREDIT FOR THAT GOES TO SATOSHI TAJIRI AND NINTENDO. HOWEVER, THE FOLLOWING MOVIE AND THIS LONG-ASS DISCLAIMER BELONG TO US SO SIT BACK, RELAX AND ENJOY THE FREAKING MOVIE!
I
The Pokémon World.
An imaginary land filled to the brim with adventure and promise and, of course, Pokémon. High in the skies, deep in the seas and overflowing throughout the land, these wonderful creatures just radiate with power and potential, some stunning, some dangerous but above all else, simply magical. But what makes these creatures so mystifying? That's a mystery that we'll have to find out -
"HEY! Are you even listening?"
With a yelp, Nella snapped out of her usual daydreaming and blinked at the waving palm before her pale blue eyes. Giving a nervous laugh, she faced the window beside her, admiring the Oil Palms and Rawst trees littering the sandy landscape and effectively dodging her older brother's glare.
"Nella," he sighed, cupping the seven year old's roundish face and turning it towards him. "At least pretend to pay attention."
Nella pouted. "But Celikk, I don't wanna miss the Flygon Lifting."
"There's still three hours left before the ceremony," he stated, squinting at the sun's position in the sky. "Besides, it's mandatory that -"
"-the shrine maiden must know the opening and ending verses needed to summon the Genie-Pokémon of the West," she cut-in, prying her face from Celikk's long fingers. "It's okay Brother. I know it like the back of my hand."
She raised her left arm for emphasis before raising an eyebrow at the oddly-shaped henna* stretching across her forearm and stopping dead centre on the skin below her knuckles.
"That's new," she remarked and giggled at the teen's exasperation. "Kidding! Can we play outside now?"
Celikk threw his hands in the air and gave an exasperated sigh. "Landorus help us should you mess up the ceremony. Fine, take Bu and stroll through the city but make sure-"
"To come back an hour after sunset," Nella butted in again and threw her scarf on. "Got it brother. C'mon Bu!"
Bu, her pet Trapinch, reared his big, orange head and yawned before lumbering towards the child as she opened the wooden door and ran past the palace guards. Stopping at the large stone gates, she whistled and the two Conkeldurr gatekeepers turned the heavy wheels that rested on each side of the Arabian-designed walls. With a low rumble, the gates lifted high enough for the girl and her pokémon to run underneath and through the long, stone walkway lined on both sides with Sitrus trees. Before long, they reached the end and ran right into the crowded and sandy street. Arjrabal was particularly hot that afternoon and Nella wiped her brows as she darted through the arab-looking commuters and several Sandile, Drilbur and the occasional Boufallant at the butcher's.
As one should've guessed by now, Arjrabal was a somewhat ancient-looking city resembling an Arabian scene with its marble structures and onion bulbed roofs. Palm trees dotted every street and sitting dead centre of the city was its marble palace with golden roofs and intricately structured walls and pane-less windows. Despite being situated in a dry desert, Arjrabal thrived and grew in population and splendour as people and pokemon worked together to till the land, dig deep wells and provide irrigation for their crops. There was also the occasional rainfall that washed over the desert, bringing more water to the city whose inhabitants would promptly store it all in giant cans and drums. Some time later, a huge spring was discovered and the citizens thanked their stars for their good fortune. In short, Arjrabal was paradise now and Nella was happy to play around its parks and streets with Bu. From her cheery demeanour, no one would've guessed that she and her older brother, Celikk, had recently lost their father, the Sultan, to a terminal illness and now had to stay under the care of an Uncle who took over immediately after her old man's burial. But the innocent little girl didn't mind. Her childless uncle kept them there as his own and treated her like his own non-existent daughter.
And that was why she gladly took up the mantle of Shrine Maiden of the Kami Trio (a fictional trio of Genie Pokémon with full reign over Land, Wind and Lightning) for not only was it traditional for the princess to do it but also to please the new sultan and thank him for all his kindness. And tonight would be the Grand Celebratory Harvest Festival, the night when the trio where said to appear as the Shrine Maiden offered thanks to them at the Abundant Shrine for their supposed contribution to the vegetative prosperity of Arjrabal.
"Hurry Bu! The Flygon Lifting is about to start!" Nella called as soon as the sky turned orange. Her Trapinch bobbed his big head before rushing after her. Oh yeah, the Flygon Lifting was a rarely seen event that always preceded the festival as it involved watching the wild Vibrava gather together, singing, dancing and finally evolving into the majestic desert spirits known as Flygon after which they ascend into the sunset and disappear altogether. But not before giving off bright blue and red Dragon Breaths into the sky, causing a beautiful Aurora borealis to spread like curtains across the sky. People always believed that anyone who saw this event would be forever blessed by the heavens with happiness and good fortune and so, on that fine evening, Nella and Bu skipped outside the city's gates and into the giant sand dunes littering the cool landscape, eagerly expecting the breath taking sight. Nella could only remember a similar occasion back when she was very young and her father had taken them both to see the event. The memory was blurry but one thing clicked in the young girl's mind as her father had given some philosophical meanings to the lifting.
"It's akin to a new beginning, children," he had said while fondling with the girl's deep orange hair. "Showing that someday, we too shall be lifted from this world and will rise through the awaiting sky and into a new world where your mother will be waiting."
"Like a stairway to heaven," Celikk had remarked and smiled as the sultan ruffled his black hair.
"Yes, Celikk," he had replied and turned to watch the Flygon disappear "Like a stairway to heaven."
"This is it, Bu!" Nella whispered as they watched the Vibrava from behind the sand dunes. "Your brothers and sisters are gonna do the ceremony now."
True to her word, the dragon pokémon began to sing and dance around each other while lifting slowly into the air. Nella and Bu held their breath in excitement at the start of the lifting and anticipated the beautiful things to follow.
But the lifting never came.
BOOM!
The little redhead blinked in confusion as the Vibrava stopped their dancing and dispersed, chirping loudly in fright. Seconds later, another explosion rocked both Nella and Bu off their feet and they both looked back to see smoke rising from the city they had just left behind. Eyes widening in fright, she scooped Bu up in her arms before scrambling back through the city gates. What she saw made her legs buckle in fear as fire razed the buildings and trees, destroying all in its path. Arjrabal is burning?! her little mind screamed. Brother!
Running as fast as her little legs could go, Nella zig-zagged through the running and screaming crowd, ignoring the gradually uncomfortable rise in heat. Zipping through the burning streets, she finally reached the blazing palace and would've rushed into it if not for the sudden collapse of the gates, leaving burning debris in its wake and hence blocking her path.
"Bu, Mud Shot!" she called, thinking fast. Bu nodded before leaping from her arms and firing a long stream of mud into the debris. Not only was it strong enough to put out the flames, but it was also enough to blow the charred debris away leaving a clear path for them to follow. "Thanks Bu!"
The duo ran straight through the walkway before pushing open the wooden doors and stumbling into the smoky lounge.
"Brother!" Nella called anxiously before coughing from the noxious fumes. "Uncle Salim!"
Another low rumble shook the girl up and she jumped as a sharp cry sliced through the atmosphere. Recognizing the voice that followed after, Nella rushed into her brother's study and froze as she caught sight of Celikk's Zoroark slamming into a bookcase. Looking in the direction of where it came from, she screamed as she saw a large, blue, hunchbacked, reptilian creature with medium-sized wings shaped like thistle leaves. In its long, clawed arms, it held Celikk roughly by the throat and it was all the little girl could do not to scream as blood erupted from his mouth.
"Listen to yourself! How can you possibly think of doing such a thing?!" he exclaimed, voice straining a little. From her angle, Nella couldn't make out the owner of the Druddigon and his voice was a little muffled due to the roaring flames and the sound of her heart hammering against her chest.
"Sounds preposterous, doesn't it?" came the reply and Druddigon raised a claw. "But thanks to this notebook of yours, I can finally achieve this dream of mine and become a god!"
Nella had had enough. "Bu, Mud Shot!"
Big Mistake. Druddigon didn't so much as flinch when its red face got smacked with the stream of mud. Dropping Celikk, it roared, bowled Bu over and grabbed Nella who in turn screamed and kicked at its rough grip.
"Ohoho, what do we have here?" its owner sneered as Druddigon slammed her against the wall. The flames intensity had long since skyrocketted and Nella felt the heat tear through the skin on her back. "Perfect timing. Now I can wipe you two out and the throne shall forever be mine!"
Druddigon licked its muzzle and opened wide, ready to devour the terrified girl whole.
"Nella!" Celikk cried, taking a sword from the wall and driving it into the pokemon's spine, eliciting an angry roar from it and a hiss from its master. Before Druddigon could react further, Zoroark leapt unto its head and rained several Shadow Claws into its skull making it roar again and trash about in an effort to throw the Illusion Fox off. Celikk grabbed his sister from its arms and rushed out of the study.
"Brother! Your neck," she gasped as the marks from Druddigon's grip began to bleed.
"I'm fine," he blurted and tripped against a fallen seat. Shifting himself, he landed on his back so as not to hurt his sister and hissed in pain.
"Brother!" Nella cried, tears falling from her eyes. Celikk got to his hands and knees before hacking up blood again.
"Curses..." he groaned, clasping his neck. "Listen Nella. You've got to get out of here and fast!" Bu popped up from underneath the floors holding a book in his jaws. "Take this. It's the original copy of my research. Hide it where no one can ever find it, understand?"
"But brother-" she protested but stopped as he shoved the book in her tiny arms and drew her into a hug.
"I've lived each day knowing it could've been my last ever since I wrote that book. I just hope the same doesn't go for you too now that it is in your possession." He kissed her forehead thrice and got up slowly. "Ana baħibbik*," he whispered and Nella's eyes widened again as a veiled figure loomed behind the eighteen year old and drew a curved blade. "Live. Nella."
Nella screamed as the blade sank into Celikk's back and grew faint as his blood splashed against the heated tiles and stained her cheeks. With the last of his strength, the young man grabbed his attacker and tackled him to the ground. Zoroark burst through the feeble walls and scooped Bu and Trapinch unto its back before giving Celikk a last glance.
"GO!" he yelled and screamed as the blade went in and out of his groin.
Zoroark nodded and darted through the smoke and flames with Nella, dizzy and nauseous from the fumes and blood, lying limply against its furry back. With a roar, it smashed through a window and landed in the courtyard before taking off towards the city gates.
"Brother..." she moaned as darkness clouded her vision. Immediately after, the palace exploded and Arjrabal burned to the ground.
Nella's once beautiful paradise was ruined. Oblivion was slowly looming over her. And the Vibrava were never seen again.
Arjrabal had missed the stairway to heaven.
A SIMPLE POKéMON MOVIE:
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
Author's Corner.
Slybill: Yeah you got me. Inspired by Dubai and all but I hope it sounds original.
White: BTW, Ana baħibbik means "I love you" in Egyptian Arabic. Also, a henna refers to a type of tattoo inked with the juices from a henna plant. Expect some more foreign words in the next chapters!
