Clarifications
1. The story switches perspective every chapter. Odd-numbered chapters follow Ernest's story, while even-numbered ones follow Kris'.
2. Kris is the female protagonist of Pokémon Crystal, but her story is really a sequel to the events of the Johto games. Ernest is completely original.
3. The prologue is told from a unique perspective. If it isn't clear who the narrator is, please watch the opening of Pokémon Crystal (Google it). The music alone is worth it.
4. This is not a battle-driven story. Expect a lot of dialogue, inner thoughts and discoveries, with the occasional action. I hope you enjoy the ride.
Prologue
I am in a field, taking a rest from a long run. My body may be made of plentiful water, but I rely on food and rest all the same. The creatures around me are playing happily; particularly endearing are a Pichu and Wooper, who are too focused on each other to notice my presence.
But this serenity comes to a grinding halt as my mind is suddenly engulfed. I hear their mysterious voices, transmitted to me via radio waves:
COME NOW. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
What is it they want of me? I dare not question their judgment, so I dash toward their location without having rested. As I start running, the playful Pichu and Wooper finally notice me, puzzled by what they see. Little do they know that my destination is the ruins: the only place where they agree to reveal themselves. Oddly, they have never summoned me before…. Rather, they have manifested in my dreams, from which I only recall feeling a strong connection to them.
RUN FASTER.
I am already running at maximum speed… And yet the urgency of their words gives me increased stamina. I am running faster than I ever have, and soon enough I enter the ruins. But where do I even begin looking in this maze of a place? There are multiple chambers which lead to yet more rooms.
"Where are you?"
ENTER THE PORTAL.
A portal? Where is it and where does it lead? As I scan the ruins, chamber by chamber, I finally notice a crack in the walls. It seems much too small for me to go through, but when I get closer, my whole body is absorbed. What I see before me now is like nothing I have seen before, or at least remember. It is their world, which goes beyond my grasp.
YOU HAVE FINALLY COME.
"You could have made it easier for me. I'm exhausted."
THOSE WHO SEEK ISOLATION ARE NEAR.
"Who are they?"
YOU WILL SEE.
"This doesn't help me very much."
THE TIME FOR ANSWERS IS NOT NOW.
"What do you expect me to do with this information?"
FIND THE ONE.
"Whom?"
YOU KNOW.
They must mean the one that Ho-Oh has wanted me to find for a very long time.
"I very much doubt that such a person exists. I have never seen one."
YOUR OWN FAITH IS VITAL.
"You have to tell me what this is all about."
BOTH SIDES ARE AT RISK.
"Both sides… Does that mean what I think it does?"
FIND THE ONE THAT CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
"So, you already know who that is? Then tell me."
WE CANNOT INTERFERE.
I am expelled from the confounding world with great force. The first question I ask is…
How much time do I have?
