Yame, the child, and I walked on through the endless rain toward Violet City. Yame and I wore blankets from the lab to shelter us from the rain for a while. I was all but excited to see Violet City as a ghost town, especially in such gloomy weather conditions.
"Are you sure you want to help us look for clues?" Yame questioned.
"I know the territory and I am used to this strange world. I believe I will be of use to you, should you have any questions."
We reached the boulder on which the boy had sat to read the tablet and on which I had sat only this morning to eat my lunch, but in the true world. As we were resting, I became suddenly aware of a creature in the darkness above us.
"What is that?" I said, moving closer to Yame.
"I'm unsure," the boy said. "I always see it upon coming here. It resembles one of the characters on the tablet, but it never comes close enough for me to examine it."
"Call out your Pokémon to check it out," Yame said.
"Right," I replied. "Noctowl, go and get it!" I threw the ball and out came my Noctowl. He cried out and flew into the skies to capture the mysterious creature circling above us. After minutes, he had caught his prey, circling back down to me, releasing it from his talons and dropping it onto the dirt at my feet. "Thank you, Noctowl," I said, the red light pulling him back inside his ball.
As the strange, one-eyed creature lay at my feet, the three of us gathered to investigate.
"Is it a Z?" Yame asked.
"No," I said. "Wrong direction."
"It's an S," said the boy.
As he spoke, the creature shined and suddenly sunk into the earth beneath it.
"What just happened?" asked Yame, puzzled.
"I don't know," I replied, "but let's get out of here."
We had finally reached Violet City. I saw Falkner's Gym and my own home. I saw the Sprout Tower, shifting from side to side and the crystal-clear lakes which were home to many lovely water Pokémon. As we crossed the town square in all its emptiness, I asked the boy where he lived.
"My home was replaced long ago," he frowned. "We can, however, visit where it would be, though I've never been there."
"Why not?" said Yame.
"Knowing my home was destroyed and I was surely forgotten is a terrible heartbreak to carry. I never wished to return, but the city itself puts my nerves at ease. Though years have passed, I take comfort in knowing I am still able to see the world grow and expand around me. I return to the city often. I enjoy being close to my hometown, despite its changes. The entire world is out there for my exploration, but I've had enough mystery in my lifetime. I would much prefer to stay near my home, a place with which I am familiar."
I nodded, not quite understanding the want to stay in one place forever. I had always relished the thought of exploring new places. This world, however, was not what I had in mind.
We came to an apartment complex not far from the main shopping center. We entered, careful to be keen to our surroundings.
"My bedroom is on the second floor of my old home," said the boy.
We climbed the stairway near the front desk, entering a hallway of tens of doors.
"Let's explore," said the boy. "Now that I'm here, maybe there are signs of my family as well."
One by one, we tried all the doors, most of which were locked. I came to a door labeled '2 O.' As I turned the handle and pushed, the heavy door squeaked. The lights were all off, but the lightning allowed for some light. A shadow was cast upon the walls.
"Guys…" I said, stepping back, the door still gaping open.
The boys came running. I pointed to the shadow circling the room.
"Go, Ledyba," I called, pulling my Pokéball from my belt and releasing the bug Pokémon. "Use flash, Ledyba." Her eyes became filled with her power, flooding the room with light and the creature was revealed to be another one-eyed character as those portrayed on the ancient tablet.
"Catch it, girl," I said.
"Ba!" my Pokémon buzzed, closing her eyes and flying to the top of the room in the now darkness. After a moment, she returned to me, placing the creature on the floor and shining her eyes again to assist us in the dark.
"It's an O," said the boy. And just as before, the creature became luminescent and disappeared into the floor.
"What's this all about?" I asked, returning Ledyba to her ball and returning her ball to my belt.
Unsure, the boy simply shrugged, frowning and confused.
"We could keep looking for signs of your family," I said.
"I wouldn't even know what to look for," the boy said, turning for the stairs.
"You didn't really think we'd find anything, did you? It's been over a hundred years. Now it'll just be their grandkids or something," Yame remarked. "Not that it would matter if we're stuck in here forever anyway."
"Where's the faith you had when we left the lab?" I asked without want of a reply, following the child down the steps.
"Don't give up," I told the child. "What are the odds they live in that building anyway? We could look somewhere else."
"Yame is right. It would have no effect if we are trapped inside this world for eternity."
"Don't listen to him," I smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just keep positive."
"Right," he said, walking ahead, shrugging off my hand and leaving me behind for Yame to catch up.