Alone we are but a single drop of water in a vast ocean… But together we are a monsoon.

Chapter 1: Discoveries

The maples leaves gently rustled in the southerly wind. An energetic teen peered out the window of the log cabin that separated the main path from the forest beyond.
The young teen turned and faced the warden a defiant gleam in his eyes; he looked at the warden, half expecting the small man to tackle him.

"I'm terribly sorry young sir, but this forest is no longer safe, even for registered Pokémon trainers." The warden muttered, pushing his graying hair out of his eyes.
"Terribly sorry, my foot. Two kids went in there and have disappeared, that's why no one can pass, isn't it old man?" Maximus snapped, his fists clenched tightly. A silence followed the last remark.

"Yes." The warden started, "But it's for everyone else's safety!"
"Bull, you're just scared that you overlooked something and would look stupid if someone else found something." Maximus retorted.

The warden got up and walked over to the window and stood next to Maximus, he looked into the youth's eyes, observing the way they stared back defiantly and sighed.
"I suppose you will go whether I try to stop you or not then?" he said defeated.
Maximus paused; he hadn't expected to win the argument so easily.

Maximus turned and once more peered through the window. "Yes." He answered flatly.
The young trainer turned and headed towards the door, without looking back.

The warden watched Maximus go through the door and onto the forest track, his gaze shifted onto the wall on the other side of the room and rested on a picture of a Pokémon trainer who went missing several years ago. The youth resembled the trainer in almost everyway.
"Then I hope you find the answers that you are truly after." The warden said quietly before walking towards the lounge.

There are things in life that man takes for granted, he waits each night for the sun to rise into the sky again…

"Max!"
"Yes big-brother?" A younger Maximus said as he skidded to a halt at his older brothers feet.
"I wanted to tell you something before I left." Trent said, looking down at his younger brother with pride. He brought himself down to eye level with his brother.

"You know why I have to leave don't you?" He asked Maximus.
"Yes, you need to help the professor with her important research!" Maximus said smartly.
Trent smiled.
"That's right, I'm looking for a special stone, that will help the professor find out more about Pokémon that lived a long time ago." He said.
Maximus's smile faded. "Why are you telling me big-brother?" He asked.

Trent sighed, he grabbed Maximus's hands and held them tightly. "Because it may take a long time for me to find the stone, in fact I might not ever find the stone…" he trailed off.
"Anyway, Father and I agreed that when you are 10 years old you can start on your own adventure with Pokémon, the professor would give you a Pokémon, she even told me that!" Trent exclaimed as happily as he could.

"Really! My own Pokémon?" Maximus cried out excitedly.
"Yes, your very own Pokémon partner." Trent replied before standing up again. "Just promise me that you will look after Father for me, while I'm gone."
"Yes, big-brother I'll look after daddy!" Maximus promised.
"Good." Trent turned and started towards the door, he turned around at the door and took one last look at his brother before walking outside and leaving his world behind.

Winning through sacrifice is not true victory…

Maximus unclipped his only Pokéball from his belt as he followed the beaten path.
"Well Totodile, we're here. Nine years I had to wait for this. Nine whole years…" he trailed off. He pushed the button on the ball that released the Pokémon within.

A red light emitted from the ball as a small blue Pokémon materialized before the young trainer, his partner Pokémon, the one he had received from Professor Elton. It stretched its arms and tail, and yawned.
Her deep green eyes darted around, scanning the immediate area for signs of a threat, then happy with what she had seen, she looked up at her trainer.
"Sorry about that Totodile, the warden might have used you to stop me from getting in here." Maximus explained.

"Diiille!" She answered, her sharp teeth glittering in the sunlight.
"It's good to know you're fine with it. Now we need to look for a sign of those kids like I promised their Mother." Maximus said gazing at the trees around him.

They walked further on, leaving the path and continuing through the trees.
Maximus was confident that his Navi'gear would be able to lead him back to the path, still he decided to take a mental note of anything that might help him find his way back.
They continued on for what seemed like half an hour and just as Maximus was starting to get a little tired of the scenery, they came upon a sparkling lake surrounded by willows and various species of Pokémon.

"The kids may have stopped here to rest, its cool here and their water Pokémon would be able to swim in the water." Maximus thought aloud. He walked around the pond twice, trying not to disturb the wild Pokémon before deciding to let Totodile search the lake herself.
"Okay Totodile, remember that you have to come back up as soon as you find anything." He told her.

Totodile jumped into the water after resurfacing she took a lung full of air and dived below the surface once more. For a moment the young trainer had a sudden urge to jump in and pull her out, but restrained himself.
Maximus lowered himself to the ground, taking in the sight before him. All kinds of Pokémon ranging from the tenacious Poochyena to even the cheeky Aipom, were coming to the banks of the lake to drink, they were wary of the young boy but he left them alone.

Totodile burst through the surface of the water shrieking.
"Totodile!" Maximus cried out as he jumped up from the bank and rushed out into the water, he waded straight towards Totodile who was holding something in her hand.
Totodile released the object into his outstretched hand and then swam back for shore. Maximus waded back out, turning the small object over again and again.
He pulled a photo of the twins out of his backpack, their Mother had given it to him after he told her he was going into the forest. He noticed the same object, a pendant, hung around the children's necks, identical except for the fact that they shone different colours in different angles of light.

After stowing the pendant in his smallest backpack pocket, Maximus and Totodile searched as much of the surroinding forest as they could before it was too dark to see even their own noses in front of them.
"We'll sleep for tonight, then at first light start searching again." Maximus declared, more to himself than to Totodile. He pulled the sleeping bag from his backpack and spread it out on the forest floor, he pulled his outer shirt off, and slid into the sleeping bag, he made room for Totodile who promptly curled up on the pillow and fell asleep.

That night, Maximus struggled with his fears, deep in his dreams.
It was the same dream every night. How, when he would find his long lost brother, he would lose him once again to a dark figure he could never quite make out.

He struggled, desperately wanting to see the face of this being, even though he was terrified of what it may be, he still wanted to know. But as always he awoke from the dream, dazed and drenched in a cold sweat.
He punched the ground viciously, causing his knuckles to bruise. He muttered a curse and then calmed himself, not wanting to disturb his partner who was snoring loudly.
His brother, was the thing that kept him going. His purpose, he had decided, was to find out what happened to him, and if he could, bring him home.

He had spent the entire year before becoming an official Pokémon trainer, researching the mysterious stones, known as the Mutation Stones. A rare stone that was said to be the size of a Pidgey's egg, a stark white with swirling colours upon its surface.
He remembered marveling at the power people believed the stones possessed, a being that touches the stone would have wondrous things happen to them, sometimes the effect would not be desired or would lead to a life of tragic pain but for others it would solve all of their problems and gave them a new chance at life.

He lowered himself back onto the ground; he closed his eyes and finally slept…

Morning gives hope to those that need it most…

"Totodiiile!"
The trainer groaned, still groggy from not having enough sleep but nevertheless rose from the ground. He looked lovingly at his little partner who was searching the backpack for food.
He finally pulled himself out of the sleeping bag and helped the small Pokémon, protruding some bread and Jam. He spread the Jam over a slice of bread and tore the slice in half, offering one half to Totodile.
He gazed at the sky, and the brilliant colours that were painted across it. He absorbed its warm glow and wished that it would never end, even though he knew that it would have to at some stage.

Maximus swallowed the last bite of his breakfast and packed up shop, he pulled on his outer shirt and checked his Navi'gear. It showed his current location on a map of the area, and with that he worked out that he should head to his left, or to the east, this would lead him to a track that looked as though it had not been used in many years…

The pounding of feet on the dry forest floor.
He could here it even from up in his tree.
He had never really taken any interest in humans before. But this was a different case, the sound was different… softer and every second time came earlier than the first.
He swung himself down from his perch, landing in front of two human children.

"Ahhh!" the boy cried more out of shock than fear; he quickly recovered and stepped in front of the young girl accompanying him.
"What are we going to do? Marill can't fight, he's hurt badly!" the girl sobbed collapsing to the ground.
"Starly will knock the Grovyle out!" the boy answered with more courage than he felt. "Then we can escape."
"What about those scary men Jason? They might catch us here… I just want to go home." his sister sobbed in despair.

Jason reached for his only Pokéball, the sun reflecting off of the clean surface as he pressed the small button, the small ball grew to a size that he could barely hold.
Just then the Grovyle stepped aside, it turned its head in the direction the children had been running as if to say that they could leave.

Jason couldn't believe it, he turned and pulled his sister from the forest floor, the dead leaves and twigs clung to her pants.
"It's letting us go Molly!" he explained. "At least I think it is…"
He pulled his twin sisters arm, and she followed, a limp in her stride.

Grovyle watched them go, knowing that they had meant no harm and were injured.
Still he was curious as to why two young humans were out in this part of the forest, he turned his eyes scanning the path they had made through the foliage.
He stood there, thinking things over. Then he took off bounding through the trees and shrubs with sheer agility no other Pokémon could ever hope to have.

Maximus threw the fist sized rock as hard as he could at the hollow of a Pine tree.
The rock missed, cutting its way through the morning air and coming to a stop somewhere behind its original target.
He picked up a stone, half the size of the rock and also threw it, this one however was a more successful shot. It landed right in the hollow, but instead of the expected 'THUNK' of wood on stone it gave off an unusually quiet 'THUD'.

Totodile looked at the hollow intensely, as if daring something to jump out at them.
Still watching it carefully, she followed her trainer over to the base of the tree.

Maximus tried to see inside by standing on the tips of his toes, but he just wasn't tall enough.
Instead he tried scaling the trees grainy bark, but he found nothing he could use to hold himself up.

"Okay, Totodile I'll lift you up there, then see what's in there for me. Okay?" he said still looking intently at the hollow.
He lifted the little Pokémon up as high as he could, then finally with some effort from Totodile and a lot of loose bark hitting him in the forehead, she was up.
Maximus slid back down the trunk relaxing his muscles, then looked back up at the hollow.

Totodile blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, and then she was amazed by what she saw. A bag sat before her, she grabbed one of the straps in her powerful jaws and pulled the bag out slowly, Maximus grabbed her around the waist and helped her out the rest of the way.
He lifted the bag into the sunlight and smiled, for what he saw was none other than his older brother's bag.