Hi, my name is Rika, and I wasn't always a Pokemon Trainer. It was my friend Nyssa who nagged me into it. See, she has been since she was a little girl, and she knew there was something to it. She loved them all, and I could always see the light and dreams in her eyes when she talked about it. She could for hours, no matter how far away she was. She shared to me all of her adventures, describing the spirits of the creatures she met. They're spirits, you know. Even the ones that aren't ghost type, they are each individual personalities. I know, I probably sound crazy..
See, I know you live on Earth and my world is just a TV show, but it's not. I'm real, and I matter, just like you… Anyway, I am writing this to share with the world the spiritual experience I've had thus far. The thing is, some things were left out through miscommunication, and it got a bit garbled. I don't even know how to start. Nyssa would. Nyssa believed you could fight your way out of anything, that you could absolutely change everything about yourself if you tried.
When Nyssa went off on her own that last time, to go fight the kraken beast, I knew something was wrong. She left me her Scyther, which she never would have done- it was a farewell gift. I knew, too, because she left me a note. She dared me to take my own journey, and this is the story of that journal.
There is one difference though, between the Pokemon you know, and the ones in my world. Mine are more like spirits that can absorb a form when they draw in enough power. They're sharp, vicious, and cruel at times, but they are the most loyal beings in the multiverse.
When I got home that night I felt her absence as soon as I walked in the door. We were flat mates in Saffron City. A group of us had already taken down Silph Co months before (I was primarily a lookout, sad to say..), and we were given the flat together because she saved the day. No, really, she did. However, that's a story for another day. I've got all the time in the world.
The walls were infused with golden light, and a hint of red seemed to flicker about the room, but that could have been the poor lighting after a long day of cubicle farming. I saw within a single scan of the room what she had done- the vibrant emerald glow of a Pokeball beckoned to me from beside my monitor. I saw it, and my heart skidded to a stop in my chest. No.
Crushing pressure squeezed my chest, and my vision narrowed. In that singular moment of panic, I fell back on old skills and sucked in a deep, slow breath of air, making myself close my eyes. But the vision of that image seared itself into my eyelids, and with the knowledge that she had left me her precious Scyther… I knew she wasn't planning on coming back. Everything seemed frozen, and I watched distantly as my legs carried me to my computer chair, and I saw the little note, with her familiar handwriting.
No matter how much I stared at it, the words weren't clear. Other things in the room were clear. What kind of Pokeball was it, anyway? My eyes shifted of their own accord to the black and glowing emerald ball on the desk. It was big, almost too big for me to lift with one hand if I were so inclined, but I didn't want to. Not yet. To touch it would be to acknowledge that she was probably dead, that I would never see her again. I couldn't do that, it wasn't right. Still, the green light was dazzling my eyes, drawing me in. Scyther. I had never owned a Pokemon, and I had never really researched them, at least not recently. Scyther. It made me think of blades, and scythes, and therefore the harvest. The name also made me think of snakes, though that was actually more Ekans and Arbok. I suppose it was because of the sharp "air" quality of the blades.
I started to get a headache, and shook my head to clear it. Something was weird.. my thought patterns were different. I felt detached. Out of nowhere, I watched my right hand reach out and grasp the Pokeball. My thumb pressed in the button to release the spirit, but I didn't feel it. Dissociation. Was that the word? It felt right. But then, nothing did. My mind felt numb. Everything felt awkward and juxtaposed, and I felt caught in a web while the emerald green spirit began to coalesce and draw in power from the air around her. She expanded toward me, and I felt her presence as a caress against my skin. That's creepy. And is it just me or did the temperature really just drop ten degrees in three seconds?
A shiver skittered down my spine. What the hell? Mired in the moment, I realized that I really couldn't move my arms or legs. Maybe it was just sheer shock and panic, or maybe it was the Scyther sucking out a little of my life force in order to be able to communicate, I'm still not really sure… I felt drugged from the moment I walked in the door that night. As if I was under a spell, and nothing was really in my control.
At first I only saw the emerald greens and darker shades of green and the lights flowing into a sharp, miniature form. Behind it, though, the black Pokeball was hollow and empty, almost appearing gutted. I shivered again, but this time it was more out of a strange sense of nausea I didn't understand. Awe and terror filled me in equal amounts, and I pressed back against my chair, heart pounding with confusion, fear and an odd excitement.
The creature seemed to be brightest in the direct center, but the light was already dissipating as I watched, sort of melting into the creature's form. Squinting against the pain, I didn't want to look away. Light was absorbing into a semi-solid state, sinking into the details of her. I had the feeling she was staring at me, though I couldn't see it. Now I wouldn't be surprised.
Still though, thinking back on it, that was probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I didn't know it at the time, but she was putting on a show for me. The white light began to absorb into the points of her blades, and every intricate detail from her eyes to the tips of her taloned feet. She was beautiful, and only a foot and a half high. Sharp green eyes bored into mine and I was captivated.
Elegantly, the little Scyther crossed an arm before herself and took a bow. Her blades were no less razor sharp for her petite form, and they reflected light that hurt my eyes. Syndia, she said, and I heard the voice in my mind. That is the name I choose. Call me by no other, or I shall slash you. Her eyes pinned me to the chair and, captivated as I was it took all my strength to nod. When I opened my mouth to speak she shook her head, a quelling gesture, and continued.
Nyssa left me here for a purpose. I am to teach you the understanding she acquired in her life. She said to tell you that "I am your Yoda," and that I would be your first capture. But that does NOT mean I am your pet, she snapped, one blade pointing directly at me. I am the razor sharp blades that shall slice through the brush and clear the path for your next adventure. Shall you take this step with me, or not?
The little figure abruptly shifted, her blades sliding to her back into the shapes of wing. Outstretched, her hand was opened and welcoming, free and relaxed. As caught as when I pressed that button moments before, I reached for her hand with my fingertips, and felt the electric shock from the top of my head to my feet, like a rubber band snapping me all at once. My eyes closed as I felt it, and I was standing clear as day in a forest, facing a meadow. Two oak trees stood on either side, branching together into an archway.
The sun was setting on the horizon, a burning golden ball against a backdrop of purple mountains and pink sky. The Scyther flew into view, a sprite at my side. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," I said. And we stepped forward together.