Before I begin, I'd like to say some things to you all. If you were my readers way-back-when, before I quit writing, I'd like to welcome you back. If you're hoping that I'll be continuing other stories, you're in luck- I intend to continue Amulets of the Dragon, The Thin Line, and very possibly Chosen One. I'm taking things slowly, however. I'll be adding chapters as I get them written, so if you can, wait just a little longer.
For those of you who are new readers, I welcome you as well, and I hope you enjoy this new story. It was originally written for the URPG (Ultra RolePlaying Game) at the PE2K forum, and I'm bringing it here as well to see how good of a reception it gets. But, the way the story works is very different from a conventional story. As a whole, it will have five parts, and within each part will be at least four chapters. At the end of these parts the main character will attempt to catch at least one Pokemon, but it will not for sure be captured in that part. The beginning of the next part will reveal if the Pokemon was captured.
The reasoning for this is because, at the URPG, you use stories to capture Pokemon. Every Pokemon that is captured in this story I captured in the game. There, the story is graded, and the Pokemon is awarded to the writer if the grader deems the story good enough.
Anyway, if you'd like more info, say so in your review. And now, enough talk. On with the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any related characters, plots, ect., however, I do own Dan, along with all other human characters, the plot of this particular story, and basically anything in this that is not licensed by Nintendo or other huge companies that can sue me. I am allowed to publish this under the names Draconic Espeon, Phantom SunsSong, Light Dragon SunsSong, Ryuki, and Ryuki Kurokawa. If someone claims this story as their own that does not go by one of those names, tell me immediately.
Platinum: Sacred Flames
By: Draconic Espeon/Phantom SunsSong
Capture I: Horsea
Chapter One- The New Game
"Jeez, this is so stupid…" Daniel stared blankly at the back in front of him, not really paying any attention. Eyelids drooped slightly over his light brown eyes, and his short black hair hung limply around his face. A book was open and propped up in his right hand, but he didn't pay any attention to it. A few faces turned and glared at him, mostly girls who had actually been reading. The boy ignored them and stared up at the clock.
In less than five minutes, Dan would be free. Free of school, free of math, and, most importantly, free from Miss Lingle for a total of three months. It sure made five minutes seem like a long time.
"Mr. Dorager…" Dan winced, turning slowly around in his desk. Posters of various mathematical formulas lined the wall he faced, and a number line, starting at –20, bordered the ceiling. A large teacher's desk stood before it, with a young woman sitting there. Though Dan didn't like her, even he could admit that Miss Lingle was pretty. With bright blue eyes, long blonde hair, and a gently curving figure, she was all most of the high school boys, including Dan's older brother, Nate, could talk about the first month of school. At least, until everyone got to know her.
She was strict beyond belief. Though she never yelled, that tone in her voice was usually enough. No one ever 'forgot' to do their math homework any more, at least not in fifth and sixth grade. Every time you forgot, you had to do it again, and a five-paragraph essay explaining why you didn't do it and what you were doing instead. No excuses short of a trip to the hospital could get you out of it. And, if you didn't do those the next day, you could do them after school, when you had detention with her for a week.
"It's a simple assignment, Mr. Dorager. Read until the bell rings. Why aren't you?" Her voice, pretty except for the scathing tone, cut through him like a knife.
"Er, um, I accidentally stopped?"
"Then I suggest you start again." Dan opened his mouth to argue, to point out that there was less than five minutes left of school, but he closed his mouth again. There was no point in arguing. Reluctantly, he began reading the book once more. Just as he read the first word, the bell rang. With a sigh, he closed the book and joined the others in the mad dash out of school and into the beginning of summer.
---
Riding the bus home from school was always irritating beyond belief. Dan was glad that he was one of the first ones off. Nearly everyone yelled, if only because that was the only way the person sitting beside you could hear you. It was mostly the little kids up front, screaming their heads off, but the bus driver never did anything. Dan was almost positive that he wore ear plugs- that would be the only way you could concentrate to drive. After about ten minutes of this, Dan was off and at home, watching the bus go by. As he walked up to the front door, he remembered again what his mom had promised to get for his good final grades. The thing every Pokemon fanatic, or at least most of them, has been waiting for months. Pokemon Diamond, the first game set in Sinnoh.
Immediately after opening the door, Dan stuck in his head and yelled, "Mo-om! Did you get Pokemon Diamond yet?" He grinned as he stepped into the foyer; he'd already heard his mom's mock sigh from the kitchen.
"You walk in from school, and the first the you ask me about is that silly game…" The woman that stepped into the hallway, with one hand behind her back, had black hair like Dan's, though much longer, reaching well past her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright blue, and despite her scolding words, she wore a smile on her face. It was evident that they were mother and son. Both shared the same small nose and rounded chin.
Taking her hand out from behind her back, she held out the small box she had for him to take. For a moment, Dan could only look at it in wonder. Emblazoned with the words, 'Pokemon Diamond', a blue and gray creature stood erect on four trunk-like legs. It had an almost stubby looking tail, with gray spikes sticking out from its back and head, and a plate over its chest. Dialga was unmistakable. No other Pokemon looked quite like it. Finally, Dan grabbed it, and stared up at his mother with a smile.
"Thanks, Mom. Thanks a lot." In a flurry of movement, Dan quickly ran to his room to play the shiny new game.
"I'll call you when dinner's ready!" His mother called as he left.
---
Dan's room was rather small and box shaped, with the walls painted a dark blue color. Not that you could see much of the paint. Posters covered most of the walls. Posters of Pokemon mostly, ranging from the old 1-151 poster to the new one with all the Sinnoh Pokemon. His favorite, though, was probably the Ho-Oh poster. Ho-Oh was Dan's favorite Pokemon, without a doubt. It was a fire type, which Dan loved, plus he just thought it looked cool. Especially on that poster, with wings stretched out to full length, claws open to rake the enemy, and the background all flames. The rest of his room was rather messy, with a jumble of old toys lying about mixed with clothes and papers. With a quick dig through one of the larger piles, he was able to find his black DS, and plopped down onto the blue comforter on his bed. He quickly tore open the packaging of the game, careful not to rip the front, and took out the cartridge. He didn't bother to read the helpful booklet, and just began playing.
He was on it all night, stopping only shortly for dinner, but his parents didn't bother him much about it. He fell asleep without realizing it, halfway through a battle. Thankfully, though, he'd plugged in the Gameboy's charger, so it wouldn't die on him as he slept.
As he dreamed, Dan felt himself falling into darkness. He wasn't worried all that much, having already guessed that he was dreaming. Without warning, the falling sensation abruptly stopped. He hit something solid, yet squishy, bouncing up and down almost lazily after he hit. Adjusting himself so that he was sitting, he looked around.
At first, he couldn't see anything. All around him was blackness, endless shadow. He couldn't see what he sat on, either, though he wasn't sure if it was just because of darkness, or because there wasn't really anything there. Suddenly, a pair of eyes appeared before him. They weren't human, that he could tell immediately. They were red, but not a scary, blood red. It reminded him more of fire.
Dan… The voice seemed to echo all around him, deep and reverberating. It was ancient and powerful, but also kind.
"Who are you?" Dan finally asked, his own voice sounding weak in comparison. The voice belonged to the creature beyond those eyes, he was sure of it. And, whatever it was, it knew his name.
Surely you know me, Dan? Oh, of course not. I have not completely revealed myself to you. Color and form began to sweep out from the eyes, growing and shaping itself into a bird-like creature. Black rings circled its eyes, giving way to an orange head with a long beak and golden plume. Huge wings of red and green seemed to light up the dark space, as did its golden tail feathers. Even before it was complete, Dan knew what it was.
"Ho-Oh…" He breathed in disbelief.
Yes. The beak didn't move, but Dan knew it was Ho-Oh speaking nonetheless. There was no mistaking the majesty in the voice, no denying that it could not belong to something so huge and powerful. I'm here to call upon your aide, Dan…