Mount Pyre. A place where Pokemon, and sometimes humans, could share eternal rest with one another. It sat in the middle of a small tributary near Lilycove City. For some, it gave them the chills to even set foot at the base of the mountain. Despite the fear or uneasiness, it still attracted its fair share of people. Some believed the place to have an air of tranquility. A place to remember the good times trainers shared with their Pokemon. For others, it was a place of mystery, battle and wonder.
"Right here, Skarmory!" Steven called out over the rushing wind blowing around him. The Armor Bird Pokemon dipped his wing to the left as he turned toward the summit. He held on, shifting his body with Skarmory's, as the Pokemon circled where he wished to land. With a final fly by, Skarmory came in for a landing, touching down on the hard, rocky terrain. Steven slid off his back and landed on his feet.
He gave Skarmory a pat and smiled at the Pokemon. "Thank you, Skarmory." He removed his Pokeball from his belt and pointed it at the steel bird. "Return." Once Skarmory returned to his Pokeball, Steven replaced the Pokeball before looking ahead. In front of him, was a shrine atop the mountain; a long set of stairs leading up to it. Steven glanced around quickly, seeing no signs of anyone being there, before he started up the steps. The young man gazed about as he climbed the old stone steps, spotting cracked and missing sections of wall. It had eroded much more since the last time he had come. Despite this, the white pictographs etched in the stone surface remained strong.
It depicted a lament's tale of the great battle between the Legendary Pokemon Kyogre and Groudon. It was not as detailed as Granite Cave's pictographs but it was still the same story. Majority of the people, if not all in Hoenn, had heard the tale. He paused momentarily to look at one of the walls depicting Kyogre before reaching the top. To his relief, the two orbs rested upon their stone altar. The orbs were finely polished and made up of elegant stone, one blue and one red. Both had the power of reviving the ancient Pokemon from their slumber. Red for Groudon and blue for Kyogre. However, the opposite colour of the orb could quell their rampage. Due to this, the orbs were kept under constant guard and protection. To prevent people from their selfish gain to acquire the Legendary Pokemon.
Steven looked at the orbs a moment longer, before glancing around the altar. 'If they wanted the orbs, they would have stolen at least one of them by now. So… what exactly are they after? Could it be a different stone altogether?' As he was about to turn away, something caught his eye. On the right-hand side, beyond the altar, was a decrepit wall. It was heavily crusted with dried mud and a few bits of foliage. The wall appeared ordinary but he could faintly make out more etching covered up. 'Is there something under there?' He moved toward it, stopping before the wall. He fished a stainless-steel knife from his pocket and squat down. Steven pressed a button on the side and the blade swung out, locking. Careful of the cracks in the wall, he gently began to work on removing the dried Earth. It was a slow process, but he did not mind it one bit.
Minutes slowly turned to a half an hour. Steven set down his knife and opened a pocket on his vest. Removing a handkerchief, he dusted off the wall the best he could. Much of the dirt had been cleared away, revealing the surface of the cracked wall. More pictographs decorated the stone but were very different from the story of Groudon and Kyogre. This time, it featured something else. It appeared to be a Pokemon, but he had never seen anything like it. It resembled the Legendary Pokemon, Mewtwo. But why did it look so different? 'If it is Mewtwo, why is it inscribed here of all places?' A frown crossed his lips as he placed a hand to his chin in thought. It had nothing to do with the Hoenn Legend, so why was it here?
Buzzz. Buzzz. Steven heard his phone vibrate in one of the many pockets in his vest. He felt around the garment, locating the device in a bottom pouch. He removed the phone and answered it. "Steven."
"I take it you made it safely to Mount Pyre and there are no problems, Steven?"
The young man blinked. He had completely forgot to give Mr. Stone a call. "Sorry dad. I got a bit sidetracked."
"Sidetracked?"
"Yes. The orbs are completely fine but I found something else. It's a mural of some sort. It doesn't match the ones from the Legend at all. I'm going to stick around here for a bit."
"Well don't hang around too long. A weather bulletin was issued for the area you are in. It calls for a severe storm in about an hour or so. Give yourself enough time to leave without getting caught up in it."
A storm. Steven glanced at the horizon, dark clouds making their way across the ocean. It could not have happened at a more inopportune time. Judging by how far out the storm looked, he still had a good half hour. Forty minutes' tops. "Thanks for the heads up. I'm going to check for more murals while I still can."
"All right. And Steven?"
"Yes?"
"Please be careful. I don't need you getting hurt or killed over this."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine" Steven said before he looked at his watch. "It's around one thirty now. I'll stop by the corporation around two thirty, three o'clock."
"Okay. See you then."
Steven hung up the phone and looked back toward the horizon briefly. The weather would surely complicate things. It was one of the reasons he preferred caves as opposed to open spaces. A breath escaped his lips as he turned his attention back to the wall, studying it. Beside the odd, irregularly shaped Mewtwo look-alike, was a small, round circle. Rather than it being painted white, it was coloured in completely black. A strange text surrounded the mural, though he was unsure of what language it was. On the other side of the strange Pokemon, was what appeared to be a tombstone. What could it all mean?
He frowned in thought as he looked at the mural directly below the first. It was horribly cracked and difficult to make out. Steven picked up the handkerchief and gently, yet firmly, brushed at the worn stone. What he could make out, was what looked like a castle? It did not make any sense. He looked at the round, black sphere once more. Was it possibly a Mega Stone? But why was it here of all places? One thing was for sure, he could not dawdle all day looking at the wall. Steven pulled up his camera on his phone and stood up. It was not the best camera, but it would have to do. Taking a step back, he snapped a few photographs. He placed the phone back in his pocket and gave the wall one last look-over.
'Over heeeere.'
"Is someone there?" Steven looked around, the wind starting to pick up. 'Maybe it was my imagination?' He moved away from the mural and head down the stone steps. He reached the bottom and stepped around the shrine, rocks and dirt crumpling under his feet. Several Pokemon graves were positioned about the site, grass growing in small patches here and there. He stepped around the graves, being mindful not to tread on sacred ground. Steven was unsure of what he was exactly looking for but kept walking. As he approached a cluster of older graves, a rush of cold air swept around him. Was it the encroaching storm? Steven glanced at the grass, finding it completely still. Ghost type Pokemon perhaps? They were rather playful towards trainers and other Pokemon. But somehow, it felt much different. Like the chill of an ill omen.
'Heeere.' Steven came to an abrupt halt, looking around his surroundings. That was not his imagination this time. Something was not right. Rustle. He spun on his heels quickly, but saw nothing. Not even a Pokemon. The wind? It had been picking up every so often, bringing with it the fresh scent of impending rain. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he turned back around. There was no sense in getting jittery over nothing. Steven glanced at the horizon; the foreboding, dark clouds advancing at a faster rate than he had first thought. Maybe a good twenty minutes if he was lucky. Either way, it was not much time.
Steven looked back toward the grave markers, one capturing his attention. It was placed further than the rest and looked much older by comparison. He hesitated ever so slightly before he moved toward the gravestone. As he did, he was hit by another cold chill that seemed to go right through him. Only this time, it was accompanied by a strange feeling. That he was being watched and the closer he got to the tombstone, the stronger the feeling grew. Steven came to a stop at the edge of the grave, looking at the stone. It was slate in colour, cracks spreading across its uneven surface. The grass beside the stone was yellowing, and the flowers were wilting. 'Strange… the other markers aren't like that.' He squinted a bit, trying to make out the epitaph. It was worn from weather and time, making it difficult to read. But from what he could tell, it appeared to be the same writing as the mural. One word was visible. "Libero?"
Before he could remove his phone to snap a photo, the sound of running footsteps caught his attention. He quickly turned around, spotting an oddly dressed young trainer heading toward him. He was dressed in a black uniform with a matching 'paper boy' hat. On the front of the uniform shirt, was a red, blocked 'R' printed on it. He wore white gloves up to his elbows and matching shin-high boots. Could this person be from the team his father told him about? Steven's eyes narrowed as he reached for a Pokeball on his belt. He was about to unclip it, when he felt another chill. Only this time, his gut told him something was behind him. Something formidable.
The trainer, who had been running toward him, came to a sudden stop. His eyes widened, bearing an expression of fear… no terror. Despite his mind telling him to run, Steven quickly spun on his heels. As he turned, he was suddenly hit by a dark mass in the chest. It was strong enough to knock him backwards off his feet. He hit the ground, the sheer force expelling the air out of his lungs. Steven rolled to a stop a few feet away, face down in the dirt.
A scream. He balled his hands into fists, dirt gathering under his grip. His chest felt like it was on fire. More screams… a bright light? Steven lifted his head up a bit, gritting his teeth. His vision blurred in and out of focus, the world spinning. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the scene. The young trainer ahead was lifted into the air, some sort of shadow holding him by the neck. 'I've got to stop it.' Steven reached for a Pokeball on his belt and unhooked it. His eyelids felt heavy, the corners of his vision slowly darkening. He fought against it, moving the Pokeball in front of him. Another scream. Before he could release his Pokemon, the young trainer was suddenly thrust off the summit, falling to his demise. Then the whole world went black.
The shadow that appeared so suddenly, along with the light, soon vanished into thin air. The Pokeball shook in Steven's limp hand before it opened on its own. A small, dual Steel/Rock Type Pokemon appeared in front of him. She bore an angular head and large, blue eyes. Her body was covered in protective, steel plates. "Aron!" The Pokemon exclaimed upon seeing her trainer face down in the dirt. She ran to his side and gave his cheek a gentle nudge, waiting expectantly. He always got up when she did that. When she got no response, however, she nudged his arm then side. Aron let out a whimper before she turned her gaze skyward.
The storm was encroaching far too quickly; the scent of rain nearly intoxicating. The sky was beginning to overcast as the wind picked up. The little Pokemon knew it would not be safe for long at the summit. Aron looked around, trying to find some sort of shelter. But the space was too open. She looked back at her trainer, her eyes displaying her worry. "Aron." The Pokemon bit his vest and began to tug as hard as she could. Rip! She managed to move him barely an inch when she fell back as the fabric suddenly gave and tumbled back. "Ron…" It was no use. Aron soon gave up, letting out another whimper. She gave his side another nudge before she lay down beside him.
Drip. Drip. The feeling of water droplets was enough to bring Steven around. He let out a soft groan, opening his eyes slowly. The scent of Earth filled his nostrils as dirt and grass greeted his vision. Memories of the attack soon flooded back and he closed his eyes. What in the world was that thing? It was unlike anything he had seen but the attack surely looked to be some sort of Shadow Ball. A Pokemon's cry brought him out of his reverie. He opened his eyes once more to see wide, worried blue ones staring back. "Aron?" Steven questioned as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Aron jumped into his lap happily, gently nuzzling his chest. He looked down at the Pokemon and pat her head. 'She must have released herself.' He thought as he glanced at her Pokeball. "It's okay. Sorry to have worried you."
Boom! Thunder roared overhead, loud enough to cause the two to jump. A gust of wind picked up, carrying with it the promise of immediate rain. "Ar." Steven glanced at Aron and then turned his attention skyward. It had become completely overcast and everything around him had taken a darker hue of colour. Droplets of rain began to fall and he could feel Aron move closer to him to avoid them.
'How long was I unconscious?' He thought to himself as he watched the sky for another moment. A nudge brought his attention back to the Pokemon. "Don't worry, Aron. Here, get inside your Pokeball." Steven picked up her Pokeball and pointed it at her. The Steel Type looked at him as if she was reluctant to return; a bit of worry in her eyes. "It's okay. We're going to go home now." He gave her a reassuring smile and she happily returned to her ball. Steven replaced the Pokeball in its proper place before he rose slowly to his feet. His body ached from the hit he sustained and the memories surfaced over again. That shadowy presence…. The more he thought about it, the less he believed it to be a Pokemon. Normally, Pokemon would not attack a human unless they felt threatened. And that light and scream. What really became of that young trainer? He could have sworn he was cast off the summit. But the events were a bit foggy to him. It seemed he had more questions than answers.
Thunder clapped suddenly as lightning ripped through the sky with a deadly white radiance. First thing was first. He had to get off the mountain and fast. Steven removed another ball from his belt and tossed it into the air. Skarmory appeared before him and looked at his trainer. He soon turned his attention away and gazed at the sky. "Skah!"
"I know. We must get out of here fast. Sorry to have you fly in such weather." Steven apologised, giving the Pokemon a pat on the wing. The Pokemon spoke his name and motioned for him to get on. With one last look toward the decrepit tombstone, he climbed up onto Skarmory's back and spoke. "Come on. Let's get to Rustboro City!" Skarmory spread his wings and then took off into the stormy skies.
And thus concludes chapter one. What will happen next? Tune in next time for chapter two. As soon as it is done being revised ^^. As always, thank you for reading.
