Act 2: Hiding Secrets

Part 1: Professor Rowan's Lab

I opened my journal that Mom gave me to write during my adventure. I wrote on it:

"March 10, 2012

I obtained my first Pokémon. I picked Piplup and nicknamed it "Happy". Now, I made goals to accomplish for when I embark. My goals are:

Find out the reason for Sinnoh becoming unstable.

Encounter Mesprit.

Travel to Jubilife City.

I will write more goals during my journey.

And, I feel like a jerk. I thought Amon…

…I thought he was creepy. I hurt him deep down. I realized he didn't just think about wanting to be near me. I thought, because I know his secret, he was going to keep an eye on me. I rather… not write what his secret is. However, now I realized he cares about Sinnoh as much as I do. I hope… Amon would forgive me.

-Astaku"

I closed my journal and placed it inside my bag. I frowned as I thought about Amon. I had shed a tear and then started to walk to Route 202.

"Wait, Astaku!" a familiar voice spoke.

I stopped walking and turned around. My mom was walking towards me. "Mom…?"

"Astaku, I forgot to mention…" she said. "Professor Rowan would like to see you before you embark on a journey."

What would Professor Rowan want? I thought.

I knocked on the door to the Pokémon Lab. The door opened. In front was one of Professor Rowan's assistants. "Yes?"

"I've come to see Professor Rowan," I stated.

I walked inside the lab. The assistant led me to Professor Rowan, whom was now in front of me.

"If I am correct," said Professor Rowan, "you must be the daughter of Assistant Arimi. Are I not correct?"

"No," I responded. "You are correct; I am the daughter of Assistant Arimi."

"Good," he said.

I nodded. I wondered why Professor Rowan wanted me to visit the lab.

"If I may ask…" I began.

"You are wondering why you're here, correct?" asked Professor Rowan.

I nodded in response.

Professor Rowan pursed his lips and then he began his speech, "You are a beginner Trainer who will embark on a journey across the Sinnoh Region. You will discover many mysteries, or even find rare Pokémon. You are entrusted with a Piplup as your partner. And not only you would be entrusted with Piplup, but you will be entrusted with a Pokédex.

"A Pokédex records information about all Pokémon in the world that are contained in its database once you capture them. Now that you picked Piplup to be your teammate, the Pokédex already has information about Piplup."

He handed me the pink-colored Pokédex. I looked at it. The Pokédex looked high-tech, with its green button at the right side, top screen, bottom screen, and a black control pad on the left side to scroll down or up.

"Many Pokédex entries are not filled," Professor Rowan stated, "and that's why I am entrusting you with this Pokédex. Explore Sinnoh's grounds and each city! That, my Trainer, is my request to you. Will you accomplish my quest by filling this Pokédex?"

I hesitated. I was trying to decide whether or not to accept the quest given to me from the professor. One minute later, I nodded. "Yes, I accept your quest."

Both of us smiled. I placed the Pokédex inside my bag and said goodbye to the professor. Now, I thought, on to Route 202.

Part 2: Lucas

I was at Route 202. Of course, the grounds were black and ashes had spread, even among the trees. I could smell smoke. I checked my Town Map to see where Jubilife City is located. According to the Town Map, Jubilife City is past Route 202. I looked up, away from the Town Map. Ashy, tall grass was in front of me. I heard wild Pokémon were hidden among the tall grass. I checked my bag to see if I had any Pokéballs.

None were in my bag. Dang it…

"I feel unprepared," I told myself. "I thought I was ready to take the journey."

I walked back to Sandgem Town. I heard the cry of Mesprit as I got there. "Stop crying!" I demanded. The cry worsened. I covered my ears, walking weirdly, and I accidentally bumped against someone, falling to the ground and then stopped hearing the cry. "Ow!" I complained. In front of me was Amon.

"Watch where you're…" he cut himself off as soon as he realized he bumped into me. Amon looked down with a depressed face and ran past me without saying anything else. I frowned, realizing how much of a jerk I was being towards Amon.

"Amon, wait…." I said.

And so he did. He looked me. "Have you read my letter?" he asked.

I hesitated. Then I looked down. "I…"

And Amon disappeared. I frowned and let out a sigh. I'm sorry, Amon… I thought.

"Was that your friend?" someone asked me. It was a guy—probably 5 years older than me—and wore an orange cap, a white undershirt with a black vest over it, a red scarf, baggy jeans, and red and grey shoes.

"…Lucas?" I asked. "Lucas, the 'Champion of Sinnoh'?"

"Oh, you're…" Lucas began.

"I-I'm…" I stammered.

Both of us hesitated. I could tell Lucas was trying to think.

He shook his head. "Err… you're the daughter of Assistant Arimi, I assume?"

"Yes!" I blurted out awkwardly.

Lucas offered his hand to pull, and so I did. I thanked him for the help. I smiled at him and asked him where I could buy Pokéballs.

"Are you a beginner?" Lucas asked.

"Yes," I admitted in a depressed tone. "Ironic, since I live here. Though, since I wasn't allowed to travel, I've grown ignorant, not knowing the best—"

"I'll tour you around," he said.

Lucas and I were at the Pokémon Center. According to him, the Pokémon Center was a place where they can heal your Pokémon. Nurse Joy worked at the Pokémon Center, and her partner was Chansey.

"There are other Pokémon Centers in each city," Lucas stated.

I wanted to bring up an important topic. Ever since I was 5, I heard from everybody that Lucas prevented an evil organization from using the powers of the legendary Pokémons, Dialga and Palkia, to create another world. Had that cause change Sinnoh?

"Lucas… weren't you also the one who saved Sinnoh?"

He looked at me, staring into my eyes. Both of us had hesitated, creating an awkward atmosphere. Then he spoke up, asking me, "Why do you ask?"

I looked down. Maybe I shouldn't have asked. Still, I was bound to know. It would help me to figure out why Sinnoh became unstable.

"Would you tell me your adventures?" I asked Lucas.

He blinked his eyes once. Then he shook his head, and of course, was a reply of saying 'no'.

"Why not, Lucas?" I asked.

"I think the question should be: 'why do you want to hear it again?'" Lucas said.

I scoffed and pursed my lips. "I've never heard the entire story," I explained. It was true, though. I only heard he saved Sinnoh.

Lucas sighed and then he told me, "You'll understand when you travel to Celestic Town."

I blinked my eyes once. What was there in Celestic Town? Now, I was curious. I nodded my head and smiled at Lucas. "What is there in Celestic Town?"

"Celestic Town has the history of Sinnoh," Lucas replied. "It's a great place to find more about what Sinnoh used to be."

Checkmate.

Next we went to the Poké Mart. The Poké Mart was a convenience store that sells supplies necessary for Pokémon training.

"In the Poké Mart," said Lucas, "you can buy Pokéballs. More items will be in stock depending on how many Gym Badges you earned."

Gym Badges? I thought.

"What are Gym Badges?" I asked him.

"Gym Badges indicate Pokémon Trainers that they defeated a Gym Leader," he replied.

"How many Gym Leaders are there?"

"There are eight Gym Leaders."

I heard the cry again. I covered my ears. The cry shrieked more loudly, hurting my ears. The cry sounded like a ghost's shriek in a scary movie. "Stop crying!" I had demanded.

"…Miss Arimi?" Lucas called.

"Can't you hear it?!" I cried in pain.

I looked around. Nobody seemed to hear it. Not even Lucas could. I screamed in pain.

"Astie?!" said someone.

I fainted, toppling to the floor. Before my eyes closed, I could see a familiar figure running towards me. I couldn't make out who it was even if before my eyes could fully close.

Part 3: The Dream Again

I was a little girl. I was alone in the tall grass again. I cried out tears. I cried because I was all alone. Then, I saw light. It was coming towards me. I stretched my arm, trying to reach the light. I could now make out what the light was. Mesprit. It laid its head on my chest and I could not resist hugging it.

"Mesprit…"

Then Mesprit shook its head. It grabbed my arm and hugged it. I blushed as it was cuddling with me.

"Mesprit," I continued, "oh why, oh why is Sinnoh unstable? Why can't the wind howl and the grass whistle anymore? Why can't we forbid the ashes from the beautiful flowers? Oh why, oh why can't Sinnoh become stable again?"

Mesprit rose high away from me. With one of its tails, it touched my forehead, and light exposed. The light filled the area, and thus I awoke.

Part 4: Secrets

Once I slowly awoke, I looked around to see where I was. At first, I could not make out where I was until I heard footsteps. Somebody was coming downstairs.

Amon.

Silence rose, but our eyes met. Then, Amon looked down. "Mom," he spoke, "Ms. Arimi is awake."

Amon's mother came to me. "Are you rested?" she asked me.

I nodded. "I am well now… Thank you, Mrs. Os."

I frowned, noticing Amon walked out of his house.

I sighed as I spoke, "Good kid…"

Mrs. Os nodded. "He has taken a grown liking to you and thus he is a happy kid," she said, "but suddenly he is depressed. Is it because something happened between you two?"

I gulped nervously. What could I have said to her?

"I… noticed that as well…" I decided to say.

"Do you know why?" Mrs. Os asked.

I tried to think of a way to change the subject. "I'll tail him," said I.

Later, I was following Amon incognito. Thus I saw him battle many Pokémon Trainers. Of course, once Amon wasn't watching, I wasn't incognito. I had to fight the Trainers, too.

It seemed Amon stopped at a dried pond, sitting beside it. I sighed, and then hugged Amon from behind. Amon jumped, surprised I was behind him.

"Astaku?"

I nodded as I spoke, "I'm sorry to have misunderstood—"

"Why did you faint?" he asked. "There is something you're hiding from me."

I tilted in my head. "There is nothing."

"Don't play me!" Amon demanded in anger. "I've realized… I've realized it was not just me who is hiding a secret… You never told me why you wanted to find out the reason for Sinnoh becoming unstable!"

I covered my mouth with both the palm of my hands. It was true… I was keeping a secret from him, just because he told me his. And if I told him mine…

Amon's secret… he was the son of Saturn. Saturn was one of the four commanders of Team Galactic, whom fought Lucas 5 years ago. I was 7 years old at the time.

"I can't tell—" I was about to say.

Amon clenched his fists as he said, "I told you my secret! Why can't… why can't you tell me your secret, Astaku!?"

I had shed a tear. I was so afraid. What if Team Galactic began to strike again? I didn't know whether to trust Amon or think he'd side with his father. Why had I brought it up? I thought I misunderstood him. I had not rather to be naïve.

I shook my head. "I can't say it…" I told Amon.

Amon turned around. He gritted his teeth, still clenching his fists.

"If you can't tell me," he spoke, "then don't bother seeing me—!"

I slapped his face with my left hand. Amon's eyes widened. He rubbed his cheek. "Astaku…?"

I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt as I sorrowfully said, "I feared you because you are the son of the commander in Team Galactic! You want to know my secret so badly!? Fine! I've been hearing the cry of Mesprit and I dreamed I encountered it! That is my secret! I didn't tell you because I thought you were siding with your father! I thought if I told you my secret, it would badly affect everything!"

Amon looked down. "Keeping secrets… they do not keep our friendship close, Astie… That is the reason why I told you my secret…"

I widened my eyes. He was right. I had let go of gripping the collar of his shirt as I sighed.

"I'm sorry…" I said.

Amon shook his head as he said, "I guess it's better if we go on our separate ways…"

And he disappeared without saying goodbye. I had shed a tear.

I am so sorry… I thought.

Author's note: this story is based on the actual storyline of the Diamond/Pearl game, but there will be parts not from the games. I had replaced Barry with my O.C Amon, and created a different personality and bio for Amon. I will be accepting Q&A. I will be typing the answer of your question in the Author's Notes. If you have a question, please type it in the review section.