Chapter 2
En Route
to Oldale Town
Tired, hungry, and admittedly a bit bored, Rytiko let out a heavy sigh. Shiku laughed and responded "Come on, you can't bet tired already. We've only been walking for- " he checked his watch, "Six hours since our last break." His face shifted and he stopped suddenly, causing Rytiko to bump into him. "You're right. We should sit down and rest. I brought some of the stew mom made last night to eat – we'll buy more food once we get to Oldale Town."
A bit dazed after running into his brother and falling to the ground, Rytiko merely nodded. He was glad to be off his feet, though, and didn't even bother to get up from the ground. His legs, now realizing their fatigue, would probably not let him even if he had wanted to.
Setting aside the Torchic egg he'd been carrying in his arms the entire trip; he lay down in the grass, looking to the brilliantly colored clouds as the sun began to set. It was truly magnificent; the orange light washed over the entire area of the grove, the clouds shone in various shades of pink, orange, and red and the nocturnal Pokemon were waking, showing themselves for the first time that day.
"Sights like this… These are what keep you coming back out here, even after the tiring travel and homesickness. I can never settle down in a city for too long before I find myself going back out in the wilderness. It's hard to stay away from things like this," Shiku said, looking up from the fire he had just started with some help from his Blaziken, who had already been called back into his pokeball. In a dreamy state, he continued to pour the thermos of leftover stew in a small pan he had been carrying in his backpack. Holding it over the fire, he continued to speak. "Rytiko, I've been thinking about something…. I want to know if you're up for something."
"Of course, whatever you want," Rytiko said, puzzled that his brother had even bothered to ask.
"Don't answer until I tell you what I'm talking about. Please, keep quiet for a bit," Shiku said. His tone was not forceful, but spoken in a way so that Rytiko knew not to disobey.
"There are three Pokemon in this world, which have sealed themselves away within caves. Two more who have been sealed using magical orbs. And then still another that no one has seen in eons, supposedly flying far above the clouds for all eternity. I've been thinking… I want to find all of them, and let my discoveries separate me from all others in the world… I'd give credit to you as well, of course… but it doesn't stop at merely discovering these Pokemon… I want to capture them. All of them. I want to hold each of the legends originating in Hoenn in my hands, and wield their power… I'd be unstoppable. And then, with them by my side, I'd travel to other regions and capture each of their legendary Pokemon as well. That… that would guarantee me the title of the greatest Pokemon trainer alive…"
Rytiko looked at his brother, directly into his deep eyes that were now filled with greed, in total shock. "But, Shiku… Wasn't it you that told me that some Pokemon just aren't meant to be caught? The ones you speak of… Are they not a part of a delicate balance, one that shouldn't be disturbed for anything?"
Shiku sighed, pulling the hot pan away from the fire. "Yeah… Yeah, you're right. It was just a thought. Power like that would likely breed only destruction. I wouldn't want that."
The rest of the night went by silently. Their meal was quickly devoured, and shortly after they rose and continued their trek toward Oldale Town. Despite the many gasps on Rytiko's part upon seeing some of the magnificent sights the night in a Pokemon-filled wood had to offer, Shiku continued on in silence, lost in his thoughts. Rytiko worried, but he had no reason to question his brother's morals. He had never performed any questionable deeds for as long as Rytiko had been alive, and he was convinced that he wouldn't begin now. 'It's just him wishing for more than he ha, once again. He'll get over it,' Rytiko convinced himself. 'He'll get over it.'
Later, Shiku had wordlessly stopped in his tracks and pulled out his sleeping bag. Sighing, Rytiko did the same. He didn't want to disturb his brother at the moment. He knew it wouldn't do any good, as all Shiku ever said in this state were things such as "Yeah," "Sure," "Okay," … It would be pointless to speak to him.
Sleep came easily to him on that night. He was quite tired, and the boredom set in by his temporarily mute brother only lulled him out of consciousness even faster. The calming sounds of nature sped this process along even more. All in all, Rytiko was awake for about five minutes after putting his head down on his pillow. With his consciousness, so faded his concern for the events of that evening.
