Chapter 3: Summoning the Guardians
After pausing to give Wally a break, they moved on to a town even smaller than Oldale. There wasn't even a Pokecenter in Littleroot. Just a few grand houses, a general store, and a large two story building. "That's the place," Vincent said.
"Race you there!" Kiri called before speeding towards the large building.
"Hey, no fair!" Vincent yelled. "You have wheels."
"Wheee, a race!" The Zigzagoon barked and ran after her, ahead of the boys.
Kiri stopped just outside the place. A sign nearby said, 'Hoenn Pokemon Lab- headed by Grand Wizard Birch'. After waiting a moment for the two boys to catch up, she held her hands out gracefully. "You may go first."
"Thank you," Vincent replied, somewhat annoyed at her excitement.
The Lab was full of Mage hopefuls. The three new entrants brought them up to twenty. Some of the teens looked through the books that lined the shelves. Others observed the mystical equipment of the Pokemon Lab. Still others chatted with friends. The air was tense with excitement and anxiety. Nearly all of them had been waiting for this moment for years.
A column of green smoke interrupted everyone. The man who appeared wore a flowing black robe that had Unown text embroidered in gold threads. A gold horoscope watch was clipped onto one of his pockets. While his face was clean shaven, it was tan and weathered, indicating that he spent a lot of time outdoors.
"Good morning to you all," he said in a calm and collected voice. It was the sort of voice one wouldn't mind listening to during a lecture. "I am Michael Birch, researcher and expert on Pokemon. Would you care for some lunch?"
Behind him, a sandwich buffet table appeared. It was loaded with five types of bread, a dozen types of meat, over a dozen types of cheese, varying vegetables, dressings, fruits, chips, and a pair of cakes, one yellow and one chocolate. On a smaller table were several options for drinks: punch, lemonade, soda, or water. Many of the teens gasped at the sudden appearance of an inviting lunch.
"Go ahead and serve yourselves," Birch said. "We have much to do and I'd rather not do it with you hungry."
"That was amazing," Wally said in a soft awe.
"He probably just put a spell over it to keep us from noticing," Vincent explained. "It seems easy from the books."
"I've seen my dad do a lot of tricks like that," Kiri said. "Come on, we'd better get in line so we can get the good stuff."
While the teens ate lunch, Birch drifted around and made sure everyone was there. When he got to the three who'd walked from Petalburg, he asked, "Are you going to be able to get around in that wheelchair, Kiri? Some routes have smooth paths, but others are rough and muddy."
"I'll make myself get around," she said. "Besides, if I learn the right spells, I can freeze mud, smooth out rocks, or even levitate my chair around rougher paths."
"You have a point. If you're that determined, I won't be one to stop you. And Wally, you'll be okay traveling when you seem sensitive to the environment? You get around the volcano and there's ash and poisonous fumes filling the air."
"I look like that?" he asked, bashfully. "Um, I'll be careful with myself. I promised my mom and dad that I'd do my best."
"What have you promised yourself?"
Wally scratched his head. "I, I want to succeed too. I just..."
"He'll do fine once he finds his way," Kiri chimed in. "No two people have the same journey."
"Yeah, that."
Birch nodded. "You'll learn your path soon enough." Then he moved on to another group.
Wally took a deep breath and let it out. "Thanks Kiri."
She smiled with chocolate frosting on her lips. "No problem."
"Why didn't he say anything to me?" Vincent wondered.
"Maybe cause you don't need anything said to you," Kiri suggested.
"But I had so many things to ask, about type match-ups and team balancing, and the rate of finding a shiny..."
She shrugged. "Don't you already know all about that stuff?"
"Well yeah, but he's the foremost expert on Pokemon in Hoenn, so maybe he knows things I can't find in books."
When everyone seemed done with lunch, Birch clapped his hands together. "All right, here's how the tests will be conducted. In a moment, I will call forward those with sufficient mana to become a Mage. If you're not called, you're weak in magic at the moment and, I'm sorry, but you are not ready to start this year. But the fact that you have made it here means that you are potentially a great Trainer and magician, so my assistants will give you a kit that will help you begin your journey. Try again next year, for you may have developed the mana necessary.
"If you are called, you will come upstairs for the next test, an examination of your soul. If you are deemed unsuitable, you will be sent downstairs for a different kit. Those who pass that exam will be instructed on a basic spell. You have a certain amount of time to produce this spell; if you fail to do so, you will come downstairs for the third kit. Finally, I will summon the three Guardian Pokemon and they will choose their masters. If you are not chosen, you get the fourth kit. If you are chosen, you will be named a Mage and be given the Mage's Starter Kit. Does everyone understand this?"
They all nodded. Some of them, like Vincent, had already known of the sequence of tests given to potential mages. Some, like Wally, nodded because they didn't want to appear like an idiot.
"Fine. Isabel, Todd, Marie, Parker, Johnny, Vincent, Kiri, Wally, Luke, Kelly, Lucy, and May, all of you follow me." Birch then went towards the stairs in back.
Kiri scooted her wheelchair ahead to intercept him before he started climbing. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have an elevator in here, would you?"
"I don't, but here." He snapped his fingers. Her wheelchair levitated off the floor, then followed Birch upstairs. Once on the second floor, he set her down. "Brendan, is everything ready?"
A young man stood up quickly. He had white hair and blue eyes. Sitting on his right was a Venusaur, a four-legged Guardian with a brilliant red and violet flower growing on its back. Standing on his left was a Meganium, a grassy reptile with a long graceful neck and a magnificent scent. Brendan nodded. "Yes, dad, we're ready for the tests."
The Meganium cooed, "Are you ready?" and bumped her head affectionately against Birch's.
The Grand Wizard smiled and patted his Guardian. "Good, then first we must measure your souls." He put his hands together, then stretched out a roll of measuring tape that hadn't been in his hands before. "Who comes first? You, Vincent."
Holding his head up in pride of being picked first, he stepped forward. "Yes, sir."
Birch dropped one end of the tape to the ground, then held it up to get what seemed to be a height measurement. "Hmm... you are proud, but you have reasons to be so. But beware; you walk a fine line."
Vincent frowned. "A fine line?"
"Next, Wally."
Wally tensed. "Oh, uh, okay. Sir." He stepped forward, trying to keep himself from fidgeting out of nervousness. Vincent moved back to the group, still puzzling over his reading.
Birch adjusted the tape to Wally's shorter height. "Your main lacking is confidence, which undermines your health. You must restore both, not one or the other. Next, May."
A brown haired girl wearing a red paisley kerchief on her head came forward to replace Wally. "Alright."
"You may be too agreeable," he told her. "Don't let others take advantage of you; it will lead to something you'll regret later on. Next, Johnny."
A boy wearing black pants with flames painted on the legs came forward. "Yes, sir."
Birch looked at the tape, then shook his head. "You're much too aggressive and false with your manners. Sorry, but you aren't suited to be a Mage."
Johnny shot him a bitter look, but quickly covered it up. "If you say so, sir." He walked downstairs, looking like he might kick something.
"Next, Kiri."
She rolled her chair forward. "You can't take my real height without picking me up and I'd rather not go through that."
"I understand." He leaned down to look at the measuring tape. "You are very cheerful, but that will not always win you friends. You might want to look into taking things more seriously and giving yourself long-term goals instead of short."
"Okay, sir." She moved aside to let the next person get measured.
Birch also got rid of Luke (for relying too much on chance) and Lisa (for disregarding Pokemon based solely on looks). Brendan took notes until Birch was on the last applicant. Then he went to retrieve a plastic container the size of a shoebox.
"Your next test is to cast the spell Detect," Birch said. "Brendan, please explain."
His son nodded. "I have here a magic glass that detects someone using a Detect spell. As it is enchanted, it will set off said spell. When you manage a successful Detect, you will know it and, thanks to this glass, I will know it. You have fifteen minutes to cast Detect once my father is done explaining it."
"Thank you. Now, Detect is simple. You either can cast it or you can't. Look at this card." He flipped his hand around and produced the card. It had a symbol on it, that of an eye. "Simple spells have simple symbols. More complicated spells can have multiple symbols strung together. The symbol itself focuses magic and gives it a form. You will have to memorize many such symbols during your career.
"In order to cast Detect, you must draw this symbol in your mind. Some people can cast a spell with just that. Others may need a hand motion or word. You will know what you need in most cases. I know some Wizards who cast Detect by touching their eyelids and others who think or speak words like, 'Show me what magic is here'. You have fifteen minutes to figure out your method now."
Kiri thought. So she had to find her way of casting magic. Her father always made gestures that mimicked what he wanted done, such as when he'd thrown the applications. When he was Detecting something, he would half-close his eyes and tap a finger against his cheek. Kiri drew the eye symbol in her mind, then half-closed her eyes and tapped her cheek.
There was a response, a bright flashing arrow that she could only see in her mind. Actually, she 'saw' several flashing arrows. One pointed to the Detect Detector. Another pointed to a white pearl sitting on a table nearby. Several small ones pointed out various devices, fortune tags, and protective jewelry that people in the room were wearing. It even pointed out the large devices downstairs.
After fifteen minutes, Brendan spoke up. "Vincent, Wally, May, Kiri, Isabel, and Parker have all cast the spell."
"Very well, then you three must go." Once Todd, Marie, and Kelly had left, Birch continued. "Then you six have the greatest potential to become a Mage, and eventually a Pokemon Wizard. If you are not chosen here, you will still be able to learn magic. It will never be as strong as a Wizard's magic, but it will help you out. Your kit will include a small book of simple spells. Be careful with this book; not many people can make use of it and a nonmagical person can unknowingly ruin a simple spellbook. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," all six responded.
He nodded to them, then went to the table and picked up the white pearl. "This summoning takes time and effort, even for the best of Grand Wizards. Please remain quiet while I am casting."
Birch shut the pearl in his fist, then wrapped his other hand around that fist. He put his hands against his chest and bowed his head, as if he was going to pray. For several minutes, magic swirled and grew around him, building into the potent summoning spell. His own Guardian Pokemon walked over to him and curled her tail and neck around him. In this way, she was protecting and helping him.
A white glow began to surround Birch and his Meganium. Magic saturated the room to the point of Kiri feeling her skin tingle. Then the Grand Wizard spoke in a voice that showed the effort he was putting into this spell. It was truly putting a strain on his body.
"Come forth, spirits. I call on Arceus, the one who shaped all we see. I call on Mew, the Mother of all Pokemon. I call on Jirachi, the granter of wishes. Please send us three young Guardians to develop with the three young Mages in their life's travels. I ask according to the ancient bonds that were made between humans and Pokemon to enhance and protect our world. Send the three you choose to make their choice for life."
The white glow rapidly became brighter, then separated into three spheres of energy. One took on a green hue, another blue, and the third red. The three rotated around Birch for a moment, then floated away. The green sphere went to May. The blue sphere went to Parker. And the red sphere went to Kiri.
A flame patterned Pokeball dropped into her lap. The red sphere solidified itself and formed a red chick in front of her. The Torchic looked at her with her black circular eyes, then bowed politely. The orange feather sticking off the top of her head brushed against Kiri's ankle, but she couldn't feel it.
Kiri smiled. "Hi there. You're Billina."
Billina bowed again, as if she already knew her name.
She glanced up at her two friends. Wally actually seemed relieved. Vincent looked stunned. "I wasn't chosen?"
"But you're really smart and you can use magic," Wally pointed out. "You should do really well, or maybe you'll be chosen next year."
"That's right," Brendan said. "For now, you must leave. If you wish to wait for your neighbor, you can do so downstairs."
"Yeah, let's wait." Wally turned to Kiri and smiled. "Congratulations. I knew you'd get a Guardian."
"Thanks. You can travel around with me if you like."
"Um," he scratched his head, "I'll think about it. See you later." He tugged at Vincent, then left with him. Isabel had already gone downstairs.
Once it was just the new Mages, Birch dropped into the chair. He looked exhausted. "Phew. That spell always gets to me."
"You okay, dad?" May asked, worried. She went over and leaned on his chair.
"I'm okay, but I won't be doing any more major spells today. Brendan, you have the kits?"
"Right over here." He went to the table and picked up three boxes. He gave the first to his sister, then one to Kiri, then the last to Parker. "All of you do have virtual storage bags?" He noted the enchanted bags with each of them. "Good."
"I thought this choosing was fair," Parker said. He was a tall boy with long limbs, quite different from his short-limbed Guardian Mudkip. "But both of your kids got accepted."
"I had nothing to do with that," Birch replied. "And this is her second year trying; Brendan took three years before a Guardian would come to him."
"And our older brother wasn't chosen," Brendan added. "He never made the first cut. But magic can run in families."
"Like how we all have grass Guardians?" May asked. Her Treecko had already climbed onto her shoulders.
"Right," her father said. "Now these kits you have contain basic supplies needed for raising and catching Pokemon: five Pokeballs, three potions, a repel, a berry pouch, and a TM case. But it also contains the two most vital pieces of equipment for a Mage or Wizard: the Mana Pen and the Pokedex."
Kiri pulled the lid off her box. The normal supplies were on top, so she put those into her bag. The Mana Pen was in a leather case. Although it looked like a normal pencil, it did not write in a normal fashion. The Pokedex was a large book that rivaled the thick monstrosity that Vincent had in his bag. It had a simple brown cover with an image of a Pokeball in the center and a white and red bar of triangles on the bottom.
"Hey, all the pages are blank," Parker said.
"That's because these books are personal and have not been claimed yet," Brendan said. "You need to take the Mana Pen and write your name clearly on the first page."
Kiri did so. Once she wrote 'Kiri Brown' across the top of the page, black text began filling it in. It wrote 'POKEDEX' underneath her name. Below that, it recorded her Trainer ID, her Guardian's nickname, and where she was from.
"Now turn the page and you will find the Oath. This is a sworn agreement between you and your Guardian that you will live, learn, and work with each other for the rest of your lives. Speak the words that are there to your Guardian. They will give their half and then sign the page, after which you should do the same."
The Oath she was to speak was on the left page; the right was, so far, blank. As she read over it silently first, Kiri figured that each oath must be tailored to the Guardian. Billina kept a steady gaze on her, so she read the Oath aloud. "Loyal Guardian who has chosen me, I swear to care for you, to guide you, and to help you along our path. I will uphold the honor of Mages and Wizards by seeking what is best for the world, for others, and sometimes for us, by helping those in need, by protecting the lands in which we live, by honoring the immortals, and by living with honesty and honor. My inner fire will always burn bright and clean, guiding the lost and purifying my life."
Billina bowed, then began speaking in a mixture of clucks and chirps. Her words began writing themselves on the right page. "My human who I have accepted, I swear to care for you, to guide you, and to help you along our path. I will uphold the honor of the Guardians by protecting you, by assisting other Pokemon you take in, by protecting the lands in which we live, by honoring the immortals, and by living with honesty and honor. My inner fire will always burn bright and clean, guiding the lost and purifying my life."
Then she hopped up and made two scratch marks under her oath, like a narrow X. Kiri signed her page. For a moment, both pages turned bright red. When they reverted back to white, a fiery seal had appeared behind the Oath. On the bottom of the left page was a small picture of a bird that was wrapped in her own blaze. On the bottom of the right page were the words, 'This bond has been approved by Moltres and will endure your entire life.'
Birch got up and examined all three Pokedexes to make sure the seals had appeared. "Good, then your bonds are set. Now, the Pokedex includes a set of simple spells when you start, although not all that are in the spellbook given to the last three. When you learn a new spell, draw it into the spell section and it will record vital information for you. The second section is the Pokemon listings. It will give you information on any Pokemon that you see from this point forward. So right now, no matter what kinds of Pokemon you know about, your 'dex will only have information on Meganium, Venusaur, Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip." He pointed to each of the Pokemon as he named them.
"The third section," Birch went on, "tells you more in-depth information about the Pokemon you have personally trained. It will list every spell and skill they learn. You can't cast all spells they know, but you should be able to learn some."
"How do you know which ones you can and which you can't?" May asked.
"There will be a short line in the skill listing which will tell you so. It will say 'Known' by any spell you have already cast, 'Unknown' by any spell you can cast but haven't yet, 'Skilled' by spells that you don't have the experience to cast, and 'Locked' by spells you cannot learn no matter what you do.
"Now that you are Mages, you must go out and learn about magic and Pokemon. If you have any questions, you can send a letter to me or any Wizard you have befriended. Brendan here works with me in fieldwork and research, so you may run into him as well."
He nodded. "I'll help any of you out if you get in trouble. Just ask."
"You can learn in several ways. You can become an apprentice to a Wizard if you know one that's willing. You can research libraries and ruins; I can give you several places to start off at in Hoenn. You can follow the League Challenge and learn what the Gym Leaders have to pass on; just be warned that any badges you have earned as a normal Trainer are now invalid. Or you can find your own way. It's all up to you and your Guardian.
"This afternoon, I will teach you the absolute basics. Things like the spells Capture, Mail, and the simplest form of Unseal. These spells you will be using on a regular basis. I will also answer what questions you have, as far as you can know this early in your education. Tomorrow morning, your own Pokemon adventure will begin."
"Technically, the normal type has the least amount of weaknesses," Vincent was saying as Brendan helped Kiri downstairs. "But it has no strengths either. I'd like dragons, but the fact that they're weak to themselves is a drawback."
"I just don't want something that'll go ballistic on me," Wally replied. "I'd rather have something that's nice and easy to raise."
"You'd probably want a grass-type then; most of them are easy to work with. Some waters wouldn't be too bad either."
"Hi guys," Kiri said. "Thanks for waiting on me."
"No problem," Wally responded.
"Could you three wait for a minute?" Brendan asked. "My father's worn out from the day's activities, but he had something he wanted to ask of you, Vincent."
He sat up. "Oh, me? What is it?"
"We were wondering if you'd like to become a research assistant for us. There's an ongoing project to put information about Pokemon out so that everyone can learn about them, not just people with a Pokedex. Grand Wizard Oak in Kanto is the head researcher, but we're leading in this region. We need to get tens of thousands of readings; we can't even get away with a single reading for a rare kind."
"Right, because within each species, there are many variables which will affect how it can grow."
"We've even got someone who only studies Spindas and their varying coat patterns. If you are an assistant, we have study groups for those who wish to learn more in-depth about Pokemon, starting in the fall."
He nodded, smiling with excitement. "Great! I'd love to help out."
Brendan smiled back. "Thank you. You should be a tremendous help because you're one of the smartest teenagers in Hoenn. Here, take this with you." He handed over a device that looked like a long gray glove that was missing its fingers. A black strip ran up to the elbow. Mystical gems were arranged on the back of the hand. Brendan was wearing one himself.
Vincent put it on his right hand. "This is an aura scanner, right?"
"Yes. We'll need you to scan Pokemon that you run across. If you can focus your mind and mana, you can do this without physical contact. My father should check on you once a month to get the information. You can also transfer the information into a journal, so you can see for yourself."
"Okay, thanks. I'll be sure to scan plenty of Pokemon for him."
"Good. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask me or my Dad. And good luck on your own Pokemon journey."
Pokenav Extra
People
Michael Birch
Job: Pokemon Researcher/Grand Wizard
Hobby: biking
Secret: Sometimes he blocks all Mail spells so that he can work in peace.
Brendan Birch
Job: Pokemon Researcher/Wizard
Battle strategy: I battle just to learn about my Pokemon
Hobby: making paper airplanes
Secret: The only Pokemon he's kept for more than six months is his Guardian.
May Birch
Job: Student/Mage
Contest strategy: What moves are good for contests and battles?
Hobby: growing berries
Secret: She makes some Pokeblocks for herself.
Parker Taillow
Job: Gym Apprentice/Mage
Battle strategy: I fight like Wallace
Hobby: swimming
Secret: He chose to apprentice under Wallace partly because of all the girls in the Gym.
Pokemon
Rosemary (Meganium/Guardian)
Trainer: M. Birch
Nature: Cautious
Likes: hiking
Dislikes: battles
Bob (Venusaur/Guardian)
Trainer: Brendan
Nature: Jolly
Likes: peanut butter
Dislikes: deserts
Leon (Treecko/Guardian)
Trainer: May
Nature: Quirky
Likes: high places
Dislikes: peanut butter
Candice (Mudkip/Guardian)
Trainer: Parker
Nature: Quiet
Likes: seashells
Dislikes: thunderstorms
I totally stole the tape thing from Mary Poppins, lol. So yes, many things about the magic of this world explained here. By the way, the humans here, even the mages/wizards, don't understand Pokemon speech. Not even their Guardians. But telepathy is fairly common, coming into play later.
