Chapter 3: A Whole New World
Time flew by as the three set out across the Norselands, the Pokemon not seeming to lose any speed. Nikoli and Sara were amazed at how immense their country was; as they looked down over it to see its glimmering mountain ranges and valleys divide the open steppe lands they are more familiar with. In the Norselands, much of the country is uninhabited by large populations of people, as they tend to stick closer to the larger water based locations to the West. Out here, it was just open wild, with few towns and no major cities. The Norselandic Gulf coast had barely any inhabitation, for most Norselandic people were not familiar of anything out beyond the sea. If there were anybody to land there, they would find no signs of life, making this part of the country much unknown to most.
As the sun began to set, the three travelers began to see over the mountains a large coast which then opened up to a glimmering, blue sea.
"We're here...we've made it to the Norselandic Gulf!" Nikoli said to himself, his eyes not believing what he was seeing. His eagerness took a new level of height as they drew nearer.
Not a half hour passed until the Pokemon finally made landing, dropping off the three on the beach. Steven looked at his Pokemon and grinned. "Thank you my friends for this far trip! Now, return and take some well needed rest, you all have done your work beautifully."
As he returned his three Pokemon to their respective capsules, the twins moved their feet through the sand, looking out into the open ocean.
"This is amazing Steven. Everything you have done for us already is remarkable," stated Sara. "I never dreamed of myself ever getting to this part of my country, let alone in such record time."
He chuckled at the compliment. "They have been well trained, don't get me wrong. Most Pokemon don't have the strength these three did, it takes years of strength and training to do this. But they are exhausted and need about a day or two's rest."
"So where is the boat, Steven?" asked Nikoli, not seeing any transportation around them.
"Ahh, it is over there just a half a miles walk. I thought you two would personally enjoy a bit of walking since you have never been to this side of your country."
The twins looked at each other and nodded at his comment, they were already so excited to have made it this far. As the three walked, they could feel the chill from the ocean breeze hit their face. It would have been a lot better if winter had not been making its approach at this time of the year. When they got to the boat, it was well anchored in and quite small for most things to see. It was a yacht of some sorts, seeming to be able to house a good five or so people.
They all climbed aboard and Steven started the engine and asked Nikoli to help him pull up the anchor. In little time, they were all setting sail toward the open sea, just before the sun fully set.
"It's beautiful out there with the sunset, isn't it Nikoli?" Sara said with a huge, gaping smile on her face.
He smiled just as wide saying, "Ohmygod it is. It is absolutely beautiful. I have always loved the sea and going to the nearby beaches near home."
Ever since he was a little boy, Nikoli used to love family vacations to the local beaches in the Western Norselandic bays. He would always plant his feet deep beneath the sand, and have the breeze push him back with ease. He smiled widely thinking about these memories.
"I have always wanted to live by a port that looked out towards the sea, that way I could walk alongside the beachside as much as I want," he said.
Steven was manning the boat, which went at great speeds across the Norselandic Gulf. The waves were small and made for easy travelling. As the twins walked in to see him, they saw the boat had quite the finish to it from the inside out.
"You must be rich…" stated Sara, her eyes not believing what she was seeing as she spun around to look at the interior of the boat.
"Haha, why thank you, this is actually not my boat as a matter of fact. I borrowed it from a good friend of mine for this long trip," said Steven as he looked back at her. "You see, most people don't use boats for trips in my world, they simply use Pokemon. It's cases like these or to cross into another region that boats are used."
"Wow, Pokemon seem to have so many abilities in your world," Nikoli said with amazement. "I want to learn all about them!"
"You will start tonight," Steven replied with a smile. "Just let me get on course for Hoenn and I will put the boat on auto cruise, and I will go fix up some dinner for us and we will begin discussing everything. For now, you two go downstairs and pick out your rooms."
The siblings made their way down the stairs, finding two rooms across from each other half way down the hallway. They each looked the same, Nikoli, being the one ahead of Sara, took the right side. They began by laying down their small amount of belongings on the twin size bed. Nikoli walked over to Sara's room to see what she was up to.
"What did you pack anyway Kookie?"
She opened up her small backpack, and showed him three pairs of clothes, each for different kinds of weather. Toiletries were also packed in there, as well a bit of perfume, and a small picture of the family.
"He told us not to pack too much, so I abided by that," she said.
"Yea, I packed basically the same thing as you, minus the perfume obviously," Nikoli said with a little laughter.
"Oh! I also brought a notepad for when Steven starts telling us about Pokemon, that way I can take any notes. There is sure to be a lot of information."
"Definitely, I am still amazed at what we just did to get here. Those Pokemon of his, they are absolutely amazing! Their metallic look, their power, their…" he paused, grinning like a fool at the thought of what they did today.
"You seem to really like those Pokemon in particular," said Sara with a chuckle.
"You had to as well didn't you!? They were just amazing, and now I want what he has, I can just… just go on all day about it!"
"Haha, well maybe you should ask where you can get your own then, but remember Nikoli, there is supposed to be many more he said. You may find yourself loving others even more," Sara said, sticking her tongue out after.
They both laughed; than Steven came down to tell them dinner was prepared. They came up to behold a nice seafood meal. They sat down and ate, hardly speaking as each enjoyed the rich food. Just as each finished they cleaned their dishes and sat back down at the table.
"I hope you two enjoyed your meals, as we travel we may not be having as wonderfully cooked meals as I had planned tonight," Steven said.
"Yes, it was delicious! By the way, what are the typical foods your people eat in your world? Do you eat Pokemon? Or are their other animals that roam? Are there.." Sara was cut off by Steven laughing at all of her questions.
"Now, now, I will answer all of these for both of you," he continued to laugh. "Yes there are other animals in the world of Pokemon, mostly being common fish. Our people tend to have a lack of meats as you Norselandic people do. Regular animals tend to be much smaller than Pokemon, and are not able to be captured in what you have seen me use, called Pokeballs. Most people, when it comes to foods, eat primarily fish for protein. Pokemon tend to be…well..not that nutritious or tasty and is extremely frowned upon."
The siblings nodded and understood well. Both were accustomed to eating meat, but accepted that the lack of it will be okay and that they will survive.
"Now, where should I begin…" Steven said as he pondered. "Ahh, well Pokemon come in all shapes and sizes as I have mentioned prior. They have all unique powers and such and each one usually are divided into certain elemental categories, known as types. There are seventeen that are discovered right now…"
Steven went on about each type and each one of its weaknesses and strengths. "I for one have been specializing in the Steel-types of Pokemon, as you probably could tell from what you have seen."
"Yes, I really like the Steel-types already!" Nikoli said with a smile. "Any you recommend besides them?"
"It really comes down to your preference, your battling style, and personality sometimes. This also is something I need to explain!" Steven went on to discuss how Pokemon are used in battles, the organization of gym leaders in each town, and the championship path most trainers dream of pursuing.
Sara was constantly writing down notes, as Nikoli just listened, for he was always better at listening and memorization compared to his twin sister. As the two continued to pop out questions, Steven gave very detailed answers about the invention of the Pokeball, the rules of battling, the fact that Pokemon faint instead of dying unless unmorally attacked more, and many more facts. Hours passed and it was soon close to two in the morning.
"Well now, it has been quite a long day hasn't it?" Steven said with a big yawn. "The boat is on cruise control, we should be close to Slateport City by midafternoon the following day. You two go get some shut eye, and I will tell you even more tomorrow. Also, I have a gift for both of you."
The twins agreed and went to their respective rooms, each falling asleep with no problem. Nikoli woke up around noon, finding his sister still asleep. She was always a heavy sleeper and tended to sleep in on occasion. He went to the bathroom to shower and brush his teeth, and went upstairs to find Steven up there. However, he found two other Pokemon next to the kitchen counter eating from a bowl. They were both the same, small fox looking creatures, with tan colored fur and white, fluffy tails. They looked up at Nikoli and quickly ran away from him. Steven turned around to see Nikoli standing there all confused.
"Good afternoon Nikoli, sorry about those two running away, they simply do not know you yet," Steven said.
"What were those Pokemon?"
"They're called Eevees. They're Normal-type Pokemon, with a special evolutionary line I will tell you later. Both of them happen to be your's and Sara's now, surprise!"
Nikoli's eyes widened with amazement. "Mi..mine!? My own Pokemon already?" He could hardly speak at what he was hearing. "Thank you…just..thank you Steven! I have so much gratitude!"
Sara came upstairs at that moment and saw the two Eevee's hiding behind a chair.
"Ohmygod they're so cute! Look at them!" she squealed with excitement, jumping up and down.
"Don't worry Nikoli, these two were given as gifts to me from a friend, and I thought they would be fitting for the two of you to have them as your first Pokemon. Besides, your mother's first was an Eevee," Steven said. "Give them time to come out and then each of you pick the one that appeals to you most."
Sara and Nikoli couldn't help but smile out of control at this. "Our mother had one of these? But her Pokemon that she had before we left was blue," Sara stated with a bit of confusion on her face.
"That is one of Eevee's seven evolutions. You see, when Pokemon gain experience through battle, they may have a process happen when they evolve into a more powerful version of itself. In Eevee's case, they can evolve into different types depending on special stones you use, the environment you train them in, or the time of day. It also depends on the love and bond you share between the two of you." Steven showed a picture of them of him and their mother. "That one your mother had was a Vaporeon, the Water-type evolution of Eevee."
"This is so cool Steven!" Nikoli said. "What is the story of you and our mother by the way?"
Steven had them sit down at the table again, getting them a few beverages of water to have while he told them the awaited story.
"It was fifteen years ago, before you two were born. She was eighteen at the time. I ran into her while I was on a trip to Slateport City actually. She had fled from your country due to a great war you have learned about happening at the time. She escaped thanks to some refugees who took the risk by setting out into the unknown, across the Norselandic Gulf to get away. Some people have had contact with your country, not many however, so when they arrived they were extremely foreign to most. She ran into me with fright, not used to seeing these Pokemon that surrounded her. I helped her by taking her to my family. We taught her about our world and she taught us about her's. It was then we became very close, despite the age difference, and I helped her with her training and that is when she settled in and decided to train and live in the my world. As I set out to become champion of Hoenn, she followed by my side and we took on gym leaders and helped out take out evil organizations, not single handedly of course. A year passed, and we both were very skilled trainers at that time, and our friendship grew even more."
Steven paused for a bit to take a sip of water and continued again with his story.
"That was when all of a sudden she had heard news of the war ending, and that her lover who fought was still alive. She vowed to return and I helped her find a boat to take back so she could marry and live with him. She left her Pokemon and all that she had lived with in our world behind. I would make it my goal to find your world and see her five years later. I was able to remember the map she had showed me of your country and where she lived and luckily she had lived in Ostgrad for her whole life. Once we were reunited, I met her husband, your father, and you two then. I stayed about a month in the Norselands, learning about your culture, and everything else I needed and wanted to learn. When I left I made her a promise to return and take you two with me to this world. She wanted to live here in my world, she loved it that much. So now I have fulfilled her wish and brought you two with me and that is where we are now."
As he finished, the twins sat there in amazement. They looked at each other, wondering why this was kept a secret from them this entire time.
"It must be hard and weird to hear all of this now and not before," Steven said. "But it was necessary, that way you two would not be sitting around pondering about this whole new world you're learning. Before this, it would be nearly impossible to believe all that you have witnessed and been told."
The two nodded in agreement. Then Nikoli came out with the big question.
"So why are we here now with you? What kind of adventure exactly are we about to get into…you never exactly told us."
Steven paused for a bit, finally saying, "Things are stirring in my world. Things that may in fact endanger it. You see, there are evil organizations that are at work, yet fortunately have always been taken down multiple times. However, they have always managed to re-emerge and cause havoc. This time, one of them has come back, and they may be dealing with something that may affect the balance with our lives. We do not know. My plan was to assemble friends and companions, all who are excellent Pokemon trainers themselves, and take out these organizations before anything bad happens. However, this was all going to be done in secret, without any media attention or anyone in the regions hearing about it."
After a short pause, he looked at both of them, making sure they understood. He took a deep breath and continued speaking. "That…is where you two will come in. I took you two in to begin your training as Pokemon trainers, as was the promise I made for your mother. You two may have her gift to train better and faster than the average trainer, maybe even become great. Our plan was to take you two, and have yourselves join within this organization, and help find out any information we need if possible. You two are young, and they are looking for teenagers like you to join their ranks. We are all too familiar to them and want this kept top secret. You then will help get the information to us, and then start destroying the organization from the inside out."
Nikoli and Sara's mouths opened. They have had already multiple moments of these jaw dropping moments, this one being the longest yet. They were about to get themselves not only emerged into the world of Pokemon, but be used immediately to help take out an evil organization.
"This sounds extremely dangerous Steven, especially for us…we have no experience!" Nikoli said with concern. "How in the world are we going to accomplish this all?"
"In time! Patience now, we have all agreed on you both to be our two to go in and we will train you two exceptionally well. You both have your mother's passion and heart for this, we believe in you two. However, this will be dangerous I will not lie, but I and the others will make sure you two are ready. We have time to do enough training." Steven smiled for reassurance of the two startled siblings.
They both sighed unanimously at all they were hearing, but looked at each other and realized they came too far to back down. This was an adventure, and one that not many would be going into.
"I accept this challenge. On one condition…" Sara said. "I want to make sure I can do a better job than my brother!"
Nikoli looked right at his sister with a nasty look. Steven busted out laughing at that remark. "Haha! Nikoli, it seems you have a rivalry at your hands now! I hope you can be ready to accept that. I am enjoying your pride and enthusiasm of this, Sara."
Nikoli scorned and then looked back at his sister. "Oh yea, well I don't think you will get your wish Kookie. I expect to do just as much of a better job then you, maybe even better."
The two looked each other down, than all of a sudden began laughing. "This is going to be fun," stated Nikoli.
"Oh yes it is, this will be a loving family rivalry we will have," Sara said.
"Regardless, you two can have a rivalry but when the mission gets serious make sure you both work well together!" Steven said, reminding them of the future task at hand.
As they went on to talk more about Pokemon and the mission, the two Eevees came out of their hiding spot, making little squeaks at the two teenagers. Nikoli and Sara got up, but they ran away again. Nikoli shook his head at the moment.
"Steven, how long will it take for them to get really comfortable with us?"
"It may take a bit of time, but don't you worry. Sooner or later each will choose who they like the most. Just you wait and see."
"Are they both siblings?" Sara asked.
"Yes they are in fact. Both were born not a month ago, they are young and just as inexperienced as you in battling," Steven said with a chuckle, "It should work out fine for the both of you."
As the day went on, the siblings made their way around the yacht, Nikoli spending most of his time outside staring out into the ocean blue. He began singing some songs he listened to back at home while he watched the sun set. It was getting warmer the further east they traveled, it felt close to his homeland's late springtime weather.
"It's beautiful out here," he thought to himself. "I hope Hoenn is just as beautiful as the open sea and the Norselands."
As night began to make its appearance, Nikoli still stood out there on the balcony looking out as the winds blew his black hair away from his face. As he stood there, he heard a shuffle come from the door to the inside of the boat. He turned around to see one of the Eevees had been watching him. It crept closer very slowly, and Nikoli decided to kneel down and stretch out his hand.
"Come on little guy, come on," he said to the little Pokemon. It took a step back again, still nervous of him. Then, the Eevee began coming closer until it was in reach of his hand. It let out a little squeak, and Nikoli smiled at it immensely. "I hope you don't mind if I pet you do you, Eevee?"
Nikoli placed his hand on the Eevee's soft, furry head, scratching at its big ears. The Pokemon was startled a little bit, but began coming closer to him, seeming to like the treatment he was getting from Nikoli. Soon the Pokemon began rubbing against him, letting out more little squeaks. Nikoli smiled at the Eevee, and he began picking it up to put on his lap.
"You're a cute little guy aren't you? I am going to take you are choosing me?" he said, thinking it probably does not understand a thing he said. The Eevee smiled and nodded, surprising Nikoli. "You…you understand me!? My god…Pokemon really are smart creatures. I am liking you all more and more! Come on Eevee, let us go inside now, I am getting a little cold out here."
He took the Pokemon inside to find Steven standing there, clapping at his entrance into the boat's interior. "Congratulations Nikoli! It seems like you have chosen your first Pokemon officially and he is warming up to you faster than I have expected. I told you that you had your mother's heart and gift."
Sara came into the kitchen, with her Eevee in her arms. "Nik, seems like your's finally came to you! How long ago did this happen?"
"Just now actually, but he seems to really enjoy me, good sign I guess!"
Sara laughed, "You better think that! Especially when we finally get to land, then we will begin training these two and have our first battle!"
Nikoli grinned at that saying, looking at his Pokemon. "Yea…only Eevee and I will come out on top!"
"That is what you think, but my Eevee will be better, just you wait and see."
Steven was making dinner as he heard the two go at it, laughing to himself. "They surely are going to be great for this quest and beyond," He thought to himself. "Now it is all about how they use them in battle, and show their care and love for them. That will demonstrate their full potential."
The rest of the night resulted in Steven and the two talking about nurturing their new Pokemon, from feeding them correctly, to how to gain new powers and attack moves to utilize in battle. Steven went on more about what to expect when they get to Hoenn, and to start thinking about all the other types of Pokemon they may be interested in using or finding to capture. As the new day came, Nikoli yet again got up earlier then his sister and came upstairs, this time feeding his Pokemon by himself. He found Steven outside the boat staring out at sea.
"We are but a few minutes from seeing land," he stated to Nikoli. "Are you ready for a whole new world?"
Nikoli grinned, "You have no idea Steven…you have no idea."
Sara finally came upstairs and found the two out there, just in time to see the beginnings of land to come up over the horizon.
"Is that…Hoenn?" she asked with amazement and wonder.
"It is indeed, my home," Steven said with a gigantic smile. "Home sweet home."
As the three watched the boat make its way towards Hoenn, the twins began realizing the adventures that are about to await them. It was already a bright, sunny day, with the temperature well above what they previously knew back in the Norselands. It felt like summer.
"You will find most of these lands tend to be a lot warmer than what you may recall," Steven claimed.
Nikoli looked as the patch of land grew larger and larger as they neared. "That…is something I can live with," he said with a great, big smile. They were ready for this whole new world that may in fact become their new home for good.