Before I start the story, I want to thank all the awesome people who took the time to review. Your support means a lot to me, because I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to continue this or not at first, since I wasn't getting much of a response. And, while I'm thankful for all the feedback that I got, a few reviewers made some comments I felt I should address publicly.
First off, as far as this story being a crossover goes, I honestly don't think of it as one. While it's true that the monks are in the Pokemon universe, they are not interacting with any of the established Pokemon Characters (Ash, Misty, Ash's Pikachu…). Instead, I think of this as more of an AU, set in the Pokemon World with situations and characters completely different then those in the games, mangas or animes. Some people may argue with me on this, but this is how I view these things, and I doubt that's going to change.
Besides, as many of you pointed out, the crossover section doesn't see a lot of action…
And, moving on to the next point, a reviewer by the name of CoffeeCream101 asked about the pairing situation, and the likelihood of that changing. I want to respond to that by saying that, above all, I'm a group/friendship oriented person in my writings. I don't have anything against any of the pairings, slash included, but I simply prefer writing friendship fics over romance ones because, to be perfectly honest, there are a lot of things about romance fics that bother me.
The key thing though, is how nine out of ten times, the characters other then the two that make up the pairing are pushed far into the background and neglected, which cuts down on a lot of really fun interactions and makes a story dry and predictable in my opinion. And if they've not in the background, then they're a romantic rival, and their characters generally end up being butchered for the sake of the story. Don't get me wrong, I know there are pairing fics done right out there, but they're in the vast minority. And anyways, there are a million and one other pairing-based stories out there, and I don't want this one to get tossed in with those ones.
Now to move on to the big 'but' of this rant; I'm not partial to pairings myself, but if I get a mass of reviewers who want so-and-so with whats-her-face, then I will try to subtly move the story in that direction without damaging the storyline I have planned out. Romance will never be the main focus of this story, but I don't mind playing with it every now and then to keep you guys happy.
Thank you again to everyone who was kind enough to review. And now that I've taken up enough of you guys' time with my inane rants, we can finally move on to chapter three. Enjoy!
Chapter 3; Meeting of the Chosen Ones (Pt 3)
"Okay, recap time; you're telling me that a thousand years ago, some dude named Dashi created these special gemstones in order to defeat the forces of evil; namely you. And now you wanna get your see-through hands on 'em to try and take over the world again?" Jack frowned thoughtfully as he repeated what the apparition had just finished relaying to him.
"Precisely." Wuya purred in satisfaction, pleased that the boy wasn't as stupid as she first feared. As if sensing her dark thoughts, one of the boy's bizarre, shiny round pokemon floated protectively closer to its trainer, flashing a Cyclops' glare at the witch. The other two hung back nervously behind the redhead, clearly uncomfortable in her presence. Wuya eyed the creatures curiously for a moment, before dismissing them as Jack spoke up once more.
"And these Elemental Gems of yours, what do they have to do with me?" Jack asked pointedly, his curiosity outweighing any self preservation instincts he might have had.
"In this form, I cannot use the power of the Elemental Gems." Wuya explained, flying through the pedestal she's been sleeping on for the past thousand years to remind the boy of her intangibility. "However, you were able to overcome the protective charms placed on the puzzle box that served as my prison for the last few centuries, which means you should also have the ability to draw out the true power of the Elemental Gems."
"I did? I can?" Jack asked in surprise. If he really did have any sort of magical capabilities, then no one had bothered to tell him before this point.
"Help me find all the Elemental Gems, and together we will rule the world!" Wuya offered silkily, smirking at Jack's gleeful grin.
"Alright! That sounds good to me!" The scientist cheered as he jumped to his feet, swatting away the century old dust that clung to his clothes (The only problem with wearing all black; EVERYTHING showed up).
"Magnemite!" Bot2 protested with a shake of its head. "Magnemite! Magnemite!" Bot1 and Bot3 quickly sided with their stern companion, shooting their master pleading looks to try and convince him to change his mind.
"What are you so worried about guys, this is gold!" Jack groused at his pokemon's obvious reluctance to get on board with the witch's plot. "This is soo much easier then trying to impress the boss with a bunch of dumb rocks or lame stolen pokemon! If I can pull this off, I'll be running Team Rocket in no time flat!"
"Magnemite…" Bot1 spoke up for all three electric/steel pokemon, looking thoroughly unconvinced.
"Come on guys, have I ever steered you wrong before?" Jack demanded of his pokemon.
Somehow, the three looked even more worried after the boy's question.
"Okay look, lemme make you guys a deal; if the old hag's right, and these gemstone things do exists, and they do what she says they can, then we'll go out looking for the complete set. But if anything winds up being bogus, then we'll wash our hands of it and go back to Team Rocket for our next gig. Sound cool to you?" The three pokemon exchanged dubious looks, before Bot2 sighed and nodded its consent, making its owner let out a hearty cheer. "Great! You guys won't regret this, I swear!"
"Magnemite…" Groused a clearly skeptical Bot2, glaring once more at the smirking witch that got them into this mess as she followed its master out of the cavern to seek out the gemstones she had her beady eyes on, lamenting the headache that this mess was sure to bring it. Sighing once more, Bot2 motioned for its fellow Magnemites to follow their master as well, hoping to catch up to Jack before he realized that he still needed Bot1's Flash in order to navigate through the pitch black caves ahead.
Really, the things it put up with for its master…
As the Magnemites left, they never noticed when a different pokemon phased through the rocks, watching their retreat with open curiosity. The small red pokemon was certain that it had heard voices in the cave, which would certainly have been a nice reprieve from the boring silence it had put up with for so long now. Its nosiness getting the better of it, the little ghost pokemon promptly followed the Magnemites as they made their way through the cave, the steel pokemon none the wiser to the hitchhiker they had picked up…
As the Team Rocket Scientist and the evil ghost-witch picked their way out of the networks of caves, a very different group was gathered together on a bullet train on the other side of the region, heading towards the town of Tuton on the orders of Professor Fung, all of them thoroughly exhausted after spending half an hour trying to reign in the rambunctious Dratini that Raimundo had decided to name Storm.
Apparently, the young dragon pokemon was fascinated with all the ins and outs of the human world, but didn't seem to understand things very well. A close encounter with a loud speaker had badly frightened the poor thing, who destroyed half the train station in the ensuing chaos before the Chosen Ones finally managed to corner the pokemon and allow Rai to recall him. With that done, the four trainers then beat a quick retreat onto their train, leaving Professor Fung to explain the mess to the station's manager. Generally, Omi at the very least would have felt guilty over that, but a part of him felt a bit vindictive towards his guardian, no thanks to the unwelcome surprise Fung had sprung on him in the train station.
Being a Chosen One was what made him special for years now, and Omi couldn't help but feel that was taken away from him. Besides, just as Professor Fung stated, the other three Chosen Ones would be traveling with him, at least for a while now. That didn't seem like it was going to be all that fun, given the different personalities of the group. He was already pretty sure Raimundo didn't like him, and Kimiko was apparently convinced that the boy was sickly after his little 'episode,' and continuously fussed over Omi, much to the boy's dismay. Clay didn't talk very much, so Omi couldn't really get a feel for him, but at this point he wasn't holding out much hope for a decent friendship from any of the group.
"Are you sure you're alright, Omi? Maybe you should lie down for a little bit…" Omi bit back a cringe as the female member of the Chosen Ones worried over the smallest boy in the group yet again, earning pointed snickers from Raimundo and even a discreet chuckle now and then from the large cowboy as she leaned over the train's seat to get a closer look at him. Flushing, Omi quickly dodged Kimiko's hand as she reached over to try and feel for a fever.
"Thank you for your concern, Miss Kimiko, but I feel quite well." Omi said as politely as he possibly could.
"Yeah!" Raimundo grinned wickedly, seeing the perfect opportunity to pay the boy back for his 'mediocre trainer' comment. "I'm sure the little wimp passes out all the time!" Omi winced and shrank in on himself, as Kimiko shot a threatening look at the island boy, who merely smirked back at the fiery girl.
"Lay off, will you?" She snapped before turning back to Omi with a sympathetic look. "Ignore him, Omi. It's not your fault Professor Fung didn't tell you we were Chosen Ones too. I mean, if the rest of us had been put in the same situation, we probably would've been just as surprised." Kimiko assured the boy, trying to coax him out of his embarrassment. It seemed to work, since the boy relaxed a bit at her logic. Encouraged, the girl continued, "Besides, shouldn't you be more concerned with other things right now? I mean, Professor Fung did say this was your first time leaving Xiaolin, right?" Omi's eyes widened at the girl's reminder, and he promptly scrambled for the pokeball his mentor had given him.
"That's right!" The boy said gleefully as he enlarged the pokeball. "I am finally off on my very own Pokemon Journey! With my first pokemon! Oh, I cannot wait to meet my Squirtle for the first time! I am sure it will be a most impressive starter pokemon!" And, with that declaration, Omi released the monster in a stream of red light, grinning practically ear-to-ear as a Squirtle formed on the ground in front of him. The small water pokemon blinked a couple times, apparently taken aback by the strange surroundings, but Omi paid no heed as he crouched down to introduce himself to the turtle. "Hello, my new friend! I am Omi, the trainer who will be your partner. It is very nice to meet you at last! You have noooo idea how long I've wanted to-!"
"Uh, Omi?" Clay prompted, catching the small trainer's attention. Holding back a smile, the cowboy pointed to the window, where his Squirtle was currently watching the world fly by with open fascination.
{So fast!} the water pokemon exclaimed excitedly, {I've never moved this fast before! What kind of pokemon is this?}
"Pokemon?" Omi repeated, before realizing that the turtle thought the train was some sort of giant pokemon. "Ah! You are mistaken, my little friend! This is no pokemon. It's a-!"
"HEY!" Clay yelped in surprise when the Squirtle suddenly jumped up to grab his hat having lost interest in the window before Omi could even begin his explanation.
{Is this a bucket?} The pokemon asked as he examined the ten gallon hat. {It kinda looks like the bucket Mr. Breeder brings out food in. How strange! Why would you wear a bucket on your head? Do you just keep it there until you need it or something?} As he asked this, the pokemon put the hat on his own head, which was much smaller then the cowboy's. The hat swallowed him up practically down to his hands, badly startling the little Squirtle. Struggling against the hat's hold, Squirtle didn't even notice as Clay made a grab for him, which he unknowingly dodged as he attempted to remove the hat from his head, crashing into Raimundo's food tray and sending its contents flying everywhere.
"Aw man, I wasn't done with that!" Griped the dark skinned boy as Omi tried frantically to catch his pokemon before it could do any more damage while the turtle attempted to remove the hat that was blinding him.
The chase came to an end when Squirtle crashed headlong into Kimiko's legs, giving her the opportunity to pluck the protesting little pokemon off of the ground. With the pokemon finally forced to stay still, Clay quickly took the opening to snag his hat back and return it to its proper place atop his head. Squirtle struggled for a moment in Kimiko's hold, but once the realization that he could see again sank it, the pokemon settled right down. Sighing in relief that the ordeal was over with, Omi fished around for his pokeball.
"Squirtle, return!" Omi commanded as he recalled the water pokemon before it could do any more damage. Grimacing at their now trashed private compartment, Omi turned to the others with a sheepish look. "I see now why Professor Fung warned me about how energetic my pokemon is…"
"Understatement." Kimiko snorted as she helped Raimundo clean up the mess the Squirtle had made.
"Yeah well, this brat here is probably just as bad." Raimundo said, spinning Storm's pokeball at the tip of his index finger as he sat back down.
"Venus is pretty well behaved." Kimiko bragged, smiling sweetly at the sour look Raimundo sent her at the boast. "She gets motion sickness pretty easily though, so you guys'll have to wait until the train stops to meet her."
"Fung said the Bulbasaur you got is another calm one, right big dude?" Raimundo asked Clay, leaning back in his seat and stretching out his legs for more room.
"Somethin' like that." Clay said, palming his pokeball uncertainly for a moment.
"Well come on, Clay, let her out!" Kimiko encouraged the cowboy.
"Oh yes, most certainly!" Omi agreed eagerly, already anticipating meeting another pokemon. Clay couldn't help but smile at the three enthusiastic faces that were watching him with rapt attention, like a bunch of kids at Christmas waiting for their next gift.
"Well, alright then…" Clay said agreeably at last, releasing the plant pokemon. Once free, the Bulbasaur assessed the four curious humans staring at it with a mildly surprised look, cocking its head in confusion.
{…Do I have something on my face…?} She asked uncertainly, feeling a bit uncomfortable under all the attention. Chuckling, Clay gave the pokemon a sheepish smile.
"Ah no, sorry!" He said, surprising the pokemon slightly. "Nice ta meetcha, partner. I'm Clay Bailey, yer new trainer."
{Trainer…?} Bulbasaur repeated before brightening considerably. {Oh, I see! You're one of the Chosen Ones, aren't you? That's how you can understand me, right?}
"'fraid so." Clay said with a sheepish grin, making the small pokemon smile widely back.
{Nice to meet you, Clay. I look forward to working with you.} the green pokemon said pleasantly.
"Wow, she's pretty polite." Raimundo observed. "Especially compared to what me and Omi got."
"You understand her?" Kimiko said in mild surprise. She felt a little out of the loop watching the Bulbasaur and Clay communicate with one another. She could kinda see now what Keiko meant when she complained about Kimiko talking to Venus…
"Poison." Raimundo reminded the girl before nodding to the Bulbasaur. "I'm Raimundo, by the way. Another Chosen One."
"And I am Omi, the greatest of the Chosen Ones!" Bragged the smallest trainer to the pokemon, causing the grass type to cast her trainer a confused look to catch him chuckling in bemusement at the younger trainer's excitement.
"Kimiko. It's nice to meet you." Kimiko smiled politely at the Bulbasaur.
"And what do you mean 'the greatest of the Chosen Ones,' Cueball? You don't know what the rest of us can do yet." Raimundo reminded Omi wryly.
"Nonetheless, I am certain that none of you could surpass me as a pokemon trainer." Omi said confidently.
"Well we'll see about that, won't we?" Kimiko interjected with a scoff, certain that she and Venus could wipe the floor with a cocky bald kid and his hyperactive Squirtle.
"What, you think you got something on the rest of us, girly?" Raimundo teased, earning a sour look from the twin tailed girl.
{They certainly are… energetic.} Bulbasaur whispered to Clay as the two watched the bickering between the other three grow more and more heated.
"They are, ain't they?" Clay chuckled in response before offering the pokemon an apple, which she accepted happily. Bemused, the cowboy decided that he and the pokemon would get along just fine with one another…
"Finally!" Raimundo groaned in relief as he departed from the train, taking a deep breath. He grinned back at his companions as they followed him off of the locomotive. "I love the smell of the big city. So much action, y'know?"
"Action?" Omi repeated with a confused look at Clay. "Is that why Professor Fung wished for us to come to Tuton?"
"Not exactly, lil partner." Clay grinned, mindful of the Bulbasaur happily curled up under the cowboy hat he wore.
"We're here to find Dr. Thaddeus Klofange, a pokemon historian and an old friend of the Professor's." Kimiko explained to the confused young trainer. "He works for a museum in this town. Apparently, he has some old scriptures about our powers, and we're supposed to take a look at them before we decide where to go next."
"I see!" Omi brightened. "In that case, to the museum!" with that declaration, Omi immediately charged forward, only to pause at the top of the stairwell and look back at his companions with a sheepish look. "…And precisely where is the museum where we may find Dr. Klofange?"
"Hang on, lemme check." Kimiko offered, turning on her Pokepal. Omi's eyes went wide as the tiny holographic form of Kimiko flickered to life above the watch-like device, drawing closer for a better look at the AI.
"A most fascinating contraption, Miss Kimiko!" the boy exclaimed, studying the hologram. "What is it exactly? I have never seen anything like it before!"
"It's called a Pokepal." Kimiko explained, fighting a smile at Omi's open curiosity. "Pokepal, say hi to Omi!" Turning to the small boy, the hologram created a thin line of light that scanned Omi's entire face, causing the smaller boy to jerk back in surprise.
"Processing… Processing… Facial Mapping complete. Adding to Memory Bank. Hello, Omi!"
"Hello, small computerized version of Miss Kimiko!" Omi replied, delighted that the hologram could recognize him.
"Pokepals are AIs used by trainers, to make traveling easier. There's all sorts of convenient apps and add ons you can download for them. Like this!" Turning to the hologram, Kimiko addressed the Pokepal once more. "Pokepal, GPS mode. We need to get from here to Dashi's Pokemon Museum."
"Roger! Please wait while the satellites configure the quickest route!" The Pokepal replied cheerfully, disappearing to be replaced with a 'Please Wait' message that lasted for about five seconds before being replaced with a holographic map pinpointing their location, with a red path that led them to the museum.
"Ooooh!" Omi awed, cautiously poking a finger through the map, then pulling back to find the hologram unharmed. "A most impressive device!"
"Yeah, Pokepals definitely come in handy." Kimiko chuckled before taking the lead. "Anyways, the museum's this way. It's a twenty minute walk, so-"
"Wait, we're going straight there?" Raimundo said in alarm. "But we just got here! Let's at least stop for a bite or something before we go to see the old dude."
"You ate on the train!" Kimiko reminded the boy with an air of frustration. "We need to keep moving so we can get this over with and get on the road, right guys?" Turning to Omi and Clay for support, Kimiko found herself met with a matching pair of sheepish smiles.
"Well, actually… I could go fer a bite of somethin' myself…" Clay admitted to the increasingly dismayed girl.
"And perhaps lunch will prove beneficial in the long run?" Omi added, one hand over his growling stomach. Sighing heavily, Kimiko buried her head in her hands.
Boys…
"Alright, fine. A quick bite to eat at a hot dog stand or something, and then we'll head to the museum." Kimiko consented grudgingly, turning to lead the boys into the city.
"Bossy little thing, isn't she?" Raimundo grumbled to Clay, who quickly transformed his laugh into a cough when Kimiko snarled back an "I heard that!"
"I had no idea that there were so many convenient tools for trainers to partake in." Omi confessed to Clay as the boys fell in behind Kimiko, ignoring the way Raimundo taunted the girl in hopes of getting her riled up. "Do many trainers possess Pokepals like Miss Kimiko's?"
"Nah, Pokepals cost a right pretty penny, so only a handful of people got 'em." Clay assured the boy lightly, watching Raimundo laugh at something while Kimiko snarled out profanities at him. "My guess is the little lady got hers as a present. Or she blew a lifetime's allowance on one."
"I see…" Omi hummed thoughtfully. "And what are the capabilities of a Pokepal, other then providing trainers with a convenient map when they find themselves lost?"
"Dunno. You'd hafta ask Kimiko, she seems ta know Pokepals pretty well." Clay scratched his chin thoughtfully before raising an eyebrow at the young trainer. "Why you so interested in that Pokepal, anyways? Ya don't exactly seem like the tech savvy type there, Omi." The smaller boy shot his companion a sheepish grin at the accusation.
"I wish to know everything about pokemon." Omi confessed eagerly. "I've memorized facts, read every credible book in the pokemon world I can find, and always seek new ways to better myself! After all, that is how one becomes a great pokemon trainer!"
"Known' stuff is always good, Omi, but facts and books don't give ya what ya need ta be a good trainer." Clay chuckled warmly. "That takes a little somethin' more."
"Something more?" Omi repeated, giving the boy his full attention. "Professor Fung has told me the same thing many times before. What is this 'something more' that you're referring to?"
"Sorry, Omi, but that's somethin' ya gotta figure out fer yerself." Clay told the boy kindly before hastily stepping forward to interject himself into Kimiko and Raimundo's argument over where they would eat, since a nearby manhole cover was starting to rattle in a very menacing sort of way. Omi watched him go with a puzzled frown and no clue as to what the cowboy was referring to.
Despite being the single most disgusting thing she had ever laid eyes on, Kimiko couldn't bring herself to look away.
"I think its breathing." Omi was the only one of the boys to look up at Kimiko's cautious declaration, eyeing her food with open skeptism as she poked it with her fork a few more times.
"I do not believe so, Miss Kimiko, but you may wish to poke it harder, just in case." The boy finally offered helpfully before turning back to his own meal.
Kimiko twitched at the suggestion.
"What possessed you two to choose this place, anyways?" Kimiko snapped at Clay and Raimundo as she cast a baleful eye at the grimey, greasy restaurant they were currently enjoying a meal at (if one used the term 'enjoying' loosely…).
"Come on, Kimiko, it ain't as bad as it looks." Clay coaxed the girl with a smile.
"Yeah, these kinda of places are actually pretty good from time to time." Raimundo added his two cents as well. "Lighten up a bit, Princess." Kimiko sniffed a bit at the islander's accusation, before freezing when the action sank in and dropping into her seat with a groan.
I knew it. Haughty rich kid attitude is contagious. The girl bemoaned, feeling even more unclean then she did upon walking into the restaurant.
"Miss Kimiko?" Omi said, puzzled at the girl's actions. Sighing, Kimiko gestured that she was okay, sitting up again with a delicate frown at her plate.
"It hasn't killed anyone yet, Kim." Raimundo pointed out to the girl with a wry grin.
"Fine then." Kimiko said grudgingly picking up her fork again to separate some of the food-like substance from the large clump. Bringing it to her mouth, Kimiko hesitated for a moment, which didn't go unnoticed by the increasingly amused Clay and Raimundo. Glaring at the two defiantly, Kimiko took the plunge and swallowed her forkful of food, her face transforming from an expression of trepidation to a look of surprise.
"See? I told you it wasn't half bad." Raimundo said smugly.
"Okay, fine. You win. Happy?" Kimiko rolled her eyes as she took another dainty bite of her food.
"Getting there." Raimundo smirked back, blinking as Kimiko pulled out her pokeball. "What are you doing?"
"Letting Venus out." Kimiko answered, releasing her Charmander. "She needs to eat too, after all." Perking up, Omi crawled over the girl for a closer look at the pokemon.
"That's right!" The small boy exclaimed. "Professor Fung said that you have possessed a pokemon for longer then the rest of us, correct Miss Kimiko?"
"Yeah, that's right." Kimiko said, raising a bemused eyebrow at the boy who was now pretty much in her lap. Normally, a strange boy would find himself in intensive care for touching her in such a familiar way, but Kimiko felt a bit more lenient with the small, excitable boy. He was kinda like a weird little brother who was unintentionally adorable. "My mom's Charizard has eggs every now and then. Usually, we give them to breeders so that the Charmanders can be raised up as starter pokemon, but I got really attached to Venus' egg, so dad let me take care of her. She hatched when I was seven, and we've been together ever since." Turning to the pokemon with a grin, Kimiko added. "Venus, meet the other Chosen Ones! The big guy's named Clay, and that's Raimundo next to him. The one who doesn't seem to understand the concept of 'personal space' is Omi."
"Nice ta meetcha!" Clay tipped his hat at the Charmander as Omi sheepishly snuck back to his own side of the bench.
"'Sup?" Raimundo added around a mouthful of food, making Kimiko cringe in disgust.
"It is quite joyful to finally meet you, Venus the Charmander!" Omi said happily. "Kimiko has said many wonderful things about you!"
{It's nice to meet you three as well.} Venus said, clearly amused at the colorful personalities the boy had. Giggling, Venus added. {They're not quite what we were expecting, are they Kimi?}
"Too true." Kimiko said with a wry smile at the confused looks she got from the three boys, who didn't know what the fire pokemon had said. "Anyways, you hungry, Venus? We were just having a bite before we head out to Dashi's Pokemon Museum."
{Doesn't your father own that place?} Venus asked mildly as Kimiko dug through her bag for the pokemon's food. Kimiko shot the fire pokemon a warning look, making Venus roll her eyes. {They can't understand me, Kimi.}
"Venus…" Kimiko growled back.
{Alright, alright. I won't mention Mr. Tohomiko anymore Kimi, promise.} Venus said, shaking her head in exasperation.
"Better not." Kimiko groused.
"Uh, what was that about?" Raimundo voiced the question all three of the mystified boys were wondering throughout the conversation.
"Nothing. It's personal." Kimiko said dismissively as she finally fished out a plate and a container of Venus' favorite food.
"Riiiight…" Clay drawled, clearly unconvinced.
"Really guys, it's nothing." Kimiko reassured the boys as she served her pokemon. "You guys wanna feed your pokemon, too? I got extra, and it'll save us a trip to the Pokemon Center. Besides, they should get to know each other, right?"
"That's a good idea." Clay agreed readily, letting his Bulbasaur out next to Venus as Kimiko fished out more plates, relieved that the boys bought her distraction. Shrugging, Raimundo freed his Dratini as well, and after a moment's hesitation Omi finally released his Squirtle to complete the group.
{Hello!} Venus said sweetly to the other pokemon. {So you'll be traveling with us as well, huh? I'm Venus! It's nice to meet you! Please take care of me and Kimi!}
{New friends?} Squirtle said, brightening considerably. Grabbing the startled fire pokemon, the turtle brought her in for a bear hug as he let out a loud cheer. {I love to make new friends!} Squeaking, the Charmander struggled to free herself from the Squirtle's grip, but the task was apparently much harder then it looked. Shaking her head, Bulbasaur used her vines to lift the fire pokemon out of Squirtle's hold, making the water pokemon cry out in dismay.
{Enough.} Bulbasaur told Squirtle sternly as she set Venus back down. {You're going to hurt someone, acting like that. It's no way to treat someone you consider a friend.} Pouting, the water pokemon complied, and Venus shot Bulbasaur a grateful look. Storm was less interested in the other three pokemon, instead turning his attention to the tempting plate Kimiko had set down for her pokemon.
{Food?} The Dratini said brightly as he sniffed the high quality pokechow.
"Hey, that's not yours!" Raimundo scolded, snatching the Dragon Pokemon up before it could start eating. Storm whined loudly as he tried to free himself, getting a giggle from Kimiko.
"I guess all boys really do think with their stomachs, huh?" She teased before setting down a plate for the dragon type. "Here. Eat up, okay?" Happily, the Dratini obliged to the girl's orders, earning an exasperated head shake from Raimundo.
"Well, at least it don't look like we gotta worry 'bout 'em fightin or nothin'." Clay chuckled as Kimiko prepared a third plate for Squirtle.
"Yes, it is most reassuring that our pokemon can befriend one another!" Omi said happily, hesitating a moment before taking the plunge. "Perhaps we should take this time to learn more about one another, so we may become friends as well?" Stopping, all three of the older trainers turned to look at Omi for a moment, surprised looks on their faces.
"What do you want to know?" Kimiko ventured cautiously as she filled one last plate and gave Bulbasaur her food. The kid was sweet and all, but she was NOT gonna blow her cover for him.
"Anything. Everything!" Omi insisted. Clay chuckled at the trainer's enthusiasm.
"Well, maybe we should just start off with the little things first, partner. Like where we're from, and our powers and stuff." The cowboy suggested.
"Oh most certainly, Clay!" Omi agreed readily. "I will go first! I am-!"
"We already know you've been in Xiaolin your whole life, cueball." Raimundo interjected dryly, grunting in pain when this earned him a kick under the table from Kimiko.
"Let the kid talk." The blue eyed girl said with a glare before smiling encouragingly at Omi. "Go ahead, Omi."
"Thank you, Miss Kimiko." Omi said, clearing his throat. "While it is true that I am a resident of Xiaolin, it is believed that I was actually born in the Sinnoh region, according to what I've heard from Professor Fung and Dojo."
"Sinnoh?" Clay whistled appreciatively. "That's quite a trip there, partner. How'd you end up at the Academy?"
"I am not completely sure, to be honest." Omi admitted, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "My parents have been missing since I was an infant. No one knows what has become of them, so Professor Fung took me in and raised me. I hope to someday return to Sinnoh to find out more about my origin, and my missing family." An awkward silence enveloped the group after Omi's confession, the three trainers looking at one another for some kind of indication of what they should say to the small trainer. Finally, Raimundo worked up the courage to break it.
"So, what kinda power are you bringing to the table?" the island boy ventured. "I mean, you got water and ice and stuff, right? So what, can you freeze stuff with a touch or something?"
"Oh no, nothing like that." Omi said cheerfully, hopping down to the floor and crouching down. When he straightened back up, he lifted the heavy bench he had occupied- startled Kimiko and all- over his head with just one hand. "My current power comes from my affiliation with fighting types, as you can see. I have enormous physical strength and stamina, and a talent for any sort of physical confrontation." Raimundo whistled at the boy's show, clearly impressed despite his earlier taunts, and Clay looked equally awed at the display. Kimiko, on the other hand, was far less thrilled.
"Great. Think you can put me down now, Omi?" The girl said through gritted teeth.
"Of course, Miss Kimiko!" Omi said cheerfully, dropping the bench back into its former position and climbing back onto it.
{He's not exactly normal, is he?} Venus observed as Kimiko reeled at the sudden landing, earning an exasperated nod from Bulbasaur.
{None of them are, to be honest.} The grass pokemon said wryly, earning a giggle from the Charmander.
"Right then." Clay drawled, shaking his head. "I'm from Pewter myself. Born 'n raised on a Pokemon Ranch just outside the city. Pa and I were part of the watch group that protected the town from rogue pokemon, so I got some experience with pokemon already. My dominant element right now's grass, so I got a right impressive green thumb, and can get the plants ta talk to me, and do what I want em to."
"Talking to plants?" Raimundo repeated with a snort. "Sounds to me like you got jipped."
"Nah, it's more useful then you'd think actually." Clay said, unoffended by the dark boy's comment. Kimiko agreed with the Islander's opinion, but refrained from commenting.
"What about you, Rai?" She said instead, hoping to put of her own intro for as long as possible.
"I'm from the Orange Islands. I was born on Valencia, but my family's part of a pokemon circus, so we've bounced pretty much all over Kanto, and some parts of Johto." Raimundo bragged with a smirk. "And as for my power… well…" Three sets of eyes widened in union as Raimundo suddenly vanished from sight. Before anyone could think to do anything, though, a hand clamped down on Kimiko's shoulder. "BOO!" Shrieking, the girl jumped almost to the ceiling, whirling around to glare death at Raimundo as he rolled around on the floor in laugher.
"Don't DO that!" Kimiko snapped at the brunette, half tempted to kill him when this just made him laugh louder.
"I take it yer power comes from Ghosts, then?" Clay said dryly, raising an eyebrow as Kimiko grumbled 'Should've known…' under her breath.
"Yeah, it really comes in handy too." Raimundo chuckled as he dropped back down into his seat. "You have no idea how great it is to literally be able to disappear whenever you want. I haven't done a single chore in over five years."
"Lovely." Kimiko said sarcastically, still sore over the boy's earlier prank.
"What about you, Kimiko? What kind of power do you possess?" Omi asked eagerly, clearly enjoying this conversation.
"Psychic." Kimiko answered with a small smile at the bald trainer. "It's a total pain, though. I can't really control it at all."
"That why ya popped up outta thin air earlier?" Clay said, bemused.
"Yeah, that's right." Kimiko nodded. "My powers pretty much work on instinct and subconscious. Whenever I'm scared or in danger, it'll teleport me someplace that it deems safe. Earlier was the result of an out of control cart trying to kill me."
"Is what all your powers can do?" Omi asked, sounding a bit disappointed.
"Nah, I can do other things, too. Weird prophetic dreams, accidentally making stuff float, blowing stuff up when I'm mad, hearing thoughts…"
"You hear thoughts?" Raimundo repeated, startled. The rest of the stuff Kimiko said didn't bother him too much, except maybe that 'blowing stuff up' thing, but having someone poke around in his head was just about the last thing Raimundo wanted.
"Not all the time." Kimiko admitted with a thoughtful frown. "Hardly ever, actually. Just once in a while with Keiko. Professor Fung says it has something to do with me being in sync with the other person, but I don't really get it."
"Sounds like a headache." Clay said sympathetically.
"Yeah, and the Professor is almost no help. 'Control over your powers will come in time.' Ha!" Kimiko grumbled as she stabbed viciously at her food.
"Where you from, anyways?" Raimundo asked, realizing that the girl had skipped that part of her introduction.
"Saffron." Kimiko answered with a sigh.
"Don't they have a Psychic Gym there? Couldn't they have helped you?" Raimundo pointed out.
"Yeah, that's actually why my dad and I moved there when I was a kid. I've been banned from there for the past six years, though." Kimiko groused, forcing herself not to blush when the boys stared at her, flabbergasted.
"What did you do ta get yerself banned?" Clay asked in bewilderment.
"I don't wanna talk about it." Kimiko said shortly as Venus giggled quietly next to her.
"Guess that means me and short stuff here are the only ones with powers we can rely on, huh?" Raimundo snickered.
"And pokemon you can't." Kimiko pointed out in an exaggeratedly sweet tone.
"Ah, you're just jealous Fung gave me the Dratini instead of you." Raimundo smirked at the girl, who rolled her eyes and gave the boy an unimpressed look.
"Hardly." She said dryly. "Don't get me wrong, Dratini are cool and all, but I'm only interested in fire pokemon, and I don't plan to waste my time with anything else."
"Right, suuuure. Just keep telling yourself that, Kim." Raimundo snickered.
Kim? Kimiko thought, a bit taken aback. Venus always called her Kimi, but other then that she was always either Miss Kimiko or Miss Tohomiko to nearly everyone she knew.
"You just don't wanna admit that I've got the better pokemon. I mean, dragon types are awesome, and everyone knows it!"
"I disagree, Raimundo." Omi interjected with a haughty sniff. "While it is true that Dragon types are impressive, it is the abilities of the trainer who will ultimately decide the tide of the battle, not the pokemon's type. I, being a much more accomplished trainer then you, and my vastly superior Squirtle will ultimately prove to be the greatest match up here, I can guarantee it!"
"Yeah yeah, keep talkin', cueball."
"Hey guys?" Kimiko broke in with a coy smile. "Not to interrupt your little testosterone feud, but shouldn't you be keeping an eye on your 'Awesome Dratini' and 'Superior Squirtle?' I think they both just wandered into the kitchen." Blinking in union, Omi and Raimundo turned to find their pokemon were indeed missing from the little gathering by their table, leaving only an amused Charmander and an exasperated Bulbasaur. Crying out in alarm, Raimundo and Omi both bolted for the kitchen, just as a series of loud crashing noises erupted from the room followed by vicious curses from the cook. Shaking his head, Clay gave Kimiko a playful smile as the girl fought to control her laughter.
"Wanna sneak out and stick the two of 'em with the bill?" Clay drawled to the dark haired girl, who grinned in response.
"You read my mind." She said, gathering her things as Clay left to inform the waitress that Raimundo and Omi would cover the meal's tab. Bulbasaur obediently followed her master, while Venus giggled and fell in after her hotheaded trainer.
{You know, Kimi, they may not be anything like what we were expecting, but I think I'm going to like these guys.} The fire pokemon said coyly to her trainer, prompting Kimiko to shake her head in exasperation as she and Clay happily left their companions to their 'surprise.'
An army of angry Gyarados couldn't have forced the girl to admit that she agreed with her pokemon.
"Ooooh! A most impressive building!" Omi gaped, craning his neck back as far as he could to try and take in all of Dashi's Pokemon Museum. His voice echoed loudly in the entrance hall, earning him an irritated look from a nearby receptionist. "I had no idea there were places larger then the Xiaolin Academy!"
"Yeah, you'll be seein' a lot of places like that, Partner" Clay chuckled until he spotted the woman glaring at them.
"So, where's this Klofang dude, anyways?" Raimundo asked, looking around to try and find the man they were sent here to see.
"Dunno. Hang on, lemme ask." Kimiko said, heading over to the receptionist before Clay could stop her. "Excuse me, Ma'am? Do you know where-?"
"If you want to buy a museum ticket, then ask the man over there. Otherwise, you and your little study group are going to need to clear out of my lobby immediately." The receptionist cut her off curtly. Kimiko looked startled for a moment, before frowning at the woman in annoyance.
"Actually, that's not what I-!"
"Look kid, we're very busy today preparing for some sort of important guests, so I don't have time to sit around and play twenty questions with you. Either buy a ticket and get out of my face or leave and loiter around someplace else." The woman snapped at the girl before turning back to her computer as a sign of dismissal.
'CRACK!' Jumping, all three boys whirled around to see that large cracks had erupted out of nowhere on the bulletproof glass frames protecting a series of nearby paintings. Their attention didn't stay trained on the glass long, though, when Kimiko brought it back to the front desk by slamming her hands loudly on the marble receptionist counter.
"Listen you stuck up little witch! I don't know where you get off treating us like a bunch of snot nosed brats, but if you don't shut up and LISTEN to me I will make the rest of your life very, VERY miserable! Do you understand me?" The woman looked shocked for a moment before an indignant look crossed her face and she stood up to glare the smaller girl down.
"Excuse me? I have no idea where a child your age got such a god arrogant attitude, but I'll have you know that that is NO way to talk to an adult! Really, didn't your parents teach you any manners?"
"Mrs. Dawson? What on earth is all this yelling out here abou-!" Turning, the four young trainers and the angry receptionist found themselves faced with a baffled looking man in a business suit emerging from his office. The man's confusion quickly turned to surprise though, when he laid eyes on the girl raising hell in his lobby. "Miss Toho-Uuurk!"
Grabbing the man by his tie, Kimiko hastily hauled him back into his office before he could blow her cover, slamming the door behind them and leaving her companions and the receptionist to stare after them, dumbfounded.
"Mr. Hiyashi? What are you doing here?" Kimiko demanded once she released her hold on the man. Mr. Hiyashi chocked and sputtered for a few minutes, before finally finding the breath to answer the girl's question.
"Your father gave me the position of director of this museum last week, when the old one retired. My mother lives in this town, and she hasn't been doing well, so I wanted to be closer to look after her. What are you doing here, Miss Tohomiko?"
"Well, you see, I'm kinda here with those guys out there to see a Dr. Klofang that's supposed to work here." Kimiko admitted to the man, who frowned at her explanation.
"Thaddeus?" Mr. Hiyashi clarified, sighing in a disapproving sort of way. "I'm sorry to tell you this, Miss Tohomiko, but Thaddeus isn't here right now. He got all excited about some big find in the Johto region this morning and booked the first flight there before I even arrived at the museum. It's quite irritating, actually, since he was supposed to meet with the Chosen Ones today before they officially begin their journey."
"What?" Kimiko said, startled. "But he was supposed to show us some kinda old scriptures about our powers! We're not allowed to head off until we see them!" Mr. Hiyashi stared at the girl for a moment, until her words sank in and hit him full force.
"Miss Tohomiko, are you saying you're a Chosen One?" Mr. Hiyashi said in alarm.
"Did I forget to mention that before?" Kimiko said, smiling meekly at her father's employee.
"Yes, I'm afraid you did." Mr. Hiyashi shot back dryly in return, giving the girl a pointed glare before sighing in defeat. "It does explain a few things, though… But to be honest, I'm surprised that Mr. Sotomura let you go off on your own."
"Habiki didn't like it, but he really didn't have a choice." Kimiko explained, shrugging. "I mean, it's not like he can argue much when people are waving a two thousand year old prophecy in his face."
"True." Mr. Hiyashi agreed with a chuckle.
"Anyways, do you have any clue when Dr. Klofang will be back?" Kimiko asked, hoping against hope that the man wouldn't be gone long.
"No clue. We haven't been able to get a hold of him." Mr. Hiyashi admitted, watching the girl slump in clear disappointment. He considered tormenting Kimiko a bit, to get back at her for the bomb she'd just dropped on him, but ultimately decided that toying around with the boss's only daughter was some kind of corporate no-no. "…but I suppose I can take you back there myself to see Dashi's Scroll"
"Really?" Kimiko's attitude did a complete 180 at that, and she threw her arms around the man in barely contained glee. "Thanks, Mr. Hiyashi, you're the best!"
"Anything for the boss's favorite daughter." Mr. Hiyashi chuckled. To his surprise, the girl froze at that.
"Um… yeah, about that… could you not mention me being the daughter of the man in charge of Tohomiko Inc. in front of the guys? I haven't exactly figured out the best way to break that to them yet…" Kimiko said carefully. She couldn't risk Hiyashi blowing her cover, after all.
"Well, I suppose that's alright…" Hiyashi said, looking a little startled at the request.
"Thanks, Hiyashi!" Kimiko grinned. "I'll make this up to you, I swear!" and with that, the girl bounced out of the office and back to her three very confused teammates.
"Thank you for allowing us access to Dashi's Scroll, Mr. Hiyashi! It is most unfortunate that Dr. Klofang is not here to guide us in your stead."
"That's alright, young one, I need to get out of the office more, anyways." Mr. Hiyashi chuckled as he smiled at Omi, who beamed back happily before turning to the others.
"It is mooost lucky that a friend of Kimiko's uncle's college roommate is in charge of this facility. Otherwise we would be down the lake without a canoe!"
"I think you mean 'up the river without a paddle." Raimundo corrected the boy, looking between the older man and the sole female chosen one. Something was definitely fishy about the girl, but he couldn't put his finger on what. Clay seemed to think so too, if the curious looks he'd give Kimiko now and then were anything to go by.
"Is that not what I said?" Omi asked Raimundo, baffled. The brunette buried his head in his hands as Kimiko giggled and Clay shook his head in bemusement. He could already feel this kid giving him a migraine…
"Here we are, kids." Mr. Hiyashi interjected, stepping aside to let the young Chosen Ones into the room he'd just opened up for them. "Dashi's Scroll."
Omi practically teleported across the room to stand glittery-eyed in front of the scroll, while the other three followed at a more leisurely pace. Still, Raimundo couldn't contain his curiosity when he got to the table, and leaned over to study the worn parchment, which eloquently presented the boy with…
"…Scribbles." Raimundo concluded dryly, shooting Mr. Hiyashi an incredulous look. "You led us down here to look at scribbles?"
"These are no mere scribbles, Raimundo!" Omi said, sounding affronted. "These are scribbles of the Pokemon Master Dashi, one of the greatest heroes to ever live! "
"They're not scribbles." Mr. Hiyashi sighed irritably. "It's written in Shengon, the language of the upperclass for nearly a thousand years, which died out around two hundred years ago."
"Okaaay, so we gotta scroll here none of us can read, then?" Raimundo clarified, rolling his eyes. How helpful.
"I can read it." Blinking at the stereo reply, both Omi and Raimundo turned to look at Clay and Kimiko, who were looking at each other in surprise.
"You read Shengon, too?" Kimiko said, raising an eyebrow at Clay.
"Archeology and history are big hobbies of mine, so I learned some of the language ta better understand summa the stuff I studied." Clay explained. "How 'bout you?"
"It was part of my grandmother's 'useless things that supposedly make a woman more attractive to the opposite sex' course she's been feeding me since I was in diapers." Kimiko explained, wrinkling her nose. "I can't believe it's actually coming in handy now, though."
"Can you understand what the scroll says?" Omi asked excitedly before Raimundo could ask the girl how dead languages were supposed to make anyone more attractive. "What does it say? Tell me!"
"Well, Dashi's got a funny way of writin', but I think I can make it out." Clay confirmed before turning to the girl. "How 'bout you, Kimiko?"
"Yeah, his handwriting's pretty legible, even if his phrasing is a little weird." Kimiko said, frowning curiously at the scroll. "And there's an odd poem at the beginning, too. Leap forth Dragon Children unto thy fate/Lest evil awakens to spread wicked hate/That undone shall do once again/To bind the legends and make slaves of men/Honor, Peace, Passion and Life/Must join together to end witch's strife/Take heed though, young ones of legends unknown/For the future you seek is not set in stone."
"Wait, is that talking about us?" Raimundo asked, looking at Mr. Hiyashi.
"We believe so." Mr. Hiyashi nodded. "'Dragon Children' was a name given to the Chosen Ones by Dashi, since the Chosen Ones were said to 'Balance the Elements, but Share hold of Dragon.'"
"So in a nutshell, we all have four of the Pokemon Elements under our control, and then all of us got Dragon as a fifth element." Raimundo translated. "So what's the rest of the poem about? All that stuff about evil and slaves and stuff sounds like a major downer."
"It could be a reference to Wuya, could it not?" Omi said cautiously.
"That's what most scholars thing as well." Mr. Hiyashi sighed.
"Wuya?" Kimiko repeated, looking curiously at Omi.
"A Pokemon Witch alive at the same time as Dashi." Clay explained for the bald kid. "She was said to be the most evil creature to ever exist. Sold her soul for immortality and mastered dark magic that gave her control over Ghost Pokemon. With her army of the undead, she went on to fashion herself as Queen of the World, and even captured the four legendary Golems to do her bidding."
"Wow, so how'd they do away with her?" Raimundo asked, not noticing how Kimiko had gone unnaturally still during Clay's little history lesson.
"Dashi defeated her." Omi said boastfully. "With the help of a Rayquaza he befriended on his journey, he was able to separate Wuya's body from her soul, sealing them both away with powerful magic at different locations which no one has been able to discover. After that, Dashi seemed to disappear, and the world was left at peace once more."
"And what would a thousand year old witch have to do with us, exactly?" Raimundo asked doubtfully.
"No one knows." Mr. Hiyashi admitted. "It might not have anything to do with her at all. However, what we do know is that a great evil is supposed to rise forth in your four's lifetime, and that your powers are supposed to protect us from it. For that reason, you four must travel the world, answering any call for help that you may hear and preparing yourself and your teams of pokemon for the decisive battle that will someday take place."
"No pressure, then." Raimundo grinned wryly.
"Dashi's Scroll contains detailed instructions for exercises that will help you control your powers, and locations he recommends you four visit. For that reason, the museum is lending you the scroll, until you've gained full control of your powers and no longer need its help." Mr. Hiyashi continued, earning confused frowns from Kimiko and Clay.
"I don't see any instructions, Mr. Hiyashi." Kimiko pointed out, scanning the scroll for anything that might help her with her wayward psychic abilities.
"Me neither." Clay admitted, looking to the older man for clarification and getting even more confused when Hiyashi smiled at them mysteriously.
"Omi, could you do me a favor and touch the scroll, please?" Mr. Hiyashi asked the small trainer closest to the artifact. Omi hesitated a moment, afraid of causing damage to something so precious, before carefully reaching out and placing his index finger on the sturdy parchment.
As soon as his finger brushed the surface of the paper, the words began to swirl around on the parchment, as if caught in a whirlwind, rearranging themselves into something else entirely.
"To master fightin' type, a strong sense of focus and discipline are absolutely key." Clay read out loud as he leaned over Omi for a better look at the scroll. "Strength, while good for pushin' others around, is no substitute fer skill, as any fightin' pokemon worth their keep can tell ya. Therefore, use the followin' exercise to learn better control and gain leverage over yer powers."
"Oh, now that's way cool!" Raimundo exclaimed, grinning as he pushed at Omi to try and get to the scroll. "Come on, kid, don't hog it! I'm next!"
"But I'm not finished!" Omi protested, shoving back and sending Raimundo flying across the room and through a wall (Though to be fair, Raimundo phased through the wall rather then being driven through it). "Clay has yet to explained the exercise I must partake in to master my power!"
"Explain later! I wanna learn more about how I can unlock my flying abilities!" Raimundo groused as he suddenly reappeared in front of Omi, grabbing the scroll so that both of them were at each end. Mr. Hiyashi flitted between the two nervously as an impromptu tug-o-war broke out between the Chosen Ones.
"Boys, please!" The man wailed in distress. "Dashi's scroll is very old and delicate! If it were to be damaged-!"
SMACK! BASH!
"KNOCK IT OFF!" Kimiko snarled at Raimundo and Omi, as the two fought against the stars that now dominated their vision, hands automatically going up to nurse the rising bumps on their heads, courtesy one highly impatient female Chosen One.
"I'm thinkin' maybe Kimiko 'n I should be in charge of the scroll, guys." Clay drawled as he rolled the parchment up and stored it in the solid tube that served as its container.
"Thank you, Clay." Mr. Hiyashi said, relief clear on his face as Clay handed the container off to Kimiko to put into her backpack. The girl was about to do just that, when suddenly the scroll started to shake violently in her hands, making her jump in surprise.
Without any warning, the scroll burst out of the container, unraveling itself and floating midair as the words wiped away completely, and a picture formed with a small paragraph of text underneath. Stunned, the four Chosen Ones stared at the floating scroll as Mr. Hiyashi babbled almost incoherently in the background.
"How- What the- Why- But- Never in my life-!"
Slowly coming out of her shock, Kimiko's eyes ghosted over the picture of an oddly shaped stone shooting off animated lightning, and moved down to the words at the bottom of the scroll, her eyebrows furrowing together as she started to read.
"…The Gem of Lightning…?"