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Chapter 4:The Elemental Trials, Part 1
The week after my departure could be considered both pure heaven and total hell. I loved mastering all these new powers I had, creating weapons out of different elements, having my strength and reflexes increased beyond any normal human's limits, and even increasing my resistance against the heat and cold. Of course, my training wasn't what one would call pain-free. Mewtwo had made sure of that. He had good intentions, I could tell; but his training was viscious! I'll be damned if he didn't increase my pain threshold, though.
Right now, I was resting in the entertainment room, playing Green Grass and High Tides with Darkria, Groudon, and Deoxys, all of us on expert. Okay, technically, THEY were playing it. I was the singer. Even with my enhanced reflexes, I doubt I could have lasted too long on bass. Then again, I haven't actually tried. Eh, maybe some other time.
"Daaaaaammmnnn,"I muttered as Darkria finished the second solo and we went into the finale. I simply breathed into the mike as the others went Primeape on their instruments and eventually hit their final notes. Our scores appeared on the screen.
"96, not bad,"Deoxys said, admiring his own score. His human form consisted of a red shirt with blue stripes on the sleeves and a pair of regular blue jeans. A small, blue, and rounded jewel hung from his neck on a string. I had learned that it wasn't the actual jewel that was normally in his chest, he just thought it looked good. I had to say, it actually went well with his attire.
"Dude...how the hell did you 100 percent that?"I asked Darkria, who smirked.
"I guess I just have a natural talent,"he said with a shrug. I looked back at the screen, noticing I had gotten 95.
"Your percentage is pretty good, too,"Groudon commented."Not as good as my 97, but still pretty good."
"Eh,"I muttered, not bothering to point out the arrogance in his voice."I just wish I could keep up with the rythm of the..."I paused and closed my eyes, trying to think."Clapping...thing..."I hit my hand on the mic, trying to demonstrate what I meant.
"Tambourine,"I heard Deoxys say. I pointed a hand at him.
"Thank you."It was then that I heard a familiar voice in my head.
"Please report to the meeting tower,"Arceus voiced politely, and that was it.
'That was short,'I couldn't help but think, then looked to the other three, who were looking amongst themselves."Hey, guys, I have to--"
"We know,"Darkria said calmly. He and Deoxys returned to their normal forms as Groudon stood up."Us too."
"Oh,"I said. Obviously, it didn't occur to me that he had called all of us."Well, then. See ya there."They nodded. Darkria sunk into the ground as Deoxys flew out, Groudon running after him. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I floated off the ground and rose to the ceiling, phasing through it with my not-so-new ghost powers. As I flew towards the large tower, I met up with Mew and the Latis. Anubis was sitting on Latios' back.
"Hey, Ken,"the blue dragon said to me. I waved in response.
"'Sup?"I asked, floating on my back.
"Not much,"Latios said.
"What do you suppose Arceus wants?"Latias asked.
"Probably something to do with me,"I muttered with a shrug."The whole damn week has been about me. This shouldn't be much different."I looked towards the tower.
"True,"Mew said as the Latis nodded."But why do you hate being the center of attention so much?"
"Because when everyone was paying attention to me back in school, it was something bad. Nobody really liked me too much,"I muttered. I sensed what felt like a lot of suspicion coming from them, and looked back to see them giving me strange looks, all except for Anubis, who seemed to be somewhat nervous. Even HE knew where this was going...
"And why is that?"Mew asked, the usual cheer in her voice absent.
"Because I could talk to Pokemon,"I told them flatly, flipping rightside-up. Their eyes widened, then they looked down and away from me. I could sense that they were feeling rather shameful now. Dammit, should have just kept my mouth shut. Why can't I learn to control myself!?
I looked away as well."...Sorry..."I muttered."I just don't know what to say sometimes, since I don't have much in the way of social grace."
"No, it's our fault. We're sorry,"Mew said sadly, the Latis nodding silently."We shouldn't have been suspicious. You're a good person."I faltered in my flight after hearing that.
"Are you alright?"Latias asked worriedly as I straightened up.
"Did-did you just apologize to me...?"I asked, feeling rather confused. They looked backed at me with raised eyebrows.
"Um, yeah, what's wrong?"Latios asked.
I paused for a moment."Nobody's ever apologized to me before..."I admitted. They blinked at me. I laughed bitterly."Pokemon ARE better than humans."I looked forward with narrowed eyes, not meeting thier gaze."You're stronger, smarter, and all around more compassionate than any human I've ever met. We're such a stupid race..."They said nothing after that.
We reached the tower, the four of us flying down to go through the doorway. I wanted to just phase through the wall instead, but I stopped myself, remembering not to abuse my power too much. No telling what could happen if I got out of control with them. Anubis jumped down next to me right after I landed, walking to the center of the circle just like last time. I looked up at the Alpha Pokemon, not nearly as nervous as the first time. Looks like Groudon was right after all...
"How are you feeling, Ken?"he asked.
I shrugged."Pretty good, I suppose. Certainly better than when I first got here."He nodded.
"Do you know why we're here?"
"I can't read you're mind, so no, I probably don't,"I said honestly."I do have a question, though."
"Oh?"
"Why is it that all this power hasn't driven me insane?"I asked."I mean, sure, I'm the chosen one, but this kind of power would normally drive a person bonkers in a matter of hours! Why not me?"
"Simple,"Arceus told me."Mostly the same reason you are able to talk to our species. When you were conceived, your DNA formed in such a way that, while still human, it was also very similar to the DNA that allows pokemon to harbor their power."My eyes widened.
"Really?"I asked, intrigued."I figured magic had something to do with it, not science."He smiled.
"Who's to say it wasn't magic that formed your DNA?"he asked. I just blinked wordlessly."While many believe that magic and science can't co-exist, the two can work in ways that most mortals could never imagine."
I tilted my head."Interesting..."I muttered, then remembered a part of what he said."Wait, you said 'mostly.' Is there another reason?"He looked at me with a somewhat mareepish expression.
"Well, it's partially because your brain is rather large for a human's, and, well..."he paused for a moment."You're already somewhat insane." Anubis and the Legendaries started snickering. I probably shoud have felt offended, but...
"You know, I honestly can't disagree with that,"I muttered slowly. I shook my head, putting it behind me for the moment."So, what exactly are we here for?"His expression became a bit more serious.
"It is time for your...'Final Exams', so to speak,"he told me. His eyes glowed for a moment, then a shimmering portal appeared in front of me."Through this portal, you will be tested in a number of different ways."I raised an eyebrow.
"Would you care to elaborate?"I asked. He smirked slightly.
"Not really,"he said. I rolled my eyes, then nodded and cracked my neck.
"Fine,"I said, pulling goggles over my eyes.
"Good luck, buddy!"I heard Anubis say. I walked into the portal.
XXXX
The light was blinding, even with my goggles. I would probably hate it if I had to go without them.
And what should happen next, you ask? Why, my clothes replaced themselves with my armor, of course.
AWESOME.
Fortunately for my eyes, the light quickly replaced itself with a grassy field that looked very peaceful.
"Nice..."I muttered under my breath. I blinked once, sensing someone near me. But before I could look, a voice spoke.
"Too bad it's not real."I looked down to see Shaymin staring out at the field as well.
"So, it's an illusion?"I asked. She nodded and looked up at me.
"Have a seat,"she said, taking a few steps back from me. I took her offer and sat down cross legged.
"So, what's my first test, ma'am?"I asked. She laughed a bit.
"No need for formalities, Ken,"she said."You should know that by now."I shrugged.
"Well, you are the great healer and one of my teachers, so I just wanted to be polite,"I told her. She shook her head, still smiling.
"Great healer, where do you humans come up with these names?"she said."Alright, you're first test. As you can probably tell, I am giving your grass test."
"Naturally,"I said.
"Now tell me, what does grass represent in terms of life?"she asked. I blinked at this, the brought a hand to my chin. Let's see...how does grass relate to life? Well, grass is sedentary and stays in one place, so it can't represent moving forward. Grass is always the same and never really changes during growth, so it can't represent...
Wait a minute, that's it!
"Growth!"I said with grin. She raised an eyebrow.
"Explain, please,"she said.
"Well, grass, like trees and other plants, are always growing, they don't do much else,"I said."But growing and maturing is very important to life. Without either, well..."I shrugged."We can't really expect to do much with ourselves. If we can't grow, we can't evolve and better ourselves. Might as well be dead."She smiled.
"That's right, if not somewhat morbid,"she said with a chuckle."You've passed your first test. But you've still got plenty more to go."Another portal appeared to our right.
"Lovely,"I remarked with a rueful smile, standing up and stretching. I walked towards it, but paused and looked back at her."I don't suppose I can get my goggles back, eh?"She shook her head.
"Sorry,"she said. I sighed and turned, walking into the portal."Good luck!"I heard her shout.
XXXX
I blinked in surprise, looking back and forth. I was now underwater, in what looked like an endless sea. I looked up, but didn't even see the surface. I was surprised there was any light down here.
"I'm going guess this is the water test,"I muttered. Fortunately, I had gained the ability to breathe underwater, so I didn't have to worry about drowning any time soon.
"Hi, Ken!"a small voice behind me shouted. I turned around and saw Manaphy swimming towards me, a couple of Phione flanking him."Are you ready for your next test?"
"Sure, let 'er rip,"I said.
"Alright, what is the nature of water?"Manaphy asked. I raised an eyebrow and looked down.
"Hmm,"I mumbled. Alright, water can be used for a lot of things. Powering electrical devices, drinking, bathing, swimming, but I doubt that's what he wants to hear. In a natural environment, water can be in all three forms of matter, depending on the environment itself, so it could be something like adapting. Nah. Water never stays the same. It's always changing between solid, liquid, and gas, so...
I snapped my fingers as an idea came to me."I've got it! The nature of water is change!"I think I saw Manaphy try to hide a smile.
"Go on,"he pressed.
"Water is capable of taking three forms: liquid, solid, and gas, which is more than can be said for most other things,"I started."As a liquid, water flows and gives life and death to all living creatures, depending on how much of it there is. Aquatic Pokemon live in it and make their homes there, while land creatures use it as a source of nourishment and energy.
When it reaches a certain cold temperature, though, water freezes, turning into ice. Some creatures are capable of surviving in this cold, and can use the ice as a source of water, but it's alot more difficult because of the seriously cold temperatures. Due to this cold, life that grows on the ice is tough and hardy, alot like the Sneasel family and other ice types, because they always have to search for more food due to the scarcity, again due to the extreme temperatures. Just like liquid water, the ice supports life, though in smaller quantities and different ways."
"And?"Manaphy asked, tilting his head.
"I was getting there,"I said calmly. "Finally, water can become a gas when heated up enough. It can become steam, or just water vapor, depending on the temperature."I shrugged and continued."And while no life can really thrive on this gas, the evaporated water contributes in some extent to the planet's atmosphere, allowing all creatures to continue breathing it instead of... well, sucking on the vacuum of deep space."I shuddered a bit after saying that."And once that vapor reaches a certain point in the air, where the temperature has cooled again, the vapor condenses into water and falls as rain, nourishing plants and giving water back to the world. And while this rain can cause floods if there's too much of it, in the right quantities it continues to support life. Water in all its forms is a giver of life and a bringer of death, I suppose, and that's its nature, just like change. Water is capable of using its life-giving properties in just about every form, whether it's a liquid, solid, or gas. Water's nature is change, just like…"I blinked, realizing something."Just like life itself, isn't it? Water can be seen as a metaphor for life!"
"You are smart!"Manaphy said, grinning widely. Another portal appeared."Keep that up and you'll be done in no time!"
"Thanks,"I said with a nod, then swam (underwater, remember?) through the portal.
XXXX
The next place was...weird. Really weird. I was floating in a strange world of shifting, psychodelic colors. And floating in circles around me were the Unown. Aw, crap. These guy's were scary. They always acted very childish. They were incredibly smart, though. It seemed that the only person who knew more than them was Uxie, which made sense, when you think about it.
"Hi!"they all sang. Yes, for some reason, whenever they spoke, they sung, which I found to be rather freaky sometimes.
"...Where are we?"I asked, believing I wouldn't like the answer.
"This is our hooooome!"
Ten points for me.
"This place looks like the middle of a drug trip,"I said blandly.
"That's why we like it!"they sang happily. I shuddered. These guys could give me worse nightmares than Darkria ever could...
"So, what test are you guys giving me?"I asked, trying to stay calm, or at least, sound calm.
"We're giving you the bug test!"they sang."We picked it ourseeeeelves!"I raised an eyebrow, then snapped my fingers in realization.
"Oh, I get it. It's because you're a hive mind, right?"I asked with a smile.
"Nope!"they sang."Dialga and Palkia and all the other big guys call us bugs all the time, so we picked it!"I sweatdropped.
"I...see,"I muttered, wishing I could back away from them. But since they were all around me, that wasn't really an option at the moment."Well, let's get it over with."
"Okay!"they sang. For a moment, nothing, then the Unown seemed to blink into different places. I shook my head once.
"What the-?"I muttered.
"Congratulations! You passed!"they sang out. I blinked.
"But...I didn't do anything,"I said, very confused.
"Yeah, you did!"they sang."We just erased your memory of it!"
"...Why?"I asked.
"Arceus told us our test disturbed you aaaalot,"they sang."So, he asked us to erase your memory of iiiiiiit."I paused.
"...That really doesn't surprise me,"I muttered, then saw a portal appear below my feet.
"Bye!"they sang. Without warning, I dropped like a stone and shouted as I fell through the portal.
XXXX
The next area was almost as strange as the last. I was standing on a large rock floating in the middle of dimly lit world. It seemed that everywhere I looked, dark, grey mists would be there. There were rocks floating around me in random places and shapes, dotting the strange darkness.
"Hello, Ken,"a voice said from seemingly nowhere. If it weren't for my psychic senses, I wouldn't of known where that was coming from. I looked up to see Giratina in her origin form, drifting down and stopping in front of me.
"Ghost test?"I asked.
"That's right,"she said with a nod.
"Alright, then,"I said."Let's hear it."
"You are aware of how ghosts very much like to scare mortals, do you not?"she asked. I nodded."Tell me, other than that, what other reason could mortals be fearful of spirits?"I crossed my arms and looked down in thought.
"Well, there's the fact that people always expect ghosts to scare them,"I said, then looked back up."But that's not what you want to hear, is it?"She shook her head."Didn't think so."I looked back down."Why would people be scared of spirits...? Maybe..."I blinked, thinking I might have it."Maybe because spirits are a reminder..."
Giratina tilted her head."Keep going."
"Ghosts and spirits....they're a reminder of mortality,"I said, looking back up at the ghost dragon."Spirits used to be living creatures, they breathed, they ate, they slept. But they don't once they've died. People may fear ghosts because they know they'll soon become one themselves. Mortals become so used to things of the material plane that they don't want to let it go. But..."I sighed."Death...it's not really an ending. Ghosts are proof of that. It's just...a change. Granted, it's a huge change, but a change either way. Some people don't handle change too well, but it's something we all have to go through. No matter what. People are afraid of ghosts because they remind us of the change that we all must go through, whether we like it or not."
"Excellent!"Giratina said."Very well said!"Another portal appeared."To be able to learn and accept these things is what can make life all the better. Go, and never forget the things you've learned from these and future tests."I nodded, walking into the portal.
XXXX
Again, I was floating. But not in the water, and thankfully not in a psychodelic dimension. I was just floating in a wide blue, cloud filled sky, not a single hint of earth to be seen.
"Well, this is relaxing,"I muttered with a small smile. Suddenly, I heard the sound of many large wings beating. I turned around see Ho-oh and the Legendary Birds. I nodded at them as they surrounded me.
"Let's get down to business, shall we?"Ho-oh asked.
"Let's."
"Now, what does the sky represent?"Ho-oh asked.
"Freedom,"I said right off the bat, not needing to give it a second thought."For some reason, people tend to say that the sky's the limit. That's a bold faced lie. It's the exact opposite. The sky is no limit, gravity is. But we still need it, 'cause too much freedom can be a bad thing, as strange as that may sound."
"Wow,"Articuno said, sounding impressed."Good job."
"You're exactly right,"Moltres said with a nod.
"Us bird pokemon and other flyers have an unspoken agreement that losing our ability to fly is worse than death,"Zapdos said.
"You've passed our test,"Ho-oh said, another portal appearing."You're pretty impressive for a human."I scoffed.
"Like that's something to be proud of,"I muttered, floating through the portal, sensing a small amount confusion from the birds for a brief moment before I disappeared into it.
XXXX
Cold.
Very, very, very cold. Snow was all around me, a seemingly endless blizzard blowing from everywhere at once.
"OKAY, REGICE, I GET YOUR POINT!!"I screamed over the icy winds."IT'S THE ICE TEST! NOW TONE IT DOWN, WILL YOU!?!"Thankfully, the blizzard came to a halt, revealing the enigmatic ice Legendary."Was that really necessary?"
"I figured it was appropriate,"she said, shrugging her strange arms. I rolled my eyes.
"Can we just get this over with?"I asked."I'm sure you already know I'm not too fond of the cold."
"Even though your resistance to the cold has improved dramatically over the past week?"she asked, her voice sounding like something sliding along ice.
"Doesn't mean I like it anymore than before all this,"I told her.
"Well, you'll be happy to know you've already passed the ice test,"she said, another portal appearing. I blinked in surprise."You passed it back during Manaphy's test. Remember your little speech about water changing to ice? That answered the question I was going to ask you."
"That's convenient,"I muttered, waving to her as I walked through the portal.
XXXX
"Holy crap, now it's hot,"I said, looking around at the volcanic surroundings."That's really not a whole lot better."
"Then what do you say we get started?"a deep voice asked behind me. I turned around to see Entiei watching me from a few yards away.
"I'd like that,"I said with a nod."So, let's hear it."He seemed to raise an eyebrow.
"'Hear it'?"he asked, then shook his head."I'm afraid your tests are going to be bit a more physical from this point on."
"...I really don't like the sound of that,"I muttered with a frown. He shrugged.
"Sorry,"he said."Are you ready?"I cracked my knuckles and nodded. He raised his front left paw and stomped, causing the ground between us to rumble a bit before collapsing, revealing a narrow path of lava between us. I stared at it blankly, then looked up at the fire beast.
"You've GOT to be kidding me,"I said, dearly hoping I wasn't right about what I had to do.
"Nope,"he said simply. I groaned, holding my head. I had done something like this during my training, but this path was quite a bit longer, plus the heat from the surrounding area certainly wasn't helping. I sighed, focusing my energy to my feet as I had done before in order to increase my resistance to the heat. Once I was sure I was ready, I tententively took my first step onto the molten rock, hissing as the heat travelled through my foot. I carefully continued along the burning path, not breaking my focus for a minute. As I walked forward, I noticed Entiei watching me carefully. After what seemed like an hour, (but was really only a few seconds) I managed to reach the fire beast, sighing as I was relieved from the heat.
"Well done,"he said, yet another portal appearing.
"Uh huh,"I muttered, walking through the portal, and thankfully leaving the heat.
XXXX
I was now in what seemed to be a dark cave, the only light coming from torches along the wall.
"Okay, this is either the rock, ground, or dark test,"I said calmly. I saw something moving in the darkness. I smirked."Hello, Darkria."A single blue eye appeared, then the pitch black pokemon floated into the light.
"Ken,"he said with a nod.
"Okay, so it's the Dark test,"I said."So, what do I do?"
"We're going to play a little game of hide and seek,"he said, the torches going out.
"Uhh..."I muttered trying to look around.
"You can't trust your eyes,"I heard his voice echo."And you can't trust your ears."I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm."And because I'm a dark type, you can't use your psychic powers to detect me."
"And yet you can see me perfectly, am I right?"
"Exactly."
"That's just magical,''I muttered sarcastically. I closed my eyes and took another deep breath, keeping totally still. I supposed that I needed to use my other senses if I was going to find him. I felt the air shift just slightly behind me, and spun on my heel to catch something inches away from my head."Gotcha."I heard a chuckle, then the torches ignited again. I let go of his arm as another portal appeared.
"You've passed half of your tests so far,"he told me."And the rest may be harder still."
"You can only imagine the joy I feel at those words,"I deadpanned. Sighing, I walked through the portal.
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End of Chapter.
Again, I would ask that you reveiw.