After the mysterious incident regarding that secret room, it's back to translating ancient texts we go. Asher and I decided to not tell anyone about the stone tablet yet because of the mysterious encounter that we had and the fact that our instincts were practically screaming that it is not something that we should disclose. It's going to be a secret among the two of us until we cracked the secret on what is written on the stone tablet.
Nobody other than Asher could identify the type of language that was etched on the stone tablet that I brought back from the secret room. According to Asher, it is a language known only to be used by one of Unova's lost civilisations. The thing is, there is very little to be found when it comes to that particular civilisation, the Efru civilisation. Nobody really knows much about their culture, religion, and even lesser knows the language they used.
Thankfully, Asher had compiled a series of what he knows about old and forgotten languages of lost civilisations into a book and he said that his book will have what we need to translate the ancient language on the stone tablet. It's like he made his own dictionary regarding ancient languages. He had left the site to go back home to retrieve said item for us. I remain at the site, translating documents after documents of ancient texts within one of the numerous tents that were set up there.
I still could not explain why I am the only one who could enter the secret room. Blob said that the pokemon who set up the psychic barrier had to be at least on the level of a Mythical or a Legendary and that only those who were meant to enter could enter. That barrier was set at least hundreds of years ago.
So why? Why me? Nobody could have predicted my existence hundreds of years ago, could they?
And then the voice I heard in my head when I first picked up the stone tablet in that room. It was so soft that I could have written it off as some sort of hallucination but I know that I wasn't hallucinating. Something had definitely spoken to me that day. I just don't know what that something is.
It's creeping me out.
I put aside the ancient book whose contents I had been helping to translate. I had only just finished translating this book. I stood up and stretched myself. I should probably go out for a walk to relax before going back to work.
"Yo, Nova! Done with translating another book?"
"Yup!" I replied with a skip in my steps. "Once we're done with translating we can go in-depth into the interpretation of the history behind the documents! I can't wait for it!"
"I swear, with the rate you are translating those ancient texts I would have believed if people told me that a machine was the one behind it. You are too damn fast, girl!" Another Unova archeologist, a middle-aged man with a bushy beard, laughed out loud. "Slow down! You are making us old timers look bad!"
I did not manage to form a reply this time for something that I would have never expected to happen, happened.
The ground shook as a loud explosion happening from somewhere faraway could be heard. Many of us fell to the ground from the tremor, me included.
"That was from the direction of Lacunosa! What happened?!"
All the way from Lacunosa? The ruins we are at is right outside at the edge of town. If the tremor here is that bad, I don't want to think how much worse they have it there and- Shit. Asher is there, isn't he?! Pretty sure a few members of our excavation and archeological team are there too!
In any case, as far as I know I'm the only decent trainer around now that Asher is absent. I need to take charge of the situation.
"Everyone, listen!" I quickly stood up and released my entire team, who quickly went alert upon hearing the tone of voice that I am using. "Gather everyone and move back away to Point C where it is the furthest from town! I don't know what is happening at Lacunosa but it cannot be anything good! Do a quick headcount and quickly contact whoever is not here with us right now! Do not, in any circumstance, leave without protection! I will protect our work and your lives as best as I can! Trust me!"
There were still a few people who were in a daze and it was only when the older and more experienced members got them out of their stupor did people start to react. I quickly instructed my ground types to raise walls of earth and create defensive bunkers to protect everyone from whatever may come in case they are coming. We are only starting to really dig into what the ruins really contain so even we have no idea how valuable our research is. However, it is not unheard of for bandits or the likes to come and steal our work once we unearthed them.
In any case, we may very well be a target.
After they were done with creating small individual bunkers, it didn't take long for my ground types to raise a gigantic dome of earth that covers the entire site and shield it from any possible external threats. It will be dark inside the dome but the archeological teams have lamps and many other sources of light to use. They will be fine.
"Vision, scan the area! Seis, Terra, I'm leaving the detection to the both of you! Rest of you, shape the entrance of the dome such that there will only be one way in and out and that will be through us! Be on alert!"
Like I had commanded, with the dome now fully built and functional there is only one entrance in and out of it and that is through where we are guarding it. My claydol's psychic powers will be enough to detect anything we couldn't see. If there are any hostiles approaching by foot my whiscash and torterra will be able to sense them through the vibrations of the earth.
'Incoming.' Blob helpfully mentioned in my mind. 'A group of ten. They are the ones who just laid a siege on the town, I'm still working on getting the specifics. It will take some time to learn more about the perpetrators given the lack of any Cells here and my current pathetic state. You are on your own, commoner, I cannot fight the way I am now.'
"Thanks, Blob." I thanked him before barking out a command for my team to get ready. I don't know how he just knew about things sometimes but I am not going to question it right now.
As it turns out, Blob was spot on. A group of ten trainers with funny looking cultish uniforms that reminds me a little of medieval knights soon appeared, their pokemon already released and charging at us in a frontal attack.
Team Plasma, huh?
The whole world knows about them. A non-government group that borderlines a zealous and fanatic cult in an attempt to "liberate" all pokemon from trainers. The only reason why they aren't designated as a villainous group or a terrorist organisation thus far was because technically, in legal jargon, they had done nothing so far to warrant such a label. They are dancing just right out of grasp of the law. However, their ideologies are potentially dangerous given what they actively preach and how far their influence had spread across the Unova region. Thus, even though it is with great reluctance that the Unova League were unable to slap the illegal label on Team Plasma due to legal reasons, they had been keeping a careful eye on them.
I guess after today, Team Plasma will officially be designated as a terrorist organisation given what they are doing right now.
"Bulldoze!"
Berg unleashed a powerful Bulldoze that forcefully hindered Team Plasma's charge. That was the unspoken signal for pokemon on both sides to launch themselves into battle. Core and Jaws led the team as they stormed ahead. I'd like to see those Team Plasma goons try and take on a furious garchomp and a tyrantrum. These two pokemon are feared for a reason. They are ridiculously powerful as a species.
"Mantle! Split them!"
Upon my command, my gigalith raised walls of stone with such a rapid speed that it took Team Plasma by surprise. With just one move, we successfully separated the Team Plasma trainers from their pokemon. It's easy to tell at a glance that the group of Team Plasma trainers have nothing much to write home about when it comes to their individual skills. Their pokemon are not that well-trained. Without anyone giving them instructions on what to do, the Team Plasma's pokemon were soon confused on what to do and were starting to fall into disarray. The rest of my team easily cleaned up the battle while Tinen went to swiftly knock the Team Plasma members out.
"Vision! Anymore coming?!"
My claydol replied with a negative. Guess Team Plasma might have underestimated my strength, thinking that sending only ten trainers would be enough. Well, I'm not going to question my good luck and accept it for what it is.
"Make sure they cannot move."
My pokemon began to shift the earth and wrap it around the fallen Team Plasma grunts and their pokemon before compacting them to such an extent that it hardened to be as tough as rock. There's no way they are getting out of this without external help. Now that I know the excavation site is likely to be safe, my mind now has the luxury to wander over to those who we know are in Lacunosa right now. Are they safe? Do they need help?
Unfortunately, I'm stuck here because I'm the only one left to protect the work of the archeological team and the lives of the members here. I will have to place my faith in Asher to protect those who are in town.
Hopefully, they will be alright.
In loving memory of Asher Dandolos. Beloved son, courageous trainer, and a brilliant historian. That is what it says on his tombstone.
I don't have the full picture of what truly went on at Lacunosa. All I knew was that Team Plasma had staged a siege on it for reasons unknown to the public. The survivors of Lacunosa all said that Asher was instrumental in defending the town as long as he did. It was what brought down the casualty rate to the lowest before reinforcements arrived. If it wasn't for him, things at Lacunosa would have been a lot worse. To the survivors of the Lacunosa attack, Asher is a true hero, one worthy of respect.
I feel the same way too. How many would willingly subject themselves to mortal danger just to protect people who he never knew? Asher is a true hero.
A few members of our archeological team had died in the attack, Asher included, and we are all here to pay our last respects. On that fateful day, a total of a hundred and two had died in Lacunosa due to Team Plasma's actions. Safe to say, they are now officially a legally recognised terrorist organisation.
However, as incredulous as it sounds, many people are still defending Team Plasma because of their religious belief that they share with them. Dealing with Team Plasma while taking note of the public sentiments is definitely going to be a pain for Unova, but that is no longer my concern. It's not like I can help anyway. I'm just a historian and I am not an Unovan.
Thanks to the attack, the Unova League had suspended any research activities that our archeological team had for an undetermined period of time because it is obvious that the excavation site was one of Team Plasma's targets too. Everything that we had uncovered so far were handed over to the League and further research will only be conducted later when everything has died down. The ruins will be guarded by trainers from the League.
The only thing I didn't hand over was the stone tablet.
I don't know why I did it, but I just had a feeling that keeping it with me was the better option. I don't even know how to explain other than the fact that a sixth sense of mine was practically screaming at me to keep it to myself.
So, I did just that, even if my actions are technically illegal.
However, without the book Asher promised to bring there's no way I could crack the ancient language of the stone tablet. I don't know how else I should proceed but maybe my uncle would know an expert or two in cracking codes. Maybe he can help.
My holo caster beeped, showing me a written text message from my uncle. After the attack on Lacunosa it's obvious to everyone that Unova is no longer safe. My uncle, being the worrywort that he is, wants me to get out of there as soon as possible.
At this juncture, I am inclined to agree. Unova is definitely no longer safe.
Knowing that I needed something to keep myself busy to take my mind off recent events, through his connections, my uncle had found work for me in Johto to help in investigating the famous Ruins of Alph. I cannot help but smile at the thought. The Ruins of Alph. He really does spoil me.
There was a knock on the door of the hotel room. I opened it, only to spot Shannon. Her slightly puffy eyes told me that she obviously had been crying and she's wearing a full black. I had heard that she was with Asher at Lacunosa when the attack happened and that she had seen him die in front of her eyes.
I wish I could do something for her, but I don't know what I should do.
"Hello, Nova. If you do not mind, can we have a talk?"
"Yeah, sure." I invited her in.
Little did I know, this meeting was what marked the turning point of my life.
"I see. If he hadn't went back to take-"
I cannot help but blame myself a little when I had heard from Shannon just how Asher had sacrificed himself. He was at Lacunosa only because he went back to take his self-made dictionary on ancient languages for my use. I know it is unreasonable to blame myself for his death, but I can't help it. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be there at Lacunosa and he wouldn't have died to Team Plasma.
"If it's anybody's fault, it lies with Team Plasma." As if sensing my thoughts, Shannon quickly cut in. "But Asher was so excited about learning what was on that stone tablet. I thought that the least I could do now is to deliver his book to you so that we can find out what it says."
As it seems, Asher had told Shannon about the existence of the stone tablet right before the attack happened. Since the stone tablet wasn't on the list of items handed over to the Unova Pokemon League, Shannon had guessed that it was still with me because I'm the only other person to know of its existence. That is why she came to find me.
"I'll do it. It's the least we can do." I replied immediately. If finding out the truth behind the stone tablet was what indirectly caused Asher's death, then the least I could do is to solve the mystery behind it. Shannon had managed to find Asher's dictionary during all the chaos during the attack on Lacunosa and had brought it with her to find me. With the dictionary in hand, I can probably crack open the secrets on the history of the stone tablet.
At least, we can learn a thing or two on what was etched on it.
I sat down and put the stone tablet, Holo Caster, and Asher's dictionary on the table and got to work. Upon flipping open the first page I already knew that Asher must have put in a lot of effort in creating this dictionary. There is a detailed content page on the very first page and there are at least fifteen different types of ancient languages that he had decoded and documented. Some of these languages are not commonly seen or known to man.
For him to go through all this effort and compile a dictionary like this, he must have put in a lot of effort into his work in studying the histories of ancient civilisations. The neat and meticulous way he created this dictionary says it all.
It didn't take long for me to identify and find what I needed in his dictionary. Like he said, this language belongs to the Efru civilisation. I also used this time and quickly scanned the entirety of Asher's dictionary into my holo caster as holographic images. I also scanned the ancient stone tablet too.
"Parts of the text on the tablet are missing because they were eroded due to time, but it should be enough for us to find out the gist of what is written on it." I explained as I began to translate what is written on the stone tablet onto a blank piece of paper with a pencil.
"In times of … seven otherworldly sages-"
My eyebrows rose a little higher when I began to translate the first few words using the dictionary Asher left behind. The Seven Sages, huh? Who would have thought that this stone tablet documents the history of the Seven Sages?
I had researched a little about the legends of the Seven Sages in my free time after my conversation with Blob that day. The Seven Sages is a pretty famous bedtime story in Unova, talking about how in ancient times when the world was in turmoil, seven people stood up to help defend the world and bring peace to the lands. These people would later be known as the Seven Sages.
As with all myths and legends, there are people who claim this to a fictional story, but there are also an equal number of Unovans who believed it to be true even till today. Team Plasma itself also has seven highly intelligent people from all around the world to fill the role of the Seven Sages and serve as their spiritual leaders, claiming that these seven people are the chosen ones destined to lead the world towards peace under a worthy King. Using the story to back the legitimacy of their deeds and reasserting that the story is true, Team Plasma self-proclaimed themselves as the next coming of the Seven Sages, the saviours of the world. The way that they are going about doing the saving is by liberating all pokemon.
Whole lot of bullshit, in my opinion, but there's really nothing I can do about that.
I continue to mindlessly translate the words on the stone tablet and it was when I got further into the first sentence did I realise what the stone tablet really is talking about.
"-will be called upon, displaced and reborn from the cycle of death, they will rise to… each sage -"
Displaced and reborn from the cycle of death. Reincarnation? Myths and legends about reincarnation in this world aren't all that rare, it happens in almost every religion even back in my own world but if it is this stone tablet, then things change.
I was the only one who could find it and bring it back out. The psychic barrier that protected this stone tablet only allowed me to enter, proving that Blob was right. The secret room can only be entered by those who were meant to enter it and I was the person meant to find and enter it. I was wondering why that was the case but now that reincarnation had been brought up…
'Everything in this world is a cycle. What goes around comes around. Even your existence is a cycle, the Seven Sages.'
Blob's words to me that day suddenly rang in my ears once more, words that I had written off as nonsensical ramblings.
'What's important is that coincidentally, we are now in Unova, the place where it all started. You want to know the truth about your unnatural existence? Unova's legends of the Seven Sages, go check it out. Everything is a cycle, everything and everyone is linked to each other in an endless cycle. Everything is unrelated but at the same time, related to each other.'
This is a little bit of a far stretch, but had people of the past actually somehow foretold the possibility of my existence and left this stone tablet just for me to find? Impossible, right?
Right?
In any case, I have to find out more about the legends of the Seven Sages. For once, Blob's words don't sound like nonsensical ramblings any longer.
I have to get to the bottom of this.
"Nova? Nova?"
"H-Huh?"
I was brought back to reality when Shannon lightly shook my shoulders to snap me out of my thoughts.
"You seem lost in thought. Are you alright?" Shannon asked in concern. I quickly waved it off.
"I'm fine. It's just that…"
Shit. How do I explain my weird behaviour from earlier without coming off as being overly suspicious? Already, she is looking at what I had translated so far on that piece of paper.
"In times of … seven otherworldly sages will be called upon, displaced and reborn from the cycle of death, they will rise to… each sage -"
Given what Blob had said about my unnatural existence and the legends of the Seven Sages, I'm not exactly sure if I want to continue translating the stone tablet in Shannon's presence. What if the contents of the stone tablet somehow contained more information about me that I don't want to share with others? I had already left my previous life behind. I was fine with that. So why is it coming back to haunt me now of all times?
Damn it. Nothing's going right.
I took a glance in Shannon's direction, only to realise that she is somehow on the verge of a panic attack.
"-non? Shannon? Shannon!"
When she is not responding, I had no choice but to lightly slap her on the cheek to get her attention. I know she was shaken by Asher's death but even then, her reaction just now was not natural. Why would she have a panic attack simply by staring at the uncompleted sentence that I had translated thus far?
"What happened? You almost had a panic attack!"
I helped her to quickly calm down as my thoughts about the stone tablet went forgotten in favour of getting Shannon to relax and calm down. Shannon had been through quite a lot in Lacunosa and I would not be surprised if she ended suffering from some sort of PTSD after experiencing what had happened there. She needs some support.
I wasn't expecting her to suddenly blurt out the last thing I would expect her to say.
"D-Do you know about… t-the… United States of America?"
What?
No way. How would she know about America? That tidbit of knowledge shouldn't be known by anyone else but me, unless-
She's like me.
I stared at her, dumbstruck. Could it be? It couldn't be, but…
In any case, I have to get to the bottom of this. This is not time to second guess. It's sink or swim now.
"... I also know about China. Australia. New Zealand. Asia. And many more."
I decided to throw all caution to the wind and indirectly tell her about knowledge that only people from my world would know. I knew I had my answer when she simply stared at me in silence. She didn't need to say another word and neither do I. Our reactions had already told each other all that we needed to know.
We are the same. We are both reincarnated souls.
"N-Nova?" Shannon broke the tense silence when she finally struggled to speak up. "W-What's going on?"
I gave a tired sigh.
"I don't know, but I think we should continue and find out."
Not that I'm unhappy to see that I'm not alone in this world, that there is actually someone else like me out there in this world, but this is still really not my day.
I soon got back to translating whatever is still readable on the ancient stone tablet and wrote it on that same piece of blank paper. There were certain portions of the text that had eroded and became unreadable but soon, whatever I could translate appeared in front of us and we read it together.
"In times of … seven otherworldly sages will be called upon, displaced and reborn from the cycle of death, they will rise to… each sage holds power that mortals know not, each having a unique strength… unite the world, liberate the world from chaos and bring about a new dawn… different titles:
Shadow, Vanquisher of Darkness
Flier, Symbol of Courage
Traveller, Companion of Chaos
Leader, Incarnate of Lightning
Scholar, Eye of the Mind
Watcher, Embodiment of Earth
Guardian, Protector of Lives"
And damn if this doesn't scream spooky and ominous.
"W-What does this even mean?!"
Shannon's response was understandable. Even I cannot help but have the same thoughts as her. We are both equally agitated, frustrated, and afraid but freaking out right now will not be of any help.
"Calm down, Shannon. Freaking out doesn't help anyone! I'm equally lost too! I thought I was the only one!"
"I wasn't even a true fan of pokemon back in… those times!" Shannon hissed back. "Why am I even here?! Seven Sages?! Unite the world?! Liberate it from chaos?! BRING ABOUT A NEW DAWN?!"
"Can you just calm down for a second?!" I shouted back, my frustration boiling to an all-time high due to what the stone tablet possibly meant, that reincarnated souls are people who are destined to be the Seven Sages. "Fact is, we are already here. And if what the tablet says is to be believed, there are five more people out there in this world like us. What are we going to do about it?"
"I don't want to have anything to do about it. I don't even know that Unova existed until I came here!"
"Same for me. I don't even know if Kalos was a region that was in the games from back then. I didn't play the games that far." I admitted. "I don't know what is going on and why we are here, but maybe they know."
I pointed to the seven titles written on the paper.
"Look, this is what I think, if we exclude the forsaken land that is Orre, there are also exactly seven regions that made up the world that we currently know. Somehow, everything is about the number seven. Seven Sages, seven regions, you with me so far?"
I paused for a moment for Shannon to catch up to my train of thought and the logic which I'm running by. After staring at the translated text for a short moment, she turned to look at me.
"You mean, there is one of us to be found in every region."
"That's what I'm suspecting because both of us are born in different regions." I quickly threw out my speculations. "I'm also doing a wild guess here, I have no real clue on what to do about this new information."
"And how are we supposed to find them? Even if we want to find the rest of them and see if they have answers, how? How are we going to identify them? We cannot possibly go around and ask random people if they know what America or China is! There's too many people to ask!"
I sighed and facepalmed. I'm too tired to deal with something like this.
"I don't know, Shannon. We barely know each other and now we found out that we are the same kind of people. All I wanted to do was to do what I like and uncover the history of this world."
"I just wanted to be an ordinary researcher." Shannon groaned as she covered her face with her hands.
When both of us are finally done freaking out, we looked at the translated text once more.
"I should be the one that holds the title of Scholar." Shannon spoke up after a moment of silence, catching my attention.
"What makes you so sure? Simply because you are a researcher?"
"No, that was what every wild psychic type referred me as when they talked to me through telepathy. They called me the Mind's Eye. Mind's Eye. Eye of the Mind. That's no coincidence."
I turned back to look at the translated text, spotting the title of Scholar, Eye of the Mind. My gaze went further down and I spotted it.
Watcher, Embodiment of Earth
I broke out in cold sweat. Wasn't Embodiment of Earth what the unknown voice referred to me as when I was in that secret room?
Now I'm certain. This isn't some mere coincidence. There are too many facts that I cannot ignore. Reincarnation. The accuracy of the titles and the supernatural events that I had experienced in that secret room. I was called the Embodiment of Earth by that unknown voice and I was the only one able to enter that secret room. Blob's revelation that day, where he told me that I was related to the legends of the Seven Sages and then this stone tablet appears to prove it just days later.
This definitely is not a coincidence.
Oh fuck me. Am I really destined to be one of the Seven Sages or some shit like that? I have no desire to be one! And what if Team Plasma found out about this?! They will definitely come hunt for my head as soon as they know about it in order to solidify their standing and power in the region! Religion is what gained them so many devout followers because people believed in the legends of the Seven Sages and their cause, terrorist organisation or not. If I just straight up reveal whatever this stone tablet has it will cause a collapse within the different factions of Team Plasma and I have absolutely zero interest in getting myself involved with it.
In any case, I pointed to what I think is my corresponding title and told Shannon about it.
"In that case, I should be the Watcher, the Embodiment of Earth. I have an unnatural affinity for ground types, which is why I became a Ground Specialist in the first place. Ground types just seemed to love me."
"Wait, unnatural affinity?"
"Yes. I can… understand them. I don't know how, I just can." I tried to explain my gift as best as I can without trying to think too much about what we just learnt from the stone tablet. "It's not like I can understand them word for word, but I somehow know what they are talking about on a very instinctive level. Wild ones, trained ones, even those captured by other trainers. I can understand them as long as they are ground types."
"My affinity is with psychics. My beheeyem said that I am special to them." Shannon quickly responded which caught me by surprise. So she has an affinity towards a certain pokemon typing too? Just like me? Oh dear, I have no idea if I want to rejoice at the fact that I am not the only weirdo on this planet with such a gift or curse at the fact that we reincarnated souls are more alike than I am comfortable with.
Shannon continued to talk, unaware of what is going on in my mind.
"So, if we assume that words like Darkness, Courage, Chaos, Lightning, Mind, Earth, and Lives are actually referring to pokemon types, then-"
"Each of the other five people, people like us, also have some sort of… super power. Unnatural ability. Whatever." I said with a wave of her hand, just wanting to get this creepy revelation over and done with. "We just need to find out what types they are and which region we can possibly find them in. If we even want to find them."
"Actually… why not?"
"Why yes?" I questioned as I pointed at the translated text. "This whole thing just screams ominous to me. In times of…? I bet the missing word is chaos, or something similar. Nothing good will come out of it if all seven of us come together. It's like fulfilling some… some sort of prophecy or something!"
"What if we have to find each other?" Shannon countered. "We both know that us having a second chance is no accident. Why had we not found out about this sooner? Why is it you who found this tablet and nobody else? Why do we only find out about this now, when Asher's dictionary just so happens to be in my hands and I met you here in Unova?"
Tried as I might, I could not form a reply because I know that she is right.
"Maybe you are right." I reluctantly admitted. "I was the only one who managed to enter that room and take this tablet out. No one else could enter."
"Jesus Christ. All I wanted was to research pokemon." Shannon muttered as she sat back down onto a nearby chair and visibly sagged. "What can I even do to... what? Save the world? Be a hero? Claim that we are the true Seven Sages? Team Plasma will silence us even before we stepped out of the door if they get wind of this."
"Then we keep this a secret. With my uncle's connections I can send this stone tablet back to Kalos without anyone finding out, secure it under lock and key in the most protected vault of Lysandre Labs. Asher's dictionary cannot be left behind, we need to destroy it. I had already memorised what I need to know to translate similar languages."
It pains me to physically destroy Asher's work, one that he completed after much blood, sweat, and tears, but this one time, I have to be selfish if I do not want my secret and Shannon's to get out. If word about this stone tablet and our reincarnated status does get out, nowhere would be safe for Shannon and I against Team Plasma's wrath because our very existence undermines their legitimacy. I'm also very sure that Shannon and I sure as hell don't want to be worshipped as a Sage nor do we want our loved ones to find out who we really are.
So, we have to erase as much evidence as we can.
"What? You already memorised the entire thing?"
"Photographic memory." I shrugged. "I got lucky, I guess, to be born with something like that in this life."
"Real lucky." Shannon grumbled before asking me another question. "Should we try to crack as much as we can about the remaining five? I'm sure we can deduce something out of this."
"Let's start with the first one then." I replied. Might as well try to figure out as much as we can since we are already at it. "Shadow, Vanquisher of Darkness."
"Sounds so ominous." Shannon muttered before going silent once more. I can see that she was probably reminded of something from how she has that faraway look in her eyes and I don't want to disturb her train of thoughts. But when her silence got a little too long I had no choice but to call her name again.
"...Shannon?"
"I think I know who this Shadow person is." Shannon visibly trembled before looking back at me. "Grimsley, Grimsley's eldest son. Asher's older brother. Grimsley mentioned that his eldest son displayed an unnatural affinity for dark types, dark types are just attracted to him somehow. B-But Grimsley lost him in Kanto to a fire about a week after he was born. His body was never found. There wasn't even a name for him because his parents never got around to decide what to name him until that incident."
"But what if he never died in that fire?" I quickly offered my view on things because what Shannon told me alone contains many suspicious points that should be further scrutinised. "I think it's not a far stretch to say that for both our cases, we are loved and protected by pokemon that belong to a certain type. For you, it's psychic. For me, it's ground. For Grimsley's son, it's dark. If he was so loved by dark types to the point that there will always be one or two watching him from some unseen corner, maybe he was rescued from the fire by a Dark type without knowing who he really is."
"And he would most likely still be in Kanto, because that's where Grimsley lost him." Shannon added after realising the point in which I'm trying to drive at.
"Probably. So that's one out of the way. There is another one of us in Kanto with an affinity for dark types, so this is what we will be looking out for if we ever go to Kanto."
We both fell into another period of brief silence until Shannon spoke up again.
"Call me crazy, but what if the order of the titles listed here happens to be the same order as which regions were first united by their respective champions right before they came together under the Pokemon World League?"
I turned to stare at Shannon, mouth closing and opening without a sound because damn, that speculation of hers actually makes some sense the more I think about it.
"What makes you think that way?"
"Look." Shannon pointed at the respective titles as her finger slowly went through each of them one by one. "Kanto was the first region to be united, followed by Johto. Together, they created Indigo. That is a piece of history that everyone knows. Assuming that Shadow really is in Kanto, then it means he is currently staying in the first region to ever be united and his title also happens to be at the very top of the list. Hoenn was united next, followed by Sinnoh, then Unova, Kalos, then finally Alola. My title of Scholar is the fifth one, your title of Watcher is the sixth. The order fits."
I stared at the translated text and took some time to think about what Shannon said. I could not find anything to argue against her logic.
"I think you are right. This is too much to be a coincidence. So, the Flier is in Johto then? Symbol of Courage?"
"Flying types." Shannon answered immediately. "The title given is Flier, so it should be flying types."
"It would." I agreed. "In ancient times flying types are also sometimes seen as a representation of freedom, righteousness, and courage. It would fit."
My finger went down to the next title.
"Traveller, Companion of Chaos."
"That… I don't really know." Shannon said with a sigh. "Chaos can mean anything. Companion of Chaos doesn't sound like anything good, to be honest."
"But if chaos means a certain pokemon typing, then it only means that this person has a high affinity for a certain type of pokemon. And this Traveller probably travels a lot too, and is from Hoenn."
"My beheeyem call dark types creatures of the void, so it's not dark types, and Shadow is probably the one with an affinity for dark types anyway. Vanquisher of Darkness and all that, which… I don't know. Why would he vanquish his own affinited typing?"
I shook my head and explained what I know to Shannon. Translations are not always 100% accurate.
"I think it's just a matter of grammar. Certain meanings of the words have been lost to translation. This is the best I can do. Grimsley's lost son being the Vanquisher of Darkness made a lot of sense to me. Grimsley is a renowned Dark Specialist. Furthermore, Shadow was born in Kanto."
"Are we telling Grimsley ab-"
"No." I replied immediately. A fellow reincarnated soul like Shannon finding out about my secret is fine, but no way I'm risking the chance of anybody else finding out my secret.
"Okay. I feel the same too. I don't want anybody else that is not people like us to find out about our status too." Shannon quickly replied, probably feeling a little afraid from how I had snapped at her just now. "And about this Companion of Chaos… Maybe it refers to ghost types? The energy they emit has been referred to as chaotic by many researchers worldwide."
"So someone in Hoenn who possibly has an affinity for ghost types." I nodded in understanding. Well, that explanation actually made sense. "Next. Leader, Incarnate of Lightning. The pokemon typing for this one is pretty obvious."
"Affinity for electric types, but why Leader?"
"I don't know why, but the first thing I thought about when I saw the word 'Leader' was Gym Leader." I shrugged in response. "Since this title is the fourth in line, does Sinnoh have-"
The both of us turned to face each other in perfect unison when we hit upon the same thought at the same time.
"Volkner."
"Last I heard, he retired from his position as Gym Leader and disappeared about a year ago." I added. "It was right after he played a vital role in protecting Sinnoh and dealing a crippling blow on Team Galactic. Nobody knows where he disappeared to."
"We don't even know if Volkner is the person we are looking for. Leader can mean many things. There are many types of leaders."
"Sinnoh. Lightning. Leader. Tell me this is a coincidence."
"I… Alright, you have me there." Shannon conceded. "Let's see if we have any way to track Volkner down. I don't think we can straight up contact the Sinnoh League and ask for Volkner's phone number, they will just throw us out. We need to think of something else."
"Let's think of how we are going to interpret the last one." I turned Shannon's attention back to the very last title. "Guardian, Protector of Lives."
"I have no clue, Nova."
"Neither do I. This is too vague. Many pokemon protect each other in their natural habitat even if they are from a different species, it is a behaviour observed in all pokemon types. This can mean anything."
"The only thing we can make an educated guess about is that this Guardian is from Alola, and has an affinity with a specific pokemon type like us."
"I have to leave Unova tomorrow." I spoke up after a brief moment of silence. "We'll destroy this book and the translated text. I can use my uncle's connections to send this tablet to Kalos without anyone else knowing and secure it in the safest vault Lysandre Labs can offer. We need to exchange numbers too. This whole thing is giving me goosebumps and I don't want to deal with this alone. Anything new we find out about this, we inform each other."
Shannon agreed and we quickly got about doing what we need to do to hide this secret. Throughout it all, I cannot help but feel so small, that I'm merely a piece on the chessboard, that some divine entity up there had placed me here for a very specific purpose.
Hopefully, this will be the one and only spookiest encounter I would ever have in this life.
Character and pokemon list:
Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre
Pokemon on hand:
1. Mamoswine (Berg), Male
2. Golem (Crust), Female
3. Excadrill (Solid), Male
4. Golurk (Drift), Genderless
5. Garchomp (Core), Male
6. Claydol (Vision), Genderless
7. Whiscash (Seis), Male
8. Marowak (Tinen), Female
9. Torterra (Terra), Female
10. Gigalith (Mantle), Male
11. Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male
12. Aurorus (Sail), Female
13. Sandile (Rumble), Male
14. Unknown creature, self-proclaimed Zygarde (Blob), ?
Asher Dandolos, Age: 19, Male, Dark Specialist, Historian, Son of Grimsley of Unova Elite Four
Pokemon on hand:
1. Absol
2. Bisharp
3. Greninja
4. Spiritomb
5. Krookodile
6. Scrafty
7. Mandibuzz
8. Liepard
9. Cacturne
