Chapter 2
Jubilife Village
Early the next morning I was awoken by the gentle touch of cyndaquil brushing her snout against my cheek. Her chirps of pleasure warmed my heart as I stretched out shaking off the early morning tiredness.
"Good morning quill!" I whispered, rubbing my face affectionately against hers. Having such a great start to my day was exactly what I needed, and cyndaquil's cheerful companionship really made a difference.
Standing up I noticed that lying at the foot of my bed was a neatly folded pile of clothes and a few berries, no doubt put there by Pesselle in the wee hours of the morning. That woman was clearly a force to be reckoned with—superseded by none in both heart and strength. After finding a suitable place to change I decided it was time for me to do some exploring.
"What do you think cyndaquil? How do I look?" I asked my new partner as I twirled around. The outfit Pesselle had chosen for me was a simple kimono made from smooth rich material in a deep shade of black. No doubt this would not only help me feel more welcome in this new world, but it would also help keep me protected as I adjusted to the new environment. Not to mention the beautiful fitting clothes were much more appealing than the ones I had been wearing since I had been brought to the village.
After receiving cyndaquil's approving chirps, we sat together and shared a morning breakfast, and once we were both fully satisfied, I picked up my things and headed out of the room to find Professor Laventon.
"My girl!" The cheerful voice of the professor called to me from across the hall. "An early riser! That's the spirit! Exactly the kind of person we need here in Jubilife Village."
"Good morning Professor Laventon!" I replied, to his delight.
"Good morning!" He answered back, sticking one of his hands out to wave me over to him from where he had popped his head out. "I was just on my way over to see how you were doing when I heard you and cyndaquil out in the hall. Please, why don't you come into my office? We have plenty to discuss."
The inside of his office was a cozy sort of place. The type of space you would find anyone who had an affiliation for reading and particularly one who was fond of education. The ground was covered with all sorts of things from piles of books, to half way filled up journals, and even the occasional invention was littered throughout the crowded space.
Something inside me felt so comfortable there, almost as if I had been there before. However, reasoning told me that there was no possible way I could have been in this room since I had only been in this village for a few days. Could it have something to do with my lost memories? I wondered.
"I hear from the Medical Corps that you have been cleared to return to normal village permits." He began, as I found myself perusing his many books and journals. He himself was currently flipping through his own volume, something that must've been of a great interest to him.
"That's great!" I exclaimed, "I haven't had the chance to speak with Pesselle yet. She seems to always be off taking care of someone." I stated.
"That woman is a one woman army—let me tell you!" Professor Laventon exclaimed, blushing slightly as he glanced over at me to see if I caught on to the feelings he was trying hard to keep to himself. I merely stifled the smirk that was beginning to spread across my face.
"Your secret is safe with me." I amusingly replied, to his utter embarrassment.
"Hrm. Well, back to how you are feeling." He quickly slid in, hoping to divert our conversation. "Are you well enough to accompany me out on a little assessment?" He asked.
"That would be great professor!" I replied
"Very well then, let us head back to Prelude Beach." He announced. "There the assessment will begin!"
The sound of the waves sent a chill down my spine, and the closer we came to the waters the more I recalled every uncomfortable feeling of waking up in an unfamiliar place with absolutely no memory. If the professor was indeed picking up on my uncertain feelings he showed no sign of it.
"Kyoshi, what can you tell me about pokémon?" He began the moment we arrived on shore.
"Pokémon are the creatures that inhabit our world. They are various in species, and vast in number. Not much is known of their origin, or what they are truly capable of. There is a lot we have yet to learn about them." I answered, feeling slightly nervous.
"You are correct. They are powerful creatures, and not much is known about them." He began, "You know—I am a scientist. It is my job to observe and explain all the various phenomena of the world. Which is why I brought you here today. You see, I am putting together a team of people who have a unique talent for observation, and I can't help but wonder if you were sent here to help me out with this goal."
I listened to him intently; he was after all a very unique individual—equal parts brilliance and heart. "What is it that you want to accomplish? I asked out of curiosity.
"I have a dream—to compile a complete record of this region's pokémon. A document I have deemed the Pokédex—as I so fondly call it. It is a wonderful work of research, containing detailed information about every creature from the number of them caught to the types of moves they are capable of learning. The amount of information we could gather on them is completely endless; however, I have one stipulation. You must search out all pokémon."
Without fail, my heart leaped in my chest upon his final words. Suddenly the otherworldly voice echoed in my mind, "Kyoshi, seek out all pokémon!" Looking towards the professor, I met his searching gaze. He was hoping for an answer to his request, not a man capable of reading minds.
"Are you asking me to join your research team?" I replied.
"I would be crazy not to take advantage of such an opportunity when it so miraculously presents itself." He responded, and continued, "But I can understand your uncertainty. With us here there are different types of pokémon; however, due to my discoordinated skills I have not yet been able to secure them into a poke ball. The cheeky little creatures keep finding ways to elude me, which brings us to the reason why we are currently standing on Prelude Beach."
"Here, take these poke balls." He said as he handed me a dozen of them.
"And so it begins!" he shouted, "Your mission is to catch as many pokémon as you can, and report back to me when you are finished."
I nodded in understanding.
"I will be watching you from a distance. To observe as much as I can and to also keep out of your way…" He admitted with a light blush spreading across his cheeks.
"Okay! What do you say cyndaquil? Are you ready to catch some pokémon friends?" I asked as I kneeled down to speak to her, and as I guessed she would, cyndaquil's determined response showed me her desire to accompany me on this mission.
Prelude Beach was a beautiful place, but not exactly teeming with pokémon life. It seemed that most pokémon tended to stay away from the Galaxy Expedition Team, and in this case Jubilife Village. Still, not every pokémon was so cautious to keep away from the little village that was nestled so comfortably into this corner of Hisui.
Looking around it was clear to me that most of the water type pokémon chose to stay further offshore, so there would be no easy catch there. Perhaps I could have better luck with a flying type? They were usually everywhere living in the trees and bushes that so vastly made up most of the vegetation in this part of the Hisui region.
"Cyndaquil, keep your eyes out for any flying types." I asked her, as we walked past what appeared to be an abandoned shack. "We might come check that out later." I noted out loud, looking back at the rundown building we just walked past. "Ghost types love places like that; however, we have a better chance at catching one at night than we do right now."
"It looks like we're coming up to a good spot!" I excitedly whispered. "There's got to be at least a few flying types in those trees up ahead, and if we're lucky maybe even some type of water pokémon will be playing in that small pond over there!" Doing my best to keep close to the rocky wall and tall grass, I crept up to the densest section of trees and bushes. "I think I hear something." I whispered to cyndaquil, who was very quietly pressed close to my side. Sure enough fast asleep in the hollow of one of the old rotted trees was a fluffy little owl pokémon. "Alright cyndaquil, get ready for a battle just in case this doesn't work." I instructed her, as I reached for one of the poke balls Professor Laventon gave me.
Ever so cautiously I crept forward until I was barely covered by the long grasses on the edge of the tree line. The owl pokémon was still sound asleep, giving me the perfect opportunity to aim my throw. So, holding my breath I launched the poke ball directly at the sleeping pokémon, and to my utter delight I made direct contact! After a few seconds of anxious waiting the rumbling stopped. I successfully caught my first pokémon!
"Yes!" I exclaimed, running up to retrieve the ball. In my excitement I mildly forgot that more pokémon might be nearby, and any loud noises might give away my location and frighten them into hiding. However I was still too excited to become discouraged. "Look cyndaquil," I said, kneeling down to show her the ball. "We caught a new pokémon!" I announced as cyndaquil let out a few of her excited chirps.
"On to the next one." I stated, scanning the environment for any signs of movement. "Looks like our next best place to check out is over there by the pond." I said to cyndaquil, nodding in the direction of the water, and just like last time we crept over to the water. Staying hidden in the grass and shadows, until we finally had a good vantage point to see the entire pool of water. Luckily there was another young pokémon enjoying the morning sunshine as they floated on top of the pond completely oblivious to our deliberate stalking.
It was an adorable white and blue otter, who was currently preoccupied with smashing a few of the things it held in its paws with the shell that it kept attached to its belly. I couldn't help but smile as I watched it from the spot where I was hidden.
"Alright here we go again!" I said, loud enough for only both of us to hear. Quickly I took my aim, being careful to not give away our hiding spot as I moved to throw the ball. Just as last time I held my breath anticipating a successful catch again. Time always seemed to slow as I watched the poke ball move around unsteadily in the shallow waters, and fortunately after a few seconds longer of a wait it finally stopped moving. "Yes!" I exclaimed much louder this time, reaching down to pick up cyndaquil in the utter excitement. Together we celebrated the catch twirling around in a cheerful embrace. "We did it, Cynda! We caught another pokémon! Professor Laventon is gonna be so excited! I can't wait to show him!" I exclaimed, laughing with her as she rested against my chest.
"Two down, and who knows what else we'll be able to find!" I said in excitement. "Where do you think we should look next?" I asked cyndaquil, looking down at my partner next to me. We had been meandering around the same area for a few minutes relishing in the excitement of the catch. We even were checking out all the low bushes and trees for more pokémon; however, we hadn't found anything just yet.
Cyndaquil looked up at me, her gaze focused on mine. "What are you thinking?" I questioned, knowing I wouldn't be getting a literal response. Just then she began pawing at my clothing, "Cyndaquil what are you doing?" I asked, as she roughly tugged at my kimono, then with a frustrated huff she took off, rushing through a thick bush and just like that she was gone.
"Cyndaquil! Cyndaquil!" I called, hoping I wasn't being too loud and scaring away my chances of catching any more pokémon. "Where did you go?" I said, hoping for some response.
As I pushed my way through the underbrush I found myself stumbling over a few of the tree roots which protruded from the surface. Catching myself before I completely fell to the ground, I decided to take a glance around assessing the environment. A few feet in front of me was a small open space, which curved around a short slope that supported a few fruit trees and some small bushes. It looked as if something had recently slipped through an opening in the least dense parts of the brush.
"Okay, I think I get it now." I whispered, as I cautiously approached the grounds from the height of the slope. "You want me to catch you." I said, peeking around the trunk of a tree.
Cyndaquil stood in the center of the clearing, raised up on her back legs sniffing the air for my scent. She hadn't yet picked up on my location. "Alright," I whispered, "here goes nothing." As I moved out from behind the tree, my opportunity quickly presented itself. Cyndaquil was facing the opposite direction, so without any further hesitation I sent another poké ball out watching as it soared towards her—hoping I would not miss.
"Beni, old chum! Three rounds of potato mochi! We are celebrating today!" Professor Laventon proudly announced as he and I took a seat outside of The Wallflower.
"Who is the third plate for?" I ask out of curiosity.
"Rei," he answered, "he needed to attend to some business this morning—orders from Captain Cyllene. He should be here shortly." He explained.
"Oh, okay." I responded, rather awkwardly hoping the professor wouldn't notice my growing discomfort.
My mind was currently replaying the moment I first saw him after my accident, and all my unsettled feelings were starting to stir up again. I was slowly reliving those moments of loose consciousness as I came in and out of sleep. My mind being filled with faces that I did not recognize, and yet they brought me much comfort to see. However everything seemed to be so encapsulated by a shroud of foggy haze I couldn't make sense of any of it!
"Kyoshi," Professor Laventon warmly spoke, catching me completely off guard, "there's nothing to worry about." He said, with comfort in each word. "You are adjusting, and any questions you have will be answered in time. Talk to me about whatever it is you're struggling to process in that intricate mind of yours." He finished, giving me his most sincere smile.
"There's my girl!" He humorously quipped when I began to smile back.
"Potato mochi for three!" An elderly voice spoke from behind me, "Professor Laventon." He said in greeting as he set the most delicious looking plate down in front of the professor. "Here's a plate for Rei of course." He said next, setting the food down in the spot next to the professor, then he finally looked at me.
As I made eye contact with the man whom the professor had already introduced as Beni. I noticed he was clearly well advanced in age, but not by any means old. There was a sharpness to his eyes that held more strength in them than most of the villagers she had met. In fact, he reminded her an awful lot of Commander Kamado.
Glancing between the professor and I, he had yet to set a plate down in front of me. "The Wallflower is for the Galaxy Team only." He said very coolly, careful not to cause a scene. "We don't have seats for outsiders." He said without once breaking eye contact with me.
"Beni," Professor Laventon began with a slightly disappointed note detected in his voice. "Kyoshi here is my guest, please; treat her with the same respect we offer to all of the Jubilife villagers."
"Have you heard the grave news?" Beni asked, his eyes narrowing as they took on a rather dark haze.
Professor Laventon tensed sitting straight up in his seat, "Now, let's discuss this another time." He abruptly said, clearly containing his agitated emotions in the hopes of avoiding any further awkwardness.
Beni scoffed, clearly opposed to the professor's desires. "That frenzied Kleavor ended up mauling more of the Galaxy folks who went out to investigate it." He defiantly stated, casting an accusatory glare at me. "How many more innocent lives will be at risk to fix a problem that shouldn't even be our responsibility to solve?" He spat out, glaring at Professor Laventon who was returning the agitated glare.
"That's enough Beni. Leave Kyoshi out of this." Laventon stated. "You are sharing classified information and it's nothing we need to concern her with."
"Nothing we need to concern her with?" Beni yelled, "This girl here fell out of that there hole in the sky!" He pointed angrily up at the space-time rift which stood out like an open wound in the sky.
"And you think that this is nothing for her to be concerned with?" He added, "The same lighting that struck that pokémon, caused him to fall into his terrifying frenzy, and has injured our own came from that same hole in the sky!" He yelled even louder, and then glared back at the professor.
"Laventon, I expected more out of you! What do you mean by bringing this lot into our village?" He said, pointing at me with the same anger he showed towards the space-time rift. "Every day that she is here, you could be putting more of our people in danger!" He accused the professor.
Suddenly Professor Laventon slammed his hands down on the table. "Enough!" He yelled too, standing up to emphasize his feelings. "Kyoshi had nothing to do with Kleavor's frenzy!" He said, glaring at Beni who now stood silently meeting the professor's gaze.
"A further investigation is currently in order," He stated, "the Survey Corps is stepping up to the task as we speak. Captain Cyllene has already sent out one of our own to gather any information the Diamond and Pearl Clans are willing to share to aid us in our research." Professor Laventon finished, his look clearly warning the old canteen owner to add no further comments.
Having taken the hint, Beni gruffly put the last plate of food in front of me, and as the professor resumed his seat, he walked away grumbling beneath his breath.
"I'm so sorry you had to witness that." The Professor said as soon as he sat back down. I merely stared blankly in his direction. What did I just witness? I wondered as my body trembled completely unsettled by all of the information that was just thrown at me.
"Kyoshi…" he quietly spoke, reaching out to put his hand on my arm.
At the moment of his touch, all of my emotions I was struggling to contain burst inside me, and the tears that had begun to well up in my eyes flowed freely.
We sat in silence together for some time; him calmly waiting as I sobbed into my hands, as my heart spoke in the silence of my tears, and his in the silence of his company. Although something like this would usually result in me wanting to run off, my body would not let me go. Maybe out of kindness? Because where would a stranger like me go anyway? I belonged nowhere and to no one.
Suddenly a familiar feeling stirred me to calm the steady tears that were collecting like a pool in my hands. A soft and gentle snout brushed the back of my hands, until all was steady within me.
"Cyndaquil." I whispered, pulling the little fire pokémon into a gentle embrace. Her familiar cooing warmed my heart, and although a few more tears escaped my eyes I was starting to feel better. "Thank you, Professor." I said when I had finally calmed down enough to speak.
He still sat quietly for a while, looking at both cyndaquil and I with a deep sadness in his eyes. "The path you have been put on is not one very many will envy." He finally spoke, pushing his full plate of food away from himself. "Take comfort in my words Kyoshi, you are the strongest person I have ever known." He admitted with absolute certainty in his voice.
"Some of what Beni said is true." He stated, with no emotion prepared to share the information with me as mere facts. "You did fall down to us from the space-time rift, and the night of your fall a strange and supernatural lighting struck the land of Hisui. A team of our most qualified members were sent out that night to investigate, and they did not come back. Word was sent to us the following morning that they had been found near the place where Kleavor—the lord of the woods—as the Pearl Clan has titled him makes his home."
I listened intently as he regaled to me all of the information that had been news known to only a few Galaxy members for the past several days. Information I wished I had known from the beginning.
"So they were severely injured?" I asked, even though Beni had been upfront about the condition they had been in once they were retrieved.
Professor Laventon nodded.
"So it is true." I stated dryly. "I appeared out of the space-time rift."
The professor merely kept quiet as I continued. "Does more than just Beni suspect me to be the villain in this story? How am I supposed to explain to everyone who I am? I don't even know!" I shouted, as more aggressive tears fell from my eyes.
When the silence between us seemed to grow to my utmost capacity, Professor Laventon finally replied. "Then show them, Kyoshi." His words were so gentle and reassuring.
"But how?" I asked in return.
"So, you are Kyoshi, I take it?" A woman with striking blue hair asked as she stepped up to the table Professor Laventon and I were currently sitting at. When neither I nor the professor responded, she merely scrutinized us before turning to the professor.
"Laventon, this is the woman you have told me about, correct?" She directly asked him.
"Captain Cyllene," the professor greeted, grunting as he stood to his feet. It was obvious by his body language that he was completely drained. "Yes, this is the woman I reported to you about, please, meet Kyoshi." He finished, sitting back down after he gave her a respectful bow.
The woman looked back to me again, silently examining me from where I sat.
"It's come to my attention that there are some here who think it would be wise to feed—," She paused, to emphasize that there were three full plates of food on the table, and yet neither of us had touched them. "And house you in exchange for your ongoing labor."
"Tell me professor, what were the results of your assessment?" She inquired.
Finally cheered by the opportunity to share some good news, the professor cleared his throat, and announced to her the results. "She successfully caught all three pokémon."
"All three!" Another voice interjected, causing all three adults to turn and look at the person who jumped into their conversation. "That's rather something! We count ourselves lucky when we manage to catch a single wild pokémon while fending off their attacks."
"Rei! Good to see you!" Professor Laventon greeted, waving the boy over to take a seat next to himself. "Yes, the girl did absolutely marvelous!" He continued, "She's even managed to bond with cyndaquil here, and I expect they will stay quite the pair." He said, smiling fondly at both Kyoshi and cyndaquil as the little pokémon chirped with pleasure.
"I see." Captain Cyllene stated, deep in thought.
"You look to be 18 or so, old enough to work and make your keep." She stated more for us to listen to than respond. "I have decided, we will provide your quarters and food, on the one condition that you join our ranks and become a member of the Galaxy Expedition Team."
"Rei," She commanded, "I want you to show Kyoshi where she will be housed. She will have quite the day tomorrow, so make sure your meal is finished before you get some rest. We can't simply accept you into our team without first assessing what kinds of skills you possess, so I want both of you to report to my office at dawn tomorrow. We shall see if you can prove yourself worthy." She said, before disappearing into The Wallflower.
"Don't mind her." Rei said rather plainly. "She's like that to everyone." He said as he took the biggest bite he could fit into his mouth. His eyes lit up the moment he swallowed his first bite. "Wow! Beni sure made a good plate of food tonight!" He said as he proceeded to stuff his mouth with another exceedingly large bite.
Professor Laventon merely eyed Kyoshi with a sympathetic look, before taking a bite from off his own plate.
"You should give it try." Rei encouraged me, nodding to the plate of food still in front of me at the table. "If you ask me, Beni makes the best food in the whole village! Don't tell Radisa I said that though!" He said laughing as he continued to eat.
I tried to make eye contact with the professor one more time, but it seemed he was leaving me to figure this one out on my own. So, pushing my own pride aside I picked the smallest bite I could find and without further contemplation I stuffed it in my mouth.
Words could not describe the flavor explosion that lit up my taste buds. I had never tasted something so soft and tender but with a sweet and sticky sauce that made your mouth water. Rei was right, Beni's food was delicious.
By the end of the meal my heart was beginning to lighten, although the weight of what was lying ahead for me still loomed in the background like a dark shadow in the night. It was obvious to me I still had much to prove. If there were more people than just Beni who questioned my intentions within this community I could easily lose my position here. So the matter was settled, I would need to exert every possible effort to prove my loyalty and discover the truth behind the mystery of my own unsavory arrival. As Captain Cyllene so expertly put it, tomorrow I would prove myself worthy.
Hey there! NormalGirl95 here, I hope you all enjoyed this next chapter of my Pokémon Legends story! So much is yet to unfold; however, it's already fun to see these characters in a different light. I appreciate the encouragement as you take the time to read my story. And I'm so excited to get to the point where we finally start exploring Hisui!
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