The next day, the family set off for Cianwood Island, which could only be reached via ferry. They stood on the crowded dock in Olivine City, waiting for the next ferry. Johnny chattered about Pokémon endlessly, as usual. Rosy and Ash joined him. Derek kept still, gazing out at the sea. Soon, the ferry pulled up, and they boarded. The boat sliced through the water as they passed the Whirl Islands. "You know, kids," Ash said eerily. "It's said there's a legendary Pokémon that lives in a cave in those islands."
Johnny's ears perked up. "Really, Dad?"
"Yes." He smiled, enjoying his children hanging on his every word. Even Derek was more animated. "It's a huge flying Pokémon, with the power to quell even the strongest of rages, and tame the wildest of seas. It's over seventeen feet tall! The sound it makes, it sounds like a song in the distant breeze, from an ocean away. The best Pokémon trainers around have tried to capture it, but it's useless. Any man that goes into the dungeons of the Whirl Islands doesn't come out-- at all."
Johnny's eyes were as wide as saucers. Rosy seemed intimidated, but tried to play it off by asking skeptically, "How do you know all this stuff, Daddy?"
"I know," he replied. "Oh, you'd better believe I know. I met it once."
They stopped breathing. "No," Johnny whispered.
"YES! I met it, I knew it, I saw it." Now he was really hamming it up. "I even rode on its back. And, it gave me something so I would remember it forever. A beautiful, priceless, silver--"
"Stop it, Ash," Misty interrupted. "You're just filling their heads with stories."
"You doubt me," he said, clinging to his ham. "You were there. You saw it too. In fact, you got jealous when that girl who helped us kissed me." His eyes twinkled. He relished teasing her.
"Yes, well, that's neither here nor there," she said quickly, blushing. "Oh, look, there's the beach. Everybody off! Time to party!" She bustled them off the boat. During Misty's birthday celebration, all Johnny could think of is that incredible Pokémon Ash had described. Someday, I'll find you, he promised himself. I will do what no one else could, not even my dad. I'll catch you.
*
The days that followed were filled with Pokémon research for Johnny. He neglected everything, from his chores to his homework to figure out what Pokémon Ash had been talking about. He even sneaked on campus at the university to use the library. He found an impossibly old book in the back of the library that was so thick he had to use both hands to hold it. He sat at a table and opened it. He had opened to the very section he was looking for: "Pokémon Legends and Myths." He saw many drawings of known Legendary Pokémon, from Articuno to Zapdos and every one in between. A small drawing accompanied by a paragraph in the corner of a page intrigued him. The Pokémon depicted looked like a streamlined bird with animal-like feet, spines on its back, and teeth. It was huge, white, and surrounded by a large water cyclone. The feathers of its wings were a beautiful iridescent silver. The paragraph read: "Although its existence still has yet to be proven, Lugia is fuel for many legends and myths. It is said to appear from the depths of the sea only when the balance of harmony and peace in the world is threatened. Then, with the power of the Chosen One, Lugia can calm the destructive forces. Alone, Lugia's song will fail, and the earth shall turn to ash." Johnny read the paragraph repeatedly, but never got the full meaning of it. He headed home, and saw that Ash hadn't arrived home yet, and Misty was out in the backyard. He crept up the stairs to his father's trophy room, where Ash housed all his awards and trophies for everyone to see. He gazed at the plaques and certificates that adorned the walls. His eyes scanned past them; he'd seen them a hundred times. This time, he knew what he was looking for. His stare came to rest at a large glass case that held a long, silvery feather that shone in a spectrum of bright hues. "I knew it," he whispered. "Dad met Lugia. This is unbelievable!"
"Johnny," Misty called from downstairs. "Johnny? Are you home? Where are you, sweetheart?" Johnny scooted out of the room and fled to his own room, afraid to face his mother's questions. He wasn't sure how to tell them he knew his father's tales were true, or if he should in the first place. Day after day went on, and he read more about Lugia, trying to cram his brain with as many facts about the grand beast as possible. It followed him everywhere he went, until he turned ten and was granted permission to take the Pokémon License Test. He studied fervently, and went in extremely confident. When the results came back, the professor who gave the test looked at Johnny with a sullen face. "Sorry, John," he said. John looked at the scorecard.
"Thirty-seven! Out of what," he asked, near tears.
"Three hundred sixty one."
Johnny looked at the card. The words and numbers blurred together. "But, there's always next year." The professor smiled at him.
"No!" Johnny felt his chest unraveling. "I have to become a trainer now! Don't you see?"
"I'm sorry."
Johnny's ears perked up. "Really, Dad?"
"Yes." He smiled, enjoying his children hanging on his every word. Even Derek was more animated. "It's a huge flying Pokémon, with the power to quell even the strongest of rages, and tame the wildest of seas. It's over seventeen feet tall! The sound it makes, it sounds like a song in the distant breeze, from an ocean away. The best Pokémon trainers around have tried to capture it, but it's useless. Any man that goes into the dungeons of the Whirl Islands doesn't come out-- at all."
Johnny's eyes were as wide as saucers. Rosy seemed intimidated, but tried to play it off by asking skeptically, "How do you know all this stuff, Daddy?"
"I know," he replied. "Oh, you'd better believe I know. I met it once."
They stopped breathing. "No," Johnny whispered.
"YES! I met it, I knew it, I saw it." Now he was really hamming it up. "I even rode on its back. And, it gave me something so I would remember it forever. A beautiful, priceless, silver--"
"Stop it, Ash," Misty interrupted. "You're just filling their heads with stories."
"You doubt me," he said, clinging to his ham. "You were there. You saw it too. In fact, you got jealous when that girl who helped us kissed me." His eyes twinkled. He relished teasing her.
"Yes, well, that's neither here nor there," she said quickly, blushing. "Oh, look, there's the beach. Everybody off! Time to party!" She bustled them off the boat. During Misty's birthday celebration, all Johnny could think of is that incredible Pokémon Ash had described. Someday, I'll find you, he promised himself. I will do what no one else could, not even my dad. I'll catch you.
*
The days that followed were filled with Pokémon research for Johnny. He neglected everything, from his chores to his homework to figure out what Pokémon Ash had been talking about. He even sneaked on campus at the university to use the library. He found an impossibly old book in the back of the library that was so thick he had to use both hands to hold it. He sat at a table and opened it. He had opened to the very section he was looking for: "Pokémon Legends and Myths." He saw many drawings of known Legendary Pokémon, from Articuno to Zapdos and every one in between. A small drawing accompanied by a paragraph in the corner of a page intrigued him. The Pokémon depicted looked like a streamlined bird with animal-like feet, spines on its back, and teeth. It was huge, white, and surrounded by a large water cyclone. The feathers of its wings were a beautiful iridescent silver. The paragraph read: "Although its existence still has yet to be proven, Lugia is fuel for many legends and myths. It is said to appear from the depths of the sea only when the balance of harmony and peace in the world is threatened. Then, with the power of the Chosen One, Lugia can calm the destructive forces. Alone, Lugia's song will fail, and the earth shall turn to ash." Johnny read the paragraph repeatedly, but never got the full meaning of it. He headed home, and saw that Ash hadn't arrived home yet, and Misty was out in the backyard. He crept up the stairs to his father's trophy room, where Ash housed all his awards and trophies for everyone to see. He gazed at the plaques and certificates that adorned the walls. His eyes scanned past them; he'd seen them a hundred times. This time, he knew what he was looking for. His stare came to rest at a large glass case that held a long, silvery feather that shone in a spectrum of bright hues. "I knew it," he whispered. "Dad met Lugia. This is unbelievable!"
"Johnny," Misty called from downstairs. "Johnny? Are you home? Where are you, sweetheart?" Johnny scooted out of the room and fled to his own room, afraid to face his mother's questions. He wasn't sure how to tell them he knew his father's tales were true, or if he should in the first place. Day after day went on, and he read more about Lugia, trying to cram his brain with as many facts about the grand beast as possible. It followed him everywhere he went, until he turned ten and was granted permission to take the Pokémon License Test. He studied fervently, and went in extremely confident. When the results came back, the professor who gave the test looked at Johnny with a sullen face. "Sorry, John," he said. John looked at the scorecard.
"Thirty-seven! Out of what," he asked, near tears.
"Three hundred sixty one."
Johnny looked at the card. The words and numbers blurred together. "But, there's always next year." The professor smiled at him.
"No!" Johnny felt his chest unraveling. "I have to become a trainer now! Don't you see?"
"I'm sorry."