Chapter 13: The Forest Incident

Kevin! Duo-Cevan Shouted. Stop running! The Rogue members will know who you are!

We'll be safer out in the forest, Duo-Cevan, Kevin said back calmly. Then I'll stop running.

Perhaps it would help if you set your priorities first?

Perhaps it would help if you would just shut up! Kevin shouted. I'm racking my brain here as to what we should do, so you could help me if we thought about how we are going to investigate this radio tower.

Umm, Kevin? Duo-Cevan suddenly said, changing the subject. Look around you.

Kevin, half-blinded by his mad dash, skidded to a stop and looked around. He now stood in a deep forest, where no light seemed to penetrate through.

It almost seems like night down here, Duo-Cevan commented. Creepy.

Suddenly, Kevin heard what sounded like someone shouting, "cut!" Wondering where it could've come from, He heard a swish noise off to his left. Glancing in the direction, he saw a tree suddenly toppling over, moving as if to crush him.

Agility! Kevin shouted to Duo-Cevan. Opening his wings, he flew backwards out of the path of the tree before it even touched him. It landed on the ground with a loud crash.

Kevin looked over in the direction from where it toppled over. A young boy with a Farfetch'd were totally ignorant of Kevin's presence. "Hey, watch it!!" Kevin yelled at them.

Immediately, the two looked in Kevin's direction. Seeing him, the boy's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" he said. "I didn't see you there. I thought the area was clear."

Kevin quickly thought of an excuse. "Well, it's understandable, considering the color of my travel suit," he stated. He then changed the subject. "Say, what are you doing cutting down trees, anyway?"

"I take it you're not familiar with Illex Forest charcoal, are you?" The boy wondered.

"No… but charcoal?" Kevin wondered. "You sell wood that's been burned already?"

"Yeah. Right now, though, I'm helping my dad get some more wood for his furnace with Farfetch'd," the boy answered, looking down at the Pokémon.

"Farfetch'd!" the bird agreed.

"I see…" Kevin said in thought. "Perhaps I could have some?"

"I'd like to, but my dad wants the whole tree," the boy said, shaking his head. "He wouldn't be very happy with me if I came back with a part of it missing."

"Fine, then hand me a branch."

"Pardon?" The boy wondered, looking up at Kevin.

Uh-oh, Kevin? Duo-Cevan said, speaking up. No, don't even think about it! He'll find out who you are!

"Just a small branch from the tree will do fine," Kevin stated, ignoring Duo-Cevan. He waited for the boy to decide, finally snapping off a small branch that was already starting to break off because of the impact with the ground.

"Will this do?" the boy asked, handing Kevin the branch.

"Yes, yes… this will do fine," Kevin replied. Driving the broken part into the ground, he began to do what he planned.

Though Duo-Cevan was rather unwilling, he had no choice in the matter. He was, after all, Kevin, and Kevin had complete dominion over their form. Not only that, but as a Scyther, he had never questioned Kevin's motives. Even though now he had an insight of what Kevin planned, Kevin's actions seemed always for the good, even if it was only benefiting him. After the task was done, the branch, even though it was ripped from its first tree, grew immensely from an external form of growth Kevin had preformed. It became a miniature version of the tree it came from.

The boy stared at Kevin. "Wow! How did you do that?" he said in awe. His face suddenly became serious, but holding a surprised look in his eye. "Are… are you the Illex Forest… Guardian?"

"Illex Forest Guardian?" Kevin managed to raise an eye ridge on his head, much like an eyebrow, even though he knew the boy couldn't see it. "Are you kidding?? This is the first time I came to Johto!" He then grew curious. "What exactly is this 'Guardian,' though?" he suddenly asked.

"The Guardian is the protector of our forest," he explained as Farfetch'd began cutting up the tree they had cut down. "I'd like to explain more, but I've got to deal with this wood first." He pointed off deeper into the forest. "There's a shrine built for the Guardian somewhere off in that direction. It's the only area in this forest where light shines through."

Kevin finished cutting up his "tree" and took the wood that he could carry with him. "Thanks, son," he said. "You can have the rest of the wood from that branch I used. This will be all I need. I'd like to help you carry the wood you've just cut for you, but I've got something else important I need to do."

"You're welcome," the boy said as Kevin walked off. "If that important thing you are referring to is trying to see that Guardian, don't try your luck. As far as I know, no one save for that person who erected the shrine in the first place has ever seen it, and I'm not even sure who set it up!"

"Thanks for the information, son, and please don't tell anyone about me!" Kevin yelled back before walking out of view in the darkness. Hey, since I'm walking this way, I may as well see the shrine, too.

Just don't forget what's first on your priority list, Kevin, Duo-Cevan reminded Kevin.

Yeah, yeah, I know… Kevin said back. Pushing aside the branches covering his way, he noticed the shrine.

The shrine was unlike he had ever seen. Although it was mostly wood, it almost gave the illusion that it was covered in diamonds and anything else that glowed. On it, there was a marble tablet.

Kevin looked at the shrine. They call this dinky little thing a shrine? he asked skeptically.

Kevin! Duo-Cevan said in shock. What's up with you? You've never insulted these sort of things before!!

I'm sorry… But the legends we saw here in Johto should deserve something larger than they. I probably jumped to the conclusion that one of them were perhaps the Guardian of this forest, Kevin said.

They stood there staring at the shrine for a little longer. Kevin was attempting to think of something else when he suddenly heard a rustle from behind him. It was enough to even startle him, as the rustling had come from the trees. He immediately spun around to face whatever was attempting to ambush him.

Nothing.

Hmmm… that's strange, Duo-Cevan commented, confused. I was almost thinking it was a Metapod, or perhaps one of those Spinarak we studied about.

Oh well, let's just head on, Kevin thought, breathing a sigh. He turned back to face in the direction he was about to walk and found himself face-to-face with a pair of large eyes.

"What the…!!" Kevin said silently to himself, completely startled that he had not sensed anything. He didn't make any sudden movements, however, despite how he normally reacted to a surprise. Something about the eyes had kept him from doing so. They were nothing fierce, but they seemed to have him hypnotized in an innocent sort of way.

Moving itself back from Kevin a short distance, he could now see its entire features. Its head seemed to go back into a curled point some way behind its head. Its main body seemed to be in the shape of a human, except its legs were not much longer than its body and its arms appeared to flatten and create hands. Much like Kevin, it also had wings, but they appeared more delicate and didn't need to be flapped as much, for a reason he did not know of.

It seemed to hover around Kevin, almost curious of what he was. Wow… Kevin said, awed by the creature that had suddenly appeared to them. It's… It's… I can't seem to think of a word to describe it…

Beautiful? Duo-Cevan suggested. However, I don't think that can quite accurately describe this wonder. Strange… it seems to have a permanent charm to it.

Even so, I don't think I would even dream of attacking it, Kevin said, still awed by what was still observing him. What makes me wonder is if it's a legend or not.

Reveal who you are, stranger, Kevin suddenly heard a voice say to him.

"Huh? Did you say that?"

Reveal who you are, stranger, the voice repeated. Even the voice seemed as beautiful as the creature, yet it was hard to tell whether it was a male or female voice.

Kevin pulled off his hood. Without the mesh, Kevin found that the creature, who had him under its beauty spell, seemed to have him tighter in the enchantment. "What, or who, are you?" Kevin asked.

You have arrived, I see, the voice said, seeming to ignore Kevin's question. Time has not lied to me. The present has come, much as the future has before your arrival.

Kevin's awed expression suddenly changed to confusion, the enchantment seeming to wear off. "What?" Kevin asked. "I'm sorry… what are you saying?"

Perhaps it's a legend, Duo-Cevan suggested.

I am that of time, The "legend" said. I may travel to the past or to the future. I have seen many things that have come to be and soon will occur. Few know of my presence… Even fewer come to the time and place when I arrive.

Kevin just gave a blank stare. "I'm sorry, that made absolutely no sense to me…" He said, still lost in its words. He could even feel Duo-Cevan attempting to understand what was happening. Kevin decided to try again. "But, I need to know… Could I please have a name?"

Not now, Human-Scyther, the "legend" said, the first to call him by that. The task must be preformed. What was done in the future was brought to the present, and will now be done in the present must now be brought to the past.

"Please, can you slow down? I'm still trying to understand what you're talking about…" Kevin began. No sooner had he said that, however, when something seemed to open up behind the "legend." It was unlike anything Kevin or Duo-Cevan had ever seen. It almost appeared to be something one would expect to see in a fictional story: a gateway of sorts.

Now is the time that you must do as your future self has laid for you… travel back in time. the "legend" flew into the portal. Come! Time bids you to perform this task! it finally called.

Almost immediately, Kevin felt a force begin to pull at him toward the portal. What the… Duo-Cevan! What's going on?!? Kevin shouted.

I don't know, but something tells me we won't be able to fight it!! Duo-Cevan said back, surprised himself.

Kevin attempted to fight the pull, but it became too much. Soon, he was lifted off his feet and sucked into the portal.

"What's going on?!?" were the last words heard before the portal closed and all was as calm before their arrival.