That night Tasha was slipping out of the tent, flashlight in hand. Oddish
was walking by her feet. Once they were away from the tents Tasha turned
on the flashlight. They walked silently around the assorted equipment that
had been left out. Tasha swallowed. She was nervous. She felt like she
was breaking some rule. She involuntarily shuddered.
"Grrr," she heard.
"Who's there?" she asked shining the flashlight in the shadows.
"Growlithe," came the reply as the beam of light rested and a black striped, red canine.
"Did we wake you?" asked Oddish.
"No, what are you doing?" he asked, rising.
"We just want to explore the ruins," answered Tasha, still surprised she could understand poke-speak.
"It isn't safe," replied the Growlithe.
"We won't go far," replied Oddish.
"It's not smart, but I am not going to stop you," replied the Growlithe before going to sleep again. Tasha and Oddish proceeded.
They entered the dark corridors of the Ruins of Alph. Tasha's flashlight cast interesting shadows that provoked the imagination. Oddish was a few steps ahead of Tasha.
"In here," whispered Tasha as she indicated the room she had been in earlier. The slipped into the carved room.
"This is what I read before," said Tasha as she shone her flashlight on the wall.
"What does it say?" asked Oddish as she craned her neck up to see the spot Tasha was shining her flashlight.
"Our words shall remain here for the ages," read Tasha, still perplexed at how she could do it.
"What does it mean?" asked Oddish.
"I'm not sure," replied Tasha as she scanned farther ahead. She began to read the walls, as if in some kind of spell. She couldn't pull herself away.
"What does it say? What does it say?" asked Oddish, jumping up and down.
"A great civilization used to live here, when the land was prosperous," summarized Tasha. "They were a very wise civilization and earned the trust of many pokemon we now only know through legends. They became powerful, too powerful. Eventually a ruler came to power who did not respect the pokemon who had given them their trust. He refused the outside world and its advice. Eventually the pokemon began to flee, one by one, and the land fell to famine and plagues. The vain ruler demanded drastic actions be taken to preserve what pokemon remained. What they did to hold them....." Tasha's eyes went wide as she continued to read.
"I cannot even repeat what they did," said Tasha. "But instead of the plagues going away, they multiplied. A group of people demanded that the ruler stop, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. Out of desperation, the people rebelled. Many died and the pokemon fled. The ruler was killed. The leader of the rebels was made the new ruler. He ordered this shrine to be built, in remembrance of what happened."
" 'We humans must learn to live in harmony with them,' " read Tasha, " 'We depart for their sake. Thus we shall erect a pokemon statue outside. So our tragedy may never repeat itself.' "
"We saw that statue coming in," said Oddish, "but I don't know what pokemon it was."
"I think it was Entei," said Tasha, "There is just a little more... The humans left and the land became a desert. The new ruler was the last to leave, paying his respects in this shrine. A single tear fell, as he regretted his people's folly. A pokemon, hiding in the shadows saw this. A symbol of hope, that one day, maybe, humans and pokemon could live together in harmony. That pokemon specie has lived here ever since, collecting knowledge from the world. They are looking for people who have pure hearts, who are ready to live in peace. They are waiting for the world to be ready for their return."
"Do you mean that there are pokemon here, now?" asked Oddish, looking around.
"I think this is just a story, probably used to teach a lesson or something," said Tasha.
"Yeah, right," said Oddish sarcastically. Tasha yawned.
"Come on, I need to get some sleep," said Tasha.
"The night is just starting," protested Oddish, "You human do everything backwards."
"If you want to stay here, be my guest. Good night," said Tasha, leaving.
"Wait for me!" exclaimed Oddish as she followed Tasha.
A shadowy figure watched them leave, hiding behind the door frame. The shadow was over come with curiosity. Could it be? The figure was half tempted to follow, but decided not to leave the safety of the ruins. It vanished as quietly as it had appeared.
"Tasha, wake up," said her dad the next morning, "do you want to come back in the ruins with me?"
"Uh, what?" she asked groggily. Oddish was still asleep.
"I never know how you can sleep so much. There is something I want to show you in the ruins. I think you'll like it," said her dad. Tasha crept out of her sleeping bag, got ready, and followed him.
"I really hope I don't have to sit through another lecture," she thought as they followed her father. They entered the dark corridors of the ruins. Her dad led her down a hallway she hadn't seen before.
"In here," said her dad as he ducked into one of the many rooms.
"What is so....." she trailed off as she looked at the carvings on the wall of this room.
"What do you think? This is perhaps the biggest puzzle here," said her dad as Tasha scanned the walls with awe. "Even the moving panels haven't puzzled us this much." The walls, while lined with more of the strange script, were covered with pictures of pokemon also. Pokemon that Tasha had never seen before, save in fairy tales.
"What does....what.....I mean...." stammered Tasha.
"We have no answers," said her dad, "We have guessed that this room contains stories or legends about all these pokemon, but we have no idea how the people who built this shrine had any knowledge of them."
"They used to trust them," said Tasha in daze as she traced the carving of Ho-Oh.
"I knew you would like it," said her dad smiling. "I have to get back to work, but if you promise not to roam around, I'll let you stay here."
"OK!" Tasha quickly agreed. Her dad left.
"What does it say?" asked Oddish.
"I haven't read it yet," said Tasha.
"Why not?" asked Oddish.
"I like the pictures," said Tasha. "Ho-Oh, Lugia, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Entei.....I don't even know half of these."
"But what does it say?" demanded Oddish.
" 'Ho-Oh, the rainbow bird, was one of the last to leave,'" read Tasha, " 'Ho-Oh is said to return once peace is established. Its kind always wanted harmony between people and pokemon. It even went as far as to set up a covenant in Ecruteak City. But the humans there betrayed it. Ho-Oh left, leaving behind a rainbow, a sign that it still hasn't abandoned hope. Still looking for a person with a pure heart, Ho-Oh is still searching the world. Is currently residing on Mt. Jarment, where it watches the travelers, hopeful that one who wants peace will come.'"
"Do you mean Ho-Oh is there now?" asked Oddish.
"I don't think so," answered Tasha, "Remember this was written a long time ago."
"The why does it mention Ecruteak City? Isn't that new?" asked Oddish. Tasha's eyes widened at this thought.
"I am sure there has to be a logical explanation," she said at last.
"Logical, like how you can talk to pokemon," responded Oddish. Tasha turned away. She had no answer for this. She began to read again.
" 'Lugia has the ability to bring peace with its voice. Perhaps the only one capable of calming the storms. Lugia revealed itself to calm the quarreling birds, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. It risked itself to preserve the world. It was almost captured, which would have meant a tremendous lost of life, but its song was played, and the seas calmed. Lugia went back into hiding in the Whirl Islands once its job was done. The beast of the sea awaits the day when it will be needed again.'" Tasha stopped reading when she realized her arm was shaking.
"Didn't that just happen? Lugia stopping those birds and calming the ocean I mean," asked Oddish.
"That.....is.....impossible...." stammered Tasha. "There is no way that this could have been written within the past year. It has to mean something else."
"Like what?" asked Oddish. It was another question Tasha didn't have an answer to. "What else does it say?"
"I don't want to know," said Tasha. She turned to leave.
"You promised your dad you wouldn't go anywhere," said Oddish.
"You're right," said Tasha, stopping.
"So what else does it say?" asked Oddish. Tasha once more turned her head to the walls, again mesmerized by their spell.
" 'There is one who was never seen before in history, and will never be seen again,'" she read, " 'He possesses great strength and intelligence. He was brought into the world to battle, but has since denied that reason. He had once trusted humans, but was betrayed. In anger he attacked. He made plans to destroy the world, but the selfless actions of a child convinced him otherwise. He deserted his plans and fled to Mt. Cana, hoping to live in solitude and peace. But he was found by his enemies and forced to decided between his freedom and the lives of his friends. In the end, the humans had almost taken his life. Severely injured he was helped into the healing waters by the same child he had hurt earlier. His heart completely open, he fled Mt. Cana and went to Goldenrod City. There he hides, watching, and looking, to know the hearts of humans.'"
"What do you mean 'Was never seen before in history?'" asked Oddish.
"I don't know," replied Tasha. "That is just what it says."
"Weird! Keep reading!" encouraged Oddish. And Tasha did. She had nearly finished with the room when her father returned.
"This wasn't too boring," said her father as he entered.
"No," replied Tasha, tracing the carving of Articuno.
"Tasha, are you OK? You seem a little pale," asked her dad.
"I'm fine, really. Just hungry," she answered.
"Well, it is time for lunch. Come on," said her dad and they left the ruins.
"You probably don't want to spend your days in a cold stone chamber," said her dad as they left, "Why don't you stay outside. A few other kids have arrived. Why don't you play with them?"
"Um....Uh" stuttered Tasha. Despite the startling things she had been reading, she wanted to go back into the ruins and finish the room. She still hadn't read about Articuno, Zapdos, or Moltres.
"Maybe you should lay down," suggested her dad, "You aren't sick, are you? You seem a little flushed."
"No, I'm fine," she replied quickly. Although, after lunch, she did end up following her father's advice and took a nap.
"Are you going to finish reading the room?" asked Oddish.
"I want to," said Tasha.
"Good! We can go tonight! Like any sane creature," chimed Oddish.
"Wait! I never said that!" protested Tasha. But Oddish convinced her to sneak in that night.
**************************************************************************
"Beautiful," the man said as he looked at Zapdos in its new cage. It was a glass enclosure, larger than the one on the boat. But it was all a one way mirror. There were several artificial trees with long, thick branches. What wasn't glass was painted a multi-green background. There was even a small stream. But Zapdos didn't even seem to care. Its head was tucked under its wing and it wasn't moving.
"You'll come around," said the man as he walked to Articuno's cage. Much to his dismay, however, the legendary bird of ice had completely covered the viewing window with an ice beam.
"I am going to have to do something about that," muttered the man. "A super defrost should do the trick." He left his private zoo and headed into his computer room.
"Computer, set a course for the Ruins of Alph. I leave tomorrow," he said.
**************************************************************************
"Grrr," she heard.
"Who's there?" she asked shining the flashlight in the shadows.
"Growlithe," came the reply as the beam of light rested and a black striped, red canine.
"Did we wake you?" asked Oddish.
"No, what are you doing?" he asked, rising.
"We just want to explore the ruins," answered Tasha, still surprised she could understand poke-speak.
"It isn't safe," replied the Growlithe.
"We won't go far," replied Oddish.
"It's not smart, but I am not going to stop you," replied the Growlithe before going to sleep again. Tasha and Oddish proceeded.
They entered the dark corridors of the Ruins of Alph. Tasha's flashlight cast interesting shadows that provoked the imagination. Oddish was a few steps ahead of Tasha.
"In here," whispered Tasha as she indicated the room she had been in earlier. The slipped into the carved room.
"This is what I read before," said Tasha as she shone her flashlight on the wall.
"What does it say?" asked Oddish as she craned her neck up to see the spot Tasha was shining her flashlight.
"Our words shall remain here for the ages," read Tasha, still perplexed at how she could do it.
"What does it mean?" asked Oddish.
"I'm not sure," replied Tasha as she scanned farther ahead. She began to read the walls, as if in some kind of spell. She couldn't pull herself away.
"What does it say? What does it say?" asked Oddish, jumping up and down.
"A great civilization used to live here, when the land was prosperous," summarized Tasha. "They were a very wise civilization and earned the trust of many pokemon we now only know through legends. They became powerful, too powerful. Eventually a ruler came to power who did not respect the pokemon who had given them their trust. He refused the outside world and its advice. Eventually the pokemon began to flee, one by one, and the land fell to famine and plagues. The vain ruler demanded drastic actions be taken to preserve what pokemon remained. What they did to hold them....." Tasha's eyes went wide as she continued to read.
"I cannot even repeat what they did," said Tasha. "But instead of the plagues going away, they multiplied. A group of people demanded that the ruler stop, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. Out of desperation, the people rebelled. Many died and the pokemon fled. The ruler was killed. The leader of the rebels was made the new ruler. He ordered this shrine to be built, in remembrance of what happened."
" 'We humans must learn to live in harmony with them,' " read Tasha, " 'We depart for their sake. Thus we shall erect a pokemon statue outside. So our tragedy may never repeat itself.' "
"We saw that statue coming in," said Oddish, "but I don't know what pokemon it was."
"I think it was Entei," said Tasha, "There is just a little more... The humans left and the land became a desert. The new ruler was the last to leave, paying his respects in this shrine. A single tear fell, as he regretted his people's folly. A pokemon, hiding in the shadows saw this. A symbol of hope, that one day, maybe, humans and pokemon could live together in harmony. That pokemon specie has lived here ever since, collecting knowledge from the world. They are looking for people who have pure hearts, who are ready to live in peace. They are waiting for the world to be ready for their return."
"Do you mean that there are pokemon here, now?" asked Oddish, looking around.
"I think this is just a story, probably used to teach a lesson or something," said Tasha.
"Yeah, right," said Oddish sarcastically. Tasha yawned.
"Come on, I need to get some sleep," said Tasha.
"The night is just starting," protested Oddish, "You human do everything backwards."
"If you want to stay here, be my guest. Good night," said Tasha, leaving.
"Wait for me!" exclaimed Oddish as she followed Tasha.
A shadowy figure watched them leave, hiding behind the door frame. The shadow was over come with curiosity. Could it be? The figure was half tempted to follow, but decided not to leave the safety of the ruins. It vanished as quietly as it had appeared.
"Tasha, wake up," said her dad the next morning, "do you want to come back in the ruins with me?"
"Uh, what?" she asked groggily. Oddish was still asleep.
"I never know how you can sleep so much. There is something I want to show you in the ruins. I think you'll like it," said her dad. Tasha crept out of her sleeping bag, got ready, and followed him.
"I really hope I don't have to sit through another lecture," she thought as they followed her father. They entered the dark corridors of the ruins. Her dad led her down a hallway she hadn't seen before.
"In here," said her dad as he ducked into one of the many rooms.
"What is so....." she trailed off as she looked at the carvings on the wall of this room.
"What do you think? This is perhaps the biggest puzzle here," said her dad as Tasha scanned the walls with awe. "Even the moving panels haven't puzzled us this much." The walls, while lined with more of the strange script, were covered with pictures of pokemon also. Pokemon that Tasha had never seen before, save in fairy tales.
"What does....what.....I mean...." stammered Tasha.
"We have no answers," said her dad, "We have guessed that this room contains stories or legends about all these pokemon, but we have no idea how the people who built this shrine had any knowledge of them."
"They used to trust them," said Tasha in daze as she traced the carving of Ho-Oh.
"I knew you would like it," said her dad smiling. "I have to get back to work, but if you promise not to roam around, I'll let you stay here."
"OK!" Tasha quickly agreed. Her dad left.
"What does it say?" asked Oddish.
"I haven't read it yet," said Tasha.
"Why not?" asked Oddish.
"I like the pictures," said Tasha. "Ho-Oh, Lugia, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Entei.....I don't even know half of these."
"But what does it say?" demanded Oddish.
" 'Ho-Oh, the rainbow bird, was one of the last to leave,'" read Tasha, " 'Ho-Oh is said to return once peace is established. Its kind always wanted harmony between people and pokemon. It even went as far as to set up a covenant in Ecruteak City. But the humans there betrayed it. Ho-Oh left, leaving behind a rainbow, a sign that it still hasn't abandoned hope. Still looking for a person with a pure heart, Ho-Oh is still searching the world. Is currently residing on Mt. Jarment, where it watches the travelers, hopeful that one who wants peace will come.'"
"Do you mean Ho-Oh is there now?" asked Oddish.
"I don't think so," answered Tasha, "Remember this was written a long time ago."
"The why does it mention Ecruteak City? Isn't that new?" asked Oddish. Tasha's eyes widened at this thought.
"I am sure there has to be a logical explanation," she said at last.
"Logical, like how you can talk to pokemon," responded Oddish. Tasha turned away. She had no answer for this. She began to read again.
" 'Lugia has the ability to bring peace with its voice. Perhaps the only one capable of calming the storms. Lugia revealed itself to calm the quarreling birds, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. It risked itself to preserve the world. It was almost captured, which would have meant a tremendous lost of life, but its song was played, and the seas calmed. Lugia went back into hiding in the Whirl Islands once its job was done. The beast of the sea awaits the day when it will be needed again.'" Tasha stopped reading when she realized her arm was shaking.
"Didn't that just happen? Lugia stopping those birds and calming the ocean I mean," asked Oddish.
"That.....is.....impossible...." stammered Tasha. "There is no way that this could have been written within the past year. It has to mean something else."
"Like what?" asked Oddish. It was another question Tasha didn't have an answer to. "What else does it say?"
"I don't want to know," said Tasha. She turned to leave.
"You promised your dad you wouldn't go anywhere," said Oddish.
"You're right," said Tasha, stopping.
"So what else does it say?" asked Oddish. Tasha once more turned her head to the walls, again mesmerized by their spell.
" 'There is one who was never seen before in history, and will never be seen again,'" she read, " 'He possesses great strength and intelligence. He was brought into the world to battle, but has since denied that reason. He had once trusted humans, but was betrayed. In anger he attacked. He made plans to destroy the world, but the selfless actions of a child convinced him otherwise. He deserted his plans and fled to Mt. Cana, hoping to live in solitude and peace. But he was found by his enemies and forced to decided between his freedom and the lives of his friends. In the end, the humans had almost taken his life. Severely injured he was helped into the healing waters by the same child he had hurt earlier. His heart completely open, he fled Mt. Cana and went to Goldenrod City. There he hides, watching, and looking, to know the hearts of humans.'"
"What do you mean 'Was never seen before in history?'" asked Oddish.
"I don't know," replied Tasha. "That is just what it says."
"Weird! Keep reading!" encouraged Oddish. And Tasha did. She had nearly finished with the room when her father returned.
"This wasn't too boring," said her father as he entered.
"No," replied Tasha, tracing the carving of Articuno.
"Tasha, are you OK? You seem a little pale," asked her dad.
"I'm fine, really. Just hungry," she answered.
"Well, it is time for lunch. Come on," said her dad and they left the ruins.
"You probably don't want to spend your days in a cold stone chamber," said her dad as they left, "Why don't you stay outside. A few other kids have arrived. Why don't you play with them?"
"Um....Uh" stuttered Tasha. Despite the startling things she had been reading, she wanted to go back into the ruins and finish the room. She still hadn't read about Articuno, Zapdos, or Moltres.
"Maybe you should lay down," suggested her dad, "You aren't sick, are you? You seem a little flushed."
"No, I'm fine," she replied quickly. Although, after lunch, she did end up following her father's advice and took a nap.
"Are you going to finish reading the room?" asked Oddish.
"I want to," said Tasha.
"Good! We can go tonight! Like any sane creature," chimed Oddish.
"Wait! I never said that!" protested Tasha. But Oddish convinced her to sneak in that night.
**************************************************************************
"Beautiful," the man said as he looked at Zapdos in its new cage. It was a glass enclosure, larger than the one on the boat. But it was all a one way mirror. There were several artificial trees with long, thick branches. What wasn't glass was painted a multi-green background. There was even a small stream. But Zapdos didn't even seem to care. Its head was tucked under its wing and it wasn't moving.
"You'll come around," said the man as he walked to Articuno's cage. Much to his dismay, however, the legendary bird of ice had completely covered the viewing window with an ice beam.
"I am going to have to do something about that," muttered the man. "A super defrost should do the trick." He left his private zoo and headed into his computer room.
"Computer, set a course for the Ruins of Alph. I leave tomorrow," he said.
**************************************************************************