Legends are Real
I do not own anything written here (apart from the story itself and my character Sabrina).
Rated PG for a touch of tension and angst
Author's Note: I wrote this story simply because I was a tad upset when I received my Pokemon Sapphire game, because none of the older games could be linked to the Ruby or Sapphire versions. I would have liked to, especially since many of my favorite Pokemon (Persian, Houndoom, Mewtwo, etc) are not available in those versions. So, I wrote this on that whim.
Also, the Sabrina in this story is (coincidentally) the female character I chose (and named) in my Pokemon Sapphire game. She is in NO WAY related to Sabrina, the Psychic Pokemon Gym Leader of Saffron City!! Just thought I'd let you know, to avoid confusion. ^_^ Enjoy!
Two trainers strolled along the shoreline of Lilycove City. The two had been talking for quite a while now, laughing as they and their Pokemon left footprints in the sand.
The boy, Brendan, seated himself on the sandy beach and allowed his Numel to crawl into his lap. "Wow, it sounds like you're having quite an adventure so far, Sabrina," he commented. "You think you'll be ready for the League soon?"
The girl, Sabrina, sighed as she sat beside her friendly rival and gently petted her Skitty. "I guess," she replied. "I want to train my team a bit more before I actually take up the challenge. In the meantime, I'm going to try and finish my Pokedex as much as I can."
Brendan chuckled. "Yeah, but it won't be easy," he remarked, rubbing behind one of his Numel's ears. "I heard about how you caught Kyogre, but it's not the only rare Pokemon. I was lucky enough to catch Groudon myself! It's pure luck if you can actually catch every Pokemon!"
Sabrina nodded. "Yeah, you're right," she agreed, lying back in the sand. "There's so many out there! I'm sure you've heard the stories- about the amazing one-of-a-kind breeds, like Kyogre and Groudon."
"Yeah," Brendan answered, gazing up into the sky. "Latios and Latias... I'd give anything to have them both!"
"Not just them," Sabrina continued. "What about the three magnificent birds- Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres? The legendary hounds- Raikou, Entei, and Suicune? The two other mystical birds- Lugia and Ho-oh? The most powerful man-made Pokemon- Mewtwo? The wondrous hidden creatures- Mew and Celebi?"
To say the least, Brendan was none too impressed. "Uh-huh," he said bluntly, sitting up. "Sabrina, you know that those are all myths, right?"
Surprised, Sabrina sat up and looked at her friend. "What?" she inquired.
Laughing, Brendan set his Numel aside. "See, they're not really Pokemon," he informed. "Most of them are myths and legends passed down through generations. They've been repeated so much that people start to believe them, and they go in search for these Pokemon with no success."
Of course, Sabrina was not about to give up so easily. "What about Mewtwo?" she queried. "The experiments were real- anyone can look up the Cinnabar Island records, and Mewtwo is listed in their notes."
Just the same, Brendan had a logical answer. "The real Mewtwo died in the actual Cinnabar Island experiments," he explained. "Someone at the lab was probably disappointed with the result, having been attached to the cloned Pokemon, and wrote a work of fiction he later published. The Cinnabar Island Laboratory company name was attached, and since the lab had a reputation for successful experiments, people started to take his novel seriously and believed him."
The girl trainer was not so easily convinced. "Well, what about Kyogre and Groudon?" she pointed out. "They are considered legendary Pokemon, and they're real! I bet even Latios and Latias are real, too!!"
Brendan shrugged. "Well, people have actually seen them," he replied. "A few have even battled these Pokemon, you and me included! Still, no one has ever seen or battled any of the others. Ask anyone in the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn regions- I bet even the Elite Four hasn't seen them!"
Sabrina sat there, crushed emotionally. She turned away as her Skitty crawled into her lap and purred, attempting to comfort her human friend.
The boy trainer sighed and stood. "Fine- go ahead and believe in those myths," he remarked. "Just don't forget about the real Pokemon." With that, he gestured over to his Numel as the two sauntered off into Lilycove City.
Meanwhile, Sabrina laid down in the sand and wept quietly. Her father had always told her about the legendary Pokemon, and how when he was a boy, he went in search for them. He had even claimed to see such legends, and was especially proud of his first and only encounter with a wild Mew. She began to wonder... was it all a lie? Had she been fooled by such wonderful stories of mythical Pokemon??
Unsure of herself, Sabrina laid there in the sand for quite some time. Eventually, the calming purrs of her Skitty eventually lulled her to sleep...
In the dead of night, Sabrina woke up. She yawned and sat up, only to realize that her Skitty was gone. Anxious, she stood and began looking around for the mischievous Pokemon.
Suddenly, a quiet noise halted Sabrina. It sounded like a whisper. "Sabrina, come closer," it seemed to say.
Curious, Sabrina turned to see the vast ocean ahead. In the distance, a shining island caught her attention. She knew that that was where the voice had called her to, and she was compelled to go. Something was amiss, and she wanted to find out.
The girl trainer took out a Pokeball and threw it in the water. A moment later, a large Pelipper arose from the waters and paddled towards Sabrina. "See that island?" she indicated as she seated herself on the large bird Pokemon. "Head straight for it- no stops, no battles, no nothing."
Nodding, the Pelipper made a beeline for the island...
Perhaps an hour or so later, Sabrina called her Pelipper back into it's Pokeball and wandered along the shoreline of the mysterious island. She was sure that voice had called her here, but now it seemed to be nothing more than a mere island. Perhaps she was still tired and she imagined the voice.
With a heavy sigh, Sabrina called out her Swellow. "Let's fly back to Lilycove City," she mumbled. "There's nothing here to see. Let's go."
At that moment, a tall figure halted her. ~ Welcome, Sabrina, ~ a calm voice greeted. ~ We've been expecting you. ~
Surprised, Sabrina turned around and gazed upon the face of her summoner. "Mewtwo!" she exclaimed.
Mewtwo nodded and approached Sabrina as the trainer called back her Swellow. ~ Sabrina, we heard your emotional cries, ~ he continued. ~ We thought that this would be a proper way to show you. ~
Confused, Sabrina followed Mewtwo as he led her into a long, dark cavern. "Show me what?" she questioned. "What's going on?? Please tell me!"
The Psychic Pokemon smirked. ~ Be patient, ~ he advised. ~ You shall soon see. ~
Before Sabrina could say anything in reply, a bright light shown before her. When at last she could see, she could not believe her eyes. Within the vast chamber of that cavern was a lush paradise for legendary Pokemon! Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres flew high along the roof of the cavern as their larger counterparts, Lugia and Ho-oh, rested in the shade. Raikou, Entei, and Suicune galloped past as Mew and Celebi followed close behind.
Sabrina looked back up at Mewtwo in amazement. No words could describe her feelings of joy and splendor!
Smiling, Mewtwo turned back to the picture of paradise. ~ This was made to be a sanctuary for legendary Pokemon, ~ he explained. ~ All Pokemon know of this place, but only the few unique Pokemon are allowed to stay. It is a place to rest from running, to escape from hiding, and generally to avoid zealous trainers. No human will ever know of this place, as it can only be seen through the eyes of Pokemon. ~ He glanced at Sabrina, adding, ~ Of course, we have had to make a few exceptions for the trainers who need to see this place. ~
The girl trainer nodded. "But why me?" she asked.
Of course, Mewtwo had no easy answer, but he could try. ~ We all need to believe in something, ~ he replied. ~ Your appreciation for legendary Pokemon seems to be what inspires you as a trainer. Without that zeal, you cannot truly rise to greatness, and the love you have for your Pokemon will diminish as well. ~ He turned his head and gazed at the girl trainer. ~ Surely, you do not wish to train, raise, and breed unhappy Pokemon. ~
To say the least, Sabrina was shocked. "No, of course not!" she exclaimed. "I love my Pokemon! I only want what's best for them!"
Proud of both himself and the young trainer, Mewtwo smiled again. ~ The care and consideration you give your Pokemon is quite admirable, ~ he commented. ~ A trainer of your stature is almost worthy of a legendary Pokemon. ~
With that remark, Sabrina took a good look at her Pokemon team. Her newly-added Kyogre piqued her interest- she had worked hard to capture such a rare Pokemon, but now she began to wonder if she wanted to keep it.
Watching Sabrina out of the corner of his eye, Mewtwo knew what she was doing. He and some of the other legendary Pokemon had seen the fateful battle. Most people would have used it for battling the Elite Four or perhaps to win a grudge battle with a rival or two- such fantastic Pokemon were not only rare but powerful!
Finally, Sabrina had made her decision. She called out Kyogre and tossed the Pokeball aside. "You're free again, Kyogre," she said softly. "I know we haven't know each other long, but I do know that you would be much happier here than in a Pokeball. I have a pretty powerful team anyway. Go on and be free."
For a moment, Kyogre laid there in silence. After giving it some careful thought, the legendary beast winked at Sabrina as it went and joined old companions.
Mewtwo glanced at Sabrina. ~ Your concern for all Pokemon, whether captured or released, shows you to be a remarkable trainer, ~ he added. ~ Sabrina, you are indeed destined for greatness- never forget that. Always know that legendary Pokemon are real, and wherever you are, one of us will always be watching you. ~
With that, the young trainer had suddenly been overcome by a bright light...
The soft purrs of her Skitty awoke Sabrina. She yawned and sat up, noticing that it was morning already. She must have fallen asleep on the beach!
Sabrina then thought back to her previous venture. Was it all a dream, or had it been real? As far as she was concerned, there was only one way to find out. She dug through her pockets to find the Pokemon she had been carrying- Skitty, Pelipper, Swellow, Mightyena, Blaziken... no Kyogre!!
Though surprised, Sabrina was also relieved. It couldn't have been a dream- it had to have been real!
A new voice caught the young trainer's attention. "Sabrina!" said a familiar voice.
Smiling, Sabrina stood and turned around. "Brendan!" she called back.
The boy trainer approached his friendly rival, a smirk crossing his face. "Sabrina, you've got sand all over you," he commented. "Did you fall asleep on the beach or something?"
Of course, Sabrina could only smile and laugh. "I guess you could say that," she answered.
Brendan nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Um, listen, Sabrina," he began. "I'm sorry I got into that little fight with you. My dad used to be kind of obsessed with legendary Pokemon- he spent about 20 years out in the wild, searching for them. When he had no luck, he finally decided that they weren't real and became a Pokemon researcher instead." He shrugged, adding, "I guess, if Kyogre and Groudon were real, then maybe the others are, too."
The girl trainer nodded. "Yeah, sure," she agreed. "Brendan, do you think maybe your dad had no luck because these Pokemon just don't want to be found?"
Unsure, Brendan shrugged. "Maybe that's why we were so lucky," he remarked, then taking out a Pokeball. "Speaking of rare Pokemon, maybe you can show me your Kyogre and I can show you my Groudon."
"That's nice," Sabrina replied, wincing a little, "but I can't."
To say the least, Brendan was both confused and upset. "Why??" he asked.
Sighing, Sabrina called back her Skitty and began walking away. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you..."
THE END!! ^_^
