Ch 9
Raykyoudon lay on the grass after eating his fill of fruit and gazed up at the clouds floating by. Caterpie curled up nearby, watching him carefully. The two had been silent for a long while, and the Caterpie felt it was safe for a nap. Just as it began to close its eyes, Raykyoudon spoke aloud.
"The Beginning is a special place, isn't it?" he asked. Caterpie uncurled and sighed as it stretched.
"Yes and no. The Beginning is a sad place for many Pokémon. Something very bad happened here." it replied. Raykyoudon turned to look at it, sitting up in surprise.
"Was someone hurt?" he asked fearfully. The Caterpie gazed out at the clearing with a somewhat haunted expression.
"It's a little worse than that, Raykyoudon. Someone died here." it whispered. Raykyoudon furrowed his brows and thought about that. Something in his mind faintly flickered. Shades of gray and green, and red...
"Died? What does that mean?" he asked. Caterpie blinked, then looked slightly panicked.
"You know! Died! As in, uh, they went to sleep and never woke up." it tried to explain, "Humans bury people who die. When someone dies, lots of people are sad. Some ways of dying are worse than others. A person who dies while asleep just keeps sleeping in a different way."
"Did that someone who died here fall asleep and never wake up?" Raykyoudon pressed, eyes wide and shining with some unknown light that bewildered the smaller Pokémon.
"No, that someone was attacked by a wild Pokémon, one that was driven mad by the murders of its packmates by Pokémon poachers. The story was passed down in my family since my ancestor witnessed the whole thing." the Caterpie answered softly, "The attack was so bad that the human bled to death out here, in this clearing. The Pokémon that saw it tried to help, but it was too late." It looked out at the meadow and sighed sadly, "This place isn't a Beginning, it's an End." Raykyoudon gazed out with him.
"No, it's The Beginning. Every End is followed by a Beginning, as every new Beginning is some other Beginning's End." he replied in a suddenly much more mature tone, "My Beginning is here, because I think I'm the rest of that someone's End. It wasn't supposed to End, so I'm here to restart the Beginning."
"That makes no sense." Caterpie grumbled, hoping the subject would be dropped. It despised the responsibility of having to pass down the tale of a Chosen Master's End to other Pokémon as a warning and didn't want to have to start telling the whole thing over again.
"It makes perfect sense to me. I think that's all that really matters right now." Raykyoudon remarked brightly, "So let's go and chase the wind!"
"There isn't any..." Caterpie muttered as Raykyoudon tossed his head and a fresh gust zipped by them, tossing leaves and dandelion puffs into the air.
"There is now!" Raykyoudon laughed and clambered after the airborne debris.
Nascour yawned as he poked at the keyboard. He had entered in every possible combination for the Beginning and Seth he could think of and found little in the way of solid leads. He sat back and thought over what information he had gleaned from Evice.
"Further back than this, to the true Beginning of it all. Perhaps the Beginning refers to the research that led to the development of the DNA manipulation experiment to create the Ultimate Pokémon." he murmured and brought up the records of the DNA research from the backup of Seth's memory. "Hmm. The furthest back the records date on that leads to the Pokémon Genetics Research Laboratory on Cinnabar Island." Nascour frowned and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "But that island was covered in lava and the towns destroyed by the volcanic eruption six years ago. There's no way that Seth could possibly be there and still be alive." He sighed and rested his cheek on one fist. "Yes there is." he scolded himself, "Seth has Groudon DNA most prevalent and can withstand temperatures no normal human can. Cooled lava on a remote island will basically do nothing to him."
Nascour typed out a mail to Rezrik and his underlings to check out Cinnabar Island, then leaned back and pondered his reasons for staying on the insane plan. At first it seemed like a devious plot, something that promised great rewards in the end. All that was needed was to create a Pokémon that controlled all weather, use it to energize a machine to amplify its power, then use the resulting natural disasters they create to conquer the world. Now he was just catering to a rich old man so close to senility it bordered on blatant insanity.
"I need a new job." Nascour finally admitted to himself, under his breath.
Evice looked out at the desert from his new vantage point. He had left his hidden living quarters for higher views and contemplated his 'land'. Gazing at Mt. Battle in the distance, he tried to imagine Orre's past. A land overflowing with forests and rivers, filled with wild Pokémon of all kinds, a region rich with resources. Then the eruption that sent it to hell, the ash and burning winds that tore down the forests, the earthquakes that ripped the land and sank the rivers into dusty veins that criss-crossed the earth. It took years, but finally, Orre lost its status as a lush tropical paradise and became a desert, a land parched by the sun and the sands and deemed unfit for any but the hardiest of life.
He once dreamt of turning the land back into forest, of prices for building ranches, farms and cities skyrocketing and padding his already bulging bank accounts. His wife gave him a son to share the dream, then died tragically after giving birth to their daughter. In his son he saw her glorious eyes, gentle heart and something that made him protective of this 'gift'. Wesley took his dream of a rich land and envisioned a haven for Pokémon that had drawn bad lots in life. A land where the safety and well-being of others came first, where one's power was used to benefit others without expecting any reward.
To Evice, benefiting others was fine and good, but he needed a little something here and there to ensure that he could and would continue his philanthropic ways. Wesley was one who would freely give of himself until he had nothing left. Evice had to 'fix' that quickly. So the training came, teaching Wesley how to act, what to do in situations, what to say and comment on and buy to impress and entice. He almost had him properly raised when Wes suddenly decided to become a Pokémon trainer.
It had been his wife's dream and Wes decided to fulfill it in her place. He would return with a new knowledge of the world and of Pokémon, and use it to further his dream of restoring Orre's glory and creating a paradise for humans and Pokémon alike.
And then he died.
Evice smiled at the desert, the land that craved a miracle and never received it even thought it had been promised it. So what? The desert was a symbol of the never-ending cruelty of nature, of the endless cycle of man taking from Pokémon taking from man and so on. Only this time, this time, he would be taking back what was his and nothing would take it away. Wesley would come home with all the power needed to conquer the land that nearly stole him. He may act under the name Seth, but the DNA and the manipulation to create Wesley's body and mind made him Wes.
All that had to be done was to go back to the Beginning and Wes, with glorious golden eyes, would be in his hands again, ready to be molded into a king among men and Pokémon alike.
Evice smiled. Today was a good day, and tomorrow would undoubtedly be better. Behind him, the fax machine came to life, spitting out sheet after sheet of business associates and aristocratic acquaintances accepting the invites and expressing surface delight at the honor of having a female relative in a position to be his son's bride.
In a city far away-
Anca finished sweeping out the store and paused as she heard a slight whimpering. Scanning her shop quickly, she walked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound. As the whimpers grew louder, she grew more insistent in her searches until she finally stuck her head into the guest room.
"Wesley?" she called in alarm as the trainer tossed and turned on the couch, a pale expression on his face, "Wes!" Anca dropped the broom and ran to shake him back to wakefulness, then held him steady as he bolted upright and gasped.
"Oh, geez!" he managed to whisper as he clutched her arms desperately, "Anca! My journal! The Time Flute!" Anca blinked at him, sitting still as Wes took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, then slowly released her. "I'm sorry. Bad dream." he apologized and ran his fingers through his hair.
"I'll say. Now what about your journal? And what flute?" she asked in concern, taking the corner of her apron and wiping away the film of sweat that formed on her friend's forehead. Wes took her hand in his and looked down at it in confusion.
"It was my mother's treasure. An heirloom that she had since before she married my father. She entrusted it to me before she died, telling me where to go to find it whenever I had need of it." he replied. "I was never to tell anyone else about it, but this strange dream insisted that I write down where it is in my journal." He looked up at her, taking in her befuddled expression. "And then I have to give it to you. I have to give you my journal."
"Why?"Anca asked softly. Wes shrugged and gave her hand a small squeeze before standing up.
"I got the impression that something very important will happen someday and that journal, and you, are going to be crucial to helping that event come to pass." he went on. Anca rubbed her hand and thought about that.
"Why can't you do it? Why not hold onto it and help that event yourself?" she wondered aloud. Wes shrugged again and suddenly smiled at her.
"Ah, it's probably nothing. Say, why don't I freshen up some and we can go out to see the sights before the parade starts?" he offered, "I'll buy you anything you want. Anything! Name a gift and it's yours!" Anca smiled back at him as she stood with him.
"Wes, that's very kind of you, but you don't need to buy me presents and spend all that money." she told him. He looked confused.
"But presents make people happy, and I want you to be happy." the trainer murmured, stepping closer to her. "Because writing to you made me happy. Sharing experiences, even if only over the Internet, made me happy. Having you as a friend made me happy. I wanted you to be happy too. I wanted us to be happy... together."
"Material gifts may make some people happy, that's true." Anca admitted, "But I'm a simpler person. I don't make much money, and I don't need much either. Being with you and sharing experiences together, enjoying life and making dreams come true... that's what makes me happy." Hesitantly at first, she wound her arms around him in a hug and smiled, closing her eyes as she rested against him. "You make me happy, just being here and being yourself." Wesley hugged her in return and nuzzled her red hair.
"If that's what makes you happy, then will you... um, would you...?" he stammered sheepishly. Anca smiled wider and pulled back, looking up at him with a coy expression.
"Wes! Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" she purred. The trainer laughed nervously, rubbing his head.
"Uh, yeah." he replied bashfully, "Kinda hoping for something a bit more permanent later on, if it makes you happy, that is." Anca blinked in surprise and laughed, hugging him all the more tightly.
"You devil! We haven't even had our first official date yet and already you have wedding bells in mind!" she teased and pushed him towards the bathroom. "Freshen up and I'll close the shop." Wes dug in his heels and looked back at her with a serious expression.
"You'll take my journal anyway, won't you? Just in case?" he asked. Anca sighed and nodded.
"I don't see why. You'll remember to use the information yourself anyway." she replied and fetched it from Wes's pack. The thick book was leather-bound, with gold lettering on the cover and trimming the edges of each leaf of paper. She stared at it in shock. "Wes! This book is like a small fortune on its own!" Wesley winced as he opened the bathroom door.
"Ah, yeah. I've been holding back a few things." he murmured and looked back at her, "You know the founder and CEO of the Cipher Corporation? The real estate brokerage and construction conglomerate?" She nodded slowly, still staring at him. "Well, he's... my father." Wes finally admitted.
"Oh." was her only response. Wes looked irritated.
"That's all? Doesn't it make you think twice about what you said, about money not being something that could make people happy? Would you have said the same if you knew beforehand that I was rich?" he asked. Anca set the journal aside and looked him straight in the eye.
"Wesley Evice, I loved you from the moment I read your letters. I love you for your kindness, your gentleness, your love for the world and all that is in it." she told him bluntly, taking minor note of his wide eyes and red flush, "I love you for wishing happiness for others when I can tell you don't have much of it for yourself. I love you for who you are, not for what you have or don't have." She smiled gently then. "And your soul; I love you for your bright and pure heart, a heart free of darkness and shining with a light that will one day guide all who need a caring hand to you."
"Oh." Wes managed to utter after swallowing hard. Anca chuckled and shook her head.
"Wesley, sometimes you can be impossible. Go freshen up!" she declared with a laugh and whirled around, disappearing out the door and leaving Wes standing there, trying his hardest to figure out what had just happened.
--------
Jirachi sat on the windowsill, gazing at Celebi, who watched the events in the room with her deep green eyes filled with tears.
"It must be agony to want to change the past and know that you can't." he whispered softly to her. Celebi didn't move her eyes away from the scene before her.
"Jirachi, do you know how much I torture myself with this? I come here almost every day and wonder if changing this past would really make the future any better, or would I just be deluding myself and everyone else with false hope?" she answered and closed her eyes, fighting back a sob. "Do you have any idea what I've put us all through to repair this broken time?!"
"What?" the Wish Maker asked, but Celebi refused to answer.
Rezrik groaned audibly as the peons gathered around the latest instructions sent to them by Nascour. Cinnabar Island, their next destination, was famous for its genetics research labs, the flaming hot and powerful Pokémon Gym, the hot springs, and the eruption that buried every town in lava and ash. The group blinked at the orders, then slowly slid their glares at Rezrik.
"Man, I don't wanna go there, either. Are they all freaking insane?!" the team leader griped.
"Well, what are we going to do? They'll kill us if we don't go, and we could end up dead if we do!" one of the women declared irritably. Rezrik tapped his fingers together and frowned.
"Nascour said to go check it out, right?" he remarked and grinned as the others grumbled affirmations. "But he didn't say we had to land on the island, did he?"
"Not really." another peon answered vaguely, "So what?" Rezrik turned in his seat and grinned up at the group.
"So we take our sweet time getting there, that's what! We'll hop a boat or plane, swing by it a couple times and if we don't see anything to show there's life, which I doubt we will, then we can make for Neon City and gamble the night away!" he plotted brightly, "We can tell the boss that we're waiting for next orders after saying there's nothing on the island!"
"Hey, yeah! I haven't had a vacation in a long time! Neon City's casinos are even better than the ones in Celadon!" the first woman exclaimed, "And they've got the latest in beauty parlors and all their perfumes and body oils are trucked in directly from Celadon City!"
"Let's do it, then! Hell ya!" a third peon cheered, "Neon City, here we come!" Whooping and cheering, the group quickly dressed from the Cipher suits into their trainer disguises. "It might take a while to get passage from Hoenn to Kanto, but we've got all the time in the world!" Rezrik nodded and donned the yellow and black hat he had bought in the Lilycove Department store.
"First I get some fun out of Cipher's open bank account, then I'll make a run for it." he decided and shouldered his bag, "Okay, gang! Neon City or bust!" The group thrust their fists collectively into the air and whooped a final time before making their way to the nearest airport.
Professor Elm seemed less nervous without Seth in the midst. He listened to the story of what had happened outside, then whisked the three Pokémon off to heal and recover. Red stood to one side, eyes intent on the MasterDex in his hand, while the others tried to get Elm's attention.
"So, things are okay around here? The gyms are being rebuilt?" Silver asked, dogging the scientist as he bustled about with books and papers.
"Yes, yes. Everything's going fine. Silver, hand me that article over there." Prof. Elm remarked absently as he dumped the collection onto a table. The Johto trainer grabbed a newspaper clipping and handed it to him. Rui looked around the lab and jumped when a Croconaw ran by. For a brief moment, she thought it was Seth's, but this one sported a pink bow around its neck.
"Hey, cool! What kind of Pokémon is that?" May exclaimed and scooped it up, hugging it. "This place is so awesome! Why haven't we come here before to check out Johto Pokémon?!" The Croconaw blinked in surprise, then started to squirm.
"That's a Croconaw, Water-type, evolves from Totodile." Red reported and frowned at his computer. May set the creature down and cocked her head at it.
"That right, huh? What's the nature and ability?" she asked no one in particular.
"Shouldn't we get going to the Day Care Center?" Rui pressed, "I don't think this place is The Beginning." Silver sighed and nodded. Prof. Elm looked up at them with a steady serious expression.
"Wait just a minute. What is going on this time? Silver, you should have stayed here after that strange storm tore through the Indigo Plateau. Why are you still traveling with May, Brendan, Rui and Red?" he asked, "And what happened to that other guy? Seth?"
"The storm sort of blew him somewhere else." Silver replied quickly, "So, we're searching for him. He's at a place called The Beginning, but we don't know where or what it is." Rui walked up to the table and sifted through the paperwork in search of something to do while the Pokémon healed.
"Did my dad call you, Prof. Elm? Do you have any clues as to what could be called a Beginning? Maybe we can get a solid lead to check after the Day Care Center." Brendan inquired. Elm shook his head.
"No, but he did mention a story from long ago that nearly abolished the tradition of Pokémon journeys. I don't understand the connection with this situation, so I'm searching for the articles on it." he answered as Red jerked his head up in surprise.
"The one about the trainer who died nearly thirty years ago? I thought that was a story told to scare disobedient kids!" he cried, "That actually happened?!" Prof. Elm nodded and the elder trainer looked sick. "What could have made a Pokémon kill a human being?" he whispered as Pikachu gasped and drooped his ears in sorrow.
"You'll call if you find anything, right?" Silver asked as the machine nearby beeped and spat out a tray with the three PokéBalls on it. Rui cried happily and gathered them up, hugging the spheres.
"They're okay now! Thank you so much, Prof. Elm!" she exclaimed. The older man smiled back at her and pushed his glasses up.
"That's all right. Now, you'd better get to the Day Care Center before they close tonight." he replied and waved as the group headed out to fly towards Goldenrod City.
"I can't believe it. A Pokémon killed a human. How? Why?" Pikachu murmured and looked down at Red, who returned to his work glumly. "What are you doing now?"
"I've got several hits on the network on the name Evice. I'm looking for his son." Red replied, "And according to this, he has only one son, named Wesley. The MasterDex collected quite a load of data on him. He's a trainer, so I'm going to have it use the information to trace his path. If we're lucky, it'll pinpoint his most recent location and we can go to him and ask for a lead." Pikachu cocked his head.
"Wesley? Wesley... Why does that sound familiar?" he muttered. Red clapped the MasterDex closed as he released Charizard and climbed on with Rui and Silver.
"Project: WSLY; the name of the experiment that produced Seth. We heard about it at Nett's house, remember? Which brings up another question and mystery to this whole adventure." he added darkly as they flew to the Day Care Center, "Why would Cipher name the experiment to create Seth after Wesley?"
The Day Care Center seemed so peaceful as the sun began to set over Johto. The heroes knocked on the doors and waited eagerly as the two old proprietors of the shop opened up and peered out at them.
"I'm sorry, dearies, but we're closing shop. Please come back tomorrow." the old woman remarked. Rui looked tearful, trying to look charming despite her Snagger disguise.
"Oh, please, let us in! I'm looking for a friend of mine and he might have gotten lost on your land!" She dug around in her pockets and pulled out the Balls that held Jupiter and Pluto. "I have his Pokémon here and they'll check the area for him. I promise they'll be good!"
"We've already made our rounds for the night." the elderly man grumbled, "There's no one out there!"
"It's very important, sir and madam." Red interrupted smoothly. "The young man we are looking for is quite sick and needs his medicine. If we can just have his Pokémon look around for a brief time, it will save us a lot of trouble in this search. The Espeon and Umbreon are very close to him and will head straight for him if they sense his presence."
The elderly couple looked at each other for a moment, trying to come to a decision silently, then sighed and nodded, allowing them in. They led the group to the rear doors that lead to an open acre of land where Pokémon of all sorts were preparing to sleep, while others were stirring for their nighttime habits.
"The Eons may search the premises, but you must stay here. We have had many eggs and Pokémon stolen from us over the course of the forty years we've run this shop. We finally had to take measures to protect this place after a pair of Eevee eggs were stolen long ago." the older woman pointed out as Rui released the male twins.
"Stolen Eevee eggs?" Jupiter murmured in shock at the last comment, "A pair of stolen Eevee eggs? Who would do such a thing?" Pluto shook his head and shrugged.
"A thief, who else? Haven't we stolen Pokémon and other valuable things over the years? Why should a pair of Eevee eggs concern us?" he remarked. He scanned the group quickly. "Seth still isn't back. What's taking so long to find him? And why did they call us out here in this place? Do they need us to Snag something?"
"Jupiter, Pluto, search the land and see if you can find any signs of Seth. This is the Beginning of his escape from Cipher's Shadow influence." Rui told the two. The looked up at her in confusion, then looked at Red.
"You don't know. I can tell by Jupiter's comments." Red murmured, "The two stolen Eevee eggs were you two. Seth stole you from here and after hatching you, learned to love others. That love began to unravel Cipher's hold on him." The Eons jumped back in shock and Rui looked up at Red.
"You told them, didn't you?!" she accused, "You could have waited until we found Seth and had him explain their origins to them! You hurt their feelings!"
"We're the ones stolen?! We're Johto Eevees?!" Jupiter exclaimed in a stunned voice, "No way!" Pluto shook his head.
"Agh, Jupe, it doesn't matter! Where Seth came from, where we came from, it means nothing!" he snapped.
"But...!"
"No! No buts! The past is just that! The past! Just because we are from this place doesn't make us any less Seth's Pokémon and friends!" the Umbreon scolded. The Espeon sat down and whimpered, ears flattened against his head. "We may have been laid here, but we were born and raised in Orre. We were taken care of and loved by Seth. As far as I'm concerned, I was never a Johto Eevee! I was an Orre Eevee, now an Orre Umbreon! Far stronger and more experienced and better trained than any Johto Umbreon!" Pluto went on as the group watched in awe at the conflict before them. "I am loyal to Seth; we've been together all our lives! If you want to try reclaiming your Johto roots, fine! Stay here and be handed to a trainer that knows nothing about you! But I won't be trapped in the past. I won't allow myself to ask 'What ifs' about this region!"
"Because we were stolen for a special purpose, Jupe. Fate chose us to be the key to Seth's freedom, and we had to be taken from our home region to fulfill our purpose. To teach Seth to love others, so that he would be free of the Shadow experiment and could start the process to become Raykyoudon, the Weather's Master." the Umbreon finished in a low voice. Jupiter blinked at him, then looked at the patch of land.
"We were, weren't we? He could have stolen any number of eggs to be his partners. He chose us instead. Destiny chose us to be his saviors, but he chose us to be his closest friends." he whispered and smiled slightly, "Johto's nice and all, but it's not home without Seth. So let's find him and go home! Home to the land of Orre!" With a yelp of joy, the two Eons leaped to their feet and bounded out onto the acre, eyes and ears open for their master and friend, Jupiter's psychic abilities stretching further to search for his mind.
"They've cleared things up now. They'll be fine." Red remarked when Rui looked at him questioningly. "Sometimes to move on, one must face the truth of his past." His eyes seemed to flicker, as if to hide an additional bit of information, but he shrugged and the feeling passed.
In a few minutes, the Eons came loping back and reported quickly what they learned on their jog around the acre. Red translated the results. Though the search was as thoroughly done as the ones they've made on potential burglary victims, no sign of Seth was found.
"Well, damn it, where the hell could he be?" Silver griped under her breath as Rui thanked the couple and led the team outside.
"The last lead we have is Cinnabar Island." Brendan replied, "And if that comes up a bust, we'll be back at square one with no idea of where to go next."
"I asked Nett some time ago to look up Realgam Tower's blueprints and search it for a secret path, like that kid in Orre said. If Cipher is trying to get to Seth, they may try to take him there. Realgam is also where Cipher's first attempt to conquer the world failed and caused the downfall of the corporation. It was the beginning of their end." Rui stated, thinking hard about the situation, "If Cinnabar doesn't pan out, we can ask him if he's found anything and head for the tower in Orre."
"We'll fly to Cinnabar in the morning. Let's find a hotel and get some rest. The Eons may need some time to settle down and loosen up for any upcoming troubles." May pointed out, "Kanto is the origin of truly serious Pokémon battles. The restrictions and rules, the law of the land, is powerful enough to make even a Hoenn Champion like me think carefully about what I'm doing there." The group agreed and searched out a place to stay.
Far away from the troubles of the heroes and the semi-sinister Cipher peons, a simple flower girl began to prepare to close shop for the day. The term was moot as she was in her early thirties, helping her elderly mother run the store that was often the talk of the bridal community. She looked back at her mother as she swept out the shop and gave her a small smile.
"Shop's ready for the night, Mother. Are you ready for bed?" she asked. The woman, near fifty years of age, sighed as she smoothed back a stray hair, the fading red still fighting the many gray hairs that speckled her hair bun.
"In a minute, Deborah. You'd best be on your way home to that husband of yours. Tell the kids that I'll come visit tomorrow." she answered. Deborah nodded and stayed to watch her mother's nightly ritual.
The elder woman went to a dark cherry wood cabinet behind the flower shop counter and opened it. Within its confines was a single photo of a young man and woman, and a thick leather bound book worn by age and use. Deborah leaned against the doorway and folded her arms over her chest, gazing sadly at the scene. Her mother took in the sight of the photo and book, still luminous green eyes filled with unshed tears, then stroked the cover of the book once to remove the dust before placing a small plate of flowers in front of the framed picture and closing the cabinet.
"He was a special person, Deborah. Before I met your father and had you and your brother, he was the light in my life." she said suddenly and turned to face her daughter. "Go on home, Debs. I'll be fine." Deborah nodded again and left, the tinkling of the bell hanging over the door the only sound remaining in the little shop.
