A/N: Thank you so much for picking this story! I really love what I have come up with so far; so I hope you enjoy it too!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of their IP. I just own this story and my original characters


Long ago before the uniting of Hisui, the Menson (1) traveled out of the south and into the northwestern territory.

The menson were known for traveling from place to place, searching for land that was desolate, dry, and barren to make it more beautiful and fertile.

The power of their hands was known far and wide, but they were still searching for more. With each place they transformed, they allowed for more civilizations to flourish. However, none seemed like home to them.

So, they traveled north in hope of finding a place for themselves.

They settled their people in a dry and barren land known as the Romana Valley. The valley faced the edge of the western sea and contained three dying rivers.

They toiled for years and years, but the land was unyielding. Nothing would grow, and the land was lifeless.

Desperate for relief, the King of the Mensen decided that something must be done. Word was sent to him that a child of the Original One, the sky purifier, was residing on an island in the eastern sea.

So the King set off on his journey to the small island in the east. He traveled through harsh winds, snow, heavy fog, and rain.

After many moon cycles, the King reached the small island where the almegan (2) lived.

The King found the almegan at the northern tip of the island surrounded by a field of flowers.

Before the almegan allowed the King to speak, they subjected him to trial. The trial tested the king's patience, empathy, compassion, and gratitude.

Though the trial was hard, the king was able to show the almegan his heart.

With the trial complete, the almegan allowed the king to speak.

The king told the almegan of his people's plight and petitioned them to show mercy.

The king's speech touched the almegan's heart. They immediately created a covenant with the king's people. This covenant was signified by a large stone rock that was set up as an altar for those to come. The altar was named 'Nieuwe Hoop' (3) as it signified the bright future of the mensen people.

They left for the Romana Valley at sunrise the next day.

After many moon cycles, the king and the almegan arrived at the kingdom.

The almegan traveled around the kingdom looking over the land and searching for hearts filled with gratitude. For the covenant that the almegan had with the king stated that there must be at least one person with a heart full of thanksgiving for the almegan to deliver them.

The almegan searched high and low, but to no avail, a person with a grateful heart could not be found.

After searching for many moons, the almegan found a heart full of gratitude as they were resting under a 'Desert Willow.' The heart belonged to a young girl who was playing with her fox like Pokémon.

The almegan asked to speak to the little girl, and she obliged. The little girl was named Gracidea, and she lived with her mother and father in the village. She was lively, vibrant, and cautious to speak. The almegan and the child talked all day and all night.

The next morning the almegan went throughout the kingdom purifying the diseased air and anointing the land. The almegan also called for rain on the first day of the week for an entire year.

The land transformed before the people's very eyes. Gone was the desolate wasteland. The fields were filled with flowers and berries. The land was flowing with milk and honey. This was the start of their prosperous nation.

With the fulfillment of the covenant, the king renamed his people the Gracideans, for they shall be a people with thankful hearts even during the dry seasons of life.


Word Count: 631

Published: Friday, March 4, 2022


Footnotes:

(1) Mensen is Dutch for 'people' (from Google Translate). This name is used as the name of the ethnic group

(2) Almegan is a word that I made up that combines the words alpha and omega. It is used as a title for deities in the Arceusite Pantheon

(3) 'Nieuwe Hoop' is Dutch for 'new hope' (from Google Translate)


See maps of Sinnoh on my Imgur profile. Username: LifeOfAFlower


A/N: Thank you for reading this story! Please leave a comment below on what you liked about the story or what you think I could do to get better at writing