When we stepped outside, we found the world completely white. It was snowing, and soon the whole area was covered in white powder.
"Oh wow!" I exclaimed. "Is this normal?"
"Yes," Arti replied. "Snowy days are common on this island."
"Really?" I asked. "I thought it was supposed to be spring right now."
"It is, but that's why I like this place!"
"That's interesting," I said. "So, Let's go to Saffron as soon as you're ready."
"Okay! Get on my back," she said.
I climbed onto her back, and she spread her wings. With one flap, she flew off into the air.
I watched as we soared over the snowy landscape of Kanto, and was overwhelmed by the beauty of nature. I looked at the ground below me, and saw small paths that led through the snow.
It was hard to see where the roads ended, so the only way to get around seemed to be to fly.
When we landed in front of the city, I saw people walking around. Some of them were wearing fur coats, while others were dressed in jeans and t-shirts. But everyone looked happy, and there was no sign of any trouble.
There weren't many cars driving around, either. Maybe it was because the roads were covered in snow, or perhaps there weren't enough people to drive them.
After I got off Arti's back, I couldn't help but fear the reaction that people would have to seeing me with a pokemon, but as I saw she followed behind me, I shrugged it off.
We entered the city, and I noticed how well maintained everything was. The buildings were clean, and the streets were free of trash.
I also noticed many shops open, and people walking around with smiles on their faces. In fact, it seemed like everyone was smiling.
"This is amazing!" I exclaimed. "It's different from Doran!"
Arti nodded.
"Yeah, it is," she said. "People here aren't afraid of anyone, they don't act weird, and nobody's fighting."
She looked at me and grinned.
"I know you're not used to it, but try to relax. Everyone here is nice. They won't hurt you."
"Okay," I said. "Let's explore the city."
We walked through the town, and I kept looking at the people who greeted us. Many of them wore fur coats, which made them look pretty cool.
Others wore jeans and t-shirts, but they still looked good. Everyone was smiling, and nobody acted suspicious. I wondered if everyone was like this just because it was springtime.
"You know, Arti," I said. "Everyone seems to be having fun here."
"Yep," she replied. "And it must be because they know they can trust each other."
"It's so peaceful," I said.
We went into a restaurant called "Café World". It was a fancy type of café, and the patrons were richly dressed. But I also noticed that most of them were holding hands with their partners, and it was obvious that they trusted each other.
"I wonder if this is some kind of holiday," I said.
"Maybe," Arti replied. "I haven't heard anything about it though."
We sat down at a table near the window, and ordered our food. I decided to ask someone what was going on.
"Excuse me," I said. "What's going on here?"
"Oh hello, dear," the woman said. "Welcome to Café World."
"Who are you?" I asked.
"My name is Amanda," she said. "I own the place."
"Thank you," I said. "So why is everyone here so happy?"
Yuna smiled.
"It's a holiday," she said. "A very special holiday."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, it's a celebration," she said. "It commemorates the founding of this city. You see, the founder set up a contract with the spirits to ensure that peace would reign here forevermore."
"A contract?" I asked. "With the spirits?"
"Yes," she said. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything later!"
"Thanks," I said.
She handed me a menu, which I took and looked at. I saw steaks being cooked, as well as soups and salads. I decided to order something simple, since I hadn't eaten for a while.
I asked Arti what she wanted, and she chose a seed salad. A little after, I paid for our meals, and we ate. We talked with Amanda, and she told us more about the history of the city.
Apparently, the city was built by the spirit, who helped the people. She also explained that the inhabitants of the city lived peacefully together, and that they celebrated this important event every year.
"Wow," I said. "That sounds amazing. Tell me more."
"Of course," Amanda said. "But first, I need to tell you about an old legend I heard from my father."
"Go ahead," I said.
"Once upon a time," she began. "There was a bird made of ice which had great powers. This bird protected the city from evil creatures, and kept the citizens safe."
"An ancient legend," I said. "Sounds like the kind of thing that people who believe in gods say."
"No," Amanda said. "Don't get confused. It was a pokemon. This spirit came to live among humans, and became known as the Goddess."
"The Goddess?" I asked. "Wait, does that mean that there's some sort of deity here?"
"In a way," Amanda said. "But not the way you're thinking. You see, back then, there was no concept of religion. The Goddess was worshiped as a goddess who descended from the heavens, and bestowed blessings upon humanity."
"I understand," I said. Then, I started to think about Arti. She was, in fact, a legendary pokemon, an ice bird exactly. Did that mean that Arti might be the Goddess?!
"How does the legend end?" I asked.
"The Goddess disappeared centuries after," Amanda said. "No one knows where she went, or what happened to her."
"So, what does that mean?" I asked. "Did the Goddess die?"
"No," Amanda said. "That's not how legends work. They don't necessarily end with death."
"Then what happened?" I asked.
"We don't know," Amanda said. "We think she left the city to go somewhere else, but no one knows where. That's why we celebrate every year. No matter what happens, we celebrate this day."
"I see," I said. "Thank you for telling me that story."
"You're welcome," Amanda said.
After we finished eating, we walked around the city. We found the market, where people were selling things like fruit, vegetables, fish, and clothes.
We talked with some of them, and bought some things. Then, we went into a store, and bought some souvenirs.
We got some nice postal cards and other things, as well as a variety of foodstuffs. Then, we walked around some more, until we decided to come back to Arti's place.
When we got there, I noticed her feathers were sparkling in the light, making her look absolutely adorable.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
"Yes," she replied.
"Okay," I said. "Let's do this."
I walked up and sat down next to her. She turned her head towards me, and opened her beak wide.
I put my finger on the tip of her beak, and slowly slid it down, until I reached the end. I put my finger inside her cloaca, as I spread it wide. After a moment I laid myself atop of her, and rested my arms on her wings.
Slowly, I pulled her closer to me and pushed forwards.
I looked deep into her eyes, and saw that they were full of love. Just then, she softly kissed me.
She continued kissing me, and soon we were getting aroused together. I can feel her heart beating along mine. She started rubbing her body against me, and our kisses grew hotter and wetter.
Suddenly, she stopped moving, and looked deep into my eyes.
"Do you want to make love to me?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied.
After a passionate session of lovemaking, we both felt exhausted. We laid down on the bed, and hugged each other tightly.
"Thank you for giving me a family" I said.
"I love you," she said.
"Me too." I replied.
"Goodnight," she said.
"Goodnight" I replied.
Next morning, I was awoken by a certain sound that made my heart skip a beat. It was a familiar sound.
"Arti!" I shouted out loud. "The time has come! Wake up!"
I shook her, and tried to rouse her. Soon enough, I saw her eyes open.
"Good morning," she said.
"See!" I said as I pointed to the three eggs, now starting to hatch.
Arti smiled at me.
"Congratulations," she said. "You created the next generation of legendaries. They will someday save the world... Of course!"
"Really?" I asked. "How do you know that?"
Arti rubbed herself on my shoulder. "Well, I don't expect less from them... Their mother is the Ice Goddess, after all..."
"What?!" I shouted. "You're the Goddess?!"
"Indeed," she said. "I am the Goddess who descended from the heavens that woman told you earlier."
"Wow," I said. "So, you saved the city from its destruction?"
"Of course," she said. "It is my duty to guide humanity through the hardships and tribulations of their lives."
I was truly excited to be told that by Arti herself.
Then, a stronger sound echoed in the room the very moment when the first egg hatched. The baby chick pecked away at the shell, revealing a blue fleshy interior.
Suddenly, the shell broke apart, and the chick emerged into the world. It was a cute little creature, with a long neck and legs. Its face was covered in soft down, and it had large bright white eyes.
"Oh wow," I said. "This is amazing!"
"It sure is," Arti said. "Isn't it cool?"
"Yes," I said. "It's so cute!"
"I think we should name him!" Arti said. "What do you think?"
"Great idea!" I said. "What do you want to name him?"
"Well," Arti said. "Maybe we should call him...Icycle?"
"Icycle?" I asked. "That's a great name!"
"Yeah," Arti said.
"Okay," I nodded. "Let's name him Icycle."
Soon enough, the other two chicks hatched. They were identical to Icycle. One was male, and the other was female. They pecked at the shells, and slowly came out.
"They look like twins," I said.
"They are," Arti said. "What about naming them?"
"Hmm," I said. "Bardock and Balto?"
"That sounds kind of lame," Arti said. "We need better names. What about Acer and Blize?"
"Acer and Blize," I repeated. "That sounds pretty cool."
"Sure," Arti agreed. "Those are perfect names."
"I think so too," I said. "Now, let's get them some food."
After feeding the chicks we began to talk about the future.
"I can't wait until they are big enough to fly," I said. "Then, they can leave here, and explore the world."
"They will be able to fly soon," Arti said.
"Of course," I nodded. They were still about the size of a watermelon or so. Their bodies were still pale white, but their feathers would become slightly darker, getting the characteristic pale blue color.
Soon, they would be able to leave this place, and fly freely through the skies.
"Do you really think they'll be okay?" I asked. "In case anything happens, I mean."
"Of course!" Arti said. "Why wouldn't they be?"
"Well, because they are hatchlings, and they don't know anything. I'm worried about them."
"Don't worry," Arti said. "I'll teach them everything. They will be fine!"
"I hope so," I said.
"Trust me," Arti said. "I will bring them up right."
"Thanks," I said. "So, what should we do now?"
"Now, we can take care of them," Arti said. "Take this berry and feed them!" she said as she slowly handed me the berries.
"Thanks," I said.
"No problem," she said.
I fed the chicks one berry after another, until they finished eating.
Then, I sat and watched them pecking the leftovers, thinking about how lucky I was to have such wonderful creatures as my children. Arti was watching me with heartfelt satisfaction.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself," she said.
"I am," I said. "I'm glad that you came to complete my life."
"Me too," she said as I hugged her. "Now, it is time for you to go back to sleep."
"Really" I said.
"Yes sweetie… It's time to sleep…" she said. "Goodbye..."
As I awoke, the orange sunset light shone through the window, lighting up the entire room I was in.
My eyes opened, and I blinked several times. I was lying on my bed, staring at an empty space above me.
I stood still for a few seconds until I realized I was back in my room at the university residence.
It was everything a dream! Unbelievable!
I was saddened to be revealed the truth like that, but, on the other hand, I felt glad for dreaming of such an experience.
The truth was, I'll never meet a legendary pokemon. Or rather, I knew it would probably never happen. But, the dream made me feel hopeful that it might happen someday.
I was disappointed to wake up. That was the first time I had ever dreamed of meeting a legendary pokemon, or any Pokemon for that matter. I wondered if it was due to stress from university, or from the loneliness I'm suffering.
My mind also thought about the possibilities of having a child with Articuno. If my dream had been true, I would've produced offspring which would be legendary themselves. What a crazy idea, right?
I had always wanted a child of my own, but I had never found any pokemon who wanted to be my partner at all.
In the time I live, it's difficult to find and share your love with someone who isn't human. People hate pokémon. It's sad how life works here.
Now everything made sense. From how anyone seemed to care when Arti was by my side to the fact that a legendary chose to mate with me...
As I gave a heartfelt sigh, I got up from the bed, and looked at the calm sunset scenery from the window. I knew it was useless.
There was no way I could fulfill my dream, but, at least, I now have a new memory to remember and enjoy from day to day.
THE END
