A recent blizzard has struck and has given me more free time to work on leisure projects such as this! Which works out well, I like working on this. Things may seem a little chaotic right now in the story, but its to establish some tones that we will see expanded upon. Calem and the crew are on their way through Santalune woods. As I said before, with how open ended and bland the dialogue and story bits are with the X and Y games, it gives me a lot of freedom because the game is basically a blank slate. Don't worry, I am sticking to and will hit most of the plot points of the game with stuff added here and there. Anyways….
Chapter 3
In Santalune woods Serena and Calem battled quite a few bug types. They learned the ins and outs of the type itself, among the many status affects they can inflict. They ended up running into Trevor trying to fill the pages of his pokedex and failing to catch a pansage that mocked him from the treetops. Tierno was farther into the woods having a battle with a bug catcher as a few other youngsters looked on. Serena and Calem battled against two youngsters together. The more battles they got in before their first gym battle, the better. Eventually the forest thinned a bit as they neared the end. The exit was within sight and the glow of the afternoon sun could be seen through the tree when Serena and Calem stopped to rest.
" Looks like we are the first to arrive since no one passed us back there." Serena said while stretching and then plopping down on a rock next to the path.
Calem leaned against a tree "Are we going to wait on the rest of our party?"
"I think it's only right that we do. Besides, I think Froakie and I need a break. We've been going hard the entire time we've been here in Santalune woods."
"Good! The gym leader will still be a tough fight for both of us but to a lesser degree now." Fennekin jumped into Calem's arms. Fennekin had been training hard too, the abundant grass and bug types in the woods made it an easy training ground for the little fire type. Calem smiled at the little fox. He was worried slightly about the upcoming gym battle. He did not catch a new Pokémon, depending on the type of gym was in Santalune, he could be in for a rough time walking in with just Fennekin. He put Fennekin back in its pokeball and pulled out his pokedex to scan the nearby area for interesting Pokémon.
Serena noticed him begin to vigorously scan through data being displayed on the pokedex. "What are you up to?" She asked.
"I'm looking for an interesting Pokémon to add to my party. I'm a little particular and only certain Pokémon work with my battle style" Calem responded. "Why?" He paused a second to glance down at Serena.
"Oh no reason" Said Serena.
"He already has a battle style and can even choose Pokémon based solely on attributes. Hopefully, I develop my own style and distinguish myself. It might take a long time."
At that moment, Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna came walking up.
"Look! They're here!" said Shauna
"Hey guys!" Said Tierno.
They all had learned a thing or two from Santalune. Stepping out into the waning sunlight again felt good. Route 3 started up on a hill overlooking the town that lied in the lowlands north of their current location. Here they all stopped once again.
"So, what are all of you going to do?" Asked Shauna.
Trevor was the first to respond. "Why, look for Pokémon of course. The professor did ask us to complete the pokedex after all. This is a new location so there will be new Pokémon that I haven't registered yet."
"With new Pokémon comes new moves!" Added Tierno. "I'm coming with you Trevor."
"What about you, Serena?"
Serena confidently responded "I'm heading to Santalune city to challenge the gym leader right away. I believe Calem here is going to join me."
"Yes, I am going to challenge the gym too, but Serena is going first." Calem said.
Shauna yawned, "That's cool and all but don't we need a place to sleep and rest before we do all that?"
"Hey! The Pokémon center in Santalune has rooms for Pokémon trainers for free." Said Tierno.
"Works for me" said Shauna. "Let's all go to Santalune, I'm beat."
The three began down the path once more towards the town that was now visible at the bottom of the next hill. Serena grabbed Calem's arm before he could follow them to Santalune.
"Hey Calem? Will you come watch my Pokémon battle and give me pointers after its done whether I win or lose?"
"Of course!"
"Ok, good. My main goal is to get better. Every defeat and victory need to be a learning experience." She let go of his arm and began walking away while continuing to talk.
"I'm really excited, I can't believe I'll probably be battling tomorrow morning!"
"Serena"
"I gotta stay focused its all win or lose, black and white."
"Serena!"
"What?" She finally realized Calem was trying to speak.
"Relax. You will have plenty of time to get better and learn from your experiences. You must have experiences first, so baby steps. One at a time. It's not necessarily about winning as much as it is about having fun along the way."
She looked taken aback a little as he walked past her. They both caught up to the other three.
The walk to Santalune was quite short. They went down the hill, past all the ponds and kept going until the dirt path turned into brick and the city of Santalune unfurled in front of them. By this point, the sun was quite low in the sky and nighttime loomed. The Pokémon center was located towards the center of the city. In the very center there was a plaza, much like the one in Aquacorde with patches of grass and a fountain in the center. Pink flowering bushes were planted in ornate patterns here and there accenting outdoor cafés and restaurants. The Pokémon center was not hard to find with its red roof.
"So, Serena and Shauna are the only ones here who have never been in a Pokémon Center right?" asked Tierno.
"Yeah, I've never really had a reason to use one till now." Said Serena.
"Well, you've come with the right guy!" boasted Tierno. "I will let you know how to get the most out of your stay at the PC, and I'm sure veteran trainer Calem will help us."
"Wait, me?" Calem said. He wanted to leave that whole deal up to Tierno.
Stepping inside, Calem met a familiar yet unfamiliar sight. Off to the left and right were seating areas with various trainers here and there discussing Pokémon and other things they had experienced. Pokémon Centers were unique because every pokemon trainer, no matter what profession they performed with Pokémon, would have to eventually congregate in a Pokémon Center. This led to the dissemination of ideas in a very effective and efficient manner. Pokémon Centers were hubs for information. To Calem's immediate right, past all the chairs, there was a small divider that led to a mart in the back of the Center. To the left there was a hallway, which he assumed there was rooms for people to stay.
"Pokémon Centers are great; they heal your Pokémon for free. Service is great too!" Said Tierno. "Now, Calem go demonstrate how you get them to heal your Pokémon."
Calem gave Tierno a confused look. "Ok… its pretty simple."
Everyone was watching him, and Shauna and Serena were snickering amongst themselves. Probably at how out of proportions Tierno was making this seem.
He approached the counter and the pink haired lady behind it. Nurse Joy was a staple of every PC and had been since Calem began his journey back in Kanto.
"Hey, could you please heal my Pokémon, just my Fennekin." Calem said.
"Certainly, my you must have just started your journey recently to only have one Pokémon! Especially one this young." responded Nurse Joy. She put the one pokeball into the machine behind the counter and flipped the switch.
"Sort of…" responded Calem. It was a lie.
After a few seconds of humming, a soft glow emanated from the machine and a little jingle could be heard. One that Calem was all too familiar with.
"Here is Fennekin back. We restored her to full health." Said Nurse Joy.
"See there's-"
"There's nothing to it!" Tierno said while cutting off Calem. "Nurse Joy can we also get rooms?"
"Oh, yes sure! Here…" She rustled behind the counter for a little bit before pulling out two key cards. "Rooms 103 and 104. Can I see some I.D. from you all?"
The group all rustled in their bags for a second before pulling out their trainer IDs and handing them over. Nurse Joy glanced over them and paused at Calems. "hmm, this one is…"
"What's wrong?" asked Serena.
"Sir, your name is scratched out." Nurse Joy said before returning Calem's ID to him.
"That's funny" Said Calem, "I could have sworn that It wasn't last time I checked."
Sure enough, the name had been scratched out. His worn ID was falling apart as if it were older than it was.
What is going on here… He shrunk into his own world. Clouds began to build. What happened back in Unova. I feel like I'm going to be sick.
…
Serena stuck her ID back in her bag before looking up again just to witness Calem lock eyes with the floor. She noticed that his worn I.D. lacked his name and in its place was a series of scratches. She watched the boy space out again.
You do that a lot. Something is wrong. Technically this had been the third time she had witnessed Calem recede into his own world. There is definitely something you are not telling me. She had a second thought. Do I even want to know? She still felt somewhat responsible for dragging him on this journey. He was on this quest with her to get his memories back and she and Shauna had offered him the chance.
She reached out and touched his arm.
…
"Hey"
Who? A voice pulled Calem from the abyss of his mind and he returned to the pokemon center. The warmth on his arm told him that Serena was trying to get his attention. He met her eyes as she let go of his arm.
"Huh, oh yeah. What's up?"
"How do we register for a gym battle again?" Serena said. She made up something to say. She didn't want to pry too hard.
"Oh shoot." Calem responded. "Nurse Joy, what time is it?"
We might be too late.
"Its almost 6:00" Nurse Joy said, "dinner will be served soon in the main lobby."
"We have to register at the gym itself. At least that's how I've always done it." Calem Answered Serena's question. "Come on"
Serena seemed a little surprised but understood that they had to hurry.
"See you two later!" Shauna yelled after them.
The duo left the pokemon center. By this time, the sun had well set with just a sliver of orange on the horizon that popped against the lush green foliage of Santalune forest in the distance. With nighttime came the cool night air which softly rolled in from the east. Calem simply followed the gym signs to find it. They rushed through the plaza that had settled into some calm evening atmosphere with people sipping tea by the light of the streetlamps.
They came upon the gym which shared a similar architectural style with the rest of Santalune. There was a woman locking the front doors of the gym looking like she was heading home.
"Wait!" Calem said as he ran up to her. "Is it too late to register for a pokemon battle tomorrow?"
"My, aren't we a dedicated pokemon trainer." The woman responded amused.
Serena caught up. "Please, we would both like a chance to challenge the gym leader. I know we are late but-"
"Both of you huh?" The woman took out a pen and paper "You're in luck because my sister has no one to battle tomorrow. Looks like I'll change that!" She scribbled a little something in the notepad. "Can I get your names please?"
"Your sister is the gym leader?!" Serena asked surprised.
"Yes! She's Viola the bug type gym leader and I'm just her sister Alexa" She responded.
"I'm Serena and this is Calem. Pleased to meet you Alexa."
"Calem and Serena, alright! Who wants to go first?"
"I'll be going first." Serena proudly stated. "If that's alright with Calem." She turned and grinned.
Calem returned the smile. "That's fine by me."
"The in that case, Serena you are set to battle gym leader Viola at 10:00 tomorrow, and Calem, you will go right after her. See you then!" Alexa put the pen and pad back in her bag and went on down the street.
Serena and Calem both breathed a sigh of relief. And began to make their way back to the pokemon center.
"Sorry for rushing you like that." Calem said.
"No worries!" Said Serena "We almost didn't make it. Could you imagine if we hadn't?"
"Ha! Yeah, that would've been tragic."
Calem looked all around at the city bathed in a golden glow. The streetlamp's full effect could be seen on the surrounding buildings that were already made from a golden brick enhancing their honey color which contrasted well with the pink and red flowers that were seemingly planted everywhere.
Kalos sure is pretty. Calem thought. This really was a good place to end up.
"Hey Calem?" Serena asked.
"Yeah? What's up?"
"Do you mind if we take a break back at the plaza we passed earlier? My feet are killing me, we've been walking all day."
"Yeah Sure!"
They got to the plaza and sat down on one of the benches near the Roselia statue fountain at the center. The activity in the plaza had simmered to a low hum and a stringed instrument could be heard drifting down one of the boulevards.
I've got him alone without prying eyes and ears. Serena thought to herself What are you hiding Calem. Please let me in.
"Kalos is pretty." Calem said, surprising Serena. "So far, I've found it to be one of the prettier places I've been." He relaxed some.
"About that…" Serena asked "Where all have you been?"
"All over" Calem answered "Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova are all that I can recall. Why do you ask?" What are you trying to do? Some strange force made him feel like he needed to leave.
"Well, I feel like I need to help you regain some of your memory. I want to know more about N…"
At that name Calem's head swam and he must have winced.
"It's not every day you find a boy unconscious out in a storm, hurt from a battle who claims he came from a different region. I just want to help." Serena said.
After a pause, Calem responded and leaned forward. "I know how much trouble I probably caused you and Ms. Grace. But there's no need to worry now I promise." The two sat in silence for a second longer before Calem got up and stretched.
"You ready to head back?"
"Yes let's." Said Serena slightly disappointed. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to figuratively run from something painful. Maybe she could try again another time.
…
They returned to the pokemon center to see a lively atmosphere with the buffet being open and chefs rolling out carts of food for hungry trainers both young and old. There were groups of people sitting along the walls in booths and spread out amongst the dining areas. A rather large cacophony of conversation could be heard even before Serena and Calem stepped into the Pokemon Center.
"Where are they?" asked Calem over the ruckus.
Serena scanned the crowd for familiar forms until she located the familiar shape of Tierno sitting in one of the far corner booths off to the left side of the Center's lobby.
She tugged Calem's jacket sleeve to get his attention, "Over there" She said.
They made their way over dodging crowds of people and pokemon.
"Hey guys!" Tierno turned and greeted them. "How'd the gym go?"
Serena squeezed into the booth next to Shauna and Trevor while Calem squeezed in with Tierno.
"Yeah! Did you get to meet the gym leader?" asked Shauna. "We talked with a few trainers and they said her bug types are really cool!"
"No, we didn't meet Viola, but we did see her sister." Serena Answered. "I'm set to battle at 10:00 am tomorrow and I honestly couldn't be more nervous." She glanced down at her hands that were folded in front of her.
"I'm sure you'll do great, Serena." Tierno added. "Besides, you don't have any badges, so I would think they would go easy on you."
"I guess. That doesn't make me not worry. Calem is going to fight after me so if I don't win, at least he has a shot!" said Serena.
Eyes turned to Calem. "I need another pokemon before the gym battle. Or else this might not be as winnable as I expect it to be. Even with my experience, I still need some help." Calem said.
"Wait but, the fight is tomorrow morning. How are you going to catch a new pokemon before then?" asked Trevor.
"I'll think of something." Calem said. The group looked unsatisfied with that answer, especially Serena who thought the plan was for her to help him catch a pokemon.
Trevor soon broke the awkwardness and pulled a very familiar looking letter out of his bag with a bright red wax seal. "Hey, let's finally open our letters from Sycamore!" Trevor said.
They all agreed and in turn took out their letters and opened them. Inside of Calem's was a very nice piece of parchment with very elaborate handwriting. It was almost too nice for Calem to read.
Dear Calem,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am sorry about the circumstances of your arrival here in Kalos but I hope you are enjoying it nonetheless. What I have tasked this group with is of the utmost importance involving the new concept of mega evolution. It is a way for pokemon to go past their own potential and increase their power and skill. Not much is known about it except that very few trainers in Kalos can use mega evolution and that certain criteria must be reached before attempting to mega evolve your pokemon. Even then, the results are spotty, and we have yet to make headway on understanding mega evolution, its components, its uses, and possibilities. This is where everyone comes into play, especially you Calem. As a veteran trainer, who better to research this topic than one who understands the ins and outs of pokemon, can travel freely at a young age, and could potentially make use of his findings? The task at hand may sound daunting but I assure you, you are not alone. There is another professor in Ambrette town on the coast of Kalos who is also researching mega evolution and has made some discoveries. His name is Professor Kosewick. I suggest you all start there. I wish you the best.
Sincerely,
Professor Syncamore
P.S. If you find yourself in Lumiose City anytime. Stop by the lab! There is much to discuss.
"Wow…" Shauna said in disbelief.
The drone of the crowded pokemon center came back as they all looked up from their letters.
"Mega evolution huh?..." Tierno said "He says we should go Ambrette town."
"Fastest way there is through Lumiose City. This is what he has chosen for us to do along with the Pokedex." Trevor added. He seemed very happy with the idea that Sycamore had chosen them out of his many pupils to research such an important and impressive topic. This sickened Calem to a small degree. He had seen to many corrupt individuals abuse power for nefarious purposes and he saw the potential here.
"This is interesting," said Serena. "We can probably ask him more when we go to Lumiose. We are headed that direction anyways."
"I see a negative side to all this." Said Calem. "I hate to be negative here for a second but what if the power that comes from Mega evolution falls into the wrong hands?"
"What do you mean?" Asked Serena.
"Yeah, it's not like people don't already use it, Calem. The letters mentioned that a few people can use it in Kalos even. They couldn't be using it for evil or else we'd know." Trevor retorted Calem.
"Exactly my point, the few people who do use it, don't use it for evil and Kalos is lucky for that. What if it were the opposite? What if they did." Calem said. He stood up, slightly irritated. This is just like what's happened before. Something powerful used by the wrong hands. "I'm going to retire. See you all in the morning." Calem Said.
The group stared after him as he walked down the hallway and upstairs to their rooms on the second floor.
"What's his problem?" Trevor asked.
"Yeah… Serena do you know?" asked Shauna.
Serena didn't know. Something was obviously wrong, and he wasn't attempting to hide it anymore it seemed. "I… don't know." Serena Said.
…
Back in the room, Calem had showered and gotten ready for bed. His jacket hung on a chair along with his hat. He had slid into a black T-shirt and some grey sweatpants. Fennekin was out on his lap and he was gently stroking the warm little fox as it contently rested her nose on her fluffy tail. Calem loved pokemon and this was one of the reasons. They were cute.
"Oh Fennekin… why do I do this to myself" Calem asked aloud. He realized how stupid he must have looked back there. What he was saying was the truth, however. Absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. By researching mega evolution and giving young adults the means and ability to harness its power effectively was opening the door for anyone to do the same. Surely the professor knew this. The little fox opened its eyes for a second before returning to a slumber.
I can't think about it. I have a gym battle tomorrow morning. As much as I am worried about the broader picture, I need another pokemon. Hmm, that's right…
He set Fennekin down on the bed who responded with a small yelp as Calem rudely disturbed her sleep. He reached over to his bag and dug out the Kalos pokedex. He turned the light off and settled into bed, his face was illuminated in the dark by the blue glow from the Pokedex's screen.
I haven't even found one that I'd like to catch but hopefully there is one nearby….
He scrolled through a few pages of the pokedex until he got to route 2, Detourner Way. A few things caught his eye on that route, and it was just east of Santalune. One in particular made him stop scrolling. Calem grinned, pleased with himself. He had a plan, and it was coming together. He turned the device off and put it away as Fennekin snuggled into the back of his knees.
I gotta go catch it early, I don't want to miss Serena's… gym… cha….
With that, Calem fell into a deep, hollow sleep.
…
Serena and Shauna bid Trevor and Tierno goodnight before going to their own room across the hall. They had stayed up a tad bit later just because they had found camaraderie with a few other trainers in the lobby.
Once both had prepared for bed and turned out the light, Serena found herself slightly stressed out about the gym challenge.
I just have to focus, that's all I can do. I will rely on Fletchling and Froakie. I am not alone in this struggle and we will overcome it! That's what being a great trainer means. The ability to meet any challenge with confidence. Tomorrow Ill-
"…Hey Serena. You awake?" Shauna said, interrupting Serena's train of thought.
"…Yeah." Serena said. "What's up?" Serena could barely see the form of Shauna on the other bed but other than that, she was speaking to the darkness in the room.
"I'm glad that you are taking on the gyms." Shauna said. This was an odd thing coming from Shauna. "Its your goal, its what you want to do, it's your place."
"Shauna, this is the first gym, and we are still only one day into the journey. I don't know if it's truly what I want to do or even if it's even the right path for me."
"I am sure this is where you belong. I just feel it." Shauna responded. She was getting sleepier by the minute and Serena could hear it in her voice. "I am still not sure what it is that I want out of this journey." Said Shauna. "I've had months to consider it and really and truly I haven't considered anything at all. One day I want to know."
"You will Shauna." Serena said. "You just have to give it time."
"I mostly came on this journey because I was afraid of losing you, Trevor and Tierno. I didn't want to be left alone in Vaniville. I guess Its all just a work in progress." Shauna said.
Serena felt very glad to have Shauna as a friend in this moment. "Shauna, everything will be ok, I promise. You'll see that this will be the best experience of our lives."
Seemingly content and comforted, the two girls soon fell fast asleep.
End Part 3
We have some angst, some drama, and a bit of character development here and there! Exciting stuff. We will get to the gym battle and what Calem's new pokemon will be. Things started off nice for Calem in Kalos, he had instant friends his age, Grace took him in, and he got a free pokemon. He really has kinda closed himself off though much to the other's dismay. As always, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading.
