POKÉMON: INFINITE LEGACIES
THE CIPRYS REGION
CHAPTER 2
THE GUARDIAN ANGEL OF LEGEND!
Although not his native city, the streets of Festivalight City were always a sight to behold. If Flame hadn't been so eager to start his journey, he would have been entranced by what was around him: the marble-white buildings, built thousands of years ago but still worth their salt today; decorative flags hanging from building to building and wrapped up and around slim street lamps, each a different colour from the last that came together to form a rainbow of colour everyway you turned; the smoky aroma of chargrilled meat and fish coupled together with sweet spices and flowers, fragrant and colourful, fluttered in the light breeze in mini gardens that bordered both street and building. Litten, padding along beside him, looked equally captivated, sniffing the air and eyes sparkling.
Flame paused, looking up. Ahead, at the centre of the city, stood a statue that towered over all else: the Guardian Angel of Festivalight. Even if the passing of time had scrubbed away all colour from the now white- and cream-coloured statue, the statue of Zeurelic was still impressive with wings, gigantic and feathered, outstretched to protect all those within sight from harm. Flame wondered of Zeurelic's power and was captivated by the sight, however much of a speck the statue was from where he stood. He was unable to take his gaze away. Unable to resist. It was as though Zeurelic was right before him, and he was forbidden to look elsewhere.
Flame scratched his head. What am I thinking? That's impossible . . . right?
Meanwhile, Litten couldn't care less and, having been confined to Aconite's laboratory for most of his life, had decided to take a closer look at a bed of strong-smelling flowers, sneezing in response and then mrrowing in surprise and slight embarrassment.
"Our guardian angel of Festivalight has much ability to inspire," someone said nearby. If Flame hadn't been mesmerised, he might have had the shuffling of feet that had marked the stranger's leisured approach.
"Huh," Flame responded instinctively, broken from his trance. "What?"
Litten, hearing his trainer's voice, looked back toward Flame and wrinkled his nose at the old human who approached.
The stranger crossed her arms. "Kids these days," she tutted before adding, "I said, 'Our guardian angel of Festivalight has much ability to inspire'! Ha! And they claim old people are deaf."
"Oh! Sorry!" Flame apologised hastily. How long was I staring at that statue for . . .?
The stranger wagged her finger at Flame, left to right, then vice-versa, and so on. "You're forgiven, I suppose. But this time only," she said, quick and a little threatening, truth be told. And when she added, "I can't make allowances," especially so.
Flame glanced toward Litten, who had returned to being distracted by the sights and smells of Festivalight. Next on Litten's agenda was a vendor selling fresh fish. Litten hadn't yet grasped the concept of money, and with the innocence of a new-born was licking his lips and was about to jump onto the counter and take a bite, when Flame hurried over. "Litten," he called. "You can't just grab food."
Litten, still not up to speed, tipped his head sideways as if saying, Why can't I, Flame? It smells delicious.
Flame sighed. I'm going to have to keep an eye on you, aren't I?
As though understanding, Litten meowed in response (or perhaps it was another attempt to plead, to get permission to jump up and take the oh-so-delicious-smelling fish)—but unless science miraculously evolved, we can never know such a thing.
"I'm sorry," Flame apologised to the vendor, a little embarrassed. "This is Litten's first time out of his Poké Ball, you see."
The vendor smiled, to Flame's surprise, and offered the fish to Litten anyway.
"How much?" Flame responded.
"Don't worry about it. It's on the house. And this is too: our finest kebab."
Flame smiled and thanked the vendor; Litten did the same with an enthusiastic mrrow.
"No worries," said the vendor, handing trainer and Pokémon two disposable but recyclable plates. "Just tell all your friends that we sell the best fish in Festivalight, and then we're even!"
"Will do!" Flame assured the vendor before enjoying the taste of the kebab as he tore into the meat.
Litten seemed similarly satisfied, having pawed at the fish curiously and then wolfing the small sea creature down in quick time after a sideways glance at his trainer.
Flame smiled at Litten. "Tasty, right?"
Although Litten clearly agreed—Litten's response was a delighted purr—Flame wasn't sure Litten had quite grasped the concept of money. That'll be something to teach, Flame thought, as well as battle moves, of course—but that's all part of being a Pokémon–
Flame gasped in surprised. "What was that for?!" he snapped. "Haven't you heard of something called personal space?"
The stranger had approached him again and poked him in the ribs with a thin, bony finger.
In an ideal world, Litten would have roared at his attacker and leapt to his defence like a Cosmog evolving into a Solgaleo. But, in reality, Litten mrrowed mischievously, far too amused for Flame's liking.
"Hey!" Flame complained. "You're supposed to be on my side!"
Litten tipped his head again and made eye contact with his trainer—confused, maybe?—although Flame suspected Litten understood quite clearly in fact and that his Pokémon was trying to look cute again to distract from the fact that the small Fire-type had laughed at his trainer's embarrassment.
You might be a handful, Flame realised. But then . . . I wouldn't have it any other way!
Flame now turned his attention to the one who'd caused Litten's mischievous side to fully surface. "What'd you do that for?" he snapped.
"We hadn't finished our conversation, had we?" she snapped back. "I know many things, and for a young trainer like yourself, it might be useful for you to learn more, especially if you're interested in–"
"Hmm . . ." Flame contemplated, assessing the stranger properly for the first time. She was an elderly woman with long grey hair, a crooked nose, and an old necklace. A tattered dress covered her scrawny figure, of which looked like it hadn't been washed for quite some time. Flame's final assessment was: Must be crazy, and One to avoid.
"I should be going," he announced. With a theatrical stretch of his arms, he tucked hands into pockets and began to stroll away. "Pokémon to catch, trainers to beat, badges to collect."
It took Litten a moment longer to figure out what Flame was doing, but once his trainer had taken a step away, he quickly whisked around and did the same (but without the pockets).
Although Flame's assessment had been thorough (or so he thought!), he had missed the bright glint that now shone in the elderly woman's sky-blue eyes. "So, I take it you don't want to hear the story of that Pokémon—you know, the one whose statue you were staring at for so long, hmm?"
This recaptured Flame's attention. "I know a little already," he admitted, turning back around. As did Litten.
"No one knows all—not even me. But I can tell you what I know . . . that is, unless you're too busy with—what did you say? My hearing isn't what it used to be—catching Pokémon, beating trainers, and collecting badges, hmm?"
Flame smiled a little. Maybe crazy's not so bad after all. He glanced at the distant statue, then at the sun, and decided his journey could wait for ten minutes or so: "Sure, lady. I'll listen."
Flame thought he saw her smile at that, but if she had, it had only been for a moment. "Well," she started, "you'd better listen good as I won't repeat myself."
Flame nodded, eager to hear more than he already knew of the legendary Zeurelic.
"Zeurelic was here from the start. At the origin of our region. And still Zeurelic's legacy lives on through our hearts and minds, infinite. In the beginning, the world was dark; life was scarce. Legend says that the first settlers of the Ciprys region were hunted down by dark forces. Eventually, so few of the settlers survived, they believed their end was close; life wasn't worth living. And so, they prepared for their final stand."
"At this moment of desperation, Zeurelic appeared before their leader who, despite the darkness, still clung to hope, to what little light remained. Zeurelic joined the settlers, persuaded by this hero; they were worthy, Zeurelic's heart believed. And so, the Great Battle raged across Ciprys; Zeurelic, aligned with the Hero, clashed against the Darkest Among Them atop Origin Mount for eight days and eight nights. When the sun rose after the eighth, the settlers, who had emerged victorious in their own battles, found that Zeurelic too had won, and the Darkness that had enveloped Ciprys was no more—just as, despite all their searching, was Zeurelic. Only the Hero had remained on the Mount, unable to recall how the battle had ended."
"To honour Zeurelic, whose intervention had saved them all, the Hero and the other survivors founded the village of Festivalight and, though it seemed Zeurelic had left them, the magnificent image of their saviour still burnt in their minds, everlasting. They came together and then decided to build a great statue of Zeurelic, as a mark of respect, and if the day came, however unlikely, when Zeurelic returned to them, to show the legendary creature that its help had never been forgotten by those past, present, and future."
"The statue took many years to build and was a great expense to Festivalight, but was a brilliant sight to behold when it was finished. 'Zeurelic would be proud,' the Hero proclaimed to those who gathered around the colourful monument, those old and those new. Ciprys may have been safe, and the people of Festivalight happy, but the Hero still wondered of Zeurelic, their saviour, and the immense bond they had shared for so short a time. Despite everything else that came after—Ciprys, marriage, children—the Hero still wondered."
"Now an old man, and on the anniversary of Zeurelic's victory, the Hero returned to the peak of Origin Mount. The sun shone and the sky was clear; while before this sight was clouded in darkness, now there was light. It is said, though it can never be known, Zeurelic returned that day. The Hero spoke to Zeurelic, old friends reunited, and Zeurelic shared wisdom beyond the Hero's wildest imaginings. Zeurelic spread its energy over the land and the sea, in a final act of kindness, and is said to have been spotted over Festivalight that day—perhaps observing not only its monument but what the people had created since his disappearance. The Hero had watched Zeurelic's kindness from atop Origin Mount, and knew he could do nothing more for his region; Zeurelic's wisdom was something no mortal being could keep contained. It was time. Zeurelic and the Hero disappeared as one."
"The Hero was gone, but Festivalight went on. The generations that followed remembered Zeurelic's kindness and the Hero's courage. They rejoiced as the earth smiled, yielding excellent crop, and as the ocean sparkled, yielding fish after fish to hungry townspeople. Years passed, generations fell and rose, the village grew to a town, but still Zeurelic's kindness and the Hero's courage was remembered, and although Zeurelic remained a legend, some said at night and in the day they could see eyes reflecting back at them from the forest and the grass that grew to surround the town. Zeurelic's fate was uncertain, but Zeurelic's presence over them wasn't. The statue turned also into a shrine, even as the town became a city and as the future came more boldly forward. Yet still at the centre of Festivalight was Zeurelic, the Guardian Pokémon."
"The legend of Zeurelic and the Hero had spread across the Ciprys region, and some tried to search for Zeurelic with little success; some were dishonest in their intentions, seeking the power of creation that Zeurelic was rumoured to possess. They did not return, but the ones who went forth with honest intentions did return after moons of travel, tired and reluctant to express the nature of their journey. Even now, there are still some that desire the power of Zeurelic."
"Festivalight City and the Ciprys region; you and me; the Dark and the Light; everything that exists around us; what is the past, what is the present, and what is the future—this is not only the legacy of Zeurelic, but the legacy of the Hero. And still their legacies endure today, infinite."
Disappointment flooded Flame's face as the epic story ended; he wanted to know more! He'd heard the story many times before—in a History of Ciprys class—but never like this and in as much detail. "Woah!" he exclaimed. "I'd love to meet Zeurelic someday—they sound like the coolest Pokémon!"
"Mrrow."
"Oh, yeah," Flame acknowledged, choosing his next words with extra care. "But no offence, Litten. Remember I could have chosen 20 other Pokémon, but you were my pick after all."
"Mrrow," Litten responded, chin raised and sounding satisfied with his trainer's reasoning.
Flame looked at the old woman. "Do you think Zeurelic's real?"
"I've told this story many times," she answered. "But I'm never 100% sure. It would be something special if our beloved, Zeurelic, did exist, but after thousands of years," she sighed and shook her head slightly, "I can't be sure. I know what age can bring—the good and the bad. Yet there is a part of me that is convinced Zeurelic watches over our city even now."
The bright optimism of youth sparkled in Flame's eyes. "Well, I think Zeurelic must be real," he argued with heartfelt certainty, turning away from the elderly woman and toward the Monument. Litten copied Flame's movement just a second after and both trainer and Pokémon took in the sight of the legendary Pokémon for a second time that day. "Why else would Zeurelic's statue exist? Besides, if your story is true, then Zeurelic must be, like, super strong." He thought of the most legendary Pokémon that they had learned about at the Academy. I wonder, Zeurelic. How strong are you? Does your power match that of Mewtwo, Ho-oh even, or how about Arceus?
Perhaps, again, Flame's gaze was too absorbed in the mesmeric sight that was the Guardian Angel, or perhaps other forces were at play, but when Flame turned back around, the elderly woman who had shared such a vast amount of knowledge with him was gone, as quickly as she'd arrived.
Flame was surprised. He whipped his head around in every direction, as did Litten, but neither could spot her. Admittedly, it was odd that she'd left without saying goodbye, but in a big city like Festivalight, Flame had quickly learned in his three years here that people were often busy. He presumed the old lady had realised the time and had had to dash off somewhere for something—besides, talking to him wouldn't have been on her to-do list, would it? He just wished he'd gotten the chance to thank her for the great story. If I see her again, I'll make sure of it! he promised himself, however unlikely it was to happen.
Now that he thought about it, he wondered what the time was. He took out his phone and checked the time. "30 minutes!" he exclaimed.
Litten just mrrowed, as if it was obvious.
"Time flies, I guess. C'mon, Litten. We better get going!" That story was sure worth it, though.
Flame reminded Litten to, "Stay at my side, especially since it's busy," and told his mischievous companion, "Don't go bothering anyone for food again. If you're hungry, tell me," before again setting off for the nearest Pokémon Centre, his gaze to the sun and his heart burning with the hope that one day he too might, like the Hero of Ciprys, get the chance to meet the legendary Zeurelic.
Author's Notes:
I am quite pleased with this chapter, if I'm honest. I had not expected to elaborate so much on the Legend of Ciprys, but I think it worked very well, even if there wasn't really any action in this chapter. Not that I think that overly matters, but still.
This was also a strong chapter, I thought, for our heroic pair, Flame and Litten. The latter of who I enjoyed writing and attempting to make as mischievous and as cute as possible. I hope it worked!
We also have the mystery of whatever happened to that old lady . . .
Since this chapter should have been out last week, I may try to publish C3 today. That said, only if I deem it polished enough!
But, as always, a big thanks for reading and see you in the next one!