Chapter 12
There were four days left until the tournament started when Mark and Maple arrived in Olivine City. Mark had been to the busy port city many times before and, just like Ecruteak City, had collected another gym badge to add to his collection. But that time was gone and there were much more important issues to worry about.
They were each lost in their own separate worlds filled with worry. Mark was still questioning his feelings for Maple, while Maple, though Mark's "test" had lifted her spirits a little, was back to worrying about who and what she was. Both of them were eagerly looking forward to the tournament as a means of escape from whatever ghosts and misery were chasing them.
The problem was; Mark had no idea how to find the boat that would take them to Himitsu Island. Their search had slowly degenerated to asking random sailors, all of whom stated that they had never heard of such a place as Himitsu Island, and why the hell were they bothering them, anyway? After all, the stupid kids seemed to be playing some sort of make-believe game anyway, what with Maple's ears and tail and all. Honestly, just what did they want them to do?
That question ate away at Mark's self-confidence more and more as the day wore on. Did Himitsu Island really exist? The only proof they possessed was Kim's word, and she had left them long ago. Now they were on their own, and things were getting worse by the minute.
Mark had just finished asking a particularly ill-tempered (and probably drunk) sailor if he had ever heard of a place called Himitsu Island when a particularly cheerful blond boy, roughly Mark's age came dashing down the docks towards them.
"There you are!" the boy yelled, and Maple turned to Mark, looking for recognition and seeing none. The boy had wavy blond hair and a pointed nose and stood an inch taller than Mark. He tackled Mark, but not hard enough to knock him over, and lifted him into the air, spinning him around. Unsure of what to do, Mark went limp and waited for it to be over.
"Mark, old buddy!" the boy beamed, setting Mark on his feet again, "you remember me?" The boy's head bobbed up and down slightly, as if trying to answer for him.
"Umm…" Mark searched his memory and came up empty, "…sorry?"
"No big deal!" the boy slapped Mark on the back hard enough to temporarily knock the wind out of him. As Mark regained his composure the boy went on, "still not the most athletic guy ever, I see." The boy laughed.
"Umm…" Maple had been unsure of how to proceed, "who are you?" She asked out of curiosity and innocence. Mark was beginning to believe that talking to Maple was like talking to an innocent five-year-old girl. A very, very pretty, and…curvy…five-year-old girl…
"Damn, Mark," the boy shook his head in disbelief, "didn't think I'd see you with something this hot after this long…" Unaccustomed to compliments from anyone besides Mark, Maple raised an eyebrow and inched closer to her trainer.
"Who are you, already?" Mark's patience snapped as the day's five hours of walking in circles caught up with him.
"Wow, you really don't remember, huh?" seeing Mark's expression of anger and annoyance the boy didn't wait for an answer, "c'mon! I'm Lionel! Your best buddy and next door neighbor!"
Suddenly, Mark did remember. The energetic Lionel had chased him all over Sinnoh for the better part of a year before Mark had taken up Eevee breeding. Lionel challenged him on occasion, but as far as Mark remembered (which was now questionable) he always won. One could say that they were rivals, but Mark had since moved on.
"Oh, right…" Mark consented, "Lionel, I remember you, now." Maple switched her puzzled gaze to Mark. Maple didn't remember Lionel because she was too young. She hadn't been around to see him and Mark certainly didn't regale her with stories when she was a Leafeon.
"Yeah, yeah, awesome," Lionel nodded, "so, what're you doing in Olivine City? Long way from Sinnoh, wouldn't you say?"
"Yeah," Mark said slowly, "it's kind of a long story, but, eh, what the hell? It's worth a shot. Have you ever heard of a place called Himitsu Island?"
Lionel's eyes widened. He stooped forward, putting his arms around Mark and Maple's shoulders, drawing them closer. Maple's eyes shifted nervously back and forth between the two boys. She didn't like Lionel touching her one bit.
"So, you really are a human Leafeon, huh?" Lionel's intensely blue eyes held Maple's gaze. Human Leafeon, those words represented what she was, but they didn't say enough. They said what she was, but not who she was. Still, unable to do anything else, she nodded, answering the gaze of those fierce eyes.
"Well, then," Lionel released them and stood up, "guess I'd better take you to our captain, then." Without elaborating, Lionel turned on his heel and walked off, taking long strides and whistling as he went.
Mark and Maple turned and looked at each other, trying to read the thoughts of the other.
I think he's nuts, Maple's eyes said.
Do we have a choice? Mark's responded. He shrugged and followed his "old friend." After a few more seconds, Maple trotted to catch up and afterwards stayed very close to Mark.
The boat that Lionel stopped in front of was rather unique, at least Mark thought so. It was something of a small cruise ship, maybe meant for expeditions into deep jungles or some other adventure. At any rate, Mark thought it could hold roughly twenty people for a few days. Their rooms might closely resemble a closet, but after getting berated by sailors all day, Mark was ready to settle for a room where he was required to stand. On the other hand, he didn't really want Maple to suffer through that…
"What d'you think?" Lionel asked, his mouth threatening to split his head in half like a cantaloupe sliced through the middle.
"Quaint," Maple muttered, her gaze slowly moving from one end of the boat to the other. Mark looked over at her. He was unaware that Maple knew words like that, given her short time as a human.
"Ahoy!" a tall, muscular man with dark skin approached the trio admiring his ship, "you kids going to Himitsu Island?"
"Sure am!" Lionel announced as Mark glanced over at Maple, who was waving timidly.
"Well, then you'll have to wait until tomorrow morning," the man's deep voice felt like it echoed within Mark's mind rather pleasantly, "last chance if you really want to go."
Mark bought a ticket and the ship captain waived Maple's fee. Whether that was because she was an actual human Pokémon or some other reason, Mark wasn't sure. At the very least, they were finally making progress.
"Well," Lionel cracked his neck and stretched, "guess I'll see you guys tomorrow." He left without explaining, leaving Mark and Maple to find the Pokémon Center by themselves.
The next morning, the two boarded the ship, halfway hoping that Lionel wouldn't show. However, his voice sounded from the bow of the ship and he hugged them both, edging a little too closely to Maple's chest to be comfortable. He insisted that they stay close together, but Mark and Maple promptly ignored him and began to explore the ship and meet new people the first instant they could seize to slip away.
Around a dozen or so people were milling about the ship's deck, waiting for the ship to shove off. There were people of all sorts, including two families with children, but all of them instantly recognized what Maple was. Whispers followed her every step, as she passed.
Mark and Maple were both disappointed that most of the passengers on the ship were not human Pokémon. It was possible that they were all hidden away inside their Pokéballs, but the passengers' reactions suggested that they had none of their own and were going to Himitsu Island simply to watch the tournament. Exactly what motivated each of them to go, Mark could only guess at.
As they neared the ship's stern, a boy that must have been only nine or ten years old trotted up to meet them. He stopped in front of Maple, peering at her. His blue-green eyes scanned her from top to bottom at least three or four times in quick succession, evaluating her.
"Umm…can we help you?" Maple asked, becoming more and more uncomfortable.
"Eric! What are you doing?" A woman's voice came from the stern.
The woman was clearly a human Pokémon, although exactly what kind wasn't immediately obvious. She wore a long, elegant dress that was an earth-toned brown, except for the skirt, which was a leafy-green. In fact, the skirt appeared to be made of leaves, the kind one would see growing out of exotic plants in a jungle. Her chestnut-brown hair was covered with a semi-transparent veil of the same color green as the skirt. Gentle brown eyes greeted them with a maternal warmth.
Mark could have made any number of guesses about what she had been before her evolution until he saw her necklace. The golden jewels on it had an odd shape that resembled bananas, of all things. At last, something clicked in Mark's mind and he realized he was looking at a human Tropius. Maple, on the other hand, knew by instinct.
"Sorry, Fernelia," the boy called back, "but this guy has a human Leafeon! Come say 'hi!'"
"How do you do?" Fernelia put a hand on Eric's shoulder and extended the other to Maple. Confused by the gesture, Maple extended her own hand, but did not shake Fernelia's. Instead, she held her hand suspended next to Fernelia's, wondering what might happen next. After a few awkward seconds, Fernelia took Maple's hand and shook it, and understanding dawned on Maple's face.
"Uh, my name's Mark," Mark began the introductions, "this is Maple. We actually didn't know about the tournament until about two weeks ago. So, we're both kinda new to this whole thing."
"Me too," Eric agreed, "some guy in a suit came to the house a month ago. It sounded kinda cool, so, we decided to go."
"And here we are," Fernelia politely agreed, placing her other hand on Eric's shoulders in that same maternal gesture, "oh, you should meet my husband. Tsunami!"
Husband? Mark and Maple thought simultaneously.
Tsunami turned out to be a rugged-looking human Swampert. He wore nothing more complicated than a pair of worn blue-jeans, a white t-shirt, and a blue jacket with yellow elbow patches. The ridged ears and back sail of a Swampert made identifying him much easier than Fernelia. However, it was his sky-blue hair and gentle, yellow eyes that caught Mark's attention.
"Hey, how's it going?" Tsunami asked casually as he walked up and put his arm around Fernelia's shoulders. The two of them standing with Eric made the group look like a family photo that could be framed and put on a wall. Mark thought it was a little ridiculous, though, since these two couldn't possibly be Eric's parents…right?
"Think we can take 'em?" the boy asked his "father."
"I dunno," Tsunami joked, "this one looks pretty vicious…" He grinned at Maple and Maple grinned right back.
"I am," she declared proudly. Tsunami was actually a little unnerved by the look in her eyes.
"There you guys are!" When Lionel approached, this time, he ignored Mark and just put his hands on Maple's shoulders. Startled, she jumped and spun around reflexively, sending him sprawling on top of the deck.
"Who's he?" Tsunami nodded at the face-planted Lionel.
Good question, Mark thought. A second later Lionel sprang to his feet and regarded the three newcomers.
"'Sup?" Eric greeted.
"Eric, where are your manners?" Fernelia scolded, "I apologize. My name is Fernelia, this is my husband Tsunami and this is our adopted son, Eric."
"He's your son?" Lionel raised an eyebrow and grimaced.
"Well, actually, he's our trainer," Tsunami admitted, "we just look after him, too."
"Ah, gotcha," Lionel nodded, feigning understanding and doing a poor job of it.
"Hey, you're not a trainer, are you?" Eric asked, "'cause you should let 'em out if you have any."
"Suppose I just don't wanna show 'em off before the tournament gets going?" Lionel countered.
"Then you're a jerk for making 'em stay in there," Eric argued.
"Eric, stop this," Fernelia was appalled by her son's behavior.
"No, no, he's right," Tsunami nodded, "Pokéballs are built for Pokémon, not human Pokémon."
Suddenly, Mark realized that he and Maple had somehow ended up across from each other, with an argument building between them. Maple's big, brown eyes looked forlornly at him, unsure of what to do. Mark jerked his head in the direction of the bow and the two began to slowly back away from the growing storm.
At last, the whistle blew, signaling the ship's departure. Mark and Maple stood off to the right of the bow, leaning against the railing, and watched as the ship slowly turned and headed out to sea, leaving Olivine City behind.
Mark didn't notice the old man sitting next to them until the piers at the end of the bay were out of sight. The man wore a straw hat and Mark thought he heard him mutter something like "I hate fishing" as he walked away.
"What do you think?" Mark asked.
"About them?" Maple glanced back, "I like them. They really seem to care about each other. Like a real family."
"Yeah, me too," Mark nodded, "what about Lionel?"
"I don't know…" Maple hung her head, "he's weird."
"You've just never met him before," he encouraged, "give him time. He's not a bad person."
"Okay," Maple sighed, they stood there silently for a moment before she continued, "so, we're really going?"
"Yep, we're really going," Mark nodded, "you ready?"
"Absolutely," Maple grinned. Gently, she leaned against Mark's shoulder and closed her eyes. Bewildered, Mark stayed where he was, wondering if he should do more. Should he put his arm around her? Should he say something else? But after a few more seconds, Mark realized that doing nothing was just fine with Maple. Trying to relax, he looked out at the ocean towards the island that he couldn't yet see.
The Reverse World. It was a parallel world to the one that humans called the "real" world. It was a place that defied all the so-called rules that held the "real" world together. Gravity was a suggestion, space a rumor, and time was an afterthought. It was a world that would rip apart an ordinary person or Pokémon the instant they entered.
However, Mewtwo hadn't simply entered. He had ripped a hole through it and forced his way in through sheer willpower. His psychic powers gave him form and grounded his existence. In truth, it was easier to enter the Reverse World than it had been to speak with Arceus.
But it wasn't Arceus that he sought here. At least, not fully.
The serpentine form of Giratina glided through the "skies" of the Reverse World toward Mewtwo. Giratina was the only Pokémon capable of surviving in this world and was believed to have created it. However, Mewtwo knew better. The Reverse World was not its home, but its prison.
Why have you come here? Giratina's dark, shadowy voice echoed through Mewtwo's mind.
To release your shackles, Giratina, Mewtwo responded, when the universe was made, three came together to form one. Dialga, master of time, Palkia, master of space, and you, Giratina, the master of shadows.
Don't bother me with history, mortal, Giratina's voice swatted at Mewtwo's like a hand swatting away a fly, what you call legend, I called reality. You read what I remember.
Giratina's physical form wound back and forth over Mewtwo's head. It weaved in and out tracing designs that only it knew the meaning of.
Then you remember what was done to you, Mewtwo reminded the creature, you remember how they banished you back to your own realm, never to leave.
Yes, Giratina snarled, I remember. I still remember that day. I remember their disappointment, their mistrust, but most of all, I remember their fear.
Then join me, Mewtwo proposed, join me and take back what is rightfully yours. A place on the surface. A place where you can live the way you've always dreamed of.
Yes, Giratina suddenly stopped its weaving pattern and stared directly downward at Mewtwo, but why should something as insignificant as you care about me?
We have a common adversary, Mewtwo replied with pure hatred in his thoughts, you were once one, split into three to divide the power that was too strong for this universe. It is that One that I seek. The One that I must destroy.
Arceus, Giratina's voice was a snarl of pure disdain, yes, destroy the One and the world will be shadows.
Will you take your revenge and aid me? It was not a request, but a question. Mewtwo was confident that he did not need Giratina's aid, but it would certainly make the task easier.
Giratina's massive, serpentine body began gliding away. Aid? No, I will not aid you. But I will have my revenge when the time is right. Call on me when you plan to challenge the One.
Very well, Mewtwo nodded, then I will leave you be, until that day arrives. Mewtwo mentally searched for the hole that was his entrance and his escape back to his own world. The power of Giratina was now his to call upon when needed.
Remember, Mewtwo, Giratina's final message called out to Mewtwo as he opened the hole to the Reverse World, there are forces that neither of us understand in existence. Forces that even Arceus can't control. If Arceus cannot halt your ambitions, then they will.
What sort of power should I fear? Mewtwo demanded, trying to control his anger. Giratina was suggesting that he wasn't powerful enough. Lies, just like Arceus.
The humans aren't like us, Mewtwo, Giratina answered, they're guided by something else. Something greater.
Humans? Even Giratina could feel Mewtwo's hatred burn at the mention of those creatures, you think that humans can stop me?
Then, you don't know? Giratina was genuinely surprised at Mewtwo's lack of knowledge. For as long as humans and Pokémon have existed together, that legend has existed. And the power behind it is something that no one can control. Not you or Arceus.
What legend? Mewtwo demanded, his impatience boiling over.
The legend of the Children of Jirachi, Giratina responded. The ones that only know to call themselves human Pokemon.
Mewtwo closed the hole in the Reverse World that he had opened. He wasn't finished here, yet.
Tell me, Mewtwo commanded.
AN: Mewtwo's back! Huzzah! certainly not as epic as the conversation with Arceus, but it's not bad. the tie-in is starting to take shape, but i think i'll wait until Mewtwo's next appearance before laying out his master plan.
btw, i know i'm not the first to have Jirachi be responsible for making human pokemon (who is, i have no idea), but the rules are gonna be slightly different (Jirachi's more responsible for making it possible than doing it directly).
anyways, we're finally en route to the island! hurray! good times await, so keep reading and thank you so much for all of your support!