The Scarlet Book.
The siblings returned to Clavell's office, being met with him and Da Vinci shaking hands.
"We're not interrupting anything right?" - Tatsuko said with a mocky tone.
"Not at all young Tatsuko" - Clavell answered - "I've talked with your mother, and your inscription is almost over. While she and I sign the last necessary papers, I'll send you both with miss Dendra, she will help you pick you first Pokemon" -
"Dendra?" -
"She's the Academy's battle teacher. You will find her in the Schoolyard training with the other students" -
The two left again, a bit annoyed that they had them come again, only to tell them they had to go to another location. Nevertheless, the pair went to the school's map closeby to search for the Schoolyard, and on the way they noticed something strange…
On one of the bookshelves, there was one book that was covered with dust, like no one had used it in years.
"Don't they clean the books around here?" - Ritsuka asked - "Why would they just leave it like this?" -
Without warning, the boy blew away the dust, covering his and Tatsuko's face with it - "Next time, tell me before you do something like that" - his sister said as she cleaned her face.
Upon uncovering the book, the 2 were left shocked. It was just like the Violet Book, yet it had a different color, this time being scarlet, and had a different creature in the cover.
They opened it, finding that the first pages were exactly identical to the Violet Book, talking about an expedition to the Great Crater and the discovery of Area Zero. It all seemed equal, right until they reached the part that talked about the monster that attacked them.
It was entirely different to the one in the Violet Book. Despite sharing the shape, this one looked more primal and ferocious. Seems like events in the books played the same, yet some things differ, as the creature still attacked a member of the team and left it dying.
The photography on the next page was also different. The sight of the creature served to show the differences in between it, and the one documented in the Violet Book.
"Wait, Ritsu, go get the other book. Let's compare them" -
"You got it!" -
Ritsuka rushed to where he had found the Violet Book, grabbing it off the shelf and taking it to Tatsuko, opening it on the same page as her, the photograph of the monster.
The text was also different in both books. The Violet Book talked about the creature's treads of iron, while the Scarlet Book mentioned the monster's great tusks.
Both turned the next page at the same time, this one being the same in both as well. It talked about something called Herba Mystica, a special plant that only grows deep within Area Zero, and that a Pokemon eating one resulted in them growing in size, being dubbed Titans.
Next one, also the same in both. It talked about a metal plate that the explorers found deep within Area Zero with strange symbols, and that despite their best attempts to break it and analyze the metal, nothing they did worked.
Another page equal in both, talking about the team's discovery of the treasure inside Area Zero, a cave of gemstones that shone with a blinding light, as far as the eye could see.
After that, they came across another page that was different in both, depicting a sketch of what other creatures inhabiting Area Zero could look like. The one in the Violet Book seemed like an intimidating mecha, while the one in the Scarlet Book was a ferocious predator.
The next pages all were the same, with some minor difference in the text of both. Yet, the last one caught their attention the most…
It wasn't well written. Far from it, several letters had been redacted, yet despite this the two were able to understand what it said to a degree. It mentioned an explorer that got separated from the crew and came across a strange entity, not even knowing if it was a Pokemon, or alive at all. It bore a shell with overlapping layers of hexagons, and shone brighter than any gemstone known.
It finished saying "Viewed as a whole, it resembled a mysterious, brilliant disc".
Something clicked right then in the brains of the siblings. Maybe, just maybe, the strange creature that came to the Border could be from Area Zero. They would have to investigate more.
For now though? They had a meeting with Dendra. So, they took the elevator to the Schoolyard, and there they found a group of students closely watching a Pokemon battle.
"Gastly, use Shadow Ball!" - one of the combatants yelled, and his Pokemon did so, attacking with a ball of ghostly energy.
However, the other trainer needed not to say a word, as her Pokemon, a Rockruff, dodged the attack with ease and countered with Rock Throw, landing a good hit on the Gastly and knocking it out.
"Gastly can't go on! Rockruff is the winner!" - a woman with black hair tied in a ponytail shouted - "Which means Nemona is the victor!" -
"Woah, you really got me in the corner for a second there!" - the girl identified as Nemona spoke to her opponent as she extended her hand - "Good match" -
As the students dispersed, Ritsuka and Tatsuko went towards the woman to ask for Dendra's location.
"Um, hi" - Tatsuko said to get her attention - "We're looking for Dendra, do you know if she's here?" -
"You're speaking to her now kid" - she answered with a grin from ear to ear - "Wait, you must be the ones Clavell told me about. And here I thought you wouldn't come" -
"Sorry about that, we got a bit distracted on the way here" - Ritsuka answered.
"Eh, don't worry about that kid. Now come over here" - she said, and the two followed her across the Schoolyard - "The other kids have taken a lot of starters already, and only recently did 3 new ones arrived" -
She then grabbed 3 Pokeballs and threw them at the sky, letting out the 3 starters that the siblings had available for them.
"Sprigattito. Fuecoco. Quaxly. This are your options, and they're all excited to go out on an adventure" -