A Dragon's Tail
Tail 1: Rachael's Tail – Contamination
Tail 1-5: A Day in the Forest Capital
Leafburg City, the forest capital of the Principality of Leafburg, is a huge city located in the middle of the forest nation. This city was much bigger than Forezon Town. Most buildings of this city were made of trees and wood. Some houses were even built in the trees! There were many Pokemon in this city. Most of them were grass type Pokemon and bug type Pokemon. The city itself was surrounded by the Leafburg Forest to the north, south and east, while its west side was surrounded by a vast grassland. In the middle of the city was a huge castle that was built in a Japanese style. It was the biggest building that Rachael had ever seen!
After passing through the city gates, Rachael parked the carriage at the Trading Post at the outskirt of the city.
"Wow!" Rachael said while looking at several kinds of Pokemon here. Some were the Pokemon that she had never seen before!
"Impressive, isn't it?" Jasper spoke up. "The Principality of Leafburg is famous for its berries and seeds. This makes many merchants come here in order to trade with us."
While Rachael was talking to the Sceptile, another Pokemon appeared and approached Rachael's carriage. She was a Bellossom.
"Good morning, dame Latias." The Bellossom greeted. "You must be the one from Paradise Farm in the Forezon Village, right? I was waiting for your arrival."
Rachael nodded. It was not surprising for a stranger to know that they came from Paradise Farm as the name of the farm was written on the sides of the carriage.
"Let's get down to business, then…" Bellossom spoke.
After trading the goods for a bag of PokeCoin, Rachael was free to travel around the forest capital!
"Let me be your guide." Jasper spoke. "Be careful not to get lost, Rachael."
"I will! Teehee!" Rachael smiled innocently.
Jasper and Rachael then travelled around the Leafburg City. The first place they went to was the Forest Park, an environment park where many Pokemon often come to relax. They then stopped to have lunch at a restaurant near the park. After lunch, Jasper brought her to The Great Tree, the oldest tree on the continent of Symmetria that was said to have existed since over a thousand years ago.
After going to The Great Tree, Jasper took Rachael to Shuckle's Juicy Juice, a juice bar where many exhausted Pokemon go there to quench their thirst.
"I'd like a Tamato Berry Juice." Jasper ordered as the waiter came to take their orders.
"And I want a Rawst Berry Juice!" Rachael ordered. The waiter bowed at them before going to the counter to hand the orders to the bartender.
Meanwhile, Rachael looked around this place. There were many kinds of Pokemon here! Not only bug type and grass type, but also the types that weren't native to the Principality of Leafburg!
"Many travelers come to this city." Jasper explained. "Despite that Leafburg City didn't have a port to the sea, it is one of the biggest trading centers on the continent of Symmetria… Well, not the biggest one if you count the Riverbrine City in the Queendom of Riverbrine too."
The waiter returned to Rachael's table with two grasses of juice. He then handed them to Rachael and Jasper before moving to the next table. Jasper took a grass of Tamato Berry Juice and started drinking it while Rachael still looked around the shop. She could hear many travelers talking with their friends.
"Did you hear about the prisoner who escaped from the Desert Prison in the Dustorm Empire? I heard that they are psychopathic killers with a thirst for blood of living beings!"
"Really?! Just when I thought that crossing the scorching desert of the Dustorm Empire couldn't get more dangerous!"
"Yes… First the scorching sun during the day and freezing dust during the night, then a random sandstorm and quicksands, followed by groups of bandits, and now this! Ugh! I hate everything about the Dustorm Empire, especially that merciless Emperor G—"
"Shhh… Don't say that out loud. You know how scary the emperor of the Dustorm Empire is. Do not speak about it or you may end up like those poor guys at the Windsky Plateau…"
"But about that psychopathic killer that escaped from the Desert Prison, I heard that they already escaped from the Dustorm Empire and now they are lurking somewhere in the Fireview Kingdom!"
"Oh! Then I will make sure to avoid going to the Fireview Kingdom for now…"
"…Rachael, aren't you going to drink your juice?"
Jasper's voice turned the Latias's attention back from the random guys' conversation.
"If you won't drink it, I will drink it for you." Jasper grabbed Rachael's grass of Rawst Berry Juice and was about to pour it into his throat when Rachael spoke up.
"WAHHH! You lizard jerk!" Rachael said with an unpleasant voice.
"Come on!" Jasper placed Rachael's grass back on the table. "I was just kidding!"
"Big meanie!" Rachael pouted at him.
"Geeezz… Alright… I will pay for you, okay?" Jasper yielded.
"Yay!" Rachael suddenly became happy again. "Then, I want a glass of Sitrus Berry Juice too!"
"W…Wait… What?!" Jasper spoke.
"So, where to go next?"
Jasper asked once they got out of the Shuckle's Juicy Juice. Now they were back onto the street of the Leafburg City again.
"I think I will go to the Pelipper Post Office to send a postcard to mother." Rachael answered. "I am sure that she will be happy to receive words from me!"
"The Post office is over there." Jasper pointed at a Post Office not too far from them. "And Rachael, do you mind if I take my leave for a bit?"
"Hm?" Rachael looked at Jasper. "Where will you go?"
"It's not that important… But I promise that I will come back soon with some pastries for you, okay?" Jasper said.
"Okay!" Rachael said with a cheerful voice when she heard that Jasper will bring her something to eat.
"Then, see you soon at the Forest Park!" Jasper spoke and walked away from Rachael, and then Rachael went to the Pelipper Post Office.
After sending a postcard to her mother, Rachael left the Pelipper Post Office and was about to go to the Forest Park as Jasper said when she saw several boutiques on the street of the Leafburg City.
'Right!' Rachael thought to herself. 'I think I should buy new cloths for me! Heehee! Mother will be surprised to see me with a new look, and Cheryl and Honey would be jealous of me!"
So, instead of going to the Forest Park, Rachael spent the next three hours at the boutiques. When she finally finished buying cloths, it was already 17.00.
"Heehee! I love this!" Rachael said as she came out of the last boutique with several bags of cloth. "And… Oh! I need to go to the Forest Park right now!"
Rachael tried to go to the Forest Park, but because she spent too much time at the boutiques, she couldn't remember the way to the Forest Park!
'Oh! No!' Rachael became restless. 'Jasper would get mad at me! Oh no!"
Rachael reached a crossroad. She then headed to the right, not being aware that the way to the Forest Park was to the left.
"What?!" Rachael said as instead of reaching the Forest Park, it brought her to the outskirt of the Leafburg City. "I should head back then… Oops!"
Rachael was so restless that she bumped into someone without noticing.
"I…I am so sorry! A…Are you alright?" Rachael spoke and looked at the Pokemon she bumped into, who made her grasp as the one she bumped into was a regal snake Pokemon, a Serperior!
"Don't worry about me." The Serperior answered with a calm voice. "I am alright."
"Whew! Thanks goodness." Rachael said before she remembered that she needed to go to the Forest Park. "That's right! Ms. Serperior, could you tell me the way to the Forest Park, please? My friend is waiting for me there."
"This way." The Serperior pointed at the road ahead by using her vine. "You will reach the Forest Park by heading along this road."
"Thank you!" Rachael thanked. "Now I must hurry or Jasper will—"
"Pardon me?" Serperior spoke up. "Did you mention someone named Jasper? Is he Jasper Floratree the Sceptile?"
"Yes!" Rachael answered. "Do you know him?"
"Yes, of course." The Serperior answered. "He came back to this city without telling me… And he is at the Forest Park right now…"
"Pardon me?" Rachael looked at the Serperior when she heard that the she was mumbling something.
The Serperior looked at the Latias again. "You are Jasper's friend, right? If you meet him, please tell him that—"
"Rachael!"
A voice called the Latias from somewhere. She looked around and saw a Sceptile in a samurai armor who was walking up to her.
"Whew! I finally found you!" Jasper spoke up. "Why didn't you go—"
"Oh! My dear Jasper." Serperior spoke up. "You finally came back."
"Crap…" Jasper mumbles when he noticed the presence of the Serperior and tried to run away, but it was too late as his tail was grabbed by the Serperior's vine.
"My dear child…" The Serperior said as she dragged the Sceptile to her. "I missed you so much. Come here and let me give you a big hug…"
"Hey!" Jasper said as the Serperior used her vines to wrap around his body as a hug. "Stop treating me like that!"
"My my…" Serperior giggled and let the Sceptile free. "Your mother missed you so much…"
"No…" Jasper said as he finally got freed from the Serperior's hug. "You are not my mother, and I am a grown-up already, so stop treating me like that…"
"Oh! My! Why must you be so cruel to your mother?" The Serperior frowned after hearing Jasper's word.
"Geezz…" Jasper mumbled.
"Um… Jasper?" Rachael spoke up. "Do you know her?"
"Well… Um…" Jasper was about to answer when the Serperior gave the answer instead.
"I am little Jasper's mother. My name is Julia Floratree the Serperior. It's nice to meet you, Jasper's friend."
"Nice to meet you too!" Rachael said. "My name is Rachael Lustermist the Latias! It's nice to meet you, Jasper's mother!"
"Come on!" Jasper spoke up. "Julia is not my mother! She was just the one…. who raised me…"
"And that alone made me your mother, right?" Julia the Serperior said with a gentle smile on her face.
"Why?!" Jasper said. "Why won't you ever listened to me?!"
"Um…" Rachael looked at Jasper, and then looked at Julia. "I am so confused right now…"
"Perhaps it would be better if we bring your friend to our home, right?" Julia said.
"Geezz…" Jasper crossed his arm. "Stop it, Julia."
"Don't be shy!" Julia said and wrapped her vines around Rachael and Jasper's body. "Let's go together!"
"W…Wait!" Rachael and Jasper said as they were dragged along with the Serperior.
Julia brought Jasper and Rachael to an orphanage at the outskirt of the Leafburg City. This orphanage looked quite old, but it also seemed to be warm and cozy.
"Welcome home, my little Jasper." Julia said as she finally released the Sceptile and the Latias.
"Geez…" Jasper mumbled.
"Mother?"
Several voices came from inside the orphanage, followed by the opening of the orphanage's door, and then several children appeared! All of them were either grass type Pokemon or bug type Pokemon.
"Yay! Mother finally came back!"
"Look! Big brother Jasper is here too!"
"Yay! Big brother! Play with me!"
All children said with glee and made a crowd around Jasper and Julia. Julia then patted the children's heads softly. And, much to Rachael's surprise, Jasper also did the same thing to the children too!
"Mother, Jasper, welcome back."
Another voice appeared. It was from a Pokemon who had just appeared from the orphanage. She was a Servine, a pre-evolution form of a Serperior.
"Well… Hi, Jasmine." Jasper greeted.
"Alright…" Julia finally spoke up. "Mother will make dinner for you. Who want to help me?"
"Me!"
"Let me help you!"
"Me too!"
Julia then got into the orphanage along with all children and left Jasper, Rachael and the Servine at the entrance of the orphanage.
"Welcome back, Jasper." The Servine approached Jasper. "How was your life at your new school at the Forezon Village?"
"Well… It was not bad…" Jasper answered.
"And who is this Latias?" The Servine looked at Rachael.
"Let me introduce both of you…" Jasper spoke up. "Rachael, this Servine is Jasmine Floratree the Servine. She is Julia's daughter. Jasmine, this is Rachael Lustermist the Latias. She is my friend from the Forezon Village."
"Nice to meet you." Jasmine the Servine shook hands with Rachael.
"Nice to meet you too!" Rachael said with a cheerful voice. "And… Jasper?" Rachael looked at the Jasper as if she wanted the explanation, and Jasper seemed to know what the Latias was thinking.
"This is Julia's orphanage." Jasper explained. "She found this place in order to take care of the children whom their parents got killed in the War of Jasmine, making her a sort of their mother, as you can see…"
"I see…" Rachael said. "And Jasper, you…"
"Well…" Jasper continued explaining. "As one of the oldest children here, I have a duty of taking care of them too, like some sort of their senior…"
"W…What?! T…Then… It means that…" Rachael realized what's going on.
"…It means that I am an orphan." Jasper finished Rachael's words.
"As far as I could remember, I had already grown up in this orphanage with other children. Julia told me that one day near the end of War of Jasmine, an egg contained my infant self appeared in front of this place. She didn't know who my parents are and what happened to them, but she assumed that they already perished in the War of Jasmine, so she took me in and I grew up here, under her care."
Rachael wanted to cry after hearing Jasper's sad past. She felt sorry for the Sceptile.
"…I am sorry, Jasper." Rachael spoke up.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Jasper said. "Despite that I have neither father nor mother, I still have Julia, Jasmine, my younger brothers and younger sisters… And now, I also have Zenpai and you, Rachael, so I am not alone…"
Rachael nodded. She truly understood the feeling of growing up without father and mother to support her… As this was what happened to her and her brother…
"…Onii-chan…" Rachael mumbled.
"Rachael?" Jasper looked at Rachael.
"Oh! It's nothing!" Rachael said. "I just… feel so sorry for you and those children."
"Well… What am I doing… Making you feel sad…" Jasper said. "Rachael, I am sorry."
"Oh! Don't worry about it!" Rachael said before she remembered something. "By the way, Jasper, you said that you were an orphan with unknown parents, but you have a surname… And your surname is the same one as Julia and Jasmine… So…"
"Well…" Jasper looked around. "It was neither Julia nor Jasmine that I inherited the surname from… It was someone else…"
"Who?" Rachael asked.
Jasper became restless as if he didn't want to answer the Latias' question. "W…Well… It was from—"
"Little Jasper!" Julia's voice called the Sceptile from inside the orphanage. "It's dinner time!"
"Geez…" Jasper crossed his arm. "Why did she have to treat me like a youngster? I am already 19…"
"Giggle…" Rachael giggled. "I think it was the feeling of being a mother! A mother always thinks of her child as a baby no matter how old her child is."
"I think so." Jasper sighed.
"…It seemed like dinner is ready." Jasmine spoke up after listening to both Latias and Sceptile for quite some time. "And why don't you invite your friend to join us too, Jasper?"
"W…Well… Rachael…" Jasper looked at Rachael. "Do you mind joining our meal too?"
"No! Of course not!" Rachael said. "Let's not keep them waiting!"
Dinner wasn't as deluxe as the lunch, but Rachael felt that this meal was much more wonderful than the last meal. During dinner, the children all talked about their day such as what games they played today and what would they do tomorrow. Jasper acted like a big brother to all of them as well as Jasmine who also acted like their big sister. This was the side of Jasper that Rachael hadn't seen before…
'Jasper seemed like a nice big brother…' Rachael thought to herself. 'And all children here are nice too… Why didn't Onii-chan and I grow up in this place too? Why must we grow up in that stingy place?!'
After the meal ended, Rachael volunteered to wash the dishes. And when she finished…
"…Rachael?"
Rachael turned her attention to the one who called her. It was Jasmine the Servine.
"Jasmine?" Rachael looked at the Servine. "Do you need my help at anything else?"
"…Rachael…" Jasmine spoke with a calm voice. "I must thank you for taking care of Jasper during his time at the Forezon Village."
"It's nothing! Actually…" Rachael said. "It was Jasper who took care of me! He even agreed to accompany me when I had to came here to deliver the berries!"
"Deliver the berries?" Jasmine repeated Rachael's word. "You owned a berry farm?"
"Well… It was my mother's farm, but I usually help her with the cultivating and the harvesting!" Rachael answered.
"I see…" Jasmine nodded. "So, if you could grow a berry, then, could you make a potion using those berries?"
"Making potions?" Rachael said and shook her head no. "I have never done that before."
"Then, here you are…"
Jasmine gave a book to the Latias. The cover of the book could be read as 'The Mixing: How to make a Potion.'
"This book will tell you how to make a potion. It also has a list of what potion that will be created if you mix those berries." Jasmine explained. "This book is a token of my gratitude for taking care of Jasper."
"Really?! Thanks a lot!" Rachael said and opened the book. "But… The process of making one seems so hard…"
"Then… Let me teach you how to." Jasmine said as she opened the shelves above them and picked four apparatuses from it. "You need four apparatuses to make a potion. They are a Mortar and Pestle for grinding berries, a Calcinator for heating potion, an Alembic for distilling potion, and a Retort for carrying out a chemical process. You also need a container such as a bottle to store the potion you made."
"Wahh…" Rachael seemed to be even more confused than before. "That's so complicated!"
"It won't be hard once you get used to it…" Jasmine said. "And why don't we make a healing potion from Oran Berries? First, put an Oran Berry into the mortar…"
"…And then pour the solution into a bottle. Be careful not to let the residue fall into a bottle." Jasmine taught the last process of making the healing potion.
"Whew!" Rachael wiped her sweat after she finished pouring the potion from a Retort into a bottle. "What do you think about it, Jasmine?"
"I think it turned out really well." Jasmine commented. "And I also think that you have done a really good job! I think that you may have a gift of making potions."
"Really? Teehee! Thanks!" Rachael smiled innocently. "B…But I still don't know if this potion will turn out good or not…"
"Don't worry…" Jasmine said with a crafty smile on her face, a smile that Rachael had never seen it appeared on the Servine's face before. "We have a guinea pig for this potion…"
"Guinea…Pig?" Rachael repeated Jasmine's word.
After Rachael finished her word, another Pokemon appeared in the kitchen. It was Jasper the Sceptile. He seemed very tired as he got into the kitchen.
"Jasmine…" Jasper spoke tiredly. "C…Can you make me the usual?"
"Here" Jasmine handed the bottle contained the potion Rachael made to the Sceptile. "This is for you."
"W...Wait!" Rachael was about to warn Jasper about that potion, but it was too late as Jasper already drank it.
"Whew!" Jasper seemed to become a lot better after drinking the potion. "Thanks! Jasmine, your potion is the best!"
"Well…Rachael, it seemed like it turned out really well, don't you think?" Jasmine said.
"Wait, what?" Jasper asked.
"W…Well…" Rachael explained. "J…Jasmine taught me how to make a potion, and the potion you just drank was the one I made for the first time…"
"WHAT?!" Jasper looked at Jasmine. "Jasmine! You are so mean! You always use me as your guinea pig since when you first started learning to make a potion!"
"But at least, the potion turned out well, right?" Jasmine said with a crafty smile on her face.
"Hm… Well…" Jasper seemed to think of something. "I think this potion is a lot better than the one you always made for me… And did you say that this is the one Rachael made for the first time? Wow… A potion made by a novice like Rachael is better than a potion made by an expert like you… I think I see what is going on…"
Jasmine's smile disappeared from her face and was replaced by her usual blank face. "I think there's someone who wants to sleep outside tonight…"
"Hey!" Jasper looked at the Servine. "I already slept outside for two days! Plus, I just finished my training… So please, at least, give me a nice rest after a long journey…"
Hearing the Sceptile's word reminded Rachael of something… It was about Jasper's training…
"That reminded me… Jasper?" Rachael looked at the Sceptile. "Did you say you just finished your training? But then, you drank my potion…"
"Yeah..." Jasper answered. "What's wrong with that?"
"Well… I think all you need after a training is a nice rest, but you were so tired that you also need a healing potion too… It means that…" Rachael said. This made Jasper became restless again.
"W…Well…" Jasper tried to say something, but Rachael spoke up first.
"It means that you work too hard!" Rachael said. "You shouldn't work too hard! You will become sick if you do!"
"Whew!" Jasper sighed in relief. Then another Pokemon appeared in the kitchen. It was Julia the Serperior.
"My my… Mother finally found you…" Julia smiled gently. "Everyone has already fallen asleep. And now it's your bedtime, Jasper, Jasmine."
"Yes, mother." Jasmine said.
"Geezz…" Jasper crossed his arms. Then Julia turned her attention to Rachael.
"Rachael, it's getting too late. I think you should sleep here tonight. It will be a lot safer than going outside at night… Especially after those incidents…" Julia said.
"Those incidents?!" Rachael asked. "What is that?"
"Oh! It's nothing!" Julia said. "So, what do you think, Rachael? Will you stay here tonight with us?"
"Thanks… B… but… You have already treated me with dinner…" Rachael tried to refuse Julia's kindness.
"So…" Julia became saddened. "You want to say that this place is too uncomfortable for you to stay? Well… I could understand that…"
"N…No!" Rachael said. "I…I didn't mean that! I actually like this place!"
"Then it's settled…" Julia said. "I have prepared a room for you already, Rachael. See you tomorrow, my children."
After finishing her good night, Julia left the kitchen and went upstairs, leaving Jasper, Jasmine and Rachael in the kitchen.
"Jasper…" Rachael looked at the Sceptile.
"See?" Jasper sighed. "It's pointless to try to refuse Julia's kindness. She likes to treat others like her own children..."
"Then…" Jasmine spoke up. "Good night, Jasper, Rachael." Then Jasmine left the kitchen and went upstairs too.
"Rachael, you go first." Jasper spoke up. "I will go to check the front door."
"Good night, Jasper." Rachael said.
"Good night, Rachael." Jasper said. Then Rachael moved upstairs and entered the room Julia prepared for her. She then quickly fell asleep as she laid her body on the bed…
Meanwhile…
"Master?"
"Hm? Already back for another round?"
"Of course, master."
"…Jasper, I want to ask you something…"
"What is that, master?"
"…You always come and train with me, and you always lose to me, yet you keep coming back… Do you have confidence that you could defeat me some day?"
"No, master. I would never defeat someone as great as you, especially when you are the one who held the Blood of Legend within your veins…"
"…If you think like that, you will never defeat me…"
"Why is that, master?"
"If you tell yourself that you can't, your subconscious will prevent your body from archived your goal, but if you tell yourself that you can, your subconscious will encourage your body to archived your goal."
"…I still don't understand, master…"
"When the time comes, you shall understand… And I am afraid that it would be much sooner than I thought…"
"Master? What did you just say?"
"…Never mind it, Jasper. Now let's go for another round."
"I am ready, Master Floratree!"
The next morning…
"Good morning! Jasmine!"
Rachael greeted the Servine as she moved downstairs. The Servine, however, didn't seem very happy this morning.
"Rachael…" Jasmine mumbled.
"Jasmine? What's wrong?" Rachael asked.
"…Another incident…" Jasmine answered.
"Incident?" Rachael repeated Jasmine word. She then remembered that Julia also said something about the 'incident' that occurred at night. "What incident?"
"…A mysterious Tsujigiri appeared again. This time, he killed the Ninja Pokemon." Jasmine answered.
To Be Continued…
Dragon of Vale: Well… I think I have written a long chapter like this before in my other stories, but the long chapters I wrote was usually the later chapters! Not one of the very first chapters like this one!
This chapter is very long… And boring too… But… I could say that the first tail was about to end… Just about 2-3 chapters to go!
Rachael learned how to make a potion, and she seemed to be good at it! And… The Potion Making in this story is based on the Alchemy in Oblivion.
Uh-oh… A mysterious Tsujigiri… Things started to get serious…
A special thanks to Ridin Valon for helping me with the error correction.