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"I set the bones of pokémon adrift upon the river. I let my memories flow on, adrift upon the river. And to the ocean they will flow, perhaps around the world to go. How many bones in days now gone have I now set adrift from me? How many bones in days to come will I yet set adrift to sea? While every gift with which I part takes a sliver of my heart."

-Old Verse 9, Pokémon Legends Arceus

Chapter 1:

The Prophesy

Region: Unova

Area: Southwestern region of the map and somewhere north of modern-day Route 20

Date: December 23, 552 A.D.

They said I was born in the winter when the world was slumbering. The bitter cold uncoiled its tendrils to penetrate all aspects of our lives and our forest, immobile beneath the unforgiving frost, had its trees stand as silent sentinels to the coming of my first breath. When my eyes opened for the first time, my parents grew motionless in their shock and bemusement, for my eyes burned with the color of the great Skyfire that illuminated our world during the daylight hours and warmed the Earth after Winter's Passing. It was a color beyond the golden grasses that grew in the meadows during summertime. They were a bright, unnatural yellow.

"It is an omen," Our pack elder, Engjell Kro spoke out gravely when my eyes were revealed to the rest of our pack. I cowered inside my mother's mane as the group of zoroarks conversed deep within the heart of the frozen woodland.

My father, who was one of the younger adults, stepped in front of my mother in a deliberate act to hide us from the other's view, but his voice was calm as he placated, "Nonsense, many zoruas are born with different eye colors."

"Shades of blue and purple are common. Occasionally the odd rua is born with red eyes," A new voice refuted him. It was the voice of an agitated older female. There was the hint of a snarl in her tone, "This, you know well, Akemin Zu. You and your mate were warned."

"We have done nothing wrong!" My mother stepped up beside my father, with me still hidden within the bushels of her great mane, and snapped, "It was by the fate of the Original One that our rua was born this way."

At the time, I did not understand who my mother was referring to when she spoke of the 'Original One'. The title meant nothing to me, but she said it with such devout passion, and its effects on the waiting zoroarks were immediate. There was a low level of hissing that broke out among the gathered pokémon. I heard the curt grunting of Engjell Kro as he seemed to shuffle uncomfortably where he stood. Timidly, I peeked out from my mother's mane to witness my father stiffening as he flashed a warning glance to my mother.

This time I matched a face with the voice of the older female who had spoken previously. She was larger than many of the gathered adults, only one other was bigger, and he had yet to speak. The female had eyes of deepest blue, and an old scar across her face and lower hip. Her fur was matted, but her mane was still voluminous and wild. Something deep inside me knew this pokémon had survived many battles.

The female's dark eyes glinted with anger, and she bared her teeth at my mother, "Do not speak the Creator's name aloud, Faro Zu. Do you wish to summon all of creation's wrath down upon us, even more than you already have?"

As my mother bristled with her own irritation, I felt the vibrations of a growl build in the base of her throat. I wanted to duck my head back into her mane, but something kept me rooted in place. I couldn't look away even though the older female frightened me.

Before she could act however, my father snarled and cocked his chin contemptuously, "Do you seek a challenge with my mate, Mundi Ka? I shall stand in her place for the protection of our rua."

This caused a drastic change in the surrounding zoroarks, as if some social faux pas had been committed. Open hostility erupted from the gathering, and suddenly every pokémon seemed to be snarling at each other. Several of the adults near us backed away, as if to create room for a battle arena. My mother retreated from the older female as my father took her place. He appeared to be half her size, but there was something fierce in his maroon gaze. I did not yet understand the depth of his determination towards my safety.

Mundi Ka, the older female, grinned wickedly, stood to her full height, and glared down at my father with battle light in her eyes, "You will not win this Akemin Zu."

"ENOUGH!" The roar came from the silent male who had been, until recently, lost in contemplation. He was the only pokémon in the clearing that outsized the female stalking towards my father. His voice was deep and sonorous.

"Akemin Zu, you will withdraw! No formal challenge was issued, and the purpose of this gathering was not to make baseless accusations," ordered this male.

The other zoroarks quailed under this pokémon's voice. Even Mundi Ka halted in place as her eyes focused on this approaching male with begrudging respect and a trace of resentment. My father's stance did not change as he glowered at the older female with vicious intent. It was as if he had not heard the order.

This was the moment when I first observed the rebellious, if not open recklessness, that lived inside my father. He was small compared to these older zoroarks and, yet he still was willing to fight for our honor. The dark eyes of the large male widened with disbelief, and, like lightning, he leaped across the clearing to loom tyrannically above my father.

I could imagine the smell of his giant's breath on my fur as he threatened, "I ordered you to withdraw, Akemin Zu, or do you wish to foolishly challenge my leadership over snide remarks made by that harpy?!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mundi Ka bare her teeth at the word 'harpy', but my immediate attention was on my father. He looked up at this monster of a pokémon and, for a moment, I thought he was going to take this male up on his offer, but then he dropped his gaze and backed away.

"Forgive me, Cato Rak. I withdraw willingly," My father muttered bitterly to the ground, his jaw set with unspoken words.

Cato Rak glared at my father soundlessly for several more seconds before he straightened and seemed to accept this offer of submission. He nodded slowly and said peacefully, "Wise choice, young one."

The leader's eyes then fell on me, and I shrank back into my mother's mane. My mother eyed him cautiously but remained silent. Finally, Cato Rak turned to face the elder, Engjell Kro, and asked, "What kind of omen does this rua's eyes foretell?"

The body of the aged zoroark was sunken and brittle, but there was profound wisdom in his soft expression, "If I recall correctly, the verse of the old zoroarkian hymn mentions that when a rua is born in the dead of winter it brings ill tidings for the coming year."

Nervous murmurs cascaded around us, and uneasy glances were thrown my way at these words. The proclivity of my youth did not allow me to fully understand what the coming of my birth prophesied to these pokémon. The world was new to me, and this tense congregation brought me nothing but fear and confusion.

Engjell Kro did not seem to mind these quiet interruptions, and continued in is rickety tone, "The advent of the child's unusual eyes, however, reminds me of the old mountain prophecy that, in part, states:

'When the sign of the golden gaze dawns,

beware the looming giants.

Brothers once united, now divided.

In fire and lightning, will doom approach.

Seek the Path of Being for salvation,

to those who linger only devastation awaits.'"

"D-devastation?" Stuttered one of the zoroarks to our left, an anxious looking female.

Another male standing behind Cato Rak grimaced at the elder's words and muttered, "Looming giants? Fire and lightning?"

"We should leave this place!" A frightened voice exclaimed suddenly. I could not see who had spoken this time.

Barks of both assent and dissent broke out among the adults. The cacophony of arguments continued for several minutes, until Cato Rak raised a paw for silence. "Packmates, please. We must be rational about this."

The leader scanned his audience with sharp, intelligent eyes. He did not have any obvious battle scars. His fur was pristine and mane fully groomed, but his stature and bearing made him a dominating figure. He stood out among the group even more than the roguish looking Mundi Ka. Instinctively, I knew this was a pokémon who could handle himself.

"Even if we knew the old prophecy spoke words of truth, which," he emphasized dramatically, "We do not. We still could not leave the forest now. Winter has not left us, and there is little food to hunt. There is also the ever-present threat of the Far Walkers living outside the forest to consider. It would be difficult for a group our size to escape the notice of their settlement during this season. Any journey, should we attempt one, could prove fatal to us all."

"Besides, what of the coming Birthing Time? The new zoruas will be arriving after Winter's Passing. We will not be able to travel any far distance until after their arrival. My judgement is that we shall wait out the winter but be vigilant for signs spoken of in the prophecy. We will reconvene on this matter in the Spring."

Although there were still several individuals with grim expressions, the majority of the zoroarks seem mollified by Cato Rak's pronouncement. It seemed that this had also adjourned the meeting as the gathering began to dissipate after into smaller groups speaking in hushed whispers, before disappearing into the trees. My parents did not move or speak while they watched the pack disperse into the forest.

Cato Rak did not immediately approach us after the meeting. He first spoke quickly with Engjell Kro, and his expression was ominous, but I was too far away to make out their hurried words. When the elder finally nodded and wandered off into the trees, the large zoroark looked up and made his way toward us. My mother looked serene at his advance, but there was reproach in my father's gaze for the pack leader.

"My son," Cato Rak began quietly and held out his paws in a placating gesture. His austere face softened as he sighed, "You gave me no choice, Akemin Zu."

"Father…," He grimaced angrily as he glared accusatorily at the pack leader. A jolt of surprise went through me as I recognized the familial relationship between Cato Rak and my father. This towering pokémon with a voice like thunder was my grandfather.

"My mate never meant any disrespect," My mother chimed in before my father could reply. She rested her paw on his shoulder and my father exchanged a meaningful glance with her.

My grandfather watched this in silence before settling his nearly black eyes back on me. These were the eyes that had terrified me before, but now I found myself unafraid. Although that wall of strength never completely receded, I sensed something gentle behind the façade of leadership. Slowly, I grinned at him, and, to my astonishment I perceived the hint of a return smile on his lips.

"I know you were just protecting me," My father finally said. This time it sounded genuine, with no hint of malice.

My grandfather nodded and continued, "Good. This little one of yours has a tough nut to crack ahead of him. If he's going to survive until spring, he will need to learn as much as we can teach him very soon. Return to your burrow now and rest until morning."

My mother smiled at him and then pulled my father along with her, hand in hand. I watched Cato Rak from the crib of my mother's mane as we retreated. The leader turned away and met the smirking gaze of Mundi ka, who apparently had also hung back. I caught the flash of fury on my grandfather's face as he spotted her, but then the trees obscured the scene.

Our burrow was hidden beneath the outcropping of three trees and a mountain of snow. As the three of us slid underground, into our cozy nest, my father fell asleep quickly beside my mother. However, I could not keep the day's events from my mind.

"Ma," I yawned tiredly, "I don understand. Wha happen'd?"

She lifted me from her mane and cradled me in her arms. Her amethyst eyes were soothing as she stroked my fur, "Nothing you need to worry about yet, my little Akane."

Index:

Rua- Shorted form of Zorua, generally used to refer to a young or newly born Zorua.

Skyfire- usually means the sun, although it can also mean the moon if it's being spoken of in the context of nighttime.

Far Walkers- a term that literally means humans. It was given to them because of their lengthy stride and stamina while traveling.

A. D.- Literally means "After Detonation". Referring to the detonation of AZ's ultimate weapon that was created underneath Geosenge Town in Kalos. The resulting blast split the space-time continuum of the Pokémon world into two different dimensions. It symbolizes a timeframe some 3,000 years before the events of Generation I.

Winter's Passing- a kind of holiday marked by the first signs of snowmelt seen in the mountains and forest.

Birthing Time- the traditional first few days of spring when pregnant zoroarks/zoruas give birth to their ruas.

Honorifics:

Ru- signifies a newly born or child-aged zorua

Zu- signifies a Zoroark or Zorua that has reached adulthood. Generally, these adults are younger and less experienced.

Ka- signifies an experienced member of the pack. Usually, this moniker is given to Zoroarks or Zoruas who are higher up in the ranks of the pack.

Kro- signifies an elder Zoroark who has attained great wisdom in their old age.

Rak- signifies the leader of the pack. Only one Zoroark or Zorua per pack will be addressed with this honorific.