Chapter IV: Fool Me Once
1999, December 31st
Southern Taiwan
PW walked on as the skyscrapers thinned out, then as the lavish suburban homes grew further apart, then until the forest grew hilly, then until the end of time, or so it felt. Hills stood aggressively beside the highway and spat leaves down upon the cars. The road spitefully snaked between these bothersome hills, even being so rude as to run straight through some, leaving tunnel-shaped exit wounds. PW navigated up and down this endless dispute of man versus nature, taking in scenic views of vast greenery and occasional coast lines.
His stomach rumbled. Once again, he lost track of time despite the moon standing directly over him. He did not intentionally ignore these things; it just was laughably easy for him to be distracted. He could not shake off, for instance, the guilt he felt for forcing his family to spend their days without him. But as time passed, his guilt grew distant enough for other feelings to flow forth. In a way he felt proud to say he walked from the top to the bottom of the island—it was good exercise. Too bad he had to stop.
Immediately.
Rather than hunger or even the smallest shred of sanity, it was the color blue that made him halt. Looking through the trees, the entire world ahead went a solid, bright blue, dulled somewhat by the dark sky. He stood at the edge of the forest, resting a paw on the tree to his left. His head rose up, but his jaw did not, instead hanging open.
Books familiarized him with China's city walls. In particular, the walls of Nanjing stood tall in his memory. But those were just images. Flat. Easily flipped away. Ahead of him stood a wall eight stories high and an entire semi-trailer truck in depth. It's skin was built up of over a hundred million bricks. It's interior was packed with an entire city's worth of clay, limestone, and other materials.
PW's hairs stood at attention. The wall stretched as far left and right as the eye could see. The structure absolutely superseded what he thought was physically possible for mankind to build, and indeed, it stood unmolested by human activity. There were no cars. No tourists. No litter.
Focusing his eyes on a faint shimmering of fabric, he spotted a series of flags flying proudly above a tall gateway shaped like an upside down 'U'. The many flags' navy-blue backgrounds perfectly matched the sky. In their centres lay a black five-point star, and behind that, a glowing, ten-pointed one, forming a solar eclipse. Twenty small stars on the flags also twinkled.
PW scratched his chin. The gate had no door; instead it was a massive hole in the wall. A wide river-moat guarded this gate but a massive bridge laid over it, defeating the river's purpose. The truth was that this gate opened precisely once. It's chains gave way under its immense weight, and thus it was never to close. Ignorant of this, PW believed the makers welcomed anyone to enter. Reciting a small prayer, PW advanced. He then felt uneased by his next discovery.
Behind the first wall stood a twin.
Between the walls was a path easily wide enough to accommodate 5-lanes of traffic. It had been filled with nothing, however, except gutters. At his current position, he was between the walls. The routes at his sides lead to infinity. High above him, a single bird flew from a watch tower.
The monk's breath hitched. He could not out race a flying army. If he misunderstood this open bridge, he'd find out very soon. Ahead of him was a building embedded in the innermost wall: the only path through it. It's architecture was as old as the dark sky above. A munchlax trundled down the steps leading up to it. Water-blue robes adorned the munchlax's entire body. Over the robes was a cloak of sorts: a beizi made of a large white towel which was embroidered with various dragons and birds. On his head was a religious hat that resembled a short cylindrical podium with a golden star standing atop it. He gestured at the boy.
"Child," his voice alone and encompassing, "you have run very much. Come in."
In this ancient building's interior laid many forgotten dinners, discarded papers, and so on. It was as though everyone suddenly evaporated in their seats. PW swept abandoned cutlery off a table. The munchlax shut the door, pocketing a key. A single white-blue porcelain cup stood between him and the visitor, as well as a slip of paper nestled in the ribbon of a present.
"Would you like some water," the munchlax asked, his voice echoing off the thick wood walls. Moments passed before he received an answer. PW turned his head high and low, savouring the historic architecture. Thousands of galactic motifs, golden accents, and pieces of beautiful pottery caught his eye. Familiar, yet unfamiliar. "Child?"
PW shook his head. "I will get a water type, thank you!"
"You like saliva with your drinks?"
"I am penniless, water man."
"He is glad we don't use pennies then. The 'water man's' water is free!" He plucked a jug up from the floor and poured PW a drink. As the boy sipped it down, a distant 'crack!' startled him. Fireworks popped and flickered far in the distance. The water man scratched his chin.
"Our celebrations catch your ears. Do you hurry to meet our empress, maybe learn about our nation?"
"Absolutely! I've always wished to see how my people's city looked when they landed one thousand years ago," he chuckled. "Just because the clock moves doesn't mean you have to, I guess!"
"Forgive him, but you are unfortunately mistaken."
"Y-you must be Shaolin! My forefathers did land here!"
The munchlax slowly shook his head. "He is...half-correct. The remains of half the city is here but it lays broken beneath our land like leaves coated with snow."
PW's eyes went narrow. "What happened to it?!"
"The top was completely terraformed. The bottom...'repurposed'."
"My apologies, but I need to go back to Taipei!"
He squinted, perusing his deepest memories. "This city is the alien capital of this country, correct? We have had a few other modern pokemon like you come thorugh, but they always become companions of the fire."
PW shot up and ran to the front door. Finding it locked, he kicked it, but the frame was tougher than he. "Please unlock the door!" He pleaded.
"There is no point. The guards already know."
Stuck in a hostile foreign empire. PW wished all he had to worry about was his mother's wrath. "What do I need to do to live?"
"Listen."
The waterman took the paper off his present, and retrieving a small pot of red ink from a pocket. He drew two lines with a brush hidden in the pot's lid and waited for it to set. He swiped his finger on one. The line reacted to his touch, forming a unique pattern of cracks. PW eyes went wide as dinner plates: it was the special ink his mother spoke about. "You will meet the empress soon. In the meanwhile, there is an inn-turned-nightclub in Uptown. A shuckle who can rent you a room is waiting. Bring this to him," tapping the package.
"Water man, I am penniless!"
"As you are. Run your finger over this uncracked strip of ink and that will change for a night." PW shut his eyes, thinking up a smug grin. Saffron's jealously would reach the moon. Once through, he quickly took up the box. The munchlax turned a golden handle, opening the true entrance to the nation. The door PW entered through may have been locked, but a new, vast world had opened up to him. Hundreds of orange candle lights dotted the hills. Fireworks fluttered in the sky. Water currents weaved around patches of quaint housing like viens of the nation. Everything from the lowest basins to the highest mountains remained almost free of buildings; there was a balance between what was built and what was unbuilt. But, as he looked around, one construct broke this harmony. Those same omnipresent walls surround the entire nation.
The mysterious pokemon held his hand out, asking one question. "If you do not mind his asking, will you share the real reason you came here?"
"Stay out of my life!"
"So be it. Welcome to the Black Star Province." The munchlax handed PW a map. 'Uptown' resided in the top left corner of the lands, or from his perspective, was a long walk to the right. It was bordered from other prefectures by the 'Ecstasy River'. He hurried there.
Uptown Prefecture
The area bustled with dancers in vibrant clothing, loud merchants in their night markets yelling promises of divine food, and young pokemon battling. PW ran through like a boxcutter through tape, drawing immense amounts of attention.
The Nightclub was a building resembling a giant voltorb. Pungent smells, lights, and singing kicked his nerves into overdrive as soon as the doors parted. Amidst this sensory overload, his ears caught the voice of a shuckle at a tiny counter. The turtlish creature hurriedly rubbed his eyes from under his sunglasses, gawking, along with more and more other pokemon.
"A mienfoo?! —Come here, now! Hey!" He shouted to others, "Seniors first!" The boy stumbled over wrappers and stains. "Caution, caution, do not step there, child!" But it was too late. Red-green fluid stained the bottom of his foot. "My, my! Dare I ask your name?!"
Dare ask how this exists? The lights were candles, but the building's layout was oddly modern, as if there was some sort of outside influence when the architect had drafted it. He propped the munchlax's present on the counter, making more eye contact in a minute than most make in a week.
"Oh by the way, it is PW."
"P.W." He seemed to savour the letters. "What might that name stand for?"
"Nothing anymore."
"My, how odd! I am Professor Pho, owner of this club! Do you know what you landed in?!"
"A world of hurt!"
"Correct, yet also wrong! You landed in curds of blood tea! Smells so bad it will make your nose fall off but tastes so good your tongue will also fall off! Or so I hear..."
"I want a room!"
"Oh! A room?! Go upstairs and do not take any food offered to you, we get very 'happy' around Solar New Year!"
"Thank you!" PW stumbled his way past the shuckle, and clubbers, running up some stairs. Soon after he did so, a machoke and a heliolisk passed through the front doors, both in a samurai's robes. The machoke boomed a demand at the professor, slamming his hand on the counter.
"Where?!"
"H-He is upstairs!"
They rushed past Professor Pho. The shuckle opened his package of moon cakes, eating nervously.
