Chapter 5

Later at the Viridian city Pokémon center, we sat and talked while our Pokémon healed. She had been traveling with a staryu and it's rare, stone based evolution, starmie. Once the introductions had been made, we found we had nothing else to do for a while but talk.

"…and there we are. I decided I should do some traveling, learn more about water Pokémon, get stronger. Maybe one day I'll come back and run the cerulean city gym. What about you, Scott? What are you trying to accomplish with your journey?"

"Honestly? I'm just seeing what's out there. I have no memories of anything further back than the start of my journey, so I'm taking the gym challenge to make a little money. And I suppose helping the great professor oak with his pokedex is a goal in and of itself. Plus I've really enjoyed just spending time with my pokemon."

"Fair enough. So what's next?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I've thought about going to route 22 to catch some new Pokémon. I heard that Spearow and Nidoran can be found there."

Misty's face paled. "Route 22?"

"Well… yeah. There're fairly low level pokemon there, three species I don't have yet, and it's a relatively short detour on my way to pewter city."

"Don't you mean our way to pewter city? And anyway, there's been a lot of strange rumors about the woods out there."

"What do you mean rumors? And wait, since when do you want to travel with me?"

"Trainers have been coming out of there shaken, they say there's a vengeful ghost that lives there, that scares them away. And yeah, what better way to repay you for saving my life than to follow you on your journey? Someone has to look after you."

I had nothing to say. It was touching in a vaguely condescending way. Still, this rumor of ghosts and vengeance was troubling. Ah well, nothing for it. This was my second chance life anyway, may as well live it.

"Well, at the very least we can go check it out. Plus it'll be good practice for Viridian forest."

"If you say so Scott."

Any further conversation was cut off by the tone playing over the speakers.

"Let's get to it then."

Teller-of-stories-in-sunset-flames watched as two new humans intruded on her forest, her solitude. 900 years, she'd lived here. 900 years she'd guarded the grave of her beloved, her partner.

She'd spent most of that time alone, standing vigil over the bones of her beloved Adam. But then. Ah but then one day a wandering male had intruded on her sanctum. He was resplendent, glorious in his male mystique and power. And more importantly, he had come bearing a gift.

He had stayed, and then he had left, leaving her with a small, pretty offspring. It was then that she had grown overprotective. Her first offspring, her only. And it was in the nature of her kind to obsessively and jealously guard what was theirs.

And so, she watched the two humans, a young male and a female. Old enough to journey on their own. She smelled them as they intruded further into her forest. He smelled of three Pokémon, a rodent-prey, a quick-bird, and something she had only smelled a few times before. She finally placed it as a psi-page, child-form of the psi-knights and psi-ladies. The female smelled of a lesser and greater water-star, and of course, the desire to mate with the male. Teller-of-stories-in-sunset-flames sneezed slightly, the musk slightly overwhelming.

As she prepared to attack, something held her claws. Something familiar. A distinctive scent that she hadn't smelled in centuries. As the young man walked into her field of vision, her heart stopped in her chest.

Adam.

But no, it couldn't be. Adam had passed on many centuries ago. His bones lay in the roots of the tallest tree of the forest. And yet, as she watched this human battle and capture a lesser spear-beak, she couldn't shake the shock of seeing his face again. A face that she had grown to love. Her beloved, reincarnate.

"Mother? Who is he? He smells nice. He smells kind." Her offspring, who she had named Dawning-Embers, had crept up beside her, also watching the two humans.

"A stranger, beloved daughter. Nothing more."

"Then why do you feel so sad? Do you know this human?"

"No, heart's-flame. I do not know him. But he reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago." Her heart twinges at the memories.

She watches with her kit as the human battles and captures a pair of poison-rabbits. She watches with wistful longing as he and the psi-page celebrate their victory. She and Adam had celebrated many such victories, so long ago.

"Mother," Says her kit. "I am old enough to strike out on my own now."

"Yes, heart's warmth?"

"I want to challenge that human. His mind feels nice."

"Are you sure? It is not an easy thing to travel with a human. Remember the stories of Evolution and Death. Remember the lessons of those stories. Heed their warnings. I have lived that pain."

Dawning-Embers smiles at her. "I remember mother. I also remember your stories. Your Adam. I want that too."

Teller-of-stories-in-sunset-flames heaves a heavy sigh. "Very well. I give my blessing. But I will be watching. And please, seek not the stones of flame unless you are prepared for the Long Wait."

Dawning-Embers yips happily as she leaps out of the brush to confront the human male.

As the Spearow lunged at Ralts, she dodged to the side, shooting out a confusion attack as she rolled away. The attack struck the angry bird in the side, knocking her into the dirt. I snapped a pokeball through the air and captured the bird Pokémon.

Ralts tiredly smiled at me before teleporting back to my shoulder.

"Wow, Scott. That was very skillfully done. You say you've only been a trainer for about a week?"

I tuck a hand behind my head, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah, thanks Misty. I guess it just comes naturally to me."

"Evidently so. So what's next?" She shivered. "I kinda just want to get out of here, ya know? I feel like we're being watched."

She was right. I had felt eyes on me the entire time I was fighting Spearow. "Well, I'd like to find a male and female Nidoran. They're relatively powerful, and honestly I'm eager to study a species of poisonous mammal pokemon."

"You're an odd one, you know that? Most Pokémon trainers talk about type coverage and stat spreads. You almost sound more interested in them as living things. Almost like professor oak does."

"Well," I said with a smile, "they are living things. Who wouldn't be interested in them that way? Now cmon, I've got a pocket full of brand new pokeballs, let's go hunting!"

Misty gave me a sarcastic salute, then followed me deeper into the woods.

As we walked through the trunks, I couldn't help but feel that we were being observed. Watched. I almost got a sense of some ancient force watching and waiting. As I thought the word, I caught the sensations as something brushed across my mindscape.

Waiting. Sorrow. Loneliness. Grief. Loss. Curiosity. Anticipation.

For the umpteenth time I wondered at this new sense. I was beginning to think that close proximity to a psychic type pokemon was awakening something within me, something dormant. But then, a second presence.

Curiosity. Interest. Eagerness. Wanderlust.

I was so distracted by the second presence that I almost stumbled across the two small rabbit pokemon in the grass.

"Nido!"

"Dora!"

Uhoh. "Crap. Uh, sorry guys, wasn't looking where I was going?"

The male looked over at the female, before both nodded. Then they both took a particularly aggressive stance.

"I'm guessing we can't just talk about this?"

The male bristled, spines standing on end. "Nidoran!" Then he nodded towards my belt, Pidgey and rattatas pokeballs rattling in their housings.

"Ok then. But if I beat you, I'm catching you."

The female spoke up this time, pawing at the ground before a challenging glint lit her eye.

"Alright then. Pidgey, rattata, take positions!"

As I threw the two balls high, my two small Pokémon materialized, and the battle was joined. Two purple stings flew towards my two Pokémon, but they both dodged out of the way. Pidgey spun a powerful gust towards the male, while rattata disappeared in a silver flash, before biting the female deeply.

The gust slammed into the male, knocking him into the dirt before I ordered both Pokémon to target the female. Two quick attacks from opposing directions slammed into the small blue rabbit, leaving her dazed. I had them shift focus to the male as I lobbed a ball at the female.

The capture was successful, and the male grew, if anything, more angry. He charged, knocking rattata into the dirt hard. I withdrew her, knocked out, then had Pidgey launch another gust attack at the small purple rabbit.

The Nidoran dodged it, before jumping into the air, turning around, and hitting Pidgey with a vicious double kick.

Pidgey recovered before he hit the ground, and promptly disappeared in a silver blur as he began spiraling out a gust attack. Just like with the Beedrill, the quick attack augmented the gust into a sizable whirlwind, that span out and struck the Nidoran hard, leaving him dizzy and dazed.

I snapped out another pokeball, capturing the Nidoran, before Pidgey and I both collapsed in exhausted relief.

"Fantastic job, Pidgey! You're getting stronger every day!"

"Priiiiii!"

Misty stood there with her mouth open, a shocked look on her face. "That was some fight Scott! Good job!"

"Thanks Misty." I said smiling. "I think I should heal these guys up though. My entire team has fought hard today."

Six balls released six Pokémon, all of them tired and breathing heavily. I let the three new teammates meet the three old ones for a while as I prepared an oran berry mix. We ended up deciding to break for lunch, and I rested under a tree, Misty sitting beside me, Spearow and Pidgey on either shoulder, Ralts on my lap, and rattata and the female Nidoran sitting on either side of my legs, their heads in my lap.

I will admit, I was a little surprised at how quickly Spearow and Nidoran had take to me. Not as surprising was how standoffish my male Nidoran was. From what I remembered of the games, this was normal though. The males tended to be the guardians and lookouts, and mine was indeed standing guard, his big ears twitching this way and that.

I almost drifted off in the afternoon sunlight, but then Nidoran shrieked in fear, before barreling under my arm, shaking. Something had spooked him.

I quickly stood to my feet as the light began to drain out of the day.

"S-Scott! The ghost!"

"Misty, just stand close, the pokemon will protect us." And indeed, all six of my little warriors were arrayed in a circle around us, warily watching the woods.

It was then that I saw the apparition. Small witch lights popped up in the forest, floating balls of flame glowing an eerie blue. Then, she stepped out of the forest.

She was glowing an unearthly white, clad in a glowing kimono, a ghostly figure of a young woman, her hair ghost white. She strode out to me, her hands open, supplicant.

"Beloved…. After so long, you've finally returned to me…. I've been waiting… I've missed you….. my love, my partner. You're finally back…."

"Oh crap."