Encounters and Clashes
It was quite a day, the sun shone high in the sky and its warm rays reflected off the pond, helping to create spectacular plays of light, and the dew-dampened grass stalks danced in the presence of a cool, light breeze. Newly blooming flowers colored that magnificent landscape with red and yellow. The flowering almond trees, composed of white, lush branches resembling fluffy clouds, set the stage for the chirping of the Pidgeys, who perched to observe their surroundings.
With his eyes half-closed and inebriated by the manifold scents and freshness of nature, a tall, amaranth-haired young man wandered down the path, accompanied by his inseparable Espeon, a rare purple-colored, feline-looking Pokemon specimen with thin and velvet-soft fur.
But something strange hovered in the air; the temperature suddenly plummeted without any premonitory signs. It became icy and dry, and the wind gained vigor and speed, carrying with it a great quantity of frozen water particles to be fired, almost as if they were deadly projectiles, toward the things and living things that were within range.
A rushing, intense burst hit the two, forcing the guy to bend down and hold onto his small companion in an attempt to protect it. A thick curtain of fog surrounded them, preventing any kind of visibility.
«Are you all right Espeon?» asked the guy, stroking its velvety head, and it in return purred, waving its tail frantically.
But who or what could have caused such particularly unusual phenomena? The answer was soon told.
The pokemon pricked up its ears, as if it sensed a foreign presence or perhaps imminent danger. In the midst of the mist, the boy could make out a majestic, graceful-looking figure standing in front of them, right in the middle of the lake: it was quadrupedal and felid-like. The sky-colored upper part had rhomboid-shaped spots scattered here and there, and the chest was cream-colored, so clear that it set off that superb creature. Its purplish mane fluttered in contact with the wind in much the same way as a cape, accompanied by two white ribbon-like tails that stretched out from its back.
But what was even more curious was the crest placed on its head: an aquamarine-colored hexagram, such that it sparkled in the sun's rays, almost as if it were made of crystal. The scarlet-red irises instilled terror and wonder in anyone who tried to meet its gaze.
The young man was petrified by the beauty of that mysterious creature, so much so that he couldn't even move a muscle or utter a word. He seemed almost hypnotized.
Espeon's attempts in trying to move him were to no avail, mostly achieving the opposite effect. Meanwhile, the creature with the proud bearing was shooting glances at the two, who didn't hint at moving an inch, although to be honest it didn't seem at all annoyed or hostile toward them, on the contrary, it was quite intrigued by the pokemon trainer, but before he could awaken again, it disappeared in a flash.
«Don't tell me that was...» muttered the guy once he had recovered, but he had no time to finish his sentence, as an explosion from a nearby clearing caught his attention and that of his trusted ally.
They quickly ran in that direction and found themselves confronted with an almost gruesome scene: two pokemon, a Tyranitar and a Weavile commanded by two shady-looking men in black outfits, had encircled a somewhat injured Ninetales with a more strange color than usual: its thick fur was silver gray and its tails ended in a hint of blue. It was a stunning shiny specimen, an extremely rare phenomenon in nature, whereby Pokemon take on a different coloring than normal, but not all that rare.
On seeing it, many memories surfaced in the guy's mind that had occurred quite a while ago, when he grappled with a little creature of a different type, but belonging to the same category. A streak of nostalgia pervaded him, thinking how far he had come and how many adventures he had had, but as someone he knew always told him,"There is a time and a place for everything, but not now."
It quickly became clear what the intent of the two thugs, probably poachers judging by their modus operandi, that is, to capture it and resell it for a large sum of money, almost as if it was a trophy for display or a circus animal for some wealthy collector. These were the actions that really infuriated him.
«That's why I don't trust humans!» thundered the young man, but his tone of voice was louder than he had ever intended, exposing himself and mentally cursing himself for the clumsy gesture he had just made.
«And who might you be, brat?» One of the two asked, turning in his direction.
«My name is Katsumi and I am the one who will make you regret being born. In position Espeon!» he exclaimed, motioning his little friend forward in defense of the battered Fire type.
«Gee...pretty brazen this sucker»
«Go with Sand Attack!» ordered the young man, and the sun pokemon with a very quick sprint, raised a fuss that temporarily blinded the opponents, serving as a useful diversion «Ninetales, get out of here!»
The fox pokemon didn't have to repeat it twice, and after getting up still a little sore and thanking with a little bow, it disappeared, penetrating into the thick of the forest, thus getting away from the sight of those evildoers.
«You'll pay dearly for this, you brat!» burst out what sounded like the older of the duo «Now it's a personal matter» intervened the other.
«But two against one doesn't seem so fair» he commented «Let me invite someone else to the party. Go Dragonite!» he shouted, throwing the pokeball against the ground, releasing a beam of light, from which emerged an imposing draconic-looking figure. The two watched the trainer and the dragon warily, exchanging fleeting glances now and then.
«Speak, you brat! Who are you really, the son of Lance?» blurted out the younger one.
Upon hearing that name, Katsumi stiffened in no small measure. The one who had just been mentioned was none other than the champion of the Johto League, as well as one of the very few who had succeeded in breaking down the many barriers erected by the boy, earning his complete esteem. On the other hand, the latter trained day and night relentlessly in order to face him, succeeding in prevailing only after an arduous struggle. And although Lance belonged to that disparate group, it didn't erase the hatred Katsumi felt for humankind because of the many horrors he had witnessed in the past.
«I feel sorry for you, you brat, he's such a spineless» sneered the other, and at those words the boy glared at him, ready to hurl against and annihilate them.
«I won't let you insult him, you losers aren't and never will be at his level! Dragonite, use Iron Head on that Tyranitar!» The dragon pokemon went on the attack...«Tyranitar, neutralize it with Stone Edge...» Sharp rocks of titanic proportions sprouted from the ground, ready to impact against the winged creature «I don't think so» interrupted him «Espeon, lift the rocks with Psychic»
The little feline sensed the guy's plan, lifting the boulders upward with his psychic powers.
«But what will he want to do?» the two wondered in unison, not understanding their opponent's intentions.
«Annihilate it!» shouted at the top of his lungs and Espeon hurled toward the Sharp Claw Pokemon the mighty attack, knocking it out with a single blow, given its extreme weakness.
«He...He...turned the attack around with disarming ease...» he mumbled, being stunned by the skill and power of the Psychic-type pokemon.
«And you haven't seen anything yet» declared the boy «Dragonite continues with Iron Head»
It swooped down on the Rock type, hitting him with such eagerness that it knocked him back, but not enough to knock him out, a situation the miscreant intended to exploit, as a menacing grin adorned his lips «Perfect, you're exactly where I wanted you, Tyranitar, neutralize it with Ice Fang»
With a burst of momentum, it catapulted toward the Flying-type, biting it with its icy-tasting jaws, leaving it no time to counterattack and flinging it onto the ground helpless, at the edge of its strength, and easy prey for more attacks. It would have taken only one, even a paltry one, to take it down completely.
«Now go with Earthquake...»
« Stop right there! Espeon, Dazzling Gleam»
A powerful burst of light hit the field, dazzling everyone present, who covered their faces to avoid being blinded.
But after they opened them again, the outcome of the confrontation was quite clear: The powerful and menacing dinosaur-like pokemon lay lifeless on the ground, without uttering even a faint breath.
«Hey-hey Gustav... that brat is even stronger than the Champion... we'd better get the hell out of here before...»
«I know, Frank...» nodded the fellow «So let's leave at the speed of light!» he exclaimed, running away and vanishing instantly.
«Good, good, you wimps!» shouted the guy after them.
Katsumi had won, teaching the poachers a resounding lesson, but what mattered most was that he had saved a defenseless pokemon, proving that he had a pure heart and that the events of the past had affected him heavily and that his little friends had thoughtful well in choosing to join him on his journey.
After the fight, the trainer let Psychic-type pokemon back into the pokeball, as it needed a good amount of rest, given the grueling challenges it would soon face again. Wandering around the grove, the boy collected a handful of Sitrus Berries, which were needed so that the draconic pokemon could quickly regain the strength it had taken from it.
Following the end of those events, evening had now arrived and the guy, noting that his next destination wasn't that far from that place, decided to camp for the night.
Once he had dined with his Dragonite, he looked up at the starry sky and the moon silhouetted before him and turned a smile to those wonders of nature, so beautiful they almost looked like a painting. As he relaxed, letting the night breeze wash over him, he seemed to catch a glimpse of something flying over the skies, reflecting the moonlight, something mysterious and crescent-like-headed. Katsumi shook his head, failing to perceive the same figure seen earlier.
«"It will probably be my imagination"» thought the guy, stroking the pokemon next to him.
«Dragonite!» exclaimed the dragon, turning toward his trainer. Since childhood he had had a special relationship with those creatures; he was one of the few people who could understand them and vice versa, and sometimes he could communicate with them, almost as if he was their equal.
«You're right and I know it's around the corner, but at the moment I feel it's not the right choice» replied the guy, continuing to caress it
«Dragonite?» It looked at him questioningly, tilting its head slightly
«Well yes, friend. My next destination will be Sinnoh...»