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Pokemon: the Game - Chapter 17

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The Clay and Hiero method of searching is steady and silent. The two walk down the crossways and paths with one always looking to the left and the other to the right. Kinder sings as they walk, a slow melody that keeps time with rocking from side to side on Cotton's sturdy back. The boys check behind boulders, take a peek inside a shallow cave where they are chased out by Zubat, and end up fighting a pair of dirty Scraggy itching for a tussle which Cotton and Mudkip are able to provide. After the battle they keep searching, but aren't having any luck yet.

The Zack and Lana method is quite different. Zack is everywhere at once, climbing on rocks and crawling through small passageways and running up and down inclines in the path several times as he waits for Lana to catch up. She seems too busy with her Poketool device to help, but every now and then uses it to find a small item ball buried in the dirt or inside small holes in the walls. Zack challenges a Mienfoo to a race and the sweatband-wearing Pokemon seems to understand; the two charge around a large circular gallery of stone and Zack wins when he throws Slakoth through the archway that is their goal. All three end up eating from a wild Berry bush together, with Lana laughing behind them. They're having about as much luck finding the psychic's grandson, but a lot more fun.

Flying high above the canyons a Pokemon can be seen casting a large shadow upon the land. The stone-gray Flying-type Pokemon crisscrosses the desert, occasionally giving a high-pitched screech that causes the various high-climbing Trainers to look up in wonder or terror or battle-crazed excitement. Some try to throw Pokeballs or aim their Pokemon's attacks at the speedy flier but it smacks both away with equal ferocity; an Aerodactyl is a rare sight even among Trainers, but this one must belong to someone already with how easily it sends back their Pokeballs. Watching from the underside of a high cave roof, Jeevan the psychic smiles to himself as he watches the Pokemon fly by.

From within the canyons, down at the lowest level, the Flying type is only an occasional shadow. Clay tips back his hat to try to catch a glimpse of it going by, then whispers to Hiero, “I reckon that big gray guy up there is looking for something, or an unlucky someone. That'd be the third time I've seen it pass over us.”

“A Pokemon that big must eat quite a lot, I assume it must spend a lot of time searching for food.” Hiero shivers and turns his gaze back down, “I hope there are no Pokemon that eat humans, a Pokemon wanting to eat me sounds like a bad dream.”

Clay chuckles, “Pokemon eat lots a strange things. Dreams, electricity, metal, clouds, all sorts a stuff. But yeah, I ain't never heard of a Pokemon doing that, thank Arceus. The world's a big place though.”

“The world is not so big for someone well-traveled, a traveler sees the same things everywhere they go.” Hiero glances down at the two Pokeballs at his side, one hand brushing against them, “The same practices, the same rituals, again and again.”

“My pa would say the world only looks black and white to the color-blind,” Clay shrugs, “but my pa can be mysterious like that sometimes. I'd reckon you don't look so old, how much traveling have ya done?”

Hiero nods, “This is the second year of my Pokemon journey, I'm twelve now. But I have visited three regions besides this one in that time, this region is my birthplace and I visited three others before returning.”

“Twelve?” Clay tips his hat to the side to watch Hiero's face, “I can't remember being much interested in girls when I was twelve.” Hiero says nothing, his eyes on the wall for hiding spots. Clay sighs and goes back to looking in his direction, “I reckon I'll come clean. I split us into teams like this so I could talk to ya for a bit, away from Lana. Are you an that girl really getting, well uh, so close as she suggested?”

Clay's Mareep makes a soft “E-e-e-e” that sounds like laughter and Kinder leans forward with wide eyes and perked ears. Hiero's cheeks color slightly but he still says nothing, one hand fidgeting with his jacket as the other traces the wall.

“Because I ain't gonna judge ya boy, but I worry for ya. That girl seems a little … uhhh, loopy in the head.” Clay coughs and apologizes, “Sorry ta be blunt.”

Hiero mumbles, “Maybe she is different from others, I know that Lana can be a little strange.” His voice gains strength as he goes, “But she's confident and she's brave and says whatever she wants and doesn't have to hold back anything. I think she's really pretty and beautiful and if she likes the real me, if she'll accept me for who I am, I'll do anything for her.” He turns to Clay, his eyes unwavering, “I would do anything if she asked me to.”

Clay holds up his hands in surrender, “I hear ya loud and clear boy but I mean, uh – ya know, funny thing is I always reckoned I'd be giving this speech to ma little sisters so I've got it prepared somewhat. Look, if someone ya like asks ya ta do something ya don't wanna do, ya gotta be brave enough to say no. Someone who really truly likes ya will understand, and anyone who can't doesn't really like ya. And even if ya did it once, that can be the end of it if you didn't want to. Understand?”

After a long pause his mouth wavers opens to respond, but whatever Hiero would have said is interrupted by a horrendous screeching. Both boys cover their ears in pain before looking up, while the Pokemon with them roil on the ground. The Aerodactyl looms above them, staring down. Its large eyes seem focused on Hiero and Clay as it screams a piercing cry at them, flapping its wings from a upper levels stone perch. Quick as lightning Clay returns Cotton and grabs Kinder before running away, Hiero in hot pursuit. The Aerodactyl tries to follow them, screeching and flapping, but the winding canyons give them cover from above and they escape into a skinny crevice after turning a sharp corner. They hide there in complete silence as the Flying-type moves from spot to spot above, trying to find them again.



Zack looks up at the sky, his lips stained blue from Berry juice, “Did you hear that?” Lana doesn't look up from her Poketool, but holds a hand to her ear before shaking her head, while Slakoth holds up its head as if waiting for a sound to come. “Oh. I thought I just heard the cries of someone.” His eyes go somewhere distant, “Like maybe the sound of a friend I forgot all about and left behind long ago, so what I heard was a whisper through time echoing in these canyons for so long that the sound became trapped in an endless maze of stone. Isn't that something that can happen in canyons, like hearing the ocean in a shell?”

“That is absolutely a myth.” Lana looks over at Zack, “One of those quirky things dumb people made up because it sounded cool.”

“Really?” Zack looks down at the ground, his usual smile only seconds from becoming a frown; Slakoth reaches over to jab Zack in the shoulder and he perks up again. “Well I love the myth better than the truth! The idea of the ocean being trapped in the shell is so romantic and cool, like retro jazz music or wearing shades indoors even though you can't see. Sometimes you just have to believe in the myth because it's more fun!”

Lana shrugs, “Sure, if you don't mind believing in something incorrect. But that's magical thinking. Believing in the scientific explanation is always more rewarding, you have to base your thoughts in reality to get real and useful results.”

“Ooohhh! Is that why you didn't like the psychic guy?” Lana winces at Zack's question and her eyes dart around as if searching for the old tweed gentleman. Zack chuckles, “You must not like him because he's magic and you can't do science on magic!”

“No!” Lana retorts, a growl in her voice. “Psychic power is a well-proven fact of science and I don't dispute it. I just think it's gross, going around breaking the laws of nature for fun or whatever.” Pointing at her head she glares at Zack, “And you have to consider our rights to privacy, he might try to read your mind or control your body! Psychics go around flaunting their powers and there's no one to rein them in from doing whatever they want.” She stomps her foot, “There should be a list made of all psychics and their powers, so we know who they are and what they can do!”

Zack holds up his hands, “Wow, um, okay? I just met a psychic for the first time today so I don't know about all that, but he seemed nice. I bet if you and he had a long talk about science stuff then that would make you two best friends!”

Lana snorts, rolling her eyes, “Uh, that is a big not possible. Me and some old guy becoming best-est buds is right there on the list with a working perpetual motion machine or a pizza topping I don't like, especially since the old guy in question is a psychic.”

“Because,” Zack's eyes are wide and wet at the corners, “because you don't like guys? So does that mean you don't like me?” His lower lip wobbles and Slakoth pats him on the back.

“What? Aw, you're all right. It's more like,” Lana tips her head to the side, thinking for a moment as Zack dries his eyes, “I don't like some guys. Old people are set in their ways because their minds have gone rigid, and some old people can't see things right in front of them.”

“Oh, like that Gym Leader you didn't get along with and who,” Zack sniffs and his lower lip starts wobbling again, “who - !”

Lana nods, “Exactly! I won't be friends with someone who can't be taught how the world really is, but some old guys do know. Old ladies know how the world really is too, thus reducing the set of people I can't get along with down to just the majority of old guys. Who should all just go away I say.” Zack starts blubbering, his hands pressed against his eyes as tears pour down his cheeks, and Lana sighs. “Yes, we all know about your tragic losses to Gym Leader Kev, but that's done with now.”

Zack cries louder and Slakoth is back to patting him on the back, glaring at Lana now. She only raises an eyebrow at them.

The Aerodactyl is above on a rocky shelf, beak open as if to scream but for now remaining silent. The Flying-type rocks is head from side to side, blinking its large triangular eyes, then flaps off as stealthily as it arrived. Lana looks up to where it was perched but misses its departure as the Aerodactyl's shadow passes overhead.

Crying is heard in the distance and Zack looks up, sniffing with a rough swipe at his leaky nose. But when Zack stops blubbering, the crying stops too. Zack turns to Lana, “Did you hear it that time?”

She nods, “You may actually be on to something, go back to your caterwauling for whatever reason and let's see if it happens again.”

“My what,” Zack asks. Lana rubs at her eyes and wags her chin up and down, and Zack frowns. “I can't just be sad on command, but I couldn't stop thinking about, about - !” He starts blubbering again, and Lana cups a hand to her ear. Again the sound of crying can be heard, bouncing off the stone walls. Lana grabs Zack by the arm and pulls him to his feet so they can follow the sound.

They chase the crying down the winding passages, though after a few turns the sounds go silent. Lana sighs and comments, “Did you ever think about how you will most likely be an orphan when you die?” Zack's eyes go wide and he shakes his head; the crying begins again. A few turns later when the trail goes cold Lana tells him, “There are an estimated one billion Pokemon waiting at Pokecenters for Trainers who will never return for them.” And a short while later, “Ghost-type Pokemon are thought to be the mental remnants of people who died in horrible ways.”

Zack hiccups, “That's both sad and frightening put together!”

Lana shrugs as the crying stutters and stops in agreement, but the location is now evident. A thin fissure in the wall takes them to a closed underground room, with a sink of sand in the middle and the outer edges dotted with rock outcroppings. A small blue bassinet waits for them on one of the rock surfaces. Giving the central sand pit a wide berth, Zack and Lana creep closer and peer inside. They find a small sleeping child no older than one year.

Looking at the baby, Lana whispers to Zack, “How old did he say his kid was?”

Zack shrugs, “Old enough to play hide and go seek. But we can't leave this guy here. Maybe Mister Jeeves can find his parents.”

“And you trust the psychic to deliver him,” Lana asks. Zack picks up the bassinet by the handle and carries it toward the exit, holding it up in front of him to get through the thin fissure. Following him at a casual stroll, Lana adds, “And not take sustenance from eating his mind I mean.”

When they get outside under the canyon-walled sky, Zack puts the bassinet down and cups his hands around his mouth. Slakoth drops down from his back in time to plug the baby's ears as Zack shouts, “Mister Jeeves!”

“Jeevan Bhimaa,” Lana supplies with a smirk.

Zack laughs, “Right!” And then he shouts to the air above, “Mister B!”

“Yes young Zack?” Zack and Lana jump away as Jeevan appears behind them, but then the psychic notices the baby. “Akii! There you are you rascal!” He looks up at Zack, “Where did you find him my good chap?”

Lana is hiding behind a wall again, and Zack points toward the fissure in the wall, “In there. But wow! Did you teleport? That was sooo cool! What does it feel like? Have you always been able to do it? Can you teleport me? I wanna go to the moon!”

The psychic's smile weakens under the assault of questions, and he speaks in this opportunity, “I can young Zack but it takes quite a bit out of me, especially with passengers or for long jumps. I would like to thank you in some way though. Is there some simpler way I can return this aid you have given?”

“Hmmm.” Zack crosses his arms and frowns, thinking hard. Then he nods, “Okay, I want to know something!” Behind him, Lana's eyes go wide and she crouches down farther behind the wall. “Tell me what my potential is!” Lana freezes, then sighs with a smile. Zack continues, “There was this funny older lady who smelled me and then the older guy with her said that meant I had some kind of potential, so I want to know what it is!”

Jeeven nods and approaches Zack. He presses his free hand against Zack's forehead and closes his eyes, then smiles, “I can't say for sure what that pair meant young Zack but your brain is delightfully soft and squishy, like a good chilled jam.” Zack frowns and starts to protest but the psychic stops him, “I'm saying you do have this thing we might call potential, a nicely squishy brain is simply the facts of the matter. Keep trying new things and expanding your mind, awaken every part of it that you can, because you still have much time to do so.”

Lana's eyes go wide and she moves a little out of her hiding spot, but Zack shrugs, “I don't really understand Mister B but okay! I'll do it, I was going to anyway so it's not hard to keep going, and I'll be the best at everything!”

Jeevan nods, “Quite. Now hurry forward young Zack, your friend is waiting for you I believe. Go have a grand journey.” The tweed gentleman tips his bowler hat and bows, then vanishes from the spot with the bassinet in his hand.



Returning to the central path through the canyons, Zack calls out for Clay and Hiero, while Lana uses her Poketool to call them. When the two boys and two Pokemon return, Zack tells them the story of finding baby Akii in the hidden cavern as they all continue through the canyon. Eventually the path starts to climb and they are exiting the maze.

Just outside the canyon's entrance, a shack sits with a large sign promoting 'Free Climbing Gear Here! Inquire Within!' Zack cheers and rushes toward the building, but a stern voice stops him.

“Hey!” Approaching them, Rae sighs, “So you all decided to follow me? Well luckily for you I was just on my way to get you, I need you for something.” She glances at Lana, “But first, would someone introduce me to the new member of the group?” Lana smiles and waves at her as Zack, Clay and Hiero look at each other.

I'm experimenting with montages a bit in this chapter, those quick flashes of storytelling used to move the story through simple moments to the more interesting stuff. In the game version Clay's double battle in the canyons would have been covered round by round, maybe something interesting would have happened but probably not. The player would have been complaining by that point (and rightfully so) that I wasn't giving him enough battles to level up his Mareep. But in a story things such as EXP don't matter, or I can at least give them only a brief mention like here. In comparison, Zack's Slakoth leveling and learning Encore (which happened after only a few wins because he was fighting a lot of tough opponents from the start) was important because Zack's journey is that of a Trainer and Future Champion. For Clay, and to a lesser extent Hiero, I don't need to show their moment-by-moment journey as a Trainer. Clay's journey is that of a Ranger, and Hiero's ... will stay a secret for now.


This is part of my Risen Saga, a Pokémon story with blood and violence and occasionally even death. There may also be nudity, sexual themes, strong language and material that is almost certainly ideologically sensitive ... but I rarely put up the mature content filter because I don't want to restrict anyone from reading this story. If you feel strongly that I should for a specific piece, please say so, I would appreciate that! Oh, and if you go here fav.me/d7a7p8w you can check out a map I made of the Leogre Region, complete with routes and location information. Pokémon belongs to the Pokémon people and not to me; thank goodness, I'd probably do this to it.


First: fav.me/d6m7c8o


Next: fav.me/d84229v

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