To Strike the Gods (Open and Accepting!!!)

[Mizuki Shiwahara]

“Can you break this one, Amber?”

Taima pointed at a rather thick branch of a thorn bush, directing the flying green creature in its actions. It blinked its large molten eyes in acknowledgement, and with a sharp beat of its red-lined wings, the growth fell to pieces. Another beat swept it off to the side, away from the over-grown path, and the small group proceeded on.

Tsuki tore away at vines alongside its trainer, interested in what lay beyond them. This process of digging through undergrowth and sliding past tree branches and around large rocks had started about thirty minutes ago, leaving the two limited to the ground covered in mud and the other one (somehow managing flight in such a limited space) snickering playfully above them. The darker colored creature had been tempted to hit it with a little bit of a shock, but the smiling face of the one who had dragged them along on this little expedition had somehow reassured it that nothing more than friendly jibs were meant.

Rocks were becoming more frequent, encouraging Taima to move faster.

“Almost there,” she thought, her smile spreading as two years of undergrowth gave way to cracked ground and a solid earth structure came into view. She leaped over the last boulder and rushed around to the structure’s other face, the sounds of water lapping against the edge of the earth ringing familiarly in her ears. Mole-like creatures took cover as she hopped over the holes in the ground, her pokemon trailing behind her. Around the corner, returning Amber to its ball, ducking under an opening in the hill, stopping in front of a dead end…

She pulled one red and white ball from the bag at her side, tapped the center, and released the creature held within it. A slender fox-like creature appeared by her side, its many tails taking up much of the space behind it. Red eyes flicking in her direction for a moment before it swiftly began to dig under the wall that stood before it. Not a single word had to be exchanged for it to understand where it was at and what it needed to do; as would be expected from her oldest partner. She and Tsuki followed right in after it, emerging into a brightly lit oasis hidden on the other side.

The fox creature shook dirt from its cream-colored pelt before settling next to its partner. Taima placed a hand gently on its head.

“Good to be home, huh, Bel?”

She stared at the soft growth of the open-mouthed cavern. Luscious greenery, beds of moss, berry-filled bushes, and a small pond of fresh water. Trinkets she had left behind were still in place in corners or in small spaces in the rock wall. And the view of the ocean still was enough to steal her breath. It was hard to believe that in two years this spot hadn’t changed; it was still hers. Still home.

She wasted no time after her short reminiscing in releasing her other companions from the confides of her bag. One by one they appeared in flashes of light, materializing in front of her: Amber, the Flygon who had been helping her clear the foliage; a small, almost cat-like creature with a black pelt and bright blue rings on its body, an air of calmness about it as it yawned and stretched; A long, slender reptile, a soft blue in color, with white fin-like ears that swayed softly as it snaked through the air as easily as if it were water; another blue reptilian-like creature took immediate advantage of the pool, as the eel needed water to survive. Orange fins and the sharp teeth of its perpetual smile stood out sharply in the clear water. Tsuki stood on her other side, opposite of Bel, taking in the view. An impressed look seemed to seize its bright eyes.

“Welcome home, everyone,” Taima announced.

./-/-/-/-/.

Taima and her companions relaxed for hours, reveling in the feeling of being home. For Tsuki, it was an experience; never once on a boat until they started their trip here, it had been uncomfortable in the beginning. She had insisted on keeping it beside her the whole trip, though, and so its ball had rested empty in the bottom of her bag. Bonding time, she had said. Certainly becoming a new addition had its perks.

Taima sat in a small corner of the room, Bel’s tails curled around her affectionately. Her first partner rested comfortably beside her, its small nose poking into the box she held open in her lap. The key that had once been in her hair now rested on the ground next to her as she sorted through treasures long forgotten. A dulled stone that once had a glow of fire inside of it, pictures of family and friends, oddly-shaped rocks, old coins and jewelry, tickets to a fair, and a small orange pouch, drawstrings pulled tight. She stared at the contents of the box for a while, lost in what it held, until she pocketed the orange pouch and shut the lid, locking it before replacing the pin in her hair and the box on its shelf.

Bel lifted its head suddenly, alert to something beyond the waves that swept calmly across the edge of the cliff face. Quick strides of its legs brought it to the edge of the cavern, eyes searching the horizon not for something tangible, but for a presence of sorts. A feeling.

“What’s wrong, Bel?” Taima questioned as she caught up. Tsuki trailed behind her, curious of the disturbance. It peered over the edge a moment before backing up upon realizing the height and feeling the cool rush of ocean air against its face. It took to seeking forms on the line where the water and sky met, mixing cool oranges and pinks among the crystalline waters. Islands, she had called them. There was a large one in the distance, its outline a shadow due to the bright setting sun.

Nine tails flicked simultaneously, a sign of its agitation. Taima didn’t take this lightly; in the several years she had known this pokemon, she had learned it was usually right when it came to knowing things beyond comprehension.

“Pallet town’s out there…” she mused quietly, wondering what might be occurring, or would occur, in the quiet little town. Oak was there, too. Oak would know.

If there was one person she had learned how to talk to when she started her journey, it was Gary Oak. The professor had a bit of a quirk about him that made him easy to smile with. Pointers he had given her when she had started on her journey two years ago, about catching pokemon, about eating properly, about rivals that would eventually show up, usually out of nowhere and at the most inconvenient times, they suddenly came back to mind.

A visit was in order. Just in case.

She called her partners back to her, having a long, silent conversation through starring with Bel before returning him to his ball as well. Amber’s large, molten eyes captured hers gaze after a moment of contemplation - the words she had perceived from Bel’s gaze had left her uneasy - and she plastered a large smile on her face.

“Think you can make it to Pallet tonight?” she asked, the flavor of challenge coloring her words. Amber took in a deep breath, sarcastic it seemed, and blinked in response; an obvious gesture of the ‘don’t you know enough about me now to answer that yourself’ sort. Taima let out a short breath of acceptance, and the creature set itself down next to her, allowing her to climb on.

She held her hand over her left pants pocket a moment, where the orange pouch rested.

“Not yet…but something tells me soon this will come in use.”

She grabbed onto Amber’s neck, wrapping her arms around it tightly as she braced for the takeoff. Wing beats filled her ears, stirring the air and scattering blades of grass before lifting them into the sky. Turbulence overcome, Taima relaxed and sat up, watching the secret cavern disappear behind them until she couldn’t distinguish any other features. She turned her blue-eyed gaze back to the horizon, or more accurately, the mainland where the professor resided.

Her heart pounded.  

[R-i-k-u_M-u-r-a-s-a-k-i]

White, gold, and violet, vertical lights shifted into sight just outside the gated path to Gary Oak’s laboratory. They quickly became brighter, and fuller, then disappeared, revealing the figures of Ryven and Bushido, lit by the pale, orange glow of the sunset.

“Than you. Would you like to rest, or would you rather stay out for now? I know that trip couldn’t have been easy for you.”

Bushido replied with a sarcastic glare, and a snarky smile. He then stepped forward, and pressed the call button on the front gate.

Ryven giggled a bit before following his partner. “Alright, you don’t have to be a jerk about it!” he joked.

A small, square, video screen on the brick post of the wrought-iron gate lit, Professor Oak’s face within it. “Ah, Ryven, I didn’t expect you’d be here so soon. I’ll buzz you in.” And with that, a loud, obnoxious noise projected from the gate, signaling that it had been unlocked.

“Thanks, Professor.” The pair pushed through, making their way up a long series of cobblestone steps. It would be another five minutes before they would actually reach the front door, but that was of little concern. Ryven and his team had done tougher walks and climbs for nothing more than a work-out.

Eventually, the two came upon a large, oak door. (Ryven had always found that fitting.) They rang the doorbell, and within moments, they were greeted with the warm, respectful eyes of Professor Gary Oak.

“Thanks for coming on such short notice. Come in. You drink coffee?” He walked inside, and Ryven and Bushido followed, taking in the familiar surroundings. “Yeah, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d love a cup.“

“How do you take it?“

“Black, tons of sugar, and if you have it, a little bit of vanilla extract and honey.“

“Wow. Very specific tastes. But yeah., we should have it. I’ll be right back. You make yourself comfortable.”

It had been a good three or four months since they had been to Oak’s lab, and they had only been there long enough to check up, and that had been strictly business. They missed the feeling of anticipation, and adventure that this lab held. For Ryven, the nostalgia of first arriving in this building to receive his pokedex was nearly overwhelming. He could remember being a mere ten years old, full of hopes and dreams, with nothing more to start his journey than a couple pokeballs, a napsack, and a misfit charmander.

It had been a tough start. He had barely managed to scrape up the money for the ticket to the mainland in the first place, and once he had arrived at port, it was another three-day hike to Pallet Town.

His first gym badge , a Boulder Badge, was the second toughest challenge he can remember, the first being his Cascade Badge. It took him four tries before finally, out of sheer luck, Shiroi managed to learn Metal Claw in the middle of the battle.

He had begun to reminisce about the long path he had taken to become the trainer he was now, when Gary entered the room with a tray of coffee.

“Here you are,” the elderly man said as he sat the tray down on a coffee table between them. It had appeared that some time during his reverie, Ryven had taken a seat on a large, overly fluffy, green couch. Oak sat at a loveseat opposite, a cherry wood table in the middle.

“Thanks,” Ryven muttered, taking a sip of the hot, bittersweet beverage. “Mmmm… This coffee is amazing! What’s your secret?”

“Nothing much. I just use sugar refined from tropius fruit. It’s a softer sweet, and it’s more aromatic.”

“Very nice. I’ll have to try that from now on.”

Oak leaned back into his seat, grinning as he looked over Bushido. “I see your gallade has grown quite a bit since I last saw him. I remember when he was just a kirlia.”

“Oak, you remember all my pokemon when they were just something or other.” Ryven smiled.

“Yes, I suppose you have been one of my favorite upstarts. I can still see that spark of promise in your eye. That glimpse of determination. It’s the same spark I used to have, along with Ash. But… There was something special about you. Like… Like you were distined to become great…”

“All right, that’s enough. I’m getting embarrassed!”

“Yeah, I suppose the media does that enough. Anyway, mind if I see how everyone’s doing?”

“As long as you don’t mind stepping outside. If you remember, I have a lanturn, and I don’t think she’d be happy if I let her out without any water.”

“Right, right. Then let’s head out to the back. That‘ll give Ash a chance to catch up, too. He‘s here helping me with a few oddishes that refuse to replant themselves.”

“Okay, then.” And the two made their way out a set of sliding glass doors to the back yard, a massive environment made for pokemon to live as naturally as possible.

The air was filled with butterfree spreading spores, and all other kinds of bug and bird pokemon. There were fields where herds of donphan, miltank, and tauros grazed, and ponds filled with various aquatic pokemon. The sight seemed nearly endless.

“Alright, here we go.” Ryven reached into his ball pouch, and pulled out the five remaining pokeballs. He tossed them into the air, and after the usual brilliant light, Shiroi, Luna, Ruin, Raze, and L'Arciel joined them. “Everyone, you remember Professor Oak?” They all gave their old acquaintance a jubilant greeting.

“It’s great to see all of you again. Hold on. I’m sure ash would love to see you, too. AAASH!!!”

Ryven was caught a little off guard by the call, but it was typical of Professor Oak to do something like that.

Shortly, a man with hair as white as Oak’s, and a massive bald spot came heaving up the hill, soil-covered garden gloves in one hand, and a scruffy, weary-looking pikachu on his shoulder. “There you are,” the old man stated as he closed in. “You’ve really grown since you first won the Kanto League competition. How’s Shiroi doing?”

“Why don’t you ask him?” replied the black-haired boy.

Shiroi’s ruby eyes landed on the elderly Ash Ketchum, and a small grin could be seen playing on the edges of his maw. He lowered his head, nuzzling it briefly against Ash’s shoulder, before lifting it to give an inquisitive puff of smoke.

“You wanna know if Charizard’s in the area, don’t you? Well, you’re lucky. He flew in from the Charicific Valley just this weekend. He’s out napping on the ridge a little down the way. You can go wake him up. I think he’d like the company.”

Shiroi seemed enthralled by this news, letting out a foreboding barrel of blue flames before taking off with heavy wing-beats. The creature was gone from sight in an instant.

"I think you just made his day," said Ryven with a grin. "He hasn't had a decent challange since we took on the Johto League."

"Well, I'm glad I could help," replied Ash. "And I see everyone else seems to be doing well, too."

All but Raze gave a cheery smile. He simply scoffed.

"He's just upset because we didn't need him in the last gym battle. The leader actually forfeit after round one. Shiroi scorched half his gym, and the other half had a good three-hundred pokedollars worth of water damage thanks to Ruin."

The absol purred shamelessly.

"Well," cut in Professor Oak, "I'm not suprised he forfeit. You tend to overdo things."

"Well, you may have a point... The battle before that, I teleported the roof off of the gym so I could power a Solar Beam with Sunny Day..." A rare look of guilt crossed the boy's face, while Ash and Oak's mouth's dropped.

"And you at least payed for damages, right?"

"Of course! That's part of the reason we had to teleport here. I kinda ran out of cash."

"Oh lord," muttered Oak. "Just promise me you won't let your pokemon do anything like that here."

"Don't worry. They know how to behave themselves." As this was said, Shiroi and Charizard flew far above them, menacing, yet playful roars echoing through the skies. They weaved in and out, blasting streams of flames in eachother's directions, the scarlet oranges and aquamarine blues contrasting wildly in the slowly darkening skies. "Well... for the most part, anyway."

Oak looked less than convinced, but moved on none the less. "Well, we've reaquainted a little. But I'm sorry to say, it's about time I explain why I asked you to come..."  

[Babickinns th3 seagull]

Deyon Kian Bowen

¶ It wasn't too long until Deyon left the small diner, a content-looking Syaoran at his heels. The pokemon was covered from head to toe in sticky maple syrup, Deyon merely licking his lips lightly as he got the last taste of blueberry pancakes off of his lips. Truthfully, he loathed pancakes with every ounce of his being. They were messy, sticky, and just flat-out disgusting unless you added something to them, but if Syaoran found so much joy in rolling the lumpy starch around her plate then he would spare a few meals for it. Besides, all of his pokemon had been training hard lately, so why not give them a small treat?

"You need a bath, Sayoran..." Deyon muttered to the absol, wincing as a sticky nose bumped against his hand. The diner employees had ben less then happy to learn that Sayoran spilled a bottle of syrup, but that was really their problem. Besides, Deyon had paid for it, so it wasn't like the mess was a complete loss.

Deyon was walking across the bridge, looking down at the flowing river below as his eyes searched the blue surface for pokemon. Nothing really, fish, perhaps a magickarp or two, but otherwise just blank glass. That was the problem with loving around a city, you saw nothing, well, nothing new. The pokemon were always the same, the only interesting people happened to be travelers, and it wasn't long until industrialization overtook a natural spring or forest, clearing out all wildlife -if any. Yes, the thought was a sad one, but Deyon simply viewed it as a fact of life, as long as his secret base was still around in two years then he'd be set.

Speaking of secret base's Deyon was entering his now. The bridge came rather close to a rocky overhang, which Deyon could easily hop onto, along with Sayoran. The overhang lead to a small descent of rocks, almost like stairs, leading down to the water's edge. Once there, Deyon simply dove down into the water, swam slightly to the left, and emerged inside a small air pocket, which was protected by a hole in the ledge's interior. This small space was Deyon's secret base, which had a few blankets, towels, and change of clothes -though each one was just as ratty as the last. It had been a pain to find this place, but it as long as it was hidden from people then Deyon didn't care.

"Which blanket, Sayoran?" Deyon asked, already wrapping himself in a dark maroon one, complete with a picture of a dragonite on the front. Sayoran -in response- merely snorted an offended tone, and proceeded to climb up onto the rocky floor and lay on top of the remaining pile.

 

[Mizuki Shiwahara]

Watching two brightly colored flames of contrasting colors dance in the sky over Oak’s place was about the last thing Taima expected to run into on her flight over. However, this was Gary Oak she was visiting; strange things in the quiet town could be expected around him.

Amber wasn’t exactly thrilled being in the same airspace as a couple of charizards having a friendly match, but it waited nonetheless for the human’s interest to wane before returning her to the ground where she belonged. A friendly nudge of ‘I told you so’ made the trainer snort and roll her eyes dramatically before laughing and placing her hand on its head.

“Thanks Amber. You’ll have to go inside for now, until we enter properly, okay?”

The flygon nodded understandingly, and in a flash of red light disappeared into the pokeball in her hand.

Taima pocketed the ball, swiftly exchanging it for another. Despite them being unorganized in her bag, she always knew which container held which pokemon. There was a certain feel, an energy of sorts that just felt like her companions. It was as if petting them, feeling their body heat, what it was like to be next to them. Her fingers brushed against one, then another, until they grasped one with a particular warmth. She pulled it out and stared a it for a moment before smiling.

“He’ll be happy to see you, though, Bel,” she said, and tossed the ball into the air. The fox creature appeared before her, stretching his limbs, a smile apparent on his face. Definitely eager to see the old man again, that one.

Taima closed her eyes for a moment, remembering, forgetting the world around her as she did.

“Haven’t even received a pokeball yet and you’re already catching them, Taima.”

The aging professor laughed at the sight of the girl, fourteen years old, dancing around wild pokemon that had come in search of the food she was carrying. She stuck her tongue out at him, though she was smiling. Her dark red companion was by her side as well, fending off some of the more aggressive ones with short growls and keeping control of the crowd.

A while later they were sitting in the grass, watching the pokemon that roamed the vast acreage of the professor’s lab, or home, whichever one suited. He was showing her the ins and outs of catching pokemon properly.

“Do they have to stay inside?” she asked, sounding suddenly like a child half her age.

“No, some don’t like being contained,” he explained, a yellow mouse coming to mind. “But for trainers it’s convenient for traveling and staying in cities where larger pokemon can’t easily get around.”

“I see.”

“You really didn’t know any of this?” he questioned suddenly. “Didn’t you watch people and learn from them?”

She smiled, petting the dark-furred creature next to her.

“I’m not a people-person, remember?”

“Well then, your next lesson is learning how to observe,” he concluded.

She opened her eyes again to the nudge on her backside, stumbling forward from the sudden intrusion on her memories. She looked back into the red eyes of the ninetails behind her and sighed.

“I’m going, I’m going,” she assured Bel, and walked up to the gate and pressed the call button.

A few long moments passed, and for a second Taima thought that perhaps the professor wasn’t in, but a familiar voice drew her attention back to the small video screen. A smile stretched across her face at the sight of him. He was obviously in the middle of something, if the look in his eyes a moment before his composure was set back in place was any indication.

“Can I help y- my word, is that you, Taima?” he asked, taking in the unexpected face.

“Surprised?” she questioned back. “I was visiting Cinnabar and Bel insisted I get here as soon as possible, so…”

“Wonderful, Taima,” he smiled. “Your timing couldn’t be better. I’ll buzz you in. Maybe you can help matters.”

It was a strange occurrence to see the man rushed, but she smiled back nonetheless and waited for the wrought-iron gates to part. She and Bel quickly took the steps under their feet, the ninetails’ leading the way. The professor greeted them at the door.

“I hope you don’t mind, Taima,” he said, leading her inside after observing Bel for a moment. “I have another guest at the moment and I was about to get into an important discussion when you buzzed.”

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, slightly worried now that she had interrupted at the wrong time. Bel had no such look on his face beside her though, both reassuring her and worrying her more. “I could always come back…”

“No, no, don’t worry,” he assured her. “Actually, I believe you might be able to help with our predicament.”

Predicament. She never liked that word.

He brought her into the comfortable living space she remembered from two years ago, and he still had that giant green couch, too. There was one outstanding addition, though: a young man not much older than herself had taken a seat on said couch, a striking contrast in the professor’s home. He was almost exotic in his looks; dark hair against smoothly tanned skin, golden eyes, golden, gleaming with a certain luster behind thin glasses. The air about him was spiked with a strange combination of excitement and question, though she knew not of what. She couldn’t yet tell if it was anticipation of the conversation she had interrupted, or if it was just the way he was.

When she realized she was staring, he had already taken notice, making the heat climbing up her neck that much harder to control. She couldn’t help it; he was rather good-looking.

Oak interrupted by clearing his throat, making her nervously reach for Bel’s head, anxious for the soothing feeling of his fur.

“Taima, this is Ryven D‘Vlade. You may have heard of him; he’s the current champion. Ryven, Taima Creeke.”

Taima stared, lips parted on words she couldn’t get out into the air.

The champion?  

[R-i-k-u_M-u-r-a-s-a-k-i]

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Taima. I believe I've heard of you once before. You have a fairly nice collection of badges, if I'm not mistaken. We'll certainly have to battle some time." Ryven stood, and shook her hand, giving the young woman a good, thorough look over.

She was a subdued, yet wild kind of beauty. Her dark, chestnut hair was haphazardly thrown into a windswept ponytail, with a gleaming golden pin helping it to keep shape. Her eyes were a deep, blazing, royal blue, and her pale cheeks were tinged a very slight crimson; likely windburn from an unprotected flight.

The golden-eyed boy noticed she was staring. He couldn't quite tell if this was awe, surprise, or what, but the look in her wide eyes seemed to tell a story. Even with her mouth agape, her eyes were filled with a fiery willpower, as if she had been waiting for this moment since the womb itself. She was definitely a trainer. Only a trainer could have such determination pouring from them.

And he could tell she was good, too, not entirely from her eyes, but from the stunningly bright, scarlet eyes of her ninetails. The fox's eyes held the exact same energy as Taima. They showered Ryven in a nearly oppressive aura of resolve. A link that strong takes a trainer of true skill.

This is going to be an interesting one, thought Ryven. He thought he saw the ninetails lift an eyebrow to this, which wouldn't be entirely unusual for a pokemon as perceptive as ninetails, but he chose to dismiss it.

"Well," Oak said loudly, seeming to have picked up on the competitive fire building in the room, "now that you've been introduced to each other, we should probably get on to business."

Ryven returned to his perch on the massive couch, breaking his gaze at the girl to give the Professor his attention.

"To start with, a question: have you two noticed anything lately? The stars appearing dimmer in the sky, the water slowly getting murkier, etcetera?"

The black-haired boy took some time to think about it, and as he did, the professor's words rang true. He had been in the tropics. The water was supposed to be crystal clear, but they had been more like that of the mid-northern shores; mildly murky. On top of that, his dreams had been unusually vivid, and all good, almost sickeningly so.

"...Yeah."  

[Mizuki Shiwahara]

Taima swallowed as the professor started. She had begun to notice these sutle changes, now that she thought about it. Starring across the water as the boat took her across the waves had felt different. The water itself had felt different, looked different. The stars being dimmer she had though was just because she'd been in large cities lately, or because of the bright lights on the boat. Oak bringing this up made her think twice about it. Something certainly was wrong.

She had to wonder if her urge to come home was because of this, or if the path her dreams were taking was related in any way.

A quick exchange between herself and Bel had her thinking about her secret base. The water was clear like she had remembered it, still shining when the sunlight hit it just right. Perhaps not everywhere had been affected by the changes, unless it had something to do with the location.

Or...

She glanced at her pocket before mentally shaking her head. Maybe not.

Gingerly taking a seat on the couch beside Ryven, Taima took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of coffee and the familiar room. She wasn't sure if the need to inhale so deeply was because of the discussion that would insue, or if it was because of the one she was sitting next to, but it felt good. It cleared her head.

Ryven glaced at her, chancing a smile. She smiled back quickly; apparently he was trying to make her comfortable. Bel did his share, too, nudging her hand and fixing Ryven with a good stare until he focused on Gary Oak once again. She tapped the ninetail's nose to avert his crimson gaze, letting him know they could think about the champion and the battle they would want later, and he sighed a little too loudly before laying at her feet.

After the sudden stares, Oak cleared his throat for a second time, and the room fell to silence.  

[R-i-k-u_M-u-r-a-s-a-k-i]

Oak continued his foreboding rhetoric. "I have a theory as to why these things are happening. There are pokemon in this world who wield terrifying power. They have dominion over nature itself. As such, they have been written into our myths and legends, often nowadays being regarded as nothing more than fictional gods and demigods. This is far from the case."

The professor paused a moment. He took an apparently calm sip of his coffee, but on closer inspection, Ryven noticed the tight grip the man had on his mug.

"I believe someone is tampering with nature," he went on. "That is to say, I believe someone is endangering these legendary pokemon. In the youths of Ash and I, we met a few of these pokemon. Of these were Suicune, often known as the spirit of the north winds. Suicune was created by the pokemon known as Ho-oh in order to watch over mankind, and to keep the world's water pure. If something were to happen to Suicune, the water would slowly grow murkier. Another one met was Darkrai. Darkrai was a pokemon that caused sleep and nightmares simply by coming into contact with others. I've studied this effect, and believe that his presence in this world is what keeps our dreams balanced. Finally, Ash met a pokemon known as Jirachi, a granter of wishes. From accounts given by Ash and his companions at the time, it seemed that Jirachi drew its powers from the stars. If such a powerful link to the stars were to disappear, they would dim, as they've done."

The professor of pokemon stood from the couch, and walked over to the glass door. He stared blankly out them into the deep, red-orange sunset, his thoughts weighing heavy on his mind. "I think we need to investigate one of the places that these pokemon resided in order to check my hypothesis. The closest would be the Burnt Tower in Johto, former home of Ho-oh, and birthplace of Suicune..."