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 Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 8:41 pm
Looking down at the feeling of Mike stirring a bit, Dane merely sighed at the apology. He'd been trying to plan out a good speech for his partner after he'd nearly drowned himself and then given Dane a heart attack, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he just asked calmly, "Mike, do think that, just for a moment, you could trying and imagine how I would feel if you actually died or something? Just for a minute. Think about it." Letting silence fall around them once more, Dane's eye began to sting with tears, and he nuzzled the top of Mike's head as memories flashed before his eyes. "Mike, I never want you to put yourself in harm's way if you don't have to. If you ever need help, even with the smallest thing, please, ask. That's all I need from you right now, is to promise me you can do that from now on."
After a moment, Dane added, "It's something I can't tell you right now...like I said earlier, please just wait a little longer, and I'll explain everything to you...when this is all over. But...you'll understand then why...this..."Biting his lip and shaking his head, Dane just couldn't force the words out, and instead, stopped to fight back the sobs that were threatening to well up in his throat.
Once he'd calmed down, Dane opened his eyes and loosened his grip on Mike a bit, not having realized how tightly he'd been latching on the entire time. "We have another orb now, though, so we're that much closer. Good eye, Mike," he said, smiling awkwardly and rubbing his partner's hair.
Looking down at Mike's question, Dane explained, "Ah, yeah. Your clothes were soaking. Mine don't really fit you, but I couldn't find where you keep your clothes. I didn't really look that hard, though, I was too busy freaking out at the fact that you were unconscious and had just nearly drowned after getting a concussion." Trying to force the bitterness out of his tone as he thought about how bad he must be making Mike feel, Dane tried to shift the conversation rather unceremoniously to something less heavy.
"So...we'll be on the other side sometime tomorrow, huh? That means...we'll be even closer to finding the rest of the orbs. You know...remember when we saw Zapdos at the Power Plant? Well, I was thinking, there are three legendary birds, right? We didn't get a chance to see Arcticuno in the Seafoam Islands where I hear it nests, but we might get a chance to see Moltres. It's supposed to live somewhere around here, right? Oh, but...we've already got the Fire orb, so maybe not. Maybe Zapdos was just guarding the orb or something...anyway. Are you feeling okay? Not dizzy or nauseous or anything?" he asked, looking Mike over with some concern before looking away with flushed cheeks when he saw the placement of Mike's arms and realized what he was likely trying to hide. It was...sort of awkward, but it also made him wonder if Mike had been having a nice dream before he'd woken up.
((Final. Exams. Are. OVAAAAHHHH!!!!))
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 7:28 pm
At the question, Michele visibly winced. His heart dropped into his stomach and his gaze dropped to his lap. Dane was...upset with him....and the feeling was a terrible one. He didn't know what to say or how to react. He'd never had anyone to answer to before...he'd never had anyone care that much....
He swallowed thickly,
"I-I'm sorry.....I promise..."
He'd always been very independent. He didn't think he'd ever get used to having to ask for help. Or...was it that he wouldn't get used to having someone to ask for help-? He remained still, letting Dane hug onto him, though he still felt that creeping awkwardness. He'd like to somehow take care of this issue, but how would he do that?
"....I keep my clothes in the very bottom of my pack," Michele mumbled lowly, taking the second emotional kick without complaint.
Though....he was the kind of guy that was used to that, wasn't he? Dane was aware of his siblings' attitude. He could probably guess about the lacking in sympathy and such. If Michele was hurt though, he didn't show it.
Listening to Dane's slight ramble he agreed on the subject change, but shook his head,
"I don't know, Dane. I don't think that Zapdos was guarding the Orb. Electric Pokemon gather where they feel that sort of energy, right? Well, maybe it was just roosting there a while." He cleared his throat, "I think it was just angry that we disturbed it....though, since we ran it out of its roosting place....maybe the others aren't where they're supposed to be either....I mean, they're all connected right? The Three Legendary Birds....and...." he trailed off. And the Guardian of the Sea. Lugia. Who was also intimately connected with the mythical Pokemon Ho-Oh. Wow, this was getting deep.
It was quiet for a while and then he realized that Dane was looking at him.
Oh hell.
He'd noticed.
Michele's face flushed a deep, dark color.
"Uh-.....uh....I-It's nothing, I swear, I just....I....w-well...."
Oh gods, how did he explain?!
".....uh.....s-sorry...."
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 7:14 pm
Seeing that Mike was also upset, Dane said, "It's fine. I just never want to lose you. Besides, being on a team means we gotta watch each others' backs. If anything did happen to you, it'd be my fault for not being a good enough partner." Giving Mike an affectionate squeeze, Dane let the topic drop. He was already over being angry and was back to fawning over his partner.
Taken in by Mike's irresistibly adorable floundering, Dane chuckled. "It's fine, it's fine. It's only natural when you're with someone you love, isn't it?" Nuzzling Mike's ear coyly, Dane asked, "Were you having a nice dream before you woke up? Was I in it?" Wondering if it was a bad idea to joke around after already having given Mike a hard time about almost drowning, Dane backed off, instead asking, "Do you want some space? I could go gather some more firewood, if you want some time alone."
Thinking about it, Dane realized that it had been a while since he'd had any "alone time" himself, seeing how he and Mike had been stuck together since they'd first started their journey. It didn't bother him, though, as he had Mike to keep him company. They'd been busily rushing about the continent for weeks, inching ever closer to their goal of collecting all of the orbs. They were well on their way now, crossing over to the next continent in the process and growing ever closer to one another. However, Dane knew that their relationship still had a ways to go, as did their journey.
((Merry Christmas! I guess the next part is up to you, I wasn't really sure where to go other than asking if Mike needed some space. XD))
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2011 9:16 pm
Michele pouted for a long while, his face flushing even darker at all of Dane's questions. And his reaction was...honest, at least,
"I-It was just a dream, okay-!? N-Nothing serious-! I was just....I mean...." he was good at floundering indeed, "....a-and of course you were in it, I mean....wh-who the hell else would make this happen-!?"
.....
Wow. Okay. That was...way too much information.
Michele shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed and flustered,
".....I d-don't really want any alone time.....I-It'll just go away on it's own eventually....no big deal...."
Down boy.
Down.
((LOLOL))
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:08 pm
Giving Mike a firm hug, Dane cooed softly, "Hey now, no need to get rowdy. I was just teasing, okay? It's natural. You think I haven't had a few nice dreams myself?" Wondering if Mike was even listening to him anymore, Dane let go and got up, stretching his arms and yawning. "Anyway, I'll give you your space. I need to finish getting everything read for the night anyway, so take your time," he offered, knowing that Mike would need a few minutes to cool off.
---
The next morning, Dane woke up a little before Mike and began cleaning up the fire and their effects. He wanted to get to Johto as soon as possible, and he guessed Mike did as well.
Once they were on their way, the pair quickly made their way to the Indigo Plateau. Gazing up at the immense building which housed the Elite Four and the Champion, Dane sighed. "It's a shame we can't stop in, but I suppose it would be pointless anyway, since neither of us has all the badges. Maybe some day we can come back, though, and test our strength." Although he still had no interest in becoming the champion, Dane thought it might be fun for the pair of them to take the challenge together.
Walking to the edge of the nearby river, Dane looked over at Mike and smiled before asking, "Are you ready?" and releasing Gyarados. As they sailed along through the clear waters, neither of them spoke much, perhaps in anticipation of their first steps into a new continent.
"So..." Dane began, though he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. "We'll be crossing into Johto soon. There's a small cave to go through on the way there, I think it's part of a waterfall." With nothing left to say, Dane once again fell silent, staring straight ahead in suspense.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:38 pm
The building was intimidating, but not enticing. Not really. So many Trainers climbed that path to have their dreams crushed. Not everyone surpassed the Elite Four and the Champion. He'd never heard of anyone defeating Red. Last time he heard, Red was still training hard in Mt. Silver. Why did he have to train anymore if he was a Champion? One of the best Champions ever known? Perhaps the only true "Pokemon Master"?
As the building faded from sight, Michele sighed,
".....you know, I've never felt the need to go and face the Elite Four. I'm not a Trainer so that I can become a Champion, so that people can know my name....I never felt the need to be someone special..." He shrugged a little, averting his gaze in embarrassment. He cleared his throat and shifted to get comfortable, letting Ultima rest in his lap.
"Yeah, I've heard of that waterfall. Tohjo Falls." Michele nodded a bit, glancing at Dane with a smile, "One of the only paths bridging Kanto and Johto. It's supposed to be really beautiful, since it's in a cave system. Supposed to be practically infested with Goldeen too."
Mike gave another shrug, watching the entrance of said cave grow closer. It was dim on the inside, but not completely dark. The sound of rushing water filled the air and the temperature dropped considerably with the dampened air. The stone walls that stretched out around them were dark grey, blue, and purple, and hundreds of sparkling crystal formations in the ceilings. Michele's grey eyes widened. He'd never seen anything like this before.
"Oh wow..."
It was gorgeous. If he'd known this place was so amazing he would have come here a long time ago! Gyarados turned a sharp bend in the river and then the waterfall came into view--a cascade of crystalline water, the purest blue anyone could imagine. The spray was cold and refreshing, immediately plastering dark hued bangs to Michele's forehead, but he didn't care. He was distracted by the pure, raw nature splaying out in front of them. His hand found Dane's after a few moments of gaping,
".....th-this is something, isn't it-?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 7:44 pm
"I suppose," Dane said, not thinking about it too hard; he never had. "I think it would be fun just to test my strength there, at least once. But that would mean having to collect all of the gym badge first, and although I wouldn't really mind, it would be a lot of work. I don't know if I could pull myself away from adventuring for that long. But it might be fun if I had the time."
Thinking about the waterfall, Dane remarked, "I've never actually been to the falls before. Never really had a reason, I guess. The caves are supposedly pretty well known, and there really isn't much to explore there. It's more of a tourist attraction from what I remember hearing. It's a big romantic spot for couples." After a few seconds, what he'd said finally hit him, and Dane blushed as he glanced over to Mike.
Waiting with his breath held, Dane was mesmerized the instantly they entered the cave. The natural beauty surrounding them was incredible, and he instantly knew why such a cave would be a big attraction for the area. Though the moisture in the air flung from the falls had matted his long hair, Dane couldn't even notice. Feeling the touch of Mike's hand, Dane squeezed it gently, wishing the moment could last and knowing it would be one he could never forget.
As they pulled out of the cave, a dazed silence hung in the air for a few moments before Dane finally said, "That was...amazing. Beyond anything I had imagined, actually. Normally...you know, tourist attractions are really blown out of proportion. They're usually a big statue or some supposedly beautiful spot that turns out just being a particularly nice yet uninspiring plot of land. But that...was really beautiful." Not knowing what else to say, Dane refused to let go of Mike's hand, wondering if the other boy understood and shared his feelings. Of course, it was difficult to know, especially when he was having trouble sorting those feelings out himself.
When the two arrived in New Bark Town with time to spare, Dane stopped and asked, "Do you want to drop in on the professor of this town, or go straight through to Cherrygrove City? I'm impartial, really. I'm more interested in dropping in on the famous Mr. Pokemon after we leave Cherrygrove. I hear he's a real expert on the cutting edge of Pokemon science, which, even though I love old ruins and such, is really exciting to me. I'd love to see what he's working on right now. You don't mind, do you?" Dane asked, hoping the detour wouldn't bother Mike too much. "You know, he an Prof. Oak are actually old buddies from what I remember. Maybe he'll know where the professor's been lately. Remember that he wasn't in Palette Town? Maybe he's helping Mr. Pokemon with something.
"Come to think of it, though, if we're going to see Mr. Pokemon, especially about Prof. Oak, maybe we ought to stop in an introduce ourselves to Prof. Elm after all. If you don't mind," he added, making sure Mike was okay with the idea.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:11 pm
It was a shame that they had to move along so fast. Michele would have liked to linger, but he understood. After all, they had time. They could always come back.
"I don't mind either." was his comment on dropping in on Professor Elm. After all, he didn't really like talking to people and the whereabouts of Prof. Oak could be a secret for a reason. As strange as that seemed, he was worried about it. After all, what could be going on in the world if Prof. Oak was off and about without warning or notice? Would he notice, when he returned, that something was missing.....?
"Perhaps it's better that we just go on ahead to Cherrygrove City. Let me pull out the map for a second." He dug about in the deep pockets of his hoodie and unfolded the square to its full range, "....We can head down through Cherrygrove to Route 30, which leads right up to Violet City. Or we can choose to go up Route 46, towards the Dark Cave and Mohagany Town. Honestly, I think that Dark Cave sounds like a good place to look around." His grey eyes flicked up pointedly, "I know it's stupidly obvious, but that's where the Dark type Orb might be. I think we should head that way first."
Ultima mewled happily.
~~~~
Johto was beautiful, yes, and only slightly different from Kanto. All the towns were named after plants, but that was mostly it. Well, that, and the different breeds and brands and types of Pokemon. There were species here that the two of them had never seen before....and that was very exciting.
Michele held onto Dane's hand shamelessly as they walked,
"I'm not really looking forward to going into the cave but....Jolteon can light the way and we can hopefully get in there and then get out. It'll be a lot of manual looking though...."
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Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:21 pm
"We might as well take a stab at the cave while we're in the area," Dane said after thinking it over. "If it's too much for us at the moment, we can always try again when we come around from the other side. I guess there's no rush in meeting Prof. Elm right away. I can always do it another time. But we gotta see Mr. Pokemon. He's probably really busy with whatever is current research is, but it'd be great just to be able to say I met a Pokemon researcher of his caliber."
Glancing at Prof. Elm's lab as they were leaving town, Dane wondered where Prof. Oak could be. Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Dane said excitedly, "Hey, isn't Mahogany Town right next to the Lake of Rage? If we've got time while were in town, we should go check it out. I hear it's really beautiful and that there are Gyarados there. What do you say?" he asked, hoping they'd be able to have a romantic moment by the lake during their visit.
---
As they stepped into the shadow of Dark Cave, Dane could instantly see where it had gotten its name. Not a single ray of light penetrated the cave entrance, despite the beautifully sunny day. Letting Jolteon and Mike go ahead, Dane kept a wary eye out for wild Pokemon, lest they be ambushed. Though they encountered a few fights, the wild Pokemon in the area were no match for their own Pokemon. Except for the Dunsparce that occasionally crawled out from under or behind boulders; Dane found them so cute he couldn't bear to fight them, and merely admired them from a distance.
As they were walking along, Dane asked, "Hey, do you have a dark Pokemon? I don't...so..." Thinking about it, Dane wondered why he hadn't realized sooner that they didn't have a Pokemon of the proper type leading them on the hunt. Instead, they had mostly been wandering deeper and deeper into the bowls of the cave, on a straight trajectory from the mouth of the cave.
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Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:08 pm
Michele shook his head, "No, I don't have a Dark type. There's no such thing as a Dark type in Kanto, remember?" He said lightly. Yeah, it was a wild goose chase.
Or, so they thought.
Suddenly, Ultima perked up and leaped from her Trainer's shoulder, running off in a certain direction. Mike gave a cry of surprise, "Ultima! What are you doing-!? Come back!" He ran after her without a thought, yanking Dane with him, "Wait!"
Jolteon bolted after his unevolved cousin, lighting the path for the two humans and keeping the Eevee in view. Ultima stopped before a cave-in, bouncing back and forth and mewling loudly. She headbutted a few rocks, looking back at Dane and Michele and pawing at the ground insistently.
Michele frowned,
"What are you fussing about? What is it-?"
Ultima refused to leave the pile, and so the black-haired male submitted and started digging carefully, not wanting to trigger an avalanche of rock. Ultima was bouncing up and down at his side, occasionally darting in between Dane's legs, as if urging him to look too. Michele worked quietly for several long moments before--
".....look at this."
He held up the glass-like Orb. It was almost completely black, with a purple hue glowing in its center. Michele looked at his Pokemon. Ultima looked proud of herself.
"....How did you know.....Ultima-?"
Eevee were simply Normal type. How had she known this was here? How could she have sensed an Orb that didn't match her type? Hadn't she done that once before? With the Grass Orb?
The Eevee mewled and hopped onto her Trainer's shoulder, licking at his ear. Michele simply packed the Orb away, looking up at Dane uncertainly,
"....I don't understand. How could Ultima sense an Orb that isn't the Normal type Orb? Unless...."
Wait.
His eyes widened.
".....Eevee are known for being genetically unstable. Their ability is "Adapt". There are three difference evolution paths for them....in Kanto. What if there are other ones because of the conditions in Johto?!"
Oh gods!
Was Ultima able to sense Orbs that she was connected to by evolutionary paths!?
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:30 pm
"Oh, yeah...sorry, kind of forgot already. That happens sometimes," Dane said, shrugging his shoulders.
As they darted off after Eevee, Dane remembered the last time this had happened and wondered what it could mean. Not taking the time to think, Dane merely began aiding Mike in rearranging the rubble. When Mike eventually pulled out an Orb, Dane was relieved. Ever time he saw the remnants of a cave-in or felt tremors in a cave, it always sent a shock wave through his heart. There had been plenty of explorers and even tourists who had been betrayed by the weak walls of old tunnels and been buried alive. Though he'd been lucky not to have experienced one himself, Dane never let his guard up once something had set him off.
A bit surprised by Mike's sudden burst of theorizing, Dane said, "Well, it's certainly possible. There are many Pokemon on this continent not found on Kanto, and I do know there are some evolutions not found in Kanto either. For example, Pikachu, one of the more popular Pokemon back home, has a pre-evolution form found only in Johto. It's really adorable, I think it's called Pichu. But yeah, it's certainly possible that there are more evolution paths for Eevee over here than there were back home. Maybe there are even different evolutionary stones here that aren't found in Kanto that Eevee can evolve with."
Leading the way back out of the cave as they speculated, Dane was secretly relieved that they were leaving. Not only was the cave dark, but they would be on their way to meet Mr. Pokemon. "Guess this is as good a time as any to go introduce ourselves to Mr. Pokemon. Who knows, he might even know something about the orbs," Dane said cheerfully as they made their way through the grass.
Stealing glances over at his partner, Dane finally asked, "Hey Mike. Are you ever going to let Ultima evolve? I guess now that we think there are even more forms for her here than there were in Kanto, it'll be even tougher to decide whether or not you want her to evolve, and even then which evolution. It seems exciting, though," he added with a smile, envious of all the potential Eevee held.
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:10 pm
"I don't know." Michele looked down at the Eevee, now in his arms, smiling up at him. Ultima seemed proud of herself, well aware that she was helping, "....what do you think, Ultima? Do you want to evolve? Do you want to take the Everstone off-?"
The little Pokemon purred a bit, puffing out her chest. Michele was nervous about the idea. After all, Ultima had been an Eevee for such a long time. It would be strange for her to be something else. But he wouldn't deprive her of something she wanted. He smiled weakly, hugging her closer,
"....Alright. I'll take it off. Let's see what happens."
He timidly untied the little necklace she'd been wearing for a long time and pocketed it. Ultima shook herself out but remained calm and unchanged. At least that was a relief. She was the same for now.
~~~~
Mr. Pokemon's house was a humble little place that was sort of off the beaten path, but it wasn't difficult to get to. They encountered a barrage of new and exotic Pokemon though---such as a fluffy yellow one that was definitely and Electric type and a few skittish little things with rings on their bellies.
"So you come from Kanto, do you?"
Mr. Pokemon was more than a little interested in them. When they entered the house, Michele couldn't help but to nudge Dane and direct his attention to a bookshelf on the far side of the main room. On the top shelf, on a little stand, was a shining glass orb with a faint green glow about it.
His foster mother had definitely been telling the truth.
The Pokemon expert took note of the Eevee riding on Michele's shoulder,
"A rare breed, Eevee. Her fur is very shiny and her eyes are bright. It won't be long now before she evolves. It'll be exciting to see what path she takes, yes?"
Michele withheld the urge to grimace,
"Yes, sir, it will. Um, we were wondering if you could help us. You see, I think you know my mother-? Ms. Carrie--" He wasn't even able to get her full name out before the man was laughing,
"Ah, little Carrie. Yes. I remember her. A brilliant researcher. Her memory was better than anyone I've ever known! You, her son-? I never knew she was married-! Well, you know how things go these days. What can I do for you boys?"
((fffffff this post wrote itself. Sorry it's lame. Anyways, if you want, I can have Mr. Pokemon explain some more stuff about the legend that he might know in my next post, if you want. <3 ))
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Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:30 pm
(( D: I'm so sorry! OTL))
Looking around the house excitedly, Dane absorbed everything he saw and every word that Mr. Pokemon uttered. It was truly amazing to him that they were meeting one of the most knowledgeable and forward-thinking Pokemon researchers of their time.
Finally turning his attention from the charts lining the walls and the displays stacked against the books on a myriad of shelves, Dane explained their situation. "You see, we're on a journey, I guess you'd call it. Not really a mission, but...well," he began before recounting how the two of them had met and first started out together to find the orbs.
"We've actually found a good number of these orbs, so it's not a matter of whether or not they're out there. All we're really unclear on is what will happen when we bring them all together. I think the pages were missing or something?" Dane asked, turning to Mike briefly for clarification. "But we've come this far already; I don't think there's any chance we won't see this through, whatever lies ahead. It's just that clues have been few and far between. Other than the book, some good guessing on our part, and a helping of serendipity, we haven't really met anyone or found anything that can clear any of this up for us. We were kind of hoping someone with your knowledge and experience might be able to give us a hand."
((Gahh, I'm sorry it's so short and lame and that it took this long for me to post. OTL I have no excuse. T.T ))
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:14 am
Mr. Pokemon seemed incredibly interested as Dane recounted the story. Michele stayed quiet, having no real input. Dane's memory was impeccable. Silence fell over them once the story was finished, and Mr. Pokemon watched the two of them closely, stroking his moustache with one hand.
"....You're Carrie's boy," He said, looking at Michele, "....so you have the book?"
Michele nodded and quickly procured it, holding it out. Travel hadn't been good for the ancient text. It was getting a bit abused despite Michele's efforts to keep it safe and intact. Mr. Pokemon touched its cover and brought it the table in his living room, laying it down carefully and flicking through it. His fingers danced along the broken pages near the end,
"....yes, it looks like someone sabotaged this copy. Whoever owned this didn't want anyone to know what lies at the end of this journey. No surprise. Anyone knowing about that treasure would want to keep it hidden from others."
Michele glanced at Dane, swallowing thickly,
"....Treasure-?"
Mr. Pokemon nodded and turned, going to one of the many bookshelves in the room. He ran his finger over the spines of all the books, searching for one,
"Unlike any treasure you've ever heard of. Invaluable and precious. Priceless." He found which one he was looking for and pulled it down carefully. He laid it down next to Michele's copy and opened it up,
"....come here, boy, and take a look. You can read this, can't you-? Carrie surely taught you everything she knew."
Michele glanced at Dane again, nervous, but crept forward.
"What book is this-?" he asked timidly.
Mr. Pokemon chuckled,
"The same book you've been carrying around with you. Only this copy is filled with my notes. These pages you're missing are included in my own personal copy. I've kept it safe and hidden. See how the pages have been re-bound into this spine-? I did that to make it look....inconspicuous. I knew that if anyone knew about it, they'd come looking for this book. So, go on and read."
Michele slid the book to himself carefully and cleared his throat, looking over at Dane once again. This was it. They were going to find out what they were going to get at the end. It was sort of scary.
"....I-I'll read it out loud..." He mumbled, suddenly shy. He scanned the foreign language, translating as fast as possible in his head.
"...Bring the Orbs to the site of the fallen City. Behind the waterfall lie the pedestals. Restore order. The power of the elements, combined with pure heart and pure intention will raise the City once again. No time before--all Orbs must be in their places. The largest puzzle has been solved. Time and effort have been put into the Journey to bring peace back to Spirit City. Enter the city to find your reward....."
Michele's voice caught.
"......Ultima....will be waiting....?"
The Eevee on Michele's shoulder perked at her name. Mr. Pokemon nodded a bit, crossing his arms,
"....the name is familiar to you, Michele."
The black-haired boy looked up, shocked,
".....I named my Eevee that. Why.....How does that....?"
"Relax," Mr. Pokemon held out a hand, ".....Allow me to explain. The both of you, take a seat, get comfortable. I'll get you something to drink before I start."
~~~
Michele was nervous. He couldn't help but to be. His hand was closed tightly around Dane's under the table. Mr. Pokemon sipped his tea, looking between them with a soft smile,
".....I've done extensive research on the legend of Spirit City. As you know, I'm fascinated with Pokemon of all kinds...and it was thanks to the Pokemon I began to study it. Spirit City was protected by "Guardians"....people who were blessed with hearts so pure they could link with their Pokemon in depth. The SongStone that the City was built out of reacted with that and turned them into other-worldly beings. The Guardians were said to be half human, half Pokemon...but it's uncertain what that means, exactly. They protected the City---until one became corrupted. He used his power to destroy other Guardians and then, the war with the mainland...."
He paused,
"....Ultima was one of the Guardians. She was, in fact, linked with her Eevee. She was called "Ultima" because of the way the Eevee is unstable and adapts to its environment. It is a play upon the word "Ultimate". She was the one that sank the City to protect it....and it the only Guardian that survived."
He sat back in his chair and sighed,
"But this is just a legend after all~"
Michele shook his head,
"No....the Orbs exist. You know it. You have one--my mother gave it to you. What's the reward? What will we find after.....after meeting Ultima?"
Mr. Pokemon leveled his gaze,
".....It's hard to say. But I can tell you that it will be invaluable. Spirit City was never known for being wealthy--so I doubt that it's gold, silver, or jewels. No....they prided the connection between people and Pokemon.....perhaps you shall become Guardians yourself~? Even my copy of the book gives vague answers....But I believe that it will be something that you boys will appreciate and love. After all, you're not off to find the city just to plunder it, are you? You two are in it for the adventure, for the accomplishment..." He hid a smile, "....and for each other."
Michele flushed on cue and dropped his gaze, embarrassed. The scientist said nothing else on that subject,
"....feel free to stay a while, boys. I am in the middle of some research, but an old man doesn't mind company once in a while."
((THERE. Whoo. Anyways. Lots of stuff. There you have it! Plot points! <3 ))
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:09 pm
Watching with interest as Mr. Pokemon flipped through Mike's old book, Dane wondered if the volume probably shouldn't be in a museum. After all, it was unlikely there was another copy exactly like it, and whether or not people would believe the old legend had no bearing on its historical importance. Still, there was no way he would have suggested donating the book to Mike; he knew how much it must have meant to him. As long as he'd been working for the museum, Dane unquestionably valued Mike's happiness over his archeological work.
Though he'd gotten distracted for a few moments, Dane's attention instantly snapped back upon hearing the word treasure. As much as he prided himself in working for the sake of uncovering lost history and bringing it new life, a part of him had never been able to give up a natural love of shiny things, especially rare artifacts and gems. Of course, anything of actual historical value went to the museum, but that never stopped him from keeping anything the curator deemed unnecessary or otherwise unwanted.
His eyes shining with interest, Dane wondered why Mike would be so nervous at the prospect of treasure. Certainly the fact that pages had been torn out of the book suggested that someone else might have been after the treasure before them, but the fact that they already had most of the orbs reassured him that they were far ahead of whatever competition they had, and he whispered as much to his partner.
Following Mike over to the table, Dane placed a reassuring hand on the smaller boy's back. What there was to be nervous about, Dane wasn't sure, but Mike certainly seemed on edge.
Impressed at all of the notes and the fact that Mr. Pokemon had been so diligent in studying what most people would have considered just a myth.
Confused by Mike's translation, Dane commented, "It all sounds impressive, but pretty vague. It doesn't give us much more to go on than we already have, but it certainly is interesting."
As they listened to Mr. Pokemon's exposition, Dane couldn't help but wonder why such a fascinating legend was not better known. After all, he'd done his fair share of research in mythology, considering how many myths were somewhat based in historical events, yet he'd never heard of the Guardians before now.
"Speaking of the orb you've got, we can borrow it, right? I mean, we've got most of the others, and we can't finish all this without it. I promise we'll bring it back, granted the process of raising the city or whatever doesn't shatter the orbs." Though he lacked some tact, Dane felt Mr. Pokemon would understand their situation.
Smirking at the mention of conventional treasures, Dane commented, "Something like that would be a little boring anyway, right? I mean, we're going through all this trouble to find these orbs, and there's this grand mythology behind it all...it would be disappointing if all we got was a treasure chest full of money or something.
"But isn't this amazing, Mike?" Dane asked with fire in his eyes. "We'll get to see this ancient city and maybe even meet a Guardian! Maybe even become Guardians ourselves...this is even more amazing than I could have dreamed of!"
Relatively unfazed by Mr. Pokemon's bold observation, Dane nodded cheerfully, glad at least that their host didn't seem to mind their relationship despite the apparent generational gap. "Perhaps just a little longer. Mike, where are we headed next?" Dane asked, having already forgotten. For how diligent he usually was while traveling on his own, he was completely content to leave navigation to Mike for the time being.
((Yay! ;^o^ It didn't take me very long at all this time. XD ))
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