BOOK I: Prologue — A Visit

Book One: A Darkling Horizon

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Prologue

A Visit

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The airship, Cloud Nine, floated silently above the city of windmills below. It was far too chilly tonight, bordering on snow—a very good example of why Baram Town was the worst possible city to park the Government of Nebyllin over. Or, so thought Grovyle Rufus. At least there was only a year until Cloud Nine moved. And a year until he was out of a job. Given his age, and Prime Ministers’ proclivity for dying around the ends of their terms, he didn’t expect his colleagues were going to nominate him Party Leader a third time. Frankly, he was lucky he’d landed a second one.

He sat in a cozy office near the stern of the craft, looking through a bunch of documents that had been submitted to him earlier that evening. But try as he might, his eyes kept slipping off the page. How many times had he read that blasted report about diminished berry crops from the South?

Truth be told, his mind was barely following along—not with the berry crops, not with the weather service, and certainly not with the Rescuer’s Guild. It was with the horrible chill in his office, and a stray feeling he just couldn’t kick. Ever since he’d woken up a few days ago, something had felt different—he couldn’t put his claw on it, and neither his secretary nor his very close and trusted friend in Cape Noe noticed a thing, but it occupied his mind so thoroughly he’d spaced out several times in parliament that day. Which the opposition had gleefully used as fodder for their narrative of an ailing leader well out of his prime.

Well, his knees weren’t what they used to be, but his mind was still very much there. He knew what he felt, and whatever it was, he knew it was far more important than anything on those papers.

“Hi.”

Rufus jolted with a gasp and spun around, falling out of his chair and hitting the rose-petal carpet.

“Guards!” he called, flailing as he hit the floor. “Guards!”

With the little power that remained in him, he summoned energy to the leafblades in his arms, prepared to fight the intruders. This wasn’t how he’d die.

“Oh, sorry, the guards forgot to be here tonight.”

Floating behind Rufus, with the most nonchalant expression on her face, was a pink, catlike creature with a tail too long for her own good. Behind her lay an open window, the curtains softly blowing sideways—the source of the chill.

“And your secretary, before you ask.” Rufus’ blood went colder. That vaporeon hadn’t been a day late in her life.

“And the orb line—” Rufus’ other arm, silently reaching out of sight for the connection orb under the table, halted. “Everymon in this wing of the building, actually. They’ve all gone down for drinks at Spinda’s.

“They’ll be back tomorrow, before you worry,” said the pink cat. “Just wanted to avoid any awkward situations, y’know?”

Rufus set down the papers shakily, staring up at the cat.

“I’m already worried,” he muttered with annoyance. “And this is awkward. And who are you? It’s a crime to break into the Prime Minister’s office—”

“I’m Mew!” said Mew, gleefully cutting him off. “And you’re Grovyle Rufus the Third. Born in Sawsbury, likes fermented radishes, Prime Minister twice because you cheated in—”

“Alright, alright, enough!” said Rufus, lowering his leafblades, flustered. Was she trying to scare him? Blackmail him? Where was she from? What was she?

But he couldn’t see malice written on her face.

“Enough. Just… what do you want?”

“I’m here to talk to you about something important,” said Mew. She teleported behind him with a ‘pop!’ almost faster than he could blink, and when he spun around, she was cheerfully gesturing to his chair. “Have a seat?”

“You break into my office,” said Rufus, his tone flabbergasted, “and offer me a seat?”

“Sit.”

Suddenly, Rufus was in his seat. Mew appeared on the other side of his desk with another ‘pop!’, lounging in the air above his visitor’s chair.

“It’s been a while since I’ve visited one of your leaders,” she yawned. “I’m surprised they didn’t tell you about me; although, it has been a century or two…”

If Rufus had any cares to give, he’d long run out of them. He was just along for the ride now.

“Anyway,” said Mew. “I’m here to tell you we’ve brought in another Human.”

“Another what?”

“Another Human,” said Mew. “Don’t you know them?”

“I know them,” said Rufus. There were two of them alive today. He sat back in his chair, and let out a resigned sigh. “Then I was right. Something’s changed, hasn’t it?”

“You sensed my death,” said Mew, like it was no big deal.

If that wasn’t the biggest shock of the evening, then nothing was. Mew just shrugged, reading the unwritten words in the air. “Without me, the evil in the world has nothing holding it back from doing whatever it wants. It’s only a matter of time now.”

“But if you’re dead, then… how are you here before me?” asked Rufus.

“It’s… complicated,” said Mew. “And we’re short on time. But you need to know that we’ve brought in a Human. And right now, she’s unprotected. I need you to find her and keep her safe before it’s too late. She’s the last one you’re going to get.”

Rufus just lay back in his chair, trying his best to process everything he’d been told. How was he supposed to start, let alone find the girl?

“Where do I start searching?” asked Rufus tiredly, resigned to his fate. Selfish as it was, he could feel his leaves wilting at the field day the opposition was going to have with this… he could see the headlines already: “Ailing Prime Minister declares random runaway “next human” in latest loony fantasy!”

There was a large, detailed map on Rufus’ desk, portraying every knot of a massive coastline. Mew pointed at the very bottom, towards the long, thin peninsula that was known for having nothing but mountains, farmland, and a few scattered villages. He noticed her paw was already translucent.

“There,” said Mew. “I don’t know the exact location anymore. I lost it when I… died. But she’s somewhere there. You must go at once! Do everything in your power to keep her safe. Promise me?”

Rufus just nodded. What else could he do? “You have my word.”

And then the already fading Mew slowly dissolved into light. And Rufus was left alone to contemplate what he had just seen.

But the feeling, the one that had kept him awake in bed each night, no longer felt strange or present. Instead, it was filled with a drive. He knew she spoke the truth. Wherever this girl was, or whatever she was, there was perhaps no other pokemon in the world that was more important. He had to track her down.

In the back of his head, something tickled. Something dark and twisted, that swiftly retreated to the deep, dark depths as if scorched by the light.

It began scheming.

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Hold up! I finally found you!

I came here just to find you, you know?

Please come and lend us your strength!

You are the next chosen one, the only one who can help us now.

Your burden will be heavier than the ones that came before you. I’m sorry for that; they had somemon to help guide them. But we’ll find a way to make do, hmm? Or, you will. You have to!

There’s one thing I can do to aid you in your quest… allow me to bestow you with a form fitting for this world. Just answer my questions…

…

…

…

I see now. Yes… We’re here. We’ve arrived at the Pokemon World. But…

I’m afraid I can’t stay any longer. But I promise you’ll do fine on your own. I chose you for a reason.

You will… If you answered my questions with an honest and open heart, you should have nothing to fear. You’ll be the last of Mew’s Heroes; the one to save us all. You have to be.

And now we must part, dear Espurr. My heart goes out to you, in the new world…

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Music of the Week!

A Grand Tale of Time and Darkness  – Arata Liyoshi

Book theme: Strawberry Fields Forever – The Beatles, Mark Masse (cover)