Chapter -17: This is our Beginning

After reading those first thirty pages, I leaned back on my chair and took a breath. I knew there was more, so much more to read. It made me wonder how Galvan had the patience to write all of this. I admire the effort and dedication if it weren’t for the squished writing and errors; there were more than a fair share of blanks to fill.

Nevertheless, I read on.

Days passed as normal, practically as routine at this point. I ventured into the jungles, fight a feral or two, come home, eat, and then sleep. It was just like life before, only with one key difference; I whispered to myself at night, trying to not forget the time. Nineteen Days, eighteen days, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen…

And then finally, the day came when I could at last see Patra again. I slept and awakened early in order to get the most time. I packed my bag, made lunch for myself, and then prepared to leave. 

However, the guilt from before ate at me once again. I couldn’t do much without telling Zarude. Knowing him, he’d get worried. So I wrote a short note, saying that I left early to stay in the dungeon for longer. It wasn’t exactly the most sound reason; in fact my handwriting was lackluster. Either way, I made an early departure for the outskirts of Altern Village.

Turn the page…

 

---

Freedom Coast:

About an hour’s jog later, I made it to the coastline, just as Patra instructed. The salty breeze from the ocean certainly felt different from any other place I went to.

I just stood around there for a while, unsure of what to do. Kicking sand? Well, that got boring quickly before I remembered how those scary Ground-Types use it.

The wait dragged on, and it made me worry a bit until a familiar voice called out.

“There you are!” Patra said as she ran to me.

 

Once she got close, she looked up with an almost smug look. “You didn’t forget after all.”

I crossed my arms with an evidently prideful smile. “Well, yeah. I always have to keep a promise.”

The Shinx waved me off. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You have no idea how much I had to work and cover for you.”

That statement made me a little curious as I sheepishly asked, “How much?”

Patra simply sighed. “…Enough.” She then walked past me and sat down.

“Enough?”

“Enough.”

I blinked at the repeated statement. “…Enough what?”

“Just…enough.” The Shinx kept staring at the waves.

I took a seat close by, staring at the ocean as well. “So…Uhhh…”

Patra glanced at me. “Hmm?”

I had no idea what to ask, where to start, or even suggest…anything? I didn’t even think about it.

So I tried the easiest thing that wasn’t talking or chores. “Umm…So uh, wanna spar?”

Patra tilted her head and then looked away. “Nah.”

“Great! I’ll- Wait, Nah?”

“Nah,” she said again in a dismissive tone.

“What do you mean, nah?”

“Nah.”

“Look, we waited a long time to play together. So I suggested the most fun and convenient thing and you say, nah?”

“Nah.”

I assumed she would jump at the chance! The reckless actions certainly showed.

 

“Well, what do you want then?” I asked, still shocked from her response.

The Shinx shrugged. “I dunno, you’re the one who wanted to meet me here.”

And that only made me stammer further. “That’s just- Ah- Well- I was sort of- expecting something, not boring?”

“You know, you say a lot of big and weird words,” Patra remarked, swaying her head.

“I mean I was sort of expecting something er…exciting. You know, because uh…I like to see you.”

The Shinx promptly gave me this peculiar look of disbelief and likely discomfort. “…Huh?”

I blinked at the statement. “What?”

Patra kept staring at me. “You…like seeing me,” she stated dully, before scooting back a step.

I was all too clueless to figure out that the statement I said was both creepy and concerning. I just tilted my head in response to the Shinx’s actions.

She raised a paw, pointing at me. “I don’t know what your family or species does or whatever, but…those were some wrong words.”

Unsure what to say, I gritted my teeth awkwardly. “Wrong words?”

Patra nodded. “Yes, very weird words.”

I curled up at that point. “S-Sorry.”

The Shinx sighed. “Oh don’t cry over that. It’ll make you look weak.”

“I’m not crying, I’m just sorry.” I shook my head. “And…you know I’m not that weak. Am I?”

Patra rolled her eyes. “Oh brother…” 

 

Was I always that confusing?

 

“Huh? Since when was I your brother?” I asked out of confusion

The kitten groaned upon hearing that, burying her face into her paws. “Aaaa! Not what I meant!”

“Sorry.”

Patra took a breath. “Yep. You’re weird for a boy. You know that?”

I scratched my cheek nervously. “Uhhhhhh, I thought Uncle Zarude considered me special.”

“Oh yeah, suuuure. You’re reeeeal special, that’s for sure,” the Shinx grumbled.

 

We both sat awkwardly in silence after that, just watching the waves. Admittedly, this silence gave me time to think, to wonder. The noise was pleasant, the warm breeze too. Was I expecting too much? What did I hope to learn?

Eventually though, Patra did break our silence. “Hmmm…I have an idea.”

I gazed at Patra curiously. The Shinx had a proud smirk on her face.

“How about I show you a place?”

I was a bit perplexed, but nevertheless replied, “I mean, as long as no one else sees me, right?”

Patra’s smirk only grew into a smile. “Good…” She stood and faced me. “Follow me.”

And so I happily obliged, following Patra’s path to whichever destination she deemed worthwhile.

 

---

Outskirts of Altern Village:

After a short stroll around the village perimeter, we made it to a massive cluster of woodland on the South-Western side. The bushes were thick and taller than the both of us. Furthermore, there were hardly any trails at all, just grass covering more grass.

Despite this, Patra pushed through, disregarding the imposing boundary. Many branches and twigs poked against our bodies as we slowly blazed our own reckless trail.

Eventually, we pushed through a barrier of bushes to find an oddly clear area. Trees and plant life bent backwards, practically making an enclosed grotto of sorts. At the center of this grotto, I saw an old house. It seemed similar to the style of house found in the village, though it seemed to have more stone than wood. Overgrowth and moss covered the whole structure from top to bottom. Regardless, it was clear no one had been there for a long time.

Despite the unappealing look, Patra kept walking toward a hole in the structure, following a path that has long since faded away for the most part.

Patra turned to me, still smiling. “Cool, huh?”

I glanced at the structure with visible uncertainty. “I mean, kind of but…”

“Oh don’t worry. We’re not at the best part yet.” With that remark, the Shinx entered the structure.

I pondered why she said that. The place didn’t seem that significant to me at the time. It was just an old house that had seen waaay better days. Thankfully, I wouldn’t be confused or disappointed for long.

With an excited hop in her steps, Patra welcomed me. “Galvan, welcome to the secret base.”

 

---

 

Now within the building, it didn’t take long for me to see why Patra wanted me to see it. It became all too clear as we entered; colors, paper, and decorations everywhere, from the floor to the walls, and to the ceiling. A plethora of odd objects and possessions scattered across the floor. From pretty-looking rocks, to old toys, and even drawings. Organization was not a priority in the slightest.

Line-bodied figures stood on the paper. The world drawn from these was hard to understand. They kind of looked familiar, but at the same time, they weren’t creatures I would have seen before.

Other than the decorations, the structure barely held itself together. In fact, the branches and trees acted more like support than the very clearly rotted-out support columns. Holes of many shapes and sizes littered the walls and ceiling. The flooring was also quite rugged in nature too. Although there seemed to be more than one floor, the stairs had long since crumbled, a hollowed-out shell of what they once were. And all of this hardly covered a subtle odor I noticed.

I scratched my head, looking even more unsure about it all.

Patra noticed my hesitation and pressed a question. “Weeeeell? What do you think?”

Before I had a chance to answer, the Shinx sped over to one corner of the room.

She gestured to the drawings. “I saw that these caught your eye. These are drawn records of my own little adventures or…something I do sometimes. Hehe..”

The kitten hurried over to the broken stairs. “And these little platforms…” She hopped across the gaps, each plank creaking and screaming in pain when the kitten put her weight on it. “Help…Train…My…Jumps.” She landed on the edge of the second floor, wobbling a bit. “Whoa-ooaaa…” 

Once settled, the Shix turned around with a smirk. “Awww come on, don’t tell me you’re a scared little Wimpod.”

She spoke fighting words, I knew she was taunting me there. With evident steam, I called. “I-I’m no Wimpod, whatever that is!”

“Well come on up then,” she gestured to me.

I glanced at the stairs, gulping nervously at their lack of structural integrity. Nevertheless, I took a breath before making a running start. I ran to the starting stairs and jumped toward the wall.

Using my momentum, I managed to scale up the wall and reach Patra’s platform with relative ease, albeit with a shaky landing.

The Shinx gazed at me with a mix of surprise and amazement. She was speechless, all things considered.

I sat down. “That wasn’t so bad.”

Patra shook her head in disbelief. “Phh, Wha- Wasn’t so bad?!? You just- Ran right up the wall!”

I tilted my head. “Yeah? So?”

Patra started pacing around excitedly. “I mean, none of the boys I’ve seen ever did that! Like no one. Like even the grown ups don’t do that.”

I was taken aback by the response. “Really? I think they do, or some of them…”

The Shinx’s expression soured itself upon hearing my remark. She turned her head. “What? You think a Rhydon can do that?”

I shook my head. “N-No! That’s dumb. I mean like Grovyles and uh, Ariados?”

Patra hung her head low and sighed. “Oh yeah, those. That is uh, kind of true.”

I nodded.

The Shinx shook her head and walked to another room.

We went to another mostly empty room where there was one notable object pinned into the wall by thumbtacks: a large paw-drawn map. The map showed the village, or at least a rough shape of it, as well as the roads extending north and south, the beach, the western mountain range, the jungles beyond the western mountain, and finally the base marked with a circle. It was impressive, though the distances were definitely not correct. I certainly didn’t remember the road being that short.

My pondering certainly didn’t stop Patra from listening to her own voice. “Yep, that’s right,” she said, gesturing to the map. “This here is a map of the whole wide world.”

I tilted my head in confusion. “Umm sure…”

The Shinx noticed my doubt and frowned. “What? Don’t believe me? I mean it’s incomplete, but I’ll make one for certain.”

I sheepishly held up a finger. “Uhhh…”

“Well, spit it out already,” she said, stomping a paw.

I closed my mouth awkwardly for a moment. “Huh? I thought that’s-”

“I mean, say it already!” The kitten frantically told me. “Don’t spit literally.”

“Oh…” I took a moment to gather some thoughts and then replied. “Well, where’s the ocean and the other continents?”

Patra rolled her eyes before glancing at the map and saying, “The ocean is around the world’s land of course. Where else does it-” She suddenly paused and looked back at me. “Wait, what did you say?”

“Say what?”

“The other thing you said, con- something?”

“Continent.”

“Yeah, that. What is that?”

I looked at the ground for a moment and shrugged. “Uhhh, we’re standing on one?”

Patra’s gaze narrowed, expecting more. Though there didn’t seem to be aggression.

I paced back and forth a couple of times. “Soo…” Try as I might, I found the topic really tough to explain. How could a kid explain it?

But Patra pawed the ground out of impatience.

The quickest comparison I could think of the wall itself. So that was what I went with.

“Look at the wall.” I said, gesturing to the map. “See that map? Think of it as what we’re standing on, the continent. And the rest of the wall…err, everything else!”

“…How?” Patra asked, glancing between the wall and I.

I looked at the map once more and noticed it didn’t go further west than the dungeon.

“Say, uh…” I pointed to the left side. “You didn’t draw the place beyond the path. Isn’t that part of the world?”

I looked back at Patra to see if she was following.

The answer was no. It was still a little tough to believe.

But as the kitten glanced at the map and thought about it, her eyes widened. The weight of the spoken words were finally sinking in. 

In retrospect, I should not have said those words at all. I should have given up, but alas…

The Shinx paced around, muttering to herself.

I stared at the Shinx out of worry. I had to ask, “Are you okay?”

“Uhhh, give me a moment?” she replied.

Overcome with embarrassment, I hastily looked elsewhere for something else, noting a bigger hole in the structure. “Hey! Uh, this is pretty cool, but I think it’s a bit beat up,” I said walking across the room. “Well, it’s-”

“So amazing!” Patra exclaimed.

I turned around to the Shinx staring at me in awe. “Patra?”

She then gushed a series of questions, all without giving me a chance to answer. “What else do you know? Do you go beyond the ocean often? How many other lands are there? Are there more villages? How much else is there? How many wonders? How many dungeons?”

I quavered under the pressure. “Wh-Whoa whoa whoa. I don’t know that much. Come on, where did this come from?”

“S-Sorry,” Patra admitted. “I just got all excited. More lands than what the adults are saying. I mean, it’s a big wonder, right?”

I gritted my teeth. “Y-Yeah, but I need to-”

“Yeah, yeah, we can still keep this a secret.” The Shinx proudly puffed up her chest. “Then that settles it, you’re joining my Exploration Club.”

I was taken aback by the sudden response. “Exploration Club? What’s that?”

She walked to the map, tapping a paw on it. “We’ll explore the world together. That’s what we’ll do. You and me, going on adventures, seeing what’s out there. We can do it. Adventures are best done in a group. Memories and tales to be said. Mmhmm.”

That proposition excited me. My best memories of the years always seemed to be with Zarude. Any days where I was mostly by myself? They sort of blended together in boredom. And now, the thought of seeing more of the world? Why not?

But then that guilt hit me once more. Zarude, what about him? And what about Patra’s parents?

Patra saw my smile fade. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you excited?”

I hastily replied, “Huh? Yeah, I’m- Of course I’m excited, but…what about our caretakers, your parents?”

Patra looked away and frowned. “What about them? Who cares?”

I was shocked at the answer. “What about Uncle Zarude? He cares about me. He’d get really mad if I just ran off.”

Patra stared back once more, still frowning. “You really are a scaredy cat. Don’t you want to see the world?”

I spoke up. “I do, yes! But how? Where do we start?”

Those questions made the Shinx ponder to herself. She paced carefully around the room. Eventually, she sat down, saying, “Well, I dunno. Kind of just wanted out, you know what I mean?”

I shook my head at the thought. There was no way I was going to just abandon Zarude and run away. I clearly cared too much about him. “Not really, but wait wait wait! Maybe we should start small. Like…train ourselves.”

She glanced at me. “What do you mean?”

I scratched my cheek. “Let’s see uh…I’m technically training to be uhhh someone. And during that time, I’m learning a lot about survival and…living.”

Patra blinked. “So?”

I nervously continued. “So maybe, during these training days, we can start with smaller adventures. Stuff to get us prepared for the world. How to pack our bags and stuff. An-And then once we’re old enough, we can make our own adventures to a point where Uncle Zarude would be less worried and stuff.”

Patra stood up. “And when is that?”

The one question I never knew the answer for. Zarude never told me that answer. All I could say was. “I dunno. Eventually, right? Gotta fly from the nest sometime…”

The Shinx raised a paw, narrowing her gaze. “Uh, Galvan, neither of us are bird pokemon.”

I slapped my forehead. “Oh come on. You know what I mean. Look, look, look. If we train ourselves, then we won’t become feral meat as easily. No one said it had to be now. In fact, maybe we can use the time to…prepare.”

Patra considered the words, eventually shrugging. “…Alright. We can put the trip off, but on one condition.”

I nodded.

“I’m the leader and I’ll say what adventures we go on.” She declared.

“As long as we make sure our caretakers don’t find out, right?” I had to say it, just to make sure.

Patra reluctantly nodded. “Right, right…yes. As long as no one finds out. Tell me, is this Uncle Zarude a secret keeper?”

I scratched my head. “Yes? But…He miiiiight tell folks much more strict than the village?”

The Shix cleared her throat. “Then it will be a secret between the both of us. Promise me to not tell anyone about this. And I do mean, don’t tell anyone. I will also not say a word.” She sat up on her hind legs, raising a paw. “I promise not to tell anyone.” She then moved the other paw in a vague criss-cross motion, before stumbling a bit.

“Why did you do that?” I asked.

“I crossed my heart, to be extra sure,” she answered.

“Ehh?”

The Shinx stared at me. “You didn’t cross your heart?”

“Huh?”

“Raise your paw.” She told me.

I raised my left.

Patra shook her head. “The other one.”

I did as she asked and raised the right paw.

However, Patra pressed further. “Now move your other paw over your chest. Make a plus. You know, like a Plusle.”

“Huh? How does this-”

“Say the line, Galvan.”

“What line?”

“Your promise, remember?”

I was puzzled, but complied anyways. “I promise not to tell anyone, okay?”

“Now move your other paw like I said.”

“Uhhh…” I glanced at my other hand.

“Cross it! Cross your heart!”

In my haste, I slid my paw across my chest, which looked more like I was dusting myself off.

Patra nodded. “Good enough. You promised. No backing out.”

I sighed in relief, not really thinking about the implications.

“I can help you with the motions later,” the Shinx said, looking back at the map. “Since it’s not a journey, we may as well make this place our base. And the first thing we’ll do is training.”

I looked around with uncertainty. “Right…Umm…” My mind was on the state of the place as I stepped forward.

Patra’s eyes widened suddenly. “Wait! No-”

*CRACK!!!*

The floor suddenly gave way beneath me, causing me to fall right through with a yelp of “AAAAHHHH!”

I landed on another wood floor, which I also fell through. Even though us legendaries were built more sturdy, that fall really hurt. I was on my back, looking up at the concerned Shinx.

“…Oww,” I said.

My limbs were bruised, but not quite broken thankfully.

Patra meanwhile chuckled nervously. “Hehehe…Sorry, forgot to mention there were a few…patches to not step on.”

I gave Patra a slow and unamused blink. “Maybe a little more warning next time?”

 

---

 

With our new little plan in mind, we went our separate ways once more. I felt assured, knowing we would see each other again. All I had to do was keep my mouth shut.

Zarude’s training remained as tough as ever. The spars during the month seemed to last longer than usual. The change was subtle, but extra length made the difference. Sure, some fights lasted a while before, but by the time that happened, it was more playing than not. Not these newer spars, definitely not these. The mood and level of seriousness lasted the whole time.

He knew I noticed it. And when I asked, he more or less dodged the response. Mostly saying, “It’s just a part of growing up. Expectations grow up too.”

It was not exactly what I liked, but I’ll admit it was a necessary means to an end. Regardless, I continued to train until the inevitable day, the beginning of the month, when I had time to greet the new month with my sense of freedom.

Of course, I didn’t want Zarude to follow me around. For the sake of not taking chances, I asked if I could keep having space to myself at the beginning of the month.

Upon hearing this request at dinner the night before, Zarude raised a brow, probably taken aback. Looking back, it was a mistake on my part, even if I wanted to make my meetings with Patra consistent. Either way, Zarude pondered my question for what seemed like too long.

Eventually, he just shrugged saying, “I suppose you could, but it could cause you to fall behind on training.”

If I recall, I assured him that wouldn’t happen. I said I would work hard to make up for it, something along those lines. Zarude trained me since I was just a boy, since I was close to thirty? Thirty. What could one missed day in a month? No one would notice, I thought.

Regardless, the new month began, the fifth month since I met Patra. It was Autumn now, but the coast remained as warm as ever for the most part.

Patra and I began “The Catch-Up Training.” What did that mean? Among all the words she said, “Electric-Type” and “Example” stood out most.

Apparently, “example” to her meant zapping your new friend. Why I agreed to such a ludicrous idea, I can’t even recall. It was a dumb idea for the both of us. I almost think it was payback for the apple I stole.

I gave a prolonged sigh before reading on.

She was lucky I had Volt Absorb for an ability, so the Thundershocks did nothing at least. The bad news was that it may or may not have led to some…mildly excited movement on my part, and perhaps a chase or two.

Another prolonged sigh was all I wanted to give to this section of text. I skimmed through the next few paragraphs that could be summarized as “I sped around the beach and Patra chased me.” For a guy like Galvan, I was frankly amazed he had the patience to write in detail, let alone his whole life story. Then again, legendaries certainly need that type of patience for the purposes given.

However, no one was immune to the errors and pitfalls of amateur writing. His prose and spelling check could certainly use some work. Even with my mind filling in the blanks, I couldn’t help but stumble over some of these errors. Heck, a whole sentence repeated the one that preceded it, word for word! Indeed, he is a mon of action and is not patient for the smaller things at all.

…Turn the page…

…Thankfully, the buzz of my Volt Absorb rush subsided after a while. My strength was fine, but my breath was more than a little heated. I quickly fell on my back, unable to move about. My chest pounded. The only thing I could do was blink, close my eyes, and wince from the loss of breath.

Patra eventually caught up, but she too was exhausted from all the running. I heard the wheezing breaths Patra let out as she drew closer until finally- Plop! Right next to me.

“N- N-Note to self,” she breathlessly remarked, “N-Never!…Ev-Ever! Shock!…G-Galvan!… Ever!…Again….Ever!….Ah….Never!”

We simply spent the next hour or so groaning and sitting there. I wasn’t even sure where we went until Patra said I ran up and down the coast line. It was an honest miracle no one was there to see me.

So clearly feeling the energy of the Electric-Type attack was a bad idea. It was like eating an overly sweet Watmel berry anyways. Patra reluctantly tried a different approach based on a suggestion.

Sadly, Patra’s advice was anything but super helpful. It was given since we were both kids, but much of Patra’s description mostly consisted of noise words. You can guess it was stuff like, “Bzzzzt!”, “Crk! Crk! Crk!”, “Crack!”, “Bam!” or all of the above. In other words, feel it.

That didn’t stop me from trying throughout the next month. I tried on numerous occasions to let out something, but no good. No static shock whatsoever.

What didn’t help were my distracting thoughts. Seemingly ridiculous words pounded against my skull, trying desperately to tear themselves out and failing. What kind of words? I cannot recall.

Just like back then, no matter how many times I tried to think about them, I could never put the feeling into definable words; I couldn’t fathom what I thought. It was either like some wall blocked me or the ideas were chained down, too far in the dark and foggy room to truly see.

From that description alone, you can probably imagine what it was like for a younger me. I would be punching the air one moment, and then sitting down and pondering to myself the next, all on a whim.

Acrobatic movement? “Do a flip!” was a phrase that hit me. No reason why, unless it was meant to give me a face planted landing afterwards.

Not even the hay was immune to these intrusive thoughts, in addition to other questions. Namely, what could Patra show me? To me, the potential was endless. A whole world of feeling, of experience, not confined to some jungle. A horizon not covered in mountains or trees.

So, so many ideas. So many possibilities, much like many foes. On another, new wonders beyond comprehension awaited our sights. And then another, a beautiful blaze under a shining and massive star.

The ideas intrigued me and I simply kept thinking about it, again and again. Perhaps if I were older and had this drive to write, then perhaps I could have made a story out of these ideas. A parable, a written legendary parable.

If only the legends did allow for us to make such writings, but no…that was a duty for those like Uxie.

Simply burying these thoughts was too much to ask for either way.

Zarude, being Zarude, he definitely noticed a difference in my free time. I spent less time walking around and stargazing and much more time focused on the ground.

When I mentioned being an Electric-Type, despite my lack of Electric-Type attacks, Zarude merely tilted his head.

And to that, I said, “How is it that I can’t make a Thundershock?”

It was certainly the first time in so long that I ever complained about this. It probably took him by surprise. I was always satisfied with what I had up until months ago.

Now…it was no longer enough. I wanted more. No, I needed more. My desires changed, my priorities changed.

It was no wonder Zarude asked me this, “Galvan, you…About that, your species can’t. Not without Techs. I find it odd too, but..what’s suddenly got into you?” 

That last question dug itself into my head. An almost knowing sting against the act I put up.

I cluelessly looked back at him, tilting my head as well. “Huh? Nothing, just…I’m just a little- um, frustrated.”

Zarude just kept on staring, scratching his chin. 

I shuttered a bit, wondering if I gave away too much.

Alas, the Dark-Type closed his eyes and took breath before speaking. “Galvan, it’s true that my training has made you fall behind on your Electric-Type training. Perhaps, I hoped too much that nature would run its course, but it seems like I was wrong.” Zarude’s brow furrowed after he closed his eyes.

I didn’t quite understand what made him express it in that way. Perhaps remembering a mistake? It was too hard for me to tell.

Zarude left me alone that night, merely only saying that he needed to look over something for a while.

For the next few days after that, Zarude hunted for a ton of meat, more than usual; he even covered it all with a chunk of our salt supply. By the time the next month was close to rolling around, Zarude had disappeared from the abode, leaving only a note saying that he’ll be back in a week or so.

I believed it for what it was. Still, it was odd that he suddenly left me to fend for myself. I was someone he was proud of, surely. He trusted me a great deal over the past five months. He’s granted me my freedom, freedom I did misuse unfortunately, but freedom nonetheless.

And now, it was a shock. For the first time, I got a nasty glimpse of what it was like to live like my predecessors, complete isolation and all. The first day was fine. I ate the meat and breakfast I was given, had my snacks, and cooked my dinner after a couple of failed attempts.

On the second day of absence, my heart suddenly started to sink. A longing. Was I really that dependent on Zarude’s constant presence? I didn’t think I was, but my heart said otherwise. The night was rough. Questions lingered and echoed through my head non-stop. Why did he leave? What did he intend to do out there? Is this a test? Did something happen?

To add further insult to injury, a most unsettling dream came to be. The air was humid with water, far more than the jungle ever had. It was choking me practically. As if that wasn’t enough, a terrible storm brewed with rain moving east and gales that sent fur straight sideways. On top of all of this, this horrific hiss squealed its way into my ears.

The next thing I knew was that I suddenly found myself running out of the jungle before sunrise. That dream was too much for me to handle. I couldn’t just sit there by myself. So I packed up extra supplies and hurried over to Altern Village.

 

---

Altern Village:

Seeing as it was still a few days early from our usual meet-up time, I spent much of it watching the village from afar…mostly. The conversations I heard were difficult to follow in passing, especially since I was trying to hide. It was mostly just greetings, nice weather, social vanity I didn’t truly care much about.

It was around the afternoon time when I slowly but surely made my way to Patra’s house yet again. Same tree, house structure, same pile of hay. It was unmoving, no sign of movement until-

The back door suddenly burst open, with a Luxray impatiently walking away.

“You come back this instant!” the Nidoking roared from inside.

“No, Ram!” the Luxray spat back, turning around. “Not until you listen to what I have to say?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The Luxray continued to walk away in silence.

“Mai! Why do you have to be so hard-headed about this?” The Nidoking stomped after the Luxray. “I already have enough problems as is with the whole trespasser nonsense. And the little brat’s making things so much harder with her taking her sweet time coming home.”

“Oh yes, Ram. It is certainly much harder to drop our blood and sweat into the river while our daughter, your daughter, is just wanting a breath of air from everything.”

 

As the two continued to bicker, I saw Patra run out of the house, almost in tears.

I glanced at the couple, who suddenly went quiet. 

Mai turned to face the Nidoking, almost terrified. “You wouldn’t! You can’t just-”

To that, Ram merely shushed the Luxray and crossed his arms.

I raised a brow at the sudden turn in tone, but I had other things in mind. So I followed Patra’s direction, which moved toward the beach.

 

---

Freedom Coast:

I found Patra laying there on the sand, head down. Her ears and tail all laid low. Her breaths also seemed unsteadied. Despite not knowing much about anything, even I knew what this emotion was…

I cautiously and slowly approached the Shinx.

Of course, the kitten heard my approach and turned around with a gasp. Recognizing me, she instantly turned away and tried to force out some questions. “Wh-What are you- What do you want? What are you…doing here?”

I stuttered a bit, about to ask something, but then I stopped myself. Repeatedly I did this, but Patra didn’t have the patience for it.

“D-Don’t you have other problems to worry about? It’s too early. Just- Just go!” The Shinx’s ears were stretched back, far more than what I thought possible.

I stayed where I was.

A quick glance back was all she needed to make her wipe her tears away. “W-Well? Just go! Go!”

With a sudden thud, she pushed me away with her paws, knocking me to the ground. “Go away!”

I sat up confused at what Patra was doing, unsure of what to think.

“What? Are you too stupid or something?” Patra hissed. “Go! Away!”

I just stared back with a dumbfounded expression, refusing to move.

Patra was about to push again, but then she stopped, not from any unexpected noise or any effort from me. She just stopped, turned around and ran off.

I pulled myself up and chased after her. It didn’t take long for me to catch up, especially after she tripped over.

When I approached her again, Patra once again held her head low while her tail continued to tremble.

“Why won’t you just go away?” she said, choking her words into the sands she laid on.

I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. My heart pounded in pain, enough to force tears from my own eyes. “Because we’re friends. Aren’t we?”

The answer was enough to make Patra gasp and look over. Her disgusted and annoyed expression showed itself clearly.

My foolish mind and inability to comprehend this was a blessing. I just stared at her, shocked, unable to move.

 

It didn’t matter though.

Patra’s expression eventually softened, accompanied by a slow twitch of her ears. Why? Was a question on her mind. 

Perhaps because she realized and the guilt pressed its weight more firmly.

Her gaze fell to the sand in shame after that. The tail settled itself on the sand. Who cared about cleanliness at that point?

Without even thinking, I carefully walked up to her and gave her a hug. Well, it was more wrapping my arm around the top of her neck, but still, it was an attempt.

I think back and wonder, I was that foolish?

But…

The Shinx didn’t spark up or even glimmer. All she did was tense up for a brief moment and accept it. She needed it.

That moment was when our paths went from intersecting to converging. An understanding at last.

 

---

Outskirts of Altern Village – Secret Base:

Patra and I spent the rest of the day in a quiet peace, just staring at the waves. It seemed like the best thing to do. Neither of us knew what to say to each other. How could we? We were kids, not adults. But the struggles, the stress, we both felt it. That much I believe. I’d let myself be judged if I was wrong.

Inevitably, sunset began to settle in. But I didn’t want to leave, not this time. I had to be there, somehow, someway, and much to Patra’s initial confusion. But how? That was a good question.

We couldn’t risk the house again of course. So I ended up in our secret base for the night. Apart from a brief explanation, we didn’t need to exchange many words anymore for the day.

Yet, Patra stayed by my side. The sky was clear that night too, allowing us to gaze at the stars from the roof.

 

Patra spoke up first, probably to distract herself from what happened. “…Pretty stars.”

I nodded. “Yeah…always a new story to see.”

“Wha?”

Perplexed, I looked back at her. “What? Don’t you look at the stars too?”

“…Not really.” She said, pointing up. “They look neat, but what’s so special about the stars?”

I scratched my cheek. “Quite a lot of things actually. Some folks use them to depict tales I heard.”

Patra scoffed, placing a paw on her chest. “Sounds like a bunch of crazy talk.”

“It’s not like uhh…” I glanced at the sky and then pointed at a particular spot. “There…that one shows err…shows Lugia. Creating a big change in the weather out in the sea.”

The Shinx blinked and looked in the direction of the star. “Where? I’m still seeing dots…”

I leaned over and pointed toward a brighter blue one. “See that blue spot there, that’s his eye. Make a line with the others, branch it into other lines. And then…that big twisty cluster beside it is the vortex. See it?”

The Shinx shook her head. “Ermm…No? Isn’t this just…drawing a picture?”

“Drawing? You mean like marking?”

“No, but yes? But with these lights?”

“Well try it and you’ll see.”

Patra sighed. “…What is a Lugia anyways?”

 

I blinked and realized what I said. Granted I was talking about a predecessor, but I was still treading on dangerous ground. But then I figured, she could keep it a secret. Right? “Umm…Think of him as a…big white bird. Huge. Very big. Like a flap of his wing could just blow you away.”

“Like a Gust attack.”

“Yeah, like that but uhh, bigger. Like a tornado.”

“Tornados are big though…how big is this bird?”

I looked away for a moment, unsure of how else to really say it. “…Umm…big?”

Patra blinked before saying in an oddly dull tone. “You know what? I think I see it a little bit.”

“Cool, huh.” I said before readjusting my position. “You can see all sorts of neat stuff in the stars. I heard some folks can look at all sorts of stories by looking at the stars…even the future.”

“Tch, okay. Now that sounds ridiculous. The future, what does that even mean?”

“What? You don’t know what a future is?” I playfully asked.

 

Patra gave back an appropriately dulled stare. “I heard of the word.”

So I explained. “A future is kind of like the past, but reversed. Like uh…The past is stuff that happened. The present is what we’re experiencing now and the future. It’s uh…stuff that hasn’t happened yet or will soon happen.”

Patra frowned. “That hasn’t- What, don’t be silly. You can’t see things happen until they happen.”

I scratched my head. “I dunno. Uncle Zarude said it’s possible. Even some commoners could use the stars to predict stuff, sometimes years away.”

“That’s- That’s even more silly. Predict?”

“You know, like anticipating or guessing.”

The Shinx raised her paws. “I know that. But no one can just guess what will happen tomorrow, or the winter, let alone years. It’s just-…Silly.” After that, she dropped her paws.

I glanced at Patra. “Like the idea of showing examples?”

Patra then briefly glared at me. “I’d slug you if I wasn’t feeling so off right now.”

I quickly turned my attention back at the stars, hoping Patra wouldn’t actually try that.

 

Just then a brilliant line sped by our sights.

“Shooting star!” I exclaimed.

“A what?”

“Aww! Have you never looked up at the night sky? Heck, folks sort of believe falling stars can grant wishes. You know, just thinking about what you really want and such? A request to the skies made before the star fully falls.”

“I know what a wish is.” Patra said.

“You get the point.”

“Do they?” She asked out of curiosity.

However, I was already in the midst of my wishing.

 

This whole night got me thinking. I always wished for freedom, but this time? There was just…so much to take in that day. A wish. A request to the heavens. Commoners wondered if such things were heard. I suppose the legendaries were just as much in the dark as everyone else after all…

I noticed Patra staring at me while I finished up. “Huh?”

The Shinx looked back up. “So you do believe that?”

“…I guess I do, yeah.”

“Because Uncle Zarude said so?”

That question caught my full attention. Because Zarude said so? Could it be? Would it? Nevertheless, I replied. “…No? Not just that I think. I think there is some kind of power in wishing, right? How else are we here?”

Patra took a breath upon hearing that. It was a question for later, when things were a bit better. “I guess so.” 

I placed my paws behind my head. “Funny…you used to think I was silly for not knowing things. Weird, huh.”

“Yeah…I guess. Say, you mentioned yourself and this…Uncle Zarude of yours being special, right?”

“Yeah, so?” I was admittedly anxious, anticipating another hard question to answer.

The Shinx’s ears flattened a bit, unsure about how to approach this irksome question. “So…How much so? Are there…others? Like you and him?”

I averted my gaze. “…You can say that I think…There are others, but…not like me. My parent’s just gone.”

“…Parent? You mean parents, right?”

I stammered a bit. “I…don’t know. All I know is that I had a mother, but…it doesn’t really, Uncle Zarude’s all the family I got now. And…He loves me. He’d never fight over…well, whatever you folks do.”

I go on. “But then there’s that dumb rule. Like, I can’t see other Pokemon because I don’t belong.”

Patra frowned in disbelief. “…Don’t belong? Is that why…”

And I kept going. “Oh he says he can’t follow it either and that it wasn’t his rule. I just don’t…I don’t understand. If it weren’t for it, I bet Uncle Zarude would love you too, like family.”

 

Afterwards, I bit my tongue. My twitching ears gave away too much. I said too much. Where did those words come from? How could I just say that? I clasped my mouth in remorse.

Patra took a deep breath. “Galvan. You’re…cool.”

The statement completely stopped the Falinking thoughts in their tracks. “Cool? But I don’t feel chilly.”

Patra said, pouting. “Not what I meant. I just…never had any friends, just like you.”

“But I’m here.”

Patra shook her head once again. “I mean before. Most just see me as, well…”

“A troublemaker?” I asked.

The Shinx looked away in hesitation, ears flattening even more somehow. “…….Yeah…”

I made a slight frown, thinking back to when I first visited the village on my own. “Yeah, I think I saw your parents talking to some folks. And…I know some of it was my fault, but-”

“Yeah, I know. I just don’t like being seen as that, let alone being pretty and pleasant.”

I tilted my head for a moment, glancing away. “Pretty and pleasant? Aren’t us boys supposed to be nice to girls?”

Patra rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, but you know, I’m not into that. I can do things the boys can. So…why should everyone else treat me as some…I dunno, some sight for boys to drool over.”

I turned back to Patra in disgust and disbelief. “Wha- That’s just wrong and gross!”

The Shinx turned to me in disgust. “No! I don’t mean literally. Get your head out of the Muk! I just want to be…me. You know, free to do what I want.” She sighed. “You get the point.”

I glanced back at the stars after hearing the clarification. “Oh…um…You got me, right? I mean, we met at a dangerous dungeon, you know? I think that’s something to brag about, right?”

Patra looked away. “The village doesn’t seem to think so. And now my mom’s probably worried sick by now.”

“Oh…yeah. That is a problem.”

“Mm, sure…but that’s something to worry about tomorrow.” After a pause, Patra piped up. “And Galvan?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks…Thanks for staying. I was awful and-”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said promptly.

“Wha-” Her ears perked up in surprise.

“Real friends come to help in a time of need. Sure, Uncle Zarude said that, but I think those words matter.” I let out a dumb smile in the process of saying this.

Seeing that face only lifted Patra’s spirits more. “…Hmm…Sounds like you have a good friend or guardian or whatever…I’m kind of jealous.” 

“…Uhh…”

“You’re still good, I hope.”

“Well I hope I am. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Good, because I don’t want to either.”

“So you’re taking back the slugging?”

The Shinx sighed. “…I meant feelings, one step at a time.”

“Oh…”

Patra then yawned. “Speaking of…”

She stretched her legs and stood up. “We should get back down. Being this high up for this long is a little unnerving.”

I sat up at this point. “But you’re doing well.”

She yawned once again. “Not everyone is you. Besides, I think it’s about time we sleep. I’d rather not roll off the roof.”

I glanced at the ground and gulped. “Ehehe, fair enough.”

Patra smirked at me. “Eh, I guess you’re not as different as you thought, huh.” With that, she began her climb down.

To the remark, I simply shrugged. “…Huh…I guess not…” And then I followed suit.

 

---

 

I stayed with Patra for one more day before making my way back to the jungle once more, a day before Zarude came back.

Like before, I agreed to wait for the next month before meeting with Patra again. There was still a whole element for me to hopefully master. Or that was what I hoped to achieve anyways.

The wait became more frantic. I grew more uneasy. How could I describe it? I started to be less excited in the jungle. It’s ironic to say it, but I was more excited about the mundane outside world. It was amazing!

Zarude hardly suspected a thing from what I could tell. It turned out he was visiting some of the other legendaries, reporting my progress. Thirty Years he did this. It was hard to believe, even back then. Granted, I was very ignorant about it all, but still, there remained an absurd amount of dedication.

Indeed…speaking of dedication, the training only became more intense from that day onward…and not a year too soon…

 

A shiver shot through my whole body as I read the words. I was practically coiled like a snake as I saw the moments replay themselves, just as the words described. 

I briefly turned through the next few pages. After Galvan’s exceptionally strong toss of a rock, why would the young kitten stay, learning all too well about how capable the boy was? Was she struck frozen with fear? No, that can’t simply be it. Was it because she saw something that Galvan didn’t? Remorse, shame, fear, loneliness, just like her? Perhaps. Or did she realize there was a true friend right in front of her? The questions piled in my head, but I could hardly voice an answer.

I took a moment to set the papers down and lean back on my chair. Those written words evoked a strong amount of emotion. Clearly, it was one of the most significant points in Galvan’s life. Good. 

Looking back, it became even more clear to me that those feelings were genuine after all, even if it was from a time of youth. A time to miss for certain, a time to miss for its simplicity.

I never thought I could miss such a long era of ignorance. Oh so long ago…

---

---

---

Fragment of Knowledge:

Forbidden Scrolls
Scroll 900 Part III:

Among the tragic losses, several legendaries left behind orphaned younglings. Six legendaries in total; Lugia, Diancie, the Lati Twins, Meloetta, and Zeraora. Each of them were left without potential caretakers. So a meeting was held to determine who would take care of these younglings until they were deemed ready for their contracts.

While some like Diancie and Lugia were fairly easy to sort out, others had underlying issues in regards to ideal arrangements. Meloetta for instance needed to be raised in a spot ideal for practicing her musical prowess, but not many places in the world allow for such potential to flourish and that does not begin to cover the nomadic lifestyle the life entails.

The Lati Twins were a similar case, not many of the flyers desired long-term commitment to raising these two younglings, not at their younger age. In fact, their time as younglings was considered…difficult. Thankfully, a brave volunteer from the Swords of Justice offered to raise them until they would be later moved to the care of Rayquaza in the skies.

Finally, last, but certainly the most problematic was Zeraora. This youngling was but a young child, barely developed in lieu of their evidently tender age. Yet despite that, tragedy can hurt anyone, no matter how young a mon is. The whole incident left the poor child in a bad state of silence. To watch and lose someone in such a…vile fashion like that would break anyone. Worse yet, his aging is quite slow, meaning that whoever would take him in would have to stay off duty for years, at least several decades at best. Furthermore, no one among the Electric-Types were particularly willing to take them as it would disrupt the balance of their normally nomadic lifestyle.

One legendary however wanted to take him in, Zarude the Second. He wanted to raise the boy. No, he insisted on it desperately. Prior friendship with the parents or not, if he went through with this, he would be liable to cause extinction of his ruling blood, and it’s already hard enough to maintain order with an established bloodline without losing it. And now this one dares to think he’ll be satisfied even still, even knowing that it would cause reparable damage to the environment in the long term. His abilities had allowed us to quell much of the mystery dungeon phenomenon thanks to his ability to control plant life.

We’ve warned him of the possibility, but the stubborn mon would not hear any of it, only replying. “If Arceus wants someone to be his dungeon tamer, then he can make one himself.”

Hearing such vile words from one of our own made me furious. Though I and several others such as Tornadus opposed the decision, others including the Shaymin representative showed sympathy for Zarude’s plea. And so…the decision was made.

The following shows our full decision regarding the victimized younglings;

• Luca (Lugia the Fourth) – 76 Years (19 Ages Old) – She will be taken to Ho-Oh’s abode at the Air Continent where she will complete her training in the near future.
• Ama (Diancie the Third) – 60 Years (8 Ages Old) – She will reside with her Carbink subjects in the Sand Continent. To be frank, this was probably the least consequential of the arrangements since Diancie rulers rarely move at all, much to our bitter inconvenience.
• Olivia (Meloetta the Third) – 26 Years (4 Ages Old) – She is to be sheltered at the Southern Mist Continent for a time until she is fit to travel with Creselia. Until then, she is to be kept under the watchful eye of Reshiram.
• Slate and Scarlet (Latios the Third and Latias the Third) – both 16 Years (2 Ages Old) – Until their stronger flight capabilities begin to develop, they are to be kept under strict and able-bodied supervision. To our surprise, Virizion the Second volunteered for the task herself. Merciful fortune on her soul. And to think she’s planning on setting up her retirement arrangements. Regardless, when the twins come of age, they will be sent to Rayquaza for the foreseeable future of their flying training.
• Galvan (Zeraora the Fourth) – 11 Years (1 Age Old, Soon to be 2) – Zarude will take the boy to an isolated and undisclosed location. As for why it’s undisclosed is unknown and baffling. Unfortunately, Arceus allowed for it anyways, much to my displeasure. He should know what happened the last time a Zeraora was left undocumented. In fact, it’s among the main reasons we keep records nowadays. The only clue we were given is that Zarude would reside in the Grass Continent until the boy is ready to be tested. He wagers that he can raise the boy and train him to proper potential. However, I have several reasons to doubt it, and not just because of his typing limitations. We will expect favorable progress in his reports in the years to come.

To end off, I will say that this year was an unprecedented disaster, a failure on our part as guardians. How in the world did it come to this? How could so many fall so easily? Was there a miscalculation? And what of that so-called settlement? That place, Silspring, is a problem and it survived the ordeal somehow.

As much as I wish for us to deal with that very abominable loose end, we cannot unfortunately. We have effectively weakened ourselves too much for such a lengthy task.

Regardless, the situation has been taken care of on all counts for the time being. We will await favorable outcomes for the efforts of our volunteers so that we may recover our stride and move on from the mythical losses dealt this year.

End Report.

Signed,
Calyrex the First