The events after the collapse of Temporal Tower was averted are less clear to modern historians. What is known is that over the next few months, Team PokéPals were involved in the rescue of an explorer thought long-dead, bonded with a Manaphy, and met with the legendary Team Charm, who are the namesake for the modern “Charm Rank.” These events, however, paled in comparison to the significance of the battle at the Spacial Rift, where they would encounter Darkrai.
It’s been about two hours since Kim returned, and there’s been little development over that time. I’ve caught Julius staring at Kim or I when he thinks we’re not looking, but he always lies back down or looks into the fire intently if either of us notices him. Kim, meanwhile, has taken to tending the fire, and ignoring everything else.
I’ve been reading through this text, doing my best to ignore the fact that the author seems well-versed in every subject except for the hero. He can recite the complete history of the Wigglytuff Guild, prattle on about the defenses around the Time Gears during that era, and even talk about the sudden reappearance of Grovyle and Dusknoir, but he doesn’t even know what species the hero was, or what he was like in person.
I find myself beginning to nod off, bored at the fact that there’s nothing to do. Julius won’t talk, and Kim is somewhere between too tired to talk and having little to say anyway. There has to be something interesting that can be done around here...
Wait a minute, didn’t Zoroark only send us home yesterday because I had spent most of the day there? That’s what he seemed to indicate, although some of it could have come from the fact that he had three extra people in his house that might have wanted to stay the night.
I walk over to Kim, and sit down next to her.
“Kim? I’m sorry, but staying inside is driving me up a wall. May I borrow a slim piece of that firewood for use as a torch?”
Without flinching, Kim shakes her head.
“No. It’s colder outside now that it was yesterday. I actually felt discomfort at the cold earlier, and I know you hate those kinds of temperatures when they’re reasonable.”
“It would just be for a few hours. I wanted to head to Zoroark’s to train some more.”
“Heath, when I was going around earlier, I stopped at three separate peoples’ houses to warm up between stops. Even in the dead of winter, I never have to do that even once.”
“But if I keep the flame close to me-”
“You’ll likely end up setting yourself on fire. Trust me, it makes much more sense to lay low for now, and hope for the best.”
I try and come up with a counter-argument, but once again find that she’s right. I sit down, and try to continue with the book. It’s not exactly interesting, but it’s something...
I find myself nodding off fifteen minutes later. The book still doesn’t have anything remotely interesting to say. I suppose it’d be good for just about anything other period-specific information but...
I look over towards Julius, and wonder if he’d have any interest in talking. I move over next to him, and try and talk.
“Hey, Julius?”
Nothing. I shrug, and with nothing better to do, figure I can pass the time sleeping. Maybe I can figure out an answer to the visuals from last night.
It takes a while, but eventually, I find myself...
I know this place. I don’t know how, but I feel like I’ve been here before. In front of me is a long, glass floor. I can see far through the glass, and there appears to be a long spiral staircase leading far below, where a mountain points towards the heavens.
Also of interest is the trio of Pokémon standing near the center. I recognize one of them from one of my flashes of information as Palkia. To his left stands a Pokémon about two and a half feet high. Her stance reminds me of a dancer. Only one red eye is visible at any time through her hair, but both are definitely there. For some reason, no name comes to me.
The third one is a large, ten-foot-tall quadruped. A golden ring shines around its torso. The thing I notice most about this figure is the raw power it seems to radiate. Were I actually in its presence, I get the sense that the very air around it would feel powerful somehow. Even though I’ve never seen this creature or heard a description, there’s only one thing that this being could possibly be- Arceus.
Palkia, clearly angered about something leans forward, and bellows at the top of his lungs.
“Lift Wfusce! O fsgcsed hsfkoeeoij hsfkoeeoij di pcjd tiaj psf wvikojwdoij kyeslr.”
I take a minute to realize that I have no idea what was just said. I wonder if it’s a different language of some sort.
It’s only now that a name for the other Pokémon- Kirlia- comes to mind. The Kirlia steps forward.
“Ky Lift… Hlswes… Ps oe pwfklsee. Cjedwvls, yse, vcd pwfklsee. Vwffojq uijdwud aodp wjidpsf toedifdoij, ps aoll jsbsf vsuiks twjqsfice. Hlswes, lsd jy psfi lobs…”
Still nonsense, but the thing that catches me off guard is that the Kirlia speaks in the voice that I recognized in the last dream. What’s she doing here?
Arceus seems to understand, and appears to think it over, before nodding towards Palkia. Palkia bows, before speaking again.
“Ijus dps ecj fsdcfje, O aoll dwms ky vfidpsfe. As epwll tsedfiy od.”
For some reason, I feel an immense sense of foreboding at this event, as if I’m being threatened. Before I can try and puzzle out why, my vision goes black, and I hear the Kirlia’s voice cry out.
“Hcoum! Hwlmow oe uikojq rif yic! Fcj! Fcj we rwf we yic uwj, Pswdp! Idpsfaoes… Yic, wjt dps sjdofs aiflt aodp yic kwy-”
Snap!
I wake up, jolted by the sudden sound of the fire. Kim’s seated in front of the fire, still tending it. It doesn’t look like it’ll last much longer.
“You going to be going out for firewood again?”
Kim rolls her eyes. “Yes, Heath. No, you can’t come with me.”
“Kim, you know I could always ask Julius to tend the fire while we’re out.”
“No. If it’s anywhere near as cold as it was earlier, you won’t survive a trip into town.”
“If I stay close to you, it may not be as much of a problem. You won’t set me on fire if I do that.”
Kim thinks for a minute. “I’m really not going to be able to talk sense into you, am I? Tell you what- we’ll stand outside for two minutes. If you remain conscious and don’t beg to go back inside, I’ll take you with me.”
It seems like a sarcastic remark, but I’ll take it. “Sure.”
She seems genuinely surprised. “Er... That was more to make a point than anything else... But you know what? You aren’t going to listen, so maybe this’ll change your mind. Julius, take over.”
I nod, and Julius picks up the poker. Kim opens the door, and I follow her out. Immediately, I’m hit by a wall of frigid cold. I take a moment before moving forward, shivering like I never have before.
Kim stands a good fifteen feet away, and I struggle to reach her. There’s no wind, but there doesn’t need to be- I’m having trouble breathing until I get close. Even with Kim’s heat, there’s still enough cold to make it difficult to move. The seconds tick by, and Kim doesn’t say a word. I begin to lose track of time in my head- counting the seconds becomes a chore as my shivering interferes with the speed of my counting. Unable to do much else, I attempt to focus on the small bit of heat generated by Kim’s tail fire.
It seems like it’s been hours before I hear Kim speak.
“Heath? Are you alive?”
“...Y... Y... Ye...s...”
I didn’t realize how hard I was shivering. Kim moves closer, and eyes me.
“Are you sure you want to head into town through this? Or do you want to wait until the sun comes back?”
I’m honestly not sure now. On one hand, this is probably the only time in my life I’ve been this cold- I almost feel like I’m frozen in place. On the other hand...
“T...there’s... ev...every... re... re... reason...”
“We’re going back inside. I’ll see if Zoroark wants to come here. Is that fair?”
She doesn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she grabs my hand, and pulls me inside. She seats me in front of the fire, and looks Julius dead in the eye.
“Make sure he warms up. If you let him outside, I’m throwing you out with him.”
Kim leaves, and slams the door behind her. I’m still too cold to think, even in front of the fire...
It’s some time before I can think again. I turn and look at Julius.
“How’s the fire look?”
He grimaces. “It’s a good thing she left when she did- this is only going to last about an hour more. Did you make it through the two minutes?”
I realize that although she asked me about it, I don’t honestly know.
“Maybe. She could have asked me about it before the two minutes were up. One way or another, she made an executive decision that I’m pretty sure she was right about.”
Julius nods. “When it was warmer than it is now, I ended up passed out. I don’t think you’d do much better now.”
“I hope she’s not too angry with me. I did pester her about it.”
“Well, we’ll know when she gets back.”
I nod, and continue to warm up near what remains of the fire. The door eventually swings open, and Kim comes in with Zoroark, who appears to be in a state of extreme discomfort.
“I really hope you’re going to make this trip worth it, Heath. It just keeps getting colder and colder outside.”
Zoroark sits in front of the fire, and Kim adds the next few logs. Julius stands up, and actually speaks to her.
“You get some sleep. I’ll watch the fire.”
Kim seems taken aback, but nods, and curls up under a blanket. Zoroark leans towards the fire, and nods.
“Right. A small review of what you’ve learned so far...”
As Zoroark goes over the basics again, I notice that Julius seems to have started listening in. At around the halfway point, Zoroark has me find a basin, and he nods.
“Right. I don’t know if there’s a source of water around here, so we’re going to try something different. Allow me to test something real fast, though.”
He reaches behind him into his mass of hair, and pulls out the old Pokédex from before. He slaps it a few times, until it finally gives him the result he’s looking for. He scrolls past some of the data, and pauses right near the bottom. He looks over some information, and sighs.
“How did I not consider this? This explains the difficulty you’ve been having. Your ability isn’t Torrent- it’s Sheer Force.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What?”
“What do you know about abilities?”
“Well, I know what they are, and I know what Torrent does. Why isn’t it my ability?”
“Well, on occasion, you’ll come across a Pokémon with an unusual ability. When it happens for Totodiles, the ability is switched out for Sheer Force, which increases your attacking power, but removes additional effects.”
“So, the end result is?”
“A slight advantage for you. This means that when we haven’t been doing something wrong training you. As long as you go full force, you’ll be doing the move properly.”
I nod, and Zoroark smiles.
“This, of course, means that you’re ready to move onto the next step.”
Zoroark nods towards the basin.
“It’s empty now, but I don’t want you to use it as a source. This time, I want you to use it as a target.”
“What do you mean?”
“Try hitting it with water that you can’t see. It’s a similar principle to seeing the water before you attack- you’ll know it’s there. It’s just a matter of using it.”
I’m completely baffled as to what he means, but I focus on the ground around the basin. I don’t feel anything unusual, so I begin to focus inside the basin, around it, and above it. I can’t find anything that reads as usable water. I’m about to give up when Julius speaks up.
“You’re learning Water Pledge, right?”
Zoroark nods, and Julius continues. “Yeah, I’ve heard the attack explained before. Most Water-types I’ve seen using it try and focus on the ground, generally touching it as they do so. Not sure if that helps, or if it’s just a habit most of them develop. Why don’t you give it a shot?”
It can’t possibly be a bad idea. I place a hand on the ground, and focus on the ground immediately beneath the basin. Nothing. My attention is drawn far below ground, however. A few hundred feet below the basin, I sense groundwater. That’s what I have to use.
I focus on it, and try to move it upwards. It takes a second, and slowly begins to move. Over a few seconds, it slowly seeps through the layers of rock and soil towards the surface, and then bubbles futilely on the ground, several inches in front of the basin.
Zoroark slowly applauds. I turn to him, confused. “I barely did anything.”
“Nothing that can be used in combat. However, this is the most basic part of the move- the use of groundwater. With practice, you’ll be able to move it far faster, and with much more force. Think of this as a kind of bodybuilding- you think nothing of lifting an apple, but with the right kind of training, you can lift weights heavier than you are. This, of course, means that you’ll have to practice often, and rigorously. And with something like this, you can do it on your own.”
I nod, and am about to ask a question when he cuts me off.
“You can absolutely practice at the dojo, but I’d wait until the sun comes back. I’m barely able to move out there, and I have the advantage of fur. But then again, I hear that Kim’s already given you that lecture.”
I nod slowly, and Zoroark rises. “Well, I’m glad you’re ready to start on your own. In the meantime, though, I’ve got something cooking at home. It’d really ruin my day to find that my house has burned down.”
There’s a small bit of a chuckle at the end, followed by a look of genuine concern on his face. He leaves in a hurry afterwards.
It’s a few minutes before Julius speaks up.
“Speaking of things cooking, what do you have to eat?”
I realize that Julius hasn’t eaten anything all day, and come to think of it, neither have I. I begin to rummage around the room, looking for any bags Kim may have brought in when she was out. I eventually locate one, and open it up. Three apples sit at the bottom.
“I’ve got apples here, but there aren’t a lot of them. Do you still want one?”
Julius nods. “When Kim wakes up, we could always ask her to go out again.”
I’m about to toss him the apple when I hear a strange sound from outside. Kind of like a scratching with a low growl accompanying each scratch. I look over towards Julius.
“Do you hear that?”
Julius tilts his head. “Yeah. I don’t know anything that makes a sound like that. However...”
“However?”
“I remember that Raichu at the Link Shop was talking about strange sounds outside his house about a week ago. He said that they persisted for a few minutes, but ultimately stopped with no explanation. He didn’t see anything through his windows, so he never found out what was making the sound.”
“Did he mention any theories?”
“He thought it was some kind of prank, but I doubt anyone would risk going outside right now for a practical joke.”
I nod, and try to see out the windows closest to where the sound was emanating from. I don’t see anything, but... I can tell where it’s centered at. There just doesn’t seem to be anything connected to it.
Suddenly, I feel an ice cold shiver down my back, and back away from the window. Julius looks confused.
“Did you see something?”
“No. But... I think something might have seen me. What Ice- or Ghost-types are typically found in this area?”
“Some Gastly, a few Sableye, and a few Jellicent in a lake nearby for Ghosts. For Ice, we’ve got a Dewgong and a pair of Cryogonal.”
“No Froslass?”
“Not a one. Why?”
“Well... I felt a chill in here, and couldn’t see anything outside. That’s the only species I know of that overlaps the two types.”
“Heath. Turn around. Slowly.”
I freeze up. Julius’s voice comes with a sense of urgency, like a command. What can he see? I turn my head first, and catch a glimpse of movement from the window out of the corner of my eye. That’s all I see, but as it vanishes, I see Julius relax a little.
“Did you see a silhouette?”
“Yeah. Thing is, I don’t know what I saw.”
“...Do we wake Kim up?”
“Not unless whatever it is tries to get in. We might be okay in here, and in the instance that we are, I’d rather not wake her up for no reason.”
Julius nods, and the two of us focus our attention on the windows. As I begin to feel tired again, I look over to Julius. He’s about to drop off as well. I simply shrug.
“There’s no way we’ll see it if we’re tired. Why don’t we try to sleep?”
Julius nods, and settles down. He looks tense, but I understand.
Something we don’t understand is watching us.
