Zenith Magus
5th June 2003, 05:00 PM
Here she is, the first fic under my new writing style!
The Meaning and the Way
By:
Zenith Magus
Chapter One- Setting Forth
To begin with, the world of Pokemon was a simple and happy land. Various species of the creatures thrived in the land, the water, and the sea. It all depended, really, on their genetic makeup. That determined which of the enviroments they would call home. A Pokemon can live within the aquatic oceans that seperate the lands of Johto, Kanto, and Houen. It can thrive on the land, foraging for food and going about its daily duties. Or it can live in the trees and caves, taking to the skies to hunt for its food. Whatever the case may be in terms of its habitat, a Pokemon is still a Pokemon. And that means it is open for training by a person of any gender. For you see, Pokemon are not the only race of this world. Human beings thrive upon this world as well, born and raised in the confines of their civilized shelters. When they reach a certain age, however, they are eligible to become Pokemon trainers. This means that they can go forth and capture these creatures in Pokeballs.
The Pokeballs are little spheres, perfect orbs. Laid on its bottom, the upper portion is red and the lower is white. These orbs work by using a beam of energy to deconstruct a living Pokemon into energy and imprison it within. When the Pokemon is released from its Pokeball, the energy somehow manages to reform into the same creature that was sealed within. This magnificent little miracle is just one of several tools that a trainer has to aid in their journey. This quest, namely, is to set out and capture as many Pokemon as they can within the Pokeballs. But that is not all. The trainers must then train the Pokemon for friendly combat- with the Pokemon of other trainers. On this journey, a trainer must defeat the eight Gym Leaders of the region he or she is journeying in. These eight trainers are classified as having mastered the use of one type of Pokemon each. In battle, their creatures are twice the challenge of typical trainers in the region. Should they be defeated, however, those who have triumphed over them will recieve a Gym Badge. Collecting all eight badges from those eight trainers makes one eligible for their region's Pokemon Championships.
In those competitions, the trainer must compete against other trainers who have earned the right to participate in the yearly competition. All of them battle one another, the loser of each battle being eliminated from the tournament. It goes on until only two trainers remain in the competition. Spectators then watch as the two engage in a final battle between their Pokemon, a true test of both the skill possessed by a trainer and his Pokemon. The winner of the last battle, and the Championships, is crowned the master trainer of his or her region. They are dubbed a Pokemon Master, holding the title until next year's competition. Then, he or she will battle again to defend their ownership of the title. For that one year, though, they've achieved a high honor. They will have gained a personal glory, a triumph coveted by most trainers. All the young children of the world seek to assemble a team of Pokemon. They dream of becoming a master of Pokemon, an honorable distinction in this world.
Society's adults and elders are fixated on Pokemon as well. Parents are only too happy to grant their child's wishes to set out on a Pokemon journey. That young boy or girl, after all, might distinguish themselves in the world. In the eyes of many, success lies not in being a rich man or woman or having an education and job. Rather, Pokemon Master is the most distinctive and high-paying job one could earn. With little or no education, a person could work their way up to a position where companies constantly pay you to advertise their Pokemon food, medicine, or even their bicycles. Huge amounts of Pokeyen could be reaped indirectly from such a title, making a master trainer potentially more rich and powerful than the C.E.O. of various companies. Even Silph Industries, the company that produces various Pokemon supplies, has a president who makes a drop in the bucket compared to a master trainer's potential fortune. That is not all. People commonly like to see Pokemon battles as a source of entertainment. They delight in looking at Pokemon battling against each other.
A world like this, drunk on its happy and peaceful life, suprisingly has little to no religion in all of its history. Never has their been a strong religion, one with firm teachings and beliefs spouted by their preachers. There has been a weak faith, shared by the people of all three regions. It is one that thanks a so-called God for creating our world and granting the world the gift of the incredible Pokemon. This religion drives them to do good as the God wishes. The reason is because this God wills that his people and creatures live peacefully in the utopian land he gifted them with. The faith has very few people who are completely sold on it. For most, it is but a simple belief to delude others into a false truth about the mysteries of this world that shall lie forever undiscovered. It is not a true religion so much as a place for people to recieve reassurance. They learn false knowledge of a god who never existed and do not believe most of it. Having recieved little to no exposure in the media of this world- they much prefer to talk and tell of subjects other than this faith- it is merely an obscure excuse for true religion.
That faith has been the only one of its kind for many years. No longer is that fact true, however. When the snows of winter melted away and the clouds parted to reveal the golden sun, this new religion came to be. Its existence is confined only to the computer code of the Internet. All information about it lies upon the webpage they have created. In a time when computer networks have become popular in the market, many are able to view this computer-based religion and all the information about it.
Man, woman, and child can all see the texts and messages of the Purpose. That is this new religion's name. Unlike the weak and enigmatic faith of the world, this one focuses simply upon a singular belief. Its priests and followers strive to make this belief a reality. The concept of this religion is simple, in all honesty. After long years of enduring various hidden trials and tribulations, mankind and the Pokemon have come to the conclusion of the Way. The Way is a term referring to the path man has had to walk as it endured the many trials- the time that passed, of course.
Now they have reached the point where they will have to endure a final task, a final test. This test seems simple, in all honesty. However, it is far from that. The book says it is but to locate an item called the Reason- an item whose physical looks are an enigma. A believer will know if they have located the Reason should a bright light start to shine from their body and a mark appear on their arm. As they get closer to it, the light becomes more luminious and the arm mark more distinct than its initial faint outline. But once it is discovered, the mark and light fade and its powers can then be utilized. It is, after all, a holy artifact spoken of in their religion. As such, it has holy powers. Only a believer can discover the Reason, but once he uses its powers, the whole of the human race and the Pokemon will be cleansed of the minor crimes and evil they wallow in. Then we shall be ready to live a true utopian existence. Ours now seems to be steeped in minor crimes, but that can all change with the discovery of the Reason and unlocking its power. By locating it, one may simply absolve the world of the criminal sins of the Pokemon crime group Team Rocket.
The message of this religious group has been spread far and wide across this land, and many have been able to listen to its message. Few have heeded it, however: they have either dismissed the religion as hogwash or care little of its presumed reassuring lies. It has gotten no exposure in the public circles of society, leaving it with a mere few who believe in its message. A simple few who have actually embraced this obscure faith. Many of these people have done it simply because they have nothing else to believe in. The remaining ones have chosen this group simply for personal reasons such as wanting to take a step forth in truly purifying this Earth. Whatever their reason, these people believe in the faith of the Purpose. These people do not vary in terms of their standing in life. Many are students working their way through the last years of school, while others are down-on-their-lick drifters.
Si Murawell fell into the category of the former. He was a boy of medium height and slender build. His eyes, dark pits of all-consuming black, had a look to them that could be interpreted two ways. They could either be contrived as gentle and sweet or rough and cynical. Mostly, however, they gave off sorrowful expressions that told one the wearer lived a tormented life. The boy's eyes did not lie. This person, thirteen to fourteen years of age, was cursed with schizophrenia. That was an incurable mental problem. Those afflicted with it would have the thoughts and souls of other beings floating about in their body. In those cases, the body served as little more than a vessel. Some of the worst cases of the incurable disease had up to five or six beings within them. Si's was quite normal, by comparison. He merely had two minds within one brain. However, this one was far more than enough for him. This personality was his extra, the manifestation of all his dark thoughts. It was his yami side, if you will.
The other personality, the hikari side, was the one who should have controlled Si Murawell's being. However, the yami side had overpowered his counterpart. As a result, the yami constantly manifested itself in his body in a seemingly odd case of schizophrenia. Once at the wheel of Si, he would become a sly cynic, manifesting all of Si's evil. The hikari, on the other hand, would stand by and watch as the evil personae went on a rampage. Long ago had the hikari learnt to bow to the yami's will-
if he did not, the yami would force Si to physically harm himself. So Si stood by and let his dark side take over, fearful of what might happen if he refused. As his dark side slid into control, the yami would promptly proceed to commit acts that certainly were not of the good nature. However, in his host's home of Pallet Town in Kanto, he was able to do little but violently abuse his host. It was a thing he delighted in, but a thing that kept them from ever being able to go on a Pokemon journey. For the Murawell family would not let their son go because he was a danger to himself. Forced to live at home, he could only enjoy the teachings of the religion of the Purpose. His yami was drawn to it, and soon became a devotee.
Eventually, the violent acts and rages of the yami became common knowledge among Pallet Town's people. The Murawell family was soon the subject of slanderous gossip and untrue yet vile stories. All of this was caused by Si's outlandish behavior when his yami took over. They feared it, but instead manifested that fear into hate of the Murawell line. It may very well have turned into something much more should he have commited something truly bad. So, at the tender age of ten, the boy was sent to Cinnabar Island to recieve schooling at the Cinnabar Pokemon University. Their plan was to make him spend the rest of his school life there- the school offered classes for all grades. Once he'd completed that, he would be old enough to live on his own. And if it all went well, the Murawell line would be able to salvage its remaining dignity as members of the Pallet community. So far, it had been working- Si agreed to go to the Cinnabar University. While it was his yami who chose to go there just to escape the hatred of Pallet's residents, Si still liked the idea of studying in Pokemon-oriented classes.
Upon reaching the isle, Si had viewed the place. The majority of it was ruined after a catastrophic eruption of the large volcano on the isle, but there was a small pocket still thriving with people. The place was hardly a vacation spot- amazingly, even the beaches were somewhat marred. The island city's Gym Leader, Blaine, had even left the town. He had set up a new Gym on the Seafoam Islands out to the east of Cinnabar. They'd even established a city on that nice relaxing isle. The result of that was a big vacation town reduced to living ruins. Most still attended the isle's university, however- the fees they paid to the island's various stores and the owners of their apartments barely kept the economy alive. Si did not care for the place, however.His yami was a being of darkness, and this pathetic town served to be a perfect dwelling place for him. And his real being lived in fear of his yami, so did it matter what he thought? The yami would still have its way.
Upon enrolling in the University, located in town, Si proceeded to live in the school dormitories. They were located several blocks away from the massive school, built on the remains of some island labratories. The dorms were little more than glorified apartment buildings. His dorm was a squat building, however. It was made of solid stone. The innards housed all of the boys of the University. The girls, on the other hand, lived in the dorms next door. Those were exact replicas of the male rooms, mostly. The boys lived in a building that housed rooms for forty to fifty people of their gender. Basic facilities were also provided, in addition to a library for studying learnt lessons. Rules were strictly enforced in here. Severe punishments were dealt out to those who disobeyed the rules. Most of the teachers seemed to fit the stereotype of the sarcastic, cutting child-hater. They demanded the best, expected the best, and worked the students as if they were tireless automatons.
Life for Si and his dark side was a pure and eternal penance. Socially inept due to his mental problems, he was the target of
many pranks and jokes from his fellow dormmates. Constantly, he would find himself the butt of jokes poking fun at his schizophrenia problem. His yami, the dominant personality, could take the nettling. When they went too far, however, the yami would feel free to respond with nastier pranks against them. As a result, the students learnt their lesson somewhat. They kept their jokes down to a certain level, but still made fun of him. And the teachers were twice as bad. To Si, it seemed as if they were trying to work him harder than everybody else. Always they would respond with more menace to him than the others. It was as if they all hated and feared the young person like his neighbors in Pallet had. He did perform well in their classes, however. That seemed to direct more of their wrath at him. It seemed to make him the target of cutting remarks and more assignments. For to them, his decent performance was like spitting in their faces outright.
Si lived a horrible life in his small dorm room. He was only able to find solace and peace there, and even then his yami would target him. His room with walls painted white and a desk for his computer- school property- was all he had. The bed was the only other thing- the floor was hardwood, planks of medium thickness. But the computer was where he found solace. For through the Internet service of the dorm, Si could use this device to read the teachings of the Purpose upon completion of schoolwork. Every day, after finishing the mound of assignments he had, he would spend some time poring over the Purpose's teachings. In a place where there was nothing for him, no friends whatsoever, the Purpose was like his very life. The yami became enchanted with the religion. This owed to the fact that he bought into the purification of the world. It was a thing he wished he could perform himself, but by killing the impure. That desire was a warped part of Si's pacifism. The hikari had doubts about this religion, but did not speak up. After all, the yami would violently repress him by harming his very body. The hikari did not want that to happen, and so kept his mouth shut on the matter.
As time passed, Si's yami soon discovered the part of finding the Reason. To him, it was a way to purify the world. Since that was something his yami wished to do, the yami would naturally like it. And he did. The idea of journeying forth to find the Reason, to purify the world of people he thought were intolerant fools, all of it appealed to him. And it also appealed to the hikari. A journey would of course be the perfect way to remove himself from the prison. The hikari also had another reason, of course. He assumed that such a great item, with its divine powers, could easily purify him. He thusly hoped that he could remove the yami, the curse from his body. Besides, the being's morals were warped- what would it use the Reason for? To kill? To destroy? The hikari side thusly agreed with the yami on the journey. He played it out as a fearful and reluctant agreement. And in a sense, it was. If the yami found out the hikari's plans, much pain would be in store for him.
Thusly, the cold and calculating yami set his plans in motion. First, he called his family in Pallet through a phone provided in the dorms. Across the river, Mr. Murawell picked up the phone. In no uncertain terms and with the cold tone Mr. Murawell knew he used, he told his father he was quitting school for a Pokemon journey. The statement was partly true. He would be setting out on a quest to find the Reason. But first, he would steal a Pokemon from the Pokemon hospital in town for protection. As such, he'd be on a journey. It would be a journey with Pokemon, one that could be called a Pokemon quest. Si's father suprisingly agreed. His shame towards his mentally ill son had turned into the same hatred his neighbors shared of Si. If the boy set out on a Pokemon journey, he would be old enough to live on his own when he stopped. And then the Murawell clan could salvage their standings in Pallet society. So the Murawells accepted their son's choice, cheering in private.
The next part of his plan was to leave school forever. So, as the morning sun rose in the sky to bathe the world in nourishing gold rays, Si Murawell entered the office of the University dean. In no uncertain terms did he say that he would be leaving school for good. Rather, it was crystal-clear he would be gone forever from the University soon. The dean, somewhat suprised by this, phoned the Murawell family to ask if they consented to Si's choice. Parental consent was required for someone to leave the school forever. When the dean learnt that young Murawell's family supported his choice, he quickly began to process the boy's self-expulsion. By the time the sun was high in the sky, Si was no longer a student at the school. His records of his school grades were locked away from the school storage files. At the mid-afternoon time, he was soon packing his various clothes into a backpack. Other needed belongings went in, and his room was emptied of everything else. His files were deleted from the computer, all of his other personal effects sent away. By mid-evening, Si was out on the lonely streets of the ruined isle city.
That didn't matter, of course. Everything was working out. Now, it was time for the final part of his plan. This, of course, being to gain a trainer's permit and steal a Pokemon. He wished to do the former because he would need one in order to be able to roam the lands. A confrontation with suspicious police would not go well if he didn't have one. The latter he wished to accomplish simply because he needed a Pokemon to protect himself from wild Pokemon and other threats. Si's yami was easily able to accomplish the first part. The test had taken place within an exam room in the Pokemon Center, the Pokemon hospital. Each of the five candidates there was tested individually, in a small white room with only a chair and desk. The rest was blank white, and nothing else was there. Except for the examiner, a tall and imposing figure in black sunglassed and with black hair, all was empty white. The test was short and brief, easy too. Si watched confidently from his seat as the examiner asked the first of three questions.
" Question number one. " boomed the examiner in a deep voice.
" You are facing a wild Magmar. With you are three Pokemon- Seadra, Gardevoir, and Flaffy. What Pokemon would best be able to defeat the enemy? You have a minute to come up with an answer. "
" The answer is Seadra. " said Si. The yami was in control, making his voice seem deeper than the slight tone it really was. Si's yami was correct. Seadra, being a water-type Pokemon, would best be able to withstand Magmar's fire-based attacks and counter perfectly. In his head, the yami smirked, his deep voice echoing through Si's mind.
< Heh. I can see that I got that answer correct. > uttered the yami confidently in Si's mind. There, it resembled a taller version of him with fierce eyes. The hikari, a replica of Si, stood off to the side in his mind, letting the yami hold control.
" Alright. Here is question number two. " said the examiner. " You are now fighting a Pidgeot. The battle takes place near a lake. The Pokemon you can choose from are Graveler and Kingdra. Which do you pick? You have the same amount of time as the last one. "
< Hmm. > thought the yami as he mulled it over, picking Si's brain for knowledge. He knew that Graveler could easily best the flyer with its rock attacks, but would be unable to continue the battle should Pidgeot hang out deep in the projected lake. Kingdra, on the other hand, was a Seadra evolution that could take the fight to the lake. < I think the answer is.... >
"... Kingdra. " uttered he in the real world, ever in the yami's tone.
" Good job... " said the examiner, emotionless as a rock. " Now comes the final question. I will send out three Pokemon from these Pokeballs. " Here he pointed to three of them hanging from the belt of his pants. " You will be given a trio of Pokemon names now- Charmander, Drowzee, and Gastly. Match the names to their bearers and you can become a trainer. " At this point, he stepped forward and placed the three Pokeballs on Si's desk.
" I will let you send them out. You have as much time as you like- begin. "
Si's yami smiled. This was the part where he would accomplish the second part of his third task. He had brought an empty Pokeball into the room and hid it in his pockets. After answering which Pokemon was which, he would then mentally choose the one he wanted. Calmly, Si then planned to switch the empty Pokeball with the one containing his chosen Pokemon. From there, he would have a protector. And he didn't worry about the chosen one being loyal to him. He'd learned of this question in advance, from one of the candidates who'd passed. It was always a constant, and they always used abandoned Pokemon or fresh-caught ones for the testing. So his source had said, and if it were true, it would be easy. The Pokemon would technically not have become attached to anyone. As such, it would have little loyalties and would become his protector. If it still resisted, he'd then have to whip it into shape.
Rising to his feet, he grasped the three Pokeballs in his hand as he arose. A t-shirt and shorts hung off his lean body. Under the eyes of the examiner, Si took a step forward and uncerimoniously hurled the three Pokeballs to thr ground. On contact, they burst forth in bright flashes of blinding white light. When that faded, three Pokemon were revealed. One was a cheery, upright fire lizard with a tail burning with fire. Another was a squat Pokemon, humanoid in shape with skin that was half-brown and half-yellow. The third was a transparent phantom, a ghost of purple energy with large eyes and a fanged mouth. It was a floating spectral ball. Si's yami quickly appraised the three. He knew the fire lizard to be Charmander, the phantom to be Gastly, and the third to be Drowzee. In his mind, he quickly went over which Pokemon would be best for him. Charmander was a fire-type, able to launch powerful blasts of flame. However, water-types were in great number these days and could best him. Gastly could avoid many attacks by phasing in and out of physical existence. It was a ghost Pokemon after all. Yet it would be weak in combat, easily felled once it was too tired to phase out. That left Drowzee. It was a psychic type, one few could defeat save Dark and Bug Pokemon. Since those types were underused among trainers, Drowzee was the best choice.
Calmly, Si identified the three Pokemon correctly. The examiner told him he was correct and congratulated him. He then asked for the Pokeballs back. Si complied, calling all three back to their Pokeballs. Before he handed it to the examiner, however, he quickly switched Pokeballs. It was the work of a moment to put Drowzee's Pokeball in his back pocket and replace it with the empty one. Somewhat smirking, he handed it to the examiner, who just stuffed them in his own pocket. He managed to keep the smirk hidden as the examiner congratulated him and gave him a slip he pulled from his pocket. This slip of yellow paper, when given to the man at the desk in the waiting room, could be redeemed for a permit. The examiner then crossed over to the long-closed waiting room door, opening it and calling out next. The next candidate was heading for the door as Si exited, smirking and smiling. Stepping into the well-carpeted room with white walls and many chairs, he crossed over to the desk where the man sat. Giving him the slip, Si was soon quizzed on basic info about him. He hurriedly have answers, looking at the door and hoping that the man would hurry up before Si was found out. The man worked quickly, and soon Si had a permit and a Drowzee. He thanked the man, fairly racing out of the room.
Inside the exam room, the examiner frantically turned his pockets inside-out to search for the missing Drowzee. Outside, the plans of Si's yami had come to fruition. Tomorrow, Si Murawell would step forth to start his journey.
END Chapter One
Eh? Expect Chapter Two on Monday.
The Meaning and the Way
By:
Zenith Magus
Chapter One- Setting Forth
To begin with, the world of Pokemon was a simple and happy land. Various species of the creatures thrived in the land, the water, and the sea. It all depended, really, on their genetic makeup. That determined which of the enviroments they would call home. A Pokemon can live within the aquatic oceans that seperate the lands of Johto, Kanto, and Houen. It can thrive on the land, foraging for food and going about its daily duties. Or it can live in the trees and caves, taking to the skies to hunt for its food. Whatever the case may be in terms of its habitat, a Pokemon is still a Pokemon. And that means it is open for training by a person of any gender. For you see, Pokemon are not the only race of this world. Human beings thrive upon this world as well, born and raised in the confines of their civilized shelters. When they reach a certain age, however, they are eligible to become Pokemon trainers. This means that they can go forth and capture these creatures in Pokeballs.
The Pokeballs are little spheres, perfect orbs. Laid on its bottom, the upper portion is red and the lower is white. These orbs work by using a beam of energy to deconstruct a living Pokemon into energy and imprison it within. When the Pokemon is released from its Pokeball, the energy somehow manages to reform into the same creature that was sealed within. This magnificent little miracle is just one of several tools that a trainer has to aid in their journey. This quest, namely, is to set out and capture as many Pokemon as they can within the Pokeballs. But that is not all. The trainers must then train the Pokemon for friendly combat- with the Pokemon of other trainers. On this journey, a trainer must defeat the eight Gym Leaders of the region he or she is journeying in. These eight trainers are classified as having mastered the use of one type of Pokemon each. In battle, their creatures are twice the challenge of typical trainers in the region. Should they be defeated, however, those who have triumphed over them will recieve a Gym Badge. Collecting all eight badges from those eight trainers makes one eligible for their region's Pokemon Championships.
In those competitions, the trainer must compete against other trainers who have earned the right to participate in the yearly competition. All of them battle one another, the loser of each battle being eliminated from the tournament. It goes on until only two trainers remain in the competition. Spectators then watch as the two engage in a final battle between their Pokemon, a true test of both the skill possessed by a trainer and his Pokemon. The winner of the last battle, and the Championships, is crowned the master trainer of his or her region. They are dubbed a Pokemon Master, holding the title until next year's competition. Then, he or she will battle again to defend their ownership of the title. For that one year, though, they've achieved a high honor. They will have gained a personal glory, a triumph coveted by most trainers. All the young children of the world seek to assemble a team of Pokemon. They dream of becoming a master of Pokemon, an honorable distinction in this world.
Society's adults and elders are fixated on Pokemon as well. Parents are only too happy to grant their child's wishes to set out on a Pokemon journey. That young boy or girl, after all, might distinguish themselves in the world. In the eyes of many, success lies not in being a rich man or woman or having an education and job. Rather, Pokemon Master is the most distinctive and high-paying job one could earn. With little or no education, a person could work their way up to a position where companies constantly pay you to advertise their Pokemon food, medicine, or even their bicycles. Huge amounts of Pokeyen could be reaped indirectly from such a title, making a master trainer potentially more rich and powerful than the C.E.O. of various companies. Even Silph Industries, the company that produces various Pokemon supplies, has a president who makes a drop in the bucket compared to a master trainer's potential fortune. That is not all. People commonly like to see Pokemon battles as a source of entertainment. They delight in looking at Pokemon battling against each other.
A world like this, drunk on its happy and peaceful life, suprisingly has little to no religion in all of its history. Never has their been a strong religion, one with firm teachings and beliefs spouted by their preachers. There has been a weak faith, shared by the people of all three regions. It is one that thanks a so-called God for creating our world and granting the world the gift of the incredible Pokemon. This religion drives them to do good as the God wishes. The reason is because this God wills that his people and creatures live peacefully in the utopian land he gifted them with. The faith has very few people who are completely sold on it. For most, it is but a simple belief to delude others into a false truth about the mysteries of this world that shall lie forever undiscovered. It is not a true religion so much as a place for people to recieve reassurance. They learn false knowledge of a god who never existed and do not believe most of it. Having recieved little to no exposure in the media of this world- they much prefer to talk and tell of subjects other than this faith- it is merely an obscure excuse for true religion.
That faith has been the only one of its kind for many years. No longer is that fact true, however. When the snows of winter melted away and the clouds parted to reveal the golden sun, this new religion came to be. Its existence is confined only to the computer code of the Internet. All information about it lies upon the webpage they have created. In a time when computer networks have become popular in the market, many are able to view this computer-based religion and all the information about it.
Man, woman, and child can all see the texts and messages of the Purpose. That is this new religion's name. Unlike the weak and enigmatic faith of the world, this one focuses simply upon a singular belief. Its priests and followers strive to make this belief a reality. The concept of this religion is simple, in all honesty. After long years of enduring various hidden trials and tribulations, mankind and the Pokemon have come to the conclusion of the Way. The Way is a term referring to the path man has had to walk as it endured the many trials- the time that passed, of course.
Now they have reached the point where they will have to endure a final task, a final test. This test seems simple, in all honesty. However, it is far from that. The book says it is but to locate an item called the Reason- an item whose physical looks are an enigma. A believer will know if they have located the Reason should a bright light start to shine from their body and a mark appear on their arm. As they get closer to it, the light becomes more luminious and the arm mark more distinct than its initial faint outline. But once it is discovered, the mark and light fade and its powers can then be utilized. It is, after all, a holy artifact spoken of in their religion. As such, it has holy powers. Only a believer can discover the Reason, but once he uses its powers, the whole of the human race and the Pokemon will be cleansed of the minor crimes and evil they wallow in. Then we shall be ready to live a true utopian existence. Ours now seems to be steeped in minor crimes, but that can all change with the discovery of the Reason and unlocking its power. By locating it, one may simply absolve the world of the criminal sins of the Pokemon crime group Team Rocket.
The message of this religious group has been spread far and wide across this land, and many have been able to listen to its message. Few have heeded it, however: they have either dismissed the religion as hogwash or care little of its presumed reassuring lies. It has gotten no exposure in the public circles of society, leaving it with a mere few who believe in its message. A simple few who have actually embraced this obscure faith. Many of these people have done it simply because they have nothing else to believe in. The remaining ones have chosen this group simply for personal reasons such as wanting to take a step forth in truly purifying this Earth. Whatever their reason, these people believe in the faith of the Purpose. These people do not vary in terms of their standing in life. Many are students working their way through the last years of school, while others are down-on-their-lick drifters.
Si Murawell fell into the category of the former. He was a boy of medium height and slender build. His eyes, dark pits of all-consuming black, had a look to them that could be interpreted two ways. They could either be contrived as gentle and sweet or rough and cynical. Mostly, however, they gave off sorrowful expressions that told one the wearer lived a tormented life. The boy's eyes did not lie. This person, thirteen to fourteen years of age, was cursed with schizophrenia. That was an incurable mental problem. Those afflicted with it would have the thoughts and souls of other beings floating about in their body. In those cases, the body served as little more than a vessel. Some of the worst cases of the incurable disease had up to five or six beings within them. Si's was quite normal, by comparison. He merely had two minds within one brain. However, this one was far more than enough for him. This personality was his extra, the manifestation of all his dark thoughts. It was his yami side, if you will.
The other personality, the hikari side, was the one who should have controlled Si Murawell's being. However, the yami side had overpowered his counterpart. As a result, the yami constantly manifested itself in his body in a seemingly odd case of schizophrenia. Once at the wheel of Si, he would become a sly cynic, manifesting all of Si's evil. The hikari, on the other hand, would stand by and watch as the evil personae went on a rampage. Long ago had the hikari learnt to bow to the yami's will-
if he did not, the yami would force Si to physically harm himself. So Si stood by and let his dark side take over, fearful of what might happen if he refused. As his dark side slid into control, the yami would promptly proceed to commit acts that certainly were not of the good nature. However, in his host's home of Pallet Town in Kanto, he was able to do little but violently abuse his host. It was a thing he delighted in, but a thing that kept them from ever being able to go on a Pokemon journey. For the Murawell family would not let their son go because he was a danger to himself. Forced to live at home, he could only enjoy the teachings of the religion of the Purpose. His yami was drawn to it, and soon became a devotee.
Eventually, the violent acts and rages of the yami became common knowledge among Pallet Town's people. The Murawell family was soon the subject of slanderous gossip and untrue yet vile stories. All of this was caused by Si's outlandish behavior when his yami took over. They feared it, but instead manifested that fear into hate of the Murawell line. It may very well have turned into something much more should he have commited something truly bad. So, at the tender age of ten, the boy was sent to Cinnabar Island to recieve schooling at the Cinnabar Pokemon University. Their plan was to make him spend the rest of his school life there- the school offered classes for all grades. Once he'd completed that, he would be old enough to live on his own. And if it all went well, the Murawell line would be able to salvage its remaining dignity as members of the Pallet community. So far, it had been working- Si agreed to go to the Cinnabar University. While it was his yami who chose to go there just to escape the hatred of Pallet's residents, Si still liked the idea of studying in Pokemon-oriented classes.
Upon reaching the isle, Si had viewed the place. The majority of it was ruined after a catastrophic eruption of the large volcano on the isle, but there was a small pocket still thriving with people. The place was hardly a vacation spot- amazingly, even the beaches were somewhat marred. The island city's Gym Leader, Blaine, had even left the town. He had set up a new Gym on the Seafoam Islands out to the east of Cinnabar. They'd even established a city on that nice relaxing isle. The result of that was a big vacation town reduced to living ruins. Most still attended the isle's university, however- the fees they paid to the island's various stores and the owners of their apartments barely kept the economy alive. Si did not care for the place, however.His yami was a being of darkness, and this pathetic town served to be a perfect dwelling place for him. And his real being lived in fear of his yami, so did it matter what he thought? The yami would still have its way.
Upon enrolling in the University, located in town, Si proceeded to live in the school dormitories. They were located several blocks away from the massive school, built on the remains of some island labratories. The dorms were little more than glorified apartment buildings. His dorm was a squat building, however. It was made of solid stone. The innards housed all of the boys of the University. The girls, on the other hand, lived in the dorms next door. Those were exact replicas of the male rooms, mostly. The boys lived in a building that housed rooms for forty to fifty people of their gender. Basic facilities were also provided, in addition to a library for studying learnt lessons. Rules were strictly enforced in here. Severe punishments were dealt out to those who disobeyed the rules. Most of the teachers seemed to fit the stereotype of the sarcastic, cutting child-hater. They demanded the best, expected the best, and worked the students as if they were tireless automatons.
Life for Si and his dark side was a pure and eternal penance. Socially inept due to his mental problems, he was the target of
many pranks and jokes from his fellow dormmates. Constantly, he would find himself the butt of jokes poking fun at his schizophrenia problem. His yami, the dominant personality, could take the nettling. When they went too far, however, the yami would feel free to respond with nastier pranks against them. As a result, the students learnt their lesson somewhat. They kept their jokes down to a certain level, but still made fun of him. And the teachers were twice as bad. To Si, it seemed as if they were trying to work him harder than everybody else. Always they would respond with more menace to him than the others. It was as if they all hated and feared the young person like his neighbors in Pallet had. He did perform well in their classes, however. That seemed to direct more of their wrath at him. It seemed to make him the target of cutting remarks and more assignments. For to them, his decent performance was like spitting in their faces outright.
Si lived a horrible life in his small dorm room. He was only able to find solace and peace there, and even then his yami would target him. His room with walls painted white and a desk for his computer- school property- was all he had. The bed was the only other thing- the floor was hardwood, planks of medium thickness. But the computer was where he found solace. For through the Internet service of the dorm, Si could use this device to read the teachings of the Purpose upon completion of schoolwork. Every day, after finishing the mound of assignments he had, he would spend some time poring over the Purpose's teachings. In a place where there was nothing for him, no friends whatsoever, the Purpose was like his very life. The yami became enchanted with the religion. This owed to the fact that he bought into the purification of the world. It was a thing he wished he could perform himself, but by killing the impure. That desire was a warped part of Si's pacifism. The hikari had doubts about this religion, but did not speak up. After all, the yami would violently repress him by harming his very body. The hikari did not want that to happen, and so kept his mouth shut on the matter.
As time passed, Si's yami soon discovered the part of finding the Reason. To him, it was a way to purify the world. Since that was something his yami wished to do, the yami would naturally like it. And he did. The idea of journeying forth to find the Reason, to purify the world of people he thought were intolerant fools, all of it appealed to him. And it also appealed to the hikari. A journey would of course be the perfect way to remove himself from the prison. The hikari also had another reason, of course. He assumed that such a great item, with its divine powers, could easily purify him. He thusly hoped that he could remove the yami, the curse from his body. Besides, the being's morals were warped- what would it use the Reason for? To kill? To destroy? The hikari side thusly agreed with the yami on the journey. He played it out as a fearful and reluctant agreement. And in a sense, it was. If the yami found out the hikari's plans, much pain would be in store for him.
Thusly, the cold and calculating yami set his plans in motion. First, he called his family in Pallet through a phone provided in the dorms. Across the river, Mr. Murawell picked up the phone. In no uncertain terms and with the cold tone Mr. Murawell knew he used, he told his father he was quitting school for a Pokemon journey. The statement was partly true. He would be setting out on a quest to find the Reason. But first, he would steal a Pokemon from the Pokemon hospital in town for protection. As such, he'd be on a journey. It would be a journey with Pokemon, one that could be called a Pokemon quest. Si's father suprisingly agreed. His shame towards his mentally ill son had turned into the same hatred his neighbors shared of Si. If the boy set out on a Pokemon journey, he would be old enough to live on his own when he stopped. And then the Murawell clan could salvage their standings in Pallet society. So the Murawells accepted their son's choice, cheering in private.
The next part of his plan was to leave school forever. So, as the morning sun rose in the sky to bathe the world in nourishing gold rays, Si Murawell entered the office of the University dean. In no uncertain terms did he say that he would be leaving school for good. Rather, it was crystal-clear he would be gone forever from the University soon. The dean, somewhat suprised by this, phoned the Murawell family to ask if they consented to Si's choice. Parental consent was required for someone to leave the school forever. When the dean learnt that young Murawell's family supported his choice, he quickly began to process the boy's self-expulsion. By the time the sun was high in the sky, Si was no longer a student at the school. His records of his school grades were locked away from the school storage files. At the mid-afternoon time, he was soon packing his various clothes into a backpack. Other needed belongings went in, and his room was emptied of everything else. His files were deleted from the computer, all of his other personal effects sent away. By mid-evening, Si was out on the lonely streets of the ruined isle city.
That didn't matter, of course. Everything was working out. Now, it was time for the final part of his plan. This, of course, being to gain a trainer's permit and steal a Pokemon. He wished to do the former because he would need one in order to be able to roam the lands. A confrontation with suspicious police would not go well if he didn't have one. The latter he wished to accomplish simply because he needed a Pokemon to protect himself from wild Pokemon and other threats. Si's yami was easily able to accomplish the first part. The test had taken place within an exam room in the Pokemon Center, the Pokemon hospital. Each of the five candidates there was tested individually, in a small white room with only a chair and desk. The rest was blank white, and nothing else was there. Except for the examiner, a tall and imposing figure in black sunglassed and with black hair, all was empty white. The test was short and brief, easy too. Si watched confidently from his seat as the examiner asked the first of three questions.
" Question number one. " boomed the examiner in a deep voice.
" You are facing a wild Magmar. With you are three Pokemon- Seadra, Gardevoir, and Flaffy. What Pokemon would best be able to defeat the enemy? You have a minute to come up with an answer. "
" The answer is Seadra. " said Si. The yami was in control, making his voice seem deeper than the slight tone it really was. Si's yami was correct. Seadra, being a water-type Pokemon, would best be able to withstand Magmar's fire-based attacks and counter perfectly. In his head, the yami smirked, his deep voice echoing through Si's mind.
< Heh. I can see that I got that answer correct. > uttered the yami confidently in Si's mind. There, it resembled a taller version of him with fierce eyes. The hikari, a replica of Si, stood off to the side in his mind, letting the yami hold control.
" Alright. Here is question number two. " said the examiner. " You are now fighting a Pidgeot. The battle takes place near a lake. The Pokemon you can choose from are Graveler and Kingdra. Which do you pick? You have the same amount of time as the last one. "
< Hmm. > thought the yami as he mulled it over, picking Si's brain for knowledge. He knew that Graveler could easily best the flyer with its rock attacks, but would be unable to continue the battle should Pidgeot hang out deep in the projected lake. Kingdra, on the other hand, was a Seadra evolution that could take the fight to the lake. < I think the answer is.... >
"... Kingdra. " uttered he in the real world, ever in the yami's tone.
" Good job... " said the examiner, emotionless as a rock. " Now comes the final question. I will send out three Pokemon from these Pokeballs. " Here he pointed to three of them hanging from the belt of his pants. " You will be given a trio of Pokemon names now- Charmander, Drowzee, and Gastly. Match the names to their bearers and you can become a trainer. " At this point, he stepped forward and placed the three Pokeballs on Si's desk.
" I will let you send them out. You have as much time as you like- begin. "
Si's yami smiled. This was the part where he would accomplish the second part of his third task. He had brought an empty Pokeball into the room and hid it in his pockets. After answering which Pokemon was which, he would then mentally choose the one he wanted. Calmly, Si then planned to switch the empty Pokeball with the one containing his chosen Pokemon. From there, he would have a protector. And he didn't worry about the chosen one being loyal to him. He'd learned of this question in advance, from one of the candidates who'd passed. It was always a constant, and they always used abandoned Pokemon or fresh-caught ones for the testing. So his source had said, and if it were true, it would be easy. The Pokemon would technically not have become attached to anyone. As such, it would have little loyalties and would become his protector. If it still resisted, he'd then have to whip it into shape.
Rising to his feet, he grasped the three Pokeballs in his hand as he arose. A t-shirt and shorts hung off his lean body. Under the eyes of the examiner, Si took a step forward and uncerimoniously hurled the three Pokeballs to thr ground. On contact, they burst forth in bright flashes of blinding white light. When that faded, three Pokemon were revealed. One was a cheery, upright fire lizard with a tail burning with fire. Another was a squat Pokemon, humanoid in shape with skin that was half-brown and half-yellow. The third was a transparent phantom, a ghost of purple energy with large eyes and a fanged mouth. It was a floating spectral ball. Si's yami quickly appraised the three. He knew the fire lizard to be Charmander, the phantom to be Gastly, and the third to be Drowzee. In his mind, he quickly went over which Pokemon would be best for him. Charmander was a fire-type, able to launch powerful blasts of flame. However, water-types were in great number these days and could best him. Gastly could avoid many attacks by phasing in and out of physical existence. It was a ghost Pokemon after all. Yet it would be weak in combat, easily felled once it was too tired to phase out. That left Drowzee. It was a psychic type, one few could defeat save Dark and Bug Pokemon. Since those types were underused among trainers, Drowzee was the best choice.
Calmly, Si identified the three Pokemon correctly. The examiner told him he was correct and congratulated him. He then asked for the Pokeballs back. Si complied, calling all three back to their Pokeballs. Before he handed it to the examiner, however, he quickly switched Pokeballs. It was the work of a moment to put Drowzee's Pokeball in his back pocket and replace it with the empty one. Somewhat smirking, he handed it to the examiner, who just stuffed them in his own pocket. He managed to keep the smirk hidden as the examiner congratulated him and gave him a slip he pulled from his pocket. This slip of yellow paper, when given to the man at the desk in the waiting room, could be redeemed for a permit. The examiner then crossed over to the long-closed waiting room door, opening it and calling out next. The next candidate was heading for the door as Si exited, smirking and smiling. Stepping into the well-carpeted room with white walls and many chairs, he crossed over to the desk where the man sat. Giving him the slip, Si was soon quizzed on basic info about him. He hurriedly have answers, looking at the door and hoping that the man would hurry up before Si was found out. The man worked quickly, and soon Si had a permit and a Drowzee. He thanked the man, fairly racing out of the room.
Inside the exam room, the examiner frantically turned his pockets inside-out to search for the missing Drowzee. Outside, the plans of Si's yami had come to fruition. Tomorrow, Si Murawell would step forth to start his journey.
END Chapter One
Eh? Expect Chapter Two on Monday.