Iki Town was way smaller than I had predicted. With exception of three houses, most of the other houses were distant from each other and in the middle of them all, where there is what should be some sort of square, there is a strange kind of ring.
Hau went straight to the bigger house there, probably from that 'Kahuna' and went inside energetically.
"Looks like the Kahuna isn't here," Kukui said and turned his face toward the big central area, where some tents, probably of food, were already being assembled. "Why don't you explore this place a little, yeah?"
"Explore?" I wondered about it... It does not seem to have many places to see around here...
That is what I thought until I saw far from my own location some kind of path bellow two big trees with some kind of totem stone at each side of it. I decided to check it out while I can.
I walked toward it without another word, but as soon as I got closer, I discovered someone already had the same idea. A small blonde girl, probably she has the same age as Hau, dressed in a white dress and hat with a big and suspicious bag.
Of course, I followed her.
If there is something that my experience as Vice-Principal taught me, is that a young one with a big bag is not a good combination... Seriously, never trust someone with a big bag at the first sight.
She went through the path with a normal pace, and I followed her just a little behind, not far enough to lose her of my sight, nor close enough for her to notice.
We walked through a zigzag path until it reached its end, opening in space and following to a really old bridge. When she got closer to the bridge I was surprised to listen to her voice speaking to someone close, I thought she had noticed me, but suddenly her bag begun to shake and make a strange sound.
"Pew!"
"I know, I know, I'll take you to the ruins. So please stay in the bag until we got there." She answered and restarted her walk toward that bridge, but as soon as she passed through four totem stones, the bag suddenly gave a jolt forward, pulling her along. "WAIT, NEBBY!"
As for instinct, I followed her running too, but they were way ahead of me. She struggled to keep her bag under control, but before she managed to control the bag, from inside it a pokemon flew.
"PEW!" With that cute sound that pokemon that seemed some kind of gaseous mass (Does that even exist?) flew straight to the middle of the bridge sparkling a little, where it suddenly got attacked by a bunch of bird like pokemon, but instead of fighting back the pokemon just tried to keep itself a little safer, but it was not having any success.
I ran toward the girl that stopped just at the entry of the bridge with a horrified expression.
"Who are you?" Asked before I could interrupt myself, there are a time and place for everything.
"H-Help, please, save Nebby!" She held and shake my arms in desperation, her hat almost fell from her head with such sudden movement and her green eyes are filled with despair. "I'm not a trainer, so I can't..."
I sighed internally. That girl is almost crying, pleading for help to the first person she saw. Even if I wanted to, it is really hard to say 'no' in such a situation.
So, instead of saying anything else, I gave her the Pokeball containing my little Moon to hold, since there is no way that battling on that old bridge seems to be a good idea. And just like that, I jolted forward.
If it was a stupid idea? Of course, it was. Even with just one pokemon in that bridge (and four other attacking, but hey, they are not touching the bridge), the bridge was making some really serious cracks sounds. And that was when the first of the birds decided to attack me.
The pokemon is fast, but I managed to avoid it somehow, but it showed its price, the pokemon did not stop in time and hit part of the bridge that trembled dangerously. I kept running, but the pokemon did not give up and tackled again, but this time, his claws managed to let a big cut in my arm. I stopped, holding my left arm that seemed to be cut by three very sharp blades.
The pokemon strike back, and this time I lost my patience. As soon as it got closer I used my right hand to hit it with a small fraction of my strength and I hit it so hard that it flew toward the logs of the bridge and broke one of them in half and fell onto the precipice.
"I hope that have hurt," I commented to myself and restarted my race. I jumped the broken log and tried to maintain my balance, but it is a little hard when your 'ground' does not help you at all.
Running I almost fell twice more, and I was beginning to wonder how long is that bridge... Seriously, it looks smaller when you are not on it. But, the good part is that after that, I finally managed to reach the strange purple and blue pokemon. I tried to keep those birds away, but they had the advantage over us.
I kneeled down and tried to protect the pokemon with my body. These birds must be really convinced to hurt this little guy since they do not even stop for a second when I came to protect it, and immediately started to attack my back with their claws.
I could feel their claws slashing through my clothes and my back with sheer strength. I closed one of my eyes and groaned in pain, my back started to feel numb, and my face was already covered by sweat.
"Pew?" I looked down at the pokemon I was protecting, and finally managed to see it better. It is a small Pokémon with a gaseous body similar to a nebula, It has two wisp-like extensions that must serve as arms and an ellipse running down its body. Its front and back are black in color, and his cute face with shining checks is looking at me with nothing more than worry and fear on it.
I smiled to comfort the small pokemon, and soon after that I turned to face that girl, and what I saw... was basically myself.
The girl is almost crying and looking helpless as I tried to save her friend and failed miserably. Yes, I can say I understand this feeling far too well.
Suddenly, bellow me an unbelievable heat began. I turned my face to the small pokemon and saw his own face contorted with effort. I did not understand what it wanted to do until the heat that emanates from it grew more and more.
And that is when the entire bridge exploded.
Somehow he managed to keep me safe from the explosion, but without our 'ground' we began our fall toward the end of our life. I hugged it and turned my body to absorb most of the damage, I do not know why I did it, but when I did, I again saw that little girl again. The terror on her expression was something I could see even from here.
It is funny that my last vision in life will be a self-reflex in someone else's face.
I closed my eyes... I am sorry Celestia, it seems I will not be able to come back and help you with the school. I am sorry Moon, looks like our journey was smaller than I had predicted.
But even in that situation I smiled. Now, even if during a single second, I understand what is like to be the one saving someone else, and not being a useless person...
That is a good feeling, I think I can live with the fact that I died that way.
A sound of various birds being beaten at the same time caught my attention and I opened my eyes again.
That is when I saw it... Blackhead and torso with white markings on its chest, just above its eyes, and on top of its head. Extending from the top of its head is a large, orange plume with bristles along the back. There is a yellow marking covering the top bristle and half of the bristle below it. The bottom of this crest goes all the way to its neck, where it divides its face in half and creates a beak-like nose.
But just like everything I meet, what really matters are his eyes, his small, blue eyes with yellow markings behind them. He is looking deep inside of mines, we could read each other with easy.
I do not know what he saw in my eyes, but I know what I saw in his: Energy, ferocity and an untamed spirit that challenged me silently.
I narrowed my eyes in challenge. It does not matter if it is here and now or not, But I know we will fight each other someday... Someday not far away.
He wrapped me in his arms and carried me flying back to the side of the mysterious girl in white. He let me fall again toward the ground and jumped away from me and the girl in a fashion manner. He stared the pokemon in my arms for a second, and as fast as he appeared, he flew away like a lightning.
I sighed and stood up, the pokemon I was holding immediately flew from my arms and went toward that girl.
"Pew!"
"Oh, thank goodness," She kneeled and hug him, but soon her voice changed to an almost angry one. "You tried to use your power again, didn't you? You know what happened the last time you used it, you couldn't move for ages! I don't want to see you like that again."
I look at her but she seems to be thinking about something and changed her voice again.
"No, I know I shouldn't say that I know you were trying to save that time... And I couldn't even help you in return."
"Pew," The pokemon freed from her arms and went toward where the other pokemon had been and pointed something out whit his appendages.
"What is that?" The girl and asked walking toward it. "A sparkling... Stone? it almost feels warm at the touch," She took it and suddenly turned in my direction. "OH, I'm sorry, I am so grateful for your help!" She said with her eyes sparkling almost as much as the stone, and I could not help but smile.
"Do not worry with that," I said and waited for a second until I noticed I do not know her name. "But do you mind telling me your name?"
"I'm... I am Lillie. And I suppose this stone must belong to you!" She said giving me the sparkling stone with a bright smile, far different from the desperate face from a minute ago. Anyway, I took the stone with my right arm while trying to hide my wounded left one... I guess old habits never really dies.
The stone was black with a strange white pattern on it. I put it on my pocket and waited for her to give the next word, but since she, unlike Kukui and Hau, does not make all the conversation by herself, she makes it kinda hard for someone like me to keep a good talk.
"Hum... I have a favor to ask..." She said moving her weight from one foot to the other in an ashamed way. I just nodded giving her permission to say what she wants. "Don't tell anyone about this... about seeing Nebby. It's... It's a secret, OK? Come on. Into the bag Nebby!"
I do not understand why this should be a secret, but I nodded anyway and she put 'Nebby' back in the bag. She turned to face me and asked another favor. "Hum... I'm worried we might be attacked by other wild pokemon, or... Something else, can you please come with us back to Iki Town.
I nodded. "Yes, but can you please give my Pokeball back?"
"OH! I'm sorry, here it is!" She said and gave me my Pokeball. After that, we started our walk back to Iki Town, but I could see she looking at me from time to time. and that is when I noticed I have not said my name, but it would be really strange to simply bring that matter up, so I waited for her to make the first move. "Do you mind if I make you a question?"
Here it is. I just nodded.
"Why is your skin blue?"