Chapter 5 “So, we need to call this stone something,” Sawyer said. “We need to be able to refer it to something.” “I know!” Ann said, an idea in her head. “How about the Evo Stone?” The boys were confused about that name. Ann could tell by the looks on their faces. “I say that because its short for evolution stone,” she explained. Daniel nodded. “That makes sense.” Ann smiled at his agreement. “Hey, I have an idea,” Sawyer said. “Why don't we go walk around the river?” The three agreed and made their way towards the river. It didn't take them long to find it, because they were several feet away from it before they heard its roar. “Wow! It sure is loud!” Daniel shouted so his friends could hear him. As they walked beside it, Ann yelled, “don't fall in! The ground's slick!” Unfortunately, it was too late. Daniel slipped and fell into the strong currents. He tried swimming back, but the water was too strong, and he slipped down the river. “Hold on Daniel! I'm coming!” he heard Ann's voice calling him. She turned into vaporeon with the Evo Stone and jumped into the water. However, the water's current was too strong for her also. “Help!” they cried as they were carried away. “Hold on!” Sawyer shouted, following his friend down the river (he doesn't trust Ann as a friend yet). Suddenly, there was a yellow flash, and Daniel and Ann were safe. Something was holding them by the scruff of their necks. It had a big yellow body, a clear blue star on its face, and had what looked like a small cloud on its back. Raikou. It put the two unconscious pokemon down on the soft grass. “Ah, its nice to see you again, Wesley,” Sawyer told his friend. He looked up. “Its nice to see you too, Sawyer,” Wesley answered. He looked at Daniel and Ann before asking, “are these your friends?” Sawyer nodded. Then the two heard a moan. Daniel was waking up. “Woah!” Daniel shouted, surprised to see a giant pokemon in front of him. He prepared himself to attack before Sawyer yelled, “hey! He's okay! He's with me!” Daniel sat up and looked curiously at the big pokemon in front of him. They then heard Ann, “huh? What happened?” she asked groggly. “What happened was, you and Daniel were being taken down the river when my friend, named Wesley, saved the two of you,” Sawyer explained. “Well, thanks for saving us,” Daniel said to Wesley. “My pleasure,” Wesley answered. He looked at the three and said, “if any of you need anything, or have any questions, look for me.” He started to walk away when Daniel spoke up. “Do you know anything about my past?” Wesley looked back at him. “I may know a thing of two. I have friends who can help you.” “Really? Thanks a lot!” Daniel said enthusiastically. Wesley nodded, and showed them the way to his friend who could help Daniel. They arrived at a small cave in the middle of the forest. “This is where they are,” Wesley told the three. They all walked in to find a small group of unown floating inside. “Hello there!” Wesley said. “My friend here wishes to see his past.” He pushed Daniel towards them slightly. “Of course!” one of them said. They all then closed their eyes and started glowing. Daniel felt them going to his head and closed his eyes. He had fallen asleep. “Um, is that supposed to happen?” Ann asked nervously. “Yes,” one unown said. “It's so we can get into his mind and show him his past.” Meanwhile, Daniel awoke in his sleep. “This sure is weird,” he told himself. He was floating in total darkness before he saw something. The darkness changed into the inside of a house. It showed a boy about ten or so about to leave. Two figures, a man and a woman, were saying goodbye. “I guess those are his parents,” he said. It then hit him. “Wait! Is that me?!” The scene then changed to showing himself finding a treecko. It followed him in the forest, and became his friend. “I think I want to give you a nickname,” he was saying in his flashback. “How about... Sawyer!” Daniel looked on in shock. “Treee!” “Alright then! Come on, we'll see the world together!” “Ko! Treecko!” Tears were in Daniel's eyes now. Sawyer had been his friend, even though he didn't remember.... The scene changed to reveal a different forest side. He, as a human, was sleeping under a tree with his friend. “Wait, that forest looks familiar...” he gasped. “Its Legend Forest!” He walked into the forest, his real self following him. He was shown battling, but not something he expected... it was a giant garchomp! He was shown battling bravely, but didn't stand a chance. Suddenly, his memory self went unconscious, falling to the ground. Sawyer tried waking him up, shaking him, doing anything he can. “Tree! Tree! Treeckoooo!” the broken hearted Sawyer cried. Tears still welled in Daniel's eyes. His past friend was crying, trying to wake him up. The garchomp started walking away when Sawyer looked at him with hate. He ran towards the giant pokemon in attack mode, but was easy blown away and knocked out. “Sawyer!” Daniel cried. However, his friend couldn't hear him. Meanwhile, Ann, Wesley, the unown, and the real Sawyer were watching Daniel, who was still asleep. Daniel was talking, moving, and even yelling in his sleep. He was yelling things like, “no! Leave him alone! Sawyer!” Everyone then looked a Sawyer. “Sawyer, have you been keeping secrets from us? Shame on you!” Ann said to him. Sawyer then explained, “before Daniel turned into a pokemon, he was a trainer. I was his only pokemon.” As that was happening, in Daniel's mind, garchomp was examining his human self. “Yes, he will make a fine human experiment,” he was saying to no one. Daniel was shocked. He was a human experiment! Garchomp then picked up human Daniel and took him away. The real Daniel followed him. He was totally surprised about where he took him. “The temple! Why there?” he asked himself. Garchomp then took him through, Lance the salamence watching, but not moving. The place inside was huge! It was unlike anywhere he had ever seen. It seemed old, but it was in perfect use, despite the vines everywhere. “No! Let me go!” a voice said further in. “That voice, it sounds familiar...” Daniel said. Daniel's body was then brought inside. “Alright team! Study this human, and don't let him wake up!” garchomp commanded. “Yes sir!” some seedot said. They got to work instantly, examining his body carefully. “No, go away!” it was that voice again... “Hm, is one worker not co-operating?” garchomp asked one of the seedot. “No sir, I'm afraid not,” it answered. Garchomp then walked into the room where the fuss was going on. “I want to go home!” a little voice was saying with a sniffle. “Why can't I go home...” Garchomp walked in, looking really ticked off. “What do you want?” a little snobby voice said. “Why aren't you working?” garchomp shouted. There was no response. “Answer me!” he shouted. “I don't want to work for you!” the voice said. Daniel wished he could tell who she was. They were in a small room with one tiny bed, and someone was under the covers. He could tell by the sound of her voice that it was a girl, but he wanted to know who she was. “Well, that too bad!” he shouted, pulling the blanket away. Daniel was shocked. He knew instantly knew who it was, even before he said, “Ann! Get back to work!” She pitifully walked away, tears filling both hers and Daniel's eyes. “She works for him...” was all he could muster. He floated away, and the scene changed... Now, it was still inside the temple, but apparently a lot of time had past. Daniel now looked about six- teen, maybe seven-teen years old, and was still held captive by that garchomp. Ann looked older too, being approximately his human self's age. He knew then that garchomp was planning something... but then the scene changed. “Stop him! He can never escape!” garchomp was shouting. The seedot were now shiftery, and blocked the way out. He was making a run for it! However, he failed, and was knocked out. “He can never know our plans!” garchomp was shouting. “Wipe his memory!” Daniel could only watch as his human self's memory was erased. Garchomp, as he could tell, had plans for him. “We don't need him anymore...” he was saying. “I suppose we have no choice but to let him go.” “But, boss,” a shiftery was saying. “It would be very suspicious to find a human in Legend Forest.” “Good eye,” garchomp told him. “Turn him into a pokemon!” “So this is how it started,” Daniel said, watching as his human body was suddenly looking less and less human until a pikachu replaced him. “Leave him out somewhere. He'll be found,” garchomp commanded. Daniel was then taken far away from that temple and was placed exactly where Ann had found him. Daniel did notice that Ann was gone... “I can't believe, Ann, betrayed us like she did,” one shiftery whispered to another. Daniel came closer and listened in. “Yeah she destroyed some of our stuff and bailed,” the other said. “Jerk,” one whispered. Daniel couldn't believe it! She betrayed him! “Good riddance,” Daniel said. Suddenly, the scene changed to black, and Daniel awoke from his past travels. Oooooo....Spooky huh? Keep on read'n! :) Sheimi