“Hello and welcome to the wide world of Poke’mon”. Just a little disclaimer here: while Poke’mon, Ruroni Kenshin, and their characters aren’t copyrighted to me, characters such as “Landon” and “Zeru” are. In this story, you’ll join our young hero, Landon, in his epic and unusual journey in the world of Poke’mon. Equipped with a magical bell, he and his friends must stare down the face of evil, win every challenge, make new friends, and claw their way to the top. But can they stop the ultimate evil that threatens their world? There are many twists and surprises, so you have to keep reading if you really want to “Catch ‘em all!” in:

 

                                      Poke’mon X

 

 

 

       The loud sound of a boat horn bellowed into the air loudly. Flocks of Wingull and Pidgey that were startled soared through the sky. (The sun is up, the people are busy, and the boats are ready to part….ready to part? Where’s Landon, May, and Zeru?) Landon was snoring and drooling as he lay at the edge of his bed. The ordeal he went through had totally wiped him out and he was enjoying some refreshing “R” and “R”. Toya slept just as wild as her trainer, kicking him in the side from her dream. It seemed that May and Zeru were the only two who slept orderly. “….L…Latias…?” FWOOOM!! The bellow of another boat whistle shattered into Landon’s dreams and he fell out of bed. “Ohaa….” He sat up and rubbed his head sleepily. “…her name…is Latias?” His subconscious spoke. Toya was upside down on the floor, but still snoozing. Landon glanced over at the clock while his sight adjusted a little. When he noticed that the numbers weren’t all that clear to him, he held the object closer to his face. “…..Whaaaa!!” Guys, we’re late!” He shouted. May and Zeru awoke with a pair of sharp yelps.

 

                    Theme Song: Pocket Monsters X(treme)

Running at

The speed of sound

What adventures can be found?

Traveling the world all around

As fate just spins it upside-down

Little monsters

Everywhere

Find a new one and I’m there

Victory is just for fun

There’s no stoppin’ till I’m number one

 

Crys-tal,

Clear, and Shadow

Three lights—

That fight the way

Protect those legendary

Is my destiny!



Poke’mon X

(Poke’mon X)

Leading the way

Is my sweet victory

Poke’mon X

(Poke’mon X)

A mystery

Behind each one we see



Poke’—mon X

(Ex—Ex)

This journey I’ll run

Has only begun!!

 

                    Episode 17: “All Ghosts Aboard!”

 

 

       Landon, May, and Zeru rushed down the sidewalk in a mad hurry. A piece of toast was flying from Zeru’s mouth as he ran. “Landon, why didn’t you wake us up? You did set the alarm clock, didn’t you?” May shouted. “Hey, don’t blame me; it’s not my fault we’re late.” And it was partially true. With his glasses askew, Landon’s mind wandered back to the dream he had last night. Once again, He was in that luscious garden of trees and ancient ruins. He stood near the trees and beautiful fountains. The luminous aura of the mysterious Poke’mon flashed in front of him as she changed from her human form. Her jewel yellow eyes beamed magnificently into his own sapphire. She neared him closer and closer each second, backing him into a tree. Now that there was nowhere for him to run, he was hers for the taking. The Poke’mon’s cheeks blushed shy pink as she inched her face closer to Landon’s. Their breathing clashed with each other… “Landon, watch out!”

       Suddenly, Landon came rushing back to reality just in time to see himself crash head-first into a pole. BIIINGG! “Mudkip!” Toya leapt onto the ground just before the collision. Landon’s eyes spun around and around dizzily. His glasses fell completely off his face without a scratch thanks to the tweaking his grandfather did to them. “Somebody…turn the lights back on…” He babbled. “Oh my—Landon, are you alright?” May went to help him up. Zeru was concerned, but his breakfast kept him from saying a word. “Mudkip?” Toya grabbed her trainer’s glasses with her mouth and jumped into her trainer’s lap, giving him a concerned look. “Don’t worry; my ears’ll quit ringing shortly.” Landon smiled at them. He massaged Toya’s cheek (which made her tail wag wildly) and took up his glasses. “Great! What were you thinking, Landon Himura?! Do you realize that you could’ve been seriously hurt? What an idea to space off like that!” May continued on, but Landon blocked her out. Instead, he was much more interested in the watch on her wrist. It was about a quarter to nine exactly. At this, he gave a shocked gasp that caused some of the strands of his hair to stand on end. “Oh no! we’re gonna’ miss the Ferry!” Landon jumped up abruptly and swiftly. Zeru, May, and Toya were taken aback by this. “We don’t have time to waste. It’s time for a team rush!” Landon grabbed his friends by the arms and literally lifted them off their feet as he darted down the sidewalk. “Whawawhawaaaa!” May’s and Zeru’s voices rumbled. To prevent herself from being thrown off, Toya crawled inside of Landon’s backpack. People were pushed aside while he dashed through. “We can make it! We can make it!” He thought to himself.

 

       FWOOOOMM!! Another boat horn bellowed into the air as it left the salty-aired docks. The last boat left from the harbor into the sparkling sea. All that remained was the crashing of waves and the caws of fluttering Wingull. Landon, May, and Zeru stood at the edge of the docks, sweating anime style. “I guess we didn’t make it.” Landon sighed. “Well, this wouldn’t have happen if someone didn’t oversleep, we would’ve made-it-on-time!” “Are you saying it’s my fault we missed the ferry?” May and Landon butted heads. “It’s exactly what it sounds like—” “Am I the only one who thinks this is pointless?” Zeru asked. “STAY OUT OF IT!” The two snapped and Zeru’s eyebrow twitched, “You’re nuts!” They seemed to be better off at giving up for the time being; it wasn’t as if another boat wouldn’t come. “Ahoy there, guys. Long time, no see, eh?” May and Landon wheeled around with their fists still clinched. They were so busy fighting that they failed to notice that there was still one boat left in the harbor. “You didn’t think I was going to forget to repay my debt, did you?” The wily old man at the top waved. “Hey, it’s Mr. Briney,” Lanodn blinked at first to make sure it wasn’t just wishful thinking. “How’s it going, old man!?” Zeru waved at him. “Wingull! Wingull!” A Wingull fluttered onto Mr. Briney’s shoulder, cawing. “Hello there, Peeko!” May shouted up and Wingull gave a happy screech. “Don’t just stand there; are ya’ coming aboard or what?” The ramp leading off the side of the ship slowly lowered itself, attaching onto a nearby dock. “You don’t have to tell me twice.” Zeru lead the das to the ramp and skated up onto the ship. “It’s about time.” Mr. Briney said after they were all aboard, “I’ve been waiting here for hours.” The ramp to the boat slid up again in a smooth, but sluggish motion. At the same time, the anchor clanked in its own rise. The boat gave a heavy blow and the waves carried it away.

 

       Landon sat on the side rail of the speeding boat, allowing the wind to blow his hair wildly. Toya was planted firmly on his head, resting in the breeze. Even Landon had to admit she was a bit lazy. May and Zeru decided to be a lot safer and watched from the safety of the deck “So, where am I taking you three?” Mr. Briney asked. “We’re trying to get to Mauville City.” Zeru answered up to him. “Then I’ll drop you off at Slateport harbor. While your there, you should really kick back and check out the beach. It’s a good spot for a beach vacation.” Mr. Briney said. “Speaking of vacation, where’s Sogen?” May decided she’d walk up the steps to the wheel. “I couldn’t tell you. One day, he and Sentret just packed up and left. I assume they went to continue their Poke’mon journey.” Mr. Briney told her. At that, Landon reached into his bag and pulled out the Poke’sphere. Maybe now, he could start to actually read it. He flipped through the yellow pages carefully, but briskly. “Hmmm…..” He gazed at the pictures of different Poke’mon. Suddenly, he let out a gasp and his pupils shrank a bit. “….Is this some kind of joke?” He thought to himself. A thin shock of fear raced through his body. The page he had turned to showed a picture of the red Poke’mon from his dreams. But that wasn’t exactly what was making him feel so surprised and shocked. Underneath the Poke’mon was a human with long raven hair tied in a tail. He was wearing a white sarong with a black sash and golden sandals on his feet. The resemblance was frighteningly striking. “He looks…just like me!” Landon blinked. SPLAT!! A couple drops of water splattered onto the Poke’sphere and he snapped it shut to avoid damage. “Toya, what’re you doing up there!?” He growled. “Mud—kip?” Toya opened her eyes sleepily. She let out a yawn to indicate that she had been sleeping the entire time. “That looks bad…” Zeru pointed up at the air. A large sea of black cumulonimbus clouds hovered into the sky as if they appeared out of nowhere. They flashed with the threat of on-coming rain. “Awww…where did those clouds come from, anyway? There went my vacation.” May folded her arms. Mr. Briney looked into the sky with a suspicious expression. There hadn’t been any clouds in the sky when they left the harbor, so where did they come from? “Something isn’t right here. You kids should get into the cabin!” Mr. Briney shouted. Landon, May, and Zeru took the steps to the lower portion of the deck. At the end of the short corridor was a white door with a circular window (typical ship stuff). They pushed through and into the small cabin room. The winds picked up more strength and speed as it forced waves to stir along the water. The S.S. Peeko rocked back and forth forcefully. A rage of water droplets started to fall from the sky. Mr. Briney fought hard to keep the wheel in his control. However, the sea toyed with the S.S. Peeko by tossing and spinning it. “Whaaaaa!!” Landon used his sword to keep himself grounded, but May and Zeru flew all over the cabin floor each time the boat rocked. “Whaaaa!” They slid again. Zeru put his hands over his mouth; his face was starting to turn a little pale. “Guys, I don’t think I feel too good.” He said groggily, his eyes rocking with the wayward movements of the boat. “Don’t you toss anything until we’re off this stupid boat!” May shouted. “Does he even have a choice in the matter?” Landon blinked. “Now’s definitely not the time for jokes!” Zeru’s voice was muffled by his hands. Back on the deck, Mr. Briney fought over the wheel against the wind and the sea, but to no avail; the forces of nature pulled the boat away from his grasp. “Noooooo!”

 

       “Ohaaa…..” Landon opened his eyes, which sparkled a shimmering sapphire in the dark. Everything was quiet and still and he couldn’t see a thing. The old book was still clutched tightly in his hand. “…Toya? Are you okay…? Toya?!” Landon sat up quickly when his Poke’pal didn’t respond. The cabin light was dead so it was hard to find anything. He reached into his backpack and pulled out his flashlight. “Toya, where are you? Please answer me.” The flashlight beam bounced around the room. “Mudkip,” Toya’s voice sounded. Landon whirled around and his light fell on sprawled-out Toya. Her eyes swirled a little dizzily from the fall. He immediately scooped her up, allowing her to crawl up to his shoulder. “Mudkip-mudkip!” She rubbed her cheek against his affectionately. “May, Zeru?” He called. “We’re over here.” May answered. She and Zeru sounded as if they were over by the bench. Landon let his flashlight travel onto their faces. “May, we are friends, right?” Zeru asked. “You dork; of course we are!” “Then move your fat butt off me!” He pushed May from off his his back and she landed on the soft bench. “Oh, I’m so sorry!” She said hastily, giving a fake chuckle. Zeru shot her an “I’ll-get-you-back-later” expression. “I don’t think we’re on the water anymore. Let’s go check to see if the old man is okay.” He said, getting to his feet. “Good idea,” Landon started up the stairs; he wrenched open the cabin door, followed up by his tow friends. The rain clouds were still blocking the sunlight, but it had stopped showering. Instead, the air was still and quiet with an exceptional humid breeze. The boat was at a slight tilt in the beach sand. The trio walked onto the ship’s deck, “Mr. Briney?” “Old man? Hey, old Man?” “Where are you?” They called. There was a cough in response that caught their attention. Landon lead the run towards the front of the ship, where they found Mr. Briney on the floor. He trembled a little bit from shock, but didn’t have any injuries. Landon let out a sigh; he was certain that the waves may have tossed the old captain out to sea. May helped to sit him up and Landon fanned him with the Poke’sphere. “Oooohaaa….I think I’m okay; I can manage on my own.” Mr. Briney said groggily. He struggled a little to get to his feet and glanced around. It seemed like they were stranded on some sort of sandy island with no kind of civilization in sight.

 

       Mr. Briney walked along the side of the S.S. Peeko, examining it carefully. Peeko was perched on his shoulder quietly. Landon, May, and Zeru sat on the sand with their legs crossed and arms folded. “Hmmmm…” Mr. Briney ran his hand across the ship’s side. The weather had certainly done a number to it; some of the metal was terribly stripped, bolts and screws were sprawled out in the sand, and some parts looked as if something got its teeth to it. Still, the old man gave a slight grin, “Fortunately, it’s nothing I can’t fix. We should be back out to sea in no time.” He stated. Landon blinked at his skeptically, sweating anime style. “No time, eh? I wonder what his definition of ‘no time’ is. With that kind of damage, we’ll be lucky if he can even fix the ship at all.” He thought to himself. “I’ll give you a hand, Mr. Briney.” May spoke, walking over to him. “That would be great. Thanks, May,” Briney smiled. Lanodn simply stood up and started off in the other direction. Toya blinked before following him at his heels. “And where are you going?” May called at him. “I’ve never been one who could just sit around and wait. I’ll be back.” Landon waved without stopping. “Hey, wait for me, Landon; I’m coming too!” Zeru scooped up his backpack and started towards his best friend. Landon thought the beach environment would be a great spot to catch wild Poke’mon, hence the reason he started away. But on the more serious note, he really left because his stomach was begging for food. “Don’t leave me behind, Landon!” Zeru caught up with him, panting a little bit. He waited to catch his breath before speaking again, “So tell me the truth; you really came out here to catch Poke’mon, right?” It was partially right, anyway. “Yeah,” Landon replied. “Then I’m coming too.” The two walked along the beach, which was calm after the storm. Landon kept a sharp eye out for any Poke’mon that inhabited the area. The sandy dunes soon turned into small hills of rock and sand the farther they traveled down the beach. Landon took the lead up a rock bluff and glanced out around the island. “Now, let’s see……!!” He blinked to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. “Hey, Zeru, come check that out!” He exclaimed. Zeru ran up behind him and glanced out overhead. “What’re you so—!” His eyes beamed down into the distance. Far off onto the shoreline was a large wooden ship. The paint was peeling off and pieces of the boards were ripped and torn. The ship was resting at a slight tilt, buried in the sand of the shore. It actually reminded Landon of a very large Spanish Galleon. Zeru didn’t wait too long to take action; he jumped off the cliff and started for the large boat. “Hey, Zeru, where are ya’ goin’?” Landon asked. “Don’t you get it? I smell treasure!” Zeru cried. Landon frowned, grasped one strap of his backpack, and dushed down the cliff. “Mudkip,” Toya followed.

 

       At the base of the S.S. Peeko, Mr. Briney tinkered on the rudder with a wrench. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and dropped his tool into the toolbox. “How’re you holding up down there?” May asked from the deck. “It’s coming along…sort of. How about giving the wheel a turn?” May nodded and took up the ship’s guiding wheel; she gave it a couple of full turns, “Anything?” Mr. Briney scratched his head as the rudder turned rather sluggishly and off-point. He let out a sigh and replied, “We could be here for a little while.” May sweated anime style, giving a false smile. Meanwhile, splish-splash sounds echoed as Landon, Zeru, and Toya walked across the wet floor of the sunken ship. Inside was dark with a damp stench hovering in the air. The wood was turning green either with age or with the strange plants growing on it. Landon supposed that, due to the tide’s constant changes, water filled various areas of the ship. Zeru aimed his flashlight out in front of him, clicking it on when it got too dark to see. “Do you know what you’re looking for?” Landon asked. “Nope,” Zeru answered simply. “Do you even know where you’re going?” Landon sweated anime style at that question. “Not a clue.” “Oh, great,” He slouched. I much rather be outside catching more Poke’mon…or eating…or eating and catching Poke’mon.” Actually, he much rather be in Mauville city earning his next badge. They came to a halt at an old wooden door that was pretty banged up. Zeru reached for the doorknob all too eagerly. “Wait a minute.” Landon’s voice stopped him, “You can’t just wrench it open. What if the entire ship decides to fall on us?” “Relax, it’s not going to fall. Don’t be such a Combusken.” Landon folded his arms as Zeru pulled the door open. Behind it yielded a narrow hallway with doors lined up on both sides. Each door had an engraving off a jellyfish-like Poke’mon just above the doorknob. “Whoa; this is really cool, right Lan?” Zeru beamed. “Oh, yeah; the rotting doors are really great.” Landon said in sarcasm. Zeru lead the way down the corridor. He simply couldn’t choose which door to go through first. As he glanced on, his eyes fell on one door that stood slightly ajar. It just so happened that this particular door had the engraving of a fish Poke’mon with a horn on its head, instead of the jellyfish, Tentacool. “Lan, let’s check this one out.” “Whatever,” Zeru pushed the door open to be greeted by a few tiny rays of sunshine trying to poke its way through the wooden shutters on the window. The room looked as if it had belonged to a small child; the corner was decorated with a small bed dressed in pink (but rather dusty) sheets. Another corner was filled with tatty old Pikachu dolls. On the east wall was an elegant desk carved of wood with a vanity mirror on top. Zeru dared to touch a small music box on the desk. “You think this room belonged to a kid?” Landon prodded one of the Pikachu dolls, only to kick up dust. “Obviously,” Zeru answered. Landon looked up to the desk mirror. “I dunno’; there’s something weird going on. This stuff looks as if it hasn’t been touched in centuries….?” Landon took a closer look into the mirror. It looked like something else was in there besides their reflections, but he couldn’t see it clearly.

       Almost immediately, a hollow light took on full size, resembling a human more and more. Its hair was long, yet transparent and its eyes were glowing blue. “Yaaaah!!” Landon shrieked and dashed back in fright, only to slam into the wall. “Hey, what’s your problem?” Zeru glanced back. Landon’s voice flailed breathlessly; all he could do was point. But when he focused on the mirror, all he saw was their reflections. “Mudkip?” Toya blinked. “I thought I saw something in that mirror.” Landon panted slightly. His heart was skipping a few beats from fear. Zeru turned to him and gave a grin, “Do I detect chicken feathers?” He made a clucking sound. Landon frowned and his cheeks went red, “This isn’t a joke, Zeru; I really did see something!” “Yeah, right,” Zeru said. “If you—” Suddenly, Landon caught his breath in the middle of his sentence. Zeru and Toya gave him a puzzled expression in response. “Let me guess: You see it again?” Landon didn’t say a word. Instead, he just nodded his head. Zeru folded his arms, followed by a skeptical frown. Even Toya was starting to look doubtful at her trainer’s assumption. “Okay, I’ll humor you.” Zeru turned around and gazed into the mirror. His eyes stared right into the face of the floating girl Landon saw earlier. “See, there’s nothing to—?!” It took them a while to realize what they were looking at. They gulped once nervously. “…Yaaaah!! IT’S A GHOST; LET GET OUTTA’ HERE!” Zeru shouted. “Mudkii—iiiiiiiip!” Toya was so frightened that she scampered across the room. “Ack!” Landon gasped. Toya crawled through a hole in the wall that lead out to the corridor, the bell on her ribbon jingling like mad. “Toya, get back here!” Landon exclaimed. He didn’t care if he was afraid or not; Toya was top priority. He ran to the side and wrenched the door open. “What’re you doing?” Zeru shivered. “I’m going to catch Toya.” Landon called back.

 

Fast Fact Quiz: Who is the mysterious red Poke’mon that Landon keeps dreaming about? If you can’t guess, find out at the end of this Chapter!


This is the end of Episode 17, Part 1.