The night air was much calmer than it was during the day. Now that the city lights lit up the sky, Dune City really was a colorful jewel in the middle of the desert. The Dune Hotel was on of the most colorful and tallest buildings in the entire City. The lights to Landon’s suite were out. The two feather-soft beds were pushed to either side of the room with May snoring in one and Zeru in the other. The moonlight beat down onto the red carpeting and fancy nightstands. Landon stood on the balcony, staring down at the city. He was still wearing his clothes form before versus being in his pajamas. The very light breeze played against his bangs for a little bit as he went into a deep state of thought. “The Cielo Drive…..what is its true purpose? And how do I figure out the mystery behind it? Afterall, it was because of item that I have the pieces to the Fang Sword.” “Hmm…” He stood up form leaning on the guard rail. “I guess I’ll take a walk and stop racking my brain.” He started back into the room, closing the glass doors behind him. He picked up his sword from the corner of the wall. As he put it onto his belt, he watched May instinctively kept a safe sleeping distance form the Pokek’mon egg. “Mud-kip!” “Phanpy!” Toya and Phanpy skipped in front of his feet. Their tails were wagging and they sported excited smiles. “Ssshh,” Landon knelt down to them, “I’ll be right back, so be quiet.” He rubbed them both on the head and started to walk out. “Phan,” “Kip,” Landon felt a sudden tug at his pants and glanced back; both Toya and Phanpy had the bottom of his pants clenched in their teeth. It took him a little while, but once he got the hint, he smiled to them. “You girls wanna’ come along—is that it?” “Phanpy-Phanpy!” “Kip!” The two nodded excitedly. Landon  knelt down to let Toya clamber up to his head. He pulled Phanpy into his arm and left out of the door silently.

 

       The city was also much quieter at night than it was during the day. Still, tons of People walked and biked their way though the streets. “I hope Zeru doesn’t mind me bringing you along, Phanpy.” Landon looked down to Phanpy, who was on the verge of going to sleep. Even in the night, the smell of food was heavy in the air. Landon stared up at the stars to go out back into his state of thought. The fact that the Cielo Drive had re-located itself to Dune City brought up questions about the Fang Sword. He had all three pieces, so why hadn’t the sword appeared? “Lan? Hey, fancy meeting you here at this time of night.” “Huh?” Landon snapped out of his thought sequence. From down the sidewalk, Tsuname walked up towards him. The moonlight shone off of her carrot hair distinctively. “Tsuname? What are you doing out here?” He blinked at her. “I could ask you the exact same thing, Lan. But if you really want to know, I don’t really feel like going to sleep just yet.” Tsuname told him. “Same here; why don’t we walk together for a little bit?” Landon suggested. Tsuname nodded and they both started down the sidewalk.

        Meanwhile, two familiar teenagers sat atop one of the buildings. Yoshimari and Tsubimi folded their arms and watched the two kids walk and chat. “You know, I didn’t expect us to meet up with the loser.” Tsubimi blinked. “No, and there’s another loser down there, too. Let’s see how long it’ll take us to swipe their EX Poke’mon.” “No way!” She interjected to her brother, “Why be greedy and chase them when we can just go rob that museum?” “…..oh, I get it.” Yoshimari snapped his fingers, “Let’s get going right now…? Tsubi, take a look at that.” Yoshimari got to his feet abruptly turning serious. “Huh?” Tsubimi blinked and her brother pointed down to the street below. It was hard to see, but still visible; a troop of shadowy figures bounced around the dark streets like makeshift ninjas. Tsubimi grinned. “Oh, is that all? There’s nothing to worry about—we just have to get there before they do. That way, we can pick out the best stuff to steal.” “Right!” The two siblings nodded to each other and leapt into the air. They bounced from rooftop to rooftop, until they disappeared into the distance.

       Landon and Tsuname came to a stop at the intersection. Once again, the smell of food gently tempted their stomachs. But while Landon’s mind was on food, Tsuname’s expression was much more serious. By now, Phanpy was fast asleep and Toya had buried herself in her trainer’s hair. “Tsune, let’s go get a cheeseburger or pizza.” Landon suggested. Tsuname smiled at him, “While those are both tasteful ideas, I have something more serious to discuss with you, little bro.” “Whoa, it must be serious to turn down your stomach.” “Landon, take a look at this.” Tsuname took the bell from around her neck, stopping abruptly. Landon watched her hold it before him, closing her eyes. Suddenly, a small speck of light glimmered inside the bell’s core. It vibrated with a light ring that, as soothing as it was, woke Phanpy and Toya. Landon watched in awe as the Crystal Bell gravitated towards the amber-colored bell. “…that bell…so you are an Origin Waker, Tsune!” Landon exclaimed and his friend nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. I’ve been one ever since the day I met you and hoped that you could be one too. I guess it came true.” Tsuname smiled. Landon, however, wasn’t as calm about it. He was happy, but more so surprised. “Wow, Tsune!... but wait; if you’re an Origin Waker, then you must be out here for a reason.” He stated. “Right again, Himura. I’m out here because I sense a darkness hovering over this town.” “You sense a darkness?” He blinked at her. “Landon, I know the power of each bell an Origin Waker possesses. All of our bells can sense darkness, depending on the level of the user. Mine has the power to sense Legendary Poke’mon and powers of the other Origin wakers. Your bell has the ability to feel and share a spirit with Poke’mon. You of all people have the potential to understand Poke’mon the greatest.” Tsuname told him. “If you can find Origin Wakers, than you Must know Syorin. Could you tell me his bell’s special power?” Landon asked eagerly. “Sorry, Lan, but you have to find out for yourself. Right now, you must focus on your spirit’s weapon. I know you are close to unlocking it, you just don’t know how to make that final step.” Tsuname told him. She started to walk down the street with her friend following. Landon pulled off his glove to gaze at the markings on his palm. They were still glowing, but not as brightly as before. “Do we all have one?” Landon asked without looking up. “Yeah, but in different forms.” “Tell me, Tsune, how you became an Origin Waker?” Well, for me, it’s kinda’ a family thing. I was trained by my grandparents and parents for this.” Tsuname answered. It seemed that Landon was the only one who wasn’t trained to be an Origin Waker. While everyone else knew what they were doing, he was out dabbling at being a hero. Maybe Syorin was right—maybe his lack of training truly made him unworthy.

       “Landon, look,” Tsuname stopped as her expression turned serious. Against the shadows of the buildings, dark figures darted around the streets. They blended in almost invisibly in the night. The direction they were heading in looked like the way to the Oracle Museum. Landon and Tsuname looked to each other and nodded.

 

       The inside of the museum was dark and quiet. Tons of ancient artifacts were placed behind shimmering glass. The grand halls and rooms were filled with primitive paintings and pottery; precious metals and stones. The main room was set up with a fountain in the middle. Atop the fountain was on a pillow, seating the Ceilo Drive. Landon and Tsuname stood on the balcony bridge above, piercing down in the main room. They watched as two shadowy figures darted around, creeping closer to the fountain. “Those must be the thieves from earlier!” Tsuname whispered. “Yeah, and I bet I know who they are.” Landon whispered back. The moonlight shone through the glass roof onto the fountain brightly, making the black cloaks of the intruders even more visible. They pulled back their hoods to reveal the faces of the two Team Darkhorn treasure hunters. “I knew it was them!” Landon whispered through gritted teeth. “Yeah, all ours!” Tsubimi grinned. “I can’t wait to sell it.” Yoshimari admired the Cielo Drive. They reached up to grab it when….KABOOM!! A mini explosion caused the entire to tremble a little bit. Yoshimari and Tsubimi looked around frantically. The sound of footsteps could be heard coming though the corridors. One group of steps came from the west hall while the other came from the east hall. Yoshimari and Tsubimi didn’t hesitate to skip off; they disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, leaving absolutely no trace of their presence. Landon and Tsuname stayed right where they were. From the two side corridors, two groups of people emerged into the room. They glared at each other once they noticed the other. The group on the left side all wore familiar black cloaks and the group on the right wore red. “Team Darkhorn and Team Magma!” Landon exclaimed in his thoughts. The guy in front of Team Darkhorn was wearing a slightly different uniform; his consisted of a long, sleeveless, black Japanese shirt, khaki pants, and a yellow sash bout his waist. He didn’t dare take his hood off, so as to not reveal his identity. The leaders of both groups stepped up to each other without saying a word. “Team Magma, I presume?” The Darkhorn folded his arms. “And you must be the infamous Team Darkhorn. It’s an honor to meet someone as famous as you.” The Magma member folded his arms as well. “As for us too. However, reputation shalln’t decide our differences. We both want the same thing, so there’s only one way to do this.” “Exactly,” All of the Team Magma members tossed a rain of poke’balls through the air; they flashed open to reveal an army of growling, hissing Mightyenna. From Team Darkhorn’s side, only the Admin pulled a poke’ball form his sash. “This is the Dark Division of Team Darkhorn. Our Poke’mon are so superior to you, that we’ll only call one.” He tossed it into the air, “Poke’ball, go!” It burst open in a flash of bright light to reveal Team Darkhorn’s signature Poke’mon, Loudred. “Loouuu!” It flexed its muscles. Landon blinked as his eyes turned a sort of crystal color. He could see a purplish-black aura emanating from Loudred’s body. Somehow, he could tell there was something—some kind of object—living inside of it. “There’s something wrong with that Poke’mon, Tsuname.” He whispered. “Yeah, I know…” Tsuname stated.

       “Oh, really, Darkhorn. I applaud your courage, but this isn’t a joke.” The Magma group leader stated, “You expect me to believe your single Poke’mon can stand up to my division’s prowess? It would be laughable if this weren’t such a serious matter.” “I can assure you one thing; I’m dead serious. Let’s just say my Poke’mon has been enhanced, so to speak, by a special seed. This makes it much more formidable even against two of your armies.” The Darkhorn Admin told him, “We want to test this new invention out on a larger and stronger Poke’mon. That is why want the Cielo drive.” “Well, we want to control that Poke’mon, so we’ll just have to defeat your ‘superior’ Poke’mon. Go, attack!” The Magma Admin stated. There was a loud howl as the Mightyenna rushed forward with their teeth bared. “So, they’re going to put that same aura in Legendary Poke’mon?” Tsuname asked, her bangs hiding her eyes. “It looks that way.” Landon told her. “Go, Loudred; use Chaos Punch!” The Darkhorn Admin pointed forward. “Chaos—what?” Tsuname and Landon blinked. Loudred drew back its fist, causing it to glimmer with purplish shadow energy; it thrust its fist forward and struck down the entire onslaught of Mightyenna in one single strike. Howls sounded as the hyena—coyote crossbreed Poke’mon crashed to the ground. There was an awkward silence from Team Magma as Loudred grinned. “Loudred!” It clenched its fists. Landon could see that the aura around it was staring to pulsate. “Now do you see the true power I posses?” The Darkhorn Admin lifted his hood slightly to reveal his green eyes. “Landon, as Origin wakers, we have to step in.” Tsuname said and Landon blinked at her. “Unlike you, my spirit’s weapon can’t assume a physical form.” She held up her hand, “Rather, they come in the shape of energy bursts. I’ll use a small one so I won’t damage anything.” Landon didn’t say anything, but rather looked on with interest. Tsuname’s index finger started to glimmer with an amber-colored energy. It sparkled and sizzled as it grew, then shrank down to the size of a marble. Landon’s eyes glimmered with the glowing color coming from it. “Explosion Attack!” Tsuname’s voice echoed; she tossed the cackling sphere down from the balcony bridge. Both teams glanced up, but a bit too late. The ki sphere bounced onto the ground, blazing up in a very small, but powerful explosion. “Whhaaaaaa!” Both teams flew back, landing harshly. “That was amazing, Tsune!” “Mudkip!” “Phan…” Landon, Toya, and Phanpy marveled. “Thanks,” Tsuname blew air over her smoking finger. “A couple of kids?” The Admin of Team Darkhorn blinked.

       “Sorry, but we can’t stay and babysit.” The Magma Admin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cylindrical device; he pressed the button and a thin net spiraled form the top. It wrapped around the Ceilo Drive and pulled it back to its owner. “Ah!” Everyone gasped. “Retreat, Team Magma!” The Admin shouted. A dozen red lights flew from the members of Team Magma as they called back their Poke’mon. Without moment’s hesitation, the group in red dashed away for a hasty retreat. The Admin of Team Darkhorn glared up at Landon and Tsuname. “You two shall pay for your intrusion. Team Darkhorn, attack now!” He shouted. Each Darkhorn grunt reached into their cloak pockets and tossed their poke’balls into the air; they exploded in a bunch of bright flashes, all revealing the same Poke’mon as their leaders. “Lou—” “—dred!” They all exclaimed. Landon clenched his teeth—they all were producing the same dark aura as their leader’s. The Loudred all started towards the steps to the side balcony. They growled and hissed the closer they got to their prey. “Landon, this isn’t just an ordinary battle.” Tsuname started to sweat, clenching her teeth. “This is more than that; we have to use our spirit’s weapon to try and dispel the darkness inside these Poke’mon. It’s our job to make sure each and every one of these Poke’mon are freed.” “…Right,” Landon reached to his belt and pulled off the poke’ball marked with a gray star. Tsuname did the same and they both tossed them at the same time. “Go, Tambourine!” “Go, Starmie!” The poke’balls flashed open to reveal their two Poke’mon.

        “Let’s go!” Tsuname pushed off the railing and soared through the air. Landon did the same, followed by the Poke’mon. “Starmie, use Rapid Spin!” Tsuname cried in mid-air. “Kuuu!” Starmie spun its body like a Frisbee and plowed its way through the Loudred army. The kids landed onto the ground with a soft and deft landing. “Tambourine,” Landon clenched his fist and it started to glow slightly. “Let’s give it a Dynamic Punch!” “Furr-urr!” Tambourine’s paw focused a glowing energy just like her trainer; the two trust their fists forward. While Landon’s fist only caught air, Tambourine’s actually connected with two Loudred with explosive force. “Hmph!” Tsuname held up her finger, which lit up at the tip with an even larger sphere of amber energy. Her Amber Bell started to glow in reacting to her power. “Flame Explosion!” She let it fly of her finger. The blast crashed into one of the Loudred, engulfing it in amber flames. “Louuuu!!” It cried as a speck o black light shot from it. Tsuname grinned at the fact that the dark aura had disappeared. “Tsuname, what’d you do that for?” Landon asked her. After all, it was a Poke’mon battle; since when did the trainers get involved? “I told you already, Lan; this is no normal battle. In order to dispel the darkness, both Poke’mon and Trainer must fight as one.” Tsuname answered seriously as she and Starmie knocked over another pair of Loudred. “You have to use your own spirit weapon to free those Loudred.” “How are they even damaging our Poke’mon?” One of the Darkhorn grunts asked in awe. “They’re not human—that girl is firing bombs from her fingers!” Another stated. “Loudred, use your Chaos Punch!” The Admin ordered and all of the Loudred started for Landon, Tsuname, and their Poke’mon. “Ah!” “Kuuu!” Tsuname and Starmie jumped out of the way. BANG! “Huuuuh!” Landon staggered back as Tambourine was struck in the cheek and did the same. “Landon, I can only help you so much. You have to search inside yourself to unleash your power. You’d better find it quick!” Tsuname told him. The Loudred closed in on both of them, their fists poised for attack. Their aura’s, which were only visible by sensitive eyes, flared up except for the one that was knocked out. Landon started to sweat; there was no way he and Tambourine could take them all on. Even with the aid of his other Poke’mon, the aura around the Loudred made them too strong. How was he going to unlock the Fang-sword with all of those Poke’mon closing in on him. But if he didn’t do anything, they would be pulverized by Team Darkhorn. He slammed his eyes shut and forced all sound from his ears. Though his arms were still wrapped around Phanpy, he couldn’t feel her body. His inner self concentrated on delving deeper into his subconscious. Just like he had in the past, he wandered through the ocean that represented his mind. This  time, however, he was wandering—searching as it were—for some sort of answer.“Why is it that you do what you do?”



       “What?” Landon came to an abrupt stop upon the surface of the water and stared up at the sky. “Who’s there?” His voice echoed. “Why do you search so frantically for what can’t be found?” “What do you mean by ‘can’t be found’? I know exactly what I’m looking for?” Landon argued to the air. “The answer you look for does not exist.... The voice echoed. “Of course it does—now let me find that sword!” Landon started to run off again. “The answer you seek does not exist,” The voice continued, “Because you have not created it yet.” This caused Landon to slow to a stop with a look of thought on his face. “….create?” “Why do you want the answer?” The voice called out to him. “Why? Because no Poke’mon deserves to suffer. I want to free them from that dark aura. And….I want to find answers to my destiny.” He told it. At first, the voice didn’t’ answer. Rather it remained silent for a while as if it were thinking. A strong breeze caused some waves to build up in the ocean. That sometimes happened when deep thought was occurring inside Landon’s mind. “You’re as clear as crystal—your intentions are noble.” The voice now split into three separate ones, “We feel you are worthy of our power. Guide us as an extension of yourself in your journeys. There was a harsh rumbled form the ocean as three pillars of water rose up. Inside each was a different-colored specks of light. The column on the left was the first to subside, revealing the frosty ice-blue symbol of ice. The one on the right was next to subside, revealing the orange glow of the stone symbol. Last, the middle column collapsed to prevent the silver steel symbol. The three components encircled the air wildly like fireflies. The setting of the mind escape was turned from day to late evening. Stars shot through the purple and orange sky as lively as the three lights. The lights came to an abrupt stop; Landon watched them compress together in a tri-colored swirl. They slowly stretched longer and longer into a smooth, flat object. With a final flash of blinding light, Landon witnessed a glowing spectacle floating before him. The item was a bokutou, very smooth yet very firm looking. Its polish made the shimmering specks of light around it seem even brighter. Engraved on its side were the three symbols of the Poke’titans and some Japanese hiragana that read “Shikon-subeta”. “….the Fang sword—” At its name, the bokutou started to glow even brighter. As it did, Landon’s fang started to vibrate like a tuning fork.

 

       “Landon Himura!” “Huh?” Tsuname’s voice brought Landon back awake; he held one hand up and the Fang Sword materialized to it. “Phanpy!” “Mud!” Phanpy and Toya jumped to the ground, a bit started. “Thanks for that pep-talk Tsune. I can feel my inner power starting to surface within me.” Landon said. Tsuname gazed at him to see a crystal blue aura around him. “I see…..Landon, let’s blast through them!” She exclaimed, holding her palms parallel to each other. Landon held his new sword as if it were in a sheath. Little did he know that his Sakaba-tou had disappeared form its place. He let his instincts—his inner power—serve as a guide to his movements. “Team Darkhorn, Attack!” The Admin exclaimed. Both Poke’mon and trainers dashed forward towards the kids. Tambourine, Toya, and Phanpy clenched their teeth. Starmie just repeatedly turned back and forth. A spark of amber energy formed  a small flaming sphere between Tsuname’s palms. As she widened her arms, the sphere expanded into an amber wall of fire. “Explosion Flame Attack!” She shouted and thrust her hands forward; the wall soared through the air, striking a generous portion of Loudred. Landon assumed the stance of the Battou-jitsu. The aura’s of the Poke’mon pulsated even more the closer they got. “This is it—my chance to use my new Fang Sword.” He thought to himself, his fang vibrating. The bokutou started to glow a crystal blue, vibrating with power. With lightning speed, Landon rushed forward; his powerful legwork propelled him high into the air. As he soared, a crystal ring formed behind his body. “Battou no Tenchuu!” The Fang sword vibrated even more. Once he drew it out, a swirl of jewel wind spiraled out in a destructive twister. By the time Landon landed, the mini tornado had run its path, knocking down anyone who stood in its way. “….Darkhorns, retreat!” The Admin exclaimed. The Darkhorn grunts called back their Poke’mon to their poke’balls with clenched teeth. It was obvious that they were taken aback by the power of the two Origin Wakers. Following their division leader, Team Darkhorn raced down the corridor and out of sight. Landon let out a sigh and let his guard down. The Fang Sword stopped glowing and transformed into the Sakaba-tou. Both his and Tsuname’s ki aura faded as their body power regulated. “Good job, Tambourine. Return,” “Fur,” Landon called Tambourine back to her poke’ball. “Not bad, Landon. You got the hang of that quickly.” Tsuname smiled to him, “Good job, Little Lan.” “Thanks, Tsune, but Team Magma got away with the Cielo Drive and we still don’t understand those Poke’mon Team Darkhorn had.” Landon told her. “Yeah…well, there’s nothing we can do about it. Remember, we have to make it so we were never here.” She told him.

 

       The sun rose high into the morning sky. Once again, Duke City was a busy hustle and bustle of people. Landon, May, and Zeru stood at the edge of the city with Tsuname. Their Poke’mon stood at their feet on the warm sand. “So, you’re on your way to Littleroot Town?” May asked. “Yup, that’s right.” Tsuname answered her. “Say hi to mom—she’ll be surprised to see you.” Landon said and she nodded. “It’s only too bad we all couldn’t stay another day.” Zeru told her. “Yeah…oh, I have something for you, Landon.” Tsuname pushed back her cloak and reached into her backpack. Landon watched her pull out a white hat with a black brim. “Here,” She handed it to Landon, “It looks tacky on you now, but you may have a use for it later.” She winked at him. Landon blinked at first, then nodded, “yeah, I will!” With that, Tsuname waved goodbye to them and started in the southern direction, the wind blowing against her cape. The trio of friends pulled their Go-goggles over their eyes and walked in the opposite direction. (As our heroes walk on, who knows what surprises whisper on the desert wind. Find out on the next episode of “Poke’mon X”!)


 

Fast Fact answer: Loosely translated, the attack called “Battou-no Tenchuu” means”pull the judgment of heaven from the sheath”. Stay tuned for more Fast facts.

 

                                      “Shine the Sky” (Ending Theme)

 

Shine the sky!

Crystal power hit the high—

Flying current to my victory

Try and Try!

Never give the fight away

I’ll take every challenge that I can get in my hands

Des—tiny!

Prophecy I can’t ignore

Know what surprises that it has in store

Shine the sky!

A new adventure I will face

Another chance at victory with Poke’mon!

 

THIS IS THE END OF THE EPISODE.