James and Jen spent the rest of the day at the Pokémon Centre, and Jen handed her team over to Nurse Joy for a well-deserved rest. While Magby, Elekid and Zubat were being taken care of, Jen took Pichu and Togepi outside so the pair could get to know each other better. James sat on a bench and looked up into the slowly darkening sky, thinking about what was next as usual.
“Four Gyms down.” He laughed to himself, and Quilava looked at him with a strange expression. “It's alright, buddy. I'm just thinking, we're halfway to the Johto League. We've only got four Gyms to go, after all.” Quilava seemed to decide that this was good enough for him, so he just laid down on the ground next to his trainer. James scratched the Volcano Pokémon's ears, feeling Quilava relax beneath his touch. He never could have imagined getting this far so quickly, and so emphatically as well. It hadn't been easy, but he knew the road ahead was going to be tougher.
“So James.” Jen's voice broke into James' thoughts, and he turned to look at her.
“Hm? What's up, Jen?”
“I'm thinking we should go explore the city a little tomorrow. You know, see some of the landmarks like we did in Goldenrod.”
“That's an idea.” James knew if he suggested just moving on, he'd get shot down, so he let Jen continue.
“There's so much to see here! I've been reading the visitor guides to find out which places we should go to. The two towers are worth seeing, and then there's the Kimono Theatre. Oh, and the Bellchime Trail leads to one of the towers, we should try and go...”
“Jen,” James interrupted, making her scowl at him. “I know you're excited and all, but can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm too tired to think right now.”
“Too tired? You've hardly done anything!” As soon as she said this, Jen yawned, and then giggled. “Guess I'm the one who's tired. All right, fine, we'll talk tomorrow, but don't go trying to squirm out of it. Remember what Nurse Joy said.”
“I know what she said, Jen.” James turned to head back into the Centre, tiring of the reminders of Quilava's illness. As he walked, he heard Quilava growl at him, and he turned around just in time to see Jen's hurt expression.
“James, I...I'm sorry. I keep forgetting how much it bugs you to remember that.”
“It's okay, Jen.” James smiled just a little, to try and cheer her up. “You were just trying to help, that's all. I shouldn't have reacted that way, and I'm sorry I hurt your feelings.”
“Thanks, James. I know how much you care about Quilava; I'm your friend, and your traveling partner, but he's your best buddy. I would've reacted the same way if it was Magby, or any of my Pokémon.”
“That's true. You care a lot, Jen.” James laughed, then turned back. “I'm heading back to the room, you want to come?”
“I think I'll stay out for a few more minutes. The sky's so pretty right now.”
“Okay. I'll see you there.” As James walked away, Jen sat down next to Quilava, who hadn't followed him in.
“You okay, Quilava?” Quilava nodded and looked towards the door. “He's gonna be fine, don't worry. I just don't want to rush, you know? This region's got so much to see, and I want to see it all.” Quilava growled again, and started moving back to the Centre. “Oh, no, you don't!” Jen grabbed the Volcano Pokémon before he could move any further. “You're staying right here, mister. James can wait, you can afford to see this.” Jen called Togepi and Pichu over, and they all watched the sky turn from red-orange to a deep blue-violet. They remained outside for a little bit longer, then headed inside to rest up for the next day.
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Over breakfast the next morning, James and Jen tried to decide in which order to visit the Ecruteak landmarks. James wanted to go to the Bell Tower first, while Jen wanted to check out the Kimono Theatre. Eventually, they settled on visiting the theatre first, since it was closest to the Centre, and would visit each tower in turn later.
It took just fifteen minutes for their plans to go up in smoke.
“What do you mean, it's closed?” Jen shouted to no-one in particular as she glared at a flyer on the theatre door.
“Exactly what it says on the door, Jen. The sign says they're renovating the place.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means they're rebuilding the inside, or something like that. It's not that big a deal.” Jen looked back at him, then calmed down.
“I guess so. I really wanted to see the theatre...oh, well. Let's go see the towers.”
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The Brass Tower was little more than a burnt-out husk. Despite its dilapidated appearance, various tourists and researchers still poked through its charred ruins, intrigued by its history. James and Jen looked through the rubble themselves, and asked a nearby researcher how the tower had ended up in this state.
“Well, the old stories say that several legendary Pokémon once lived here. One night, a fire raged out of control, destroying the tower as well as three of the Pokémon.” Jen gasped.
“You mean they...they...”
“Hold on there. There's more to the story. The fire drove away the Pokémon that lived at the top of this tower. The one living in the other tower appeared and restored the other Pokémon to life.”
“That's one strange story.” James looked around. “So, the fire wrecked the tower. What happened to the other Pokémon?”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“Well, that's where the story is a little fuzzy. Some say that they fled the tower and roam the land at will. Others believe that they still reside in the foundations of the building, waiting for someone to awaken them.”
“Interesting. Has anyone looked in the foundations?”
“Unfortunately, no. The building is considered too unstable to perform any excavations down there. Plus, many feel that the legendary creatures, should they indeed reside there, ought to be left alone.” Jen nodded.
“Gotcha. Hey, thanks for telling us the story, sir. It's always cool to learn about the places you visit.”
“It was no problem at all. Maybe one day you guys will find out which story is true.”
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After they got bored with exploring the one remaining floor of the Brass Tower, the two youngsters headed towards a small building on the other side of town. This was the Bell Tower annex, where tourists could look at various artifacts from Ecruteak's history. Several scrolls and pieces of the Brass Tower were in display cases, and uniformed guides escorted people through the building.
Beyond the annex lay the Bellchime Trail. Here, the trees looked to be in a permanent autumnal state, with red, yellow and orange leaves scattered along the ground. There weren't many tourists today, which made the walk to the Bell Tower very calm and quiet. Jen let Magby out to get some exercise, and Quilava ran with her, both being careful not to set any trees ablaze.
One of the doors to the tower was slightly ajar, and Jen made sure everyone was accounted for before they entered the building. The main room was fairly plain, with a few paintings adorning the walls. Most of these depicted a flying Pokémon with multicoloured feathers, trailing a rainbow aura. At least one showed it projecting a blue-white flame from its beak. As James looked at this picture, a woman in a flowing kimono approached him. Her black hair was done in a formal style, and a gold headpiece adorned the top.
“I see you are observing the images of Ho-Oh,” she said in an lower-pitched voice than James expected. “This is the legendary Pokémon that called the Bell Tower home. Legends tell us that the sound of the great bell atop this tower could summon it, if rung by one with a pure heart.” She sighed. “Many have tried, but none have succeeded. Some even dismiss the whole thing as a fantasy, a tale meant to entice the gullible.” Suddenly, she gasped. “My goodness! I got so caught up in the story, I forgot to introduce myself. How rude of me. My name is Sayo, and I am one of the Kimono Girls. My associates and I run the Kimono Theatre in town. May I ask who you are?”
“I'm James, from Violet City. My friend Jennifer and I are traveling with our Pokémon so we can enter the Johto League.”
“Fascinating. For children so young to travel so far, you both must have great ambition and skill.”
“Yeah,” James murmured. “So, this tower. Is this the only part we can visit?”
“Sadly, it is. As I said, none have succeeded in scaling the tower to find Ho-Oh. It appears to require a token of sorts.”
“That's too bad.” Jen said, walking up to them. “I'd like to see the rest of the tower.”
“Ah, you must be Jennifer. Your friend mentioned you before.” Sayo smiled. “Since we are unable to visit the rest of the building, why not come to the Theatre? It may be closed now, but I can show you around anyway.”
“You're sure?” Jen asked. When Sayo nodded, she grinned. “Alright. Let's go ahead, then.”
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The Kimono Theatre was decorated with brightly coloured tapestries and images of dancing people and Pokémon. The walls looked vaguely like a mountain scene, and lanterns hung from the ceiling.
“The other Kimono Girls and I conduct performances in this theatre,” Sayo explained. “We coordinate with our Pokémon as well, and occasionally, we open the stage for trainers to battle with us.”
“You guys battle visitors too?” Jen asked.
“Naturally. Our Pokémon must remain in shape through more than just dancing. We pride ourselves on our skill.”
“Wow.” Jen considered, then grinned. “So, why don't we have a battle?”
“You wish to battle now?”
“Of course. I've got to keep training if I'm going to reach the Johto League, so this is a good opportunity!” Sayo thought for a moment, then smiled.
“Very well. We shall do battle. Step onto the stage and we will begin.”
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When Jen and Sayo took their position, Jen motioned to Magby.
“You're up. Let's do this.” Magby stepped forward and blew a small billow of smoke.
“A Fire-type. Strong choice. Jolteon, enter stage left!” A yellow Pokémon with spiked, rabbit-like ears emerged, bristling its coarse fur. A white ruff of fur wrapped around its neck. Jen took out her Pokédex to scan her new opponent.
“Jolteon, the Lightning Pokémon. If threatened, its fur can become sharp and needle-like. It is capable of discharging 10,000 volt electric blasts.”
“Wow, that sounds really cool. Okay, Magby, Ember!” Magby shot a flurry of fire bolts at Jolteon, who jumped over them.
“Jolteon, Thunderbolt!” Jolteon's body became surrounded by electricity, and it fired a bolt at Magby. The bolt caught her and illuminated her, sparks playing across her body.
“Magby, no! Get close and use Fire Punch!”
“Jolteon, Tackle!” Magby's burning fist collided with Jolteon's charging attack, knocking both of them back.
“Okay, Magby, Ember once again!”
“Sand Attack!” This time, Jolteon used the loose dust sitting on the stage to try and blind Magby, taking no notice of the hot fire hitting it. “Now, Thunderbolt again!”
“Dodge, Magby!” Magby tried to escape, but Jolteon was too fast. The bolt dropped Magby to her stomach, and she struggled to rise.
“Now, Jolteon, time to finish up. Pin Missile!” Jolteon's fur stiffened, and needle-like projections flew at Magby, striking her one after the other.
“Magby!” Jen looked at her Fire-type, whose eyes were glazed over. “No way. How did we get beaten so easily?”
“Your Magby is very strong for her experience level, Jennifer.” Sayo said as she recalled Jolteon. “You should be proud of how you have raised her. Jolteon has been by my side for many years, so it is very strong itself.”
“I understand. Thanks for the battle, Sayo.” Jen turned to Magby, who was pushing herself back up to her feet. “C'mon, Magby, why don't we head to the Pokémon Centre and we can...” Her words were cut off as Magby's body began to glow. “Wait a minute! I know that glow!”
“Magby's evolving!” James and Quilava looked on intently as Magby's body grew. Her tail lengthened and a flame began to burn at its end. Her body and limbs bloated, and claws grew on each of her hands. Black bands clamped around her ankles, and her beak grew longer and more like a duck's. As the transformation ended, the newly-evolved Pokémon smiled at her trainer.
“Magby is now a Magmar! Awesome!” Jen flipped the Pokédex open again to learn about her newly evolved friend.
“Magmar, the Spitfire Pokémon, and the evolved form of Magby. Its body temperature is recorded as nearly 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit, and it can heal itself by immersing its wounds in molten lava.”
“That's so cool, Jen.” James told her. “Now we've both got an evolved Fire-type.”
“She's gonna be useful as we keep traveling. Her Fire attacks probably got more powerful.”
“Be wary, though.” Sayo interjected. “Magmar is much more powerful, but you will both need to work hard to harness her newfound power.”
“We will. It won't be easy, but we'll get stronger together.”
“I admire your enthusiasm. It has been wonderful to meet such strong youngsters as yourselves.”
“And it's been great meeting you, too.” Jen said. She looked at her PokéGear, then at James. “It's getting kind of late. We should head back to the Centre.” She turned to Sayo. “Thanks for the battle. You really taught me a lot.”
“And I learned something as well. I wish you both luck in your future endeavours.”
“Have fun with your performances!” Jen called back, and they exited the theatre to heal and rest.