"Kenji! Enough lazing around. It's time to wake up." His mother's strident voice easily pierced the paper walls dividing his room from the rest of the house.
"Ugh." Kenji groaned into his pillow.
His mother and father were early risers and believed that one should greet the rays of dawn. Never mind that the two of them stayed up late waiting for his father to come home only to be disappointed when he did not show.
Likely lost again, Kenji thought to himself as he huddled under the blanket for warmth. At some point in the night, the hibachi must have gone out or more likely his mother put it out. She worried needlessly, Kenji often thought as she was typically fearful of a fire breaking out in the night from the house warming braziers. Instead of risking a fire, as she saw it, his mother instead preferred to use heavier blankets for warmth.
Kenji was beginning to relax back into slumber when he heard the thumps of his mother's foot striking the wood floor. They grew closer and he realized that she was coming to wake him herself.
Throwing the wool blanket off, Kenji leapt up and scrambled to make it appear as if he were already awake. He snatched up the nearest clothing, a simple tunic and pants, and yanked them on. Even as he pulled on the clothes, he knew that he would have to change. Not only were they wrinkled and worn but the clothes were ones he typically wore to sleep when the night was cold.
He was in the middle of donning his tunic when he heard the shoji slide open. Pushing his head through he gave his mother a scandalized look.
"MaMa, what if I was nude?" He asked with false indignation.
"Oh, come now Kenji. It's not anything I haven't seen before. I cleaned you up when you were just a babe." She said with a raised brow. " Besides, I could hear you jump up in your rush to pretend that you were awake."
"Even more reason to wait before blindly entering, mother." He returned with exasperation.
His mother waved aside his complaints as she crossed the room. She gave pointed looks to the mess strewn about that Kenji pointedly ignored. He was always careful to have the space cleaned and tidy before his father returned. Though the man always found something wrong or incorrect every time. His father acted as though a Warlord would visit at any moment and not one of the nearby Warriors that served under him.
"You need to get out more Kenji." She said as she opened the wood shutters to the garden outside. "You will wilt like a shaded flower if you do not soak in the sun."
Kenji scowled at his mother's back in response before smoothing his face. He knew that she was aware of some of the difficulties he faced regarding his different looks but she was not to blame. Unlike the fair skin and delicate features of the other women in the village, his mother was strong of body with darker skin and long black hair. While his larger body was often a boon, his exotic features left him separate from those around him.
"Why not come out and help me care for the garden?" She asked. "You are already wearing the proper clothes, after all." Kenji could hear the smile in her voice.
"Yes, Mother." he grumbled.
Despite his apparent displeasure, Kenji was eager to help her care for the gardens surrounding their home. The work was rewarding in its own way, but more importantly it would give him another chance to form a link. The beasts occupying the land were powerful and dangerous, leading his father to forbid him from wandering too far without one of them or another Warrior present.
He followed her outside to the sturdy shed containing the landscaping supplies. The shed was close to the house for ease of access, as it contained most of the tools, fertilizer, and more to care for the land and all the creatures under the family's care. Kenji followed his mother in donning the necessary leathers that would protect him the thorns and spines decorating the plants. Not only were some of the plants painful or dangerous to handle but the gardens occupants could attack if they took umbrage with them.
He knew his mother disliked the restrictive protection and claimed that it interfered with her care for the garden's inhabitants but his father was unmoved by her arguments.
Afterwards, she grabbed the tools hanging from the walls, handing to him to carry. It would be his job to clean them afterwards. Along with the tools, he carried a basket to collect the trimmings. Together, they walked towards the nearest bed of greens.
While there was a variety of plants that served more decorative purposes, the majority of the garden grew food. Kenji's duty revolved around pruning the plants, mulching, and watering them. If any of the fruits or vegetables looked to overripe, then he could pick it. Otherwise, they food was left alone until they decided to eat it. While he was sweating from the labor, his mother cared for the more delicate aspects of the garden.
The Pokémon.
Kenji could not help but stop several times to watch his mother interact with the powerful creatures that wandered onto their land It was nearly impossible to keep the beasts from doing so, with most attempts often resulting in a battle that only a Warrior could fight. Fortunately, most of the more powerful beasts kept to themselves deep in the forest or in the ravine, far from the villages.
She plucked puffs of Cottonee free from where they clung after being blown by the wind. Their light bodies and growths of fiber allowed them to be easily lifted into the air. After carefully freeing their puffy bodies from the tangling plants, she carried them over to specially prepared beds where the beasts would dry before being harvested for their cotton. Their green and white forms where a stark contrast to her darker skin.
"Aww. Who's a cute little ball of fluff." She cooed to a small Cottonee in her hands. "Oh, don't cry little one." She said when the small Pokémon began to whimper. "I'm just moving you over here to dry and then wind will come and blow you all away."
As his mother spoke to the cotton puff, she gently lifted it up and blew on it so that it was pushed forward. Like this, she walked the now cheery Pokémon to the others and nestled it in amongst the other Cottonee that were too small to harvest. They needed the fiber more to help them escape or to protect them from predators as they were too weak to battle.
When his mother turned around, Kenji returned to cutting the errant leaves off a thorny bush of flowers. He pretended not to care but he envied his mother's easy interaction with the Grass Type Beasts. The small Pokémon were usually too fearful of him to allow Kenji to move them while the larger ones became aggressive or were scared off entirely. Meanwhile, his Warrior mother could calm a terrified Pokémon and even get it to favor her, thereby encouraging the Pokémon to visit again. Without her soothing aura the house would not be half as successful as they were now and his father would be forced to defend their home from the more aggressive Pokémon.
Kenji finished caring for the garden bed and started to move to the next but halted while his mother struggled with a particularly churlish Cottonee. The creature was larger than normal and its thick cotton was tangled with the plant's sturdy stems.
"Kenji, could you come over and lend me a hand?" His mother asked after leaning back with a huff. "Someone's being grouchy." She added with a mock glare at the large cotton puff.
"Really?" He said, excitement tinging his voice.
Kenji could practically hear his mother roll her eyes.
"I know what your father says but you aren't going to learn if you don't actually interact with the Pokémon." She said in response. "Besides, how are you going to find your link if you don't actually handle any of them."
Instead of responding, Kenji rushed over and waited for his mother's instructions. While he partly agreed with her, there was no use pointing out how his father would answer. He heard the two argue enough that he was sure all three of them could repeat each other's points. Not that they knew how often he listened in, silently cheering his mother on.
At least he thought they knew. The two Warriors were highly perceptive and that did not even include his mother's Pokémon.
"Now, you see how his cotton has begun to tuft and curl wildly?" She asked as she pointed out the tangles caught on the large plant.
Kenji nodded silently. He did not want to disturb the wary Pokémon more than it already was. To help, he kept his aura restrained and his spirit calm.
"I'm going to need your help freeing him. While you focus on that, I'll do my best to calm the poor thing down. If I tell you to leave, do so quietly and slowly. Do you understand?" She said firmly.
"I do." Kenji said softly.
Inside his was giddy with excitement but kept it from showing or affecting his movements. It was not often that his mother needed help with a Pokémon but when she did, she would happily call him over to assist. If father were home, she would have used one of her bonds or called for him instead.
Kenji waited for his mother to distract the large Cottonee before reaching out and slowly untangling the fiber. As he did so, he paid close attention to the curled leaves sprouting from the creatures body. The Pokémon had more control over them than it did the cotton and would flex them if it felt threatened. Their bladed edges were sharp enough to cut tree bark. As he worked to free the Pokémon, he watched his mother out of the corner of his eye and listened as she spoke.
"Do you see how his leaves are growing wildly and the cotton is forming dense tufts." She asked softly while staring at the creatures gleaming orange eyes and scratched the gray body hidden under the aforementioned material.
"It's a sign that this one has not been cared for in some time. It was likely blown in by a strong wind and drifted until it reached our land, otherwise someone else would have been harvesting the cotton on it."
Despite how she was paying attention and cooing to the Pokémon, Kenji knew that she was really speaking to him. Still, he kept silent as he listen attentively to her teach.
"If it were not for the species' need for a stone, a natural treasure, to evolve, I would have said that he was nearing evolution." she said casually.
Kenji's hands fumbled as he mother spoke of evolution. That the Cottonee was close despite the need for a natural treasure spoke of the creatures power and age. The Cottonee that blew in were usually younger and used to having their puffs trimmed. If this one took offense to their actions, then it would most likely attack.
However more surprising was how easily she spoke of it. The phenomena of evolutions were closely guarded secrets no matter how well known some species were. That this one required a natural treasure only made the knowledge more valuable.
To stop the sudden trembling his hands, Kenji closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His mother said nothing as he centered himself. When he felt more in control of himself, with his spirit calmed, Kenji opened his eyes to resume extracting the beast from the foliage.
Soon there were only a few strands left holding the Pokémon in place. Instead of the untangling them, Kenji stepped back and allowed his mother to free the Cottonee. If the Pokémon was going to attack, it would do so when it was no longer trapped.
She moved, unconcerned, and delicately removed the remaining cotton threads from the surrounding plants. When the Pokémon was finally free, it undulated its leaves as if debating what to do.
Kenji tensed when he saw the beast twitch its leaves. He would have to lunge aside in order to avoid the attack. Meanwhile, his mother waited patiently unconcerned with the Pokémon preparing to attack. Envying her calm, Kenji trusted her and was rewarded when the creature settled back into her hands.
Still, he could not help the sigh of relief that escaped him.
His mother smiled down at the cotton puff as she stood up and walked over to the drying Cottonee. Instead of placing it with the Pokémon to be sheared, his mother settled it over the younger, smaller Pokémon. The older Cottonee spun in place as if inspecting the younger beasts before settling down on its higher perch. Kenji's mother backed away and turned only after she was several paces away from the drying Pokémon.
"Why did you not place him with the others?" Kenji gave her an inquisitive look as he asked.
"Why do you think?" She turned the question around.
Kenji glanced at the Pokémon and studied it as he thought over his mother's previous words.
"Is it because the Cottonee would not be used to being sheared?" He said.
"In part." She nodded. "Also, he would be more combative with the other, more subdued Cottonee while with the younger ones, his more aggressive nature will work to guard them."
Kenji looked back at the Cottonee and saw how it was closely monitoring the garden while flexing its serrated leaves.
"Plus, it would interesting to see how the Cottonee develops." She added thoughtfully.
Kenji sighed and shook his head. She was always creating teaching moments which could be fun but when it came to learning something herself, she often threw caution to the wind.
After removing the remaining handful of Cottonee from the garden, she returned helped him care for the remaining flowers herbs that grew near the house. When they were done, Kenji rolled the wheelbarrow back to the shed and dumped it in the compost bin.
Grabbing several baskets, he returned to his mother's side. They quickly joined by one of his mother's bond partners, a flowering Liligant that sported large leaves in the shape of a bulbous dress. Atop her head grew a delicate flower shaped much like a crown.
"Good morning Li-Li." Kenji greeted the Pokémon with a bow. "How does her highness fare this day."
"Li. Gant." The green Pokémon raised it'd leafy arm as if bidding him to rise. "Liligant."
Kenji straightened, the ritual one that the two engaged in ever since he was old enough to walk. When he was a young boy, he mistakenly thought the Pokémon to be a queen sheltering in their home and treated her as such for several weeks before his parents laughingly corrected him. Still, the Pokémon enjoyed the attention and he continued to treat her as if she were nobility.
"Ah, if only I could receive half the treatment you offer her." His mom sighed dramatically. "Perhaps we could build a palanquin so that we can carry her around" she offered.
"Li. Li." The stately Pokémon squealed imperiously.
"I am but a poor commoner, unfit to carrying one such as yourself around." Kenji had to smother a grin at their antics and begged off carrying the Pokémon around.
"Gan." The Flowering Pokémon playfully turned away.
"Well then about we rid ourselves of some bugs then?" His mother offered. She gestured towards the fields. "Li, if you would."
The Liligant turned to face the rest of the garden and raised both of her leaf petal arms. The Pokémon took a step forward and gestured as she began to spin between the plants. Every couple of steps, a seed would shoot out and be guided by her lustrous green limbs into the plants. Each time squeal of surprise would sound out as the seeds struck their target.
Kenji watched the Pokémon with envy. Even though she did not have a deep bond with the Liligant, his mother's link with the Flowering Pokémon meant that they could communicate easier and granted both a measure of power. With Liligant's help, she was able to subdue everything else in the garden with ease. Once he formed his Link, Kenji was sure that he would one day be able to care for entire fields as easily as this.
It was a mindless daydream, but a pleasant one to distract him as he held the baskets. Even his father, a powerful warrior sworn to the Warlord, often spent his free time amongst the green fields working with his hands. While others might rely on their bonds or servants to labor, his father was adamant that they tend to the land with their own hands.
The elegant lily came to a stop facing Kenji and his mother. She did not bow but held her arms up and leaned backwards slightly.
The two applauded the Pokémon's performance and congratulated her on a job well done. She presented under their praise and adjusted her flowering crown before skipping away to resume patrolling the garden.
Kenji moved to begin collecting the captured creatures but stopped when he noticed his mother not following. Instead, she was looking around and he could see her eyes crinkled in worry.
He tensed and followed her wandering gaze. "MaMa, is something wrong?" Kenji asked.
"Mmmh? What? No, nothing's wrong." She said absently. "There was just a lot of bugs today, don't you think?"
Kenji looked around the garden and thought over how many leech seeds Liligant used.
"I suppose?" He offered. "There did seem to be more than usual but maybe there was just a storm last night."
His mother gave the sky and surroundings one last look before turning to him. "Perhaps you're right. Just an old mother worrying, I suppose." She replied with a soft smile.
"Old? You're not old." Kenji rejected.
"Maybe not. But what about you, mmh?" She said with a laugh as she approached him. "Maybe you're getting too old. Too old for a hug?" She finished as she quickly wrapped her arms around him and squeezed.
"Mom!" Kenji complained as he squirmed under her grip.
Despite her appearance and joyful attitude, she was a Warrior. He had no chance in escaping unless she wanted him to and they both knew it. Kenji eventually gave in and hugged her back, even going so far as to use his measly bit of cultivation to strengthen his muscles.
"My little boy, all grown up." She mumbled in his ears. "Back home, you would be leaving for your trials and with the blessings of the village."
Kenji paused as he heard his mother's words. She did not speak of her homeland often, claiming that it made her sick for people she left behind. He suspected that there was more to it, as his father grew agitated if she spoke too deeply on her past.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"But enough of that." His mother pulled away and stepped up to the nearest garden bed. This one was full of lettuce and a favorite of the bugs that came to collect the large leaves for their cocoons.
"Mother," Kenji hesitated before pushing on. "Why do you not speak of your home?" As soon as he asked, he knew it was a mistake.
He saw his mother tense and her hands stop as kneeled to reach into the bed of vegetables.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." He rushed out. Kenji turned away and sought to bury his embarrassment and frustration into his work.
"No, you should have. Its only right." She said with a sigh.
Kenji looked over his shoulder at his mother and saw her sitting while petting a large yellow bug wrapped in vines. It was struggling in her grip but under her ministrations, it calmed and she started to unravel the vines trapping it.
"Your father knows, he was there in the beginning after all. He found me washed up on shore, clinging to my- to driftwood." her voice quivered at the end as she abruptly changed what she was about to say. He wanted to ask but knew that neither of them would like to hear the answer.
When Kenji realized that she was finally telling him, he quietly spun around and sat on the ground. He could not help but lean forwards eagerly and listen so as not to miss a word.
"I was barely alive. Only through the help of my Pokémon was I able to survive the rough days at sea, but even their help was a danger all its own." He saw her hand lift to touch the pendant hidden under her clothes. Kenji had never seen her without the red and white orb but whenever they left the house she was careful to conceal it. "Eventually I washed up nearby and your father rescued me. He waded into the sea and risked his life to save my own."
"He was always a proud fool." She said with a soft chuckle. Kenji wanted to deny her words but was scared to interrupt her lest she never tell the story again. The man was proud of their home and the work they put into but never a fool, he thought. "At first, he thought I was just someone from one of the other kingdoms that was washed out to sea but when I awoke he discovered the truth. I did not understand the language and your father only knew a few words of the trade tongue back then. I was hardly any better, as young as I was. We had to communicate in mimes and with the help of our Pokémon.
"Your father brought me before the Warlord's attention and asked for his protection. Your father knew that of word got out about my presence in the kingdom, the others would start a war. Word did get out, of course, but that's a story for another time."
Kenji saw his mother pat the pale yellow worm in her hands after she removed the last of the clinging vines. The Pokémon had ceased its struggles by now and lay in her lap as she continued to pet it.
"One of the agreements for Warlord Motonari to keep custody of me was that I would not speak of my past and work to integrate myself with the people. This was after I told them everything they wanted to know, but the Warlords did not want it disrupting the kingdoms as a whole. Fortunately, some of what I knew was already known and rejected by the Warlords and people alike. Some . . . came as an unwanted surprise." She said quietly.
Kenji did not understand at first but as she continued, he remembered his lessons on history. A few decades ago, a multi-kingdom war had nearly embroiled the continent. There were multiple sides but no one could pinpoint the exact reason for the sudden escalation in tensions. The threat of war disappeared as quickly as it appeared, however, and many put it out of mind.
Tensions were rising once more but people said that it would blow over just as easily. Greenleaf was stronger than it was back then, with the head clans fighting amongst each other for control of the kingdom. However Warlord Motonari was smart and managed to subdue or ally the rebels to the Mōri clan. Fleetingly, he wondered what it was like, to have your father come home and announced your wedding or adoption to another family. His mother resumed speaking and he hurriedly shoved the errant thoughts aside to focus on her words.
"To help soothe things over, a marriage was agreed upon and I was placed in your father's care under Warlord Motonari." She finished. "I took a new name, Hajime, for my new beginning here. And then you came along."
Kenji stared at his mother's back as she stood up and placed the now sleeping bug in a large basket. It was swaddled in leaves and curled up into a tight ball. He was sure that the beast did not have quite so many wrappings when his mother pulled it free.
"Now help me collect the rest of these cuties and when can call it a day. How does that sound?" His mother said brightly.
Kenji was confused by her sudden change in tone but moved to help her. She walked around the garden and soothed the Pokémon to sleep before handing them off to him where he would carefully set them down in the large basket. There was a terrifying moment where one of them awoke and bit at him. He nearly screamed in fright but fortunately he had enough cultivation in his aura to reinforce his arm and the leather prevented upset bug from biting too deeply. The yellow creature still drew blood but it was not enough to fall sick, though it did hurt.
Gripping the small Pokémon Kenji was ready to shake it off but fortunately his mother intervened before he could do so. She reached over and tapped the creature roughly on its carapace. When it released his hand and rose up to bite at her, she quickly snatched it up.
His mother played roughly with the Pokémon for several minutes to wear it out before the giant caterpillar grew too tired to continue. Kenji's mother still placed the Sewaddle in a separate basket and covered it with a cloth to keep it from disturbing the other Pokémon.
It took some time to clear the rest of the garden of Sewaddle and then he had to water the plants. His mother carried the baskets of bug Pokémon and placed them in large shed to house them. Later she would offer them to the neighbors, bring them to square to trade, or release them deep into the forest.
Afterwards, Kenji brought out the baskets and shears to the drying Cottonee. He would not be trimming them himself but he would collect the harvested cotton and assist in spinning the fiber into thread. Liligant returned to guard his mother as she worked but the light Pokémon were familiar with her actions and the shearing passed quickly.
While she worked, he practiced controlling his aura. He carefully extended it towards the cotton beasts in an attempt to sense them without overly disturbing the beasts. There was no feeling of connection or familiarity that his parents and older Warriors spoke of. All he felt was the vibrant Energy of life and nature, seeking to grow and grow.
His rough manipulation aggravated the Cottonee and his mother had to use her skills to soothe them before she could resuming shearing. After the second time, he gave up and merely practiced containing his spirit while occasionally taking the fiber his mother handed him.
Without the cotton weighing them down, the Cottonee risked being carried off by the slightest breeze. To prevent that, she attached them to a green stalk to free later. They easily attached themselves and raised their leaves to the sun, soaking up the warm rays. Some families would release them as they finished shearing the Pokémon but his mother believed that it was more healthy for the Cottonee to be released altogether on a strong wind.
Spinning the cotton fiber into thread took some time but it passed quickly as his mother spoke of the various Pokémon in the garden.
"Did you feel connected to any of the Cottonee or Sewaddle?" She asked leadingly.
"No," Kenji shook his head. "None of them." He said with a sigh.
"Well, I'm sure you will find your link soon." His mother told him. "Perhaps, we just need to expand your search a little."
Kenji scowled at his mother's words as he worked the spinner.
"I want my first bond to be of nature." He retorted. "You and father bear the Specialty of Grass along with other Warriors in Greenleaf. It is only proper that I do the same."
"Sometimes what is proper is not always right. Or true." She responded gently. "Sometimes you must make your own way."
Kenji had nothing to say in response and thought over her words as he worked.
While Warriors could be born outside of noble families, most of the time it followed the clan blood. While uncommon it was not unheard of for a cultivator to emerge from the lower classes. More rare were children were born within the ruling clans without the power to link. However, with two Warrior parents, and powerful ones at that, he was nearly guaranteed to be able to form a link of his own.
It was only logical that he would follow them down the path of nature. Not only that, but to seek a path outside of Greenleaf would only leave him more isolated than he already was.
Kenji looked up to say this to his mother but paused when he saw a red wisp flicker in the forest.
His hands slowed on the spinner and his mouth opened to call to out in warning. Before he could, strips of fabric emerged and began to take shape. The blue and gray fabric formed a bulging chest with long sleeved limbs ringed in gold. A strange popped up collar surrounded a cylindrical head topped by a gold, flat metal circle. A singular ominous red eye stared out with a large face stitched onto the chest.
"MaMa." Kenji croaked out.
Along with the Pokémon's appearance blew a chill wind that ruffled his aura. The ethereal sensation did not touch the plants or even his hair but he felt it nevertheless. It was a heavy weight upon his spirit, slowing his body as though he were underwater fighting the oncoming waves.
His mother felt the wave of power and snapped her head around. The movement was faster than he could see, his reactions further dulled by the strength of the Type Beast.
"No," She moaned in fear. "No!" She grasped at the pendant hanging from her chest but it was covered by layers of clothes. "Not again."
After appearing, the blue-gray and gold stripped Pokémon floated in place. The fabric tail extending underneath flowed in a nonexistent wind as it gazed out.
"MaMa. What's wrong. What's happening." Kenji trembled in fear. Even when enemy Warriors were threatening her, she never lost herself. To see her openly panicking at the sight of the strange and terrifying Pokémon was a horror all its own.
"Dusknoir." She whispered. Despite her obvious fear, she calmed herself and suddenly stilled her trembling. Her sharp eyes studied the eerie Pokémon before snapping around the garden.
He was still shaking uncontrollably but Kenji saw the moment she realized something. Her eyes pale green eyes widened in shock and her dark skin paled even further.
Leaping to her feet, Kenji's mother reached for his arm and held it in a tight grip. He cried out as her greater strength risked breaking his bones. Ignoring his obvious pain, she forcefully pulled him behind her as she raced to a darkened shed standing apart from the house and gardens.
Kenji knew it hosted his mother's primary bond partner but he was never allowed inside and the Pokémon only came out at night to patrol. He would occasionally stay up late to play with the beast but as the years passed and his duties around the garden grew, he saw the large Pokémon less and less.
"Mother," he whimpered as their rush to the isolated shed jerked to sudden stop. "Please. What's happening."
"The Pokémon, Kenji. The elder Cottonee, the more numerous Sewaddle." She snapped out as she threw aside the door to the shed. She used enough force to tear the thick door off completely but paid the damage no mind. Barely stopping to shake the splinters out of her hand, his mother called into the shed. "Hallow! Emergency." She then turned towards him and explained further.
"The wild Pokémon were likely driven forward by something approaching. Dusknoir," her eyes flickered with barely concealed fear as she glanced at the eerie Pokémon. It was still ignoring the their actions as its glowing red eye flickered to look at something they could not see. "They escort the souls of the dead but for one to arrive before there are any dead implies that there will be enough to risk overwhelming it."
"What?" Kenji cried out. "What are you saying? But what about father? Wasn't he on his way?"
The combination of his mother's terror and the spiritual waves suppressing combined to leave Kenji unbalanced. He could barely react to what was happening, let alone think about it.
His mother did not respond immediately and looked away. She had her eyes clenched shut but opened them to meet his gaze. Her silence said more than words ever could.
He swallowed thickly and felt tear form but was distracted by the piercing shriek from inside the shadowed shed.
"Gooooour." A echoing wail filled the air as a large, black pumpkin burst out the side of the shed walls. Like the chill wind that fell from the Dusknoir, the wail struck at his weak aura and would have left him collapsing if his mother's tight grip did not hold him up.
The Dusknoir's red wisp of an eye flickered over to inspect the large, shining Pokémon. When it did so, he felt the ethereal brush of air strengthen into a hard pressure that crushed him to the ground. Even his mother had to grit her teeth and fight to remain standing. It felt as though he could not breathe and Kenji gasped silently as he fought for air.
His mother's bond shrieked a challenge but the Dusknoir returned to watching whatever it was before and ignored the Gourgeist's cry.
"Hallow," She called out. "To me."
The Pokémon drifted backwards while still facing the larger ghost. It had two faces, one on its pumpkin body and the main form sitting atop it. The upper body rose from the pumpkin stem to reveal slender head with bright pink arm-like tendrils. The orange glow blazing out the pumpkin's face was weakened by the sunlight as it carefully watched the Dusknoir.
"MaMa. Please." Kenji begged fearfully. Without his cultivation, his aura was weakened and exposed him to the debilitating pressure emitted by the two powerful Pokémon. His spirit was not strong enough to withstand the high ranking beast.
Instead of comforting him, his mother spun around and gripped him by his shoulders. She moved one hand to his jaw and forced him to look her in the eye. The white in her eyes contrasted with her pale green iris and her dark skin, serving to make her appear more scared than he wanted her to be.
"Kenji, do you trust me?" She demanded. "I need you to trust me!" Her grip was painfully tight and he let out a small whimper as he felt his bones creak.
"Yes, Mother. I trust you." Kenji cried out. "Please, what's going on!" He shouted at her.
"There's no time!" She shouted back. "Do exactly as I tell you, do you understand?"
Her raised voice shocked him into silence. He tried to shy away from her but was held fast by her grip nor could he turn his head. His parents rarely raised their voice at him, only doing so when training or ordering him away from a dangerous Pokémon.
"Do you understand?" She repeated with a snap.
"Yes, yes I understand." Kenji tried to nod his head but could not.
"Good." His mother turned to face the floating pumpkin gourd but still held him close to her. "Hallow, do you remember how you saved me all those years ago? Out in the ocean?" She desperately asked.
"Geeeeist." The Pokémon wailed. It twisted its upper body to look at his mother but kept its pumpkin head focused of the distant Dusknoir.
"Please. I need you to do it again." She begged the ghost. "Save him. Save my son."
"Eeeeist." The creature cried out. It seemed to fight against her words, denying what she was asking.
"It’s the only way." She answered softly.
The large Pokémon turned to fully face Kenji's mother and moved to wrap its pink tendrils around her. She fully released Kenji to embrace the Pokémon back.
"I'm sorry." Kenji heard his mother whisper to her bond. "One last thing and then we can go."
"MaMa," Kenji started.
His mother pulled away from her bond and turned back around. She pulled him into a tight hug and they clung to each before she pulled away.
"Whatever happens, Kenji, know that I love you and always will." She said in a voice that shook with emotion.
"I, I love you too, MaMa." Kenji's eyes dripped tears and he felt snot clog his nose. It was undignified for a Warrior but he did not care.
"I'm sorry, my son." She said. "But you are going to need to be strong. For me. And for yourself."
Off in the distance, the clanging of the town alarms could be heard as they began to ring. The guards stationed there were members of the Warlord's army and would only ring the large bells in the event of an attack.
"We are out of time." His mother shoved him away. "Wait. Here." She tugged at her protective leathers and underclothes to reveal her pendant. Pulling it off, she slipped it over his head and tucked it under the leathers. "Hallow, its time." His mother stepped away to stand by the large Gourgeist.
Kenji stared confusedly at her.
Instead of screeching, the Pokémon's orange light turned on him. A white sphere formed of spectral flames grew behind the pumpkin's cruel grin and joined in the orange light bathing him.
"MaMa," Kenji began to ask with worry.
"Hush Kenji. This is the only way." She interrupted him. "Now listen to me carefully."
He tore his gaze away from the distressing scene in front of him and looked at his mother.
"You need to discard your cultivation." She said seriously.
Kenji's mouth dropped open and he gaped at her in shock.
"If you do not, then you will die." She continued as if she did not just tell him to throw away years of mind numbing effort. "Once you have collapsed your cultivation, you need to withdraw your aura and pact it as tightly as you can. Tighter even, until it feels like you will break."
If her first instruction was shocking, then her next one was stupefying. To collapse one's foundation and compact one's aura went against everything he was taught. Let alone the strong risk of permanently crippling him.
"Do it, Kenji. Now!" She urged him. Her eyes roved between her bond's actions, the Dusknoir, and the distant clanging of the town's bells.
He hesitated but the clear desperation in her eyes pushed him on. To better help himself focus, he closed his eyes and delved deep into his inner garden. The simple plants and raised beds were a mental representation of his cultivation. The plants were wilted and soil dry, indicating the lack of energy in his body.
Staring morosely at them, he felt the ghostly energy from Gourgeist grow stronger. It was a roiling, shifting mass that pressed in at the edge of his construct's walls threatened to consume him. With his turned towards his spirit, he was more aware of the power the beast at the edge of the clearing held. It was a choking mist that silenced one's last cries with the weight of patience. Shuddering, Kenji could not help but compare the presence to Warlord Motonari's. He only met the Kingdom's ruler a few times but for lengthy ceremonies, the man kept his power on display.
Despairingly, it felt as though even the Warlord's strength fell short of the monstrous ghost.
Shuddering at the unearthly sensation, he raised his hand and slowly lowered it. At the same time, he pressed down on the entire garden with his will and slowly increased the pressure as it flattened the plants. By the time the crushing weight reached the raised beds, he was struggling to evenly apply his will to the entire garden. Too much or too little would result in a lopsided foundation that would crack and cripple him later on. Fortunately, his weak cultivation and lack of a link greatly eased the process.
The plants were dissolved into the garden soil and the now empty plant beds spread into the ground. Mounds still remained so he hurriedly but carefully spread the soil around the ground around him was even.
Soon, all that remained his years of struggling for the scraps of energy his body decided to absorb was gone. Years of meditating under the baking sun amongst thorns and powerful storms that threatened to throw him across the land. Even his father was pleased at the progress Kenji had made without a link to aid in his growth.
The plain ground morphed to create a rough outline of his body. He imagined it in the broadest terms possible, as there was no time for detail work nor did it matter in the long run. This was just another thought exercise to help Warrior children become accustomed to manipulating their spirit. His manifested as a faded green shroud that flickered over the dirt body in thin waves. The green represented his desire to join his father and mother as powerful Warriors of Greenleaf but it could just as easily been another color.
Without the little cultivation sustaining his aura, he risked it being torn away. Acting quickly, he pulled his spirit in. As he did so, the mental image melted away. Kenji used the changing statue to adjust how he withdrew his aura. Doing so unevenly would have the same side effects that destroying his cultivation did but was far more damaging in the long run.
When the statue was turned into a lumpy ball the size of his head, he began to feel the first hints of pain. At the same time, he could feel the spectral flames from Gourgeist licking at his body. The white fire burned with cold, chilling him where it touched.
With desperation born of panic, he rushed to compact the ball further. He grunted and fell to his knees as he forcefully crushed the ball of spirit with his will and aura. This caused the sphere to deform even more and he had to fight to smooth it over. Eventually, he managed to squeeze his spirit to size of his fist and focused on evening it out.
Kenji managed to force another smaller reduction in size but by that point he was losing control of dense ball of spirit. He fought to keep his spirit compacted as his mother told him and slitted his eyes open for more instruction.
What he saw cause his control to slip before he frantically caught himself and tightened his will.
Their home, the house that his father's ancestors had built and lovingly cared for was in flames. Heavenly fire was raining from the sky, burning their expansive garden and all within it. He could hear the screams of human and Pokémon alike as they fought, fled, or burned. The bells were no longer ringing, either the guards fighting or no longer able to call the alarm.
His mother had freed the Cottonee from their perches but their delicate forms were easily lit by the searing heat and few managed to escape unscathed. The young group was protected by the elder Pokémon whose dense cotton coating refused to fully ignite. Swarms of leaves, puffs of cotton, and more sprayed from its large from to strike debris and more from the sky before it could reach the retreating group.
Jerking his head around, Kenji searched for his mother but was too afraid to move. Not only was he struggling to contain his spirit as she ordered but Hallow, her Gourgeist, was floating ominously in front of him. Against the forest, he caught a glimpse of the strange Dusknoir silently witnessing the destruction. He finally spotted her handing baskets off to Li-Li the Liligant before he was blinded by the shifting light flowing out of Hallow.
The Pokémon's pink arms were reaching inside it's lower body and seized the flickering orb of spectral fire. As she did so, specters around the grinning pumpkin and flew towards him. It looked as though they were trapped within the flame, using the tendrils of fire to reach out. Pulling out the glowing orb, Hallow gently tossed it towards him.
Kenji opened his mouth in a silent scream but was quickly swarmed by the ghosts. They layered themselves over his mortal body and sunk under his skin. With each specter that touched, he felt colder and colder. It was as if he sitting on a mountain peak in the depths of winter instead of standing before his burning home.
Kenji could feel the unmoored spirits tearing at his body as they sought his own. He instinctively pressed down on his aura, reducing it further with his terror fueled willpower. The shift seemed to enrage or excite the swarming specters. The grew and grew until he lost sight of his surroundings as they furiously searched for his compressed aura. Kenji did not know what would happen if they found it but he was certain it could be nothing good.
The pervasive cold paralyzed his body and with all of his focus placed in hiding his spirit, he collapsed to the ground. Pale, formless specters were still flowing out of the Gourgeist but they halted in their flight as a deep, bellowing roar echoed through the garden. The sound seemed to affect the frees spirits physically and Kenji could feel how it struck at his spirit own.
Slowly at first, then more quickly, the spirits reversed their movement towards his prone form even as they attempted to claw their way to him. The pull was irresistible, however, and all the specters not hiding in his body were pulled towards a yawning void.
Kenji could not physically see the source but he could feel it as the pull tugged on his anchored spirit. He was able to resist long enough for the void's pull to weaken and he risked a glimpse in the spiritual direction.
A massive red wisp met it gaze as it stared directly as his body. A gold lipped mouth was slowly sewing shut on spectral hands that fought to escape.
His mind flashed back to his mother's words.
They escort the spirits of the dead. She said. Not consumed them!
Panicking, Kenji could only watch through his unresponsive body's eyes as the powerful ghost drifted forward. There was nothing he could do to fight the beast and even if he could run away, Kenji doubted that he would be able to escape.
The Dusknoir's actions drove the spirits hiding in his body to a frenzy and they tore through with renewed violence. The call of the void must have done more to distract him than he realized or somehow exposed his core of aura to them for they quickly located it.
Screaming internally, he fended himself off against the brutal specters. They tour maliciously at his spirit and he could feel how their talons shredded him. The density and size of his aura defended him against their attacks but he was rapidly losing.
Distracted as he was, Kenji did not see the Dusknoir carelessly bat aside Hallow and draw closer. Only when he felt the all-consuming void swallow him did he realize what was happening. Looking through his body's eyes, the last thing he saw was his mother screaming as she reached towards him.