Chapter One: The Thirty Thousand Steps

…

I didn't know know who I was, but I knew where I was. Sort of.

If I had to guess just by looking around, I'd assume I was on a mountain in Japan, near a Torii shrine gate made of stone. I couldn't see anything in the distance, I considered climbing to the top of the gate to see more from the peak but I couldn't. For one, I couldn't, for another, for another these weren't my hands.

This wasn't my body, the last thing I remember was falling asleep after a long day of studying and working at my day job and then I was standing near this gate. I was older in my previous body, if I had to guess judging from the height I felt I had, I was maybe fifteen at most.

I appeared to be wearing a simple blue t shirt and brown shorts, I remember just wearing gym shorts and socks when I went to bed.

The surrounding mountain view was cut off by very tall trees in all directions, this mountain, or gigantic hill for all I knew, was huge, and quite tall.

So tall in fact that there was nothing no matter where I looked except trees and a downward facing forest in all directions from where I stood.

I didn't know exactly where I was, but the best course of action would be to find someone and ask them. This didn't feel like a dream, but something close to it.

Judging from the small path carved out of old wood and stone slabs leading up to the gate, it looked like people probably existed in this world. So I suppose that was a plus besides being completely lost.

I began to walk down the path and I heard the chirping of birds, birds in trees so tall I couldn't see them.

Trees, trees, trees, and birds of a kind I couldn't identify. The chirping was pleasant, but what came next wasn't at all.

I came upon a small stream created by falling water out of the mountain and saw a small bird sitting on a tree branch sticking out of it, merely resting there.

That looked like…a Pidgey.

It was a regular forest bird, but it looked almost exactly like the Pidgey that existed in the Pokémon world.

I blinked rapidly, turning around, wondering if I wasn't seeing things or if the previous birds I heard calling to each other were Pidgeys too.

Was this actually a Pokémon? Where was I?

I decided to start running now, the sooner I found someone to talk to and figure out anything, just anything, the better.

I returned to the path and started to run.

Eventually I ran down the path quickly enough to find out a very solid, very scary fact:

Pokémon existed in this world. And this wasn't a video game, this was real life.

This wasn't like, a wild Vigoroth appeared, no.

A fully grown ape type beast made the ground shake when it swung off a tree from nearby and cut me off in the forest path in front of me.

Its nostrils were flaring, it seemed to be studying me, smelling me.

I had no defenses against this thing, it was several feet taller than me and made of muscle. I had no weapons, no combat training outside of a year and a half of karate, and not even a Pokémon of my own.

I knew hands down this was a Vigoroth, the red color on the top of its head, how perfectly white its fur was, the fact that it roared and called much how a Pokémon would.

I got scared enough to start back pedalling in an attempt to run a bit, and that was when the Vigoroth roared, pounding its chest.

Why did the video games always make Pokémon not seem so frightening!?

I ran for my life, I didn't know if this thing wanted to eat me, take me to its young, or perhaps just try to defend its habitat, but I ran.

I tried my best not to trip over a few rocks and tree branches as I sprinted through the mountain off the path.

Every time I thought I had gotten some distance on the Vigoroth it slashed a tree or some bamboo out of the way and roared, as if to remind me it was still right on my tail.

I tripped so many times that I almost smacked my head directly onto a tree trunk, I scratched my hands so many times I was bleeding.

There was no way I could outrun the ape, it probably wouldn't get tired after hours of running, and here I was, out of breath after twenty minutes of this chase.

One small hill, a tree branch, even more scratches on my forearms and legs. It was a miracle I hadn't fallen hard on my face, gotten knocked out and eaten, and the Vigoroth was still chasing after me.

I gasped in pain.

I had run in a sort of zig zag for long enough down the mountain for almost half an hour, barely pausing to catch what little of my breath I could before realizing the Vigoroth was still right on top of me.

My luck had run straight out.

A tree root caught my foot and I couldn't break my fall, I tumbled down a mossy hill for a bit and by the end, I had likely sprained my ankle at best, or fractured it.

Either way, I couldn't run anymore.

All I could do, was hide. And pray it wouldn't find me.

I first heard its breathing.

It seemed to be sniffing the air near the trees nearby.

The Vigoroth climbed a tree peering around, I inched closer beneath the boulder I was laying against to hide.

I was almost sure I was safe when the Vigoroth was strong enough to smack the giant rock out of the way, sending it crashing into a huge oak.

I stumbled backward, hands raised, my life flashing before my eyes. It was going to grab me, throw me, slash me with its claws, something, when suddenly Bellsprout began attacking it.

It was the strangest thing I'd seen in my life, and after today, that said something.

As if trained in martial arts, Bellsprout worked as a team, wrapping their vines together and hitting the monkey repeatedly with focused, coordinated strikes.

The Vigoroth was fast, strong, and big enough to fight back with ease, but it was certainly losing.

This was the moment where I could limp away to safety, but instead someone helped me to my feet.

"Are you alright?" a kind voice asked.

Bald monks in appropriate robes had appeared, one had a staff.

I nodded and muttered my thanks as the monk with the staff walked forward as the scuffle between his company's Bellsprout and the wild Vigoroth ensued.

"Leave." the monk commanded loudly but calmly, as if the Vigoroth could understand and obey.

It roared angrily in response, pulling the flower Pokémon off its face with a single hand.

In the blink of an eye, multiple monks stood in a semi circle around him and raised their left hands forward.

Magnificently, they muttered in a strange tongue and a small green light appeared to settle over the clearing where they saved my life.

The Vigoroth began to pant, appearing to calm down. Either through magic, or through being calmed enough by said magic to realize it had no reason to keep struggling, the Vigoroth left.

It climbed up another tree, and swung away into the forest.

I was amazed. These few men and among the weakest Pokémon I could think of, defeated an incredibly fast, strong, and wild beast that had me running for my life with a few choice words and a tiny bit of Aura.

The sage with the staff turned to me. "You must be lost."

"Yes. I-I mean I am." I muttered in an obvious tone. "Um, thank you for-"

"Where are you from?" the monk cut me off casually.

"Johto."

I sounded unsure of myself, and I realized what a bad idea it was to lie to people who clearly knew how to use Aura and had trained Bellsprout to such a degree.

"Hm."

The monk tucked his staff into the sort of cloth belt holding his robes together and then seemed to nod to another sage.

The nod was returned, and the last thing I remembered was the monk holding his thumb over my forehead and then whispering. A similar green light appeared and I fell completely asleep.

…

I woke up on a cot laid on a wood flooring.

Nearby was some water, my ankle was bandaged up, and I still had no clue where I was.

I was in a religious place, that was for sure. Apparently inside a sort of temple or shrine, I didn't raise my voice to get someone's attention.

I weakly rose to my feet and gasped.

I could've sworn just a bit ago my ankle was completely fractured, now it was all but good as new.

I slid aside the wooden door to find someone, likely a monk, to talk to.

There was one, much younger than the others who saved me already, sitting outside my door.

"Excuse me, can you-"

He stood up, shushed me quietly and kindly walked inside my room with me.

I lowered my voice. "Can you tell me where I am?"

"Almost at the top of the thirty thousand steps. Takujimi Shrine." he said.

"Where is that?"

"You claimed to have been from Johto right? You've never heard of my order?"

I had a solid idea what it was but didn't protest. I also knew I was likely in the mountainous region north of Johto and Clair's Dragon Gym in Blackthorn City, but knew nothing else.

"I'm sorry, I am just, horrifically confused right now."

"It's alright, I think I can help clear everything up for you."

The monk gestured to the door and expected me to follow him.

"What's your name?" I asked, almost whispering as we walked through the hall.

"Inoru." he muttered, as I could tell the doors nearby simply led to other bedrooms the monks used. "The Elder at my temple told me I had to learn the ways of Takujimi and Elder Toji before I could become an Initiate."

"Is that why you're so much younger than everyone else?"

It wasn't saying much, he appeared to be in his mid to late twenties when everyone else was around twice that age or more.

He chuckled lightly.

"I suppose so. Everyone starts out as a Novice, then an Initiate. And only after enough Monks at a temple deem you so, you're the Elder, or leader of a shrine."

"How many shrines are there?"

"Only three ones of this size and significance. I know you're lost but, why are you so curious?"

"You guys seem to have magic. Or aura, from what I know, you can do that in."

I paused. The Pokémon world, or the version of it where this was.

"It's called Speech, passed down through generations of monks who learned it from Mew, according to legend. Very few people in the world have it, let alone Sages, I never was able to even learn the basics of it."

"Could someone teach me?"

Inoru said nothing, answering by sliding aside another wooden door. A bit rude, but not unfair judging from the fact that we just met.

I looked inside and saw several crude paintings of, from what I could tell, was a history of the mountain Inoru was trying to tell me.

I tried to piece together each frame on my own but Inoru explained anyway.

"A great evil spread from the peak of the mountain thousands of years ago to lands everywhere around it. Without clear purpose or reason, it brought fire and wrath wherever it went."

From the drawing, it looked like Giratina, but I could be wrong.

Inoru crossed his arms beneath his robe. "Mankind was on the precipice of destruction. Pokémon of all kinds were driven wild beyond measure beneath its presence, and with help from a Kami, humanity was able to drive the evil back to where it came."

Valleys on fire around the mountain were drawn, probably skipping over some very dark stuff, I could definitely tell Mew was helping as it was illustrated, but as to what purpose or how I couldn't.

"Afterward, our Order of Sages was established in three main corners of the world to forever protect civilization from the Terror should it return. To keep humanity's favor with the spirits well enough to earn their trust and guidance, should we need their help again."

The final frame was what looked like ancient lords from the times of Pokémon Legends Arceus standing on a large wooden stage or platform, giving some sort of mandate to three monks kneeling in old green robes in front of them.

I was asking myself an obvious question.

Did random teenagers show up on the mountain unnanounced without any Pokémon or form of identification? Especially a mountain so dangerous?

After thousands of years, these sages would reasonably infer I was from another dimension, and possibly the same as Giratina, and therefore, the exact threat they were made to deal with.

I didn't get if it truly was Giratina, from what I knew, Pokémon weren't truly evil, none of them were.

Right?

"So." I said slowly. "Am I allowed to leave? What am I going to do?"

From how slowly Inoru answered I could tell that the answer wasn't up to me.

"Am I going to be killed?"

He shook his head. "No. We don't see a reason to do that at all actually."

"Can I have any say in what is to be done with me?"

"I don't believe so."

This new body of mine might be young, but I believe I had a say.

"I think I'm going to wait until they're ready to see me before I say anything."

"That would be wisest." Inoru bowed his head slightly.

It turned out the bed I was sleeping in was his room, so I returned there and he told me he'd get me when the Elder of the Shrine was ready to see me.

…

"Do you have a name?"

I was standing in front of the raised table in a large mess hall of sorts in the temple, except without chairs of any kind, where the Elder and twelve of his closest and likely most veteran Initiates were sitting next to him.

"Not one from this dimension I think."

They murmured a bit.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth in the forest?"

I recognized the bald Sage with the staff.

"Because I didn't think any of you would believe it."

The Elder nodded, and stood up. "That was exactly what I was hoping to hear. None of us know for certain who you are, but until then, you will not be permitted to leave."

Well I promise I'm not some evil spirit that looks human I swear.

"Alright."

"Please, follow me."

…

I walked with the Elder of Takujimi as he guided me through the temple, nightfall was quickly approaching and he spoke with me calmly.

"Wait. You're telling me that people from all over the world would come here and pray?"

"Of course. This was where the Sprits helped save the world millenia ago." he said. "This was the spiritual and religious center of the entire Pokémon world. A few decades ago, Pokémon, like the Vigoroth who attacked you, began acting more ferocious."

"On the." It was almost a comical name. "Thirty thousand steps?"

That's a whole lot of work needed, but I got why.

"Yes, the thirty thousand steps to the mountain top."

I remembered the Torii gate. "Which is where I um, entered this world?"

"I believe so." the Elder said. "Our Order is fading, as odd as your arrival has been, it might be a sign."

"A sign for?" I trailed.

"I've never had an apprentice. Perhaps I'm being tested for a higher purpose, one unclear. I will teach you the ways of the Order. I will teach you what I can to test if you are indeed something dark from the other side of the Great Gate, about connecting yourself to Pokémon, to the Spirits, to whatever I can."

I nodded.

"When I determine you're ready. You will accompany a small group of Initiates I choose to go collect our yearly supply of rice from the bottom of the mountain. From there, you will be free to travel the world as you wish."

"Thank you." I bowed my head to him.

The Elder introduced himself. "My name is Toji Fujiwara. Are you ready to become a monk?"

I didn't have much of a choice. It would be best to have help on my journey now wouldn't it?

"Yes."

We bowed to each other.

…

By apprentice, the Elder meant I was essentially his sandal bearer. By far the youngest monk of the entire temple, I did most of the grunt work.

I kept his rice warm, I served him water. If he needed to review scrolls or discuss anything with his most trusted Initiaties, I would be at the door, ready to do anything but not listen or say anything.

That was for most of my time.

I shared a temple with about eighty bald guys who all practiced calligraphy, the traditional use of the Naginata, Staff, and Bow, as well as other several other arts.

Almost each Initiate Sage had a Bellsprout, and every single Monk at Takujimi had a purpose.

To either learn and master a craft, or teach it.

Classes were taught, all over the massive grounds in the temple high on the mountainside on Kyudo, Karate, and several other things back in my world that were traditional Japanese arts.

But these Sages had been practicing it and perfecting them for centuries, these were essentially warrior monks dedicated to the peace of the world from Giratina or a threat like it, but the evil they had fought was gone for so long that they had deteriorated to the point they more or less faded from memory.

For my first week, the first half of my day was accompanying Elder Toji everywhere he went.

I woke up before anyone else in the entire temple, keeping his sandals warm.

I helped a few other Novices, despite technically not being one yet, cook breakfast. Consisting of a single bowl of rice and some water.

Then I made sure that if Toji needed something, I went and fetched it for him. I learned calligraphy quickly enough so that if he needed a certain scroll he needed to copy or something I could go and find it.

Then I went to calligraphy class and the study of old manuscripts, or kyudo and karate, taught by Initiates who had studied it for almost fifty years since they were very young children. I wasn't bad at any of these arts, in fact I appeared to be pretty good at them.

But it would simply take years to even master the basics, and to hopefully harness my Aura, if I had any or was able to harness any to begin with.

Prayer was daily.

Mew was in fact some sort of deity, and from what I understood, the Lake Guardians had helped it save the world.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

There was a large shrine in a huge hall where everyone picked a spot, lit candles in a massive circle around the tall and bronze statue of Mew, and all prayed in silence, kneeling with their hands crossed and eyes closed.

It was awkward for me at first, but eventually I got used to it.

I was not allowed to start watching the most entertaining part of my day until the end of my second week.

Sparring.

Some Initates were so skilled they could use both bits of Aura and karate to battle some Pokémon, mostly Bellsprout and the few Hoothoot they had trained.

Otherwise, they had Bellsprout fight each other as well as Hoothoot.

The matches weren't epic, but they were interesting.

Near a gigantic waterfall directly next to the main pagodas the temple was mainly made out of, in a large circle made of stone, the main Initiates in charge of the karate and Pokémon training classes both chose both people and Pokémon to spar.

The matches were relaxed but still intent on improving everyone to their best. Initiates and even Elder Toji technically weren't strictly teachers as well, they too would attend classes of all kinds to either watch and or learn.

I saw some Monks move so fast and strongly they could knock Bellsprout out of the ring with just a staff. But they weren't superior at all.

The Bellsprout were great too, all these exercises were made to help build trust and fighting skills between monk to monk, Pokémon to Pokémon, and of course, between sages and all Bellsprout and Hoothoot.

Once a week I'd see someone use some sort of aura in an attack or on defense, from what I understood, everyone here was trying to perfect it. But only a couple ever came close to even knowing the fundamentals of it.

Everything was an art, practiced and perfected for thousands of years in this temple. The objective of this was to keep mankind's favor with Mew and mythical Pokémon like it strong enough if what happened thousands of years ago did again.

Everyone bowed and smiled out of respect.

Everyone had a purpose, idleness was nonexistent.

Technically I should've been given at least one hour to relax or practice any art on my own but I was determined to be too new to be given any sort of free time. The only time I had to rest was when I went to bed or at lunch in the middle of the day, when I could sit down and talk to the only sort of friend I made.

Inoru.

He was an orphan, technically like myself, but he had made a pilgrimage all the way from one of the only two other temples of our kind on the planet, all the way near the Kalos region.

It had taken years.

He told me the entire Pokémon world was more or less connected by high speed rail, but he had to make it on foot accompanied by the only other Initiate from Kalos, the instructor for my Calligraphy class.

Inoru started his journey when he was twenty two, and he was currently twenty six.

He hadn't seen or been remotely interested in gathering knowledge for competitive Pokémon battling. All he did, was travel, talk patiently, and learn respectfully.

Not from trainers, but from everyday people.

Every night before I went to sleep I thought about this temple.

Its simplistic but ancient hidden beauty, how everyone acted and sought to help each other master each craft.

I looked out from my window at the darkness of the mountain below, in the small room the monks had found for me sharing Inoru's as they were able to make a new bed for me on the floor across from his.

I thought of home, if I missed my old life or not.

I thought of what was out there for me. I had so many questions.

Was Giratina really responsible for everything the monks claimed it was? If so, then why? Where was Mew? Or Red? Or Ash Ketchum? Did I have and could use aura? If so, should I use it to train Pokémon and explore the world with the ultimate team?

The Order has spent dozens of centuries focusing almost purely on the physically and above all, spiritual connection between the Pokémon world and humans. Didn't it deserve to grow and help more?

Only when Toji determined, if he determined, could I begin to take the journey to start to answer these questions.

There really were thirty thousand steps leading up to the peak of the mountain. Because the mountain was so big, there wasn't a single light you could see from my bedroom in the shrine.

Everything was dark but the moon offering the only light of any kind in the temple.

After almost seven weeks of living at the temple, donning the same robes any Sage would, I saw another light.

A purple light as I slept.

An Espeon, an Espeon was in the temple at night. It was standing there quietly near the edge of my room.

I didn't know anything about Espeon, or even the few Pokémon I had taken classes on. But I did know there were only three Espeon in recorded history, because it was simply that rare for trainers or anyone to develop friendships that strong with Eevee.

Apparently, Eevee were pretty rare on their own. And training Eevee to evolve on their own was even rarer, I guess the games really simplified things and so did the anime in a way.

One Espeon was the house pet of a very wealthy lord near the end of the Legends: Arceus era. Another was raised as a rumor by Red, a person who I was simply too new to be answered any questions about. And another Espeon was the only of its kind in existence, owned by the current World Competitive Pokémon League champion.

I ignored all the questions I had about all these things, pushed them out of my head. An actual Espeon was in my room.

Inoru didn't seem to be awake, nor did I want to wake him either for this, I could actually be seeing things.

It seemed to want me to follow it around the temple, and the gem in its forehead kept glowing faintly.

So I got out of bed, and started to walk after it.

…

The Espeon led me throughout a temple I already knew well. The courtyards and a few halls to study calligraphy and other arts in.

Eventually the Espeon led me towards the very edge of the temple, marking the start of the day's journey hiking back down the mountain into the northern rural area of Johto.

I looked at it. "What?"

It, I couldn't tell if this Espeon was female or male, simply slunk up to a nearby stone carving to hold candles, and casually licked the back of its paws.

"You want me to leave Takujimi?"

With a mere wave of its nose towards the bottom of the mountain, the Espeon then slipped past me and into the darkness of the vast expanse of wilderness surrounding the shrine.

At some point afterward, I must've walked back to my room, and slept.

…

"A dream huh?" Inoru boredly asked, slightly raising his gaze from his usual bowl of rice at midday.

"I'm telling you it didn't feel like one, something was odd about that Espeon. Like it was alive, I've never had a dream like this before in my life."

Inoru finished his rice quietly.

"I don't know much about Espeon, but they're seen as spiritual symbols of the friendship between humans and Pokémon." He muttered. "A few people do dream of real Pokémon every now and then, but never of Espeon."

I didn't question the massive difference between my previous understanding of Eevee's psychic evolution and this one. "So what did my dream mean?"

"I don't know." said Inoru kindly and softly. "But Elder Toji might."

"Am I allowed to ask him? Isn't he some sort of authority on spiritual matters?"

"No. But he's the closest thing one may find to it."

"Then I'll ask him after lunch."

Inoru seemed to be refraining from saying something.

"Yeah?"

He sighed. "Dreams of Pokémon, as rare as they are. Often have some sort of meaning, typically about destiny."

"So I shouldn't tell Toji?"

"The decision is yours. But you're not from our world, you technically have no reason to listen to us."

I shrugged. "Besides the fact that I owe the Order my life."

"I respect you enough to tell you this. It's possible, likely even, that your destiny to learn about Pokémon and life, lies well beyond the Order of Sages."

It seemed he reached his point. I thanked him silently with a nod Inoru returned.

…

I decided to tell Elder Toji everything while he attended to the only garden, a small one, in the entirety of Takujimi temple.

Something told me the seeds here were more than rice, possibly involved somehow with the raising of Bellsprout or maybe even a possible Oddish.

"Hm."

Toji nodded a little, moving on to practicing some calligraphy on a scroll he brought with him.

"During this dream, was the Espeon able to speak to you?"

"No," I said. "But it did tell me it thought I should leave the temple."

That much was clear Toji gathered, from how much he thought on it.

"I want you to challenge the Espeon should you encounter it during your dreams again."

"Challenge it how?"

…

In the mess hall, Toji taught me how to play Shogi.

Monks only had a single hour of leisure time during the day, and several of them decided not to use it. A part of me felt like Toji used his to master playing Shogi for spiritual purposes, or for the Order's several millennia long dedication to the perfection of character, industriousness, and mind.

I didn't see the Espeon when I went to sleep for the next few nights. But when I did, the dream was similar.

I again, rose from my bed, and I instead beckoned the Espeon to follow me this time.

"I'm not leaving this place, not yet anyway."

Its left ear twitched curiously, and it's silver eyes gleamed momentarily, deciding to follow me after a short pause.

I led it to the mess hall, and was shocked.

The Shogi set was there, I could physically hold it and set up the board. Never had I been in a dream where an item felt so, real. Everything in typical dreams I had were intangible, the faces unrecognizable typically, and I couldn't really hold or touch anything with my hands.

The Espeon cautiously jumped up to the seat opposite mine like a cat would.

It appeared to know how to play Shogi, and oddly it was quite good at it too. It used its tail with a very high level of dexterity, able to move Shogi pieces with ease.

"I actually prefer regular chess. You know, white and black pieces, checkered board."

My psychic feline friend had no comment.

It beat me at Shogi. Soundly, even worse than the few practice games I played with Toji.

"Can we uh, try again?"

The Espeon was kind enough to help me set up the board.

And then I discovered something shocking again. The Espeon could use its tail to communicate with me.

It knew I had told Toji about the dream.

It was pointing up to the comfort where Toji sat while teaching me about strategy for Shogi. It seemed to wave its tail about indicating that Toji was wrong, and his strategy was better.

Did I know enough about Shogi to tell if the Espeon was right? No. But I did know this was starting to freak me out, and was starting to heavily warp my perception of reality a lot, which after everything that happened, said a lot.

I decided to leave the room, the Espeon quietly watching me leave the mess hall and our Shogi game still in progress when I returned to the bedroom I shared with Inoru and returned to sleep.

…

I knew these weren't dreams, I was a little mad that Toji couldn't tell me the truth.

My routine at the temple continued for a couple days, not once was I permitted to enter the sparring circle, technically because I didn't even have a name to be called up to the ring with.

Everyone, if they wanted to talk to me, just referred to me as Orphan, or Boy.

Not that I minded, both were true.

Toji never raised a question about the Espeon again, until I got tired of waiting and was accompanying him from watching a Kyudo class he checked in on.

"Why didn't you tell me I was talking to some sort of spirit?"

Toji raised an aged eyebrow as we walked down the wooden hall to the rare Calligraphy lesson he was about to give.

He glanced at me. "You've studied here for almost two months, and through this whole summer, what was one main thing you learned?"

Tough question. Every task or question he gave me was a test, a test to see if he could let me leave the temple. The choice wasn't mine, he had a small army of slightly magical warrior monks and Pokémon that could capture me with ease and bring me back here if he really wanted.

"There is something well beyond the physical world we reside in. Even in a lifetime, we cannot fully understand it."

"Correct." Toji said softly. "I do believe your soul visited the spiritual plane our temple resides in."

"The Espeon knew I talked to you about it. It knew, how could it know? How?"

Judging from the look on Toji's face, there was a lot he wasn't telling me.

I was a bit too stunned to speak for a moment. "You've talked to it before. Haven't you?"

Toji frowned.

"As a young man like yourself. I too was tempted to leave Takujimi. To leave the Order."

"You're acting as if going anywhere without permission is almost like. Sacrilege. Bad enough to be punished for."

"You are living proof the Gate we guard isn't inactive. The first proof in recorded history since the days of the great Terror. I can't let you leave until I'm sure you're worthy and able."

I hesitated to use the name Giratina.

"If I'm," I paused. "Evil, and supposedly some sort of spirit or demon in the form of a person without knowing about it. Why is it that I'm not bad at any of the things I've learned?"

"You still know very little."

I held my temper.

"I can use a bow, I know some karate, I can write the basic characters for calligraphy. I know plenty about the Pokémon the Order specializes in needing to know."

"You've not shown any mastery in these arts simply because you're so new at them." he repeated himself quietly.

I sighed. "It sounds like I might not even be allowed to leave."

His silence told me he wasn't fully sure about that decision either.

"You're serious." I deadpanned. "From what I know, I have a connection to the spirits so unique, that only you and I have been the only ones to ever communicate with one. If I'm evil, why is this Espeon even talking to me?"

Toji crossed his arms, his gaze changed.

"Before Pokémon from this mountain all but completely destroyed civilization, it was believed they weren't inherently evil. Truly, it seems they are not. But they can be addled by things from the Other Side."

From dimensions beyond this one. I believe Pokémon canon established this to be true.

"And because I'm from there, you think I'm destined for evil? Or the same fate?"

Elder Toji looked me directly in the eyes. "I don't know what you're destined for. Maybe you'll be the greatest Pokémon trainer who ever lived. Or you'll take my place someday, or maybe you'll stay as an Orphan here and not even become a Novice."

Toji sighed. "The one thing the Order cannot ever know is the future. It is not my place to choose your fate for you, only to prevent its destructive capacity."

There was no destructive capacity good god! How much longer until I can prove I can be allowed to leave?

"Elder Toji, I swear that-"

"Please listen child. I don't wish to hear anymore about this spirit or your dreams. There are thousands of scrolls here for you to read if you need their wisdom instead."

He said all he needed to.

I was about to say something but stopped myself.

"I'll do so."

"Never assume the easy and quick path in life is the proper one. There are no shortcuts to mastering our ways. Please, get to your next lesson."

I bowed to him, and he sent me on my way.

…

Living like a monk wasn't fun, but it did have an aspect I enjoyed.

Sure everyone here was male, at least in their forties, bald, wearing the same dry robes I did, but their craft did speak to me in a way.

Because I did feel like I actually was improving.

The karate teacher actually complimented me when we were practicing sparring, which came right after basics and forms.

No one really went easy on me even though I was newer and younger than the entire class.

But I actually managed to land a pretty solid hit on Inoru after several weeks of trying.

It was a reverse punch to the midsection that I managed to land when I timed his jab.

In calligraphy I had started to move on to the more complicated characters, and I could finally read the scrolls in our library I needed to understand my dreams.

Especially because Toji said I was on my own from now on.

He did seem to have all the answers, but the one he always gave me all said and done was that I needed to find my own.

And so I did.

Some nights I couldn't sleep, and I was permitted to study scrolls under candlelight in the library with a few other monks.

They didn't tell me much, they didn't tell me much about Pokémon either. But they did tell me that I needed to keep looking.

More reading, more lessons, more progress in archery, karate, reading and writing, as well as Pokémon studies.

Espeon did not appear in my dreams. For weeks, it had no interest in guiding me anywhere or anything or even popping into my mind for a quick game of Shogi and some one sided banter.

Summer soon passed into fall.

I could spar with some Initiates, landing some hits here and there, and was allowed to watch Elder Toji teach almost a fourth of the entire monastery on how to properly heal injured Oddish. My first real lesson being allowed to actually interact with Pokémon.

I was allowed to start sparring properly in the main ring near the big waterfall. I would always lose but I didn't truly mind as long as I did better in my next match.

Enough time passed that after deciding for months, I picked a name.

Nico, or Nick and Nicolas, also written as Chinnen through my calligraphy.

Apparently I picked the right name and could write it correctly, because some Initiates had seen my progress and diligence in their classes and requested as a group that I become a Novice in the Order.

The sages saved my life in late May. The start of my Pokémon journey really began one night in late October.

My head was shaved, I was given new robes, and with the entire monastery watching in silence, Elder Toji formally welcomed me as a student of the Order.

A massive honor, sure being part of this worlds version of the Sprout Tower monks, wasn't the same as a Pokémon trainer, but I had to start somewhere.

I was glad it happened, because it meant myself and the only real friend I had sort of made, Inoru, were technically on the same level as we were the only lower rank Novices in the temple.

…

After my first real month of training as a Monk, I could recite several poems from ancient Elders and priests of all sorts who worshipped Mew and other spirit related Pokémon.

I could fire arrows using traditional Kyudo style bows with a level of accuracy I was impressed with myself for.

I could spar competitively with a few of the other Novices, and barely with some of the Initiates well both during karate and in the ring next to the waterfall.

I honestly felt like this monk thing was starting to come together.

And just like that, it came back. The Espeon had returned to my bedroom within my dreams.

"Up for a game of Shogi?"

It nodded.

…

I served us both some tea, a benefit of helping serve tea wherever Toji went was getting quite good at it with so much practice.

I still didn't know if I was in the spirit version of Takujimi temple, but nonetheless I was able to locate a tea set exactly how I could locate the Shogi set.

It was odd, my tea tasted the same as it did outside of my dreams.

"Want some?"

The Espeon accepted, curled its tail around the bottom of the cup and lapped from it like a kitten drank milk.

It appeared to like it.

"So, are you a male or a female?"

No response.

"Male?"

The Espeon nodded.

"Are we in some sort of spirit plane. Or just my dreams?"

He said nothing.

For a really awesome ultra rare and psychic cat, this Espeon wasn't the most communicative.

I asked something else.

"Can you lead me safely down the mountain if Elder Toji ever let's me leave?"

The Espeon raised its tail, waving it slightly from side to side as if to say Eh.

The temple was alright, but I wanted to test what I'd learned here in the past five months out in the real world. What if the Order's methods were wrong?

What if they were right? What if they really were the truth?

There was so much to learn and do outside of this mountain that I felt stuck here. I wanted to leave, the only reason why I wanted to stay was because I had a feeling I might not ever see this Espeon again if I didn't obey Elder Toji.

"If I go, will you miss me?"

The Espeon again gave me another mild wavey response with his tail.

I chuckled, and I could've sworn he was amused. I came closer that night than any other to actually beating him in Shogi.

"Good game." I stuck my hand forward.

The Espeon looked confused for a second but then got it.

He curled his tail around my hand and shook it.

…

I was returning back from another late night study session, I had poured over a set of scrolls in the library describing a strange Aura ritual able to lock a Pokémon or person's spirit in place for eternity, essentially locking them into a coma forever, when I heard something odd.

"He can write his name and those of others well sure," an Initiate said with disapproval. "He can learn fighting, archery, history, and about Pokémon much faster than most of us could at his age as well. But is he truly worthy to ever leave us?"

I recognized his voice, my Calligraphy instructor.

I tucked myself quietly into the hallway where the most experienced monks were having a secret midnight meeting. I stumbled upon it with complete coincidence, someone left the door open a little bit.

I could see another sage move some old paper cards around. "The first Pokémon anyone first ever interacts with greatly describes the nature, true character and destiny of him or her." he said, muttering calmly. "Vigoroth." he seemed to look at the card.

"Vitality, fierceness, strength."

Another sage, one who I believe specialized in leading weekly kata in sync with Bellsprout in the main courtyard spoke. "Espeon. Spirituality, connection, patience."

"Sums up the boy perfectly." I heard Toji said. "Very patient, very good student."

"I say we never let him leave. His connection to the spirits and the eternal plane is too strong to ignore."

"I say we do let him leave as soon as possible. It's clear he has no true desire to learn outside of his fascination with knowledge." He was wrong but I wasn't going to interrupt. "He has no connection to our plight to defend Johto and Kanto or anything, so why bother teaching him?"

Everyone seemed to have a murmuring argument for a moment.

"Why don't we send him back through the Great Gate where he once went through?" an Initiate said. "Surely he must miss home."

"Only Mew and other mythical Pokémon were known to have such powers." Ari grunted in disappointment, as if he'd already considered the option.

"Ari." Toji muttered. "Wake up Novice Inoru and bring him here. Do everything within your power to make sure Nico is not disturbed. I believe he's fallen asleep in the library yet again anyway."

That was my cue to dash back to hide in a nearby hallway before being caught for eavesdropping.

I was almost caught by a passing Bellsprout bringing some tea and a hot towel to its owner by the time Inoru was walking back down the dark wooden hallway with one of my teachers.

…

"Inoru. We are about to vote on the fate of young Chin." I respected Toji somehow even more for addressing me by both my traditional name and my more regular one. "What is your opinion on him?"

My calligraphy teacher, Ari, spoke up when he took his spot through the shadows of the room I saw on Toji's left. "You may be only a bit older, but you know him better than anyone. I trust your judgement since your days as my pupil at Inabaraki."

"He's honest and kind, but besides his debt to the Order for saving his life. I doubt if he'd intrinsically desire to want to learn our ways." said Inoru quietly. "He simply is not from our world."

"See?" Ari scoffed.

"However, I do think that's a good thing actually. Something we all need."

Ari balked and Toji was intrigued. "Speak freely Inoru."

"The Order hasn't received new Novices who weren't orphans or runaways for almost sixty years. Technically speaking, Nico is only here for interdimensional reasons out of his control. He wants to learn, because he wants to learn."

"Pah! I don't trust him." Ari crossed his arms. "He almost seems to know about the names of several Pokémon well before I've even taught him how to write them."

Almost like I've played the games and seen the anime.

"I trust Nico, I trust he can actually add something the Order hasn't ever had. And that's recognition. We only have a few followers outside of our three main shrines, why not expand our name?"

Another Initiate raised his voice slightly, speaking very disapprovingly. "I hope you are not suggesting what I think you are suggesting."

"I am. Nico should be allowed to travel the world as I did, except, not just between temples. He should be allowed to battle Pokémon competitively. He should be our Order's first real Pokémon trainer."

An Initiate laughed loudly. "Insult our dedication to Mew and our religion to defend the world against Dark Spirits and whatever the top of the mountain may bring? Disgraceful."

"What's disgraceful is not letting our Order grow or evolve." I could see a hint of Toji nodding through the shadows the single candle the sages were using made in the room. "I'm not saying we should build a team, or even actively go and recruit trainers or Pokémon Rangers to join the Order."

Even the suggestion of such a thing grew some murmurs.

"But Nico should be allowed to leave, and not sooner or later. Now. Because if we wait too long, he might not be young enough anymore to fully appreciate the rest of the world. I know I sure feel that way everytime I talk to him."

I think that was a sentiment the entire room wish they didn't share. This was millennia of knowledge and perfection of completing the friendship physically, mentally, and especially spiritually between mankind and the Pokémon world, and most of it was stuck on the fringe of the planet in eternal solitude and practice.

"We shall vote tomorrow morning." Toji said. "Everyone retire for the night, and we'll convene in the morning."

I couldn't wait to tell Espeon in my dreams that I was possibly going to leave.

But I didn't see him again.

…

The thirteen, or the highest ranked and most experienced sages in the entire monastery summoned Inoru and I shortly after breakfast and normal classes resumed.

"You two boys have made us proud." Ari said, as if Toji had spent the entire morning forcing him to grit his teeth and say it. "It's time for the acknowledgment of your progress."

I wouldn't call Inoru, a twenty six year old man just a boy, but if I was as old as Ari, maybe I would.

"Nico." Toji looked to me from the comfort he sat upon in the middle of the line of monks. "You may have only begun your studies barely half a year ago. But you've shown to have the heart and mind, to at least begin your training to truly become a monk."

Toji instructed both of us calmly. "I'm assigning both of you on a special pilgrimage. The world needs to be reminded of its true roots in the bonds between Pokémon and man. And the best way to do that is on the greatest stage of all, with the youngest among us."

Inoru and I looked at each other for a moment. We knew what that meant, making it to the top of the league Red had formed after winning enough titles to tie competitive Pokémon battling together globally. As Sages of the Sprout Order.

"As if trophies, medals, and glory can ever amount to the decades on a mountain our ancestors shared in honor of Mew." scoffed Ari quietly.

Toji ignored this calmly. "For this journey, despite your age Inoru. You will be raised to the rank of Initiate as conditional recognition as the few monks within these halls to have ever traveled between shrines."

"Thank you."

Then why wasn't Ari allowed to go with us? I didn't like him very much for several reasons, but we would definitely need his help. But if there was one thing I learned at this temple, there was a time to question anything.

The Elder bowed back slightly to Inoru when he bowed his head.

"Nico. I want you to obey Inoru at all times, he will be your teacher in all matters during your travels."

"I will. Where must we go first?" I asked.

Ari removed a small map from the sleeves of his Initiate's robes and used a small bit of Aura to float it towards us.

"It's a day's journey to the bottom of the mountain." Toji said as I looked over the old manuscript illustrating the far northern ends of Johto. "There is the village we buy our yearly supplies from. All the information and direction you two must need to travel to the Johto region will be there."

"We all wish you good luck on your travels." said Toji.

Inoru and I bowed deeply to the thirteen wisest, most spiritual, and best Pokémon sages on the planet.

And they also bowed back.

…

Inoru and I barely had time to gab about our historic pilgrimage when Toji knocked on our door.

I slid it aside and he spoke in his usual calm and kind voice to my new travel guide. "Initiates Ari and Brandon will introduce you to your new Bellsprout. Nico, this way."

I exchanged smiles with Inoru. We both knew how big a deal it was that the thirteen had decided to let someone start training a Pokémon essentially still as a Novice.

I followed Nico until we reached the small Pokémon nursery only Toji and a few others were allowed to go near.

I saw an injured Oddish sip from a pool of herb infused water as I followed the Elder.

"We found him just a few weeks ago while searching for berries, I'm sure its mother was slain in a disagreement with another Pokémon. I was able to fix his arm in under an hour, but it's in desperate need of a caregiver."

I almost wanted to shed a tear at how cute he was.

A baby Slakoth, probably only just a few months old, separated from its mother. Its calm and pure eyes looked so precious and innocent.

"Why are you showing me him?"

"I believe your connection to Vigoroths and Slakings will help you raise him, I simply cannot raise a Pokémon so young at my age. Regular folk use the name starter to describe such Pokémon. I really believe there's much more to this Slakoth and your proclivity to them that meets the eye."

Technically without them, I might've starved and gotten lost in this mountain if they hadn't sort of led me to being saved by the monks.

"Wait, you're letting me raise a Slakoth? Haven't I angered the nearby Vigoroth enough already?"

Despite it being months ago, Vigoroth were not known to be forgiving or remotely merciful.

"While you and Inoru definitely do not have the capabilities to protect yourselves properly today. Vigoroth have actually been docile for the first time in decades since we saved you from one. By Mew, I swear, you will be fine Nico."

"I owe you a uh."

A hug. Everything in the world.

This man risked everything, his religion, everything he knew for probably north of seventy years of intense study, just to take a chance he was making the right choice for the future of the order.

"Does this mean I can let my hair grow out now?"

Toji chuckled deeper than I ever heard him, or an Elder ever should.

"I suppose it does." He took a necklace with wooden beads and a pendant of Mew on it off his shoulders and placed it on mine. "Here. So the spirit's blessing may protect you on your journey."

Toji sighed and glanced at the sky, checking the time. "I need to gather everyone before we all say our farewells. Get your things ready."

He laid the baby Slakoth much how a koala clings to its mother around my shoulders too.

I think I was the first monk ever to be under the age of twenty to be placed in charge of a Pokémon. Or allowed to leave a temple without needing to go to another, or sent to compete or even compete to begin with.

"What are the Order's rules on uh, marriage?"

"If you believe a romantic partner has been properly revealed. Then you will be allowed to be married."

"And for Inoru?"

Toji shook his head with a tiny smile. "There are no rules for your journey child. You will learn what you need to, how and when you need to. Clear your mind of needing to achieve, and focus, on growth, patience and always, learning."

Should be the Sprout Sage Order's motto.

"You do that, and you have my word, everything will fall perfectly into place."

"Thank you Elder Toji."

I wanted to hug this man, but he left before I had the chance.

…

The entire monastery, Hoothoot and Bellsprout included, wished us farewell on our journey.

I even shook Ari's hand out of respect.

"I'll always practice my scripts before bed."

He scowled. "Safe travels Chin." he said grumpily.

They waved and bowed as one, all one hundred and seven sages, Bellsprout, and Hoothoot.

I began to leave with Inoru and I both carrying staffs for both travel and defense.

We began to descend down the thirty thousand, or likely twenty five thousand steps from this height I guessed, steps.

"I think they all made the right choice about us."

"I don't even want to think about what might happen if they're wrong." Inoru muttered.

Before we left, two statues flanked the entrance to descend the mountain. One of Umbreon on the left, and Espeon on the right.

Yin and Yang, subtle, monks who probably carved this thousands of years ago.

I looked at Espeon's stone eyes, wondering if I'd ever see him again.

I held my Slakoth tighter to me as we started to walk down each step carefully but quickly, Inoru's new baby Bellsprout clutched to the pant leg of his robes with each movement.

I really hoped Espeon, and hopefully, Mew, were looking over us on this journey. Because it was a very very long road ahead.

"You ready?" I asked.

Inoru looked back at Takujimi Shrine, probably wondering, like myself, if we'd ever see it again.

He responded with a smile and a nod. "Yeah."

I smiled back and followed him further down the mountain.

…