As Shane surrenders to the soft arms of sleep after an exhaustive day, his mind wanders into the realm of dreams. However, this dream isn't filled with whimsical Pokémon adventures as usual.
It stands in stark contrast to his nightmares where he relives the traumatic destruction of his home in Osmer, swept away by a mighty wave.
This dream is vivid and chilling, filling him with a sense of dread he hasn't felt since the destruction of his home.
It's eerily clear, every detail etching into his mind like a prophetic vision, carrying an ominous undercurrent hard to shake off.
In his dream, he finds himself standing atop a mountain, gazing down at a sprawling land, its beauty marred by an uneasy stillness.
He doesn't recognize this place, but its diverse terrains - dense forests, vast oceans, bustling cities - seem strangely familiar.
As he surveys the land, he hears a low, droning hum resonating from the depths of the forest. The hum grows louder and more insistent with each passing second.
Something compels Shane to find its source, so he soars high in the sky, hovering above the land.
Suddenly, his attention is drawn towards a cavern situated in the forest's heart.
The cavern's entrance is guarded by three massive stone doors, engraved with cryptic, ancient symbols.
As if responding to his curiosity, the stone doors slide open, revealing the forms of three figures of rock, ice, and steel.
The low hum transforms into an ear-splitting discord, vibrations pulsating through the air and shaking the land.
The trio of golems unleashes their powers.
The rock figure induces a fierce earthquake, tearing through the cities and causing structures to crumble.
The ice figure casts a blizzard that rapidly spreads across the land, transforming the greenery into a freezing tundra.
The figure of steel releases a flurry of metallic shards that rain down, causing further destruction upon what little remains of civilization.
As he watches the chaos from his vantage point, a sense of dread fills him.
The region he doesn't recognize is transforming into a desolate wasteland.
Suddenly, Shane awakes, panting and drenched in cold sweat.
The dream feels too real, too chaotic to be just a product of his imagination.
Is it a forewarning of something dire?
As he contemplates his dream, he notices Natu, wide awake and perched on the windowsill, eyeing him with an intense gaze. Natu hops over to him, its eyes shimmering with an unspoken understanding.
Natu then begins to act in a peculiar way, mimicking the destructive events from Shane's dream - jumping on the floor creating small thuds, creating a small gust of wind, and mimicking the sound of raining metal by tapping its beak against the window.
The sequence is too familiar, too specific to be a coincidence.
It's as if Natu is communicating that it knows what Shane has been dreaming.
The connection is too strong to ignore.
His dream and Natu's strange behavior seem intertwined, suggesting something much bigger at play.
As daunting as it appears, Shane has a strong feeling that this will not be quite the journey he had expected.
The following dawn brings with it an unfamiliar sense of urgency.
As the sun peeks over the horizon, washing the quaint town of Dewford in golden light, Shane can't shake off the vivid imagery of the dream.
He knows he can't ignore what he has seen, and Natu's peculiar behavior only reaffirms his determination. It's a mystery, but more importantly, it's a lead.
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Lizz mentioned that Natu has the ability to see the future, so his mind circles the thought that it may be prophetic.
With the image of the cavern still fresh in his mind, he decides to go to the local library.
He hopes to find something that could provide him a clue, perhaps a legend or a myth associated with the region, to make sense of the symbols and the destructive trio from his dream.
Stepping into the library is akin to entering a treasure trove of knowledge.
The smell of old books mixed with the scent of polished wood, and the place is filled with a tranquil silence that's only occasionally broken by the soft rustle of pages turning.
Dewford may not be a big city, but its library is commendable, with stacks of books and scrolls that hint at a rich collection of Hoenn's lore.
He approaches the librarian, a woman with spectacles perched on the end of her nose, and asks about books on local myths and legends.
She guides him to a section filled with ancient scripts and well-preserved texts, from historical chronicles to old folklore.
Shane thanks her and immediately starts pouring through the texts.
Hours pass as he immerses himself in stories of legendary Pokémon, old folktales, and myths.
There's so much to learn, so much he hasn't known before, yet none of it seems to relate to his dream.
He only takes a brief break from his reading to buy some food for Natu and himself in the library cafeteria, where the lady attending it kindly explains how his bank card works.
He is about to call it a day when he stumbles upon a passage in an old leather-bound book titled 'Legends of the Land'.
It spoke of ancient golems said to possess powers over rock, ice, and steel, created by another larger golem called Regigigas, known as the Regi trio.
The symbols he had seen in his dream and the description of the golems matched eerily with the text.
As he delves deeper into the book, he finds that these golems were sealed away due to their immense power, only to be awakened when the land was in danger.
However, there isa stark contradiction.
The book states that the Regi trio was sealed away due to their immense power, only to be awakened when the land was in grave danger. But his dream showed the trio causing destruction, not preventing it.
This confuses Shane.
Were the Regi trio the protectors or the destroyers?
Despite the confusion, Shane can't ignore the connection.
The Regi trio is somehow linked to his dream, and potentially, to Hoenn's future.
He jots down everything he could about the trio and the possible locations of their sealed chambers.
He knew he was treading into unknown territory, facing ancient forces that were way beyond his comprehension. But he is ready to face whatever was to come, ready to unveil the mysteries hidden in the land of Hoenn.
As the sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant hues, Shane leaves the library.
Natu, perched on his shoulder, glanced at him, its gaze gleaming with unwavering resolve. They are a team, prepared to journey into the unknown, ready to face the challenges that awaits them in their quest to unravel the truth.
Then he realizes that he has forgotten something.
The battle at the gym.
“Ah man, talk about having my head in the clouds…” Shane mutters to himself.
Shane feels a slight weight on his shoulder and turns to see Natu looking at him with a soft, knowing gaze.
Its eyes shine with a light that seems to say that it's okay, that there is a time for everything. "We can face it tomorrow," it seems to convey, the small bird nuzzling against Shane's neck, providing a comforting warmth.
The quiet understanding of his Pokemon friend eases his worries, assuring him that they are in this together.
He smiles, his resolve fortified, ready to face tomorrow's challenges and, maybe, a gym battle.
He whispers a quiet thank you to Natu, knowing the bond between them is stronger than ever.