Categories > Games > Pokemon > Pokèmon: Serene and Discord
Amelia carefully stepped over a small clump of grass in the road as she walked towards the Pokemon Center. The siblings ahead of her had clearly been to this Village many times, shown by their friendly waves and chatter to passersby, though they moved with haste towards the pink-roofed building barely visible at the edge of the city, following the lead of the cantankerous woman, Natalie.
“Welcome to Cassidy Village,” the old man beside her said, “What do you think?” He spread his arms out wide to gesture to their surroundings, gleaming with a look of pride at the sights around him.
It was a rather small place. The streets weren’t paved with concrete and rock, but rather the same packed red dirt that had made up the path on their way here. Sturdy brick businesses dotted the ground with wooden houses taking up the main portion of real estate. Within the buildings, solid lights created by electricity could be seen, but the outside was illuminated by many lanterns and lamps with flickering flames.
Even though the streets had emptied quickly of the citizens, quiet conversations interlaced with joyful laughter could be heard through the open windows of the many homes. The air was heavy with the scents of spiced meats and vegetables cooking over a fire, though the smell of warm baking bread overpowered most of it. To her surprise, the only location with steam rising from a chimney and where the smells seemed to be emanating from was a large building in the center of the streets, as well as the Pokemon Center.
Surrounding everything were the tall sturdy walls that the young girl had grown used to seeing in the couple of months she had been living in the region. Many sentries patrolled along the top, both human and Pokemon, with a few posted outside the massive gates as well. If she squinted hard enough, she could just barely make out the unidentifiable silhouettes of nearly two dozen birds gliding through the air, though they all seemed to be working with the people as well. Each guard carried no less than three PokeBalls on belts around their waists.
She was used to living near small villages from where they had recently moved from, but none of them ever had such heavy protection from the outside. She had to admit though, she hadn’t entered more than one such town since arriving, and it was in the middle of the day. Otherwise, she’d spent all her time helping out her family on the farm, too engulfed in her chores and helping care for her younger siblings to find time to explore.
“It's quaint,” She said, determined to remain polite while not admitting openly about how uneasy her surroundings made her. You’re just spooked still from what happened outside. She told herself.
Rogers seemed to catch onto her reaction though, as his eyebrows scrunched in a look of concern and understanding. “I know it’s not much.” He confessed with a small sigh, “Kaneko isn’t a land of many riches or resources.” Though his words were kind, they held a hint of worry at her reaction. “I promise you, we are a very happy people though, and you’ll always find someone willing to help if you ever need it. We look out for each other.”
The teenager nodded her head in attempted understanding. To distract herself from the uncomfortable feeling creeping in her gut, she looked over to the large Pokemon they had ridden in on.
In the light of the many fires, she could see it wasn’t purely black. Most of it was dark, like the color of the deepest cave, but the belly, throat, and a small pattern around the eyes was a gentle yellow with brilliant golden irises. There were spikes behind its head, back and along its tail, which appeared to be almost four times the length of the body. The tapering appendage slithered through the dirt, kicking up small clouds of red dust and coating its gleaming scales with a dimming layer. The body and neck were long and reptilian, with powerful back legs and shorter fronts that all ended in sharpened hooked talons.
“Rotom, who is this Pokémon?” Amelia asked, coaxing the floating Dex out of her pocket.
It squeaked a couple of times as it searched its database, pulling up the cover page of the beast before them. “Boltning, the expansive reach Pokémon. A Dark and Electric type. This Pokémon cannot be naturally found in the wild. They require the influence of a trainer to achieve this form. In ancient times, a very popular Trainer had a Boltning that they would use to travel around the lands at breakneck speeds.
The tail of this Pokémon is fully prehensile and they use it both for balance and to help it cling to rocks of cliffs and on branches of the sturdy trees of the region. To confuse the enemy, this Pokémon will loudly snap its jaw and then crack its tail like a whip to make them seem to be in multiple places at once.”
“Crack its tail like a whip? Is that what that sound was?” The young lady asked in surprise, recalling the noises they’d heard when fleeing the fields outside.
“Yes,” Rogers confirmed, reaching down and snatching up the writhing thing. The Pokémon seemed unbothered by the movement of its Trainer grabbing its tail and instead fixed its deep golden gaze on the girl before it. “Boltning was warning off the attackers. It has thousands of bones within it, and incredibly powerful muscles, making them very flexible and strong.”
She tilted her head in interest, nodding along in thought. “And who was that Pokémon we were surrounded by?”
“That would be this region’s Duskull. Rotom, if you would please.”
“Of course!” It piped up happily, pulling up another cover page. “Kanekan Duskull, the bone mask Pokemon. A Ghost type. When this Pokémon was first discovered, it was classified as a Duskull. Its looks and personality are somewhat similar to the well-known one thriving all across the world. This form also loves to stalk its prey at night and will silently pass through any wall to give it the advantage. It can also turn invisible and will pop out of nowhere to scare naughty and unruly children.
It slips through burned-down fields of forests or long-forgotten graveyards, mimicking the cry of a lost child. Any person or Pokémon who dares enter these abandoned areas are often never seen or heard from again. The bone on its face is truly a mask and it’s said removing this will cause the perpetrator and their kin thousands of years of misfortune and trials.”
This new Pokémon’s image was similar to the ones she’d seen before, except for the blood-red markings along its back. As well, the mask on its face was not the creamy white she was used to seeing but rather colored brown like long-buried bones with a longer mammalian shape and two short horns at the top. The glowing red orb floating inside the mask sent a shiver through her as she recalled the countless ones that had surrounded her and her companions just moments before.
“We’ll be sure to avoid those guys in the future.” She spoke quietly.
“Are you alright? I hope this event hasn’t set you off wanting to travel.” Rogers placed a hand gently on her shoulder, looking worried for her.
“It’s not that. I mean, that was frightening and all, but I’m just not a fan of Ghost types. They creep me out.” She admitted, her face growing warm in embarrassment.
“I see. That’s understandable.” He tried to comfort her. The elderly man thought hard for a moment before saying. “Are you a part of the Bartoli lot that moved here recently?”
Amelia’s orange eyes widened in surprise that someone would know her family’s surname. “I am, but how did you know? I’ve never seen you before.”
“I met your father a few weeks ago when I was in Hawksberry. We got to talking and he told me about your farm.” He reached down and tugged at the fabric hanging beside him. “This cloak was actually made by the wool that came from the Burmutic your family raises.”
“That’s my cue!” The Rotom bounced around Amelia’s head excitedly while pulling up a new image on its screen. “Burmutic, the land bird Pokemon. A Fairy and Fire type. Even with an internal body temperature that can reach upwards of 800 degrees Celsius, this Pokémon’s thick wooly coat keeps it cool to the touch. Versatile and smart, this Pokémon is used both for its flame retardant, lusciously soft wool, and its swift speeds for ride travel.
They are most often used as transportation over the difficult terrain of the region by emergency services, or to help travelers move about over large stretches of land. Burmutic are seen as one of the most easily tamed Pokémon of the region when found in the wild.”
This new creature was a very tall flightless bird with brown wool fluffed up along its body, pink and orange feathers poking out along its face and neck, as well as underneath the cotton. It had a stretched-out neck and stood on powerful long legs, taller than any human she had ever met.
“Ope, I actually know this one very well.” Amelia corrected, glancing apologetically at the Dex floating in front of her. It beeped a few times in embarrassment and quickly stuffed itself back into her pocket. She shook her head gently but then turned her eyes back to the man before her as he stored his Boltning in its PokeBall, as their slow walk finally had them arrive at the closed doors of their destination. “I’m confused.” She confessed. “Burmutic wool only protects against extreme heat, not electricity.”
“That is correct, but you see, I’m a cloak maker and I’ve been playing around with different types of fabric for years. I’ve learned that if you mix the wool from Burmutic with the one shorn off of the Mareep line of the region, you get a fabric that is both fire retardant and absorbs electricity.”
“That is very interesting! Have you told my dad about this yet?”
“That is actually what we were discussing when we met up. We made a trade and I was able to acquire a fairly large amount of unprocessed wool from him. But it gets better. Being an Ice type as well, the wool from the Mareep line is also very adept at keeping the user warm even in harsh cold. When mixed correctly, I’m able to make a versatile fabric that is lightweight and cool enough for travel in the heat of day, but also warm enough at night, while keeping the user protected from the effects of fire and electricity.”
Amelia’s eyes widened in shock at this discovery. “That’s revolutionary There’s never been a fabric that I’ve heard of able to do all that! My mom makes clothing, you absolutely have to talk to her about this! It could help so many people.”
“I want to put it through a few tests first, before spreading the formula around. I’ve also been experimenting with some waxes to see if I can influence other protections-“
“Rogers,” The stern voice of his wife, Natalie, spoke up, surprising both him and Amelia and causing the young teen girl to jump. “Stop boring this poor child with talks about your weaving. She’s probably tired from her travels today and needs to rest.”
The elderly man shook his head but a gleam of mischief remained in his eyes as he winked at Amelia. “Yes, dear. Let’s get inside the Center.”
“Welcome to Cassidy Village,” the old man beside her said, “What do you think?” He spread his arms out wide to gesture to their surroundings, gleaming with a look of pride at the sights around him.
It was a rather small place. The streets weren’t paved with concrete and rock, but rather the same packed red dirt that had made up the path on their way here. Sturdy brick businesses dotted the ground with wooden houses taking up the main portion of real estate. Within the buildings, solid lights created by electricity could be seen, but the outside was illuminated by many lanterns and lamps with flickering flames.
Even though the streets had emptied quickly of the citizens, quiet conversations interlaced with joyful laughter could be heard through the open windows of the many homes. The air was heavy with the scents of spiced meats and vegetables cooking over a fire, though the smell of warm baking bread overpowered most of it. To her surprise, the only location with steam rising from a chimney and where the smells seemed to be emanating from was a large building in the center of the streets, as well as the Pokemon Center.
Surrounding everything were the tall sturdy walls that the young girl had grown used to seeing in the couple of months she had been living in the region. Many sentries patrolled along the top, both human and Pokemon, with a few posted outside the massive gates as well. If she squinted hard enough, she could just barely make out the unidentifiable silhouettes of nearly two dozen birds gliding through the air, though they all seemed to be working with the people as well. Each guard carried no less than three PokeBalls on belts around their waists.
She was used to living near small villages from where they had recently moved from, but none of them ever had such heavy protection from the outside. She had to admit though, she hadn’t entered more than one such town since arriving, and it was in the middle of the day. Otherwise, she’d spent all her time helping out her family on the farm, too engulfed in her chores and helping care for her younger siblings to find time to explore.
“It's quaint,” She said, determined to remain polite while not admitting openly about how uneasy her surroundings made her. You’re just spooked still from what happened outside. She told herself.
Rogers seemed to catch onto her reaction though, as his eyebrows scrunched in a look of concern and understanding. “I know it’s not much.” He confessed with a small sigh, “Kaneko isn’t a land of many riches or resources.” Though his words were kind, they held a hint of worry at her reaction. “I promise you, we are a very happy people though, and you’ll always find someone willing to help if you ever need it. We look out for each other.”
The teenager nodded her head in attempted understanding. To distract herself from the uncomfortable feeling creeping in her gut, she looked over to the large Pokemon they had ridden in on.
In the light of the many fires, she could see it wasn’t purely black. Most of it was dark, like the color of the deepest cave, but the belly, throat, and a small pattern around the eyes was a gentle yellow with brilliant golden irises. There were spikes behind its head, back and along its tail, which appeared to be almost four times the length of the body. The tapering appendage slithered through the dirt, kicking up small clouds of red dust and coating its gleaming scales with a dimming layer. The body and neck were long and reptilian, with powerful back legs and shorter fronts that all ended in sharpened hooked talons.
“Rotom, who is this Pokémon?” Amelia asked, coaxing the floating Dex out of her pocket.
It squeaked a couple of times as it searched its database, pulling up the cover page of the beast before them. “Boltning, the expansive reach Pokémon. A Dark and Electric type. This Pokémon cannot be naturally found in the wild. They require the influence of a trainer to achieve this form. In ancient times, a very popular Trainer had a Boltning that they would use to travel around the lands at breakneck speeds.
The tail of this Pokémon is fully prehensile and they use it both for balance and to help it cling to rocks of cliffs and on branches of the sturdy trees of the region. To confuse the enemy, this Pokémon will loudly snap its jaw and then crack its tail like a whip to make them seem to be in multiple places at once.”
“Crack its tail like a whip? Is that what that sound was?” The young lady asked in surprise, recalling the noises they’d heard when fleeing the fields outside.
“Yes,” Rogers confirmed, reaching down and snatching up the writhing thing. The Pokémon seemed unbothered by the movement of its Trainer grabbing its tail and instead fixed its deep golden gaze on the girl before it. “Boltning was warning off the attackers. It has thousands of bones within it, and incredibly powerful muscles, making them very flexible and strong.”
She tilted her head in interest, nodding along in thought. “And who was that Pokémon we were surrounded by?”
“That would be this region’s Duskull. Rotom, if you would please.”
“Of course!” It piped up happily, pulling up another cover page. “Kanekan Duskull, the bone mask Pokemon. A Ghost type. When this Pokémon was first discovered, it was classified as a Duskull. Its looks and personality are somewhat similar to the well-known one thriving all across the world. This form also loves to stalk its prey at night and will silently pass through any wall to give it the advantage. It can also turn invisible and will pop out of nowhere to scare naughty and unruly children.
It slips through burned-down fields of forests or long-forgotten graveyards, mimicking the cry of a lost child. Any person or Pokémon who dares enter these abandoned areas are often never seen or heard from again. The bone on its face is truly a mask and it’s said removing this will cause the perpetrator and their kin thousands of years of misfortune and trials.”
This new Pokémon’s image was similar to the ones she’d seen before, except for the blood-red markings along its back. As well, the mask on its face was not the creamy white she was used to seeing but rather colored brown like long-buried bones with a longer mammalian shape and two short horns at the top. The glowing red orb floating inside the mask sent a shiver through her as she recalled the countless ones that had surrounded her and her companions just moments before.
“We’ll be sure to avoid those guys in the future.” She spoke quietly.
“Are you alright? I hope this event hasn’t set you off wanting to travel.” Rogers placed a hand gently on her shoulder, looking worried for her.
“It’s not that. I mean, that was frightening and all, but I’m just not a fan of Ghost types. They creep me out.” She admitted, her face growing warm in embarrassment.
“I see. That’s understandable.” He tried to comfort her. The elderly man thought hard for a moment before saying. “Are you a part of the Bartoli lot that moved here recently?”
Amelia’s orange eyes widened in surprise that someone would know her family’s surname. “I am, but how did you know? I’ve never seen you before.”
“I met your father a few weeks ago when I was in Hawksberry. We got to talking and he told me about your farm.” He reached down and tugged at the fabric hanging beside him. “This cloak was actually made by the wool that came from the Burmutic your family raises.”
“That’s my cue!” The Rotom bounced around Amelia’s head excitedly while pulling up a new image on its screen. “Burmutic, the land bird Pokemon. A Fairy and Fire type. Even with an internal body temperature that can reach upwards of 800 degrees Celsius, this Pokémon’s thick wooly coat keeps it cool to the touch. Versatile and smart, this Pokémon is used both for its flame retardant, lusciously soft wool, and its swift speeds for ride travel.
They are most often used as transportation over the difficult terrain of the region by emergency services, or to help travelers move about over large stretches of land. Burmutic are seen as one of the most easily tamed Pokémon of the region when found in the wild.”
This new creature was a very tall flightless bird with brown wool fluffed up along its body, pink and orange feathers poking out along its face and neck, as well as underneath the cotton. It had a stretched-out neck and stood on powerful long legs, taller than any human she had ever met.
“Ope, I actually know this one very well.” Amelia corrected, glancing apologetically at the Dex floating in front of her. It beeped a few times in embarrassment and quickly stuffed itself back into her pocket. She shook her head gently but then turned her eyes back to the man before her as he stored his Boltning in its PokeBall, as their slow walk finally had them arrive at the closed doors of their destination. “I’m confused.” She confessed. “Burmutic wool only protects against extreme heat, not electricity.”
“That is correct, but you see, I’m a cloak maker and I’ve been playing around with different types of fabric for years. I’ve learned that if you mix the wool from Burmutic with the one shorn off of the Mareep line of the region, you get a fabric that is both fire retardant and absorbs electricity.”
“That is very interesting! Have you told my dad about this yet?”
“That is actually what we were discussing when we met up. We made a trade and I was able to acquire a fairly large amount of unprocessed wool from him. But it gets better. Being an Ice type as well, the wool from the Mareep line is also very adept at keeping the user warm even in harsh cold. When mixed correctly, I’m able to make a versatile fabric that is lightweight and cool enough for travel in the heat of day, but also warm enough at night, while keeping the user protected from the effects of fire and electricity.”
Amelia’s eyes widened in shock at this discovery. “That’s revolutionary There’s never been a fabric that I’ve heard of able to do all that! My mom makes clothing, you absolutely have to talk to her about this! It could help so many people.”
“I want to put it through a few tests first, before spreading the formula around. I’ve also been experimenting with some waxes to see if I can influence other protections-“
“Rogers,” The stern voice of his wife, Natalie, spoke up, surprising both him and Amelia and causing the young teen girl to jump. “Stop boring this poor child with talks about your weaving. She’s probably tired from her travels today and needs to rest.”
The elderly man shook his head but a gleam of mischief remained in his eyes as he winked at Amelia. “Yes, dear. Let’s get inside the Center.”
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