Pokémon Stories at Amethyst Falls © Pokémon Stories

A Forgotten Emerald Soul

Part 1

By Tigerseye

I sighed impatiently.

'Lillia, we're going to be late.'

My sister was in her usual state of rushing around, collecting last minute possessions and shoving them into her shoulder-bag. I was ready, dressed in a short, black skirt, and a cool white top, complete with white flip-flops. A collection of silver bangles jangled around my wrist and I had a silver necklace with a sculpted silver Bellossom on the end hanging over my chest. My navy-blue handbag hung from my shoulder, containing my Pokéballs, my Pokénav, my purse and some other essentials for the afternoon's outing.

'Alright,' she snapped irritably, gathering her last things and opening the front door. A stream of pleasantly warm Hoenn air swept throughout the hall of my Grandparents' house, stirring the leaves of the potted plant posing at the bottom of the staircase.

My mother, my sister, my brother and I were all staying with my Grandparents who lived up in Mauville City, the capital city of Hoenn. My Dad had had to stay and work at the Gym back in Petalburg, but he would come and visit at the end of the week. I had been overjoyed when Mum told us that we'd be going; it meant that I could catch the annual Ponyta and Rapidash Speed Trials that were held in the Route 111 desert. The sun was shining, the sky was thick with haze and the City of Mauville was already bustling and very much alive.

We stepped out of the front door, closing it behind us. The sun beat down on the grey stone pathways throughout the city, warming the dry air. A very slight breeze made my indigo hair flutter and the tree leave twitch, spreading the scent of summer flowers. Children ran freely in the streets, and adults chatted, some with Pokémon, some without. The Game Corner was open, and several groups of teenagers joked and chatted outside, the trees scattered around the city lawns casting dappled shade onto the roads.

'I can't wait,' my sister commented, skipping to catch up with me. 'I've never been to Ponyta and Rapidash Trials before; it's going to be really exciting!'

'Yeah, I know,' I agreed. I had only been once before: the previous year, when my Dad took us there on the way to Fallarbor to collect some tools that he needed. When we had lived in Verdanturf it had been easier to get to places like that, but now that we were living in Mossdeep, such occasions were less common.

'Come on, then,' I said, closing Grandma's gate behind me.

'Do you reckon it'll be busy?' Lillia asked, shrugging her bag further up onto her shoulder. Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her amber eyes twinkled playfully.

'Not too bad, I shouldn't think,' I answered. We turned North, away from the busy City of Mauville, and toward the cliffs of Route 111. Trees lined the path which lay between short cliff faces either side. Taillow perched in amongst the evergreen branches, singing their sweet songs. I smiled at the warm air on my face and in my hair

We walked through the gorge of Route 111, towards the desert. As we approached, it got slightly warmer, and I smelt the dusty scent of sand. We entered through where some of the rocky sides of the desert had crumbled away, and made our way towards where crowds of people had already gathered. I smiled. It was a wonderful sight.

Crowds of people dressed in multi-coloured clothes milled around like shoals of Luvdisc. I could hear a brass band playing music somewhere, and the constant rumble of excited chatter filled the mild air. People had stalls selling food, drink, souvenirs, and other things. Children ran freely between the adults, engaged in frantic games of Tag, some with Pokémon, some without. Luckily there was no wind, so there was no chance of a sandstorm.

But the main focus of the scene was the huge race track, laid out towards the East side of the area, stretching the entire length of the desert. Shining metal barriers lay around the perimeter, placed so that spectators couldn't get nearer than a meter away from the oval track. Cliffs rose from the far side of it, at the edge of the desert. The cloudless haze-thick sky presented a perfect backdrop.

'Wow,' Lillia said, adjusting her hat. 'It's so busy!'

'Yeah, I know,' I replied. 'Come on, we'd better find a place before the races start, or we'll never get near enough to see.'

We began walking over towards the track, squeezing through the crowds. Just before we settled, Lillia tugged at my sleeve.

'Hey,' she began, 'can we get food?' She grinned pleadingly at me.

'Honestly,' I said. 'Hungry already?' Lillia nodded. 'Okay then, but get me some too.'

Lillia smiled, and made off towards the stall. She came back with steaming rice cakes, filled with spicy fried fish. I thanked her, took my share and we stood, fairly near the front, awaiting the race's commencement.

It didn't take long before I saw some of the competitors take their places at the beginning of the track, their Pokémon stamping the sandy ground and their fiery manes streaming out behind them, majestic and imposing. Lillia watched, eyes wide with interest as they lined up, riders clad in riding gear, whispering words of encouragement to their Pokémon as the commentary began.

'And we have the first eight competitors,' the loud speaker boomed over the continuous noise of the crowd. I glanced across the line of competitors as the loud speaker announced their names. There were usually three races - around twenty-four competitors in total.

'Mount your Pokémon,' the loud speaker commanded, as an expectant hush fell over the gathered spectators. I leaned closer to the railings, glad that we had got a place near the front. The riders each vaulted up onto their Ponyta or Rapidash, and gently guided them up to the line.

'On your line,' the speaker continued. The crowd seemed to be holding its breath. The Pokémon were all standing, perfectly poised, awaiting the crack of the pistol shot.

'Get set…' a couple of the Pokémon leaned in, ready for the burst of speed. I could almost taste the tension in the air.

Bang! The sound of the starting pistol tore through the air, and, with amazing reactions, the Ponyta and Rapidash leapt off the starting lines and commenced racing. It was an amazing sight. The speed was incredible.

'Look at them go!' Lillia said, tugging on my sleeve and pointing to the group of Pokémon, already half way round the first lap, fiery manes and tails streaming, hooves gleaming in the sunlight. The crowd were really getting into it: shouting, waving, calling out words of support to their favourite racers. I smiled, watching in awe.

'It's a close race,' the commentary remarked. 'The first lap is already cleared and the group is still tightly packed together. But now Rich Kingswell is slowly taking the lead…'

They came round again, the thundering of the hooves passing by so quickly that a gust of wind stirred my indigo hair afterwards. Dust settled onto the track.

Another lap cleared, and none of the racers were really falling behind. The dust was getting thicker from the disturbed track, but it had little effect. One girl racer was slowly getting a lead. Midnight black hair streaming out behind her, eyes glinting as she grinned with determination, she rounded a corner on the inside of the person currently in first, and took the lead.

The final lap began as they crossed the line for the penultimate time. I watched as the girl in the lead urged her Rapidash a tiny bit faster, and -

'And Chelsea Ellison is the winner!' the loud speaker announced, and was greeted with a spontaneous cheer from the audience, congratulating all the racers as they dismounted from their steeds and patted them in thanks.

'That was so cool,' Lillia commented, taking another bite of her spicy rice and fish cake. I nodded in agreement.

'Good, isn't it?' I said, brushing my hair out of my eyes. Lillia watched in interest as the next group of racers took their positions before the starting line.

About half an hour later, the races had finished and the area around the race track was beginning to clear. The band resumed their jolly tunes, and some people went to listen. Lillia and I were making our way towards the side of the race track, where the bandstand was. Suddenly, someone ran into me.

'Sorry!' the person said hastily, and smiled up at me. It was Chelsea, the winner of the first race. She had thick, wavy midnight hair that fell past her waist, and sapphire eyes, a tone darker than the sky. She was still clad in her riding gear: black leather trousers, shin-height brown riding boots, a white shirt and a dark brown leather waistcoat.

'Don't worry about it,' I said. Lillia hung back to see why I was waiting.

'I was trying to find my younger brother,' Chelsea explained, looking over the slowly dispersing crowd. 'He's a terror for running off, especially in busy places like this…'

I smiled. I knew the feeling; Sam was always doing similar things.

'Well, do you want me to help you find him?' I asked. Chelsea shook her head.

'No, it's alright; he'll find me eventually. We've got to put away the race course barriers and stuff when everyone's gone, anyway.'

'You raced very well today,' I commented. Chelsea glowed.

'Thank you very much,' she answered, eyes glittering with pride. 'I've always loved racing - my Rapidash, Swift, has been mine ever since I was three. Well, he was a Ponyta then, of course.'

'Wow,' I said.

'Yeah - my father is a Pokémon breeder and my mother was a Ponyta breeder, so I guess I had my path chosen for me, really.' Chelsea smiled.

'But you enjoy it, though?' I questioned.

'Oh, of course. I wouldn't choose anything different,' she replied, giving me a friendly grin. I returned it.

'Well, I'd better let you find your brother,' I began, glancing over to Lillia.

'Yeah, I guess. But it was nice to chat,' Chelsea said. I smiled. 'See you again, then, erm…?' she paused, prompting me for my name. I smiled. 'It's Rosanna,' I answered, and she smiled back.

'See you round, Rosanna,' she said, turning into the crowd. I waved as I watched her disappear.

'So, what now?' enquired Lillia, shuffling with boredom.

'Well, we'd better be getting back ourselves,' I answered, checking my watch. It was already nearly tea time. I began walking towards the desert's exit, Lillia on my tail. We reached Route 111, the sun still beating strongly on the sandy paths, and the Taillow still whistling happily in the trees. Gradually, the noise of the desert faded behind us, and the silence was strangely loud.

'That was so fun,' Lillia remarked, skipping ahead. I grinned at her.

'So, we'll go next year, then?' I asked. Lillia nodded firmly.

'Definitely.'

We arrived back in Mauville, the streets still bustling with people shopping and chatting to their friends. We walked down the grey stone streets, flowers blooming in gardens on all sides, in rainbow hues. The scent of warm, dry air floated throughout the City, the sky thick with haze and glowing with the sun's light.

I reached our Grandparent's house, and we walked through the gate, opening the front door. The familiar hall greeted me: polished wood flooring and cream walls, glowing with the sun dappling them through the stair window. I wandered through to the kitchen where Mum and Granny were sitting, sipping coffee and watching Granddad play football with Sam in the colourful garden, Sam's Zigzagoon manically darting around in pursuit of the football.

'We're back!' Lillia announced, stating the obvious. Mum smiled up at us.

'How was it, girls?' she asked. Lillia launched into an enthusiastic account at once, not leaving out one detail. Granny smiled, and listened as I headed upstairs to the spare room where I was staying, overlooking the City to the South, the huge structure of Cycling Road in the distance, half hidden with the haze. The room was light and airy, decorated in lilac hues, with a lavender carpet. My bed lay next to a chest of drawers with scented candles on top, and a tall, white wardrobe occupied half of the opposite wall.

I opened the window and leaned out, breathing in the sweet scent of Hoenn evenings. I didn't think there was anything else as beautiful as the open sky in the evening.

Suddenly, I heard a mew, and turned to see Espeon leaping up onto my bed, pawing her turquoise feather playfully. I smiled at her, lilac coat shimmering and her sapphire eyes gleaming.

Espeon was my first Pokémon, and I loved her very much. I always kept her with me, along with Umbreon, whom I was also extremely fond of. He was continually playful and mischievous, always grasping the opportunity to stir things up. I also kept Corsola with me, my sweet and faithful water Pokémon, with whom I shared a special bond; we had done a lot of Surfing and Diving together in the previous months. The rest of my Pokémon team had changed somewhat since a few months back.

Latios and Latias remained with me, we all shared a mutual trust with each other and they were both extremely loyal to me. I now had a gorgeous Absol, glossy white coat and extremely powerful attacks. I had caught her when I had been on Route 120 a couple of back, and she had given me a tough battle. We shared a close friendship.

I also had an Altaria, whom I had caught as a Swablu during a trip to Route 114. She was powerful as well, knowing a selection of balanced moves and having great respect for me. My penultimate Pokémon was a young Kirlia, who adored me - I had caught her as a Ralts on Route 102. We had worked hard and she had evolved, and was now well on the way to evolving into her final form. My final team member was my Ninetails. He had recently evolved from a Vulpix and was fairly timid, but I was working with him daily and had taught him Technical Machine moves to boost his move balance. We had a blossoming friendship - and his self-confidence was growing.

I picked up Espeon's turquoise feather-on-a-string and dangled it in front of her, where she gleefully tried to pounce on it as I tugged it away from her.

Umbreon mewed sleepily from where he had been having a nap in a patch of sun on the floor, black coat glossy in the light. He took a glance at the feather, and then promptly closed his garnet-coloured eyes and fell back asleep. I laughed.

After tea I did some drawing in my sketchpad, and then I decided to get ready for bed, getting into my pyjamas and going downstairs. I bid my Mum and my Grandparents goodnight, and then climbed back up the stairs to my room, the sun just setting over the Western horizon, glowing scarlet like a fire.

Just as I was getting into bed, I heard a tap at the open window. I looked over, and saw a Wingull there, with some Tropic Mail clasped in his beak. I rose from my bed, and took the mail, thanking the Wingull. He cawed in reply, and then flapped off into the sunset.

I opened the mail.

Hey, Rosanna, it read, How are you? My Poochyena has nearly evolved - just a couple more levels! Did you see the speed trials in the Desert today? I would have gone, but Maxie wanted to call another training session… It was still good, though. Hope we can train together soon.

Missing you so much, love from Jack

I smiled at the letter. Admittedly it had been quite a while since we had seen each other; the last event being when I had been in Fortree, visiting my other cousins, Cassandra and May. They were twins, a few weeks older than me and we all got on magnificently. Zahra had come along as well, and all four of us, plus Jack, had gone on an overnight expedition out into the marshy lands of Route 119.

I fumbled in my bedside drawer, pulling out some Glitter Mail; turning on my bedside light as the sun sunk lower and the summery dusk drew in.

Hey Jack, I began. I did see the speed trials - they were pretty amazing! My sister loved it. I'm going training tomorrow, probably; I'm right near Route 112 and Fiery Path, and they're always deserted - a good place to blast things with Altaria's Dragonbreath!

Hope you're having a good time, whatever you're doing. See you soon, hopefully. I'm missing you too. Lots of love, Rosanna.

I folded the mail neatly, and pulled out my Portable Pokémon Storage System, which the president of Devon had given me, from under my bed. I opened it, tapped in my password, selected by box of water Pokémon and withdrew Wingull. Her Pokéball appeared in the portal patch.

'Come on then, Wingull,' I said, and opened the ball. She appeared in a blaze of light, and cawed happily, seemingly pleased to see me.

'Can you deliver this to Jack, please?' I asked, and Wingull cawed in the affirmative. She took the mail in her beak and flapped out of the window, the blue sky tinged with orange framing her silhouette.

I tidied away my writing implements and settled down in my warm bed, Espeon and Umbreon curled up at my feet. Within a few minutes, I was fast asleep.

* * *

The next morning, I decided that I would indeed go and train on Route 112. I woke in the morning, the sun streaming through my window, and showered and dressed in cut-off jeans and my yellow top, putting on my white belt. I hopped down the stairs, Espeon and Umbreon following eagerly, and into the kitchen, where Mum and Granny were chatting and sipping coffee. Granddad was in the garden with his two Oddishes, watering the roses.

'I'm going training on Route 112,' I announced, placing an apple and a couple of my Granny's Gligar-shaped biscuits into my bag. 'I'll probably be back for lunch.'

'Okay,' Mum replied. 'Have a good time.'

'Thanks!' I called, leaving the kitchen behind me and walking down the hallway, Espeon mewing as she skipped after me, Umbreon following along. I opened the door, just as Lillia thundered down the stairs.

'Where you going?' she enquired curiously.

'Training,' I answered.

'Cool,' she replied, heading towards the garden. 'I'm going to ask Sam if he wants to come down to the low road with me and watch the water Pokémon in the lake.'

'Have a nice time,' I said, and walked out of the front door, closing it behind me.

It was a beautiful morning; the sun was high in the azure sky, and the air smelt of the morning dew that had only recently been dried off by the sun. There was no breeze and the city of Mauville was already wide awake: people were bustling along the streets, shopping bags in hand, and groups of children ran along the pathways. The sun beat down on the grey-stone pathways, and flowers glowed in all colours.

I made my way North, along Route 111, the Taillow singing sweet melodies in the trees, the sun dappling the path. I continued, seeing the rock that housed the entrance to Fiery Path.

'Okay, Espeon?' I asked, as I climbed up the steps to the entrance, black and yawning out of the side of the cliff. She mewed, and seemed to smile at me. Umbreon looked at me playfully, and slipped through the entrance into Fiery Path. Because Umbreon's coat was so dark, he seemed to disappear completely. Espeon leapt ahead in pursuit, her pastel purple coat glowing eerily in the gloom.

I entered into the cave, the warm, dry air swirling around me. The veins of magma from Mt. Chimney above heated the rock so that it was warm to the touch. Shadows danced on the rocky walls just out of sight, flickering red light materialising randomly around them.

I had gone no further than a couple of steps when a wild Numel jumped me. I was ready.

'Go, Corsola!' I called into the sultry gloom. She appeared out of her Pokéball in a blaze of light, landing neatly on the ground, ready to attack.

'Bubblebeam, now!' I commanded. Corsola was quick to obey. She sent a steam of bubbles toward the Numel, and it took it out cold. I gave a cheer, and Corsola turned towards me, beaming.

'Thank you, Corsola,' I said, and returned her. Umbreon mewed and made off again into the darkness. Espeon kept at my heels, trying every now and then to pounce on the ghostly shadows slinking across the walls.

Finally, I saw the exit, light spilling onto the ground of the cave. I made towards it, and stepped, blinking, out onto Route 112.

Route 112 had to be my most favourite in-land place in all of Hoenn. Dark trees rose tall on both sides, dappling the lush grass beneath, but letting sunlight stream between them. Taillow were always singing, and a couple of berry trees bloomed in a patch of sun by the rocky cliff-walls of Fiery Path. The grass thinned towards the middle of the route, giving way to a sandy path. In the background, I could see the cliff at the end of Route 111, dulled with the haze. It was always completely deserted, save for the nature.

'Well, then,' I began, looking down at Espeon and Umbreon. They both looked like they would rather curl up under a tree in the long grass and settle down for a nap in the dappled sunlight. 'I suppose I'd better do some more training with Ninetails.'

They both sauntered off to have their nap, and I smiled after them. I stepped into the long grass, and before long, a wild Marill leapt out of nowhere. I released Ninetails, and the battle began.

'Ninetails, use Quick Attack!' I commanded. Ninetails was fast to obey, and leapt into the Marill, knocking a decent chunk out of its HP.

The Marill countered with Water Gun, and Ninetails had a fair bit of health knocked away. Luckily, I had brought some Potions with me - but Ninetails wasn't going to give up yet.

'Ninetails, use Swagger!' I shouted. Ninetails did so, and the Marill wobbled in confusion. I smiled.

'Now, quickly, use Quick Attack again!' I called. Ninetails did so, and the Marill's HP was nearly taken out. Now the Marill tried to counter, but it hurt itself in its confusion. I grinned.

'Ninetails, finish it - use Quick Attack!'

Ninetails performed magnificently, and the Marill was knocked out. I beamed as Ninetails ran into my arms.

I trained for about an hour more, and then I decided to call it a day. Espeon and Umbreon had enjoyed their nap very much, and Ninetails had grown a couple of levels and boosted his self-confidence.

I began making my way back towards Fiery Path, the sun shining brightly, the trees alive with singing Taillow. The sunlight dappled the sandy path, and the musky scent of sand from the desert floated on the slight breeze. I stepped into the heat-heavy darkness of Fiery Path, eerie sounds echoing off the rocky walls. Espeon and Umbreon slipped off into the darkness.

Suddenly, I heard talking. Trying not to trip over the uneven ground, I tip-toed towards where the voices were coming from. Espeon and Umbreon realised that something was up, and hung back to see what I was walking towards. As I neared where the speech was coming from, a flickering light spilled out onto the walls. I clambered up onto a rock and peered down onto the scene.

Two boys, no older than me, were standing a down on the dark red dusty floor, holding lanterns and examining the far wall. They wore cropped trousers, in a greyish blue colour, with pockets in the knees, and at the top of these they had dark blue belts which had their Pokéballs clipped to it. They also had dark blue shirts with the short sleeves just seen under the shoulder parts of their black waist jackets, which also had pockets in the front of it. Dark blue gloves covered their hands, pairs of goggles hung round their necks and they wore black trainers on their feet. But the most striking feature was the black scarves, folded into triangles, and tied around their lower faces. One had dark blue hair, which stood out above his head and behind his ears, and the other had black hair, feathered across his eyes.

'I guess it must be here,' the one with the black hair said. His voice was slightly dulled because of the scarf which he wore. 'The Boss did say down the rocky slope to the right, didn't he?' He seemed slightly younger than the blue-haired boy.

The other one glanced around, holding his lantern to light the surroundings. His eyes glinted. 'I guess so,' he answered. 'Can you find the symbol on the wall anywhere?'

The one with black hair moved his lantern closer to the wall, where it cast flickering shadows. He peered closely at something for a moment, and then spoke. 'Yeah, it's here.'

'Good. Then that's all we need to know. We'd best get back and report to the Boss.'

'…You really think that the amulet piece is here?' asked the younger one, stepping back from the wall.

'I don't know. All we've been asked to find out is whether the symbols are there or not. The Boss will sort the rest out,' the older one answered, a sceptical expression showing in his eyes. He lifted his lantern to the left, and I saw a slope, littered with pebbles, which, presumably, they had come down to get to the wall. They began scrambling back up to the level where I was situated. As they drew nearer, I slipped into the shadows so that they couldn't see me. After they had passed, I stepped towards the other end of the cave.

'Come on,' I whispered to Espeon and Umbreon, and made for the pathway to the exit that I needed. I slipped away, careful not to kick rocks and make a noise. I glanced back before I rounded a corner, and saw the two boys head towards the exit onto Route 112.

'I wonder what they're up to…?' I pondered to myself. Espeon mewed obviously not interested, and galloped off towards where I could see the light pooling in from outside. Umbreon did the same, chasing Espeon's lilac tail. I smiled.

It wasn't long before I had walked back to Granny's house, the sun still shining brightly on the paths throughout Mauville City. The flowers spread a wonderful scent throughout the air, and the constant bustle of the city floated on the breeze. The hazy azure sky presented a perfect backdrop. I smiled, and turned to Granny's front garden, walking between the rose beds and opening the door wooden door.

'Hello!' I heard Mum call as I kicked off my dusty trainers.

'Hey,' I called back. I headed into the garden, where Granny and Mum were sitting on the shaded patio, watching Lillia groom her Swellow and Sam play fetch with his Zigzagoon. Umbreon bounded after the ball, adamant on joining in. Espeon followed me to where I sat down on the grass and settled her self in my lap, purring as I stroked her ears.

'So, what did you get up to, then?' asked Mum, taking a sip of orange juice.

'Oh, nothing much - I just went training on Route 112.' I answered. 'Erm… Granny? You don't know about an Amulet of some kind, do you? One that has pieces?'

My Grandmother looked down at me over her spectacles, blue eyes glittering with age-old wisdom.

'Well, now that you mention it,' she said, leaning back in her chair to think. 'We were once told a story about the legendary Pokémon Rayquaza. Apparently, it got involved in the duel that Kyogre and Groudon had, and overcame both of them. Then, it was too powerful to live on earth and so its soul was split in two, and constrained in two parts of an Emerald Amulet. If the two parts of the amulet are brought together, Rayquaza will awaken. I don't think many people believe, mind you. Research teams and trainers alike have searched thoroughly all over the region, just out of interest, and not a trace of anything been found. Professor Birch even went on a hunt for it last year, but to no avail.'

'…You wouldn't know where the amulet is said to be hidden, would you?' I asked, hoping I didn't seem too keen.

'Well, legend has it that half of it lies "where the ground burns" and the other half lies "where rocks rain from the sky." I don't have a clue what it means, though!' Granny answered. 'There's a copy of the book in the chest in my room if you want to have a look, but it's written with old grammar, so it might be difficult to understand.'

'Okay, thank you,' I replied, and headed back into the coolness of the kitchen. The sun dappled the floor and made golden patterns on the tiled walls. I turned the corner into the hallway and hopped up the stairs, taking a detour into my Grandmother's room as I passed. I made towards the chest, which stood in the far corner of the room, made of dark wood with intricate carvings. I opened the heavy lid, peering into the dusty gloom. Eventually, I spotted it. I pushed aside a pile of dusty papers, covered in cobwebs, and lifted the book out of the chest. Closing the lid, I made for my room.

The sun was streaming through my window, which was wide open, letting a warm breeze stir the curtains. I sat cross-legged on my bed, Umbreon and Espeon leaping up to join me. Very carefully, I opened the book. A cloud of dust plumed into the air, making Espeon sneeze. I squinted to try and read the writing, etched into the faded yellow page.

A tale of old this legend is, it read. Long ago, a Pokémon came from where the sky touches earth. Grow, it did, consuming sky and land, calming feuding spirits of sea and earth.

'Must be talking about Kyogre and Groudon,' I said to Espeon, who had her head on the side, trying to make sense of the strange markings. I smiled down at her and stroked her ears. Umbreon, obviously bored, leapt off my bed and began prowling around in search of something more interesting to do.

I skipped ahead to where it said about the amulet being hidden. Granny had been pretty accurate in her account.

The Emerald Soul of the sky beast has been concealed within the region. One piece lies cold in a place where the ground burns hot, locked in rock and stone. The other, lies high and protected, in a place where rocks rain from the sky and form new ways.

'Rocks rain from the sky…' I murmured to myself, wondering what it could mean. Espeon mewed and pawed the book softly, and then, when I didn't do anything, hopped down from my bed and joined Umbreon in prowling around my bedroom, hinting for attention.

Suddenly, something came back to me. I remembered my Granddad telling me once, on one of his famous expeditions round Hoenn, he had been to Meteor Falls, where, apparently, the cave had been gouged out by falling meteorites - rocks which fell from space. That must be the place where the second piece was supposed to be hidden. And the first… well - presumably "where the ground burns hot" would be the hot depths of Fiery Path.

As I was musing over as to what to do, Umbreon, fed up with not having anything to play with, leapt up onto my bed and playfully butted my arm, mewing. I smiled down at him, black glossy fur shining in the evening sunlight, ruby eyes glinting mischievously. I smiled.

'Come on, let's find that feather,' I said. I decided not to worry myself about the amulet and legends of the like. If professional research teams and the Pokémon Professor himself had looked for it and not found it, then it must just be a story.

At that moment, Espeon bounded at me, holding the feather in her mouth, the string trailing behind her. I took it, and dangled it in front of her and Umbreon as they tried to pounce on it.

About fifteen minutes later, Mum called me down to dinner. On the way, I returned the book to Granny and Granddad's room, and went downstairs to eat pasta for our tea. After that, I had a shower and got into bed, and then read for a bit as the sun sunk beyond the Western horizon. Stars speckled the velvet sky like glittering Sableyes' eyes as I turned off my lamp. I slept, the sweet summer night scent running through my dreams.

* * *

The next day I decided to go training again, this time with Kirlia. She had nearly evolved into her final form - Gardevoir.

I entered the airy kitchen and made for the fruit bowl, taking an apple and a small bunch of grapes from the wicker basket. I rummaged in the breadbin for a couple of rolls, putting the food in my bag.

'Where are you going this morning, Ro?' asked Lillia, eating toast at the table. Sam was sat opposite, munching his way through an orange, which quite a bit round his mouth. He grinned at me, clearly enjoying himself.

'I thought I might head over to the start of Route 118 and train Kirlia a bit,' I replied. I walked into the hallway and whistled up the stairs. Espeon and Umbreon galloped down and halted at my feet, ready for an outing.

'Bye!' I called, and shut the door behind me. Mauville was basked in the morning sun's glow, a warm breeze slightly stirring the leaves of the many trees planted in lawns around the City. Dappled sunlight speckled the pathways, and the scent of roses drifted in the air. The sky was blue and hazy, as always, the occasional Taillow gliding across it.

'Right then,' I said, glancing down to where Espeon and Umbreon were eagerly following, eyes alight with anticipation. 'To Route 118, then?'

I began walking through the City, the sound of chatter floating through the streets. Children laughed as they skipped and ran along the stone paths, chasing their Pokémon and each other.

Suddenly, I heard someone calling my name. I whirled round, and saw none other than Chelsea running towards me. Her midnight hair was ruffled, and her cheeks flushed.

'Rosanna,' she gasped when she reached me, putting her hands on her knees and leaning down to catch her breath. 'I'm so glad I found you -'

'Are you alright?' I asked, curious as to what she was so worried about.

'No - it's Swift. He's gone missing.'

I caught my breath. 'Missing? Are you sure?'

'Yes,' she answered, straightening up and brushing her wavy hair out of her face. She was glancing around worriedly. 'I went out this morning to his stable and he wasn't there. Completely vanished…'

'Don't worry,' I reassured her, 'we'll find him. He can't have gone far… Come on, let's go to the contest hall in Verdanturf. People from all over gather there - someone might have seen him.'

We started out towards Route 117 which lead to Verdanturf, passing the Pokémon Centre on the way. As we walked past the window, something caught my eye. A poster with huge letters stood out from the usually empty space.

Missing it said. Ponyta, level 38, female, answers to Sabrina. Any information, please contact Miles…

Another Ponyta missing? I thought. I bit my lip. Maybe it was just coincidence - but then again, Pokémon didn't often go missing. Chelsea saw what I was looking at, and glanced at me, shocked.

'It's probably just coincidence,' I said, and continued on towards Route 117. As the sandy pathway came into view, I saw a scene at the Day Care building. Mr. Everton, the Day Care Man, was standing outside, speaking to a police officer. Two more police officers were taking pictures of the sight and generally investigating. A crowd had gathered, chatting amongst themselves. I rushed over, Chelsea hurrying in my wake.

'What's happened?' I asked a woman who was also watching the scene. She turned to me, ruby-coloured curls bobbing.

'Apparently a Ponyta and a Rapidash were stolen from the Day Care yesterday evening,' she told me. 'And there's a notice in the Pokémon Centre window about a missing Ponyta…'

'We saw that,' commented Chelsea. The woman turned her gaze to Chelsea, concerned.

'Yes, it's suddenly happened. Ponyta and Rapidash have just gone missing over night. About six or seven across Hoenn…'

My stomach clenched. This wasn't good. Who would steal Pokémon - Ponyta and Rapidash, specifically - and why?

'Come on, clear the site please,' one of the officers was calling, ushering the gathered spectators away from the Day Care building. The crowd gradually dispersed. I walked back along the sandy path, Chelsea by my side, Espeon and Umbreon trotting along on my other side.

'What can we do?' Chelsea asked. I shook my head in defeat.

'I don't know…' I answered, looking around, twiddling my fingers in angst. 'The police are obviously already investigating it - if there have been as many going missing as the lady said, then they've definitely got their work cut out. I'm… sorry I couldn't help more.'

'It's okay,' Chelsea said, putting on a brave smile. 'Like you said, he can't be far away. Well… I guess I'd better be getting back - Mum will want help cleaning the yard.'

'All the best for finding Swift,' I said. Chelsea nodded in thanks.

'Thanks for helping anyway,' she said. 'I'm glad I found you. Living in Fallarbor, you're quite secluded!'

I laughed. 'Yeah… Well, see you around.'

'Thanks again,' Chelsea said, turning to leave, navy blue eyes sparkling. 'We really should organise that training session of ours, when this fiasco is sorted out!'

'Definitely!' I grinned and nodded in agreement, and she turned to leave. When she had disappeared onto Route 111, I looked down at Espeon and Umbreon, who met my gaze.

'Well, there's nothing we can do to help at the moment,' I told Espeon and Umbreon, who were looking at me, curious as to what we were going to do. 'So, still want to go training, then?' I asked. They both nodded eagerly. I smiled, and set off towards the East side of the city, trees dappling sunlight onto my face as I disappeared into the midday haze.

* * *

Onto Part 2...

Back to Library 1