[A picture of the night sky, crowded with stars. The peak of a mountain or cliff is visible in the lower right corner and light, nearly transparent clouds overlap the upper left.]
I’m a bit disappointed that never sent. Even if you hadn’t appreciated the view, I suppose something could have been read into the constellations here.
Not in a metaphysical sense; I know you don’t believe in that.
I’m alright, if somewhat sick. It seems a Pokemon rescued and brought me to safety, but that’s all I’ve been able to glean. The people here don’t speak the Unovan dialect, and while I’ve caught a couple of words in Sinnoan, it means very little without context.
The woman looking after me has made her instructions clear irregardless of language. Even if I had the energy to disobey her, I wouldn’t chance it; I saw a frighteningly large Ursaring poke its head through the door to check in earlier. It would be best not to cross her, I think.
I never took the time to question what this device is before, but I think it used to be my Xtransceiver. Given that I’ve had time to spare, I’ve been exploring it, and it contains the files and applications that I’d had on my own device.
I’m not sure how to put it into words yet, which is fitting, since I’m both unable to speak and prohibited from trying at the moment, but before I woke up in the snow, there was something there. Whatever it was, that’s what altered my Xtransceiver.
Why?
What purpose could that possibly serve?
Sorry. I know the repeated alerts wear on your nerves. I’ll try not to do it again.
---
I forgot you’re not getting these.
I’m going to continue double texting you.
---
What do you suppose it would mean to seek out all Pokemon?
It sounds like an impossible task, doesn’t it? There are over 1,000 documented species, and the list is always growing longer.
Even if a person had the luck to meet a new species every day, it’s a terminal that would take years to reach, which is to say nothing of unique Pokemon.
How would a person even go about meeting a Pokemon like Reshiram or Zekrom? What if they didn’t want to be met?
Whatever it was that spoke to me, that’s what it said. “Seek out all Pokemon.”
---
My caretaker’s name is Calaba. I’m unsure what her title means, but I’ll let you know once I’ve figured it out. I’m still not allowed to ask for clarification, and she’s not shy about enforcing her rule.
That’s ironic, isn’t it? Here I am, the one tempted not to follow the rules.
Though I suppose I’m not living up to the rest of your guidelines, either.
I hope you’re not too worried about me... or too mad at me. I know you’re probably both, and for good reason.
On Reshiram's flames, this wasn’t my intention; I would never want to leave you and the Pokemon.
Please stay safe. I don’t know how I’m going to get home yet, but I’ll figure something out.
---
If I’m supposed to “Seek out all Pokemon”, I should theoretically be able to start wherever I please, shouldn’t I? What’s stopping me from beginning in Unova? We see an incredible number of Pokemon through the battle lines, so it’s simply the most economical way to accomplish that goal. It’s not as though I was given a time limit, after all…
I’m probably meant to start here, though, since it’s where I was put. I’ve gathered that this is a place called Hisui, but that doesn’t mean much to me at the moment. It’s not a landmark I recognize and, for everything else this device is capable of, it’s unable to connect to the internet.
That’s hardly a surprise; I already knew it wasn’t getting a signal. I’ve gotten a look outside, though Ms. Calaba scolds me every time I get a breath of cold air, and it was enough to tell me that I wasn’t taken very far from where I collapsed. If this place is as remote as I suspect, and the weather as foul as I saw firsthand, it may be some time before I’m able to connect to a greater network.
Oh no. You might not be getting these messages in real time, but you ARE going to receive them en mass. I hadn’t thought of that.
...well, if I’ve started down the track, I might as well continue. You can be upset with me when I get home.
---
I maxed out my device’s score on Wurdple. There’s been very little else to do while I’m stuck in bed. Since you’ll definitely take that as a challenge, good luck.
---
I’m allowed to speak now, though I’ll save you the trouble and continue to text. Suffice to say it’s not a pleasant experience for anyone, just yet.
As part of my newfound freedom, I can roam the settlement on the condition that I wear a scarf over the lower half of my face to keep from agitating my throat. I thought exploration might be a good way to get a head start on meeting Pokemon, but there are barely any here. Ms. Calaba keeps a Bibarel, and I’m relatively certain I’ve seen a Glaceon running about, but it’s only been those two, a pair of wild Piloswine and their Swinub. It’s very strange.
Or maybe it’s just strange to someone with Unovan sensibilities. It could be that I’m the odd one, by their standards. That certainly seems to be the case thus far.
---
I was able to speak with the young woman in charge today, after a fashion.
It’s difficult with the language barrier in the way, but I do know that her name is Irida, and the settlement I was brought to belongs to the Shinju Clan. The title I was unable to understand before seems to be a position of authority, but I’m unable to translate with any amount of accuracy.
It all seems very old fashioned to me, but the people here seem content. Perhaps we’re just spoiled in Nimbasa.
---
The Pokemon who saved me is called an Ohnyula. It’s fascinating, isn’t it?
Maybe that’s what the entity that spoke to me meant: not that I have to reinvent the Pokedex, but that there are Pokemon here who have gone undocumented. It’s an exciting prospect, I have to admit… though I definitely would have preferred that it asked me first. It would be much easier, and certainly more fun, if you were here with me.
I miss you, and hope that you’re well.
---
It took some time to communicate properly, but I’m happy to report that, once I’m fit to travel, Mr. Gaeric is going to accompany me to a local village. I’m unsure how to describe him to you. Just know that snow is currently falling, and he’s refused to put a shirt on. If I’m honest, Miss Irida’s ambivalence to the cold is just as perplexing.
Maybe I’m particularly sensitive to it as a byproduct of hypothermia? Or maybe it’s that we live next to a desert? Everyone else here seems to be getting by without any coats or winter gear.
...what am I saying? Acclimation is one thing, but no human should be running around partially clothed in this weather!
---
Though I’m not well enough for a long commute, I’m allowed to wander. Yesterday, I traced the inner edge of the river that isolates the settlement, and as I type this, I’m on its outer edge, taking a breather.
I admit, I had thought Ms. Calaba paranoid when she said I wasn’t ready for a more strenuous trip, but I see now that she knew better. It was arrogant to believe otherwise.
I’ve been recording the Pokemon I see as I walk. That should give me something to work off of, though I hope it won’t be necessary. It’s also been a good distraction. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this mix of Pokemon in the wild, and I can’t begin to guess where Hisui may actually land on a map.
Bibarel, Drifloon and Glaceon suggest a connection to Sinnoh, which would be supported by the dialect spoken here, but I’m at a loss for how it relates to the Bergmite I crossed paths with, or Ms. Calaba’s Ursaring.
Hopefully today’s excursion will shed some light on the matter.
---
There’s a Pokemon here that I’ve never seen before!
I’m going to try to get a picture of it, so you can see too.
---
The Pokemon noticed me. It may have had to do with the fact that I’m wearing black in the middle of a tundra.
I thought it was hostile at first, but after it was done hissing at me, it shoved me into a basket. That’s where I’m texting you from.
It’s a terrible picture, but here.
[A photograph of an indistinct purple blur. It’s bipedal and was clearly caught in motion. It has noticed the camera operator, and is rapidly approaching.]
---
I’ve been informed that that was Ohnyula, and that she didn’t take kindly to the fact that I was wandering back into the territory she rescued me from. It’s become very clear that she doesn’t think much of my intelligence.
If I’m being honest, she wouldn’t be the only one, but there’s no use dwelling on that. With any luck, the village will be the first step toward getting home, and the Shinju Clan won’t have to concern themselves with me, save for laughing about that fool they once saved from freezing.
It’s not that I’m not grateful, because I am. I’m incredibly thankful that Ohnyula decided to take me back to the Shinju Clan, and that they gave me the time and means to heal. It’s just… I’m ready to go home.
---
[A picture of a snowy set of plateaus, studded with pale pink tents. A path carves through its center, winding up the incline, and a handful of people are milling about. One appears to be looking at the camera operator in something approaching exasperation. At the bottom right corner, there’s a smudge that one might assume to be a thumb, but at the very edge, there’s also a hint of deep purple fur.]
You’d better appreciate that. I had to fistfight an Aipom to get that device back.
---
I know you can’t respond, but how are the Pokemon doing? I can’t imagine they took this development well, but I hope they’re managing without too much trouble.
They ARE with you, right? I hope to Zekrom they are, and that they aren’t lost out there under six feet of snow. Once I was aware enough to look, I searched the entire area for any spots of color or divots in what had already accumulated. The skies were clear when I woke up, so they couldn’t have been covered in that time. They have to be with you.
I’m glad. You deserve someone to lean on right now.
---
I’m so sorry.
---
Sorry about that as well. I don’t know if the timestamps will be accurate once these messages finally arrive, but I sent those late last night. We began the trip to the village today, and the anticipation was wearing on me. I attempted to mitigate it by scrolling through my camera roll, but I daresay that only made things worse.
To my understanding, we’re only partway through the tundra. It wasn’t my choice to stop and rest, and I know Mr. Gaeric would have preferred to press on, but it seems I’m still not at full health.
Ms. Calaba allowed me to keep the scarf, and it’s been incredibly helpful. I’m unsure how many times I would have been forced to stop due to a renewed coughing fit if not for the protection it’s offered.
As a side note, I’m not sure if Gaeric has noticed or if I should call his attention to it, but Ohnyula seems to be following us. I can’t begin to guess at her motivation. I’m uncertain whether I even want to know.
---
Mr. Gaeric has a Glalie.
There are very few people here who seem to train Pokemon, but I’m not sure whether that’s a fair assessment given how small the Shinju Clan is. Regardless, I’d taken him to be one of the majority, as I hadn’t seen any pokeballs on his person, and, frankly, his refusal to wear a shirt makes their absence plainly obvious.
The Glalie doesn’t seem to have a pokeball, in actuality, but rather it responded to Gaeric’s verbal summons. It’s an interesting system. It would be absolutely impossible on the Battle Subway.
I only saw it use Ice Shard and Crunch. The former was effective in battling the swarm of Gligar we encountered, but the entire battle did… lack a certain finesse.
That sounds terribly elitist, but I know you understand my meaning.
It’s not poorly trained by any means, but I wonder if this isn’t a byproduct of the Shinju Clan’s reluctance to interact with Pokemon. Without any proper opponents, it would be difficult to raise them past a certain point.
Again, I have to wonder where Hisui really is.
---
We’ve made an unscheduled stop for the night along Mount Tengan.
I’m supposed to be resting, but I need to process everything that’s happened, and relaying it to you has always been the best way to do that.
Some time after my last set of messages, we ran into another Gligar. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t have been a problem, but this specimen was… I’m unsure how to describe it. I’ve never seen a Pokemon fight with such ferocity.
It used a combination of a lightning-fast Aerial Ace and then followed with a brutal looking Stone Edge. The combination would have been fascinating if it hadn’t taken Glalie down so readily.
It turned its eyes on me after that, and I think Gaeric might have tried to tackle it himself, had Ohnyula not intervened.
She has to be an incredibly strong Pokemon to knock Gligar out the way she did. Poison Jab shouldn’t have done her any favors, but she used it beautifully. I wish I could confirm her typing, but that seems too ambitious when a simple ‘goodnight’ is still beyond the understanding I share with Gaeric.
We retreated to an empty campsite. Glalie is currently recovering from its battle, and last I saw Ohnyula sssssssssssssssssssss
i’ve located ohnyula. i’ll tell you tomorrow.
---
She decided I should have been resting and parked herself on my chest.
---
This should be our last break before we reach the village. It’s visible in the distance, but that’s only because we’re coming down from the mountain. It will still take some time to get there.
To be entirely honest with you, I’m beginning to worry. The Shinju settlement was small and old fashioned, but I didn’t expect that to ring quite so true here. Granted, you can only tell so much at a distance like this, but the fact that it’s not built to house any great number of people is self evident.
I shouldn’t make assumptions like that. For all I know, someone there will be able to point me in the right direction.
---
Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring.
The first thing the receiver picks up is repeated footsteps, loud and fast-paced against a dull-sounding surface.
“You’re not going to get the messages.” Says the speaker. His voice is rough, still damaged from his bout with illness, but there’s more than that. It has a choking quality to it, as though he’s holding something back. “At least, not for very, very long time. I spoke with-- there’s a man here who--”
A frustrated groan tears through and he starts again, honing in on one topic to keep his thoughts from scattering as before.
“There’s a man here who speaks Galarian. He was incredibly helpful, but during our conversation, he mentioned how long he’s lived in this village conducting research, and--”
He takes a deep breath and, slowly, lets it out.
“In theory, I may be able to find passage to Unova from here. It won’t matter, though. You’re not there yet.” Another breath, but the exhale doesn’t quite match the last. “This… this will be the Sinnoh region someday in the far future, but today, it’s Hisui.”
His breathing quickens, followed almost immediately by a fit of coughing. A second in, the sound is dampened, and remains muffled for its duration.
“It can’t be a coincidence that the Professor is trying to compile a Pokedex, not after ‘seek out all Pokemon’. I don’t know if it’s the way home, but-- but I don’t have any better options.” There’s a brief pause while he regulates his breathing; it seems the momentum nearly renewed his respiratory troubles. “This limits the scope, at least, since Laventon’s Pokedex is only meant to examine those species living in Hisui. I don’t know how many there are, but I’ve seen a handful already, and theoretically know their evolutionary information. It may take some time, but I can do this.”
There’s a silence-- tight and anxious-- but when he speaks again, it’s as if he’s settled the matter once and for all.
“I’m going to find a way back.”