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Shadow Rays: Ch 4

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Chapter 4: Birth of a New Life

     "They're back!  And with my favorite berries, too!" Soljeki cried out cheerfully by the entrance.  She wasted no time in rushing out to meat Andy and Marlaina.

     Ailfresi was trying to hurriedly finish off the Pecha Berry he was on, almost choking on it in the process.  Once finished, he rushed out of the den and was blinded by the midday sun.  He hadn't been outside at midday like this at all during his two and a half day stay, so naturally, his eyes weren't used to the intense sunlight yet.  Still, even so, he was able to make out the silhouettes of Andy and Marlaina.  One other pokemon that was about three times their size was following them, walking on two legs and holding a spoon in each hand.  Ailfresi became nervous seeing this figure, but immediately sensed that there was no threat from this giant being and calmed down.

     "Okay, okay, okay.  We're glad to see you, too, but lets at least get inside, hun," Marlaina laughed.

     Once they reached the den, the giant pokemon turned to Andy.  "I'll wait out here while you get things sorted out."

     "Alright.  I wish you could come inside, but your body size doesn't really allow it, unfortunately," Andy joked.  "Thanks, Alakazam."

     "Anytime.  Let me know when ya'll are ready," Alakazam said.

     Ailfresi was about to go inside when he looked up at Alakazam and noticed that he was staring at him intensely.  This made Ailfresi feel uneasy, despite knowing that Alakazam wasn't an enemy.  Wanting to break this uncomfortable gaze, he quickly rushed inside.

     When Marlaina noticed Ailfresi padding in, she promptly came up to him with some berries.  "We didn't know what you might like, so we got as many different kinds as we could.  I'm sure you're hungry."

     Ailfresi's stomach did the speaking for him.  "Thanks, Marlaina," he replied as he took a couple of the new berries.

     "Soljeki is crazy about the Leppa berries you're holding.  It's her favorite kind."

     Ailfresi laughed.  "That explains why she was excited when you and Andy were finally back."  Ailfresi was for the first time at ease around Marlaina and Andy.  It was as if what occurred when they first met didn't happen at all.  He would've never guessed that they had a such a kind and caring side.

     "We were beginning to worry about you when you wouldn't wake up during the past two days.  Are you feeling any better?" she asked.

     "Yeah, I'm doing fine... but..." Ailfresi forced a frowned.  "Why exactly are you nice all of a sudden?  Two days ago, you had me in a cage, yelling at me."

     "Soljeki explained what happened during the Darkhash incident."

     "I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that Darkhash is that Gengar I saw," Ailfresi guessed.

     "Correct.  We're very grateful to you for protecting Soljeki until we got back, and it seemed that we got back just in time, too.  That Gengar was about to finish you."

     Ailfresi quickly recalled the stream of fire that knocked Gengar back prior to falling unconscious.  "So that's where that Flamethrower came from.  Andy launched it, right?"

     Marlaina nodded.

     Ailfresi started feeling a little guilty about his aggressiveness towards Andy and Marlaina.  After all, they were only trying to help him, and he pushed them away, instead.  "Hey, about before...  I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to act like such a jerk towards you two."

     "Eh.  Don't sweat it.  We just had a simple misunderstanding that took a wrong turn," Andy replied suddenly.  "Freak things like that happen.  Besides, after how you helped Soljeki, how could we not forgive you?" he laughed.

     "Thanks, Andy, but Soljeki deserves some credit, too."

     Soljeki froze.  She began blushing again, knowing what Ailfresi was about to say.

     "She's the one that saved me from Darkhash's Dream Eater attack," Ailfresi explained gratefully, finally getting around to eating the Leppa berry that he was given.  His eyes grew wide at the amazing taste.  He now understood why Soljeki loved these berries so much.  "Wow...  I'll have seconds of these if you don't mind."

     Soljeki suddenly approached Ailfresi, still blushing, with two more Leppa berries in her mouth, holding them by the stems that were still attached, offering them to her new friend.

     Ailfresi was glad to have such a dense fur coat, because if Soljeki didn't catch him turning red before, she would've seen it now.  "Th-thanks," he stuttered back, nervously plucking the berries off the stems when his mouth.

     "Ailfresi?" Andy asked.

     "How did you know my name?" Ailfresi asked.  It wasn't but a split second later that he knew why.  "Wait...  Soljeki told you the name she'd given to me, didn't she?" he inquired with another laughing.  

     Soljeki blushed again.

     "I see you read minds," he joked, then cleared his throat.  "Alakazam wants a word with you when you're finished eating, Ailfresi."

     Ailfresi suddenly tensed up again.  The last thing he wanted to do was talk with someone whose stare was overwelmingly intimidating.  Still, he nodded at Andy's heads-up and finished the berry he was chewing.  "I'll go talk to him now.  I've finished my fill, anyways," he reluctantly replied.  With a turn of his head, the young Eevee cast a glace towards Soljeki.  "I'll be right back."  He then turned towards the entrance where Alakazam waited.

     Soljeki felt her muzzled warm again.  What is this strange feeling?  Whenever he looks or talks to me, I feel different...  She couldn't quite identify her strange emotions.



     "You wanted to see me, uhhh...  sir?" Ailfresi asked Alakazam a little nervously.

     He looked down at Ailfresi.  "Yes.  I wanted to talk to you about what happened two nights ago.  Do you recall what happened?"

     Ailfresi sighed, really wanting to avoid this subject, but none-the-less, he answered, "Well, lets just put it this way...  I wasn't really nice to Andy and Marlaina.  They were trying to help me and I got aggressive towards them for almost no reason."

     "Huh?"  Alakazam realized that he and Ailfresi were not on the same page.  "No, I don't think you got what I was asking about.  I mean before that," he clarified.

     A chill fell down his spine.  If only I knew that...  I still can't remember anything beyond the moment I met Andy, he thought to himself.  He looked down, embarrassed once again, then looked back up at Alakazam, deciding to come out straight.  "To be honest, I don't remember anything earlier than that...  Not even my own name."

     "Wait...  I thought your name was Ailfresi..."

     "It is, but only because Soljeki was kind enough to make up that name for me.  I don't remember my real name," Ailfresi answered, now even more embarrassed.  "You probably don't believe me, do you?"

     Alakazam merely smiled as he studied the Eevee's form, then shook his head.  "I can tell that you're speaking the truth.  You don't have to be ashamed about anything.  I'm just trying to understand your situation here."

     "What do you mean?" Ailfresi asked, completely puzzled by what Alakazam was explaining.

     "Andy told me that two nights ago, you appeared in mid-air accompanied by blinding light, and then fell to the ground like a rock.  I have witnessed my own handful of phenomenons throughout my life, but never heard anything about a pokemon materializing like that," Alakazam explained.

     "So...  Was I created?  I don't feel like I've just been born.  I feel that I have an actual past.  Other friends.  Another life.  But unfortunately I just can't bring myself to remember anything of the mentioned."

     "I sensed that, too.  When I layed my eyes on you, I could immediately tell that you weren't just a normal Eevee," he explained more.  Alakazam paused, pondering to himself.

     "What can I do to help find out who I am?" Ailfresi asked, desperately, only to immediately wish that he didn't bring it up.  Oh great...  I just sounded like an idiot asking that.

     Alakazam suddenly seemed to have had an idea, but then frowned.  He fixed his gaze upon AIlfresi, staring into his eyes intensely, as if studying him, just like before.  And just like before, Ailfresi felt extremely uncomfortable because of this staring contest.  He was about to speak when Alakazam broke his gaze and looked out into the beautiful mountains taking up the background far in the distance.

     "There is a rumor about a secret ice cave located at the peak of those mountains," Alakazam began.  "Common myths that have been passed down for centuries state that only pokemon with a desire to find information without using it can be guided to the cave.  As a result, virtually no one has ever found the cave.  Harsh weather conditions, along with very territorial pokemon have detoured most pokemon away from those mountains.  Some were even killed during their journey to find it.  Those that were able to deal with the physical strain were never able to find the cave because they had no guide.  Only one pokemon has ever been believed to find the sacred cave;  A young and mysterious Glaceon around half a year ago.  His origin was unknown, but everyone that knew him liked his kind personality.  Unfortunately, even though he had found the cave, something in there changed his life forever.  When he returned, he refused to talk to anyone about what had happened.  To this day, no one knows what he experienced."

     Questions flooded Ailfresi mind.  Why is he telling me this?  How does it relate to me?  Who was this Glaceon?  He continued listening to Alakazam.

     "Ailfresi, I believe it would be in your best interest to try finding this cave," Alakazam suggested.

     He couldn't believe what Alakazam just told him.  Okay, he's crazy... Just now, he told me three things that all indicated that this is a suicidal task.  For one, whether conditions and territorial pokemon that show no mercy.  Secondly, only one pokemon, a Glaceon, has ever found the cave... out of the millions of pokemon that have tried!  No one else succeeded in even locating it.  And thirdly, even after finding it, that Glaceon was somehow deeply affected by it!  And now he's expecting me to find this cave despite how 90% of all pokemon that set out on this journey never came back?!  Ailfresi felt like a volcano ready to erupt, but he held it in, not wanting to make the same mistake he committed with Andy and Marlaina.  "If you don't mind me asking, what makes you believe that I could find this cave against all the odds you stated?"

     "To be honest, I really don't know.  But if you want to retrieve your memory, this may be your only good bet.  It's up to you whether or not you want to go.  Let your heart be your guide," Alakazam paused.  "I apologize if my answer wasn't the one you were looking for."

     Ailfresi shook his head and glared at Alakazam with distaste.  "If you think I'm that desperate to retrieve just a few memories, then you can forget it.  Two and a half days may have already passed, but I have already gained three valuable, irreplaceable friends.  I am not about to leave them after we have just begun to understand each other..." he stated in a strong, mildly angry tone.  He turned around and padded aggressively back towards the den, then stopped to say one more thing.  "You suggested that I follow my heart...  Well, I just now spoke from it."

     Alakazam didn't utter a word, but rather smiled as he watch Ailfresi disappear into the den.  He admired this Eevee's spirit.
Whew. One of my longer chapters is now complete. I really put a lot of thinking into this chapter with future events I already have planned out in mind. Oh, and for all you action-geeks, you're wait is almost over, because there will be some of that action-y goodness in the next chapter... Hopefully... If everything goes the way I want it to. Gee, I sure sound confident about that, don't I? lol

---EDIT 9/23/2008---

I have made changes to the myth in which Alakazam spoke of. Be sure to re-read it.

---EDIT 10/28/2008---

Ch 4 revamped. Edited myth again. The mysterious Glaceon found the cave around half a year ago, not a full year ago.

If you just ran across this chapter, check out the Prologue here: [link]

Next Chapter: [link]

Pokemon and all related characters and names copyright Nintendo, 1995-2008
© 2008 - 2024 Wes1234
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BlackFlameDragon's avatar
I like the story about the glaceon. It really makes you wonder what happened to him. Or maybe that's just me... Anyways, that was sweet of Alifresi (did I get the name right?) to say at the end ^w^