TEEN: As the Birds Keep Singing (Chapter Two)

[Lifestream]

Alright! It’s been quite a long while since I’ve written anything, much less actually saw anything through to the end (^^’). Well I think I’ve finally got something. Please read, comment, criticize, advise, you know, feedback and stuff. I think I’ll need a bit of encouragement if I’m going to try and see this one all the way through! I came up with the idea of ‘As the Birds Keep Singing’ while lying in bed watching the latest Hetalia episode. The setting wasn’t too inspirational, but whatever, right? Package contains: one kindhearted Quilava, one odd Mienfoo, one laid back Spheal, one cunning Meowth, one loyal Growlithe, one quiet Ralts, one feisty Zangoose, one kindhearted human boy, and a lot of friends and foes. Enjoy! -Lifestream

Contents:
Part I
Chapter One - A Strange New Companion
Chapter Two - Enter Soujiro



Chapter One

People and Pokemon alike can go through many things in such short amounts of time. I believe I fit into this category. So many crazy things have happened to me in these last few months, and though I know it’s probably been quite a while, I feel as though everything passed in less than a week.

I think it all started the day Soujiro came to us from far away. My friend Hayate, however, argues that it started long before that, when our home region was struck by a terrorist organization known as Cipher, which occurred before I was born. If that was the case, then wouldn’t our series of conflicts begun many, many decades ago when the humans happened upon our lonely little continent and imported thousands of Pokemon from other regions there? After all, Pokemon were the main problem in our region as far as I’m concerned.

We debated over this for a while, then, when unable to reach a proper conclusion, consulted to Songha, who said we were both right. Her reply to our questions didn’t satisfy us very much, but we settled our argument and continued on with our lives. Or at least Hayate did.

Hayate had only met Soujiro soon after he was taken from us, so he doesn’t understand too much about my feelings for my long lost friend. How can I continue living when the greatest piece of my life is missing, and just out of reach, too?

Kairi always tells me that if Soujiro and I are tied so closely, then any path I take will eventually lead me to him. She always ends with the idea that I shouldn’t sweat over it too much, as she’s sure he’s not in terrible danger at the moment and it’s also unhealthy for me. That’s easy for her to say. How can she suggest that my dearest friend is safe in the hands of a criminal group who’s been wreaking havoc all over the place? I don’t think I’ll ever stop worrying until he’s back with us, with me again.

Arashi says that if a think about him every day, all the time, with all my heart, then he’ll have to come back to me. It didn’t require a whole lot of effort, and I was, well, I still am quite desperate to get Soujiro back, so I spend my hours reviewing the times when we were together, and thinking about scenarios that could possibly occur once he returns, and dreaming of a joyous reunion between us.

Kana never offered much, but that was common behavior for her. She was, after all, a self-motivated feline. If she ever gave me advice, I don’t remember it, so I just listen to everyone else. But so far, Soujiro is lost to me, and no clues or signs have showed up foreshadowing his return. For now, it seems, all I can do is wait.

* * *


Past

I remember the day I met him. I think about it almost every day, for it marked the beginning of our eternal friendship. Me and my human trainer, Gilbert, had just arrived in an oasis city far out in the desert.

I was perched steadily on Gilbert’s shoulder, leaning fondly against his neck. Gil reached up and stroked my head affectionately, his palm resting between my sharp ears. I smiled, content, and let my gaze wander around the strange new city.

This place –Phenac City, it was called—was by far the prettiest place Gil and I had visited. The city was made almost entirely of sand-colored stone. Crystal blue water ran through canals dug out of the ground and flowed throughout the entire city, running endlessly despite the forbidding desert surrounding it.

A child laughed as it chased a small grey Castform around Phenac’s center piece, a large white-washed fountain spraying icy water into the dry air. I admired the city, despite my distaste for water. Its beauty was far greater than the seaport I’d come from with Gilbert. I liked the peaceful air of the city, an atmosphere that was much different than the hustle and bustle of Gateon Port. Phenac wasn’t home, but it was certainly a nice place to visit and explore.

Gil had taken a seat on the edge of the fountain, watching the Phenac residents talk and laugh amongst themselves. I had slid off his shoulder and hopped off the fountain onto the stone road to avoid the soft mist of stray fountain water. Safe from the water’s spray, I let my gaze wander, following the minuscule grey-and-white Castform hovering swiftly around the road, grinning broadly as he swerved just out of reach of the child that playfully chased him. The Castform fled around the bend, the young boy following in pursuit, and I let my attention linger to a conversation between an old man and a young lady who carried a pale green umbrella and wore a wide brimmed hat displaying felt flowers.

The elderly man, who wore a tidy blue plaid shirt buttoned to his neck and long black slacks, fingered at the collar of his shirt, his voice inaudible as he spoke to the woman. The girl laughed softly and shook her head, expressing an apology. The old man laughed as well, then bowed slightly, and the girl waved and turned on her heel, quickly disappearing behind a building.

The old man’s smile faded into a more serious expression as he glanced around, as if searching for something. I tilted my head to the side curiously as I saw the man’s gaze come to a stop when he spotted Gilbert and began to approach.

Upon seeing him come closer, I took the bottom of Gil’s pant leg in a small paw and tugged at it softly. Gil looked down at me.

“What is it, Shinta?”

I pointed at the old man, who was only a few strides away. Gil turned to look at the man, then rose to his feet. Just like before, the man gave a small bow, and his smile returned.

“Hello there, young lad.”

“Hello, Mister.” Gil replied politely.

“What’s your name boy?” the man asked kindly.

“It’s Gilbert, sir.”

“Ah, fine name. I’m Jarod Albion, and I have a request to ask of you, if that’s alright.”

Gil glanced down at me, and we both shrugged. “Alright, Mr. Albion, what is it?”

Mr. Albion chuckled. “Very good, then! I notice you’ve only got one Pokemon on you.” he observed, examining me. “And it seems rather happy with you.”

I can’t say I really approved of being referred to as an it, but Mr. Albion had already continued before I could protest.

“I have a favor I’d like to ask of you. I have a young Pokemon here. He comes from a land across the seas, far, far away from here.” Gil, interested, said nothing, and Mr. Albion continued speaking. “No Pokemon from its region populate Orre, but I want to change that. I’d like to make Unova’s Pokemon an option here, as well. I would like for you to take this young Pokemon and raise it as your own. Perhaps it will strike interest to those it meets.” Mr. Albion laughed heartily. “This Pokemon could be the beginning of a great new generation! If it becomes a big hit, I can probably get permission to import more Unova-native Pokemon here.” Mr. Albion leaned forward. “Do we have an agreement?”

Gil crossed his arms, thinking carefully. After a few moments, he turned to look down at me. “Well, what do you think?” he questioned.

I stared hard at the ground. If this new Pokemon joins us, it would mean there wouldn’t be times where it was just Gil and me together anymore, I recall thinking to myself. But then again, it would be a bit less lonely, so… I mulled over it for a bit, then looked back up at Gil and shrugged.

Gil sighed and turned his attention back to Mr. Albion. “Well,” he said at last, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot.”

Mr. Albion burst into joyous laughter and took Gil’s hand, which was still crossed over his chest, and shook it enthusiastically. “Good choice, lad, splendid! You won’t regret it at all, I assure you!” Mr. Albion reached into his pocket and withdrew a small round pokeball. He held it out to Gil. “Here you are, lad. I ask for no payment in return. If you wish to return it, I’m always around.”

I watched as Gil hesitantly took the pokeball from Mr. Albion’s outstretched hand. “Erm, thank you sir.” Gil said slowly.

“Of course, lad. I’ll be taking me leave now.”

And then, just as soon as he’d come, he turned away, rounded a corner, and was gone. I haven’t seen him since.

* * *

Within the pokeball was the young fellow who changed my life forever, though I didn’t know it at the time. I still can’t decide if it was for better or worse, but I suppose I’ll find out sooner or later.

Gil let the Pokemon out of the red and white ball soon after Mr. Albion made his leave. The flash of red light took the shape of a short, stout creature I couldn’t identify. His face was round, curving near the bottom to form a sharp muzzle with a small red nose on the tip. He grew two short whiskers, one on either cheek. His ears were small and rounded and two dull grey spots were located just above his eyes. His arms grew bulky at his elbow, seeming to resemble loose sleeves, and his hands were small and flat. His fur was colored cream and burgundy.

Gil appeared to be equally as mystified by the bizarre Pokemon, who stared uncertainly at both of us. We later learned that this foreign creature was called Mienfoo, a species from a distant land across the sea just as Mr. Albion had mentioned.

Gil recovered from his surprise quicker than I did. He squatted down so he was almost the same height as the Pokemon. “Hello there, little guy.” he greeted warmly, and the Pokemon’s tiny ears perked up a bit. “You’ll be living with us from now on. I’m Gilbert, and this,” he nodded to me, “is Shinta. Do you have a name?”

The strange Pokemon touched the tip of his muzzle with a small cream-colored paw thoughtfully. A few moments passed, then he shook his head.

Gil smiled softly. “I suppose I should give you one, then.” He stood up again and walked slowly around in a small circle. “Let’s see, now…hm…aaah…” Gil suddenly stopped, and his green eyes lit up. “Got it!” He bent back down and faced the small Pokemon again. “How about Soujiro? Does that sound alright?”

The Pokemon nodded almost immediately, and his mouth curved slightly. That was the first time I ever saw Soujiro smile.

* * *

I remember finding this Soujiro character very strange. I continued to think this, and I still do. He was quite the odd fellow from the view-point of an Orre-native Quilava.

My odd relationship with Soujiro began at the Pokemon Center in Phenac City later that evening. The sun had dropped behind the Coliseum, illuminating the city a soft, burning red color. Gilbert, Soujiro, and I all sat on the edge of the fountain, watching the shadows stretched as the sun disappeared, slowly engulfing the city in its darkness.

Naturally, I sat in Gil’s lap, guarded from the water’s spray by his jacket, which he had laid protectively of my shoulders. His gaze had shifted as he’d gently positioned the jacket on my shoulders. I followed his gaze and found my eyes resting on Soujiro, who had positioned himself comfortably on the edge of the fountain, his red furred feet hanging over the edge.

I watched as he craned his neck to star at the dying sky. I’m not really sure why, but I turned away to stare at the ground, feeling ashamed for some reason. When the sun had dropped below the sandy horizon, we headed to the Pokemon Center to stay for the night.

Gil was busy getting us a room, and had left Soujiro and me alone in the lobby. There was a long, awkward pause. “Eh…it’s, um, nice here, isn’t it?”

Soujiro turned to look at me as I spoke, his dark blue eyes displaying curiosity. “No.”

I was a bit surprised by his reaction. “You don’t think so?”

Soujiro smiled a bit. “No, I don’t. Water doesn’t belong in a desert.”

I flattened my ears, puzzled. “That’s it? Well, I think water is awful convenient to have water in such a dry terrain, don’t you think?”

“Sure, but it’s just not right.”

“Eh, alright, if you insist. I like it here, though.”

“Why?”

“Well, for one, this is where I grew up.”

“Everyone likes the place they grew up in.” he returned in a kind voice.

I was struck by that last comment. There wasn’t much I could do to comfort him if Soujiro missed his homeland, but thinking back I wish I could’ve said something, anything, responded differently than I did.

I struggled to continue, searching for something that the small Pokemon couldn’t counter. “And…And my friend Gil lives here too. I’ve known him since birth.”

Soujiro’s eyes softened. “Well, there isn’t much I can say about that. I didn’t have a good friend.”

I mentally beat my head on the ground. Making Soujiro feel a little more at home was much more difficult than I had first suspected. If only I could say something that didn’t relate to home… I observed the red-and-cream Pokemon, who had turned his attention away from me again. I saw something gleam at his neck as he repositioned himself. I hadn’t noticed the small stone strung around his neck by a black string before. It was a shard of deep violet amethyst, reflecting purple spots on Soujiro’s cream colored chest.

“Soujiro, what is that around your neck?”

“What, this?” he said, fingering the small shard. I nodded. “A gift.”

“From who?”

“My brother.”

I decided that I should just stop talking. I obviously wasn’t doing much for him. I sighed and looked away, though I couldn’t help but sneaking a few sideways glances at Soujiro. Soujiro, however, seemed to have a short attention span, for he’d already lost all interest in my presence.

Gil came back and took us both to our room. My first meeting with Soujiro lingered in my mind through the night as I watched the small Pokemon touch the smooth surface of the amethyst stone. Not a very promising friendship.

 

[Lifestream]

Re: As the Birds Keep Singing

I’ve had plenty of time on my hands lately, so I finished chapter two pretty quick. I can’t say I’m very content with it though. I feel as though I’m using a lot of repetition with my word choice, which is disappointing considered I have a very large vocabulary but can never seem to include any of it effectively in my writings. I read over it about a dozen times to try and fix my fallacies, but none of it really seems changeable in my opinion. I’d really appreciate some feedback here. Am I using too much repetition? Is it affecting the story? If so, please tell me. If not, well, tell me anyway, I’ll feel enlightened (^^). -Lifestream




Chapter Two: Enter Soujiro

Not too long ago, me and Kana found ourselves alone with each other. Gilbert, Hayate, Songha, Arashi, and Kairi were at the base of the hill while we sat under the large oak tree at the top. For a while we didn’t speak. The very tree I leaned against claimed an important role in my memories, for it was that precise location where Soujiro and I had our final conversation.

Kana sat perched an arching root to my right, drawing a paw silently over her ear while I sat on the cool earth, my back pressed against the ancient tree’s trunk. I consider Kana a friend to me, but I can’t say we’re too close. So we sat in silence, lost in our own thoughts.

Kana spoke first. She has a keen ability to read one’s mind, it seems. “You feel like you’re losing him, don’t you?” she had said.

I was surprised. Kana rarely spoke of Soujiro after he’d been swept from our grasp, though she also had a special sort of bond with the Mienfoo. I stared at the earth below me. “I don’t understand.” I said softly. “What do you mean?”

Several long minutes passed before Kana spoke again. “With every sunrise you wake to, you feel as though he’s getting further and further away from you. You’re running as hard as you can just to keep his back in view. He’s slowly leaving you behind.”

I flinched. My body began to tremble slightly despite my mental protests. “I…” I gritted my teeth. “Yeah…that’s right. Kana, you know Soujiro about as well as I do. What would you do right now?”

*Kana stopped her steady cleaning, her paw still brushing over her black-rimmed ear. She slowly let her paw fall to the root’s surface, and opened her eyes. Kana’s eyes were almost never open; she claimed it ‘knocked her scale off balance’. Right now, I think her beloved peace scale was beginning to tip unsteadily.

She inclined her neck to look up at the pale blue sky above. “I’m not you, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Please, Kana?”

“The sky is so large.”

“What?”

“It stretches to every corner of the planet, and further even. Though is appears different in other places, we’re all still seeing the same thing.”

The silence returned. I didn’t expect Kana to speak again, so I let my eyes fall shut and slumped against the oak’s massive trunk. But I had guessed incorrectly, and my interest was immediately renewed when I heard Kana sigh softly.

“He’s barely in your view now.” she said, then *paused. “You’re running so hard to catch him, to keep him within your reach. But you’re losing yourself. Slowly, but certainly, you’re losing your head.”

“I’m…losing myself?”

Kana nodded slightly. “The more you begin to crack, the slower you run. And at that pace, you’ll never catch him.”

I looked up at her, shaking, just as she let her eyes close again. She stood up and stretched her paws out in front of her, curling her brown-dipped tail over her back. She slid gracefully off the root, landing silently on the pale green earth. She started to slowly pad down the hill toward everyone else, then stopped and turned to look back at me.

“Shinta,” she said, “don’t let the crack spread any further.”

I stared at her with wide eyes, seeing my own reflection in her soft green eyes. It was then I realized how deeply Kana was also hurt by the loss of Soujiro. She turned away, but I’ll always remember the unstable peace I saw in her gaze.

* * *

********* Past
Soujiro and I got along okay in the beginning. We hardly spoke or interacted, but if we ever did, it was generally friendly. Gil tried to bring us closer together several times those first few weeks, and for his sake I did my best to cooperate, but our false bonds never stuck, and when Gil’s back was turned we broke apart again. Both me and Soujiro understood that we weren’t very compatible.

But though there was distance between us, I learned a bizarre thing or two about him every day. The first thing I learned was that Soujiro was very intrigued by leaves.

We’d stayed in Phenac City for another two days before heading out again. A train dropped us off on the outskirts of the desert where the forest began and we started heading northwest. I would often turn to find Soujiro examining emerald colored leaves that fluttered to the soft grass floor, admiring the way veins creating patterns on leaf’s surface and the changing hues of green. He did this quite a lot during the day, and I finally couldn’t help my curiosity and questioned him about it.

“Why are you always collecting leaves?” I asked early on the morning of the second day in the forest. Soujiro had gathered six different shaped leaves and had them lined up on the ground at his feet. He looked up at me with his deep blue eyes.

“Because I like them.”

“Why?”

Soujiro turned his attention back to the leaves. “I have reached a certain theory about life and death.”

The second fact about Soujiro was that he was quite philosophical. This trait played a big part in making him the odd fellow he was. I remember why Soujiro was interested in fallen leaves, as well as the speech he gave me about it, though I can’t say I understand all of it.

“I believe that when something dies, it doesn’t pass into heaven, or the afterlife, or whatever else people call it.” he had first explained. “I believe that the life in that organism simply leaves it to create something else. I consider life to be a form of matter, and matter is neither made nor destroyed, which supports my theory. So when something dies, the life in it doesn’t just disappear, and when something is born, the life in it isn’t suddenly created.

“Take a small plant for example. As a living creature, life flows through it. If it were to die, the life in it would be forced out. That dispersed life comes together to create a new organism, such as a small bird Pokemon or a human infant. See?”

No, I didn’t understand a thing he’d meant at the time. After long hours thinking about it, I began to grasp the general idea, but then I was completely clueless. I played along though, worried that if I showed confusion he would try to further explain his complex idea of life and death.

“What does that have to do with the leaves?” I asked.

Soujiro picked the smallest leaf up by its stem and twirled it in his paw. “These leaves have fallen from their main tree. The life is slowly draining from them. The freed life could eventually create a new being, and who knows, perhaps that new being would end up being a friend someday!” He smiled a little. “These leaves could eventually be my best friends.”

If that was the case, then why wasn’t he as interested by worms or bugs or other things that had short life spans? But as I mentioned before, Soujiro was very strange, so I didn’t linger on the topic too much.

The third fact about Soujiro was that he missed his homeland --Unova, he’d called it--, as he’d left behind a close companion. It never occurred to me that he might feel lonesome as he didn’t try to interact with me much and never showed any signs that he wasn’t content with his distance from Gil and me. Actually, I thought he preferred being alone. I soon found out, however, that this wasn’t quite the case.

On the third day, we happened across a small pond and decided to spend the night there. Gil was busy fixing a meal for us and I was bored out of my mind, so my only option was to talk to Soujiro again. He was rinsing his face in the cool, clear water when I approached.

“Hello there,” I said, and, careful to let the water touch me, took a seat beside him.

“Hello,” Soujiro replied without looking up. He was watching his reflection ripple on the water’s surface intensely.

I realized then that I didn’t really know what to say to him, and after watching Soujiro stare at the mirror image of himself for several long minutes, I began to rise and find some other form of amusement. I stood up, stretching my back and just turned away when Soujiro stopped me.

“Hey, Shinta, wait.” I glanced at him over my shoulder. He hadn’t moved at all, continued to calculate his reflection. “I want to ask you something.”

I had nothing better to do, so I sat back down beside him. I observed his face in the water and noticed a troubled shadow brewing in his dark blue eyes.

“Shinta, do you have a family?”

The question shocked me a little. I’d never been asked something like that before. It didn’t take me very long to understand that the fourth fact about Soujiro was that he enjoyed talking about one’s personal life. I raised my head to watch a cloud drift lazily along the clear blue sky. “Well...yeah, I guess I do. Everyone has a family, but…”

“But what?”

“But I…well, I never met my family. I spent my entire childhood with Gil. I’ve been with him for as long as I can remember.”

Soujiro’s eyes softened and he sighed sympathetically. “That’s kind of sad.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I had Gil. He is my family. My unblood family, of course.”

Soujiro’s gaze finally broke away from his reflection. His eyes held a curious glimmer. “Does Gilbert really mean that much to you?”

“Of course!” I exclaimed.

“He’s always been there for me, right beside me. Surely you’ve had someone like that who you loved the way I love Gil?”

I regretted saying that as soon as I saw Soujiro’s expression. His eyes lost their glow, his round ears drooped, and his head turned so he stared down at his red feet.

“Yeah, I did.” he said quietly.

I wasn’t sure if I should continue this conversation or if I should change the subject, but curiosity got the better of me. “Who was it?”

“My brother.”

The fifth fact about Soujiro: he idolized his older brother, whose name was apparently Feng. Soujiro told me he didn’t have parents, it was just him and his brother. I asked him what had happened to Feng. He said he didn’t know. When humans had come to take him away, Feng had tried to protect him.

“That was the last time I ever saw Feng.” he finished.

A long silence followed. “Do you miss him?” I asked.

“Yeah, a bit.”

“A bit?”

Soujiro lifted a paw to touch the amethyst shard hanging at his chest. “Mm-hm, just a bit. I still have what he gave me, so I can always remember him. Although,” he gazed up at the sky, smiling a little. “I would like to see him again one day.” He looked back at me. “I can also say I wouldn’t mind having a friend either. After all, I’m kind of stuck in Orre now.”

I think it was that very conversation that triggered the beginning of the bond between us.

* * *

The following day, a wild Pokemon appeared. It was extremely rare to find a trainerless Pokemon in Orre, for Pokemon weren’t originally from this region, instead imported from Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto with their trainers and breeders and such. In fact, this was the first one I’d ever seen.

The small Sentret had hopped out from beneath a bush on the edge of the wooded trail and out onto the path in front of us. Soujiro tilted his head curiously and I looked up at Gil, who glanced around in confusion. There was no other trainer to be found. Still, it took Gil a while to decide that it was wild. Upon reaching that conclusion, his first idea was to battle it.

I’d battled many times before with Gil. Of course I thought I would fight this Sentret as well. But this wasn’t the case, which resulted in my disappointment. He let Soujiro fight it instead.

I remember letting the flames on my lower back and between my ears flare up and growling at the small brown Pokemon, who glared at me in response.

But Gil shook his head apologetically and turned to his left, toward Soujiro. “Why don’t you give it a shot, Soujiro?”

Soujiro looked passed him to me in confusion.

I sighed. “He’s telling you to fight it, Soujiro.”

Soujiro, now that he understood Gil’s words, shrugged and stepped forward. If I were the Sentret I would have fled, ran away as fast as I could, because the sixth fact about Soujiro was that he knew how to fight. And he wasn’t half bad at it.

He took an awkward looking stance, his right arm stretched out in front of him, paw-tip pointed downward, and his left arm behind him, pointing up. His feet were shoulder width apart and his head was turned so he watched the Sentret closely. But the Sentret didn’t run. I suppose it fought to hold its pride. Big mistake.

Gil took a few steps back. “Alright, Soujiro, let’s see what you can do!”

Soujiro nodded slowly. The Sentret made the first move. It gave a high pitched growl and rushed forward, raising a clawed paw in preparation for a scratch attack. Just as the Sentret’s paw came down, Soujiro sidestepped out of the way, turning on his toe so he faced the small Pokemon’s backside. His right paw flew forward in a blur, and he nailed the Sentret directly in the spine with the heel of his palm. The Sentret cried out as it hit the dirt, winded from Soujiro’s vital throw.

Soujiro jumped several feet back and took his stance again. To my surprise, the Sentret wasn’t finished. Its face was wrinkled in pain, but it slowly struggled to its paws again, angrily turning to face its opponent. Sentret jumped up into the air, landing on the ground again on its tail. Using its thick striped tail as a lever, Sentret hurled itself forward at impressive speed.

Its paw flashed, aiming to tear at Soujiro’s flesh with its fury swipes. Its claws connected but Soujiro had disappeared. In his place was a large chunk of wood, which was quickly shattered by Sentret’s claws.

I spotted Soujiro falling down on Sentret from above, landing upside down on one arm. He put a leg out and whirled around to kick Sentret with low sweep, which knocked Sentret off its feet. He pushed out the ground and landing lightly on his feet again.

Before Sentret could recover, he swept a paw through the air. Dozens of small golden, star shaped blades flew from his palm, pummeling Sentret with great force. Sentret attempted to resist the swift assault for a moment, but quickly decided it couldn’t fight any longer and turned away, fleeing into the brush once more.

I was stunned. The fight had been so short and clean, and Soujiro hadn’t taken a single hit despite the Sentret obvious aggression. Gil appeared to be equally as impressed. Soujiro turned to face us, seemingly unfazed by his flawless victory. His expression faded into confusion as he saw us both staring at him, dumbfounded. Fact number seven: Soujiro never realized his talents.

* * *

It was evening, hours after Soujiro’s first battle with us, but I still couldn’t get his stunning victory out of my head. I myself had won countless battle as well, but never so clean and flawless.

“Soujiro,” I said as Gil was setting up camp for the night.

“Yes?”

“I just wanted to ask where you learned to fight like that.”

Soujiro smiled. “My brother taught me.”

“Feng?”

He nodded. “Yeah. He was incredible. He taught me how to fight because he said every Mienfoo learned to fight at a young age. He had, too. He told me that every Mienfoo or Mienshao --that’s what my brother was-- were born elite martial artists. Martial arts are forms of specialized combat that--”

“Yes, I know.” I interrupted him. The eighth fact about Soujiro is that he must explain any intermediate or advance term thoroughly, often going into a long history about it, unless he is interrupted. “Go on, about Feng, I mean.”

“Right, Feng. He taught me the martial art he specialized. I’m nowhere near his level though.” Soujiro explained.

“He sounds pretty impressive.” I said.

“You’re right.” he agreed. “Feng was incredible.”

Feng was never referred to as wonderful, or great, or spectacular. Always incredible. I concluded that this either had to do with something between him and Feng or that Soujiro just had a small vocabulary. The latter seemed highly unlikely.

I thought about this Feng a lot. I’m not sure why I was so intrigued by someone I’d never met. I think my interest was fuelled by Soujiro’s undying dedication toward him. Soujiro loved Feng just as much as I loved Gil. And though I was too stubborn to admit it then, I now consider that his love might be greater than mine. Maybe. Just maybe.

* * *

I discovered the ninth fact about Soujiro two days after his battle with the wild Sentret. I drowsily opened my eyes. Rain tapped swiftly and quietly against the felt walls of our tent.

I sat up and yawned, shivering from the slight cold that the rain brought. Gil was still asleep. Soujiro was gone. I glanced around the small tent, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Soujiro?” I said softly, but there was no reply. He must be outside… A violent tremor raced down my spine at the thought of going out into the rain without cover, but I felt compelled to find Soujiro. So slipped under Gil’s jacket so it covered my entire body and the hood was up over my head, hanging in my eyes, and squeezed under the zipped-shut door of the tent.

The rain caressed my back gently but persistently, but I was protected by Gil’s jacket, so I continued. He could’ve gone any direction, but I felt I should take the left path. I went off the main trail, deeper into the tangle of oak trees and undergrowth.

As I proceeded further into the forest, I began to hear a gradually loudening sound. It sounded to me like rushing water. The trees opened up and a river stretched before me, flowing swiftly around stones and slabs of broken wood. Sitting at its pebbly bank was Soujiro.

I approached him hesitantly, slowly coming up to stand beside him.

“Hello, Shinta.” he said, his voice flat. His ocean blue eyes held a strange dullness, clouded by something I couldn’t identify. I said nothing, just continued to examine him carefully. “Droughts are strange.”

I was puzzled as to why he was talking about droughts in this weather. But, considering it was Soujiro I was talking to, I can’t say the sudden remark surprised me, so I said nothing and listened.

“Lakes and rivers dry up because the heat is so intense. When water evaporates, clouds are formed, which will soon let out rain. If so much water dries up, it’s sure to condense, and so many clouds will appear. There should be so much rain, but there isn’t. Where do the clouds go? It’s like they blew away, but sometimes there’s no wind. It’s like all that water just disappears.”

I thought about it for a moment. “Perhaps it’s just too hot. Maybe the water just can’t cool enough to condense.” I said.

“So the water just hangs there, suspended?”

“Yeah, I guess. That would explain humidity.”

This seemed to upset Soujiro even more. “Which do you think I am?” he asked.

“What?”

“A drifting cloud or suspended water?”

“Well, I don’t know really.”

“I think I’m like suspended water.” he decided. “I feel stuck, like I’m trying to move but I can’t, trying to get back down to the earth but I’m lost, immobilized by my aerial prison. I can’t take it…”

Soujiro’s behavior alarmed me. I didn’t think such a seemingly easy going Pokemon could act the way he was, but then again, Soujiro is strange. Still, it bothered me. I pondered what he meant by the evaporated water and droughts and clouds and such. I was stumped.

That evening, when the rain stopped, he seemed to be feeling better. By the morning, he was completely normal again, or as normal as Soujiro gets. So what was fact number nine? Soujiro gets extremely depressed during rainy weather.

* * *

The tenth fact about Soujiro wasn’t given to me directly. I just had to put the pieces together. I added up what I knew about him and reviewed a few of our past conversations. I think what really gave it away was what Soujiro said during a talk we had the night after the rainy day.

The moon was full that night. It lit up the sky like a beacon, casting its brilliant light over the trees and the grass and the river and everything else it touched, enveloping the forest in white and silver. Soujiro and I were sitting on the edge of the river we’d been at the night before, gazing up at the silver disk in the star-flecked sky.

“Hey Shinta?” he said.

“Yeah?”

“What do you think about me?”

I laughed silently inwardly. “You’re weird.”

“Seriously.”

“No, for real. You’re one of the strangest Pokemon I’ve ever met.”

“Is that bad?”

“Sometimes it is. But in your case, I think you’re alright.”

“So I’m alright?”

“Yeah, you’re pleasant enough.”

I heard him sigh softly. “That’s good.”

“Why did you ask?”

“Well, Feng told me once that if I ever went away, I should be sure to make lots of good acquaintances.”

“So?”

“So, are you a good acquaintance?”

“I think I’m a great, um, acquaintance, but that’s for you to decide really.” I said softly.

“I think you’re a good acquaintance.” he said. “I think you’re a very good acquaintance.”

My gaze left the moon and I turned to look at him, but his eyes were already turned back to the sky. Fact number ten was incredibly obvious to me now, pretty surprising as well. I knew me and Soujiro had a bit of a relationship, but I didn’t know Soujiro had taken it that deeply. For the tenth fact was that Soujiro considered me a friend to him. His first friend since arriving in the Orre.