Part 27: Canalave City

"Welcome to Canalave City, the Canal City!"

What is it about me? Do I look like a tourist or something? Or is it the trainer outfit?

"In the old days, this port used to be a hub of cargo transportation. It's also home to the famous Canalave Library, a nexus of knowledge--"

I interrupted him. "I like to explore on my own, thank you, though."

The man fumbled a little. "Er...uh...I guess...that's okay."

I head up and stop in at the Pokemart, filling up on my potions, and then heal at the Pokecenter.

And then, I hear him off in the distance.

"DONNY!"

Tim. I turn to see the hyperactive boy run up to me. "You're going to challenge the Gym Leader up past here, eh? Someone should check to see if you're ready for this challenge!"

I narrow my eyes. "Lemme guess..."

"That someone is me! With my brand-new Gym Badge!"

And with that, he pulled out a Pokeball and threw it out, causing the battle to begin.

The first thing I'm up against is a Staraptor. I have Oswald deal with it easily enough.

Next up is a Floatzel, so I send Starbit to wipe it out with Thunder Fang.

Surprisingly, a Rapidash is next, so I figure Sheldon is good to take it out nice and quick with Surf.

Waffle can take out his Heracross, so a good Flame Wheel and Stomp faints it. I leave Waffle in for Torterra. Fire Blast is awesome.

With his team soundly defeated, Tim gathered up his Pokeballs and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, you're just a bit better than me, as usual. But listen up!" Determination glinted once more. "Let me tell you who's going to take on the Pokemon League and become the Champion. You guessed right! It's going to be me!" He quieted and looked off into the distance. "Anyway, you should go to Iron Island and toughen up some more. That's what I did before going to the Gym!"

And with that, he rushed off, leaving me to explore a bit more.

The library is right after the bridge, so I go in to learn a bit more about the history of the place.

The third floor has some interesting books, so I snap up Sinnoh Myth.

"Betray not your anger, lest ??? will come."

Interesting.

"Weep not with sorrow, or ??? will draw near."

What is this, the monster in the closet?

"When joy and enjoyment come natural as the very air, that is happiness. Let such be blessed by the hand of Master ???. Those words were spoken often as customary."

Spoken often as customary? Wut.

"Three Pokemon there were. Into the lakes they dove. Deep, deep, drawing no breath."

Well, that can't be good.

"Deeper, deeper they drove. Into suffocating depths they dove."

Okay, we get it. They're gonna live or die, just tell us already.

"Deeper, then deepest they alight."

Oh my god, really?

"From the lake floor they rise."

THEN WHY DID THEY DIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE?!

"Bearing with them the power to make vast lands, they rise again."

Well then.

Sinnoh Region's Mythology catches my eye and I crack it open.

"Long ago, when Sinnoh had just been made, Pokemon and humans led separate lives. That is not to say they did not help each other. No, indeed they did. They supplied each other with goods, and supported each other. A Pokemon proposed to the others to always be ready to help humans. It asked that Pokemon be ready to appear before humans always. Thus, to this day, Pokemon appear to us if we venture into tall grass."

I let out a loud chortle, and a few shush noises reached me. So...THAT'S why Pokemon throw themselves at me? Just because some Pokemon proposed that they should always be ready to help?

Another book looks short, so I put the others away and read it. It's called Veilstone's Myth.

"A young man, callow and foolish in innocence, came to own a sword. With it, he smote Pokemon, which gave sustenance, with carefree abandon. Those not taken as food, he discarded, with no afterthought. The following year, no Pokemon appeared. Larders grew bare. ...would you like to keep reading?"

I blinked. Well...yeah.

"The young man, seeking the missing Pokemon, journeyed afar. Long did he search. And far and wide, too, until one he did find. Asked he..."

WHY ARE YOU TALKING LIKE THIS.

"WHy do you hide? To which the Pokemon replied...If you bear your sword to bring harm upon us, with claws and fangs, we will exact a toll. From your kind we will take our toll, for it must be done. Done it must be to guard ourselves and for it, I apologize. Would you like to keep reading?"

YES.

"To the skies, the young man shouted his dismay. In having found the sword, I have lost so much. Gorged with power, I grew blind to Pokemon being alive. I will never fall savage again. This sword I denounce and forsake. I plead for forgiveness, for I was but a fool. So saying, the young man hurled the sword to the ground, snapping it. Seeing this, the Pokemon disappeared to a place beyond seeing..."

WHAT NO OPTION TO CONTINUE READING? I want to know what happened!

"In the beginning, there was only a churning turmoil of chaos. At the heart of chaos, where all things became one, appeared an Egg."

Doesn't science say order cannot come from chaos? Weird.

"Having tumbled from the vortex, the Egg gave rise to the Original One. From itself, two beings the Original One did make. Time started to spin. Space began to expand. From itselfe again, three living things the Original One did make. The two beings wished, and from them, matter came to be. The three living things wished, and from them, spirit came to be. The world created, the Original One took to unyielding sleep."

Somewhat interesting, learning about the different things of the Sinnoh region and such. Enough library for now, though, I've got Iron Island to explore.

I step off the boat and meet a trainer named Riley. He gives me an HM for Strength. But...I need the Mine Badge from the Canalave Gym. Hope I won't need it in the cave.

I really hate caves.

Deeper in the cave, I meet up with Riley again.

"Donny, I'm glad to see you here. If you don't mind, let's team up. The Pokemon seem to be restless."

Apparently I decided to go with Riley. But, he'll heal my Pokemon, so that's kinda awesome.

After a few trainers, we beat off a pair of Galactic Grunts, and Riley gave me an egg to hatch. I hatched it and got a Riolu, the pre-evolution of Lucario, which is cool.

After that, I went to the gym and took down the leader rather quickly. I think I'm a little over-leveled, but it's not bad.

"Having the Mine Badge enables you to use the hidden move Strength anytime outside of battle. And you now have six Gym Badges. Here, take this too!" He gave me TM91 (Flash Cannon).

As soon as I stepped outside of the Gym, I saw Tim standing there.

"Hey, that's the Mine Badge! Good going! You're tough enough to consider becoming the Pokemon Champion. Of course, I'm tougher, so it's not going to actually happen. Anyway, Donny, come with me to the library."

He speeds off towards the library, and I give a sigh. Great. More reading.