Chapter 11
Chapter 11: The Great Teachers of Tin Tower
“Now Vibrava, use Dragon Breath!”
“Natu, use Air Cutter!” Vibrava exhaled a stream of orange flames while Natu jumped up and flapped its wings vigorously. Blades or air flew out from Natu’s wings and intercepted with the Dragon Breath attack. A few Air Cutters made it all the way through and struck Vibrava as it flew in mid air. Vibrava crashed onto the ground near its trainer Shane. He and Katsuro were having a practice battle to train.
“Come on Vibrava. Get up and Dragon Breath again,” commanded Shane. Vibrava flapped its wings and then levitated into the air. Then its mouth was alight with orange flames for the Dragon Breath attack.
“Night Shade,” shouted Katsuro. Natu’s eyes glowed dark purple. Then Vibrava exhaled the Dragon Breath and Natu fired dark purple beams from its eyes. The two attacks passed each other and hit their targets at the same time. Natu flew backwards and Katsuro had to run up and catch the tiny bird Pokémon. Vibrava crashed onto the ground again, this time being KO’d. Katsuro looked down at Natu and orange sparks surged aroung its body. Natu was now paralyzed.
“Alright, good training Vibrava. Return,” said Shane as he held out a pokeball and recalled Vibrava. Then Katsuro reached into his bag and opened a plastic container filled with berries. He pulled out a Cheri Bery and fed it to Natu to cure the Paralysis.
“So had enough or want to keep battling,” Katsuro asked Shane. Natu finished eating the Cheri Berry and then hopped on top of Katusro’s head.
“Hm, I think I got one more battle left in me,” Shane answered.
“How about you use your fifth Pokémon I haven’t seen yet?”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Shane seemed a bit puzzled. Katsuro became a bit confused wondering if Shane actually had just four Pokémon on him.
“At the Violet City Pokémon Center I saw you turn in a tray with five Pokeballs. So you do have five Pokemon on you right,” asked Katsuro. Shane chuckled nervously.
“Oh yeah. I do have another Pokemon from the Hoenn Region you haven’t seen yet but…” said Shane as he reached to the side of his pans and slipped a pokeball off his belt. “… I rarely let this little guy out.”
“Well come on. Natu’s on fire and I want to train it more. Bring your last Pokémon out,” Katsuro said in an encouraging tone of voice. Shane sighed but then he pressed the button on the pokeball making it bigger.
“Alright, Spoink come on out!” Shane threw his Pokeball and then it hit the ground and let a pig Pokémon with a pink pearl sitting on top of its head come out. Spoink bounced up and down on the spring like tail.
“Wow, it’s neat I’ll tell ya that much. Natu get in there and use Air Cutter.” Natu jumped off of Katsuro’s head and then shot out multiple air blades from its wings. Spoink kept on bouncing up and down on its tail while staying in one spot as the Air Cutter attack closed in on it.
“Power Gem attack!” Spoinks pearl on its head began to glow. Then Spoink bounced up high into the air and the Air Cutter attack missed and ended up cutting the grass. Grass blades scattered around Shane’s feet as Spoink hovered in the air for a moment with the pearl glowing. Then Soink fired three copies of its pearl and they all hit Natu and sent it crashing into the ground. Natu crash landed with its head on the ground and its left talon twitching. It was now KO’d.
“OK, Natu’s had enough. Good job Spoink and Shane,” said Katsuro as he gave his opponents a thumbs up. Then Katsuro recalled Natu into its transparent Pokeball. Shane then stretched his arms out and yawned.
“Alright Katsuro, we’re almost at Ecruteak City. It’s way beyond time we started getting there,” said Shane. Spoink was still bouncing up and down on its tail next to its trainer. Katsuro picked up his knapsack.
“Alright, but I think I’ll let Larvitar out for some fresh air. Come on out buddy,” said Katsuro as he held out Larvitar’s Pokeball. It popped opened in Katsuro’s hand and then Larvitar appeared next to him.
“Laaar,” it cheerfully exclaimed. Larvitar then sniffed around and could smell the spice from the apricorns growing on the trees nearby. Shane kept his Spoink outside its pokeball and they all started walking uphill toward Ecruteak City.
An hour later they made it to Ecruteak City. They were walking downhill and had a nice view of the whole city from where they were standing. In the far distance there was the Tin Tower, but it looked like a pin from the distance Katsuro and Shane were staring at. Larvitar and Spoink also marveled at the view. “Ecruteak City, looks like a peaceful place,” said Katsuro.
“Just wait until you battle the gym leader here,” said Shane.
“You’ve already battled him?”
“Yeah, and his ghost type Pokémon are way beyond strong, right Spoink.” Spoink then stopped bouncing on its tail to stand next to its trainer.
“Spoink Spoink,” it said while nodding its head. The group decided to take in the view of the city one more time.
“Spoi -” Spoink seemed to gasp. Katsuro and Shane looked at it curiously and then suddenly it fell backwards and landed on the ground on its back with its beady eyes closed. Spoink also stopped breathing. Once Spoink hit the ground the pearl from its head began to roll away.
“Oh no! Spoink you idiot,” said Shane as he began pounding on the pig’s Pokémon Chest.
“What the heck’s going on,” Katusro asked. Larvitar looked over the big Pokemon which now had its beady eyes closed. Shane had to pound on Spoink’s chest before Spoink opened its eyes and began bouncing on its tail again.
“Spoink needs to keep bouncing on its tail. If it doesn’t then its heart stops beating,” explained Shane. Then he looked down on the road ahead of him and Katsuro and saw Spoink’s pearl rolling away from them and into the city. “Spoink’s pearl! We need to get it so Spoink had better control over its attacks,” panicked Shane as he began running after the pearl.
“Spoi-oi-oi-oi-oink,” panicked Spoink with its stubby arms waving up and down. Then it began bouncing after its trainer and pearl.
“Sheesh, how many weird features does that Pokémon have,” shouted Shane as he ran after Spoink and Shane. Larvitar jumped up and bit Katsuro’s knapsack and held on tight with with jaw. Larvitar couldn’t run fast so it improvised a ride instead. The towns people certainly had an odd sight to see. A pink pearl rolling rather quickly across the streets at the entrance of Ecruteak city and then a spiky blonde haired trainer running after it with a Spoink bouncing behind him and then a another trainer with a strand of brown hair between his eyes following him with a Larvitar biting his bag and dragging him down.
“Larvitar… let go. You… too… heavy…” said Katsuro as he finally slowed down and stopped running as he tried to catch his breath. Shane and Spoink ran on ahead and then a pretty girl in a kimono stepped in front of him and Spoink’s pearl hit her feet and stopped. The girl then leaned down and picked up the pearl. Shane ran up to her and he was breathing heavily. The kimono girl saw him with a Spoink that seemed to be missing something.
“Excuse me young lad, is this yours,” she asked in a sweet voice. Shane looked up and saw her face painted with white make up and red lip stick.
“Yes, thank you,” said Shane as he accepted the pearl and then placed it back on Spoink’s head. Spoink bounced up and down happily. “You’re a Kimonon Girl aren’t you? I wanted to see you dance last time I was in town but you were all busy.” The Kimono Girl twirled around and then opened a paper fan and covered her face. Then she lowered it slightly to expose her eyes.
“Yes, my name is Miki. My sisters and I do have a performance coming up later this week. Come by the dance theater this Sunday and we’ll give a performance worthy of your stay,” said Miki and then she twirled around and walked off. Katsuro then aught up with Shane and saw that Spoink was happily bouncing up and down now that it got its pearl back. Katsuro was still trying to catch his breath.
“Good, nice to see that Spoink’s back to normal,” he said and then Larvitar caught up to him, also trying to catch its breath since it wasn’t sued to running around so quickly.
“Yeah, let’s hope that doesn’t happen again,” said Shane.
“I think I’d rather put with Raikou, Entei, or Suicune ro battle the Rainbow Thief then put up with Spoink’s runaway pearl,” said Katsuro. Then he chuckled a bit at the comparison. Suddenly the Kimono girl ahead of them stopped and turned around.
“You, with the brown hair,” she said while pointing her closed paper fan at Katsuro.
“Huh, me,” asked Katsuro while pointing at himself. The Kimono girl walked up to him.
“You speak of the Legendary Beasts and then mention the Rainbow Thief.” Suddenly Miki the Kimono Girl seemed very serious. She seemed to examine Katsuro, looking up and down and taking in his appearance. “I wonder…” was all Miki said while she stared at him for a couple moments and then turned around and stared at the Tin Tower further ahead of them on the edge of the city.
“Excuse me, something you want to tell us Miki,” asked Shane.
“A girl calling herself the Rainbow Thief had appeared in the Tin Tower and stolen a precious artifact, the Rainbow Wing. It was one of Ho-oh’s feathers,” she explained.
“Hey Shane, you think that thing Alexandra was holding last night that glowed oranged, yellow, and green…” Then they both remembered a long glowing feather in Alexandra’s hand.
“We don’t know exactly how many feathers Ho-oh has left us in this world, but each one is precious and must only be carried by those with pure hearts. It is said that the Rainbow Wings have the power to attract the Legendary Beasts. Since you two seem to have met the Rainbow Thief then it is safe to assume you have also seen at least Raikou, Entei, or Suicune,” Miki said.
“What if I told you I’ve seen all three of them,” asked Katsuro. Miki gasped.
“If what you say is true then what happened at the Sinjoh Temple must also be true,” she exclaimed. Katsuro and Shane looked at each other with puzzled expressions. “You must come with me to the Tin Tower. The Elder would love to have a word with you. She said as she signaled Katsuro to follow her and began walking toward the ancient tower.
“Hey wait! What the heck is the Sinjoh Temple? What’s so special about me seeing the legendary beats and are you also obsessed with them like the Rainbow Thief and that red headed maniac is,” asked Katsuro as he tried to keep up with her and his Larvitar once again biting onto his knapsack. Katsuro slipped his backpack off and let Larvitar drop to the ground. He was beginning to get annoyed by Larvitar weighing him down.
“Red headed maniac? Ah, then you are the one from the Sinjoh Temple. The other Kimono Girls will want to meet with you and so would our town’s gym leader,” exclaimed Miki. Shane dropped his jaw in shock. Suddenly Katsuro was a celebrity in this city. His Spoink stopped bouncing and tugged at his shirt. Spoink wondered it his trainer was ok.
“Wait, Katsuro is a ‘chosen one’ or something like that,” Shane said to himself. Spoink was still tugging at his shirt trying to get him to snap out of it.
“Spoink spoink! Spoi-” Spoink gasped and then collapsed on the ground again. It was having another heart attack.
“Huh, hey Shane look alive,” Katsuro shouted to his friend while pointing at Spoink. Shane looked down and then did a face palm.
“Spoink, this is getting way beyond old,” he said and then got down on his knees to revive his Spoink by pounding on its chest several times again. Katsuro snickered. While Miki stopped walking and waited for the two boys to take care of Spoink. Soon Spoink opened its eyes again and got back up on its tail and started bouncing up and down again. This time its pearl stayed on its head the whole time.
“I can see why you rarely let it out of its pokeball,” said Katuro and then snickered at bit more. He found Spoink’s cardiac arrests rather comical.
“Oh shut up Katsuro,” he said he walked up to him and the two of them followed Miki into a large wooden building next to a pond. They were now on the outskirts of town and the Tin Tower seemed to be hiding behind a thick forest.
“We must go underground for a bit before we can reach the Tin Tower. Stay behind me please,” instructed Miki. An old monk wearing a black robe and had a bald head guarded the entrance to the stairs that took them underground and toward the Bell Chime Trail. He stepped in front of the stairs.
“What business do the boys have at the Tin Tower young Kimono Girl,” asked the old monk, then he coughed a couple times. After that he had to gasp for his breath. Miki bowed to the monk and then spoke.
“Honorable Monk Hideo, please grant passage to my special guests here. They have encountered the Rainbow Thief and spotted at least one of the Legendary Beasts,” replied Miki. Hideo raised an eye brow and then examined Katsuro.
“Young man, where were you born,” asked Hideo.
“Who me,” asked Katsuro while pointing at himself. Hideo simply nodded. “Well both my mom and my birth certificate say that I was born at the Indigo Plateau.”
“I sense doubt in you young man. Tell me, why do you believe Raikou, Entei, or Suicune would present themselves to you?” Hideo was now standing between Miki and Katsuro while Shane just leaned against the wall waiting for Katsuro’s “chosen one” status to ware off. Hideo looked curiously at Katsuro, then down to his Larvitar who was just staring at the statue of Ho-oh in the back of the building behind the stair well.
“Well… It’s seems far fetched but Suicune once said to me ‘we meet again’ telepathically. I don’t ever remembering meeting any of the three Legendary Dogs vefore coming to Johto,” explained Katsuro. Hideo then turned around and rested his chin in the palm of his left hand. He quietly pondered about weather to let Katsuro into the sacred grounds of the Tin Tower. Hideo remembered hearing about the wonderous story about the birth of different colored Raikou, Entei, and Suicune along with a boy being born in the temple at the same time. He then pulled Miki aside and whispered something into her ear.
Shane and Katsuro just stood where they were with their Pokémon standing, and Spoink bouncing, nearby and staring at the Ho-oh statue. Then Hideo moved aside and Miki signaled the two boys to follow her. Miki, Shane, and Katsuro walked down the creaky wooden stairs and into a man made hallway underground towards the Tin Tower with their Pokémon following closely behind.
“Katsuro, that is your name, right,” asked Miki.
“Yes. Why did that old monk want to know about where I was born,” asked Katsuro.
“You’ll find out once we reach the Tin Tower. Ecruteak City is a town where the Past and the Present collide. This is one of those moments and I believe you play an important role for the Legendary Beasts. Hideo believes you were fated to encounter the Rainbow Thief as well,” explained Miki.
“Nice. ‘Fated,’” whispered Shane.
“Get over her Shane,” Katsuro whispered back at him. Miki then led them up another wooden staircase. The wooden boards creaked even louder then the previous set of stairs. Shane and Katsuro followed Miki outside the small building to a woodsy area with leaves covering most of the ground. Miki’s Kimono was long enough to drag a few yellow and faded green leaves on the ground as she walked toward the Tin Tower, which now looked like a tall square building that rose up higher then the Radio Tower in Goldenrod. Katsuro, Shane, Spoink, and Larvitar looked up in awe.
“Please keep up with me boys, and recall your Pokémon as well. They will not be needed once were inside the tower,” said Miki. Katsuro and Shane recalled their Pokémon into their Pokeballs and then caught up to Miki who was sliding a wooden door opened to the left and exposed the ground floor of the Tin Tower. Inside there were three other Monks and another Kimono Girl dressed nearly as identical to Miki. She had an Espeon standing near her. The four of them were deep in conversation until they noticed Miki enter with two strange boys.
“Miki, what brings you here today,” asked the other Kimono girl. Katusro looked closer and noticed that her Kimono had sun patterns on it while Miki’s had small fireball patterns on her Kimono.
“Naoko, I have very interesting guests with me today. They claim to have battled the Rainbow Thief and the Legendary Beasts,” said Miki. The three monks gasps and Naoko looked at Katsuro and Shane with a puzzled expression.
“How are you sure of this Miki,” Naoko asked. Katsuro and Shane then went on to explain what has happened in their adventures together from the Ruins of Alph up to their battle with Alexandra in her attempt to trap Raikou. After listeneing to their story the three monks and two Kimono Girls brought them to a small room inside the Tin Tower where a shrine for Ho-oh was kept.
“
Through this child I will determine if humans are worthy of taming Legendary Pokemon. That was a message Ho-oh left the day it brought to life the different colored Legendary Beasts,” explained the monk who was wearing eye glasses. He introduced himself earlier as Monk Michi. The other two monks introduced themselves as Sadao and Daichi. Sadao wore a bead necklace while Daichi walked with a wooden staff. All three monks called themselves members of the Wise Trio.
“Daichi, Sadao, and Michi, if the legend from the Sinjoh Temple is true then that boy maybe Katsuro,” said Miki.
“But that’s a big ‘Maybe’ younger sister,” said Naoko. Katsuro clenched his fist. He wanted to learn more about the Legendary Beasts and the legend from the Sinjoh Temple. Katsuro then remembered his father constantly referring to him as a “miracle child.” Something in his heart told him that he was meant to come here to the Tin Tower and meet these Monks. He was meant to encounter the golden Raikou, the sky blue Suicune, and the black faced Entei. He wanted to know more about them.
“Please, tell me everything you know of the oddly colored Beasts, and the legend from Sinjoh Temple,” Katsuro pleaded to the three monks. Michi fiddled with his eye glasses and then spoke.
“Young Katsuro, we must test you before we inform you of such knowledge. Only trainers with pure hearts can encounter and battle along side Legendary Pokémon,” said Michi. Then Daichi got up while leaning on his wooden staff.
“It would take several days to test your worthiness and teach you what you wish to know, and more importantly what you need to know,” said Daichi. Katsuro nodded.
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” he replied.
“Fantastic, but however your friend must leave. This knowledge is for you only Katsuro,” said Naoko while she pointed at Shane.
“What? Why me,” asked Shane. None of the monks and neither of the Kimono Girls answered. After a couple moments of silence Shane got a bit frustrated. “Katsuro, a word with you outside.” Shane signaled to the Tin Towers entrance and Katsuro got up from sitting on the Tin Towers wooden floor.
“Excuse us for a moment,” he said and the bowed to his elders before running outside after Shane. “Hey don’t let it bug you that much Shane. It’s just a week, I’ll be back to traveling with you in no time.”
“Yeah, but then what if you get some valuable information or one of the Legendary Beasts do show up and you have to journey alone to some important test or mission? Let’s go challenge Ecruteak’s Gym and forget about this tower,” said Shane.
“But… I gotta know. Sorry Shane but I really want to see what’s in store for me here. All my life I knew my mother was hiding something from me. She’d get frustraited whenever my dad called me a ‘miracle child’ and I think once my dad said Ho-oh saved not just my parents’ lives once but my life as well, although my mother denied that too. I think I’ll learn more about the truth to my past here at Tin Tower. So I’m staying for at least a week,” said Katsuro.
“But if we do end up separating how will I meet that hot Rainbow chick again. I-I-I mean meet the Legendary Beasts again.” Shane nearly stumbled upon his own words. That little flub told Katsuro all he needed to know.
“Oh I see. Fine then, I’m definitely staying, but don’t think that means I’m going after the Rainbow Thief once I’m done here,” said Katsuro. After that he went inside the Tin Tower and shut the door behind him. Shane looked down at the ground and let out a sad sigh.
“Katsuro you… uh, never mind,” he said and then walked back to the underground path and returned to Ecruteak city.