Beyond the Adventure - A Pokémon Story

Chapter 2: First Steps pt4

                After an hour of walking, Jaws and I come to a junction.  A sign informs me that Ecruteak City is to the north, while Violet City and the Ruins of Alph are to the east.  I look at Jaws.  “Hey, buddy,” I say.  “Mind if we take a detour?  I’ve always wanted to visit the Ruins of Alph.  It’s an ancient ruin with strange markings, a wonderful archaeological find.  I think you would like it!”  Jaws smiles and nods.

                We pass the sign and keep heading east.  The road has been strangely deserted, especially since we had just left the quite populated National Park.  The silence is eerie.  An occasional rustle of leaves from the surrounding trees as the wind blows is all that we hear as we walk toward Violet City.  As we walk, I reach into my bag and pull out some jerky and a Sitrus Berry.  “Hey Jaws,” I say.  “Catch!”  I toss the berry to him.  He catches the berry and grins.  I watch as he nibbles on it.  Interestingly, he does not use his massive jaw to eat it.  I had not noticed that back at the house, I just assumed he used the big mouth to eat, like he did in his battle with Whitney.  Perhaps it is not a mouth in the traditional sense and simply used as a defense mechanism.  I ponder this while we walk and before I realize it, we arrive at the Violet City gate.

            “Huh,” I mutter to myself.  “Where are the ruins?”  I look around and see a sign pointing west that reads “Ruins of Alph”.  I look west and see a path a short distance off leading south into the trees.  I must have missed it while I was deep in thought.  I tap Jaws on the head, who was playing with a Weedle crawling along the road.  He looks up and starts following me.

            The path to the ruins looks less traveled.  Rough, rocky, with grass and weeds overtaking the dirt path.  A pair of Rattata peek their heads above the weeds as we approach and scurry into the surrounding brush.  The further along the path, the thicker the brush gets.  I wonder what kind of Pokémon live in this area.  I hear the sounds of many creatures, but I do not see any lurking around.  Jaws looks a bit edgy too, keeping a watchful eye in case any territorial Pokémon decide we are intruding and get defensive.  Fortunately, we come to the end of the path without incident and are greeted with a fascinating sight.

            “Wow!” I gasp.  Before us lie the Ruins of Alph.  Several stone structures, as well as a single modern shack, stand among the rubble.  I approach a structure and gently touch its wall.  It is strangely soft, leading me to believe it is made with a type of sandstone.  As I walk around, looking for an entrance, I admire the intricate details put into the architecture.  The walls are decorated with various detailing that has a soothing aesthetic effect.  The walls are weathered with time, but remain largely intact.  Whoever constructed this was an architectural genius.

            At last, I come to an entrance.  I look down at Jaws, who appears to be nervous.  “Are you okay?” I ask.  Jaws shivers slightly, fists balled.  He is highly alert, constantly looking around, as if he can detect something I cannot.  His nervousness starts making me nervous as well.  “Try to relax, buddy,” I say calmly.

            As we walk through the stone archway, the interior slowly becomes visible.  Dim torches gently illuminate the cavern.  The walls are lined with ancient drawings of people and Pokémon.  I step in further, taking in the sight, when suddenly, the radio on my Pokégear springs to life.

            “What the…!”  I look at my Pokégear.  The radio channel is set for 13.5.  It emits an odd sound, warped, distorted, and very eerie.  I listen carefully, and it almost sounds like the sorrowful cries of a Pokémon, along with a faint melody that I have never heard before, but yet, is strangely familiar…

            “Turn that thing off!” a scruff voice growls behind me.  I jump and turn around.  “People are trying to work!”

            An older man, bearded and dirty, wearing a straw hat and round glasses, stands in the entrance, arms crossed.  His once-white shirt is slightly tattered and his brown cargo pants are stained with dirt and mud.  A satchel is slung over his shoulder, with various books and tools poking out of its many pockets.