I appear in a large city with a giant tower in the center of town. I start walking through the city, asking the breaker a few questions to get a better handle on my plan for this world and eventually reach my first destination.
So this is where I can find a Professor.
After going inside and talking to the Professor about getting registered as a Pokemon Trainer, I leave the building with five Pokeballs, and an ID along with a few Luxury Balls I got from talking to one of the scientists. Heading Northeast of the city, I enter Route 13 in search of my first Pokemon.
Hunting down a monster to tame it, eh? I wouldn't have dreamt of doing something this audacious until I'd reached a decent way into the Sophist Realm at least. I wonder if I'd have ascended by now if I was still back in Greece...
Thinking of home while I walk across the desert, I notice a few pitfalls in the ground.
Better avoid those. If it was walking around freely I could probably reason with it, but one hunting prey would be hard to deter.
I make sure there isn't anyone around before taking a few steps forward and being to jump across the desert, using clouds of dust as step-holds. I continue my new form of travel until I notice a cavern that calls out to me.
This might be promising.
I head into the cave, keeping an eye out for any creatures that would ambush me. After exploring the cave for a bit, I notice a hole in one of the walls. Walking towards it, I see a pair of eyes glint in the dark. I begin to get a bit closer, stopping once the creature begins to prepare to pounce. I tap the floor, raising a throne of sand from the ground that I sit back on. This display of power confuses the creature, it clearly being surprised at a human being able to perform such a feat. Knowing that now I have its attention, I make my pitch.
"I come from a place that's far away from this cave. It's possible that you could search your entire life and never find it. I am a philosopher. I'm not sure if that term holds the same meaning here, but in my homeland it means that I am one who defies fate. I cultivate my soul by nourishing my body and mind, so that I may ascend and throw off the shackles that destiny has placed on me."
The creature crawls out of the hole as my eyes gleam with fervor.
"Every cultivator has their own path, their meaning for strength. It is the stars in the sky that chart their path, the wind that fills the sails of the boat that is their soul. My path is that of self-understanding. My entire journey is for the sake of knowing myself to the fullest measure. To that end, I will take the entire world onto myself so that I can point myself out from it."
I pull out a Luxury Ball and hold it out to the Pokemon in front of me.
"The journey to ascendance is filled with danger and peril. I can't make a guarantee that either one of us will survive it. But I know that my virtuous heart wouldn't be able to stand it if I tried to live a life that was anything less. Don't you agree?"
The Pokemon is silent, then nods as it presses the button on the ball. The Luxury Ball opens up as a red beam of light splashes over the Pokemon and sucks it into the ball. The ball closes in my hand before wobbling once, twice, and then stopping with a click. I look at the ball in my hand while grinning.
"Welcome to the team."
I pocket the ball in the BB and continue to look around the cave but don't find anything of interest.
Hmm...I think I'm done with this area for now. I might come back later. The next stop should be....Iron Island.
I head outside the cave and make a mini rock elevator on the entrance's wall to the top of the area. Once I reach it, I transform and begin flying in the direction that BB tells me to go. After several hours of flying and spamming a technique that allowed me to rapidly increase my speed in short bursts, I eventually reached the island. Once I touched down in an area that looked like no one was around, I released my transformation and began to look for my target. The sound of rocks being smashed draws my attention and after I cross a few outcrops, I see a man wearing a blue hat and cloak next to a pokemon with blue fur standing amongst several chunks of shattered boulders.
That energy they're covered in. That must be Aura. Excellent.
I begin to walk closer as the two notice me.
"Hello, you must be the Aura Guardians I heard were on this island. My name is Silas, pleased to make your acquaintance."
The two look surprised at my knowledge of their occupation. The man speaks up.
"I'm Riley and this is Lucario."
He gestures to his Pokemon as he talks.
"Not too many know about the Aura Guardians. What brings you here?"
I smile.
"I simply wish to learn how to use my aura. I figured an Aura Guardian would be the best way to learn that."
Riley nods.
"You'd be right. Normally most people these days don't have the ability to control their Aura to the capacity needed to become a Guardian...but your Aura is strange. I think you might be able to do it."
I step forward, eager to begin my training.
"So where do I start?"
Riley holds a hand out.
"Before we begin, I have to make something clear. Aura is a great power, capable of many things. It could be used for good or evil, as all power is. With so few Guardians in the present day, a rouge master of Aura would be a real menace. Do you swear to not misuse your power and only administer it for the sake of helping others?"
I place my hand over my heart, eyes becoming serious.
"Unless it's self-defense, I swear on my virtuous heart to only use my Aura for the sake of others."
Riley stares into my eyes for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, then we can begin."
A few hours later, I'm wincing as I bandage my arms and sides with the upper half of my robes off as Lucario and my first Pokemon are training in the background.
"This pain is progress, this pain is progress, this pain is progress."
Riley chuckles slightly as he hears me muttering to myself.
"Sorry, but I wouldn't have gone so far if you hadn't improved so quickly. Being able to sense your environment with your aura can take people days or even weeks but in this one session you managed to get to the point where I asked Lucario to get involved. Your rapid advancement truly is frightening."
I stand up, wincing again.
"Alright, I think I have the hang of that, what else can I do with Aura?"
Riley lights up his body with Aura.
"We worked on your ability to read the environment, now we're going to work on your ability to read other living beings."
I get into my stance and charge my Aura as Riley rushes at me.
I watch the sun set as I flex the dirt and dust off my robes.
"Are you sure? You've made amazing progress for just a day, but you've only just established your foundations. If we spent some more time, I'm sure you could really go far in developing your Aura."
I turn to Riley as I recall my Pokemon.
"I'd love to spend my time here and fully master my ability to use Aura, but I'm working against a clock. As it is, there are only so many dishes I can sample before they all spoil. I'm picking up new tricks and working on them as I can. But I'll definitely come back, and maybe then we can spar and see what I've managed to develop my aura into. Are you going to stay on this island?"
Riley nods and smiles.
"Yeah, I'm doing a study on the Steel-types found here and refining my skills. We'll have the match when we come back, and I'll remind you of the difference between experience and talent."
I chuckle as I wave to him and his Lucario as I begin to walk away. Once I've escaped eyesight, I teleport back to Wan Shi Tong's Library.
Huh, It's been a few seconds and he hasn't shown up. Wonder if he's sleeping.
I let my Pokemon out of the ball after picking up some scrolls from the other elements for myself and then walk over to where the Earthbending scrolls were located.
"I think these would be a good fit for you. Try and practice the forms, but don't actually go forward with them. We don't want to get banned from here because you accidentally destroyed a shelf."
The Pokemon nods and then turns to look at the scrolls but stops once I put a hand on the equivalent of its shoulder. I turn my starter around and look him in the eyes.
"I was thinking, I wouldn't want to be just called a human or a Greek all my life, so I figure I should call you by something other than Gible. You need a proper name. I was reminded of a story a foreigner once told me about a greedy dragon that lived in a cave. And what are we cultivators, if not greedy? So, I shall name you by the same name that dragon had. Fafnir."
Fafnir has a glint in his eye as he hears the name.
"I can tell you like it. Good. Fafnir it is. I'll let you get back to your studies."
As he heads back to focus on his scrolls, I turn my attention to mine.
Fire, Water, and Air. I have got my work cut out for me. Well, no place to start other than the beginning.
