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A whole new world Part 2 by Pent Ghelsburg

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to people alive or dead is purely a coincidence. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. Some of them are depicted as underage. I use them with permission and respect. This work contains suggestive sexual content. You have been warned.

"Two roads diverged and I took

the one less traveled."

-Robert Frost

There are often times in life when you are presented with a choice. The choice when before you seems simple and yet it never is. A clear division between the mundane and predictable versus the unknown and adventurous. The prospect of a challenge does not appeal to all but there are times in all of our lives when such things are necessary. For one must not be overly careful, lest we fall into a routine and become one of the living machines that fear change.

Nait was a young boy who lived in the Kalos region of the Pokemon world but it had not always been this way. His whole life had shifted from the monotony of office life to one that was full of new things for him to experience. Little did his mind realizes that his reality had shifted from the existence of what many would consider reality to a more whimsical one harbored only in the imagination of children.

Ever since arriving in the place, his perspective had changed from a responsible adult to a more carefree mindset. Now he found himself at the edge of a desert, though the climate wouldn't have indicated as much. Sand carried across the wind with a light breeze and as Nait awoke from his slumber, he found that some of the earthen residues had settled on his idle body. The simple movement was more than enough to cause it to fall off him as he came around.

Across from him still resting peacefully was his new friend, Zach who was a young Chespin boy who had lived in the region in his entire life. The two had joined together in making a rescue team and now they were on their first mission together. Their goal wasn't exact but they had set out originally to find Xatu though Nait no longer remembered the reason they were going to see them. Zach's memory was the only one still in place and to this point he had acted as the makeshift leader of the group.

Now they stood at the edge of the Desert of Echoes and its vast sandy dunes dotted the landscape behind them. They had come a long way in a short time and a large cliff loomed before them. Nait looked upward and the harrowing height seemed to climb well past the clouds above. For a moment he began to feel concerned as if they were going to have to climb up the mountain. Looking at his paws, the short claws that stuck out didn't seem to be made for elevating oneself up that steep rise seemed all but impossible.

Nait reached over to rouse his friend, who was still sleeping, rolling him back and forth coaxing his hands over the Chespin. It took a few seconds for Zach to wake up since he was a more sound sleeper. When he finally did, he rolled around and stretched. The bigger cub rubbed his eyes and sat upright, the dirt falling off him the same way since it was no longer on an idle surface.

"Morning, Shinxy." The grass pokemon stuck his tongue out playfully.

Nait pointed behind him at the towering cliff. "Ready to get up and going?"

"We're not going that way. There is an easier way through the cave of memories." Zach stood up and brushed off the remainder of the sand on his body.

The smaller cub shrugged in confusion. "Alright, we'll let's get on with it! I want to see Xatu."

The two began walking in parallel to the side of the cliff. The rocks on the side of it were jagged and occasionally some dirt audibly fell from above and cascaded to the floor below. Each and every time this happened, Nait couldn't help but feel nervous as if one of the huge boulders was about to plow down on top of them. The shinx continued to take slow and cautious steps, looking up every few seconds to make sure there wasn't anything falling from above.

Every so often Zach had to look back to check on his friend. Despite walking slower than usual, the chespin had managed to make a sizable gap between them after each brief interlude. He dared not say anything since he knew the other cub was having issues with his own sense of fear. Soon a screeching sound echoed through the chasm, sending a chill through Nait's body. Zach looked around, figuring that an assault would be on them at any moment.

"Come on, hurry up. We don't have time to waste." The Chespin reached back and took the smaller boy by the paw and rushed forward as quickly as he could.

Nait had no chance to protest the issue and was drug along with very little difficulty. Zach could see the entrance to the cave right in front of them and knew if he could get there, they would be safe from whatever had just made the sound. Once they reached the entrance, a roar resounded from the inside. Suddenly a thud pronounced from behind them. The chespin quickly let go of his friend and lept into action, A cranidos was keeping them from entering the cave safely. The dinosaur wasted no time in racing forward, head first in an effort to stun the Chespin in front of him.

Nait watched helplessly from his crestfallen position. Fear had taken over him and he wasn't sure of what to do. Zach hopped over the other pokemon's head with ease, tracing his sharpest claw over the dinos back. A small seed began to sprout on the reptiles back. The lizard turned back around with a grimace on its face. Its eyes twinkled against the sunlight and it opened its maw to let out a tremendous screech.

More dirt began to fall from above. Zach quickly recoiled back to his friend and grasped him by the wrist. Within moments the sound of rolling rocks could be heard from above. The chespin and his friend retreated into the inside of the cave. Before long the light that once entered inside was now shut out by the rocks that now blocked the entrance. It seemed that they had only one way to go and no way of exit that they were aware of.

"Well...looks like we're stuck now." Nait picked himself up from a slumped down position.

Zach shrugged and huffed trying to catch his breath. "It doesn't really matter. We were going this way anyway."

"Oh? Well, let's get going then." The Shinx offered a helping hand to his friend.

The Chespin nodded and stood upright once again to show he was ready. The two began walking slowly. It was much darker inside the cave than it was outdoors. They continued creeping along by treading the wall with their hand. They weren't making much progress and every once in awhile bumping into each other. Eventually, Nait got annoyed with it and stopped for a moment.

Zach looked back with a concerned discernment on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Hang on...I got an idea." Nait held up his paw and generated a small orb of electricity.

Instantaneously the area around them illuminated, though it didn't give them much of a look ahead.

The chespin patted the other boy on the shoulder in a show of approval. "Good idea."

Now that they could see, they were making much longer strides. The corridors inside the cave were narrow enough that they could see both of the walls closing in on them now. Eventually, they were close enough that they had to squeeze through a small space in order to proceed through them. Even despite their small size, it was a tight fit.

Once they were on the other side of it, the two boys found themselves in an unfamiliar area. No longer was it dank and dark. Now it was somewhat illuminated by a small pool of water that covered the center of the room. A strange light streamed through the middle of it and beamed upward. Cautiously the cubs began to approach it. The liquid was still and motionless. Not a single ripple was apparent in the water.

Nait was a little braver than his friend was about getting up close and personal with the water. He even discharged the ball of electricity in his palm and leaned down to cascade his paw right across the surface. The disturbance in the water created small waves that didn't quite make it all the way across from where he was to the other side of the water. Zach watched intensely from behind, almost certain that something was lurking nearby.

Suddenly the light within the water began to grow more intense. The room became increasingly more illuminated with each passing second. Slowly Nait backed away from the water as a shadow started to emerge from below. The boys backed away from the water, putting themselves as close to the entrance they had just come in from moments ago. Before long a small bulb of light popped out of the water and following it, a lanturn showed its head.

Zach placed himself in front of the smaller cub, sure that the fish in front of him had ill intentions. But the thing had a huge grin on its face and it was making no attempt to attack them despite being backed against the wall.

"Ah, wandering souls. Lost you are. Need directions, do you?" Each and every time to sealife spoke, its tongue slipped out of its mouth.

The Chespin stepped forward, his body shaking a little bit. "We have come to find Xatu."

"Light the way if you answer a riddle, I can." The fish paused between each word.

Zach scratched his head, unsure of what was just said. "Um..."

"Yes! We can do that." Nait jumped in having understood the wording better than his friend.

The lanturn hummed. "Wash it and clean it is not. Wash it not and then clean it is. What I am, hmm?

Nait looked over at his friend who shrugged in confusion. The shinx scratched his head and looked around as if looking for an answer. There was nothing else around them besides the earthen walls surrounding them and the small pool in front of them. Staring ahead for a second into the water, it dawned upon the smaller boy.

"Water!" The cat chirped up happily, quite sure he was right.

The lanturn nodded vigorously. " Your way the light shall guide."

The fish submerged into the water. For a moment nothing happened but the room remained illuminated. Soon a ball of light began to arise out of the water. It flashed a few times and then slowly began moving in the direction opposite of where the cubs stood.

"Come on, let's go!" The shinx was happy to be out of the place and possibly to see it to its end.

Zach followed along, not really questioning the legitimacy of the move. He knew they had no other option since the way behind them had caved in. The ball of light carried on forward at a leisurely pace and they were more than able to follow it without any difficulty.

They continued to weave their way through a few corridors. Occasionally they were confronted with split directions but the orb of light guided them on still further. With each one they pass, Zach began to question the decision with increasing scrutiny. Nait on the other hand was still skipping along without a care in the world. He had put his full faith and trust in the lanturns words despite having no idea as to its intention.

Eventually, they arrived at a dead end. A huge wall of stone stood before them and any other progress. The orb of light hovered right before it but made no distinct movement other than just floating up and down ever so softly.

"Well...now what?" Zach felt foolish for allowing themselves to be led on by the animated ball of light.

Nait shrugged and looked at the ball expecting it to do something. It remained forever constant in its flow of motion. The shinx wondered if there was something else they weren't seeing.

The room they were in was small enough that the little ball of light was enough to illuminate it. Looking back the smaller cub could see the pathway through which they came. There didn't seem to be any split path that he could make out. Gazing back at the rock wall he inched ever closer to it. The stone was a dark brown color and its hue didn't really distinguish it from the rest of the earthen tones in the cave. He ran his hand over it, half expecting there to be some sort of lever or hidden button that he might bump into.

After Nait glossed over the cool surface, he felt like he didn't find anything and backed away.

Nait's face frowned heavily. "I don't know...I guess we shouldn't have followed the ball of light. Maybe the lantern tricked us?"

Zach had been watching his friend and caught a small flicker of a reflection when the shinx's hand traced over it. The Chespin walked forward closer to the wall and imitated the same motion his friend has made.

Nait frowned in confusion as if he had done something wrong. "What are you doing?"

As the grass pokemon glided his hand over the left-hand side of the surface, a small red jewel flickered as he touched it. It was small but each time he touched it, the same reaction resulted. Zach poked it with his claw, hoping for a hint of what it could be.

A low pitched sound like the one from rubbing an empty glass pulsated through the room. Each time he touched it, the same echo was made. It got so annoying that Nait couldn't help but cover his ears in an effort to mute it. However, no matter how hard he pressed it the little gem did not move. Zach stopped touching it and continued sliding his hand across the surface. Eventually, he found a second gem that resulted in a green tint and an altogether similar sound.

A smile crept across the Chespins face. He began to hope that these gems were the secret to opening the door. He continued his search for more of the same. Gradually he stumbled across a blue one and a yellow one. It seemed there were four and total and as he drew a line between them it appeared they seemed to have made a diamond symbol. Just as he connected them a low rumbling sound began to rumble.

A crack soon appeared in the wall and steadily it grew larger and larger. As the opening emerged light began to seep more into the area. The small ball of light dissipated and died out once the door fully opened. Now before them, they could see a vast opening. Zach stepped out and Nait soon after him. The two could not believe their eyes. They were now several stories up. It seemed they had been climbing on an incline the entire time.

Looking below they could see the valley in which they came from. The sun peering from above was now a dark yellow as it appeared it was later in the day. In the distance, they could make out the vast expanse of the Desert before them. A silhouette of a figure stood before them. Zach took the lead once again but not before taking his friend's paw in his own. A green pokemon stood before them and it's back was turned to them with its wings spread against the skyline.

"Stop." A commanding voice beckoned from the figure.

The cubs obeyed the orders and stopped short of getting in within a personal distance of the bird.

"I know why you are here. It is the Shinx is it not?" The green avian fellow relaxed his wingspan to its side.

Neither of the boys said a word, both were too afraid to speak as the voice rattled their confidence.

"I see. Well, are you certain you want to know the answer?" The bird tapped a staff on the floor and rotated around to face the two smaller boys.

The Xatu had a huge grin on its face. It looked so goofy that both of the boys had to hold back laughing. Its staff was larger than it was and harbored a snakelike idol on its tip. It clapped the butt off the staff against the floor.

"This is no laughing matter. The human is here for a purpose. He cannot return until he fulfills that purpose. When he does, it will be his choice if he wants to return or not." The green pokemon pointed one of its wings at Nait.

Zach looked at his friend who did the same to him. They then returned their gaze, no longer laughing about the matter.

"Good. You will find in due time your purpose. We all must serve our own and so you must do the same. Do this and the treasures of life shall be yours."

The Xatu turned back around and spread its wings again. The bird began chanting and the sunset into darkness almost as if by the command of the prophet before them. The green Pokemon clashed the staff against the floor causing a tremendous impact. The two cubs were sent sprawling back, their bodies hitting against the wall. The impact of the crash caused them to lose consciousness for the time being.

When they awoke they found themselves in Zach's home, though only the Chespin knew it. A second hay bed had been affixed near the one where he normally slept. The two of them were sweating quite heavily, but upon looking outside it seemed rather late. They looked at each other in a shared moment of confusion.

"What just....happened?" Nait rubbed his head indicating that he had a headache.

Zach shrugged. "I don't know did you just dream about an adventure into the cave of memories?"

"Yeah...we were going to see Xatu." The shinx tried to stretch but wasn't able to sense his entire body was very sore.

The chespins mouth dropped in awe as he yawned. "Crazy...but maybe we should get some sleep and worry about it tomorrow? I'm really tired."

"I guess your right. Good night, bud." The shinx crawled back up in his bed.

Zach did the same and before long the two of them tried to return to sleep. The two of them tossing and turning for much of the night. The burning question still on their mind, finally losing the battle to slumber. Still forever hopeful that the next day would bring answers...