Chapter Twenty-Eight: Suicune? Walking Wake!
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As he watched Cottonee leave, Guangtai turned his attention to the artifact’s effects.
Another artifact connected to an event—but why was there no indication that it was a hidden event?
As for the effect itself, it seemed difficult to understand at first glance, but a little careful thought made its meaning clear.
For instance, there was the word he was about to assemble.
“Come to think of it, this slate isn’t going to summon Unown and drag me into some rift in space-time, is it?”
Guangtai first cast a wary glance around him. Only after confirming that no enormous black eyeballs had appeared did he relax and begin spelling.
Suicune.
The word was actually a transliteration of Suicune’s Japanese name. The way Unown were read was, in fact, based on Japanese romanization.
Since he had obtained the craft for making the Clear Bell, Suicune was the first Pokémon that came to mind when he thought of spelling a word. After all, he had been considering that creature not long ago.
It was the leader of Ho-Oh’s guard and closely connected to the Clear Bell. Guangtai had no intention of capturing it, mainly because his current strength probably did not yet meet the necessary standard. Since the Symbol Slate was said to be capable of establishing some sort of connection with it…
Let me take a look at the crystal on your head. What exactly is it made of?
The crystal on Suicune’s head… Guangtai did not yet know how to use that crystal jewel to make an item. Perhaps all he needed was the energy emitted by the crystal itself. Some of Suicune’s moves seemed to be fired directly from the crystal atop its head.
As for Ho-Oh, it also seemed to be connected with Unown and the many ruins scattered throughout the Johto region. If he could establish a connection with it, Guangtai decided he would try plucking a Rainbow Wing from its body.
Of course, the true purpose behind making the Clear Bell was not to capture these Legendary Pokémon. He merely wished to continue searching for even better and more miraculous crafting techniques.
“If I can’t find Suicune, I could look for a substitute… Ancient crystals? Or perhaps…”
“Walking Wake?”
The image of an ancient dragon gradually surfaced in Guangtai’s mind. It had an appearance extremely similar to Suicune, though its overall style leaned more toward that of a velociraptor. It existed as Suicune’s Paradox counterpart and, in the games, was a Pokémon obtained through event distribution and event encounters.
Whoosh…
At that moment, the assembled Symbol Slate suddenly began to glow. Blinding radiance spread across the carved symbols, which were shaped like Unown. At the same time, Guangtai noticed the buckets placed inside the house. The water in some of them had originally contained impurities, but after being immersed in the light, it became perfectly pure.
“Hmm? Is this what they mean by a connection?”
Suicune possessed the ability to purify polluted water and turn it into an absolutely pristine water source. It was known as the embodiment of the north wind. Though it occasionally had its embarrassing moments, the ability to purify polluted water was uniquely its own—and not a special skill belonging to any move.
By midnight, Guangtai had put away the materials and tools. Sleepiness swept over him.
The lights in the workshop went out, and Honedge leaned against the corner of the wall to rest. It had done a great deal of work that day as well. Thus, a fulfilling and pleasant day came to an end.
Outside, in the medicinal herb garden, Cottonee rested in the soil.
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The night was deep and still.
Beside the workbench in the workshop, the air warped ever so slightly. From within a stopped clock emerged a palm-sized eye shaped like the letter E.
Unown—the letter E.
“Un…”
Guangtai had been living here for many days. Unown E had also been forced to move from the basement into the workshop, where it hid behind cabinets and inside a broken old clock. It tried not to move whenever possible, which was why neither Guangtai nor Honedge had ever noticed its presence.
Unown E, however, had been observing Guangtai for quite some time.
Its eye turned toward the word “Suicune” on the workbench, then toward Guangtai, who was sleeping soundly and unconsciously radiating psychic power.
This human’s psychic power was gradually growing stronger. He also gave Unown E several familiar sensations.
Was he an ancient person of Johto? An ancient person of Sinnoh? Or perhaps one of the remnants of the ancient Divine Capital?
“Un…”
You hope to see Suicune?
But how strange. You want to meet Suicune neither to capture it nor to challenge it, but simply to see the crystal crown on its head?
What a simple wish.
Then allow me to help you.
Unown were drawn to certain intense emotions and could thereby fulfill the wishes of some people. Yet the process did not involve creating something from nothing. Rather, it materialized a portion of the mind. In a sense, it was like projecting a dream into reality—though it could indeed exert a certain influence upon the real world.
The radiance of Hidden Power spread across the little house, enveloping both Guangtai and Honedge.
In the next instant, the word “Suicune,” assembled from the Symbol Slate on the table, suddenly began to scramble. The letters automatically rearranged themselves into another word.
…
In a dream.
Guangtai dreamed of the Burned Tower in Ecruteak City.
“Oh, has the connection been established?”
Because people rarely realized they were dreaming while inside a dream, Guangtai did not recognize that he was dreaming. The dream connected him and Honedge, and the man and sword gazed at the Burned Tower before them and stepped inside.
Guangtai did not remember how he had arrived in Ecruteak City. Had he not finished his other work?
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The thought lingered for only a moment before gradually fading away. There were too many thoughts in a dream, and they could easily suppress one’s waking consciousness, allowing the dreamer to sink entirely into the illusory world constructed by the subconscious.
The Burned Tower. It made perfect sense. In the games, the first time one encountered Suicune was inside the Burned Tower.
Legend had it that Suicune, Entei, and Raikou had been three nameless Pokémon that perished in the fire that consumed the Burned Tower one hundred and fifty years ago. Ho-Oh later resurrected them and altered their appearances. To repay Ho-Oh for its kindness, they willingly became its guardians.
The three Legendary beasts would appear on the lowest floor of the Burned Tower. Just as the animated series had shown, it was impossible to see them from the second floor, so one had to descend the stairs.
Unown E also appeared within the dream shared by Guangtai and Honedge.
It would be enough just to see Suicune, wouldn’t it?
If you truly wish to meet the real Suicune, perhaps there will be another opportunity in the future…
And so it followed Guangtai through the dream.
When they reached the lowest floor, a dull roar echoed from the gloomy depths of the tower…!
“Right, the three Legendary beasts. But I don’t know what period this is. Why would they have returned to the Burned Tower? Or perhaps they never left?”
Guangtai’s waking consciousness began to interfere once more. Unown E hurriedly exerted its influence, constructing a more reasonable dream.
There was only Suicune at the bottom of the tower. Was it not perfectly normal for it to return for a visit?
“Oh, it came back for a visit. That makes perfect sense.” Guangtai suddenly understood.
Unown E: Whew…
Anyone searching for reality within a dream had to be out of their mind.
Still, when they reached the bottom of the tower, it was exactly as the altered dream had arranged. Only one Legendary beast stood there. It gradually emerged from the gloom, its body blue and marked with white patches. A massive blue crystal-like crest adorned its head, while two white ribbon-like tails streamed behind it. Purple fur covered its body like thick, heavy clouds…
Unown E: That’s right, that is Su—
Guangtai cried out in surprise. “Wait a second! Whose Suicune is this? This isn’t Suicune!”
“Roar!”
The “Legendary beast” at the bottom of the Burned Tower stepped out of the darkness, revealing its entire form as it roared. It truly looked remarkably similar to Suicune, but rather than resembling a four-legged mammal, it looked much more like a velociraptor!
“This is Walking Wake!”
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