Pokémon Warrior: Lost Adventures

That night he dreamt of the endless void. Whispering voices pleading, begging, ordering. They called out to Kenji, wrapped him in their river of cacophony. He was pulled along, away from everything he had known. He could not resist, did not bothering resisting. He flowed along, until even the voices died.

And all that was left was the void.

Kenji jerked awake with a cry of fear. His body was covered in a cold sweat and breathing in ragged pants. He clutched his chest and felt his mother's amulet, still cool to the touch. Closing his eyes, he let out a shuddering breath.

Just a dream. He thought to himself. Just a dream.

When he felt that he had control of himself, Kenji opened his eyes. The sled was still leaning against the tree to provide a simple shelter from the day. His shout and flailing must have awoken Sprout for the small Pokémon was looking around with a scared warble.

"It's ok, young one," He murmured to the beast as he scratched the scaly hide. "Just a bad dream. Just, nothing," Kenji shuddered and shied away from the nightmare and memories.

"All right," He said suddenly, and perhaps a little too loudly. "It's morning which means . . . breakfast!"

He crawled out from under the lean-to and stood with a stretch. The little turtle followed him with a chirp. Letting out a groan, he walked past several trees to relieve himself. Returning to the sled, he started the day with his father's Warrior stretches. Sprout watched him curiously as he bent and wiggled his way through them until he had a light sheen of sweat on his skin. Already he felt that his body was recovering enough to he would be soon back to full health.

Physically at least.

The small beast warbled as he was finishing his stretches.

"Interested in joining me, oh great beast?" he asked the Pokémon playfully.

Sprout chirped and trundled up to him.

Laughing, Kenji fell from his stretch and scooped up the heavy turtle. Tickling the creature under his beak, walked back to the sled and plucked a small berry free to feed to the small Pokémon.

"You will be big and strong, a mighty turtle of the land, powerful enough to rival even the Warlords," he told the beast as it munched his way through several berries. "But first you must grow to reach such heights. Eat well."

When the Pokémon was satisfied, Kenji set him on the ground. He stomped around until he discovered the largest patch of sunlight where the beast proceeded to dig a hole before settling down.

Kenji observed it all carefully, remembering his thoughts from yesterday.

"Nutrients and cultivation, all in one," he said softly so as not to disturb the Pokémon.

Sighing, he decided it was time to confront something he had been avoiding for too long.

His cultivation.

His compressed aura, his very spirit, was condensed until it was no larger than a berry or even a seed. Even days later he still found himself instinctively compressing his spirit, the action instinctive by now. It was a constant ache at the back of his mind and, if spent too long sitting still, the pain made itself known. The sensation was almost akin to wearing clothes several sizes too small, if said clothes were as ungiving as iron.

Brought low by the turn in his thoughts, Kenji trudged his way back to his meager camp. When he arrived, Sprout was still buried in the dirt under the warm sunlight but Flutter was nowhere to be seen. The butterfly was fond of disappearing for hours at a time. Putting the Pokémon out of his mind, Kenji pulled his shirt and pants off to hang them from the leaning sled, leaving himself bare but for his underclothes.

Breathing deep, he started to relax his body and mind. His worries were tangling vines that constantly reached to disturb him. He carefully trimmed the idle thoughts so that he could focus on the now. The tightness in his muscles was easily let go as the morning stretches warmed and loosened them. Kenji dug his feet into the soil and felt it press in between his toes. The sun's rays were warm on his skin, encouraging him to further relax and open up to the day.

Kenji kneeled and bowed his head with his hands pressed together palm to palm. Pulling his right hand away slightly, he clapped it on his left softly before stilling once more.

"I give thanks to guardians, sent by the Almighty One to guide our path." Kenji said with the formality of the First Tongue. "May we never stray."

Offering another bow, he shifted with the ease of repeated practice so that his legs were laid over one another. Kenji dug his fingers into the forest floor before setting his hands on his knees. He chose to clench one into a fist to symbolize his constrained aura but let the other splay open to show his desire to release it.

With another measured breath, he turned his mind inwards.

Before Kenji's cultivation was portrayed by a carefully tended garden, with beds raised from the earth to hold plants that were reaching ever upwards. He would spend hours gathering drops of energy to water his aura so that it could grow. The green leaves, not vibrant with a riot of colors but neither yellowed with neglect, would have soaked in the ambient energy of the world to nourish both his foundation and aura.

Now, though?

Now it was but packed dirt, not even a bit of soil remaining to remember the climbing shoots from before. As he took in his spirit, his perspective changed further as he remembered destroying it. The final moments with his mother, spent razing everything he worked years for. The screams of beast and man as they fought and fell.

The barren rock shifted slowly, his eyes picking out faint shapes to what was previously flat ground. A shadow grew to display an arm clutching at the ground, curled around a face twisted by despair. The darkness spread to create a torso laying down. Legs were pulled up in fear and pain as his spirit sought to hide itself.

Tearing his eyes open, Kenji gasped and jerked his head around wildly. His eyes were wide with fear, afraid that he would find himself surrounded by nothing. Jumping to his feet, he paced around and reassured himself what he saw was real.

"I'm out, I escaped," he muttered desperately to himself. "I'm free," he prayed.

"I'm free," he whispered.

Only after he calmed his racing heart and the pounding in his head faded did he hear the worried warble. Looking up, Kenji smiled shakily at the small Pokémon.

"It's ok, little one. Just a bad memory," he forced out. "Just a memory."

Making another attempt, he fell into a his meditation pose. He closed his eyes but quickly reopened them when he was confronted with the dark. Giving up, he decided to jump to his feet. Kenji paced back and forth in front of the sled as he thought.

Obviously his spirit was scarred by his time in the captivity of the powerful ghost. The shadows, non-existent before, gave shape to his inner self, the foundation of who he was. It was only natural that the past and what one experienced defined who they were.

More than that though, was how the dark worked to hide his meager spirit even further. As fresh as his wounds were, it was nearly impossible to ignore them. They were a shroud clinging to his body even as it molded him. He could feel his spirit being smothered underneath, permanently forced into a dense ball.

In the form it was now, he was crippled as a Warrior. His aura was drained of all Energy, leaving him a mortal. Even if he were to cultivate and recover some of his power, he would be unable to do anything with it. Aura followed the spirit and his was unresponsive.

The most he could do with the energy he cultivated was merely reinforce his spirit as it was now or strengthen his foundation, slowly empowering his body as it better attuned to Type Energy. Neither would provide a quick solution to his current problems, though it may offer one later on as his gains accumulated.

Either way, without a link he would grasping individual grains of sand to build a beach. And in order to forge a link he would need to repair his spirit or reforge it anew.

Sighing, Kenji sat down and resumed his stance. Breathing deep, he inhaled the taste of the world around him. The earthy smell of soil and decaying leaves blended with the scent of new growth. The land beneath him was cool but digging his fingers into the ground he could feel the warmth lying below. Sunlight dappled across his body and he imagined his body soaking it up as a tree would. The wind tried to turn him over but he would not bend.

With each breath, Kenji felt for the energy of the world around him. His senses were dull, nearly nonexistent but hopefully by opening himself up he could still cultivate. He did not feel the invigorating rush as it joined his aura but he continued his meditation nevertheless.

When he began to feel the mental strain of cultivating, he opened his eyes and stood up. Only a master or a dullard could stay motionless for hours with a clear mind, and he was neither. Kenji walked around to help shift his mind out of the slow beat of meditation.

Looking around, he noticed that that Flutter had yet to return. Sprout was still resting in the sun buried up to his shell but unfortunately, it was time to move. He whistled to alert the Pokémon as he took the sled down and rearranged the contents. The berries were still fresh and the vine rope helped to keep the larger ones from falling off as he walked. He refilled Sprout's planter with fresh soil and leaves. It left his hands filthy but perhaps the dirt would better protect his skin from blistering.

Sprout blearily looked up and chirped when he saw Kenji moving around.

"Come on, Sprout, it's time to go." he told the Pokémon.

The creature was slow pulling himself out of the shallow hole he dug. When the turtle was finally free, Kenji grabbed the small beast and together they moved to the river where he cleaned the sweat and dirt from his body. The cold water was a shock to his system and served to focus him further.

After the quick bath, he threw his clothes on and checked on the state of his leathers. They were still damp with water but dry enough that he could wear them for now. Later, as he trekked through the forest, his sweat would soak into it again so it did not truly matter.

He secured the straps holding his gear and returned to sled with Sprout walking by his side. The Pokémon warbled in complaint but Kenji largely ignored it.

"If I carry you around all day, you won't have a chance to grow yourself," he told the Pokémon. "A tree sheltered from the wind is the first to fall in the storm."

The Pokémon trundled up to the sled with a tired chirp and looked up at him imploringly.

"You did a good job, little one," he encouraged.

Kenji chuckled at the expression on turtle's face. He picked the turtle up and set him in the sled where the Pokémon quickly dug in and fell to sleep. He plucked free several small berries and placed them next to the beast. It did not escape his attention that the turtle was fond of stealing a snack from the bounty surrounding him.

Kenji squatted down and grabbed the sled handles before standing up. He whistled lowly to call for the butterfly Pokémon but did not wait for it to show. The bug was free spirited but rarely wandered too far so he was not overly worried. Weaving through the trees, he focused on identifying the sounds filtering through the forest.

The various bugs and smaller insects were clear in their buzzing and tonal chirps. He worked to remember the sounds. Occasionally he would hear the soft pop of the red worm beasts as they crawled along the tree trunks. Despite their relatively passive nature he still avoided them on the off chance they shot him with their poisoned needles.

After walking for a little bit, Flutter appeared with an excited trill and greeted him briefly by settling on his head. Behind him, he could hear Sprout grumble. Grinning at the Pokémon's antics nodded at the butterfly beast.

"Good morning, Flutter," he greeted it. "Your wings are as brilliant as the sunrise," Kenji complimented the Pokémon.

The Pokémon trilled at him happily and beat its wings softly in his face before disappearing once more. Shaking his head at the carefree bug, he tried to keep it in sight with the hopes of finding more food. The Pokémon was skilled in finding flowers and fruits. He could only hope that his simple encouragement would be enough to train the beast to find more berries than flowers. While edible, they did little to sustain him.

The undergrowth near the water was more wild and difficult to move through compared to the ground beneath the deeper forest. It was a boon to the flying bug as the butterfly did not have to travel far to find flowers but Kenji found it a hindrance. He quickly gave up on following the river so closely in favor of moving amongst the trees.

While he walked Kenji kept an eye out for empty dens or shelters he could use. While he preferred to keep moving, only a fool would ignore a suitable shelter. Even if he did not find one that was worth staying at for several days, it would be good to know where he could retreat to if necessary.

He had yet to come across anything truly dangerous but it was only a matter of time. The broken and shattered tree, beaten until it fell, was still fresh in his memories.

Here, his lacking aura and the clinging remnants of the otherworld worked in his favor. Most Pokémon found ghosts still clinging to the world disquieting and avoided them at all costs. As long as nothing encountered him directly, he would hopefully past through ignored.

To be truthful, it was a more than a little odd that his two companions stuck as close to him as they did. Sprout seemed scared of everything, which was only natural considering the beast's age. The turtle's aura had yet to fully develop so it was more likely that he was simply unaware of Kenji's situation. On the other hand, Flutter was a third stage species. It should be able to easily sense how strange Kenji was.

Frowning, Kenji looked up to search the for the Pokémon in question. He suddenly realized that it had been quite some time since he last saw the creature. While the butterfly liked to wander, it usually returned to rest or follow for a bit. Slowing to a stop, Kenji turned his head to look through the forest. He could barely hear the trickle of flowing water over the ambient noise.

He heard nothing of the Pokémon's usual trills nor did he see the bright colors of its wings. Twisting around, he wondered if he should be worried. There was no link bonding them but the beast was a companion nonetheless. Pulling the sled, he turned towards the river. He would be able to see further without all the trees blocking his view and he would feel foolish if he searched the woods only to find the butterfly in a small field by the water.

Breaking through the trees, he arrived at the river after only a quick walk. The water was bubbling through the rocks but he saw no sign of Flutter.

"Flutter," he called out lowly. He wanted to be loud enough to be heard but so loud as to attract any other nearby beasts. "Flutter."

No matter how much he shouted or walked along the riverside, he could not find the bug. Kenji turned around and walked back into the forest. Behind him, he heard Sprout warble.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the small turtle lifting his head and tilting it at him curiously.

"Good, you're awake," he nodded. "Can you help search for Flutter?" he asked seriously. Pokémon had far more acute senses and even one as young as the turtle could potentially locate the butterfly where he could not.

The beast chirped at him and he hoped that the Pokémon understood. Curiously, Sprout was not acting scared or nervous so Kenji was not fearing the worst. It was likely that the bug was distracted by a bounty of nectar or something similar.

Kenji returned his attention back to the surrounding forest. He followed his path back down river but still saw no sign of the Pokémon. He stopped several times to listen and search for any evidence of the beast. There were a few flowers to be found but none of them were disturbed as if they were harvested for their nectar. However, as he continued to move without any sign of the beast, he began to grow worried.

After walking long enough to near where he last saw the Pokémon, Kenji slowed and searched once more. He set the sled down as he searched for the butterfly beast.

"Flutter," he called again. "Come here, Flutter."

Still, he could not find any sign of the large bug. He found small patches of flowers that looked strangely wilted with petals blown off. Instead of retreading the same path, he walked in a half-circle away from the river upstream. Kenji paid close attention to the slightest buzz or chirp. The smaller noises quieted when he called out for Flutter. After his third attempt shouting for the missing Pokémon, he heard the faintest trill at the edge of his hearing.

Turning his head slowly, Kenji tried to locate the direction the beastly cry came from. As he moved, the cries came more clearly and his worry morphed into fear.

The normally excited sound was higher pitched and quavered slightly as if in pain.

Instead of speeding up, Kenji slowed further. Sprout was starting to shake but was not outright terrified, which was the only reason he was not debating running away. Two Pokémon fighting was something only a Warrior could hope to escape from unscathed. If something was actively hunting Flutter and not simply fighting the bug, then there was little he could do. Despite being an evolved beast, it was still a Bug Pokémon. Their Type had a tendency to be prey species, traveled in swarms to both better defend themselves and enable an individual's escape.

He dragged the sled behind him carefully as moved from tree to tree. He used the wide trunks as cover in case a stray attack flew towards him. When the calls became clear and he could hear the distress in the Pokémon's squeals, Kenji ducked behind a large trunk and gently set the sled down.

He crouched down and turned to Sprout.

"Quiet," he hushed the Pokémon as it began to warble fearfully.

Kenji turned around and looked around the trunk to search for his endangered companion. He was close enough to make out a break in the trees where a small clearing stood. There was a clearing up ahead full of sunlight and he saw a field of flowers filling it. Their artful arrangement distracted him momentarily before the pained trill of the butterfly sounded out again.

He had to crane his neck to spot the Pokémon around the trees blocking his vision but he soon spied the beast's glistening wings. It was bobbing through the air and swinging its bulbous body around as it dodged. The beast was somewhat graceful, though it was clear that the butterfly was still adapting to its new form.

Turning his head slowly, Kenji searched for any sign of the other creature. There was no indication to him of another beast nearby nor any reason for Flutter to be jerking around in the air.

Kenji swallowed and debated on what to do. He wanted to help but to do so he would have to get closer. If he was spotted then it was likely that he would be recognized as a threat and treated as such.