.::-The Adventure of a Millenium-::. The Clock's First Tick

It was well into the evening. A boy, about seventeen years, stood right outside Ecruteak City's large theatre. His red-orange wavy hair was long enough to go past his shoulders, but it is tied up. Atop his head, a he wore a sort of blue fedora. He's wearing a green short-sleeve shirt, and dark blue-purple track pants. The boy was a slightly smaller frame for his age, but it was clear that he was almost an adult. 

The boy, Kazuto, had heard of Ecruteak's theatre in the past, but he has never been to Ecruteak City. He wanted to see what the theatre was like. In the end, however, he decided it was better not to for now; They were still weary from travel, and he wouldn't derive Yukikou, the Zorua at his side, of her rest.

Kazuto stayed in a room at the Pokémon Centre. Though the Pokémon centre had its own cafeteria, he chose against eating. He wasn't quite hungry, anyway. By the time they were well rested, the moon hung high over their heads.

"It smells like rain," Kazuto said, walking out of the Pokémon Centre. Though he knew better, Kazuto liked to think he could sense the weather. The Zorua beside him nodded in agreement.

Though the theatre would be closed at this time, he didn't mind seeing the building again. The surface of the building was already greatly appealing; he could only imagine the interior. On the way, Kazuto noticed a charred, old tower secluded in the very corner of the city. He recognised it as the Burned Tower. Curious, he changed destinations. When he got to the base of the structure, he read a sign. 
"DANGER: UNSTABLE FOOTING!
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!"
Kazuto considered heeding the sign. The sign itself looked old and battered. Still, the structure remains standing, even after so many years. What are the chances of him entering causing the whole building to collapse?

"What do you think, Yukikou? Do you want to go in there?" he inquired.

"Zo!" The Zorua responded, eagerly. She even took a few steps toward the tower for confirmation.

Kazuto couldn't help a grin from showing. He has, more than once, heard the expression curiosity killed the cat. He hoped that wouldn't be the case as he entered the old Burned Tower.

As Kazuto approached the decrepit building, an elderly man stood outside. He must have been at least eighty, back hunched over with age as he leaned on his hand carved cane. His head was bald, almost polished to a sheen and the hair on his face white as snow. His beard was thin and well groomed, albeit long with bushy eyebrows that nearly covered his beady but sparkling eyes. It was hard to tell all of what he was wearing, as over top he had on a pale blue robe tied shut with a white strip of material.

"Tohoho, boy, are you going in there?" He asked, voice crackling from the strain of all his years. Still, there was a warmth to it as he spoke. "You should be careful. Wild Pokémon have made this place their home. There was a terrible fire years ago, and three Pokémon perished in it. It was Ho-Oh who resurrected them. There are even rumors that they sleep in this very building," he looked up to the tower with old eyes, imagining its former glory.

"You be careful now!" The old man called, before turning and shuffling off in an aching walk back to his home. As Kazuto entered the building, the fire that once ran rampant was clear as everything was covered in ash and soot. Looking up, light trickled down. Filtering through the holes caused by half a roof remaining. Even though the boy was light, every step seemed to make the boards beneath his feet groan under the weight.

Exploring, there wasn't much left in tact. Old books lay on a nearby table, but when opened the pages crumbled into ash. The very chemical structure of everything in the place was compromised from the old fire! Still, the building had been preserved this long, nobody wanting to tear down such an intense piece of history. It served as a reminder, that lust for power only brought destruction.

Not long into the building, Kazuto managed to trip over a large, roundish object. Angered, the purple Pokémon began to puff clouds of smoke as it rose to hover in the air. It was none other than a Koffing! "Koffiiiiing!" It said angrily, glaring at Kazuto for disrupting its sleep. Wild Koffing appeared!

Kazuto cursed himself when he tripped. He repeated when he found out it was a Pokémon whom he had tripped over. It frightened him at sight, but he made himself stay calm, backing up slowly, each step followed by complaints from the floor boards. How much damage would be caused from a battle in this creaky old building?

Without him saying anything, however, the Zorua made the decision on its own, stepped in front of Kazuto. Understanding Kazuto's concern, Zorua didn't attack right away. Instead, she used its Double Team skill to duplicate itself thrice, all including the original in a single line in front of him. They awaited the first attack.

Koffing was about to attack Kazuto when the Zorua stepped up to battle him. The tiny opponent didn't seem like much to the gaseous poison Pokémon. He was sure he could take the Zorua, and was prepared for an easy attack. However, when she began to speed up, he became confused. The Zorua moved so fast that copies were made, Koffing trying his best to keep track of the original.

Blinking and shaking his body, he became enraged at the confusion. "Koffiiiing!" He droned out angrily. Puffing up a bit, his body expanded. Spewing from the pores covering over its body, a green putrid gas began to spew out and pour over the enemy. Or, he at least hoped it was the right enemy. As the fog rolled out, Koffing opened his mouth and began releasing a thick stream of black smoke at Zorua!

The Smog attack was weak in its attack power, but it had the potential of poisoning any that it hits. The poison gas Pokémon hovered, levitating in the air as it waited for his smog to clear. He wanted to see if his attack worked or not against the tricky Zorua!

The Zorua was overwhelmed with the Smog. She backed away from the concentrated gas, and all her duplicates disappeared. It even coughed from accidentally inhaling. Besides that, the Zorua seemed alright for now, at least. One couldn't be quite sure how much damage was really done.

"Ah.. Yuki, be careful." As the Smog spread, Kazuto had to cover his face until it dissipated. The Zorua re-assumed its offensive stance. "Right.." Kazuto said to his partner awaiting command. "Yukikou, use leer! Follow that with Pursuit!"

"Zoru!"As instructed, the Zorua looked the Koffing in the eye, trying to look as intimidating as possible, even growling a bit. Afterward, she charged forward with Pursuit.

Koffing faltered, mildly off put by the leering Zorua. His defense was lowered as a side effect! "Koffiiiing!" He droned out, upset by the tactic employed by the dark fox. Before he could even do anything though, Zorua was on him again! This time, the swift little Zorua quickly pounced, launching herself into the body of Koffing with a thud!

Koffing bobbed back from the impact, taking some damage. Fortunately, Koffing hadn't been trying to escape so the power behind the attack wasn't too great. Angrily, Koffing began to bellow out a cloud of black smoke. The Smokescreen would hopefully make good cover for Koffing, and make him a harder target to hit.

Not wanting to give the foe a further advantage, Koffing took the opportunity to attack. Launching himself through the smoke, he hoped to hit the Zorua with his tumbling body! It was an attempted tackle attack, and with the field in its current state it was hard to see what was going on!

The Zorua felt satisfied when she landed a hit. When the Koffing used Smoke Screen, however, it was a similar situation to before, except this time Zorua couldn't simply step away from it. She didn't know which way to go. Then came Koffing, landing a clean hit on Zorua. The impact had sent Zorua's light body to be thrown into Kazuto, who was standing a bit too close.

"Oof!" Kazuto, looking for the Zorua, was caught by surprise, and fell back with Zorua. The sound of their collapse was amplified. The Zorua recovered quickly, and jumped off him. Unfortunately, the Smog from before had taken its toll on Zorua. She was poisoned, and just now feeling the effects. Zorua tried to stay strong, however, and chose to attack on its own once again with Pursuit.

Kazuto tried to pick himself back up, when suddenly the floorboards beneath him cracked. He didn't fall, but he was caught half-way through the floor, and he couldn't move. He could feel nothing beneath him, either. It was quite frightening for him. Could everything he had hoped for end hear? Has curiosity now gotten more than a cat?

Koffing felt himself strike the foe, wavering back out of the smoke to see his handiwork. To his dismay, Zorua was not as easy a foe as he had originally pegged. In fact, she was fighting mad! Zorua again flung her body at Koffing, striking him with a sideways blow. He bounced back, crashing against the floor boards which only weakened them further.

As Kazuto wriggled about in his entrapment, the boards creaked further. The unsettling emptiness beneath him was only made worse as his body began to slip further into the hole created. The boards were bending and crumbling, giving way as the boy struggled.

"Koffing!" The gaseous Pokémon groaned again, looking weakened. Still, he wasn't about to let that pesky Zorua get away so easily, nor the trainer for that matter! He again flung himself, though instead of aiming for Zorua, this time he aimed for the weakened floor! Levitating himself, he didn't much care whether or not the floor fell out beneath him.

As his body struck, the boards cracked, loud snapping sounds as the reverberation rippled all the way to Kazuto. The floor sank a bit at first, then suddenly collapsed, sending Zorua and Kazuto tumbling down to the next floor! It was probably a good 8 to 10 foot drop, so the landing was anything but pleasant albeit not fatal. An ash cloud rose as their bodies crashed into the subfloor.

When the Koffing struck the floor, the vibrations in the floor made him weary, and he struggle more to free himself. He made no progress. Then the floors suddenly fell apart. He and Zorua both fell to a lower level. They hid a rock-hard floor. Quite certainly, it hurt. Kazuto was dazed for a few seconds, but realised the fall wasn't as great as he thought. At least they wouldn't be worrying about falling through the floor again.

"Yukikou..." The Zorua was not in the greatest condition. The poison had really gotten to her. The fall quite certainly didn't help. Uncertain if the Koffing would follow, he picked up the Zorua and hid himself with the Zorua in a corner; though, it wasn't quite the ideal hiding spot. Though the Zorua had some strength left, Kazuto didn't want to force her to exert herself.

Not but a moment after Kazuto hid himself with his partner, Koffing came floating down the gaping hole overhead. He slowly looked around the room, seeking out the Zorua he'd been fighting. "Koffiiiing," he droned out, floating back up to the higher floor after he couldn't find them. It just wasn't worth the hassle by this point.

However, across the room there was a deep crevice like divot in the floor. It was large, and seemed to have ledges going down every few feet or so. Standing in the center where it plateaued out, three great beasts stood sleeping. They looked almost like stone, statues in the pale light.

To the left stood a great cat like beast, metal plates on its head and a great cloud like mane. The thunder beast, Raikou. To the right, the large dog like mastiff. The volcano beast, Entei. In the center, a majestic canid beast stood. Its bore a large hexagonal crest on its forehead, long flowing mane and ribbon like tails that flowed toward its face. It was Suicune, the very embodiment of the North Wind.

Kazuto gaped at the sight of the three figures laying in a depression in the floor. He couldn't tell whether they were living or stone. If they were alive, he would only hope they weren't hostile. He looked around the pit. Apparently, there were once stairs that lead out of this basement. Now, it served no purpose, connecting the floor to the air. That was probably part of what was destroyed in the battle.

Until he found a way out, they were stuck down there. Kazuto sighed, taking out the Zorua's Pokéball. "Here, take a rest. You deserve it," he said, recalling the Zorua. Afterward, he decided to inspect the three figures. There was not much else to do down there, after all. He slid himself down into the dip and walked toward the three beings. Hesitantly, Kazuto reached out to touch the one in the middle.

Kazuto approached the massive beasts standing before him. They did not move, not even the slightest twitch as he slowly reached his hand to place it gently on Suicune's muzzle. As soon as he made contact, a light spread across from the point of origin. The beasts became swathed in a spreading wave of light, which left their colors vibrant and renewed!

Hot breath could be felt from the beast, its large eyes looking into Kazuto's as its ribbon tails and mane began to flow. The other two beasts began to bound off, leaping up through the hole and out into the world with ease and little concern. Suicune stayed though, staring at Kazuto for a moment longer.

With a thundering roar, Suicune stepped back and called out, throwing its head back in a triumphant manner. In a swift motion, it scooped its head between Kaxuto's legs, forcing him onto the creature's back awkwardly. Then just as the other two has before, Suicune leapt up and out of the building. Its feet lightly touched the ground, bounding from place to place with grace.

Suicune halted on the outskirts of Ecruteak, sliding Kazuto off from its mighty shoulders to the ground below. With a solemn nod, Suicune began bounding off with the North Wind. And yet somehow Kazuto had no idea what had just transpired. The fact that he had awoken the legendary beasts, the same ones Ho-Oh had resurrected in the legends!

Surprised was an understatement. His hand felt magnetised to the figures, and the only movement he managed to make was shielding his eyes from the bright light with his free hand. When the light died out, and the three legendary beasts were suddenly alive and moving, Kazuto hesitantly removed his hand. He couldn't believe his eyes. The two beasts beside the one Kazuto touched made little notice of his presence, and simply left; the one he touched, however, looked him directly in the eye. He recognised the Pokémon as Suicune. He stood speechless, in great disbelief at what he was seeing.  He did not have long to take in the sight, however, before Suicune swept him away from the Burned Tower.

When he was set down outside of Ecruteak, Kazuto barely managed the strength to stand. It all happened so fast that he had no idea how to react. When the Suicune nodded to him, Kazuto bowed in response. And then the Suicune bounded away. He stood still for a good while, staring in the direction the Suicune had gone. Somehow, he had awoken the three Pokémon. It seemed Kazuto had found a way out of that tower, after all.

The thought of his partner snapped him back. The Zorua wasn't in the greatest condition. He had to get her healed as soon as possible. His clothing, too, was quite dirty. He even felt a little sore. With that in mind, he made his way to the Pokémon Centre.

Kazuto made his way back through Ecruteak City, giving himself time to mull over his thoughts. The red roofed center was soon a warm and comforting sight, glass doors sliding open with ease as Kazuto approached them. When he approached the front desk, a big pink Chansey with a nurse's cap on stood behind the counter.

"Chansey~!" The Pokémon called cheerily, taking Kazuto's pokéball and placing it on a tray. She hobbled back to the other room in order to restore his partner while he waited. Meanwhile, a pink haired nurse emerged.

"Oh, hello!" the nurse chimed in her sweet and charming voice. "I'm Nurse Joy, welcome to the Ecruteak City Pokémon Center!" the pink haired nurse went on. "I see Chansey is taking care of your Pokémon. Can I help you with anything else?"

It wasn't an awful long time before Chansey reemerged with the tray once more. The solitary pokéball sitting atop it seemed to wobble in anticipation as she approached Kazuto. "Chansey~!" The Pokémon squeaked happily, the pokéball bursting open to reveal Kazuto's Zorua happily at his feet. She was completely healed from the poison, fighting fit once more!

Kazuto was quite relieved to see the Zorua in such good condition compared to only moments ago. He, on the other hand, was still quite fatigued. He wondered if, despite being completely healed, the Zorua still needed the natural rest. "Uhm.. yes, please. I'd like to stay here for the night." He couldn't remember if he ever checked out of the room he was in before, but it wouldn't hurt to ask again.

In the room, he sat on the edge of the twin-sized bed, reflecting more on what had happened. If he had any doubts of whether it were real, they were put away quite easily. His clothing was quite littered of the Suicune's blue fur, and a few long strands of its purple mane even managed to get caught on the clip of his Pokégear. He didn't simply fly out of the pit of that tower, after all. 

He wondered what the elders here would say to him if they found out he had somehow managed to partially de-floor a whole level of a tower they've been trying to preserve for years within an hour? He dozed off on that thought.

When he awoke, it was difficult for him to open his eyes.  Everything seemed bright. Apparently, the sun had been looking right at him through the window, its beams showering his face. He stretched a little before climbing out of bed. "Good morning, Yukikou," he said to the Zorua. She slept on the foot of the bed that Kazuto laid in. She had apparently woken up first, and was eager to see him awake.

"Zorua~!" she greeted.

Kazuto made sure he had everything before he checked out of the room, thanking the Nurse for allowing him to stay. Their next stop was Ecruteak City's theatre. Since he arrived, he wanted to see it.

Once again, he was in front of the theatre. The sliding door of the entrance made the theatre seem more elegant. This time, however, he had no reason not to go in, so he opened the door to go in, anticipating what he would see. He'd never been to any theatre before.

Kazuto approached the famous Kimono Dance Theater, sliding open the paper doors manually. The place had a very rustic feel to it, modeled after older Japanese Dance Theaters. Several mat like cushions were spread about the room in even intervals, clearly a place to sit while enjoying the show. An elderly man and his Nidoqueen were the only ones in the audience currently, enjoying sake as the geisha like women practiced on stage.

There were five of them in total, each swathed in fancy silk kimonos and heavy geisha makeup to make them appear as porcelain dolls. Shockingly enough, each one seemed to have a pokéball attached to their kimono ties. Decoration, or functional? It was probably best not to aggravate them and find out.

The old man on the other hand seemed to be greatly enjoying the peaceful music and dance being practiced. In fact, even his Nidoqueen was practicing! "Ah, how graceful. The Kimono Girls dance so beautifully, even their battles are exquisite!" He said to himself, looking to his Pokémon with kind eyes. "To have a Pokémon who is graceful enough to both dance and surf, that is my dream..." He trailed off, sipping at his sake again.

Kazuto was a little surprised to see only one person in the audience. The Theatre was one of the parts of Ecruteak he thought made Ecruteak City more popular. Because the man was drinking Sake, Kazuto decided against trying to talk to him. He watched the five kimono girls on stage with interest.

The Zorua at his side ran up to the stage. Before Kazuto could react, she was already climbing up the steps to the stage, and greeting the five women. A little embarrassed, Kazuto walked toward the stage.

Though Kazuto was surprised, it wasn't an odd thing for the theater to be empty. After all, the girls were only practicing currently. During full shows, they would often get a full house. The old man glanced up, humming curiously as he saw the Zorua excitedly bounding up the stage stairs. Nidoqueen began to shift uneasily, but with a mere raise of his hand, the man got the beast to calm and leave the fox be.

The Zorua on the other hand managed to interrupt the practice altogether. First with the Kimono girl she ran up to, who fumbled so as to not step on the tiny fox. The others slowed, stopping their dance as they glanced over. They practically encircled Yukkikou, cooing eagerly at the cute little Pokémon.

"Oh how cute, where did you come from little friend?" one spoke, her voice sweet and calming. They were still girls after all, and each paid attention to the Pokémon, spoiling and lavishing her with pets and compliments. Meanwhile, the man took another sip of Sake.

"Is that your Zorua, boy?" the man queried suddenly as Kazuto began to approach the stage. "She seems very friendly, but not well trained. You should come see me when she's more refined," he stated flatly, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the hot beverage.

The Zorua greatly enjoyed the attention she was getting. She practically lolled as she was pet. 

Kazuto stiffened a little when the man, whom he to be drunk, spoke to him. "Right," Kazuto said, a little put off by his words. The chances of him coming back just to see this drunk old man were were pretty low. He chose not to step onto the stage, but approached it. "I'm sorry for interrupting your practise."

"Oh my, so this is your Zorua?" one of the Kimono girls asked, holding Yukkikou in her arms. She giggled softly, scratching the tiny fox behind her ears. "She's awfully cute," she admitted, handing the Zorua down to Kazuto.

"You know, the director is right," another said, giving the Pokémon a pet before she was handed down. "She is still young, and needs more training. You know, we sometimes take challengers here. If you battle well, the Director usually gives you a prize," she explained.

The revelation that the drunk old man was actually the director of the theater might come across as a bit of a shock. Still, it would explain why he was the only one there aside from the Kimono Girls themselves. The old man set down his cup, standing in his spot.

"Indeed. Now if you don't mind, I'll ask that you kindly leave so we can get back to work. Ladies, places," the Director said, restarting the rhythmic song for dance. "Feel free to return when you think you're refined enough."

Kazuto was admittedly embarrassed upon learning that this was the director. Kazuto took careful note of what was said. With the attention gone, the Zorua was back at Kazuto's side. "Ah... right.. next time... I guess.." his face was a little red. He ran out, a confused Zorua following suit. 

After that, Kazuto felt he had his fill of adventures in Ecruteak City. There was also the Bell Tower, but he learned that few people were ever allowed to enter. Besides, he felt all sorts of awkward remaining in this city. He had almost tore down this city's relics, and now interrupted practise at a theatre. He pulled out his Pokégear to check the map. It seemed there were three towns besides Mahogany Town he could go to. He decided he would to to Violet City.

Surprisingly eager to leave this city, he called to his partner. "Alright, Yukikou! Let's go! Onward to Violet City." And with that, the two were off to their next destination.