Solos

His feet kicked excitedly on the bus ride to the training grounds. It was tucked away close to the Sinjoh border, somewhere between Ecruteak City and the Sinjoh Ruins. The trip there would be long but that would be okay, he could spend his time day dreaming about his future life as a medium and fiddling with the gift Lyra gave him in his pocket.Technically medium trainees weren't supposed to keep any outside items during the test, but it was a gift from Lyra! She made it just for him and just the feeling of the dried, cracked skin of the slowpoke tail made his heart soar. She wouldn't tell him how she made it, claiming it was a family secret, but calcified Slowpoke tails were apparently a good luck charm out in the sticks. Ethan would be sure he kept it with him the whole time! He'd be sneaky about it.

Meeting his aunt at the training grounds, Ethan was guided to the banquet hall with all the other trainees. Food first, trial after. Never purify spirits on an empty stomach! The hall was buzzing with excited children ranging from 10 to 18, each one with their own level of experience and abilities. Kids whispered to one another about what the test would be. It couldn't be anything too serious, it was just an exam after all.Ethan ate with his fellow trainees, making sure he was well energized for the trial, and met up with the instructors outside. Each medium-to-be was given a purification kit for their test, no other items besides this and their medium uniforms were around.Inside each kit was: 8 oz. bottle of purifying salt (3x), entrapment seals (x5), 8 oz. of purified water (1x), a ring of prayer beads (x1), a lantern (x1), and a single haraigushi , or purification wand.

While everyone made sure they didn't have anything that might get them disqualified from the exam Ethan buried Lyra's gift deeper into his pocket. It's not like he needed the luck, he was practically a prodigy with this stuff! His aunt and all the priests said he was a very gifted little boy so what did he need with luck? But still... Lyra gave him the tail so that she could be with him during the test. He would make sure her gift would be with him every step of the way.Once all the students were ready they were guided to their testing site. A ruinous temple, single story and wide, it was basically a maze if you weren't already familiar with it. Dilapidated enough to encourage spirits to house there but sturdy enough to be structurally sound, it had a strange aura to it. Some children huddled around each other nervously, unsure of actually going in.One of the instructors, Ethan's aunt, crouched over to the children, speaking in gentle reassurance."Come, come. We didn't leave any scary spirits in there. There isn't anything more threatening than a Haunter in there, okay? And if anything happens, me and all the instructors will be standing by to rescue you. All you need to do is meet us at the exit and you pass!"

That eased any worries the children had. The adults would protect them if anything went wrong, it was more of a safety net than some of them had during missions. Getting through an old temple couldn't be that hard. It was big, but eventually you'd find your way out.Ethan wasn't nervous in the slightest. He'd dealt with sooooo many scary ghosts by now that an old temple wasn't a challenge at all!One by one they were corralled to the front doors and told to step in when they were ready. Trainees trickled into the temple until the courtyard was empty, Ethan being one of the last ones to enter. He wanted to stay behind in case any of the littler kids got too chicken in the middle and needed a nudge.

Strolling into the building, Ethan held his lantern up to illuminate the way. It didn't feel especially haunted... Wasn't this all a bit too easy? Sure, there was a wisp or two that flickered by, but nothing particularly dangerous. Maybe they really were supposed to just find their way out. That couldn't be so bad. Ethan was already halfway out, even meeting some other kids on the way. Again, he'd linger behind some to make sure no one was left behind. He felt a personal responsibility to do so, helping people becoming a new form of validation for him! It felt good and every "thank you" he got made his heart feel light and airy.It'd been about 20 minutes of mucking about before he decided to finally complete his trial. Ethan was leisurely in his pace, exploring various rooms with an eager glee. His steps creaked on the floorboards, some inclined to splinter ever so slightly even beneath his light steps. Going past one of the many hallways of the temple he could see...

• Feed

A lantern, weakly flickering and toppled to its side by a partially opened shoji door. Its flame dimmed as if the lantern itself was a living thing and desperately struggling not to die. Each step over to the door felt louder and louder, no matter how slow and hesitantly Ethan took them. He leaned down to pick up the lamp when the sound of breathing cause his ear. He turned his head, to see one of the kids from the exam huddled in the room.

Home? No... this wasn't home... was it? He stepped away from "Papa", looking around at his home, their home. It felt familiar enough. It was like he'd been raised here his whole life after all. Picking up a photograph, he pointed to the boy in the picture."Is this me?"The man jumps, smiling and nodding a little too excitedly."Yes, yes! That's you! Don't you recognize yourself, Kazuo?"He ruffles Ethan's head, making the boy realize for the first time he was wearing a hat. Actually, his whole wardrobe had changed. Gone was the medium uniform and kit. Replacing them were suspenders, a newsie cap, a button shirt, above the knee shorts, knee high socks, and hard leather shoes perfect for a young boy to run around cobblestone streets with. He wasn't sure what was going on but if this was the work of a spirit he'd have to just roll with it until he could get to the bottom of this....

How long had he been here? Days? Months? It was hard to tell, and Ethan had lost track. He kind of stopped bothering trying to remember. The memory of Ethan, or how he even got here, was tucked away in the back of his mind, collecting dust as he had the backlog of Kazuo's memories bombarding him each and every day he spent here.What he had gathered so far was: his name was Kazuo Miura, he lived alone with his father since the passing of his mother during a factory incident, and he was a very talented little boy.Kazuo had an overflow of psychic energy, often letting it out in bursts when he got overwhelmed. Telekinesis, levitation, astral projection, telepathy, you name it! It was hard to find friends though, they were either scared of his powers, or scared of his overprotective father.Papa didn't like to leave his son alone for too long. Everyday new people would come around, asking about the psychic boy. Sometimes they were dressed in business suits, sometimes fancy robes and sashes. Kazuo never got the chance to talk to them, as his dad would get angrier and angrier at them each day, shouting threats for them to stay away.

Kazuo wasn't allowed of the house as much by his father anymore. Too dangerous he said. The name Ethan was a thing of the past now, worn dusty from lack of use in his memories. He was Kazuo Miura now. It was just him and his papa against the world and he was never to talk to strange adults. Papa said they were weird people who shouldn't be allowed near children. Kazuo merely nodded. It was best not to ask, at least not around Papa.Curiosity still prodded at his mind though, stoking his fire to get to the bottom of just why these people were so bad! They didn't seem bad, he could sense that they meant well. Most of them at least. So, while out on an errand for his dad, he asked the people around town who these visitors were. Apparently, they were mediums seeking out talented young espers to train and help understand their abilities. There were kids like him? Really? That was amazing! He had to go tell Papa, maybe he was just worried because he didn't know! Kazuo ran all the way home, never noticing the cracks growing beneath his footfalls and climbing up the buildings he passed.

"Papa, Papa, Papa! Papa, listen! You know those peo- .....?"
The door creaks with an unknown age, every bit of the home he had grown to recognize growing to be a hollowed simile of itself. He glances around, the warmth of the house gone. Steps became uncertain and unfamiliar with every new crack that chipped at the paint on the walls. Slowly, he walked into the kitchen where his father sat, leaned over and lamenting as he muttered desperately to himself."Papa....? Are you okay...? Listen, I wanted to tell you something. About those people that visit the house-"There's no time to even blink, his vision being filled with his fathers face. Large, strong hands grip his arms painfully tight and the smell of death lingers on his fathers words.**What about them!? What did they tell you? You havent spoken to any of them have you! Tell the truth Kazuo!**Kazuo shakes his head, wide black eyes staring at the cracks that spread across his father's face. Trickles of black ooze leaked from the cracks, the mere mention of the visitors causing them to deepen. He'd never seen his dad look so scared and so angry at the same time."No, no... I-I d^idn't..... _{I didn't}...."

Staring into the man's desperate eyes, Kazuo felt pity for him. This man who had been his father but looking at him plead to stay the same boy, his boy, made him feel like less of a father and closer to a stranger on the street.Papa asked him to stay Kazuo like he wasn't already Kazuo. His brow furrowed, eyes darting back and forth from each of his fathers eyes. Something... felt off. The back of his brain tickled with thoughts just a mile away. Was he a replacement for someone? Was that what this was? No, he was Kazuo Miura- his papa loved him.His hands drifted to his pockets, shyly."Uhm... I..... "He trailed off, feeling dried, cracked skin under his finger tips.

Lyra's gift. Had it been with him this whole time? But who was Lyra to Kazuo?
No-- Not Kazuo. Ethan.
Who was Lyra to Ethan and how did he get here? Slowly it all came back to him as he left this mournful spirit waiting for an answer. He was supposed to be taking his exam right now."Kazu...?"Ethan inhaled, face scrunching up."I'm not your son!"The spirit's eyes go wide, sclera turning black in his distress. He grabbed Ethan's shoulders and shook him."No... No. That isn't TRUE. You are! You are him. You just have to remember. Please, remember!"Ethan shook his head, just as vigorously as his so called father did when his delusion was denied.

"NO I'M NOT!!!Ethan shoved himself away, unsticking himself from the liquid muck the ghost oozed from his fingers."Your son is gone! You have to move on! Kazuo's long gone and has been for a while probably. You can't just cling to him like he's still here!"Honesty was necessary for the grieving. At least the way Ethan saw it. If someone died, well, you had to accept it and move on! No one is ever really dead anyway, so why get so sad about it?The spirit didn't seem to enjoy this revelation in the slightest. The ground trembled, with every step Ethan took to get away from the creature. Opening the front door to leave only gave way to a black void, the world that had been created to house him in ceasing to exist. The darkness creeped into the doorway, trying to grasp at the skin of Ethan's hand.He yelped, jumping away to turn around and run upstairs. Everything was falling apart. The house was being consumed by a black sludge that assimilated all it touched into its hollowness and the spirit was fighting it's own deteriorating body to climb after him on the stairs.

Had to get out. Had to leave.Almost at the top step, something grabbed Ethan's leg and held on like a vice. His skin sizzled at the contact, black tar burning into his skin in an attempt to meld with him. He was pulled down, turning his head to see the spirit stretching and climbing up the stairs to reach him.Right above him the spirit hovered, dripping its acid like plasma onto his face. He clenches his eyes shut, fearfully kicking for his life. His body freezes as hot, foul breath hits against his cheek. The devil speaks to him."Kazuo.... Sssstay... wwwithh papa.... with me.... I. let other... boy go... for. you.. Staayyy.... Papa will. ke..ep ssafe. Be wi.th. Papa."

Ethan can't even say anything, gagging at the smell. His small hand tried to shove the face away only to burn at the touch. Tears stung his eyes and he did his very best not to cry out.This was scary. He didn't want to die like this! The sizzling hand of death grips at his shirt, pulling him towards the chest cavity of muck.Breath quick, eyes wide, heart racing, he feels a lump in his pocket and quickly fumbled to pull out the Slowpoke tail. It was practically stone, dried carefully and calcified to make it last forever. The will to live overtaking every fiber of his scrawny body, Ethan lifts the tail tip above his head and jams it into the head of the ghost.The sharp tip goes in deep, the man releasing a loud agonizing scream while the whole world comes to a standstill. What little form the ghost had left completely dematerializes into a loose puddle, everything swallowed by black around them falling off into clumps that dissolve into a white void."Don't..... trust them..... they'll ruin you... use.. you.... they dont.....lo.ve you.. like papa... does......"The world melts into a white, empty void, leaving Ethan alone among the last few remaining specks. How was he going to get out of here... Where was---

His eyes open.Eyes leaking the same black that threatened his life seconds earlier, Ethan sits up to release a torrent of vomit. Black smoke pours from his mouth, chunks of tar in between gasps. The boy that had tackled him earlier was long gone and both lanterns left behind were dead save for a few pathetic embers.Ethan's entire body shakes in his attempt to stand up, vision blurring to the point his own hand had its very own twin. He knew he was moments away from a fainting attack. But he couldn't do that here. It wasn't safe. What if something else got him. Why had no one come for him? Weren't they worried?Whimpering, he takes shuffling steps out of the room. He would steel him self just long enough to get out of here. To find safety. Was there such thing as safety with these people though? They hadn't rescued him... they promised they would... And that boy... where was he? Did he just leave Ethan to die? Did he trade his life just to escape?Ethan's thoughts raced, being the only thing that motivated him to make it to the end of the temple. If he just followed the bleeding of moonlight through the hallways, he'd find his way out.

Ethan gave up on being a medium that night. It was difficult to risk his life any more for people who withheld something so tragic from him....The spirit may not have been able to keep his new son but he had succeeded in planting a seed of distrust. A last victory before true, final death.Even after going back home, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling of acid on his skin, any touch from his father sending him into a panic. He grew distant, relying on Lyra heavily to give him hope. And she did. If it hadn't been for her, Ethan probably would have holed up in his room with the intention of rotting away, safe from the world.This event caused a split between his aunt and mother, Eun-kyung nearly beating her sister within half an inch of her life. There was a mutual agreement that it would be best if Ethan never remembered what happened. It wouldn't be a complete erase, Eun-U could only do so much, but she could at least take out the recollection of events from his mind.Torn from his mind, Ethan wouldn't be able to recall just what had happened during his final. He'd feel that terror in his soul, but it was an isolated feeling that only served to make him question why he felt so bad.And from there, the story is familiar. He went on his pokemon journey, finally lost trust in the world, found safety in his room, and eventually, found a reason to exist outside again. The gods had never once helped him. They couldn't really, and he knew that. They were susceptible to being captured by literal children the same as a meager rattata and needed help from said children more often than not. What kind of god was that?No, in this world, the only thing that will save you is the love you gain from the people around you. Gods shouldn't be worshipped, it was the people you loved that deserved to be cherished.

• Restart

Staring into the man's desperate eyes, Kazuo felt pity for him. This man who had been his father but looking at him plead to stay the same boy, his boy, made him feel like less of a father and closer to a stranger on the street.Papa asked him to stay Kazuo like he wasn't already Kazuo. His brow furrowed, eyes darting back and forth from each of his fathers eyes. Something... felt off. The back of his brain tickled with thoughts just a mile away. Was he a replacement for someone? Was that what this was? No, he was Kazuo Miura- his papa loved him.His arms reached up to hold his father in a tearful embrace, rubbing his back."I'll stay-...! I won't leave you papa, I promise!"

"Mh... Thank you Kazu. I... lo..ve. you."Closing his eyes Ethan Kazuo leaned into the warmth of his father's arms, cheek resting on his shoulder. He could hear the walls around them crumble, paint tearing off like the skin of a soaked peach. And yet he never once opened his eyes. He trusted Papa wholly and completely. Kazuo didn't even notice the rotten stench coming from his father. Nor did he notice that the warmth he felt was bubbling black Miasma that was slowly consuming him.As his father whispered words of love and gratitude for Kazuo, his form dripped into the boy, none the wiser to his fate. It didn't hurt...It felt like being put into a soda can, the bubbles of carbonation brushing against you as your mind eroded. It was just like a very long sleep, halfway between awake and dreaming at all times. This wasn't so bad....

Eye fluttered open.A boy shuffled himself up, movements smoother than the one that had attacked him but still uncoordinated. This would take some getting used to after all.Whisperings of his father constantly in his ear sang praises with each shaky step he took, even comforting him when he fell and shredded his knee on a pulled out floorboard. Oily tears trailed down his cheeks while Papa kissed the top of his head and healed it. Skin pulled back together, the constant leak of ichor from his body acting as a bandage for the woundThey had to find a way out of here... Papa had been trapped in here for years. He was probably sick of staying in such a dirty house! He sniffled, trying to ease the perpetual drip of his nose. Did he go left or right....?

Left.Feet drag against the wood, leaving a trail of black behind with every half-step. Moonlight would guide him. He didn't need a lantern anymore, his eyes adjusting very well to the dark all of a sudden. Glass cracks beneath his foot and sizzles out the dying fire of the lanterns.He whispers to himself, hearing Papa respond to everything to reassure that he would always be there with him. It was nice. It felt nice to not be alone anymore. He'd always have a friend with him, and Papa seemed so sad until he came back home... Kazuo didn't want to leave him ever again. He wouldn't.They found a window with seals on it. Papa was wary, but there was nothing to fear now! They had a body now, seals couldn't hurt the living.Kazu grabbed at the window frame, hands stinging when the seals activated. He let out a howl, never letting up until the wood gave way. The frame fell back with him knocking air from his lungs. He wheezed, looking at his now blistered his hands. Were the seals busted? They weren't supposed to hurt this much! Maybe they were trying to keep him trapped here...Papa was right. They did want to hurt him.

• 🡆

The funeral was a month later, a small turnout of just Lyra, her family, Uncle Johnny, and the Kims. Alan and Eun-Kyung handled it as well as they could. Ethan hadn't been expected to make it past the first week of his birth. And yet he did. 12 years wasn't a bad run.Spirited away was how his cause of death was described. This world was so topsy turvey, it wasn't that uncommon to hear that someone was taken by spirits or even the gods.His parents still kept up the Pokemon Nursery, but they modified it to also act as resting spot for young trainers on their way to challenge the Indigo league. They were nicknamed Mama and Pops by the trainers that passed by and gained a reputation for making sure you always well fed . And if you were a wayward youth or orphan? Well, you had a home to come back to now.
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Ethan's real name was long dead by now, he was only Kazuo now. He was moderately aware that he wasn't the original Kazuo but that was okay. Papa still loved him and saw it in his mercy to look after him. It wasn't intentional, he had only wanted the chance to see his son grow up a little more, but to the new Kazuo Papa was a god to be praised. His savior. Someone that he could whisper prayers to so gently it was more like a poem when he did so.He survived in the mountains for a time, before they both got a grasp on their new codependent state. Kazuo did well to manage his leaking state, toeing the line between still living and a true corpse. The human body wasn't meant to remain possessed. Eventually, it has to die. And still he persisted. A living spirit. A human ghost. A contradiction never meant to be and highly unstable.He only grew more unstable once his god passed on, pleased with being able to witness his "son" grow up. Kazuo had screamed and panicked from the lack of guidance, but he quickly calmed down. God hadn't left him. He was still a part of him. He was of god.He could do whatever he wanted.

• 🡆

Right.He faintly remembers going that way before. However long ago that was. It felt like years, but he was still 12. Papa whispers in his ear, asking him if he was sure, and he nods. That had to be the exit, then they would be free to live out their lives!He picks up a dying lantern, not really needing it anymore. His eyes seemed more than accustomed to the dark now. Still, it felt nice to hold something. His knees struggled to give way under every step, body feeling heavier as he got closer to the exit.He was practically crawling out of the exit by the time he got there, the congratulations for passing fading out into shocked gasps. Everyone was staring at him. Why? Did he do something wrong? He looks up at Papa to ask him, but Papa was enraged.

• 🡆

He can't even ask what was wrong because next thing coming out his mouth was a viscous foaming rot. His vision smeared so violently he couldn't tell what was fading into the consuming void around him and what was still in view. Terrified, he stared up at the malevolent spirit that loomed over him, melting over him as it wailed."YOU LIED YOU LIED YOU LIEEEEEEEEEED. THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU AWAY FROM ME. ARE YOU STUPID? DO YOU EVEN LOVE ME?""I-I do! O-of co-ourse I d-do!"More screaming. More claims he was a lying little bastard who should have never been born. That he was a disobedient child that did nothing but ruin everything. The boy couldn't see anything beyond the never ending blackness that held him. He sobbed and curled up into a ball, covering his ears. What was going on... what did he do wrong?It felt like he was in hell, the screams and insults pelting him, even whips of black tar springing up to slash at him in between the berating. He wanted to go home... who was he-Why....

• 🡆

My child.Huh....?A bright light above him stung his eyes, shining so brilliantly, so glorious, it brought him to weep. His hands clasped in prayer above his head"Please.. please help me...."==Reach out my child. They have called me to help you. Reach out to me. Reach out, Ethan. ==That's right... he was... Ethan. His hands lift up, grabbing onto something solid. The screaming grew louder, the surrounding void holding onto his legs to drag him back down. But he won't die here. He can't! Pulling himself closer to the voice, he saw a brilliant Pokemon of precious light and gold. Not a single speck of black tainted its radiant form. Sitting atop the Pokemon he watched the light grow, burning away corruption in a holy blaze. He shuts his eyes to not be completely blinded.

Ethan gained a new appreciation for his life. It would be wasteful of the Original One's gift to hole up in his room and hide. He stayed at the camp, recovering his strength from the possession the next few days. The boy that had sacrificed him in the temple came back to apologize, grateful he had been there that night. Ethan couldn't find it in his heart to hate him. What would a medium be without mercy after all?He stuck with his training, never once faltering. If the temptation to give up ever nipped at his heels, Ethan would rip it right out. Literally. The seed of doubt that had been planted in his aura during his possession had been torn out by his very hand. Anything he deemed foul in his aura would be removed, taken out with the same indifference as you would remove a suspicious mole. Ethan would never allow empathy to taint his judgement for a spirit that never meant well to begin with.He knew better now. He would show mercy, as Arceus would want, but if was up to the spirit if they took his it. If someone couldn't mourn and move on, he would make them. It was kinder than allowing them to suffer and hurt others.He grew into a capable medium, taking on the moniker Dokkaebi for jobs. It was best not to get to close to clients. Every feeling he had would be kept small and closer to his heart, compressed until he died. He had fulfillment in other ways anyhow.Espers praised him, spirits feared him. Hands permanently stained with aura from the souls he had "adjusted", body scarred and fit from training. He was a force to be reckoned with. He would do anything he could to make sure everyone's souls could feel as light as his did riding upon Arceus to freedom that day.

You found a Torn Diary! You put the item in your
🗝️ Key Items pocket.

• Read

January 6thToday is going to be a very very good day~!
Are you excited? I know I am! Those merchants from Ginkgo are coming to sell their monthly wares. Just in time for my birthday!I hope they bring something really special. Mother said that since it is my 13th birthday that I need to have something VERY special to celebrate it!The guild members haven't been traveling around as much with the tensions between the Pearl and Diamond Clan so high. The battles have been getting closer and closer to the village. It's a little scary... But Mother tells me it will be okay. We aren't part of either side, so they have no reason to come here. I don't know why they're fighting so much. Does it really matter who Almighty Sinnoh is? We never really worried about that here.

January 16thGood morning! I'm sorry I haven't written in you for so long. Things have been very busy since my birthday! Some dissenters from the Diamond-Pearl Clan battles have taken refuge in the village, so everyone has been adjusting and trying to help them find their place here. Mother says that since we are the mediators between the village and the Guardians of Being there is a special responsibility for the two of us to make our guests feel welcome!The first festival of the year is coming up, so me and Mother have been very busy preparing. I am old enough to perform in the festival ceremony with her so we have been practicing for the opening dance!