Chapter 36: The Dragons of Ouen


A/N: This chapter contains a bit of alcohol. Since alcohol isn’t illegal that shouldn’t really matter, but I’m warning you for safety.

As they entered the town, it was raining heavily. A lot of the buildings looked abandoned, which didn’t really surprise Mark, since he personally wouldn’t have wanted to live with a thunderstorm around him all the time. They had recalled their Pokémon as they drew nearer to the town, and therefore it was just the kids now. They quickly entered the Pokémon Center of Stormy town; the familiar white building with the red roof was positioned beside the gym, which was huge, three stories, heavily lit up and extremely attention-catching with the giant red neon letters saying “STORMY TOWN GYM – LET THE SPARK OF YOUR MIND LEAD YOU THROUGH A SHOCKING EXPERIENCE”. Mark figured it was an Electric Pokémon gym. He snickered at how far gym leaders would go with their puns these days. The gym leader was probably named Sparky or something about as lame.

They came into the Pokémon Center, soaked wet. Nurse Joy, who like the rest of them had pinkish-red hair and wore a white dress, greeted them with her normal serene smile as the thunderstorm roared outside.

“Oh dear, you look terrible,” she said. “Well, that’s become what this Pokémon Center is for, hasn’t it? After this storm started, it’s rained so much everybody who comes is soaked…”

She sighed.

“We offer free rooms, showers included, for trainers who have put themselves through the trouble of coming here,” she said softly. “Will you accept this service or have you made any other preparations?”

“I think we’ll take it,” said Mark, happy to think of the warm room. “Is there a restaurant in town?”

Nurse Joy smiled. “Practically everything in here has been moved to these two buildings, the gym and the Pokémon Center. The restaurant is over at the gym – don’t worry, Sparky (Mark rolled his eyes) is a wonderful cook. The rooms will be ready when you return.”

The kids showed their trainer cards to Nurse Joy, and then hurried into the neon-lit building beside the Pokémon Center.


Warmth greeted them as soon as they entered through the electrical doors. The floor was laid with pink tiles with quite a bit of space between them, which was filled with white. The walls were pale yellow, and corridors led to the left and right. A glass door right in front of them covering a staircase said “BATTLE ARENA – CAUTION: DO NOT ENTER WHILE A BATTLE IS GOING ON” in navy blue letters.

“Looking for food or Pokémon battles?”

The speaker was a rather short, thin man wearing silver shades, a navy t-shirt and light blue shorts. He had a goatee and long, bright blue, wavy hair. A gleeful, friendly expression filled his face, perhaps making him look younger than he actually was.

“Um, food for now, I guess,” Mark said. “A battle tomorrow, maybe.”

“Yeah, why not,” said the man, who Mark assumed was Sparky. “We’ll say tomorrow, then. A promise is a promise.”

He led the trainers to the left, through a door and into a room that was completely out of the blue when compared to the rest of the gym.

The walls looked ancient. All the furniture was made out of polished wood. While it did have tiles in the floor, these were just pretty dull, gray rock ones. Tables were lined along the left and right walls; a desk was at the far right corner, and from behind it there was a door Mark assumed must lead into the kitchen.

All three kids stared at the sudden change. Sparky laughed, taking his shades off and stuffing them in his pocket.

“This gives more of a restaurant atmosphere, don’t you think?” he said and winked. “By all means sit down; it’s been around two months since a trainer last bothered to stop by. Usually, they come, run into the Pokémon Center, come in here, battle, get their badge and then leave this cursed town, like they fear to get hit by a lightning.”

He giggled, like getting hit by a lightning in the town was the most unlikely thing that could ever happen.

“So, sit down, will you?”

They sat down at the nearest table and Sparky got three menus for them.

“Um… I think I’ll have a hamburger, please,” Mark said after skimming through the menu. “A cheeseburger,” he then added.

“I’ll have a pizza, thank you,” said May. “With pepperoni and extra cheese.”

“I’d like the beef steak,” Alan announced. Sparky wrote it down in a small notepad.

“And your Pokémon?”

“Our Pokémon?” Mark questioned.

“Are they going to have something? Or will you just keep them inside their balls and miss all the decent food?” Sparky raised his eyebrows.

“Do Pokémon usually get food at restaurants?” asked Alan, looking puzzled.

“No, but it’s time for that to change,” said Sparky, reminding Mark of Fury. “And, I will cook for a full team of six Pokémon for the price of one trainer’s meal. Come on, this is an offer that you can’t refuse… they will be delighted to get proper food instead of the usual Pokémon food that always tastes the same,” he said persuasively.

“Um, okay then,” said Mark and let all his Pokémon out apart from Gyarados and Charizard, who wouldn’t fit inside the small restaurant. May and Alan did the same, excluding Lapras and Diamond.

“Don’t worry about the big ones, I’ll give you some to take with you for them,” said Sparky cheerfully. “So, what would you like to eat?”

The Pokémon looked confused at first, but after looking around a bit, they realized what was going on. Racko, Raichu and Jolteon started whispering excitedly about what to order. Scyther, however, seemed to be used to eating human food from his time with the Mew hunter, since he didn’t need to look at the menu before he said: “Just beer, thanks, I’m not really hungry.”

Sparky grinned. “Do you have any ideas of special equipment that would allow you to hold the can?”

“Just give me a bowl or something, I’ll lap it up.”

Sparky laughed. “Sure thing.”

But Scyther was the only Pokémon who wanted actual human food; the rest all ordered either a steak or a salad without everything.

All the Pokémon sat down at the floor, except Scyther, who sat down in the seat beside Mark.


When their food arrived (which actually didn’t take all that long), Sparky first came with Scyther’s order; he put a huge bowl in front of him, poured the beer into it and then went back to get the kids’ meals. Then he came again, followed by four people Mark assumed were his junior trainers, with the other orders. After they were gone and the kids had started their meal, Scyther dipped his head into the bowl for a few seconds.

“Ahh, refreshing,” he said, coming out of it again. “Just like in the old days…”

He drank all of it in a remarkably short time.

“Wonder if he’s got more,” Scyther muttered, just as Sparky came and filled the bowl again. Scyther didn’t even say thanks; he just started drinking again, even faster this time. Meanwhile, Mark and Alan finished eating, but May ate unnaturally slowly and was still on her second slice. The Pokémon had also finished.

Scyther looked up from the bowl which he hadn’t fully finished yet, sighed, and looked at Mark with his eyes half-closed and dizzy-looking. “This brings back some memories from when the Mew hunter took me and Kabutops to the Gamesharked Skarmory in Metal city… great restaurant, I tell ya…” he said in a faint voice, then dipped his head into the bowl again and drank the remains.

“If you want a piece of advice from an adult, kids…” he said, louder than before, “don’t ever fall in love. Even in the unlikely case that he or she likes you too, something will probably get in your way, like hate between species or a trainer who catches one of you, or a Fangcat that kills you. Kills you with cold blood… you know, it’s quite enjoyable… first you don’t know why you like it so much, but then you realize it: killing is fun… delightful… so… tasty… crunchy Caterpies…”

Mark stared blankly at Scyther, but May said what he wanted to say.

“Scyther, you’re drunk. And I don’t think all that alcohol is very good for Pokémon.”

“Whatever,” said Scyther, suddenly dropping onto the table as he started to snore.

Sparky looked at the Pokémon with a fatherly smile and said: “Poor guy. Well, at least I’ve learned something: Never serve alcoholic drinks to Pokémon, even those who aren’t underage.” He patted Scyther on the back. “I would recall him if I were you,” he then whispered into Mark’s ear. He nodded, tapped his mantis lightly with his Pokéball and absorbed him into the red and white sphere.

They finished eating, paid (it was relatively cheap), and then went back to the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy was waiting.

“Your beds are ready,” she said with a small bow. “You each get your own room to share with your Pokémon. Whether you let them sleep on the floor, at the other end of your bed, or in their Pokéballs, is up to you. The rooms are in the corridor back here.” She pointed at a door beside the desk. The kids received the keys from her and then each went to their own bedrooms. Mark let Jolteon, Sandslash, Scyther and Dragonair out of their Pokéballs, took a shower, undressed and lay down in the double bed beside Jolteon, who was already fast asleep on top of the sheets. His thoughts got cloudy and when he felt he was no longer in charge of what went on in his head, he sank himself into the cinema of his brain.


Mark stood in the grass outside Green town. The people all around him were counting down. Chaletwo’s purple shape appeared when they came to zero. The terribly bright eyes opened, and Mark felt immense pain as everything around the eyes went black in comparison to their brightness…


Jolteon was facing a Dugtrio. All three menacing heads glinted evilly at him with six eyes. He felt completely calm; he knew that he was unbeatable.

The mole Pokémon’s heads started moving up and down; slowly at first, then faster until the earth started shaking. The earthquake then turned into like a real earthquake. Jolteon opened his eyes a bit, rather annoyed, discovering that the earthquake that woke him had just been the sheets moving as Mark was flailing around in his sleep and mumbling. Then he finally came to a rest.

Jolteon’s nose touched his trainer’s forehead gently. It was cold and sweaty. As to comfort him, the Pokémon laid his head onto the boy’s shoulder, carefully making sure not to discharge any electricity. He closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep again.


Suddenly, Chaletwo’s eyelids came slowly down, covering the eyes again. The environment slowly went back to its normal colors, but he was no longer outside Green town. He was atop the mountain beside Stormy town, Chaletwo standing beside him and looking gloomily over the town. The thunderstorm raged all around them.

“I sense great power,” said Chaletwo’s echoing voice inside Mark’s head. Chaletwo still stared into the town.

“The thunderstorm,” Mark said without thinking. “The electricity charged in the clouds, probably.”

“No,” said Chaletwo. “It is growing power… it is a Pokémon’s power… it is the reason for that thunderstorm… it’s a legendary Pokémon.”

“Raikou? Zapdos?” Mark suggested.

“No,” said the legendary Pokémon, still staring down into the town. “Rick has them.”

“What could it be then?” Mark asked.

“It could only be one Pokémon…” said Chaletwo’s voice. “One that nobody has ever seen or heard of. The electric dragon of Ouen… Thunderyu.”

“What? You know it?” Mark questioned.

“Of course I know it, I created it!” hissed Chaletwo, now finally looking at Mark.

“Created it?” Mark asked. Chaletwo looked down into the town again.

“Yes, created it, and I’ve never regretted anything as much as I now regret that,” Chaletwo sighed.

“The last War of the Legends was just over, and me and Mew were creating new Pokémon… we created the legendaries first… Mew instructed me on everything. There were three birds of Kanto, three beasts of Johto and three golems of Hoenn. I asked Mew why there were none in Ouen. Mew just said that there weren’t supposed to be any. I was just a kid… freshly born with childish ideas of ruling the world. I created my own three legendary Pokémon for Ouen. There was Thunderyu, the dragon of thunder, bringing thunderstorms wherever it went. There was Volcaryu, the dragon of lava, with control over volcanoes and the ability to make them erupt. There was Polaryu, the dragon of winter, capable of bringing the temperature down to absolute zero with a single thought. But I didn’t want Mew to know I had disobeyed, so I made chambers that no eyes could see into save from my own, deep underground, where they would be in deep sleep until I had gained so much power that even Mew would fear me. Ridiculous ideas, of course – but I forgot about them, and now I pay the price… their added power has woken them up, which is why this thunderstorm started, and they will be trying to break out… I made them hate each other more than anything has ever hated… they won’t be at rest until only one of them lives…they will destroy everything in their path if they have to in order to reach the others…”

Chaletwo paused, then looked back at Mark, and said: “The world is in danger.”