{"sf1_id":124375,"sf2_id":"k1V60Jj1","title":"The Power Within - Prologue \u0026 Chapter 1","author":"bulbachu","words":1056,"posted_at":"2010-02-06T20:02:00.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Clean","Mew","Pokemon","Story Progression","Story Series"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/124375-the-power-within-prologue-chapter-1","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/k1V60Jj1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/d0/d6/d0d69f26-ed7d-4e9d-9df2-9190678c76da","description":"#1 of The Power Within","content":"\u0026nbsp;\n\nPrologue: The Face of Death\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHave you ever had that feeling that your life has come to a standstill, that even time itself has come to an end?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Your mind loses its distinctness, its sharpness, as thoughts blur and blend and your vision becomes hazy and dull.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I suppose we've all felt this at one time or another in our lives, but then again, you're not like me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Nobody is like me; we are all individuals, each with their own life, their own existence.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Maybe that's why I feel the need to tell this; maybe by sharing it, the truth of the matter will become more real, tangible, even malleable, somehow becoming more a part of me with every outside influence.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I know I have a purpose, as does everyone else in this world, though things weren't always this clear, this easy to follow.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;As I know now, fate will always have the final say, and nothing will ever change what is bound to occur; one's own destiny is inalterable, yet we try.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;We struggle to make our destiny better, more fulfilling.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Our journey is distinct, the path we choose out own.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;This is my story, and as far as I can tell, sometimes the lines between reality and imagination become blurred and broken.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Maybe that's why I am here, staring death in the face with a defiant spirit.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;But to truly understand what I am saying, we must first go back to the beginning, to square one.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;As far as I can tell, this is the beginning of my life, my new life, my life in the world of Pokémon...\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nChapter 1: A New Beginning\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Why the hell do I have to do this?!\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sun beats down mercilessly on the forest, the canopy of leaves blocking the light, but doing little to help with the sweltering heat.\u0026nbsp; Every day is the same, has been the same for the past month.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nLet me introduce myself.\u0026nbsp; My name is Junsei, though Jun is fine as well, and I work for Team Rocket.\u0026nbsp; Yeah, I know, _those_ guys, but it was the only job available at the time.\u0026nbsp; Public opinion aside, the organization really isn't as bad as it seems - where I work at least.\u0026nbsp; I'm a field agent, a grunt, the lowest of the low.\u0026nbsp; We don't even get to have Pokémon.\u0026nbsp; Regular grunts go on actual missions - stealing Pokémon from unsuspecting trainers and stuff like that.\u0026nbsp; I, however, have had the misfortune of failing again and again, which brings us to the present.\u0026nbsp; Today marks the one month anniversary of my coming to this forest.\u0026nbsp; I'm here alone with no supplies except a tent, emergency radio transmitter, and a tracking device weighing somewhere around 50 pounds.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nEver since Giovanni's failure in the Mewtwo experiment, he has been set on finding a living Mew and obtaining DNA that can be adapted just as easily as the real thing can.\u0026nbsp; Due to my consistent failure and the hazards of the mission, I had the ill fate of being chosen to find a Mew that supposedly lives in the forest.\u0026nbsp; One month later and here I am, with still no sign of anything more powerful than a Spinarak.\u0026nbsp; How would I catch it anyways?\u0026nbsp; It could be invisible, and even if it wasn't, it could just as easily teleport away in an instant.\u0026nbsp; If some wild Pokémon doesn't kill me, I'm sure this 100 degree heat will...\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis voice fades away as the last excerpt from his diary is read, on a page titled _For whoever finds this notebook..._.\u0026nbsp; It has been dropped in the forest, the wear and tear visible.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nJun takes a much-needed break, wiping the sweat from his face and arms as he gets out his canteen.\u0026nbsp; Taking a drink, he thinks about just how peaceful nature is, or would be if he didn't have to lug around a bulky machine.\u0026nbsp; Putting his water away, he looks at the device, which he's pretty sure doesn't even work, and wonders what cruel fate he has.\u0026nbsp; Suddenly, the device crackles and a worn motor starts to whirr.\u0026nbsp; The radar starts to go off, beeping wildly every once in a while, sensing something coming closer and farther away.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nA dot appears on the screen, and he excitedly picks up his pack and gear, running off into the woods to follow it, the notebook left behind.\u0026nbsp; The dot flits about, never staying in one place long enough to find whatever is causing the commotion.\u0026nbsp; Thorny branches and brambles scratch Junsei's skin and tear at his clothes, but he continues, pushing his body to the limit.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen the radar stops, everything going quiet, the dot disappearing.\u0026nbsp; He curses his luck as the machine's engine shudders and dies, the truth being that the energy levels had been depleted until nothing remained.\u0026nbsp; He cast the device aside and sighed, stumbling out into a clearing.\u0026nbsp; The human stopped and rested on a stump, not caring any more about the heat, the sun, or even if he'd make it out of the forest.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen comes the strangest feeling - an unseen presence haunts Junsei's mind, and he scans the surrounding forest, trying to detect its source.\u0026nbsp; He had just about given up, when he looked up, and there, only inches above his head, was a Mew.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nToo tired to do anything about it, however, he just sat and stared.\u0026nbsp; He and the Mew lock eyes, each seeming to look deep into the other's heart, into their soul.\u0026nbsp; The Mew and Junsei, there seemed to be some bond tying them together, as if fate had wanted it to be.\u0026nbsp; He reached a hand up to touch the Pokémon, uncertain if it was really real, or just an illusion caused by the heat.\u0026nbsp; They make contact before the Mew teleports away, leaving the pitiful human alone again.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe sighs, knowing that he'll probably never see it again.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen, something weird happens.\u0026nbsp; Junsei's body feels light, his head dizzy, thoughts no longer registering with complete clarity.\u0026nbsp; His vision blurs as he is enveloped in inky darkness, the sound of a faraway voice calling his name.\u0026nbsp; Then, that too fades and he is left alone in the ebony abyss.\n\n  \n  \n\n"}