Chapter no.220 The Tree of Life

[ Sinnoh Region - HIRD ]
HIRD or The Hisuian Institute of Research and Development was one of the most prestigious institutions in the entire world.
After defeating the Elite four and Ace trainers, Cynthia had gotten enough free time to go back to her studies so she could get her PhD. Ever since she was little her obsession with research was unprecedented so her grandma took it in her hands to begin her homeschooling.
On the Battlefield she was Champion Cynthia so with the help of her precious cloaking stone she was able to continue her studies while not being bothered at all.
"I'd like to draw your attention to this cave painting."
Cynthia looked up from her notebook, and startled in surprise. She recognized the image on the projector screen – it was from the ruins behind her house, the painting her grandmother had showed her when she was a girl. Three lights, each slightly elongated to suggest the shape of a creature, arranged in a triangle around a larger light.
"You may have seen this before – the original is in Celestic Town, but it's a fairly popular piece to reproduce for museums," the professor went on. His mouth quirked a very slight smirk before he asked, "Can anyone tell me what it represents?"
Cynthia's hand shot up immediately. She faithfully recounted her grandmother's explanation: "The three lights represent the Trinity."
The professor's smirk grew to a full grin. "Yes, that's the popular interpretation. The three lights represent Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, the lake spirits commonly worshipped today." He waved an arm languidly. "If you look this picture up on the internet or visit Celestic Town yourself, that's what it'll say: 'Early depiction of the Trinity'. So!" The class jumped at the professor's sudden rise in volume. He leaned back against the wall and looked up at the projector screen with exaggerated curiosity. "Can someone tell me…" He gestured to the points of the triangle, and looked back at the class with a wry smirk. "…where's Azelf in this picture?"
The room went silent for a full second. One student half-raised her hand, hesitantly, but the professor ignored her to bellow, "You can't tell! They're all just blobs, right? So, how do we know this is actually depicting the Trinity? Well actually… we don't!" His expression suddenly turned serious, and he stamped his hands on his desk for emphasis. "This is the most important thing you're going to learn in this class," the professor intoned. "If you take away nothing else, remember this: interpretation is shaped by pre-existing beliefs. The lake trinity is what we're familiar with, so we interpret everything through that lens. We see three blobby things in a painting from a thousand years ago and assume that of course they must be the three things we care about now. But we have nothing to back that up!"
The professor clicked ahead a slide. "The number three actually comes up a lot in mythology. Nearly every region has a 'mythic trinity' of some kind. A Kantonian would look at this and say, clearly this is our trinity, Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos! A Johtonan would say, are you crazy? That's clearly Entei, Suicune, and Raikou – totally different!" A few students laughed, and the professor joined them. "Yes, you see now how silly it is to make assumptions? Kanto and Johto are still arguing to this day over their respective trinities that are plainly different forms of the exact same creatures, no better demonstrated than with Suicune and Articuno – clearly summer and winter forms of the same pokemon. But –" The professor raised a finger and smiled condescendingly. "Do you think that might have something to do with the fact Kanto and Johto have almost no pokemon that take multiple forms?" After a moment, he continued, "Something blindingly obvious can be misinterpreted or missed entirely because a particular culture insists on viewing it through an inaccurate lens. No one in Kanto and Johto today disputes the fact that pokemon are capable of different forms, but they don't reconsider assumptions inherited from a time when no one knew that."
He clicked to the next slide, which contained a smaller crop of the painting and a large number 3. "Why don't we put the question to you, now. Can you think of other 'threes'?"
' I wonder what Austin is doing right now. Last time he told me he was going to Rota to meet a friend. '
Cynthia thought before smiling as her attention was brought back to the professor.
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It was a sunny afternoon in the kingdom of Rota as the plane landed in the airport.
Austin walked down the stairs while carrying a suitcase that Pikachu was using as a ride who looked at his trainer in concern.
Looking back, Pikachu gazed at Yellow who was intensely staring at the back of Austin's head.
Austin wore a black shirt with a blue overcoat while wearing blue jeans.
People stared at Austin weirdly as he brushed his hair aside that seemed to have grown longer. Then again you don't normally see a ten year old smoking.
" Sir, you shouldn't smoke."
One of the airport staff said.
" Oh, is this a non-smoking area ?"
" ... No."
" Then there is no problem."
Austin replied as he left the dumbfounded airport staff member.
" Ash, that's bad for you." Yellow said while Austin choose to ignore her.
Maybe if he ignores her long enough she will leave and be safe.
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The Tree of Beginning was Rota's important artifact in the whole kingdom. Some people think that it's a very tall typical tree. Others believe that it's not an ordinary tree. Well, they're right. It's actually made out of crystals. Yes, crystals. All of the crystals feed upon sunlight. No one knows why.
Austin entered into inn room he had payed for. It wasn't anything special but the inner decor reminded him of the medieval European rooms shown in the movies.
" Pika, pi."
" Yeah, yeah I remember. Let's go get your disgusting dish."
" Pika !"
Outside of Austin's room, a small yellow Pichu stared at Austin with confusion visible on her face.
Pichu jumped down as mid air she transformed into a Pidgey before flying away while thinking.
What is Arceus's chosen doing here ?
Pikachu glanced at the window as he felt that someone was just watching them.
" Come on, buddy. Let's try out the local cuisines."
" Pika, pi."
( ~ Knock ~ )
( ~ Knock ~ )
Austin went to check who was at the door before stopping.
" Ash, can I stay with you ?" Yellow asked as she fidget while holding onto her staff hat.
" ..... "
" So I spend all my money to get that ticket and I left my wallet in vermilion. I don't want to call Misty and Brock."
" ( ~ Sigh ~ ) "
( ~ Creak ~ )
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[ Kingdom of Rota - Le Polidor ]
Le Polidor, a famous restaurant in the Kingdom of Rota, built about 200 years ago by the famous Chief Gordon of Galar.
Austin read through the pamphlet while a few people stared at them.
Pikachu and everyone were enjoying their meals while Austin placed the pamphlet down before continuing where he left of. Yellow was constantly glancing at Austin with a blush on her face since this was like a date that she had watched in the movies.
One of the waiter's asked her colleague.
" Shouldn't that young trainer have a limit of 6 pokemon with him ?"
" Yeah but I heard from Stephen that they had someone high ranking from the pokemon league."
" Oh, that explains why stephen was so frightened but how can someone so young me a high ranking member ?"
" Maybe he's just naturally dwarf"
" Yeah that explains it. For I second I thought that a ten year old was smoking infront of me. Then is the girl with him, his daughter or something?"
" Maybe but shouldn't we say something to him ?"
" Nah, didn't you hear what Stephen said that we shouldn't bother him."
" Must be some high class trainer if Stephen is so willing to kiss his ass."
Austin meanwhile was so focused on the book on the Tree of Life that he didn't realize that people were looking at him and his pokemon while weirded out followed their trainer in not caring.Yellow meanwhile was lost in her daydreaming to care.
' The Tree of Life is the most sacred place to the people of Rota. Normal people aren't allowed to get close to this holy site unless the Queen herself allows it. Legend says the chosen Ashura of the Sacred Flames of God will come to unite the Tree of Life and unite the world. '
As Austin read this, his mind flashed to the legend spoken about in the second pokemon movie.
Suddenly a waiter came with plate consisting of two small steak medallions with a scallion sauce and a few roasted vegetables.
Austin's and Yellow's mouth watered at the dish infront of anything else.
" Anything else, Sir."
" No, thank you." Austin and Yellow replied at the same time.
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[ 𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡 ]
𝗙𝘂𝗰𝗵𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆; 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗞𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗷𝗮. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘀, 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗙𝘂𝗰𝗵𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗷𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝘂𝗰𝗵𝘀𝗶𝗮 – 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 3０% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 – 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁, 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 – 𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝘂𝗰𝗵𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 – 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗺𝘆. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 – 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗷𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 – 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝗰𝗵𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿; 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆'𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗹, 𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘆𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵; 𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵, 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆.]