Pokémon: This Unpredictable World

Section 2: A Troubled Past

A library… Why did I come here again? Oh right. Curiosity. That's it. I have this need to know more. About Viridian City. About this place. About what's wrong here. Because something is wrong, that much is obvious. The whole thing with Giovanni… That old man… This feeling of deception and secrecy. Everything is blurry, as if the truth is right there, just before my eyes, but hidden behind a veil too thick for me to tear through in one go.

My footsteps echo on the polished wooden floor. No one pays attention to me, and that's just fine. Rows of shelves standing like ramparts, books neatly arranged, dusty archives. This kind of place reeks of knowledge… and secrets. I approach the counter. A woman barely glances at me when I ask to see the archives on Viridian City and the Pokémon League. She simply gestures toward a room in the back. Perfect.

A pile of documents sits before me. Some pages yellowed by time, others perfectly preserved. My fingers glide over the sheets. Where do I even start? My eyes scan the titles:

"Viridian City: A Prosperous Town with a Quiet Past."

"Economic Inequalities in Kanto: A Case Study on Viridian City."

"The Pokémon League: A History of Power and Influence."

I frown. So it's not just a feeling. Viridian City has a strange past. I open the first file.

1966. A wave of disappearances. People who spoke out against injustice, workers exploiting Pokémon on a massive scale… all erased. No bodies found. Simply… vanished. The newspapers from that time mention rumors, mysteries, but nothing concrete. No culprits, no explanations. One sentence catches my eye:

"Those who shout too loud end up silent."

My hands clench. Is that it? Is this the kind of city I'm dealing with? A place that buries protests under silence?

I keep going. Another document, this time about the Pokémon League. It was built in the 1960s. Nothing strange at first glance. But… a note at the bottom of the page grabs my attention.

"Some historians claim that the Pokémon League was built on cursed ground. It is said to be an old execution site, where not only human bodies but also Pokémon—used to their last breath before being discarded like trash—were buried. No concrete evidence exists to this day, but the rumor persists."

A chill runs down my spine. A graveyard beneath the foundations of the Pokémon League? It might just be a myth… but there are too many coincidences. Too many hushed stories.

I close the files. My heart beats a little faster. I should stop here. But I can't. I need to see this place with my own eyes.

---

The air is cold in front of the massive Pokémon League building. Even from here, even in broad daylight, there's something overwhelming about its architecture. Towering walls, doors sealed by rules only the strongest can break. Eight badges… A symbol of power and elitism. But that's not what interests me right now.

I look down at the ground beneath my feet. What lies beneath it? Are the rumors true? I can't dig. I can't know for sure. But this feeling won't leave me.

A sound.

Behind me.

Footsteps.

I turn around.

Damian.

His eyes gleam with an excitement he doesn't even try to hide. He's here too. But not for the same reasons.

"Ah, so you wanted to see this too," he says with a smirk.

I nod without answering. He doesn't need to know.

He steps forward, gazing up at the building like a dreamer already picturing himself inside.

"It's impressive, isn't it? In a few months, we might be here, fighting for our place among the best."

I don't answer right away. It's not that I don't agree. It's just… There's too much in my head right now. Too many questions.

Eventually, I say, slowly: "Do you think we have a chance of making it?"

Damian chuckles. "A chance? I'm going to win. You? I don't know."

A faint smile escapes me. Classic. But his confidence is different. It's not arrogance, just… certainty.

He keeps talking, going on about the strategies he wants to perfect, the trainers he can't wait to face. The whole time, I listen, but my mind is elsewhere.

I think back to Alank. That old man. He knew things. He mentioned some of it… but he didn't tell me all this. Why? Why didn't he talk about the city's history? Why did he avoid the topic of the Pokémon League?

I start to doubt.

Doubt what he told me.

Doubt what he didn't tell me.

I can't draw any conclusions yet. But one thing is certain.

I no longer see Viridian City and the Pokémon League the same way.