Chapter 6: A Troubled Past

Section 6: A Troubled Past

A library… Why did I come here again? Oh yeah. Curiosity. That's right. I need to know more. About Viridian City. About this town. About what's wrong here. Because something is wrong, that much is obvious. The whole thing with Giovanni… That old man… This feeling of lies and unspoken truths. Everything is blurry, as if the truth is right there, just within reach, but hidden behind a veil too thick for me to tear through all at once.

My footsteps echo on the polished wooden floor. No one pays attention to me, and that's just fine. Rows of shelves stand like walls, books neatly arranged, dust-covered archives. This kind of place breathes knowledge… and secrets. I walk up to the counter. A woman barely looks at me when I ask to see the archives on Viridian City and the Pokémon League. She simply gestures toward a back room. Perfect.

A pile of documents in front of me. Some pages yellowed with time, others perfectly preserved. My fingers glide over the sheets. Where to 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. This isn't just a feeling. Viridian City does have a strange past. I open the first file.

1966. A wave of disappearances. People who had spoken out against injustices, workers who exploited 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 this it? Is this what kind of town this is? A town that buries protests under silence?

I keep reading. 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 catches my attention.

"Some historians claim that the Pokémon League was built on cursed land. It is said to have been an execution site, where not only human bodies but also overused Pokémon were buried like trash. No concrete proof exists to this day, but the rumor persists."

A shiver runs up my spine. A cemetery under the foundations of the Pokémon League? Maybe it's just a myth… but there are too many coincidences. Too many hushed stories.

I close the files. My heart is beating 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 crushing about its architecture. Towering walls, doors locked behind rules that 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's buried underneath? Are the rumors true? I can't dig, I can't know for sure. But this feeling won't go away.

A noise.

Behind me.

Footsteps.

I turn around.

Damian.

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

"Oh, so you wanted to check this place out too," he says with a smirk.

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

He steps forward, gazing up at the towering structure like a dreamer already picturing his future inside.

"It's impressive, isn't it? In a few months, we might be standing there, 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 on my mind right now. Too many questions.

After a moment, I finally say, slowly, "Do you think we have a chance to get there?"

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

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

He keeps talking, going on about strategies he wants to perfect, trainers he's eager to face. The whole time, I listen, but my mind is elsewhere.

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

I'm starting 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'll never look at Viridian City and the Pokémon League the same way again.