The One Who Hears Music

I've always heard the music. It changes depending on where I am. It's cheery in Hau'oli City and on the Routes, relaxing in Iki Town and Mahalo Trail. In some places, it even changes depending on if it's day or night. I've never really thought anything of it; I figured it was completely normal. That is until I heard the rumors. I heard it from my best friend first. We were in the halls on our way to class when she stopped me. "Have you heard?" she asked. "About The One Who Hears Music?" I was confused, so I didn't respond. She took that as a no. "They say that the one who hears music is being controlled." At this point, my heart began to pound. "By who?” She shrugged. "No one knows." Then she got all up in my face. "Do you hear music?" I knew she was joking, but I just couldn't take it. I ran into the nearest bathroom to call my mom. "Have you heard about The One Who Hears Music?" "Don't call me about your silly rumors. Shouldn't you be in class?" I couldn’t focus in class. We were talking about Pokemon moves, but when we were asked to take notes, I just stared blankly ahead. My Litten snuggled in my lap, aware of my concern and trying to comfort me. My teacher noticed my worry, too. “Are you okay?” she asked me at the end of the day once everyone had started their walk home. I was scared to tell her about the rumor, thinking she’d have the same reaction as my mom. But, she surprised me. “Sweetie, don’t worry about it. It’s probably just some random kid’s wild imagination.” When I got home, I told my mom I was going to Iki Town. I wanted to go to Mahalo Trail to clear my mind. I sat down with my legs hanging over the water. I did get my mind of that rumor for a while, and even almost drifted off. But out of nowhere, I jolted awake, suddenly wanting to continue my island challenge. I had already completed the first trial and was on my Grand Trial. I went back to Iki Town where Professor Kukui and Lilli were conveniently waiting. “I’m lookin’ forward to seeing what moves you and your Pokemon will pour your soul into...” Professor Kukui said as if he knew I was about to do my Grand Trial, “now that you’ve gone and cleared your first trial, Nathan!” Now it was Lilli’s turn. “It’s true… I’m not a trainer, so I’m sure I really don’t understand how hard it must have been… But even I think it’s a great achievement!” I heard her little Cosmog, Nebby, from her bag. “The Melemele kahuna is strong, cousin!” Kakui said. “He’s a trainer who can use Fighting-type Pokemon to the fullest, yeah. Might not be a bad idea to work on those Flying- or Psychic-type moves!” He stepped aside and I saw Kahuna Hala, his back turned to me. I was dumbfounded, but I just walked up to him. He immediately turned around. “Congratulations on clearing your trial in Verdant Cavern. Good work. I suppose you are here to battle the kahuna?” I was really confused. I had stopped by Iki Town many a time before, and not once had I asked to battle him.

Nathan plopped onto his bed after a long day of school and reached for his Nintendo 3DS. He hadn’t had a lot of free time lately, what with all his homework and chores, but homework was light today, so he figured he’d give himself a break and play some Pokemon Sun. One annoying thing about his particular cartridge was that his sprite always seemed to move. He could be in Hau’oli City, save, and when he came back, he would be halfway across the island! He asked his friends who also played Pokemon about it; they weren't having similar issues. He looked online, nothing. He knew he had left off on Route 3, ready to go to Iki Town and challenge the kahuna. When he popped his handheld open, he was on Mahalo Trail. Annoyed, he was at least glad that he was close to Iki Town. He walked down into the small town and sped through Lilli’s and Professor Kukui’s rambling. He moved his Wingull to the front of his party, and as he did so, he realized his Pokémon’s levels were a good bit higher than when he last was on. It was almost as if his sprite was training them when he wasn’t around. He laughed at the ridiculous thought and challenged Kahuna Hala. He quickly fainted his Mankey and Makuhita, then went online to see if he could find a new cartridge. Then he thought, Let’s see what else this thing has to offer. He went back to his game and started running aimlessly around the island, hoping something would happen. When nothing did, he gave up and went to make himself dinner. After all, it was Friday, so he had all day tomorrow to mess around.

I didn’t know why I decided to run around the island like a headless Torchic, but when I was finally done, I was completely out of breath. The first thing I thought to do was go down to the research lab and ask Professor Kukui how he knew I was going to fight the kahuna. But when I asked him, he seemed confused. “Did you fight the Kahuna? You should’ve told me. I would’ve watched you, yeah!” I left, even more dumbfounded than before. I would have gone to ask Hala the same thing, but my mom caught me as I passed my house. She was mad. “You get inside right now, missy!” I went inside and she sat me down to eat. “It’s well past dinner time. You know you’re supposed to be home for dinner!” I did, I knew I did. I didn’t know why I didn’t go home. We ate silently, then I went to my room to pounder. I was thinking about the rumor. ''Could it be? No. That’s impossible. I went to bed trying to convince myself that it really was'' impossible. I knew there was something weird going on, and I was going to figure it out.

Nathan got up early the next morning and ate breakfast quickly. He was excited to finally figure out what was wrong with his cartridge. He ran to his room and popped open his DS, wondering where the little sprite would be this time. It was in the bed in his in-game house, as if it had just woken up as well. He moved the character out of the bed and exited the house. He started running around the island again, not sure what else to do. He opened and closed his DS a few times to see if the sprite would move. It didn’t. The more he ran around, the angrier he got. When he was at his max frustration, he violently shook the DS back and forth and shouted, “Do something!” To his surprise, it listened. The sprite actually turned around and looked at him.

I got up earlier than usual. I hopped out of bed and went outside without even stopping to tell my mom, who was strangely standing in the middle of the main room of the house, staring blankly ahead. I decided to run around aimlessly again, for reasons I did not understand. I did that for a good half hour, until, when I was about to go up Route 3 for about the sixth time, I stopped. I started to stumble as if my whole world was being shaken back and forth. At the same time, I heard an unfamiliar voice from behind me shout, “Do something!” So I turned around to see who it was. I almost wished I hadn’t. There, seemingly just floating, was another human being. Well, his head, in what seemed to be a window to some unknown place. He screamed and jumped backward out of sight. When he came into view again, I had the urge to turn back around and continue up Route 3. I realized that this urge was this creature somehow trying to push me onward, trying to control me. I refused to budge. I would not let him control me, not anymore.

Nathan grew more and more frustrated at the sprite as it continued to not move. He pushed harder and harder on his joystick until, finally, he just threw the handheld at the wall. The cartridge popped out and the screen went dark. Horrified at what he’d just done, he immediately went to collect his device and was relieved to see the “The Game Card was removed” screen. He crammed the cartridge back into the system and opened the game up, but not before his parents entered his room. “Your sister told us that you threw your DS across the room,” his dad said. He noticed his sister standing in the doorway with a smug look on her face, and was outraged. “Molly! I told you to stop spying on me when I’m in my room!” “First that scream,” his mom said, “and now this! What has gotten into you?” “We’re taking this.” His dad snatched the DS out of his hand and popped the cartridge out. “Pokemon Sun? Well, if that’s the problem, then I guess I’ll have to delete your save file.”