Left in the Rain

Authors Note:

I wrote this back in 2010, when Black and White were first announced, and posted it on /vp/ and text-upload. People seemed to like it, so I figured I might as well post it here too now that I'm starting to write again.

Heavy clouds cast a shroud over the chilled morning sky, seeming to soak and relish in the remaining moisture that lingered from the night's frost. Aged trees, naked and emerging from it's winter cleansing, raised their bare branches skyward as if imploring the sun to come forth. On some few limbs, buds were at last beginning to form.

All was still in the frigid air's waking hours with the exception of the quiet lapping of water as a river cut through the bracken. What once would have been a lovely, decorous creek was now overgrown with dying weeds and shrubs. What once had been a white wooden bridge for children to cross had become a rotten disaster waiting to happen. Once there had been a manor and a fabulous acre of garden there-but all that remained was a high brick wall and wild, untamed shrubs.

Suddenly a quiet gasp broke the silence of the dawn, the surface of the river broke and a blue Pokémon's face emerged, taking a deep gulp of air. The rest of her humanlike body still lie on the river's floor, where it was at its shallowest. "Ah," she groaned, wiping her dreadlock hair away from her face in annoyance. "I still can't pull it off!"

A small, chubby pink Pokémon appeared from beyond a thicket of reeds and circled the Simipour as she slowly clambered out of the water, shaking herself. "Maybe you're going about this the wrong way."

"No, this is the only way," the Simipour sighed, sitting on the bank and looking drained. "Spring will officially be here in a matter of a few weeks, and I need to, NEED to, have this worked out by then!" She groaned and put her face in her hands. "It used to be so much easier…maybe I'm just losing myself."

"Hina!" the little Munna buzzed around her excitedly, looking worried. "You must certainly not be saying things like this! True, with Master around to help, things were always much easier, but no, I don't think we Pokémon can lose what makes us!" He seemed to settle at last, but still flipping his stubby arms up and down, added, "And it won't be so bad off without us, right? The winter was mild and…"

Hina looked at her old friend with exasperation. "That's the point. The weather system is completely off balance! And if we don't do a good job fixing it up this springtime, the damage could be permanent." She shuddered. "Can't you feel it, Musha? Something is stirring up the order of nature."

Musha fell silent and floated to the ground. "Mmm…" he shuffled closer to his friend and slowly looked at her. "Do you think it has anything to do with….them?"

Hina tensed at these words, and bit her lower lip in thought on what to say to her younger friend. At last she replied, "I really can't answer anything about that. I may never understand it myself. But I can say this…every spring when we were together, it was beautiful and the most special time. If he returned to see it in this state, what would he think of us?"

"That we had forgotten about him! Oh no, but it is anything but-"

"Exactly! That's why I'm going to keep honing my water abilities until I know I can take control of the weather enough to protect our home this year!" Hina rose to her feet, a new look of determination on her face. "Yes, I know I'll be able to do it this time around! And then at last, finally our Master will return to us!"

Things had been so different then. The forest was full of life- the trees reached to the sky, bathing in the sun's touch; Pokémon of all kinds and species thrived in the woods in harmony, coexisting with each other and with humans. Humans. Hina and Musha had belonged to the kindest one ever, a youthful trainer who ambitioned to be a Pokémon Ranger- protector of the forest and its inhabitants. He was their Master.

Back then the forest had always been bubbling with trainers and their companion Pokémon, adventuring and making new friends. Master, Hina, and Musha had a small cabin in the heart of the forest, in a clearing where they kept a magnificent small garden; "We can grow crops and berries for everyone," Master explained. "If we work hard enough, there should be enough so that wild Pokémon don't have to fight and battle to survive." Hina and Musha had it easy, being pampered and living life as domestic Pokémon.

Every so often Master would take them to the nearby Shippou City, and how amazing that place was! Never had they seen so much hustle and bustle upon their first time seeing it. Master brought them to compete in Contests, competitions where many Pokémon showed off the brilliance of their moves. "It's a healthy alternative to battling," Master had said. "And let's you exercise your skills, and let you shine." Both Pokémon had taken to it, and upon winning her first Contest, Hina was awarded with an item: a Mystic Water necklace. It was used to boost her power, and to keep her calm and serene as the ocean itself.

Then one day everything had changed. Pokémon began to vanish from the forest. Those that remained turned frightened, aggressive, and untrusting. Less and less trainers traversed through the woods until there was a complete halt in the traffic at all. Until…

The people in white came. Musha saw them first, had felt the unease in the air. They had Pokémon with them, but they were different. The Pokémon were cruel, fighting machines, who didn't seem to know better. The humans were worse- inhumane, ruthlessly battling the remaining trainers they found and taking the Pokémon of those they defeated. They were Team Plasma.

"Release your Pokémon," they had declared. Why had so many fallen for these words? "You're Pokémon are being abused. Do what's right and return them to the wild." Couldn't people see that these were the words of hypocrites?

Master did not. A Plasma member with a thick beard and countless wrinkles read him like a book; surely if you want to do what's best for the forest and it's Pokémon, you'll see that letting yours' go is the only option? Hina hadn't understood the words, but saw the heartbreak on her Masters' face and understood the emotion. She and Musha had clung to him, defensively, but even when the self-proclaimed Sage had departed, Master could not be swayed, and pushed them back.

"I'm going to join Team Plasma," he announced to them, "I don't know if they're legitimate or not. But it's my goal to find out." Tears brimmed in his eyes. "But I'm not taking you with me. They're right on one point, and that is, you belong in the wild." He placed the Mystic Water over Hina's head. "You'll be safer. At least until this ordeal passes over." He had stood, wiping his tears, refusing to look at them, their horrified faces. "I'll come back for you. When the time comes. Try to understand."

He walked away. Hina and Musha made to follow him, to stop him, how could he think they'd be better off without him-? But without looking back he raised his hand and commanded them to stop. "Don't follow me. Promise me, you'll stay here." He threw one last look over his shoulder, staring at Hina. "Take care of the garden. And the forest."

And then he was gone.

Hina clenched her item and concentrated with all her will. Was that the current changing its force? No, don't get any hopes up…

A drop! Raising her face up, she felt another slick raindrop bounce off of her nose and into the water. More and more began to emerge from the continually darkening sky, from a dead drizzle to suddenly a light shower within a minute. Perhaps another Pokémon could have done it much faster and much more powerful, but she had achieved what she wanted regardless- and it felt good. She hadn't felt pride in a long time, and laughing, she began to dance in the swirling shallows.

Musha appeared, zipping through the rain as if avoiding bullets. "Oh you did it, you did it!"

"I did, didn't I!" Hina danced in circles, hair whooshing behind her. The rain began to fall faster in tempo. "I can't believe it but I did!" She stood on her toes like a Kirlia doing a pirouette and spun. Musha, who was getting increasingly nervous at the near torrential downpour, squeaked and bolted underneath the bridge.

"I haven't felt so alive in so long," Hina breathed, and paused to look up at the pounding rainy sky. To think, it had been clear and dry only some moments ago… "And now, for my grand finale!" Leaping into the air, she landed on the highest post of the rickety bridge and looked to the heavens. "Yes!"

Echoing her cry tenfold came a bellow of thunder, which shook the ground and even the raindrops that flew down. A yell came from somewhere, and losing her balance, Hina feel backward into the mud.

"Hina! Are you okay?" Musha asked in concern, peering from under the bridge. Still too afraid of the thunder and rain, of course.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hina replied, standing up and the downpour quickly washing her off, "you scared me though when you screamed. As if that giant crack of thunder wasn't enough."

"What are you talking about? I didn't scream. I thought that was you." Musha looked genuinely worried now, and crept closer to his friend. What? Puzzlement filled the young Simipour. Surely the entire vicinity was abandoned, other than by her and her friend?...

"Hold on," she said, now wishing that the rain would calm down so she could hear herself talk, "I think the sound came from over that way. We ought to go take a look."

"B-but…" Musha twitched nervously. "What if it's something dangerous? A hungry wild Pokémon?"

"Well, our job is to protect everything on this land," Hina commented. "I guess that means from hungry wild Pokémon."