Chapter One - A Star Falls
Author Note: AU Pokemon. 18+ for blood, gore, language, sexual themes. Set in a world that I have made on my own with Original Characters.
I was raised by the ocean with the sun on my skin and the wind playing through my hair. The Ocean was my best friend and I could out swim the Tentacool. My father had built his own hut on the shore line, made from driftwood and palm ferns, he only ate from the sea and walked the beaches for shells and other nick-nacks that washed ashore. The most recent item in my fathers collection was an egg that had washed ashore a fortnight ago, he barely left its side for fear it will hatch without him there, or worse get stolen by some scavenging pokemon.
My toes sank into soft sand as I wound my way down the beach, I could see the small hut in the distance, a plume of smoke coming from the chimney, father was preparing the fire for our dinner. I dragged a handful of Krabbys in a net that we'd caught from our nets that we frequently placed out in the shallows. They had a sweet meat once cooked and paired perfectly with the corn I'd traded from the market place the week before.
Three Wingulls had been following me for the better half of my walk, they had seen what I'd dragged from depths and were hoping I was the sharing kind. I'd throw them the shells to pick on but nothing more, we tried not to feed the wildlife.
My fathers Corphish clacked it's claws together at seeing me, it was perched outside the hut under the porch where it usually liked to sleep. The Corphish wasn't tamed, no pokeball was attached to it, instead my father had healed it when it had washed ashore with many injuries and had bonded with it over the years and the crayfish chose to stay here of it's own accord.
That's what my father and I did, we saved injured Pokemon, healing them to the best of our ability and then we released them into the wild again. Some Pokemon staid for a while longer, but eventually they all slipped back into the ocean. The call of the wild to strong without the Pokeballs control.
"hello, Cor." I greet, waving at it's dancing claws. "Is my father home?" I asked even though I knew he would be. Corphish gargled his response as I walked into the hut even though I couldn't understand him.
"Father? I asked, peering into the darkness, he chose not to open the windows and the stoves door was shut tight.
"Yes…" A bump from something hard and then . "Ow.!"
"Father are you ok?" I asked, peering into the darkness, it wasn't a large space, but there were many corners in which my father could have been .
"Ahh, I just hit my head." I finally saw his lanky form in the back, beside the bookshelf, where he had made a make shift nest for the egg. We didn't know what would hatch, but my father told me it would be soon.
"Just knocked my noggin a little bit, I'll be fine." He walked towards me still rubbing his head where he'd hit it. His long brown hair was highlighted by the sun and I didn't think it had ever seen a brush, it stuck up in ways that I never thought imaginable. A rugged bears seemed to eat his facial features, leaving only sea green eyes set bellow bushy eyebrows.
"I have dinner."
"O yes. What did we catch today?"
"Just crab, the slug and lobster nets were all empty, the oceans have been lazy lately."
"Ocean Mothers bounty is plentiful enough for the two of us, don't you worry your little heart out, Once this egg hatches all will be right."
I shook my head as my father stopped in front of the burning stove. He'd been losing his mind more and more lately.
I left the crabs inside for my father, he liked to cook himself, said the kitchen is no place for a lady.
The Corphish had fallen asleep half way in the sand and snored softly. We had no other Pokemon in our care at the moment, it had been a slow few weeks. My father and I took in any Pokemon that needed rehabilitation, and other than a Psyduck that I had found half drown a few days before we'd had no visitors.
Outside there was enough driftwood to last for months, it never become too chilly here, winter didn't reach us in this region, while there had been no storms lately, so there was no front yard to clean. I could work on the seashell necklaces and bracelets that we sold at the local market, but instead I walked to the shoreline and let my toes get tickled by the waves.
I was almost eighteen and had nothing to show for it. I stayed here to take care of my father, I'd had no schooling past high school, plus I had never tried to be a Pokemon tamer. Most days I was happy with how we lived but sometimes, I wondered if there was something more I should have been doing with my life.
Clouds were quickly rolling in, a storm brewed in the horizon while the light faded from the sun. The week before I'd patched up any holes in the roof so I wasn't concerned of the rain to come. Instead I sat my butt in the sand and watched the storm simmer. Birds flew from the storm, seeking shelter from it's anger while in the distance I could make out the sleek lines of some water pokemon playing in the crashing waves. Whatever they were, when the storm got too bad they would dive deep to avoid it.
In the clouds a dark shadow emerged, blacker then the clouds and huge, far bigger than the other birds. I stood, squinting my eyes, it was flying towards the beach whatever it was. Giant wings pounding hard at the air. It was flying swiftly, though erratically in the sky. Dipping every few strokes as if it could barely keeps itself in the air.
I stood, peering deeply into the sky with squinted eyes. The form grew closer and with it was obsidian flesh and huge, bat like wings. green flames could be seen and I knew instantly that a very powerful Pokemon was headed my way. In just a few heartbeats the Pokemon was crashing into the sand just a few meters from the house sending up a spray of sand. I ran, yelling for my father as I did so. I doubted father would come even if he heard me, he wouldn't leave that egg. without pause I flew over the sands, my heels digging into the soft ground.
"Are you alright?" My words were swallowed by the rumbling of thunder. "I'm coming!"
As I ran I could make out deep black blood seeping into the sand, there was so much of it, the Pokemon was gravely injured. Coming to it's head I saw how huge the beast really was. I'd only seen a few charizards in my life time, usually at the towns center during holidays when more than just the locals gathered, this beast was at least twice as large as the ones I'd seen before, and colored differently than even the ones I'd seen in books. There were no more flames coming from the black flyers mouth, I didn't know what that meant. It's eyes were closed, I couldn't panic, though I wanted to, instead I stole a moment to gather my thoughts. A deep gash was down it's belly, from where pale intestines shinned in the clashing of lightning. It's chest rose with shallow breaths so I knew it wasn't dead. Half a dozen other wounds could be seen from where I stood but I didn't doubt that there were more. Whatever trouble this thing had gotten itself into... the Charizard had fought for its life.
The reason why my father and I saved pokemon like we could was because we had some kind of what I called magic inside of us. We could heal, it took a lot from us, but after some days of lots of food and sleep we were fine. I had never tried to take one something like this though. Inhaling sharply I raised my hands and then closed my eyes. Rain was starting to drizzle and it was only a matter of time before the storm came full force.
From deepwithin myself I called my power, letting a zinging energy release from the pot in which it stored itself.
'You can do this.' I thought and then opened my eyes. A green glow pulsed from between my palms, sparks of magic bursting shortly from its center like fireworks. Steeling myself I readied for the pain. The moment I placed my hands on the cold scales of the fallen dragon I screamed, I screamed long and hard till I could scream no more. This was the payment we had to forfeit, we took the pain inside ourselves and healed the wounds. Never, never before had I experienced so much pain. White, hot, blinding. But I would not relent, I would beat this and come out on top in the end. When the darkness took me, I welcomed it.
I awoke almost drowning in the rain. Every nerve ending screamed in pain while it felt as though I'd been kicked in the guts a million times over, and then some.
"We owe you our lives." A thickly accented male voice was saying. Though he sounded muffled by the blood racing through my ears.
"W..w…" But I couldn't speak, my throat was raw as if a sand-file had been taken to it.
Blinking to readjust my eyes I found myself staring into golden eyes, the pupils slightly slitted. A fine splatter of dark blood marred beautifully handsome features while a dark shadow carved his jaw from a beard that was starting to grow. Twin horns protruded from above his temples reminded me of the rams that roamed the high hills. But I knew I was hallucinating, no human looked like that. My eyes fell closed again, I could only hope that once I awoke again I would no longer be in a mirage.
"Daughter of mine, wake up now." My fathers voice drifted through the dark fog of my sleep, forcing my eyes to open I was glad that we were in the deep dark of the hut.
"Ahh, my love, you awake finally." He hovered over me like a mother hen. Lifting my neck slightly he offered me a cup filled with cold water. The water was nice against my soar throat and I greedily drank it all without a breath.
"What happened?" I asked finding a long blank memory as to how I ended up on the floor in the hut. My voice was scratchy and hoarse.
"You my darling healed quite the lovely Pokemon, they are outside, too large, much too large to fit inside."
"Who?" I asked but then the memories hit me, blood, wounds, storm, Charizard, me healing, the screaming, the pain.
"Are you well enough to rise?" My father asked but did not wait for me to answer, instead he helped me to my feet. My stomach groaned, nauseated while my limbs were stiff and tender. We hobbled to the door, My father taking on most of my weight. At the door though he pushed me outside, unwilling to leave his egg for too long. I leaned against the side of the house for support, limping slowly. The storm had died, leaving a light grey sky clear of clouds. I'd been out for a while.
Down the beach from the house a little ways a dragon with green flames who stood looking out over the ocean with a man who wore horns like a crown.
"I can't come to you." I whispered out hoarsely, unable to raise my voice any higher, I didn't need to though, the man heard me and turned, looking at me with golden hued eyes. He started up the beach while I lowered myself to the sand, folding my legs together, my arms shook while my breath came in short puffs, if I didn't rest I would pass out.
A long shadow loomed over me a moment later and I tilted my head back to meet the mans face. He had shoulder length black hair that shimmered with deep blues. Warm tan skin clear of any blemishes surrounded his eyes which were deep set with gently arched brows over them. His jaw was etched and strong, his nose long but complimenting of his features.
"Hello." I greeted, smiling with my eyes. "Would you like to have a seat?"
He dropped in front of me, kneeling rather than sitting. He wore black leather clothes that was much like armor with thick stitches and silver chain mail protecting his chest. "I want to thank you, you saved Lich with much suffering to yourself and your father wants nothing in return. He would be dead without you healing him." The thick accent was one I'd never heard before, coming from plump lips and canines that were longer than a humans.
"What are you?" I asked, tilting my head curiously to the side, I couldn't stop stairing at the man.
"That is a long story." He replied, watching me just as much as I watched him.
"I have time on my hand." I replied shakily.
"It is a fantastical story." He stated bluntly. But I just blinked my eyes at him, patient.
"I will start with where I am from," And so this man who was really a Deamon told me a story that I would not have believed had I been more closed minded.
He came from a land that was far away, actually not in this dimension apparently, a land where there were Pokemon, similar but unique, different than ours. He hailed from a region called Herior. His country was at war with a different dimension, at war with a people who had ruined their own world and wanted his. He'd been at the front lines with many of his brethren when portals opened behind them, hundreds of portals, the enemy came on land and air, flanked on both sides, many died, mostly his people. On the brink of losing the battle they opened their own portals, fleeing. Somehow he had ended up here, in our realm though.
"Do you think more of your people ended up here?" I asked, the soft sounds of the ocean a soothing backdrop to our conversation.
"I believe so," He nodded his chin. "I hope so. I will search for them, they might have ended up anywhere on this beach or worse in the ocean."
I paused for a moment, it looked like he was deep in thought, he'd told me a lot, I had a lot to take in, but as long as I didn't think on his words too deeply I wouldn't go insane.
"Can I offer you some food before you go?" I offered, attempting to raise myself to my feet. Every part of me shook with the effort, from my toes to my nose.
"I would appreciate that." Then before I knew what was happening warm hands wrapped themselves around my hips and were lifting me to my feet as if I weighd no more than a feather.
Living on the beach like a hermit where my only contact with another person was when my father patted me on the back had not prepaired me for the feeling that surged through me. My breath slipped out from between my teeth in a hiss, it was a pained sound and the Deamon released me quickly. But it was no physical pain that had caused the sound, no, it had been one of new sensations. Reaching out to steady myself against the hut I raised my eyes and saw how truly tall this man was. At least half way over six feet, he towered over me.
"I, never got your name." I stumbled out after an awkward moment of silence.
"You may call me Viranchi." He replied, the sun playing off the gold in his eyes.
"Bray, my name is Bray." With that I hobbled away on unsteady legs.
We ate left overs from the night before, not anything hardy, but enough to quench the hunger. Fathers Corphish had slipped into the ocean to try and snap some kind of meal for the dragon, though Viranchi had assured me that his Pokemon was not hungry.
I sat outside by a small fire Viranchi had made, slowly chewing the sweet crab meat, father had mumbled something about the egg hatching soon and did not want to join us, not that I was surprised by his answer.
Lich, Viranchi's Charizard slept fitfully by the fire, with Viranchi resting his back against the dragons belly. There were no scars, not even softened scales to reveal the fact that the beast had almost been dead just a few hours before.
"I've never healed a wound so large before." I said, watching the green fire of the dragon quietly burn along it's jaw line.
"I thought we would both be dead, I don't know how Lich flew as far as he did and threw the storm with his injuries." Viranchi replied. "I wasn't any better…"
"What do you mean? You look perfect." I interrupted, my fork halfway to my mouth.
"I guess I'll explain that as well," Viranchi was finished with his plate now, I wish we had more to offer, but we simply didn't have it. "You saved my life that night as well."
Viranchi gathered his legs under himself and stood, shaking the sand from his pants. Without warning he lifted his shirt, revealing hard, tanned skin over hard muscle. A fine dusting of hair covered some of his stomach, but some was missing, it was missing where a pale line bisected his abdomen, from left hip past where he revealed. "When you healed Lich, you also healed me."
My eyebrows rose into my hair line, disbelief clearly on my features. "How? I don't understand." I hadn't even known the man had been with the dragon when I'd started last night.
He lowered his shirt once more and sat across from me. "I don't really understand either. Though I have drawn up some conclusions."
No longer hungry I placed my still half full plate to the sand, I'd throw it to the gulls later. "You know how you can bond a pokemon to a pokeball?" He asked, to which I nodded my head.
"Well Deamons bond with their pokemon with their souls," Once again I was taken aback by the small facts that Viranchi told me about his people. "We don't just bond with any Pokemon, once we bond with them we share a piece of ourselves, and them with us. It's a bonding for life. The Pokemon has to choose you as well."
"That sounds beautiful." I say, looking to where Lich snored softly in the sand. Such a huge beast, what it must have felt like to not only choose a partner but have them choose you.
"I believe that when you healed Lich, you healed me as well."
My eyes shot to his golden ones. "I've never tried healing a…" I paused because I was going to say human, but he was not. "Man before." I finished.
"Regardless, we have rested enough, I need to find if there are others." Lich opened his eyes for the first time since we'd gathered around the fire, his crimson pools reflected the fire as if he himself had a burning ember inside of him.
"Will you be back?" I ask.
"This won't be the last time you see me Bray."
I watched the Deamon mount his companion, he sat upon the dragon as if he belonged nowhere else. They swiftly lifted into the air, the Charizards wings powerful and sure. They flew into the evening sky,towards the setting sun.
There was a little sting in my heart watching them leave, I'd cherish this memory my entire life.