Chapter 1:
Mixed Up
I ran through the woods, heart beating in my head, never feeling like I had enough oxygen. The dogs barked, and, occasionally, in my glances over my shoulder, I would see them, straining against men holding their leashes. And that only made me run faster. I crested a hill, and looked down at the small wooden cabin. I didn't recognize it, but I ran towards it nonetheless. I slammed the door shut and heard the Growlithes claw and smash into my door. I looked into the cozy little room, and noticed I wasn't alone. There was a man, about my age, with unruly, spiky black hair, and haunted, broken chocolate-coloured eyes.
"Thanatos. Take a seat. We have much to offer each other." I felt something. A kind of love, like a student appreciates his teacher. I didn't know what it was, or what was going on, but I sat at the table nonetheless, the door buckling and bending.
~|noOon|~
"No!" I screamed as Fletchling rocketed into my gut. I curled into a fetal position, trying to understand my dream. I believed that dreams had a purpose- some reason for happening. But this dream was so real, so set, that there wasn't anything to discern from it but just what had happened. I got to my feet, and stretched, the unexplained terror forgotten temporarily. I walked over to the mirror, and got changed. I was sixteen, old to be living at home, but only because I couldn't afford to go on a journey and leave my mother. Although she used to be a famous Rhyhorn racer, she didn't have much of that money left, having blown most of it with my father, who left her when I became a thing. I changed into my signature look; a red hat, with sunglasses, a long sleeve white shirt under a red T-shirt, red and black fingerless gloves, black jeans, and red combat boots. I clomped down the stairs, and my mother came out of the kitchen, positively beaming.
"Hey there, Adam! How're ya' feelin'?" I squinted my eyes, not up for tomfoolery and shenanigans today.
"Hey Mom. Why are you so… Happy today?" My mother hugged me, and then continued by shoving a bag of supplies at me.
"Because today- actually, it was yesterday, but anyway- Yesterday, I received a Holo-Clip from Professor Rowan of Sinnoh, and he said, as an old friend, he was wondering if he could have any assistants for his lab, or field research! And I volunteered you! So you are flying out there- to Sinnoh- to help with his research of pokémon evolution, and help log the PokéDex of Sinnoh, Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Unova, and, eventually, right back here to Kalos! In the pack is your medical supplies, changes of clothes, and a special tin for you to open when the time is right!" I opened my mouth to say something- anything- to her. I opened and closed my mouth like an idiot, and she just hugged me again, tears forming in her eyes. "Now!" She said, tears freely rolling down her cheeks. "Go make me proud." Before I could even think, I was shoved outside, into the chill of Kalos winter. I walked along numbly, barely aware of how drastically different my life was now. I walked out, through the cobbled road, to the small airfield that served as a way to other regions. By small, I mean it could only house a single airliner at one time. I continued walking, taking short breaks every hour. I finally reached the airfield, and spotted a small charter jet, with assistants stepping off. They were all typical scientists. I strolled across the landing strips towards the plane, when a rather pretty bluenette stepped off the plane. She was possibly a little older than me, with blue hair held in place by yellow clips. She wore a black vest, a pink skirt, and pink boots. Also, I noticed, she didn't wear a virginity ring, but she did wear a white beanie, with a pink half pokéball symbol. She stepped off the plane, and looked around. When I was only about half an airstrip away, I called out and waved. She turned and smiled. I finished walking, finally getting to the jet. The girl held out her hand, and I shook it.
"Hello, I am Dawn!" As soon as our hands met, and I heard her voice, a pain stabbed behind my eyes. It was sharp, immediate, and my vision blacked out. Suddenly, I was with the man from my dream, the one that had called me Thanatos. He was recounting a story. I couldn't remember what it was all about, but he mentioned a Dawn, describing her just as she was now. Then, I was on top of a building, looking down at Dawn, as she walked home. At this point in the memory, I felt a deep-rooted hate, though I didn't know why. The vision ended, and my ears rang. I realized Dawn was still shaking my hand, looking at me with that same friendly smile. I managed to smile back.
"Hi. My name's Adam." My hand stayed in hers a little longer than it should have, and she blushed. I released her hand, and lowered it to my side, the mysterious hate I felt gone.
"Right! Now, we need to get you to Professor Rowan so he can give you your first pokémon!" Dawn clapped her hands, and a Piplup jumped out of the plane.
"Pip-pipluup!" It yelled excitedly. I felt as though I had heard that voice before.
"That's right Piplup! We are going to have another rival! Isn't that exciting?" Piplup cooed in response. Dawn stepped onto the plane, and I followed after, just far enough away to admire her physique. We took our seats, and the pilot went through his signature "seatbelt-bathroom speech," and I then took the silence as an opportunity to get to know my unofficial rival.
"So Dawn!" I began, leaning inwards, towards the aisle. She looked at me, smiling slightly.
"Yes Adam?" I cleared my throat.
"So... I want to get to know you, if you are going to be my rival." Dawn nodded.
"That sounds like a great idea!" Dawn too leaned towards me. Piplup laid on her lap, flippers crossed, and snoring slightly.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Dawn shook her head, and I smiled slyly. "A girlfriend?" Dawn blushed furiously.
"No, no, no!" She stumbled over her question, and it took a while to get out. "Do you have a girlfriend?" I took off my hat and looked at it, running a hand through my hair bashfully.
"Well, no, but I did like this girl a few years back." Dawn wasn't satisfied by my response.
"Who was she?" I sighed, not having thought of her for a very long time.
"Well, her name was Serena. She had blonde hair, always carried a pink handbag, and-". Dawn interrupted my description.
"Hey, I know her! She's Ash's girlfriend! They met a few years ago when Ash toured the Kalos region... Oh, that's probably why she left..." I felt like I had been thunderstruck.
"She's okay?" Dawn nodded a little. I sat back in my chair, the plane now well in the air and on our way to Sinnoh. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. "She never called... I was, like, her best friend... She didn't even write a letter..." I sighed, then smiled. "Well, that's new! Now, when are we gonna get there?" Dawn looked at her watch.
"Um... In about three more hours." I nodded.
"Okay, what are your pokémon?" Dawn smiled and took five other pokéballs from her bag.
"I have a Mamoswine, a Quilava, Piplup, of course, Buneary, Togetic, and Pachirisu!" I nodded, noting that most of her pokémon, or their pre-evolutions were considered "cute." I leaned my seat into a reclining position, so that I was looking at the ceiling. What pokémon would I catch? I knew very little about pokémon besides the general way to take care of them. I ran through possible scenarios. Then, that stabbing pain reacted again, and my vision went dark, as I relived a memory that wasn't mine.
I walked into an enormous underground chamber, with sixteen other people. Two more followed, and I recognized the dark-haired man. But his companion was new, and I didn't recognize her at first. I heard a roar, and turned, suddenly face-to face with Darkrai, Dark pokémon of Sinnoh. Then, the vision ended.
I lurched forward in my seat, nausea waves sweeping over me. I looked out the window, and realized the sun was already going down over the horizon. Dawn was curled up in her seat, Piplup in her arms. I realized that the plane was dropping, and I also noticed that the descent was getting progressively more and more intense. I ran to the cockpit, seeing a cloud shoot by the window. In the small chamber, I saw the one chair with the pilot asleep- or dead-, over the controls. I screamed, and grabbed the emergency parachute, but wasn't able to grab the second, as the hatch was stuck. I raced back to the passenger carrier, and Dawn opened her eyes blearily. I ripped Piplup's ball from her bag strap. I returned the sleepy blue water type, and re-clipped the ball to her bag. She looked at me like I was insane. I stood her up, and strapped all the clips together on the parachute. I dragged her to the door, and kicked it open. The air was ripped from my lungs, and I saw the ground far below, but speeding towards me. I shoved Dawn's bag into her arms, and quickly remembered the survival courses I had taken.
"Dawn!" I shouted over the whipping wind. Her eyes were alight with fear, realizing what was wrong. "Count to three slowly, then pull this cord right here!" She nodded, her eyes so wide it almost made mine ache more than the wind already made mine. I smiled sadly. "Too bad I'll never get to train any pokémon, huh?" With that, I grabbed her wrist, and whipped her around, and launched her, screaming, out the window. I sprinted through the rapidly dropping plane's interior, into the cockpit yet again. I looked at the second parachute, then at the pilot. He was unconscious, but still alive. I smashed the glass on the hatch to the second parachute, and grabbed the pilot. Also in the emergency cranny was a length of rope, which I tied around the parachute rip-cord. I grabbed the pilot, and hauled him to the sucking hole in the wall. I tossed him out of the door, the rope running through my hands, slowly uncoiling.
One, I counted in my head.
Two. The rope was reaching its end.
Three! I clamped my hands down on the rope, and felt the parachute deploy. The rope was then savagely ripped out of my hands, and I ran to the controls. They were complex, to say the least. There were so many buttons. I grabbed the steering- handles?- and wrenched them back. That was no help. But turning them to the side helped aim me towards the large lake to my left. As we coasted over the road, I felt the landing gear go out and strike a power line.
Great. Was the last thing I thought, before my body was rocketed forward, smashing my head against the dashboard and knocking myself out.
~|noOon|~
Okay, guys, there is the first chapter. PLEASE! Review and tell me what you think! I NEED the feedback! Please? And, also, leave OC's. That'll be all, thanks in advance. This is Petrous, signing out.