The Nightmare Begins
"We need your help!"
The Hoenn Champion could only gaze forward with exhausted eyes. How, in the name of Groundon, did they even find their ways here? Seriously, it was, like, Route 114, in a tree, in the middle of a lake, at her Secret Base. What's the point of a Secret Base if people can find it like that? It's in its name! Secret! It's not supposed to be found! She miss-judged the use of these blasted things.
May Ruby. Hoenn Champion. Age sixteen, nearing seventeen if you cared to notice. She stared, lazy-eyed out the entrance to her base. She said, nor did, anything. She just kept her eyes on the individuals who stood before her. Two men, side by side, much older than her. One with heavy bifocals, the other was just there. There wasn't really much to say about him. He had orange hair. That's something, right? Seriously, this is not the way a Pokémon Champion should be treated.
May lazily turned around, closing the grassy entrance to her Secret Base. The men outside hollered for her attention, but she didn't care. She moved deeper and deeper into her temporary home, searching for the bed she placed within this place. She could still hear the people outside, crying out her name, begging her to come. But she just wasn't in for it. Come later, then maybe. For right now, she just wished to rest.
Being a Champion is hard, even for her. She found the giant Wailord pillow she placed upon her mat, and jumped upon it. With a smile, she nuzzled her face into the blue cushion body. May smiled coyly, as she felt herself drift slowly back to sleep.
"CHAMPION MAY!" the men outside yelled, "PLEASE! CHAMPION! WE NEED YOUR HELP!"
The brunette lurched up, eying her door with blue eyes. They were still there, those men who had come to bother her. Didn't they know when she didn't want to be let alone? Eyes drifting to the side of the Wailmer cushion, she found her Poké Belt. Yeah, the Poké Belt. Her trusted tool which, not only held all her items within, but all of her Poké Balls. She zipped it open, reaching in for one of her six Pokémons. Which one would be the best to take care of her unwanted suitors?
"Please May!" those men really sounded desperate right now; maybe they were, "We really need your help..."
Though she held a Poké Ball, the Hoenn Champion decided not to battle. Instead she stood up tall with a groan. Walking back toward the door, she stopped to look at herself in the mirror. Tall, slender, wearing a milk stained shirt and pants. May couldn't believe those men saw her in such a horrible manner.
"MAY!"
"Shut up!" she yelled before calming, "I'm coming..."
It's hard being a Pokémon Champion. Its even worse since Steven left. Where did he go? Johto? Kanto? Sinnoh? One of those places with a hard sounding 'O'. Eh, it didn't mater. It's not like Steven would have done much, other than draw attention from herself. What she would give for a few more winks of rest.
She opened the shrubbery to her Secret Base, gazing up to the older fellows who decided to pay her attention. They didn't really look like they came from the Hoenn region. In fact, they didn't look like they came from anywhere close. Not even the island chains which sit outside the region's.
Okay. Now, she was interested in what they had to say. Besides, these men had such a terrified and begging look to them; it was kinda cute. Like a hungry Slowpoke, their eyes were bubbling. She wagged her finger, calling them further into her Secret Base. Maybe it was because of her antics, or because of the situation, but they shook their heads in a no manner. She could understand why. Two grown men with a teenager in her Secret Base? Hey, she may be the Hoenn Champion, but that's just a bad look.
Finally, she yawned.
"So who are you guys?" she asked as she stepped back into her Secret Base, "And why are you bothering my rest. You guys know I rarely get this, right?"
"Yes, Miss May," one of them said, the one with the glasses, the squirmy looking one, "We know, and we really don't want to waste your time!"
"Then talk!" she said from within her secret base.
"Miss May," the other man said, the orange-haired one, "I'm happy you decided to speak with us. We can't begin to tell you how dire this situation is."
"Your stalling!" she said, her voice slightly muffled, "Hurry up with it!"
"Okay, Miss May," said the glasses wearing man, "We come from relatively small island, one disconnected to the Hoenn region, but not too far off. We could take a boat ride there in under a day."
"You dolt!" the orange-haired man yelled, "The island we come from is far off from Hoenn, and closer to Kanto in comparison. Have you ever heard of the Sevii Islands?"
"Sevii Islands?" May called, her voice no longer muffled, "Yeah, I've heard of it."
"Well, Miss May," the squeamish man called, "We come from the Sevii Islands. As of late, individuals, mainly children, have been disappearing from our small town, and we don't know why. We came here to get you, Miss May!"
"Let me guess," May called, "You think that, somehow, I can solve all of this?"
The men nodded in unison, which May could not see. Didn't matter; the silence said enough for her.
"Which one of the Sevii Islands do you come from?" May asked.
"Three Island. Our issue is on Three Island..." the orange-haired individual said.
"Three Island, huh?" she answered, right as the entrance to her Secret Base opened up.
May was different now. She no longer wore her night clothing, though she retained her tomboyish flare. Though her trademark bandana was on her head, her red clothing was slightly different. The usual shirt and black shorts beneath were hidden behind this red and black jacket she now wore. That seemed to be the only difference, yet it still gave her such a different disposition. It was as if she now demanded a higher level of respect. But what does one expect when they gaze into the eyes of the Hoenn Champion?
"So when do we leave?" she asked with her trademark smile.
…
Maybe she shouldn't have gone. Maybe she should have stayed at home in the Hoenn region. If she did, would any of this happen? Would this story even exist? The world is filled with 'if/then' and this is certainly one of them. Only May knew what she could have done differently. Only May knows the choices she made. Then again, it makes me wonder. If she knew what lied ahead, would she have stayed back?
Probably not.
The boat finally stopped, making port in the area. The metal bridge fell down to meet the earth, where it slammed against concrete. The noise of it, banging and clashing, echoed on for yards. It seemed to be the only sound in this area. Her footsteps echoed out as well, even though they were relatively small in the area.
May Ruby gazed around the bay area, finding its misty terrain quite off-putting. Things weren't supposed to be this way, but they were. Where were the people who tended to boats? Where were the other boats? What about the various sea-faring Pokémon that always tended to these areas? The entire bay was as silent as a sleeping Abra. And that is no exaggeration.
May couldn't believe it. This is not the way she expected to be treated upon arrival. Maybe it's because she's kind of self-centered, but come on! She's the Hoenn Champion for Pete's sake! She has her own fan-club in Lilycove City! This place was strange already, and she had only been here for a few moments.
The men who brought her to this far off land walked from behind. She spent over a day on that boat, and for that entire day, neither of them said anything. Had it not been for her Pokémon keeping her company, she would have screamed. Those men, the one with glasses and the orange-haired man, continued to walk on without saying anything, and May followed dutifully behind.
Honestly, she was fully prepared for an ambush. Her hand was already cupping the Poké Ball which held her beloved starter. They'd stand no chance against the fiery being, them or their Pokémon. To be honest, she was almost hoping for an ambush. Not only would it give her the chance to battle, but it would also kill this intense silence.
But, no. She wasn't jumped by a gang or anything. The two men just kept leading her off, until they hit a small town. This town was, of course, deeply embedded within the fog. May placed her fists upon her hips, cocking her head as she scanned the various homes within. There was a Poké Center, yeah, and the Poké Mart, as usual for all towns and cities. But these places were extremely run down. The windows, shattered, boarded up with wood. Doors, cracked and shattered as well. May neared the Poké Center, praying she would see Nurse Joy's familiar face. But there was no nurse in this Poké Center. There was no one in this center.
No one except dust.
May couldn't help but to drag her fingers against the dust, placing it upon her gloved fingers. How long had this place been abandoned? It could have been a mystery all on its own. One of the man appeared behind her, causing the Hoenn Champion to face him.
"How long?" was all May said, as she crossed her arms.
"About a year, I would say..." the orange-haired man said, "That place has been abandoned for a long time."
"Where's Nurse Joy?" May asked next.
"Who knows..." the man answered.
Strange. How does one simply not know where Nurse Joy is? She's Nurse Joy! Everyone knows where Nurse Joy is! This town, Three Island, it was a strange little village indeed. All the doors appeared to be locked, and no one was outside. May found the skin on her body tingling. Maybe she plunged into things too quickly? She still had no idea what she was supposed to do, other than to find people. Easier said than done, you know that.
"Come with me, Miss May," the orange-haired individual said, "My wife will cook us something to eat..."
Yeah. Dinner. At least something felt human around in this world. The orange-haired man walked off, his name was Flip by the way. Maybe I should have told you that earlier. Oh well. Flip walked off down the village, making way for his home towards the end. May began to follow, only to stop soon after.
"Marrriilll... Mar..."
The Hoenn Champion spun around, only to see nothing. Odd. She could have sworn she heard an injured Marill. Yup; his was a strange village indeed.
…
"It's nice to have you here with us, Miss Champion..."
The woman of the house was a nice one, but a pale one. Though she was older than May, she wasn't old enough to look like a grandmother. That being said, her skin was still wrinkled, and her hair still grey. She looked as if the joy from her life was taken in a horrific manner. Or, maybe May was reading too deeply into things. She could have just been a really stressed person; that was believable too.
Flip's wife placed the food down at May's person, right on the table. Lyra looked down upon the food, seeing the usual. You know, steaming hot Basculin. Yeah, Basculin. Rare in these parts, for sure, but it looked as if Flip was a good fisherman. He probably caught these fish himself.
Sticking her fork into the Basculin, May tore a piece of meat off. She brought the food to her lips, only to stop as her blue eyes caught something. Mrs. Flip was staring intensely at her. Sure, it was often for people to be awestruck by May's appearance, but this was different. It was as if Mrs. Flip was staring into May's own soul.
The Hoenn Champion placed her fork back down upon the table, as she instead gazed into the woman's eyes. Realizing she was found out, Mrs. Flip tried to shift her attention to her own plate. Too late; May's appetite was done for.
"Flip!" May called, making the orange-haired man walk down the stairs.
"Yes, Miss May?" he asked as he sat down at the table.
"What is going on here?" the Hoenn Champion asked without hesitation.
"I figured you'd ask soon..." he chuckled, "I'm actually surprised you came without asking before!" he laughed again, but quieted down when his eyes fell upon May's no-nonsense face, "Okay. Okay. Let me explain..." he grew terribly serious, making May feel a hardened sense of understanding, "It started some time ago..." Flip began, "A year or two, I would say. Outside our village, over the bridge, there's a forest. Berry Forest. As you could think, Berry Forest is where a lot of rare berries are found..." he closed his eyes, "But, there was something else in the forest. Something worse..." his eyes opened again, "People who went into the forest, mainly children, started to vanish. One by one, they all disappeared, never to be seen again."
"Where did they go?" May asked.
"We don't know..." Flip replied, "And answers to this mystery are to far and few between," he suddenly began to smile, as if hope took him, "That's why we brought you, Miss May. As Hoenn's Champion, we heard tales of you! How you were able to stop an endless drought from within the Hoenn region. We figured, if you could do that, then you could easily save our village, or at least, find an answer to all of this."
May couldn't help but to blush, as Flip stroked her ego. Yeah, the Hoenn Champion could do anything, even find missing people. Whether that was true or not, it didn't seem the matter. It all went straight to May's head.
"Someone came back..." Mrs. Flip suddenly said.
May looked over to the woman, seeing her shake steadily. Her eyes were closed, while tears were flowing. Cocking her head, the Hoenn Champion tried to figure out what was going on with the woman. Once again, Three Island began to shake her. The seriousness of this land began to drive within May's body.
"Our son... He went to Berry Forest and came back," Mrs. Flip said, "We don't know how he came back, but he did. But he wasn't the same," Mrs. Flip looked up to May, "He... just wasn't the same!" the way she yelled that last part, made May pull back. How did things change so suddenly?
"Okay..." May slurred, "What do you mean by that?"
Silence. Everything got so silent. Neither Flip nor his wife said anything. May, thinking an answer was going to come to her, merely waited. Then her ears picked up on something. A voice which echoed from above. It was faint, but audible.
"Hypno... Hypno... Hypno..."
Odd. It wasn't a Pokémon saying this, but a human. May gazed up to the ceiling, wondering if he actually heard the voice.
"Hypno... Hypno... Hypno..." Over and over again, like a broken record.
May stood up from her chair, turning her vision over to the staircase. She walked forth, then stopped briefly. Turning around, she gazed at Mr. and Mrs. Flip. They weren't stopping her, so maybe she was supposed to find this. Whatever the case may be, May continued walking up the stairs.
"Hypno... Hypno... Hypno..." it was even louder now.
The Hoenn Champion gazed down the hall, wondering if the voice was getting closer. She walked down the hall, moving closer and closer until...
"Hypno... Hypno... Hypno..." even louder now.
May placed her hand on the doorknob beside her, and began to twist it. Suddenly stopping, she turned around to see Mr. and Mrs. Flip. They were at the staircase, watching the Hoenn Champion work. Creepy.
May pushed the door open.
"Hypno... Hypno... Hypno..."
There was a boy, in the center of the room. Beside his bed. Not sleeping. Eyes wide. Holding himself. Rocking left and right, left and right, left and right.
"Hypno... Hypno... Hypno..." that's all the boy said as he rocked himself over and over again, "Hypno... Hypno... Hypno..."
"What's going on here?" May asked.
"That's all our son says," Flip remarked, "We don't know what it means. Was it a Hypno that kidnapped him, or something else?"
May shook her head however, as she came near the little boy. Reaching her hand out, she attempted to touch him. His body was freezing cold to the touch; that's what May felt as her bare finger's touched the boy's face. She slid her glove back on her hand soon after feeling the boy.
"Hypno... Hypno... Hypno..." that's all he said, as if May did not exist.
May stood tall; she had an idea. Reaching her hand away, she withdrew a Poké Ball from her Poké Belt. Rolling the capsule device around in her finger tips, May suddenly released the creature awaiting within.
"Come on out!" she yelled, "Kyra!"
The capsule device opened, releasing the creature within. The flashing lights touched down upon the wooden floors, where it stood tall like a human. Its body, slender, like a woman's. Why, yes, it was a woman. Her upper body, green, her lower body, white with a long gown. From her chest, a sharp pink horn-like object. That object was her heart, of all things.
"Gardevoir..." Kyra said, as her red eyes opened.
"Krya..." May said as she smiled, "Do you know what's wrong with this boy?"
The Embrace Pokémon glanced down to the child, who was still hopelessly repeating 'Hypno'. Krya walked over to the child, kneeling down when she stood beside him. Reaching out her hand, she placed it upon her the child's shoulder. To May's surprise, the Pokémon quickly pulled back her hand.
The Gardevoir cocked her head at an angle, as she scanned the child before her. Those slender green arms of hers slowly moved forward, eventually wrapping around the child. Then she hugged him close. The boy continued to repeat 'Hypno', but Krya ignored it. She closed her eyes as she tried to force out whatever demons were plaguing the child.
"What... is she doing?" Mrs. Flip asked.
"Gardevoir is the Embrace Pokémon..." May stated as she looked to the mother, "She's... doing what she should do..." she faced the Mrs. Flip, "What's going on here?"
…
The bridge was gated off, for obvious reasons. May watched as those gates carefully slid apart. The fog which was here the earlier night, had returned this morning. The older man who worked the gates did so with concern in his heart, as his haggard eyes stared May down.
"Are you sure about this, girl?" he asked, to which May merely tightened the hold her bandana had on her head.
"Yeah, I'm sure..." she answered.
When the gate was wide enough for her to walk through, she did so. Her footsteps clanked against the steel ground, as the waves were calm beneath. Away from her was Berry Forest. From the outside, it didn't look to bad. Take that as you will. May didn't stop walking, even though she had no idea just what she was getting herself into.
Had she known, would she have turned back? Probably not.
Maverick Talks!
You'll have to excuse me. I've never really written a horror story before, so this is new for me. Then again, I hope this is new for you too. Anyway, let me talk a bit.
Before we get going, I have to explain a few things. Yes, this story is based off of that old Hypno's Lullaby creepypasta. If you haven't heard it before, I recommend you don't go and read this. If you do, you'll probably ruin it for yourself. I'm talking abut the horror, that is. But even if you have heard of it, don't think this story is going to be completely the same. I'm Maverick Kay Prime, after all. I'd never copy someone else!
So yeah, this story stars May. Primarily because I've written a story staring Dawn, Leaf, Hilda, Rosa, and I'm currently writing a story staring Serena and Lyra. So I've got to write about May as well. Besides, she's always been one of my favorite heroines, primarily because Pokemon Ruby was my first Pokemon game. May's always been near and dear to my heart because of it.
But enough of this sentimental views! I pray you're enjoying it, and I pray this story blows your expectations. Oh yeah, don't expect it to be super long, like many of my other stories. Just saying. I'm aiming for a seven chapter minimum, though if its longer, I won't be surprised.
Wow, another Pokemon fanfic by me? If this keeps up, it'll out weigh my Sonic ones.
Maverick Kay Prime