All righty, I know what everyone is thinking! I need to finish my other fifty fanfictions before I even think about starting a new one! However, I really do like this idea, and I need to know if it is a good one for everyone else. Basically, the plot is going to be very confusing and the characters will be very scattered at the beginning of the story, but it'll be better by the fourth, maybe fifth chapter. So, beware of confusion as you will be introduced to seventeen main characters over a period of different chapters. Each character will have a particular personality and element he or she controls, so that might make things interesting. Read and review, please.
Kasai scrambled towards the exit hurriedly, easily dodging the fumbling hands that tried to grab hold of her. She swung from the cashiers and manager, dancing her own chorography through the aisles and food stands. Something crashed heavily to the floor behind her, and she caught a glimpse of her Growlithe catching up to her, bag held tightly in his jaw. Shooting a grin at the Pokèmon, Kasai began to pick up the pace. In one magnificent leap, she flew over the carts placed near the doors to keep her from getting away, and burst into sunlight.
Finally, she thought, her breath coming harsh. But she didn't stop. Still, she went forward, pounding down the street, her Pokèmon sharp at her heels.
Bright red hair streaming behind her, Kasai made for the trees, and then leapt in the brush. She pushed past branches and bushes and scrub, mindfully aware of the Pokèmon surrounding her – she respectfully left them be. In time, she found a clearer path to follow, no longer having to force her way past thorns and bramble. The calls and curses had long since faded behind her, but Kasai was swept up in the moment, heart racing and her face lit up in the joy of being chased.
Soon enough, though, reality caught up with her instead, grasping onto her physical limitations. She thudded to a stop the moment she got to a clear spot in the trees and leaned over, placing her hands on her thighs. As she caught her breath, Kasai dropped the satchel she had so tightly held on to during her run. The filled bag plopped to the ground, lifting its weight from hers. Rustling in the bushes made her glance over her shoulder just as her Growlithe wriggled out of the tangle, joining her. He dropped his own, smaller bag near hers and then plopped to the ground, tongue rolling out as he began heaving quick pants.
Kasai smiled, too tired to grin at her faithful companion, and reached down to scratch behind the Growlithe's ears. He pushed his head up into her palm happily, tail beginning to smack the dirt, making dust pick up with the dry bits of grass. She giggled, and then straightened, light blue eyes scanning the area they stood in. It was just a small clearing, about three meters in diameter, probably a space cleared by a herd of Pokèmon. If that was such the case, Kasai knew she had better be on her way. There had been occasions when she had woken up to a large group of angry Rhyhorn, and it wasn't an experience she wished to relive.
Sighing deeply, she leaned down and picked up the satchel. She swung it over her shoulder easily, feeling the hidden food bumping against her back. Shuddering in delight at the thought of a full stomach that night, she nudged the Growlithe with her foot. Immediately, he jumped up and grabbed the small bag of food for himself, ready to follow her every step, obey her every command. With a couple twitches of her head, she cracked a couple kinks out of her neck, stretched her legs a little bit, and then headed straight forward, away from the small town they had just escaped from.
The canopy of tree branches shielded her from the blaring sun, and she shivered as a small breeze cooled her skin, made wet by the sweat trickling down her arms, legs, neck, and everywhere else Kasai thought possibly possible. She walked agonizingly slow so her Growlithe didn't have to run or trot to keep up – though she had to admit it felt good taking a break from long-distance sprinting. There were only three things Kasai was good at: running, stealing, and battling.
As Kasai went on, the trees got closer, the trunks thicker and the branches longer and lower. Soon enough, only slivers of shimmering light shone through the cracks in her temporary shelter. The temperature seemed to drop dramatically and quickly, almost sending her body in a wrack of shivers, but the Growlithe beside her allowed the internal fire source within his body to leak a little, keeping Kasai warm, too. This was the advantage of owning fire Pokèmon. If ever it got cold or rainy, you were instantly warm. However, if there were a summer day when the blazing heat seemed unbearable…
That was the bad thing about living on the road, away from any mentions of family or home. Kasai had never really known what that was like, but by this time, it didn't cross her mind enough for her to care. Out in the wild, you had to fend for yourself – the complete opposite of city-life, or even spending your years in a small village or farm. When constantly outdoors, you had to protect yourself from a wide variety of multiple things – the weather, wild Pokèmon, fellow trainers, bandits and thieves, evil organizations such as Team Rocket, though there hadn't been a sign of any notorious villains in years.
Things certainly had changed in the years that had come after Ash Ketchum's reign as the best Pokèmon trainer in all the regions. Kasai scoffed at this actually, thinking that if she had gotten the chance, she would have beaten the kid no problem. He wasn't anything special. Kasai sighed and glanced up through the tree branches, tilting her head slightly. It was still dangerous, without all the evil maniacs running about, but she wished she had been born in that generation – the one filled with scheming gangs of freaks. Then she – Kasai Sakeme – would have gotten all the glory, instead of Ash Ketchum, some weird ten-year-old kid in a baseball cap with a Pikachu. Stupid electric Pokèmon.
Her Growlithe let out a small snarl, and she glanced down at him. He had stopped, staring up at her with intense, dark eyes. She assumed he had sensed her annoyance, and now it pissed her off even more to think she had allowed her thoughts to travel so freely. She had to stay on her guard no matter what. With the police's activity declining greatly, a lot of rebellious teenagers had taken opportunity of the moment, and now this is what the regions of Pokèmon had gradually turned into – rough and dirty.
There wasn't a night Kasai didn't sleep with one eye open, a road she didn't travel with her senses on full alert. Already, people had stolen from her, when she had first started her travels, but she had quickly learned the ways of the so-called "rebels" and even turned into somewhat of one herself – and she was damn sure proud of it, too.
Shaking her head to clear her mind, she let her blue eyes wander the darkening forest, searching for a hollowed out tree or shallow cave to huddle up in for the rest of the day. As soon as the moon was shining, she'd head out again, and who knew where to? Maybe she could snag a Pokèmon egg or some rich kid's rare Dragon of Psychic Pokèmon and make some money. Sighing deeply when she couldn't find a thing, Kasai kept moving forward. Growlithe quickly caught onto the idea, and soon his head was swaying in rhythm, scanning the sides of the road.
Maybe fifteen minutes later, Kasai found a nice spot to catch up with their breath, hunger, and fatigue – a large, hollow stump. She hadn't had a nice rest in a while, and it wouldn't hurt to get a nice half hour of sleep if she could. Carefully avoiding any nests or homes, Kasai peered into the tree stump, relief flooding through her when she discovered it was unoccupied. She climbed into the little area, making room for the Growlithe, who hopped in after her.
Getting comfortable – which wasn't hard, as she was used to the region's nature toughness – Kasai opened up her bag of goods and reached a hand in. Feeling about for a while, she decided on a juicy apple, not a rare delicacy, but certainly tasty and rejuvenating. After that, she helped herself to a loaf of warm, slightly crispy, and incredibly soft bread – perfect! She dug through the majority of the food – devouring a bag of grapes, some nuts, a couple pre-cooked hotdogs (though they were chilled) and even a few strawberries she had managed to grab. Strawberries were delicious. And incredibly pricey – which explained her reason for "grabbing" them.
Tucking the satchel in a corner – not under her and squashed, but just hidden from wandering eyes – Kasai curled herself as much as she could, mostly over Growlithe, whose orange, fur-covered head rested near hers. Calming her mind, and letting the whispering winds of nature's melody sing her to a far-off dream, Kasai Sakeme fell asleep.
With the glowing moon full and round above him, Iwa Gyutto rested his legs, coming to a halt on the dirt and dust path. He gazed out from behind long locks of dark silver hair, breathing in the cool night air that surrounded him. His long, pale fingers twitched continuously as his paranoia overwhelmed him, the stillness of the wind seeming to waver in the dark. Beginning to shiver, he slowly moved away from the road, cautiously carrying himself to the small wood that bordered one side of the path.
As soon as he was sure he was hidden from any traveler or adventurer's view, Iwa lowered himself to the ground. Immediately, his legs relaxed in relief, a dull ache pulsing through his joints from the tension and effort of walking so long without pause – around thirty-two hours, he saw, from the glance he cast toward the beautifully crafted, silver watch bound to his wrist. Another day, and more, gone by so wastefully. Not daring to make a sound, risking his presence to be heard with a noise, he inwardly sighed, mentally shaking his head in self-disappointment, though he remained utterly still on the outside.
Sitting there, huddled pathetically against the tree, he knew that he was going to have to fix this problem he seemed to have. Every day he would walk, and walk, and walk – stop by a town for a bit of food and water – and then continue his meaningless walking. But of course, what meaning did he have? Forget about the pointless walking – what was he there for? Did he even have a purpose, or should he just aimlessly walk in the wide circles that would one day cover the entire region of Hoenn? Would that just be better?
He was just a waste of time…air, space, a waste of attention and love… Nobody cared about him anyway. That's what they all said, right, throwing words sharpened like blades as cruel as they were? But why? Did it matter? Was there a reason for his being unimportant? Probably not. And that didn't matter either – that there was no reason for him not being worth…anything. Iwa sank lower into the shrub, making himself even more invisible. Somebody was near, close to his location. He glanced about hastily, until his golden eyes found the intruder.
It was just a boy – a teenager by the looks of it, handsome and near manhood. Iwa's eyes hardened like diamonds, spitting at the boy in his head. Wanting to lunge out and tear the trainer's eyes out, he kept himself seated, trembling as he watched him walk by, unaware of the glowering man in the bushes. Of course, he was hardly a man himself, just having turned the age of nineteen. Still, though, he cooled his anger, willing himself to stay put – lest he get into even more trouble. The boy was chatting away happily on a cell phone, not careful or cautious of the dangers out of town. Wasn't it obvious that no one went anywhere unprotected nowadays? This was the generation of robbing, the world of Pokèmon no longer the sad, pathetic little child's dream it used to be. If somebody wanted something, all they had to do was wait until the rich men went to bed, and then sneak in…and take it. Unless, of course, the wealthy ventured outside the walls they built with the money they so recklessly spent. Then it was all too easy.
Iwa's gaze softened as he glanced down at his watch, feeling the urge for the millionth time since leaving home to dispose of it – to throw it away, stomp it in the ground, to burn it. But he couldn't. He knew that. As dazzling as it was, and how sickeningly expensive…it was the only thing that had been given to him by someone who had loved him – and whom he had loved in return. Allowing himself to shake his head in just the tiniest bit, Iwa tried clearing his thoughts, sucking in a deep breath of the chilly air.
Suddenly, it hit him – he was tired. Blinking repeatedly for a moment, Iwa realized that his body was slowly filling with the sensation of every other human being in the world, in all the regions. He tilted his head slightly in near-amusement. This was something that actually connected him with others. Everyone had to sleep, and so did he. A small, hardly noticeable smile crept to his thin, pale lips. The ghostly sight of it didn't do well to the human eye, but he had done well, he knew, and no one would find him.
But someone would if he went to sleep sitting here. He stayed completely still for a few more minutes, listening intently. A couple twigs broke, but it was the distinct sound of a Pokèmon's paw or hoof repositioning itself on the ground. Something rustled in the bushes, but it was followed by the soft mewing of a Furret. There were no humans here – the boy had left long ago.
Iwa stood then, slowly as not to black out, and then gazed about himself. The tiredness had taken over the majority of his body, including his mind and legs – both of which things he required to walk with the proper coordination – so he settled on sleeping in the one truly safe place he could think of: up.
Reaching up with strong, sleeve-covered arms, he grasped the nearest branch with long-fingered hands. With hardly any effort at all, he managed to pull himself onto the branch, steadying himself before he stood and went higher. He climbed until he was at least four – and maybe a half – meters off the ground, and then settled himself within the v-shaped hollow made between the trunk and a wide, thick branch. Yes, Iwa felt very, very safe up here. Straddling the branch and leaning back against the tree, he felt at home, cozy and relaxed. A smile graced his lips, and this time it was not nearly as entrancing or creepy. It was a beautiful sight to see, his piercing yellow eyes shutting and then his chin tucking in slightly behind his collar, the locks of silver falling in front of his highly defined face. But sadly, he had done what he did best. He had hidden himself from passerby and curious stares – he hid from the world.
And nobody could see his beautiful, sleeping smile.
It was early in the morning – not a single ray of sunlight brightening the day yet – when Mizu woke to the sound of glass crashing upon the floor. Yanking awake, she immediately gathered herself up; pushing away her warm comforter and sheets to stand quickly, swiftly gathering up two Pokèballs at her bedside table. She heard a string of hatefully muttered curses, but no retreating footsteps or opening of doors and windows – let alone, the breaking of them.
Who is that? Are they already inside, or did they break the window from the outside and run? Why are they breaking in at all? I have nothing of value in this house! Maybe…maybe it's just one of those desperate thieves Mother used to tell me about… Oh, Mother, what would you do if you were in my situation?
She would act – yes, that was what she would do. Her gaze frosted into an icy glare and her lips pursed together with newfound strength and determination. Squeezing the Pokèballs tightly in both hands, she crept forward, and silently opened the door leading out of her room. She peered down it with clear, focused eyes, and she saw nothing. No wait – there! She was sure that the shadows were either playing means tricks, or there was someone slipping among them, thinking they were sneaky.
Easily remaining silent, Mizu tiptoed down the hall, avoiding the floorboards that creaked and staying hidden all the while. She kept in the shadows, which wasn't hard in the narrowness of her windowless hallway. Soon, she had approached the entrance to the living room, and it was then she ducked cautiously, crouching low to the floor. There he was, hidden within the tattered remains of a cloak. The thief was searching high and low for something – probably hidden cash, a rare Pokèmon, some valuable or another. Anger rose up inside Mizu now – the only thing worth taking in her home had belonged to her mother. And she wasn't going to let anyone take that from her.
Instinctively, she pressed the button on the red and white Pokèball in her right hand, swinging it out. As if sensing it, the thief spun around, a startled gasp escaped from under the shielding hood. The red light lit the room in a blazing flash. Instantly, the thief shielded himself, pointing out at the forming Pokèmon. Mizu cursed herself – of course he would own a Pokèmon himself!
The dog-like creature leapt from the darkness, clinging to the scaled arm of her Feraligatr. It let out a tremendous, deep-throated roar, and swung at the tiny Pokèmon attached to it. And small always calls for quick and evasive, especially compared to the hulking figure Feraligatr was. The thief's Pokèmon snarled, jumping away from the blue-tinted claws and opened its jaws wide. A second later, a vortex of flames came spitting out of its mouth.
No! Not in the house!
"Use Hydro Pump!" Mizu shouted, though she knew the consequences of such an attack. In mere seconds, where there had been flame, there was chilling liquid – and thankfully, it drenched only the ceiling, floor, and a couple walls. The Pokèmon – now identified as a Growlithe – slammed up against the wall. "Reveal yourself!"
The cloaked man did not answer, though he bent down to his Pokèmon, checking for any fatal injuries. Mizu allowed herself a smug smile – this was the match that lay when facing a fire Pokèmon, whose meager flames could always be quenched, put out. When the Growlithe and his owner stood defiantly, though, already making for the door, anger filled Mizu again. There was no way he was getting away!
With a twitch of her wrist, the other Pokèball flew from her hand, opening in a burst of red light. The Milotic unraveled her long body, working easily out of water, as Mizu had trained her to be able to do. Knowing immediately what to do – thanks to the connection Mizu had always had with her Pokèmon – the graceful serpent-like Pokèmon swiftly caught up to the thief, slipping around him easily. The Growlithe dared not another fire attack, but his lunging Crunch was stopped simply when her Feraligatr swept him up in his claws, trapping him.
"Keep them here," she commanded, and hurriedly made her way to the kitchen, the place where she kept her only phone. "I'll be right back."
"No wait!" The cry seemed helpless and insignificant, but something was off. Mizu stopped in her tracks – surprising herself – and turned to face the captive once-was thief. "Please don't call the police! I'm sorry!"
It hit her like a ton of bricks, and the possibility that had never occurred to Mizu seemed obvious now. The graceful, quick and sure way the thief had moved and the sure steps he had taken…but of course…she had been angry in finding an intruder in her home. But now there was something that caught her attention.
The thief was a girl.
Why this mattered, Mizu had no clue, but she hesitated, and then stepped over to where her Milotic firmly held on to the thief. Slowly, and still reluctant to do anything but call the police, Mizu reached up and tugged the hood down. Immediately, she recoiled in shock and astonishment. It was as if she had just laid eyes on a rare, "sparkle Pokèmon" – one of another color that she didn't even believe existed.
As soon as the hood came down, waves of bright, fiery red hair tumbled down, over the girl's shoulders. And she was exactly that – a girl. No older than herself, she looked like she had just got done sleeping in a log, with sticks and leaves entangled in her mane of wild, exotically colored hair. She stared in awe. It was literally red, not orange or strawberry blonde, like her mother's had been…but red. Never had she seen such extraordinarily colorful hair…which made the girl's simple light blue eyes seem dull in comparison. No…no the girl's eyes were also wild, though simply colored. They were full of mischief and excitement; a longing for something she couldn't tell what it was – something wild and obviously dangerous… But there was something Mizu hadn't expected to find in the eyes of a thief, a robber, a…a girl. A teenage girl. She saw fear.
"Y-you…" Having found her voice was failing her now, all her courage and spiritual strength having vanished at the first sight of her young, innocent face – Mizu took a breath, and then tried again. "You're a girl."
This statement seemed to surprise the thief, rather than fill her with relief or gratefulness. Instead, her face twisted just the slightest in confusion as she replied in a calm tone, "So are you."
"Yeah, but I…" Mizu realized that was most certainly correct. There were many things that declared her female, one of them being the basic concepts of science, but she guessed it was a bit sexist of her to just decide that all evil people were men. So she sighed, and gave a tiny – hardly traceable – smile of apology. "It just never occurred to me, that's all."
"What never occurred to you?" the girl snapped, and Mizu stepped back in faltering surprise – this thief was in no position to speak to her with such a tone, but before she could answer, the thief went on. "That there were girls not like you, hm? That every teenage girl out there had a nice warm bed to sleep in, food to eat every night, a home to live in, a family to stay by, and not to mention the freaking money to support all that! Well excuse me for being born in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I was just trying to survive, thank you very much!"
Mizu was shocked beyond reason. Before, she had never thought of the reasons why a thief would…well, steal. She thought maybe they just got the kicks out of it and thought it was fun – or funny, whichever or both – to mess around with people's homes. But maybe…that was why people resorted to something so low. She was positive it was why this particular young woman had – she was just a tad bit over being filthy. It was positively disgusting just to breath in the air around her.
"Well…I didn't… I've never really met a thief really," she mumbled, still getting over the shock of having someone in her own grasp speak to her in such a demanding way. "I'd feel stupid though, if I said I was sorry. You can't blame me for not wanting my things stolen."
"Oh," the girl huffed, turning her gaze away – it was a look of defeat. "I guess, no, you probably haven't, and no, I can't. If somebody broke into my house and tried stealing my stuff, I'd be pretty pissed, too. Though I'm not saying sorry either…" She paused and then turned her gaze back up to Mizu's face. "Of course, I would appreciate it if you didn't…you know…tell."
"Right. That."
Mizu didn't know what to do, honestly. A teenage girl her own age had just woken her up at two o' clock in the morning by breaking into her house, and had spoken to her harshly after no apology whatsoever, though she had made a daringly true point, while almost injuring her Pokèmon. She was at a loss of what to do, and so she imagined her mother – dangerous when it came to threatening situations, but caring and sweet when she was able to lend a hand. Mizu sighed, falling under the power her deceased mother had over her once again.
"Well, I'd appreciate if you don't make a run for it," she finally said.
Seeing the girl's confusion written plainly, she motioned the Milotic to release her, and that the serpent did, making soft, melodious echoing sounds as she did. The Feraligatr dropped the Growlithe in rough response, chuckled a scratchy laugh when the dog Pokèmon yelped slightly when it hit the floor. The Milotic coiled about Mizu's own neck, and the girl eyed both her and the door carefully, before straightening and turning her full attention to Mizu, who held out her hand promptly, just as her mother had taught her.
"Nice to make your acquaintance, though under strange circumstances," she said, smiling when the girl took her hand. "I'm Mizu Harou, and you look like you could use a shower."
I hope I hooked you. In the next chapter, I believe four more characters shall be introduced, and in the third chapter, possibly two or three more. Each character needs to be introduced in a very unique way, so this fanfiction might take a lot longer than my other ones - years, as you all know by now. Sorry for all my delays, but I hope you find this concept as fascinating as I do!
Review, and tell me what you think.
AnimeCountDown.