A/N: Sooo... a couple months ago, I started playing this Pokemon fangame called Pokemon Uranium. Little did I realize, when I sought out that elusive download, that I would be swept up in such an awesome game with an incredible story, and that it would inspire my muse enough that I'd want to write fanfic for it!
I had four betas go over this with me: two people from the "Pokemon Uranium Trainers Only" FB group, Lazor Comfort from the Uranium forum, and the lovely Dynamite3539 from here on FFNet (who is currently working on an awesome Uranium fic of her own, which I highly recommend). They were pretty thorough, but I take full responsibility for any other mistakes that might have slipped through the cracks!
Epsilon
You're not sure how long you were in that feverish state.
Cameron tells you that you were unconscious, but you think that you must not have been, at least not completely. But it's hard to tell what part of that nightmare was real, what part was fractured memory, and what part was purely imagined hallucination. You're fairly sure that you remembered everything accurately up to the point that the computer you touched began to glitch and spark, and the floor opened up beneath you. But beyond that, it's nothing but a blur of adrenaline and horror and sickness.
He continues to talk. You're not sure if he's talking to you, or one of the workers, or maybe someone – your father? – over the phone; you're still trying to piece together the events of the past few days and make sense of it all. But then you hear him tell you that it's not safe for you to stay on the island and that he's made arrangements for you to return to the mainland; suddenly, trying to come to grips with what you've gone through is no longer priority.
You shakily climb out of bed – it's been long enough, at least, that you have to remind your legs how to support your body – and immediately, your faithful Raptorch is right there beside you, nuzzling up to you and shoving his head under your hand to help provide support. Instinctively, you kneel down beside him and wrap your arms around him, feeling the heat of his fiery body warm you to the core, and whisper words of gratitude for staying with you this entire time. Given what the two of you went through, you would not have blamed him if he'd decided to run away and never look back. You wouldn't have blamed any of the Pokémon you'd brought with you, for that matter; granted, only Aveden or Cubblfly would have been able to escape the island.
You barely remember to mutter a "thanks" and "farewell" to Cameron and the other workers as you gather your things. With Raptorch remaining loyally by your side, you step outside of the rest house into the fading twilight.
You pause, staring across the clearing at the overgrowth of forest that separates the new construction from the ghostly remnants of the old power plant's burned-out shell. Dread, like a cold weight, settles in the pit of your stomach as you see the skeletal silhouette of the crumbling cooling tower, a stark contrast to the surrounding trees.
The tall grass just beyond the clearing sways hypnotically in the breeze; a sudden rustle and a low growl from within turns your entire body into ice. As you watch, a pair of eyes – glowing soulless orbs of greenish-white light – peer at you through the grass. Your breath catches in your throat and you're suddenly –
– at the very edge of the tall grass, listening to the rustling of the Pokémon within, hearing random growls and cries. You're not entirely sure what you'll find – the whispered rumors among the workers of the island gave plenty of warning about how unusually aggressive and creepy the local Pokémon were, but little actual information to go on – but somehow, just listening to them you feel a sense of uncertainty, and a certain gravity of the situation.
You step into the grass, then immediately back out; nothing happens. You try this several times, a few steps more each time, to no effect. You can still hear them out there, but their noises are different now, lower and quieter, focused instead of random. You get the sense that you're being played with. Taking a deep breath, you steel yourself and rush in, aiming for a clear patch. You are jumped before you get to it.
You react purely on instinct, grabbing the first PokéBall on your belt and sending it out before your mind registers what you're seeing: it's a Costraw – you saw plenty of them back on Route 5 outside Rochfale Town – but instead of its normal purple coloring, it's black with fluorescent green highlights and an ominous green aura. You think "shiny" for a split second before noticing its eyes, white and blank and empty, and then it's attacking.
The first Pokémon out was your newly-hatched Nupin; it doesn't stand a chance. A powerful energy unlike any you've ever seen before shoots out from the Costraw and hits hard, leaving a buzzing energy in its wake that has every hair on your body standing on end. Nupin is knocked out instantly, taking the hit hard enough that you're suddenly scared for its safety. But you don't have time to think or check on it because now that the playing field is empty, the Costraw has its soulless gaze fixed on you.
"Hey!"
You jump, startled back to the present by the worker who is running toward you, waving his arms in the air to get your attention. You're horrified to realize that you've strayed closer to the tall grass in your distraction.
"You can't go down there!" the worker exclaims, reaching your side and pulling you back. "Boss says this area is off-limits until we tear down the old plant. It's too dangerous."
You blink at him, then turn to look back across the grass. The eyes that had been staring at you are no longer visible, but you get the sensation that you're still being watched. A shiver courses down your spine.
It's too much, all of it... the unnerving Pokémon corrupted by the radiation, the husk of the power plant beyond. Without another look, you turn and head for the ferry waiting for you at the dock to take you away from this forsaken island and the awful memories it holds.
