Amidst the lonely streets walked a sole person, shoulders hunched and languidly striding out of the city that he found disgusting. He despised having to look down at the street in order to see due to the heavy layer of sunken smog that was visible in the low beams of sun penetrating between the claustrophobic buildings.
That being said, he revelled in the early morning solitude that was absent from most other cities to which he had been. Despite being one of the most active and largest cities in the Sinnoh region, Hearthome was a nocturnal entity that preferred to reserve its vibrancy for the later hours away from the gaze of the sun.
Daniel glanced up and pushed his hat back to see, to his relief, the grand archway that signaled that he was leaving the accursed city. He gave a small smile as he readjusted his hat back to its original position. He adored that hat. It was a deep, chocolatey brown that could be mistaken for black in low light and had a wide brim that folded up and in on the sides. Functional and appropriate for the Solaceon native, the hat was a gift from his father, who was usually not an expressive man.
His feet sighed as they moved from the hard concrete to the compact, but comfortable, dirt road. They explored the various crevices left by other travelers and spoke to the footprints about the travels that they had experienced and were hoping to experience.
Daniel sucked in the air, freshened by the rows upon rows of trees not doomed to development. Their piney smell was always nostalgic to Daniel and such a smell was what allowed him to get lost in his own thoughts as his stroll increased slightly in pace.
School had been long and boring with the normal professor being absent and the substitute having no ability to lecture whatsoever. Adding to the fact that it was a night class, Daniel was pretty sure that he was one of the few not to have fallen asleep during the several hour long lecture on the compatibility of different Pokémon species. Insomnia did have its few benefits.
Shifting from school to work, Daniel ran through the checklist of things that he needed to get done for the shop. Inventory needed to be taken and some of the older rations would have to be checked to make sure that they were still good.
Daniel's grandparents were the ones who had originally bought the small shop after being convinced by Daniel's mother, their daughter, to sell the farm and open up a business. Despite the ever-obligatory Pokémart being a heavy dose of competition, The Solaceon Storefront got a lot of traffic due to selling basic essentials such as food, supplies, toiletries, and other minor luxuries to make travelling easier. Daniel had worked every job in the store from taking inventory to running the counter to stocking the shelves to holding a sign while running up and down the street announcing the most recent sale. It was a good job and kept him well paid so that he could afford to take classes during the night.
He was currently working towards a degree in Pokémon Genetics and hoped to be interned to an actual professor within the next year. The prospect excited him, having always an aptitude for science and loving to learn.
A familiar sight finally came into view as Daniel crossed an old, solid bridge. Solaceon Town was a small place, woven into the very landscape, with farms dotted amongst the hills that were currently bathing in the morning sun. A Pokémon center and Pokémart were the the most commercial aspects of the sleepy town. It was no more than a bump along the road to Veilstone that provided asylum for those who were caught in poor weather or simply had run out of hours in the day to travel. The Cozy Barn was the only inn in the town and was run by a younger couple that had recently moved from the Kanto region and it was quickly made popular by those looking for a more rustic journey.
Walking through his childhood town, Daniel stopped in front of a squat, wide building. Composed of shining oak wood and with crystal clear windows, The Solaceon Storefront was the epitome of a mom-and-pop shop and held a certain charm that drew visitors into its interior. Digging into his pocket, Daniel removed a key and unlocked the door. He was quickly assaulted with the smell of his grandmother's pastries.
Another reason the store was so popular was the cheap, but wholesomely delicious pastries that Daniel's grandmother prepared every morning.
Smiling, Daniel entered the shop, taking off his red fleece, long-sleeved shirt and hanging it on the door-side coat rack. It was a quaint area with shelves lined with various travelling necessities and different odds and ends that kept travellers coming back time and time again. Daniel quickly ducked underneath a counter that could be removed so as to allow access to the back rooms and put an apron over his white undershirt.
Glancing at himself in the mirror, he pushed his slightly messy blonde hair to the right so that it looked somewhat orderly. He used to have his hair longer, but short hair was much more convenient. Running a hand down his chin, he felt the growth of stubble and decided that he could put off shaving for a couple more days.
Footsteps coming from further back brought his attention to a small woman gently holding a basket full of assorted pastries. His grandmother was a petite woman, always had been, at least, since he had remembered, and she wore endless varieties of shawls over her sundresses, making her appear to have a hunch. She had soft cerulean eyes, a trait that she passed down to both her daughter and grandson that twinkled behind a pair of spectacles she wore low on her nose. Her hair was wild and graying with a few strands of lustrous brown still visible despite her advanced age.
In one motion, Daniel lowered himself from his six foot stature and took the basket from his grandmother, placing it in its position on the front of the counter, next to the register.
As he did this, he greeted his grandmother. "Morning, Gram!" he said cheerily; his grandmother, Darla, was one of those people who just had made people smile.
However, rather than return his greeting, Darla simply continued about her morning chores, grabbing a broom to begin sweeping and not saying a word to her grandson.
Chuckling, Daniel spoke louder. "MORNING GRAM!"
Still, she ignored him.
Puzzled, Daniel moved so that he was in front of her and waved a hand in front of her face. All she gave in response was scratching her head conspicuously. Daniel placed his hand on his head and felt the cold leather of his hat. He quickly removed the offending item and threw it so that it landed on the coat rack.
"Gawd mawrnin', Daniel," Darla finally replied in a long drawl, beaming, "How was cla-ss?"
"It was alright, just boring; professor Stewart wasn't there so we had some random substitute who didn't know a Skitty from a Wailord." The young man grabbed a check list and began to head into the back storage room. Darla followed him.
"I jus' thawt that I should let ya know," she started to say, but was cut off by Daniel.
"Hold your Ponytas, Gram, gotta focus on countin' the beans. They're a bit unorganized."
The old woman shook her head lovingly as she watched her legacy count and recount and then make a few marks on a piece of paper.
"Alright, what were you saying?"
"I was sayin' that ya should probably know that ya mama come home last night." She spoke in a dry, apathetic tone.
Sighing, Daniel continued to count various items in storage, occasionally checking a potentially perishable item for freshness. He allowed himself to become absorbed in the work. There were so many things to be counted that he did not even notice that the store had opened. Darla was not a helpless old woman, but she appreciated the help of her grandson and was thankful for him being the only one of her family to stay in town consistently after her husband died.
After several hours of counting and noting, Daniel finally emerged from the back room. Darla had just finished ringing up a customer and the shop was empty. The clock read that it was 1:30 so the afternoon lull was soon to be upon the town.
"Daniel," Darla spoke. Her voice was soft but inviting.
The young man did not respond immediately, but rather removed his apron and hung it in its proper place. Darla followed suit and the two of them exited the shop, with Daniel taking care to grab his clothes. After the two had left the shop, Darla turned the sign to "CLOSED" and hurriedly caught up with her grandson.
The two walked in silence for a time, strolling around the town, basking in the warm sun. The rainy season had yet to begin so the hair was not yet humid making it easy for them to walk around for long periods.
Drawing in a breath, Daniel asked, "How was she?"
"I don't reckon to know what ya-"
"You know what I mean, Gram." Daniel's voice held an edge to it that was rare to hear when he was conversing with Darla.
Silence fell upon the duo once more and they decided to walk back to the house that Daniel and Darla shared without so much as a word.
After several more minutes of walking, Darla spoke. "She wasn' awful, but she wasn' good. Hadta put her ta bed right quick."
Daniel grimaced.
"She traid ta tell me that she was fi-ne but I knows she wasn'. Her arms didn' know where her hands were, if ya get me."
Daniel opened his mouth, but closed it again as the house came into view. Situated directly behind the shop, the cozy abode fit in well with its surroundings. It was a two story, rather square building that was made of the same lustrous oak as the shop. A stone walkway led from the dirt path to the front door, decorated with different varieties of garden ornaments. Lining the front of the house were precisely trimmed hedges that added to the already quaint feel of the home.
Pushing the door open, Daniel held it and allowed Darla to pass, following in after her and letting the door swing shut behind him.
When one first entered the home, one was always most struck with the tidiness of it. A small foyer was organized with delicate plants and pictures that spanned multiple generations. This opened up to a sitting room with floral print furniture and a small fireplace that was as immaculate as the rest of the house.
Walking through all of this, one managed to get into a kitchen. Confined, yet breathable, it was Daniel's favorite room, reminding him of a perfect hug. The smell of brown beans and corn bread wafted through the air and the young man hungrily grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and removed the top of a simmering crock pot.
The aroma filled the room and seemed to push the tension out of it. Daniel quickly scooped a hearty helping of beans into the bowl and grabbed a some of the chopped up onions from the container next to the crock pot. Garnishing his dish with a dash of salt, Daniel began to devour his late lunch.
Darla merely smiled and handed him some day old corn bread before grabbing a magazine and sitting down at the table to read.
Minutes passed and the only sounds present were the distant buzzings of bug Pokémon and the occasional cry of a Tauros or Miltank. However, this did not last as excited barking soon filled the empty space.
Bursting through a doggy flap in the back door that led to the porch a Houndour scrambled along the tile floor, nails clicking rapidly, and leapt at Daniel.
She yipped and licked Daniel's face as he caught the excited young dog on his lap.
"Good afternoon to you, Alice," Daniel managed to stammer out whenever his face was not covered by Houndour tongue. Alice barked in response and then leapt down on the floor and panted happily, stubby tail attempting to wag but only succeeding in wiggling her entire butt.
Darla grinned cheekily at the over-excited pup and she removed herself from the chair, crossed the room, and poured out a hearty amount of food into a bowl. Alice quickly bounded over and began to eat. The young Houndour was a recent acquisition of the family's having been a gift as an egg about a year prior. Youthful and always energetic, she was a charming pet and had already learned some attacks.
"Ugh," groaned a voice from the hallway. "What's with the pitter-patter?" A woman entered the kitchen clutching her forehead with one hand and an empty bottle dangling in the other. She appeared bedraggled with her hair poking out at odd angles and her make-up smeared in some places. Tall and thin, she carried herself upright for the most part other than a few hiccups and stumbles. She was Daniel's mother, June.
The likeness between the two was uncanny. They shared the same golden hair and cerulean eyes and they both had pronounced jaws and high cheekbones. They differed in body type with Daniel having inherited his father's broadness as well as his mother's height, leaving him of above average size, albeit solely in features with very little in muscle.
Grunting, June threw out the bottle in a nearby trashcan only to reach in the fridge and grab another. She slumped into a third chair and gazed absently across the table out the window, her body unconsciously opening the bottle with her own hands.
She took a swig as Darla chastised her. "Dear, isn' it a bit early to be drinkin'?"
June ignored her.
Scowling, Darla continued her verbal admonishment. "June, listen to me, put tha-t beer down and get yo'self cleaned up!" Motherly instincts last forever.
June drained the bottle, tossed it on the ground and then smoothed her hair. She then proceeded to give Darla the most insincere smile she could muster and said, "Better?"
Attempting to alleviate the awkwardness, Daniel spoke up. "So what time did you come in last night, Ma?"
She mumbled her response. "'Bout three in the mornin'."
"It was fo'." Darla corrected. "You come inhere drunk offa yo' butt an' ask me if ya can sleep here!"
"I was fine, mother!" June retorted, standing up to get her third drink of the day. "And can you please be quiet, I gotta headache and I haven't made it go away yet."
Darla humphed and commented, "I don' keep beer in dis house, not since Rick died; I don' drink dat stuff, so when did you go an' getit?"
"Daniel," June continued, "how your classes going?"
Playing with his hat that lay on the table, Daniel replied, "They're going alright, getting pretty-"
"Wonderful," June interrupted. "You find yourself a girl yet?" Her voice was quickly rising in volume.
Daniel refused to answer.
"Ha, come on, boy, you can tell yo' mama if you have or not!" June hollered, finding herself far more amusing than the rest of the participants in the conversation.
"Ma, I'd really rather not talk about it."
"Shoot, boy, you gotta find yourself a girl sometime. Preferably one that won't walk out on your sorry ass!" June hooted with laughter at her own pseudo-joke once again, much to the chagrin of Daniel. Suddenly, June's laughter stopped and she leaned over the table to get closer to Daniel. "Has your father been 'round? Has he been bringing ya a girl?" She spoke as if the subject matter was of the highest secrecy. For a woman who consumed as much alcohol as her, she had remarkably low tolerance.
"Ma, go back to bed," Daniel ordered, rubbing his temples and going for another spoonful of beans.
June grabbed the spoon and flung it across the room, sending beans flying all across the room. "Look here, boy," she started indignantly, rising up from her position. "I am your mama, and you do not tell me what ta do, understand?" The act was undermined somewhat by her constant wobbling.
"Sorry, Ma," Daniel muttered; no real emotion could be found in his voice.
A bottle crashed into the wall, missing Daniel's head by inches. Shattered glass fell into the sink and an unpleasant stench permeated the room; whatever June was drinking, it was not beer.
June grabbed Daniel by the face and bore into him, matching eyes meeting each other; one pair full of fury, the other, exasperation. "Don't pull that sarcasm with me, boy," June threatened. She released her son only to slap him across the face. The sting faded quickly.
Daniel then left the house, taking only hit hat and slamming the door harshly on his way out.
Darla glared at her daughter and the latter shrugged with a snarl and reached into the fridge for a bit more mystery alcohol.
########
Daniel walked blindly. He heard not the wind whistle its cheery song, or the small waves of water created by a swimming Marill in a nearby lake, nor did he hear travellers greet him. Put off by his aloofness, they simply walked on by him and that was okay. The less people spoke to him, the better off he would be.
While walking, his mind whirled in a bizarre maelstrom that kept him from realizing how far into the forest he was travelling.
This was not the first time his mother had thrown a bottle, nor, he assumed, would it be the final time, but she had never done it this early after she came to visit or directly in front of his grandmother, her mother. Something was wrong with her.
'When not drunk,' he thought to himself, 'she's just like Gram, sweet and warm.' A slanted smile found its way across his face, but it disappeared soon after as the smell of alcohol randomly entered his nose.
Snapping out of his reverie, Daniel halted his journey and surveyed the area. Trees dominated the immediate landscape save for a short clearing through which Daniel just passed. Littered throughout the clearing were empty bottles of cheap beer and the lingering scent of cigarettes. The clearing was a well-known hangout for teenages and some twenty-plus adults who were in desperate need of something better to do than to hang around younger people.
Having only heard of the clearing in passing and tired from his impromptu trek, Daniel leaned up against a smooth looking tree and allowed himself to slide down until he was sitting. Holding his head in hands he let out a large exhale and tried to clear his head. It did not work.
Conflicting emotions warred for dominance, each wanting to subjugate Daniel's mind. Love demanded that Daniel accept his mother for who she is; Hate claimed that resentment of and abandonment of his mother was justified; Fear toyed with the idea of living with his mother while Confidence battled it on the grounds of standing firm and resilient. Various other minorities fought and died and revived at inconsequential intervals, all contributing to the furthering of Daniel's headache.
A rustle of leaves, a seemingly tangible concept caused Daniel to snap his head up in response. His jaw dropped.
Knelt before him was a Gardevoir, but not the average kind that were a foresty green, no, this one was a calm shade of blue that lended itself to complimenting its milky white skin. Warm amber eyes gazed at Daniel with confident curiosity.
"Uhh…" Daniel stammered out, causing the Gardevoir to giggle. Unsure of what to say, Daniel attempted to stand, but found himself unable to as the Gardevoir held out a hand and started reaching towards him. It was not as if the thing was using its powers, but Daniel had no clue what it was planning and decided that the best course of action was to stay put.
The three fingered hand moved towards his with deliberate slowness and Daniel felt a cold sweat break out from under his hat. After what seemed like an eternity, Daniel finally felt the Gardevoir's soft skin press into his...nose. Pushing lightly, the Gardevoir caused Daniel's nose to crinkle in a goofy manner.
Profoundly perplexed by the situation, the young man had no response. Suddenly, he heard a very strange and unexpected noise coming from inside his own head. He resisted and rejected the noise initially, but after it persisted his weakened mental walls collapsed and he heard one phrase.
"Boop!" the Gardevoir, whom Daniel could conclude was a female due to the nature of the voice, burst out in a small fit of laughter at Daniel's incredulous expression.
"W-What was that?" Daniel asked quietly. He felt as if he might pass out at any minute
"I 'booped' you!" the Gardevoir replied candidly and with a large grin. "Your emotions were so dark that I could feel you walk into the forest." Removing her legs from underneath her, she levitated a few inches above the ground before crossing her legs in front of her and allowing gravity to place her back on the ground.
Nothing made sense anymore to Daniel. "Umm…" was all he could manage to say.
"Aww," the Gardevoir cooed, "You made words the last time. Here, how about I start? My name is Libra, nice to meet you!" She stuck out her hand with the intent that it be shaken.
Cautiously taking her hand, Daniel reciprocated the gesture and said, "My name is Daniel."
"I like that name," Libra complimented, saying the name a few more times in her head so that she would remember it. She glanced at Daniel's face and giggled once again. "You are completely lost right now, aren't you?"
Daniel simply nodded.
Libra rested her cheek on her hand and closed her eyes. "So, what's confusing you?" She asked the question with a great deal of sarcastic sweetness.
"Yes," Daniel replied.
Opening her eyes, Libra gave a coy glare and said, "Smartass. Be more specific." She laid back on the grass and sighed.
"Where did ya come from, why are you here, what are you doing, and why are you so comfortable with this?" The questions exploded from Daniel and he clapped his hand over his mouth humorously to stop them.
"Where to begin, where to begin?" Grace questioned herself, purposely postponing her answering the questions. A dissatisfied noise from Daniel told her that she probably should start or else he might pass out from a mixture of nerves and absolute bewilderment.
"Well, I'm here because you intrigued me. So much negativity in one place, never seen it before so I came to investigate. I was half-expecting a murder scene or something." As Libra recounted her tale, he spun blades of grass in the air with her mind.
"Sorry to disappoint," Daniel interrupted, leaning against the tree, feeling much more at ease than he had earlier for some reason.
Libra smiled inwardly as she continued to project feelings of tranquility. "Oh, don't be. This is much more interesting, to be honest. Murders are so cliché nowadays." Picking herself up, the Gardevoir began to toss more things around the forest; acorns, grass, berries, twigs, nothing was safe from her mind.
"I must admit," Daniel commented, "You don't seem particularly interested."
"Nah, just need something to play with while I talk is all. Anyway, I'm so comfortable because I was actually owned by another trainer at one point. We parted ways almost a year and a half ago."
Daniel furrowed his brow slightly. "Not many trainers give up a rare Pokémon such as yourself willingly."
Libra chuckled and assuaged, "Don't worry, it was mutual. Neither of us really wanted to continue the partnership and I learned enough to live in the wild and avoid capture and being eaten by dark-types."
Daniel blew out some air and shook his head. Clasping his hands together, he rested them on his chest and listened to his heartbeat for some time. It was a smooth rhythm, steady in tempo, and with little variance.
"That's a pretty way to think of it," Libra chirped.
"Stay out of my head," Daniel commanded only half playfully.
Libra rolled her eyes to a hyperbolic extent. "Spoilsport."
The two remained in silence for a while. Libra listlessly toyed with the eclectic items around her, making different shapes and designs while Daniel watched. It was fascinating to him to see such a creature in action even if the actions performed were simple. He tried to recall all that he had learned about psychic-types and if he had learned anything about the Ralts line in particular. While nothing immediately came to mind concerning the species, Daniel recalled that psychics were quite enamored with things they did not understand.
"We really are. It's like a disease," Libra burst through into Daniel's thoughts.
"What did I say about being in my head?"
"Well it's not my fault when your thoughts are so loud."
Daniel stuck his tongue out at Libra and she mimicked him, resulting in the two laughing at the juvenile moment.
However, this moment was quickly lost as a panicky sensation shot through Libra. She felt absolute terror and crippling irrationality. Overwhelmed, she fell back and her chest heaved; she shared the same breathlessness that had overtaken those stricken by the panicked emotions.
"Libra," Daniel cried, racing over to her, "W-what's wrong?"
Still somewhat hyperventilating, Libra responded, "Something is going on, something very big and very bad. There's panic everywhere." She coughed and spat on the ground next to her as she attempted to calm her breathing to a comfortable level.
Daniel twirled his head around, looking for anything that may be the source of such widespread fear. When he looked up, his heart fell to the earth. A monstrous black smokestack had risen into the sky. The dark army of smoke was working its way to the heavens; it had almost subjugated the sun.
Tracing its origin, Daniel's heart then fell through the earth and into the pits of Hell. The smoke was coming from Solaceon Town.