Author's Note: This is just a random little doodle-write I've started. These are gijinka, not pokemon fully, so the way you'll notice their species will rely on their clothes and abilities. The world itself will probably go into deeper detail in following chapters. Enjoy, R&R if you'd like. It's got some stuff that needs to be worked out, I'm sure. Writing at five in the morning isn't a good idea.
Rated for language and violence in future chapters.
A lot of time passed for her in the moments underwater, it seemed. Perhaps it was merely a few seconds or minutes-she could not honestly say. She was aware of bubbles that floated around her, of her serenity as she fell deeper and deeper into the salty water. She felt stinging in her eyes, felt herself slipping away.
So, this is death. She calmly thought, not wanting to ruin the tranquility of the moment with gasping gulps of water or flailing motions. She did not remember panicking or struggling or even trying to reach the surface. Just the peace as the eternally blue waters allowed her to accept her fate with dignity.
It was decidedly dream-like. She felt the edges of her vision blacking out, so she closed her eyes. A peaceful way to go, at least.
The young man sitting on the beach was unequivocally upset. It was a potent mixture of anger and sadness…and his emotions, as usual, had overwhelmed him. He brushed his black bangs from his face and scowled, hunching over even more. His skin was a dark brown, tan from sitting so long under the sun. He had taken his shirt off and tossed it in the sand beside him. His muscular body was tense with his emotional angst, his red eyes glinting in the setting sun.
"I'm no good." He put his head in his hands and grimaced. His own emotions were sickening his sensitive Aura powers. "How weak does a Lucario-guy gotta be?" Sighing, the young man flopped onto the sand and watched the multicolored evening time clouds to soothe himself. His face was lean and angular, but unmistakably handsome. He used his blue coat and cream colored undershirt as a pillow for his head as he let the sound of the ocean waves calm him down.
The washing of the waves against the shore reminded him of how his Aura powers often worked. He was susceptible to every living thing's emotions, and when they hit him, they hit him like a wave. The buzz of the emotion could vary from making him slightly rowdy to mildly depressed to chirpy. He made a face and snorted, "I'm an unwilling empath."
An unusual amount of serenity poured over him as he lay there, listening to the waves. It was…atypical of the water to calm him so much. He sat up-was there someone here directly manipulating his Aura?
His quick scan of the area brought his eyes to a body limply laying in the foaming waves, drenched wet from the water and apparently dead. He froze in fear and battled with himself. Should he even dare approach? Wasn't that type of thing an exploration team's job-to rescue the hurt and injured and find the missing and…he scowled at his weakness. This emotional failure was the sort of thing that prevented him from being any good at anything-it had brought him here in the first place! He got up and ran through the sand, his black boots making soft thudding noises as a wake of sand was left behind him. His thick blue pants were slightly baggy, rippling in the breeze.
The body was…his breath was stolen as he gazed upon the peaceful, surely dead, body of a woman. Her skin was a striking bronze color, smooth and unblemished and beautiful. She had a sharp, angular jaw and strong cheekbones. Her hair was vividly red, with a few black bits that had obviously been dyed. Her full lips were parted just slightly in her repose. A few water droplets hung dangerously onto them, clinging with all they could to the surface skin. Her eyes were shut in a way that was sleep and at the same time too peaceful even for that. A bit of red kohl was smudged around her eyes, giving her exotic aire even more potency. Her soaked clothes clung to her incredibly svelte figure. The white shirt laced loosely around her bust, and tight-fitted brown pants and boots made him wonder if she had been a sort of sailor.
She looked very dead.
He frowned and against his better judgment tilted her chin up, put his lips to hers, pinched her straight, sharp nose and forced air into her lungs. He tried it several times before suddenly the woman sat straight up, pushing him off before throwing seawater up onto the sand.
She coughed and grabbed her throat with one of her elegant hands before balancing herself on her knees, her surprisingly toned body taught with surprise. "How…" Her voice was husky and cracked, "How did I get here?" Her eyes, the Lucario-youth noticed, were brilliant blue-green in color, the almond shaped irises giving her features balance, making her incredibly beautiful. She turned her head, long, thick hair moving with the motion, "Who are you?" She coughed again and dry-heaved, going down on all fours with the strong motion.
The young man smiled cautiously, trying to give off the vibe that he wasn't a threat. He could feel sharp confusion coming from the woman. He said soothingly, "You can call me Anders. I found you here on the beach. I thought you were drowned. Who are you?" He rubbed her back tentatively until she seemed to be finished trying to vomit up a small ocean.
The woman leaned back and sat on her knees, examining Anders more intently. He felt her confusion suddenly vanish, replaced by meditative serenity. Her face was an unreadable mask as she regarded him.
Her husky voice said gently, "You may call me Serena. I am a Zoroark-woman of a people from across the sea. I…" She looked around cautiously, "Have lost my bastard sword." She touched her temple and flinched, "I have a headache, and honestly, I cannot tell you anymore. Why I am here is a mystery, why I was nearly dead is a mystery." Serena studied Anders for a minute, "All I am sure of is my name, my race, the fact I have lost my sword, that I have nearly drowned, and that a man named Anders has prevented my death." She bowed her head to him, "I am in your debt."
He watched her for a moment before responding, "It's really not a big deal. Anyone would have done the same," He smiled, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Serena's natural composure seemed to be a comfort to his Aura. She seemed to block out all of Anders' previous emotional turmoil and replace it with more natural-level emotion. He was enjoying her presence.
She picked her words carefully, "Is there…a village near here?"
"Yes. I live near it." Anders replied amiably.
"I must see if any of the other villagers have seen me before. You have not, I take it?"
Anders shook his head. "But," He added with a little forced cheerfulness, "I know my way around town, would you like me to help you?"
Although she seemed reluctant for a moment, Serena grudgingly nodded, her wet hair making a few stringy pieces fall into her face. She calmly brushed them back. "I feel…lost. Do you think this is normal for someone that has lost most of their memory?"
Offering his hand to her, Anders answered as he stood up, "Maybe. I've never lost my memory. I've got a fairly large den, would you like to stay with me until you get back on your feet?" Anders was an unusually caring creature in a world that was usually cruel. He felt concern for this stranger that had washed up on the beach. She was obviously used to being in control of herself and her situations. Her obvious helplessness made him feel obligated to protect her and help her…which was unusual for him. Most of his fellow beings disgusted him with their animalistic emotions, but Serena just...soothed him.
Serena accepted his hand and pulled herself up with little assistance. She was strong, Anders realized. Stronger than he was. "I…feel that I may be able to trust you. After all, you were honorable enough to save my life. Who are you, precisely, Anders?" She asked as he led her down the beach. Anders stopped and picked up his cream-toned button up, slipping it on and doing a few of the buttons. He offered Serena his jacket, but she shook her head.
He bit his lip, "I…I'm a weakling. I can't control my abilities at all. You're the first person I've met that can balance out my Aura reading ability. Most others I've met make my emotions flip around so uncomfortably I'm never able to be myself."
She responded, "Have you ever considered meditation?"
Anders barked a laugh, "Wouldn't help me. I'm no good at stuff like that. Inner peace is just impossible for someone so susceptible to everyone's private emotions."
Serena raised an eyebrow, "I'm afraid I do not understand. But you are my savior, Anders," She yawned and fell in step beside him as they left the beach, "And therefore, I shall not question you overmuch." She and Anders followed a rocky path onto a mountainous, rough patch of land. Two paths split the landscape. One led to village that was nestled in a nearby valley, green and life-filled. The mountainous path continued up to a strange building that ominously loomed over the entire scape. Anders shivered and took the path towards the village, grabbing Serena's arm and pulling her along.
Sometime down the path, Anders ducked off on a barely marked side trail. The rocky turf was difficult to navigate, but he enjoyed the fact that the ocean was so near to the cliffy area.
He found the large rock he was looking for and pushed it out of the way. A rope ladder had been forced into the earth and led down into a mostly open-faced cave inside a cliff. He let Serena go down before him and then started down the ladder, pulling the rock-which was lighter than it looked-back over the tunnel.
Anders finished scurrying down the ladder and turned to examine his home. A small pocket of evening sky was roving on the western side of the cave-where the den was exposed to the elements. For the most part, it was a cozy place, with a fire pit and a large sleeping area and plenty of food and a good view. He sighed and noticed Serena admiring the sky and ocean from the hole in the cliffside.
"Well, this is home sweet home," He spread his arms and laughed happily.