Hi there Reader. Some quick notes for you:
This story was written after I read the epic, 160-chapter long Pokémon fanfic "Pedestal" by DigitalSkitty (man what an adventure) and realized I still craved more.
Therefore, while STORMY SKIES is its own independent tale set in Hoenn, it may make nods to the events of Pedestal, and can be assumed to happen in the same story universe (yes this has been agreed to by DigitalSkitty). It will not affect your reading of this story, however, if you have not read Pedestal.
As one of my favorite authors said: "Nothing will be safe from me in this story." It will be dark, it will be angsty, and it will be violent (not over the top, but realistic just the same). But stick with me, readers, and it will all be worth it...
Please enjoy STORMY SKIES.~
CHAPTER 1 – THE STORM [Hadlee]
"What?" I shouted through the roaring rain, tugging the wet hoodie tighter around my face. "I can't—no, I can't hear you! Clayton!" I wildly motioned with my free hand, struggling to see through the wall of water as thunder rumbled loudly around us. "Clayton!"
In the three weeks since I'd moved to Littleroot, I'd seen more storms than the rest of my life in Johto combined. According to the news, the whole month had been filled with an unprecedented number of weather phenomena all throughout Southern Hoenn...with no sign of letting up. That bode horribly unwell for Leaving Day, a short two days from now.
Back home the event would have been postponed for the elements indefinitely. But here, our unshakeably perky teacher Mr. Barren had made it clear that 'even a volcanic eruption can't stop trainers from starting their journeys!' Certainly nothing could stop his good attitude, a trait I wasn't sure if I'd miss when we all left with our new starters. Even today, when a freak flash flood had cut our last graduation field trip short, he'd kept in high spirits. I guess that's why he and his Ludicolo went so well together.
I shivered. Clayton and I had gotten separated from the class group...his love of hard-to-find grass Pokémon and my adventurous streak had made for a serious tendency to wander off. I think we both regretted that now.
"Hold on!" I yelled, blinking back little muddy droplets as they whooshed up into my face. I was sure he was yelling something, but the wind buffeted too fiercely through the trees to hear. If only I could lip read!
"Just—I'll come to you!" I started forward, squelching through the undergrowth toward his neon yellow wind jacket.
Suddenly my foot caught a rock and I tumbled to the ground, hands slapping sharply into the mud. My palms seared with pain, stuck all over with pine needles and pebbles, wetness seeping through my jeans. I gritted my teeth and held back a silent scream. This weather was not for me. I would never have the coordination for it.
Clayton pulled me up, steadying us against a tree.
"We're going the wrong way! The class went over there! Back down to Route 101!" He yelled, inches from my ear, pointing through the trees. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah!" I shouted back, pushing away thoughts of my ankle, which was beginning to throb.
"Let's go! Stay with me!" He grabbed my wrist, leading me through the trees.
We hiked down the mountain carefully, rainwater rushing down the steep ground around us. Little troughs began to form in the mud like mini-rivers, sure-footing out of the question. I bit my lip and refocused on the task at hand: pushing through my limp. It didn't take a Mt. Moon professor to see how dangerous this was getting.
My eyes were on the ground when I heard it.
I startled and looked up—was that the wind? It sounded different. Something was off. Clayton stopped, feeling me tug against him.
"What is it?" he yelled. I held up a finger so I could listen. And there it was again.
A high-pitched scream of wind—no—a Pokémon! A Pokémon was shrieking!
I swiveled around toward the noise, searching for movement, and saw a jumbled ball of legs thrashing high above us. It was caught in the flood, sliding down the mountain too fast to handle.
I gasped and started forward, eyes tracing its path, desperately estimating if I could catch the animal downstream. Yes: if only I could make it there fast enough.
Adrenaline took over. I ran, ankle fiercely stinging as I slipped over wet leaves and rocks, glancing upward when I could to keep track of the Pokémon. It clawed outward blindly with tiny paws, unable to grab hold of anything as the water dragged it quickly down. I forced myself to climb faster, almost there, holding out my hands as I reached where its stream would lead and—fwump! The lump fell straight into my arms and wriggled around, terrified.
I lifted it from the water with effort, trying to be gentle when it abruptly leaped onto my chest. I squealed and flailed backward, feeling it claw its way up the fabric to my shoulder and slip inside the space between my hood and my neck. Its wet fur slid around against my skin, burrowing...until it finally stopped moving.
I stood stark still for a few seconds, sure it would whip around and bite my cheek...but finally relaxed when it only trembled. I could almost laugh; it wasn't going for my jugular. It just needed a hidey-hole. I held a hand nearby to stabilize it, wincing as its nails dug into my skin.
We would need to take it to Clayton's father for a check-up on the way back. Bones could be broken, water could be in its lungs...I turned on a heel to tell him so, but instead yelped as my foot glided straight out from under me. My shoulder slammed into the ground, air knocked from my chest and I wheezed, pain everywhere. My head spun, dizzily perceiving movement as I realized with horror: my body was starting to slide down the mountain. Flood water was tugging me down with gravity.
I coughed for air, frantically reaching out toward trees but the leaves slipped right out of my hands, too wet for traction as I slid past. I blindly tossed the Pokémon toward Clayton, hoping he could save it as my weight yanked me down faster and faster.
I struggled to look below me, a steep ledge rocketing closer as a new lurch of speed sent me tumbling forward, rolling headfirst, falling until—black.
-.-.-
I awoke in a bed. I wasn't alarmed or confused...just calm. I felt nothing for a moment and stared at the ceiling, trying to pick out patterns in the textured finish. But my eyes struggled, shadows swimming around and spinning every time I tried to focus. Nausea began to pull at my stomach. It was just too dark to see right.
Then a thought crossed me: this was not my ceiling. I was in an unfamiliar place. My mind moved slowly, trying to understand the concept, slogged down by something I couldn't quite put a finger on. I thought harder, sorting through the facts.
It felt like night time...but wasn't it just morning a moment ago? Whose bed was I lying in? How had I gotten here and why could I not recall coming? My mind went in circles, a gradual, building shock underlining it all to jump start my mind. Emotions came back with a blunt kick: panic.
Something horrible has happened.
The last thing I remembered was completing my final essay for Mr. Barren, happy that there was no schoolwork left before graduation. Just the final field trip, graduation party, starter ceremony, and Leaving Day. No, no, something before that...the field trip. Something about the field trip. Rain. Fear. Pain.
I felt like I had teleported. I vividly remembered standing in the downpour just minutes ago, half-listening to a lecture about Wurmple colonies while plotting how to slip away from the class with Clayton. But no, that was hours ago. Was it? What came after?
I then remembered that I could move. I started with my neck, anxiety growing as I found it almost immobile with stiffness. It took intense effort to move my limbs. They felt strangely disassociated with my body: I could see my leg bending upward but it felt numb, unwilling. I saw separate movement on the bed nearby and looked over to investigate.
A tiny Pokémon stared back at me, claws digging into the sheets, startled at my gaze. Round glossy auburn eyes, a furry caramel face with a black mask over the cheeks, little wet nose and scraggly mouth...the Zigzagoon pup held its fluffy tail straight, warily examining me. I stared back, vaguely recognizing it from our Local Pokémon quiz. It seemed much more fragile and harmless in person. Its fur coloring, however was...strange. Lighter than it should be.
For a moment I relaxed, watching it.
The animal carefully lifted a wide paw, quivering slightly in the strained silence, and placed it closer to me. Then another...and another, inching nearer, snout twitching. It padded across the sheets to my face, leaning up until it lightly booped my chin with its nose. I giggled, only to hear the sound come out as a raspy cough, and immediately set into a coughing fit. My throat was so dry. My mouth tasted horrible.
I hacked, moving to cover my mouth only to feel that I had on an oxygen apparatus. I pulled it off my face, taking in for the first time my surroundings. A half deflated IV bag hung nearby, tubes connecting to my inner arm, a steady soft beep emanating from machines at my bedside.
Adrenaline suddenly screamed through my veins: I was in a hospital!
I pushed myself to a sitting position, ignoring the sudden dizziness, and felt around for the 'Nurse' button. I clicked it over and over, heartbeat rising. My arms shook, straining under the weight of holding my torso up.
"Nurse," I coughed out, meekly. "Nurse!" I squeaked higher, suddenly bursting into tears. It felt good to cry, releasing a pent up pressure in my chest I hadn't realized had built to a breaking point. The Zigzagoon whined and stood to place a paw on my chest, and I weakly scooped it under one arm, weeping.
Mud. Its fur was muddy.
I gasped in between sobs and wiped my eyes, blearily looking down at it. Mud...
...Mudslide.
It all came back in a stinging blur.
"Nurse!" I screamed.
Note: There are two main characters in this story that we will jump between: Hadlee and Clayton (no it is not a love story), and both will go on long Pokémon Journeys soon enough. Their timelines are outlined very specifically, so not a second will be wasted as we get into the swing of things with these characters!
See you at Chapter 2.
