CHAPTER 001: TOWARDS BEYOND
I don't own Pocket Monsters or Nintendo. What would make you think I did? Starts out slow, give it a chance.
"Ugh, it's so BORING here."
Whined a teenage girl, her slender legs pressed up against the wall as she laid on her bed. She was staring at the ceiling, trying to make something out of the uneven texture.
It was a weekend, and school was not in session at this time. Well past the age of becoming a Pokémon trainer, plus the added stress of being a professor's daughter, the girl lived a semi-irregular life in a small town.
"Mmph." Mumbled a slightly older boy sitting at the opposite end of the bed. He was in the process of lighting up a cigarette, seeming quite un-amused himself.
"Look, even our Pokémon are bored!" The girl laughed, still on her back, turning her attention to the two little inanimate creatures on the white carpet, then turning her attention back to her friend.
"HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? How many times have I told you that you can't smoke in my house, Kenta!" She suddenly propped up as the smell of burning nicotine filled her nostrils.
"My mom is going to KILL YOU and use your remains for research! And I won't protest, by the way. In fact, I will suggest it." The girl slapped the strong arm of her friend, who just smirked at her in response, his dark hair practically covering his eyes.
"Chill out Chiasa, I need to find something to do with my time. It's so boring here, you said it."
"Grr…" Chiasa lowered her large, chocolate colored eyes at Kenta, knowing she couldn't do a damn thing to change his mind. "Fine, but at least go outside or something, I don't want you making my little snivy sick. If you do I'm asking mom to turn you into a Pokémon, got it?"
The small, snake like creature propped it's head up, wondering what the fuss was all about. The other one, a round being with an uncanny pig-like resemblance, grumbled as it rolled on it's back.
"How considerate of you." Kenta derided sarcastically as he sat up from the bed and stretched, his dark attire mirroring his personality.
"CHIASA, ARE YOU THERE? COME DOWNSTAIRS, PLEASE!" A soft female voice hollered from below, resonating with some form of urgency.
Chiasa jumped off the bed, startled, and peeked around her doorway.
"What? Who could that be? My mom should be at work, it can't be her." Chaisa said quietly to Kenta, who simply shrugged.
"I'm coming!" She shouted in response, then started heading down the stairs.
What the hell is going on? My mom never usually comes home at this hour. Could it be Grandpa? Did something happen? Chiasa worried to herself, unbeknownst of what awaited her on the floor below.
The home was of a modest size, with only two bedrooms upstairs. To the right of the downstairs entrance, there was the kitchen, in which a petit lady in a lab coat stood.
"Fennel! What are you doing here? Is everything okay? Is my mom okay? It isn't my grandpa, is it?" Chiasa worriedly ran over to the amicable looking woman with the lengthy, blue black hair.
"Oh, Everything is fine! Just fine. I was actually sent over here by Professor Juniper. She wanted me to tell you something." Fennel smiled and pushed her square glasses closer to her face. Chiasa looked at her in bewilderment as she continued on.
"Do you remember anyone by the name of Azumi, by any chance?"
"Azumi?" Chiasa blinked. "Azumi. Um, well…" She thought back for a moment, then jumped up excitedly.
"Actually, yes, I do! She was a childhood friend of Kenta's and mine! We were like the three musketeers! Oh and those eyes, I can never forget those bright blue eyes…" Chiasa shook her head, puzzled, her soft brunette hair falling against her face. "But I haven't seen her since we were so young. What can this have to do with anything?" She brushed the hair out of the way, and readjusted her cream colored-headband.
"Unfortunately, it turns out that her parents passed away, even after moving out to Black City to find a cure for the Rhydon-virus. She's coming back here to Nuvema and your mother has offered for her to stay with you guys for a while."
"Wait… seriously? I mean… that is so heartbreaking… but, really?" Chiasa had a confused look of excitement and mourning on her face, though mostly the former.
"Yes it is quite distressing." Fennel looked away forlornly for a moment, her kind eyes softening. "You will have to pick her up from the train station in Nacrene about an hour, she'll be waiting for you there."
"Oh... I mean, I know I haven't seen her in years, and all, but I'm sure she will be easy to pick out in the crowd!"
"Your mother has told me to warn you that grief has changed her. She looks different than you remember."
"Oh, pfft even so, I can recognize those baby blues anywhere! Most people in Unnova have boring old dark eyes like us, am I right? Um, I'm joking of course… heh… oh! I better go upstairs and get my snivy… and tepig and Kenta too of course, since I'll need his car and stuff. Finally I have an excuse to get Kenta out of my house, damn freeloader!" Chiasa winked at her mother's trusted friend and top lab assistant, then ran upstairs hurriedly to deliver the good news to Kenta.
"I'm coming upstairs Kenta! If you're still smoking in my room I'm going to have my snivy SHANK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU!"
Looks like it wasn't going to be another boring Saturday, after all.
"What's going on?"
Kenta asked coolly, still standing in the same corner by the window as he was before, hands in his pockets. He was rather tall, so the short, peaked ceilings nearly brushed against the top of his head. The two Pokémon were still half awake on the floor.
"We're going on an adventure!" Chiasa stated enthusiastically, grabbing her shoulder bag off the bed, along with her keys and other effects. "Oh, we need your car for this adventure, FYI."
"To where? Your mom's lab? Very funny." Kenta stated without laughing. "We don't need my car for that."
"Do you remember Azumi?" Chiasa stopped fussing around and looked at Kenta in the eye.
"How should I know? You're the only person I don't hate, and by don't hate, I mean I let you live."
"VERY FUNNY KENTA. Seriously, though. Think back to days before you became a smoking addict. Unless you were born with a cigarette in your mouth. I wouldn't be surprised." Chiasa scoffed sarcastically, putting one hand on her hip.
"Hmm…" Kenta looked like he actually cared for a second, but only for a second. "Nope, I have no idea."
"Ugh." Chiasa rolled her eyes and then continued fumbling around. "Remember when we were little kids? Azumi was the other girl we used to play with, until she had to move away. Her parents were ill. She had blue eyes, which was unusual. C'mon, you have to remember!"
"Hmm…" Kenta pursed his lips together. "Yeah, I sort of remember her, miraculously. What does that have to do with me?"
"She's coming to stay with me. Her parents passed away. And WE are going to go get her! HAH!" Chiasa laughed defiantly, then picked up her unaware snake Pokémon, who was resting contently on her floor. "Come on snivy, we're getting out of my room for once."
"That's terrible, but still, I'm not going anywhere." Kenta plopped down on the bed.
"I'm going to make your favorite meal tonight if you go with me…" Chiasa taunted Kenta. Guys were always motivated by a small list of things, even in the world of Pokémon. Food was one of those things.
Kenta cocked an eyebrow, then sat up again.
"Fine. Let's go."
At the train station, it was surprisingly busy. People and their Pokémon were coming in and out, out and in. Chiasa was thankful she made a little "welcome home Azumi!" sign attached to her snivy. What? It was a cute way to get someone's attention! Kenta followed behind quietly, his tepig at his feet.
"Okay so she should be getting off at this platform here…" Chiasa came to a halt. "…Thanks to you, Slower than Slowpoke, we just barely made it, so we shouldn't be waiting here too long."
Kenta scoffed in reply. He wasn't exactly one for words. A trillion other people were wasting their breath as it was, so why should he add on to the pollution?
"Wait, here it comes!" Chiasa grabbed on to Kenta's arm tightly as a very modern looking shuttle halted a few feet away from them.
People started to pour out one by one. One of the people, a young woman, stepped out slower than the others, looking like the life had been sucked out of her eyes. She turned and looked directly at Chiasa and Kenta, and halted a few feet in front of them, staring quietly.
"Wait… no… that can't be…" Chiasa whispered in disbelief as she looked at the figure before her.
She had remembered a young girl who had been full of energy and was always smiling. What she saw was the complete opposite. Her old friend was wearing black tennis shoes, light blue tattered jean shorts, and a long, sleeveless black shirt vest. She had black and silver bangles on her left hand, and black nail polish. Her right arm was covered in tattoos of legendary dragon type Pokémon, her hair was long, straight, and black, with unruly bangs, and she was extraordinarily pale. She had an absol, a dark-type Pokemon found only in the very northern part of Unnova, by her side. But it was the eyes… the same, light blue eyes… yes, it was definitely Azumi. No doubt about it.
"Um…" Chiasa looked back at Kenta, who just watched Azumi inaudibly. She then started smiling again and ran over to her old friend with excitement.
"IT'S BEEN FOREVER AND FOREVER! You sure do look different! But you're still... um... beautiful... uh... as always? Heh. Anyways… uh, are you hungry? I'll bet you're hungry. I've turned into quite the cook these days! What's your favorite meal? I bet I can make it! And even if I can't, I will learn! Do you like the sign Snivy and I made for you? Oh this is Sage, the snivy, by the way! I think she likes you! My mom became the town professor you know, so this was a gift, and Kenta got that other one over there, his name is Tripper! AREN'T THEY CUTE!" Chiasa practically screamed, rushing all around Azumi and her Absol in a torrent, "And, who is this? I didn't know you were bringing someone! Well! Hello, little Pokémon, what's your name? Oh… please don't bare your teeth at me… heh…"
Azumi simply looked at Kenta in the eye, though he was unable to read any emotions from her.
"I bet she's tired from her trip, Chiasa." Kenta stated suddenly, walking over to the pair. He grabbed Azumi's only suitcase, for she didn't have much other than that. Azumi nodded in thanks, and clutched onto her black backpack. Chiasa blinked.
"Well look at who is the gentleman all of a sudden!" She bellowed, then turned back to her old friend, and whispered. "Don't let him fool you, he is totally NOT. We can let him think he is though."
Azumi managed to feign a thin smile, but continued staring ahead, still refusing to speak. Kenta and Tripper the tepig walked ahead, Azumi's black metal suitcase dragging behind them, it's rackety wheels making clanking sounds with each hollowed step.
Clank, clank, clank...
Time for a fresh start.
THIS STORY IS BASED OFF THE BLACK AND WHITE GAME, LOOSELY. I HAVE ALSO CHANGED THE STORY LINE UP A BIT (IN THE GAME JUNIPER ISN'T ANYONE'S MOTHER REALLY, BUT WHATEVER IT'S MORE INTERESTING THIS WAY. NOT CANON? IDGAF, COOL). THERE WILL BE BATTLES, BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE TYPICAL "CHALLENGE DA GYM AND BECOME A THUPER DUPER MASTER BREH" YOU WON'T FIND THAT IN THIS STORY. NAH. THIS AFTER THE PURSUIT OF TEAM PLASMA, N, AND SOME BADASS LEGENDARY DRAGON POKEMON.