Author's Note:
Hey there! This isn't the first story I've written, but it is my first fan fiction, so if you have any advice or comments, I'd be glad to hear them. This fan fiction is supposed to take place in the Unova region in the past, so some of the places will be slightly changed to suit the story. Thanks and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or anything that has to do with it.
Prologue: A Hero Roams the Night
The full moon shone brightly in the dark night sky, like a silver eye looking down out of a face lost in shadow. Its pearly gaze looked down upon the sleeping world, silent save for a soft breeze that tickled the trees until it drew a whispering laugh from their verdant leaves. In the mountains, though, the wind wasn't playful; it shrieked, moaned, and howled, always whittling persistently at the blue-gray rock as though it were trying to bring the great cliffs down. Summer hadn't left the Unova region yet, but it seemed that autumn was trying to come early, barging in rudely before the golden season had finished its turn.
In this late-summer night, a young man roamed, with seemingly no course at first, but then heading more directly toward a small town at the foot of the mountains. He drew his dark cape more securely around him when the wind came shrieking toward him. He shivered slightly, but was not swayed from his goal. At his side walked an Umbreon, its yellow rings glowing faintly in the moonlight. It glanced up at its partner with trusting red eyes as they journeyed together into the little town.
The town was quiet, which might have seemed peaceful in some cases but here seemed eerie. Not a single person roamed the streets, not a single porch light was on. Tall walls surrounded the town, with only two gaps to allow people into the town. Legend had it that a monster lived in the chasm within the mountains to the east, which was the reason no one was out at this hour. Some said it was only a legend, but most people were quite superstitious in Lacunosa Town and followed its old traditions anyway, staying safely within their homes after nightfall.
Even if the traveler was superstitious, he didn't let this legend bother him. A close friend of his lived within Lacunosa Town, and she told him that no monster had ever approached the town during the night.
In fact, it was this friend that he had come to see. Despite the fact that it was night, he knew she would never turn him away. He had come on urgent business, something that couldn't wait until the morning. If his fears were true, then he would have to be off again as soon as possible.
The traveler soon reached a large, gray house near the edge of the town. He quietly ascended its front steps, reaching up a hand to knock on the front door. Just as his knuckles brushed the wood, the door swung open. A rather small figure stood on the threshold, regarding him with luminous blue eyes.
"Hello there, Mason," she whispered softly. "I had a feeling you'd come."
The traveler, the man called Mason, blinked in surprise, but didn't question her statement. He knew better than to doubt his friend. "May I come in?" he asked, bowing his head politely. "I've traveled a long way."
"Please do," she replied, stepping back to let him in.
"Thanks," he said gratefully. He stepped inside, his Umbreon trailing slightly behind him. As the Pokémon passed the girl, she extended her hand to him. Umbreon sniffed her fingertips, but did not let her touch him. Fortunately, she didn't try to do so, and simply closed the door behind the two arrivals.
Mason removed his cloak, hanging it on the rack in the entry hall. "So how have you been, Daphne?" he asked the girl.
"Fine," she replied. "And yourself?"
"The same as usual," he said. His dark eyes sparkled teasingly. "But I thought you would have already known that, thanks to your gifts."
Daphne's eyes flashed, almost looking like blue lightning. "I can't use my powers for everything," she said. "And they're not a joke."
"Fine," said Mason, holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture. "I didn't mean to insult you. And, in fact, it's because of your powers that I came to see you tonight. I'm in need of your services."
Daphne sighed. "Very well," she said, avoiding his gaze. She looked away from him, into the darkness of the shadows. As though summoned by her thoughts, a ghostly white shape emerged from the gloom.
"Absol," said Daphne, extending her hand to the elegant Pokémon as it approached, seeming to glow in the soft shafts of moonlight that pierced the curtains over the windows. "Will you help us, my friend?"
Absol fixed his navy blue gaze on her pale face, nodding ever so slightly. Daphne lit a candle to help them to see better, then set it down on the coffee table in the middle of the room. She sat down in a large chair and Mason sat on the sofa across from her. In the candlelight, their faces were half-hidden by shadows and it was hard for each to make out the expression of the other.
Daphne closed her eyes. For a few minutes, she was completely still. Then she quivered slightly, her eyelids fluttering. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but Mason thought that a pained expression might have crossed her face for a moment. He tensed, a little worried, and reached out to touch her arm, but Absol noticed his movement and growled.
Then the girl opened her eyes, looking grave. "The future that lies ahead of you... it isn't pleasant. Are you sure that you want to see it?"
Mason hesitated, but then nodded. "Yes," he said firmly. "It's better for everyone."
Daphne looked conflicted, but she reached out one hand to touch Absol's shoulder. He looked at her with an unwavering glance. The girl extended her other hand to the visitor, who laced his fingers with hers. Their eyes met, before Daphne said quietly, "Future Sight." Absol closed his eyes and the visions took hold of them.
Mason opened his eyes again to a whirl of smoke and a glowing blaze of flames. The ash scorched his lungs and made him cough, as real as if he had actually been swept into another world. He looked up at the sky, which was not blue or even the deep black of night, but red and gray. Orange embers were tossed upward from the mountain in front of him, hissing and crackling like the earth itself were angry. Lava and mud came tumbling down the mountainside toward him, but he couldn't move a muscle, let alone help the people he heard screaming in the distance. Paralyzed, all he could do was watch the destruction and pray that it ended soon.
He felt something brush his hand and a soft breath tickle his cheek. "Mason." It was Daphne's voice, gentle with concern. At her touch, he found that he could move again. He looked toward her, meeting her beautiful blue gaze, which glowed with an eerie light. "You cannot stop this from happening," she murmured sadly.
"Then what can I do?" he asked, fighting the despair that was trying to take control of him.
She turned to face the volcano. "This eruption will hurt the people in more ways than one," she said. "It will destroy many things." She looked up at the sky, swirled with ash and fire. "The sun's rays will not touch the earth for a long time after. It is the absence of light that causes darkness, Mason. Not only in the world, but in the hearts of those who live here." Her gaze returned to his face. "You know what this means, don't you?"
Dread clawed its way into his heart, leaving ice behind where it touched him. "Surely they won't return?" he said, feeling cold despite the flames around them.
Daphne looked away, turning her gaze upon Absol instead. The white Pokémon stood on her other side, looking at the flames, his expression unreadable. "I cannot say," she mumbled. Though her words were directed to Mason, she looked anywhere but at him. "But if you want to do something, you should make sure that they do not rise to power again."
Mason didn't know what to say, but fortunately, he didn't have to say anything. Daphne and Absol looked at each other, nodding ever so slightly. She took Mason's hand again, and touched Absol's forehead. The three were whisked away in a flash of light.
The next thing Mason knew, they were back in Daphne's house, untouched by ash or fire, but sitting in the living room as though nothing had happened. Only Daphne's expression told him otherwise. She looked troubled, perhaps a bit frightened.
"What will you do now?" she asked.
"I'm going to the Dragonspiral Tower," said Mason, standing and pulling on his cloak. Umbreon stood beside his master. "If what we fear is true, then I'm going to have to start there. I'll track down our enemies from there and make sure that no one is hurt by them."
The girl looked unsure, but didn't press the matter any farther. "Good luck," she said. "Travel safely. And don't do anything stupid."
That made him grin. "No promises," he answered. "Take care, Daphne." And with these words, he departed from her house, his dark Pokémon hardly more than a shadow at his side.
After they was gone, Daphne sighed and ran a hand through her blond hair. Rather than going to sleep, she opened the window and let the breeze from outside wash over her. While she doubted that the myths of the ice monster in the chasm were true, she couldn't help but shiver with dread. For even though it was summer, the wind was unusually cold, as though it had been chilled by a bitter presence.
For once in her life, Daphne was truly afraid, though she tried not to show it. She replaced the small candle on the table with a larger one and started to read one of her books. Absol sat beside her, watching her actions with a silent, unblinking gaze.
After a while, Daphne spoke, without looking up from the pages of her book. "If this darkness which we foresaw is about to come, then the people will need a warning, will they not?" she asked.
Absol blinked once, confirming her words.
"You'll go to Lentimas Town, won't you?" she said. "And deliver this warning?"
Her Pokémon nodded. Silently, he rose to his paws and bounded into the darkness, leaping out the open window and disappearing into the shadows of the night beyond.
Daphne did not watch him go. Instead, she shut her book, blew out the candle on the table, and retired to her room for the night. There, she sank into a troubled, dream-filled sleep.
Author's Note:
By the way, in case it was a little confusing, Daphne is the one with the psychic powers, but she needs Absol's help to show her visions to others. Thanks for reading and please review!
