(A/N): Okay, this is not one of my official stories. This is a shorter story like Blaze's Backstory, except much darker, as you may have expected.
Anyways, I felt like I should try a different theme than my usual light adventure stories. It's kinda sad (That's what happens when you write while listening to sad remixes) and feely, but I'm giving it a shot. If this doesn't work out I'll put it down for a while.
So as the title suggests, this will be Zephyr's Backstory. A little bonus info, when I wrote my first draft of Orbs of Life on paper I had no personalities except for Leaf and another character (Hinty hinty a certain dangerous outlaw), so I randomly generated Blaze and Zephyr's personalities. I have all these little (And big) things that were supposed to be in Orbs of Life but ended up being cut out because I got too close to the characters.
This was supposed to be a simple One-Shot, but I'm separating it into two parts instead.
Also, I am not including when Zephyr and his dad are cornered by the hunters. I was too lazy, so I just wrote the befores and afters of that.
Well, I had a list of other things I wanted to say, but I just forgot them all so prepare for sad feels!
Zephyr's Backstory-Part 1
The little squirtle wriggled around on the soft, damp moss. He liked the way it squish-squolshed through his little blue toes. The baby squirtle scooped up a small handful and thrust it feebly into the air, cooing as it landed softly on his nose.
Over him, two blastoise watched over their child, both filled with relief, love, concern, and a deep, ongoing, panicky worry.
"We must leave soon." One said. "The hunters often hunt at this hour."
"We have to wait, Cannon. You know Zephyr can not swim the river yet, and that is the only way we can be safe from the hunters."
Cannon was silent for a while, watching his son roll closer to the mudbanks. Zephyr's tiny hands tapped the mud and were held up to the squirtle's face so the little Water-Type could observe the sticky mud. Zephyr blinked at his dirty hand for a second and then, without hesitation, stuck his muddy hand into his mouth and giggled.
"No, Zephyr." Tundra said patiently, and the mother carefully pulled the hand out of her son's mouth. Zephyr spat several times and dipped his hand into the stream, and then he yelped in surprise and jerked his arm back onto his nest of moss. After a moment, though, Zephyr peered down at the river and leaned closer to it, sniffing the cold, rushing water curiously.
Tundra smiled with the love and patience of a mother and scooped up the little squirtle. "Ah-ah-ah, you're not strong enough to swim in the river yet, Zephyr. Stay on the lands for now."
Zephyr squirmed playfully in his mother's large but gentle claws. He grasped one single platinum-colored claw and started sucking it contently.
Tundra and Cannon laughed, and Zephyr laughed as well. The young squirtle sighed contently and snuggled himself into a comfortable position in his mother's arms and closed his eyes, contented by the presence of family.
"Tundra! We must go! The hunters caught us!" The dark blue blastiose cried.
Cold wind battered through the air, shaking the leaves of the forest trees far on the other side of the three Water-Types. Through the crisp, fresh air of the night, a large, shadow-covered truck was parked away from them, but the hollering of humans meant that they had been spotted.
"Tundra! Please, we have to go or we'll be killed! We have to run!" Cannon cried again, the desperation in his voice as strong as the wind.
"If we both run the hunters will shoot right away!" Tundra said, glancing pointedly at the truck and the hunters, who were starting to slowly move towards them. "You must go, Cannon, go and save our son!"
"But Tundra! What about you!?"
Tundra didn't answer. The quiet bravery in her dark blue eyes was shining in the night.
"Tundra, please!" Cannon tried again, pleading. But the lighter blue blastoise closed her eyes.
"Our son, Cannon. I would give my life to Zephyr, you know that. If we all run, the hunters will shoot right away. I must remain behind, don't you see, Cannon, so you and Zephyr can escape."
The skid-screech of the truck let the two know they had little time. "I can't leave you, Tundra!" Cannon wailed. "How will I go on without you?"
The light blue blastoise allowed herself a sad smile. "Oh, Cannon, you know I will always be with you."
Cannon squeezed his eyes shut for a second, trying to control himself. "I-I love you, Tundra." He said, his voice thick and wavering with emotion.
"I love you, too, Cannon." Tundra said, and Cannon realized she was as torn up about departing as much as he was. "And I love our son. But he will surely be lost in the hands of a hunter."
Cannon felt his eyes water again, but he had no effort to stop them. He drew away from Tundra and gazed directly into her beautiful blue eyes. "Please," He whispered again, his final and most desperate plea, hoping with every second of himself at that moment it would be him who would stay behind instead of her. "Please don't leave me, Tundra, let me do this for him..."
Tundra closed her eyes wearily, exhaling a soft, sweet sigh.
The moment was interrupted by an earsplitting BAAANG! and the shouts of hunters. The rich smell of burning and fire whipped through the air, followed by the crackles of flames and yowls of pidgey and beedril as the fire licked the ground and forest. Zephyr awoke at once, gazing around in confusion, then shock, then fear, then absolute terror.
"CANNON!" Tundra shouted again, and this time Cannon knew there was no way to unconvinced her.
"I love you." Then the dark blue blastoise roared a jet of water at the hunters and ran for his son, who was huddled in his nest, shaking.
"D-daddy?" The little squirtle squeaked, tears in his chocolate-brown eyes. "D-daddy, what's g-g-going on?"
"We're going, Zephyr." Cannon tried to quench his panic, making his voice what he hoped was gentle but urgent. "Sssh, come on, now, do you remember what I taught you this morning about swimming?"
"A-a little." Zephyr was shivering now, tears running down his face.
"Okay, well, we're gonna swim...and leave. Okay? You'll hold onto my back." Cannon was cut off by Tundra's roar as she avoided the hunters.
"B-b-but what a-about M-m-m-mommy?" Zephyr stammered, sniffling, the little Pokemon confused by the fear he did not understand.
Cannon nearly choked with grief and sadness as he managed. "Mommy's not coming."
Zephyr's big eyes filled with more tears as the little squirtle turned to watch Tundra once more. "C-can I say goodbye?"
Cannon spotted a nearing human and sprayed him with scalding water; then he turned back to his son. "Make it quick, but yes. Here, let me get you higher."
Cannon lifted Zephyr up so he could see Tundra.
"G-goodbye, Mommy." Zephyr said, his voice high and sad. "I'll m-miss you. Please come and visit me and Daddy one-one day."
Just before Cannon lowered him, he thought he could hear Tundra's words echoing through the clearing. I will always be with you.
Without saying a word, Cannon placed Zephyr on his back and dove into the river. Cold splashed onto him as he swam as fast as a rapid ash, faster than lightning, faster than life, flames burning the trees and Tundra-Tundra-letting out a final battle cry before Cannon and Zephyr dove away from what felt like everything.
Zephyr splashed in the river happily, letting mud trickle through his fingers and stomping in the squish of the riverbank floor.
Cannon watched, his eyes narrowed in concern. For about a year this had been their home-thier small den of earth and sticks, the leaves and trees and the berry bushes, the mudbanks and the river. He couldn't bear to leave it behind.
Zephyr clambered out of the river, shaking himself dry like a stoutland. "Dad, Dad, I found a rock!"
Zephyr held up a small, shiny black stone for Cannon to see.
"Erm...very nice rock, Zephyr." Cannon said. "Listen, I want you to stay in the den, and do not leave the den under any circumstances, do you understand me?"
"Yes, Dad!" Zephyr said eagerly, waddling excitedly into their shelter of muddy wood and leaves.
Cannon nodded at his son, then he jumped into the river and swam silently upstream. Finally he spotted the basin attached to the rope and poked his ears out of the water to listen. It was hard to hear with water constantly getting in his ears, but he made out the sound of humans talking.
Concern that his theory of humans camping near the river was correct, Cannon raised his head a little higher so his eyes were above the water. Three-a tent, several odd machines and appliances, and three humans themselves were speaking in a shrewd, evil way.
"No, no, no, you've got cotton in your brains! You haven't seen no blastoise, you definitely haven't seen no squirtle in these parts!"
Cannon tried not to flinch;they know we're here!
"I saw what looked like one!"
"A squirtle'll really bring in the pounds!"
"I swear, boss, I saw one, a huge blue blastoise, too! It was looking straight at me before it ran off. Just there. We could go now and take a look, he didn't seem to run far."
"Why not, boss, we could stop this wild hunt and get some straightaway cash just for the squirtle!"
They want Zephyr. No, no, no, no noooo...
"Why not? Alright, in maybe an hour..."
Cannon lowered himself and swum downstream as fast as he could without being too noisy.
How is this happening? I still can't believe it!
What do I do?
I can't loose him.
This is our home.
It isn't safe!
I have to run.
Yes, that'll be safe. A new home. Without humans.
Cannon poked his ears up and clambered out of the river, preparing to break the news to Zephyr.
"D-Dad?"
His father did not respond.
"Dad! Dad, what's wrong? Wake up!"
His father lay still in front of him.
"Dad! Dad, please, wake up, wake up!"
Zephyr started shaking his father.
"DAD! DAD! ..."
One of the humans put his filthy hands around Zephyr's waist. Zephyr growled, struggling, and bit the hand hard. He was just held tighter. The human-the terrible, horrible, now-hated-by-Zephyr human-lifted him away and dumped him in a small dark box. Zephyr yelled and slammed his shoulder against the walls, but he was trapped. He could hear the humans speaking in triumphant, snarl-like voices, but Zephyr was to sad and upset to hear what they were saying.
"Dad, what's going on? Why won't you wake up? Why are you not with me, and why are you sleeping instead of letting me out?"
Zephyr growled in grief and confusion and scraped a wall of the box.
The humans continued muttering to themselves. Zephyr continued banging the walls of his box. It was very dark, and he could barely see his hands as he pounded as hard as he could. The walls of his prision were the splintery, cheap wood of a traveling cargo crate.
Zephyr paused for a moment to catch his breath, drew in air in a small gasp, and charged head-first at the wall he had been pounding, hollering, "CHEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSEEE BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLS!" As his battle cry. Zephyr's head collided with the box and he flipped over at once, seeing stars.
There was a loud grumble from one of the humans, and Zephyr could barely make out the muffled words while his ears were ringing.
"..at..tle...n't t...p...'ll..g...tk...cr...vt..." Zephyr made out, still dizzy from charging at a wall and not used to human talk that well.
Suddenly bright light momentarily blinded the squirtle. Zephyr used the back of his hand to shield his eyes from the light and squinted up. One of the humans was glaring into the box from above.
"NOOOOO! THE ILLUMINATI! ILLUMINATI! NOOOO!" Zephyr cried. "Wait what's the Illuminati again? Isn't it some type of pasta or something?" (A/N): I think it's a fancy word for triangle...idk...
The human grunted at him. "lt's gt mving." It muttered.
"What?" Zephyr asked. "What did you say?" But instead of answering the human covered the box again, and Zephyr was once more trapped in dark silence.
Zephyr stayed quiet for a long time after that. All of a sudden there was a loud roar, followed by a nonstop rumbling. He could feel himself vibrating.
"Whooooaaaaah!" Zephyr cried. There was another roar, and the rumbling got louder. All at once everything blurred and Zephyr was thrown backwards by the sudden lurch forwards. He hit the wall that had been to his back with a dull thud and skidded up, but there was a third roar, a large increase of the volume of the rumble, and then Zephyr felt the dirty human truck rush down the unpaved dirt-grass ground, speeding towards...wherever the humans were taking him.
Zephyr was bouncing around clumsily in his tiny cargo box. Finally there was a loud screech, so loud Zephyr felt his eyes cross, and a sharp U-turn as the truck veered onto a paved road at last.
The truck wasn't bobbing as much anymore, and Zephyr curled up in a corner of the uncomfortable dark box. He shut his eyes, not for darkness, but because his eyes felt watery.
"Where are you, Dad?" the young pokemon murmured to himself. "I miss you. Where did you go?"
He paused, something dawning on him. And then, in barely a whisper...
"You've gone to see Mommy, haven't you, Dad?"
The truck lurched vigorously at that moment. Zephyr shuddered and pressed himself closer against the wall.
"I understand now, Dad. It's okay. I'm not mad. I know you missed her a lot."
Zephyr hesitated, grief tingling through his body.
"I missed her too. I hope you're both happy together now. You too, Mommy. I'll never forget you."
"I love you." Goodbye.
Zephyr felt a tear and let it run. He was completely lost, helpless, and alone...so alone.
Zephyr awoke in a large cage. It was made of cream-colored plastic and cold wire mesh. Zephyr was tired, very tired, but he blinked himself awake and sat up groggily. There was a small nest made out of a blanket in the corner he was sleeping in, a small bowl of water and a bowl of weird brown pellets in another corner, and there was what looked like a pink frosted cupcake in the way back corner of his cage.
Zephyr sat up a bit and felt what seemed to be a lace around his neck. He looked down and saw that there was some sort of collar around his neck with weird words scribbled on it. The collar hung loosely around his neck and didn't bother him, but Zephyr grasped it hard and pulled with all his might. The collar didn't budge. He tried to pull it over his head, but for some reason he couldn't. Zephyr gnawed at the leather strap, but it tasted very bad and he couldn't bite through it. Finally Zephyr gave up and flopped onto his back in frustration.
After a frustrated moment, Zephyr yawned, stretched, and stood up, looking around. Now that he was up, curiosity to explore was in the little squirtle's mind. He padded around, nibbled the cupcake-thingie, ate it, and approached the water. He lapped up a few sips and wrinkled his nose. This bitter water was terrible compared to the sweet freshwater he had grown used to drinking from the river. Next to it were the odd pellets. They smelled strange, but Zephyr had the instinct they were food, so he tried them. They were a bit flavorless, but he was too hungry to care. It felt as if he hadn't eaten for a whole day!
Suddenly there was what sounded like the chime of a bell and a human wearing a white lab coat swept in. She was speaking to herself, holding something up to her ear.
"Yes, yes, chicking in hm ow, yes, e sems to ee helfy, yes, a bt unger than the odlest goop bt nt mrs than a foo mnts..." Zephyr had no idea what she meant. He started to cry out, shaking the bars to get her attention.
"SQUAAAAAAAARRR SQQQUUUIIIIRRRRRRRTTTT SQUUUAAAAAAARTAAAAAAALLLLL SQUAAAAAAAR!" The human muttered something and put down the thing she'd been holding to her ear on something too high for Zephyr to see. He continued to yell until she came near.
"Shhhh shhhh shhh, here, I'll put you with the other squirtles for now." The human said gently. She opened the cage and Zephyr bolted out at once.
Before he was able to scurry to the door a large hand scooped his up and placed him on the thing she had put her device. "No, no, no, you'll be squashed at this size! Here, let me put you with group 11-A, they're the closest to your age, but they might be a little bigger.
Zephyr felt himself get lifted again, and then he was moving, being carried through the skies, until he was placed gently down in another room. This one was very very big, with sky-blue walls and glass. It was filled with around a dozen squirtles, who were eating, talking, and mostly playing.
"You'll have fun here." The human said gently, pushing him towards the others.
"What? NOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOO! Take me back outside! I wanna go back to the river! NOOOOOOOO!" Zephyr cried, backing away as a few of the nearest Water-Types got closer to him, cocking their heads and wagging their curly tails in excitement.
The human laughed. "Go play, little one. You'll have fun with your new friends. You're all very playful."
"THE DORITOS WILL MUSH MY POPCORN!" Zephyr yelled, but the human was already stepping away. "Please, NOOOOOOOOO! YOU TRAITOR! I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
But the gigantic door slammed shut, and Zephyr slowly pivoted, now pressed against the now-closed door, to look at the advancing squirtles, who were approaching eagerly.
Roll in the hate comments.
...Review? Again, I'm new at this kind of writing, please tell me any feedback on how I did.