"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light." -Albus Dumbledore; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Nova stood there for a moment, almost frozen in spot. It was too dark for her to see, so even if she wanted to get out, she wouldn't have any idea where she was going. But, in that moment, Nova wasn't worried about getting out. She just stood in the same spot, her muscles tense, as she tried comprehending what had happened. The boy who helped her gave her as much information as he was probably willing or able to tell. But that didn't ease up the confusion and worry that bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Was it really bad beyond the gates? Nova's blood ran cold at the thought, hoping she wouldn't have to face the rioters head-on.
After what felt like a lifetime of just standing, Nova jumped when she heard Pichu from the satchel she held. She could faintly see Pichu's head poke out of the satchel, the small Pokémon glancing up at Nova worriedly.
"I'm sorry," Nova whispered, unsure on what else to say. Before either Nova or Pichu had a moment to properly react, a sound in the distance caught their attention. Tensing her muscles even more, Nova clutched the satchel tighter. A bright flash of light surrounded Nova for a moment before it dimmed to a decent amount of lighting. Blinking away the white dots in her vision, Nova slowly turned around, only to be surprised at what she saw. "An Absol?" she murmured.
The Disaster Pokémon looked at Nova intently, a light emanating from it.
"You're using Flash." It wasn't a question, rather, a statement. Absol nodded. "Does that mean you're getting us out of here?"
Nodding again, Absol turned, getting ready to leave, before looking back at the Princess. The look in Absol's eyes gave Nova the impression it was telling her to hurry up.
As they began walking, Nova took in her surroundings. She and Absol were walking down a relatively narrow passageway, and the further down they went, the older the passageway seemed to become. Water started dripping from the ceiling, making the walls and ground more slippery. Nova almost slipped a couple times. The stone walls started looking older, more uneven. Nova could see that Absol didn't seem at all bothered by the eerie condition of the passageway, as if it were used to it.
After a little while, Pichu climbed out of the satchel and latched itself onto Nova's shoulder, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon trembling as it gripped its companion tightly.
"It's OK," Nova murmured, looking at Pichu with a hint of a smile.
Pichu tried smiling in return, but it looked more like a grimace.
They continued walking in silence. Absol made sure to walk at a pace that Nova could keep up with, but still quick enough to outrun whoever may try pursuing them. Though, Nova was certain that whoever started pursuing herself and the boy didn't notice her being locked into the passageway.
"I hope everyone else managed to escape," Nova murmured, a feeling of dread washing over her. Knowing there was a riot going on made Nova's stomach lurch painfully. She hadn't even known that the kingdom was in such a bad situation. Pichu made a noise of agreement. "I bet Livia got my parents out. Don't you?"
Before the conversation could go any further, Absol managed to catch Nova's and Pichu's attention. 'You're slowing down, you need to hurry up now.'
"Sorry," Nova murmured. Matching Absol's pace, they continued their trek.
. . . .
By the time they reached the end of the passageway, Nova let out a sigh of relief. It felt like hours since they entered. Absol motioned to one of the stones, which Nova pressed. When Nova pressed on the stone, the wall opened, revealing an opening to the outside. It was a little into the early morning, the air chilly and bitter. Dark, heavy looking clouds were starting to gather in the sky, making Nova grimace slightly.
"Do you know where I'm supposed to go from here?" Looking at Absol, Nova hoped it at least knew where she needed to go.
Nodding, Absol started walking. 'This way.'
Looking at Pichu, Nova nodded for it to go back into the satchel. "It looks like it's going to rain," she murmured. Nodding, Pichu climbed back into the satchel; Nova had it opened just enough to give her Pokémon some air.
While the Princess and the Disaster Pokémon walked—through an old, beaten path close to a stone wall—Nova noticed thick woods coming up ahead. Nova had never noticed that area before. The area seemed older, looking like it hadn't been touched by humans or Pokémon in decades.
A deep rumble caused Nova to pause for just a moment. It didn't sound anything like a Pokémon—at least she hoped it didn't—but it made a chill run up Nova's spine anyway. Not even a second after the rumble stopped, a light rain started falling.
It must've been thunder, then, she thought, feeling relieved.
The light rain continued to fall at a relatively steady pace, showing no signs of stopping or intensifying.
The closer the wooded area got, the more anxious Nova became. Would Absol stick around to help her get through it? Or was she expected to go by herself?
"So I'm supposed to go through there?" she asked, pointing to the woods. Absol nodded. "Is that. . . .like an alternative to going through the gates?" Again Absol nodded. Nova nodded in return. "I've just never been to this part before," she murmured. "I didn't even know it existed." Absol made no acknowledgment of the statement.
Once they made it to the entrance of the woods, another round of thunder rumbled, then the rain started to fall a little heavier. It didn't bother Nova much, though she did wish she had a chance to change her clothes before leaving, even if it had been so suddenly.
Nova's black hair—normally ending in thick curls at her shoulders—clung to her neck, face, and shoulders.
Absol looked over at her, waiting to get her attention, before nodding to the woods. 'Go.'
"You're not coming with me?" Nova asked. Absol shook its head. Nodding, Nova swallowed thickly. "Well, thank you for your help, Absol."
Nodding once, the Disaster Pokémon quickly turned around and made its way back to Nova's home. Looking back at where it ran, a pang of something ran through Nova's body. It felt like a combination of guilt, regret, and uncertainty. Looking back at the wooded area, Nova shoved those feelings down. However bad things were getting, she had to get away.
At least, until she could figure out a way to stop anything from getting worse.
(A/N):
After some internet problems, here's the newest chapter! I know it's a little late, but hopefully you guys could overlook that and just find something good in the chapter. Just let me know what you guys think, OK?
Do I own anything in Pokémon? No. No I don't.
If you've got ideas for subplots or OCs you'd like to have added to the story, don't hesitate to leave a review or PM me.
As a reminder to all who read the author's notes, I literally just started school, so until I can find a good balance between work and school, there's a chance that updating may not be as frequent. Even though I don't update that often anyway. One thing I could do is update only on Fridays—if I get the chance to—since I don't have classes on Fridays. How does that sound?
Let me know if there's any confusion.
Thanks.
Kaia Milligan