Pokémon: The Fourth Dimension
By Niko DelValle AKA Obrusnine
Chapter 1: Emerald
Sixteen-Year-Old Cyrus leaned back against the trunk of the tree he was on for a short rest. He was balanced precariously on a branch and took the chance glance down.
There was still no sign of what he was looking for, and he was starting to wonder whether what he had seen before was just a wild stroke of imagination. He thought back, and he could still picture it quite clearly.
It was nearly three weeks ago now, just before the plague showed up… The Planetree Disease as they now called it. It was extremely lethal. Findings so far indicated it wasn't originally intended to kill, but presence in the wild had mutated it into an extremely deadly virus. It killed Pokémon within hours, and people within just days. But that was not what Cyrus was thinking about.
He had been doing his daily exercise of jumping through the trees. He'd encountered a few Pokémon, but none were anything he was particularly interested in. He'd seen it before after all, after navigating the environment for as long as he had. But something peculiar had caught his eye.
He had seen a flash of green light not far away. He supposed it was a Pokémon causing it, but he couldn't be sure. Curious, he grabbed a vine and slid down to the ground. He quietly approached, observing more flashes of green light as he went. Then he started to hear Pokémon cries of a sort, and was assured of his thought.
"Cynda… quil!"
He heard repeatedly in sync with the green lights. Finally, Cyrus stepped into a bush and looked into the clearing. Standing there looking determined was a Cyndaquil. The Pokémon took a deep breath, then unleashed a jet of green flames into the air in a flamethrower attack. He was amazed, it was like no Cyndaquil he had ever seen before. Not only was the fire green, but it had learned flamethrower without even evolving. When it calmed, it had small green circles on its back. The flames it emitted were of an emerald green color.
"Wow…" Cyrus whispered.
The Pokémon had apparently heard him, and it definitely wasted no time. It turned to point in the direction of the bush and unleashed a flamethrower. Cyrus quickly dove out of the way and deep into the brush as the fire swept through the place he had just been standing, quickly changing to its normal color as it settled.
"That was close…"
He stood up and ran into the clearing, but as he had expected, the Cyndaquil was already gone. Then he turned around, and noticed the bush was still on fire and spreading to the grass. Cyrus moved quickly, pulling out his survival knife and diving to the base of the bush. He chopped through the root and threw the flaming bush into the clearing behind him where there was nothing to catch fire.
He hadn't been quick enough though, and the fire had spread to the grass. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a bunch of dirt and threw it onto the small flames before stomping on it. The fire was out quickly, and he'd probably just prevented a small forest fire. With the catastrophe averted, he tipped backwards and fell onto his back, looking up through the trees and into the blue sky, thinking about the strange Cyndaquil he had seen.
The Cyndaquil meanwhile watched Cyrus from the grass as he laid there.
Anyways, that small event had strangely resonated with Cyrus afterwards. He'd been thinking about becoming a trainer for nearly two years at that point but never actually went through with sending the request. He'd been to the trainer school, finished the courses with high marks but never actually became a trainer. Had never made the commitment.
This Cyndaquil had single-handedly tipped the scales in favor of becoming a trainer, because it was fascinating, and being a fan of the wilderness as he was, he liked being fascinated. He wanted to explore and see the world… he wanted to see if there were other discoveries and adventures like this to be made.
So, he sent in the request to become a trainer. His request was unique though, he didn't want a starter, he wanted catch his own. Besides, very few starter Pokémon were being handed out thanks to the plague, making such a proposition nearly impossible anyways. Though he wondered if they prioritized the trainers who finished trainer school with high marks… Either way, he wanted to catch that Cyndaquil, and he wanted to go out into the world with it. It was a creature different than the others, and different was always good in Cyrus's eyes.
Of course, another driving reason he wanted to catch it so badly was to protect it. There was always the plague to worry about, and something so unique needed to be preserved. It certainly didn't deserve to be killed by the plague.
A week later, he was in bed as the morning came. His alarm buzzed, but Cyrus turned it off and tried to go back to sleep. That was until his father called up to him.
"Cyrus? Are you awake?" He asked. Cyrus rolled over in bed keeping his eyes closed.
"No…" He called back.
"Well, I guess that means you don't want this letter from Professor Planetree then?" Cyrus's father replied sarcastically. He was out of bed in a flash getting dressed.
"I'll be down in a minute!"
"I thought so."
He quickly dressed, pulling on his pants and socks extremely quickly before grabbing his green leather jacket and throwing it on. He tied on his belt and picked his knife up off of the bedside table, the emerald situated on the bottom of the hilt glinting off of it, before shoving it into its sheath and buckling it there. As he did this, he saw his reflection in the mirror. First he noticed his own green eyes, and then noticed his brown hair was a mess. He glanced down at the comb on his desk before grabbing it and heading down the stairs while brushing his hair into a presentable state at the same time.
As he reached the bottom he stopped brushing and looked to his right and into their kitchen, where his father was preparing a breakfast of eggs, bacon made from the normal animals around the world, and toast. His father glanced at him.
"It's on the table in front of the couch. Gonna eat breakfast?" He asked.
"Yea, in a minute Dad." Cyrus replied walked forwards into their living room and sitting on the couch.
"Good morning to you to son." His dad called sarcastically.
"Yea yea yea…" Cyrus replied sitting down on the couch where a thick envelope sat waiting for him on the table. He picked it up and examined it. It was indeed from the Pokémon Professor Planetree. He grabbed his knife and used it to slice open the envelope before dumping it onto the table.
There was a letter from Professor Planetree there, but he shoved it aside to see what else had been inside. He began to read it as he picked up the Pokéball he requested. He expanded it in his hand for a moment, then retracted it and buckled it to his belt. After that, he grabbed the Pokédex and stashed it in his pocket. Last was his trainer card, which he flipped over and signed before sliding it into his wallet and continuing to read the letter.
Dear Mr. Hayden
I'm writing this letter to you because I was notified about your successful trainer's exam nearly two years ago now, and I received your recent request to begin your training career. Were it not for the plague, I would hand your Trainer ID over at the Etios Pokémon Laboratory. With the current situation, however, my hands are tied and I've only limited permission to issue starter Pokémon and with them Trainer ID's. Still, your exceptional results on the exam convinced me that your trainer skills could overcome a situation as dire as this. It is for this reason that I entrust you with a Trainer ID card and a single Pokéball, as you requested. Starter Pokémon are monitored heavily at the moment, so it was quite convenient that you only wanted a Pokéball. Though I would've found a way otherwise…
Anyways, I have a request. I assume you intend to travel the Averous region and challenge its gyms or take part in contests. Unless of course you intend to try at another region first… understandable in the current situation… If you still intend to do so, please visit the Etios Lab before leaving on your journey. There's more going on than you know, and with your abilities you may be able to help.
Sincerely, Professor Alan Planetree, MD
As he finished reading, he put it down and thought about what he had read. At least he now knew where he needed to go from here, after of course he had caught his first Pokémon.
"Exceptional results eh?" His Dad suddenly asked. He was reading the letter over Cyrus's shoulder.
"I guess so." Cyrus replied. "I guess I'm a bit better than I thought."
"Don't underestimate yourself son. You've got some fighting spirit... just like your mom."
He handed his son a plate of food, which Cyrus took gratefully as he started to eat. After taking a deliberately slow bite, he chewed his food and swallowed.
"I barely remember her you know..."
"You were young..."
"Every time I try to picture her in my mind, it gets harder and harder to remember her face. The smell of her perfume... the feel of her touch and love..." Cyrus said. "I..."
"You miss her." His Dad said. "I do too. Regardless of how corny it sounds, she would be proud of you. But... it's also time for me to tell you something before you go on your journey."
His Dad grabbed a Pokéball from his pocket and expanded it in his hand. Then he tossed it and out came a Skitty.
"Hey Apple." Cyrus said to the Skitty as the familiar Pokémon jumped into his lap to be pet. "What's this got to do with Apple? She was mom's friend, but there's hardly more to it then that."
"No, it's not just that. Your mom was a trainer too, before I got her to settle down with me." He replied.
"Why didn't you ever tell me that?"
"I don't know... it didn't seem important to tell you when you were so young. When you got older... I just never got around to telling you about it."
"Well... it's not exactly your fault... we don't talk about her much." Cyrus said eating some more of his food and letting Apple eat some as well.
"Either way, I just wanted to give you something your mom would've wanted you to have..." His Dad said. He reached up to his neck and grabbed a necklace hidden under the neck of his shirt. At the end of it hung a long and thin gold badge of some sort, with three gems embedded in it. Cyrus put his plate down on the table, Apple jumping to the table after it, and took the necklace from his dad.
"What's this?" He asked.
"It was her first Gym Badge." His Dad answered. "This is the Trio Badge, from the Unova Region."
"Wow..." Cyrus said. "Thanks Dad... but are you sure? This really is yours..."
He tried to hand it back to his father, but his Dad grabbed his hand and closed Cyrus's fingers around the badge.
"No, it was mine, but it's yours now. Your mom always used to wear it before she died... it was one of the few things I managed to get back from the old house... It was a good luck charm when she was a trainer, and you're going to need some of that luck now. Especially with this cryptic mysterious warning at the end of this letter…"
Cyrus fought back tearing up as he nodded at his Dad. He took this badge and he hung it around his neck.
"Thank you." He told his father.
"It's not necessary son. Like I said, she would've wanted you to have it. Now, you go out there, and you keep making me proud. Keep making your mom proud."
"I will." Cyrus answered.
Now let's get this started. He thought to himself.
"Just remember… don't do more then you're ready for Cyrus. Whatever Professor Planetree has planned it sounds dangerous. Be careful."
"I always am Dad… and whatever he has in store I'm ready."
"If you're sure." His Dad replied.
So, that had led him here, back into the forest to scout after the Cyndaquil he had seen. He'd been looking for two weeks now with no luck, and it was getting dark so he sighed and headed back in the direction Etios Town, where he lived. He was beginning to wonder whether he would ever find the darn thing.
When he reached the edge of the forest, he grabbed a vine and slid back to the ground to walk back to town. Little did he notice the Cyndaquil he'd been trying to find was watching him from afar and moving stealthily to follow him. He reached town as the sun dropped below the horizon, and a boy stepped up to walk beside him.
"What's up Clark?" Cyrus asked of his thirteen-year-old friend.
"Did you catch it yet?" He asked.
"Unfortunately, not this time. I'll get it eventually."
"Are you sure it even exists?"
"Of course I am, do you think I would be this dedicated to it otherwise?"
"Heh, depends."
"Well if you're so confident, why don't you register?" Cyrus asked looking at his friend.
"Because the plague is preventing me from getting a starter." Clark replied. "I sent in a letter a while ago requesting to be told when starters were available again, but I've still had no luck… Guess my marks at trainer school weren't high enough."
"You could always try the same route as me. Professor Planetree may be more receptive if you offer to catch your own Pokémon. It's the starters that are restricted right now, not the Pokéballs or ID's."
"I'm not that desperate yet. I'm not as good at chasing shadows."
Cyrus scowled.
"Aren't you supposed to be at home?" He asked.
"Aren't you?" Clark asked in return. Cyrus stopped walking and looked left, they were standing in front of his house. "Lucky… well, I'll see ya later."
"Bye." Cyrus replied with a grin. "Also, my Dad doesn't keep my on a curfew!"
He was already gone, and Cyrus turned to go into his house. As he did so though, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck tingle. Cyndaquil was watching him from an alleyway nearby, but ducked back into the alley as Cyrus flipped around to look. He managed to catch a flash of the one who had been watching him, but didn't see enough to recognize anything other than it was a Pokémon.
"Who's there? I saw you." He asked. He was about to walk over to the alleyway to peek when the Cyndaquil emerged from behind the corner and flared up with a cry while looking at him. "It's you…"
He reacted quickly, going for the Pokéball at his hip and expanding it in his hand before throwing it at the Cyndaquil. The Pokémon was quick, smacking it with its nose back towards Cyrus who caught it. It glanced at him and flared up again, Cyrus could tell it was trying to tell him something. He pulled out his Pokédex and pointed it at Cyndaquil while also trying to read what it wanted from its motions.
The Pokédex told him a few things about the Cyndaquil. Its moves were Ember, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen, and it was a he. He stashed the Pokédex back in his pocket and kept trying to observe it.
"You want something little guy…?" Cyrus asked crouching down so that he was on the same level.
"Cyndaquil…" He replied and pointed his nose towards the forest, and then ran towards it before doubling back. He realized then that the Pokémon was challenging him. Cyndaquil knew he didn't have a Pokémon so it wanted to challenge him to some other way.
"You want to race…?" Cyrus asked.
"Cyndaquil!" He replied affirming with a nod.
"You're on!" Cyrus said breaking off at a run towards the forest. He glanced behind him to see the small Pokémon moving way faster than he had expected. Still, Cyndaquil was moving too slowly to catch up. A few minutes passed and Cyrus reached the edge of the forest. He quickly jumped and grabbed a vine at a run, which swung him upwards. He released at the peak of the swing and grabbed a branch, swinging off of it a jumping to a branch on the next tree landing on his feet.
He quickly started jumping from tree to tree, stopping shortly to glance behind him. The Cyndaquil flared up and suddenly it was moving even faster than before, and gaining quickly. Cyrus quickly focused on his own movements, jumping to the next tree and trying to keep on moving.
But it wasn't long before the Cyndaquil rushed by below him.
Geez, this little guy is fast…
Cyrus tried to move a bit faster, but he lost track of the Cyndaquil. A few minutes passed, and eventually he reached a small road cutting through the forest. He spotted the Cyndaquil waiting for him in the distance. He swung down from the tree on a vine and onto the road.
"Okay… I guess you beat me…" Cyrus said breathing hard from his exertions. The Cyndaquil unleashed a small jet of smoke into the air in celebration of its victory, and then suddenly looked to the right curiously. Three Pidgeottos were approaching looking to be in a bad mood. Upon spotting Cyndaquil, they immediately charged it, even though it only looked to be curious instead of aggressive towards them.
"Cyndaquil!" It cried, and defended itself with a quick flamethrower to the lead bird which made the others back off a bit. He ran towards the fight.
"Hey, leave him alone." Cyrus called. Suddenly, one of the bird feathers floated down and landed on his shoulder. The feather was discolored somewhat… and he suddenly went wide-eyed as he realized that these bird Pokémon were infected. "Cyndaquil! Come on, we need to get out of here, they've got the plague!"
The Pokémon didn't seem to understand him, looking at him curiously before the birds dived at him. In a desperate attempt to protect the Cyndaquil, Cyrus dived and took the peck attacks from all of the Pidgeottos. He cried out in pain before picking up the Cyndaquil and running away back into the forest. Luckily, the Cyndaquil didn't resist and they were able to get away.
"Are you alright?" Cyrus asked.
"Cyndaquil." It said in confirmation. He put the Pokémon down in the grass before trying to stand up… but falling to his knees in the process coughing fiercely. Blood dotted the ground. "Cyndaquil!"
"Ugh… this isn't good…" He replied. Then he collapsed to the ground and blacked out.