Short update, Gamefreak and Nintendo still own pokemon and I am still not associated with either.
That night, under the infinite blackness on the night of the new moon, Kara curled near Ari. It was dangerous resting in the dark. Yet, with even the stars blocked by the smog released by Cerulean's factory district, most Gijinka users even had difficulty traveling.
A heavy sigh escaped the redhead. She knew they would reach Cerulean by midday tomorrow. Without offering any reasoning, Ari had insisted on accompanying her. Never having had a travel companion before, Kara hesitated. She finally relented when Ari insisted she had no desire for Kara's supplies. The new girl even offered to share her own.
The Feraligatr user curled close to Kara in the biting nighttime air. She turned away with a sigh, unsure what to make of these developments. In short time, they both fell asleep.
Lots of grass. For once it didn't tear at her with it's razor edges. It was so much taller than usual. The sun completely blocked by green. A noise, a growl! Another fight... always fighting. Resentment, anger... She decided to take it out on the newcomer with sharpened claws and glowing coins. Those claws weren't her own, not exactly. Not anymore. Striking into the Liepard to take out her anger, she wondered if emotions even got through to her other half.
Kara woke with a start, trying to remember the details of the odd dream. It was still the middle of the night. Looking around through Liepard's eyes, she saw nothing to alarm her. It was just trash and industrial waste. They'd bunked down a long ways from the huts and save a few cardboard boxes and a section of old piping, little rose above the ground. With a grunt and a yawn, she curled back towards the other trainer for warmth.
Another memory surfaced, a night like this with no moon. She ran low to the ground, sniffing for something edible. Things smelled better in the tall grass. But here, food was easier to acquire. Some people just threw unwanted bit away, ripe for the picking. Easy steal, easy gain. Yet this time wasn't so easy. A grimer caught her by surprise with it's sludge attack. Narrowly escaping, she rounded the corner on all fours, still looking back over her shoulder. Then, she bumped into the man with gray hair... That grin on his face frightened her.
The red haired trainer bolted upright and shook her head to clear it. She began wondering if the Water she'd drank days before had gone bad. Dreams that made little sense to her, details she barely remembered clouded her mind. Memories of things that had never happened...
Ari sat up next to her. "Are you alright?"
"Something woke me..." She sighed looking at the night sky, slowly turning pinkish. "I'm sorry to have woken you early."
"No, I thought I'd heard something as well... might wanna get a move on. It's light enough now to see."
Hoisting their packs and ensuring they hadn't left anything, the two headed back on the trail. A worn path stretched through the industrial waste in a meandering path. With great care, they avoided the strewn bits of barbed wire, twisted sheet metal scraps and other sharp hazards.
They continued this way for some time, eventually finding themselves in the outskirts. The closer they got to Cerulean, the thicker the yellow smog got. Both had to eventually cover their faces with scarves to filter the noxious fumes. The sky above seemed to darken. Sunlight and shadows played eerily off the smog. Rarely, a burst of wind offered a brief glimpse of their surroundings. Sickly purple clouds towered high and a look downwards showed stone charred black.
The ruins of a house labeled daycare proved a good resting place. The stone building was scorched and marred with ash but otherwise appeared stable. On entering, they found whatever had been here had been taken by looters. Nothing but an empty room, it provided them with a roof over their head. Considering the building cloud formations, they might as well make the best of things.
