Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I only own the characters and story, unless otherwise stated. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
CNBM: Sage is property of .BuildingMyCoffin on Quotev/Aesthetic-maker on DA
"So, you really don't remember anything at all, huh?" Swanna sighed lightly and started to pace around the room. "That is quite problematic, but I'm sure there must be answers somewhere. We can go to the library later, but you still need to stop by Audino's before anything. He called right before dawn, asking when you'd come over. He's really protective and worried about you! Haha!"
"I guess," Kira mumbled as she flexed her fingers, wincing every once in a while at the bits of pain that would course through her. "I just wish I hadn't had to deal with that Pokémon yesterday. I'd much rather be finding answers than sitting around and just waiting. This is so boring!"
"Trust me when I say I know how you feel," Swanna said with a light chuckle. She was silent for a moment before smiling faintly. "We should head over to Audino's office. I don't want him to come here and scare off my customers with his worrying."
Kira nodded lightly and slowly moved from the bed and to the floor. Her body had healed exponentially over the night, but there were still moments where pain would tear through her body. Apart from that, she didn't really feel any different from when she had woken yesterday. She still had no memories, knew only of her name and Necrozma, and that she was in a world that wasn't her own. At least no one was looking at her oddly for that. These Pokémon must have been used to having visitors from alternate worlds.
Shaking her head, Kira followed after Swanna as they left the café and headed down the road to Audino. Kira took the chance to look around once more. The streets were still filled with Pokémon, albeit less than there had been yesterday. It was probably too early for some to be out, or perhaps they were doing stuff outside or away from town.
"Swanna? What do most Pokémon do on days like this?" Kira mumbled as she rushed to catch up with the swan. "I mean, apart from everyday jobs and all that? There aren't as many Pokémon today as there were yesterday."
"That's because most Pokémon who come here around the afternoon are usually just passing through or picking up supplies for journeys," Swanna responded. "I guess I should have told you this, but we're a very popular pit-stop between Sundown City, Lake Artemis, and Clouded Forest. Pokémon come to us from all over the place to visit these locations and solve the many mysteries they have. It also makes us a popular tourist area, so you'll see some Pokémon come in and out."
Kira nodded lightly in understanding before a thought hit her. "Yesterday, when I woke up, Duke said there was a beach near where we were. He said that it wasn't safe to go there, but never explained why. Would you happen to know why that is?"
"Sorry to say, but Duke and the forest-living Pokémon are the only ones who know why the beach is blocked off." Swanna sighed lightly and shrugged before continuing down the road. "But you can ask him when you see him yourself. He's a big softie, so I'm sure you can get him to tell you."
Before Kira could respond, she was suddenly being picked up. She yipped and used her vines quickly, spinning and slamming the Pokémon who had grabbed her into the ground while she pushed herself several feet away. As she stopped, she looked up and noticed Audino.
"Oh, Arceus, I'm sorry!" Kira yipped as she ran over and helped Audino to his feet. "I didn't see you! You should have warned me you were gonna pick me up! I'm so sorry if I hurt you!"
"It's actually quite alright," Audino chuckled as he stood and shook dirt from his fur. "It's kind of my fault for picking you up without your permission first. Besides, it just means that you're getting better if you managed to land without hurting yourself." He then looked over to Swanna. "You did a good job in getting her to settle down."
"Don't thank me, sir!" Swanna laughed as she rubbed the back of her head with a wing. "It was all thanks to Lucario that she even fell asleep at all. The café was so busy that I thought she wouldn't be able to get to rest until the sun had risen. Lucario's getting better with his Soothe Meals."
"I hate to interrupt, but I keep hearing that name over and over," Kira said as she walked forward. "Who exactly is Lucario, and what is he so big around here? I know it must not be as important as my health or whatever, but seriously."
"Lucario's a famous hero known around the globe for helping Pokémon in need of assistance, desperate or not," Duke said before the others could respond, landing behind Kira. "The reason he's so big is because he just one day dropped out of being a hero and became a chef in place of his former career. Nobody really cares to speak of his past nowadays, but that's all there is to him. Just a retired Explorer who now cooks for a living."
"That makes sense, I think," Kira mumbled as she closed her eyes and sighed lightly. "Well, I guess that's out of the way now. By the way, Duke, you never explained why the beach was blocked off."
"Because of the Infected," Duke hurriedly told her. "Now let's push past that and hear the verdict. Audino, you know Kira can't stick around here for much longer. Skarmory will be coming back to find her soon enough, and we can't risk another attack like the last."
"Don't remind me of that incident," Audino mumbled lightly before turning to Swanna. "If you would please go see Lapras, tell her that we need a ferry to Treasure Town by sundown. Duke's right when he says we can't risk another attack. You know what'll happen."
"What incident?" Kira mumbled aloud, raising a hand to her head. "I seriously can't take all this information at once! On my first day in this world, I was attacked and found next to nothing about myself, and today I'm being shipped off like some sort of disease! Why is that?!"
"It's because we know stuff and we can't risk anything," Duke responded. "That Skarmory from yesterday likely warned their friends and are coming to destroy the town to find you! If you're gone, then we're all safe. Besides, what's a single life worth? Nobody knows you, nobody cares about you, and most of all, you know nothing. You may have taken down Skarmory, but you can't fight an entire army aiming to capture or kill you."
"And then what about my world?!" Kira snapped, stepping closer to Duke. "My world is in danger because of Necrozma! I have the fate of an entire universe resting on my shoulders, and all because some being wants to take the world away! If I die, then so will billions, if not trillions, of Pokémon! You can't just say you'd be killing one life! You're killing a lot more if you get rid of me!"
Duke growled throughout most of what she had to say, before then backing away and crossing his wings. "Arceus, you really have to play the card where you're from another world that Necrozma is destroying. Well, it's a first, so what I got to lose apart from my life?"
Swanna sighed lightly and stepped forward, splitting the two apart. "I think now would be a good time to get out of here." She sighed and looked at Audino. "I'm taking them to the mainland, okay? If Skarmory does plan on chasing Kira, then the only choice we have is to find a place where we can hide from the Infected for long enough. Plus, if what they say about Necrozma is true, then we should find out as much as we can."
Audino sighed and nodded. "You know how much I hate seeing you leaving, but I guess it can't be helped." Audino slowly turned and started to walk away. "Swanna, I want you back by tomorrow. You know someone in Treasure Town who can deal with the Infected with no problem, so just drop them off there. I don't want to hear you're staying there for any longer than the night. You know I'll find out."
"Of course," Swanna sighed, rolling her eyes then turning to Kira and Duke. "Lapras' Liner is to the east of our current location. You should be able to reach there by noon if you hurry. I'll meet you there in a while. I have to lock up and all that stuff. Man, I hate having to leave my café closed. It's not good for business."
"It just so happens that being closed during times of leave is better than being open and not having anyone in," Audino sighed as he face-palmed. "Just... can you please get going? Standing here and talking is taking away precious time I could use to be studying and helping people."
Swanna laughed nervously before nodding and quickly waddling away. Kira and Duke looked at each other before they shrugged and started down the road once more. The tension between the two was still a bit high, but they knew they'd have to deal with each other if they really wanted to get rid of the other. Kira wanted to go home, and Duke really just wanted to get back to the forest. However, they knew they couldn't just yet. They both had things to fulfill before they could go back.
After some time, they came to fork in the road, which led to three different locations. Kira looked up to the sky, noticing the sun. Since it was still early morning, she could only assume that the sun was still rising. She then looked at trails before heading down the one in the middle. Without question, Duke followed her.
"You don't need to follow me," Kira mumbled as she looked back to Duke. "You can fly, ya know. You can just fly ahead to Lapras if you want. You don't need to stay back with me."
"I'd rather stick with you than risk attack," Duke squeaked under his breath. "I may hate you, but I kind of have to suffer being with you if I want to live my life."
"That's the first time I've ever heard that." Kira chuckled lightly and stretched. She could feel the sore pains becoming less and less, and she was actually quite glad. "Soon enough, I'll be back to full strength. I can't wait to be able to fight once more."
"You can fight in the position you're in now," Duke sighed. "Some Pokémon are already dead when they fight. You don't have to worry about harming yourself during battle. Pokémon were made to be resilient to their own attacks. Arceus, you act like a human."
"I would take offense to that, but I guess I kind of do?" With a sigh, Kira looked away from him and to the trail ahead. Why did it feel like he was telling the truth? She was a Snivy, not human, right? "Well, let's just hurry up then. I don't want to stick here much longer."
Kira fell silent as they continued along the trail. The entire time, her thoughts were on what had happened yesterday. Her life felt all too much like a story, but that was a silly thought. Everything happened to someone for a reason, even if it didn't make sense. At least that kind of idea made sense. It wasn't as easily explained as others, probably, but at least is wasn't so far out there that none of it made any type of sense.
Shaking her head, Kira then focused on the Skarmory from yesterday. She hated to admit it, but that was the one thing that had stuck with her through the entire night. That red glow in its eyes had given her nightmares that she couldn't wake from, and no matter how hard she tried, the nightmare would never leave her. She felt strike after strike as the metal bird would slam into her, never giving her the chance to breathe until she had died, only to wake in the moment once more. It was horrible, especially with all the whispering she had heard, but there was something off about it.
Why exactly was that dream, out of all the memories she had gained from yesterday, the most prominent thing in her? It made no sense, so perhaps there was something about them that she was connected to. From her assumption, maybe it wasn't uncommon, but how could that be? Hadn't Duke stated that the Infected had been here from long before she had appeared? Maybe she was called to save her world and find a way to stop the Infected. Maybe... Maybe she was meant for more than just what she thought she was.
As she was lost in thought, the sound of light squawking reached her ears, tearing her from her thoughts. She turned, looking back at Duke, only find that she was all alone now. She was no longer on the trail, but rather in a field of vibrant and wild flowers. Confusion struck her as Duke's cries reached her once more, only to echo and make her lose her concentration.
While looking around, the flowers became dark, up until they became a full on black. Kira stumbled back, looking at each flower carefully before the distant memory of Necrozma came back to her.
"The end of your world is slowly coming to an end," a voice echoed in her head, sending shivers down her spine. "Soon, I will have won this little challenge, and it will be me who holds the fate of the world in my hand. Hurry now, Kira. Soon, there will be no going back!"
Kira gasped loudly as she came back to reality. Her breathing became heavy as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. No matter how long she tried to focus, she was in the dark. Then, she welt a wing on her side. She quickly turned to Duke, who had a worried look on his face.
"Are you okay, Kira?" he asked as he tried to get her to calm down. "You just went into a daze for some reason. I tried to get your attention, but you wouldn't respond. Is there something wrong?"
Kira was silent for a moment before smiling and shaking her head. "No, nothing at all," she began before continuing down the trail. "Let's just get to Lapras before something stupid like that happens again. I don't want to miss the liner."
Duke sighed and nodded as he quickly hopped behind her. Kira had lost all interest in trying to find answers, but she knew she would one day. The clock to her world's destruction was ticking closer and closer by the second. She couldn't afford to waste much more time.
Before long, the duo arrived at the docks, where many Pokémon were either getting or leaving the back of several plesiosaur-like Pokémon with a blue hide and cream underside. On their backs was a grey shell with rather blunt knobs, probably used as some sort of defense. They actually looked rather cool, even special.
"Lapras' liner," Duke mumbled as he caught up, looking at the many Pokémon at the docks. "I should have expected this. With all the Infected around, Pokémon are trying to find places where they hold the type advantage. Well, so long as Swanna reached here before we did, then I guess we won't have to wait too long. She's a really fast flier."
"And indeed you are right, I am!" Swanna giggled as she landed behind them. "I already have our ride booked for Treasure Town! You two took so long that I could even get a snack from my café before heading back. Say, what took you so long? You should have been here by noon. Well, I guess it still is noon technically. It's not the afternoon yet."
"We just got caught by something," Duke responded, noticing Kira was studying the many Pokémon beneath. "I say we hurry to Treasure Town. I know it isn't far, but I kind of want to arrive before too much happens."
"Right. Me and you will be flying, Duke. Kira, since she can't really fly, will be riding Lapras." Swanna smiled faintly before heading towards the docks. "We have to be careful. I get the feeling that things are only kicking off."
Kira nodded lightly as she, along with Duke, followed Swanna to the Lapras. There, Swanna introduced Kira to Jamie, a rather young Lapras. While they were talking to each other, Swanna pulled Duke to the side.
"Don't try and lie to me this time," Swanna whispered to him. "I know it wasn't that you two were caught by something that you're late. I promise not to tell Audino about what happened. Just tell me the truth."
Duke sighed lightly and shrugged. "I'm not really sure of what caused it, but Kira just fell unconscious for, like, three seconds. Before she even hit the ground, she had snapped back awake. I think perhaps that Infected might have done something to her."
"Unlikely," Swanna mumbled. "I've been digging around Audino's files while she's been busy. According to her research, Infection can only spread through a bite or open wound. Kira and you were both completely fine the last time you came across an infected. Whatever's going on is between her and some other being. Perhaps about her mission or whatever."
"Necrozma!" Duke snarled under his breath. "Necrozma must've been refracting the light around her to show her something that only she could see. Perhaps she had blacked out because of that, but how could I have not seen it? I was right there!"
"You must remember that Necrozma is a psychic-type Pokémon. It most likely used some form of refracted telepathy to reach her." Swanna sighed lightly before looking to Kira and Jamie. "We better hurry. I don't have long before Audino wants me back in town."
Duke nodded and rushed over to Kira and Jamie. "You two better hurry and start on your trip. I'll catch up with Swanna as soon as we can. We have something to do here before we head to Treasure Town."
"Makes sense," Jamie began, her voice soothing and filled with joy. "Then let's get going, shall we? The ocean waits only for those who truly care for and love the ocean! That means it waits for no one but those who live within it."
"You sure are energetic for a Pokémon that swims across entire oceans in just a couple of days," Kira laughed as she jumped onto Jamie's shell. "But I think we should get going. I don't know how long this ride'll take, and I really want to see what Treasure Town holds."
"You'll love it!" Jamie said as she used her flippers to push away from the docks and to the ocean. She gave one last wave to Duke and Swanna before sighing. "My momma used to live near Treasure Town. Now she works as the Ferrier for Lively Town. I took her job as the guide between here and the other islands, although she's the only one who knows about the Hidden Land. I'm pretty sure Dialga's glad, nonetheless."
"Now that you mention that, I was wondering if you knew anything about Necrozma or his whereabouts," Kira mumbled, recalling her vision from earlier that day. "I know it may seem foolish to be looking for such a beast, but it's rather important."
"Well, while I'd love to help you in your search, I've never heard anything about Necrozma or where it lives." Jamie sighed lightly, paddling faster. "I'm sure someone in Treasure Town will, but I definitely don't. Besides, even if I did, I doubt it'd be useful. Necrozma is stuff of legend around here. That's even less of a reason to believe anything people say about it. Who knows what's right or wrong?"
Kira nodded lightly and sat back on Jamie's shell. "I guess that makes sense? I hope there really is something in Treasure Town. Just think about it like this: I've been here for only two days, and I'm running out of time to find and save my own world. I wonder how long I have left."
Jamie simply shrugged and continued onwards through the ocean. After a bit, the gentle flap of wings reached their ears. They both turned and noticed Duke and Swanna flying closer.
"Danger!" Duke cried out when he was within earshot. "Skarmory came earlier than we expected it to! It's coming alongside about twenty or so other Pokémon. We have to get to Treasure Town now!"
"We're too far to make it without some resistance," Swanna said as she caught up. "We'll have to fight our way out of their grasp." The faint echo of metal against metal then reached their ears. "How long until we reach Treasure Town's beach?"
"Three hours at the least," Jamie responded. "I can't swim as fast as the others, but I can try to pick up the pace. I just need time to get kicked off. How long do you think you can hold them off for?"
"Two against twenty?" Duke squawked, fear gripping his voice. "If you can't tell, we're screwed enough as it is! Holding them off is out of the question! We'll have to work together to fight them."
"Then let's do that," Kira mumbled as she stood, only to fall as Jamie hit a wave. She shook her head and stood once more. "If they come to us, then it means we have time to prepare! Swanna, Duke, take to the sky and wait to do an aerial assault. We'll deal with them from down here!"
"Great plan, but one small flaw," Swanna pointed out. "They have water-types on their side as well. None of us can fight under the water. We can't counter them from down there."
"Let me deal with that problem," Jamie said with a slight chuckle. "In case you forget, my species is also part ice-type I can deal with them if they get close to us. After all, we're well equipped for water, as well as ice."
Swanna nodded before turning to Duke. They both took a sharp cut upwards, disappearing from Kira's sight within moments. She looked over the horizon, noticing several dark shapes coming closer. Day two, and here come more Infected. Kira knew that it wasn't normal, but what was in this world? Well, it wasn't like she could change anything.
She shook her head and focused on the dark shapes. She wasn't sure of the outcome of this battle just yet, but what could go wrong here? Worst case scenario, they all died, but that was unlikely, right? She shook her head and silently let out her Vine whip. There was no going back now.
By the end of the skirmish, Kira and crew were completely exhausted and sore. The twenty or so Infected hadn't been insanely powerful, but they had been so stubborn that they could barely get any chance to rest. Jamie herself had taken many more hits than them, especially with how there had been several Infected from under the water.
Shaking her head, Kira panted as she tried to relax on Jamie's shell. Duke and Swanna were still flying above them, although they were now in sight compared to before the attack that had come. At least they were still together and hadn't been driven too far off course.
"I didn't see Skarmory in the attack," Duke said as he flew closer to Kira and Jamie. "I think that Skarmory might have sent just a few dolls to weaken us up. But if that's true, then why isn't it here by now? We should keep our guard up!"
"I think we should just relax and let go of this stress," Jamie responded, slowing drastically to try and catch her breath. "My defenses were almost completely shattered, and I can barely breathe enough as is it."
"I agree with Jamie," Swanna added, blood seeping from several scratch wounds along her underside. "My wings are exhausted, and my power points are spent. I can barely fly as it is, Duke. And I know you're suffering the same thing. Kira's barely holding on as it is as well!"
Kira looked up to them and sighed lightly. Of course they would bring her into the excuse to rest, but she was a bit more distracted by the fight than the end result. While the Infected had attacked in massive numbers, it wasn't like they really tried to fight the small group. They simply bit, clawed and tackled them. Not once did she see a proper attack, which made her rather suspicious.
As she was thinking, realization hit her, and she turned to look at Swanna and Duke. "We have time to rest, but we should keep our guards up. I don't think those were the only Infected headed towards us. I think they were sent to simply weaken us for someone much more powerful."
"The Infected are much too rash and dumb to make such a play," Duke said as he landed on Lapras' shell, then turning to Swanna. "We've experienced their attacks, and they never plan anything out, right? They always sent a wave and then that was it!"
"You're right, but what Kira says makes sense as well," Swanna responded. "Jamie, I need you to hurry as fast as you can. I'll stay behind and watch for any Infected who are coming in a second wave. They might be evolving."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jamie asked, looking at Swanna as she started to turn and leave. "I mean, I know it might be dangerous if we don't know about the Infected, but we'll be a lot safer together!"
Kira sighed and stood, only to collapse as massive waves started to slam into Jamie. "We need to stick together, whether there are Infected or not," she said, looking towards where the waves were coming from, which was further out in the ocean. "Much rather, we should keep our defenses up and try to get as much rest possible. We can't fight if we're tired."
"Says the Pokémon who gains energy from the sun," Duke growled as he stretched his wings. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know what's causing those massive waves, would you, Jamie? I haven't seen these kinds of waves since that meteor all that time ago."
"Actually, they're just ships," Swanna said before Jamie could respond. "Lapras aren't the only ways of travel over the oceans, although they are usually the cheapest and most direct methods. That makes Pokémon like Jamie great for travel over shorter stretches of ocean. Boats are really just for tourists and those from, like, thousands of nautical miles away."
"But it's not like any boat I've ever experienced being near," Jamie said as she crested a wave, looking over the horizon for any sign of a boat. "These waves are much too large for a tourist or cruise boat. I think it might be a Pokémon."
"And right you are!" a loud voice chuckled. As the voice fell silent, a large, blue/white, whale-like Pokémon came from the ocean, splashing them all. "Ahoy, children of the land and sky!" A Lycanroc chuckled as he stood on top of the whale. "My name is Sage the Lycanroc, and this is my partner, Harold the Wailord!"
"I know you!" Swanna chirped, flying around and closer to the Lycanroc, which looked like some sort of red/white werewolf that was slouched over. "You're the Pokémon who took on those Infected and came out practically unscathed! What the hell are you doing out here on a Wailord?"
"None of your fucking business," Sage chuckled, sitting and looking at Jamie. "Just heard y'all talking about those Infected who were sent by Skarmory or whoever it was. I was just coming to ask why the hell such a bird would be coming after you."
"It's because of me," Kira said as she stood, taking the chance to shake salt water from her body. "You see, I'm new here. I encountered Skarmory alongside Duke... yesterday? I think it might be coming after me because we beat it down."
"Makes sense," Sage chuckled, flexing his claws. "You also said something about how there might be more coming after your sorry tails. You wouldn't mind if I took them on myself, would ya? Me and Harold could really use the practice for the tournament that's taking place in Treasure Town soon."
"Please, be our guest," Jamie said as she started to swim once more. "We were on our way to Treasure Town anyways, so it'd be great if you could take on those things while we try to catch our breaths."
Sage chuckled and nodded before standing. "Alright then, kiddos. I would ask for payment, but I believe that tournament will more than pay for what I was gonna ask." He chuckled lightly before closing his eyes. "Let's get moving, Harold. Let's fuck some Infected bitches up!"
Harold gave a low bellow before starting to move away from them. Swanna quickly moved from the whale, flying closer to the others in slight confusion. By the time she had landed, Sage and Harold had disappeared from sight.
"That was the oddest encounter I have ever had," she mumbled lightly. "But it was nonetheless exciting! Sage was such an icon back in the day! He's almost as famous as Lucario is! I can't believe I actually met him!"
"Well, at least we won't have to deal with the Infected for a while," Kira told Swanna. "He seemed really... bold. He used some vulgar language as well. I wonder if it's because he's at sea or because he's just got that kind of personality."
"I'm more curious about the tournament he mentioned," Jamie said once their commotion had calmed a bit. "I travel internationally, and yet I've heard nothing about any sort of tournament going down in Treasure Town. I wonder what it'll be like."
"I do too, but I'll never get to go," Swanna said, then noticing as land appeared over the horizon. She then looked towards the sun, which was now getting rather low in the sky. "We don't have much further to go until land. I better head back to Esperanza Village. Audino might be getting worried by now."
Jamie nodded as Swanna then took off and headed back towards town. "You know, I don't know if she forgot or not, but the Infected are headed from that direction. I wonder if she'll fight alongside Sage. That would be a dream-come-true for her."
"Well, even if it is or isn't, it isn't our business anymore," Duke responded as a town became visible. "That over there is Treasure Town. That is where we're headed."
"I can tell," Kira said, unamused as she looked towards the town. She looked around a bit more, then noticing there was even more land to the east. "Are we coming from the north?" she then asked.
"Great observation," Jamie responded. "Heading straight for Treasure Town is impossible for my species. We have to circle around and come from the north, where we'll dock at the beach. It's annoying, but it's the fastest route to the town."
Kira nodded lightly before yawning loudly. While her second day hadn't been as interesting, at least there was a bit of fun in it. She quickly shook it off and looked to the beach where they'd be docking. "Land ho!" she cried out. 'I hope we find a few leads here.'
Input: Hello. If you are reading this, then it means you have finished Chapter 2: Black Flowers. While not as adventurous and entertaining as the last, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. If you notice any errors, please inform me and I will fix them as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please ask me and I will try to explain them to the best of my ability. Thank you for reading.
