Chaos
Deep within the depths of the ocean, currents rushed over the craggy trench like a wind over a valley. Interestingly enough, this current was an average of 3.17 degrees centigrade warmer than it had been in previous years. As predicted by Dr. Cooper - in her largely ignored Conference presentation – this had a profound effect on a creature who, ironically enough, had until recently been unaware of the immense expanse of dihydrogen monoxide and metallic salts that subtly shaped its destiny.
The creature had a graceful way about it. It had a body that was shaped like a balloon in which all its major organs resided. A fine, blue coat of almost hair-like feathers stretched from its delicate talons to its long antenna eyebrows. Its eyes were beady and black, but had an adorable naivety that could not be denied. It had wings that were like an oily, bleached afro; that while incredibly inefficient for generating lift, allowed it to cruise on rise pockets of hot air with ease. To any predator above or below, the swablu would have looked like a little lost puff of smoke.
The swablu let out a soft sigh as it woke to another day of endless ocean. Everything was new for it; for it had lived its entire life in the rain-forests of Hoenn. It had never imagined that the daily rains that renewed and invigorated it would ever bring it such misery.
It scanned the horizon for respite from the viscous sea. The swablu spotted something shimmering in the distance, though it was hard to be sure; the swablu lacked the keen eyes of a predatory flying-type. As it approached the shiny rainforest a foul smell began to permeate the air. The swablu veered away from the smoggy city, unwilling to submit to the odor. It perched itself on the first tree it found, glad to find arboreal relief that promised sustenance and point for realigning its bearings. It was the first time the swablu had left the nest and its annual migration had not gone quite as planned. Although typically a solitary pokémon, swablu gathered en masse during the mating season.
The swablu preened itself as it contemplated its next move. It heard something move and froze, unsure of what to do. It saw a group of pokémon, the likes of which it had never seen before, draw near.
It recognized one as a skarmory, a flying-type predator that posed little threat to the swablu. There was a strange looking wingless swablu talking to a thing that used spindly vines to walk around. There were two quadruped zangooses that had odd coloration. One was black and spotted like a seviper and the other looked like an orange spinda. The largest pokémon were four tree-like creatures with huge bouncing growths on their backs and loose, brightly colored bark that looked like it could fall off at any moment. The swablu felt sorry for the ugly tree-creatures.
The swablu launched from its perch in the lone tree and flew and sat on top of one of the ugly tree-creatures who froze. It addressed the skarmory.
"Y'all wouldn't happen to know where I can find the matin' ground would ya?" the swablu said. "And what might you be?" asked the spindly legged creature. "Looks like that thing that beat me up," whimpered the spinda colored zangoose. "She is a swablu, thought they only lived in Hoenn, probably got lost on its annual migration," said the seviper with legs. "Yes, I am ever so lost," declared the swablu.
"A swablu eh?" the skarmory said, "Ya know, I knew this altaria back in the day who was a terrific ba-" the seviper with legs bit the skarmory. The swablu was concerned that the seviper with legs would poison the skarmory, but realized that everything would be fine. "-battler," the skarmory finished with a cheeky smile.
The ugly tree-creatures stared apprehensively at the swablu. The one she was sitting on said something incomprehensible and offered the swablu a berry. Its calm tone reassured it that it would be alright to take it. The swablu nibbled away at the juicy berry graciously thanking the lumbering beast that had provided it.
"Anyways you're pretty far from home little girl, how'd you end up here?" asked the skarmory. "I don't know," the swablu sighed, "I would be ever so pleased if y'all would point me in the right direction." It was becoming annoying that she kept on having to repeat herself. "You have to follow the stars, next time," the skarmory said, "don't think you're going to make it this year, yer pretty far from the grounds I know." One of the tree-creatures gave a confused look to the legged seviper.
"How would you like to join us for a while?" the legged seviper asked. "That'd be great!" shouted the wingless swablu. The swablu thought about the offer. "Yes, I shall accompany you until the next time the season rolls around in two years time," the swablu said. It was better to travel with this group of strangers than to be alone in this foreign world she reasoned. "Good," replied the legged seviper, "don't resist now."
One of the ugly tree creatures pulled out a strange berry and put it close to her face. "I'm afraid I don't get whatcha mean?" the swablu asked. There was a great flash of red light and a strange sensation filled the swablu.
The lady watched the long afternoon shadows of wooden poles pass by in rhythm to the syncopated beat produced by metal wheels on metal rails.
For many, this train represented a lost time. Its fine mahogany cabins and elegant lighting were a throwback to an era where comfort and style were just starting to influence the world of transportation. It was an inefficient, cumbersome way to get to places, outclassed in every way by the magnetically powered bullet trains that were the choice vehicles of intercontinental travel. Normally, the lady would have taken the fast and cheap route, but the old train offered one thing that the lady valued above all else this day.
Yesterday, the lady had received a missive from an old colleague regarding something important. The lady had quickly left her business and her pokémon in the care of her only employee, a man very few trusted. He had once been a cat burglar - a silent thief that robbed museums and casinos alike - and in her line of work, skills and knowledge like his made for an excellent employee.
A ticket-collector rapped lightly on the delicate cabin door. She showed him her ticket and dismissed him with a sigh, turning away from the poles and shifting her weight into a more comfortable position. It was weird to go by a fake name after all these years and it was more than a little troubling how easy it came back to her. The ticket master had informed her that they would be arriving in Goldenrod within the next half-hour and the other passengers were growing restless. She mentally went over her schedule. She would find a cheap hotel that didn't ask questions and find out what her former colleague wanted tomorrow. Then if there was time she'd catch up with family.
Lately, the lady had been experiencing a kind of emptiness and she hoped a visit would cheer her up. The lady drummed her finger impatiently as the minutes seemed to stretch into oblivion, but eventually the train came to a stop. She gathered her things and left for a hotel.
The train had placed her in the bad side of town. Flickering neon lights reflected in broken glass, lit the grimy, uneven sidewalk for drunkards and gangsters. A constant loop of slurred yells and a wailing ambulance droned on in the distance as the lady passed another dilapidated, darkened movie theater that could not advertise what movie it was showing. But the lady could take care herself. The dark glint that she noticed in a bum's eye only made her feel young again.
She found a suitable hotel and checked-in. It was a surprisingly clean two story hotel that looked out of place in the comparatively seedy neighborhood that surrounded them. A foreign looking bellboy lead her to her room on the second floor.
The lady plopped down on the squeaky mattress and began to unpack her things, unaware that of the scientist and the former amnesiac that slept below her.