A/N Reupload because I want to give the Pokemon section of FFN another shot. So this is a character study revolving around Steven and the bond he shares with Metagross. I was so inspired by some fanart I saw floating around that I just had to write a fic for it. Not sure how long this is going to be.
If you like Steven, my hope is that you will like this fic :)
Enjoy!
Meteor
Chapter 1 - Encounter
A gentle breeze blew past a metagross as it overlooked a steep cliff. Its cold, hard exterior caught the last rays of the sun that sunk beyond the horizon. The steel that covered its body glinted despite the dulled appearance it had if one were to look closer. Many hard fought battles nicked and dulled its armor, but that did not wear out the metagross' spirit.
In fact, each battle scar it held was a source of pride for the lumbering steel-type pokemon.
Its red eyes looked out towards the vast open ocean before it. The skies above the ocean were quickly darkening. The brilliant orange and pink hues that had painted the sky disappearing before its eyes. Metagross continued to wait, expectantly scanning the skies.
Waiting.
Waiting.
And waiting - just as it had been all these years.
Then suddenly -
A quick streak of light crossed the night sky. Another one followed, then another, and very soon, it was a brilliant light display.
"I think...those are called meteors?" The familiar voice belonging to a child echoed in its head.
It was as beautiful as it could remember it being. These meteors…
"It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" It could hear another voice belonging to an older teenager. It was the same boy as the younger child. That same familiar voice that Metagross had grown up side by side with.
Metagross stood at the edge of the steep cliff overlooking the ocean. It continued to stare out at the night sky, taking in the wondrous sight of the celestial event.
"Metagross…" It could hear the all too familiar voice again, calling out its name.
It was not a difficult task for the hyper intelligent pokemon to go back and recollect its memories. Especially about the most important human in its life.
Its very first and only trainer, and friend.
"...Are you enjoying the meteor shower? You always seemed to like watching them."
Metagross could envision its trainer as his silhouetted figure came up alongside it.
A gentle hand adorned with steel rings came up to rest on one of Metagross' large arms. A smile, often times described as "handsome" by the other humans around him, decorated his face. His sharp eyes softened beneath wispy teal colored bangs as he looked to his beloved pokemon partner.
Yes, Metagross could picture its trainer as if it saw him yesterday.
Steven.
"Are you scared…?"
The young boy asked a very simple question to a glowing red eye that remained unmoving in the small crevice. A question that was perhaps better reserved for himself since he was terrified at the ominous red eye that was staring back at him. Not to mention on top of that, he was lost in the cave system beside Rustboro.
His small hands trembled as he tightly held onto his schoolbag.
He had been inside this cave system multiple times, despite his father's warnings not to go exploring it. However, the young boy enjoyed traversing the rough terrain and finding rocks or other small treasures that he could bring back home. This time, he found himself wishing that he had listened to his father.
There were wild pokemon in these caves, but most of them were whismurs and they never bothered anyone. Though, this was the first time the boy encountered a rare pokemon like the one hiding before him.
He wondered if he should make a run for it, darting his eyes over to the steep path where he had fallen down from. The option was quickly dismissed. He was not very fast and the mystery pokemon would most likely catch up to him easily. In that same breath, the small boy was not even sure how mobile this mystery pokemon was.
He set down his school bag cautiously and pulled out some pokeblocks that he had made during class that day. He was hoping to leave them scattered around the forest as food for the wild pokemon, but he figured that now was the time to use them.
Carefully, he set down a pink block a few feet in front of him and slowly backed away. A frightened gasp escaped him when he saw the mystery pokemon suddenly dart out from its crevice and zoom towards the delicious treat. The boy fell back and watched in a mixture of amazement and curiosity as he finally saw the full figure of the pokemon.
It hovered over the ground. He had learned in school that some pokemon were capable of floating by utilizing the earth's magnetic field and he assumed that the strange pokemon in front of him was doing just that. The more he stared at it, the more it began to look like an arm. It flexed the steel tips at the other end of its body in a happy manner as it finished up the tasty morsel and expectantly looked towards the young boy for another one.
"...You must be hungry," he thought aloud as he fumbled with another pokeblock. This time, he held the block in between his fingers, coaxing the steel type pokemon to come towards him.
It floated over and scarfed down the treat through its claws.
A nervous smile graced the youth's round face as the pokemon ate out of his outstretched hand. Despite the freakish appearance of the floating steel arm, he began smiling at it as he kept feeding it more pokeblocks. Soon, he felt more at ease with it, but by then he realized that he had run out of the tasty morsels.
"I - I'm sorry...I don't have anymore," Steven stammered nervously, hoping that the pokemon would not retaliate against him for running out of food. "I can bring more tomorrow if you'd like!"
The pokemon did not seem to show any malice towards him at the lack of food. Rather, it appeared grateful as it happily zoomed once around the young boy and came to rest beside his shoulder, nuzzling itself against his cheek. At the rather intimate gesture, Steven smiled sheepishly at it. It seemed friendly enough.
"...Could you help me get out of here? I fell down from the higher paths and I don't know how to get back up."
The wild pokemon made a sort of odd, mechanical noise that was reminiscent of a growl in response. It looked to the young boy, then towards a direction that appeared to go further into the cave network. It did this several times until the boy understood what it was trying to say.
"Y...You want me to follow you? I don't know…" he mumbled, unsure if he should follow his sense of direction or trust the wild pokemon. It appeared trustworthy enough, but it could be leading him into a trap.
He stared at the glowing red eye, trying to sense if there was any ill-intent.
It made a high pitched chattering noise, urging the boy to follow it.
Apprehensively, the boy decided that the small floating pokemon meant no harm and he took his chances.
The caves were not too dark to navigate, but it was still hard to see with a flashlight that was running out of power. The flashlight dimmed gradually as he walked on and his fears resurfaced.
Here he was, following a strange wild pokemon through a cave system that his father had strongly advised him to avoid. If he were to fall victim to this pokemon or to the cave's hidden uncertainties, he had no way to protect himself or to call for help.
His worries were quelled just as the light from his small flashlight went out. The young boy spotted a sliver of light up ahead. His round eyes flashed in excitement when he realized that he was back near the entrance of the cave. He was home free.
In his blind excitement, he ran forward past the wild pokemon that helped him out. Fresh air met his lungs and he giggled happily as he exited the cave. "Thank goodness!" he exclaimed as he sighed in relief. He turned around, hoping to see the strange steel pokemon behind him, but his expression fell slightly at the revelation that he was alone.
The pokemon was gone.
A/N Reviews are greatly appreciated!
-ZERO-