Pokemon In Neo Saffron

Ch.1- Neo-Saffron, A City of Machinery

As quick as he can he ran through the bushes as fast as he can, escaping pursuit of a hungry Pidgeotto. He didn't look back, but could hear where the Pidgeotto was. He purposely kept his tail down so he would be a harder target to get. He couldn't outrun the Pidgeotto, but if he reaches out of the forest, he will be saved. No Pokemon is brave enough to enter the human world. Even a deadly Gyarados or fierce Fearow wouldn't dare to even get close to them. Talk about a little Pidgeotto. He didn't understand. How come he isn't allowed to fight back? He can just zap that dumb bird into pieces.

Pidgeotto is getting closer and closer, and Pikachu could see the lights in the human world. He dived out into the streets and out of the forest. Pidgeotto jerked and quickly flew away. Pikachu sighed. That's the third Pokemon today that tried to get him. Dread all these stupid humans that made his live so miserable. But now back to business. He's supposed to find something to eat for his group. He looked up and could see no sun, moon or the stars. Those human lights lighted up the world. It's all because of the big "pizza" up there blocking the sky. How much Pikachu wished that Pokemon could live above the plate. That's impossible. His brother tried to escape up the plate and then news from other Pokemon said he's caught and now was dead. He remembered his great grandpa's teaching that was passed down for generations.

"They say that Neo-Saffron will be a city of machinery and technology. Humans will build sections, one above the other in order to solve the problem we have today, which is lack of room to live."

Back at home; his family still keeps the plan of Neo-Saffron his grandfather stole. It was an impossible task for others, under the heavy security and guards protecting these top-secret industries of the humans. But his father said that great grandpa was very agile when he's young and was one of the very best Pokemon in the world. His quiet but fast movement and also his skill of climbing pipes and opening windows made this task a piece of cake for great grandpa. He had the map stuck in his map due to the reason that he read it over and over again.

Their home was totally covered by the plate above. The roof was lit up by light 24 hrs all around. And because the sun doesn't "exist" anymore, they had no way to tell day or time. How many time had passed no longer matter for Pokemon. No matter is it day or night, sun or no sun, Pokemon these days only focus on trying to survive. Only the best and strongest Pokemon can survive out of all others. Pokemon is no longer the same.

After he heard the sound of a human walking towards, he went back to his objectives as Pikachu swiftly ran into that pipe. It stinks! But he had no choice since through this pipe is the fastest way to go to forest part F to look for some left over food of other Pokemon. The air in the pipe and in the city smelled exactly the same- oil refineries and industrial waste. This section the air was so polluted that later they must move out of Neo-Saffron. Pikachu slowed down into a walk to rest. After he exited this pipe there must be some sort of hungry Pokemon waiting for him. And that so called "forest" is so puny, but at least bigger than his home. Humans thought that having these little forests throughout the city should be enough for these "low-life" Pokemon. Someday he will prove them wrong, very wrong.

Waters dripped in the pipe, as Pikachu took a turn to the left following a guide carved on the wall by Pokemon, as those direction signs the humans have in the city. `Turn right to District 13, left to Forest Part F' Pikachu read. District 13, he had heard of that place. It's where the old gym is. It's abandoned long ago in his grandpa's age. According to his grandpa trainers who were nice to Pokemon and tame them to fight and be friends with them, will travel around the world and collect something so call "badges." With 8 badges in hand, a trainer can enter the Pokemon League, and the champion of the league receives great honors from everyone around the world. His grandpa was a Pokemon under the command of one of the greatest master. Heard that a psychic Pokemon master trained there. How weird. Trainer? The only thing human will do to Pokemon is torture, kill and do biological experiment with them. Friendship and peace between Pokemon and human is impossible. They are 2
totally different kinds of living and will always be. As Pikachu argued with himself about this serious matter, there are uninvited guests behind him.

"It's a dead end," said Pikachu, knowing that the sign must be wrong or it's some Pokemon fooling around and drew that sign. Just as he tried to turn back, several angry Rattatas covered his exit.

This part of the pipes is wet, and was covered by sewer water. Behind him Pikachu heard something fell out of the air duct, as a Raticate appeared, seeming to be the leader of the gang. Pikachu should have known this would happen. Pipes are the most important networks of communication of Pokemon. Certainly some evil Pokemon would take advantage of the network and wait for their prey to appear. These Rattatas and Raticates must be waiting for someone to pass for a long time. Pikachu quickly released a Thundershock before the Rattatas and Raticate could attack him from both sides. With the water extra powered his attacks, the Rattatas were quickly defeated and fainted. However the Raticate leader remained standing strong and charged forward with the famous Super Fang attack. Pikachu was utterly defeated and fell near the fainted Rattatas. As he tried to release a stronger bolt attacks, he failed to do so. He was too weak at the moment. He hadn't eaten enough food for about
several days by now. Seems like this is the dead end for him. He's going to rest in this dreadful place. As the Raticate was about to give the finishing blow, a vine whip crashed onto the Raticate as it saved Pikachu's life.

Pikachu quickly look around and saw one of the most rare types of Pokemon in Neo-Saffron. A grass type Pokemon Chikorita stood right in front of him. He was surprised. All these waste dumped into the already dirty rivers and the polluted air with the lack of sunlight drove grass and bug type of Pokemon out of the city or unintentionally killed them. Such a healthy looking Pokemon is rare here, and this Chikorita must be at what grandpa's time call "levels."

The Raticate fell back and looks greatly annoyed. He could've been feasting on that rat for dinner. The fierce Pokemon charged at the grass Pokemon but was immediately hit by an invisible wall. Pikachu was impressed by the strength of the Reflect attack. Seems like Chikorita couldn't even felt the attack at all, as she was just standing still behind the shield. Then she attacked offensively with a Razor Leaf and forced the Raticate to take retreat.

"Thank you for your help!" said Pikachu, as he was astonished by Chikorita's power. However his hospitality was returned coldly.

"..." Chikorita said nothing in return. She just continued on her journey to wherever she's going. She was about to turn around but was stopped by Pikachu's words.

"Why did you help me anyway? You could've just leave me here and watch me die. Why?"

For the first time Pikachu heard her say something.

"**You don't need a reason to help people, **" and she quickly took left.

As the dramatic event was over, Pikachu continued towards his destination. He wondered where that Chikorita came from, and where she's heading. Maybe perhaps she came from above the plate, and that's why she's so healthy and powerful. Perhaps she knows what the world above this dreadful place is like. He kept on wondering until he saw the light and realized that he's at the end of the pipe. He looked out carefully in all directions, and saw nothing in sight, beside a group of Spearow feasting on a dead Pidgey. This is near a residential area, and he sadly stared at those Spearows and the dead Pidgey. Then a little kid went out and saw the Pokemons, and Pikachu quickly darted back to the sewer. His pointy ears heard everything, and the sound of the boy throwing perhaps a rock at the Pokemon, scaring them away. The Spearows took the body of Pidgey and flew off into the "skyless sky."

Pikachu focused hard as he looked both sides. No signs of human are here, and so he quickly darted across the street and hid behind a stinky trashcan as the sound of a car whizzed by. That was a close call. He was almost discovered by human. Pikachu skillfully climbed up the rusty pole and riskily jumped onto the rooftop of a house. He then continues to head towards the forest.

He must get the timing right. If he jumped too early or too late he's goner. Those human will discover him for sure. But with the heavy load of his properties on his back was weighting him down. This big bag of stuff was becoming a drag for him. But no matter what, he must not fail. His brother had jumped ahead on the last train and he succeeded. His brother will be waiting for him at Section 2, where the blue sky will be visible, and the sun! True light, unlike these human made light here. He had never seen the sun. He wondered what it looks like. But now it's no time to daydream. He must focus. If his brother can make it, so can he!

He crawled on all 4s unlike usual. Although he is a Pokemon but any generations of their family after his great grandpa had been born with the ability to walk on 2 legs, like a human. This caused them great harm and discriminations from all other Pokemon. "You betrayed all Pokemon working with humans!" He heard people insult him with these sentence lots of times, and after a while he's used to it. His strange ability to walk on 2 legs and talk human language nearly causes them their life. Good thing he's fast enough or else that Chikorita he met before would've crushed him with that Vine Whip. It missed him by the tail, and good thing he's a skilled runner or else. But he looked at the wound on his left paw. That razor leaf cut him good, and although some time has passed now after that Chikorita stopped chasing him, that wound still bleeds lightly, and his head was nearly hit too, or his whiskers would be cut off. But talk about that Chikorita, she's definitely powerful and
a real cutie!

The sound of the magnet train was here, and he must succeed. He believed that by thinking of his older brother waiting for him above the plate. Waiting for him to play and sleep under the warm scorching sun. He concentrated, stared at the train tracks, and jumped...

Carefully not to be seen, Pikachu took the longer darker route where very few Pokemon or human uses. It's quite a secret to use this short underground passage dug by some giant Pokemon, maybe an Onix. Nah, it can't be. Many giant Pokemon like Onix or even the once mightiest and most fierce Pokemon of the sea, Gyarados, had been caught by humans to do biological or nuclear experiments in their laboratory. An Onix must dug this tunnel in the past, but had now been caught. Thinking about all this Pikachu loathed human even more, especially the Silph Co® whose headquarters are in the center of the whole Neo-Saffron. They had been mass-producing those balls to capture Pokemon, which great grandpa calls them Pokeballs. Master Ball, Silph Co®'s greatest invention ensures human to capture any Pokemon without any trouble at all. They claims that even the strongest Pokemon cannot resist the Master Ball for any longer than 7 seconds. Their advanced biological technology of Pokemon and
other animals made them the far most superior international company of the world. He heard of none who survived after being caught by a Master Ball and was sent into the headquarter... Pikachu stopped walking and sat on a rock in the tunnel. He sighed. Life sucks. And it always has. If you're born in this Section, then you have a high chance stuck here for your whole life, never to go outside again. Very few succeed from going up the plate. But Pikachu always has what others call a foolish idea of going up the plate.

Pikachu opened the manhole cover and popped out of the hole and was out of the tunnel. It's the middle of the forest of "friendly" Pokemon. A Nidoran (m) greeted him, as Pikachu returned the greetings as polite as he could. This forest should be the safest place for Pokemon. The highly toxic surrounding this place made by the ruler of this forest, Nidoking, stopped any intruder by the slimy poison. Sometimes other flying or poison Pokemon tried to break through the poisonous barriers but then they were driven away by the Nidorans, Nidorinos and Nidorinas. Together they defend and live quietly in this wood. The Pikachus and Nidorans had known each other for a whole generation, when first Neo-Saffron was built. Pikachu freely moved around the wood, looking for anything edible. He saw a glimpse of a Nidoran (f) fallen down on to the floor and collapsed. She must have fainted from hunger like most other friendly Pokemon. Some Nidorinos and Nidorinas sneaked out of the forest
from the tunnel and went out. Probably went out searching for food in other more dangerous districts. Pikachu spotted a mushroom on the floor and quickly picked it out and ate it whole. The trees were taller in this forest, and he couldn't see the top really clearly. The yellowy leaves of the trees showed signs of the soil were poor here, indicating that the ground here is highly polluted. Food here will be lesser and lesser then. Food for Pokemon will soon be scarce.

Pikachu's ear heard a faint buzzing sound in the sky, as he quickly looked up, a herd of Beedrill charging into the forest. The deadly bug Pokemon had their sharp needles ready to have a bloody feast. As the Beedrills are closer, Pikachu warned the others as he quickly hid near an empty barrel near the tunnel exit. The Beedrills charged and showed how powerful their poisonous stingers and their cut attack can do. As the battle was becoming fiercer, Pikachu decided it maybe a better idea to go into the tunnel. He tried to dart to the manhole as fast as he could, but was spotted by one of the Beedrill. The Beedrill uses his Agility to catch up to Pikachu but was immediately stopped dead in its tracks by a Nidorino's horn attack. Pikachu was grateful, but now it's not the time to say thanks. He quickly opened the manhole cover and lay on the floor as a poisonous stinger stung through the manhole trying to reach Pikachu. Pikachu, who had his ears down and hands over his dark
eyes, slowly crawled to a farer spot, and removed his hands from his eyes. The stinger had been removed from the manhole, but sounds of a great battle could be heard through the dirt. Pikachu quickly ran back to home.

The next day after several small tragedy of the usual getting chased stuff, Pikachu opened the manhole cover to the Nidorans' forest and he gasped and couldn't believe what he saw. The smell of the dead and blood was filled in the air. Blood flew and drips down into the earth. Bodies of Beedrills and Nidorans were everywhere. Seems like both sides had paid their life in the battlefield. Some trees were cut down by one of the 2 forces, and Pikachu then saw something, which gave him a crazy idea. He saw a human magnet train going up the plate.

Chikorita was moving along a very slow pace in the forest near District 13. The air was slightly cleaner around this area and she decided to take her time to enjoy this air as much as she could. It's not very fresh and the smell of oil refineries were in the air, but it's much better than the rest of the town she had traveled. Many friendly Pokemon was curious why she's traveling all alone in such a dangerous world. She must travel alone. She will only bring misfortune and disasters for anyone around her. It's not easy to escape like her. All her friends were still stuck in that horrible place. They are probably looking for her, maybe, maybe not. What's her destination of her long cold lonely journey? Why did she escape and went on this journey, unlike all other who stood up and fought against the humans? She couldn't answer. Her destination was unknown. She doesn't know herself. All she knows is she let everyone down. She was such a coward not staying with everyone else who
stood up bravely and either died on the battlefield or was taken away. She could never forgive herself. Why? Why did she escape? She doesn't know. Something inside her told her that she must escape. Something much bigger is waiting for her. Maybe that's what they say. She never believed in that kind of stuff, but maybe it's true. It may be what they call all the time- "Destiny calls."

Note- new feature of this story sometimes had sentences or character's lines quoted by **s. Those are called "wise words of the chapter." Lines I copied from other game, TV or other fanfics. They are stuff, which I think are quite an important lessons to us all.

Wise words of the chapter- you don't need a reason to help people

-Zidane Tribal, from Final Fantasy 9 (RPG game by squaresoft)

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Next Chapter- Into the Sunlight