-----------------
"How will I start tommorrow, without you here
Who's spark will guide me, when all the answers disappear
Is it too late, are you too far gone to stay?
Best friends forever, should never have to go away
What will I do, you know I'm only half without you
How will I make it through..
-- If Only Tears Could Bring You Back
Midnight Sons
-----------------
Part Four -- The Ice Caverns of Sea Foam
"Still no news, Mrs. Meyuzami. We'll keep looking, though, of that, you can be sure. Mmhmm. Yes, we'll let you and your husband know the first sign of anything we get. Thank you. Have a good night." Chief McPherson pushed the button on the videophone, hanging up on the distraught Lavender Town pokecenter nurse, and sighed, covering his face with his hand. Chances were, this wasn't going to turn out a very pretty one. It had been nearly a week since the girl had disappeared from her home in the middle of the night, and there was still little to no sign. They had heard of some trainers near Fuchsia city seeing a girl like the missing Mi'ko running from an angry Nidoran, but since then, nothing more. They now had officeres searching Fuchsia for her.. and for any news of her. But so far, it had been fruitless. And, deep inside, he didn't want to have to be the one to tell the parents of the missing girl that she couldn't be found. Because, deep inside, he knew just how much losing a family member could be.
Just then, the door to his office opened, and Jenny, one of his many, fine officers, walked in. "Chief, " she said, sounding oddly quiet, and reserved, "There's ... news, about the Lavender girl, sir." Jenny remarked, softly, looking remorseful. The Chief nodded sternly, and said, "Well, Jenny? What is it?" As he watched her with a professional air. Jenny nodded, knowing he wanted an answer, and, stepping out of the room for a moment, beckoned him to follow her. As they walked, the woman officer briefed him, assuring him that they had found definite proof of the girl, but that he probably wouldn't like it. The Chief, as usual, grunted something about that remaining to be seen, and followed her into a room, where, already, several other officers had gathered and were catelogging notes of the findings. As the Chief entered, most of them scattered, leaving the Chief to his inspection.
An hour later, the Chief was in his car, pulling up in front of the Meyuzami residence, on Gastly Dead End in Lavender Town. As he got out of the car, the bag he held in his arms was already iradiating the bad feelings it's contents would cause for the owners of the house. The car stopped, and, The Chief, and his growlithe (well, one of them) Duke soon assembled themselves outside the black and white, getting ready for, perhaps, what was going to be one of their hardest assignments yet. But the Chief kept the stern look to his face, the businesslike demeanor to his walk and stance. Briskly walking up the paved way to the door of the semi-modest duplex home, he looked at Duke, and then the door. With a cough, making sure he was ready for this, he reached out, and rang the doorbell. The door soon opened, with a near frantic Joy, still in her nurses outfit, standing before him. "Mi'ko?" She stated, hopefully, before, seeing who it was, she sighed, breifly crestfallen. "Miss Meyuzami, we have news about your daughter.." The Chief said.
Reynard Meyuzami was walking down the steps from his daughter's room, where he and Joy had been sitting, staring at the many posters and books, trying to figure out where she had gone, when, as he went to pass the kitchen, Joy, at the door, gave a heartfelt gasp, and took off running for their bedroom in the back, sobbing. He could only blink breifly, before approaching the doorway, where the Chief of Police still stood, a frown on his face. "Chief McPherson.." He greated the stately man, as he approached. "I'm.. to supposed there's news?" He said, already feeling the dread. As he came closer, he could see McPherson was holding something. Something.. that turned into the tattered remains, empty, of Mi'ko's hiking backpack, ripped, still half soggy with sea water. "I'm sorry, Reynard.." the solid, hardly emotional man said, handing it over. "This was found by some swimmers near the shore of Fuschia... We're going to start combing the water for a body tommorrow." But all Reynard could do was accept the backpack, and nod. "Thank you.." He said.. before closing the door to McPherson's back, and walking to the couch. Sighing, slumping onto it, he used the backpack's ripped material, to hide the tears, as they started down his face.
-----------------
The dripping of water, rythmic, dull, woke Mi'ko up, this day, as it had the day before, and the day before that. Dripping dripping dripping. The ice above head was constantly melting and reforming, and that wasn't the annoying part. The annoying part was when the fires she had been starting using sticks, and peices of flint she'd found along the trails, left by other hikers, went out because of the dripping. Sighing, she rolled over. The fire was still going.. she was glad. Laif was still out of it, had been, for a long time.. But she managed to get him to drink water, even when she couldn't feed him. Mistique lay curled next to him, trying to keep the warmth in. Warmth.. Mi'ko sighed, uttering a few words, perchance, that she shouldn't know, because of the cold, that came every night, and left during the day. She couldn't understand why it did that, left for the day, letting the summer sun heat the cave like it did, and then came back at night. But now she was awake. Awake meant she had a priority. A prioity to try, as she had been trying for many ... days? She didn't know any more. To try and escape the cold caverns, with water pokemon abound.
Sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked about, and sighed heavily. She'd better get a drink of water for them both, and then get her and her companions out and on their way soon. She didn't want to encounter more pokemon then she had to. They were tough, in this cave, and all she had for protection was Mistique, who, though she was a good fighter, wasn't the greatest against the ice and water pokemon the caves contained. She sighed again, looking towards trainer and pokemon sadly.. She had gotten them both into this fix, and chances were she wouldn't be able to get them out. But she had to try, that she knew, and felt, heavy as a rock in her heart. So, after a few more moments of quiet thought on her own (As long as a silent prayer for their safety) she trudged to her feet, and, standing, she turns, and, silence her guide, save for the drip of water falling nearby, picked her hat off the ground.
Approaching a puddle, she dipped the hat in, and held it close, to keep much of the drip from falling out over her worn coveralls and shirt, before walking over, and, setting the hat down on the ground, kneeling at Laif's side, and dipping her hand into the hat, scooping out some water. His mouth was easy to open, and she knew to tilt his head up enough so he could drink. She'd been getting water into him for...days? Now, like this.. After a few more more such scoops, she settled him back down, and finished off a couple of her own scoops. The rest was given to the vaporeon, who wallowed in the wetness about her to stay reasonably moist. After sitting for a few more silent moments, she stood, and, when sure Mistique was ready, she began to 'Clean up Camp'. Picking up all her belongings, and dragging Laif onto the home-made sling she'd created out of some sticks and some string she'd had in her back pocket, trying all the sticks together. As soon as he was settled, onward, into the ark and damp, she and the vaporeon traveled.
-----------------
On past what felt like noon they traveled, Mistique leading the way, Mi'ko trailing behind, watching over Laif. The longest roads in the world, she rememberes hearing, once, were those traveled in silence. And this was a killer. But, hope was in sight -- A shore of land was just ahead. Mi'ko started dragging Laif that way, as the ice looked like it would by dying away soon.. She could send the vapoeron on through the waves, to find help, now that she knew there was an outlet. They hit water, shallow, yet numbing as she continued towards the plot of darkish land before them, but Mi'ko continued onward, into the waves, towards the only hope they appeared to have left. It would be a long wade.. But once she got there, the hint of light just past it told her that they would be saved. Just as long as they never gave up hope, and trusted in the vaporeon. Laif had not yet stirred from the odd sleep.. Mi'ko didn't know if he ever would. But he only had to sleep a little longer.. and they'd be free.. and safe.
It seemed like forever. Forever, and a day. But slowly, finally, Mi'ko was able to drag the litter on which her friend rested onto the ice and pebble shore, where she collapsed, passing out, falling into a sleep that carried dreams her way freely on the wind. Dreams that were suddenly interrupted by a barking call, from the voice of the vaporeon she'd been following after. She stirred, eyes fluttering slightly, before breaking them open. "Misti? What's wrong? Is there a strange--" She broke off, though, abruptly, as, opening her eyes, and rolling over, then standing, she walked up the hill a step, and saw what the commotion was. They'd landed on a bit of ice and dirt, a glacier shelf.. that was also claimed by a bunch of dewgong and seel.. who were not very happy to see them there. Mistique was trying to speak to them, trying to back them off, but they were closing in. And upon seeing Mi'ko peering down at them.. they became rabid with anger at the presence of the human, as well.
".. When it rains, it pours.." Remarked the girl hoarsely to herself, before she turned... To find other angry seel converging from behind. She screamed in surprise, a sound that jerked trhe Vaporeon's attention away from the other pinnepeds. Then, without anything further she could do, she grabbed hold of the psuedo-stretcher to which Laif was pinned.. and started running as fast as she could drag it, towards the point of the ice where light permiated the cave.
"How will I start tommorrow, without you here
Who's spark will guide me, when all the answers disappear
Is it too late, are you too far gone to stay?
Best friends forever, should never have to go away
What will I do, you know I'm only half without you
How will I make it through..
-- If Only Tears Could Bring You Back
Midnight Sons
-----------------
Part Four -- The Ice Caverns of Sea Foam
"Still no news, Mrs. Meyuzami. We'll keep looking, though, of that, you can be sure. Mmhmm. Yes, we'll let you and your husband know the first sign of anything we get. Thank you. Have a good night." Chief McPherson pushed the button on the videophone, hanging up on the distraught Lavender Town pokecenter nurse, and sighed, covering his face with his hand. Chances were, this wasn't going to turn out a very pretty one. It had been nearly a week since the girl had disappeared from her home in the middle of the night, and there was still little to no sign. They had heard of some trainers near Fuchsia city seeing a girl like the missing Mi'ko running from an angry Nidoran, but since then, nothing more. They now had officeres searching Fuchsia for her.. and for any news of her. But so far, it had been fruitless. And, deep inside, he didn't want to have to be the one to tell the parents of the missing girl that she couldn't be found. Because, deep inside, he knew just how much losing a family member could be.
Just then, the door to his office opened, and Jenny, one of his many, fine officers, walked in. "Chief, " she said, sounding oddly quiet, and reserved, "There's ... news, about the Lavender girl, sir." Jenny remarked, softly, looking remorseful. The Chief nodded sternly, and said, "Well, Jenny? What is it?" As he watched her with a professional air. Jenny nodded, knowing he wanted an answer, and, stepping out of the room for a moment, beckoned him to follow her. As they walked, the woman officer briefed him, assuring him that they had found definite proof of the girl, but that he probably wouldn't like it. The Chief, as usual, grunted something about that remaining to be seen, and followed her into a room, where, already, several other officers had gathered and were catelogging notes of the findings. As the Chief entered, most of them scattered, leaving the Chief to his inspection.
An hour later, the Chief was in his car, pulling up in front of the Meyuzami residence, on Gastly Dead End in Lavender Town. As he got out of the car, the bag he held in his arms was already iradiating the bad feelings it's contents would cause for the owners of the house. The car stopped, and, The Chief, and his growlithe (well, one of them) Duke soon assembled themselves outside the black and white, getting ready for, perhaps, what was going to be one of their hardest assignments yet. But the Chief kept the stern look to his face, the businesslike demeanor to his walk and stance. Briskly walking up the paved way to the door of the semi-modest duplex home, he looked at Duke, and then the door. With a cough, making sure he was ready for this, he reached out, and rang the doorbell. The door soon opened, with a near frantic Joy, still in her nurses outfit, standing before him. "Mi'ko?" She stated, hopefully, before, seeing who it was, she sighed, breifly crestfallen. "Miss Meyuzami, we have news about your daughter.." The Chief said.
Reynard Meyuzami was walking down the steps from his daughter's room, where he and Joy had been sitting, staring at the many posters and books, trying to figure out where she had gone, when, as he went to pass the kitchen, Joy, at the door, gave a heartfelt gasp, and took off running for their bedroom in the back, sobbing. He could only blink breifly, before approaching the doorway, where the Chief of Police still stood, a frown on his face. "Chief McPherson.." He greated the stately man, as he approached. "I'm.. to supposed there's news?" He said, already feeling the dread. As he came closer, he could see McPherson was holding something. Something.. that turned into the tattered remains, empty, of Mi'ko's hiking backpack, ripped, still half soggy with sea water. "I'm sorry, Reynard.." the solid, hardly emotional man said, handing it over. "This was found by some swimmers near the shore of Fuschia... We're going to start combing the water for a body tommorrow." But all Reynard could do was accept the backpack, and nod. "Thank you.." He said.. before closing the door to McPherson's back, and walking to the couch. Sighing, slumping onto it, he used the backpack's ripped material, to hide the tears, as they started down his face.
-----------------
The dripping of water, rythmic, dull, woke Mi'ko up, this day, as it had the day before, and the day before that. Dripping dripping dripping. The ice above head was constantly melting and reforming, and that wasn't the annoying part. The annoying part was when the fires she had been starting using sticks, and peices of flint she'd found along the trails, left by other hikers, went out because of the dripping. Sighing, she rolled over. The fire was still going.. she was glad. Laif was still out of it, had been, for a long time.. But she managed to get him to drink water, even when she couldn't feed him. Mistique lay curled next to him, trying to keep the warmth in. Warmth.. Mi'ko sighed, uttering a few words, perchance, that she shouldn't know, because of the cold, that came every night, and left during the day. She couldn't understand why it did that, left for the day, letting the summer sun heat the cave like it did, and then came back at night. But now she was awake. Awake meant she had a priority. A prioity to try, as she had been trying for many ... days? She didn't know any more. To try and escape the cold caverns, with water pokemon abound.
Sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked about, and sighed heavily. She'd better get a drink of water for them both, and then get her and her companions out and on their way soon. She didn't want to encounter more pokemon then she had to. They were tough, in this cave, and all she had for protection was Mistique, who, though she was a good fighter, wasn't the greatest against the ice and water pokemon the caves contained. She sighed again, looking towards trainer and pokemon sadly.. She had gotten them both into this fix, and chances were she wouldn't be able to get them out. But she had to try, that she knew, and felt, heavy as a rock in her heart. So, after a few more moments of quiet thought on her own (As long as a silent prayer for their safety) she trudged to her feet, and, standing, she turns, and, silence her guide, save for the drip of water falling nearby, picked her hat off the ground.
Approaching a puddle, she dipped the hat in, and held it close, to keep much of the drip from falling out over her worn coveralls and shirt, before walking over, and, setting the hat down on the ground, kneeling at Laif's side, and dipping her hand into the hat, scooping out some water. His mouth was easy to open, and she knew to tilt his head up enough so he could drink. She'd been getting water into him for...days? Now, like this.. After a few more more such scoops, she settled him back down, and finished off a couple of her own scoops. The rest was given to the vaporeon, who wallowed in the wetness about her to stay reasonably moist. After sitting for a few more silent moments, she stood, and, when sure Mistique was ready, she began to 'Clean up Camp'. Picking up all her belongings, and dragging Laif onto the home-made sling she'd created out of some sticks and some string she'd had in her back pocket, trying all the sticks together. As soon as he was settled, onward, into the ark and damp, she and the vaporeon traveled.
-----------------
On past what felt like noon they traveled, Mistique leading the way, Mi'ko trailing behind, watching over Laif. The longest roads in the world, she rememberes hearing, once, were those traveled in silence. And this was a killer. But, hope was in sight -- A shore of land was just ahead. Mi'ko started dragging Laif that way, as the ice looked like it would by dying away soon.. She could send the vapoeron on through the waves, to find help, now that she knew there was an outlet. They hit water, shallow, yet numbing as she continued towards the plot of darkish land before them, but Mi'ko continued onward, into the waves, towards the only hope they appeared to have left. It would be a long wade.. But once she got there, the hint of light just past it told her that they would be saved. Just as long as they never gave up hope, and trusted in the vaporeon. Laif had not yet stirred from the odd sleep.. Mi'ko didn't know if he ever would. But he only had to sleep a little longer.. and they'd be free.. and safe.
It seemed like forever. Forever, and a day. But slowly, finally, Mi'ko was able to drag the litter on which her friend rested onto the ice and pebble shore, where she collapsed, passing out, falling into a sleep that carried dreams her way freely on the wind. Dreams that were suddenly interrupted by a barking call, from the voice of the vaporeon she'd been following after. She stirred, eyes fluttering slightly, before breaking them open. "Misti? What's wrong? Is there a strange--" She broke off, though, abruptly, as, opening her eyes, and rolling over, then standing, she walked up the hill a step, and saw what the commotion was. They'd landed on a bit of ice and dirt, a glacier shelf.. that was also claimed by a bunch of dewgong and seel.. who were not very happy to see them there. Mistique was trying to speak to them, trying to back them off, but they were closing in. And upon seeing Mi'ko peering down at them.. they became rabid with anger at the presence of the human, as well.
".. When it rains, it pours.." Remarked the girl hoarsely to herself, before she turned... To find other angry seel converging from behind. She screamed in surprise, a sound that jerked trhe Vaporeon's attention away from the other pinnepeds. Then, without anything further she could do, she grabbed hold of the psuedo-stretcher to which Laif was pinned.. and started running as fast as she could drag it, towards the point of the ice where light permiated the cave.