Darkness Approaches - Chapter 2
[Tarakuno's a junior at Rosewood High, by the way]
Tarakuno got to school 10 minutes early, as he always did when he walked.
"Hey! Sano!" Sato, one of Tarakuno's few friends, greeted him. "How are you today?"
"I'm fine, thank you." Tarakuno replied. "I really wish you wouldn't act so damn cheerful when you ask that. It's kind of creepy."
"Hey, man, just doing my job."
"Right, your job being to make every student on campus stare at you when you ask someone how they are." Tarakuno replied sarcastically.
"What's up with you today?" Sato asked, slightly offended. "Bad day with Aunite?" He asked, switching from slightly offended to gleefully teasing.
"Sato, leave my Aunti-Jeka alone." Tarakuno said, his voice deepening and growing much more serious.
"I don't make fun of your family, do I?"
"All right, All right. Hey, Yanoto said he's got something to tell us about- "
"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP" The school bell rang.
"Tell me at lunch!" Tarakuno called as Sato disappeared into the flow of students heading to class. Tarakuno himself then slid into the powerful river of students, letting it pull him to his first class, Biology. Somehow, no matter whether he paid attention or not in class, he always did well on tests and quizzes, so he had gotten into the habit of drifting off in class until the last few minutes, when the teacher passed out homework. It tended to blur the schoolday together, so, as usual, lunchtime caught him by surprise. He hurried over to his table, where he always sat with Sato and Yanoto, pulled out Auntie's homemade peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich. "Gross" he thought to himself. "She *knows* I don't like these."
"Hey! Tarakuno!" Tarakuno spun around and saw Sato and Yanoto approaching.
"Hey yourself. Come sit." He replied.
So they did, and Yanoto began his story... which turned out to be about what he'd seen some senior girls doing behind the gym. Tarakuno tuned him out and stewed on Aunty's overprotectiveness.
********************
Kaira walked to school without incident, and upon arriving, searched the schoolyard for her group of friends. There! By the flagpole today.
"Hushi! Mina! Rakitsu! Good Morning!" *yaaaaaawwn* "Good morning, Kaira" Hushi replied sleepily, right in the middle of a large yawn. "How do you manage it?"
"Manage what?" Kaira asked as Mina and Rakitsu giggled. "What..?"
"*yawn* you're so perky this morning." Mina pointed out.
"*yawwwn* And... *yawn* we're all practically dead on our feet." Rakitsu added.
"Oh, "Kaira said, a giggle forming "I know. *I* did my English project over the past week, and I'll bet YOU three did it all last night. Am I right?"
"Well, um, yeah. But. I had tons of homework all the other days!" Hushi said defensively. "How did you find time to work on it?"
"I started my homework around 4:30, right after I got home. You?"
"10:00" Hushi admitted sheepishly.
"Me, too." Rakitsu added.
"Well, Mr. Tajairo says we're watching a video today in Biology, so you two sit in the back and catch up on your sleep."
"I dunno, Mr. Tajairo. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who'd be ok with us sleeping in class." Rakitsu mused.
"Duh! But you know how he is - he gives the day's assignment and sits at his desk all day on the computer." Kaira pointed out. "And besides, just keep the notes sheet under your arms, so if he does look up, it'll look like you're working *really* hard. And if he starts paying major attention, I'll wake you up."
"Thanks, Kaira, you're a livesaver." Mina said, hugging her. "Let's get to class!"
********************
The rest of Tarakuno's day passed without incident, allowing him to stew on Auntie. "Why was she so protective?" She had always treated him like a baby, as long as he could remember. but why? Tarakuno sighed; he was always like this when Auntie went out - moody and slightly depressed. Then there was the fact that he had disobeyed Auntie. "It's not like she'll ever find out." he told himself "I just feel. guilty. like I'm taking advantage of her trust."
He caught the bus home without incident, and arrived home late, but safe, did his homework, locked the doors and windows, and turned on the TV.
"BREAKING NEWS!" The cartoon he was watching switched to a news broadcast. "For those of you just joining us," The anchorman began "A large tropical storm has developed in the southwest Hoenn region, and is moving northward. Hoenn, a naturally peaceful region in terms of weather, has not seen a storm like this since A.P.B (After Pokéball) 100, during the winter 50 years ago. Additionally, the storm has traveled 200 miles inland, yet shows no signs of weakening. This is a source of concern for many meteorologists, because when a tropical storm begins traveling over land, the warm air currents that formed it, and were abundant over the water disappear. Thus, the storm begins to lose strength. However, this storm shows no signs of weakening. All residents in northern Hoenn are advised to prepare for extreme weather conditions. Repeat, all residents in northern Hoenn are advised to prepare for EXTREME weather conditions."
"Hoenn. why are they broadcasting Hoenn weather in Johto?" Tarakuno wondered. "What on earth does that have to do with us here?"
"And now, to Pokémon researcher Professor Birch, who has some startling news about the storm. Professor?"
"Well, it seems that the storm may have been created by two Super-powerful Legendary Pokémon. One of them, Kyogre, is rumored to inhabit the Cave of Origin near Sootopolis. My assistants and I have recorded this video clip of Kyogre using its wing-like appendages to 'stir' up the storm. There is another Pokémon accompanying Kyogre, but it is surrounded by what appears to be a ball of psychic energy." Tarakuno, now fully attentive, watched in awe as a massive gale appeared on the screen, a big blue Pokémon and a purple bubble floating inside of it. As he watched, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and he felt as if, somewhere deep inside his mind, he knew what was going on. Then the feeling passed, and he was just a kid staring at a video clip of some legendary Pokémon.
"So, Professor, any idea what may have caused these Pokémon to make an appearance?"
"Actually, no." Professor Birch admitted sheepishly "So far, we've come up with nothing that might have caused their sudden appearance. My aides and I will be traveling into the storm soon, and will attempt to make contact with the Pokémon. Pokémon as powerful as these two seem to be might be capable of communicating with us in a way we can understand."
"Thank you, Professor Birch. Now, back to the J-newS newsroom-"Tarakuno turned the TV off. With a shock, he realized that it was 9:00. Hadn't Auntie said she'd be home at 8:00? Tarakuno worried for a bit, then decided that she probably was just staying late at the game corner. Sighing, he went up to his bedroom and fell asleep.
When Jeka got home, she locked the front door behind her, and checked on Tarakuno. Seeing him asleep, she decided not to wake him. She turned to go back downstairs to her bedroom, when suddenly her vision blurred at the edges and a chill passed through her. "Jekaaaaaaaa..." She thought she heard a whispery, hissing voice say. She hurried down to her room, fumbled for the light, made the sign of the cross, and passed out on her bed.
********************
True to her word, Kaira watched over Rakitsu, Hushi, and Mina during Biology, as a video about where and how Water Pokémon got the water for their water. Afterwards, on the walk home, Kaira lent her notes to her friends. Something to do with specialized cells converting hydrogen and oxygen to water at lightening speed. She arrived home, and grinned when she saw her mom waiting out front with a homemade tray of Instant Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
"Mom, you and your oatmeal."
"Well, dear, I thought you liked my cookies." Said Karia's mom, slightly offended.
"I do! It's just that. Oh, nothing." Kaira said as she hugged her mom. "It's good to be home." As Kaira enjoyed a cookie and watched TV, her mom's voice drifted in from the kitchen, where she could smell pizza cooking. "Don't forget your homework, Kaira" Her mom's voice floated into the living room along with the aroma of pizza.
"I won't mom. And watch out."
"What?"
"The pizza, mom. The pizza."
"Oh, no, Oh dear."
BOOM! The oven exploded, blackening Kaira's mom and flinging the oven door into the backyard.
"Well, it was worth a try. I almost had it that time, too." Kaira's mom said, wiping a blackened disk that was once, presumably, a pizza off the floor.
********************
Late that night, Tarakuno awoke to the sounds of his aunt screaming. Hurriedly throwing off his bedsheets, he ran towards her room. Inside, he could hear her cries of pain, but the door was locked. Why? Aunty never locked her door. He thought. Fetching a lockpick from the garage, Tarakuno ran to Aunty's room and unlocked the door. He stopped dead.
Inside was Aunty, held up in the air by what looked like a shadow, but in the middle of the room and with nothing to cast it.
"Ohh, Look. The little boy has come to join the party." It hissed, in a sinister, evil voice. Tarakuno shuddered. "Yess." it breathed. "You are afraid. I can tell. And with good reason." The thing motioned with an arm, and Tarakuno felt himself dragged up into the air next to his aunt. It laughed an evil laugh.
"Now, Jeka." It said, turning back to face Tarakuno's aunt. "You have something of mine, something I want." It teased, stroking Jeka's shoulder with a shadowy tentacle. "You know what I mean. That thing I cannot name nor find till given freely by the healer of the blind."
At this, Tarakuno started - There was an old town legend of a healer who could work miracles with the sick, her most impressive ability being the ability to cure blindness. When he had first heard the story, and the description of the healer, he'd thought it sounded like Jeka. but the healer lived hundreds of years ago. Jeka *couldn't* be that old.
"I. I don't know what you're talking about." Jeka stammered. "Healer of the blind. That's just a legend." There was fear in her voice, and both Tarakuno and the shadow sensed it.
"What's the matter, my dear?" the shadow asked, sadistic pleasure in its voice. "Don't you remember me?"
"Remember. you.?" Jeka asked. "Remember you? I've never laid my eyes on you before."
"Oh, a pity." The shadow sighed, though in a way that conveyed it wasn't really a pity at all. "Does THIS help you?" It asked, and so saying, began to coalesce and form itself into a young boy - Ash Ketchum.
"Do you remember me now?" he asked.
[Tarakuno's a junior at Rosewood High, by the way]
Tarakuno got to school 10 minutes early, as he always did when he walked.
"Hey! Sano!" Sato, one of Tarakuno's few friends, greeted him. "How are you today?"
"I'm fine, thank you." Tarakuno replied. "I really wish you wouldn't act so damn cheerful when you ask that. It's kind of creepy."
"Hey, man, just doing my job."
"Right, your job being to make every student on campus stare at you when you ask someone how they are." Tarakuno replied sarcastically.
"What's up with you today?" Sato asked, slightly offended. "Bad day with Aunite?" He asked, switching from slightly offended to gleefully teasing.
"Sato, leave my Aunti-Jeka alone." Tarakuno said, his voice deepening and growing much more serious.
"I don't make fun of your family, do I?"
"All right, All right. Hey, Yanoto said he's got something to tell us about- "
"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP" The school bell rang.
"Tell me at lunch!" Tarakuno called as Sato disappeared into the flow of students heading to class. Tarakuno himself then slid into the powerful river of students, letting it pull him to his first class, Biology. Somehow, no matter whether he paid attention or not in class, he always did well on tests and quizzes, so he had gotten into the habit of drifting off in class until the last few minutes, when the teacher passed out homework. It tended to blur the schoolday together, so, as usual, lunchtime caught him by surprise. He hurried over to his table, where he always sat with Sato and Yanoto, pulled out Auntie's homemade peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich. "Gross" he thought to himself. "She *knows* I don't like these."
"Hey! Tarakuno!" Tarakuno spun around and saw Sato and Yanoto approaching.
"Hey yourself. Come sit." He replied.
So they did, and Yanoto began his story... which turned out to be about what he'd seen some senior girls doing behind the gym. Tarakuno tuned him out and stewed on Aunty's overprotectiveness.
********************
Kaira walked to school without incident, and upon arriving, searched the schoolyard for her group of friends. There! By the flagpole today.
"Hushi! Mina! Rakitsu! Good Morning!" *yaaaaaawwn* "Good morning, Kaira" Hushi replied sleepily, right in the middle of a large yawn. "How do you manage it?"
"Manage what?" Kaira asked as Mina and Rakitsu giggled. "What..?"
"*yawn* you're so perky this morning." Mina pointed out.
"*yawwwn* And... *yawn* we're all practically dead on our feet." Rakitsu added.
"Oh, "Kaira said, a giggle forming "I know. *I* did my English project over the past week, and I'll bet YOU three did it all last night. Am I right?"
"Well, um, yeah. But. I had tons of homework all the other days!" Hushi said defensively. "How did you find time to work on it?"
"I started my homework around 4:30, right after I got home. You?"
"10:00" Hushi admitted sheepishly.
"Me, too." Rakitsu added.
"Well, Mr. Tajairo says we're watching a video today in Biology, so you two sit in the back and catch up on your sleep."
"I dunno, Mr. Tajairo. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who'd be ok with us sleeping in class." Rakitsu mused.
"Duh! But you know how he is - he gives the day's assignment and sits at his desk all day on the computer." Kaira pointed out. "And besides, just keep the notes sheet under your arms, so if he does look up, it'll look like you're working *really* hard. And if he starts paying major attention, I'll wake you up."
"Thanks, Kaira, you're a livesaver." Mina said, hugging her. "Let's get to class!"
********************
The rest of Tarakuno's day passed without incident, allowing him to stew on Auntie. "Why was she so protective?" She had always treated him like a baby, as long as he could remember. but why? Tarakuno sighed; he was always like this when Auntie went out - moody and slightly depressed. Then there was the fact that he had disobeyed Auntie. "It's not like she'll ever find out." he told himself "I just feel. guilty. like I'm taking advantage of her trust."
He caught the bus home without incident, and arrived home late, but safe, did his homework, locked the doors and windows, and turned on the TV.
"BREAKING NEWS!" The cartoon he was watching switched to a news broadcast. "For those of you just joining us," The anchorman began "A large tropical storm has developed in the southwest Hoenn region, and is moving northward. Hoenn, a naturally peaceful region in terms of weather, has not seen a storm like this since A.P.B (After Pokéball) 100, during the winter 50 years ago. Additionally, the storm has traveled 200 miles inland, yet shows no signs of weakening. This is a source of concern for many meteorologists, because when a tropical storm begins traveling over land, the warm air currents that formed it, and were abundant over the water disappear. Thus, the storm begins to lose strength. However, this storm shows no signs of weakening. All residents in northern Hoenn are advised to prepare for extreme weather conditions. Repeat, all residents in northern Hoenn are advised to prepare for EXTREME weather conditions."
"Hoenn. why are they broadcasting Hoenn weather in Johto?" Tarakuno wondered. "What on earth does that have to do with us here?"
"And now, to Pokémon researcher Professor Birch, who has some startling news about the storm. Professor?"
"Well, it seems that the storm may have been created by two Super-powerful Legendary Pokémon. One of them, Kyogre, is rumored to inhabit the Cave of Origin near Sootopolis. My assistants and I have recorded this video clip of Kyogre using its wing-like appendages to 'stir' up the storm. There is another Pokémon accompanying Kyogre, but it is surrounded by what appears to be a ball of psychic energy." Tarakuno, now fully attentive, watched in awe as a massive gale appeared on the screen, a big blue Pokémon and a purple bubble floating inside of it. As he watched, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and he felt as if, somewhere deep inside his mind, he knew what was going on. Then the feeling passed, and he was just a kid staring at a video clip of some legendary Pokémon.
"So, Professor, any idea what may have caused these Pokémon to make an appearance?"
"Actually, no." Professor Birch admitted sheepishly "So far, we've come up with nothing that might have caused their sudden appearance. My aides and I will be traveling into the storm soon, and will attempt to make contact with the Pokémon. Pokémon as powerful as these two seem to be might be capable of communicating with us in a way we can understand."
"Thank you, Professor Birch. Now, back to the J-newS newsroom-"Tarakuno turned the TV off. With a shock, he realized that it was 9:00. Hadn't Auntie said she'd be home at 8:00? Tarakuno worried for a bit, then decided that she probably was just staying late at the game corner. Sighing, he went up to his bedroom and fell asleep.
When Jeka got home, she locked the front door behind her, and checked on Tarakuno. Seeing him asleep, she decided not to wake him. She turned to go back downstairs to her bedroom, when suddenly her vision blurred at the edges and a chill passed through her. "Jekaaaaaaaa..." She thought she heard a whispery, hissing voice say. She hurried down to her room, fumbled for the light, made the sign of the cross, and passed out on her bed.
********************
True to her word, Kaira watched over Rakitsu, Hushi, and Mina during Biology, as a video about where and how Water Pokémon got the water for their water. Afterwards, on the walk home, Kaira lent her notes to her friends. Something to do with specialized cells converting hydrogen and oxygen to water at lightening speed. She arrived home, and grinned when she saw her mom waiting out front with a homemade tray of Instant Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
"Mom, you and your oatmeal."
"Well, dear, I thought you liked my cookies." Said Karia's mom, slightly offended.
"I do! It's just that. Oh, nothing." Kaira said as she hugged her mom. "It's good to be home." As Kaira enjoyed a cookie and watched TV, her mom's voice drifted in from the kitchen, where she could smell pizza cooking. "Don't forget your homework, Kaira" Her mom's voice floated into the living room along with the aroma of pizza.
"I won't mom. And watch out."
"What?"
"The pizza, mom. The pizza."
"Oh, no, Oh dear."
BOOM! The oven exploded, blackening Kaira's mom and flinging the oven door into the backyard.
"Well, it was worth a try. I almost had it that time, too." Kaira's mom said, wiping a blackened disk that was once, presumably, a pizza off the floor.
********************
Late that night, Tarakuno awoke to the sounds of his aunt screaming. Hurriedly throwing off his bedsheets, he ran towards her room. Inside, he could hear her cries of pain, but the door was locked. Why? Aunty never locked her door. He thought. Fetching a lockpick from the garage, Tarakuno ran to Aunty's room and unlocked the door. He stopped dead.
Inside was Aunty, held up in the air by what looked like a shadow, but in the middle of the room and with nothing to cast it.
"Ohh, Look. The little boy has come to join the party." It hissed, in a sinister, evil voice. Tarakuno shuddered. "Yess." it breathed. "You are afraid. I can tell. And with good reason." The thing motioned with an arm, and Tarakuno felt himself dragged up into the air next to his aunt. It laughed an evil laugh.
"Now, Jeka." It said, turning back to face Tarakuno's aunt. "You have something of mine, something I want." It teased, stroking Jeka's shoulder with a shadowy tentacle. "You know what I mean. That thing I cannot name nor find till given freely by the healer of the blind."
At this, Tarakuno started - There was an old town legend of a healer who could work miracles with the sick, her most impressive ability being the ability to cure blindness. When he had first heard the story, and the description of the healer, he'd thought it sounded like Jeka. but the healer lived hundreds of years ago. Jeka *couldn't* be that old.
"I. I don't know what you're talking about." Jeka stammered. "Healer of the blind. That's just a legend." There was fear in her voice, and both Tarakuno and the shadow sensed it.
"What's the matter, my dear?" the shadow asked, sadistic pleasure in its voice. "Don't you remember me?"
"Remember. you.?" Jeka asked. "Remember you? I've never laid my eyes on you before."
"Oh, a pity." The shadow sighed, though in a way that conveyed it wasn't really a pity at all. "Does THIS help you?" It asked, and so saying, began to coalesce and form itself into a young boy - Ash Ketchum.
"Do you remember me now?" he asked.