Chapter 2: Cyber Storms and the Hero Slayer
Disclaimer: If I owned Pokémon, we'd have revamped shiny forms and a Legendary of Shininess that could grant shiny forms to worthy Pokémon by now.
~o~
Ten minutes into Amber Blakely's Pokémon journey at the age of fifteen, she ran out into a raging storm with thirty-six dying Pokémon, a bag of fruit, and a feral Charmander in sunglasses who might or might not want to kill her.
Thunder boomed like the deep drone of an amp, interspersed with electric guitar-riff snaps across the wild, chaotic stadium of storm. Wind howled like crazed fans in a mosh pit, blowing her to and fro as she stumbled back into the pandemonium, while silver rain hissed and spat like speaker feedback from the most epic concert of all time. Too bad about the music—it really sucked. Barely had a tune! But then, the energy was there, and wasn't that all that really mattered? Her heart quickened, her disbelieving grin only about eighty percent crazy.
How had everything changed so quickly? Amber whipped her head around, searching the rain-haze for another person.
Three hours to get the dying poké balls to a charger, before they released their critically injured inhabitants. Naturally the power was out.
It was an epic quest of destiny, and she was absolutely going to cheat to get a passing grade.
"Hey, random person with a car!" Amber called out, waving her arm wildly as she bolted towards the marketplace off main. Hopefully they saw her, cause this storm was taking any words it caught on a one-way trip to nowhere-ville. Which…sounded a lot like Pallet Town, but that was different, because Amber lived there, so it couldn't be totally lame.
The marketplace was one of those funny collection of stores with pretty landscaping that smaller towns optimistically labelled a "mall". She recognized the teenager getting into her car—Pink-Mohawk Girl, who probably had a name, employee of the Gamefreak Stop store in the Ketchum Mall.
That was when she saw them. Flying shadows beneath the flickering clouds, their silhouettes perfectly geometric cutouts, if you didn't count the mass of waving wires sprouting from their backs.
Amber skidded to a stop, and scrambled beneath a swaying blossom tree on the edge of the parking lot, her heart pounding. Out here too? Just what were those things doing?
She got her answer as the V-formation of Porygon dove in perfect synchronization, levelling out into a low, darting flight over the sparse collection of cars. Thin lightning hairs sparked from each vehicle as they passed, streaking into the hungry wires on the Porygon's backs. Pink-Mohawk Girl jumped out of her car as the headlights sputtered and died, whirling to watch the formation's path. She raised her fist in complaint, and a slower Porygon whirled around her, stealing a bright lick of electricity from the poké ball at her belt before going off to join its squad. Her Cleffa tumbled free at once, and promptly burst into tears.
Stealing power? What for? Amber hid behind the tree as another formation crested the line of shops, their leader glowing white-blue with gathered electricity. A non-glowing Porygon leader darted up to meet it, and shook its head as if answering a question, before ducking down towards the delivery trucks. It ate their power in an electrifying rush. Metal crunched and rubber squealed, coming from the main road just around the bend to Viridian.
They were everywhere. Especially over the mall.
Her brain processed that as she ran the opposite direction, her legs carrying her away before she'd really decided to do so. Nope, nope, nope! That direction was the stuff of nightmares, and they hadn't even started playing their carnival-music jazz-rap yet! Amber bolted for the trees, jumping over the fence of Professor Oak's training field behind the lab, her legs decidedly tired at this point, the game quickly losing its fresh sense of 'fun'. She collapsed just inside the tree line at the far end of the grass, breathing hard.
And she looked out over Pallet Town, as Porygon buzzed over houses like harassing wasps.
They looked annoyed, Amber imagined. She grinned. The power outage was vindictive, now, Pallet Town's middle finger towards the cyber-mon looking for a shocking snack. Of course, they were stealing power from everything else.
Her sunglass ball shook, impatient. "Hey, I'm working on it," Amber said. She thought out loud so her Charmander could hear her. "So a car is out. I could steal a bike! Yeah, that could…" Wind blew, bending the full grown trees so far the wood groaned. "…Fail. That could fail. I'm not gonna do that. Hm." She frowned, deep in thought. "Finding another trainer is a bad idea. If I go back out there, all it takes is one Porygon catching me, and then all these poké balls get completely drained, and a lot of Pokémon die. Dad's got Winston, but he sucks at battling…and Mom keeps her team in storage most of the time, so she can't get them without power. Plus Winston's gotta stay put to protect the trees. I wonder why the Porygon don't just eat the lightning—"
As if on cue, lightning struck one of the flying Porygon in a wicked bolt. Amber was still blinking spots out of her eyes when the Porygon glowed white-blue, then just white, and exploded. The other Porygon looked on in horror, and dove lower than the building line in a hurry.
"Oh."
The main road was out—probably patrolled by Porygon, even if she had a car, or knew how to steal one. But the trainer's path…that was open…and fairly covered by the trees, away from electronics that might lure in those things…
Did that mean…it was just her? Her sunglass ball shook again. Right, her and a fire type she just met, in the middle of a thunderstorm.
She swallowed.
Her cold fingers pulled the pouch of poké balls off her bag, spilling them onto the grass. Thirty-six patients, nameless and faceless. But she could use some motivation, and definitely wasn't stalling. Circling the outside ring of the release button with her thumb, she turned down the opacity dial of the first poké ball. The red part of the metal faded, showing a tiny version of a sleeping Mawile inside, her fake jaws twisted out of alignment. Part of her head was bloodied and bruised.
"Silvani, the Dragon Slayer," Amber named her grimly, taking a deep breath. "She's a…vigilante, who got surrounded by Druddigon on a mission." Another poké ball faded, a dried brown Cacturne huddled within. "Scarecrow," she dubbed, picturing the frightening shriveled creature stalking the moonlit sands of a vast desert. Another faded. "Dragnor, the Once-Mighty," she named the one-winged Salamence, then for the steaming cyan one, "Backwards, the water-type Infernape. And you're Angel, the white-fire Houndoom." A weird black Muk lay bubbling within the next. It probably smelled like death. "Sellie," Amber decided, thinking of her sister. Finally, a black-and-red poké ball faded inwards as well.
A Torracat glared at her from within, shockingly vicious. If he was wounded, she couldn't tell. The dark feline of purest edge bared his fangs at her from within his black poké ball. "I don't have a name for you," Amber admitted. "But I like you best."
Making her decision, Amber scooped the poké balls back into their bag, and whipped open her orange umbrella. The wind wasn't too bad, below the trees like this. Charmander burst free with the press of a button, already snarling gleefully, but when he saw the rain, he scampered up to her shoulders in a flash, leaving a claw mark trail the whole way. She shielded him with the umbrella.
"It's okay," she told him. "We've got this. Seven miles to Viridian City! The Pokémon here are supposed to be weak, so we can definitely handle it!"
Thirty minutes later, she ran full speed down the first leg of the trainer's path, Charmander spitting Embers at a vicious, winged shadow. "We do not got this!" Amber wailed, her combat boots squelching in the wet grass. "Charmander, quit antagonizing it! Maybe it'll leave us alone!"
Scolding growls and complaining chirps retorted back at her, as if to say, "I'm doing my best!" but the fires died out. They were weaker in the rain anyways.
But when she looked over her shoulder, wicked eyes gleamed white as their attacker dove forward with talons extended, leaving the shadows for the first time. "A Pidgey?" Amber shouted, her voice rising high on the last syllable. "C'mon!" It was on them then, scratching and pecking with sharp raps and slashes. Amber tried to smack it with her free arm, and hit something wet and feathery, earning herself a sharp bite to the finger as payback. She recoiled, and rain spattered against Charmander just before he attacked, and he clawed his way to her front instead, his tail flame steaming. Without her jacket she'd be a pinstriped advertisement for declawing services.
Charmander eyed the Pidgey, and then his sunglass ball, very suspiciously. "You're not gonna die from a little rain," Amber protested. The Pidgey wheeled around for another pass at them, water drops beading off her warm-brown feathers. "Just go! One good hit and we win!"
Dramatic encouragement and a cool pointing pose. Classic trainer stuff.
But Charmander dodged the Pidgey's claws by dropping to the ground and hiding behind Amber's legs, still beneath the umbrella. She ducked and twisted away, but claws tangled in her hair, yanking and pulling as the Pidgey desperately tried to fly to freedom, squawking and screeching the whole time. Hair tore, and then it flew again, even madder now, but Charmander showed no signs of giving chase. "Augh, fine! See how you like this!" Amber shouted, snapping her orange umbrella closed. "Now we'll both get wet! Go use Scratch and end this!"
Steam hissed, and his tail-flame did die down a little, but it wasn't like it would happen anytime soon—and he was already back in his sunglass ball.
"I should've picked the stupid Squirtle!" Amber said as she covered her head and ran for a stand of trees. She skidded to a stop beneath them, facing off against the tiny bird Pokémon, with flashing eyes and a squared jaw. "I am not gonna get eaten by a wild Pidgey! Get back out here!" The button clicked, but the Charmander did not come out.
What should she do? Amber panicked. She did actually have the Squirtle, and Bulbasaur too, but both of them were still mind controlled! Should she release one anyways? Professor Oak had insisted she be as safe as possible…
Pidgey extended her pale wings outwards like a herald of death, a gleam in her fierce little eyes despite being the approximate size of a football, wheeling around to strike again.
No. She couldn't. What kind of convictions would she have, if she threw them away at the first inconvenience? It had to be Charmander!
Amber pushed the button of the sunglass ball again and again. "C'mon! We're not in the rain anymore, promise! You won't get wet under the trees." Wait, couldn't Charmander see out with his opacity filter turned down? He should know that. She looked down at her sunglass ball, where a little Charmander figure pretended to sleep inside.
She was going to die here. She was going to die to a Pidgey, and Selene would put that on her tombstone and laugh at her for all eternity, and—
A streaking shadow tackled the Pidgey out of the sky. Feathers flew, a body bounced, and then she lay still in the rain-slicked grass, eyes closed at last.
White steam rose from the shadow's glowing teeth as he stood braced over her body on all fours, jaws bared and tail twitching.
Amber's heart thudded as the shadow looked at her. Blood-red eyes, a warrior's eyes, filled with dread malice like she was nothing more than another obstacle to be destroyed!
"Rat-tata!" the shadow screeched, charging forward, and Amber screamed, and then—
Light flashed, and when she opened her eyes, Charmander was there. His sunglasses glinted as flames broiled in his throat. Still in the drier area beneath the tree, but it was something at least! "Aw, yeah!" she cheered. "Go, Charmander! Draw it in, and then use Ember!"
Rattata vanished.
Reappearing to strike Charmander back with a resounding crack, his Quick Attack too fast for the human eye to see. Flames scorched the fur of his face black as Charmander retaliated, and then—
"Pocket sand!" Amber shouted, throwing a handful of dirt into the Rattata's eyes. Wet dirt, but eh, close enough. "C'mon, let's go!" she said, reopening her umbrella. Charmander scampered up to her shoulder, firing more Embers at the temporarily blinded Rattata, who let out a tiny squeak of sheer rage.
Amber didn't care. She had places to be! Abandoning her foe, she bolted around the bend, cold wind moaning through the treetops. "Char!" came a warning from her shoulders.
"Doesn't matter if it follows! We can get away—"
Force knocked her legs out from under her. She skidded to the mud, Charmander flying off her shoulders, and the Rattata skidded to a stop at the end of his Quick Attack. Charmander let out a frantic cry, diving for her fallen umbrella, squishing beneath as best he could, though the wind plucked at it, and rain dripped over his orange scales, hissing to steam.
The dread Rattata looked between them, and turned towards Charmander, kicking up little bits of grass with his bursting speed. Charmander didn't see, jerking away from each raindrop, but he certainly felt it when those little claws tore into his shoulder, his whole body jolting.
The Rattata lunged forward with teeth bared, snapping together millimeters from Charmander's foot. A dark spot spread across the umbrella, blossoming with red as it began to burn away, and rain spattered the little ginger flame.
"Hey! Leave him alone!" Amber shouted, hurling a fist-sized rock at their foe. It missed, but was close enough to get his attention. Charmander bit him and shook, but when the Rattata dug in his legs and the wind tugged at her umbrella, Charmander let go and retreated, frustration burning in his eyes. Intelligence gleamed in Rattata's gaze—from then on, he didn't go beneath the umbrella, scratching and biting quick before retreating. Charmander tried to strike, but the Rattata stayed back, a Leer in his eyes.
"Hold the handle, and use Ember! Keep him back!" Her brave little Charmander spat fire, rain-shrunk but hot, and Amber scrambled for the Squirtle's poké ball while he kept it occupied. She released it in a flash. "Hey," she said, her voice a rush. "I'm gonna let you go, and then…we could really use your help! There's these injured Pokémon, and a ton of weird Porygon, and—" Charmander let out a cry of pain, a devastating Fury Strikes drawing crisscrossing red lines across his fine scales. "Augh, I'll explain later! Let's GO!"
Her hammer struck, denting the poké ball on the first hit, and snapping it on the second. Squirtle's eager-to-help look froze at once. His gaze dulled, losing some childlike innocence.
Amber held out a rainstorm ball, blue and silver and perfect for water types. "You're free," she said. "I won't control you. But if you want to help, us and the injured Pokémon, we could—"
Squirtle ran on all fours, vanishing into the bushes. She stared after him, her ginger hair plastered against her skin.
Battle raged behind her, growing more intense by the second. Rattata leapt to a tree and off the trunk into a Quick Attack, barely missing her twisting Charmander. "Let go of the umbrella," Amber called out, gritting her teeth to focus back in. He couldn't fight like this. "I have healing berries! You'll be okay, I promise!"
Charmander stumbled a little, spitting flames which missed, letting out an uncertain growl.
"Are you gonna lose here? We've got a mission, don't we? You've gotta be stronger than this! We both do!"
His steps wavered. The Rattata lunged. She reached into her bag, throwing a sitrus berry like a speeding baseball, and in a moment of pure daring, Charmander let go of the umbrella to leap, snapping the berry up in a single bite.
Wounds steamed closed as his tail burned lower, but brighter. He bared his sharp fangs in a vicious snarl, water glossing his scales. "Awesome," Amber breathed. She got to her feet, clenching her fist. "Aw, yeah! Let's do this! Go for a Scratch!"
Like proud warriors on a rain-soaked battlefield, the two monsters exchanged slashing blows, equally fast now. Speed and power. Claws and fang. Rattata…and Charmander. Their footsteps drew an imprinted history of the fight, as each fought with their pride on the line. Charmander lunged into a Fury Swipes, taking the blow to land a Bite, and just as his eyes began to dull— "Use Ember now!" —fire bloomed, exploding behind his teeth. The Rattata gave a high-pitched wail, arching his whole body.
With a thud, only one warrior was left standing.
When Rattata fell, Amber let out a whooping cheer, pumping her fist in the air. "Awesome! So cool! Great job, Charmander!" She ran forward and gave him a hug, much to his grumbling complaint. "You were so brave! Man, can you believe how tough that Rattata was? He was like a battle-hungry super ninja on steroids. Maybe this storm is bringing out the weirdos."
Charmander looked at her. And growled in agreement. Amber's mouth fell open. "Hey!"
But she couldn't help but laugh. She held out her fist. "That was good stuff, hot shot. You're way better than Squirtle." He fist bumped her with little claws.
Amber stood, scooping up the Rattata. "You fought well," she said, setting it in a protected little hollow in an oak tree. She set a soft yellow sitrus berry at the Rattata's side, and a few shiny pokécoins. "I dub thee Hero Slayer, destroyer of newbies and top percent of Rattata. Fare thee well."
Snapping out her partially burned umbrella, and filled with newfound confidence, Amber and her Charmander set out once more, as the storm rumbled and eventually died down to scattered showers and chill breezes. It even got light enough to see the route properly. A few wild Pokémon challenged them on their way, but none were the equal of the Hero Slayer, and were easily defeated.
Amber broke into a run with a cry as they reached the edge of Route 1. "We did it!" she celebrated, punching the air, faced with the beautiful city nestled among nature, everything blanketed in rich green and gleaming with leftover rain in the sparse sunlight. "Easy-peasy! No problem at—"
Light flared within the town. A moment later, the shockwave burst over her in a thunderous boom, the physical wall of sound making her stumble back, ears ringing.
Amber and Charmander exchanged glances, and at once she was sprinting past the tree line. Somehow, she knew what she'd see.
Porygon buzzed around the Pokémon Center, attacking with fire, ice, and lightning, while a veritable horde of trainers and Pokémon fought to keep them back. The windows of the Center still had light, though the rest of the town was already dead, with abandoned cars stopped diagonally over roads and Pokémon pets out of their balls, looking lost and confused.
A Porygon Z with a crown of wires orchestrated the attack from above, crackling within a sphere of red lightning.
Amber hid behind a bush just inside the trees. "Do you think they're the same Porygon, or another group?" she asked in a hush. Charmander growled low and dangerous, his tail whipping fast.
She checked her pokétch. There was only half hour left. But she couldn't go out into a Porygon horde. The trainers fought with their entire teams at once, dead poké balls lining their feet.
With little choice, she settled in to wait. At ten minutes left, she'd make a run for it, she decided.
But it didn't take too long before the Porygon started to glow red.
Rising into the sky as one, their eyes burning suns of glitchy TV static.
Most of the trainers backed off, tense and waiting for the next attack…but in the end, there was nothing they could do.
The Porygon released their stolen power at once in a terrific wave, the sky burning red below the clouds, and, as Amber would later learn, the shockwave would echo from every city over all of Kanto, scarlet and glitching and electric until they merged into a grid over the nation.
Her pokétch died with a crackling hiss, the Pokémon Center went abruptly dark, and lights flickered from her bag of poké balls. Everything electric took a hit, but something strange happened to the poké balls. They didn't die, they just…sparked. But what had happened?
Trainers and Pokémon stared up at the sky, as portals opened around the Porygon Z, and Porygon minions fled into them, vanishing with a sudden pop.
Her blood drained from her face when the ring of Pokémon suddenly bellowed, their expressions…changing?
With terrific violence, they turned on each other, attacking the poké balls on the ground, and their own trainers. Others turned tail and fled to the forest, never looking back. As if they'd changed all at once, just like Charmander and Squirtle. The shouts and destruction were terrible to hear.
Beneath the hazy red sky, Kanto was set free.
Free of power, control, and artificial bonds.
And Amber could only watch, as everything changed for good.
~o~
