Snowflake had no idea what to make of his situation.
So much was happening, and none of it made any sense.
He was in varying levels of pain at all hours of the day. Anywhere from a dull ache to pulsing throbs, his nerve endings didn't seem to care what his brain thought about it or not. They were going to remind him his body was in bad shape, even if he was well aware already.
His face, ribs, shoulders and arm were especially bad, and even the slightest movements resulted in odd pulling sensations in the stitched together skin, as if the flesh was a weird swollen tarp foreign to his body being forcefully held in place. When his skin wasn't burning, it was itching, but the doctor wouldn't let him scratch at the bandages. On several occasions they even restrained his hand when they couldn't watch him.
It was enough to drive anyone mad.
When he was lucky, the Galaxy Team doctor gave him medicine she made using Croagunk poison. It made him sleepy and numb though, so that didn't bother him. There was also a medicine woman with a dark blue tunic that he couldn't understand, and sometimes she would apply a weird numbing salve to the worst of his wounds during bandage changes.
Both were far preferable to the pulsing pain that never wanted to go away. Or the itching.
Most of the time he'd take any pain over the itch. At least he wasn't tempted to scratch a painful spot. Itching was another matter entirely.
That constant sensation like something foreign was crawling under skin that shouldn't be there to begin with. A small tingle that spread and increased in intensity until he just wanted to rip all the flesh from his face to make it end, mind completely consumed with the command to NOT SCRATCH even when his body begged him to. The doctor said it was caused by dead skin sloughing off, and it would stop when new skin started growing in.
Part of him highly doubted that.
Being trapped in bed wasn't helping either. The doctor said he wasn't allowed to move around or stand up, unless it was supervised leg stretching. The one day he tried on his own resulted in falling the second he shifted his weight, hip protesting at the mere suggestion of supporting him. It was an odd sensation, like everything was suddenly too heavy and his legs were asleep. He luckily caught himself on his good arm, but managed to rip several stitches.
He got an earful from both the women treating him after that.
What could he do instead then?
Eat and sleep.
The few hours he was awake every day were very boring. The people here didn't read much, and the few texts they did have were written in odd shapes and lines instead of letters. He couldn't read any of it, which was very disheartening after the brief thrill of thinking he had SOMETHING to do.
At least he was only awake for a few hours a day, he had to tell himself. Otherwise he was going to go crazy. Fighting off sepsis apparently left him exhausted, which didn't make much sense given he was sleeping all day.
When his health was a bit better, the doctor decided to go over a long list of issues she found while treating him.
Other than being hit by a thunder wave attack, he suffered a dislocated hip, bruised rib cage, over forty lacerations of varying severity caused by sharp claws and teeth, and a broken arm and collarbone with severely damaged muscle and tendons in the shoulder.
She wasn't sure he'd ever regain use of it again.
The status of his right eye was also questionable. The damage done to and around the organ had been severe, and at the moment he couldn't see anything out of it. She had no clue if vision would ever return, and said it may need to be removed if it doesn't heal and keeps getting infected.
The thought made him grip his sheets in fright.
Already being in the hole was bad enough, and now he could lose an eye too.
It was enough to make his heart rate spike, which the doctor also said he shouldn't do!
How he was supposed to keep that under control, he still had yet to figure it out.
Sleep was becoming increasingly harder as well. Often he'd wake up crying when the medicine wore off, his body unable to handle the pain anymore and forcing his mind to consciousness.
He didn't like crying in front of his caregivers, but for a long time it was a regular occurance.
There were also nightmares that often accompanied the unbearable burning. Usually he'd be on his back, a black creature biting its teeth around his head, or ripping his stomach apart and eating him alive, all while he was unable to move or fight back.
Forced to witness himself getting devoured over and over again, screaming for help with nobody bothering to answer.
Those were the nights he actively woke up screaming, the doctor or medicine woman being the ones that normally responded. He felt awful for waking them up so often, even if they said it wasn't a big deal.
It felt like one to him.
The only things that got him through the days were the thoughts of visitors.
And with visitors almost always came Pokémon!
Adaman was the most common. He would usually stop by once a day to ask him questions, or try distracting him with a story or two regarding the history of his people.
Supposedly Snowflake was under the protection of the "Diamond Clan," and Adaman was their leader. They lived in the land of Hisui, a completely unfamiliar place in both name and location.
"Why does that one woman speak gibberish?" Snowflake couldn't help but ask when Adaman visited during a bandage change, gesturing to the Diamond Clan's medicine woman.
"She doesn't speak Galarian." Adaman laughed. "She only speaks the native tongue, though most of the younger Clan members are bilingual. It's necessary when working with the Galaxy Team."
He even demonstrated when the woman came back with more bandages, both of them blathering in such quick, choppy sounds that were too difficult to follow.
Snowflake was half convinced they were making it up.
At least Adaman always brought his Leafeon with him. That way, when he did start speaking the foreign language, Snowflake could distract himself by playing with the Pokémon. Leafeon loved getting his chin scratched, and would often curl up by his hip to get some attention.
It always helped Snowflake feel more at ease. Something about having a Pokémon by his side just elicited a calming energy that he doesn't feel when forced to be alone. He wished Leafeon would stay around, though he wouldn't voice that out loud. He was Adaman's Pokémon after all, not Snowflake's.
Then there was a young girl named Akari. He was very confused why she visited initially, until hearing that she also fell from the rift in the sky. Apparently he was the third person to land in Hisui, Akari herself being the second while a man named Ingo was the first.
She also brought all kinds of Pokémon with her, some Snowflake was able to name while others he couldn't. She loved to talk about Pokémon, and this book she has been working on with the Galaxy Team to record information on Pokémon. She even promised to show it to him one day.
"And this is my Typhlosion! She is a regional variant, so they don't all look like her, but she is very strong," Akari was showing off the current Pokémon on her team. "As soon as I gain one more rank, I'll be able to explore the Alabaster Icelands! I can't wait to show you what I find there!"
"You are verrrry lucky." Snowflake grinned while petting the girl's Typhlosion, the Pokémon resting her head on the side of the bed so he could have easier access.
"How so?" She blinked.
"You get to travel the lands and meet all sorts of strange and beautiful Pokemon. The ones you've shown me have so many stories to tell, and you have experienced every second with them." Snowflake looked up at her, tired but keeping the grin plastered on his face. "Do not take that for granted."
"You could come with me!" Akari tried. "There are a lot of Pokémon just outside the settlement. Come on and we can catch some!"
"Akari, you are verrrry kind, but I can't even stand up, and a one armed man would be a burden out there."
She grimaced, but reached to pull at his hand anyway.
"But it's only a few steps! We can still-"
"Please. Just keep adventuring, and come back to show me what you find." His grin increased in size, just to the point where his skin pulled painfully against the stitches. "I love meeting new Pokémon! You give me a chance to do that."
She seemed sad, but agreed. Not long after Akari rushed out of the small hut. She didn't return after that, which was rather upsetting. He hoped she hadn't gotten hurt. Or had he upset her? Snowflake hoped that wasn't the case. It would be hard to apologize to someone when he couldn't go out and search for them.
When Akari and Adaman weren't around, that meant Skuntank would stop by, most often accompanied by his trainer, Melli.
He perked up when Melli visited, and he couldn't resist smiling. He had been forcing his mouth to stay neutral most of the time just so his face wouldn't hurt, but there were still some occasions he couldn't help himself.
For some unknown reason, Melli always seemed nervous around him.
Or maybe nervous wasn't the right word?
Antsy? Guilty? Timid? He had trouble placing the odd expression Melli got on his face.
Snowflake wasn't sure why, but the blue haired man always struggled with conversation topics. Except when it came to Pokémon.
"What is a Warden?" Snowflake asked during a quiet spell in Melli's visit.
"Huh?" Melli looked up, attention breaking from his Skuntank. Said Pokémon was currently getting ear scratches from the bedridden patient.
"Adaman said you are a Warden. What is that?"
"Oh. It means I'm responsible for overseeing the Lord of the Hollow. The kind, ever energetic Lord Electrode." Melli's eyes brightened up just mentioning his position and Lord.
"Wow, he must be verrrry important!"
"You better believe he is! He is one of only ten Lords in all of Hisui, and I am responsible for keeping him and his territory safe. I must say, there is no one better suited for the job than I."
"You take care of ten Lords? That sure is a lot."
"Oh Sinnoh no," Melli waved off the silly question. "I only care for one Lord. Each Lord and Lady has their own Warden to help protect their territory and make sure they are in good health and spirits. Mine is just the greatest Lord of them all."
"So there are ten Wardens? Can I meet them?"
"Well, perhaps one day. You already met Mai."
"Mai? The girl with the funky art on her clothes and a Munchlax?"
"That's her." Melli nodded. "She's very kind. Perhaps when things calm down, she'll be able to visit again."
"I would like that," Even if he was thinking more about Munchlax when he said it. Her Munchlax was verrrry interesting. He would love to learn more about it. "What about the other Wardens?"
"Well, there are five Diamond Clan Wardens in total. There's me, Mai, Arezu, Iscan, and Sabi. I doubt they will be stopping by any time soon. There are five Pearl Clan Wardens too, but the only one I ever deal with is Ingo."
That was a name he'd heard before!
"Hey! Akari said he fell for the sky too!"
"Uh, yeah. You already know who he is."
"I do?" Snowflake was genuinely confused. How would he know something like that?
"You were shouting for him before… well," Melli went quiet, face contorting when Snowflake didn't respond. "You were literally screaming his name? I'm pretty sure every Pokémon in the Highlands knew you were looking for Ingo."
Snowflake didn't have an answer to that. He didn't remember any of it. Ingo must be important if he was searching for him though!
"Maybe Ingo knows why I was looking for him! Could you ask him for me?"
"Uhhhh… I guess…" Melli scratched the back of his neck, looking very uncomfortable. "He's been hanging around those weird "space-time" bubbles or whatever with Akari recently. I'm not sure why, but they have been looking for something."
It was good to hear Akari was okay, but also hurt a bit that she hadn't stopped by in a while despite being in good health.
"Wow, I hope Akari is doing alright. Those sound dangerous."
"Yeah. I stepped into one on accident once and barely escaped…" he shivered at the memory. "Entering one is suicidal."
That just made Snowflake worry more. Hopefully this Ingo would be able to protect her if the need arose.
Melli had no problem chatting about Lord Electrode after that, or his many Voltorb offspring and how their eggs sprouted from seeds Lord Electrode released from the hole on top of his body.
It was all fascinating stuff, the kind of thing that kept Snowflake fascinated and forgetting all about how miserable he was. When he was lucky Melli might go on for several hours before realizing the time and having to rush out to complete his duties.
It was always sad seeing him and Skuntank go, but they couldn't spend all their time babysitting him.
It was just hard being by himself like this.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
Days passed since waking up in this strange place with zero memories. Snowflake was still confined to bed for the most part, though the doctor had mentioned transporting him to the Galaxy Team base in Jubilife Village for better treatment, and be studied by some professor fellow.
The thought terrified him.
On the one hand, he'd find more people that actually spoke the same language, which would be a nice change. Heck, they might even have books he can actually read!
On the other hand, it was a completely unfamiliar place with none of the people or routine he'd come to expect. He wouldn't see Adaman and his Leafeon again, or Melli and Skuntank.
That hurt him most. The earliest memory he had was waking up in horrible pain, vision blotchy and warm blood soaking through all of his clothing, all while being dragged in the mouth of something far stronger than him. Hot, putrid breath hitting the side of his face, massive jaws impaling his shoulder and neck. The entire time his body refused to fight back, muscles strung tight from a status effect he didn't understand at the time.
It was a living hell. He thought for sure he would die.
Then he heard a voice. He was dropped by the monster and found himself in the caring hands of the Great Melli. He had risked his life to save Snowflake and comfort him in that terrifying moment.
Melli even took the time to check in on him. He didn't have to do any of that, yet still he came. Generously, he even let his Skuntank stay sometimes to keep Snowflake company.
It was a kindness he would never be able to repay.
And now there was a real chance of never seeing Melli again. He'd never be able to thank him properly, or hear about his job as a Warden or his Lord Electrode and the baby Voltorbs. He'd especially miss giving Skuntank belly rubs.
What was he going to do?
"Snowflake!" Akari rushed into the hut, pulling him away from his current predicament.
"I am Snowflake!" The man grinned, genuinely relieved to see she was okay. It had been a few days since Melli told him about her and Ingo doing dangerous activities. He'd been worried for their safety.
She had a big smile on her face, bouncing in excitement.
"So, Uncle Ingo and I know it's really boring being stuck in here by yourself all day, so we got something for you."
Uncle Ingo? Akari is Ingo's niece? What a weird coincidence she would fall from the sky too!
"What's that?" Snowflake questioned. Akari just handed him a Pokeball. He was genuinely shocked, especially when he realized it already had a Pokémon inside.
"You are giving me a Pokémon?"
"Open it! Open it! I'm sure you'll love her!"
Her?
Snowflake opened the Pokeball, a flash of light taking shape into a little Eevee. The Pokémon yawned and looked around, finally noticing Snowflake looking at her with a big, sparkling eye and huge smile. It hurt a lot, but he couldn't stop.
"Do you like her?" Akari's eyes were just as big and hopeful.
"I LOVE her!" Snowflake's voice had gone up an octave in excitement. He couldn't help it though. She was such a beautiful little lady! "Hello little one!" The Eevee seemed more interested in the bed than anything, hopping up and stretching out by Snowflake's hip.
"She's so precious.' He gently scratched the fluff around her neck, a sensation the Eevee was unsure about, but quickly grew to like. Purring, the small Pokémon rolled onto her back eager for more.
"We had initially looked at Sneasels, but they have really sharp claws and are poisonous. Not the best for someone that's hurt."
"T-thank you, Akari. Truly, this is a wonderful surprise." He genuinely meant that. It was enough to make his eyes hot with tears.
Ow! Not the right one, that one just hurt!
"Snowflake?! I can find a doctor if you need!"
The man hadn't realized he was gripping his bandaged eye from the pain.
"I apologize. Just a brief malfunction. I'm operational again!" She looked very confused before bursting out in giggles.
"What is so funny?"
"Sorry. You just sound a lot like Uncle Ingo." She wiped some moisture from her eyes, finally getting her laughter under control.
"I have been hearing so much about your Uncle! I hope to meet him someday."
"I wanted him to come with me so we could give you the Eevee together, but he said he was too busy with the Luxray hunt."
"Luxray hunt?" He hadn't heard of anything like that happening.
"Oh!" She initially covered her mouth, realizing she'd said too much. "Sorry, I wasn't supposed to say anything. The Survey Corps and Wardens are just searching for the Pokémon that hurt you. We want to capture it if possible."
"O-oh."
Black fur. Teeth. Horrible breath. Blood.
Snowflake didn't want to think about it, but now he had a name for the monster plaguing his nightmares.
"Is that what the Pokémon is called? A Luxray?"
"Yeah. We've been looking all over, but it's staying very well hidden. Don't worry though! I promise we'll get it before it can hurt anyone else."
"Y-yes. I hope you are successful in derailing it before further damage is done." Akari seemed to catch onto his discomfort, refocusing back on the Eevee.
"Are you going to give her a name?"
"Huh?"
"I know most people don't give their Pokémon names, but I like naming mine. It differentiates them more from the others I run into. There are plenty of other Eevee's in the Diamond Settlement too."
He supposed that made sense, and a little lady as cute as this Eevee deserved a special designation.
What to call her though?
"My Typhlosion is named Ripley, and my Walrein is Watermelon." Akari continued. "Oh! I can give you some suggestions! She looks like a 'Sprinkles' to me. Or maybe Lady? Dalia?"
It didn't take long for a word to pop into his head.
"Hmmmm… I have made a decision!" Snowflake announced. Yes, this would be a great fit, he just knew it!
"Really? What is it?"
"Caboose."
Akari just looked between the purring Eevee and a very satisfied Snowflake.
"… I think it's adorable." She laughed. "Why 'Caboose' though?"
"I choose it because….. because…." His face fell. He couldn't remember why he picked it or what it meant. The memory felt like it was just out of reach, whatever track that initially led to it had been badly damaged. Now it couldn't be traveled.
So close, yet so far.
"… I have no idea!" Which was the absolute truth.
"Well, I'll have to tell Uncle Ingo. He'll love it too-"
"Akari!" It was a young boy yelling for her. The friend that wore a uniform similar to Akari's. "We need to get to Jubilife Village! The Commander summoned us to an emergency meeting!"
"That sounds important. Sorry to cut the visit short."
"It is okay. I am always grateful when you divert your course just for me. You do what you need to do."
Akari smiled and waved, leaving Snowflake alone in the little hut.
But he wasn't alone now.
"Caboose." He said the name out loud. It was hard to believe he was blessed by such a kind young friend, one that would give him something so thoughtful.
A comforting little weight that helped ground his thoughts and gave him something to focus on that wasn't his current situation.
A new friend.
A Pokémon that wouldn't have to leave him after only a short stay. She would remain by his side, and hopefully one day he'd walk out of this place with her.
Walk. That was his biggest goal now.
"Caboose. We are travelling dark territory together now. I have reached a terminal, which means there's only one direction to follow now. I hope you'll travel with me the rest of the way."
Caboose responded with a burp, snuggling deeper into the covers and plopping her head down.
"… I'll take that as a yes!"
For the first time since his arrival, he managed to sleep all the way through the night without any nightmares.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
Akari and Rei returned to a Jubilife Village thrown into chaos.
Kamado was out of his office ordering around Survey Corp members. Guards were tripled, scouring the outer walls of the village searching for signs of something dangerous.
Residents were terrified, Zisu was nowhere in sight, and a middle aged couple was seated by the security building sobbing.
Man Eater managed to slip past the guards and attack a child at Prelude Beach.
They didn't survive.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
I have several web pages about railway lingo bookmarked now. I used some lesser known terms throughout this chapter. Granted, I don't know if anyone will spot them, but I'm trying
Caboose was almost Buggy, but I started to think not enough people would know what a Buggy is (it's another word for Caboose lol). I went with an Eevee for a reason. Not sure if anyone will figure out why.
Leave your thoughts if you feel like it! They always make my day!