A/N: The Pokémon franchise is the property of The Pokémon Company and their subsidiaries. Please support the official release.
Chapter 1: Darker Days Ahead
The wild Pidgey screeched with fury as Ash Ketchum, the grandson of the legendary Pokémon professor Samuel Oak, ever so slowly reached for his backpack, his eyes calculating the distance to the magnetic belt that was attached to its side. The temperamental bird had caught him off guard as he was taking a nap underneath one of the huge pine trees that littered Route 1, which was not a good situation to be in. Despite Pidgey's relatively small size, it was not to be underestimated, as its sharp beak could easily pierce through skin and rip away at your entrails.
His backpack was only a few feet away, but it might as well have been a few meters as the Pidgey was already moving in on him. Deciding to abandon all sense of caution, Ash flung himself forwards to grab his belt, only to discover that it was just barely out of his reach. Twisting around, he got into a protective fetal position as the Pidgey came sprawling down on top of him, scratching and clawing at him with its long talons. Raising his arms, he desperately tried to protect his face as the ferocious bird continued its relentless barrage of pecking and swiping, giving him several cuts and bruises that bled heavily.
Just as he felt his arms go limp from the pain, however, a bright flash followed by an incredibly loud buzzing sound made his heart jump in surprise. Daring to open his eyes, he noticed that the Pòkemon that had been attacking him just moments earlier now seemed to have vanished. Bringing himself up into a sitting position, Ash scanned his surroundings with wide eyes, before spotting the Pidgey lying in a heap near the base of the pine tree. Its skin was completely charred, a thin line of smoke trailing off its body. It was, somehow, dead.
As he sat there in silence staring at the corpse, sudden movement in the corner of his eye caused him to spin around, giving him a brief glimpse of something yellow darting towards him. Before he even managed to properly react to this, however, the creature had jumped on top of him, knocking him over onto his back before showering his face with small licks. He couldn't help but laugh as his companion and best friend Pikachu covered his skin in tiny wet marks.
"Hey, Pikachu, lay off!" he laughed as Pikachu upped the intensity of his licks. "I know you're happy that I'm okay, but seriously, that tickles!"
Grabbing the yellow rodent with strong arms, he lifted Pikachu off his chest and placed him on the ground, laughing merrily as he did so.
"Thanks a lot, by the way. If it wasn't for you, that Pidgey would've done some serious damage," he said as he inspected his wounds. There were no deep cuts, which he was eternally grateful for, but he was bleeding like a stuck pig, coloring the grass underneath him crimson. Rummaging through his backpack, Ash found the bandages he kept for emergencies and began wrapping them around his wounds, the white fabric slowing down the bleeding. As he was doing this, Pikachu had taken to patrolling the vicinity, keeping an eye out for any potential danger. If a hostile Pokémon tried to rush at Ash, Pikachu would be there to intercept and take it down.
Finishing up his work, Ash put away the rest of the bandages before shooting a quick look at his watch. Damn, was it really 6 PM already? It felt like it had only been an hour or so since he set out into the wilderness of Route 1, ready for yet another day of exploring. And now, it was suddenly dinnertime.
Letting out a sigh of frustration, he stood up and put on his backpack. His mother would start getting worried if he didn't come home soon, so after gesturing for Pikachu to follow, he headed out of the clearing and started on the trek back to the place of his birth.
Pallet Town was by no means a big place. The best description of it was that it was a small collection of houses surrounding Professor Oak's Laboratory, with a tiny pier stretching a little ways out into the ocean on the southern side. A large, spiked wooden fence, designed to keep out wild Pokémon, surrounded the entire town, with a couple of guards stationed at the only entrance. It was a small community of hardworking citizens, willing to brave the wilderness in order to build a new life for themselves.
Growing up, Ash had only had a few other kids to play with, and they had all been freaked out by his obsession with Pokémon. To them, Pokémon were nothing but wild beasts who would eagerly kill and eat anyone who dared stand in their way. But to Ash, they were so much more. They were majestic creatures with individual abilities and strength so great they could easily wipe out a human settlement if they tried. And so it was only natural that for as long as he could remember, Ash had been infatuated with the idea of becoming a Pokémon Trainer, a special kind of profession that only a select few could really claim to have mastered. It involved taking care of Pokémon, living amongst them and treating them with respect.
In its simplest form, everyone could theoretically become a Pokémon Trainer. All one really needed was a special device called a "Pokéball", which could capture and store a Pokémon inside of it. With just a simple throw, one could then summon the captured Pokémon, and eventually build up a strong enough relationship with it to "command" it to do your bidding. For most people, this required years of practice to master. For Ash, it came as naturally as breathing. He was destined to be a Pokémon Trainer, and everybody around him knew it. So when he turned 16, Professor Oak had taken him into his lab and given him his first real Pokémon: Pikachu.
Ever since then, Ash's life had been a complete rollercoaster of adventures and exploration. So far, however, he had never gone beyond the borders of Route 1. But times were about to change. And nobody could've foreseen or guessed what was about to happen next.
The sun had fallen low on the horizon, bathing the world in pale orange light by the time Ash approached the house he shared with his mother. The trip home had been uneventful and even slightly relaxing, but the clock was approaching 7 PM now, and he was running late.
Pikachu, resting comfortably on the top of his head, let out a satisfied purr as Ash moved his hand up to scratch him behind the ears. The rodent-like Pokémon had been Ash's travel companion for almost a year now, and the two had developed a strong bond of friendship rarely seen between a human and Pokémon. Ash knew he could count on Pikachu to have his back whenever he ventured out and braved the wilds, much like he had done today.
Dammit, Mom is definitely going to be upset when she sees these wounds, Ash thought to himself as he stopped in front of the entrance leading in to his home. Taking a deep breath, he knocked twice, before slowly opening the door and announcing his return.
"Mom, I'm back!"
A scuffling sound came from the kitchen, before Ash's mom, Delia Ketchum, stepped out into the hallway to greet him. She was a beautiful woman in her mid-to-late thirties, with loving amber eyes and long, mahogany hair that had been put up into a ponytail.
"Welcome home, my dear... Mind telling me why you're so late?" The friendly smile on her face was betrayed by the ice in her voice, and it was obvious that she was not happy with his late return.
"I'm sorry Mom, I really am… You see, I kinda fell asleep underneath a pine tree, and…"
Before he even managed to finish his sentence, however, his mom had rushed over to him and enveloped him in a soft hug.
"You know how worried I get whenever you stay out late…" she whispered, burying her face in his chest. He was almost a full head taller than her now, so he could easily rest his chin on top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting gesture.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…"
"I know, I know," she answered, looking up at him with a smile, an earnest one this time. "It's just that… after losing your father, I… I don't know what I would've done if something happened to you too…" Letting out a gasp, she let the rest of her sentence trail off as she noticed the bandaged wounds covering Ash's body. "Wait... What is this? What happened to you?! Who did this?!"
Ash sighed in response, before unwrapping himself from his mother's tight hug.
"I was attacked by a wild Pidgey during my nap. Pikachu was there to take care of it though, so no real harm was done… Just some shallow cuts," he finished, gesturing to the bandages covering his arms. Delia Ketchum shook her head, before nodding ever so slightly.
"You're just like your father, you know that? As hopeless and reckless as they come... Ah, I suppose it only makes sense... You have his blood flowing through your veins, after all. Always the energetic explorer…" she said, a wry smile fixing itself on her face. Ash sent her a cheeky wink in response, before moving to walk past her into the house.
"So, you wouldn't happen to have any food ready for me, would you? I'm starving!" he exclaimed as he entered the kitchen with hungry eyes. Sighing lightly to herself, Delia followed after him, heading for the oven where she had a Magikarp fillet already prepped and ready.
Ash couldn't sleep. He had been trying his hardest for the past 30 minutes, but the sweet relief of darkness that would allow his mind to travel to distant worlds just wouldn't come. Sitting up in his bed, he shot a quick glance over at the digital clock resting on his nightstand. It showed 2 AM in the middle of the night. Shaking his head, he pulled down the duvet covering his lean body, before standing up. The sound of it woke up Pikachu, who was sleeping in his usual spot in the foot end of Ash's bed. Sending Ash a confused look, Pikachu let out a deep yawn before stretching and jumping on top of his head.
"Hey there little guy…" Ash whispered, scratching Pikachu behind the ears. "Didn't mean to wake you up. I couldn't sleep, you see… Care to join me outside for a little stargazing?"
"Pikaachu," Pikachu answered.
"I'll take that as a yes then," Ash smiled before moving to put on the clothes he usually wore.
Outside, it was pitch black, but he didn't care. This wasn't the first time insomnia had denied him sleep. Opening the door leading out into the hallway, he made sure to make as little sound as possible as he stepped out of his room. Seconds later, however, he stopped in order to go back and grab his magnetic belt. One could never be too sure, after all.
With that done, he proceeded to make his way down the hallway, all the way to the end where a ladder was put up against the wall, leading to a hatch in the roof. Moving with the practiced grace of a man who had done this a million times before, he slowly opened the hatch and popped out onto the roof.
This was Ash's favorite spot in the whole world. From here, he had a clear view of the stars and the entirety of Pallet Town. Whenever he couldn't sleep, he came up here to look at the stars and watch as the small town slowly woke to life in the wee hours of the morning.
Plopping down onto his back, Ash put his hands beneath his head as he stared up at the vast sky above, Pikachu coming to rest comfortably on his chest. The small Pokémon was, despite his size, a great companion and a fierce warrior. His ability to generate electricity and shoot it out at his opponents had saved Ash multiple times, and his incredible speed allowed him to dodge almost every attack Ash knew of.
Letting out a content sigh, Ash absentmindedly scratched Pikachu behind the ears as his thoughts wandered. Becoming a certified Pokémon Trainer was certainly no easy feat, and would require him to go through multiple hard tests in order to prove his mettle. Many of those tests would take place in cities far beyond the borders of Pallet Town, so eventually, he would have to brave the wilderness and set out into unknown territory. Travelling alone was dangerous, as one never knew when a wild Pokémon might attack, but he had little choice. There was no one else in Pallet willing to go with him on such a journey.
Whenever he decided to leave, however, he would have to be extremely careful. Being reckless out in the wilderness could have deadly consequences, and if there was one thing he was absolutely certain of, it was that he had no wish to end up as a live meal for a hungry pack of Rattata or a flock of Spearow.
Eyes wandering over the night sky, he traced his finger across the star constellations he knew, calling them out to Pikachu as he did so. The Pokémon seemed completely uninterested, but Ash didn't particularly care. He just appreciated having someone to talk to.
But it was then, as he lay there underneath the stars with his best friend, that he suddenly spotted something... unusual. A purple dot, heretofore unseen, now occupied a part of the celestial sphere. Regarding it with curious eyes, he watched as it gradually began to grow in size.
What in the world...?
The longer he stared at it, the more he became convinced that something wasn't right here. The strange orb did not seem to be slowing down. In fact, it seemed to be going faster and faster, continuing to grow until it had developed into a full-blown shade of purple, covering a large chunk of the sky above him.
"Uhh... Pikachu? What do you think th…?"
A sudden, deafening boom, catching Ash by complete surprise, interrupted him mid-sentence. The loud crack made his ears ring, and he instinctively brought his hands up to cover them. Falling onto his back, he gasped as yet another one sounded throughout the little valley that made up Pallet Town. His ears now felt like they were bleeding, as his eardrums throbbed with intense pain. Shooting a quick glance over at Pikachu, he saw the Pokémon thrashing about in what could only be described as complete suffering. The sound must've been even more intense for him than it was for Ash.
At the same time as fear and uncertainly began to cloud his mind, he noticed that something odd seemed to be happening to the sky. In fact, it looked as if the very fabric of reality itself was being torn apart at the seams, like an invisible being was cutting through space and time in order to create a huge rift in the material that made up the universe.
Suddenly, a thunderous earthquake made the entire building shake underneath him, and as he screamed out in surprise, he caught sight of several other houses collapsing in on themselves all around Pallet Town. Panicked citizens rushed out of their homes into the streets, shouting obscenities and running for their lives.
Is… Is this the end of the world? he wondered to himself as he felt the very foundations of his home being shaken apart by the violent earthquake. Wait... Pikachu… I've got to save Pikachu.
Making a split-second decision, Ash threw himself forwards, scooping up Pikachu into his arms as the pair flung themselves over the edge of the roof, just in time as the building collapsed behind them. Both Ash and Pikachu screamed in unison as their momentum shifted and the ground started closing in from below. Just before they hit the tarmac, Ash looked up to the sky above him and noticed that the rift had gotten even bigger now, almost swallowing up the entire atmosphere in its gaping, purple maws. And then, everything went dark as his body collided with the sidewalk.
Darkness. No pain. No worries. No troubles. Just darkness. For once, Ash felt... nothing. He was completely at peace. The world around him didn't exist anymore. There was only darkness. A black void that consisted entirely of nothing.
For a moment, nothing was amiss. He was content, swimming around in the emptiness, reveling in the feeling of having absolutely zero thoughts or worries. But then... he remembered. He remembered his mother's smile. Her compassion. Her love. He remembered the feeling of running through the forest, the sights and the smells. He remembered the sensation of the wind blowing in his hair. And most importantly, he remembered his companion Pikachu, and all the adventures they had been on together.
Suddenly, the darkness that surrounded him seemed a lot lonelier. He found himself wishing to return to the world he had left behind. He wanted to give his mother another hug. He wanted to brave that wilderness one more time. He wanted to scratch Pikachu behind the ears and hear him purr.
Fighting against the darkness, he tried to push it away. Reject its embrace. At first, he felt it fight back, desperately trying to keep him there, in that eternal void. But then, ever so slowly, it started to loosen its grip on him. He felt himself slipping back to reality, a rainbow of colors flashing before his eyes. Suddenly, another sensation hit him. Pain. Incredible amounts of pain.
Gasping for air, he opened his eyes and vomited. Leaning to the side, he covered the grass beside him in half-digested food, his stomach heaving and contracting as he let out burst after burst of vomit. And then finally, after what felt like a small eternity, the barrage stopped, leaving him twitching and groaning on the ground.
Every inch of his body hurt. He felt like he had been trampled on by an angry Rhydon, and then thrown down a cliff.
Muttering curses underneath his breath, he painstakingly got to his knees, his eyes scanning his surroundings. He was in the middle of a clearing in a thick forest, its green leaves blocking out the sunlight. From how bright it was, Ash guessed it to be somewhere around mid-day.
But... that doesn't make any sense. How can it be mid-day already? Last I remember, it was the middle of the night...
Eyes darting around the unfamiliar scenery, he felt his mind slowly begin to reboot, recounting the events prior to him waking up.
And... I don't think I recognize this place either… There shouldn't be any forests like this near Pallet Town.
Glancing about, he spotted Pikachu lying unconscious on the ground a little ways away. Scooting over, he wrapped his arms around the Pokémon, giving it a tight hug. The yellow rodent immediately woke back up to life (thankfully), looking around at the unfamiliar terrain before sending Ash a confused look.
"Oh, thank God you're okay. I thought you were gone for a second there… Hey, don't look at me like that, I'm just as confused as you are," he said, letting go of Pikachu, the Pokémon taking the chance to shake violently from side to side like a dog shedding water.
"Where are we?" Ash muttered to himself as he consulted his memory of the last few moments before he fell unconscious. "There was a huge boom, and an earthquake, and then the sky opened up and… Ahh, what the hell?!"
"Pikaaaachu," Pikachu answered.
"Yeah, you're right. We can worry about all that later. For now, let's see if we can find our way back to Pallet. I need to make sure Mom is okay."
Giving Pikachu better access to jump up onto his shoulder, Ash started wandering towards the other side of the small clearing, his body complaining loudly as he did so. Nothing made sense anymore. How had he ended up here? What had happened to Pallet Town? Was his mother okay? Had everyone made it out alive? All of these unanswered questions were clogging up his mind, making it impossible to think straight.
Finally making it to the other side, Ash felt his muscles tense up in anticipation as he heard the unnerving sound of leaves rustling right next to him. Stopping dead in his tracks, he slowly turned to his right, Pikachu getting ready to unleash a deadly Thunderbolt attack should anything attempt to harm them. Staring hard into the bushes where the sound had come from, Ash remained perfectly still as the adrenalin surged through his veins. There could be wild Pokémon everywhere, after all, and they wouldn't hesitate to shred him to pieces given the chance.
Suddenly, a flash of purple streaked by in the corner of his vision. It moved too fast for him to get a clear view of it, but from what he could tell, it was at least a meter tall. Eyes darting around, he spun on his own axis, desperately trying to catch sight of the creature that was prowling near them.
Faster than Ash thought possible, the Pokémon came flying out of a nearby bush. For a split-second, he got the opportunity to take a closer look at it. It took the form of a huge, purple scorpion with two enormous stingers at the end of its tail. Before he managed to dodge out of harms way, however, the creature slammed into him, knocking him down onto the ground. Flailing wildly with his arms, Ash desperately tried to push the unknown Pokémon off of him, which turned out to be pointless as the weight on his chest disappeared almost instantly, leaving him alone and panting for air on his back.
Meanwhile, Pikachu was looking around in bewilderment, scanning the forest for any sign of the unknown attacker. The whole thing had happened too fast for the young Pokémon to catch it. That didn't really matter, however, as no harm seemed to have...
Suddenly, Ash felt an incredibly strong numbing sensation flow through his body, sending all of his muscles into a spasm. Laying on the ground, he writhed in pain as the poison from where the Pokémon's stinger had been plunged into his body started to spread through his bloodstream.
His vision darkened as a fresh wave of pain rolled over him, causing him to let out a groan of pure suffering. Pikachu, driven wild with concern, ran circles around him, desperately trying to help his friend and trainer in any way he could. Sadly, there was nothing he could do as Ash felt his throat beginning to clog, making it hard to breathe. As his consciousness slowly drifted away, his last thoughts were of home, and of how he would never get to taste his mother's cooking ever again.
By the time the blue-haired trainer found him, Ash's condition had deteriorated to a critical state. He was on the brink of death as the unknown person bent over and pulled up his shirt to expose the area in which the stinger had been inserted into him, the fresh wound seeping a steady stream of puss and blood.
Muttering to herself, she forced the unconscious boy to gulp down a murky substance she retrieved from her bag, much to the disdain of the Pikachu that seemed to be guarding him. It was a substance designed to combat the poison flowing through his veins. It wouldn't save him, but it would give her the time she needed to completely rid his body of the toxin.
As she dragged him to her campsite, she scolded herself for always being such a softhearted girl every time she saw someone in need. Acting like a good Samaritan was going to get her killed one day, she was sure of it.
Time flew as she worked on an antidote for the poisoned trainer. Night came and went, and when the first glimmers of sunlight peeked over the horizon, the unknown boy finally rose from his feverish sleep.
A/N: Rewrite time! After years of deliberation, I have finally decided to start rewriting this story, as I believe there is untapped potential here that I want to realize. Pokémon has always been a franchise that stands near and dear to my heart, so I think it will be very nice to revisit its world and lore, although from a slightly more gruesome perspective, of course :P
But please do keep in mind that I am currently writing 3 other fanfics beside this one, so don't expect anything close to regular updates. This is, and shall remain, a side project.
Now, if it wasn't obvious enough already, this story is heavily inspired by "The Sun Soul" written by 50caliberchaos. It truly is a magnificent piece of work, so if you haven't read it already, then I would highly recommend you do so at your earliest convenience.
Oh, and I'm offering a metaphorical cookie to anyone who manages to guess which Pokémon attacked Ash and which girl I introduced. Should be pretty easy :)
Other than that, I will see you guys in the next chapter!
-Twisted
