Author's Note: This fic is cross-posted over on Ao3 and possible Wattpad in the future. Updates will be most consistent over on Ao3. I've posted a lot of artwork regarding this fanfic on my art socials so I'm pretty excited to finally share the story with everyone.
- I -
There's a storm coming.
It's not the first storm of the season to hit Alola, but it's definitely the biggest so far. Or at least, that's what they're forecasting on the news this morning.
The meteorologist on screen gestures to the great twisting mass of cloud on the projection as she explains it gathering momentum over the seas to the south-east of the region. Should it continue on its path, the storm is expected to make landfall tonight.
Nanu sighs into his coffee mug. It seems his work is cut out for him today.
Persian brushes her cheek against his arm, purring as Nanu reaches with his free hand to scratch behind her ear.
"So much for a day off," he remarks gruffly. Persian makes a noise in response; her dark eyes staring curiously. "Right, no rest for the wicked, ey Alpha?"
Nanu downs the rest of his coffee and turns off the television as he rises. He avoids the Meowth that have woken, cautiously weaving his legs around their numerous bodies as they yowl and reach for him. It's a miracle he hasn't stepped on one this morning, as they dart around eager for breakfast.
"Alright, settle down you lot, food'll be ready soon," he chides.
The kitchen sink is occupied by a certain jewel-eyed gremlin and Nanu is quick to lift them out.
"Creeps, what have I told you about chewing glass?" He asks as he deposits his empty mug beside the rest of the unwashed glasses. The sink is almost full and he's close to leaving it that way until he sees Sableye gnash her teeth restlessly at the sight. He places her on the floor in a space between all the Meowth and sets to work on the chore at hand. Suppose there's no time like the present.
He clears the mess but the feline horde is none too impressed by the wait and the cacophony grows. It hits a crescendo when he retrieves a bag of PokéFeed from one of the cupboards and he winces. When he looks up he sees Alpha standing at the kitchen threshold with a bemused twinkle in her eye. She turns and gracefully strides towards the sliding door that divides the living quarters from the rest of the police station. Nanu is right behind her as she pushes the door with her paw, opening the floodgates as all the Meowth clamber over one another to squeeze through to get to their bowls first.
The lavender-grey feline waits by her bowl, head raised and chest puffed in a dignified pose. He serves her her portion before moving onto the rest. Bowl by bowl the room gets quieter until only the sound of ravenous munching remains.
At last, some peace.
Nanu walks to the front most area of the police station where his other Pokémon are sleeping.
"Morning Krooks," Krookodile stirs at the sound of kibble filling his metallic saucer; his jaws drawn wide in a deep yawn.
"Mini," Absol elegantly makes his way off of the couch, stretching each leg as he approaches and shaking his fur.
Only Honchkrow remains asleep, breathing deep and emitting half caws upon exhaling.
"Big Boss will miss out on breakfast if he sleeps in," Nanu says pointedly, to which the corvid finally wakes.
With everyone fed, he closes the bag and moves to store it away. He passes the station's front counter and peeks at the answering machine. The lack of a red light brings the old cop some relief; that's one less thing to potentially add to his long list of duties today. The thought of each task alone already incites the overwhelming urge to take a nap. He resists the temptation to go back to bed however, knowing that for once he can't simply shirk his responsibilities. There are things needing to be done and moreover he'd be fucked being shut in from the storm without groceries.
But there is a positive to it all, he has to admit. While the preparations are tedious, at least it would be a guaranteed night of solitude. Maybe a few movies are on the cards tonight? Or even a good book - either will do, he contemplates. After all, until the bad weather passes there'd be no one to bother him.
And that is something he could look forward to.
The late morning sun is warm when Nanu makes it out of the station. The grass and leaves sparkle brightly in the light and he's surprised by how unprepared his eyes are for the sight of the blue sky overhead. What is generally seen as an unusual phenomena for Route 17, the old cop has lived here long enough to know that the perpetual rain had a consistent pattern of easing off before a big storm. Whether it was an ounce of benevolence on the part of the island's guardian, or just mere climate science at play, he couldn't say for sure.
Alpha trails behind Nanu at an easy pace as they set off towards the great looming walls surrounding Po Town. The route is buzzing with activity as wild Pokemon emerge to soak up the sunshine. Swarms of Ledian hover around the blossoming flowers as families of Gumshoos and Yungoos weave through the tall grass. Up on the rugged ledges flanking the east of the road a quarry of Graveler busily forages the ground for minerals. And yet, somehow despite the number of Pokemon about, the walk is a peaceful affair as each creature is preoccupied enjoying the pleasant weather.
Before long he arrives at the entrance to the abandoned district; the doors of which sit ajar. Team Skull had long been disbanded but a few of its ex members still frequented their old hideout. Afterall, runaways always needed a place to run away to, whether there was an organised gang to take them in or not. While he knew better than anyone, that for some kids anywhere was better than home, he also knew Po Town was in too poor a condition to safely shelter them from a tropical storm. It was always a pain to try and convince the hooligans to leave, but the headache he feels from the mere thought of the amount of legal paperwork he'd have to sort through if any of them got hurt was far, far worse. And so he presses on with Alpha at his side, examining each house that lines Po Town's main road.
He makes his checks thorough, knocking on doors and searching inside the buildings he's able to enter. Where there are obstacles he sends Alpha in his stead, as her lithe frame is more capable of accessing the same nooks the kids were likely to use. Together they manage to sweep two thirds of Po Town in no more than fifteen minutes and it's a relief to find everything is so far unoccupied. The Shady House takes the longest, but even the old Team Skull stronghold is abandoned.
Nanu returns down the main road to check the last few houses when he spots something out of the corner of his eye. He approaches the property closest to the Shady House - a small shed-like structure with a hedged in yard, inside of which a yellow pickup truck sits rusting away. As he draws closer to the building he hears two hushed voices from inside. The roller door is only partially opened, but it's high enough off the ground that a kid could easily slide under.
Alpha glances up at Nanu with gleaming eyes and he can't help but crack a smirk as he nods his head towards the door. With the affirmative gesture, Alpha's whole body grows tense with excitement. She pounces forward and presses her sleek lavender body to the ground, slipping under the roller door in the blink of an eye. The sound of chaos isn't far behind and it's hard for the old cop not to have a little laugh as his Persian playfully chases the shed's occupants. Within moments the teenagers emerge from the building one after the other, scrambling under the door like startled Rattatas. The first boy stops dead in his tracks once he sees Nanu, causing the second boy to run straight into his back.
"Luka, what-?!"
"I told you it was the old man's cat, Kai!" The first boy, Luka, exclaims as he shoves the other.
"What's wrong with you, yo? Sendin' your giant furball in 'ta claw us up…" Kai grumbles, rubbing his sore arm.
Alpha reappears from the shed, eyes twinkling with satisfied mischief as he comes to sit by Nanu's side. He gives her a rewarding scratch behind her ear for her effort.
"Just sweeping the premises, the usual," Nanu replies nonchalantly.
"Look, we ain't did nothin' wrong, yeah?" Luka says. His hands fidget to straighten his dishevelled skull tank top.
"Never said you did."
"Ugh, so what, ya just came to give us a scare?" Kai interjects. "You that bored in retirement, old man?"
The old cop scoffs and rolls his eyes, completely immune to this kind of banter at this point. He's heard it all.
"Not quite. A storm's on its way," He explains. The two boys exchange glances. "You two better clear off before it hits."
"What, do we look like babies to you?" Kai growls.
"Yeah, we ain't scared of no thunderstorms!" Luka proclaims with a beat of his fist on his chest.
"Don't have to be scared of something for it to kill you." Nanu says flatly. His words deflate the teenagers' bravado by a fraction. "Besides, I don't fancy busting my ass trying to fill out the paperwork when you get flooded out, or when one of these darn houses inevitably collapses on you."
This is enough to completely defeat the teenagers and they sigh in shared exasperation. Nanu stands aside so that the boys can pass.
"Alright, we get it," Kai concedes. He drags his feet as he walks by, stopping only briefly to ask, "Is that all ya wanted to breathe down our necks about?"
"Yeah, make sure your friends don't decide to show up here either," He adds. "I don't wanna have to come back and tell you twice."
"Ugh, fine!"
The two boys jog off down the road - Nanu watching to make sure they actually leave Po Town before turning his attention away. Alpha trills inquisitively and flicks her tail as she looks up at him.
"If you want to come back and chase them, be my guest; I haven't got time to do that all day."
Alpha slowly blinks back at him, smirking in her own feline way.
Malie City's grocery is unsurprisingly busy by the time Nanu arrives. It's a few minutes past lunchtime and patrons are scrambling to gather the last few essentials they need before the weather truly sours. It's not chaotic persay; everyone is conducting themselves in an orderly fashion, but there's a tense energy among them all.
Was he out of milk? He thinks for a few seconds as he stares at the dairy fridge he almost passed by.
Possibly. Small carton just in case.
Nanu frankly can't wait to be out of the darn place. There's too many people and too much noise, all set under the harsh fluorescent lights that buzz like a bass line to the chorus of human activity.
Oh, the frozen dinners are on sale. He adds a few to his basket. Not exactly the most nutritious of items on the food pyramid, but it's quick and easy and Nanu hardly has the patience to make complex meals for himself these days. It's only when Acerola visits that he at least tries to make an effort.
"You still eating those uncle Nanu?"
Such timing, Nanu muses as he glances down to the purple haired girl who's appeared beside him. She's looking a bit taller than before - he forgets how fast kids her age grow.
"Have you hired me a personal chef yet?" He replies with equal jest. The young trial captain rolls her eyes at him before she examines the items in his basket. He knows a well-intentioned lecture is on its way from the subtle way Acerola's eyes scan over the products, scrutinising.
"You should grab a bunch of Nanabs, they were looking really ripe today," she says. To his surprise it's a lot less direct than he's used to from her. Normally she would talk his ear off on eating better and getting a well rounded diet and so forth. He knows it's only because she cares, but he's heard it so often now he swears he could recite her kind lectures in his sleep. But, not one to look a gift Mudsdale in the mouth, Nanu happily accepts the brevity of this exchange.
Until Acerola spots the beer and makes a face that's halfway between a smirk and a frown.
Ah, here it comes.
"It's not even Friday yet, uncle," she half laughs.
Wow, two surprises in one day. Maybe he should buy a lottery ticket before he leaves.
"C'mon, an old man can have his vices," Nanu sighs and ruffles Acerola's hair. She squeals and swats his hands away and he can't help but smirk. "The weekend might as well start early."
Acerola isn't entirely swayed - he can see in her eyes - but she concedes.
The guilt that buds in his chest is small but nevertheless there, so Nanu opens the freezer door closest to him and fishes out a box of Avalugg Ice Cream Sandwiches.
"There, you can have the same amount in ice cream," He wagers.
Acerola's eyes narrow but she's smiling despite herself. He knows she's old enough to know it's a bribe and a pretty dodgy one at that. But he also knows how much her sugar highs can wear him out - so it balances out. Sort of.
"Mmm, deal." She accepts. "But you make your bed, you lie in it, okay uncle?"
"Yeah, yeah, alright." He tosses the box of icy treats into the basket. "C'mon, lets go, or we'll be here all day."
They move through the checkout after waiting in a small line for a few minutes. Nanu has carried more bags than this before but Acerola insists on taking the heaviest of the two.
The sky is beginning to grow overcast as they step out of the store. A stiff and constant breeze is blowing in from the sea; a taste of what's ahead in the coming hours. Nanu uses his ride pager to call for a Ride Charizard and the two wait off to the side of the road in the meantime.
"Everyone at Aether House hunkered down?" Nanu asks.
"Sure are! How about you, uncle? Will the Meowth be okay?"
"They'll be fine - this isn't the first storm they've dealt with."
An orange blur sails through the sky overhead and Acerola signals to it with a wave. The Ride Charizard swoops back around, gliding low before landing solidly on his two clawed feet. He greets them with a joyful rumble, lowering his body for easier access to his saddle. Once they settle into the saddle, the Charizard takes to the air with two forceful beats of his wings.
The experienced Ride Pokemon makes for a smooth flight back to Route 17. In spite of the rising winds, the Charizard handles the gusts with graceful ease. While up in the air, they can see the gloom hanging on the horizon - an odious expanse of cloud blotting out the blue sky in the distance. It's not long until they begin their descent and they land at the front of the police station. Nanu disembarks first, extending his arm once he's grounded to help Acerola off. They offer the Charizard a few PokeBeans for his service before the fire-type departs for his next job.
No matter how many times he insists he's fine, Acerola helps Nanu to put away his groceries. Together they make short work of the task, even with the Meowth horde yowling between their feet in excitement. She's sure to give affection to each and every one of the Pokemon once she's finished helping out, ensuring they're all placated before she makes her way to the front door.
"I'll see you soon, okay, uncle Nanu?" Acerola says as she spins on her heels to face back at him.
"That you will kiddo." Nanu replies and ruffles her hair again for good measure. "Now go on, you gotta take care of the ankle biters at Aether House."
"I'll do my best!"
"I know you will."
He watches her leave as she runs down the road towards Ula'Ula Meadow, waving his way instead of looking at where she's going. She passes out of sight beyond the treeline and the greyness of the sky becomes much more apparent.
Though it's a silly thing to feel, the police station always seems a lot emptier without her.
Nanu is comfortably rugged up on the couch when the storm finally hits. He turns the volume up on the television as the winds howl and rattle the window shutters. The rain is a constant rhythm of liquid white noise on the station's roof. After a few more adjustments with the remote the sound is outcompeted by the movie that's playing. Satisfied, he tosses the remote back on top of the coffee table and settles back into the couch cushions, resting his arm down on Alpha's back. He sighs, content and a little sleepy, but determined to enjoy the downtime before he turns in for the night.
He cracks open his third beer.
A rerun of the original Red Fog of Terror is playing on the screen. He's seen it a dozen times, but it's a Pokéstar Studios classic and an easy film to zone out to. He prefers this version to the recent remakes that the Unovan studio has been pumping out. Though the visual effects have aged poorly, there's a strange and nostalgic comfort about the janky CGI that the newer movies lack.
When the gooey red humanoid monster appears, Nanu is amused to remember the time he had found it slightly unsettling. The amusement rapidly simmers down as he sips from his beer bottle. He can see it for what it is, now that the lens of ignorance has long been lifted from his eyes. What was once a terrifying eldritch horror is now nothing more than a crude assembly of plasticine and paper-mache glued to a low-paid stunt actor, topped off with a quick splash of claret paint to really sell the look. It's bitterness he feels now as he wonders how he had ever managed to have been perturbed by this.
Alpha leans her weight a fraction harder on Nanu's side. Even when she's half asleep she's still aware of the shift in his demeanour. He breaks from the spiral his thoughts had started to go down, looking to the Persian by his side and patting her reassuringly.
All things considered, it has been a relaxing night. Even when the brutal weather makes reminders of its presence with the occasional flicker of the lights, the storm is rather uneventful. He doesn't doubt, however, that there'll be some clean up work to do around the island.
It's approaching midnight when the old cop finally decides to get ready for bed. He stands and stretches, hearing the knots in his back pop with relief. As he picks up the empty beer bottles and tv dinner tray from the coffee table, he sees that the Meowth in the room have all fallen asleep. The rest of his Pokémon are spread about the lounge space, still watching the movie. All except for Mini, who is staring intently at the door to the station. He thinks the Absol has just fixated on a tiny bug and continues to tidy up.
Nanu passes the station door but doesn't see any insects. The hairs on his neck prickle; Mini is still gazing at it. He barely manages to suppress the rising concern as he discards his trash in the kitchen bin. He's ready to dismiss Mini's odd behaviour when the wilted flowers by the kitchen window stir. The flowers perk up suddenly - their blossoms blooming anew. Mini snarls.
Nanu's gut drops and there's a frantic scuttling of clawed paws on wooden floors. The Absol nudges the sliding door open with his horn and bolts through. Nanu follows him into the dark, unlit police station. The rain is louder than ever and when Nanu flicks the front most light on he sees it's because the glass doors have been forced open with vines.
He's met with the patterned stark red of Tapu Bulu's closed shell as they hover in the foyer. Rainwater runs in rivulets down the deity's armoured casing, dripping to the tiles below and forming puddles beneath their golden tail bell.
Mini stands between them, his ruby eyes set on the looming guardian that has yet to make a move. There's a million possibilities racing through Nanu's mind as to what would bring Ula'Ula's guardian deity straight to his doorstep at such a time, and none of them are good. He tries to quash the terrifying idea that an Ultra Beast could have prompted Bulu's appearance tonight. He reasons that he would've heard from the Aether Foundation by now if a wormhole had a chance of spawning. It can't be that. Arceus knows he's had a gutful of that in the last year.
Bulu remains still during this and Nanu begins to think the deity is just here on a whim. He wouldn't put it past the Tapus to do that - they were after all whimsical by nature. Such are all Fairy-types.
Nanu's patience is worn thin by his nerves.
"So," He starts, "to what do I owe the honour?"
Tapu Bulu unfurls their shell in response.
It's almost a blur - a surreal waking dream of a moment - when Nanu sees a body fall to the cold wet floor. The guardian floats in place, pearlescent eyes unreadable but locked with their kahuna's as he struggles to make sense of what the hell has just happened.
"What have you done?"
