A/N: Hello! I'm JetStreamGamma, and this is my first story! I hope you enjoy it. Leave a review, maybe? I don't have a regular schedule for uploads, so if you want more, you may have to wait. Anyways, here's Sky Drop!
For character names, I will be using the official dtranslated names in the language corresponding to the region they're from. This is on purpose- the language barrier will be significant to this story. I will provide a list at the bottom of the chapter translating each of the names of pre-existing characters from Japanese to English.
Also, for reference, this story takes place seventeen years after D/P/Pt, six years after B/W, and four years after B2/W2.
Chapter 1: Balloon Pilot
The February wind, as always, chilled the northern region shut. Sinnoh during the winter was a nightmare for any travelers willing to consider putting up with the harsh reality of the climate. The snow-capped Mt. Coronet seemed to loom particularly large during this time, and the herds of wild Abomasnow and Graveler served as a warning more effective than Champion Shirona's PSAs. The roads to Snowpoint City were completely impassable, save for the most ready of Trainers and Rangers. Even the southern beaches were too cold to even dip a foot in.
Yet it was this February 8th when one new Trainer from Floaroma Town would set foot into the cold on a new journey. Like any other Sinnohan 12-year-old, he was to start off on his trip around the region, albeit possibly at the worst time of year. He was set to pick a starter, receive a Pokédex and registration, and collect badges from the eight Gym Leaders of the Sinnoh League. Today was that day.
Yamaguchi Hayate had been lectured over and over about the dangers of the frigid, unpredictable outdoors. His mother had prepared five layers of clothing to cover him that made him the epitome of fashion among Spheal. Not without caution, Hayate decided to stuff his bag with books, writing tools, and a fair amount of snacks to supplement his rations. If he was to be without society for extended periods of time, he knew he had to make do with just himself and his partner Pokémon.
Hayate rushed downstairs, desperate to ensure that nothing was left behind. He secured his Pokétch Model 6- an old version, but still trusty- on his wrist and zipped his Pokégear in his bag.
"Hayate!" His mother's voice reverberated throughout the house from upstairs. "Your dad and I need you in our room!"
"Coming," shot back the boy. For what had to be at least the fifth time that day, Hayate bounded the staircase. He popped into his parents' bedroom. His mom and dad were waiting by their bed. Hayate was confident that they weren't upset with him, but his nerves clasped deeper into his stomach anyway.
"We have a few things for you before you head off," his dad revealed. Okay, coast is clear. Hayate inwardly sighed in relief. They weren't keeping him home for another month like he feared after all. "First, we got you some medicine. We know you'll stay safe, but your Pokémon will probably need this at some point. Especially considering you'll be heading through Eterna Forest." The pouch containing a few Potions, Antidotes, Ice Heals, and Paralyze Heals was harder to stuff into Hayate's bag than his mom thought it would be.
"Geez, what are you keeping in there?" Mrs. Yamaguchi eventually zipped the bag shut.
"I just put in some books," Hayate pouted. He knew what was coming next.
"Pick one." There it was. Defeated, Hayate dug through the change of clothes, the food, and the sleeping bag until he emerged with three large, hardback books. A memoir from one of the members of the legendary Galarian band, The Kricke-Tunes, a book about Pokémon's attacks, and a manga collection lay on the floor. Just one?
"But first, we bought you something special as well." Mr. Yamaguchi pulled out a yellow disc in a translucent casing. "It's a Technical Machine- a reusable one! Be sure to thank your mom. It was her idea."
Hayate was instantly intrigued. "Thanks, Mom! What move is it? Is it Charge Beam?"
Ms. Yamaguchi built upon her son's excitement. "Even better! We know how much you like your status moves..."
"Please, tell me!"
"All right. Put that Thunder Wave TM to good use." Hayate's eyes went wide. "Don't lose it!"
Hayate didn't know what to say. Thunder Wave? That's one of the best, most useful moves! Beaming, he managed a "th-thanks s-so much!" as he looked at his new gift through the case. Already, he imagined how he would take down his opponents as they stood stunned from the potent move that rested in his hand. His eyes traveled down to the books on the floor, and back to the TM. He'd made up his mind. Hayate stuffed Get A Move On: Professor Dan Kukui's Awesome Guide to Pokémon's Moves into his bag, carefully sliding the TM in its plastic cover along with it before zipping the bag closed.
In the summer, Floaroma Town completely bloomed. In every garden and field there were neat arrays of flowers with multicolored petals. The Meadow north of town displayed its fertile soil with the most elegant of gardening; flowers were separated into sections of the Meadow by color, with a Berry field to the side. In recent years it had become popular dating site, although the abundance of wild Pokémon living off or pollinating the plant life made it unsavory to pass through without a Pokémon of one's own.
Of course, only spring and summer Floaroma was ever pictured in travel guides. In the winter, with the Sinnoh cold, Floaroma was plainly gloomy. For the residents, to see the petals and leaves fall off of their beloved flowers was the annual heartbreak. Berries weren't in season, so the town had to rely increasingly on the energy produced by the Valley Windworks under its jurisdiction. In recent years, environmental concerns had prompted reductions to the coal industry in Oreburgh and subsidies to the renewal energy produced by Floaroma's Valley Windworks and the solar network in Sunyshore City. Mr. Yamaguchi had landed a new job at the Windworks five years ago as the complex was growing in size and importance. Despite his allergies, he and his wife decided to take their young son and daughter to a new landscape.
And it was finally Hayate's turn to carve his own trail. Mr. Yamaguchi was proud of his son for acing his Trainer Exams, but more proud of the individual his son was growing up to become. He, along with Mrs. Yamaguchi and Hayate's younger sister, Momoka, walked Hayate to the Pokémon Center where they were to meet with Professor Nanakamado, the aging Pokémon Professor in charge of distributing starters to fledgling Trainers. Now 77, Prof. Nanakamado walked with a cane due to his chronic back trouble, but he was still obstinate enough to fly from his Sandgem lab to Floaroma on his Staraptor. The Yamaguchi family stood at the entrance to the Center as a Staraptor flew in from the south.
And was shot from the side by a Dark Pulse.
The Staraptor landed to prevent the Professor from being hit, but the Skuntank was quick. The Skuntank darted after the avian and prepared a Poison Jab. The Professor quickly crawled to the side as his Staraptor evaded the punch. "Aerial Ace!" he yelled in a gruff voice. Staraptor went on the offensive, landing a clean hit on the Skuntank.
Hayate rushed to help the Professor, who was having trouble standing back up. "Professor!" he whispered, in an attempt to avoid the skunk Pokémon's attention.
"Good morning, Hayate," Professor Nanakamado replied, clearly shaken up from the event. "Hmm, I see we have a feral Pokémon on our hands. Help me up, my boy." The two Pokémon continued to brawl as Hayate lifted the Professor onto his feet. "You'll have to be careful of wild Pokémon like these. If you can't fight them, run to safety. Leave it to an expert like me, or a Ranger, or an Ace Trainer. Not quite the circumstances I'd hoped for our first meeting, but there's your first lesson."
The Skuntank landed a Poison Gas onto Staraptor. "L-let's get ins-side," Hayte stammered. The two turned in the direction of the Pokémon Center. A young woman stood in front of the entrance with her arms crossed. She wore a mask over her eyes and a combat uniform. A humongous Rhyperior stood by her side, eyes honed on its target: Professor Nanakamado's briefcase.
"Switch," the woman commanded. The Rhyperior shifted his attention away from the briefcase and clocked the ailing Staraptor with a Thunder Punch. The Staraptor instantly fell to the ground, clearly fainted. The Skuntank retrieved the briefcase and placed it before the woman. "I'll be taking your Windworks Key." The woman opened the briefcase and fished out a key. She pocketed the three Poké Balls that sat front-and-center inside the case. "Might as well take these starters. They'll sell for a quite a bit." She chuckled, turning away. She recalled her two Pokémon and released an Arcanine. Unlike the friendly Arcanine that Hayate had seen in TV shows, this one was vicious. It snarled at the rookie and the defeated Professor.
Hayate shuddered in fear. Her Pokémon took down the Professor's ace just like that? And she was after the Valley Windworks. Fear quickly turned to anger. His dad's job, his starter Pokémon, the safety of his town- in just a couple of minutes, the lady dashed them all.
She spoke into a walkie. "Agent Leppa? I've secured the Windworks Key- piece of cake. Over." She clipped the walkie onto her belt as she climbed atop her Arcanine. It shot off east... towards the Windworks.
Professor Nanakamado shuddered. How did she know that the manager had left the key with him while he went away? More importantly, she had access to the largest energy plant in the whole region.
Hayate and the Professor agreed: This was bad.
Before the Professor knew it, Hayate had started to sprint after the robber and her Arcanine. The professor was even more alarmed than before. He'd seen irresponsible new trainers, but this was a first. "Wait, boy! You know very well that what you're trying isn't safe!" he yelled. Hayate knew that already, but it didn't matter. He had to get that key!
Hayate breathlessly found himself heading to the riverside path his dad took to the Windworks. His layers protected him from the cold, but along with his stuffed bag, they made running a lot more difficult. Almost there, he reassured himself. The white wind turbines stood in rows on either side of him, spinning with the gusts. A lone Drifloon floated through the air.
He kept running. If he didn't make it in time, who knows what they would be used for? A shiver ran down Hayate's spine, and not from the weather. The lady meant business. He knew that his chances of retrieving the key were small.
His family was still safe inside the Pokémon Center. Hayate had no idea if they knew what he was up to. He'd probably get an earful from his mom, his dad, his sister, and Prof. Nanamako. Chasing down a criminal like that? they might say. What were you thinking?
But he had to do it. Sinnoh would be in deep trouble if the Windworks fell into her hands. I'm not useless, Hayate thought. Even if I'm not a Trainer yet, I still have to do everything I can!
Hayate made it to the control building of the vacant Windworks. It operated automatically; today was an off-day for workers. Hayate looked around. Large paw prints dug into the dirt in front of the door, but no one was there. Shoot, he thought. She already went in. He tried the door, but it was locked. He then searched for a way in: and he found one. On his right, an open window on the second floor stood out from the grid of shut ones.
Hayate put his bag down on the side and raced up the fire escape's staircase on the side and climbed across to the opening. He looked inside. An empty room. Computers lined the walls, and a door was open in the back. Thankfully, it seemed someone forgot to close up properly at the end of yesterday's work day.
Hayate squeezed through the opening and tiptoed out of the room. The chilly, dim halls seemed more ominous than they ever did when Hayate visited his dad at work. The lights were shut off, giving the hall a dark-grey color even though the walls were painted white. Only a little light from the outdoors crept in through the offices into the main hall, where Hayate steadily looked for the staircase.
Suddenly, the sound of something heavy hitting the floor of the ground floor reached Hayate's ears. Hayate, having located the staircase, crept down the steps. Emerging onto the ground floor hallway, he continued forward toward where he heard the noise. The hallway turned a corner, and he tried to get a look at the scene.
There, the robber stood hunched over a computer, clicking away with the Key in her hand. Her Arcanine was on the lookout, or rather, sniff-out. It sniffed the air, tracking the second intruder who was nearby.
Hayate knew he was a sitting Psyduck. He hid himself behind the corner, keeping himself out of sight. But it was too late. The Arcanine began to bark in his direction.
"Do we have another guest at the party?" the robber asked. Of course, Hayate knew that he shouldn't answer. Following his better judgement this time, he stayed silent and put. The Arcanine barked affirmatively. Hayate heard her start to walk towards him with the jingle of keys.
The Works Key. Hayate knew that what he was about to try would probably end quite unfavorably. Maybe he wouldn't get out alive... but he couldn't turn back. Any noise, and his chance of escape would be gone. His heart beat harder and faster than it ever had as footsteps crept closer.
The robber rounded the corner in front of Hayate. Noticing the boy in front of her, she flinched.
Now!
Hayate tore the Works Key out of the robber's gloved hand and ran with every ounce of his will back to the stair case.
"GET HIM!" she yelled, running after him. Her Arcanine caught up with her within seconds, and she got on its back.
Hayate flew up the steps and back to the office room. Thoughts rushed through his head. I got it! I got the key!
The Arcanine, however, was much faster. It instantly bounded the staircase and exited onto the second floor. It looked side to side, and spotted the boy running away on its left. With its trainer on top, the Arcanine dashed after. Suddenly, the boy drifted to the right and disappeared. "Darn kid," the robber muttered. The pair followed the boy through the door. She saw a brown head of hair slip through an open window. You got guts, she thought as she approached the window, recalling her Arcanine to her Poké Ball. What are you thinking, chasing after me? Sliding out of a second-story window?
Hayate hit the ground. Pain instantly shot through his left ankle. He let out a cry into the open air. Looking up, he noticed the something coming out of the window. It couldn't be! The robber climbed out, holding on to the window frame. She leapt off, landing safely on her feet. She looked down at the boy in front of her. Hayate lied on the ground, clutching his ankle. He tried to run away, but his leg gave out. He fell back onto the dirt road. I was this close!
The robber let her three Pokémon back out. Her Arcanine, Rhyperior, and Skuntank stood above Hayate, ready to punish the insolence out of him. The robber gave the boy a glance. Had he hidden the key? It isn't in his hands. A key-shaped outline protruded through the right-side pocket in Hayate's thick jacket. Perfect. "Skuntank, Smokescreen," she ordered.
Hayate coughed as the air filled with smoke. A shadow stepped closer. Hands dug into his pocket, plucking out the Key. Hayate let out a breath of failure.
"Clean up this mess, Rhyperior," the robber ordered. The Drill Pokémon readied a Rock Wrecker. They silently agreed. There would be no more interference with their plans.
Hayate dove for cover behind his bag, which was still sitting there since he put it down. Wincing from his ankle, he mentally scolded himself. How's a backpack going to protect me from a freakin' Rock Wrecker?
The Rhyperior fired- at the spot where Hayate used to be. He sighed in relief. Before the robber could give another order, a wild Drifloon grasped the key out of her gloves.
Mentally pinching himself at this strange course of luck, Hayate took this chance to escape. He crawled to the woods as the robber's Pokémon fired miss after miss at the Drifloon in the air. Eventually, the Skuntank hit the Drifloon with a Dark Pulse. Hayate cringed. Super-effective damage from a Pokémon at least as strong as the Professor's ace? The Drifloon fell to the ground, with its limb still clenched around the key.
His ankle would have to be only a distraction now. Hayate hobbled after the Drifloon, grabbing on before the robber or her Pokémon could make a move. The Balloon Pokémon took in air, lifting itself and the brave boy who clung to it off the ground. The robber's Pokémon resumed releasing ranged attacks at the two in the air. Eventually, to Hayate's relief, they were out of reach.
It was an old playground myth that Drifloon took anyone who traveled with it to the spirit world. Floaroma Town saw the occasional Drifloon fly in and out, so stories seemed to spread throughout Hayate's old elementary school and beyond. Kids had told tall tales of the ghosts sucking in souls and transporting misbehaving kids to be devoured. Hayate wasn't at all superstitious, but remembering the rumors made him queasy.
The alternative was the robber and her ferocious Skuntank, Rhyperior, and Arcanine. Of course he was safer in the skies.
"Where are we going?" he asked his little chauffeur. Hayate held on tightly to the Ballon Pokémon's limbs, which were wrapped around Hayate's arms. The Drifloon replied with a puzzled chirp. Apparently, it didn't know where they were going either. In fact, it seemed that the Drifloon was simply riding the wind- it had little control at all. Disappointed, Hayate shrugged.
Despite everything, Hayate felt incredible. Soaring through the crisp air calmed his nerves. The clouds passed by over him. Maybe someday he'd be able soar all the way above them. Knowing that he had the Works key in his hands and his backpack on his back helped relieved him as well.
Hayate always wanted to be prepared for anything. He knew that curveballs would come to him throughout his journey, but he had pledged that he'd never be unready in any situation. It seemed like that vision crumbled by the minute.
Maybe he wouldn't be primed for what was next. Hayate knew already, however, that he would need to adapt.
A/N: Hope you liked Chapter 1! Again, feedback is welcome. Hopefully I'll get to a new chapter soon!
Thanks for reading,
JetStreamGamma
Translations:
Shirona = Cynthia
Prof. Nanakamado = Prof. Rowan