Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.
Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay and the short chapter, this one was a bit tricky and I thought these scenes are better on their own. Next time I will make a even longer and richer chapter in a fast pace.
An ominous black smoke took away all the color from the skies, hiding the bright dots that are the distant stars behind the black veil born from the burning building. Screams and exalted voices making the scene even more unbearable. While every victim that could stand on their feet ran as fast as they could from the collapsing structures, one person rushed in going against the tide of scared people fleeing away from the massive fire.
"Steven!" Brendan yelled with the loudest voice he could muster but was still not enough to pierce through all the noises polluting the area. The young champion could not stand idle on the ground for much longer; he jumped on his feet clumsily almost falling face flat on the grass, yet he found strength in his legs to stand firm and ran after his friend, which by this time has already jumped inside the Devon Company complex.
"Can you stand?" Steven asked as he helped a woman get up on her feet. She didn't respond, instead, she stared at his eyes, trembling in shock, with her mouth open but no words coming out of her. "Please, get to safety. I will check for others." Seeing as she did no action to move, Steven gave a slight push on her back prompting her legs to start moving at a fast pace.
Pieces of the ceiling falling down, a huge fire consuming the building at a slow but steady rate, even the paint from the walls losing its color to the infernal heat spreading at the area.
Brendan jumped to the right avoiding be trampled by the desperate employee running for her life. "What we do now?" He asked eying his friend intensely. A sudden explosion erupted from the floor above them, throwing him to the ground as Steven barely stood in place with his legs shaking in a great effort.
"Father, I have to find my father." Steven responded with an agitated voice. He looked to the stairs on the far corner of the entry hall, and then he glanced back to Brendan. "Brendan, please…" He said with his lips trembling, a sign that the man that is always composed and so calm, is now so close to breaking down.
"You don't even have to ask." Brendan stood up once again; he walked over his friend and placed one hand on his shoulders. "I got your back."
A soft smile broke Steven's lips apart; he nodded in gratitude and tapped Brendan on his shoulder. "Thank you." Then the dreadful expression returned to his face, his eyes going back to the only way where they can access to upper floors. "Follow me; we can't risk taking the elevators now."
"The stairs it is." Brendan took the initiative and rushed as fast as he could towards the metallic steps. On the tight space of the stairs, the heat got even worse with the burning hot air and black smoke flooding the small passage halls.
They quickly reached the second floor, but the entrance is blocked by a large piece of a pillar that fell on it, crushing the door on its weight and impeding anyone to access the only exit left.
"Someone- cough- Please, can someone hear us?" A voice ringed from within the floor, from between the cracks on the collapsed pillar is possible to see a few people desperately trying to get out.
"We need to get them out." Steven said reaching for one of his pockets.
"Wait." Brendan grabbed his arm, forcing Steven to look at him. "I will take care of this; you have someone else to save, right?" At the first moment, the heir of the Devon Company glared at Brendan with hesitation, but the young champion's fierce gaze was stronger than Steven's worries.
"Okay, I have to- I need to go." Steven turned away from the blocked door and practically jumped to the other roll of stairs, he took three steps in moments notice but stopped before going any further. "Brendan, please be careful. I have a bad feeling about all this." With one last worried look backward, Steven rushed his way up to the other floors.
'Yeah me too…' After a quick shuffle in his pockets, Brendan pulled out a Poké-Ball and called out his only option at the time. A startled Gallade stared at his trainer not even registering properly everything happening around him. "Sorry Violen, I don't want to put you in danger, but I need your help with this." He pointed to the mess of broken stones and iron in front of them, the stern Gallade still did not understand a thing that is happening, but he got Brendan's meaning as soon as he looked at the blocked passage. "Can you guys in there hear me?" The champion shouted between the cracks.
"There is someone on the other side." A distressed voice pointed out.
"Yeah, we can hear you." Another one responded. "Please help us, the ceiling is making strange noises, I think that is about to collapse." A loud thud came from the other said followed by several screams.
"Please, help us!" A woman hit the hard surface of the broken pillar, her desperate voice echoing from inside the room.
"I will, please calm down and step away from the door." Brendan said loudly but with a soft voice in an attempt to soothe their nervousness. He waited until the voices got distant and barely noticeable from this side of the door. Stepping close to the cracks in the stone, he peeped inside and confirmed that no one was standing in the way of the debris. "Violen, push this thing out of the way.
Violen nodded his head and let out a stern cry. The white and green psychic-fighter took a fighting stance and closed his eyes. A violent cry escaped his small mouth; the Gallade threw his left arm in a downward movement, a bright light flashed from his member going directly at the pillar. A white line crossed the stone, cutting away everything on its path. On his second movement, Violen pushed his right arm in an uppercut sending the pillar flying into the room cleaning the exit way.
Brendan stepped inside just to found a group of ten scared people looking at him, some with relived eyes and other still holding a look of utter shock and fear in their eyes. "Hurry, the stairs are clear. You can exit the building from the first floor." He said pointing to the exit behind him.
A stampede of people ran as fast as they could pass the young trainer, not even taking the time to thank him for saving them. As soon as the pillar was bashed away from the door, most of them vanished from the room, screaming as they ran downstairs.
"If was not for you…" A man with grizzled gray hair wearing a weird black top hat stopped in front of Brendan and grabbed both of his hands, practically weeping in front of him.
"You don't have to thank me. Just get to safety before this fire gets even worse." Brendan said guiding the man to the stairs.
"Wait. I know you've already saved our lives, but I heard other voices." The man pointed to the middle of the room, more precisely to the ceiling. "I think that people are stuck upstairs too." The old man just went quiet as he saw the young man's take notice of the voices grunts and groans of pain coming from the other floor, without a need for another warning, the man turned away and ran down the stairs, leaving Brendan to inspect the strange gash above him.
A strange large fissure is crossing the grey ceiling, the border of this gap are red and burning like living lave has cut a hole on the place with the red liquefied concrete dripping on the floor..."
"What the…" In a struck of naivety, Brendan reached his right hand to the molten liquid burning the floor, just to get the tip of his fingers burned. He glanced above him again, a frown crossing his features as he noticed another red fluid coming down from the hole. "Blood?" He felt a cold shiver run down his spine and a bad taste overflowing his mouth. "We have to check the other floor."
Violen looked at the ever-growing flames taking more and more of the building and growled worried at his trainer.
"I know, sorry for putting you into this too." Brendan patted his Pokémon on the head and smile weakly. "Let's go Violen. More people are in need of our help."
Pokémon and trainer climbed the steps as fast as they could, with no surprise to either of them; another huge piece of debris is blocking the door to the next floor. The fierce Gallade wasted no time into bashing the stones away, clearing the path inside the room.
"Is anybody here?" Brendan shouted as he entered the room. "Please, if anybody is-" His voice died out and his eyes froze in shock. The room is like a twisted inferno of flames, but the fire itself is the most bearable part of all this. From the side walls is clear where the first and big explosion happened, there is a large hole in the frontal and back walls of this floor, with the same molten liquid stone dripping from the 'wounds' of the structure. Brendan stepped forward and felt a tug on the tip of his right foot. "What…? Oh my…" He saw a bloodied hand grabbing his legs but quickly losing its grips. Laying at his feet is a fat looking man with open wounds all over his body, only faint whisper escaping his lips as he fought to stay awake, only to fall to the cold sleep of death.
Brendan felt his stomach turn upside-down, as he looked further and further inside the room, he noticed more and more bodies lying down lifeless on the floor. Some with wounds so severe that they are barely recognizable anymore. The young champion fell to his knees and brought both hands to his mouth in a vain attempt of holding his last meal inside of him, but the urge to put it all out was stronger than him.
"What the hell…" He closed his eyes trying to forget what he saw, but only made it worse. As his imagination made that vision ten times worse.
Violen pulled his trainer by his arm and cried out loudly. Then his tight hold of Brendan's shirt disappeared and a thumping noise erupted from the wall left to the champion.
"Viole-" Brendan opened his eyes and looked behind him to see what happened, but before he could perceive what happened, someone jumped onto him grabbing him by his neck and bashing his back against the wall.
"You! I know you…" A slim man with black hair and bright red eyes held Brendan against the wall, ever tightening his hold on the young man's neck. "Brendan, right?" He said tilting his head to the side.
Confused and terrified, Brendan lost control of his eyes from a moment. His gaze shifting to everywhere almost incapable of focusing on a single point. Breathing was getting harder and harder as a pair of hands kept pressing the skin of his neck. With a pained grunt, the young champion finally mounted enough energy to struggle away from his attacker, however with no success. "Who… are you?" He said, finally taking his eyes down to look at the man in front of him.
"Is that it?" The man said with disgust. "After all… THIS." He motioned to the room behind him. "That is all you got to show?"
Another struggle came from Brendan this time putting his entire body in the action, but still, he was unable to break free from the stranger's grasp. The fingers on his neck pressed themselves even more on his flesh, leaving red marks on his skin and making him gasp for air. Brendan could not help but stare at the man, terrified of what is happening.
The man was struck with a turmoil of emotions, but mostly delusion and anger. "The look on your eyes… pathetic." He said spitting in anger. "You are afraid, scared… Like a lost puppy in a storm. This is not right; this is not how it should have been."
Violen let out a cry of rage, as he got up from being tossed to the wall and rushed at full speed towards his trainer. However, before he could save Brendan, a powerful Aegislash appeared from the side and knocked the Gallade with a fierce tackle of the side of its blade, sending the green and white Pokémon flying out from the staircase door.
"V-Violen." Brendan said with a crisp voice, his face getting redder by the second.
The red and black Aegislash prepared itself to rush after Violen, a crystalline sound coming out of it.
"Zero." The man said sternly. "Leave it be."
With no sign of protest, the Aegislash sheathed its blade back behind its shield in a defensive and idle stance.
Despite the flames growing in size and intensity, the room was getting darker and darker to Brendan, his eyes rolling slowing up as his consciousness was fading away. Then he felt the wall behind him disappear and a coat of wind surround him as she floated in the air. With a loud thump, he crashed his back on the burning floor, practically diving head down on to a burning pyre. The burning sensation pulling him back to his senses, making Brendan roll to the side in a rush to escape the flames threatening to take him. Even as he scooted away slowly crawling backward, was not enough to escape the infernal heat as his shirt had already been caught on fire. In full desperation and still lacking the proper control of his body, Brendan tore the piece of clothing away from him as quickly as he could, leaving behind only a light burning wound on his left shoulder.
"Today that mark is the only thing that I will leave on you." The red-eyed man said with venom in his voice. He glared at Brendan with such bloodlust that made the champion crawl even further away from him. "If you choose to stand in front of me again, don't you dare show such a pathetic look again… or I will crush you beneath my heels without mercy."
"W-why?" Brendan asked with his arms trembling as he tried to muster a heated glare towards the stranger. "Y-you did this? W-why?"
"Hmph. Stop stuttering…" Josh shook his head, holding his right hand in front of his eyes. "You are in no shape to continue this. I have lost my interest." He turned away from Brendan and pointed to the far opposite end of the long room. "I will finish this piece of art, maybe then you will understand. Burn this sight into your memories, Guardian of Hoenn." With a simple snap of his fingers, Josh ordered his cruel Pokémon to act once again and it readily answered it's master's command.
Poising his sword body in an attack stance, Aegislash began to focus a massive amount of energy inside its body. Then without notice and with a faint cry, the metallic Pokémon unleashed a powerful beam against the already fickle wall, bursting an even larger hole on the side of the building practically bending the entire structure to one side. The cracking noises coming from the still standing pillars confirmed what was obvious, the entire thing is about to go down.
"Ah… it's complete." Josh said with a creep satisfied smile. He turned and looked at Brendan again, this with a soft, almost inviting expression. "Farewell, Brendan. I hope you will keep this encounter alive in your mind, or I will be forced to remember you." With one last mocking grin, the man with red menacing eyes walked over the huge hole on the wall and jumped out of the building, his powerful soon following after him.
Nothing… that was Brendan's reaction. He could barely keep his head around what just happened; the surreal scene around him together with the murderous gaze and actions coming from that man was enough to scar anyone for life. Even Brendan felt small under all this, small and weak.
"I can't." He pushed himself up, averting his gaze from the dead people around him. "Violen!" He shouted loudly.
A limping Gallade appeared at the exit door. Holding his left arm in pain, Violen looked at his trainer worried about the blackened mark on Brendan's shoulder.
"You need a rest Violen. I will take care of things for now." Brendan called his Pokémon back to his Poké-Ball, ignoring the protesting cries coming from the Gallade. "Steven… I need to check on him." With a little second wind to himself, Brendan charged into the exit aiming at the stairs, just to be blocked by a large part of the wall falling once again in front of the door. "You can't be serious." He tried to push the rocks away with little success in his struggle, a sense of panic growing rapidly inside of him.
Half of the building collapsed on top of itself, crushing in its entirety the other side of the large room. Large pieces of rocks began to fall all around, one barely missing Brendan's head.
"Fuck… what now?" He rested his back against the collapsed pillar, sweat running down his cheeks. "Think… think, Brendan." He looked to the hole where the strange man jumped off from; the image of that psychopath jumping from the third floor onto god knows what made Brendan close his eyes and shook his head. "I can't believe this…" As another large pillar fell right at his side, Brendan knew that this is his last chance. He tossed away anything resembling common sense and ignored every instinct of his being begging him not to do it.
"Holy… SHIIIIT!" Giving a leap of faith, Brendan jumped out of the building just in time before the entire thing came down. He looked down immediately regretting doing so, he is so far up and the ground seen so far away. At this point, the only thing he can do is close his eyes and hope.
"I can't believe this!" Birch exclaimed loudly, clapping his hands in pure joy. "The Lugia! Hahaha, simply amazing." He circled around the giant white bird, grinning ever so happily, as he studied the Pokémon's features.
The good old professor tracked the mysterious trainer like a trained tracking Mightyena. After a quick stroll in one of the most deserted routes of Hoenn, Route 103, they saw a pair of trainers crossing the calm waters of the river. Even May is surprised by how quick her father could find the man who presented himself as Ethan and the red-haired man named Silver.
On her eyes, these trainers are surprisingly interesting, in more than a few ways. Silver is a handsome young man, his long silky red hair gives him an alluring aura that when in combination with his pale skin and soft curves on his face, rivals even May's looks. However, despite being one of the more beautiful men she has ever seen, the red-haired is silent and distant with a cold way of speaking that really puts a barrier between him and all others. On the other hand, there is Ethan with his gray sparkling eyes, jet-black hair loose on the winds with a large fringe falling over his right eye and the warm and inviting smile that makes talking to him so much easy and enjoyable. As an opposite contrast of Silver, Ethan is sociable, charming and despite being a looker just like his friend, he is very friendly. A 'dangerous' combination to any woman who gets closer to him, and even knowing this May cannot help herself but feel attracted to his gray eyes whenever she looks at him.
"Sorry about this…" May bowed shyly, blushing hard in embarrassment because of her father's childish behavior.
"I don't mind." Ethan said with a bright smile. "It's always fun to see how people react to the big guy." He pointed to Lugia and then to Professor Birch.
May could not help but smile back to him, blushing a bit as she did. It has been a few minutes since they have met each other, and during all this time, May keeps avoiding looking directly at Ethan but keeps glancing at him whenever he is not looking. "It's truly amazing; I never expected to see Lugia so up close."
"You know, when I first encountered Lugia he was like… a god in my eyes." Ethan said with a bit of nostalgia in his voice. "But after spending a few years with him, I noticed that he is just one big baby." He said with a healthy laugh.
Lugia after hearing the trainer's words glanced at him and growled in annoyance, batting him a couple of dirty glares.
"What? I'm not lying." Ethan responded laughing even more.
"Ethan." Silver called out to him, the red-haired is currently standing next to a tree, his back leaning against its hard trunk. The sudden appearance of a curious professor and his daughter not pleasing him. 'Every time… I swear.' Silver clicked his tongue in annoyance as Ethan ignored his voice and continued to give his exclusive attention to the girl.
"Hey Ethan, you think I can pluck one of his feathers out?" Birch asked with a glow in his eyes. "There are so many tales about his silver feathers, I can barely control myself."
"Sure." Ethan responded shaking his head a bit. "Just be aware that he will probably chomp your head off."
"A risk of my occupation." The professor dismissed the trainers warning and approached the legendary Pokémon, his fingers twitching at the promise of touching those pretty and soft feathers.
"He is not going to bit my father's head off, will he?" May asked unsure if the man is joking or talking seriously.
"Haha, he will. Lugia is not found of people trying to grab him like that." Ethan responded with a silly laugh, confusing May even more if that statement is true or not. "But as I said, he just a big baby." He took one of his hands into the neck hole of his shirt and pulled out a pendant made of dark leather with a large silver feather at the tip. "See, he didn't mind me taking one."
The bright aura around the Silver Wing captured May's interest, she felt locked in a trance reaching with her hands towards the sparkling feather. "It looks… beautiful." He traced the tip of her fingers on the soft surface of the silver object, parting her lips in a serene smile.
"Yeah, it does." Ethan's voice sounded so close, his presence growing so much at her. Before May noticed, she could already feel his breathing hitting softly the skin of her face. "Your eyes are so… pretty. They have the color of the morning sky." He said with a soothing voice, making May turn red instantly.
Feeling ever so shy, May took just a single step back. Her hands going unconsciously to her bangs and starting to play with her long flocks of light brown her. "Thank you…" She said barely looking back at him, but an unmistakable happy grin showing on her lips. "Your eyes… are pretty too. They remind me of someone."
"A special someone?" Ethan asked, leaning closer once again. Showing the bright color of his eyes to the girl.
"Okay, now is enough." Silver jumped in the middle of the too, forcing them to split apart.
Ethan leaned a bit closer to his friend, frowning intensely as he did. "Silver… not now, please." He whispered to the red-haired, his words might have come out in a calm-like breeze, but his eyes fuming at the interruption of his supposed close friend.
"Enough is enough." Silver glared back at Ethan, not backing away from his place. "And you." He turned to May as she spoke. "You better help your father, look at that." He pointed at the scene where Lugia has almost half of Professor Birch already inside his mouth.
"Father!" May jumped from her spot, rushing to help her father get out of the legendary Pokémon's mouth.
"What was that about?" Ethan asked, now showing his annoyance in his tone. "Had fun ruining my friendly exchange with her?"
Silver's glare got even more intense, his piercing gaze even making Ethan take a few steps back. "You really have to flirt with every person we meet?" The red-haired asked fuming. "Seriously, if they show any kind of interest on you, you just start to wag your tail to them… Have some restraint."
"I would have no need to do that if you stop ruining things every time." The champion of Johto replied, his frown turning into a scowl, a bit of irritation taking the best of him. "Seriously, someday you will have to make your mind about this."
"Make my mind about what?" Silver spat back. "Your stupid heated libido? I don't think I will ever be able to wrap my mind around that one."
"Bah, forget what I said." Ethan turned away from his friend, walking towards the other two people. "Lugia, please let the good professor down."
Lugia looked at Ethan still holding the man on his mouth. The big white bird tilted his head to the side and growled.
"Don't even think about it." Ethan responded shaking his head. "Look, you don't want me telling Ho-oh about this, do you?"
Lugia growled annoyed again but quickly opened his mouth letting Birch slid down to the grassy ground.
"That's what I thought." The black haired trainer said following with a contagious laugh. "Even I don't want to get burned by that guy again."
"Uh… Wow." Birch grabbed his head, feeling relieved for still having every piece of himself intact. "For a moment I thought he was going to swallow me whole." He laughed right after, showing a tiny feather stuck between the fingers of his right hand. "It was worth in the end, haha."
"Father…" May's worried expression turned to an angry one. "You really don't change, do you?" but quickly her lips parted into a simple smile, seeing how happy her father is while showing the little feather to her.
"I'm glad that you two are having fun. But, I have a little favor to ask you too." Ethan walked over to Birch giving the man a stern look and then he glanced to May showing another smile to her.
"Sure. Whatever we can do to help, we will be glad to be of use." Birch responded quickly, showing his gratitude for having a joyous time with Lugia.
"Thanks, if I don't get something out of this; my friend over there is probably going to throw a fit for me wasting our time." He pointed at Silver showing a silly grin as he did. "He is kind of a party-killer you know, never having fun-"
"Ethan! Focus." Silver shouted from his position, the other three jump in surprise as his voice echoed in the calm forest.
"See…" Ethan joked about Silver one last time, before wearing his serious expression. "I need you to tell me everything about someone. His name is Brendan, do you know him?"
Birch and May traded a few confused and worried stares. Father and daughter lost their easygoing mood, not sure of how to respond to that question. The continued silent treatment gave away the most important question for Ethan and Silver, the latter walked over to his companion's side, shooting questioning glares at the other two.
"What do you think?" Silver asked.
"I think we hit the jackpot." Ethan responded, staring at Birch and May with a newfound curiosity. "So, who is Brendan?"
PS - I have a lot of things stored for Ethan, Silver and another Character. While I'm excited with the ideas I have for them, I'm also a bit scared of doing them and people ending up hatting them for it. =/
Reviews:
DOOT76 chapter 8 . Mar 8 – Why would you do that, they are so cute T.T . In a more serious note, I'm glad that you are liking Aster. Whenever I feel like something is missing from a scene, Aster jumps right in to save me and making things more funny.
Kersplunk chapter 8 . Mar 8 – Thank you for the comment, any kind of feedback is appreciated and to read that you find this story good makes me even more motivated to do even more. Once again, thank you for your review and even for pointing out what you find funny or out of place.
On the topic of strongest member of Brendan's team that is a bit complicated. Layla isn't the strongest one, Ekkisu is stronger than she is, but the way I portray that Swellow on this story is a bit special because she is part of my "real" team. Actually, Brendan's entire team is my original team from where I was playing Omega Ruby (even the names), and Layla always saved me when things were going down.
Before this turns into a giant ramble about my story with each of these Pokémon, I will stop here. If you want to know about why they're named like that and why they are like they are on the story, I could write specifying it (a lot of interesting stories with each member of this team) And a few more members are missing, seeing as they are too important to reveal now.