Hi there! This is the second chapter of Before Dawn. Well, the first one actually, since the other one was just a prologue. It wasn't very successful, but I thank Macy Webber for her review, one is enough for me (but I won't complain if I get some more). This chapter might seem unrelated to the prologue, but it'll end up making sense. This chapter's release was full of trials and tribulations, I wrote almost two pages, and when I opened it again to keep going, everything had turned into #, and I couldn't fix it, so I had to write everything all over again, and then, I couldn't access my own stories to modify them, so well, yeah, it wasn't easy. As always, I thank my beta-reader Casju.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon
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I: The Awakening
Darkness. An endless sea of pitch-black nothingness. It surrounded him, as it had for quite a while. He didn't know where he was, or how he got there, he didn't even know what the place looked like, and he didn't know how long he'd be able to remember his own name in this absolute darkness. Of course, these weren't his exact thoughts, as he wasn't conscious enough to think in such complex ways; it was just his unconscious state of mind, or at least it was, until he awoke for the first time.
Whe-where am I? Why can't I see anything? I can't feel a thing! Multiple thoughts rushed through his mind. He tried to move, but his body didn't seem to react; he tried to see, but there was only darkness; he tried to hear, but it was all silence; he tried to scream, but his voice failed him.
What is going on! I want to get out of here! What happened! After a short while, he began to panic; he wanted to do something, or at least to know something, but all he appeared to be able to do was floating in the darkness, and it wasn't long before the strain his mind was going through became too much, and sleep took him away.
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His second awakening was similar to the first one, this time however, he was calmer, and didn't panic, allowing himself to have more rational thoughts and questions, such as "Why aren't I breathing?", "How come I don't get hungry at all?", "Am I dead?, and "What's with this strange craving for apples?" As expected, none of these questions were answered, and eventually he fell asleep once again.
The third time he woke up was however very different. The darkness was still there, but that's where the similarities ended, apparently. There was a very annoying ringing noise, like some kind of alarm or siren, that kept banging his head, and was probably what woke him up to begin with. He also seemed more aware of his surroundings, and could feel some kind of dampness around him.
"What the-? What's that noise? Gawd, it's piercing my ears, but I guess it's at least some progress. Hey, I think I can feel my toes, or at least four, no, six of them, and-Huh? What's that? It looks like... light. And indeed, it was a light; a dim blue light that seemed to sparkle and shatter the darkness momentarily, only to disappear, and repeat the process again.
He tried to get closer to the light, he tried to move his body, he tried with all his might. It took a little time and a lot of effort, but he could feel his arm moving in the darkness, getting closer to the light's position, moving just in the direction he wanted it to move. The light was closer with each second, just a bit more and it would be within his reach, just a bit mo-.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a loud bang resonated through his head, and everything around him seemed to vanish, even the darkness, that was replaced by a blinding light that consumed everything, immediately followed by the gentle darkness of unconsciousness.
An unknown amount of time later, he began to become conscious, and a feeling that he hadn't experienced for quite a bit was transmitted from his skin to his brain with a shiver.
So cold... Wait, cold? I-I can feel my body again!
Still somewhat dazed, and not without making quite an effort, he began to move his body. It hurt, it hurt from head to toes, and he was so stiff every movement was hell, but he could move, and he could feel, and that was enough of an improvement. Then, he realized that he hadn't tried opening his eyes, and doubted for a second, almost afraid of finding himself in the darkness again. That didn't stop him though, he didn't have that much to lose, so, slowly, he opened his eyes for the first time in what seemed ages, and for what seemed even longer than that, he saw.
Y-yes! I can see! This keeps getting better.
He could see, and although it was dark, it wasn't "that" darkness, it was just the darkness of a dark room. He could make out faint shapes, and he could swear that he saw a light blinking somewhere for a split second.
Ok, time to get up. I've been sleeping for too long, I'm not gonna stay here any longer than I need to.
The floor was somewhat wet, making it slippery, and his legs were still feeling weak, so he had a hard time getting on his feet, as they skidded and made him fall flat on his stomach several times. He also realized that his coordination seemed to be a bit off, and his steps were trembling and unsecure.
C'mon, one step at a time. It's been a long time, although I'm not sure of exactly how long.
He wandered through the dark room without any concrete destination, but his visibility appeared to be improving, and the previously faint figures took a more detailed shape. He could make out some computers, scanners, monitors, and a multitude of other machines that he couldn't identify.
He had just come to the conclusion that this was some sort of lab, when he detected a movement at his right side. He stopped on his tracks and turned right, slowly. He scanned the area with his eyes, but nothing moved. He discarded the movement as just his imagination, and turned around, but with his first step, something moved again at his right; and once again he turned right to look, but nothing was there.
This time I'm sure I saw something...
He moved forward, in the direction he had seen the mysterious movements. As he walked, he began to make out a shape. It was facing him, and seemed to be getting closer, taking small, prudent steps, just as he was.
Hn? What's that?
The creature that had just become visible was rather small, or at least that was the impression it gave him, even though their eyes were at the same height. Its body was mostly covered in somewhat wet blue fur, with patches of black fur on its chest, feet, and ankles. It had a blue tail that was half its size, but seemed to stand on its own, without touching the floor. Its head was a bit oversized in comparison with its body, and had a pretty canine shape with a short muzzle, and what seemed to be two sets of ears; one composed of triangular blue ears at the top of the head, and a second pair, this one of black floppy ears. It had big red eyes, surrounded by a patch of black fur shaped like a mask. It stood on the balls of its hindpaws, and its forepaws were where human arms would be, giving it a somewhat humanoid shape.
A pokémon... It's not from this region, and I'm pretty sure it isn't from Johto either. It looks a bit scared, but it seems harmless enough.
He began raising his hand towards the creature, and attempted greet it with a "Hi, little guy", only to realize that something was wrong, horribly wrong. Instead of his hand, he saw a furry blue paw with a white bump on it, and instead of saying what he had intended to, from his mouth came a soft growl that sounded pretty much like "Lu, rio-lu."
He froze. His eyes were glued to the blue limb, and his mind was rushing through a sea of possibilities and crazy explanations. After what seemed hours, he thought of the creature in front of him, and looked at it. It was still there, staring at him, with one paw stretched, one blue... furry... paw.
It was like a revelation. He rose his other arm, which looked just like his right one, and saw the creature do the same. Then, as fast as he could with his wobbly legs, he approached the creature, and it began doing the same. Once they both met, he encountered a metallic surface, and his worst fears were confirmed. He fell on her knees as he pressed his body against the surface.
It's a mirror. Oh my God, it's a mirror! That thing... that pokémon... it's me! But how! What happened! This can't be! It's impossible! I... This is just... Oh God!
He began breathing heavily and buried his head in his hands, now paws, feeling his short muzzle. His whole body was trembling with a mix of fear, confusion, and panic. He stayed there curled up in a ball for several minutes, trying to get a grip over the situation. After a while, he raised his head and stood up.
Ok, ok. Get a grip on yourself. Think, how could this happen? What was I doing? Where was I?
-(Flashback thing)-
"Hey are you sure we should go this way? The forest is getting very thick."
"Don't be such a sissy. You're a guy, you're supposed to be brave and courageous."
"It's called precaution and common sense, not fear."
"I think he's got a point; it's pretty late, and I've never been so deep into the forest."
"Precaution, bah! We'll be just fine-I mean, it's Viridian Forest."
That's it! I was with the guys, in Viridian Forest. Hmmm... That doesn't help a lot; this doesn't look like a forest, at all. I wonder if the others are around here, and if... they're like this too.
He looked at his now fur-covered limbs. He only had three fingers in each of them, and they weren't very useful either. Then, he proceeded to observe his own reflection in the mirror. He was, most definitively, a pokémon. A pokémon he didn't know, probably from Sinnoh, since he knew each and every pokémon in Kanto, it had been a while since he had finished his studies on Johto pokémon, and he was almost done with Hoenn.
Ugh, I'm all wet, I hope fur dries fast. I... Can't speak, can I? He wondered, although he already was pretty sure of the answer.
"Rio." He attempted to speak."Lu, lurio riolu, rio." He tried again.
It's no use... I'm a pokémon, and I speak pokémon. I wonder if I'll be able to understand other pokémon. What would my mother say? I hope this is reversible, she's got things tough enough as they are...
It was just a random thought, one that he quickly dismissed, as he heard a cybernetic voice announce:
"POWER RECOVERED. SYSTEM VERIFICATION COMPLETED. 87% OF ALL SYSTEMS FUNCTIONAL. INITIALIZING ALL SYSTEMS
What the-?
Suddenly, a blinding flash of light covered his field of vision and he could only see white for several seconds. Gradually, his eyes began to get used to the now lighting of the room. Just as he had guessed, the place looked like some high-tech laboratory. Every inch of the room was metallic, and there were computers over computers everywhere.
Wow! It's bigger than I expected... What am i doing here anyway?
His crimson eyes explored the room, looking for an exit, but they widened when instead of that, he found seven transparent glass cylinders, big glass cylinders. They are almost three meters tall, and one meter wide. They were attached to a huge machine by several tubes and cables that were connected to the cylinders' metallic bases. All of them looked exactly the same, except for the last one, that had been shattered and was wet. The floor in front of the tube was covered in glass shards, and there was a puddle of light violet liquid.
This keeps getting freakier. I'm pretty sure I've seen those in alien movies.
He approached the tubes, and saw there was a small metal tag bolted to each of their bases. All of them read "NX" and were followed by a number from 1 to 7. The broken one was labeled NX7.
I hope these aren't what I think they are. He moved towards the broken one, being careful not to step on the glass shards. And I really hope this isn't what I think it is. He looked at the cylinder and its surroundings more closely. Doesn't seem like I'm gonna find out around here, I'd better keep moving.
He turned around and kept exploring the laboratory. It was surprisingly big, the different machines and computers formed walls that turned the place into a maze.
Darn. I'm so short I can't even see over the computers. I wonder how tall I am right now. In fact, I wonder what I am right now. Something that contains the syllables lu, and rio apparently, but that's all I know, and-Ugh! What's that smell?
He tried to cover his nose with his hands, failing due to the fact that they were now a muzzle and paws respectively.
That doesn't smell like a lab, that smells like crap. God, it's like that fish someone threw into our garden last summer. Where is it coming from? It's very strong, it must be really close.
He decided to follow his nose in order to find the source of the stench; not because he really wanted to, but because he needed a target, and this was the only one he could find.
Blegh! It keeps getting stronger, but I still haven't found it; either it's obscenely strong, or my sense of smell has improved. A lot.
Eventually, the smell lead him to what seemed to be a metallic doorframe, the door however, was nowhere to be seen. The smell was almost unbearable at this point, and he was doing all he could to smell as little as possible and not vomit.
Great, an exit! Or at least somewhere new. Whatever the smell is coming from must be around h-
His eyes widened and his body froze for a second. Immediately after that, his body bent and he made an attempt to throw up, but since his stomach was empty, the only thing that came out of his mouth was bile.
Bwaagh! Oh God! It's a-it's a corpse!
There was, indeed, a dead body laying on the room. The body was that of a man in his fifties or sixties, it had a partially burnt labcoat on, and was in a minor state of decomposition. He began to look for a way out of the room, besides where he had just come from. His gaze fell on a half open plastic door at the other side of the room. He ran as fast as he could towards the door, shutting it behind him. An audible 'click' was heard behind him, followed by a beep. He stood with his back pressed against the door, trying to calm down.
Why? I mean-There's a dead body! Where have I ended up? What killed him! No, wait. This has been a hard day. Pull yourself together. Find out what happened. Find exit. Escape. Those are my priorities. But calm down first. Calm. Down.
The smell was still lingering in the air, but it wasn't as strong. In about ten minutes, he had calmed down and was ready to go.
Let's see... First off, where am I?, What am I doing here?, And what happened to me? Hmmm... Let's take a look around, another look around I mean.
At one side of the room were several monitors, and several computers, keyboards, and many other forms of controlpads which's name he didn't really know.
Tsk, everything is like three times bigger than it should be... That probably means I'm about three times smaller than I used to be. Shit... I guess I'll begin with those computers. I'll have to climb a little to reach the keyboard though. He observed the wall of computers with a critical eye. I think I could jump and reach the edge of that computer; from there I should be able to climb up to the controls.
And so, he gathered all his strength and lowered his body, flexed his knees, and prepared to jump. Something unexpected happened though. As his body became airborne, he quickly realized that he was ascending far more than he had initially calculated, and ended up crashing head on with one of the monitors.
Ouch, my head. Darnit, why did I jump so high? Ah, of course, I'm pokémon, many pokémon can jump very high. I guess that's a perk. Now let's see, what are all these for? I know this OS, let's see if I can find something...
He began to move through the different portfolios and files in the computer (not an easy task with his hands' current state), he even used the search option to find "NX", with little success however, as everything required a password, with only one exception: A red icon labeled "National PokéDex".
Ooooh, it's got a PokéDex! That could be useful. Let's see... By type, number, alphabetical order, size, region... Let's try alphabetically, and by region. Ok, Sinnoh, with the "L"... Here! NO, wait, it looks alike, but it's not the same... An evolution maybe? Number 448, Lucario, fighting/steel, 525 average stats, evolves from Riolu! This should be it. He looked for Riolu in the PokéDex. There it is, or should I say, there I am? Number 447, Riolu, fighting type... Pretty nice, it could be worse, I could be... A Grimer, that would be horrible! Or a Voltorb.
He investigated the computer a bit more, but couldn't find any other file that didn't ask for a password. He left the computer he was working with, and moved to the next one, and then to the next one, but it was to no avail, the security was high in all of them.
Looks like this is it-Well hello there security camera! What can you show me? Any interesting recordings? This says today is may 26th, so let's check yesterday, the 25th.
Luckily, the recordings weren't protected by any password, but they only went back a three days. The screen turned black for a second, and then turned on, along with other three monitors, all of them divided in four sections with different footages. Most of the screens showed motionless shots of different parts of the laboratory, but two of them called his attention. The first one showed the man he had found dead previously, but very alive, and working with the same computer he had been investigating before. The second ones was from a camera that had been recording a certain section of the laboratory, the zone with the strange glass cylinders.
Ah! Just as I thought... It was probably that old man who did this.
Indeed, six of the seven cylinders looked just as they did when he saw them before, but the one labeled NX7 was still intact, and inside it, floating in a very light purple fluid was a blue creature, the blue creature he was now.
There I am... I already suspected something. I mean, those are standard tubes for experimenting with people, anyone who has seen a couple movies knows that. I wonder what happened to that old guy.
He clicked the fast-forward button, and observed as the old man, after a long while of typing in the computer, moved towards a different keyboard, and lifted the peripheral, that had initially appeared to be fixated to the other machinery, to uncover a notepad. He opened the notepad and began writing on it, one he was done with it, he left it under the keyboard, and moved towards the plastic door that lead to the room where his dead body had been found. He swiped a card through a slot in the doorframe, and entered the room. Inside that room there were only two pieces of equipment: a computer, and a strange machine connected to the walls of the room through very thick tubes. The man used the computer for a short while, and then moved towards the other machine. The man moved a series of switches, and pressed a button. Suddenly the man began shaking and convulsing, and all the screens went black. The next footage was of the next day. The only differences with the previous one were a broken glass cylinder, the old man dead, and a blue pokémon on his knees in front of a mirror.
What happened there? Let's see it again, this time in slow-motion. The guy presses the button, and he begins shaking, is he getting electrocuted? It looks like it. And just before the lights go out, my container shatters, I see. But the most important part is not that. He walked on the computers, careful not to press any electrifying button, until he got to a certain keyboard. It's this.
He lifted the keyboard, and found a notepad, THE notepad. It had a label that read NX, and it was divided in eight sections.
Eureka. Now let's see... First section
NX Series:
Number of subjects: 7
Related Series: GR and NV
Success rate: 100%
Main goals: Solve lack of stability of the NV series. Reproduce the synchronization rate and stability of the GR series while increasing the survival rate.
Observations: First fully successful series. After the initial success, I decided to increase the amount of subjects from 5 to 7.
Stage 2 can be initiated for the first time since the GR series.
Subject: NX1
Gender: Female
Age: Approximately 15 solar years
Blood type: O+
Height: 159 cm
Weight: 51.7Kg
Selected Species: #133
Estimated survival chance: 91%
Synchronization rate: 96%
Stability rate: 79%
Result: Successful
Stage 2: Initiated
Location: Route 5
Observations: First subject of the NX series. First successful subject since the GR series. Due to the species used, both the synchronization rate and the survival chance are elevated, as in prior cases. The NX formula seems to be able to solve the previous issues of stability.
He kept reading the profiles of the different NX subjects, and came into a realization when he had read the first four ones. But he waited to read them all before deciding anything.
Subject: NX7
Gender: Male
Age: Approximately 16 solar years
Blood type: AB
Height: 180.5 cm
Weight: 72 Kg
Selected Species: #447
Estimated survival chance: 92%
Synchronization rate: 89%
Stability rate: 86%
Result: Successful
Stage 2: To be initiated
Location: Undecided
Observations: Seventh and last subject and success of the NX series. First subject in which a species from Sinnoh has been used. Unexpected fluctuations in the synchronization rate in the early stages.
Dammit! It's not just me. All the others too. They must've got us in Viridian Forest, and he did... this to us!
He took a last look at the notepad, and deciding to take it with him, he headed towards the stairs at the other side of the room.
NX7, huh? Well, NX7, AKA Jake Striker is going to find his friends.
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Blam! There you go! Chapter 2, hope you liked it. Some of you might be confused, some of you might be angry because you don't like tf fics or because I didn't say it was at the beginning; but I'm pretty sure most of you already put 2 and 2 together and know where I'm going, right?
It took quite a bit, but I've been working on my other fanfic and a Naruto One-Shot I've had in mind for a while.
For those who are waiting for the next chapter of Broken Frontier, fear not! I'm on it, but it won't be out for at least a couple of weeks.
Please review!
I didn't want to include all seven profiles in the chapter, but I know some people might like that kind of stuff, so I'll include one in each chapter from now on. Even in this one I'll include an extra:
Subject: NX2
Gender: Female
Age: Approximately 16 solar years
Blood type: B-
Height: 163:
Weight: 52Kg
Selected species: #036
Estimated survival chance: 82%
Synchronization rate: 85%
Stability rate: 83%
Result: Successful
Stage 2: Initiated
Location: Route 7
Observations: Second subject and success of the NX series. First subject of the NX series in which a non-normal type species has been used. Chance of survival reduced because of this.
A/N: Sorry for the messed up chapter before, I'm not sure why that happened.