Waking Up
Andrew suddenly woke with a startled gasp. His body numb from the cold wet ground he suddenly found himself on. The cold dry air around him stinging his lungs as he choked in some air from the sudden shock.
His body slowly began to return feeling to his limbs, finally allowing him to sit up and take in his surroundings. His eyes slowly adjusting to his dim environment. This was a cave; he was suddenly in a dark wet cave.
Fear and panic began racing through his mind in that moment. What had happened to him? Why was he suddenly here?
He remembered taking the bus home from an interview earlier that evening at the other side of Jubilife city. It was another in a series of failed job interviews. Andrew must have applied for half of Sinnoh by that point. Then he, and then he? Why couldn't he remember what happened to him after that?
"Hello?" was all he could manage at the moment with a hoarse voice. The cold air hell on his lungs and throat. "Is someone there?" He called out again, desperation creeping into his voice.
His calls greeted by the echoing howling of wind off in the distance and the soft splashing of water slowly dripping off a nearby stalactite into a small pool of water under it. His only source of light being cast dimly from a few large rocks sticking out from the cave walls and ceiling.
Slowly he rose to his legs, shaking violently from the freezing cold puddle he was laying in. He looked down as he could feel some of the freezing cold water run down his black dress pants. His face cringing as it began to pour into the soles of his dress shoes. The cold water freezing his toes at their touch.
"Great." was all he mumbled as he began taking slow soggy steps towards one of the rocks giving off light on the wall next to him. Each step making a horrible squelching sound that only seemed to grew louder with every step. He quickly noticed that apart of the winds howls off in the distance somewhere, the cave itself was eerily quiet. His own breathing deafening to his ears.
After what seemed like an eternity to him, in no small part from the numbing water in his now soggy shoes causing him to stumble every other step. Andrew finally made it to a rather large looking crystal jutting out from the cave wall. He had expected it to give off a warm heat in the dire hope for reprieve from the biting cold air surrounding him.
He was suddenly met with disappointment as he stepped in front of it. It was actually highly reflective instead and not giving off its own light source. He could see his own reflections off the crystal. As if looking into thousands of tiny mirrors all showing him the same harrowing sight.
He could see his damp black hair disheveled on his head. The cheap styling paste having long worn off, not aided in the least from the cold water he was laying in before. The last vestiges of a ruined comb over slowly falling apart before his eyes.
His face starting to go pale from the dreadful cold and his lips starting to turn a dull blue. He now noticed that he had been shivering as well.
This wasn't good. He needed to find a way out of the cave and fast. He needed to find help quickly or things wouldn't end well for him.
The questions in his head having increased significantly since he had woken up moments ago in that puddle. Where was he? What happened to him? Why couldn't he remember much of anything since waking up?
He pushed those thoughts into the back of his mind as best as he could. He couldn't afford to be distracted right now. There would plenty of time later for questions regarding his current situation. He feared however, that he wouldn't like what he would discover eventually.
Despite the biting cold and the numbing in his toes, he walked as quickly as he could to what he assumed was the source of the howling winds. Stumbled would be a better word to describe it. Almost losing his balance due to the numbness his legs and feet were experiencing as he desperately walked towards what he hoped would be an exit. His every step seeming to take colossal effort which only seemed to reward his soles with pain.
At last, he saw it, the cave's exit within view. The wind's howling having grown deafening to his ears after the eerie silence of the cave's interior from moments ago. At last, he had reached the exit as he felt his legs shaking from exertion.
The sunlight almost blinding him in greeting after his eyes had adjusted to what little light had been reflected off the crystals further inside. As his eyes adjusted to the new light source after some pained blinking. What he saw made his heart sink.
He was greeted with the sight of a snow-covered forest stretching as far as his strained eyes could see. "Oh Arceus..." was all Andrew could pitifully cry out in the moment. 'Where in the world am I?' was all he could think as slumped against cave walls in despair.
The sudden shivering of his body trying desperately to keep warm, snapping him violently out of his stupor.
'I can't stay here or I'll freeze to death.' was all that entered his mind in that moment. Andrew couldn't panic as he tried to steel his mind with resolve. It would waste time and energy, the two things he couldn't afford to waste.
He had two options that he could see. Either leave the cave and try to make it through the snowy forest and likely get lost and die of exposure. "Or try to make a fire here and think things through." Andrew half mumbled to himself, having already decided what he wanted to do.
He took a few tenuous steps out from inside the cave and walked outside into the snow-covered landscape. The snow was only an inch or so deep and in some spots. He could see the bare dirt hiding beneath it. Somehow it felt warmer outside than inside the cave. Making it just a bit easier for him to move.
'Must be from the sun.' Andrew thought to himself as he could feel his body shivering just a little bit less. Still though he needed to be fast. The sun would go down sooner or later and he needed to be ready. He wouldn't be able to make it through the night without a fire when the temperature would certainly drop.
Andrew walked up to the nearest tree and began looking for fallen branches that would hopefully be dry despite the snow. They didn't feel wet at least, but he wasn't sure how much he could trust his sense of touch in the cold.
Taking the chance to look underneath the tree's branches, he noticed the small pine needles. 'Makes sense that these are all pine trees out here with all the snow around I guess.' He thought to himself as he gathered all the branches he could carry in his trembling arms.
He walked a few steps further into the cave's entrance, away from the wind that would be trying to put out his fire if he managed to get it going. Deciding that he was far enough away from the wind he dropped his haul unceremoniously onto the wet cave floor. All the cave floor looked at least slightly damp, he noticed. He hoped that a fire would at least eventually make a dry spot for him to sit and think.
"I just need some kindling and something to make sparks with." He mumbled to himself. As if hoping that if he talked aloud more. That maybe, just maybe he would wake up and this would all be a horrible stress dream. That he would awake back in the crowded bus on his way home from another failed interview in Jubilife City. That this wasn't really all happening to him.
'Kindling, the pine needles would work for that.' He thought to himself. He just needed to find dry ones. If they were still green, they would still work but it would take more time and effort. He couldn't afford that right now.
"Okay, these should work." He spoke with more energy in his voice as he found something that would help him greatly. In front of him on the ground he saw a small pile of pinecones near the base of one of the trees. They would help greatly when trying to light the fire.
Andrew now only needed something to make a spark with. He saved that for last since it should be the easiest. The cave he woke up in should have some good-sized rocks to use for that.
It didn't take much effort to find and pick out a good rock with small rough edges on one side to make sparks with. He had a wide selection to choose from after all from inside the cave. As well as a longer flat one with an abrasive side to smack the first one against.
Walking back to his pile of branches he began working hastily to arrange them in a small circle with one of the ends meeting in the middle. He stacked them a few inches high, making sure to leave a small gap for the kindling.
Next was the pinecones and needles. First, he stuffed a good-sized handful of pine needles into the gap. Next, he took one of the pinecones and started tearing it apart with his hands. 'Perfect.' He thought to himself, allowing some hope take root within him. The insides were nice and dry with a bit of fluff from the torn shell. He placed them inside the small gap for kindling along with the needles and grabbed the small rocks he picked out.
It had been several years since he took that outdoor survival class back in high school. As he held a rock in each hand, he couldn't help but start second guessing himself. 'Do I need more kindling? Are these branches good enough or do I need more. Will these rocks work or do I need something else?' All those thoughts came flooding in right as he was getting ready to light the fire.
The strange circumstances he had found himself in deciding this was the time to take center stage in his mind. He looked back past the cave's mouth, outside into the snowy forest that seemed to stretch out into the horizon. The impossibility of it all crashing into his mind once again and threatening to drown him in despair.
He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to burst forth and stain his face inviting the biting cold to settle in further. Gritting his teeth in frustration he steeled his mind once again. There would be plenty of time for that later he thought to himself as he began smacking the rocks against each other.
The numbing in his fingers didn't make it easy for him. He dropped the rocks more than once from his trembling hands. "Fuck!" was all he yelled out as he went to smack the rocks against each other, missing and accidentally smashing his thumb with one of the sharp edges. The cave walls echoing his cry of frustration back towards him in a mocking timbre.
Still Andrew didn't stop. He could stop. To stop now, after coming so close invited death. It wouldn't be swift. He knew that. Freezing to death had to be a horrible way to go. He imagined it would be horribly painful up until that point. He didn't want to go out that way. He always hoped old age would take him, that he'd pass away peacefully in his sleep. Right now, he was going to fight tooth and nail to make sure it wasn't anything other than that.
At last, after what felt like hours. His hands and arms shaking violently from the bitter cold and exhaustion. At last, he made a spark. A large one at that. Time seemed to slow down for him then as he watched it through weary eyes. The spark flying almost painfully slow into the kindling made of shredded pinecone and needles.
His eyes opening fully in amazement as the spark caught the kindling on fire instantly on landing. He almost gawked in excitement. His hands already leaping into action. He had to be quick.
The fire was in its infancy. He needed to add kindling to feed it further. He needed to work fast and be careful not to accidentally smother it or it would go out. It needed a constant source of air as he piled more on and began to blow on it to help it spread faster. Too much and it would go out as well.
It was a tightrope balancing act for him at that moment. If he did the wrong thing or hesitated by second guessing, it could go out. Andrew would have to start over. He didn't know if he could handle that kind of despair. He worked as quickly as he could, the numbness in his fingers making the task feel monumental.
Finally, the fire grew. A few centimeters at first, but slowly, it grew. Brighter, taller and most importantly hotter. He could already feel the fire fighting to release his fingers from the deathly grip of the chill air. He finally allowed himself to slow. The risk of the fire suddenly going out had long since passed. It only needed to kept it fed with some of the larger branches he found.
"Yes." Andrew couldn't help but smile as he said that. "Yes! Yes! Fuck, yes!" he shouted to himself as he jumped to his feet in celebration, a huge grin covering his face. Despite his earlier resolve. He knew, deep inside he had been so close to giving up. He wasn't sure how much more he could have taken. That didn't matter now. He finally had a fire going and he could work on getting warm.
The change in temperature was noticeable almost immediately. Andrew scrambled to take off his dress shoes and socks. Still soggy from the puddle he had woken up in earlier. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as took his socks off. His toes weren't blue and he could still feel them, they hurt like hell, but he could still feel them. That was what mattered, comfort could come later. He had to make sure he wasn't about to lose a limb from the cold first.
He sat as closely to the fire as he could as he warmed himself. Any closer and he might as well sit on it. He spent what must have been hours next to the thing. Drying off his dress pants, shoes, socks, button down shirt, jacket and tie next to it. All he was wearing was a slightly moist white tank top and his boxers that Poké Balls printed on them.
Andrew knew it would be smart to take off his tank top too, to warm it thoroughly by the fire along with the rest of his clothes nearby. He couldn't bring himself to do it however. He didn't want to be reminded of "That" right now. He couldn't bare it, he had enough to deal with. It was only a little wet and already starting to dry anyways.
"I'm going to need to go back out there again." he said aloud, a frown marring his face as he looked over to the branches he had in reserve. He still had a few hours' worth if he had to guess, but enough to make it through the night? There was no reason to even think of taking that chance. It would only be a few minutes back outside in discomfort to make sure he even survived to the next morning.
After having warmed himself a bit more, he finally decided it was time and began dressing himself. 'Of all the shoes to be stuck with, it just had to be these.' Andrew thought bitterly to himself as he tied the laces of his black dress shoes. His feet had already hurt from walking around in them all day to and from interviews. Now he needed to put them back on to go outside. They weren't suited for the uneven ground in the cave or the snow and dirt outside.
Only buttoning a few of the lower buttons of his white shirt, Andrew decided to forgo the tie this time. It's not like he needed to wear it anymore. Just a simple black dress tie but it meant a lot to him. It was a gift from an old friend. He would make sure to take it before he left.
His black dress jacket was still moist, but at the very least it was another layer between him and the cold winds outside. He essentially had three layers of warmth to work with for his chest and arms, if only the material were actually made for the cold.
It was highly unfortunate that his lower half wasn't as well protected. Dress pants were a poor choice for cold environments, not like he had a choice. It was better than being naked at least.
Not wanting to think about it any further he stepped back towards the exit and noticed it was starting to get dark. "Must be dusk now." He said with a frown as he began scouting for more branches he could use as fire wood.
Suddenly it hit him. He stood to his full height as he was going to pick up the first branch. Eyes scanning the trees, ground and sky. He looked around for them. "Where are all the Pokémon?" Andrew whispered as he continued to look around, his eyes wide in shock.
Usually, you couldn't go two steps out your front door without bumping into one. You'd see them in the skies, on the streets, on buildings. Everywhere you looked. If you faced any direction, there would be a good chance that you'd see a Pokémon somewhere doing something. Usually training for battles, working alongside people or just relaxing somewhere. You'd always see them somewhere.
He hadn't noticed earlier, with the shock of his new surroundings and the whole trying not to freeze to death in a puddle. There weren't any Zubat in the cave, no Pachirisu in the trees. Nothing.
Then he remembered something else as well.
His phone.
Andrew's hands searched franticly for that small familiar rectangular device. He always had it on him. He never expected a call but he used it to check the news and weather every day on his way to another interview. He should have still had it on him.
After searching for a bit through his pants, shirt and jacket he had found it. Along with a few other small items he needed to take stock of later. It was in the front inner jacket pocket. Andrew counting his blessings that it wasn't in his back pant pockets next to his wallet. The cold puddle would have ruined the electronics if that were the case.
Hastily he typed in his password at the login screen. Zero Four Twenty-Nine. It worked, a familiar picture meeting his eyes on the home screen. Of him and his old friends, his family.
His mind lingering on memories long past. It took him great effort to shove them away and focus on getting help. There would be time to reminisce later.
His hopes dashed as quickly as they came as he noticed he had no signal. Not a single bar to call for help. Andrew couldn't even use the phone's GPS to see where he even was.
He struggled to find a signal, just one bar was all he needed, no matter how faint. He pointed his phone skyward on out stretched hands hoping he could find something, anything.
Suddenly, he saw it. Something that made his eyes go wide, almost dropping his phone in shock. Far off in the horizon on top of the highest mountain he saw it.
A swirling disk of energy larger than the biggest cloud in the sky that he could see. Lightning and other strange energies flashing out of it occasionally. It almost looked to him as if the sky had a massive gaping wound.
Andrew had never seen anything like it before in his life. He had never seen it on the news before or even read about something even close to it at the library. What in Arceus's name is going on? What ever it was, it was far away at the very least.
Even from where he stood, the swirling vortex filled him with a sense of dread however. As if he would be suddenly sucked into it even from how far away he was merely by even looking at it.
He wasn't going to find a signal here, and he couldn't spend too much longer out trying to find Pokémon that might just be hiding either. Gathering the branches he had found, he quickly ran back to the cave. At least it was safe.
He had just now noticed that he was shivering again and his teeth chattering. Cold, or was it fear. Whatever it was it had gotten worse after seeing the vortex in the sky. His questions only mounting further in his mind.
There would be time to think about everything that had happened soon. He just needed to get warm first and plan out what to do next.
Chapter End.
This is actually the second Pokémon story that I have started. I wrote the first one several years ago and only posted three chapters at the time. I actually had far more ready in rough draft form but I lost motivation at the time and when I came back to it, I actually wasn't too happy with it. So, I decided to start over and with a different concept and characters. So far, I am a lot more motivated with this one so that's a good sign.
Anyways, Andrew has had it pretty rough so far. I just want to make it clear that this story won't be all despair and pain. It will still be there but I want to balance it out with some more light hearted moments like those in the games and anime. I think that'll be the biggest challenge. Balancing out overly realistic, grim dark stories with the humor and light hearted moments to not make your necks recoil so hard from tonal whiplash. So, we'll see how that pans out later on.
Also, I want to know how you all think you'd do in this kind of situation. Not the transported to the Pokémon world. I have a feeling everyone would wish for some variation of that. I mean what if you suddenly found yourself in an intense survival situation with no preparation and you were already at a disadvantage? With literally only the clothes on your back and the knowledge you could reliably recall. Do you think you would do worse, around the same or better than Andrew?
I hope you've enjoyed the chapter or are at least curious to see how this plans out. If all goes according to plan. Expect a new chapter by around next week, or earlier if I am lucky.
Take care.