Chapter 2: Pouring Rain
Spots of rain were falling. The golden gleam of the day was being trampled on, as with each passing moment, every droplet of rain was steadily beginning to fall harder. The rain would press into the heat of their tea, and the purring heat of their stew. Lunch wasn't going particularly well.
One thought pondered within Serena as she put her quickly cooling tea back down onto the table; what exactly did that Pokemon Ranger mean when he warned the group after their battle?
The clouds began to crowd over further, cramping the sky, and squeezing out the light. Yet strangely, everyone continued eating as normal. Serena looked around, and grew more concerned at the sneering sky while everyone else had their heads buried in their bowls of stew and Pokemon food.
"Um... guys?" Serena uttered sheepishly.
Clemont glanced over. He adjusted his glasses and caught sight of the wavering light in the sky, where a spark of tension then flared up on his face.
"Is it raining?" Bonnie spoke with a disappointed tone. The Lumiose twins dejectedly examined the sky, while Ash opposite them kept his head firmly in his bowl as he slurped and chewed at his stew. He powerfully motored away at his meal, and was unaware to the changing conditions around him.
"Ash..?" She called.
Puzzled by Serena's nervous tone he looked up, where she was greeted by a face of wide open intrigued eyes, with a considerable amount of stew sitting around his mouth. His innocent energy was enough to brighten any darkening sky.
"What's up?" He was oblivious to the mess on his mouth before a gust of the ever strengthening wind pushed against the thick stew on his lips. He startled himself by noticing, and immediately rubbed his mouth clean with his arm- table manners of the Ash variety. She chuckled slightly, before returning her gaze to the scenes above them.
"Are those clouds going to be okay?" She spoke with a tone of angst. He took a glance up, and shrugged his shoulders, he seemed dismissive of any trouble going on above.
"Nah it'll be fine! Just a few spots of rain, nothing to worry about. Right Pikachu?" He assured with a satisfied grin as he turned to his yellow friend who gave a confident "Pika!" with those tiny clenched fists. He then returned to his meal, where he picked out every last bit of food he could find; his priorities never seemed to wither. Serena made a content sigh, Ash was never one to lose himself in panic; the truth was as he scavenged through his meal to rid the bowl of its very last contents he always stayed true to what he was focussing on. He had been out travelling for a long time, and it seemed that no matter what happened, he never let go of his heart. Maybe that's why Serena felt such a strong connection to him, as his energy pumped through his veins just as frantically as when they first met back at Professor Oak's Summer Camp. He was always the Ash Ketchum she knew, and always the Ash Ketchum she liked.
Clemont's voice however cut through the relief. He adjusted his glasses a few more times, and quickly pulled a small book from his bag.
"I wouldn't be too relaxed about the weather around here..." He murmured as he flicked through each page in a rushed manner.
"Something the matter?" Bonnie examined his book before he stamped a finger on the particular section he was looking for.
"Right here!" He paused, taking a hold on his glasses.
"It turns out what that Pokemon Ranger may have some truth to it." He looked up and faced the observing group around the table.
"Something about being the Red Pokemon Ranger?" Ash put his bowl down and spoke during mid-chew.
"No, about the weather in eastern Kalos." He ominously spoke.
Ash, Serena and Bonnie looked around at each other in bemusement, as spots of rain began to fall harder, creating clear wet marks on the pages of Clemont's book. He took an intake of breath, and began to open his mouth to speak while holding onto his glasses, as he tensed up.
"While the western and central areas of Kalos have climates that have recovered and evened out over thousands of years, the eastern area still remains with an unsettled eco-system, and highly variable weather conditions. It is said that the blast and radiation from the impact of when the Ultimate Weapon was utilised to end the Kalos war over 3,000 years ago struck the region, the energy and radio-activity diffused to the outskirts of the land. While on the western areas this resulted in development of more renewable energy sources alongside diffusing out to the sea, for the eastern areas the already violent weather known to strike in the rough, mountainous areas became more treacherous, and more unpredictable. Since then the Kalos climate has settled, yet the eastern areas are still said to be out of sync, explaining the leap to autumn, and subsequently winter, the further east we travel."
"So what is it saying about the weather today?" Bonnie didn't seem to be interested.
"While it may be just a shower... We cannot rule out the possibility of this fragile climate potentially throwing up a storm." He concluded, seemingly at unease with his new knowledge of the area.
His words made Serena shudder, the thought of encountering a storm deeply unsettled her, and with a sense of uncertainty drifting around in the ever strengthening wind, she began to dilute a pale white. Clemont flicked further through his book, trying to gauge more information. Ash and Bonnie both sat while resting their elbows on the table, to them the threat of bad weather only hampered their fun. Ash had planned to sprint straight ahead to Anistar City and begin training for his gym battle, but in the midst of this disrupting weather, his progress looked to be encountering a halt. Serena looked around at him, as she began to shiver under the ever darkening sky. Why was it always her that felt the fear? What if the storm became dangerous, what would they do then? What if someone was hurt? A bombardment of thoughts swarmed her, she had a habit of over-thinking. Especially after Clemont began to explain the history of the area, she felt like simply sitting around eating lunch would be far too dangerous. The sky was unsettling her; she just could not ignore it, nor relax; there was something eerie about it. It began to rumble. It sounded angry.
"But there won't be any storms today... right?" She choked to Clemont.
"Well... I can't confirm that for sure." He couldn't return a definite answer.
She frantically whipped out her electronic Kalos guide from her bag and flicked her finger through each app in hope that she would find something that would enlighten her on the darkening weather. The rain continued to fall.
"With such weather, maybe it would be too difficult for weather forecasts to project an accurate reading." Clemont calmly added as Serena's nerves were becoming noticeable.
"Maybe it's just a shower!" Bonnie beamed as she swung her legs under the table. She was ever optimistic that soon the golden sun would return to the afternoon, and that she could lead all of the Pokemon back out into the crisp air to crunch away at the accumulating leaves.
But the rain kept falling.
Eventually if it continued at this rate, then the leaves would collect the standing water, and turn the route's path into a treacherous swamp. Serena had a sudden glimpse at such a thought, and her heart-rate once again began to climb.
The sky rumbled once more.
"What should we do..?" Serena held out two hands to show how much the rain was now beginning to fall. It wasn't just blocking the heat, but wetting everything the group had set up around them for lunch. In that moment each of the Pokemon eating shrieked at the discomfort, and tried to shield themselves with their food bowls on top of their heads, while Chespin, Dedenne and Bunnelby tried to take shelter under the bench. Braxien too was panicking, her pristine tail was being ruined by the dirty rain. Serena immediately reacted, and abruptly stood up to recall Braxien and Pancham back to their PokeBalls. She looked tense, her breathing was rapid.
"Don't worry Serena, it'll be fine! It's probably just a shower. It'll clear up again in no time!" Ash had that flare in his eyes as he looked up to a shaking Serena. She looked down, and couldn't help but feel herself sink back into her seat next to him at the sight of those reassuring amber eyes. If for only a second, she felt safe.
"But Ash..." In that instant, the sky growled.
It had been rumbling, sinisterly purring, as if it was playing with the innocent quartet. The first strike then came, a white flash of light, and then a few tantalising seconds later, a growl of thunder bellowed across the route. The sky was grey. The rain became heavy. Autumn's golden shine had been trampled by the rain, as the dark greyness caved in on them.
"Um, maybe it isn't just a shower..." Ash looked over at Serena with an embarrassed smile as he scratched his nose. The elements were proving him wrong; it was uncanny. Serena flinched at the sudden reaction from the angry-sounding sky, it was like it was alive, like it was something supernatural, like it was not happy with their presence. Once again Serena's mind kicked into overdrive. Bonnie ducked under the table to join the little Pokemon in their shelter club, while Clemont gritted his teeth as he held tightly onto his glasses to analyse the rapidly changing conditions. Ash began to look around.
"I-I think we should go." Serena gingerly mumbled; she placed a hand on her chest, and gave a hesitant glance at Ash, hoping he would agree. He held a hand out to the rain.
"It does seem to be getting worse, huh..." Yet he remained bafflingly laid back. On the same side of the bench they sat, but their emotions at this very point in time were at opposites. Serena felt the cold begin to bite, as another roar of thunder fired a warning to the group that this definitely wasn't just a shower.
"We should get going quickly, this current cloud formation can only mean one thing- a storm is beginning!" Clemont cried out as he confirmed his worst fears to himself, the group had been caught in a swift turn of the weather, as autumn was now showing its ugly side; more specifically, Route 16 was beginning to show the group the terrifying realities that can be faced in eastern Kalos.
The rain fell ever harder, a deluge of water threatened to flood the group's path.
"Serena, are you okay?" Ash looked over as he noticed Serena caught in some sort of vision. She was becoming trapped in her thoughts once more.
"Uh, yes- I'm fine. Let's get going!" The truth is, she wasn't. Dozens of scenarios were being pelted at her; she wasn't enjoying the sudden sense of danger. She rushed to fold up the table, where Ash then recalled his Pokemon back to their PokeBalls- they looked relieved to be out of the now torrential rain, amongst the growing storm. Pikachu gave himself a shake as he tried to dry himself from the cold rain before jumping back onto his trainer's shoulder. Serena cringed as she felt the cold and filthy water add weight to her hat, before droplets began to sink into her honey blonde hair. They were persistent; running all the way through each strand before brushing against her scalp, and knocking her sense of body warmth into chaos.
"Ugh, we need to get out of this!" She yelled as Clemont finished packing his cooking tools away. The group had rushed to pack up, and were ready to make a run for it. They had no choice but to run for shelter as the storm operated at full swing, and an ominous mist was trying to form. They began to run, run in the forward direction that they knew best. Ash pulled his hat tight onto his thick raven hair.
"Guys whereabouts are we heading?" he yelled under the crashing raindrops.
"It looks like we should head up there among the cliffs-" Clemont began to suggest until Serena interjected.
"Cliffs?! Near the mountains?" She ran with her back hunched over as she cringed at every intrusive splash of rain that targeted her. The storm was worsening, and so was their situation. She didn't like the idea of approaching a rocky mountainous area, nor did she like the idea of the heights they would have to cross in the process.
"It's the best method of finding a town or city. From there we have access to paths leading to both Dendemille Town if we need it, or Anistar City. Either way we require the options, as the quicker we are out of this storm, the better." He tried to calmly explain. She could only conjure up a weak grunt to reply, she had no answer, she just wanted to be out of the cold, and out of the wet. The icy water froze her senses, as she felt a headache beckoning. She could think of nothing, other than getting out of the storm.
Bonnie didn't seem to mind the conditions, but she ran close to Serena. Reaching for her hand, the two sisters ran in the rain, running from the storm. Ash headed up the group, running on ahead, while Clemont huffed and puffed heavily at the back, trying to keep together with the group as they neared the rocky cliffs. Moving forward, the quartet endeavoured to escape the storm.
With each step they felt the ground soften, and turn to a sludge-like soggy state. What had once been leaves had been mashed into soggy residue, as soil kicked up and blotched brown scuffs over the landscape. Bark chippings sunk into the sea of leaves, while the group felt their shoes too begin to sink with each step. Picking up mud meant that each step would become even heavier, as Serena watched the soles of Ash's shoes accumulate a huge slice of soil. Each kick of a leg meant clusters of mud would be launched into the air, where Serena and Bonnie felt the mud slap against them, while Clemont in their trail was on the receiving end of mother nature's worst debris. It was a harsh lesson for the science enthusiast. Regardless of what was being kicked up in their path, they kept running.
The light was fading, and fading fast. The fog was coming. The sky was blackening, as each cloud grumbled further lashings of rain and thunder. Shocked white flashes would peer through the fog occasionally, but not enough to prevent the day from completely fading out of sight. Seeing each other was now becoming an issue. Bonnie turned around, the sight of her big brother was becoming worryingly hard to see as he did his best to keep up.
"Are you okay back there?" She called, where he could only nod under the horrid mixture of sweat and shivers. Bonnie dropped back, as Serena shrieked upon feeling Bonnie's hand release from her.
"Bonnie!" She cried in angst.
"It's okay, I'm helping out my brother back here!" She reassured from the distance, yet her voice was becoming ever faint, while visibility was becoming ever scarce. Serena's pounding heartbeat calmed for a split-second knowing that the Lumiose twins were together. Ash stayed close to Serena, making sure she was keeping in his tracks, and ensuring that the group would not run into any more danger.
Yet the fog thickened.
In their exhausted state, keeping up with each other was becoming a dire task. Clemont struggled his aching lungs through the sharp air, while Bonnie would stay close to him, pulling on his arm to keep him going. The siblings pulled through and prevailed in this tough time. Clemont was breathless for words, but Bonnie caught his grateful smile, and cheerfully grinned back at him. With challenging conditions being thrown straight in their faces, they were there for each other. The group were there for each other too, but the storm had other ideas.
The fog continued to thicken.
Serena ran, she ran as fast as she could next to Ash. They ran from the storm, and they ran together. Caught in the freezing claws of the sharp rain and her heavy clothes, thinking logically was becoming unreasonable in such a situation. Of course it wasn't such an issue for Ash, he let his thick raven hair run wild under that hat, and so no raindrops were going to disrupt his thinking. She was relying on him, he ran like he knew where safety was. Wherever it may be, she knew that her safety was with him. It amazed her, how he could keep on going, no complaints, just sheer determination. As he led the group though the storm, Serena saw it serve testament to the bravery and courage she knew glowed around him. She may have been wet, she may have been shivering and crying for shelter, but she was with Ash. When by his side, she felt as if she could brave any storm. She felt the elevation change, they were now running up hill onto the cliffs, but she held faith in herself; she held faith in him.
They continued, but the fog still thickened. It had thickened to a veil of grey that had enveloped Ash and Serena. The two stopped in their tracks, letting the rain hit them, and scanned around the area. The familiar lemon yellow spark of the Lumiose-born siblings was nowhere to be seen. No exuberant child, no exhausted scientist.
"Clemont?" Ash yelled.
"Bonnie..?!" Serena cried.
No reply. Just the growl of another wave of thunder, and the crashing of rain.
Serena's pupils dilated, she took a step back, and her heart skipped a beat.
"W-where are they?!" She cried; Ash noticed her legs becoming wobbly, and her skin flush a washed white. Shock and horror struck her; but now wasn't the time for worrying.
"They're probably going another route; c'mon, we've gotta keep going!" Ash spoke sternly.
"But Ash are they going to be oka-" Her concerns were interrupted by a heavy sneeze. She pressed both hands against her mouth and felt her eyes watering. She looked up, only for the rain to meet her wet eyes; they were now overflowing. Ash approached her, as she continued to duck away from the rain, he stood over her. He towered over Serena, she was going cold, and Ash needed to reignite her flame.
"Serena, you're catching a cold..." He spoke softly under the thunder's call.
"Are you sure they're going to be all right..?" She choked underneath her hands.
"They'll be fine, they always work well together, just like us."
She was looking down at the rough floor, but then looked up once more. This time there was no void in the sky throwing rain at her, instead it was Ash. His bright amber eyes lit up the dark, and that confident smile sent warmth to where she was cold. Their eyes locked.
"Let's go." He firmly uttered.
The two got going once more, confident in their thoughts that Clemont and Bonnie would pull through.
In the midst of the chaotic storm, no one was giving up easily.
"C'mon we need to speed up, I think we've lost them!" Bonnie exclaimed to Clemont.
"It's no use, I can't run for long..." He groaned, accepting his fault for the split.
Having grown up in the city of light, there was no reason why in their practical ways they wouldn't be able to change the darkness of the rural environment around them.
"... Can't you invent something?" She asked. They stopped. From the corner of her eye came that smirk, and the familiar laugh. There was no use fearing mother nature's wrath, not when the Lumiose siblings of Clemont and Bonnie had science at their disposal.
Up ahead, the dizzying heights were beginning to take their toll. Serena looked up and around as the two climbed ever higher. As she saw the world below them shrink ever smaller, keeping up with Ash in this frantic, aggressive storm-hit road was becoming ever more challenging. They had reached the top of the cliff, where Ash ran to the edge to try and get a glimpse of any nearby towns. Upon running he felt his shoes slide slightly in the mud, but thought nothing of it, for he would continue; now wasn't the time to be scared. Serena's movements became wayward and weak, the high view made her light-headed, and the thought of looking down terrified her. She felt her oncoming cold advance further, as she released another sneeze that took all the energy from her throat. It was like her body was ridding her of the last reserve tanks of energy she had left. It was becoming an impossible battle. Yet she continued, she saw Ash standing just a few inches in front of her, but her legs were giving up. They became nimble, and wobbled. She crashed to the ground. She began feeling the energy fade, and hurriedly strived to crawl to Ash. He noticed her desperate attempt to reach him on her knees, and instantly sprinted to her side, crouching down to hold her steady. He placed a firm hand around her back.
"Serena, what's wrong? Are you okay?" He exclaimed with anxieties running alongside the raindrops down his face. Serena felt her conscience slipping, but tried to tune in further to the safety of Ash's arms.
"Ash... I'm sorry for being weak... I just really, don't like heights..." A weak whimpering voice replied to him, straining under the pressures the storm was throwing.
He placed his hands on her shoulders, where she felt energised by the warmth, his infinite glowing warmth. Those amber eyes caressed her tired mind.
"Never give up 'till it's over. Let's get out of this storm, and then find Clemont and Bonnie.
She felt herself pulled up, and standing once more. He had come to her aid again, and was briefly re-energised by warm, welcoming, and ever so addictive body heat. With all eyes firmly focussed on the road ahead, the two kept running. Running from the storm.
In the ruthless environment she remained next to him all the way. At that moment where she was seized by the shoulders and saved, she promised herself that she would never leave his side. He was there for her, and now she too had to be there for him.
They ran further into the storm, but Serena began to believe that nothing could hurt them, not when they were next to each other. She was driven by such a belief, and refused to lose faith in it despite the ever angering aggression of the sky above them.
She kept faithful; yet as they say:
when it rains, it pours.
Their innocence would soon have a price to pay.