In The Shadow Of War - Chapter 2 - Hunger
Another day has passed, and the hunger is starting to make itself present again. The fire is in it's final embers, and no real fuel is left in the shed.
Isaac's body ached from the cold and uneasy sleep. He got himself up and looked out the hole again. The sun was on the horizon, and the snow had stopped falling. It was quiet as well, so he started gather what remained of his possessions. The spoon, his lighter, and his rifle. He left Poochyena wrapped in the blanket, and put the sick pokemon in his bag with its head poking out.
Isaac put on his boots, which had been drying by the fire, picked up his bag and rifle, and exited the shed.
The sun reflected brightly off the snow, and Isaac squinted, trying to make out possible threats in the distance. He took to the forest, as he knew roads were too dangerous for those in their conditions.
The beauty of the snow-covered evergreens contrasted the violent conflict being waged around them. Pokemon unaffected by the human struggle still scampered about their lives, oblivious to the tragedy of their home region.
Behind him, Isaac could hear a soft whimper.
"It's ok, buddy. I'll find us something to eat," he reassured his friend, "I promise."
It was an empty promise. In reality, Isaac had no idea where he'd find their next meal. Cities were overrun, people were protective of what little supplies they did have, and he refused to kill a Pokemon for food. That, he thought, was the lowest thing a person could do.
Tired, Isaac sat down at the base of a tree to rest. From his pocket he pulled several pieces of paper. A ratty, torn town map showed that they were a bit over four miles from Fortree City. The last he had heard, Fortree was still free, thanks to local guerrillas who used the landscape to their advantage in protecting their home, and HDF forces had stationed a garrison there to support them.
He put the map away and looked at another of the papers. This one a photo of a girl he had once been close to, but has lost any contact with since the Blast. He had traveled to her home in Lilycove, but it had been burned to the ground. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek.
"She's out there somewhere, I know she is." He said to his Poochyena, who looked up at him. "Hey," he added, "when we get to Fortree, I bet there will be other Pokemon at the Pokemon Center, maybe a friend for you to play with."
Poochyena looked happy.
Issac packed the map, the picture, and an envelope marked KJAF CLASSIFIED back into his pocket and continued on toward the city.
After twenty minutes of walking, he spotted a small campsite in a clearing ahead. Cautious, he slowly made his way to a bush near the tent. There, he put down his bag and readied his rifle.
He first investigated the fire pit. Cold, and burnt all the way down. This fire had been left alone for at least a few days. Believing this was a sign that the occupant must have left, he walked over to the tent and opened it.
The smell was horrendous. Flies swarmed the carcass of an elderly man, still clutching a fork and a cold, half-eaten bowl of some kind if chili. Isaac searched the tent for any other food, but came up empty. All he found was some dirty rags, a book, and a half-empty bottle of whiskey.
He looked back at the body, at the bowl, and felt queasy. But they were hungry, and that chili probably wouldn't kill them. He pried the old mans fingers off the bowl, and took it out of his hands. He placed the bowl down, and dragged the corpse out of the tent. He buried it in snow just outside the camp, picked up Poochyena and his bag, and took them to the tent.
He started another fire outside, and warmed up the chili to put something in the two of their stomachs. He brought it in, fed his pokemon, and then himself. Night fell quickly, and they slept almost comfortably for the night.