The day Mt. Chimney erupted, the Hoenn region was blanketed in peace and tranquility. From Rustboro to Ever Grande, people and Pokemon alike were enjoying the warm weather, the clear skies, and of course, each others company. The seas were calm, and the citizens of Lavaridge were enjoying the hot springs, as they did every morning.
A young girl pedaled down Jagged Pass on her bike, the bag at her side full of fresh picked herbs for the local shop. Flannery was already running the gym, having just gotten the hang of things. There were hikers outside Fiery Path too, who noticed unusual heat coming from the mouth of the cave, but they paid it no mind. Instead, they decided to scale its rugged cliffs and reach the summit, where eager trainers would battle in the intense heat of the caldera.
Brendan was at home in Littleroot, spending precious time with his father, who rarely got time off from the gym. His mother was in the kitchen making lunch, and his Grovyle was sitting beside him. He listened to his dad give him advice in training; how to have strong Pokemon and how to respect his bond with them. He listened intently, until the sandwiches were placed on the table. Then both of them forgot the conversation. Brendan's mother smiled, happy that her culinary skills hadn't waned over the years, and returned to the kitchen just as the ground began to tremble, and the ceramic plates stacked on the counter rattled in the tremor.
Her hands grabbed the stack before it could topple over. Brendan tried to stand up, but was thrown of balance and grabbed onto the table for support. Grovyle held on as well, but Norman got up, casually walking over to the window. He glanced around outside, at the trees and the sky, wondering what could be the source of the earthquake. It couldn't be from a Pokemon battle, it was too strong, and it was still going, rattling everything and causing the books to spill forth off the bookcase. The lights flickered, and the glass in the window shattered outward.
At last, the tremors ceased, leaving Brendan's family in a confused silence. They'd never experienced anything like that before. In fact, no one alive in the Hoenn region had felt an earthquake like that. They all shared a worried look before Norman spoke.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked, his voice edged with concern. His wife nodded, and Brendan shared a look with Grovyle before nodding as well.
"I'm going to go talk to Birch. Watch out for broken glass." With that, he sped out the door, crossing the lawn to get to the lab down the street. Brendan followed him out, but turned for his neighbor's house instead. He jumped up the front steps and knocked on the door, worrying about May and her family.
Her mother opened the door, looking slightly relieved to see him. "Oh, Brendan, you're alright. Where are your parents? Are they okay?"
"They're fine," he said. "My dad left to go speak with Professor Birch. Can I come in? How's May doing?" He looked past her and saw May standing in the living room, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Brendan!" she cried when she saw him, running to the door. "What the heck was that? An earthquake? Last I checked, we weren't near any fault lines. Nothing could have caused it except..." She trailed off, sharing a worried glance with her mother. "You don't think...?"
* * *
By the time the trainers on Mt. Chimney's summit felt the quake, they were already doomed. The volcanic rock beneath their feet began to crack, and the caldera bubbled in anticipation of the blast. Some had thought to run, but they wouldn't make it. Lava spewed forth from the cracks, showering them in scalding hot molten rock that seared their flesh. People screamed in both horror and pain, running for Jagged Pass. A fault had opened up in the ground, however, and as the lava in the caldera rose, it filled the cracks, sealing them in. One trainer who tried to make the jump fell in, letting out a single desperate scream before his body was torched. The few who were still alive turned to see the caldera spew forth a tower of lava, and the ground beneath them broke as the rock collapsed, taking them in to the gaping, bubbling maw.
* * *
"It is as I feared," said Professor Birch, now standing outside with Norman. "See the smoke rising from its peak? Mt. Chimney is no longer dormant." He was suddenly aware of the numerous people and Pokemon who made the mountain their home, and he lowered his head in reverence. "Arceus rest their souls."
Norman, however, was far less concerned with the dead and more concerned with the living. "Will it still erupt?" he asked. "Will Mt. Chimney blow?"
Birch gave him a pitiful look, then nodded solemnly. "In all likelihood, yes. I can't say for sure how powerful in will be, or even if we'll be safe here."
Norman eyed the smoking volcano. "Then we need to get everyone out. How far do you think we'll need to go? Sootopolis? Ever Grande?"
"Dewford would be closer," said Birch. "Take as many as you can to Petalburg. We'll take a boat from Route 104 and head south. Hurry, Norman!" His voice suddenly flared with urgency. "Take my children too, get them all to safety!" Norman gave a quick nod before running back to the house to get his wife and son.
Brendan was trying to reassure May when his dad burst in to undo all his work. "Mt. Chimney is erupting," he said gravely. "We have to get everyone to Dewford. Brendan, May, come with me. Hurry!" They didn't hesitate. Running out the door, May was trembling, her eyes wide with panic. Her mother stopped to gaze off at the mountain in the distance, staring in awe at the billowing smoke that was spread out like a cloud. Only when May grabbed her hand was she shaken out of her stupor, and she ran with her family, darting up the road to Route 101. Brendan ran towards his house, but his dad's hand grabbed him.
"W-Wait!" he stammered. "Mom! We have to get-" Only then did he notice his mother running ahead of him, carrying a small bag of essentials.
"Come on Brendan, don't stop!" she called. "We need to get moving!"
They cut through to Oldale without stopping, only alerting the others to danger by yelling and pointing to the volcano. Unfortunately, they only succeeded in stirring up a panic. People were screaming and running into their homes to grab what they could while children who were unable to locate their parents cried. Brendan wanted to stay and help them, but he was already starting to lose sight of his own parents far ahead of him, and he sprinted to catch up.
They crossed through Route 102 now, and Brendan's mom briefly panicked when she couldn't find him. However, he was right behind her, and when she found him, she put her hand o his back and guided him on.
"Where's...where's my dad?" May panted. They were all starting to get winded, but they didn't know how much time they had. "Did he get out? I want my dad!"
"He'll be along," said May's mom, ushering her forward, but her voice sounded doubtful. Brendan felt bad for her, but there was nothing he could say.
Finally, they came into Petalburg, and when they arrived in front of the gym, they rested. Brendan fell against the wall, breathing heavily. He'd never run so far without stopping in his life. Many around him were already aware of the expanding cloud and were evacuating to the port on Route 104.
"What if there's not enough boats?" May asked suddenly. "What if...what if everyone can't make it?" She instinctively turned back to Route 102, but her mom took her by the shoulder.
"That's why we need to leave as soon as possible," she said, trying to sound calm. But her anxiety combined with her exhaustion only made May even more tense. Brendan frowned sympathetically. he couldn't imagine being separated from one of his parents at a time like this. He too went to put his hand on her shoulder, but then something happened. There was a terrible flash of orange light out of the corner of his eye. Mt. Chimney burst forth its contents several thousand feet into the sky. In the distance, Brendan could see trees being flattened by an invisible force that was quickly approaching.
"GET DOWN!" roared Norman, pushing down on his wife's back. "EVERYBODY GET-"
It hit, and Brendan was knocked down flat by the blast of heat followed by a deafening boom. The ground shook far harder than it did before, fracturing the ground and blowing out the windows. The roof of the gym caved in, and a house by the water was blown over. Brendan lay flat, praying nothing would hit him, oblivious to everything due to the ringing in his ears. When he was finally aware of movement, and something pulling him up, he looked to see his father yelling frantically, his mouth shaping words he could not hear. Eventually, he could hear low rumble all around him, and a chorus of panicked screams.
"Brendan, please, you have to get up," Norman pleaded. His son blinked at him, gradually becoming more aware of his surroundings. His legs swung around in mid-air before Norman lowered him, and he managed to stand. His father pulled him along, and he followed obediently, thankfully not aware enough to pay much attention to the bodies around him. They ran out to Route 104, leaping over ledges and tall grass to reach a dock where several boats were anchored.
"Wait until they're full!" a woman was yelling. "Please, don't leave with room for more! We need to get everyone out!" Brendan had regained much of his awareness, and only now noticed his mother was nursing a bleeding arm, and her face was blackened.
"Mom!" he squeaked, reaching out for her, but her hand only guided him onto the dock. "Get into the boat sweetie, and hurry! Mommy will be fine!" He watched her as his dad pulled him, and he saw the volcano behind her, issuing ash miles into the sky, and spilling magma down its side. Lavaridge was gone. He was going to get his fourth gym badge there.
May was there too, surprisingly silent and calm, but Brendan could tell she had been traumatized. She looked even less responsive than he did. Her mom almost had to carry her, though she was already holding her crying son.
Norman helped him onto a boat, and May climbed down, not making eye contact with her mother or her brother as she lowered him towards her. She at least managed to help him down into the boat. Norman took his wife's uninjured arm and guided her down quickly, trying not to look at the carnage behind them. Lastly, May's mom climbed in, pushed by desperate townsfolk who were jumping into crammed boats.
Just as they made it in, the boat departed, and the volcano let out a second roar as the cloud spread over them, covering land and sea in a dark shadow. Brendan stared up at it in awe. Behind him, his mother was weeping, and Norman held her, his head resting on her shoulder.
The last boat left only moments later, leaving quite a few people still on the dock. As they pulled away down Route 105, May watched the shore, and she leaped up.
"Dad!" she cried. "Dad, look, he's there! We have to get him!" Brendan followed her line of sight and, indeed, there was Professor Birch, watching his wife and children drift away mournfully. He gave a long, slow wave, but May only ran to the edge and reached out. "Daddy! Jump in! Swim! We can get to you, come on!" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Daddy..."
Route 104 disappeared from sight, though the cloud still hovered over them. Though they were fortunate enough to get to safety, no one on the boat seemed to care. People were sobbing, holding one another, and watching the magma flow as it spread across the Hoenn region. Brendan didn't want to think about what was happening in Mauville right now. As they drifted on in silence, a hand came down on Brendan's shoulder.
He turned and looked up to see his father standing over him. "Are you alright Brendan?" he asked. "I mean, physically, were you injured?"
Only when Brendan opened his mouth did he realize he couldn't speak. This confused him, but he didn't seem to care much. He shook his head in response, and his dad sighed. "Everything's going to be okay, kiddo. We'll be fine, just hang in there." He turned around, watching his dad walk off to the other side of the boat, where his mom was getting her wounds treated.
"I'm fine," she said for the seventh time. "Please, my son. I need to see my son." She looked over at him, but Norman placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Brendan's fine. He's okay." Brendan, of course, realized this wasn't going to ease his mother's worry, and so he got up and went over to join her. She pushed herself away from the woman who had been binding her arm and pulled her son into a tight embrace, wincing slightly at the pain. Norman knelt beside them, placing his arms around both of them. They stayed that way for a while, neither moving nor speaking as the boat sailed on.
When they finally arrived in Dewford, they found the people there had already prepared their homes to receive them and treat the wounded. And old couple took in Brendan's family, while May went to Brawly's house. Norman stopped to talk to him, explaining everything that happened. Meanwhile, his mom took him into the house, where the elderly man was laying out sleeping bags in the floor, and his wife was stirring a pot on a stove.
"You poor dears," she said soothingly. "I can't imagine what it was like. No need to trouble yourselves, just sit down at the table and get comfortable." She turned to Brendan and smiled. "I'll make you some nice warm soup. How does that sound?"
Brendan opened his mouth, and once again found that he couldn't speak. He simply nodded, and the old woman went back to stirring. Norman came in now, thanking the couple again for their hospitality before informing them that four more people will be staying with them.
"Oh goodness," said the woman. "I'll need to make more soup."
* * *
That night was particularly dark. The ash cloud overhead blocked out the moon and stars, and only a small lamp on the wall gave the room any light. Brendan laid there, curled up in the darkness. He held a Pokeball in his hand, one which contained his Grovyle.
He had planned to leave a little after lunch to continue his journey. That journey was over now, of course. A lot was over. His life in Littleroot, his time with the Professor, his father's job as Gym Leader... It all seemed too much for one day. But now, in the silence of the room, he only had his thoughts to listen to, and the eruption gradually sank in as a reality, as a fact of his life that wasn't a dream. He couldn't change what happened, and there was no telling just how disastrous it was. Not for now, anyway. With the gruesome reality dawning on him, and the horrible things he witnessed flashing through his memory, Brendan finally began to cry softly, curling up tighter. He cried for nearly an hour before he finally drifted off to sleep.
* * *
When Brendan awoke, it was still dark out, and he had no way of telling whether it was morning or night. He wasn't the only one up though. The couple were talking with Norman, pointing out the window and whispering. Brendan sat up, and they noticed him.
"Glad to see you're awake," said Norman, no longer whispering. Brendan rubbed his eyes as he stood up, looking out the window to see what they were pointing at. He understood immediately. The ground outside was piled up with ash which was still falling in blankets. People were shoveling it aside with the help of their Pokemon, but it was no use. His mom stood by the door, her arm in a sling.
"Want to come with me next door?" she asked. "I'm going to check up on May and the others."
"Yeah, I'll go," he managed to say, though his voice was dry. He helped his mom push the door open, kicking aside the piles of ash that had formed outside. He trudged through it, noticing the layer must be at least a foot deep. He also couldn't help but glance at Mt. Chimney. The magma was gone, but it was still billowing smoke.
Brawly pushed his door open too, waving them down. Brendan turned to see his dad had joined them, apparently interested to see if there were any developments.
"I suppose you'd better hear the worst before anything else," said Brawly. He took a deep breath, suppressing a cough. The air wasn't exactly clean, after all. "Lavaridge is gone. There were no survivors." Brendan's mom gave a small gasp, but Norman lowered his head and was silent. "Fallarbor was buried too, but there's no word on if they escaped. Most of Verdanturf made it out safely, and they fled to Mauville, which surprisingly sustained very little damage. Rustboro's pretty bad though, but that's the worst of it. Petalburg's only damaged from the earthquake, and Littleroot's shaken up too, but they're both okay."
May emerged from behind him, and she was smiling. As was her mother and younger brother. "We got a call from Dad this morning!" she announced. "He's okay! He says your room's a mess Brendan, but your house is still standing."
Brendan smiled too. "I'm glad to hear it! I can't wait to go home." He looked to his dad expectantly, but he only sighed.
"I don't think we'll be leaving any time soon," said Norman. "Look at the sea." Brendan turned to the waves lapping up on the shore, and saw they there was a layer of ash even over the water, and the boats were caked with soot. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."
Brendan looked defeated, but considering his harrowing experience, he had to admit it could have been a lot worse. He still had his family, and from the sound of it, his house as well. He might not continue his journey in the Pokemon League for a while, but it didn't matter to him. All he needed he already had, and for that, he could still smile.