I'm starting to slip back into the normal routine, so don't worry if the updates get a little hapzard. I'm having computer troubles too, and I still have a tonne of homework to do. But I'll try not to forget to update ToF at least three times a week.
Episode Fifty-Six: Native Outcast
"Hey. Wake up. Do not make me slap you," a strange voice called.
"Sod off, I'm sleeping," I muttered, before jolting upright as I realised that I was on solid ground.
"About time you woke up. I've been sitting here for a good two minutes."
It was pitch black, so I had no idea to where I was. I could feel water lapping at my feet and stepped out of it, I could feel sand beneath my feet, so I assumed some sort of underground beach. My thought process was brought to a halt by the chill that was still eating away at me.
"You okay?" came the strange voice, somewhere behind me.
"It's very cold and I can't see anything," I replied, turning in the direction of the voice and tripping over my own feet.
"So that's a no."
"Obviously," I grumbled as I tried to get back to my feet but slipped on a damp patch of sand and fell flat on my face, much to the amusment of my companion.
"I presume you want to know how you got here and are still alive?" came the strange whispy voice once more.
"I'm more concerned with how long I am going to stay alive, if I don't get some heat soon then I'm a goner," I muttered, shivering.
"It's fairly warm in here but you obviously are not used to the milder weather."
"Actually, I'm used to it. It's the bloody water that does this to me."
"Hey, that water is the clearest water around. Fine, I'll start a fire."
There was about ten seconds of nothing, which was suprising as I thought that using a fireball didn't take that long. I heard a small rustling noise, followed by a clicking as sparks appeared a little way off. I was confused as the sparks continued and a small glow seemed to appear. There was puffing and the glow intensified before bursting into fully fledged flames.
I had to shield my eyes for a few seconds untill they got used to being able to see again. Then, I literally dived for the fire and plonked myself down in front of it. There was a gasp from my companion, who was behind me, at my apparent disregard for my own safety as my tail sat firmly on the burning dried grass.
I grinned as the chills faded when my tail flame reignited and the room became even brighter from the second fire.
"Much better," I laughed.
"Well that explains a lot," came the voice again as a strange blue Pokémon plopped itself down beside me, "I'm known as Vapor the Vaporeon."
"Flame, also known as 'oh my god, what is that Pokémon doing to that poor guy's face?'"
"What were you doing?" the blue skinned creature asked.
"Eating breakfast."
"That must have hurt," Vapor winced.
"It didn't."
"I meant for the Human."
"And? The bleeding stopped eventually."
Vapor laughed, the strange alien sound filling the area. I finally got a good look at my surroudings, I really was in an underground beach. There was a path leading away from the water and dissapeared beyound my tail flame's light. Vapor noticed my gaze and said, "that is the way back to the City. At least, I think it does."
"You don't know?"
"I'm unusual in that direct sunlight causes me to overheat and eventually pass out, probably in a similar manner to your tail flame. At least, I think it is unusual. I havn't met any other of my species. My parents were both Jolteons so I couldn't even find out off of them."
"I know the feeling," I sighed.
"It really is a shame. But it isn't so bad. The Cerulean City Gym leader comes to visit every few days and my cousin lives nearby. She's a Flareon so even she can't help with my problem. She hasn't visited recently though, I guess her kits were a bit of a handfull."
I froze up at Vapor's words. I didn't know what to do, I had never been in this situation before.
"Whats wrong Flame? You look as though you've seen a ghost."
"Actually, seeing ghosts is alot easier than what I'm now going through," I chuckled, trying to buy myself time to figure out what to do.
The attempt failed dismally.
"Tell me, I might be able to help."
"Fine. Does your cousin live just outside the city?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I was afraid you'd say yes. You cousin is dead."
There was several seconds of silence, as Vapor took in my words. I could see its green eyes go from shock to anger before settling on upset.
"How?" Vapor asked, the bazare voice shakey with emotion.
"A Persion went after her kits. She put up a fight and died from injuries."
"How do you know all this?"
"I was the one who found the body, and her kits. They are still alive, at least they were when I fell off the bridge."
"Thank Mew for that. If only I could leave and take revenge on that wanker that killed Flare," Vapor sighed.
"I beat you to that, I may not have slain the Persian but I got the bastard that set it on your cousin."
"Why would you do anything like that? It wasn't your problem."
"Hey, I've been looking after those kits for about a week. When someone kidnaps them, I think it counts as my problem."
"Good point," the Vaporeon said, managing to smile, "so, I presume they are doing well."
"Well, Spiral is a bit reclusive. Probably over her mother's death. But Blacky is doing perfectly fine. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have managed to avenge Flareon," I said, choosing to not mention the fact that I had nearly killed Blacky too.
Vapor grinned at me and I finally got a good look at it. The blue Pokémon was covered in small fins, the largest of which served as a tail. It seemed familiar to me, I remembered a picture in the Pokémon center of a Human who, instead of legs, had a fin like that. I grinned back and asked a question that had been bugging me, "okay, now I wish to know why I am still alive."
Vapor laughed, the sounds sending strange chills down my spine, "Well, I was looking for some underwater weeds that I sometimes eat and spotted you floating in the middle of the lake. Seeing as you were unconsious, I deduced that you couldn't breathe underwater and brought you here where there is air. It took a little work to get you breathing again, I'll spare you the details."
"That bad?"
"Yes, unless you are a very disturbed Pokémon."
I didn't dare press for details, I was eager to get moving back to the City and I think Vapor knew it.
"You better be going, those kits will wonder what happened to you."
"Actually, they were there when I fell off the bridge so they probably think I'm dead. It wouldn't be the first time people have thought that of me either," I laughed, my consious not wanting to leave the Vaporeon on its own again.
"Well, if you dangle some waterweeds off of your arms and make strange growling noises, then they will think you're back from the dead," Vapor laughed.
"I think I'll pass. The sight of me like that might just kill someone, probably someone I actually like."
"Your loss."