Chapter 3: Yellow of the Viridian Forest
POV: Yellow Goodfellow
Viridian Forest.
Yellow loved Viridian Forest.
There was always a calming allure to it, that put her at ease. The soft chitters and cries of Pokémon living in peace and tranquility. Even when Trainers passed by, it never seemed to disturb the pleasant feeling the forest always exuded. It's why she enjoyed frequenting the forest so much, playing with the wildlife, fishing at one of the many ravines, and healing any injured wild Pokémon she came across. That was another thing she loved about the forest.
She felt free.
From a young age, she already knew that she was different from other children... possessed... abilities that no other child should have. The ability to heal, and feel the emotions of others. Both people and Pokémon. It'd always put some sort of distance between herself and others, so she didn't have many friends growing up.
Aside from her uncle, nobody understood her. Sure, the people of Viridian grew used to her abilities, some accepted her... but they didn't understand her. As though she were some sort of anomaly.
But Pokémon... she felt a strong connection to them. They understood how she felt, and she in turn understood how they felt. Maybe it was because of her abilities? She didn't know.
But there was something... odd with the forest as of recent. She could feel it deep within... a disturbance within the forest. Not the typical ruckus that Trainers cause when they pass through. There was a particular wrongness in the air. Her friends, the Pokémon, were tense. Afraid. Afraid of something. Something was wrong, but she couldn't figure out what was exactly wrong...
For the past few days she'd been investigating the disturbances around the forest. From what she could gather, it was definitely caused by humans. Some of the wild Pokémon she'd encountered cast her wary glances, or became hostile. She backed away, not wanting to cause trouble or scare them more than they already were.
Alarmed chitters alerted Yellow, and she looked in the direction of a small Rattata. Her Pokémom, which she'd named Ratty. A gift to her by her uncle when she turned 10 years old. The two shared a strong bond, no thanks to Yellow's abilities. The two held a great understanding of one another, and Yellow wouldn't have it any other way.
So to see him so alarmed was worrying for Yellow. "Ratty? What's wrong?"
He continued to chitter in alarm, pointing in a random direction and scampering off. Yellow was quick to follow after him. He must have found something. Something concerning if his demeanor was any indicator. That only made her worry skyrocket.
Her chase led her to an injured Pikachu, female, judging from the heart-shaped tail. As if her worry hadn't already peaked. Her injuries, from what Yellow could grasp, were caused by human hands. There were signs of whiplash gashes, scratches, bite marks, and swelling bruises. Grievous wounds that made Yellow sick to her stomach.
"Who would do something like this to a Pokémon?!" Yellow frowned, slowly making her way to the Pikachu. It's eyes slowly snapped open and she paused in her steps.
"Pi..." the Pikachu muttered weakly, hazy chocolate eyes locking onto her own. Yellow could feel the emotions of Pikachu wash over her. Fear, caution, anger, guilt. All of it made Yellow's stomach churn. A Pokémon should never go through such pain, nor should it feel such emotion.
Yellow smiled warmly and slowly raised her hands. "Hey, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you..."
The Pikachu openly glared at her with tired eyes. Yellow stayed where she stood as Ratty walked up to the electric mouse and began to converse with her through a series of chitters and squeaks. The Pikachu slowly glanced at Ratty, her ears giving the slightest twitch. The purple-furred rodent sat on his haunches with a cheerful smile as he gestured happily towards Yellow. The blonde smiled, understanding that Ratty was trying to calm the Pikachu down and let her approach her so that she could heal her.
Slowly, the Pikachu glanced in Yellow's direction tiredly, before slumping against the grass with a pained grunt, closing her eyes in what appeared to be reluctant defeat. Ratty sent her a thumbs up. Yellow giggled softly and nodded to her Pokémon gratefully.
Silently crouching before Pikachu, Yellow held out her hands and was about to call upon her power when she stiffened. Ratty's whiskers twitched and he went ramrod straight with eyes wide with fright. She felt... danger.
Her ability as an empath came with a passive sixth sense of sorts. Depending on how strong the emotion was, she could detect it from a mile away. The emotions Yellow felt struck fear into her heart
Anger. Pure, raw, anger. So palpable it made Yellow feel queasy. She snapped her hands towards her ears, Ratty mimicking the action as an ear-piercing shriek threatened to blow out their eardrums. Yellow whirled around and gawked as a giant Dratini burst through the foliage, eyes alight with smoldering rage.
The moment she locked eyes with the beast, its anger honed in on her, eyes glowing red as it charged up what she could only guess was a Dragon Breath attack and unleashed it. Yellow snatched the Pikachu up in her arms and leaped out of the way of the raging, dragon-powered gales. The spot where she once stood exploded and her pupils dilated.
"R-Run!" Ratty didn't need to be told twice. Both Trainer and Pokémon made a break for it. But the Dratini was right on their tail, another violent shriek that sent a fearful tremor through her soul. Ratty squeaked and ran ahead, with Yellow following suit as they dipped into the tree line.
In an attempt to lose the raging Dratini, they zig-zagged around trees and ducked behind his bushes. But due to the Dratini's sheer size and strength, it simply plowed through the trees, leaving destruction in its wake. Yellow's heart panged at the devastation she was inadvertently causing to the forest, but self-preservation won over in the end, and she kept running.
The tell-tale signs of another Dragon Breath being charged were enough to further strengthen Yellow's resolve to make it out alive. Terror mixed with hope blossomed in her chest as the light of the clearing ahead came into view. The hairs on her neck stood on end as the energy the Dratini charged reached its peak. Ratty let out a squeak of fear, and Yellow glanced over her shoulder in horror.
The Dratini unleashed a deafening roar, firing off another Dragon Breath. Time slowed to a crawl for Yellow, her life flashing before her eyes, when gravity took hold and she felt the sensation of falling, and a sharp pain lancing up her leg. "AHHHHHHH!!" she cried out in pain as she tumbled into the grass, instinctively holding Pikachu close to her chest to protect the small yellow mouse and shifting her body so that her back took the brunt of her fall.
The pressurized blast of Dragon energy whizzed past her and tore through a crowd of trees. Ratty tumbled out of the bushes and rolled right next to her. Yellow pushed herself up and shuffled back against a wall of rock. She craned her head upwards and eyed the cliffside she was using to rest against and grimaced.
"I'm trapped..." a horrifying thought, even more so as she looked down at her leg and tried to move it, only to feel a jolt of pain right after. "And I sprained my ankle..."
Yellow gulped as Ratty rushed up to her and nudged at her leg with his snout, letting out a worried squeak. She offered the rodent a shaky smile. "I-It's okay, Ratty. You need to... get out of here. I can't move..."
Ratty let out a loud squeak of refusal, horror flashing in his bright red eyes at what Yellow was insinuating. Yellow clenched her eyes shut, her heart aching at his expression. "P-Please, you need to..."
The Dratini slithered into view, and Yellow's horror shifted into dread. A pit formed in her stomach, filling her with a sick feeling that made her want to curl up and shy away from the danger. That desire wouldn't do much good. She couldn't help but wonder what made the Dratini so angry in the first place?
Ratty, in an act of bravery, pushed his fear aside and stood in front of Yellow, determined to protect his Trainer from the raging Dratini. The Dratini bristled, its tail shaking wildly and eyes narrowing sharply.
Yellow's eyes widened in horror as a thin aura of white energy surrounded Ratty, "Ratty, NO!" her yells went unheard as Ratty used Quick Attack. Launching himself at Dratini like a bullet. However, Dratini countered his attack, twisting its body and slamming the Mouse Pokémon into the dirt with devastating force. Yellow's eyes shrunk to pinpricks and she screamed.
"RATTY!"
Dratini swiveled its head in her direction, and she clamped up. Her heart hammering against her ribcage, Yellow clenched her eyes and inched her body closer to Ratty, shielding him and Pikachu with her body. The Dratini hissed, charging up another Dragon Breath. Yellow clenched her eyes shut.
"Dragon Tail! Then Scratch its eyes!"
Despite herself, Yellow perked up and opened her eyes just in time to see a Charmander swoop in from above and slam its glowing tail against the Dratini's cranium. Caught off guard more than injured, the Dratini slithered back to put some distance between itself and the smaller reptile. Charmander didn't relent and lunged at the Dragon Pokémon, claws gleaming with white energy. The diminutive Fire Type clawed at the Dratini's eyes viciously, earning a loud pained shriek.
Yellow winced, covering her ears.
"Ember! Rapid Fire!"
As Charmander unleashed a barrage of Embers upon Dratini, Yellow turned towards a red-haired boy jogging up to her and crouching down, frowning. She blinked, staring into his bright amber eyes.
"Can you get up?" he asked, tone terse and hurried.
Yellow, stunned, slowly shook her head as she rolled her ankle. The sharp pain remained, and she grimaced. "N-No, I sprained my ankle. I won't make it far..."
She could heal it, but there wasn't enough time. Besides. Pikachu and Ratty were more of a concern to her than herself at the moment.
The boy clicked his tongue and glanced over his shoulder. The Dratini let out an angered screech and whirled around, charging draconic power into its tail and swinging it in Charmander's direction wildly. The smaller reptile leaped over it and spewed more fire at the dragon's face. He looked at Yellow and sighed harshly.
"Return you're Pokémon." He muttered.
"Eh-?" Yellow squeaked as she was scooped up in his arms in a bridal carry. So surprised was she, she almost dropped Pikachu in the process.
"Dude, this is already embarrassing as is, I can't carry you and your Pokémon at the same time."
Sound logic, there, Yellow admitted to herself. Clumsily, she pulled out Ratty's pokéball and returned him. Internally apologizing for the trouble she roped him into.
The boy nodded in satisfaction, turning to the Charmander that nimbly jumped and rolled out of the way of the Dratini's furious attacks. However, it was becoming increasingly obvious that the Lizard Pokémom wasn't landing any serious damage on the Dragon Pokémon.
"Ryuko, use Smokescreen! We're getting out of here!"
The Charmander - Ryuko - Yellow corrected herself, looked appalled at the suggestion of running away from a fight. But from the seriousness in its trainer's eyes, it dodged another Dragon Breath and relented with a frustrated huff, unleashed a dense veil of pitch-black smog, and retreated to the boy's side dutifully.
As they ran away, the Dratini released another enraged shriek that sent a tremor through Yellow's heart.
She clenched her eyes shut and tuned it out.
X-X-X-X-X-X
POV: Garnet Brooke.
Edge of Viridian Forest, Outskirts of Viridian City.
Well... that was a thing.
No, really. What in the actual Distortion? I wasn't expecting to run into a damn Alpha Pokémon, nor was I expecting to save some kid. Yet here we are... it was far bigger in person than the books and documentaries described, though. Guess they really didn't do it any justice.
Alpha Pokémon were a rare sub-species of Pokémon, possessing some kind of powerful gene that made them marginally bigger qnd stronger than the average Pokémon of their species. They proved to be extremely hostile towards humans, and were especially hard to train and domesticate. Most Trainers didn't even bother trying to find one, letting alone fight it head-on. There'd been several reports of Trainers being hospitalized or... worse, due to an ill-prepared encounter with an Alpha Pokémon.
Careers thrown down the drain. Just like that.
I knew when I was outclassed. There was no way Ryuko could beat that thing on her own. We had to retreat, especially with an injured in our midst...
... but I can't help the small part of me yearning to have fought and catch such a powerful Pokémon.
Self-preservation won over those desires, though.
That left me with the mystery bundle in my arms... I already had to suffer the embarrassment of carrying another guy in my arms like he were some princess, so I may as well get some answers while I'm at it.
"So," I looked down at the silent blonde. "What were you doing out there, anyway? Enough to aggravate an Alpha Pokémon?"
The boy blinked and looked sheepish. "... recently, there have been disturbances in the forest. So I went out to investigate."
"Disturbances? What do you mean by that?"
"Well... as of recently, the Pokémon, they... they've been far more hostile and territorial. Cautious of humans. Even when Trainers passed through, they never acted in such a way." the boy seemed genuinely heartbroken over that. "Something... or someone is responsible for all this. But I haven't figured out the root of the problem yet. But I'm getting close, I can feel it!"
I hummed, staring at him in silence. He seemed rather determined over all of this. Whatever was going on around here, it was personal. "What's your name, kid?"
"We're the same age..." he pouted. "My name is Yellow."
I smirked. "Garnet." I looked up to see the buildings of Viridian City past the treeline. "I'll drop you off at the Pokémon Center, and-"
"T-That won't be necessary..." Yellow mumbled, shaking his head and smiling. "You can put me down right here."
One of my brows rose. "Hm?"
"I'll be fine," Yellow muttered in assurance, glancing down at his lap. "Believe me."
"You got chased down by a giant dragon and probably would have died back there if I hadn't swooped in." Yellow blushed in embarrassment, tugging his hat down to cover his face. I snorted. "So sorry if I'm a little doubtful, dude."
"Mm." Yellow pouted again. I would have thought it was cute if he were a girl.
... is that weird to say? Man.
"C'mon, don't look like that. You look like a kicked Growlithe!"
Yellow blushed again. "I-I do not!"
"Do too."
"Do not!"
"Do too."
"S-Stop!"
I snickered, and Yellow blinked before giggling to himself. I wasn't much of an extrovert, that was more up Ash's alley... but it was nice to talk to other people. I wasn't some brooding loner. I liked my quiet, but Yellow seemed cool from what I'd seen so far.
Now, for that Pokémon Center...
X-X-X-X-X-X
POV: Garnet Brooke.
Viridian City, Pokémon Center.
Nurse Joy, bless her soul, was kind enough to patch up Yellow and Ratty. The Pikachu that Yellow was protecting was taken into intensive care, so her injuries could be treated. Yellow had a bleeding heart though, and practically refused to leave the poor thing's side. I had to give it to him, he was certainly the stubborn type. It took me a lot of convincing to get the guy out of the infirmary so we could grab a bite to eat. It took a bit, but I managed to get him to comply.
That's what led to us sitting in the food court. Yeah... Pokémon Centers had food courts, but unlike the healing, which was free, you had to pay for the food. Aside from being funded by the League, this was probably another way the centers got their money to keep their business afloat. Made sense. Trainers were essentially wandering vagabonds, braving the dangers of the world and heading into lands unknown. They would need a place to rest, recuperate and, nourish themselves.
Yellow settled for a salad, and I went with a classic pair of burgers and fries. Ryuko and Ratty were munching away at bowls of pokéfood with gusto. I smirked at how fast they were eating before glancing at Yellow. He was picking at his salad with a far-off look on his face. I could already tell that his mind was elsewhere.
I sighed, reaching across the table and flicking him on the forehead.
"O-Ow!" Yellow whined, rubbing the spot I flicked. "What was that for?!"
"That Pikachu will be fine. Nurse Joy is a professional," I rolled my eyes, munching on a fry. "Don't fret your little head over it, man."
"I know, but still..." Yellow bit his lip, glancing off to the side.
I sighed. "This guy could give Ash a run for his money with that compassion streak of his..." Shaking my head, I lounged in my seat. "Once that Pikachu is healed up, it'll be released back into the Viridian Forest again... good as new."
"That's the problem!" Yellow slammed his palms against the table, rattling it and drawing our Pokémon's attention. I blinked in surprise. "Those wounds... they were done by human hands. Someone is harming the Pokémon of Viridian, and or worse. That's why they're so agitated!"
He slumped in his chair, frowning. "I just want to help..."
... Ugh. Why does he have to look like a kicked puppy? Seriously, you're killing me here! Now I feel like I have to help, or else I'll just feel bad.
I snapped my head in the direction of Ryuko, who let out a mix of a growl and a laugh. The tiny bastard took great amusement in my suffering. She smirked at me and I glared before sighing harshly and turning to Yellow.
"Well," I paused, biting into my burger and swallowing, "We won't be able to help anyone on an empty stomach."
Yellow blinked, cocking his head to the side. Arceus DAMN IT! "'We'?"
I closed my eyes and snorted. "You almost got eviscerated by a Dratinj on your own. I can't in good conscience let you do this on your own. So I'll help. At least until we find out who harmed Pikachu..." I popped another fry into my mouth, "Then I'll be heading to Pewter."
Yellow stared at me blankly, before his expression practical lit up like a Christmas tree. A smile so bright I felt as though my eyes had suddenly caught fire. I watched as he finally began to dig into his food with gusto. Ratty squeaked with cheer and matched his Trainer with equal fervor.
Ryuko and I shared a glance.
I seriously hope I don't regret doing this.
A/N.
Chapter is a bit on the shorter side, but it's meant to introduce Yellow and act as set-up for the next one, so eh, it's fine.
So yeah, Garnet currently thinks Yellow is a dude. Won't last long, but considering Yellow practically fooled most of the main cast into thinking she was a boy until the end of the Gold and Silver arc - I think? - with just a straw hat, shouldn't be too out of the ordinary.
I did say this was a mix of the games, anime, and manga, so some characters from either continuity were bound to make their way in. And I really like Yellow as a character, so here we are.