POKEMON: ROAD BENEATH THE STARS
CHAPTER 0: PROLOGUE
Disclaimer; I do not own the Pokemon anime or any of the characters or ideas involved. This is non-profit-I am not making any money from this.
As a kid (chuckles)... most people would still call me a kid- I looked at the world in wonder. I looked at a fraction of a fraction of a huge and beautiful universe full of mystery and adventure. The most wondrous thing of all to me were Pokemon, these amazing creatures each possessing unique powers and origins shrouded in mystery. Water types that dive to the lowest trenches that still crush our subs. Psychic types who shift mountains with their thoughts. Fire types that bask in deserts and molten magma. Grass and bug types who create poisons and antidotes, both harming and healing.
I saw wonder as a kid, and I still do, but I also see the monsters. The bad guys. The shadowy areas…
Ashton S. Ketchum to Domino Ar Vey, reporter for Viridian Gazette (citation needed).
O-P:RBTS-O
Fort Firestone, Kanto Self Defence Forces base, Cinnabar island, Kanto region.
BOOOOMM!
My ears delivered a wave of sound that felt like it intended to crush the brain in my skull into paste! My eyes weren't better off as it felt like Firecrackers went off inside my retinas as the explosions effects washed over the area!
I forced my bruised, aching body up off the tarmac and concrete poured over this volcanic island decades ago in a somewhat arrogant attempt to tame it. Through the ringing in my ears, other humans and Pokemon cried out and ran in all directions.
Swaying dizzily, I spun and saw, heard, felt, huge buildings hewn from thick volcanic stone shattering like glass. Menacing metal fencing already facing death from rust, disintegrating like sand in a hurricane. Blurred objects ranging from older tanks and jeeps to newer hoverbikes and mecha flew past my awareness like hurled frisbees.
Attacks were both yelled out and transmitted to Pokemon via ear coms and the invaders were swarmed from both below by ground types and the sky by flight capable Pokemon, struck at range by a awe inspiring range of attacks from Flamethrower to Aurora beam.
But the attacks availed nothing.
Because they were fighting Shadow Pokemon!
My nerves burnt, my stomach roiled as I sensed the toxic, polluted energy burning off the attackers as they lay siege to the base! I actually didn't blame them as several soldiers wearing the colors of the KSDF ran away in terror.
One man, a grime-covered technician yelled for help as he carried a singed-looking Growlithe in his arms.
Sounds between screams and whimpering came from another tech as he scrambled away with blood dripping from several wounds caused by piercing shards of former building.
"Run!" A soldier barked whilst spraying a healing potion on a Charmeleon wearing the Regimental armbands of the KSDF on both scaly clawed arms.
I couldn't state the same level of respect for a couple of guys who emotionally imploded:
"Save me! Save me!" "I want to live…" I heard in near-sobbing tones from personnel I knew were lying in the fetal position without looking.
One person went into shock simply screaming uselessly as shadow Pokemon mercilessly stalked forth. I couldn't blame them-this was likely the worst combat they'd seen. Though not the worst I'd seen.
Not everyone was cowed by the overwhelming attack, one woman, a girl really, dark-skinned with near-feral dark violet colored hair long enough to rappel down the side of a building leapt forth, seemingly Parkouring over deadly debris to reach a fallen and bruised Haxorus, again wearing the armbands of the defending army.
Kneeling at the Pokemon- that even bruised, fallen and wincing, looked like it could gobble up a small bus the soldier lady switched between encouraging words to her partner and foul curses up at the attackers.
Apparently someone heard them, as I saw a shadow Pokemon, turn almost in slo-mo before belching a blinding hot, shadowed up Incinerate at them!
The female soldier fell, screamed, and silenced as she knew she was about to die.
Which was when I intervened: "PIKACHU! THUNDERBOLT!"
I felt the Golden lightning of my first Pokemon capture streak forth and hit the shadow type over a dozen times its size, knocking its lethal flames off course.
The fallen soldier opened her eyes in disbelief and relief. Dirt-covered, her full battle dress uniform looking like it had been eaten then spat up by an Onyx glared up at me, not so much in gratified terror, but as if to say 'are you kidding me?'
"Who the hell are you?!" She yelled out.
In the burning dust, she glared up at an unfamiliar man standing with a sparkling golden Pikachu on my shoulder. I turned, The lady soldier seemed shocked and annoyed by something as she looked at me.
"I'm Ash Ketchum, international police officer,"
Amused by her expression, my left arm shot out, equipped with my Photo ID and gold and black IP shield. Later I would realise this wasn't a particularly modest way of introducing myself.
"What the f-?!"
The chaos all around me cut her off, the rest of my team had leapt into action; the sensational (in her own mind at least) Misty Waterflower blitzed her opponents from the shoreline; multitasking between putting out fires and besieging enemies with water and ice attacks.
On the ground, Brock Slate expertly directed previously terrified and disorganized wounded to safety of irregular fortresses built by his rock and ground type Pokemon and applied first aid both via his own considerable skill and certain Pokemon who had healing abilities.
From the sky the somewhat ethereal young woman known simply as Anabel rained mayhem down on the attacking shadow Pokemon wordlessly directing her Pokemon with her telepathy whilst sitting nonchalantly atop a furious-looking Salamance.
The Shadow Pokemon who had attacked this place had come to the wrong place…
O-P:RBTS-O
In the distance, standing ninja-like on an extremely unsafe peak, a clearly female figure cloaked in shadow, dressed in an outfit that couldn't make up its mind whether it was a stealthy ninja or covert ops sneaking suit or fan service from trashy ecchi anime, watched the battle through a phone camera.
More specifically, she watched Ash Ketchum.
Whilst it was hard to tell under the mask, the observer seemed… concerned.
End act 0 prologue.
Authors notes
International Police: also referred to as the Global Police in the English localizations of Generation I and III, is a worldwide law enforcement agency in the Pokémon world. I chose to make Ash and co members as it seemed like something never done before and a break from 'kid sees tournament, enters and battles for reasons', creating a world with higher stakes.
Kanto Self Defence Force: also known as the Kanto Armed Forces, are the unified military forces of Kanto consisting primarily of specially trained Pokemon and their trainers, advanced technology and specialist individuals. Subdivided in Ground, Air and Sea Self-Defense Forces. They are controlled by the Kanto Ministry of Defense with the Kanto Prime Minister as commander-in-chief. The Kanto Elite 4 and certain elite trainers have command authority within the organisation as well.
Similar organisations exist in regions like Johto, Hoenn, etc.