Hello, thank you for checking out the story that had been floating in my head for a while now. I mainly write on my phone with its insanely stubborn autocorrect so if, despite a friend proof reading it and me scanning it on docs for any mistakes, any mistakes show up, I apologize.
Enjoy!
Olivine City was bustling like it always was. Dozens of people walked each way; many with purpose but others with wonder, stopping to stare and point at every little thing. Hey. The sound of ships docking and setting sail filled the air, signaling I'd soon be asked a flood of questions by tourists and trainers for directions they're too lazy to check their phones for. Hey. Really makes you wish for a quiet, rainy day sometimes…
"Hey idiot, stop daydreaming!" the woman said, pushing my shoulder enough to get my attention. I groggily turned towards her from my seat on the bar counter.
"Hey Shaye, what's up?" I asked the girl.
"Your break ended 4 minutes ago and the demon sent me to wake you up. I said hey like, 3 times but you're just staring out the window," she explained, crossing her arms in slight annoyance.
"Yeah, yeah, my bad… I'm just so passionate about this place," I dryly said, standing up and stretching my arms. I began to walk alongside my friend for the short distance towards the kitchen. "This weekend can't come any faster."
"Two days off in a row, jeez, I'm jealous… Any plans?" She said, stopping as I held the handle to the door.
"Noelle and her brother wanted to go to the national park… not sure about the other day yet," I said, turning towards her again with my hands on the handle. 'Anything to not go back to work.'
"How sweet… bet you wish her brother wasn't coming, huh?" She responded with a smirk. I sighed and opened the door. "Have fuuuuun~"
Behind the door was the place I spent most of my days; the kitchen, still shiny and clean as the day was still just starting. I grabbed my apron from the hanger, re-tied my hair into a neater bun, and washed my hands before the woman was already piercing me with her death stare. I sighed and walked over to the grill.
"I suppose I can't be upset that you're almost back on time but I doubt that would've happened without me sending Shaye to wake up," the manager, Chelsea, said. I nodded idly as her partner, a Combusken, stood beside her, looking equally smug somehow.
"Yeah, yeah… at least I show up and work," I said, leaning against a counter. As crappy as my attitude could be, the woman couldn't deny my reliability even if she would never say it. My head turned towards the small window facing the sea. "We don't have to chat if you dislike me, you know. I'm fine working alone back here."
"Jeez, what's with you today, you're extra anti-social," she said, defeated. She walked away towards the front of the kitchen, leaving me behind with her oversized, combat chicken. I was definitely here because her grandmother is a family friend…
Oh well, just a measly eight hours to go.
"Be careful on the way home, Riley," the older woman said, as I swung my bag on. I nodded idly. "Tell old Lydia to stop by sometime soon."
"Don't worry, it's not too far," I said, smiling. "Plus I'm 24, ma'am."
"Finally, you might have two days off coming but you're officially cutting into my sole day off!" Shaye spoke up, standing outside waiting for me. We began walking towards our homes. "Were you alright today or was Chelsea overreacting?"
"I could've phrased what I said a little nicer probably… guess I was groggy from my nap," I said, placing my cold hands in my pockets. The cool nights of fall were truly the best after the horrible summer months. I blinked and a person appeared before me, our shoulders colliding before I could react. "Ah, I'm sorry. Are you alright?"
"Watch where you're going! You're staring forward and still turned into me," the younger boy said. He stood alongside another boy; kids out too late in a safe city wasn't too strange, I guess.
"It wasn't on purpose, I'm more tired than I thought, I guess," I said, trying to laugh the situation off. The pair of boys turned to each other and grabbed pokeballs from their belts.
"Now you owe us a battle!" One of them said, excitedly. I sighed and stepped back a bit as Shaye turned towards me with a not so uncommon look of empathy towards me while grabbing a pair of her own pokeballs.
"Don't worry, I can handle these brats," she said, with a smirk. I nodded and stepped back as the two boys stared at me in confusion.
"Hey, too scared to fight us yourself?" One of the boys said, sounding irritated.
"He's… not a trainer, I can handle both of you just fine on my own," she said, tossing her pokemon out.
The battle went by quickly with my friend emerging the winner. Wasn't too surprising considering those boys were probably newer trainers. We slowed down as we neared the edge of town. Shaye turned to me before we separated.
"Thanks again," I said before she could say anything. She stopped herself from speaking and nodded. "I'll see you Monday?"
"Yeah… enjoy your weekend," she said, quickly turning and starting her walk home. I sighed and continued on my own way.
She was going to suggest I get a pokemon again but all my refusals must've worn her down by now. What good would that do? I'll just keep working and enjoying my calm life.
"I'm home," I announced, opening the door. I had a feeling no one would respond; my parents were gone for the week and would come home tomorrow and my grandmother was most likely asleep. A shadow rushed towards me as I smiled and kneeled down, petting the older Dachsbun that always rushed anyone who entered. "Hey girl, hope I didn't wake you from one of your 10 naps."
The pokemon knew my routine and led me to the kitchen, where I pulled out the meal I got from the cafe alongside the small bag of the cafe's special pokemon food that the owner always insisted I take. I tipped the bag into her bowl, petting her quickly again, before returning to my food to the beat of pellets rustling against a metal bowl. The television filled the room with light as I ate the wrap I made before leaving; eventually the pokemon hopped beside me and rested her head on my lap where my hand landed soon after. The TV droned about something as my eyes slowly closed from another thrilling day.
"Help…"
My head jolted forward, scaring the dog beside me slightly as I looked around. I wasn't sure how much time had passed but a light rain had begun. I reached for my phone and saw nothing out of the ordinary… Was that a dream?
"Sorry girl, must've been a nightmare or something… probably should head to my room this time," I said, standing up. As I walked towards the stairs, something caught my eye. In the thick woods between my house and the area around Ecruteak city, something was flickering. I slowly went to close the blinds. "Probably some kind of Pokémon…"
"Please, help…"
The blinds stopped halfway as I bit my lip. I took a deep breath and exhaled, calming myself as I felt a nudge tugging at my leg. I grabbed a jacket and opened the door, locking it behind us as the Dachsbun led the way towards the area.
The neighborhood was silent aside from the rain as I walked quickly to seem like I was simply walking the family Pokémon. She eventually turned and made a small, rare noise while tilting her head towards the thicket I would need to move through. I picked up the Dachsbun and zipped up my jacket as I held her, wishing I had her pokeball that I don't think I had ever seen in my life.
"Sorry, I'll let you out when it's safer," I whispered, covering my face with my free arm as I pushed through the branches. After a few seconds, the rain had seemingly stopped from the trees above and I could barely see the street behind me as I continued to stay as straight as possible. My arm swung harder as the branches got sturdier and I felt my hand get sticky as I drove it straight through a Spinarak's web.
Eventually, I broke through to a small clearing. I quickly knelt down and unzipped my jacket, letting the pokemon free while running my hand through the damp grass to get rid of the nasty, sticky feeling of web. As I stood back up, I followed the now more dim light into a large tree's base. I looked up and saw something laying on a branch; the odd colors made me suspect it's a pokemon. I rolled up my jacket's sleeves and turned to the Dachsbun.
"I'm going to get it, keep an eye out for me, will ya?" I asked, starting my climb. Staring up made me remember that I hadn't climbed a tree since I was a kid and this was probably how tall I saw any tree back then. Beneath me, a large shadow stirred as the Dachsbun snarled and turned towards its direction and I reached the strange pokemon on the branch. I grabbed on tightly as I nearly fell. "What… the hell?"
"Dach, Dach!" The pokemon below me yelped, baring her teeth in a way she rarely did. I took off my jacket and wrapped the green pokemon before sliding down to where I felt safe to leap.
"Let's go, let's get out of here," I said, picking myself up from my fall. The Dachsbun stood ready to attack as a Houndoom revealed itself from the shadows. "Shit. C'mon, let's go."
The dark type pokemon stepped forward, growling angrily with fire escaping the sides of its mouth. The Dachsbun looked back at me before turning back towards the Houndoom, taking a fighting stance. I nodded and stood my ground, shakily extending my hand. 'I've never seen one of these this far away from the mountains…'
The Houndoom reared its head back and spewed flames towards us. I raised my arm as Dachsbun poised herself on her hind legs, absorbing the fire as her coat turned darker slightly. I swung my arm back forward and ordered her to attack; she barked and ran forward, attacking the dark type with her Play Rough attack. It retaliated with a bite; she dug her own teeth on its skin. The pair continued to scuffle as I gripped my hand tightly, wishing there was more I could do. Dachsbun closed her eyes and released a Dazzling Gleam to escape its Crunch and get away. The Houndoom looked injured; we had the advantage but my pokemon hadn't fought in at least ten years. I tried to remember anything else as the Houndoom rushed forward towards me. I raised my arm again as my pokemon ran towards me and barked, forming a barrier to protect us from the opponent's claws. Something clicked in my head as I extended my arm in command again.
"Use Last Resort!" I commanded. The pokemon barked and dashed forward, slamming into the weakened Dark pokemon, knocking it back into the bushes. This had to be our chance; I grabbed the jacket tightly as we started sprinting towards the main streets of my town.
I must've looked like an insane person when I burst through the flora at 3am during a rainstorm but I definitely kind of felt the part. I hurried home, holding the bundled Pokémon in one hand and the older Dachsbun in the other. Once I reached my street, I could relax and pray my grandmother hadn't woken up for any reason.
We stepped under the roof as I put the Dachsbun down to grab my keys; her panting was easily heard as this had probably been her first battle in years. I let the Pokémon inside before stepping in myself, quietly putting my stuff back before quietly motioning for the stairs.
"I'll get you a towel, come," I said, as she stopped at the edge of the stairs. She laid down alarmingly fast with a quiet whimper. I knelt down and pet her. "I'll be back in a second, girl."
After quietly ascending the stairs, I slowly opened my door and took what felt like my first complete breath in hours. The smell of whatever air freshener my mother gave me grounded me in a way. I walked towards my bed and grabbed a pillow before placing it on my desk, lowering the bundled Pokémon onto the pillow.
"This explains how I could hear something…" I said, grabbing a fuzzy blanket I rarely used anymore and covered the green Pokémon. "A Celebi…"
I heard legends about this Pokémon. All the lying kids during a school trip to the shrine at Ilex forest talking about how they saw one or their uncle had almost caught one… well, here I was with one. Its eyes were shut but it was breathing. 'So much to do…'
Stopping by the bathroom to grab a towel, I quickly moved downstairs and wrapped the Dachsbun, who hadn't moved an inch. Picking her up caused her to make a louder whimper. As I patted her down, I could see the damage she had taken… bite marks, bruises, and tufts of missing fur. Her demeanor changed when I touched one of her legs… I stared at it in anger before putting her on the couch and walking towards a small shelf. I grabbed two red and orange spray bottles.
Despite my mind and emotions raging endlessly, I sprayed the medicine on the Pokémon downstairs. I grabbed extra food and a water bowl, leaving extra food beside the Dachsbun, before heading back upstairs. The two bowls were placed on the desk besides the wounded legend as I administered the spray on its body. As I stood back up from the desk chair, I opened my window slightly so it could leave. I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror as I headed to my bed.
My face was dirty and scratched up, my hair was a mess, and my shirt was ruined. I took it off, locked my door, and fell onto the bed like a Snorlax after its meal.
My hand reached for my phone, unlocking it before setting it to charge, to see the message from my friend about tomorrow.
"Can't wait to see you tomorrow! Be ready for a lot of walking, lazy butt!~"