The Red Dawn before me rises as I block the sight from my eyes with my paw and a small wince. A Pokémon; one of legend. One said to have slept for thousands of years, until it awakened today. A bird in the shape of the letter “Y” that is red with black, rose before me. Red and black; colors I will forever remember until the day I die. “I am Yveltal, this world's reaper of souls. I shall take yours, and with my new powers, take all life in this doomed planet.” I could hardly make out the words as I felt something odd flood through me. The piercing feeling of my soul leaving my body filled me before passing out from newfound exhaustion.

            I woke up to a red sky, no humans around, and the so-called “Red Dawn” lying on the ground, the giant bird had fallen, but was not dead. It appeared to be still breathing, its chest barely rising and falling. Its wing twitched suddenly and I ran screaming. I had no idea what had happened, or how it happened, but the grass seemed gone, there were more rocks than before, and, what’s more, the trees around the area were withered and dead. I did not know where I was running but all I knew was I had to find someone; someone to explain what just happened and why. The further I ran the more lush it became, but I could not help but wonder something changed. I have never run this fast, and I have never run this far without becoming exhausted. That did not matter to me now, what mattered was that I found somewhere to hide or someone to help me.

            It was a while before I finally grew tired, the red sky fading softly into a purple night. I collapsed there in the soft grass. It was a plain with lots of flowers and what appeared to be a human settlement, but it was too quiet for me to truly trust. I decided the flowers would hide me well enough and I would be safe, but then a humanoid yet canine shaped figure began to bound toward me. I tried to stand and fight, but then I heard a voice, “Are you okay?” Before I could make any effort to reply I blacked out once again, something that proved to be something common today.

            I remember waking up in what appeared to be a cave system. Everything was blurry though and it felt like the room was moving in all directions at once. I saw the figure again, along with a bigger one. On instinct alone, I tried to growl at them before my eyes could adjust to realize they were not actually human, but Pokémon; and I had apparently just startled them. “Calm down, little Poochy, everything will be okay.”

            Before I had the chance to think, I got defensive once more, “Keep away from my berries!” The small one just giggled in response. I had finally regained my mind enough to make out them much better. The small one was a Riolu with a missing ear. The bigger one was a Lucario, but he appeared to be looking away from me sitting on a good-sized rock.

            The Riolu giggled again and spoke, “I think you need to relax and calm down. I was surprised when I found you in that patch of grass, but it wasn’t hard to find you seeing as you stick out like a Slowpoke in a lit cave with that red and black fur of yours. You also blacked out the moment you saw me. I’m still a little surprised you appeared here, my brother says that Poochyena are not common in this area!” I tilted my head in confusion the moment I heard “red fur” and found myself questioning the Riolu’s words. What does he mean by red and black fur? Noticing my current expression, the Riolu tilted his own head, “What’s wrong? Was it something I said? You look like you are lost mentally just as much are you are physically…”

            I softly stuttered, mostly from confusion. My head hurt and it did not help so many questions were bouncing around inside of it. “B-but my fur… doesn’t have any red.”

            “Wow, you must have hit your head hard when you blacked out or something, because it is most definitely has red.”

“But I know for a fact it isn’t-“

            “Silence.” The Lucario finally spoke, not moving from his spot as both ‘mons looked at him. “He may have just forgotten; temporary amnesia is common with most blackouts.”

 The Lucario pointed to a nearby puddle in one of the corners before returning to his original position. Hesitantly, I shakily stood and made my way to it, nervous of what it may reveal. I could have and would have jumped out of my skin at what I saw before me. The Poochyena in the reflection had red and black fur all right and there was no way it was not me. They were the colors of the giant Pokémon I remembered encountering awhile back. I could not accept the fact though, as I obviously began to freak out some at that point, “T-that’s not me! I’m not…” I looked down, trying to convince myself I was still a normal Poochyena, but the diamonds on my legs only served to make me want the whole scenario to end as a bad dream My paws were normal with black lines pointing to my paw, and the small black lines came from one large black one that led up my leg. The one thing that solidified the image in my head were the solid-blue eyes staring back at me. I wanted to wake up from this nightmare already, but no matter how hard I tried I was still standing in the cave.

            The Lucario finally stood and walked toward me slowly. I could now see his eyes: closed and scratched, almost as if he had a run-in with a Talonflame and possibly lost. I could only guess he was using his species innate ability to see through aura waves to make up for his blinding condition. As he knelt down to me, his aura-sensors lightly shook, his brow furrowing into one of suspicion. “Your aura is strange to me, not like your kind at all...” He began to sniff me and I let him, hoping he could explain the last twenty-four hours. After then touching my head for a moment, he made a grunting noise, as if in thought, and walked back to the rock to continue his meditation. The Riolu giggled some and smiled, “Oh, don’t worry about him, he does that sometimes.”

Immediately afterward, the Riolu blushed softly, smacking his forehead, “How impolite of us! We never introduced ourselves!” He bowed slowly before continuing, “I’m Cole, that’s my older brother Scar, and this is our home. What’s your name?”

I delayed for a moment when I saw his eyes, they were normal except for one minor detail, his Pupils. His pupils were “X” shaped, I tried not to stare at them, almost lost in his eyes. I try to regain my focus on Cain’s question. “U-uh, Omega, my name is Omega.”

“Omega? That’s a long name for someone like you. Hey I know, what if I call you Oma?”

I took a second to think, before I replied. “S-sure.” Oma was not that bad, and if it made my name easier to remember, I would be okay with that.

            He smiled at me “I think you can agree that you should take shelter here for a while, I mean, you are quite disoriented.” He pauses before saying “Hey this is your house as much as ours no matter how temporary it is for you, so why don’t you explore the cave to familiarize yourself?” I nod back taking him up on his offer as he goes off to Scar. It was as if they had made a living here for a while. Each room had a purpose, two were rooms to sleep in, one was a dining room, and several others were made for guests it would seem and the room we were in currently appeared to be an entrance and central room. After a while of touring the caves, Cole approached me after finishing his talk with his brother. “Your room will be the one opposite Scars, I will be gathering your bedding materials if you would like to join me.”

Before I could answer him, Scar turned quickly to me again and shouted “No!” We both were startled by the sudden turn from him he then began speaking in a calm tone. “Cole, I know you are excited that you have someone to be with, but we barely know him and I cannot trust him until we get to know him better, and I already told you that you shall not travel alone outside.” I tilted my head in confusion, because I was certain the only thing that could happen with me around would be something like whatever happened to Scar, but Cole has the aura with him even as a Riolu in a weaker form, correct? I thought for a second before realizing he had his head down in shame as scar came forward slowly before resting his paw on the Riolu’s shoulder, “I would let you go if you were any other Riolu, brother or not, but we both know it is too dangerous for you.” Cole leaned into Scar who proceeded to hug him, “Hey while it is still light out let’s go see if we can find someone to watch you two. I will get his bedding while you guys are here.”

“Okay…” He says hugging back, both of them teared up a little before they broke the hug and they returned to the topic we were on. I followed them just to make sure we were safe, I didn’t want to be left alone… I was scared of being alone…

It was not long before everyone calmed down and we got going.  We wandered around quietly; I could hear nothing for the longest time. It took me a while before I could get up the nerve to say anything, but by then we had left the long tunnel entrance and entered the field, and I had forgotten what I wanted to say the moment the sun hit my eyes and I winced squinting to let my eyes adjust. Scar looked around for a second, listening to the surroundings, he seemed bothered. “What’s wrong?” I ask watching him turn his head.

“let’s travel this way” he turns in the direction of the human settlement and begins to walk.

“But… they will ca-“
            He holds up his paw.

“Shhhh Oma, listen” Cole whispers.

Sure enough, we were a few lengths away from the settlement, but we heard nothing… Not a bark from a human, not a wail from their young, not even one of their things they have. Usually these settlements are loud, even the smaller ones. We decided to leave it be, approaching a human settlement could lead to an encounter with the catchers… Who fight Pokémon, or take them away.

We return with enough food to last at least 3 days, and enough to keep me from going hungry before I collapse from starvation, probably almost enough for me to keep when I leave, and new nest to sleep in.

After we eat we are sent to our newly made nests. I lay on the leavy-grassy parts and try to sleep when Scar sits on his. He has this odd look on his face. “Tell me, what happened to you?”

I hesitate, but I could tell he could see that I was different. “I saw it.”

“Saw what, exactly?”

“The Red Dawn.”

“Do you mean… The bird of death? Yveltal?”

I nod to him.

“Well then… I had a feeling… This means you were chased from your home to here… correct?”

I shake my head.

“Then you ran in fear after having an encounter with it?”

I nod again. “It was huge… I couldn’t think of what to do.”

He sighs and sits down. “Did you have anyone else you could run to?”

I thought for a second before answering him, “I did… He died fighting it.”

Scar looks at me, wiping a tear that thought had brought before saying something. “I want you to stay here. Not only would it increase our numbers, but it will keep you safe. Until we know what happened or why you are alive, it is safer to stay here with me and Cole, we can all survive together.” I nod, sleepily dozing off.

A couple days pass and nothing happens in the human settlement, it eventually piques my curiosity. “Hey, Scar?”

“Yes?” he stops as we are walking back with some new supplies for our home.

“Why is it so quiet over there?” I look toward it with curiosity, looking a little angry at it. I remember waking up in the middle of the night next to one to see light coming from it, almost like they had their own miniature sun. Although this one was much smaller than any of the other ones I saw.

He looks over and thinks. “Would you two like to go on an adventure?” We both look at each other with this glisten of curiosity.

We simultaneously look at him and shout, “YES!”

He looks back and shushes us “You two are going to have to be quiet if you are going to join me.” We nod quietly to acknowledge him.

We quietly walk toward the area and nothing changes, even as we enter. Scar approaches one of the round things on one of the walls the humans built and he grabs it and attempt to pull it with no success, then decides to turn it and he pulls, the wall opened easily. “You two, go try that with one of the other ones, see if they will open,” we nod and run over to one of the other ones and he tries to reach it by jumping, and I know I do not have the proper paws.

“Why don’t you stand on me?” he stares at me for a second before realizing what I meant and he steps aside, I pad over to it and he stands onto me. He then reaches for the round thing pushing the wall with ease, he then steps off me and bows again.

“Thank you Oma!” We walk in together to find a human home devoid of humans, we continue in looking. We eventually find a big soft thing that humans sleep on, but once more no humans. “If the humans aren’t here… and they can make this stuff… and they didn’t keep us out, should we take it? It would make for a nice bed…” I hop up onto it and find more human things, Cole then comes up and notices them too. “This must be what humans wear to keep their soft skin warm… why are they here instead of on one? And these things,” he picks up the things covering the human sleeping quarters, “Must be to keep themselves warm at night.” He shrugs and lays down on it under the covering. “This feels… nice and warm… and soft.”

“Ah, there you are.” Scar walks in to find Cole laying down under the coverings. “Hmm, comfortable are you?” he giggles and pats his brothers head. “Well, since there are no humans here, and I can’t seem to find any evidence they have even been here within the last day, I’d day it is fair game. Humans are usually very protective of their territory, the fact that not one is here I would assume means we can take what we want, why don’t you and Oma scavenge for other things while I see if I can find three of these and their coverings. I might even see if I can take their moving walls to keep other ‘mons out of our cave.” Cole gets up and nods. Then we run into where the humans prepare their food and I help him up onto the higher part so that he may search up there for it and I nudge places to see if there are any mobile walls below, and my method seems effective! I found some fruits and berries, Cole found some vegetables, and then we found much more the more we explored. Scar had no trouble lifting the human bed and he carried it out to the cave as we continued to scavenge for food, both of us eventually managed to find something that we could use to carry the food for us, it was square with round things below it and had quite a lot of space, by the looks of it, Cole would have the easiest time using it. Once we could not fit anymore onto it we made our way to the cave to find Scar had set up each of the rooms with one of the human beds and coverings!

“Well, I see I wasn’t the only one to have no trouble finding things, I was able to knock off one of the wood walls the humans built and was about to attach it to the outside of the cave, and the humans had these things lying around that make light, everything seems to have gone well.” I look around to see that in fact he had put the things that were making light just as he said. He then walks out with two wooden walls that he took from the humans homes and gets to work.

“Wow, I never thought I would see an abandoned human settlement!” he said a little surprised.

I turned away toward my new bed and I think to myself is this what the Red Dawn did? Or is this purely coincidence? I guess time will tell… But I would hate to break it to them that it is alive and the world could end for us at any moment...

“Hey, don’t look so down, you now have a place to sleep and plenty of food!” He was right, even if things seem grim, being positive it the best thing to do. That day on, the world seemed brighter, each day food was plentiful, the flowers seemed fuller every time I saw them, and eventually my nervous face became a smile every time I saw Cole being happy. Over the course of four weeks, we went from total strangers to best friends. As I became closer, I felt his cheerful nature making me happy again. As happy as I was when I had a home of my own and only one Pokemon with me. I kept going to bed happy, eventually we brought home a moving piece of land from one of the settlements and we found it made carrying things easier.

One morning, Scar came in rushed after leaving us behind to play in the cave. “We need to go,” he said quickly, obviously stressed.

Cole looks confused and scared. “What? Is it them? I thought they had left us alone!”

I look confused, “Who?

Scar starts to get most things onto the moving land, with me on top of the bed with a little food and Cole, and did not answer. “Yes it is, they found us. I am starting to think nowhere is safe.”

“Who?” I ask again.

            Scar starts running and Cole starts looking a little sad, “I’m tired of being chased from my home by them.”

            “Who?” I say lengthening the “o” sound.

            “Well, we can run this way for a while, let’s just hope we can find a settlement of some sort, we may get protection, they can’t take on too many Pokemon, plus it is hard to travel like this.”

            “Who?” I yell.

            “Leon and his gang.” Scar begins to say to me. “A while ago a Luxray named Leon accused me of doing something awful… I do not even remember now, but he got a gang together to take me down and confess to doing the crime, I never committed it but he insists I did. He was able to convince the settlement that we lived in that it was me, so they chased me out with Cole, ever since then he has chased me, we had only just been there a day when we found you.”

            Scar continued running, longer than Cole or I ever could, after a while I could not see a thing anymore, I tried but I couldn’t do it. “Hey Cole, can you see anything with your aura?” Cole looked away as if I had said something offensive.

            “Hey Omega,” Scar says, “You know how I can’t see a thing, right?”

            I tilt my head in confusion, “Yeah.”

            “Well, Cole can’t see aura no matter how much I try to train him. Although Riolu are not supposed to be good at seeing aura, they are supposed to be able to be trained or at least have the ability to do limited amounts of it, Cole has none of it.”

            “Oh… I’m sorry Cole, I did not know,” I nuzzle him apologetically on the shoulder.

            “Yeah, it’s okay, I try not to let people know,” he replies sadly, feeling better now.

            I look around slowly falling asleep, my eyes become heavy as my head falls against Cole who had already fallen asleep, after I put my body down and fall asleep, he put his hand on my side and I felt myself feel comfortable falling asleep fully.