Story Notes:
This story is set on EARTH. our earth, you and me earth. you get the idea.Pokemon copyrighted to nintendo, blah blah blahdy blah blah
Chapter 13
The feeling of being pulled across an area void of even time and space was not a present one. The feeling of having one's body accelerated to well beyond the speed of light, followed by a jarring stop, feeling like a fist to every conceivable area of your body. Despite travelling for less than a second, it felt like much more to them both as fear gripped their minds while they reeled through the fabric of reality. The air was drawn from their lungs, leaving them to futilely gasp for nonexistent oxygen as the screams of particles whizzing past clawed their ears. They held onto each other's hands tightly, fearing they would be pulled apart and flung opposite ways, never to be seen again. They emerged for the portal with a stumble, the sudden ending of the ordeal being rather jarring to the both of them. Michael fell to his knees as he gulped down mouthfuls of sweet air. Melody steadied herself, head spinning from the journey, world appearing hazy around her. As they both regained their senses, they looked around to survey the area. Michael silently gasped at the place, green trees stretching for miles, grass shimmering in the midday light as beads of dew clung to them. The whole area was just so much more vivid, so much more alive than anything he had ever seen. He could feel the life of the place as he took in every little detail of the perfect landscape, unspoiled by human touch. The sound of the wind dancing over the leaves and distant birdsong brought a feeling of peace to his heart which he had felt for no other place. If there was ever a heaven, this would be the closest thing his mortal being would reach. Melody too, took in the sights, heart leaping at the idea of finally being back home in the place she knew. Her breath caught in her throat at the familiar sight of the swallow high in the sky, visible through thick canopy. The sound of the portal raging behind them was all forgotten as they began to walk, holding hands once again as they silently marvelled at the place they had been brought to.
"It's beautiful" Michael said as they strolled under the thick roof of leaves, still in awe at the place
"It's home..." Melody replied, not caring if this was Hoenn or Sinnoh or Jhoto. It was her home and she loved it regardless. Michael struggled to ask a question through the peace he felt
"Where to now?" he asked "Rustboro? Dewford or Slateport?" he laughed as he recalled the name of the Hoenn regions towns , a sound which was strange to him after all that had happen, that he could now enjoy something as jubilantly as when he was only a child. "I don't even know if we're in Hoenn, but we're here...finally". Melody contemplated all the things they could do now that she was home and in a world where neither of them would be seen as strangers.
"We could try and find someone else" She said, scanning the area for any sign of civilisation "They could tell us where we are...and how this place has changed". Michael nodded, knowing that the situation here would be just as bad as the one in his world, if not worse. But the forested areas seemed ample enough for thousands of people to inhabit, and if they had been driven from their towns, maybe they did. A pained thought came to mind as he thought of the scale of this new place.
"We only have five hours, don't we?" Michael said sombrely, feeling regret at having to leave this place after such a short time. A place that made him feel this way, it simply didn't seem right to leave.
"Yes" she replied, leaning on his shoulder affectionately. She cared not for their time limit, only that they were here now, and it was not a dream. "So let's enjoy them". Her slight optimism made him smile. They walked further through the forest, trying to find anything that could help get somewhere. They eventually happened across a dirt road, common in this world, Melody has explained. Trainers often walked of rode bicycles to travel long distances, no cars were ever seen around these kinds of areas. They knew they couldn't stray too far from the area, fearful of losing the portal and being unable to find it again before their time was up. Michael marked the side of the road they had entered on to with a moss covered dead log found under one of trees, allowing them to leave the area confidently. They both held on to the sense of peace as they walked, the lack of traffic and development giving the appearance of an untouched world, all theirs to explore. Given the chance, Michael would have easily left his own world for a chance to explore this one, with Melody at his side, they would go everywhere. From the top of every mountain to the shores of every sea, they would go, seeing the world as they never did before. The sun was high in the sky, bright and yellow, it sent down rays of pleasing warmth. The air was thick with the smell of wood and grass, a smell familiar to Melody; bringing back the nostalgic memories that now seemed so far away. She remembered her forest home, the wild berry bushes and flowing streams, a perfect vision of nature locked in time.
They walked for near on an hour, stopping only when they observed a small plume of smoke rising from the canopy of trees along the pathway.
"Odd for anyone to be lighting a fire this early in the evening" Michael observed, if it even was evening, it was hard to tell when they had arrived so shortly ago.
"Should we check if anyone's there?" Melody asked, slightly nervous about who they might find, even if they peaceful people, she had never had much contact with humans before Michael, who wasn't even of her world.
"Well, we're probably not going to find anyone else soon" Michael said, starting off the trail and into the woods "But be careful, let's just observe them for a while" He cautioned. They moved off the beaten pathway and into the forest again, following the trail in the sky.
"I hear something..." Melody said, straining to identify the sound "It sounds like someone...singing". Michael picked up on the sound too, noticing it grow slowly louder as they walked on. Within a gap between the trees, Michael spotted the light of a fire, easy to make out, the glow illuminating the shadows cast by the leafy canopy. The singing was easy to hear now, low and soft like the voice on a mother, female in tone. They hid themselves slightly out of view, peering through the trees to try glimpse the area around the fire. They saw the fire, glow dulled slightly by a small black pot placed over the burning embers. Inside the pot, a smoky green liquid boiled, sending a scent of sweetness throughout the camp. To Michael, it was the smell of lavender he recognised all those weeks ago but to Melody, it was the smell of rawst berries, thick and sweet. Sitting beside the black pot was a young girl, no older than 15, singing softly under her breath. Short cut red hair lay flat on her head, a masculine appearance, while her eyes carried a look of worry. Her clothes were dirty, smudged with dirt and mud were a baggy white and pink coat along with torn biker shorts hung from her, her feet were bare and blistered. She stirred the mixture in the pot as she removed it from the flames, tongues of fire licking the pot as she lifted it. Set it aside, taking a knife and slicing open a small blue berry, letting the juice flow into the pot, mixing it in with a small brush. Only when she turned, did Melody notice the brown cloth laid out beside her, a small furred form resting on it. It was covered in short brown fur; small tufts of cream coloured fur covered its lower half, along with the tips of its ears. The creature looked much like a rabbit to Michael, small and fragile. The cream fur around its waist was matted and stained red, a deep noticeable gash where the fur had been cut away, still bleeding slightly whenever the creature breathed in and out. Smaller cuts and ruby stains were visible on its thin brown coat, darkening the fur. The girl took the brush from the pot and slowly drew it across the wound, spreading the green salve over the area, the creature winced slightly, but was apparently too weak to properly struggle, simply giving a weak movement as the girl continued to apply the green salve. She dabbed it onto the various cuts over the creature's fur, still singing all the while. The girl finished and began to bandage the creature, rolling thick white linen stripes over the drying green fluid. Michael nudged Melody, slowly motioning to move forward. They moved out of cover, slowly approaching the fire. Michael lightly called out
"Excuse me..." He tried to sound as unthreatening as possible. It didn't work well, however, as the girl rapidly spun around, grabbing and flinging the knife she had been using to cut berries towards them. Michael felt the knife glance over his cheek, bringing with it the sting of ripping flesh. The knife landed a short distance away, clattering to a stop at the base of one of the trees. Melody quickly tried to help him, fretfully examining the fresh cut, drawing a line of blood. Despite Michael's slow approach and even now, his defenceless position as he cupped the shallow cut on his cheek, the girl looked on with eyes of fear. She was defenceless, but Michael could sense that she feared him more than an attack on herself. She kept up her guard as she stuttered over a question
"D-don't try to take us, I c-can still kill you e-easily" Her voice betrayed the boldness in the words. Melody felt the emotions that poured off her, the poor girl had obviously been chased and attacked by someone to put her in this state of mixed emotions. Anger, fear, dread; all of these feelings radiated from her, and they were the source of it.
"We're not going to hurt you" Melody said, adding surprise to the girl's look of fear. "Please, calm yourself..."
The girl stumbled over her words as she spoke, trying to get her question out
"H-how can you...talk? A-are you one of them?"
"We're not anyone" Michael said, gash on his cheek flowing with a little less blood now "We just wanted to know who was out here"
"B-but did they follow you?" She asked, her voice still panicked and fast. The girl was definitely being pursued if this was how she acted.
"Who are you talking about?" Melody asked, the girl gave a blank look, expectant of something
"You don't...W-Who are you?" She stammered
"Travellers from northern Hoenn" Michael said, attempting to sound truthful
"You're not a very good liar..." The girl said, still keeping a ready stance, legs separated, ready to run
"What do you mean?" Melody asked, the girl jumped again at her question, too fearful to consider why Melody could speak.
"The whole of northern Hoenn, it's captured" She replied shakily "Mt Chimney, Fallarbor town through to Rustboro, It's all under their control"
"Who?" Melody asked again, the girl wasn't being very clear on anything, expecting them to know it all.
"Have you two been hiding in the forest for the last week? Who are you!" she asked. Michael decided a simple explanation would be enough for now, it would calm her down at least and let them figure out what the state of the world is now.
"We're not really from Hoenn" Michael admitted "Melody is, but I'm from...somewhere rather far away"
"How far?"
"Farther than any map can show"
The girl calmed slightly, but remained on guard as she examined them. It wasn't an odd sight for here, surely, a man and a Pokémon, but what she wondered was how Melody was able to speak and how neither knew of northern Hoenn's situation.
"How can she talk? And why haven't you heard anything...Just tell me everything" She said, kneeling over the small furry creature lying on the mat of brown cloth. Melody answered the first of her questions
"Telepathy, any psychic type can use it"
"Then why haven't I heard it before?" She asked "M-my Espeon is psychic and he never talks"
"We...don't feel much need to" Melody answered carefully "It can be quite difficult at first, and speaking words is different from sharing emotions, more...limited". This was the reason Pokémon never named themselves, their minds or scents were enough to identify them.
"T-Then why don't you know about northern Hoenn!?" She said, anger flaring at the mention of the place
"We've only arrived in Hoenn" Michael said, plotting his tale more carefully this time "We never heard anything about....what's happened, anyway?"
The girl tensed, a mixture of emotions whirling through her as she recalled it all; fear, anger, hatred and sadness where all present in her as she spoke.
"Aqua and Magma finally teamed up...they somehow were convinced to merge, they got a hold of a lot of weapons and overran the north..." She explained. She continued to tell them the tragic tale she had seen with her own eyes. "They had guns, lots of them, it's impossible they could have gotten them on their own, they use Pokémon. Guns are outlawed here....only the police forces keep them and even then, they-they only have small ones. But they..." She tensed again, anger growing in her voice, pure hatred lathered over her words "They got big ones, they sent every one of their people out to the north and took over...they killed anyone who tried to stop them, even Pokémon! They didn't try to battle anyone, they just shot them! They had no chance! They overtook towns and whole areas, forcing people to hand over their Pokémon and their things, then they just put them all to work, making ammunition for their weapons. They had plans and everything for their weapons; no one could fight back because they were outnumbered...."
"Where did they get their weapons?" Michael asked
"I don't know! It's impossible! Weapons like that aren't made anymore, they were all destroyed! But now they force people to make them, whole crates of them, they're planning a takeover of Hoenn..." tears filled her eyes as she told the next parts of her tale, there was no easy way to talk of such events "...the one's who couldn't work...if they were too old, they shot them, if they were young...they raped the girls every night, killing the ones who resisted..."
"What happened to you?" Michael asked tentatively "where were you?"
"I was one of the prisoners, I had to take care of the captured Pokémon...they kept them in cages, feeding them so little that they became nothing but bone. Those bastards...they were sick! If some of them couldn't find a girl, they...fucking sick..." she held back tears, face red with anger and distress. Michael told her she could stop, but she ignored him. "I couldn't take it, I tried to escape. I used some of my old pokeballs I had kept from them, they were old models but I got all my Pokémon from the cages, I tried to take as many of the others as I could, but I couldn't hold many...I jumped the fence and tried to run, but they saw me. They chased me for days, they caught up a few times, but my Pokémon drove them off...but they killed most of them by the time I was far away...every time they found me, a few more died. I didn't ask them! They just did it! Throwing themselves in front of me, dying so I could keep running, those stupid things!" She buried her head in her hands; she could still feel the blood of those Pokémon on her conscience, being cut down for trying to protect her. "I haven't seen them for days...I think they've given up. But only two of the Pokémon
made it, and this little bunnery, she was nearly killed when a bullet hit her...she was one of the ones the men beat for fun...they kicked her around, throwing her into the air just to see her fall, shooting at her out of boredom..."
Melody and Michael sat in stunned silence, this wasn't them peaceful world Melody knew, and this wasn't the fun game Michael had played. Aqua and Magma, they always seemed so comic, so goofy, but now, they were nothing but sadistic thugs. It sounded like the World War II work camps, Auschwitz and Poland, a death camp.
"Things have changed...This is horrible" Melody whispered. Michael wondered how those people could get a hold of so much firepower when it was outlawed here. There wasn't an army he knew of, and even the police appeared to use Pokémon for duty. The only way would be...
"Others are here" Michael said, the horror of the realization dawning on him. Somehow, others had been pulled into this world, the less savoury types, who had the weapons needed to take over but just needed an army. Aqua and Magma had filled that vacancy, teaming up to become an unstoppable force that even the greatest in this world may be threatened by.
"What? Are they here?" The girl asked fearfully
"No, no I..." Michael quickly thought up something to try and explain himself "I know of some other crime syndicates...they have access to these weapons"
"Then why didn't they do this sooner?" She asked, dismissing the question instantly "oh, who cares...they can't be stopped now..."
They sat in silence for a while, no one willing to break the moment of silent misery for both parties. Michael finally spoke up again, trying to get the girl to trust them
"We didn't get your name" He said, Introducing both of them first "This is Melody, I'm Michael"
"Valerie" She said, giving a weak smile as she stroked the little bunnery's ears, the furred creature quietly mewing in response, she was still weakened from her injuries. "Are you a trainer too?"
"No, I'm not"
"So why is she with you?" She asked, glancing over at Melody. Gardevoir weren't a common sight, even for trainers, due to their reclusive nature. "Did you catch her?"
"No, she's..." Michael didn't know if he could openly admit their relationship to her, it could lead to mistrust, one thing they didn't need in this world.
"We're close friends" Melody finished for him "Michael helped me a long time ago, and I've travelled with him ever since"
"I've never heard of a Pokémon following someone who didn't capture them" She said "...so where are you two headed?"
"We're actually a bit lost" Michael said, trying to coax some info out of her "Do you have a map on you, or could you tell us where we are?"
"They took my pokenav away when they captured me...but I think we're halfway to Mauville" She said. Michael knew roughly where Mauville was, but the size of Hoenn still eluded him. In the games it had seemed short enough, but in reality, he couldn't be sure. She had been running for days, and only covered half the distance; even then he didn't know how far that would be.
"How far is Mauville from your town?"
"Around two hundred kilometres maybe, I don't really know, I didn't ever go far from Fallarbor" She said. Michael sat back, they had been her for only an hour, and covering another hundred kilometres would be impossible without some sort of transport.
"What did you use on that bunnery?" Melody asked. The pot of green liquid sat at Valerie's side, scenting the air.
"My grandmother owns a herb shop in Lavaridge, she taught me to make these natural cures from berries and herbs" Valeria explained "She always said it was better than what the shops sold, and the ingredients are easy to find". The sadly looked down at the little Pokémon, unsure of herself. "I hope it works..."
"What else has happened?" Michael asked "Doesn't the rest of Hoenn know about this all?"
"They do but....no one is willing to face them right now. I've heard that towns are guarding themselves now, they're trying to prepare for them if they come" She said "I haven't heard a lot since I escaped. Only a few trainers and travellers told me what's happened. Ever Grande city and the Pokémon league shutdown, the Diagla and Palkia temples in Sootopolis were destroyed as well. They don't even know who did it, the temples just shook and destroyed themselves, they lost some of the monks under the rocks" The destruction was widespread, even though it was only northern Hoenn, everyone now seemed to be in a state of fear. No doubt suspicions would be high for everyone now. "Slateport stopped the ferries to Mossdeep and Pacifidlog too, some people are just stranded"
"What about the forest near the tree houses?" Melody asked worriedly. It was her home, and although she had never ventured outside the forest, everyone in her tribe knew of the tree houses that humans lived in to the north. They often stayed clear of the area, thinking preferring not to risk capture.
"Fortree?" Valerie asked "I don't know. I've never even been there" She paused for a second before asking "where are you going anyway?"
"We were just coming here to collect some things" Michael said, a half truth would do just fine
"Berries? Herbs?" She asked "I know this place pretty well now, what are you looking for"
"Do sitrus berry grow near here?" Melody asked eagerly.
"Yeah, I got some this morning just down the trail, I can show you if you want" She answered, picking up her bag, leaving the black pot by the fireplace.
"That would be good" Melody said. Valerie wrapped the brown cloth around the injured bunnery and gently picked her up. The bunnery stirred slightly, leaning into her as she held it in her arms. Michael and Melody stood and followed her lead. She led them into the forest, the same way they had come from. Michael quietly whispered a question to Melody.
"Why did you ask about sitrus berries?" He said, Melody smiled heartily in response
"They're my favourite" She said. Michael laughed slightly, they only had limited time here, but he supposed that she deserved this after being gone for so long. Valerie led them back out onto the road. They travelled in silence for most of the journey, Valerie softly whispering to the bunnery she held in her arms, reassuring her whenever she had a whimper. Melody took some time to reflect on the changes to her world, sharing the thoughts with Michael as they went. Violence and death seemed to have taken a stranglehold the land, People and Pokémon were treated like animals by those who fought unfairly. It wouldn't take long for the cancer to spread from the north, reaching over the whole of Hoenn, then what would be left for them? With Hoenn gone, the other regions would be next, then the rest of the world, if it was taken that far. She had no doubt that it would, but even then, the great cataclysm between the worlds may destroy them long before that could come to pass. Michael shared her sadness over these developments. It meant that even her they would be forced to run, not from prejudice or fear of the unknown, but from terror and death. Michael thought that they would try find another region, but even then their doubts remained. If this was happening in Hoenn, would the same be coming to pass in other regions? Stopping the newly armed Aqua and Magma was nigh impossible for them, even if they were to mass all the people together, heavy firepower would slaughter them all. The only way they could ever find peace, would be to stop the worlds colliding. Michael had a bleaker outlook, that even if they stopped the collision, it wouldn't change anything. The people would still be fighting for control, life would be a commodity, and no peace would exist for two lovers. Melody gently reassured him. If it ever came to that, they would flee. They could just run to the ends of the earth and be together until darkness claimed them; Michael smiled sadly at the thought. He'd like that, for however long it lasted.
They passed the old log Michael had dragged onto the path to mark the portal location. The rustling of wind could be heard, carrying the buzzing drone of the portal with it. Looking through the trees, it was barely visible, a faint blue glow flaring occasionally. Michael hoped Valerie wouldn't notice him looking towards it, the last thing they needed was more people knowing about this, seeing it as an escape of the things to come. Thankfully, she was too busy quietly singing to the Pokémon in her arms to glance towards it. They continued on for another half an hour, Michael beginning to wonder just down far 'just down the trail' was. The forest stretched for miles in each direction, ridges and mountains visible behind them. One ridge stood out, the largest of them all, top black with soot ash, visible even from this distance. Mount Chimney, he guessed, the largest mountain in Hoenn, spewing out clouds of rising smoke. He wondered if it had erupted, and how sure the residents were sure of it. Valerie abruptly turned off the trail again, despite there being no indication of where it
led. Still, they followed her and within a minute or so, came to a large patch of bushes and exotic trees. Berries of many colours and kinds shone through the leaves, painting the area in a rainbow of colourful drops. Melody moved towards one small shrub, leaves blue, pump yellow gourd like berries hanging from its branches. Not many berries grew on the shrub, only three from what he could see, a tiny amount of fruit to bear compared to the plants on earth.
Melody twisted the berry free and smiled as she took a large bite, the nostalgic sugary tang of the berry dancing on her tongue, sharp stabs of the sour juice at the back of her mouth. Some of the juice ran down her chin, she wiped it away and kept eating. He twisted another from the branch and held it out to Michael
"Try one" she said happily. Michael took the large fruit, the leathery yellow skin dotted with bursts of orange. He gingerly took a bite, the size of it make it hard to wrap his teeth around. His eyes clenched as the sour taste burned his mouth, like biting into a very sweet lemon. Most of the flesh was just juice, burning as it passed down his throat. He coughed loudly, the tang it clinging to his mouth, leaving a rather pleasing aftertaste. He wondered if it was worth it.
"How can you...eat that?" He asked, still hacking "That's the sourest thing I've ever tasted"
"You get used to it, it's just tastes so lively" she said, still eating her way through the berry. Michael risked another bite, regretting it as he just made the coughing worse. Valerie laughed loudly at this, handing him another berry, this one purple, bunched like a raspberry but much larger.
"Here, maybe you'll like these one's better" She said, Michael thanked her and took a small bite, not willing to risk another assault on his taste buds. His one was much better, a soft velvety taste, sweet and a bit dry.
"That's actually pretty-"He stopped as a shout came from the woods, Valerie spun around, growing quiet and straining to hear. The voices grew louder, seeming to shout directions. She turned and ran without a word; Michael hesitated, and then ran after her, Melody following close behind. They ran through the grove, tripping over rocks and dead wood, until they were far enough away to observe it without being seen. Valerie was shaking as she leaned against a tree, pure panic painted on her face, eyes wide. The shouts were near enough to be heard clearly now, but they had stopped. They all looked through the trees, catching the forms of two large men, each wearing the same uniform, black shirt with long white pants. Only their bandanas distinguished them, one red and one blue. In their arms they caught the glint of metal, and knew the two were armed. Valeria whimpered, Melody trying to calm her down as Michael listened into the two men's' conversation.
"-for days! Some bitch got away, why the hell does he make us go chasing her this goddamn far" The blue bandana one said
"If we let her escape, the others might try escape too. It's not whether she's escaped, it's whether she gets away with it" The red one responded
"Then we just say we fucking killed her, okay! The others won't try-"blue was cut off,
"He'll need proof! If we killed her, he'd expect us to bring something back to prove it, put the fear into the hostages" red said, eyes scanning the area. Michael ducked his head back quickly as he glanced over their hiding spot. His gaze lingered a second too long for comfort.
"Aren't you tired too? Bloody hell, we've slept in mud for the last week"
"And we'll be sleeping five feet under the mud if we don't find her" Red quipped back. He motioned straight towards their hiding spot, manic gleam of a hunter in his eye "Keep moving"
As they jogged towards the dense trees, Valerie panicked, her breathing coming in quick gasps, heading looking from side to side, seeking escape. Michael couldn't move, his feet planted to the ground, despite Melody's urgings, he knew running would alert the two. Valerie shrieked and broke free of her trembling, before Michael knew it, his legs were sprinting forward, carrying him as fast as they could. He didn't even think as he ran, let alone acknowledge the shouts from behind or the clatter of gunfire through the dark forest. Melody glided beside him, psychic powers being used to lift her from the ground, propelling her through the air. The darkness was their friend now, concealing them in a blanket of uncertainty for their pursuers as they trailed them. Michael managed to catch Valerie, grabbing her shoulder and veering left, trying to throw the two behind them off course. Michael breathed heavily as the leaped over rocks and roots snaking over the ground. Valerie had tears coming from her eyes as he ran, breath interspaced between cries and sobs. Without warning, they broke free of the forest, on the trail again. Michael's thoughts were frantic as they stopped, this area was far too open, and they would be gunned down in seconds.
"Back to the portal" He called to Melody as he ran to the opposite side of the forest, dragging Valerie along with him, the bunnery whining as she held onto it tight, she was too frightened to understand what Michael meant but followed anyway. They ran close to the trail, trying not to lose
sight of it. Their pursuers were further behind them now, weaving slower through the forest, unsure of which direction to take. They ran until each one of them wheezed for breath, their lungs feeling as if they were on fire. They kept running, escaping being the only thing on their minds even as their lungs begged for sweet release, watching the world go by in a haze. Finally, they slowed, nearly falling over due to exhaustion. Melody staggered, her levitation taking a toll on her mentally and physically. Michael looked back out onto the trail, searching for their sign to freedom. The trail was clear as far as he could see, with nothing to mark their destination. He looked all around, desperately searching for it. His heart sank when he sighted it, far behind them. He cursed; they had been so distracted that they hadn't seen it. He turned and gently shook Valerie's shoulder
"We have to go back, just a bit" He said, gasping for air
"No, no running" She sobbed "They're going to kill us"
"No they're not" Michael gently urged "come on, just a little further", tenderly pulling her along with him, she whimpered as he did so, as they all doubled back on their path. Melody had sunk back to the ground, tiredly limping along with the rest of them. They reached the log quickly, turning inwards towards the forest. Shouts came from in the left of them, Valerie screamed slightly, breaking into a lurching run, forcing Michael to follow her. Melody nearly collapsed as they moved with her, Michael moving back to support her, the drone of the portal being the only sound now that could calm him. A thud and flying of bark from behind them, made the need to move even more urgent. Finally, they broke into the area of the portal, blue tinged light illuminating the forestry around them. Valerie had crumpled to the grassy floor, sobbing uncontrollably in front of the spacial distortion. But before they could move any further, the grass in front of them shot up, dirt flying through the air. The two armed men stood behind them, guns level with Michael and Melody. The red one spoke first
"A lot of trouble, you caused us both" He said, panting as he did so. "We only...want the girl...you two won't be...so fortunate". They both braced as he levelled his sights, finger twitching on the trigger. Michael closed his eyes in defeat, the end for both of them, but at least they were still together. A shout rang out, making Michael open his eyes slightly. Red was clutching his head, temple bleeding from a deep gash. Valerie stood fear still in her eyes, but burning hatred also. She hurled another rock, hitting blue as he brought up his gun. Melody took the chance, throwing the two backwards with a psychic thrust, he was weakened but it was enough to make the two drop their weapons. Michael tried to drag Valerie towards the portal with him, but she wouldn't move. She instead ran at red, landing in him and smashing his face with her bared fists. He screamed in anger as she brought each fist down on the man's head. Blue was up by this time, running towards Valerie. Melody sent another psychic push his way, but caught Valerie in the process. Michael hauled Melody up with him, moving towards the portal
"We have to go!" He yelled "Try pull her here!"
"I can't!" Melody shrieked as she tried with every bit of might left in her to pull the poor girl away from the two. Michael kept them moving towards the portal, now only a few feet away. Melody wouldn't go any further, resisting his grip as the she pushed away the two again.
"We have to go Melody!" Michael yelled again "Push them away and-"Melody succeeded in pushing the two men away from Valerie, falling over as her exertion caught up with her. Michael lost his grip as she staggered down, falling backwards. Everything slowed for him as he fell. He saw the pained look on Melody's face, turning to horror as she slowly turned her head to see him. Valerie running towards them, shouting incoherently. The two men were down, slowing turning their bruised heads to see him, eyes dull and unfocused. Michael screamed as he fell, feeling that terrible pull at his back, the last thing he saw was Melody's screaming back to him. Then, white.
He heard shouts, movement, quick frenzied motions to around him. His vision was blurred, his mind foggy as an old face leaned over him. He felt his back against cold, sodden earth. The haze of sound around him sharpened slowly and he heard one old, wise voice speak to him through the darkness.
"Michael..." He said quietly
Stars, that's what those dots of light in the sky were, stars. He sat up, vision clearing, seeing dawns light break on the horizon. He looked around slowing, wondering if this was all a dream. He saw Will staring concernedly at him, his Pokémon assistants accompanying him.
"Michael, are you okay?"
The portal was gone, no droning echo or light remained in the field. His mouth opened, sound never coming past his lips, only shallow gasps as his head shook lightly. He lifted his head high, voice coming back slowing as the morning light spilled over his body, burning him with putrid awareness.
He screamed.Chapter End Notes:"The greatest weakness of humans is their hesitancy to tell others how much they love them before they're gone
"It's beautiful" Michael said as they strolled under the thick roof of leaves, still in awe at the place
"It's home..." Melody replied, not caring if this was Hoenn or Sinnoh or Jhoto. It was her home and she loved it regardless. Michael struggled to ask a question through the peace he felt
"Where to now?" he asked "Rustboro? Dewford or Slateport?" he laughed as he recalled the name of the Hoenn regions towns , a sound which was strange to him after all that had happen, that he could now enjoy something as jubilantly as when he was only a child. "I don't even know if we're in Hoenn, but we're here...finally". Melody contemplated all the things they could do now that she was home and in a world where neither of them would be seen as strangers.
"We could try and find someone else" She said, scanning the area for any sign of civilisation "They could tell us where we are...and how this place has changed". Michael nodded, knowing that the situation here would be just as bad as the one in his world, if not worse. But the forested areas seemed ample enough for thousands of people to inhabit, and if they had been driven from their towns, maybe they did. A pained thought came to mind as he thought of the scale of this new place.
"We only have five hours, don't we?" Michael said sombrely, feeling regret at having to leave this place after such a short time. A place that made him feel this way, it simply didn't seem right to leave.
"Yes" she replied, leaning on his shoulder affectionately. She cared not for their time limit, only that they were here now, and it was not a dream. "So let's enjoy them". Her slight optimism made him smile. They walked further through the forest, trying to find anything that could help get somewhere. They eventually happened across a dirt road, common in this world, Melody has explained. Trainers often walked of rode bicycles to travel long distances, no cars were ever seen around these kinds of areas. They knew they couldn't stray too far from the area, fearful of losing the portal and being unable to find it again before their time was up. Michael marked the side of the road they had entered on to with a moss covered dead log found under one of trees, allowing them to leave the area confidently. They both held on to the sense of peace as they walked, the lack of traffic and development giving the appearance of an untouched world, all theirs to explore. Given the chance, Michael would have easily left his own world for a chance to explore this one, with Melody at his side, they would go everywhere. From the top of every mountain to the shores of every sea, they would go, seeing the world as they never did before. The sun was high in the sky, bright and yellow, it sent down rays of pleasing warmth. The air was thick with the smell of wood and grass, a smell familiar to Melody; bringing back the nostalgic memories that now seemed so far away. She remembered her forest home, the wild berry bushes and flowing streams, a perfect vision of nature locked in time.
They walked for near on an hour, stopping only when they observed a small plume of smoke rising from the canopy of trees along the pathway.
"Odd for anyone to be lighting a fire this early in the evening" Michael observed, if it even was evening, it was hard to tell when they had arrived so shortly ago.
"Should we check if anyone's there?" Melody asked, slightly nervous about who they might find, even if they peaceful people, she had never had much contact with humans before Michael, who wasn't even of her world.
"Well, we're probably not going to find anyone else soon" Michael said, starting off the trail and into the woods "But be careful, let's just observe them for a while" He cautioned. They moved off the beaten pathway and into the forest again, following the trail in the sky.
"I hear something..." Melody said, straining to identify the sound "It sounds like someone...singing". Michael picked up on the sound too, noticing it grow slowly louder as they walked on. Within a gap between the trees, Michael spotted the light of a fire, easy to make out, the glow illuminating the shadows cast by the leafy canopy. The singing was easy to hear now, low and soft like the voice on a mother, female in tone. They hid themselves slightly out of view, peering through the trees to try glimpse the area around the fire. They saw the fire, glow dulled slightly by a small black pot placed over the burning embers. Inside the pot, a smoky green liquid boiled, sending a scent of sweetness throughout the camp. To Michael, it was the smell of lavender he recognised all those weeks ago but to Melody, it was the smell of rawst berries, thick and sweet. Sitting beside the black pot was a young girl, no older than 15, singing softly under her breath. Short cut red hair lay flat on her head, a masculine appearance, while her eyes carried a look of worry. Her clothes were dirty, smudged with dirt and mud were a baggy white and pink coat along with torn biker shorts hung from her, her feet were bare and blistered. She stirred the mixture in the pot as she removed it from the flames, tongues of fire licking the pot as she lifted it. Set it aside, taking a knife and slicing open a small blue berry, letting the juice flow into the pot, mixing it in with a small brush. Only when she turned, did Melody notice the brown cloth laid out beside her, a small furred form resting on it. It was covered in short brown fur; small tufts of cream coloured fur covered its lower half, along with the tips of its ears. The creature looked much like a rabbit to Michael, small and fragile. The cream fur around its waist was matted and stained red, a deep noticeable gash where the fur had been cut away, still bleeding slightly whenever the creature breathed in and out. Smaller cuts and ruby stains were visible on its thin brown coat, darkening the fur. The girl took the brush from the pot and slowly drew it across the wound, spreading the green salve over the area, the creature winced slightly, but was apparently too weak to properly struggle, simply giving a weak movement as the girl continued to apply the green salve. She dabbed it onto the various cuts over the creature's fur, still singing all the while. The girl finished and began to bandage the creature, rolling thick white linen stripes over the drying green fluid. Michael nudged Melody, slowly motioning to move forward. They moved out of cover, slowly approaching the fire. Michael lightly called out
"Excuse me..." He tried to sound as unthreatening as possible. It didn't work well, however, as the girl rapidly spun around, grabbing and flinging the knife she had been using to cut berries towards them. Michael felt the knife glance over his cheek, bringing with it the sting of ripping flesh. The knife landed a short distance away, clattering to a stop at the base of one of the trees. Melody quickly tried to help him, fretfully examining the fresh cut, drawing a line of blood. Despite Michael's slow approach and even now, his defenceless position as he cupped the shallow cut on his cheek, the girl looked on with eyes of fear. She was defenceless, but Michael could sense that she feared him more than an attack on herself. She kept up her guard as she stuttered over a question
"D-don't try to take us, I c-can still kill you e-easily" Her voice betrayed the boldness in the words. Melody felt the emotions that poured off her, the poor girl had obviously been chased and attacked by someone to put her in this state of mixed emotions. Anger, fear, dread; all of these feelings radiated from her, and they were the source of it.
"We're not going to hurt you" Melody said, adding surprise to the girl's look of fear. "Please, calm yourself..."
The girl stumbled over her words as she spoke, trying to get her question out
"H-how can you...talk? A-are you one of them?"
"We're not anyone" Michael said, gash on his cheek flowing with a little less blood now "We just wanted to know who was out here"
"B-but did they follow you?" She asked, her voice still panicked and fast. The girl was definitely being pursued if this was how she acted.
"Who are you talking about?" Melody asked, the girl gave a blank look, expectant of something
"You don't...W-Who are you?" She stammered
"Travellers from northern Hoenn" Michael said, attempting to sound truthful
"You're not a very good liar..." The girl said, still keeping a ready stance, legs separated, ready to run
"What do you mean?" Melody asked, the girl jumped again at her question, too fearful to consider why Melody could speak.
"The whole of northern Hoenn, it's captured" She replied shakily "Mt Chimney, Fallarbor town through to Rustboro, It's all under their control"
"Who?" Melody asked again, the girl wasn't being very clear on anything, expecting them to know it all.
"Have you two been hiding in the forest for the last week? Who are you!" she asked. Michael decided a simple explanation would be enough for now, it would calm her down at least and let them figure out what the state of the world is now.
"We're not really from Hoenn" Michael admitted "Melody is, but I'm from...somewhere rather far away"
"How far?"
"Farther than any map can show"
The girl calmed slightly, but remained on guard as she examined them. It wasn't an odd sight for here, surely, a man and a Pokémon, but what she wondered was how Melody was able to speak and how neither knew of northern Hoenn's situation.
"How can she talk? And why haven't you heard anything...Just tell me everything" She said, kneeling over the small furry creature lying on the mat of brown cloth. Melody answered the first of her questions
"Telepathy, any psychic type can use it"
"Then why haven't I heard it before?" She asked "M-my Espeon is psychic and he never talks"
"We...don't feel much need to" Melody answered carefully "It can be quite difficult at first, and speaking words is different from sharing emotions, more...limited". This was the reason Pokémon never named themselves, their minds or scents were enough to identify them.
"T-Then why don't you know about northern Hoenn!?" She said, anger flaring at the mention of the place
"We've only arrived in Hoenn" Michael said, plotting his tale more carefully this time "We never heard anything about....what's happened, anyway?"
The girl tensed, a mixture of emotions whirling through her as she recalled it all; fear, anger, hatred and sadness where all present in her as she spoke.
"Aqua and Magma finally teamed up...they somehow were convinced to merge, they got a hold of a lot of weapons and overran the north..." She explained. She continued to tell them the tragic tale she had seen with her own eyes. "They had guns, lots of them, it's impossible they could have gotten them on their own, they use Pokémon. Guns are outlawed here....only the police forces keep them and even then, they-they only have small ones. But they..." She tensed again, anger growing in her voice, pure hatred lathered over her words "They got big ones, they sent every one of their people out to the north and took over...they killed anyone who tried to stop them, even Pokémon! They didn't try to battle anyone, they just shot them! They had no chance! They overtook towns and whole areas, forcing people to hand over their Pokémon and their things, then they just put them all to work, making ammunition for their weapons. They had plans and everything for their weapons; no one could fight back because they were outnumbered...."
"Where did they get their weapons?" Michael asked
"I don't know! It's impossible! Weapons like that aren't made anymore, they were all destroyed! But now they force people to make them, whole crates of them, they're planning a takeover of Hoenn..." tears filled her eyes as she told the next parts of her tale, there was no easy way to talk of such events "...the one's who couldn't work...if they were too old, they shot them, if they were young...they raped the girls every night, killing the ones who resisted..."
"What happened to you?" Michael asked tentatively "where were you?"
"I was one of the prisoners, I had to take care of the captured Pokémon...they kept them in cages, feeding them so little that they became nothing but bone. Those bastards...they were sick! If some of them couldn't find a girl, they...fucking sick..." she held back tears, face red with anger and distress. Michael told her she could stop, but she ignored him. "I couldn't take it, I tried to escape. I used some of my old pokeballs I had kept from them, they were old models but I got all my Pokémon from the cages, I tried to take as many of the others as I could, but I couldn't hold many...I jumped the fence and tried to run, but they saw me. They chased me for days, they caught up a few times, but my Pokémon drove them off...but they killed most of them by the time I was far away...every time they found me, a few more died. I didn't ask them! They just did it! Throwing themselves in front of me, dying so I could keep running, those stupid things!" She buried her head in her hands; she could still feel the blood of those Pokémon on her conscience, being cut down for trying to protect her. "I haven't seen them for days...I think they've given up. But only two of the Pokémon
made it, and this little bunnery, she was nearly killed when a bullet hit her...she was one of the ones the men beat for fun...they kicked her around, throwing her into the air just to see her fall, shooting at her out of boredom..."
Melody and Michael sat in stunned silence, this wasn't them peaceful world Melody knew, and this wasn't the fun game Michael had played. Aqua and Magma, they always seemed so comic, so goofy, but now, they were nothing but sadistic thugs. It sounded like the World War II work camps, Auschwitz and Poland, a death camp.
"Things have changed...This is horrible" Melody whispered. Michael wondered how those people could get a hold of so much firepower when it was outlawed here. There wasn't an army he knew of, and even the police appeared to use Pokémon for duty. The only way would be...
"Others are here" Michael said, the horror of the realization dawning on him. Somehow, others had been pulled into this world, the less savoury types, who had the weapons needed to take over but just needed an army. Aqua and Magma had filled that vacancy, teaming up to become an unstoppable force that even the greatest in this world may be threatened by.
"What? Are they here?" The girl asked fearfully
"No, no I..." Michael quickly thought up something to try and explain himself "I know of some other crime syndicates...they have access to these weapons"
"Then why didn't they do this sooner?" She asked, dismissing the question instantly "oh, who cares...they can't be stopped now..."
They sat in silence for a while, no one willing to break the moment of silent misery for both parties. Michael finally spoke up again, trying to get the girl to trust them
"We didn't get your name" He said, Introducing both of them first "This is Melody, I'm Michael"
"Valerie" She said, giving a weak smile as she stroked the little bunnery's ears, the furred creature quietly mewing in response, she was still weakened from her injuries. "Are you a trainer too?"
"No, I'm not"
"So why is she with you?" She asked, glancing over at Melody. Gardevoir weren't a common sight, even for trainers, due to their reclusive nature. "Did you catch her?"
"No, she's..." Michael didn't know if he could openly admit their relationship to her, it could lead to mistrust, one thing they didn't need in this world.
"We're close friends" Melody finished for him "Michael helped me a long time ago, and I've travelled with him ever since"
"I've never heard of a Pokémon following someone who didn't capture them" She said "...so where are you two headed?"
"We're actually a bit lost" Michael said, trying to coax some info out of her "Do you have a map on you, or could you tell us where we are?"
"They took my pokenav away when they captured me...but I think we're halfway to Mauville" She said. Michael knew roughly where Mauville was, but the size of Hoenn still eluded him. In the games it had seemed short enough, but in reality, he couldn't be sure. She had been running for days, and only covered half the distance; even then he didn't know how far that would be.
"How far is Mauville from your town?"
"Around two hundred kilometres maybe, I don't really know, I didn't ever go far from Fallarbor" She said. Michael sat back, they had been her for only an hour, and covering another hundred kilometres would be impossible without some sort of transport.
"What did you use on that bunnery?" Melody asked. The pot of green liquid sat at Valerie's side, scenting the air.
"My grandmother owns a herb shop in Lavaridge, she taught me to make these natural cures from berries and herbs" Valeria explained "She always said it was better than what the shops sold, and the ingredients are easy to find". The sadly looked down at the little Pokémon, unsure of herself. "I hope it works..."
"What else has happened?" Michael asked "Doesn't the rest of Hoenn know about this all?"
"They do but....no one is willing to face them right now. I've heard that towns are guarding themselves now, they're trying to prepare for them if they come" She said "I haven't heard a lot since I escaped. Only a few trainers and travellers told me what's happened. Ever Grande city and the Pokémon league shutdown, the Diagla and Palkia temples in Sootopolis were destroyed as well. They don't even know who did it, the temples just shook and destroyed themselves, they lost some of the monks under the rocks" The destruction was widespread, even though it was only northern Hoenn, everyone now seemed to be in a state of fear. No doubt suspicions would be high for everyone now. "Slateport stopped the ferries to Mossdeep and Pacifidlog too, some people are just stranded"
"What about the forest near the tree houses?" Melody asked worriedly. It was her home, and although she had never ventured outside the forest, everyone in her tribe knew of the tree houses that humans lived in to the north. They often stayed clear of the area, thinking preferring not to risk capture.
"Fortree?" Valerie asked "I don't know. I've never even been there" She paused for a second before asking "where are you going anyway?"
"We were just coming here to collect some things" Michael said, a half truth would do just fine
"Berries? Herbs?" She asked "I know this place pretty well now, what are you looking for"
"Do sitrus berry grow near here?" Melody asked eagerly.
"Yeah, I got some this morning just down the trail, I can show you if you want" She answered, picking up her bag, leaving the black pot by the fireplace.
"That would be good" Melody said. Valerie wrapped the brown cloth around the injured bunnery and gently picked her up. The bunnery stirred slightly, leaning into her as she held it in her arms. Michael and Melody stood and followed her lead. She led them into the forest, the same way they had come from. Michael quietly whispered a question to Melody.
"Why did you ask about sitrus berries?" He said, Melody smiled heartily in response
"They're my favourite" She said. Michael laughed slightly, they only had limited time here, but he supposed that she deserved this after being gone for so long. Valerie led them back out onto the road. They travelled in silence for most of the journey, Valerie softly whispering to the bunnery she held in her arms, reassuring her whenever she had a whimper. Melody took some time to reflect on the changes to her world, sharing the thoughts with Michael as they went. Violence and death seemed to have taken a stranglehold the land, People and Pokémon were treated like animals by those who fought unfairly. It wouldn't take long for the cancer to spread from the north, reaching over the whole of Hoenn, then what would be left for them? With Hoenn gone, the other regions would be next, then the rest of the world, if it was taken that far. She had no doubt that it would, but even then, the great cataclysm between the worlds may destroy them long before that could come to pass. Michael shared her sadness over these developments. It meant that even her they would be forced to run, not from prejudice or fear of the unknown, but from terror and death. Michael thought that they would try find another region, but even then their doubts remained. If this was happening in Hoenn, would the same be coming to pass in other regions? Stopping the newly armed Aqua and Magma was nigh impossible for them, even if they were to mass all the people together, heavy firepower would slaughter them all. The only way they could ever find peace, would be to stop the worlds colliding. Michael had a bleaker outlook, that even if they stopped the collision, it wouldn't change anything. The people would still be fighting for control, life would be a commodity, and no peace would exist for two lovers. Melody gently reassured him. If it ever came to that, they would flee. They could just run to the ends of the earth and be together until darkness claimed them; Michael smiled sadly at the thought. He'd like that, for however long it lasted.
They passed the old log Michael had dragged onto the path to mark the portal location. The rustling of wind could be heard, carrying the buzzing drone of the portal with it. Looking through the trees, it was barely visible, a faint blue glow flaring occasionally. Michael hoped Valerie wouldn't notice him looking towards it, the last thing they needed was more people knowing about this, seeing it as an escape of the things to come. Thankfully, she was too busy quietly singing to the Pokémon in her arms to glance towards it. They continued on for another half an hour, Michael beginning to wonder just down far 'just down the trail' was. The forest stretched for miles in each direction, ridges and mountains visible behind them. One ridge stood out, the largest of them all, top black with soot ash, visible even from this distance. Mount Chimney, he guessed, the largest mountain in Hoenn, spewing out clouds of rising smoke. He wondered if it had erupted, and how sure the residents were sure of it. Valerie abruptly turned off the trail again, despite there being no indication of where it
led. Still, they followed her and within a minute or so, came to a large patch of bushes and exotic trees. Berries of many colours and kinds shone through the leaves, painting the area in a rainbow of colourful drops. Melody moved towards one small shrub, leaves blue, pump yellow gourd like berries hanging from its branches. Not many berries grew on the shrub, only three from what he could see, a tiny amount of fruit to bear compared to the plants on earth.
Melody twisted the berry free and smiled as she took a large bite, the nostalgic sugary tang of the berry dancing on her tongue, sharp stabs of the sour juice at the back of her mouth. Some of the juice ran down her chin, she wiped it away and kept eating. He twisted another from the branch and held it out to Michael
"Try one" she said happily. Michael took the large fruit, the leathery yellow skin dotted with bursts of orange. He gingerly took a bite, the size of it make it hard to wrap his teeth around. His eyes clenched as the sour taste burned his mouth, like biting into a very sweet lemon. Most of the flesh was just juice, burning as it passed down his throat. He coughed loudly, the tang it clinging to his mouth, leaving a rather pleasing aftertaste. He wondered if it was worth it.
"How can you...eat that?" He asked, still hacking "That's the sourest thing I've ever tasted"
"You get used to it, it's just tastes so lively" she said, still eating her way through the berry. Michael risked another bite, regretting it as he just made the coughing worse. Valerie laughed loudly at this, handing him another berry, this one purple, bunched like a raspberry but much larger.
"Here, maybe you'll like these one's better" She said, Michael thanked her and took a small bite, not willing to risk another assault on his taste buds. His one was much better, a soft velvety taste, sweet and a bit dry.
"That's actually pretty-"He stopped as a shout came from the woods, Valerie spun around, growing quiet and straining to hear. The voices grew louder, seeming to shout directions. She turned and ran without a word; Michael hesitated, and then ran after her, Melody following close behind. They ran through the grove, tripping over rocks and dead wood, until they were far enough away to observe it without being seen. Valerie was shaking as she leaned against a tree, pure panic painted on her face, eyes wide. The shouts were near enough to be heard clearly now, but they had stopped. They all looked through the trees, catching the forms of two large men, each wearing the same uniform, black shirt with long white pants. Only their bandanas distinguished them, one red and one blue. In their arms they caught the glint of metal, and knew the two were armed. Valeria whimpered, Melody trying to calm her down as Michael listened into the two men's' conversation.
"-for days! Some bitch got away, why the hell does he make us go chasing her this goddamn far" The blue bandana one said
"If we let her escape, the others might try escape too. It's not whether she's escaped, it's whether she gets away with it" The red one responded
"Then we just say we fucking killed her, okay! The others won't try-"blue was cut off,
"He'll need proof! If we killed her, he'd expect us to bring something back to prove it, put the fear into the hostages" red said, eyes scanning the area. Michael ducked his head back quickly as he glanced over their hiding spot. His gaze lingered a second too long for comfort.
"Aren't you tired too? Bloody hell, we've slept in mud for the last week"
"And we'll be sleeping five feet under the mud if we don't find her" Red quipped back. He motioned straight towards their hiding spot, manic gleam of a hunter in his eye "Keep moving"
As they jogged towards the dense trees, Valerie panicked, her breathing coming in quick gasps, heading looking from side to side, seeking escape. Michael couldn't move, his feet planted to the ground, despite Melody's urgings, he knew running would alert the two. Valerie shrieked and broke free of her trembling, before Michael knew it, his legs were sprinting forward, carrying him as fast as they could. He didn't even think as he ran, let alone acknowledge the shouts from behind or the clatter of gunfire through the dark forest. Melody glided beside him, psychic powers being used to lift her from the ground, propelling her through the air. The darkness was their friend now, concealing them in a blanket of uncertainty for their pursuers as they trailed them. Michael managed to catch Valerie, grabbing her shoulder and veering left, trying to throw the two behind them off course. Michael breathed heavily as the leaped over rocks and roots snaking over the ground. Valerie had tears coming from her eyes as he ran, breath interspaced between cries and sobs. Without warning, they broke free of the forest, on the trail again. Michael's thoughts were frantic as they stopped, this area was far too open, and they would be gunned down in seconds.
"Back to the portal" He called to Melody as he ran to the opposite side of the forest, dragging Valerie along with him, the bunnery whining as she held onto it tight, she was too frightened to understand what Michael meant but followed anyway. They ran close to the trail, trying not to lose
sight of it. Their pursuers were further behind them now, weaving slower through the forest, unsure of which direction to take. They ran until each one of them wheezed for breath, their lungs feeling as if they were on fire. They kept running, escaping being the only thing on their minds even as their lungs begged for sweet release, watching the world go by in a haze. Finally, they slowed, nearly falling over due to exhaustion. Melody staggered, her levitation taking a toll on her mentally and physically. Michael looked back out onto the trail, searching for their sign to freedom. The trail was clear as far as he could see, with nothing to mark their destination. He looked all around, desperately searching for it. His heart sank when he sighted it, far behind them. He cursed; they had been so distracted that they hadn't seen it. He turned and gently shook Valerie's shoulder
"We have to go back, just a bit" He said, gasping for air
"No, no running" She sobbed "They're going to kill us"
"No they're not" Michael gently urged "come on, just a little further", tenderly pulling her along with him, she whimpered as he did so, as they all doubled back on their path. Melody had sunk back to the ground, tiredly limping along with the rest of them. They reached the log quickly, turning inwards towards the forest. Shouts came from in the left of them, Valerie screamed slightly, breaking into a lurching run, forcing Michael to follow her. Melody nearly collapsed as they moved with her, Michael moving back to support her, the drone of the portal being the only sound now that could calm him. A thud and flying of bark from behind them, made the need to move even more urgent. Finally, they broke into the area of the portal, blue tinged light illuminating the forestry around them. Valerie had crumpled to the grassy floor, sobbing uncontrollably in front of the spacial distortion. But before they could move any further, the grass in front of them shot up, dirt flying through the air. The two armed men stood behind them, guns level with Michael and Melody. The red one spoke first
"A lot of trouble, you caused us both" He said, panting as he did so. "We only...want the girl...you two won't be...so fortunate". They both braced as he levelled his sights, finger twitching on the trigger. Michael closed his eyes in defeat, the end for both of them, but at least they were still together. A shout rang out, making Michael open his eyes slightly. Red was clutching his head, temple bleeding from a deep gash. Valerie stood fear still in her eyes, but burning hatred also. She hurled another rock, hitting blue as he brought up his gun. Melody took the chance, throwing the two backwards with a psychic thrust, he was weakened but it was enough to make the two drop their weapons. Michael tried to drag Valerie towards the portal with him, but she wouldn't move. She instead ran at red, landing in him and smashing his face with her bared fists. He screamed in anger as she brought each fist down on the man's head. Blue was up by this time, running towards Valerie. Melody sent another psychic push his way, but caught Valerie in the process. Michael hauled Melody up with him, moving towards the portal
"We have to go!" He yelled "Try pull her here!"
"I can't!" Melody shrieked as she tried with every bit of might left in her to pull the poor girl away from the two. Michael kept them moving towards the portal, now only a few feet away. Melody wouldn't go any further, resisting his grip as the she pushed away the two again.
"We have to go Melody!" Michael yelled again "Push them away and-"Melody succeeded in pushing the two men away from Valerie, falling over as her exertion caught up with her. Michael lost his grip as she staggered down, falling backwards. Everything slowed for him as he fell. He saw the pained look on Melody's face, turning to horror as she slowly turned her head to see him. Valerie running towards them, shouting incoherently. The two men were down, slowing turning their bruised heads to see him, eyes dull and unfocused. Michael screamed as he fell, feeling that terrible pull at his back, the last thing he saw was Melody's screaming back to him. Then, white.
He heard shouts, movement, quick frenzied motions to around him. His vision was blurred, his mind foggy as an old face leaned over him. He felt his back against cold, sodden earth. The haze of sound around him sharpened slowly and he heard one old, wise voice speak to him through the darkness.
"Michael..." He said quietly
Stars, that's what those dots of light in the sky were, stars. He sat up, vision clearing, seeing dawns light break on the horizon. He looked around slowing, wondering if this was all a dream. He saw Will staring concernedly at him, his Pokémon assistants accompanying him.
"Michael, are you okay?"
The portal was gone, no droning echo or light remained in the field. His mouth opened, sound never coming past his lips, only shallow gasps as his head shook lightly. He lifted his head high, voice coming back slowing as the morning light spilled over his body, burning him with putrid awareness.
He screamed.Chapter End Notes:"The greatest weakness of humans is their hesitancy to tell others how much they love them before they're gone