AGNPH Stories
 

United Through Two Worlds by 0cool

 

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 2

Being the ever early riser, Michael was up well before dawn. Most people would groan at the idea of waking up at half past five in the morning, but Michael relished the thought of being able to find some interesting scenery to draw before the dawn broke. He was already dressed and was fetching his supplies from around house, this meant wherever he had left them last. As he grabbed his things and made for the door, something pulled at his mind, a niggling feeling at the back of his head that made him think he'd forgotten something. When he finally remembered, his eyes widened and he raced up the stairs, dropping his things in the process. As he reached the door of his bedroom, he stopped to calm himself for a moment. If last night's events were some lonely and crazy dream, he'd feel even crazier when he saw the room to be empty. Taking a few deep breaths, he slowly creaked the door of the room open. A first he saw nothing, his draws, desk and mirror next to the bed. But as his eyes fell on the bed, he once again gasped and staggered backwards. Opening the door fully, he found the Pokémon still asleep in the bed. She had obviously shifted during the night due to the covers being skewed, so hallucinations were out. He crept into the room and circled the bed, trying to comprehend the creature and take in her features again. White skin, a green dress and three small horn like things on the sides of her face. He jumped back in fright when she stirred, but didn't wake.

"Okay, get a hold of yourself for a minute" Michael thought to himself franticly "If she comes to, I'll ask what happened, yeah, simple enough...."

Despite him believing there was nothing to be afraid of, his thoughts were still frantic and his actions shaky. I mean, he had found a sentient species that wasn't even of this world, just dropped in his lap unannounced. Any other person would have called the police and freaked out, but with years of being alone, Michael welcomed the thought of someone else around. Even if it was a bit....unnerving. He had given up on the human race for companionship long ago, but maybe a Pokémon would have a different outlook on life, he had seen the cartoons and the merchandise, thinking them rather childish, but they were fantasy.

"This....this is real" he muttered. A small rustling behind him made him bolt upright. He, for the third time, tried to calm himself as he turned to face the creature. But as he turned, he reeled backwards as he saw two large red eyes staring at him quizzically, he groaned as he felt his head hit the wall. She was leaning on the back of the bed, still observing him as he rose to his feet again.

"Uh...h.hi" she stuttered, she still looked at him without a change in her expression. Turning from him, she looked out the window, starring at the now reddened sky.

"Um...do you..." Michael was cut off as she vanished, just vanished, into thin air. Michael stood dumbly for a second before walking over to the window. Expecting to see her gone, he instead saw her lying on the dirt ground at the base of the house, a pained look on her face. He rushed down the stairs and bolted through the door, round the corner where she was, he found her standing again. She disappeared as soon as she saw him but only briefly before reappearing a few feet away. She was again prone on the dusty ground. Michael ran up to her, but she made no attempts to get away this time.

"hey, hey, I'm not going to hurt you" Michael said in his most calming tone possible, he slung one of her arms over his shoulder and helped her up. "You're in no shape to walk, let alone...teleport". She seemed to understand as her featured softened from the pain she was feeling. As he carried her back into the house, he wondered if she knew where she even was. This wasn't her world anymore; she couldn't find any familiar places or people.

"Can you understand me?" He asked "maybe even...speak?" She still remained silent but reached one hand up to his forehead. Before he asked what she was doing, she gently tapped his head.

"Now I can" she said, though she didn't really speak, her words echoed through his mind. Her soft voice was multi-layered, as if double tracked on an old phonograph. Michael didn't say anymore until she settled back onto the bed, sinking into the mattress and easing her posture.

"Stay here for a minute, I'm going to get you something to eat" Michael said, leaving before she could answer. In reality it was just an excuse to get away and think for a while. He made his way to the kitchen but as he opened the pantry, he realised he didn't know what Pokémon eat. Mentally slapping himself, he scanned the kitchen and fridge for something that would do. In the end, he settled on simple fruit. Sliced apple, orange, a few berries and some grapes.

"It couldn't hurt, Pokémon eat berries anyway" he thought as he climbed the stairs, food perched on a small wooden tray, laughing to himself that video game trivia now had some use in his life. She entered the room and set the tray down on the bedside table. She didn't move, she was starring out the window again, lost in thought this time. His voice brought her back to reality.

"I don't know what Pokémon eat, all I could be sure of are some fruits" he said sheepishly, still slightly uncomfortable being with her. She picked up one of the apple slices and took at bite, seeming to like the taste as she ate the rest of it and moved on to another. Michael pulled the chair from his desk and sat down beside the bed. Sighing before he began to speak

"Do you know where you are?" He asked, she looked at him with slight confusion.

"I don't know the area, but I'm in Hoenn, right?" She said, still confused

"You're not in Hoenn" Michael said "In fact I'm not even sure how you got here", she grew uneasy as he said this. He looked downwards slightly.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning right? Please try not to be too shocked" he said, although she probably would be quite shocked to find out she was in a different world. "You're not in your own world anymore, you're on a planet known as earth; in a country know as the United States of America. My name is Michael and this town is called Blue Creek, I live here alone. We're a fair way out from the city, but back to you, I found you in the wheat field outside last night. Some weird things were happening, lightning, wind and loud noises. You were right in the middle of it and were unconscious when I found you."

"What do you mean, not in my own world?" she asked, her voice quavering in his head, she felt as if he could feel her emotions being channelled into him. She was slightly scared and anxious.

"I mean, Pokémon don't exist in this world, they never have. Pokémon are nothing but a video game, made up by some foreign game designers. No Hoenn, no Kanto, no trainers." He finished as he pulled an old game boy advance from his desk. Flipping the switch, the tinny starting music played as he showed her the screen. She precariously reached out and took the device, looking into the screen with slight horror. She browsed through the menus and found the saved game. Looking at the world she once knew, reduced to nothing but pixels and data was too much. She dropped the device and put her hands on her head. No sound came from her but Michael was getting a headache from all the mental feedback he was receiving. Her thoughts and feelings flooded into his head like a broken dam. Fear, sorrow, slight anger, he even thought he felt a hint of happiness. But as the thoughts began to slow down, she sobbed. Her sobs echoed through the old house, Michael felt strange, hearing a voice that wasn't his own being reflected by the old wooden walls. Welcoming in a way, but not the sort of welcome he wanted as tears ran from her eyes. He slowly reached over and put a hand on her small shoulder, the only comfort he could provide really, what could he say to someone who had lost so much?

"I don't know how you got here, but I can try find out" He said "maybe I can even get you back home" although she still sobbed, hope registered in her thoughts. A good thing. But he didn't even know where to start, you can't ask someone what to do when a Pokémon suddenly appears in your home.

"I'm going to go try figure something out, try to get some rest" He said as he got up and walked away

"Melody" her voice echoed

"What?" Michael said as he turned back

"It's my name, I decided on it when I formed a metal link" She said with a sad happiness in her voice.

"Sure thing" Michael said, perplexed by the odd name choice but finding it interesting, something else to ponder on. It fitted her voice, a doubled tracked melody.


For the rest of the day Michael was either watching television if, by chance, something else had happened he could link this event to. When that failed, he turned to his trusty, but rusty, old computer. He kept the thing in an old storage cupboard, trying to keep himself more focused on life than the internet. But even after slowly browsing through pages of cult groups and conspiracy theories, he found nothing on this sort of phenomenon. Inter-dimensional creatures were ripe for conversation but it was all just stories from people around the world of impossible things appearing, but after what Michael had seen, nothing seemed impossible anymore. He sent emails off left and right, hoping to hit something that could explain this. But even the sites he received replies from were all just trash and links to various mental facilities. He sighed as he still browsed though the links and ads he found. Melody, as she now called herself, had been asleep for the rest of the morning. Not surprising if you had the kind of day she had. Waking up in a strange place and being told you're now in a completely different world were your kind doesn't exist. Michael winced as he regretted saying it so bluntly. He sighed as he shut off the computer and walked back to his lounge. He was surprised to find melody sitting on the couch; she turned to him as he came in.

"Did you find anything?" she asked

"Nothing yet, but I'll keep trying" Michael said as she walked past, grabbing his coat from the hangar on the way "I'm going to take a walk, you don't mind, do you?" She slightly stuttered as she tried to say something

"can...can I come with you?" She asked, slight hope in her tone. Michael thought about it, he didn't want to keep her caged up in here like a test subject, and he was so far out in the country that he was sure no one would notice her.

"Sure, I usually take a walk around this time, never had company though" He said. She rose from the couch, seemly gliding across the floor. As they descended the porch steps, he noticed she was actually floating, inches above the ground. As they walked, she surveyed everything she could, he didn't know what the Pokémon world was like but he assumed it wasn't much different from this one, at least that was how it was portrayed anyway. He decided to ask, knowing he would likely never see it with his own eyes.

"So what's your world like?" He said, trying to sound like it was just a casual conversation one would have. He didn't want her to get emotional again, understandable as it was.

"A lot like this one, but...more lively" she said, looking over the electrical poles that lined the dusty road. "Trainers would be camping all over the place, and Pokémon were active wherever they weren't. But everything is so deserted here" a small downcast in her voice.

"I prefer it deserted, myself, crowded places are a bane to me" Michael said "It just makes me depressed when I'm around other people"

"Whys that?" she probed, trying to get a clearer answer without giving away her intent.

"It's a long story" Michael said "one I don't like to repeat". Melody picked up the sorrow in his voice. As they turned off the road and onto an old beaten track through the field, she attempted to explore his mind, sifting through various memories. But they were all fuzzy, as if he was trying to block them, making it hard for even her, a psychic type, to view them without his knowing.

"So why do you live out here?" she asked, essentially repeating her question.

"I said, I don't like the city, or interaction with other people" Michael answered, preferring not to be drilled with the same queries.

"There has to be a good reason to that" she said "I can't even read your emotions"

"It's probably better that way" He said, letting his defence slip for a second, giving melody some time to catch a glimpse of his emotions. She saw anger, regret, but most of all, an overwhelming sadness and loneliness. She felt it despite only seeing it for a second; she stumbled at the influx of emotion. When she regained her composure, she asked him

"Why is that you act so sad?" Michael was taken aback by this, he tried not to show many feelings on the outside, purposefully making himself hard to read.

"What makes you think I act like that?" he said, trying to veer off topic or at least stall her into dismissing the question, he wasn't so fortunate.

"The way you act, you don't seem to be enjoying this walk" She said. Many emotions were streaming from him right now, making it hard to find every one, but joy or cheerfulness was not among them."What is wrong? "She asked, stopping to let him answer

"God dammit..." he muttered, voice growing gruffer "Why the hell does everyone ask me that", slightly louder this time.

"Maybe I can help?" she asked "I'm sure there's..." She was cut off as he turned to her

"Stay the hell out of my mind..." His voice grew in volume as his teeth gnashed "and stay the hell out of my life!" he yelled, anger flowing through his mind, reeling into hers. Anger, anger and sadness, the basest of all emotions one could project, the ones that cut like a knife.
"Why the fuck...do you care who I am? Stay away from my mind!" She had never felt such raw emotion, it was enough to force her back a few steps. He turned and sprinted down the path, not stopping until his lungs burned from lack of air and every breath he drew became like scalding acid. He leaned against a tree as he let his anger leave him and his sorrow return, breath coming in fast ragged gasps. Making an effort, he pushed himself off of the tree, walking off the side of the beaten dirt path and down to the side of the creek he had painted not but a day ago. He sat there on the dirty ground and ran his hand over his face, coming back wet with tears. He hadn't realised until this point that he was weeping, the crystal droplets now becoming like salt in his eyes. The anger had just taken over, raped his mind and done away with him on the side of this godforsaken creek..

He sat there for an hour, not moving, just looking out over the vista he often visited. This place, this one place that was his own, a place no one ever intruded. It was where he could make his own world in the sticks and stones of the dusty shore, a world for him alone. He didn't notice Melody behind him until she spoke.

"Michael?" she called, hints of fear showing in her voice, afraid he may lash out again. He didn't respond but she continued "I-I'm sorry if...if I...was too curious"

"That's fine, I shouldn't have overreacted." Michael said, wincing at the thought of his screaming "But the past is painful, I don't like to remember it"

Melody came and stood beside him, offering some closure with her company. Michael was a man used to being alone. He dealt with his problems alone and had few problems with it, and although the company of another was something he was not used to, he still welcomed a comforting presence.

"We psychic Pokémon have a phrase we often use, 'forget the past, observe the present, but keep minds to the future'" She said, that was a phrase she was taught as a young ralts, and all psychics knew it. It was part of their life, being partly clairvoyant, and it was a gift they did not squander. "Maybe one day you could forget the past and be happy living like this"

She knew more about his emotions than any human, yet she had known him for only a day; Michael smiled softly at the absurdity, a creature of another world having a better connection with him than one of his own. Truly this was something he would have been the first to experience.

"Thanks, Melody" He said, sensing happiness that he used her chosen name, a signal of intimacy not usually reserved for Pokémon "Maybe I can tell you one day, but for now, I'm going to keep looking for a way to get you back home"

Melody sighed to herself as she too, watched the beautiful scene on the creek. Dusk sunlight dancing over the water as it flowed over smooth stones, worn from the years of bearing the weight. The only other sounds being those rusting trees and lone crickets, all blending into perfect natural harmony that struck a chord on her heart.

"Maybe this world won't be so bad after all" She thought to herself, staring into the unspoiled beauty that matched her own world.
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