Warning: Contains violence, dark themes, and some sexual undertones. Read at your own discretion.
No, I could not resist having my own little parental warning subtitle.
Please note that although the backstory isn't necessary to mostly understand the main story, it would probably be a good idea to read if you want to gain a better understanding of the plot. Also, it's rather short, so it's not like I've written an entire chapter just for backstory.
MAP:
BACKSTORY: Garren's journal
I've heard that keeping a journal helps with loneliness. Maybe that's true. Maybe it isn't. I guess I'll find out. Anyway, I'm thinking I should start by telling how I ended up here at Meiro Pokémon Trainer's Institute.
My parents live in Celadon City. They own a store at the Department Store there. Three years back, they decided to send me away to this school, to become a Pokémon trainer. They told me that since it was just a short distance south of Celadon, they could visit me. They haven't spoken to me since I came here.
The first thing I did here was choose my first Pokémon. All of the new kids lined up and went into the room, one by one. It took ages for my turn to arrive, but finally I went inside.
It was a small, circular room, nondescript except for the dais in the middle, on which were situated around ten Pokéballs. I went round the circle, touching each one, looking at the information that the screens beneath each Pokéball displayed.
There was one Pokéball in particular which I remember. The whole time it shook and wobbled, as if the Pokémon inside were trying to get out. When I touched it, it succeeded, and a Growlithe burst out, tackling me to the ground. The Supervisor was not very happy that I had broken the Pokéball, and, as a punishment, made me keep the Growlithe, which continually attacked me no matter what I did.
The battles next day changed that, however.
We all gathered in the Stadium and were set up to have a mini-tournament, just for new students. I was pitted against a blonde girl whom I would later learn was named Einya. She had a Tangela as a partner, and I couldn't help noticing that she got along perfectly with her new Pokémon.
The battle was embarrassing. Growlithe refused to listen, preferring instead to try and attack without instruction. There was nothing I could do, and the Tangela remorselessly pummelled my Growlithe.
But when it came to the final blow, as Growlithe tried desperately to get up and attack back, and Tangela readied its Vine Whip, some strange state of mind took me over. I tackled the Tangela, bringing it hard to the ground to save Growlithe. I got in trouble for that too, and Einya was mad at me for a long time after that, but it was worth it. Growlithe is fiercely loyal to me, and is now my only friend.
I was estranged and different from the other kids. I preferred to do things on my own, I never attended any social events or even talked to anyone. It was how I liked to live.
Then, a week later, Einya talked to me. I don't think I'll never know why. After all, I tackled her Tangela. It was during lunch break. She sat down beside me and started asking about Growlithe – how it was doing, if it was obeying more, et cetera.
It didn't take long for me to start talking back. And once that happened, we became friends.
I was happy. For once in my life, I was happy. We grew closer and closer over the next year or so. Finally, we became... more than friends.
That day was the most wonderful day of my life. But that night... when I snuck into her room... I will regret for the rest of my life. I should never have pressured her. She didn't want what I wanted. I should have been able to control myself...
She didn't come out of her room all day. The next day, she wouldn't talk to me.
It's been a year. She hasn't said a word to me since.
I hope, at least, that she's happier without me.
My parents live in Celadon City. They own a store at the Department Store there. Three years back, they decided to send me away to this school, to become a Pokémon trainer. They told me that since it was just a short distance south of Celadon, they could visit me. They haven't spoken to me since I came here.
The first thing I did here was choose my first Pokémon. All of the new kids lined up and went into the room, one by one. It took ages for my turn to arrive, but finally I went inside.
It was a small, circular room, nondescript except for the dais in the middle, on which were situated around ten Pokéballs. I went round the circle, touching each one, looking at the information that the screens beneath each Pokéball displayed.
There was one Pokéball in particular which I remember. The whole time it shook and wobbled, as if the Pokémon inside were trying to get out. When I touched it, it succeeded, and a Growlithe burst out, tackling me to the ground. The Supervisor was not very happy that I had broken the Pokéball, and, as a punishment, made me keep the Growlithe, which continually attacked me no matter what I did.
The battles next day changed that, however.
We all gathered in the Stadium and were set up to have a mini-tournament, just for new students. I was pitted against a blonde girl whom I would later learn was named Einya. She had a Tangela as a partner, and I couldn't help noticing that she got along perfectly with her new Pokémon.
The battle was embarrassing. Growlithe refused to listen, preferring instead to try and attack without instruction. There was nothing I could do, and the Tangela remorselessly pummelled my Growlithe.
But when it came to the final blow, as Growlithe tried desperately to get up and attack back, and Tangela readied its Vine Whip, some strange state of mind took me over. I tackled the Tangela, bringing it hard to the ground to save Growlithe. I got in trouble for that too, and Einya was mad at me for a long time after that, but it was worth it. Growlithe is fiercely loyal to me, and is now my only friend.
I was estranged and different from the other kids. I preferred to do things on my own, I never attended any social events or even talked to anyone. It was how I liked to live.
Then, a week later, Einya talked to me. I don't think I'll never know why. After all, I tackled her Tangela. It was during lunch break. She sat down beside me and started asking about Growlithe – how it was doing, if it was obeying more, et cetera.
It didn't take long for me to start talking back. And once that happened, we became friends.
I was happy. For once in my life, I was happy. We grew closer and closer over the next year or so. Finally, we became... more than friends.
That day was the most wonderful day of my life. But that night... when I snuck into her room... I will regret for the rest of my life. I should never have pressured her. She didn't want what I wanted. I should have been able to control myself...
She didn't come out of her room all day. The next day, she wouldn't talk to me.
It's been a year. She hasn't said a word to me since.
I hope, at least, that she's happier without me.
CHAPTER 1: Meiro Pokémon Training Institute
I watched Einya today. I don't know why; most days I try not to look at her. But, for whatever reason, I decided to watch her all day.
It was painful. She is so beautiful and entrancing... How could I have ever done such a thing to her? It's so frustrating... But I deserve it, I guess. It's all my fault.
Garren stared at the words on the screen, thinking dully about their meaning. Then he shut the power off, without saving, and went to bed, Growlithe curled neatly up beside him.
Professor Mangrove chuckled his best evil chuckle. “This is perfect... This is surely the specimen!” he muttered, examining the fossilized remains under the light of a fluorescent lamp.
Before him, the bones lay askew, embedded solidly in the tunnel wall. No light shone on them save for the lamp, as the entrance to the tunnel was far above the spot where Mangrove now stood, tracing the wing bones reverently.
He pulled his hand away reluctantly, and retrieved a PokéGear from his pocket, flicking it open and and holding down the middle speed-dial.
“Yes?” said the sinister voice of a man far away.
“I've found the Aerodactyl... it is, without question, the Alpha,” Mangrove whispered excitedly into the PokéGear. “It's far larger than anything I've ever seen.”
“You are sure?” the man hissed.
“Absolutely. This is what we're looking for.”
“Then you must use the Gems.”
Mangrove frowned, confused. “Now?”
“Yes, Professor, now. I will not wait any longer.”
“But what about Garren? If we unleash this on the school -”
“It would take years to properly transport the fossil. You must awaken it at the school. Preferably now. If Garren dies, we can use Lance. I am willing to take that chance.”
“Of course, Orneck, right away,” Mangrove stuttered.
“Good. Get to it.” The line went dead.
Mangrove stuffed the PokéGear in his pocket and reached into his pack, pulling out two small gems. He held them under the light, watching the refracted blue and green bounce off of the skeletal remains. Then he placed one gem in each eye socket of the monstrous skull, glancing briefly as they began to glow fervently.
Without a second glance, he grabbed the lamp and ran for his life.
Growlithe jumped off the bed, his haunches raised and his tail flaring. Garren sat up groggily, looking at the small creature, confused and dazed.
“What's wrong, Growlithe?”
He got only a growl in response, the dog-like Pokémon still looking warily at the other side of the room.
Then all at once, every Pokémon in Meiro began to howl, all of their varied cries mixing into a single, urgent cacophony. Growlithe threw back his head and howled a terrifying call, his tail flaring brightly.
Garren tried to yell at Growlithe over the din, but even he couldn't hear his own speech. He stumbled up and approached Growlithe warily, watching out for the plumes of flame occasionally spouting from his risen tail. As soon as Garren reached him and picked him up, the howling was cut abruptly short, and Meiro was silent once more.
“What in the world is going o-”
A flash of orange light burst through the window, followed by an immense explosion. The shockwave blasted through the structure of the Dorm Building, throwing Garren back, stumbling and tripping over discarded clothing on the floor. Still holding Growlithe, he ran to the window, ripping the blinds away as another wash of orange light pressed against his eyes.
The Mobile Archaeological Station which Professor Mangrove spent most of his time in had been ripped apart by an immense explosion and thrown carelessly into the ocean, the mangled and twisted metal sinking slowly under the waves. The burst of flame died away as Garren watched the Station slowly become submerged.
Growlithe began to howl again, and was joined by another call, which came from the tunnel that Mangrove had been digging for years. The sound pierced Garren's ears painfully, every second of it a jarring mixture without rhyme or reason. Garren fell to his knees, dropping Growlithe as he hastened to clamp his ears shut, trying to block out the noise to no avail.
A great shadowed shape shot out of the tunnel, its jet stream uprooting the surrounding trees. The shape was enormous, easily as big as a Wailord, but obviously some kind of bird. Garren stared as it hovered for a second, then unleashed an orange beam of energy, illuminating its features for a split second. Garren gasped, frozen on his knees as he took in the remarkable sight.
A massive Aerodactyl hovered over the school, beating its huge wings and extending its neck to fire the Hyper Beam. Lines of glowing orange traced its entire body, shining brightly against the dull grey color of its rock-like body.
The beam hit the Keep, and a huge explosion rocked the entire school, carving a section out of the Keep's walls. With a groan, the rest of the Keep teetered and collapsed, shooting flaming stone everywhere.
The Aerodactyl dropped out of the sky, its lights becoming dimmer as the Hyper Beam faded away. It swooped across the courtyard and let loose another Hyper Beam, eradicating the classrooms in a spectacular explosion.
Garren scooped Growlithe into his arms and barreled out the door, sprinting through the hallway and jumping down the stairs in a frenzied attempt at escape. His legs shook and trembled but still he pumped them, racing down the winding staircase as fast as he could. As he reached the third floor he fell, another explosion ringing out, and another building spewing fiery rock everywhere. A chunk of twisted and burned metal blasted the wall beside him apart, flying down the hallway into darkness. He reached the ground floor in a couple minutes, racing through the southern door of the Dorm Building as it, too, exploded. The shockwave travelled through the rocky ground and hit him hard, taking him down at the knees. As he fell, his arms loosened and Growlithe rolled out and down the hill, yelping as he bounced on the rocks, falling into the water far below. Garren thought briefly that he would be safe in the water, far away from the school buildings.
Flipping over onto his back, Garren looked up at the Dorm Building as the plume of orange flame began to die, bricks flying through the night sky. Then something else caught his eye and he turned his head, spotting someone else who had run out of the Dorms, and was racing down the slope, towards the forest. From the Tangela perched on her shoulder, he could only assume it was Einya. He watched helplessly as she stumbled over the rocks, tripping and falling among the trunks. She fell, and Garren's heart stopped. She hit the ground hard and rolled, Tangela falling off of her shoulder and slamming into a large, jutting rock. Einya stumbled up and ran for Tangela, only to watch as a chunk of rock collided directly with the Pokémon, smashing against the rock behind it and leaving nothing but smoldering remains. Garren felt a piercing pain as he watched the look of despair spread across Einya's face. Then, a man in black ran out of the woods and grabbed her, stuffing her into a bodybag and running off through the night. Garren began to lift himself up, thinking only of Einya, and how she had survived.
Then, a flaming brick sailed through the night sky and hit him in the chest, crushing his sternum and collapsing both lungs instantly. He hit the ground hard, feeling the fire spread across his clothes, burning his skin and hair. He lay back and let the fire take him, thinking only of Einya in his final moments.
Professor Mangrove picked his way across the rubble, gazing sadly at the remains of his former home. Smoke rose in billows from the ruins of the Stadium, most of which was still on fire. He circled the courtyard, looking for survivors, not finding any. He was immensely grateful that most of the victims were in their dorms at the time of the attack, as their bodies were buried under the collapsed buildings. He had no wish to see the fruit of his labor.
He pulled his Pokégear out, calling Orneck.
“Any survivors?”
“None,” Mangrove replied.
“You are sure?”
“Yes. I've searched the whole campus. There's no one left al– wait.” Mangrove stopped, looking around the massive pile of rubble that was once the Dorm Building.
Garren lay on the rocky ground, only yards away from the collapsed dorms. He stirred slightly, groaning and trying to pull himself up. His clothes were gone, burned away totally by the flaming debris.
“It's Garren. He's alive... somehow.”
“Really... Then we need not use Lance after all. The girl we took... he knows her, does he not?”
“Yes,” Mangrove confirmed, “and he would no doubt try and pursue her if he knew who took her.”
“Exactly. Tell him that I took her. Encourage him to find me and rescue her.”
“But... how can he find you?”
“He will.” The call ended.
Garren lived.
The light of the sun pressed against his eyelids once more. The warmth of blood flowed in his body. The wind teased his bare skin.
He opened his eyes, and was blinded. He moaned and tried to move his limbs. They were stiff and hard, but he managed to weakly lift them. The sunlight pierced his eyes like knives, but after a minute of blinking and squinting, he began to see. A strange Pokémon floated in front of him.
It was tiny and pale green, with a frail impish body. Fairy wings were perched on its back, but they were immobile – the strange Pokémon seemed to simply float in midair, watching Garren with its large blue eyes.
A smile widened its little mouth when it saw that Garren was awake. “Bii!” it exclaimed, doing a quick backflip and grinning. Garren smiled back at it, trying again to sit up and failing.
Then the crunch of footsteps approached him, and the strange Pokémon shot away, disappearing into the woods.
“Garren? Are you okay?” the voice of Professor Mangrove reached Garren's ears.
“I... think so,” Garren replied. “Where's... Growlithe?”
Mangrove looked briefly around, but did not seem troubled by Growlithe's absence. “I don't know.”
“What happened?”
“Team Rocket. They reanimated the skeleton of an Aerodactyl I had been studying. It destroyed the school, and killed nearly all of the students. As far as I can tell, only you and Einya remain.”
Garren sat up immediately. “Einya's alive?”
“Yes,” Mangrove said solemnly, “but she was taken by Team Rocket.”
Then the memory of Einya's kidnapping hit Garren, and suddenly it all seemed to fit into place.
“I saw them take her,” he said, standing up. “I have to go after her.”
Mangrove nodded. “There's nothing else for you to do,” he said, then reached into his bag and pulled out three Pokéballs. “Take these. You may need them.”
Garren took the small red-and-white capsules and motioned to slip them in his pocket, only to remember he had no clothes.
“Uh, do you have any spare clothes?”
Mangrove thought for a second, then drew a blanket out of his bag. “Wear this for now. You can buy clothes in Celadon.”
Garren wrapped the blanket around his waist. “Thanks, Professor.”
Mangrove nodded nervously. “Now go, before Team Rocket returns!”
“Wait,” Garren said warily, remembering something from many years ago. “Isn't Team Rocket disbanded?”
“Yes, yes, of course,” the Professor stuttered, “But there is an old executive of theirs named Orneck who still carries on their ideals... It is he who has Einya.”
“Then I've got to find him,” Garren said, determination washing over him.
“Safe travels, Garren.”
Walking away across the rubble, Garren called over his shoulder, “Goodbye, Professor!”
Garren walked with a new determination in his gait, a mission on his mind. Now he had an objective – now he had a purpose. Einya was kidnapped and held hostage, and only he could save her. The thought inspired a new confidence in him, a meaning which he had lacked for so long. He stepped boldly over the rubble, not caring that he wore only a towel, nor that he was rushing into a new world without a clue. It wasn't clothes or geography that led him to his destination. It was purpose, the mission and desire that now burned brightly in him.
Then there was the brief noise of padded paws on earth, and he fell to the ground, a warm furry bullet hitting him in the chest.
“Grrrowl!” Growlithe yelped, panting excitedly.
Garren laughed and pushed him off. “Knock it off, Growlithe, we have to get to Celadon!”
Growlithe yelped in response, then turned and walked off towards the rubble where the classrooms once were. Garren got up and chased after him, yelling, “Hey, come back here!”
Up at the top of the rubble, Growlithe began to paw at a certain rock and whine loudly. Garren came up the side after him, looking at the rock he was pawing at. “What is it, Growlithe? Is there something wrong with that rock?” Growlithe tried to burrow his snout underneath it, to no avail.
Garren stepped back to appraise it. It was a good size rock, certainly too big for Growlithe to lift, but Garren thought he could probably move it. Digging his feet into nooks in between the fallen stones and bricks, Garren pushed with all his might, heaving the stone up and over, rolling it down to the ground. Underneath was a heavy metal safe, covered in dents and scratches, but still intact. Growlithe yelped and assumed an attacking stance, his tail flaming again. Garren hurried to get behind him, not sure what was going on, but unwilling to be in the way.
Growlithe stepped up just beside the safe, leaning back on his hind legs, then unleashed a Flamethrower attack on the safe, pushing his whole body into the attack so that he stood tall again. He pummeled the safe with fire for a solid fifteen seconds, then extinguished the flames and stepped back, yelping at Garren.
The lock was glowing red-hot and distorted from the heat, but the rest of the safe seemed to be unaffected. Briefly touching the edges of the safe door to test for any heat, Garren wedged his fingertips into the now-large cracks and pulled the door open, the ruined lock mechanism bending and breaking, still soft from the heat.
Inside, Garren found a bag full of Poké, which he gladly lifted out, exclaiming to Growlithe, “Look at that! We have money now!”
But Growlithe was uninterested. He motioned back at the safe with his snout, whining a bit. Garren put the money aside and looked in, seeing only a dull gemstone the size of his fist. He reached inside and pulled it out, finding it warm to the touch.
“Is this what you want?” he asked Growlithe. “What is it?”
Growlithe didn't respond, except by coming to him and touching his snout to the stone.
The dull gem instantly flared up, now bright red and orange, with a strangely flame-like crystalline structure in the center. Then the stone glowed even brighter, becoming a blinding orb of light in his hand. The light spread away from the stone and onto Growlithe, slowly covering his entire body with white light. The light, though already blinding, flashed even brighter, and Garren flinched away, dropping the stone and rolling down the rocks a few feet. When he got up and looked back, there was no sign of the stone or Growlithe. Instead, a proud Arcanine stood, his pale mane caught by the wind. The Arcanine looked down at Garren and emitted a low rumble from its chest.
Stepping carefully across the rocks, Garren approached the Arcanine while it watched him haughtily. He crept up to its side, finding that it was even taller than him.
“Growlithe?” Garren asked tentatively. “Is that you?”
In response, the Arcanine lolled its tongue out and panted happily, a silly grin on its majestic face.
Garren smiled and hugged it, burying his face in the warm mane, exclaiming, “It is you, Growlithe!”
It growled menacingly. “Sorry, Arcanine,” Garren corrected.
Arcanine barked happily in response. Garren dislodged himself from the deep mane, and patted the creature's back, which was about as tall as Garren's shoulder.
“Alright, Arcanine. Let's go to Celadon City!” Garren said, starting northward, expecting Arcanine to follow.
Instead, the beast took a single bound and landed proudly in Garren's path, bending down on his knees. Garren stepped up to him and, after a moment's hesitation, put his leg around and sat astride his Pokémon. Arcanine stood and howled briefly to the sky. Then, they were flying northward, like the wind.
It was painful. She is so beautiful and entrancing... How could I have ever done such a thing to her? It's so frustrating... But I deserve it, I guess. It's all my fault.
Garren stared at the words on the screen, thinking dully about their meaning. Then he shut the power off, without saving, and went to bed, Growlithe curled neatly up beside him.
***
Professor Mangrove chuckled his best evil chuckle. “This is perfect... This is surely the specimen!” he muttered, examining the fossilized remains under the light of a fluorescent lamp.
Before him, the bones lay askew, embedded solidly in the tunnel wall. No light shone on them save for the lamp, as the entrance to the tunnel was far above the spot where Mangrove now stood, tracing the wing bones reverently.
He pulled his hand away reluctantly, and retrieved a PokéGear from his pocket, flicking it open and and holding down the middle speed-dial.
“Yes?” said the sinister voice of a man far away.
“I've found the Aerodactyl... it is, without question, the Alpha,” Mangrove whispered excitedly into the PokéGear. “It's far larger than anything I've ever seen.”
“You are sure?” the man hissed.
“Absolutely. This is what we're looking for.”
“Then you must use the Gems.”
Mangrove frowned, confused. “Now?”
“Yes, Professor, now. I will not wait any longer.”
“But what about Garren? If we unleash this on the school -”
“It would take years to properly transport the fossil. You must awaken it at the school. Preferably now. If Garren dies, we can use Lance. I am willing to take that chance.”
“Of course, Orneck, right away,” Mangrove stuttered.
“Good. Get to it.” The line went dead.
Mangrove stuffed the PokéGear in his pocket and reached into his pack, pulling out two small gems. He held them under the light, watching the refracted blue and green bounce off of the skeletal remains. Then he placed one gem in each eye socket of the monstrous skull, glancing briefly as they began to glow fervently.
Without a second glance, he grabbed the lamp and ran for his life.
***
Growlithe jumped off the bed, his haunches raised and his tail flaring. Garren sat up groggily, looking at the small creature, confused and dazed.
“What's wrong, Growlithe?”
He got only a growl in response, the dog-like Pokémon still looking warily at the other side of the room.
Then all at once, every Pokémon in Meiro began to howl, all of their varied cries mixing into a single, urgent cacophony. Growlithe threw back his head and howled a terrifying call, his tail flaring brightly.
Garren tried to yell at Growlithe over the din, but even he couldn't hear his own speech. He stumbled up and approached Growlithe warily, watching out for the plumes of flame occasionally spouting from his risen tail. As soon as Garren reached him and picked him up, the howling was cut abruptly short, and Meiro was silent once more.
“What in the world is going o-”
A flash of orange light burst through the window, followed by an immense explosion. The shockwave blasted through the structure of the Dorm Building, throwing Garren back, stumbling and tripping over discarded clothing on the floor. Still holding Growlithe, he ran to the window, ripping the blinds away as another wash of orange light pressed against his eyes.
The Mobile Archaeological Station which Professor Mangrove spent most of his time in had been ripped apart by an immense explosion and thrown carelessly into the ocean, the mangled and twisted metal sinking slowly under the waves. The burst of flame died away as Garren watched the Station slowly become submerged.
Growlithe began to howl again, and was joined by another call, which came from the tunnel that Mangrove had been digging for years. The sound pierced Garren's ears painfully, every second of it a jarring mixture without rhyme or reason. Garren fell to his knees, dropping Growlithe as he hastened to clamp his ears shut, trying to block out the noise to no avail.
A great shadowed shape shot out of the tunnel, its jet stream uprooting the surrounding trees. The shape was enormous, easily as big as a Wailord, but obviously some kind of bird. Garren stared as it hovered for a second, then unleashed an orange beam of energy, illuminating its features for a split second. Garren gasped, frozen on his knees as he took in the remarkable sight.
A massive Aerodactyl hovered over the school, beating its huge wings and extending its neck to fire the Hyper Beam. Lines of glowing orange traced its entire body, shining brightly against the dull grey color of its rock-like body.
The beam hit the Keep, and a huge explosion rocked the entire school, carving a section out of the Keep's walls. With a groan, the rest of the Keep teetered and collapsed, shooting flaming stone everywhere.
The Aerodactyl dropped out of the sky, its lights becoming dimmer as the Hyper Beam faded away. It swooped across the courtyard and let loose another Hyper Beam, eradicating the classrooms in a spectacular explosion.
Garren scooped Growlithe into his arms and barreled out the door, sprinting through the hallway and jumping down the stairs in a frenzied attempt at escape. His legs shook and trembled but still he pumped them, racing down the winding staircase as fast as he could. As he reached the third floor he fell, another explosion ringing out, and another building spewing fiery rock everywhere. A chunk of twisted and burned metal blasted the wall beside him apart, flying down the hallway into darkness. He reached the ground floor in a couple minutes, racing through the southern door of the Dorm Building as it, too, exploded. The shockwave travelled through the rocky ground and hit him hard, taking him down at the knees. As he fell, his arms loosened and Growlithe rolled out and down the hill, yelping as he bounced on the rocks, falling into the water far below. Garren thought briefly that he would be safe in the water, far away from the school buildings.
Flipping over onto his back, Garren looked up at the Dorm Building as the plume of orange flame began to die, bricks flying through the night sky. Then something else caught his eye and he turned his head, spotting someone else who had run out of the Dorms, and was racing down the slope, towards the forest. From the Tangela perched on her shoulder, he could only assume it was Einya. He watched helplessly as she stumbled over the rocks, tripping and falling among the trunks. She fell, and Garren's heart stopped. She hit the ground hard and rolled, Tangela falling off of her shoulder and slamming into a large, jutting rock. Einya stumbled up and ran for Tangela, only to watch as a chunk of rock collided directly with the Pokémon, smashing against the rock behind it and leaving nothing but smoldering remains. Garren felt a piercing pain as he watched the look of despair spread across Einya's face. Then, a man in black ran out of the woods and grabbed her, stuffing her into a bodybag and running off through the night. Garren began to lift himself up, thinking only of Einya, and how she had survived.
Then, a flaming brick sailed through the night sky and hit him in the chest, crushing his sternum and collapsing both lungs instantly. He hit the ground hard, feeling the fire spread across his clothes, burning his skin and hair. He lay back and let the fire take him, thinking only of Einya in his final moments.
***
Professor Mangrove picked his way across the rubble, gazing sadly at the remains of his former home. Smoke rose in billows from the ruins of the Stadium, most of which was still on fire. He circled the courtyard, looking for survivors, not finding any. He was immensely grateful that most of the victims were in their dorms at the time of the attack, as their bodies were buried under the collapsed buildings. He had no wish to see the fruit of his labor.
He pulled his Pokégear out, calling Orneck.
“Any survivors?”
“None,” Mangrove replied.
“You are sure?”
“Yes. I've searched the whole campus. There's no one left al– wait.” Mangrove stopped, looking around the massive pile of rubble that was once the Dorm Building.
Garren lay on the rocky ground, only yards away from the collapsed dorms. He stirred slightly, groaning and trying to pull himself up. His clothes were gone, burned away totally by the flaming debris.
“It's Garren. He's alive... somehow.”
“Really... Then we need not use Lance after all. The girl we took... he knows her, does he not?”
“Yes,” Mangrove confirmed, “and he would no doubt try and pursue her if he knew who took her.”
“Exactly. Tell him that I took her. Encourage him to find me and rescue her.”
“But... how can he find you?”
“He will.” The call ended.
***
Garren lived.
The light of the sun pressed against his eyelids once more. The warmth of blood flowed in his body. The wind teased his bare skin.
He opened his eyes, and was blinded. He moaned and tried to move his limbs. They were stiff and hard, but he managed to weakly lift them. The sunlight pierced his eyes like knives, but after a minute of blinking and squinting, he began to see. A strange Pokémon floated in front of him.
It was tiny and pale green, with a frail impish body. Fairy wings were perched on its back, but they were immobile – the strange Pokémon seemed to simply float in midair, watching Garren with its large blue eyes.
A smile widened its little mouth when it saw that Garren was awake. “Bii!” it exclaimed, doing a quick backflip and grinning. Garren smiled back at it, trying again to sit up and failing.
Then the crunch of footsteps approached him, and the strange Pokémon shot away, disappearing into the woods.
“Garren? Are you okay?” the voice of Professor Mangrove reached Garren's ears.
“I... think so,” Garren replied. “Where's... Growlithe?”
Mangrove looked briefly around, but did not seem troubled by Growlithe's absence. “I don't know.”
“What happened?”
“Team Rocket. They reanimated the skeleton of an Aerodactyl I had been studying. It destroyed the school, and killed nearly all of the students. As far as I can tell, only you and Einya remain.”
Garren sat up immediately. “Einya's alive?”
“Yes,” Mangrove said solemnly, “but she was taken by Team Rocket.”
Then the memory of Einya's kidnapping hit Garren, and suddenly it all seemed to fit into place.
“I saw them take her,” he said, standing up. “I have to go after her.”
Mangrove nodded. “There's nothing else for you to do,” he said, then reached into his bag and pulled out three Pokéballs. “Take these. You may need them.”
Garren took the small red-and-white capsules and motioned to slip them in his pocket, only to remember he had no clothes.
“Uh, do you have any spare clothes?”
Mangrove thought for a second, then drew a blanket out of his bag. “Wear this for now. You can buy clothes in Celadon.”
Garren wrapped the blanket around his waist. “Thanks, Professor.”
Mangrove nodded nervously. “Now go, before Team Rocket returns!”
“Wait,” Garren said warily, remembering something from many years ago. “Isn't Team Rocket disbanded?”
“Yes, yes, of course,” the Professor stuttered, “But there is an old executive of theirs named Orneck who still carries on their ideals... It is he who has Einya.”
“Then I've got to find him,” Garren said, determination washing over him.
“Safe travels, Garren.”
Walking away across the rubble, Garren called over his shoulder, “Goodbye, Professor!”
Garren walked with a new determination in his gait, a mission on his mind. Now he had an objective – now he had a purpose. Einya was kidnapped and held hostage, and only he could save her. The thought inspired a new confidence in him, a meaning which he had lacked for so long. He stepped boldly over the rubble, not caring that he wore only a towel, nor that he was rushing into a new world without a clue. It wasn't clothes or geography that led him to his destination. It was purpose, the mission and desire that now burned brightly in him.
Then there was the brief noise of padded paws on earth, and he fell to the ground, a warm furry bullet hitting him in the chest.
“Grrrowl!” Growlithe yelped, panting excitedly.
Garren laughed and pushed him off. “Knock it off, Growlithe, we have to get to Celadon!”
Growlithe yelped in response, then turned and walked off towards the rubble where the classrooms once were. Garren got up and chased after him, yelling, “Hey, come back here!”
Up at the top of the rubble, Growlithe began to paw at a certain rock and whine loudly. Garren came up the side after him, looking at the rock he was pawing at. “What is it, Growlithe? Is there something wrong with that rock?” Growlithe tried to burrow his snout underneath it, to no avail.
Garren stepped back to appraise it. It was a good size rock, certainly too big for Growlithe to lift, but Garren thought he could probably move it. Digging his feet into nooks in between the fallen stones and bricks, Garren pushed with all his might, heaving the stone up and over, rolling it down to the ground. Underneath was a heavy metal safe, covered in dents and scratches, but still intact. Growlithe yelped and assumed an attacking stance, his tail flaming again. Garren hurried to get behind him, not sure what was going on, but unwilling to be in the way.
Growlithe stepped up just beside the safe, leaning back on his hind legs, then unleashed a Flamethrower attack on the safe, pushing his whole body into the attack so that he stood tall again. He pummeled the safe with fire for a solid fifteen seconds, then extinguished the flames and stepped back, yelping at Garren.
The lock was glowing red-hot and distorted from the heat, but the rest of the safe seemed to be unaffected. Briefly touching the edges of the safe door to test for any heat, Garren wedged his fingertips into the now-large cracks and pulled the door open, the ruined lock mechanism bending and breaking, still soft from the heat.
Inside, Garren found a bag full of Poké, which he gladly lifted out, exclaiming to Growlithe, “Look at that! We have money now!”
But Growlithe was uninterested. He motioned back at the safe with his snout, whining a bit. Garren put the money aside and looked in, seeing only a dull gemstone the size of his fist. He reached inside and pulled it out, finding it warm to the touch.
“Is this what you want?” he asked Growlithe. “What is it?”
Growlithe didn't respond, except by coming to him and touching his snout to the stone.
The dull gem instantly flared up, now bright red and orange, with a strangely flame-like crystalline structure in the center. Then the stone glowed even brighter, becoming a blinding orb of light in his hand. The light spread away from the stone and onto Growlithe, slowly covering his entire body with white light. The light, though already blinding, flashed even brighter, and Garren flinched away, dropping the stone and rolling down the rocks a few feet. When he got up and looked back, there was no sign of the stone or Growlithe. Instead, a proud Arcanine stood, his pale mane caught by the wind. The Arcanine looked down at Garren and emitted a low rumble from its chest.
Stepping carefully across the rocks, Garren approached the Arcanine while it watched him haughtily. He crept up to its side, finding that it was even taller than him.
“Growlithe?” Garren asked tentatively. “Is that you?”
In response, the Arcanine lolled its tongue out and panted happily, a silly grin on its majestic face.
Garren smiled and hugged it, burying his face in the warm mane, exclaiming, “It is you, Growlithe!”
It growled menacingly. “Sorry, Arcanine,” Garren corrected.
Arcanine barked happily in response. Garren dislodged himself from the deep mane, and patted the creature's back, which was about as tall as Garren's shoulder.
“Alright, Arcanine. Let's go to Celadon City!” Garren said, starting northward, expecting Arcanine to follow.
Instead, the beast took a single bound and landed proudly in Garren's path, bending down on his knees. Garren stepped up to him and, after a moment's hesitation, put his leg around and sat astride his Pokémon. Arcanine stood and howled briefly to the sky. Then, they were flying northward, like the wind.
Last edited: