NecroFear [URPG Story]

[Dog of Hellsing]

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first of my stories from the URPG over at Pokemon Elite 2000! The point of my posting these is to give everyone here an idea of what writing stories in order to catch Pokemon is like. In all honesty it's not much different from normal fanfic writing, though we do emphasize several aspects when it comes to stories.

I'll be posting a few of my stories from over there, using ones of different length so everyone gets a good look at how stories in the URPG work. Hopefully this will give you all a glimpse into the world of URPG Stories, and get you excited for the coming URPG expansion to Bulbagarden.

I'll be posting the prologue and first chapter now, and then I'll post the other chapters later. Also, I use the Japanese names for Arceus, Palkia, and Dialga, because I think they sound better. Just a heads-up.

Without further ado, on to the story!

/////

NecroFear​

+Prologue+

“Many of you have expressed a desire to bestow upon the common Pokemon the powers that you possess. After much consideration, I have decided to agree with your wishes and allow you each to teach your gifts to others. However, there are restrictions as to what can be done. You may each only take one Pokemon to be your apprentice, and it must be of your type. Also, only one of your gifts may be taught, so choose wisely what you want to be passed on...”

***

“Darkrai, have you chosen your apprentice yet?”

“Yes, I have. He is a young Weavile by the name of Dai. He shows much promise in being able to harness the powers of reanimation. I believe he’ll be perfect.”

“Very well, just remember to ensure he remembers never to use your gift for his own gain, for yours is perhaps the most seductive power of all. The desire to use such ability for one’s own ends can become all-consuming.”

“I know. I will make certain he realizes that what he will learn is never to be used in his own favor...”

***

“Dai, you’re training is coming along well. I can’t believe you’ve already mastered the first level of Raising. It may not seem to be much, but animating even a small thing such as an ant or fly is impressive.”

“It takes so much energy though, how will I ever learn to do actual Raising like you can do?”

“The power was implanted into my being, a birthright, you may call it. For me it is as simple as breathing to call upon the energy needed to Raise. You, however, must learn the power starting with nothing. It will be hard, but I have confidence you will succeed at learning to use the power to its fullest one day. Just remember: never use this for your own reward.”

“I understand, Darkrai. I won’t betray your trust in me…”

***

“Darkrai, when am I going to learn the next level for Raising?! It’s been nearly three months now!”

“Have patience Dai, you know this takes time. The first level should have taken longer than it did, so I am certain this one will take less time as well. Give yourself time to grow, child: don’t expect it all at once.”

“But I’m tired of all this redundant training and running about! I’m ready to move on!”

“We’re going as fast as we can…”

***

“What I feared is coming to pass, Darkrai. When I was considering letting the Legends choose everyday Pokemon to pass their powers to, this is what loomed in my mind as the worst possibility, especially for your own gift. Dai is being perverted by the promise of what he’s learning to do. He may have been pure at first, but the siren’s whisperings are twisting that purity into darkness. Darkrai, you must send him away and teach him nothing else. With what he knows now he can do little, but if you teach him anymore…”

“Please…I know I can talk sense into him. I know I can make him understand that he has to resist what he desires to do and use Raise only for the good of others. Give me one more month, and if he has not changed, I shall do as you ask.”

“…Very well then, Darkrai. One more month…”

***

“I know you’re tired of this training Dai, but it must go on a bit longer. I want to make absolutely sure you’re ready for the next level of Raising.”

“I understand. I’m sorry I’ve been so pushy. I never was very good at being patient, and this is just so incredible, what can be done with this power of yours. But how is it used for others?”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait to learn that.”

“Ah well, I’m getting used to waiting…”

***

“Dai, how could you do this?! I trusted you, put my faith in you, argued on your behalf when Aruseusu wanted me to send you away and not teach you anymore!”

“Stop your whining you fool! Don’t you understand what can be done with this? The good we can do for Pokemon? This is not for my gain but for the gain of all the world’s Pokemon! We shall be free of the humans, forever!”

“NO!

No!

no…”

 

[Dog of Hellsing]

+Chapter One+

Fallarbor Town was a quaint little town, nestled away from the other cities and towns of Hoenn and startlingly close to the active volcano known as Mount Chimney. As a result, the town was relatively cool because of the near-constant ash spouting from the volcano. The ash not only kept the town cool, but made the soil extremely fertile. Flowers of all shapes and sizes grew along the edges of the streets, gardens flourished; trees rose into the sky and towered over most of the buildings. This wasn’t very hard, as about ninety percent of the town was occupied by residential homes, with only a few small office buildings and, of course, the Contest Hall to take up the remaining space. All in all, it was a nice little town, if one didn’t mind the constant ash-fall, the cool summers and almost abnormally cold winters, and the sight of flowers everywhere one looked.

Morning had just broken over Fallarbor, the orange-red sun rising into the sky like some fiery crown. The pastel colors of dawn were splashed across the heavens: brilliant orange that gave way to subtle pinks, darkening to a blue that slowly transformed into a deep purple. It was the kind of morning that poets and artists strive to capture in their work. It was also the time of the day when Fallarbor town was at its quietest, when everyone was still asleep and the day was waiting to begin. At least, when things were normal, that’s how it was.

Things were far from normal these days.

This morning, and for every morning for the past three or so months, the beautiful sunrise continued to go on unnoticed by the citizens of Fallarbor. Not because they were sleeping, though: what use do the dead have for sleep? The corpses that shambled about cared nothing for the coming or going of day, cared nothing for the glory that was unfolding above them. If they cared for anything at all, it was about finding a nice, juicy meal of living flesh. As it was, this morning wasn’t normal for yet another reason.

Gunfire, accompanied by a chorus of wailing moans and the occasional screech, had been tearing through the morning air for the past twenty or so minutes. The sources of these sounds were easy enough to identify. The moans, of course, emanated from the decaying throats of the undead as they clawed their way to the one bearing the gun.

The wielder was a young girl, no older than twelve, her small frame garbed in raggedy clothing: a tattered white t-shirt stained gray from being worn so often and cleaned so little and ripped black shorts. Her feet were bare, the soles black and thickly calloused from her days of wandering the streets and wilderness. She was sorely thin, testament to how hard it was to find food these days. Her dark emerald eyes were half-hidden by her wild, unkempt red hair. In her small hands she clutched a high-powered assault rifle, and her pockets were bulging with magazines for it. The weapon mowed down the zombies that approached, tearing away limbs, punching gaping holes into chests and stomachs. One zombie went down from a headshot, a fountain of blood, brain, and skull erupting from the space its head used to occupy.

The last source was a large creature several yards away from the girl. It resembled something between a shark and a dragon, with a scaly dark-blue hide. Its head was built like a hammerhead’s and it had a yellow star between its piercing yellow eyes. Reddish-tan scales covered its bottom jaw, chest, and upper belly, where more yellow covered the lower stomach. Small spikes rose from its arms and legs, two each. Its arms were adorned by fins, as was its back and tail, and it possessed only one claw at the tip of its paws, while spouted from its toes. The beast was a Garchomp, and it was the one letting out the screeches: every time a corpse fell beneath it, the Pokemon let out a triumphant scream. It tore around like a small, blue whirlwind, ripping the gooey flesh of its foes to bits.

“Basun!” the girl suddenly cried out, sweeping her weapon side-to-side as she discharged the last few rounds into the on-coming zombies. “They’re getting too close to me and I need to reload!”

=On it!= Basun replied, executing an awesome leap that carried him nearly ten feet. After slashing a few zombies out of his way, the Garchomp charged forward, leaping again as he reached the child and landing before her. As he let out a challenging bellow, the young girl backed up a bit, turning and eyeing the horde that was slowly closing in. Deftly, she ejected the spent magazine and pulled out a fresh one, slapping it into place. A few more seconds passed, and then she was prepared to continue her assault on the desiccating bodies.

“All right, I’m ready!” she announced, blowing off the head of a zombie that had began to stagger faster towards her. She hated it when they sped up like that: it oftentimes took her by surprise, especially in large groups like this when you needed to look in twenty directions all at once. As the body collapsed into a putrid heap, the girl turned and craned her neck to see around the bulk of her friend. “Think you can carry me to the Mart?”

=You weigh next to nothing, Sora. I think I can bear your to the next city if I had to,= the Garchomp answered. His tone was darker than it was before, and Sora knew what he was thinking about. She sighed softly, not wanting to bring up the memories right now. Instead, she clutched the rifle in one hand and, using Basun’s tail and his dorsal fin, made her way onto his upper back. She settled on the dorsal fin, close to where it met the Pokemon’s back, and placed the gun in her lap. She then leaned against the Garchomp’s neck, wrapping her arms tight around his throat and her legs around his chest.

=Ready?=

“Yeah, let’s get this over with so we can get out of here. This place is more infested than Lilycove was!”

=Don’t remind me of that place, it stank so bad my snout still burns,= Basun replied with a snort, then crouched and lunged forward. Sora gave a tiny yelp of surprise as her grip tightened, then loosened a bit. She knew Basun would never let her fall off, would never let harm come to her. After finding his rhythm, the Garchomp was able to move quickly through the throng of the undead without bouncing Sora all around. She was grateful for that: the land-shark’s dorsal fin was certainly not the most comfortable thing to sit on, even without being tossed around as if she were riding a wild Tauros.

Within moments the two had reached their reason for leaving the (relative) safety of the volcano’s base, where they’d been staying. They needed supplies and food, which could be scrounged from the PokeMart. About a month before the zombies had come, the Mart of Fallarbor had been the first in Hoenn to begin selling non-Pokemon related items. It was a way to bring in more business, it’d been explained, and a way to get more money, which was also said but not as loud.

After disposing of the three zombies that would have been charged with loitering, had there still been police and such, Basun knelt so Sora could dismount. She was slightly cramped from having held on so tight, but the ride had been worth it. If they had tired to fight their way through all the way here, most likely both would be tired and Sora would be out of ammo.

=Let’s make this quick,= the Garchomp muttered as he used his bulk to bash the door in. Standing in the store were several more zombies who had been trapped in the store. The corpses weren’t smart at all, and couldn’t open even the simplest doors. Most likely, a zombie had gotten in and massacred everyone who had been present, and then they had all been stuck inside because the door had been shut.

“Oh, ugh,” Sora gagged, choking on the thick stench of decay that washed over her. Since there had been no circulation of air for several weeks, the stink that comes with rot had not been dispersed or diluted. Thankfully, it cleared out quickly with the door now hanging open, and Sora took out two zombies as Basun finished the remaining four or so. One of them had been a small Poochyena, most likely belonging to one of the zombies when they had been alive. Sora let out a little sigh, trying not to let the sight affect her. For some reason, she wasn’t as bothered by people becoming zombies as she was when it was Pokemon. Somehow, it just didn’t seem to fit, didn’t seem right.

=C’mon,= Basun rumbled gently, seeing his young friend’s distress. =The sooner we get our stuff the sooner we can beat it.=

“Yeah, I know,” Sora replied as she turned away from the bodies and walked to the nearest shelf. Without another word she began to search for needed items, while Basun shook his head and went to find some food that hadn’t turned to fetid mush. Thankfully, most of the food sold at the PokeMart was canned, since it was easier and more practical to carry one an adventure than foods that needed to be kept cold. The few things that weren't canned were well on their way to becoming as decayed as some of the zombies stumbling around, and Basun snorted as he passed them.

As the two "shopped," the zombies outside grew steadily, if slowly, closer. Every so often Sora or Basun would peek out of the window or walk by the door and see how far away the corpses were. When they had drawn within several yards of the Mart, Sora and Basun loaded everything into a traveling pack and prepared to leave. However, in the few moments it took to ready the pack, another horde of zombies appeared from the side, trapping the young girl and old Pokemon inside. Sora gave a little gasp when she noticed them, and Basun let out a snarl as he lifted his arms, baring the sharp fins. Surprisingly, the zombies halted, heads lolling as their cataract-glazed eyes slowly blinked.

“Hey...Basun...I think it's some of those weird zombies that attack the mean ones," Sora muttered after a moment of watching the zombies, who had made no further move to approach. "Maybe you can blast a hole in the back so we can get out? I'll bet those zombies by the door will keep out the rest." At these words, the small group of corpses turned as one to face the larger, more vicious horde that was approaching. Then they fell still again, not a disintegrating muscle moving, not a peeling finger twitching. With their rotting bodies clogging the doorway now, though, the cool breeze that had been blowing was now dragging in a fresh wave of stink.

Eyes watering and fighting the urge to gag, Sora turned and made her way to the back of the store, Basun following. As the land-shark crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, Sora shrugged the full, heavy pack onto her back and moved it around until the weight was distributed evenly. Then she cocked her weapon in case there were zombies behind the store and took a deep breath. She watched as Basun then opened his eyes as a yellowish glow started to emanate from him. Suddenly, it exploded into a radiant, near-blinding flare as Basun let out a bellow and charged forward, slashing his arms down and apart. The Dragon Rush attack gave him the strength to slice through the wall with his fins, and moments later he and Sora were outside.

Luckily, there were no zombies out back, and Sora quickly mounted up on Basun's back once more (though it was slightly more difficult this time because of the pack). After making sure Sora wouldn't fall off, Basun turned and broke into a flat-out run. As he passed the side of the Mart, he and Sora could see that the ten or so "nice" zombies were being torn apart by the "mean" ones. Sora found herself feeling sorry for the zombies that were helping them, though she didn't understand why they were doing it. All she knew was that there were two types of zombies, the peaceful ones and the ravenous ones. Whenever the two met, a battle always ensued, though most of the time it was because the peaceful ones were trying to defend the living.

"Why do you suppose certain zombies are good?" the girl asked as Basun charged along, his body bent nearly in half to give him more speed. “In all the movies and books and stuff they’re all mean and evil.”

=Who knows?= the Garchomp responded as he slowed, Mount Chimney rising in the near-distance. Sora scowled, confused: why was the land-shark going slower? Leaning carefully to one side to see around his broad head, the young girl’s heart jumped up into her throat and her blood froze in her veins. Surrounding the base of the volcano was a massive throng of the undead, staggering around as if in a daze. However, all it took was a single one to spot the girl and Pokemon, and soon the entire group was letting out horrific, mind-numbing moans. As one, the horde began to shuffle towards Basun and Sora, their hands clawing uselessly through the air as they came.

“Wh…what are we gonna do?!” Sora cried, her voice high and cracked in her distress. “There’s gotta be a couple hundred of them…where did they all come from, and so quickly…”

=I dunno, but I don’t think we’re gonna make it through them all! We’re going to have to go around them and head up one of the other sides!= Basun said, his voice loud and harsh over the wailing of the zombies. =Hold on and try not to lose your gun!= That being said, he leapt forward into full speed once again, swerving sharply to one side as he charged along. However, as they made their way around the volcano, it was clear that the horde had somehow, against all perceivable odds, circled the whole thing. Hundreds of them, and in some places the horde was nearly a mile thick. Sora’s questions resounded silently: where had they all come from and how had they surrounded Mount Chimney so fast? It didn’t make any sense…

Suddenly, a foul-smelling shape barreled into the Garchomp from the right. He snarled in surprise as Sora let out a scream, the blow having almost knocked her off the Pokemon’s back. She hung on precariously, clutching his fin and scrabbling to keep from falling as Basun struggled to keep his balance and not fall over. If he did, there was no telling how badly they could be injured, considering the speed they were still traveling at. Realizing he couldn’t keep from falling if he kept moving, the Garchomp came to a stop as Sora looked around for whatever had slammed into them. When she couldn’t see anything near them, she glanced up and let out a terrified scream. For soaring above them were dozens of flying Pokemon, their moans faint and barely audible over those of the land-bound corpses. Flapping up to join the winged horde was a badly decayed Crobat, obviously the one who had dive-bombed Basun. The large, four-winged purple bat had to struggle to get back into the air, as one of its rear wings was almost entirely gone.

=Shoi!= the Pokemon cursed harshly after glancing up to see the source of Sora’s distress. He lowered his gaze to the zombies shambling closer, and then angled it back up. He growled under his breath, knowing that they couldn’t outrun the flyers like they could the walkers. They’d have to fight, and it would be hard because they’d need to stay alert to the ground-dwelling zombies as well as fight off the airborne ones.

“What are we gonna do?!” Sora squealed, finally finding her balance and seating herself properly on Basun’s back. Her nails dug into his tough scales as her arms clutched around his neck. Fear-scent dripped from her small frame, making Basun even more jumpy as he danced from paw to paw, growling again.

=We have to fight, get rid of the flyers. We can’t get away from them by running; if we tried, we’ll be torn to bits as they dive at us.= Just as he finished his sentence, another shape detached itself from the main flock and started plunging towards the two friends. This one soon turned out to be a Flygon. The green-scaled Dragon was missing its front right arm as well as its whole tail, and the red caps normally protecting its eyes were hanging by thin strands of keratin. It let out a high-pitched moan, almost a scream, as it dropped, baring its blackened fangs.

=Hold on!= Basun shouted as he twisted his body, leaning back and snapping his head back. Sora let out a tiny squeak as she clung to the land-shark’s back, hiding her face as the Pokemon prepared to attack the dropping Flygon. However, as his jaws opened, several more flying ghouls began diving, many of them too far away from the Flygon to get caught in the same attack it would be struck by. At the same time, Sora heard a keening noise from in front of them and looked up slowly, then whimpered loudly as she saw several dozen land-bound zombies less than three yards away.

As Basun let out a bellow and released a Fire Blast attack, Sora got down off his back and aimed her gun, steeling herself as she started to fire into the oncoming crowd, mowing down the nearest zombies in a flurry of smoking rounds.

Above them, the Fire Blast caught the Flygon dead-center and also managed to hit a few more zombies slightly above it. Turning and grabbing Sora’s shirt front in his fangs, Basun jumped away with the young girl as the flaming Flygon hit the ground seconds later, almost right where Sora had been standing. She stared in horror as the thing writhed and moaned, the stink of burning, rotting flesh burning her nose. After a few minutes it lay still, truly dead, but the problem was just beginning.

The other Pokemon that had been caught in the Fire Blast soon ended up like the Flygon, charred and dead on the ground, but the droves that it had missed were now dropping like stones from the air, while the terrestrial zombies continued their slow, steady march forward. Realizing it was futile to try and retake refuge near the volcano, the land-shark did an abrupt one-eighty and set Sora down, turning and letting out a massive Fire Blast into the crowd that was drawing nearer. Then his head dropped back and another Fire Blast disgorged itself from his throat, roaring into the air and setting the closest flyers ablaze.

=Get on!= he snapped, though the harshness in his voice wasn’t directed at the young girl with him. =We need to find a new place to stay; we can’t get through all these things with the flyers attacking us. Hold on, I’m gonna get us far enough away from the walkers so we can fight the flyers without fear of being overwhelmed!=

Moments later the Garchomp was tearing along in the direction to the east. The area there was, for some reason, relatively free from zombies of any kind. It was hard to tell why, but the ash that was always thick in the sky could have been why flyers stayed away. Also, the ground underfoot was horribly uneven and thick with clinging, tripping weeds that thrived in such a location, and the unsteady walkers could barely function over level ground. Here they’d be safe, or as safe as they could be with a flock of flesh-hungry flying zombies trying to rip them to bloody shreds.

Sora groaned softly as they came to the route once known as 113, hiding her nose and mouth under her shirt to keep from breathing in the ash that came down like a gray blizzard. Basun wasn’t troubled by it, or by the rocky, weedy earth beneath his claws. The ash he breathed would be filtered from his lungs into a special sac attached to each one, where it would be mixed with a cleansing acid and used to repair internal wounds. He’d once told her that he’d been born in a desert, as most of the land-sharks were, and that was why they’d adapted the ability to breathe in particles of the earth and use it to their advantage. The deserts were always plagued by sandstorms, which were much worse than thick yet soft and pliable ash. His agility let him race over the uneven land with ease and grace, another trait developed by those who lived in such an inhospitable place as the desert: being able to move with the least contact possible with the ground meant you could travel without your paws being seared by burning sand, or in this case, without them being entangled in weeds.

As Basun came to a halt, Sora slid down off his back and glanced behind them. The flyers were coming in quick, but as they approached the ash-laden air, several of them moved slower than before. It was easy to tell why: even though the zombies didn’t need their eyes to see and therefore weren’t impeded by lack of vision, the ash clung to their already weight-torn bodies and slowed them down. IT was an advantage Sora and Basun would need to survive this encounter.

=All right, get ready,= the Garchomp rumbled as he turned and stretched his old, lean body. Sora glanced at him, her heart fluttering like a frightened Taillow. The magnificent sight of the land-shark flexing his rugged muscles would normally have made her felt safe, but the young girl knew the Garchomp was getting on in age. All the fighting and running he’d done earlier had taken a tiring toll on the Pokemon, as was apparent in the careful, somewhat pained way he stretched. Instead of feeling safe, Sora felt fear for her friend. She hated when he pushed himself as he was doing now.

“Basun, are you gonna be okay?” she asked quietly, and the land-shark turned to her with a slightly surprised look. Then it faded to understanding, and he gave a soft smile.

=I might be an old timer, but don’t you worry about me. Just don’t lose our food, got it? And try to take out these things’ wings, if you can’t get a headshot. That’ll make them less of a threat.= Sora simply nodded, worry making it hard for her to swallow. As she and Basun turned to face the oncoming horde of undead Pokemon, she found herself fearing what she would do should another loved one of hers died…

But she didn’t have time to linger long on that horrible thought. As the first of the flyers reached them, she raised the gun and started firing. Her first shot was more luck than anything, catching a freshly-dead Starly right between its eyeless sockets. The little dull-brown feathered bird’s head burst like an overripe melon, and Sora gave a little noise of disgust as bits of decayed brain and flesh rained down on her. Beside her, Basun was blasting out another Fire Blast, but this was one lacking in the size and power of the last ones.

And so the time passed, and it was almost ten minutes into the fracas when Sora noticed that they should have been done with this grisly battle long ago. She was down to her last two magazines and the one currently loaded was over half-empty, while Basun had slowed down considerably and was taking more time to fire off even weak attacks. He vomited a feeble Dragon Rage attack, the glittering crystal flames barely reaching ten feet into the sky and missing his target. Then, instead of moving right into his next attack, he took a gasping breath, a sure sign that he was getting horribly fatigued. Fear fresh in her, Sora pressed against the Pokemon’s right side and clutched her gun, eyes wide as more flyers came at them.

“Basun, we have to go,” she said, her voice small and terror-stricken. Basun simply gave a faint grunt of reply as he watched the zombies wheeling above them, gritting his fangs and breathing hard. Sora suppressed a whimper: even if he wanted to flee, he was just too tired to run as far and fast as he’d need to in order to take them to safety. In that instant, she knew it was over. Basun seemed to sense it as well, and his entire body drooped with a horrible sadness.

=I’m sorry,= he whispered softly as he turned sorrow-filled eyes upon his young human friend. =I couldn’t save any of you…=

“It’s not your fault,” Sora said bravely, despite the shaking of her voice and the tears sparkling in her eyes. As they began to fall, she dropped her gun and threw her arms around the Basun’s waist, trying to hold back her terrified sobs, trying not to make the poor old Garchomp feel worse. She felt his fins rest against her shoulders, the only thing he could do now, and closed her eyes tight.

But the pain, the tearing, never came. Instead, a deep humming that was more felt than heard suddenly began reverberating through the air, growing steadily louder until it was like a roar. Confused, scared, and despairing, Sora looked up as her eyes popped open. She could see nothing that would cause such a noise, but before she say anything to Basun the humming suddenly stopped, and in its place there came heaviness. It felt like when the Garchomp hugged her too tight, not painful but certainly not comfortable.

“What-“ she started, but before she could get past that single utterance, a brilliant white light exploded around her. There was no sound, no sensation, just a blinding white. Sora tried to scream, but couldn’t find the breath for it. Then, as suddenly as it had come, the light vanished, and things returned to normal.

Well, almost normal, for the air was completely clear of ash. It was also completely clear of flyers, seeing as they were strewn in smashed pieces all along the ground. Sora blinked, too shocked to do anything else, and simply took the sight in.

=Praise Aruseusu,= Basun muttered softly, glancing about as Sora was and shaking his head slowly. =I don’t know what just happened, but…= He fell silent, unable to speak for his wonderment. For a long moment there was silence, and then Sora slowly bent down to retrieve her gun. She knew that adrenaline and the fact that she’d been ready to die would catch up with her soon, but for now she let herself revel in the peace.

“Praise Aruseusu,” she repeated in a whisper, standing and looking up into the morning sky.

***

That night, safe in a small cave that had been almost completely sealed with a large boulder, Sora slept:

“We gotta put all that behind us, ya know? We’re gonna end up like everyone else if we don’t, end up dead, and I don’t plan on that happening to me anytime soon.”

“I never thought I’d hear that come from you.”

“I never thought I’d be saying it, but there ya go. And you know, since we’re on subjects that we never thought would come up, you and your Pokemon ain’t push-over pansy wimps. You guys are really strong. Basun hates it, ya know, when I say that you guys are weak.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, and I know that I always seemed real angry and bitter that you and Basun were always so close, but I never really minded. It was actually kinda funny, how good you guys got along, you and your Pokemon with him.”

“Well…that’s a lot to take at once. But thanks.”

“Yeah, so now that we’ve cleared the area, what do ya say to getting out of here before we get caught in our mushy, huggy-wuggy moment by a horde of flesh-hungry rotters.”

Then the dream jumped, and a new scene unfolded:

“Zeph, wake up! Risa is gone! I can’t find her anywhere and she’s not responding to my calls!”

“Whuzzat?”

“Risa! She’s gone!”

“What? Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure, I’ve checked and double-checked and triple-checked and called and called and she’s gone and Cii has looked and can’t find her!”

“Okay, calm down Sora, calm down, take a breath all right? I’m sure she’s around, hold on and I’ll let Basun out and we can all look together, okay?”

=Sora, I found a scent, I found a scent, it’s Risa!=

Again the scene unfolded anew:

“Oh God, Risa! RISA!”

=Sora, help me!=

“Risa, you’ve gotta run, get away from them!”

=I can’t, I can’t move, I can’t move, I can’t-=

“RISA!!!”

=SOOOOORRRRRAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!=

“Ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod ohmigod, Risa, Risa, oh God, oh God…”

=Risa! Risa-chan! Risa!!!=

“Sora, Cii! Come on, snap out of it, there’s more coming, we gotta get out of here! Basun, can you carry them?”

=Of course.=

“Then grab ‘em and let’s get out of here!”

=No! I have to help Risa!=

“Cii, you little furball, no! She’s gone, come back!”

“Cii…Cii?! Come back!”

=I have to help Risa, Sora, I have to help her!=

“No Cii!”

=Cii, get back here!=

=Risaaaaa!=

“OH GOD OH GOD NO CII, NO!!!”

=Dear Aruseusu!=

“Grab Sora and let’s book!”

=Zeph…what are you doing?=

“I’m giving you guys a couple of seconds to get away, what do you think?”

=Zeph, you can’t, you’ll-=

“You can’t keep an eye on me and take care of yourself and Sora too! I’ll catch up in a while! Now get going!”

“No…Risa, Cii…Zeph…ZEPH!”

Sora woke with a shrill, strangled scream, sitting bolt upright and clutching at her shirt. After a moment she felt the gentle pressure of a sharp point, one of Basun’s claws, pressing against her forehead.

=Hush Sora,= he said softly. Sora let out a choked sob and moments later Basun settled beside her, hooking one of his powerful arms around her shoulders as she cried.

“I keep seeing it, seeing them die!” she moaned through her tears. “Risa and Cii…Zeph…”

=I know, I do too,” the land-shark replied, staring at the thick shadows around them. Outside, the muffled moans of the undead rung out through the night air, but they were distant and faint. The zombies were far away, in the waking world at least. In the world of nightmares, though, they were horribly close by.

The nightmare Sora’d had had been plaguing her for about the past two-and-a-half months, almost every night for that whole period. It was always the same, never changing. It started with the day Sora and Zeph teamed up.

Zephyr had been Sora’s once-upon-a-time rival for about two years, but that had changed about two weeks after the zombies had started showing up. The two had run into each other outside of Littleroot Town, and right away Zephyr had stated that they needed to put their rivalry behind them if they wanted to survive. Sora had agreed completely, as she had never really liked having a rival: she was the type who preferred having friends instead of enemies.

About a week after joining together, the Trainers and their Pokemon (for Sora was a Trainer at that time) were sleeping in an old house surrounded by an ancient wrought-iron fence, the tall kind that had sharp points. Risa, Sora’s young female Pachirisu, had been given the task of keeping first watch. Being a squirrel, she was the perfect candidate, as she was always hyper-alert by nature. But at some point in the night, Sora had been woken by something. When she’d come to fully, she realized it was the lack of Risa’s presence.

The young girl had lost it. She’d let Cii, her female Glaceon, out of her PokeBall and torn around the house, calling for Risa and not finding her. Finally, she’d woken Zephyr, whom she’d taken to calling Zeph, and told her of the problem. Zeph had let Basun from his PokeBall, and just then Cii had come racing into the room. She told the others that she’d found the EleSquirrel’s scent, and that it led outside.

The group had headed outside, and following Cii’s nose they’d located Risa. The little Pokemon had been circled by a horde of zombies, giving off faint jolts of electricity and barely able to stand. Upon seeing her, Sora’s heart had frozen and she’d started screaming. Risa had heard her and started crying for help, but there was nothing anyone could do. Seconds later, an undead Houndour had shambled forward and snapped its jaws shut over Risa’s face, crushing her fragile skull in one bite. It was too dark to make out any details as a few more zombies fell upon the corpse, to make out the spray of blood and tear of organs, but she saw enough of her beloved Risa getting torn apart and devoured. Sora had shrieked so loudly her own ears had rung from it.

Zeph had tried to snap her out of it, seeing as they were now being surrounded by zombies, but Sora could barely think for the grief and fear that had clutched at her heart and mind. Finally, Zeph had ordered Basun to carry her and Cii, who’d also been struck dumb. Before he could act, though, Cii had raced towards the throng of corpses, crying that she needed to help Risa. Within moments, she too had been overwhelmed by the decaying forces and killed. Sora had been sent reeling: both of her Pokemon, her closest friends, had died within five minutes.

Basun had grabbed up Sora and gotten ready to run, but then he’d noticed Zeph pulling the two short Japanese swords she always carried with her from their sheathes. He’d stopped, demanded what she was doing, and Zeph had told him she was giving him and Sora time to flee. Then she’d ordered him to go and turned, charging the zombies with a soundless cry of fury. Over the short two weeks she and Sora had been together, she’d grown fond of Sora’s silly, fun-loving Pokemon. Basun, despite being an elderly Pokemon (he’d belonged to Zeph's father for many years, and then gone to Zeph after the old man had died), had also grown more fond of the youngsters, and understood his Trainer’s wrath. He, too, felt angry with their deaths, but also grievous. However, he was too loyal and honorable to ignore his Trainer, despite the fact that he didn't want to leave Zeph alone. As he’d fled, Sora clutched to his breast, he’d known his Trainer would never catch up as she’d said.

They’d had it confirmed the next day, upon traveling back that way. Sora hadn’t wanted to go, but Basun had had to know. Upon reaching the scene of the horrible event, they’d found a few shreds of ripped clothing and blood splatters everywhere. Not far away were Zeph’s swords, covered in bloody streaks. They’d left after that, both of them filled with such a depth of sorrow that no amount of time or tears could help.

The two sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts, and after a long moment Basun spoke again.

=I had a dream,= he said, closing his eyes. =No…not a dream. A visit.=

“What do you mean?” Sora asked, her voice scratchy from crying. A loud sniff followed the words as the young girl shifted to wipe at her eyes. Basun was silent for a moment, then sighed and spoke.

=It was...more than a dream. I could feel it, sense it, there was more to it than just my imagination.=

"Who was it?”

=Aruseusu,= Basun replied softly, and Sora let out a tiny little breath of surprise.

“Are you sure?”

=Yes, I am. It was him.=

“What…what did he want?”

=To give me a message,= the Garchomp answered. =He told me we have to go the Ever Grande City, and there we’ll find the cause of all this. He told me that we would be able to stop all that’s going on once we find the cause.=

“How? How can we stop it?”

=He didn’t say. He…he seemed so worried, so rushed. That worries me Sora. Our God, the great Pokemon Father Aruseusu, he was afraid, and that…frightened me. What could scare a God like that…?= The Pokemon fell quiet, his tone troubled, and Sora let him have his silence. Indeed, what could scare a God? A ball of unease started to grow in her gut as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“How are we going to get to Ever Grande though?” she asked after a moment. “The routes are all waterways. You don’t know how to use Surf, and I’ve never seen you fly even though I’ve heard Garchomp can.”

=I can fly, yes, but I’m getting old Sora. I can’t fly very well or for very long, and I can’t do it with your added weight. I can carry your weight on the ground, but in the air it would be nearly impossible. I’m not designed to carry more than myself when I fly. As to how we’re going to get there, I’m sure we can find a boat around the coast somewhere. If it comes to it though, I’ll find a way to get us there by air.=

“We can find a boat I’ll bet,” Sora said quickly. “If you can’t fly with me, I don’t want you trying it and hurting yourself.”

=I thought I’m supposed to be looking out for you?= the Garchomp replied with a chuckle, and Sora snorted a little.

“We look out for each other,” she said, and Basun didn’t respond. The somber tone of the girl’s voice had taken him off-guard. He hadn’t expected her to get so serious about his comment.

=At any rate, let’s get some rest,= the land-shark said after a moment of silence. =We’ve got a lot of traveling to do over the next few days, and we’re gonna need all our energy and wits to do it.= That being said, the Pokemon shifted and laid down, curling his body around Sora’s back and resting his head on the ground, legs folded beneath him. A second later he felt Sora lean back against him and snuggle down, and within moments they were asleep.

***

[END CHAPTER ONE]​