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Return From Hisui - 002 Thunder
🕑 Added 2023-02-19 21:15:07 +0000 UTCAuthor's note:
This was written on the same day as the first chapter. I was very excited.
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As I step into the darkness, I feel a cloak of energy flow around me. It’s something I have felt a lot in these last 20 years but never this directly. Palkia and Dialga are shrouding me in their domains. Space and Time. Then, the Distortion World opens up before my eyes. The first time I came here, I had a horrible headache. The strange shifts and swirls of everything just do that for a mortal brain. Now, I’m somewhat used to it. Staying here was the key to fusing with the Legend Plate, after all.
Giratina waits for me at a ledge overlooking the floating rocks. Gravity is incredibly weird here but I know the closer platforms by heart so I don’t hesitate when they fly ahead and follow them through the strange and broken reality.
After five minutes, my breathing starts to become heavy. But they don’t slow down. On the contrary, Giratina accelerates and I have to push even harder to keep up. I realize we take turns keeping us in the area I know and every time I change direction some of the cloak Palkia and Dialga gave me wears down. Every time that happens the world flickers around me. I quickly realize, the shifts and turns are not just in the Distortion World. They also happen in space and time. I’m already on the way back home.
After what feels like an eternity, Giratina finally slows down. We are back where we started. The same rock that we came in on is under my feet again. Well, I’m standing on the other side of where I jumped off the first time, but still.
Giratina coils around me, just barely keeping away from touching. I reach up to hold the side of their face. Exhaustion fills me. The space-time cloak is dissipated and I feel my energy leaking into the broken shards where I turned around during our journey. The Renegade Dragon gives me one last node before they disappear in a cloud of darkness. I feel myself drawn into the abyss and just barely manage to look back. I see my friend returning to the past as the dark closes around me.
I fall for barely a dozen seconds before impacting on something soft and cold. And wet. This is snow. I groan and just stay there for a few seconds. As I open my eyes, a tiny black orb is all that remains from the portal to the Distortion World. It disappears with a pop moments later.
I blink a few times as I hear steps rapidly approaching from my left. They are not running through snow. It’s stone. I shake my head and stretch my arms with a yawn, then let myself drop back down. The cold bites more than I remember. I feel for the pool of energy next to my soul and find only a quarter remains. Enough to keep me alive even if I sleep here for a few hours but not much more than your average trainer.
The steps come closer, slowing down a bit as they start on snow. Then, a face comes into my vision. She has sharp eyes and a cute-in-a-strong-way face framed by flowing blond hair. A black scarf wraps around her neck and a black cloak lies around her shoulders. Somehow… Oh. Yeah, I know this woman. She almost looks like Cogita. I wonder if they’re related?
“Hey, Cynthia,” I say “What’s the champion doing here?”
Cynthia frowns.
“I believe I should ask what a girl like you is doing up at spear pillar. Or why you dropped out of a black hole.”
I snort.
“Not a black hole. That was a portal.”
“I… see. And how did it put you on the top of Mount Coronet?”
“Oh, that’s easy. It’s where I left from.”
She raises an eyebrow.
“Right. What’s your name?”
“I’m Zoe.”
A frown blinks over her face for a moment. Then she huffs.
“Come on, then. I’ll get you to safety.”
“’m fine,” I manage just as she starts to pull me up. I yelp as I suddenly find myself on my feet. I let my knees give a little to give me a chance of fighting back before I notice Cynthia is only patting the snow off my back.
“I’m sure you’re fine. Now, where do you live?”
I relax my posture and shake my legs while looking around. My home was…
“In Oreburgh. Yeah. The apartment complex in the far west, right next to the Gate. I can watch the trainers leave for route 203 every morning.”
A frown spreads on my face.
“That way.”
I point in the direction I know to be where I have to go.
“But I’ll be fine, really. I wanna take my time.”
Cynthia frowns as she puts away the Ultra Ball she had in her hand and pulled out a different one. With a pop and hiss much more metallic than what I’m used to a Garchomp appears. A small one. She’s barely two metres tall, just a little over half over Gary’s size. I can reach up and pat her head without climbing her back. Which is just what I do.
“Aren’t you a cutie!” I grin as the Dragon freezes. Then she snarls. I adjust my posture a tiny bit and meet her eyes. We stay like that for a few seconds before the Garchomp gives in. She starts nuzzling into my head pats, reluctantly at first, then with enthusiasm as I scratch just the right spots.
“Huh?” Cynthia says.
I look at her standing with her hand extended, her posture the slouch after being ready for a fight that didn’t happen.
“What?” I ask.
“I have never seen anyone just… do that.”
I return to patting the Dragon. She starts purring and her claw twitches just centimetres from my face. I grab it and slowly caress the base.
“What, this?”
The Garchomp drops on its side, pressing her head into my hand with a little more force than necessary. I don’t mind it and keep petting her.
“How are you… do you… what? Do you have a Garchomp?”
I chase away the cloud of loneliness as fast as it comes.
“I raised a little boy. He was wonderful. But I had to go on without him.”
“I see,” Cynthia looks contrite “I’m sorry.”
I smile at her.
“Thanks.”
“So, you’re a trainer? I don’t recognize you.”
That’s good to know. It means pictures of me never made it to this time period.
“I’m more of a researcher,” I say “It’s… somewhere between a hobby and a profession.”
Cynthia blinks before dropping the topic.
“Well, let’s go, then?”
She indicate to the… where’s the tunnel? Did it collapse? There was supposed to be a tunnel here leading to a series of slops and vertical cliffs you could use to climb back down.
I shrug.
“Sure.”
The Garchomp complains for a second as I stop petting her. With a command from Cynthia, she drops it immediately and stands alert to protect us. I glance at Cynthia. The champion thing is not for show, huh? We start walking in silence, rounding a few corners before she speaks up again.
“So… what was that portal?”
I sigh. If I should tell anyone, besides my parents, it would by the champion. Even without being interested in the gym circuit I remember a lot of things about her. Mostly that she’s incredibly strong and a good person. At least everyone said that about her. I decide to just get it over with.
“Technically it was a space-time distortion. Small, localized, and controlled.”
“A… are you telling me that’s a wormhole?”
I frown.
“No. Not really. Wormholes do similar things, as far as I heard, but they connect to some sort of intermediary dimension. Okay, technically this one did too but… It was controlled.”
“By Arceus… a controlled wormhole. The implications of that. Did you?”
I give her my best conspiratorial smirk.
“I did nothing. My friends made it. So I could go back home.”
She pursed her lips.
“So you were whisked away from this world by… something? Arceus, that must have been harrowing.”
I let out a snort.
“I mean, sorta? When the big guy themselves whisks you away for some sort of world-saving mission you kinda just roll with it.”
We walk in silence for a minute before Cynthia squawks. A real, genuine squawk. I haven’t heard a Psyduck squawk better than that.
“You… met Arceus?”
I grin and jump into a pose, one hand on my hip, the other making a peace sign next to my head.
“Yup! They’re a big softie!”
Her eyes narrow.
“Okay, now tell me what really happened,” she demands.
I shrugs and returned to following Garchomp. The Dragon glances at her trainer before shrugging and moving on. Cynthia has to run a few steps to catch back up.
“Hey, I asked you a question!”
“And I answered it. What more can I do?”
“Ryu, help me out here!”
The Garchomp just scoffs.
“What do you mean, there’s nothing to help with?”
The Dragon gives a whining growl.
“You! I raised you from a little baby to be the strongest Garchomp in Sinnoh and you betray me for scritches?”
Ryu nods resolutely.
I raise my hand and she moves to receive her reward.
“Ah!” I say, stopping her dead “You should side with your trainer. She can really use the help.”
I see the disappointment in her eyes.
“If you do, I’ll teach her how to give you the best scritches.”
The disappointment is replaced with anticipation.
I turn to Cynthia who scowls at the interaction.
“Fine,” she says “Let’s say you told the truth. How long were you gone?”
“That’s… difficult to say. Time travel and all that. It’s been 20 years for me.”
I grin at her incredulous face.
“Yeah, I didn’t age on the other side. I could’ve just stayed there and waited for the 200 years but… I kinda miss my family.”
I almost don’t notice the tear running down my cheek before I wipe it off with my sleeve.
“I’m sorry,” Cynthia says “I’ll get you back home.”
“Thanks.”
“Let’s keep going. I’ll be able to make a call once we’re through the cave.”
I nod, resolution returning to my heart.
“Where is the cave, by the way?”
“Oh, it’s right around here. We’ll have to be quiet. The Garchomp colony doesn’t like having their kids disturbed.”
Ryu nods and makes a shushing motion with one of her claws. I give her a smile of my own. A Garchomp with human gestures like that had to have spent the majority of her life in the care of a trainer, rather than the wild.
The Dragon leads the way as Cynthia palms another ball. She gives me another look.
“You’re sure you don’t want to just fly there?” she asks.
“Yes. I wanna see the changes.”
My voice shudders a bit but I press it into compliance. Cynthia ignores it. If she even noticed.
We start our way into the mouth of the cave that’s just around the next turn. It takes only a minute for the morning sun to disappear completely leaving us in near darkness. I can see just fine, as can Ryu. I notice Cynthia doesn’t have any issues either as she puts away the flashlight in her hand with a glance at me.
We keep going through twists and turns that are mostly unfamiliar to me. Here and there I spot a cave I feel like I have seen before but I never spent much time in Mount Coronet’s hollows.
After what feels like an hour, Cynthia signals me to stop. I lower my stance, ready to move at a moment’s notice, when I hear a few growls from ahead. The champion makes a shushing motion at both Ryu and me before signalling the Dragon to move on. Slowly we make our way past a rather open cave in which I can see blue flames occasionally light up members of the Gible line. I smile at the playing Dragons trying to find their place in the thunder.
At Cynthia’s touch, I make to move again when an especially large flame clads two huge arm-wings of a gigantic Garchomp. I stumble at the familiar face. The way he shifts his posture as he hears my foot slide on the rock makes it clear. I feel a huge smile spreading on my face as the whole cavern stills, every single Dragon turning towards me. Nobody moves for a second.
From the corner of my eye, I notice Cynthia trying to pull me along. Panic is in her eyes, quickly replaced by confusion as she notices the soft blue glow on my skin. Oh, and she can’t move me. I brush her hands off and take a step forwards, slipping into my favourite stance. Immediately, recognition flickers over Gary’s face. It really is him. And he looks good!
With a ROAR to shatter any mortal’s eardrums, he jumps to the front of the cavern. The other members of his species give him a wide berth.
“ZOE!” Cynthia screams “RUN!”
I turn to her and make a peace sign with my hand. My soul is already preparing the Fairy Type Energy I would need to defend myself. I refrain from using Ice. It would be unfair. Blue flames sprout from my hands and I can hear Cynthia exclaim in surprise behind me as I rush to meet my friend.
Dragon Rush has a slightly intimidating factor to it. It doesn’t work on Gary, he’s seen it often enough, but every other Gible, Gabite, and Garchomp flinch back at my growl. My hands are covered in claws made of Dragon TE that quickly tear into Gary’s side as my old friend just barely moves to the side. His return Dragon Claw strikes me and we both pause as it bounces off my back. What?
There is Dragon TE in my hands and Fairy TE around my back. No. They are both in both places. I laugh as I realize I finally figured out dual typing. Of course! I only had to use less power!
Gary growls as I get hit with a Crunch. It doesn’t do too much to my Fairy TE but it manages to push me back. Which is just enough for the rumbling ground to trip me over. I feel spikes of earth hit my back, three or four. High Horsepower into Earth Power. And he’s much faster than I remember. Maybe I should…? No. I’ll play it fair.
I jump back to my feet with a pop of my spine. I giggle as pink replaces the blue on my hands. The Dragon TE has run its course and I jump at Gary. There is a moment of fear in his face, then I’m on him. My hands hit all the uncomfortable spots, the base of his arm-wings, the armpit, the base of his back fin, behind his head, the chin, the stomach. More and more punches land as my Play Rough beats him up. Then I realize he’s not shouting in pain. He’s laughing.
His arm loops around and hooks into the neck of my shirt. It’s sturdy enough to hold which is a bit of an issue right now. Because I’m dangling in front of Gary’s face with my arms and legs flailing helplessly.
He chuckles as my move runs out and I grin.
“Ryu, Dragon Rush!” Cynthia calls out from behind me. Her voice is steel.
I roll my eyes.
“Gary, intercept,” I say.
My friend narrows his eyes. I keep eye-contact for two seconds before he gives in. I’m dropped unceremoniously and find the three-and-a-half metre colossus jump over me. He doesn’t even use a move. He simply roars in challenge. Between his legs I can see Ryu freeze, barely avoiding a stumble. I get up and roll my shoulders.
“So, wanna have a battle, Cynthia?” I call out.
I hear her splutter.
“What are you doing, Zoe? Get out of there! It’s dangerous.”
I walk up to Gary and grab his arm from just above my head. Then I start gently rubbing the base of his claw. My Dragon looks at me. I can see he’s torn between indignation and happiness. Ryu is much more open in her envy.
“Not really?” I say with a wink at Cynthia.
Gary snorts and pats my head with his free claw. Then he sits down with a thump and pulls me to his chest. I’m surprised enough that it takes me a moment to return the hug. When I notice the tears in his eyes, I feel my own cheeks growing wet. We simply sit like that for a few minutes.
When we come back to the present, I can see Cynthia surrounded by a few curious Gible. A particularly pretty Garchomp is keeping a close eye on them while talking to Ryu in low growls. The champion looks up as we shift and I see Gary giving her a nod.
“You know each other?” I ask him quietly. Of course, Cynthia hears it.
Gary growls an affirmative.
“I got Ryu from here,” the champion says “I had to show him my strength. How do you know each other?”
Gary growls an explanation that makes me giggle. The other Dragons nearby look at me in awe.
“Yeah, that about sums it up,” I say.
Cynthia blinks.
“Sorry, you understood that? I…”
“Haven’t spent too much time with wild Pokémon?” I ask “No worries. It’s not that difficult to learn.”
“Can you… translate?”
I tilt my head, rubbing my temple with a knuckle.
“Hmmm… I could. But then again, you’re not part of the thunder.”
“The what?”
I roll my eyes.
“The flock, the pack, the thunder. You know?”
I indicate the other Dragons all around us.
Gary snorts.
I look at him.
“Oh. She is?”
He nods with a growl.
“Huh. Congratulations, Cynthia. Your honourable defence of a friend just landed you a spot in this family.”
“The what now?”
“That means I can tell you. But you can’t tell anyone else!”
“I… okay?”
“Pinkie promise?”
The champion looks at my extended hand incredulously. Then she stand up, shaking her head and hooks her pinkie in with mine.
“Sure. I promise not to tell anyone.”
I nod with satisfaction.
“So, Gary here was pretty lonely when I found him. He was always on the larger side so his family’s matriarch threw him out to grow stronger without dominating the other’s of his age. I picked him up and gave him a new family. And when I went back to the present, I had to leave him behind. So he decided to follow his dream of leading his own thunder of Dragons. That’s what led to this.”
I spread my arms pointing at all the little ones around us.
“Also, Ryu is his granddaughter.”
Cynthia blinks twice at that, then looks at her Garchomp.
“Yup. That’s her mum next to her.”
Said ‘mum’ looks up at me and lowers her head. Ryu hesitantly follows her mother’s lead.
I chuckle and wave them off. Gary is gently running his claw through my shoulder-length hair. I lean back into his touch, enjoying the company.
I look up to see Cynthia chewing on her lip, her eyes darting between me, Gary, and Ryu. Finally, she slaps her cheeks and pulls out a phone from her pocket. Its light gleams on her face for a bit as she fiddles with the device. Then, she stands up and walks up to me. She stops a step away, carefully eyeing Gary. My friend ignores her so she closes the distance and turns her device to me.
“Every seen something like this?,” she asks.
I scan the image on the screen. It’s something very familiar. A stone figure, mostly a head. An Arcanine, and not just any one. It’s the Hisuian noble Arcanine. That statue that was standing in the Temple of Sinnoh, once, before I… I mean, Palkia and Dialga blew it up.
“Yup. That’s an Arcanine.”
“I figured that much but it looks different. Why does it have a horn? And why is its mane so long below its head?”
“Ah, that. There are a bunch of Pokémon that have changed over the years. The Arcanine, and Growlithe, that lived in Hisui were Fire and Rock type.”
The champion narrows her eyes.
“You read Professor Laventon’s Pokédex?”
I laugh. A soft rumble from Gary joins in.
“Cynthia, I wrote parts of that Pokédex.”
“No you didn’t.”
I roll my eyes and reach for the satchel at my back. My fingers slip into the opening and with a tiny use of my energy my fingers close around the object I’m looking for. When I pull it out, I hold a large, worn-down notebook in my hands. It’s bound in blue leather and the word ‘Pokédex’ is written on the front in bright white letters.
“Here you go,” I say “This is my version. Laventon took my notes and slimmed them down to the important parts.”
The phone nearly drops out of her hands. Her mouth stands open as she hastily puts the device away. Then, her hands slowly move to the item on my lap. She stops herself a few centimetres away. Her eyes flick up at me.
“Can I take a look?”
I pat Gary’s leg right next to me.
“Sure. Take a seat.”
She realizes then how close she is standing to the Alpha Garchomp and swallows. Gary observes her but makes no move to push her away. I take her hand and pull her down. She squeaks. When my Pokédex hits her lap, all her fear is forgotten.
Cynthia manages to mumble a “Thanks” as she opens the first page. I made sure not to give her the very first one I started with. There were some… embarrassing things I wrote. Well, more like stupid. Seriously, how did I confuse Silcoon and Cascoon? The later books are just as much of a problem. They contain information on certain Legendary Pokémon that I’m confident are mostly unknown even in this time period. I’m going to make sure not to show them to anyone.
“Wait,” Cynthia says “This starts with Torterra. Where are Grotle and Turtwig?”
“I have like two dozen of these books. I’m not going to show you all of them, no matter how nicely you ask.”
“Even if I take you out for ice cream?” she tries.
“No. Some of these contain confidential information,” I hesitate for a moment “Arceus told me not to give them to anyone.”
I’m sure they’re fine with me using their name in such a way.
A familiar jingle rips me out of my thoughts. I reach for my pack again. This time, I pull out my phone. The Arc-phone, as Arceus so helpfully named it. Cynthia stares at the white design with the golden ring on its back and four spikes going out from it.
“You have reception down here?” she asks.
“Apparently?”
I look at the screen. ‘One new message’ it reads. I unlock it and, as expected, it’s from Arceus.
“I am glad you managed to return. Do not use my name in vain.”
I snort and close the app. Then I realize I do have reception here. It’s not just Arceus using their immense power to send me a text message. I find some of my software that I haven’t looked at in two decades I currently updating. I alsofind that I have over 200 text messages and another 50missed calls. They’re… from my parents. And my little bro.
“Your family?” Cynthia asks.
I nod.
“That’s good, right?”
“It is.”
My eyes are watering again.
I open my call list and find the first missed call was four weeks ago. One month.They haven’t seen me for a month.
I wipe the tears from my eyes and sniff. Gary hugs me with the arm that was combing my hair.
“Thanks, bud,” I manage.
Cynthia’s hand lands on my shoulder.
“Maybe we should move on, then.”
Gary agrees with a rumble.
“Right. I’ll… give me a minute. I’ll be right with you.”
Cynthia nods and stands up. She gives Gary a bow as she makes for the exit. The big goof picks me up for a hug which I return with all my strength. My Dragon growls a few words.
“Go on. Be strong.”
Something like that.
I nod. I take a moment to put away my Pokédex and clean my face.
“I’ll come back to visit, some time,” I say.
Gary inclines his head.
“Goodbye, buddy,” I wave.
As I leave, my old friend looks much different than… and hour ago. Which was 200 years ago for him. Okay, that doesmake sense. He stands with much more conviction. He is also much more honest about his feelings. When we said goodbye for the first time, he didn’t want to show any weakness. Now, he is confident that even letting me pet him won’t damage his standing in the thunder. No, in his family. He has found his place.
