Categories > Games > Pokemon > Pokèmon: Serene and Discord
Amelia realized that the air really had cooled suddenly. She could see the breath of her travel companions, and her skin was raised in flecks of Swanna-skin at the feeling. The hair on the back of her neck prickled as she looked on at the two siblings before her.
“Vex,” growled her Pokémon. The small blue bird had stopped its constant circling of the group and instead glared furiously at a patch of night-darkened grass. No matter how hard the young girl squinted her orange eyes, she couldn’t see anything.
Riley’s Foliroo buried itself into its Trainer’s arms, shaking more fiercely than it had before. Felix moved his hand to his own Pokèball, but paused before releasing it, remembering the issue from earlier of trying to control the eager little Fire Type.
A soft voice called out from behind the grass stalks and the trio whipped around to face the source of the noise, only to find emptiness. A second and third call sounded in fast succession on their left and behind them. Even as the group spun to face each disturbance, the only thing the teenagers could see was the soft curling breath around their heads as it shined off the rising moonlight from above them.
Amelia squinted her eyes and raised onto her toes, peering over the tips of the grass. She didn’t dare tell the others what she was trying to do, fear keeping her mouth closed, and instead glanced around the surrounding area. To her utter bewilderment and horror, she saw no steam rising in the air from other living beings.
The group backed up against one another, as Felix finally released his Pokémon. The Swindevil smiled mischievously at them but paused as it heard the grass rustling behind it. It twirled around and stood on all four paws, crouching low and readying to attack. The rounded ears on its head twisted around until the call of the mysterious voice came once more.
The teddy bear-like Pokémon stepped forward carefully, stretching its muzzle out to sniff at the air. The trio watched in surprise as the creature reeled back without warning, stumbling over its back paws. The Swindevil raced towards its Trainer, pressed the button on the ball still clutched in the young boy’s hand and returned itself with a flash of red light.
“Vexling,” Amelia called softly, “You should get back in your ball as well.” The girl held the ball out as Riley returned their own Pokémon beside her. “Come on,” she ventured more loudly when it didn’t react to her voice. “You’ll be safer.” She pressed the button and watched as the blue creature slowly dissolved into the light.
A new soft wail was uttered from behind the crew. It sounded like a toddler crying for help.
The young girl moved her eyes in that direction and stiffened. “There’s a child out there.” She told her friends. When they didn’t respond she stepped away from them and towards the noise. “We need to help them.”
“Amelia don’t,” Riley warned, grabbing the girl by the right shoulder, trying to hold her back.
“It’s a trap,” Felix added, though his voice was so low and quiet the others had to hold their breaths to hear him. “If you go after the sound right now, you might not ever make it back.”
Amelia shook the taller teen’s arm off of her but didn’t make to move away again. The voice had shifted from a child’s call to a giggle as the group remained in place. It was joined by more laughing until it sounded as though the group was completely surrounded.
A small red speck of light appeared suddenly in the grass, glowing as it floated nearly two meters off the ground. It moved around them slowly, teasing them with more whimpers from a child’s voice. New lights blinked in around them, their voices frenzied as they drew closer to the terrified trio. The malice in the air was nearly tangible as the spirits egged on their prey.
“Boltning, use Discharge,” a new voice called out. A creature nearly as black as the night skidded to a halt beside the teens as a man jumped off its back and threw a large cloak over them to shield them from the attack.
Blinding white light flashed before their eyes, even through the fabric, overtaking their vision and darkening the world around them as it slowly faded away.
“Quickly now, get up there.” The man’s voice spoke in their ears, already helping the smallest of them onto the Pokémon’s back. Riley hoisted themself up as well and held out an arm for Amelia so she could clamber her way on too. The man leaped back on behind the girl and the Pokémon took off towards the twinkling light of the nearby village. A noise like the crack of a whip sounded beside them a few times as the man called the Pokémon into movement.
Even with so many people weighing it down, the black beast sped through the grass, forgoing the dirt path as it twisted around boulders and trees and instead made mighty leaps over obstacles. Cold air and stiff grass slapped across the face of Amelia as she clutched onto Riley’s back, trying to keep herself mounted as they lumbered across the ground. She felt scratches open up along exposed skin as the blades sliced at her and the others.
In a few short minutes, the lights of Cassidy Village glared at them. People with Pokémon beside them scurried out of the way as they rushed past the gates then slammed the heavy doors closed swiftly as they finally arrived. The Pokémon they rode in on trotted smoothly to a stop, and it took a few minutes for the teenagers to slide off its back.
Villagers stood nearby, looking worried as they viewed the children that just came in.
“How many of you are there?” One woman called, stepping closer, but keeping an eye on the entrance.
“Three,” Riley responded through gasps of fright.
The people around them seemed to visibly deflate, letting out collective sighs of relief and releasing their bodies from tensed postures. They began to move back into their homes and businesses while the woman who spoke peeled off from the crowd and limped towards the man who had rescued them.
The woman was elderly, her gray hair cut short. Her lavender eyes flashed angrily over the children as she began to speak. “Do you have any idea of what time it is?” She chided roughly. “What would you have done if we hadn’t realized to send out help?”
“I’m sorry,” Amelia murmured, not meeting her fierce gaze.
“Sorry would do you no good had you been lost.” The woman spoke, rounding on the dark-skinned teen. Then she spun to the others. “And you two. You know better than to go wandering around at night without a Trainer. You’re children of the Professor. I expect better of you.”
Riley tried to meet her gaze as they meekly defended the group, “We’re traveling as new Trainers.”
“Then you should be well aware of why you must not travel alone at night when you can’t even defend yourselves.”
“Alright, that’s quite enough,” the man finally spoke, sounding far kinder, placing a calming hand on the woman’s shoulder and looking her in the eyes. “These kids have had a lot happen just now. How about we get them to the Pokémon Center? You can chastise them all you want after their scratches have been treated and their bellies filled.”
The woman looked as if she had more to say but instead, she merely stated. “I’ll inform the Professor they have arrived.” She spun around and strode off towards a large building with a pink roof, a cane clicking by her side, barely visible underneath her cloak.
The man shook his head as he watched her go. He was about the same age as the angry woman, his hair pure white and wispy. He had kind, dark brown eyes and though his voice was low in pitch, it was gentle as he addressed the teenagers. “I’m sorry about her. She’s been really worried about you guys, knowing you were meant to head out soon. Your mom forgot to tell us you were setting out on your journey today.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time she’s forgotten something that important.” Riley tried to joke, but they still looked very shaken and their words weren’t as loudly spoken as what would have been normal for them.
Amelia stared for a moment, as the man placed a hand on Felix’s back to push the small boy in the direction of the building the woman had vanished into, chuckling at Riley’s words as he did so. He turned to the young girl when she didn’t move with them and shook his head. “My apologies, we have yet to meet you. My name is Rogers and the lovely young lady you just met was my wife, Natalie. I promise you, her Roar is far worse than her Chomp.”
“Vex,” growled her Pokémon. The small blue bird had stopped its constant circling of the group and instead glared furiously at a patch of night-darkened grass. No matter how hard the young girl squinted her orange eyes, she couldn’t see anything.
Riley’s Foliroo buried itself into its Trainer’s arms, shaking more fiercely than it had before. Felix moved his hand to his own Pokèball, but paused before releasing it, remembering the issue from earlier of trying to control the eager little Fire Type.
A soft voice called out from behind the grass stalks and the trio whipped around to face the source of the noise, only to find emptiness. A second and third call sounded in fast succession on their left and behind them. Even as the group spun to face each disturbance, the only thing the teenagers could see was the soft curling breath around their heads as it shined off the rising moonlight from above them.
Amelia squinted her eyes and raised onto her toes, peering over the tips of the grass. She didn’t dare tell the others what she was trying to do, fear keeping her mouth closed, and instead glanced around the surrounding area. To her utter bewilderment and horror, she saw no steam rising in the air from other living beings.
The group backed up against one another, as Felix finally released his Pokémon. The Swindevil smiled mischievously at them but paused as it heard the grass rustling behind it. It twirled around and stood on all four paws, crouching low and readying to attack. The rounded ears on its head twisted around until the call of the mysterious voice came once more.
The teddy bear-like Pokémon stepped forward carefully, stretching its muzzle out to sniff at the air. The trio watched in surprise as the creature reeled back without warning, stumbling over its back paws. The Swindevil raced towards its Trainer, pressed the button on the ball still clutched in the young boy’s hand and returned itself with a flash of red light.
“Vexling,” Amelia called softly, “You should get back in your ball as well.” The girl held the ball out as Riley returned their own Pokémon beside her. “Come on,” she ventured more loudly when it didn’t react to her voice. “You’ll be safer.” She pressed the button and watched as the blue creature slowly dissolved into the light.
A new soft wail was uttered from behind the crew. It sounded like a toddler crying for help.
The young girl moved her eyes in that direction and stiffened. “There’s a child out there.” She told her friends. When they didn’t respond she stepped away from them and towards the noise. “We need to help them.”
“Amelia don’t,” Riley warned, grabbing the girl by the right shoulder, trying to hold her back.
“It’s a trap,” Felix added, though his voice was so low and quiet the others had to hold their breaths to hear him. “If you go after the sound right now, you might not ever make it back.”
Amelia shook the taller teen’s arm off of her but didn’t make to move away again. The voice had shifted from a child’s call to a giggle as the group remained in place. It was joined by more laughing until it sounded as though the group was completely surrounded.
A small red speck of light appeared suddenly in the grass, glowing as it floated nearly two meters off the ground. It moved around them slowly, teasing them with more whimpers from a child’s voice. New lights blinked in around them, their voices frenzied as they drew closer to the terrified trio. The malice in the air was nearly tangible as the spirits egged on their prey.
“Boltning, use Discharge,” a new voice called out. A creature nearly as black as the night skidded to a halt beside the teens as a man jumped off its back and threw a large cloak over them to shield them from the attack.
Blinding white light flashed before their eyes, even through the fabric, overtaking their vision and darkening the world around them as it slowly faded away.
“Quickly now, get up there.” The man’s voice spoke in their ears, already helping the smallest of them onto the Pokémon’s back. Riley hoisted themself up as well and held out an arm for Amelia so she could clamber her way on too. The man leaped back on behind the girl and the Pokémon took off towards the twinkling light of the nearby village. A noise like the crack of a whip sounded beside them a few times as the man called the Pokémon into movement.
Even with so many people weighing it down, the black beast sped through the grass, forgoing the dirt path as it twisted around boulders and trees and instead made mighty leaps over obstacles. Cold air and stiff grass slapped across the face of Amelia as she clutched onto Riley’s back, trying to keep herself mounted as they lumbered across the ground. She felt scratches open up along exposed skin as the blades sliced at her and the others.
In a few short minutes, the lights of Cassidy Village glared at them. People with Pokémon beside them scurried out of the way as they rushed past the gates then slammed the heavy doors closed swiftly as they finally arrived. The Pokémon they rode in on trotted smoothly to a stop, and it took a few minutes for the teenagers to slide off its back.
Villagers stood nearby, looking worried as they viewed the children that just came in.
“How many of you are there?” One woman called, stepping closer, but keeping an eye on the entrance.
“Three,” Riley responded through gasps of fright.
The people around them seemed to visibly deflate, letting out collective sighs of relief and releasing their bodies from tensed postures. They began to move back into their homes and businesses while the woman who spoke peeled off from the crowd and limped towards the man who had rescued them.
The woman was elderly, her gray hair cut short. Her lavender eyes flashed angrily over the children as she began to speak. “Do you have any idea of what time it is?” She chided roughly. “What would you have done if we hadn’t realized to send out help?”
“I’m sorry,” Amelia murmured, not meeting her fierce gaze.
“Sorry would do you no good had you been lost.” The woman spoke, rounding on the dark-skinned teen. Then she spun to the others. “And you two. You know better than to go wandering around at night without a Trainer. You’re children of the Professor. I expect better of you.”
Riley tried to meet her gaze as they meekly defended the group, “We’re traveling as new Trainers.”
“Then you should be well aware of why you must not travel alone at night when you can’t even defend yourselves.”
“Alright, that’s quite enough,” the man finally spoke, sounding far kinder, placing a calming hand on the woman’s shoulder and looking her in the eyes. “These kids have had a lot happen just now. How about we get them to the Pokémon Center? You can chastise them all you want after their scratches have been treated and their bellies filled.”
The woman looked as if she had more to say but instead, she merely stated. “I’ll inform the Professor they have arrived.” She spun around and strode off towards a large building with a pink roof, a cane clicking by her side, barely visible underneath her cloak.
The man shook his head as he watched her go. He was about the same age as the angry woman, his hair pure white and wispy. He had kind, dark brown eyes and though his voice was low in pitch, it was gentle as he addressed the teenagers. “I’m sorry about her. She’s been really worried about you guys, knowing you were meant to head out soon. Your mom forgot to tell us you were setting out on your journey today.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time she’s forgotten something that important.” Riley tried to joke, but they still looked very shaken and their words weren’t as loudly spoken as what would have been normal for them.
Amelia stared for a moment, as the man placed a hand on Felix’s back to push the small boy in the direction of the building the woman had vanished into, chuckling at Riley’s words as he did so. He turned to the young girl when she didn’t move with them and shook his head. “My apologies, we have yet to meet you. My name is Rogers and the lovely young lady you just met was my wife, Natalie. I promise you, her Roar is far worse than her Chomp.”
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