Pokémon: Untraveled Roads

Episode one: Crack on its shell.

It was a cold, Silent night on the farm. The Wooloo and Mareep were tucked into the barn and the Pokémon that he was in charge of watching were inside their shack sleeping their own worries away. However, not everything at this homestead was resting the stress of everyday away. Laying in his bed, illuminated by the kind light of the moon, Siren would be tucked under his warm covers and in his own dream. Rarely did the boy sleep but usually when he did he would have vivid dreams and nightmares. Today was no exception to that rule. 

In the back of the boy's head, the image of a slumbering forest would grow ever more tangible. His feet under the water of a small lake that created a moat around a marvelous tree that extended its roots out toward the surrounding land. Though not completely conscious, Siren could recognize this place for some reason, the familiarity being uncanny yet very real for him. The water underneath him would ripple as he dared to take a step forward, these vibrations reaching the end of the pond and rushing a little water onto the island that the tree rested on. The closer he got, the stranger this feeling in his stomach became and within his head he would be looking for something. He wasn't sure what it was but the urgency began to illicit slight panic. Finally that panic would end as soon as it appeared. In a beautiful light of green an onion-shaped Pokémon appeared to him, the creatures eyes black until they opened to reveal the pretty blue hue that dawned them. On its back it had tiny wings and used it to float quite fluidly and the green hue of its skin only spoke that it must be a grass type. Slowly Siren reaches his hand up to touch the creature, his arm extending like a child wanting to hold its mothers hand and almost touching the creature who had made his way down to meet Siren, But before they could make contact the creatures eyes would widen and jolt back violently. This surprised Siren, causing him to immediately withdraw his arm and step back, the ripples reaching the edges on the pound again but instead of making a splash, a large hiss would rip through the air. Whipping his head back he would see that at the edges of the pond there was an unbelievable fire. Its heat searing the water as it drew closer and closer to the large tree at the center of the pond until the water itself, like it was mixed with kerosene and gasoline, would catch aflame and engulf both Siren and the gigantic tree behind him but the minute he felt any form of burn his brain would force him to wake up....

His scream followed him into reality as he shot up and yelled in fear at the top of his lungs. His partner, who was sleeping at the foot of his bed, jumped up and ignited its flames in defense as it had assumed they were under attack but once it saw everything was okay, the small Cyndaquil would tuck its flames away and look up at Siren with an annoyed look. After catching his breath he would speak to his Pokémon.

"S-sorry, Amber. I.. Just had another nightmare." 

Siren would say this to try and reassure his friend that he was okay but in reality it shook him. Just how vivid and real it all felt caused him to have this sense of uncertainty, as if what he experienced had really happened to him. Siren was used to nightmares which is why he didn't get much sleep at night but this was different. He took this time to step out of bed and head to his bathroom, quickly hitting the sink and washing his face in the dimly lit washroom. Once he had picked his head up from drying it with the hand towel he would look into the mirror, his golden eyes glowing gently in the cool wash of night peering through his windows. After taking a second to self reflect the boys stomach would growl loudly. Holding his stomach the boy would pull out his phone and look at the time. Four-thirty-seven in the morning.. most businesses would be closed at this time but not the Poke-Mart, the one in Garli town wasn't too far away from the ranch and if he took his bike he could be there in the half-hour. Seeing as he needed some fresh air and food, taking the trip didn't seem too out the way. 

-On the Road-

Taking his average bike out on the open road seemed like the best option at the moment. Maybe he was exhausted from working all day on the farm and needed a small escape, Just for the time being. That's at least what he thought considering he's almost never woken up to a stress filled feeling in the way that he did after that dream. His heart was still racing as he pedal over to the mart a mile or two away from his ranch. Leaving the Pokémon unattended in the brink of morning wouldn't be too bad considering all the pens were closed. He did however take one with him. His Cyndaquil, a gift given to him by Professor Elm when he and his Grandpop moved here to Silton to start a new. He Cherished his Pokémon greatly but never considered training it for battle.. Of course he saw no need to do so but if there was anyone who gave him comfort and made him feel safe, Even if they weren't big and strong it was her. His little mouse Pokémon would sit still and asleep inside his hood. Warm and safe from the breeze that Siren was catching as he peddled. Soon enough, his tires would tread into the the parking lot of the blue roofed store, it's lights shinning like a beacon to all those peddling and driving in the darkness of dawn. 

Siren hopped off his bike and made his way into the store, the glass door's opening for him by sliding and parting as soon as he stepped on the pressure plate. Once he was inside, he would feel the cold breeze hit his skin and walked in to check through the colorful aisles that were jam-packed with Pokémon themed goods. Looking through he would see all the fine treats that were available to him. Breakfast packs, Boiled Torchic eggs, Beef and Cheese buns, The whole nine yards but compared to all the extravagant choices, Siren would go with probably the blandest you could go for, Some Munchlax brand Onigiri. He would grab the Salmon roe and Chicken with a caffeinated green tea to chase it down. Siren had all the goods in his hand when he felt a slight shift in weight as his Cyndaquil woke up and slowly climbed onto his shoulder, rubbing its tired eyes as it yawned. Gently, Siren would run his finger over the Pokémon's head before turning down and aisle and picking up a four pack of sweet pink poffin's to spoil his partner with. Bringing them up to the counter, he could see that the lady standing behind seemed tired and groggy but still held a smile in the name of good customer service. 

"Will that be all today, Sir?" The brunette woman would ask, tilting her head to the side as she spoke.

"Yes, Thank you." Once he had said that he would pay for his things and make his way out to the parking lot once again.

Once he was out in the parking lot he would take a seat on the tall ledge of the side walk, His legs standing on the asphalt just off the edge. Popping open the plastic for the Poffin's he would quickly take one out and offer it to his Pokémon, Without hesitation the small creature would bite into it, The sweet taste tingling its taste buds and giving it a small jolt of pleasure before taking the rest of it into its small hands and chomping on it. Just before he could open his own food, a rustling would come from the bushes behind him. Siren would lazily turn to see what it was and would be greeted with a small blue and black Shinx sitting not too far away from him, staring intensely at the Poffin case. The black haired boy quickly traced the Pokémon's eye sight and took heed that the little guy may have been hungry. Without much hesitation, Siren would pop open the case and place the Poffin into the palm of his hand and offered it to the Shinx, the small creature quickly walking up and sniffing his hand before biting the Poffin and taking it away back into the bushes. Seeing this caused a smile to form on his face as he always tried to treat all Pokémon fairly and take care of any that were in need. Not letting anymore time go to waste, The farm hand would quickly enjoy his meal and head off onto the road again to head back to the home. 

The road was long and winding but it wasn't anything Siren wasn't used to, and with the sun coming up just past the tree's behind him, the purple-pink hued skies just seemed so much more welcoming. Just as he was coming up on the half-way mark Siren would notice something following him. The breeze from it was enough to make the bushes and grass sway with uncertainty and the sound became a little too worrisome to not call out. Skidding his bike to a stop in the middle of the road, the young man would look around before shouting out.

"I'm not in the mood for any pranks, Whoever's out there show yourself." 

Siren said this sternly, putting up some bravado as he wasn't going to let anything happen to his partner or his bike. The Cyndaquil would also be on edge, using its animal like instincts to check its surroundings for whatever had decided to follow them. Just before the young man would get back to peddling the perpetrator would leap over the fence off a nearby tree. Once the creature had landed, Its piercing red eyes would follow up the road to Siren. It's intense glare speaking nothing but disaster and pain for the young man, so much so that his own eyes would dilate in fear and he would take a step back, practically dropping his bike. It's scythe like horn would vibrate gently as it slowly got closer to the boy, the Absol seeming increasingly more invested with the pair as time went on but before it could get to close, Amber would jump into action, Flying off the shoulder of her trainer. She would stand tall and ignite her back before taking in a deep breath and firing off pellets of flame from her mouth with Ember. 

"C-Cyn-Cyndaaa!!!!"

Amber would yell, Raining fire across the path in front of them. The Absol quickly backed up due to the blast of fire before hearing a faint siren blaring in the distance. This sound wouldn't only be picked up by the opposing Pokemon but also by the terrified trainer as he turned back up the road leading to Garli town to see a fire truck blaring its horn and racing fast down the dirt path toward them. Quickly the Absol would escape, not wanting to cause anymore confusion or fear for both the Cyndaquil and Siren. Amber would bounce after it a few feet before nodding its head, proud that it was able to protect her partner. Siren would walk over to his Pokémon and quickly pick it up into his hold before turning to see the Truck finally make their way past. Once his eyes followed the truck a few feet Siren would realize the huge smoke trail being left down the road and in the sky, It was almost engulfing the clouds but nothing else was on this road except for. 

"The farm!" 

Siren would yell before putting The Cyndaquil into the basket of his bike and rushing down the road. Now he understands what that Absol was doing following them. It was warning them.. But about what? 

-At The Barn-

The firetruck that just passed Siren and Amber would come to a halt at the homestead. Stepping out the truck would be two fire fighters who seemed ready to handle the situation. The larger of the two would dawn a badge on his coat that had the name "Billiard" Written across it. 

"The Farm house is partially on fire. So is the Barn and the shack to the side. Lieutenant, Secure the area and get your Pokémon trained on the Barn. I'll check the house for civilians." The larger man would say before pulling out two Pokeballs and tossing them into the air.

"Aye, Captain." The Female firefighter would respond before pulling out her own and tossing them as well. 

Once in the air, The Pokeballs would make a loud "Pop" sound and beams of energy would pour out of them and onto the ground, The Captains Pokemon would form first as he released an Empoleon and Bastiodon to help him take control of this fire. The Lieutenant's would form into a Mudkip and a Wooper. Once all their Pokemon were on the ground and ready to work they would split off to finish their objectives and orders, the lieutenant quickly running up to the barn and giving her Pokemon orders. 

"Finns! Asher! Water Gun on the barn, Give it all you have!" 
She would point at the barn and immediately her Pokemon would respond, firing turrets of water at the burning building.
"Mudkip!"
"Woop!"

Once that was getting handled, the captain would rush toward the house, slipping on his gas mask before pointing to his Empoleon. 

"Hydro pump on the roof." 

Once he had given the order his Pokemon would obediently follow and blast the house with turrets of water to make it easier for his master since the houses integrity was already an issue. So it became apparent that this for the most part was all coming down, but The Firefighter had a job to do and that was to make sure everyone was safe. His Bastiodon would break the door down with its hard metal face plate, allowing the emergency worker to make his way in and look for whoever may have been inside.

Siren cycled as fast as he could toward the barn, the morning wind flowing past as the smell of smoke and burnt wood grew stronger and stronger, becoming almost offensive to his skin and senses as he pulled into the barn and threw his bike down. The young-man didn't have the chance to really think as his feet pushed him forward toward the barn that was currently being doused in water, though, his feet wouldn't get him far as he is quickly yanked back by his hood. 

"Yo, Kid, you've got a death wish or something!" The dark skinned, Firefighter would say as she dragged him back a few feet and stopped his momentum from going forward. 

"N-No! You don't understand! Let me go! I have to save the eggs!" Those tired gold eyes pleaded as he attempted to move forward even more, his breath failing him as the desperation grew more and more.

The Firefighter would hear the kid, gritting her teeth before trying to reason with him. "Look! The place is coming down! I can't have you going in there! It would be suici-"

Siren would cut her off. "I don't care! Let me through!" 

Amber would have enough of being jostled around by these two as she was still in his hood. Feeling her masters wishes she would hop off his shoulder once again and bolt into the barn post haste. Siren would call out to her and use his elbow to bump her hand off his hood so he could rush ahead to grab his partner and hopefully get the eggs out of harms way. 

"Grrah! Stupid kid! Asher! Finns! Double time it now! We have to buy him time!" The lieutenants Pokemon would nod and fire with twice the force they were before. 

Using his shoulder, The boy would charge along side his Cyndaquil and would burst the door to the egg shack open. Once inside, the dark haired man would take a look around, quickly covering his mouth from the smog and smoke that had made the place its home. His Cyndaquil moving quickly to check for the eggs before looking over to his master and yelling for him. Hearing its cries, Siren would rush forward and find the eggs sitting right on-top of the hay they had put down to keep them still and warm but as he checked for each of the three eggs he would find one was... broken? No! Hatched! One of the Eggs had hatched while he was out and the Pokemon inside was now wandering the smoke filled shack on its own. 

"No, No, No... This isn't good..." Siren would say between coughs before looking down at his Cyndaquil. Nodding a moment he would take off his bandana and quickly bundle one of the eggs in it before tying it to the back of his Cyndaquil.

"Amber, You need to brave. I need you to get these eggs out there and out of harms way while I look for the baby that's still in here okay?"

Amber would look up at her master, worried and afraid for his safety but she also understood that if they didn't save the eggs it would all be for nothing. Taking the second egg in her hands, the small shrew Pokemon would quickly waddle its way out. In the meantime, Siren would start checking corners of the bottom floor for any signs of the little thing as the smoke grew thicker and made it even harder to breath. Finding anything in this smog seemed almost impossible until her heard the cry. 

"Azuuuu! Aaaazuuu!" 

Hearing the small babies cries gave away its position and allowed siren to deduce that it was up the latter and in the feed storage area. Taking a look up he could barely make the top landing and the sounds coming from the structure of the red wooden barn didn't make anything easier, he would just have to trust himself with this one and believe that the work the fire fighter was doing outside would be enough. Gripping the old wooden ladders would cause them to creak and budge under the intense heat but that didn't stop him from rising them and making it onto the second floor of the shack. Covering his mouth, The boy would be presented with three cases of berries, All blue hued Oran berries but no Pokemon insight. Was he hallucinating? He was sure he heard the sound of the baby up here but now all he could hear was the cracking and popping of the burning wood around him. Walking up to the Oran berries he would quickly feel over the top of them, most of them feeling mushy and dry from the rising heat but once he felt and plump furry one he would grip it and pull to reveal the baby, an Azurill. 

"Azuuu! Azuu!!" The baby would cry looking at the boy in front of it.

"Shush, I'm here to get you out."

Taking off his jacket, Siren would wrap the small normal type in it and cradled it before starting to make his way out the barn but as he stepped he could feel the fire growing and stretching across the floor board under him before his foot broke through. Luckily, the boy was fast and lifted leg to take another step until he got to the ladder which was now being eaten up at the base by the flames. Taking a small huff, Siren would crouch his feet and drop down to the floor and just as he did one of the supports to the roof would come down and swing right into the boy as he made the jump causing him to slam into the wall and onto the ground. The landing would knock the wind out of him so as he laid there he would gasp out, trying to take in as much air as he could but only getting smoke making it harder to breath and move. Seeing his exit all he could do was crawl and gasp for air, the Azurill safe underneath him as he tried to make sure nothing would come of the small baby Pokemon. The boys limbs however would give up on him and he would grab the Pokemon and let it free.

"G...Go...Run...." The boy would struggle to get out but manage just by pure will alone.

"A-Azu?" The Azurill would look concerned at the boy but he would get no sympathy here.

"GO! Leave! NOW!" After saying that he would hack and cough and the Azurill would get started and rush off.. Leaving the boy alone to face the choices of his actions. 

As he lay there, His world burning around him, all siren could do was picture what his future would have been like. Would he have been a breeder like his grandfather? Would he have met a nice woman to marry? what would his kids been like? Would Amber every evolve? He wasn't sure but all he knew was that he did the right thing... That even if he laid here one last time he would still be content with what he accomplished..... 

Suddenly... The room grows darker.... yet darker still... Until.... 

Siren blacked out. . . . 

TO BE COUNTINUED......