Beyond the Adventure - A Pokémon Story

Chapter 16: Cataclysm pt3

        Dark smoke seeps out of the looming volcano ahead.  I find myself wondering how someone can build a town on an active volcano, knowing that any day, it could erupt and wipe them out.  To each their own, I suppose.  As we get closer, I look out for the creature and the town.  I do not see the alien anywhere, but I do notice a rugged path etched into the side of the slope.  I motion to Darius and Jess and they nod in response.  We turn our Pokémon into a dive and start circling the volcano, keeping our eye out for any sign of trouble.  At last, I spot the town.  It is a small town, with only a few buildings, and what looks like a pool that I assume is the hot spring.  I look back at Darius and Jess.  They seem to have spotted it as well and already start making their way there.  I turn Skarmory toward the town.  The town looks untouched, but at the same time, uninhabited.

        We land, pulling our Pokémon back into their balls.  I instinctively release Jaws, who leaps out and grabs my leg happily.  He then freezes and looks around cautiously.  I suppose like us, he too realizes something is not right here.  Despite being a tourist spot, it is eerily quiet.  We walk through the town, looking around for any sign of civilization.  The quiet starts getting to me.  I realize the irony of it, considering I always wanted to leave the noise of the city, but this kind of quiet is not what I had in mind.  It is the quiet of death.

        I let out a sigh of relief when I suddenly hear a groan.  We rush toward the sound, coming from near the hot spring.  Darius and Jess instinctively stand guard, providing security while I rush to the source of the groaning.  I find a girl, half submerged in the water, draped over the side.  Her bright red hair reminds me of Liz and I feel a pang of heartache upon seeing her.  I rush over and carefully drag her out of the hot spring.  I roll her over and see her face wretched in pain.  I look her over, checking for injuries.  Aside from her torn jeans and muddy shirt, she appears fine.  Then she slowly opens her eyes.  She furrows her brow as she looks up at me.  “Where… am I?” she asks.

        “You’re safe,” I say.  “You’re at Lavaridge Town.”

        She looks around, then tries to sit up.  She moans in pain.  I assist her in sitting up, and she manages to stay up.  She looks at me.  “Help me into the spring, please,” she groans.  “My back… it really hurts.”

        I nod.  She puts an arm over my shoulders and I put my arm around her waist.  We stand up, then she slowly steps into the spring.  She sinks down and sits in the water.  She rests her head back and sighs.

        “These springs have amazing healing properties,” she explains.  “It might be all in my head, but my back is feeling better already.”

        “I take it you were attacked?” I ask.

        The girl nods.  “Yes, actually,” she says.  “The strangest Pokémon I’ve ever seen.  I’m not even sure it was a Pokémon.  It… was brutal, vicious, and very fast.”

        “What about the people here?” I ask, worried.

        The girl shakes her head.  “This is more of a resort than a town.  There are a couple who permanently live here, but most are just vacationers.  We’re in the off-season right now.  Nobody comes here in the summer.”

        “Understandable,” Darius calls out.  “I’m drenched in sweat already.”

        “Sissy Kalos Boy,” Jess mutters.

        The girl turns around and rests her arms on the edge of the pool.  “I’m Flannery,” she says.  “So what do you know about this creature?”

        I sigh.  “It’s the product of human experimentation,” I say.  “The Altaria IV team found a virus in space, and for some reason, felt compelled to shoot it with a laser.  That thing is the result.”