Pokémon: Out of the Woods | A Galar, Unova & Sinnoh Fanfiction

Chapter 72: The Child of Pokémon

39 years ago
Aspertia City, Unova

It was a bright and sunny spring afternoon when Abaddon had a sinking feeling that something terrible was going to happen to one of his children. He felt insane, but he left the library and flew to Aspertia City regardless.

He landed to hear clattering heels. Pattie sprinted down the sleepy suburban street with a blue bundle of blankets in her arms. An Oshawott plush hit the ground. It was crushed under Ofelia's boot. She frantically chased her daughter. She rushed right past Abaddon, but for once, she didn't see him. A Braviary landed. Neptune must have had the same sinking feeling as Abaddon. He almost pushed him over. He didn't see him, either.

'Pattie! What the fuck?!'

'Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck every one of you!'

Tears streamed down Pattie's cheeks. Ofelia was almost doubled up, gasping for breath, but she kept running. She had no chance of catching her daughter. Pattie was already 6'02". Her mother was only 5'03". Neptune ran faster regardless of his height, but he was injured by Py, his own quarterback, in his last football game. Even he struggled to keep up. Pattie disappeared through the city gate onto Route 19. The wild Pokémon in her way were kicked aside and stabbed by her heels.

Ofelia lost sight of her. Abaddon's thoughts span faster than anyone ran. Usually, Neptune desperately hid his ability to speak to Pokémon, but his feeling of impending doom must have intensified. He begged the Pokémon to tell him where Pattie went and clearly understood their answers. She had stopped running. Neptune climbed back on to Braviary. The Pokémon said she was atop the thundering waterfall that fed the river rushing through Virbank City to the sea.

Rigel was screaming by then. His mother's arms trembled as she held him out. One by one, the fingers holding him loosened. She hesitated. She hesitated several times.

'What are you doing?!'

Neptune was barely recognisable in his distress. It was hard to imagine that he could keep clinging to Braviary, because his whole body trembled so violently, but he did. Suddenly, Pattie seized Rigel with both hands. Neptune wondered if she had changed her mind. He almost relaxed. Then she hurled him.

'No!'

The layers of blankets fell away. Rigel was still clinging to another plush, a Zorua, but it plummeted then. Neptune could hardly see through his tears. He desperately flung out his arms to catch Rigel, with no thought for his own safety, but he missed. He tumbled. Braviary seized him by the shirt.

'No! No! Let me go! Let me go!'

Braviary refused to drop him into certain death. That meant it knew, however, that there was no chance Rigel survived the drop. It didn't want to drop its Trainer in the fast currents at all, but it also knew Neptune would never forgive himself if he never even recovered the body. It carried him down and let go as his feet touched the water. He released his Samurott. They desperately searched for the body, though Samurott could hardly search when its Trainer was so distressed, he would drown if it took its eyes off him. Then it was shocked by Thunder. It wasn't expecting it. It was struck in the forehead and knocked out. The attacker was the terrified Rotom that Pattie knocked out of her phone.

Ofelia finally caught up. She collapsed, vomiting, at the edge of the river. Pattie smacked her in the head with one of her shoes. She sprinted off back to Aspertia City.

Braviary frantically searched for Neptune. It lost sight of him. He was swallowed by the currents. It tried to call out to him.

'Neptune, where are you?! Neptune... he's dead... it's no use...'