The luminescence of the celestial in the ebony sky lit the way for Shin as he made his way to his car with a light shoulder bag. The man made sure to pack the least amount of items that would serve the most efficiency with his undercover plan, and as he sat in the leather seat of his vehicle, he made sure to feel around the pack:
His phone, a flashlight, and the metallic skeleton of a handgun and ammunition that he had taken from the weaponry room were all present under the folds of parachute fabric, sending a satisfied twinge through his body.
He knew any normal person would be doubting themselves at this moment, sitting in his SUV with the key in the ignition. Thoughts would plague their minds as they desperately fought a violent, bloodthirsty war between themselves, knowing that after they arrived at the scene, there would be no going back.
But Shin refused, or rather, physically disregarded this hesitancy. He was numb, paralyzed even, to what he was about to do. This did not excuse him from the questions that swarmed him.
What if Jaderine and Charles found out about his outing?
What if Terry was right about him risking his life for nothing?
What if he wasn't capable of stopping whatever had taken over that alleyway?
The queries could have pummeled him into submission, only, Shin chose not to answer. He chose not to think, but to finally feel for once.
Without a trace of indecision, he started his engine.
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The alleyway was desolate when he finally parked in the adjacent car lot. In fact, the entire town seemed to be abandoned entirely. To Shin, the stillness of the nighttime was an ominously familiar sight that cast shadows of his bygone years in the asphalt.
As if it were carved into his memory, he could recall the exact spot where the little boy of his past was shunned and punished by the cruel tides of fate. Even the lamppost was still there in its corner, shining its coned spotlight on the empty street.
Shin surveyed his surroundings once more before he clipped his items onto his belt and crept his way out of the car, making sure to shut its door covertly. Once in the open, the man made his way down to the familiar sight of the investigation scene. Like the gateway to the Pokémon League itself, Shin could only muster up a deep breath to ward away the intimidating aura of the haunting alleyway.
Anything could attack him at any moment. He had to keep an eye out and his ears open, lest he became susceptible to the hands of danger.
His shoes began to tap the pavement below him, and he let his mind become distracted with the rhythm of his steps as the darkness of the stone walls began to cave in around him. Soon enough, the glare of his flashlight parted the darkness and he was left staring at the cragged and graffitied bricks. The indentation of where the 'Pokémon' had crashed thanks to Lu and Wendy still remained along with the debris from the savage battle. Shin found himself slightly disturbed by the power of that creature-- to withstand and dodge such forceful attacks... something was indeed wrong.
His eyes darted around for any signs of threat. All of his senses were heightened like never before: He could hear silence, he could see the air, he could feel the emptiness. The man was prepared for anything that could or would go wrong.
To his disappointment, all that filled his vision was a single dumpster at the end of the alley with the rotting remnants of the day's trash. No. This can't be right, he refuted. That Pokémon had to have come out from somewhere. Any kind of opening at all. He examined the impasse once more, squinting his eyes thoroughly.
YOU ARE READING
Anonymous {2nd Place in Miscellaneous (PWA 2018)}
FanfictionAll Shin Harper had ever wanted was a Pokémon by his side. As an only child living with his mother in the empty outskirts of the Alola region, isolation was a common plight. Shin longed for someone to share his memories with for the rest of his day...
