A soft hand brushed my shoulder, before gently taking hold and shaking me until I woke up. The sun hadn't risen yet from what I could tell.
"Hey, come on. Gonna do morning exercises. Want to join in?" Lexie whispered.
"Sure, just give me a few minutes to wake up. Has the sun started to rise?"
"No, not yet. Nothing came up during Mewtwo's shift last night, either. Same case for mine." I carefully freed myself from Kaorah's grip and sat up, before stretching.
I got up afterwards, and slowly moved to exit the tent. I heard Lexie exit just behind me, when her ears barely brushed the tent above her. She quietly zipped it back up.
"Alright, stretches, then we'll go. How long?"
"An hour, over all. Maybe two if we're feeling it. We'll do some exercises then we'll run." We both began to go through a series of warm-up stretches, and a series of smaller exercises. Sit ups were the only ones we didn't do at the same time, since even now I still have difficulties with them. Lexie had to hold my legs down and count through them, but she didn't mind.
She could manage them on her own. While I worked through the remainder of what there was to be done, she got through her own set. Once she was caught up, we planned out a path to take, then started our run. We had to adjust for the trees around us, but that's alright.
We actually ended up stretching into a second hour, going until the sun had begun to rise. We stopped back in our camp, and sat down, before we each opened a bottle of water and taking a little time to drink what was in them and cool off.
Lexie stretched her legs out, much like how I often do.
"Morning workouts are the best." She took another sip of her water, when she finished speaking.
"Yeah. Until you joined us, I never really did any." I said.
"Well, bet you're glad you started." She put the lid back on her bottle and set it aside. "Shall we start on breakfast?"
"Sure thing. Something simple this morning, but it'll be enjoyed. Pepperoni Omelettes."
"Oh, that does sound good. Ya know, with how every Pokemon ever reproduces from eggs…it would feel a little odd at first thinking about that…but then we consider that…"
"Science can be an amazing thing. Though, I have the Cross-world market for things like this." I finished putting the first of the omelettes together. "I can't imagine what a farm would be like in this world, with livestock like that."
"Stressful, probably. But, they would probably also have Pokemon to help with that. Anyways, since you know how to make what we're working on, you have the lead." We quietly started our work, and the smell of breakfast quickly filled the clearing. A soft grumble from her belly caused her to giggle slightly.
"Seems I've worked up an appetite. To be fair though, this smells delicious."
"Like anything you've made for us so far." She smiled.
"Better believe it." The others began to come out of the tents as the scent began to wake them up. Kaorah needed a little assistance, of course. Pidgeotto was let out of his ball, and he went up into a nearby tree, after stretching his wings. And also after grabbing one of the Oran Berries kept for him from the bag.
"Omelettes, nice." Kaorah was the first to say anything. "I prefer scrambled, personally, but these should be okay, too. What are you putting in them?"
"Cheese."
"Well of course, what else?"
"Putting pepperoni in there, too. Something from my past life, once again. Didn't get to do these often, but loved them when we did." I began to fix plates while I was talking, since cooking these didn't take too long.
With the plates fixed, Lexie helped to hand them out, with mine and hers being the last ones. We all dug in afterwards, enjoying what Lexie and I worked on for the morning. As we finished, we began to pack everything up. I'll wash the stuff when we're in Fuchsia.
"Those were really good, you two." Mewtwo complemented.
"Thanks, bud." I said, "I figured they'd be nice to have, since it's been a while, at least for me. There's only one other kind that has ever topped these."
"Really? What kind."
"Uh, cheeseburger omelette." Yes, that is actually a thing. A restaurant had it on their menu one time when they were there, and I got it. It was delicious, though…I don't know if they still have it. Not that there's any way for me to figure that out.
"That's a…combination." Kaorah said.
"Can't be as bad as fish fingers and custard, though." I 'm glad that I didn't get the bottle of water up to take a sip like I was planning, when I heard what Mewtwo said, cause that could've been bad. Wonder where he--- never mind.
"Fish fingers and…what?" Lexie asked. "That…doesn't sound good."
"I, uh…doubt it. But the Doctor liked it. Well…the Eleventh did, anyway." Great show, really great show. Ten and Eleven remain favorites, for sure. Never really watched all that much of Twelve, past the first few episodes. Haven't seen any past that.
"Custard, by the way, at least what I know of it, is usually cream filling, in doughnuts. Though I'm sure it probably has other uses, too." It's really good when it's in a doughnut, by the way. Especially with chocolate frosting.
"As for fish fingers, or as my past family called them- fish sticks…well that's pretty self explanatory, I'm sure."
"Yeah, those definitely sound simple. Are they any good?" Lexie asked.
"Oh yeah, they make a great snack if you don't want to fix anything else. Mix a little ketchup and mayo together to dip them in, too. I'll have to get some, sometime. Buuut…they need an oven, or a microwave."
A ping drew my attention, a sound reserved for only special notifications. One that I haven't heard in a good while.
--System update downloaded--
--Version 1.03--
--Changelog as follows--
--Fixed tokens not dropping from dungeons.--
--Adjusted teleportation-based travel, it is now possible to teleport to cities in an emergency, if they have not been reached before.--
--Patched an issue where those without Gamer abilities could open portals into dungeons.--
Well, that is certainly interesting. Wonder who managed to break that system. If I had to guess, Palkia and Giratina might've figured out how to do that. I don't believe they said if they did or not. Could've also been Hoopa, but there's no way to tell if that was the case. Dunno how long that patch will hold up, against the Creation Trio, but we'll see.
--Added chances to find random world-side dungeons, keep an eye out during your travels.--
--Finally: made adjustments to how stats and perks affect Aura usage, added a gauge that tracks energy, as well as perks related to its usage.--
Oh, nice. I guess I'm not the first to pick up the use of Aura, then. I don't plan to pick it up, at least not for right now, but I definitely will once there's a Lucario on the team. They're the best ones to learn it with, outside of other people who are trained.
We had started to move while I read. There was debris from yesterday's storm, scattered about the route as we went. Normally, the forests would be quite noisy, but today…it was eerily silent. Quiet enough that we had plenty of reason to be on alert.
Occasionally, Pokemon would come out to see what the noise was, from us walking by. The few who did come out to see us, we took a little extra time to check on, make sure they were alright, before we continued.
An hour passed, before we reached the point that split off onto Route Eleven, which happened to be right by the platforms that I remembered Route Twelve having. The walkways were there, over some water off to the side, with a way down to them. Nobody was out right now, though, since it's still fairly early.
I kind of expected to see fishermen out, set up along them, but I guess that's not going on right now. Which also brings up the fact that route twelve definitely isn't the way I remember it. It's usually just the walkways and a bunch of water, with no land path except to go towards Vermilion. Just one of the many changes, I guess. Ya know, it's a wonder the walkway didn't get wrecked by the twister, yesterday.
The sound of engines drew our attention, and some vehicles pulled up. I don't remember how often vehicles are seen in Pokemon, but this is definitely one of those cases.
"Good morning, Zeryph." Nurse Joy, I guess the one from Vermilion, was with them.
"Good morning. So…what's all this?"
"Emergency relief, we're heading down to Fuchsia City. They got hit really hard, yesterday." She explained. "There's plenty of space if you'd like to come along with us."
"Sure. I don't mind traveling on foot, but if you're heading that way, we might as well go with you." We were shown where we could sit in one of the trucks, and we got comfortable as they started to move again. It wasn't just us, either. Some others were also here, having volunteered themselves for the effort, too.
"How bad do you think it's going to be?" Melanie asked after we all loaded up. I felt the trucks begin to move. We were going quicker than on foot, sure, but still pretty slow, at least to not catch any walking trainers off guard.
"Bad. I can't really say for sure what it's ranking would've been, until we get there. EF-5 is a super worst-case though." I'm still not entirely sure on what made it go north to south like it did, either. I also don't know if it was the same twister all the way or if a new one formed later on. In fact, I don't really know how the usual weather direction goes here. Back home…original home anyway, the country's weather was west to east, normally.
I stayed silent, mostly preparing myself for what we were going into. Sure I've seen storm damage in pictures and video, but…rarely in person. And depending on what EF ranking it was, it could either mild, or very, very bad. And I'm thinking it'll be the latter.
[Break]
The trucks came to a stop, after about half an hour, and we got the signal to unload. I was the first out and…yeah, it was bad. Numerous destroyed or damaged buildings, either by debris or the wind. Several tents had been set up, on the streets and around the Pokemon Center. The Center itself was damaged, but it wasn't too bad.
I could see the Gym had taken a beating, but otherwise, it seemed okay, too. People and Pokemon, volunteers and locals, were all over the place. Going through rubble or helping to move things around.
"Oh…oh no." Mewtwo couldn't really find anything to say. I saw the expressions on the faces of the others as they each got out of the truck.
"Yeah…this is what one of those storms can do." I started to help unload the cargo that was in with us. "Come on, no use standing and staring." Pidgeotto was let back out. "Help by searching from the air. Mewtwo, see if you can sense anyone under debris." I grabbed Mewtwo's hand. "Listen, you might find people who…didn't make it. I want you to focus on finding people, not on a single body."
"Alright…I'll…do what I can." I patted him on the shoulder as he closed his eyes.
"Everyone else, spread out, do what you can to help. We've got a lot of work ahead of us." We joined in where we could. In about an hour, we had already found those who were trapped in rubble. Mewtwo had to stop to rest, as not all of them were alive, unfortunately. It definitely got to him, but he knew there wasn't really anything we could do. Even if we had gotten here just after the storm cleared, it might've already been too late for some of them.
Once that was taken care of, we could properly start on clean up. Even with a pair of Psychic Types, plus more from some volunteer trainers, it still took several hours of work. Both going through rubble and sorting recovered belongings, then getting them to people. Lexie and I joined the group that had been running the tent set up for everyone to eat.
Kaorah got assigned to the demolition team, mostly for buildings that were too damaged to repair. Melanie joined the medical team, in their tent. They were awed by her Restoration Magic, some even telling me personally that it was an amazingly helpful thing to have.
Thanks to her, many injuries would be dealt with much sooner. Those with serious injuries were tended to first. And though she was left totally exhausted, Melanie was able to get through them.
Pidgeotto took up helping the Pokemon in the forests around, so we didn't see much of him while he was busy. It's worth mentioning that some of the wild Pokemon had joined in on the effort. It's a surprise to be sure, but definitely not unwelcome. Especially since they were effected by the storm, as well.
Solais was the one that mostly sat out, unless she was asked to assist with something. Helping out was helping her to feel better, at least. Sensing that mess yesterday and being unable to get ahead and warn the city, had really hit her hard.
[Break]
Work for the day came to an end, an hour before the sun had set. Since it was sure that everyone was going to need to rest. I took my team to the Pokemon Center, and we got checked in, using one of the first floor rooms that was still open.
There were a lot of folks who would stop and thank us for our help. I told them all that it wasn't an issue, at all. We were glad to help, for as long as it was needed. Makes me wonder though, if the storm had gone through the Safari Zone, as well. It probably did, which can't be great for whatever is left there.
While my team went to our rooms, I went over to the video phones. I found one that was open, then dialed in a number. It didn't take long before the screen flickered on.
"Zeryph! Oh, thank goodness you're alright." I smiled.
"Hey Auntie. Yeah, we're okay. You see the news?" I'm certain that it was all over, by now.
"Yes, I did." Delia said. "It looks…bad. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that. Where are the others?"
"Settling in for the night. Trust me, it's way worse in person than it is on screen. We just spent the day helping out where we could." I took a moment to stop and yawn. I don't remember the last time that I ever had to.
"You must be tired, then. Have you called Ash, yet?" Delia asked. In truth, I'm not actually tired. As I said before, a thing that's set in place makes it so that I can't go forever without sleeping. Not without overriding it.
"Not yet, but if he calls before he gets here, tell him that we're all OK, please." I said. I waved when I saw Mr. Mime in the background, and he responded with a wave of his own.
"Sure thing. I'll let you go now, I was just about to go to bed, before you called. Good night."
"Alrighty. I'm gonna call the Professor before I go. Have a good night, as well." The call cut out, soon after. I then began to dial in another. It wasn't long before the screen cut on, again.
"It's a bit late for a call, isn't it?" The Professor said.
"Hey Professor, sorry to call so late. You see what happened on the news?" I asked.
"Oh, yes, of course. I don't recall a time where I have ever seen anything like that." Oak said. I saw him reach out of view for something, then I heard the faint sound of wheels, so I guess he pulled up a seat.
"I was calling, because I wanted to know if you think a Pokemon could've done it."
"I can't say for sure, if it was a Pokemon or if it happened on its own. Not without having been there to watch the storm develop." The weather trios, yes, plural, are definitely out. I don't think either of their members would have any reason to be in Kanto. Well, except maybe Rayquaza, if there's a meteorite threat of some sort.
"Alright, well…if you can figure anything out, please let me know."
"I'll see if I can find anything."
"Alright. Oh, and also…before I go, sending something to you." I took my Pokedex out and plugged it in.
"Hmm…let's…goodness me. How did you find them? And in Kanto, no less." He was surprised about something.
"What's up?"
"Let's see here…Lucario, Gardevoir, Cinderace, Zeraora?? I already knew about Kaorah, your Garchomp, but this…this is unexpected." Well, at least that confirms that Observe is in, some way, linked to the Pokedex. I'm not sure how, exactly, but it is.
"Unfortunately, I can't really say about the Zeraora, that's meant to be kept secret. But the Lucario, that I can say. It's…a sad story really."
"Oh? What happened?"
"We found one after she had been overwhelmed by a Houndoom pack. They killed her, sadly. She had a Riolu with her that survived."
"Oh dear."
"Yeah…but, she's in good hands. Some folks from the Lucario Kingdom, believe it or not, picked her up from us. This all happened when we were traveling to Vermilion from Cerulean. We had just stopped in Saffron at the time." Course, we had found the pair along the road, but still.
"That's good, that the Riolu is in good hands, I mean. Well, it's late, and I must be going. Still, I'll let you know if anything about yesterday's storm comes up."
"Thanks, Professor. Have a good night."
"And you, as well." We both reached to hang up, and the screen cut out. I returned to the rooms that my team had set up in, and softly knocked on the right of the two doors before entering.
"Hey, boss. Melanie's asleep, already. Asked me to tell you she said good night." Lexie said as I entered. She was still up, using a lamp pointed so it wouldn't bother Melanie by shining on her.
"Thanks for letting me know." I said quietly. I began to go through my night routine, before settling into bed. Melanie slowly snuggled up to my side, with a small smile appearing on her face as she realized, even sound asleep, that she had been joined.
"Boss, question…if you don't mind." Lexie asked, quietly.
"Go ahead."
"So…the version of this world…the one I come from, at least from how you put it…how different is it, anyways?"
"Well, that's a lot to go over. It would be easier to kind of show that off, if there's some way for me to adjust how an empty dungeon looks compared to the outside." I'm pretty sure there is, actually. "Maybe, tomorrow, I might show you a few things. It's not the first time we've been in an empty dungeon. Though, the second time around, we may have destroyed a city."
"What?"
"Yeah…all for training. It wasn't the real Vermilion, but still. Collateral damage with no repercussions is super fun, as far as games go. The EDF series is a good example."
"EDF series?"
"Uh-huh. Game series where Earth gets invaded by giant bugs and aliens. Sounds like a nightmare for Misty, given her dislike of Bug Types. To be specific- building sized giant bugs."
"Yeesh. Well…we should probably get to sleep, don't want to risk waking Melanie up, if she's not a heavy sleeper."
"You're right, we've probably got more work tomorrow, anyways." I said. Lexie reached over to her lamp and cut it off…never understand how some…never mind. Better to not question it, I guess."
"Good night, boss." Lexie said.
"Good night. Wake me in the morning when you get ready to go exercise." I dozed off, though, mentally, I was still awake. The world faded into an empty plane, with a long gray floor that seemed to stretch on infinitely. A single thought, and the room shifted, becoming a massive blocky structure, decorated with only two things.
Massive statues of the Warframes, Baruuk, and Gara. This, for those who don't know, is a recreation of the Ballroom Simulacrum tile, from Warframe. Just, without the arsenal terminal or the control terminals meant to spawn enemies, or reset the lighting.
"What a place this is." A sudden voice spoke to my left.
"By Arceus, Mewtwo…" I took a slow, deep breath, "don't sneak up on me like that." He bowed his head.
"My apologies, I meant to announce myself before entering, but it seems that I was unable to." He noticed the statues, and looked up at the pair. "So, who are these two?"
"Baruuk and Gara, statues of enhanced combat units called Warframes. There's…quite a lot about that universe in here." I tapped the side of my head. "I'm sure you saw it when you did your mind dive." I saw the shift in his expression, as he remembered what he'd seen during that particular night.
"Hm…you're right, now that you mention it. I did see this place quite often, in those memories." He found a spot to sit down, and I did the same. "So, are you asleep, as of now, or just meditating? Forgive me if that seems like a…dumb question."
"No, you're fine. Physically, I'm asleep, and whenever I am, I can come in here. I just never did, before tonight." A single thought, and the surroundings changed, becoming a decently sized village not too far from a damaged, white and golden tower.
"The Unum? Cetus?"
"Uh-huh. Looks different when it's re-created like this, doesn't it? Almost in person, yet not quite there."
"Definitely. It looks like a nice little place, actually."
"The folks have to work for it, though. It's definitely not as hard as working in Fortuna," the world shifted once again, "but they still do manage. They, unlike the Solaris, have the Unum to protect them."
"And now I find myself wondering, is that why you named Solais, the way you did?"
"No, the spelling is close, but that's not it. Solais, the name at least, is Night Elven, taken from a name generator. As a fun fact, the name was originally given to a Decidueye that I had raised. A shiny one, in fact."
"I see. So…if I may ask, why come here, tonight of all nights?" Mewtwo asked.
"Not sure, honestly. But since we're here, why not? Anywhere in mind you want to see?"
"Anything's fine, really. Make an experience out of it." The world around us faded, into an overgrown city, under the shadow of a massive dome. The New Pacific Arcology, on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. One of my favorite locations, though it's no longer accessible.
"You got it. We're gonna do the Arcology tonight. Maybe other locations, later on." Mewtwo grabbed my left hand, and we began to explore. I had made sure the city's AI was active for this, just to hear its voice in the background as we went. We spent the next several hours in here, just looking around mostly. Including visiting the long pathway where the Drake made its first appearance, before it actually became the Drake. It was at the end, on the landing pad, when the world began to fade away.
"Guess our time is up." Mewtwo said.
"Yeah, we'll have to do this again, sometime."
"We will. Maybe next time, hmm...Skyrim?" Another game that I played...a lot.
"Sure. There's a lot to cover, so we'll probably just do one Hold at a time. Starting in Whiterun, maybe."
"Works for me. See you in a little bit."
"You too, bud." The world faded into white, as I started to wake up.