AN: *static*
__________________________________________
Garia Region, over 2000 years ago...
Two women, both in about their early 20s, walked down a faint dirt path down a dense forest. The canopy blocked most of the sunlight, but occasional beams shown through, allowing for healthy floor vegetation. Wild Pokemon can occasionally be spotted, either flying overhead or darting through the bushes, though it is hard to identify any of them as they passed by too quickly.
"Arceus, Garia is so much hotter than Hisui!" the blonde haired woman complained. Despite her light clothing, she has visibly sweating and trying to fan herself to cool off. "How are you even able to move in those clothes, Akari?"
The blue haired woman, Akari, giggled and replied "I'm actually quite comfortable. You'll get use to it, Irida. That's what happens when you live in the tundra your whole life, you can't tolerate anything above freezing!"
"Yeah yeah, I heard that a million times from you already." Irida replied. "Why did we come all the way out here again?"
"Come on, aren't you excited?" Akari exclaimed, doing a little twirl "We're the first people to leave Hisui and see the rest of the world! According to old man Laventon, Garia is huge compared to Hisui! It can take us years to explore the entire region. Can you imagine all the new Pokemon we can find?"
Irida smiled and shook her head. Akari's always been so energetic. In fact, that energy might even be contagious, or else Irida would've stayed in Hisui. "Alright, alright, point taken. But, aren't you worried a bit? You can afford to be careful, you know. After all, you have a family waiting for you back home."
Akari waved her friend's concern off. "Oh no need to worry! Rei's a strong and reliable man. If there's anyone that can keep the kids safe, it's him!"
"No it's not!- It's not about whether or not Rei can take care of the family or anything, its about you. What if you get injured or killed? How do you think he, and Arceus forbid the kids, would think if you never came back?"
Akari stops for a moment to think, her smile fading. Though seconds later, it came back like nothing ever happened. "Yeah, you're right. I'll try to be careful. But still, Irida, you worry too much! Can't you at least try to have some fun out here?"
Irida exhaled and brushed back her hair. "Alright, I'll try. Think of this as a vacation, Irida, you're gonna have fun, you're gonna learn new things, and you're going to have fond memories of this."
Akari patted Irida on the back, "That's the spirit, girl! Now keep your eyes peeled! We're here for some work as well, since Laventon wants us to collect some info on unknown Pokemon."
"Hmm..." Irida looked around, scanning the area. The dense vegetation isn't exactly helping though. Suddenly, her eyes caught something flying slowly around the trees. "Hey that looks like..."
Suddenly, the object flew past Irida, causing her to turn around, but she lost sight of it. Irida looked in various directions, muttering "I swear I saw something. Where are you..." Irida's gaze comes to a stop, right on top of Akari's head.
"Um... is something wrong, Irida?" Akari asked, perplexed.
"There... there's a Pokemon on your head."
The Pokemon in question was a beautiful butterfly, with pink, patterned wings and a small grey body and large eyes.
Akari gently picked it up and set it down in front of her. "Oh, so pretty! I never seen it before! Must be a native."
Irida then took out a piece of charcoal and a notepad. "Hold it still, I want to get a sketch of it!" Irida quickly made a drawing of this new Pokemon on a notepad, and shortly after she finished, the butterfly fluttered away, back into the forest. "Well, the Professor will like this for sure! What should we name it?"
Akari rubbed her chin, thinking. "Oh, I know! Let's name it Vivillon, for its vivid and vibrant colors!"
"Oh I like it!" Irida replied, scribbling down the name on the notepad. "Okay, this is actually pretty enjoyable. Let's keep going!"
The two women continue deeper and deeper into the forest, taking note of any new or never before seen Pokemon that they happened to encounter. Eventually, the girls settled down for a short snack, eating berries and fruits they picked from nearby plants. As they are eating, a nearby bush rustled, causing both girls to turn their heads in the direction of the noise.
"What's that?" Akari said, her voice muffled by a berry sticking out of her mouth.
"One, don't talk with your mouth full," Irida said, "and two, what is that?"
The bush continued rustling, until a little creature tumbled out, looking at the two humans with large, curious eyes. It looks like a small, yellow and orange fox with a large, poofy tail. It tilted its head curiously. "Fenn?"
"Aww! It's so adorable!" Akari gushed, and Irida can't help but agree. Akari reached out to pet it, but the fox leaped out of the way, a bit wary of humans which it has very little interaction with.
"Akari, you ain't doing it right. Here, let me try." Irida picked up a berry and offered it to the Pokemon. "Here, try some."
The Pokemon took a careful nibble. Realizing that the food tastes good, it ate faster, and quickly finished the berry. "Fennekin!" It cried happily, and bounded over to Irida and sitting down next to her. Irida stroked its fur, causing it to purr.
"Aw, see Irida? You CAN be a sweetheart if you try!" Akari teased, causing Irida to blush.
"Hey, just cause I live in a tundra doesn't make me cold hearted!" She shot back. "But, let's record this. Here, you hold it Akari." Irida picked the Pokemon up and handed it to Akari, but as soon as Irida let go, the fox bounded back to her side.
"Well, guess it likes you more. Here, I'll draw it."
Irida handed the notebook and charcoal to Akari, who quickly sketched the new creature down. "Hmm, what should we name it?"
"How about Fennekin? Is that your name pal?" Irida asked. The fox looked up and nodded. "Fennekin!"
"I think thats a yes!" Akari wrote down the new entry and handed the notepad back to Irida. "Well, let's get going, shall we?"
"Alrighty." Irida stood up and followed Akari into the forest, before noticing Fennekin following them. "Do you want to come with us?"
Fennekin nodded and yipped "Fenn!"
"Come along then! This will be fun!"
The now group of 2 humans plus one Pokemon continued into the forest, passing clearings, ponds, dense groves, before noticing a massive, clear area.
"Is this the end of the forest?" Akari asked, stepping out from the trees, with Irida and Fennekin following shortly.
Irida pointed, "Hey, I think I see something in the ground! Looks like some sort of sink hole!"
The girls ran to the center of the area, where indeed, a massive, gaping hole in the ground can be seen. They carefully peeked into there, where they can spot a small body of water, along with some stalactites and stalagmites. However, the most conspicuous thing in the chasm is a large, cocoon like object sitting in the middle of the lake.
"What is that thing?" Akari wondered out loud, "Looks like a giant cocoon of sorts."
"Yeah, but whatever it is, I can't shake the feeling that we're in danger."
"Oh come on Irida, that's just being paranoid." Akari said, though she also thinks the cocoon is not good news. "I mean, what are the chances whatever's in there is just gonna wake up?"
Just seconds after those words came out of her mouth did the cocoon suddenly start shaking and glowing, eventually bursting open with a white light, revealing a massive, red and black winged creature. It screeches loudly and flew out of the sinkhole, blue eyes scanning the area, before noticing the human intruders.
"Akari, you just had to say it didn't you?" Irida remarked. "Um... what should we do?"
Suddenly, the creature started charging up a dark, red beam.
"We should start running!"
"I can agree!"
Both girls bolted off while Irida held Fennekin in her arms, as the creature fired the beam, blowing away the chunk of land they had been standing on.
The two ran as fast as they could, but the beast always seem to be able to catch up, narrowly missing them with those powerful red beams. No one is getting hit, but neither Akari or Irida wants to find out what would happen if they did.
"What even the hell is that thing?" Akari yelled.
"I don't know, but what ever it is, I hate it! Look out!" Irida pulled Akari out of the way as a beam blasted away a grove of trees, while Fennekin sits in Irida's arms, terrified.
Eventually, the two ran into a dead end in the form of a waterfall, with the creature while not in sight, is likely not too far behind.
"Oh no! A waterfall! And there's no where to run, what do we do?" Irida asked, panicking.
"Okay, I got an idea. We have to jump!"
"What?" Irida demanded, wide eyed "We're jumping? You realize how many rocks might be in that water? And it can be shallow too!"
"Look, I rather take my chances with that than waiting here to die to... whatever the hell that thing is?" Akari pointed out.
"Well..." Irida tried to think of a counter, but can't "Fine, but how can we make sure it doesn't follow us?"
"Well you go first, I'll distract it!" Akari replied hastily. It's clear the creature probably will find them any second now.
"WHAT?!"
"Fenn?"
Irida shook her head "I ain't leaving you, Akari! We're sticking together! If we're going to jump we're gonna do it together!"
Suddenly, the mysterious flying Pokemon burst from the treetops, letting out a horrible, deafening screech. It has found them.
"We got no time!"
Akari looked at the creature, then at Irida and Fennekin. She sighed and said, "Go! And don't look back!" and pushed Irida (and Fennekin) down towards the waterfall.
"AKARI!!!" Irida futilely reached out, before she splashed into the cool, flowing river below.
Meanwhile, Akari looked behind her, just in time to see a bright red beam heading straight for her, with no way to dodge it.
"Kyaaa!"
BOOM!!!
2000 years later... Kalos Region
"Wow... this forest is so thick. Wonder what kind of stuff I can find here."
Dawn strolled through the lush Kalos forest, her eyes on the lookout for anything interesting. Finally having earned a break from her contest career, she decided to head to new regions to try and relax, and maybe even get new Pokemon to join her team.
"Come on, there has to be something in here, I feel like I've been walking for ages!"
Suddenly, Dawn walked out of the woods and found herself on a small cliffside, overlooking a waterfall, which splashed down to a flowing river. The vantage point provided an absolutely beautiful view of the wilderness. However, it was something else that caught Dawn's attention.
"What the hell is this...? Looks like a statue of some sort."
(Image found on Pixiv.net)
The statue in question looks ancient, being covered in moss, vines, and cobwebs. Various cracks and small crumbles are found all over it. Nonetheless, it's still in good condition despite its exposure to the weather, and not to mention excellently detailed.
Dawn carefully examined the sculpture, and can't help but appreciate the meticulous attention to detail. Though, something about the statue didn't feel right. Who would build and leave a statue all the way out in the great wilderness? There was no sign of human settlement in the forest, so far as she knows. And also quite unnerving was the look of utter terror on the statue's face. This kind of expression simply can't be imitated. It looks genuine. The most eeriest part however, is that the statue bears an uncanny resemblance to... Dawn herself. The eyes, nose, similar height, and all that stuff. Hell, the statue even has a headwear that resembled Dawn's beanie!
"This doesn't feel right. I've seen some strange stuff in my adventures, but this tops it all!" Dawn placed a hand on the statue's cheeks, but suddenly...
Crack!
The left leg, already cracked and chipped, gave way, causing the statue to tip over and shatter with a crash, scattering pieces all over the place. Still intact, however, was the sculpture's head, which continued to stare at Dawn with wide, terrified eyes.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Dawn apologized, though no one can hear her. Suddenly, Dawn heard a sound that resembled a giant vacuum cleaner behind her. Dawn turned around, to see what appears to be a giant black hole, which starts pulling her in!
Dawn struggled, but it was hopeless as she was lifted off her feet and absorbed into the vortex.
Later...
Dawn opened her eyes... to almost complete darkness. She can barely make out anything other than her own body. It feels almost like she's floating around in space, minus the "die instantly without a space suit on" part. Suddenly, Dawn felt her phone drifting out of her pocket. She tries to grab it, but it floats out of reach. She paddles towards it, but was stopped by a small, bright light. Followed by another, and another. Soon, various orbs of light circled her before gathering in one place... forming the Pokemon God, Arceus.
"Arceus..." Dawn said in wonder. God has appeared right before her. Without saying anything, Arceus reared its head, causing Dawn's phone to glow brightly and slowly change shape, into what resembled a regular phone but with Arceus's design. It floated back to Dawn, who held it in her hands. She looked at Arceus, and asked "W-what is this?"
Arceus looked at her and said nothing. Suddenly, the entire place glowed brightly, forcing Dawn to close her eyes, and she soon lost consciousness...
Later...
Blackness. That's all she saw. Her head hurts, and something feels missing. Then, a male voice yelled out,
"Wake up!"
"Oh... do wake up, won't you?"
She opened her eyes. She feels herself lying on sand. Instantly she noticed 3 Pokemon staring at her curiously. A Cyndaquil, a Rowlet, and an Oshawott. The male voice spoke again.
"Are you alive, miss?"
She looked up, and found the source of the voice. A middle aged man, with tanned skin, looks at her with concern. He's wearing a suit and purple hat, with what seemed like a lab coat on as well.
"Oh thank goodness, you appear to be fine. Gave me quite a shock there, falling out of the sky like that. In all my years I've never seen something so odd!"
She stood up and looked at the man. "What is this? Where I am?"
"You're in Prelude Beach. I'm Professor Laventon by the way. Say, you're not from around here now are you?"
She shook her head, though this land does has some air of familiarity.
Professor Laventon pondered for a bit. "Well, I see. Don't worry, I'll take you to the nearby village, and they should be able to help you for the time being. Oh, where are my manners? I never even asked your name!"
"I... I don't remember..." She replied. In fact, she can't seem to remember anything from before she woke up at this beach. Everything's all... fuzzy.
"Well, do you mind if I give you a name? How does... Akari sound?" Laventon suggested.
"Akari... sounds good." She, now Akari, replied. "Feels right."
"Alright, nice to meet you, Akari!" Laventon said, grinning. "I was here taking care of these Pokemon, and they suddenly ran off to you! Strange, since they're usually pretty shy around us humans and-"
Suddenly, the 3 Pokemon scampered off.
"Oh blast! Hey! Why are you guys running off again?" the Professor called after them, but to no avail. "I'm terribly sorry, but do you think you can help me round them up? I beg of you!"
"Um... sure."
"Oh thank you so much! Let's go then! We have no time to waste!" Laventon turned around and chased after the runaway Pokemon. "Wait! You three!"
Akari can't help but giggle slightly. This might be pretty fun. Suddenly, she was hit by a short headache, followed by flashing images... a blonde haired girl, a red and black winged Pokemon, a waterfall... and a very familiar looking blue haired girl.
"What in the world..." Those images lingered for a bit, before disappearing as suddenly as they had appeared. "That felt... odd, wrong. Oh well, I got a professor to help! I'm coming!"
Akari raced after Professor Laventon and the three Pokemon, excited to see more of this strange new world.
The End
_______________________________________________
AN: Huh, that was weird, my mic cut out in the beginning. Oh well. So, whaddya guys think? Now for those wondering, the Garia region is indeed the ancient name for Kalos! You see, back in ancient Roman times, France and its nearby regions were called Gaul which translates into Garia in Japanese, so I used that. Well, I have nothing else to say, really, so toodles! Until next time, StrangeFryingPan out!