Naomi placed the flowers on the gravestone, her head bowed in reverence to her mother. Dressed all in black with a moonstone pendant round her neck, her shoulder length red hair tied into a ponytail, she was the only person in the tiny island cemetery yet somehow she felt like someone was watching her…or maybe it was something. On arrival to the island chain she’d brushed off the strange stories and odd customs of the people, preferring to stay cold and focused on what she had to do, just like her mother before she had retired and ventured south.
“Hi Mum, it wasn’t easy getting here, what with the troubles back home.” Naomi whispered as she crouched down by the marker. “I hope you and everyone else are okay. You won’t believe what work has been like, I had to practically beg and use all my holiday to come out here.” She added, as she looked up at the setting sun and the grey clouds parked on the horizon. “And Chris left me, guess I shouldn’t be surprised, I never could hold down a relationship.” She finished as she removed a candle, lit it and placed it in-front of the gravestone. As she did a strange sound radiated from the bushes near the head of the park, but after an initial moment of tenseness she dismissed it as an animal call.
“I’ll be back tomorrow morning.” Naomi stated, as she got to her feet and headed for the path that led back into town. While she didn’t believe the stories about attacks in the night, she still didn’t want to risk walking home in the dark, especially with the recent rise in crime that had gripped the island chain. Before she could even reach the gates however, the noise called again and a big black dog with ridges of bone down its back leading up to two curved horns and down to a devil like tail, flames rippling round its jaws as it glowered at her with crimson eyes.
“P…please can you move.” Naomi asked, nervousness creeping into her voice. “Please I need to get back to the hotel.” She added, only to be answered by a loud howl as the dog attacked, its jaws wrapping round her arm. Screaming in pain Naomi punched the dog in the face with her free hand, before eventually wrenching her arm out of its mouth, the bite wound already blistering which magnified the pain to levels beyond what it had been. With a scream Naomi ran, only for a jet of flame to shoot from the dog’s mouth and cut off her escape. “Somebody help me!” She screamed, as the dog advanced on her.
“Mimi…” A voice called in the darkness as a spark of lightning hit the dog and arched down its body. Peering over to the new attacker, Naomi and her assailant saw a small figure with slightly bent ears and a lightning bolt tail silhouetted against the fire. With a bone chilling howl, the dog shot a stream of fire at the new target, the flames engulfing the body and causing the head to slope to one side, almost as if the attack had knocked the fight out of the figure. Getting to her feet Naomi moved towards the bushes, hoping to find an alternate escape route, only for the dog to glower at her.
“Come on then!” Naomi yelled, as she picked up a stick and held it with her uninjured arm in an attempt to fend off the attack that was coming. Charging in the dog leapt at her, only to be knocked aside as the small figure slammed into the creature’s side, the impact sending the dog sprawling. Landing by her feet, the little figure looked up at Naomi expectantly before wagging its tail in an almost forced manner.
“Mimi?” It called, as Naomi backed away from the creature, the stick in her hand poised ready to thump the weird animal if it got any closer. “Mimi?” The creature replied sadly, as it turned away. In that moment Naomi felt terrible, and that feeling got even worse as the dog pounced on the small figure, thick black smoke engulfing it causing it to flop over.
“Get off it!!” Naomi yelled, the strange creature’s plight forcing her into action, the stick slamming into the dog’s back. Snarling the animal turned on her, smoke and flame pouring out of its mouth, causing her to cough and choke, but not to stop beating the canine with her improvised weapon until it burst into flame. Taking a step back, she looked on in horror as the dog picked up the little creature in its jaws, the light from the ambient flames revealing that its prey was covered in some sheet that had been poorly drawn on, and that the tail was nothing but a stick. “Drop it!” Naomi ordered, her voice echoing round the graveyard, the sound followed by a crack of thunder and the first patter of raindrops hitting the trees.
“Hou…” The dog snarled as it turned to head back towards the forest with its victim. Angrily Naomi grabbed its tale and pulled, the pain causing the dog to drop its dinner and spin round snarling.
“Oh…” Naomi gulped as the rain turned from a few spots to a shower. As it did, steam rose off the dog’s body, each drop causing it to shudder before eventually it bolted back to the undergrowth. Bending over Naomi placed her hand on the sheet covering the poor creature, its body cold to her touch, almost as if it were dead. The poor creature had died trying to save her.”
“Mim…ik…u.” The creature purred, causing her to withdraw her hand in shock. The creature was still alive but it was hurt. Scooping it up in her arms she vaguely remembered passing something akin to a vets on her way up to the graveyard. If she hurried, maybe she could make it before the poor little thing expired, she thought as she kicked off her high heel shoes, the cold wet stone feeling odd in such a tropical location. Moving as fast as she could, she leapt through the dying embers of the fire and down the hill, the rain biting down on her. It was when she reached the first bend in the road that a howl sounded from the bushes behind her and the sound of pounding feet could be heard in the distance. Daring to look over her shoulder Naomi saw the dog from the graveyard chasing after them, followed by three smaller animals that while similar lacked the draconic tail and horns.
“Leave us alone!!” Naomi yelled as she slipped and ended up falling down the hill, the tiny bundle in her arms rolling across the ground to the edge of the river that separated the graveyard from the town. Almost immediately two of the smaller canines set on the creature hidden in the sheet, each one trying to pull their victim for the other. “Stop it!!” Naomi yelled, only for the third smaller dog to leap onto her, smoke belching from its mouth causing her to cough and choke.
“Mimi…kyu!!” The bundle screamed as lightning lanced out and electrocuted its attackers. One of the dogs dropped its end but the other one continued its assault, slamming its victim against the wall.
“Hou!” The largest dog snarled as lightning struck the surface of the river. “Hou?” It growled as something large and lumpy broke the surface, its own red eyes glowering up at the commotion on the bank. With a howl the smaller dogs attacked the newcomer, only for the earth to rise up and strike each one with enough force to send them flying back into the undergrowth.
“Sesmi!!” The newcomer bellowed as it climbed onto the bank. With a roar the remaining dog attacked, its jaws clamping onto the bulky creature. With a snort its target retaliated by slamming its attacker to the ground before heading back to the water, the dog’s tail held firmly in its stumpy hands. In less than a second the anger and predatory zeal of the dog vanished and it started whimpering and thrashing. “Sesmi…sesmi.” The river creature grunted before releasing the tail allowing its attacker to scamper back in the darkness.
“Please we need to get to a hospital or a vet.” Naomi stammered, as the bulky figure scooped up the bundle and looked across the river, before handing it back to Naomi.
“Sesmi…” The bulky defender boomed it’s voiced echoed by a cacophony of howls and the sound of vegetation rustling. While she didn’t quite understand what was going on Naomi knew enough and started hobbling, the big bulky river monster following her as a whole pack of dogs came rushing at them, fireballs and jets of flame striking the area around her and hitting the defending creature behind her. As she kept on going it was clear that everyone was running out of strength and time, but with one last burst of speed Naomi threw herself into the building that she had tentatively identified as a vet.
“Are you okay?” The nurse behind the counter asked, as Naomi staggered up and placed the bundle of cloth down. “Oh an injured Pokémon.” She gasped. “It’s hurt too, are you its trainer?”
“No I didn’t even realise it was a Pokémon.” Naomi gulped as her bulky defender fell to its knees, exhaustion, burn marks on its blue warty skin. “I’m from Invictia, we don’t have Pokémon there, not since the sanctions Kalos placed on us after the war.” She added, as she looked at the bite mark on the arm.
“There are first aid supplies in the canteen, I’ll take Mimikyu and Seismitoad and treat them.” The nurse stated as she picked up the bundle of the counter and gestured for the guardian Pokémon to follow her.
**
Naomi treated the wound she had as she sat in the canteen waiting for any news on the two Pokémon that had fought so hard to save her. During that time she’d gone through some of the journals and identified her attackers as Houndoom and Houndour, two particularly short tempered Dark type Pokémon that were known to attack people who wandered into their territory. She’d also checked the names Mimikyu and Seismitoad as well. The later was a water/ground type and that could explain why it had survived the burning barrage of attacks that had been launched against it. Mimikyu in contrast was a ghost type that was noted for being lonely and even approaching people to make friends. Perhaps Mimikyu had thought that if it defended her back in the graveyard that Naomi would be its friend, something about that endeared the little creature to her, and that made her worry even more about its health.
“Seismitoad and Mimikyu’s Trainer to the front desk please.” The nurse’s voice called over the PA system causing Naomi to get up and limp out to entry hall. As she arrived she saw Seismitoad sitting by the counter its head bowed in apparent sorrow.
“Where’s Mimikyu?!” Naomi asked.
“We did a check, that Mimikyu is a wild Pokémon so it will be returned back to its habitat tomorrow afternoon. This Seismitoad had a trainer that died recently, that’s probably why it came to help you…” The nurse stopped, as Naomi shook her head, tears running down her face. “What is it?”
“Those Houndour will kill Mimikyu if you return it home, please is there anywhere else you can send it where it will be safe.” Naomi sobbed, as she peered past the news to see Mimikyu sitting in a steel barred cage, its little face staring out at her.
“I’m sorry, if it were a trainer Pokemon then it would be different.” The nurse stated as Seismitoad got to its feet.
“Seismi.” It rumbled. “Sesmi…sesmi.”
“Hmm apparently Seismitoad is willing to vouch for Mimikyu, that it will take responsibility for any trouble it causes.” The nurse sighed as she looked over at the caged Mimikyu in question.
“So will I, I’ll look after Mimikyu I swear!” Naomi stated, her hand quivering as she got ready to fight her way past the nurse, grab the little Pokémon and run.
“You are not a trainer though, you have no experience so officially I can’t let you take it in the knowledge that it will be in hands that may not know how to look after it.” The nurse stated as she looked over at a poster on the wall. “Unless you take the island challenge, prove that you can be a good trainer. If you promised that you’d do that then I would release both Seismitoad and Mimikyu into your care.”
“Both of them?” Naomi asked, shocked at the sudden turn around.
“Seismitoad’s owner was the champion of the Johto and Unova region for a time, it knows how to battle and what makes a good trainer.” The nurse explained. “And it seems to like Mimikyu, it would make sure that you were taking good care of both of them.”
“Where do I go to start this challenge?” Naomi asked.
“First you’d have to go to MeleMele Island and register your challenge with the Pokémon Professor, he could tell you more then and there.” The nurse replied as she went into the next room and opened the cage, the tiny figure immediately skittering across the floor and jumping into Naomi’s arms.
“Mimikyu I was so worried.” Naomi cried as she hugged the little creature. “So was Sesmitoad.”
“Mimi…Mimikyu!” Mimikyu called happily as the nurse shook her head and smiled.
“It seems Mimikyu likes you too.” She announced. “There is a ferry to MeleMele Island leaving this afternoon, it should get you there in a few days. Now until you register you’ll need this permit to travel with Pokémon.” She added, as she handed Naomi a slip of paper. “Good luck on your challenge.” She added, as Naomi and her two Pokémon friends headed for the door.
“Thank you for your help!” Naomi called as she walked out the door. With a sigh the nurse headed into her office and sat down in her chair and picked up a phone before dialling in the number.
“Boss I couldn’t secure the Pokémon, apparently the woman who brought it in decided she wanted the disgusting thing.” The nurse stated. “I’ve already sent a man to intercept them on the boat, trust me they won’t get far.”
Log in to comment