I’m sorry for the wait. I’ve been working hard with Falkie to make this perfect. There’s a lot of important plot elements

Second chapter of an ongoing commish for  Falkie

A lot happens in this chapter. We meet new characters, make friends, and fight the antagonists of the story





Daniel belongs to me,  arthas972

Alex belongs to  Falkie

Thumbnail by  Torakuta





Next:

Previous: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/52593330/








————————-

Chapter 2

Alex and Daniel followed the Pichu that saved them. Daniel watched their surroundings warily, afraid the Beedrills would come back.

“Don't worry, they won't follow us,” the Pichu reassured them. “As long as you haven’t taken anything from their hive, they won’t chase us.”

The confidence in Pichu’s voice put Daniel at ease a bit. He took a moment to look at Alex’s wounds. Alex had a deep gash in his stomach and numerous bruises. His new scales protected him, preventing anything fatal, but he needed help. That poison wouldn’t just go away. A soft rain set in, washing away some of the blood from his green scales.

The Sceptile had a hard time keeping up. Daniel wrapped an arm around his waist, helping to support him. Alex was a lot bigger, but he could barely stand. “We should take a break,” he called out to the electric type. “Alex isn’t doing too good.”

“I see.” Pichu looked back at them, looking worried. “But we can't slow down. It's getting late, and you don't want to be out when it's dark.” He walked up to Alex and held out an oran Berry. It looked like a large blueberry.

“I can make it,” Alex said stubbornly. He pushed away from Daniel, his claws accidentally digging into Daniel’s shoulder. “Let's get going.” He was trying to hide the pain, but Daniel wasn’t buying it. He was grimacing and wavering from side to side.

Daniel admired his friend's resolve. When push came to shove, Alex was a rock. Seeing him like this, though…Daniel couldn’t help but blame himself. He provoked those beedrills, even if by accident, and ran away instead of fighting. He panicked and his friend got hurt because of him. He wouldn’t do it again.


“Come on, don't make me carry you.”

Alex laughed at this and smirked. Daniel couldn’t help laughing too, though it felt a little awkward. That smile was so… well, so Sceptile. “That's the spirit!” Pichu added happily. “It’s not far. Follow me!” Alex nodded and accepted the Oran berry from him. He popped it in his mouth.

Daniel supported Alex again and they picked up the pace. He remembered Pichu saying something about not being out after dark. He’d have to ask about that later.

“What were you doing out here, anyway?” Pichu suddenly asked.

Daniel hesitated. Should they tell the truth?

“We got lost,” Alex answered for him. “We were heading to meet someone.”

“Hmmmm…” Pichu watched them silently for a moment.

“Hey, Pichu!” an unfamiliar voice called out, breaking the silence. “You shouldn’t be out here! Pikachu’s gonna...wait, who are these people?”

A Squirtle ran up to them from ahead. He looked at Daniel and Alex warily.

“Sceptile’s hurt really bad,” Pichu explained. “They got swarmed by Beedrills. We gotta get him back to town.”

“Pikachu’s gonna be furious, Pichu. You can’t just-“

Suddenly, Alex keeled over, falling face-first. Daniel managed to grab him just in time, preventing him from falling. Alex was shaking violently. Daniel shook him worriedly. “Alex!”

“Damnit, Pichu…” Squirtle shook his head with a sigh. “Fine, but your brother won’t like it.”

With Squirtle’s help, they were able to get moving again. Squirtle supported Alex from the left side.

Soon, they arrived at their destination.

Daniel looked in awe as they approached a cluster of tall trees. There were dozens of treehouses, all connected by ladders and bridges. At the base of one was a well kept and sturdy looking wooden pulley elevator.

They all stepped onto the elevator and Pichu pulled on a nearby rope hanging down from above. “Hey, Pidgey!” he called up. “Someone’s hurt! Pull us up!”

As they waited, Daniel examined a nearby device. There was a rope leading from the elevator to a heavy counterweight high overhead. “What is this thing?” he asked, reaching for the rope.

“Don’t touch that,” Squirtle shook his head. “It’s for emergencies, and it’s a pain to reset.”

Daniel obediently backed away from it.

After a few minutes, the elevator started moving.

“What’re you doing out here?” Squirtle suddenly asked as they started rising, mirroring Pichu’s earlier question. The ascent was slow but steady.

Daniel remembered what Alex said earlier and answered quickly. “Me and Alex were heading to a town and got lost.”

“Heading to town? Well, if you’re going to Banec, you really are lost.” Squirtle pointed past Daniel. “It’s north of here.”

Banec? Daniel would have to remember that name.

They arrived on the platform and Daniel stared in wonder. It felt like he’d stepped into a Pokémon game. Arboreta was a small town of a dozen or so circular buildings arranged on large wooden platforms. There was an especially big building directly ahead, taking up its own platform. Little Pokémon were everywhere. Talking with each other, carrying things around. Most were watching the newcomers and whispering among themselves. Some looked curious; others, afraid.

After a few tense moments, several Pokémon approached and grabbed Alex. Daniel hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed them.

They entered a small building. There were several beds inside and they laid Alex down on one of them. Dried herbs and berries were arranged on shelves or hanging from the ceiling.

“Another one?” a musical voice called out. A Miltank approached them, looking surprised. “Oh, a Sceptile! Been a while.” She rubbed Alex’s forehead and he sleepily looked up at her. “You poor thing.”

“Is he gonna be alright?” Daniel asked worriedly.

“He should be fine in a few days,” Miltank answered. She turned and opened the curtains of the window near Alex. “What happened?”

“Beedrills,” Pichu answered.

The doctor nodded and pulled out a pestle and mortar. She started mixing some herbs and berries together and turned away from them.

Pichu suddenly pulled on Daniel’s arm. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

“But…!” Daniel started to object, looking at Alex.

“He’ll be fine!” Pichu said excitedly. “It’s been so long since we had a visitor!”

“Don’t worry about Sceptile,” Miltank chimed in. “He’s in good hooves.”

Daniel wasn’t completely convinced, but he quickly relented between Pichu yanking on his arm and the doctor’s reassurances.

Daniel started to relax as Pichu showed him around town. It looked a lot like Pokémon Square from the Rescue Team games, the way the buildings were built. There was even a big town square where people gathered. It was a quaint little town. He noticed most of the Pokémon were low-leveled. Only a few were past the first stage of evolution. It made him feel really tall.

“We have a lot of books here,” Pichu said happily, holding a book up for the Lucario to look at.

The building they were in was packed with books, scrolls and bookshelves. Unfortunately, none of it was organized or cataloged, which was annoying.

Daniel accepted the book and looked at the cover. It took him a moment to recognize the writing. It was handwritten, not typed, in Unown Script, which made him relax a bit. Admittedly, his Unown was a little rusty, but the symbols were a lot like the Latin alphabet. The book was called “The Tale of Tarin” if he was reading it right.

“We have some in footprint runes, if you want,” Pichu added.

“No,” Daniel quickly said, looking up. “No, but thanks. I’m better with Unown. Do you have any history books or maps?”

“I think so.” Pichu nodded and gestured around them. “Somewhere in here.”

Of course. Daniel would have to look around later. He placed the book on a shelf and followed Pichu outside.

“You should see the Kecleon Mart,” Pichu announced. “Oh, he’s got such cool stuff!” He ran off and Daniel hurried to catch up. “I…”

“Pichu!” an angry voice suddenly called out.

Pichu’s demeanor changed. His ears bent back in fear. He slowly turned to the speaker. “H-hey, big brother! Uh...I can explain!”

A Pikachu ran up to them as they left the library, looking furious. He was wearing a blue scarf, similar to Pichu’s, and a pair of goggles on top of his head.

“I left for 5 minutes and you ran off!” He grabbed the bag Pichu was carrying. “That’s my bag! I told you, don’t leave town without me! And what’s this about getting in a fight?”

“I can explain!” Pichu cried out. “They were in trouble and needed help!”

Daniel stepped between the 2 and pushed Pikachu back. “Hey, why don’t you lay off? He saved us.”

Pikachu didn’t back down and squared up to the Lucario. “YOU stay out of this!” He jabbed Daniel in the chest with a finger. “And who the hell are you, anyway? I bet you lured him out there!”

Daniel resisted the urge to punch Pikachu for that. He opened his mouth to retort.

“Wait!” Pichu stepped in, tugging on his brother’s arm, trying to pull him away. “Please, Pikachu! They really were in trouble. I helped them!”

Pikachu glared at Daniel. Then he pointed at him. “Stay away from my brother. As soon as Sceptile heals, I want you both gone.” He grabbed Pichu by the arm and stormed off.

Pichu looked back at Daniel apologetically as he was dragged off. “I’m sorry!”

Daniel watched them leave. He decided then he didn’t like Pikachu. He was overbearing and controlling, 2 traits Daniel couldn’t stand.


—————————-


Later that night, Daniel was sitting outside, reading a book. He was outside a house Miltank said he could stay in.

He disliked Pikachu, but Pikachu was as close to the town leader as they had. He was a guardian, a protector of the town and its residents. He protected them from dangerous wild Pokémon and something called ‘the darkness.’ Daniel wasn’t sure exactly what the darkness was, but it sounded more like superstition than a real threat. Pokemon going missing, strange lights in the dark, fog, that type of thing.

He turned the page of the book he was reading. The area was well-lit with oil lanterns and torches hanging from poles around the town. Even in the middle of the night with everyone fast asleep, the town was lit up. The book he was reading was called ‘The Book of Alta,’ named after the forest they were in. This area had a rich history. Treasures deep underground, lost civilizations. Arboreta, the town they were in, was 1 of 4 towns in the forest. The residents grew berries and traded them for goods from other towns. As well as Arboreta, there was also Marec City to the northwest, Canotel to the south and Banec to the north.

~I should go to bed,~ he thought, stifling a yawn. ~It’s getting late.~ He marked his page, closed the book and stood up.

He paused, looking curiously out at the forest. A dark, purple fog was creeping through the trees in the distance. He leaned over the railing, seeing a shape moving through the darkness.

“Don’t go out there,” a voice suddenly said, startling the Lucario.

Daniel turned to see Pikachu perched on a nearby roof, looking at the fog.

Daniel’s anger rose, remembering the incident earlier with Pichu. “Why do you care? I thought you want me to leave.”

Pikachu sighed and shook his head. “Not like this.” He pointed ahead. “The Umbrans are out tonight.”

Daniel squinted. He couldn’t see it clearly, but the shapes looked like Pokémon. “What’s an Umbran?”

“Someone lost to the darkness.”

There was a long pause. Daniel wasn’t sure what to say. He’d heard people talking about it in town and thought it was some local legend, a folktale. But hearing this e Pikachu talking about it, the underlying fear in his voice, gave him pause.

“You’re not from around here, are you?”

Daniel shook his head and answered truthfully. “No.”

“It started 6 months ago,” Pikachu began. “We don’t know where it came from or why, but a fog, a miasma, appeared in the forest at night. Anyone that breathes it in changes. They go mad, rabid. We call them Umbrans. If you ever meet one, run and find a light source. Start a fire if you have to. They’re afraid of the light.”

Daniel looked uneasily back at the fog. “That’s...ominous.” He shook his head. “Is that why all the lights are on?”

“Yeah, it is. And there’s always someone on watch to keep them lit.”

There was another pause. Finally, Pikachu stood up and climbed down from the roof. Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel saw him checking a lantern that was flickering.

“Where are you from?” he suddenly asked. “Up north? Your accent sounds northern.”

Daniel considered his response for a moment. “Yeah, we got family up there. We were heading there when we got attacked.”

“Hmmm…” Silence. “You have a family? Brothers and sisters? A wife?”

“Nah, I’m not married. I got 4 brothers, though.”

The conversation carried on for a while. Daniel tried to answer all of the Pokémon’s questions. Pikachu’s voice was casual, but he kept pressing for answers. Eventually, the conversation petered out. Daniel stood to leave, but Pikachu stopped him.

“Why are you really here?”

“I told you, we got lost and attacked by Beedrills,” Daniel said immediately.

“I don't know what it is, but you’re hiding something.” Pikachu’s penetrating gaze drilled into him. “You are bad news and I want you gone as soon as possible”

Daniel’s fist tightened instinctively, but he didn’t rise to the challenge. “Sceptile’s still recovering.”

Pikachu’s eyes narrowed. Instead of answering, he turned to leave. Daniel watched him go, then turned back to his house.

As he lay in bed later, trying to fall asleep, Daniel thought about what Pikachu said. That conversation could’ve gone better, but Pikachu was being paranoid. He’d have to watch what he said in the future. He disliked the mouse, but he couldn’t antagonize him either.

And what Pikachu said, about the fog...there was paranoia or distrust. No, it was a real warning. And it got him thinking. “Is that why we’re here?” he wondered aloud. “This fog, this ‘darkness’...did we turn into Pokémon to stop it?”

He knew it was crazy, that that type of thing doesn’t happen in real life, but turning into Pokémon doesn’t usually happen either. In every PMD game he played, the human came to the Pokémon world to save the world from something.

The thought both scared him and excited him a little. Going on adventures, starting a team, saving the world, being a hero. It’d be a dream come true for him, a gamer’s fantasy.

“I should talk to Alex about it when he wakes up,” he decided with a nod.

——————-

Birds were chirping merrily and the sun shone brightly as Alex awoke. He blinked open his eyes and looked around at his surroundings in confusion. He was laying in a bed, but this wasn’t his bedroom. He was next to a large round window. The curtains were pulled back, allowing the sunlight to shine directly on him. Usually Alex had trouble sleeping with the lights on, but it felt really nice. The sunlight was warm and invigorating.

“Good morning, Sceptile!” a cheery voice declared, startling Alex.

Alex eyes widened in surprise as a bipedal pink cow walked into the room. He moved into a sitting position, but his gut objected and he clutched his stomach in pain. His stomach felt different, rounder. He looked down, saw the green scales, 3-fingered hands. Still a Pokémon.

The cow placed a hoof gently on his shoulder. “Hey, slow down. You don’t want to hurt yourself again.”

“I…” Alex let out a sigh and tried to relax a bit. “Who are you? Where am I?”

“I’m Miltank, the town doctor,” the cow answered, smiling. “You’re in the town of Arboreta. Lucario and Pichu brought you here.”

Alex nodded at this, remembering the incident. They were attacked by giant wasps - Beedrills, Daniel called them.

“It’s been a few days since then,” Miltank continued as Alex sat up. “You recovered very quickly thanks to your Synthesis. A little sunlight and you perked right up.” She pulled his red shirt off a nearby shelf. She held it up in front her, looking over it curiously. “You were wearing this when you came in, so I washed it for you. I’ve never seen a scarf like it before.”

“It’s not a scarf,” Alex explained. “It’s just something I like to wear.”

She nodded and handed it to him. He folded it like before and wrapped it around his neck.

Miltank picked up a pitcher on a nearby table. She poured water into a bowl and handed it to Alex.

Alex accepted the water and raised it to his mouth. Then he paused, caught by surprise. He stared at his reflection.

“Is it not to your liking?” Miltank asked worriedly. “I have juice if you want.”

Alex was silent. He was taken aback by his appearance, how different he looked. His head was long and triangular with a rounded muzzle and 2 leaf-like ridges arcing over the top of his head, stretching down the back. His eyes were large and bright, electric blue. The pupils were slitted like a reptile’s. They were wide with shock and confusion. He ran a hand over his rounded head, feeling the smooth, green scales. He opened his mouth to reveal sharp teeth poking through his gums. He already knew he was a Pokémon, but actually seeing it made it feel more real. He’d seen his human reflection a million times: In windows, in the bathroom every morning, in mirrors. He’d have to get used to seeing a Sceptile’s face instead.

Miltank reached for the bowl. “Is something wrong, Sceptile?”

Alex shook his head, breaking out of the trance. “I...I’m fine,” he said quickly. He raised the bowl again and took a long drink. “I'm just...I’m fine, just a little out of sorts.”

Miltank nodded and backed away. “You should be good to go, but take it easy for a few days,” she instructed. “You don’t want to end up back here, do you?”

“Thanks,” Alex said gratefully. He carefully stood up, using the bed for balance. He was a little wobbly on his feet, but he found his balance.

“Hey, Miltank!” a familiar voice called from the doorway. “Sceptile, you’re awake!”

A Pichu ran into the room and up to Alex. Alex remembered the little mouse, though the memories were fuzzy after the Beedrills attacked. “You saved my life.”

Pichu looked away bashfully. His red cheeks brightened to pink. “Aw, it was nothing.”

“Don’t be too crazy with him, Pichu,” Miltank instructed. “He’s still recovering.”

“I’m fine.” Alex shook his head and headed for the doorway. He kept his stride short, using objects around him to stay upright. He still wasn’t used to walking as a Sceptile, but he was getting better. “I should see what Daniel’s up to.”

He paused on the threshold, taking in his surroundings. He was in a village of treehouses. Pokémon were everywhere. Most were smaller than Alex.

“Welcome to Arboreta,” Pichu said happily. “Our little paradise in the trees.”

———————

Alex rubbed his forehead, leaning back in his chair. Some time had passed. He and Daniel were sitting in a cafe, surrounded by other Pokémon. Daniel was rambling on, talking excitedly about the town, but Alex lost track of the conversation.

“There’s a few towns near here,” the Lucario explained. He took a drink from his glass and pointed at a map on the table.

“Daniel, wait,” Alex interrupted before he could continue. “Have you found anything about going home?”

Daniel paused, confused. “Home?”

“Yes, home. Planet Earth.” With all the noise in the cafe, there was no real risk of anyone overhearing them. “I’m sure this place is amazing, but we should focus on getting back to OUR planet.”

“I know,” Daniel said quickly. “But there has to be a reason we’re here, right? Something brought us here.”

Alex was about to reprimand him when a waiter came up to them. “Morning, sweeties. Can I get you anything?”

The waiter was a large, green and black spider called a Spinarak. There were several running the place, moving along the ceiling to get around easily. This one rappelled down on a string to talk to them. Alex was a little disconcerted at first, but Daniel was clearly uncomfortable around the spiders. He edged away from it, moving his chair across the floor. The friendly bug didn’t notice.

“Water, please,” Alex said with a nod. He held up his empty cup.

The waiter nodded and turned to Daniel. “And you?”

“I...uh...I’m good,” Daniel said shakily.

The spider nodded and quickly zipped back to the ceiling.

Alex turned back to Daniel. He let out a deep sigh before continuing. “Daniel, we’re not chosen ones. We didn’t come here for some grand quest, no matter how much you want it to be like that. This isn’t a video game.”

“But look around you!” The Lucario gestured to the room they were in. “This really is like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. Don´t you see that?”

Alex crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He’d have to approach this differently. Daniel was dead set on this fantasy of his. “Im not blind, Daniel. We’re being served drinks by a giant spider, and I know what a Pokémon is. What you don’t get is, this is not a game. Have you seen a save button or pop up windows?”

“So, you think we just turned into pokemon for no reason?”

Alex stared at him and answered flatly: “Yes.”

There was a long, uncomfortable silence after that. Alex decided to let it go, at least for now. Why they were there wasn’t as important as getting back. Plus, he didn’t have enough information to figure anything out. There had to be a logical explanation for all of this, he just didn’t know what it was.

Around this time, a new waiter returned with a full glass of water for Alex. It was a teddiursa, a small brown bear with a crescent shape on its forehead. It looked like a teddy bear. It placed the glass on the table, took the empty cup and left without a word.

“Look,” Daniel finally said, looking down at his hands. He twiddled his thumbs absently. “I don’t know how we got here or why, but getting back might be a problem.”

Alex perked up at this. “What do you mean?”

“I went back to where we arrived. There’s nothing there. No portals, no holes in reality, there aren’t even caves. I think we’re stuck here.”

“Are you sure it’s the same place?”

“Yeah. I found our clothes nearby.”

That complicated things, but Alex knew it couldn’t be THAT easy. At least Daniel took some initiative, though. “What now, then?”

“I know it’s not ideal, but maybe we can still find a way back.” The Lucario reached under the table and pulled out a thin book. Alex saw him carrying it around earlier. “I’ve been hearing about a local legend. It could be related.”

Alex looked at the cover in confusion as Daniel handed it to him. He didn’t recognize the language. “I can’t read this.”

“It’s called Unown,” Daniel explained. “It’s exactly like the English language, you just have to learn the symbols.” He leaned back in his chair. “It’s a journal from someone who used to live here, a Dewott. He talks a lot about The Darkness.”

“The Darkness?”

Daniel nodded. “I’ve never seen it, but people are terrified of it. There’s something in the forest, some kind of entity that only comes out at night. It looks like a purple fog. Anyone that goes near it goes mad.”

Alex shook his head, unsure where Daniel was going with this. “Sounds like a fairy tale to me. What’s it have to do with us?”

“It started appearing 6 months ago, and only in this forest.” Daniel smiled. “We could’ve arrived anywhere on this planet, but we came here. Don’t you think that’s a weird coincidence?”

Alex thought this over for a few minutes. He leaned back in his chair and looked down at the table. Despite what he said earlier about coincidences and chosen ones, he had to admit, that was a crazy coincidence. It’d been about a year since they last went camping, too. If nothing else, it was a start, something to look into. “Okay. Coincidence or not, it’s a lead. Where’d you find this journal?”

“In the library. I can show you it later.”

Alex nodded again. “We should talk to the town leader. Arboreta’s as good a place as any to set up camp.”

Daniel suddenly looked uneasy at this. “Yeah, about that...that could be a problem.”

“Daniel, we’ve been here 2 days. Don’t tell me you pissed them off already.”

“It’s not my fault!” Daniel said defensively. “He doesn’t trust us after what happened with his brother.”

Alex paused at this, confused. “His brother?”

“Pichu,” Daniel answered with a sigh. “Pichu’s big brother, Pikachu, is the town leader.”

That explained a bit. It was also unfair, though. Maybe he was being reckless, but Pichu saved them.

Alex shook his head. “I’ll try reasoning with him. If nothing else, maybe we can buy the house.”

“With what money?”

“We’ll earn it, do jobs around town. I’ll talk to Pikachu and convince him to let us stay for a few weeks. That’ll buy us some time. We’ll cut a deal and go from there.”

Daniel nodded. “I’ll start asking questions around town, look for leads.”

Alex nodded as well. It wasn’t a foolproof plan, but they had a plan for the immediate future.

————————

Alex was lounging in his hammock, munching on an apple. It was late evening, the sun already past the horizon. He had a book open in his lap. He checked the map on his right and marked down a note. Daniel gave him a list of Unown letters and their Latin equivalents, so he figured it out quickly, but he had trouble writing it. All of his notes were in English.

There were some nearby towns they should ask around about, maybe visit in the future. It seemed some parts of the forest were affected more by this ‘darkness’ than others. They were probably closer to the source. They were in the same sector.

“Why haven’t you left yet?” Pikachu’s annoyed voice demanded.

Alex closed his eyes and sighed. He closed the book and put it aside. “Look, Pikachu…”

“I told Lucario, both of you were supposed to leave as soon as you woke up.”

“I know.” Actually, Daniel never mentioned that, but Alex would be sure to tell him off later. “We need a few weeks to recuperate. We’ll pay you.”

The lies felt weaker every time he told them, but it was too late to change the story. Alex wasn’t sure where they’d go if they got thrown out of town, but they had a few options.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Pikachu challenged, baring his teeth. “You can’t just-“

“Hey, Pikachu,” a young voice asked from behind Pikachu. Squirtle walked up.

“Not now,” Pikachu said dismissively, still facing Alex. “I’m busy.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t find Pichu anywhere. Have you seen him?”

Pikachu hesitated at this. He turned to Squirtle, looking concerned. “Come to think of it, I haven't seen him in a while. Where’d you last see him?”

“We were out at the orchard an hour ago, but…” Squirtle’s expression suddenly changed to horror. “Oh, no...no, no, no...he went back for something, but he said he’d be right behind me! He must still be…”. He trailed off and Alex quickly connected the dots. The latter jumped to his feet.

Pikachu didn’t say anything, didn’t reprimand Squirtle. He dropped to all-fours and ran out of the building. Alex chased after him.

“I’m coming too,” Alex declared as he caught up with the mouse. Pikachu had run into his house. It wasn’t much different from Alex and Daniel’s house.

“No,” Pikachu said immediately. He attached a bracer to his arm and adjusted the scarf around his neck. He moved the goggles on his head to cover his eyes. The green lenses sparkled in the light. “Stay here and guard the town.” He grabbed his bag from a nearby chair and stuck a rolled up map into it, then slung it over his left shoulder. It was the same bag Alex saw Pichu carrying when they met. “I’ll be back soon with Pichu.”

Daniel arrived on the scene as Pikachu left the building. “What’s going on?”

“Pichu’s gone missing,” Alex explained. “He’s outside of town.” He didn’t wait for Daniel’s response and hurried to catch up with Pikachu.

There were a few Pokémon waiting at the elevator, including Miltank. They looked anxious as Pikachu entered the lift. “Keep the lights on,” he said solemnly with a nod. He disappeared from sight as the lift lowered.

Alex ran up to the railing and watched anxiously as the Pokémon scampered off into the night. He gripped the railing tightly, claws gouging the wood.

An hour passed with no sign of them. Alex grew anxious. The moon was high in the sky. The darkness felt eerie, unnatural. In the distance, he could see a purple fog creeping through the trees.

“Alex,” Daniel walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure they’re fine.”

Alex shook his head and shrugged off the Lucario’s hand. No, something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones. He knew he had to do something. He made up his mind quickly after that.

He pushed away from the railing and turned to his friend. “How far is the orchard from here?”

Daniel frowned. “Uh...200 meters, I think? Why?”

Alex nodded. “They should’ve been back by now. Something must’ve happened.” He walked up to a light pole and took down the lantern.

“What are you doing?” Daniel asked.

“I’m going after him,” Alex answered. He checked the oil in the lantern. It was almost full. Good. Someone must’ve just refilled it.

“I’m going with you,” Daniel said firmly. He grabbed a lantern as well.

They walked toward the elevator. Pidgey and the other elevator operators looked nervous, dwarfed by the Lucario and Sceptile.

“We won’t stop you,” Pidgey said quickly before they said anything, “but this is a stupid idea.”

Alex ignored him and stepped into the lift.

“Wait!” Miltank suddenly called out.

Alex turned back to see Miltank walk up to them. She was holding a bag in one hand and a bracelet and pin in the other.

“What’s that?” Daniel asked curiously.

“A defense bracelet and leaf pin,” she explained. “They’ll help. I thought you might go after Pikachu, so I went and got them.”

Daniel slipped the bracelet onto his left forearm. It was gunmetal gray. There were several holes in the metal, but they looked artistic.

Alex looked curiously at the pin she gave him. It was shaped like a green maple leaf.

“You can put it on your scarf,” she suggested. “It’ll boost your grass attacks.”

Alex nodded and reached up for his bandana. As he attached the pin, he felt a strange energy. It felt like a sugar rush almost, like he drank a big glass of soda. He suddenly felt more awake, alert.

“And these are luminous orbs.” She handed Daniel the bag, “They’ll light up an area for a few minutes.” She backed away after that and Daniel and Alex moved back onto the elevator.

As they went down, Alex felt the tension in the air. Everything grew darker as they descended. He adjusted his scarf nervously, eyes flitting around. Finally, they reached the bottom. The forest was dark and silent.

“The orchard’s that way,” Daniel declared as he stepped onto the dirt. He pointed off into the trees. There was a trail leading in that direction from the elevator.

“Why isn’t it in town? I saw a few planters on one of the platforms.”

“Not enough room. There’s a hundred berry trees there,”. The Lucario held the lantern out in front of him and took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

The forest was forbidding. Alex looked around anxiously as they moved. There were no crickets chirping, no owls hooting. It felt unnatural, dead.

They arrived at the orchard without incident. They came out in a large clearing full of berry trees, much smaller than the firs around them. Brightly-colored blossoms covered the trees here,

“They’re not here,” Daniel said disappointedly.

Alex couldn’t see anyone either. “They have to be here somewhere. I’ll go left, you go right. We’ll meet on the other side.”

Daniel nodded silently.

As he set out, Alex couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched. He shook his head. That story was getting to him. He had to stay focused.

He paused suddenly, looking curiously ahead. “Is that a toolshed?” he wondered aloud. There was a small shack at the edge of the clearing. There were gardening tools like shovels and shears outside the door. No lights or windows.

He approached the door cautiously. “Pikachu? Pichu?” No response.

He placed his lantern on the hook by the door. He considered finding Daniel first, but it was a small building. Odds were they weren’t even in there. He gripped the handle tightly and pulled open the door.

The door was half open before a bolt of electricity struck him in the chest. He staggered back, instinctively shielding his face. “Get back!” Pikachu shouted from inside. “Don’t come any closer!

Another shock and Alex shouted, “Pikachu, it’s me! It’s Sceptile!”

The attack abruptly stopped. Alex slowly lowered his arms. Surprisingly, the electricity didn’t hurt much. His muscles were a little stiff from the shock, but that was it. The brothers were both inside the shed. Pikachu stood in front of Pichu, shielding him.

Pikachu looked surprised at first, then angry. “What are you doing here?!”

“Rescuing you. You were gone for an hour, so we came to find you.”

“I told you to stay in the village!”

Alex didn’t like Pikachu’s tone. Seriously, it wouldn’t kill him to show a little gratitude. Alex opened his mouth to tell him off, when suddenly a growl split the air. Alex’s chest seized and he spun around. His eyes darted around, searching for threats.

“Arceus damnit, you led them right to us!” Pikachu swore.

Alex saw shapes in the darkness and sparkling eyes watched from the treeline.

“Be mad at me later,” Alex ordered. “We need to go! Right now!”

Dozens of pairs of eyes appeared. A dark, quadrupedal shape stalked into the clearing. It glowered at Alex. Alex looked back at the brothers. Pichu was cowering away from the door, whimpering in fear.

Suddenly, a flash of light lit up the area. Alex shielded his eyes on reflex. The shadowy wolf leapt back with a yelp, away from the light.

“Alex, you guys alright?” Daniel called out as he ran up to the shed.

Alex shielded his eyes as he looked towards his friend. A pure white orb floated in the air, shining brightly.

He nodded. “It’s the Umbrans. We need to get back to town.” He didn’t need to ask. One look at the creatures and he knew what they were. He turned and nodded at Pikachu. “We’ll go back the way we came. Dan-“ He stopped mid sentence and corrected himself. “Lucario takes the lead, you and Pichu are in the middle, andI’ll bring up the rear.”

Pikachu looked like he was about to argue, but he stopped himself. He nodded. “We need to run. They’re scared of the light, but they’ll attack if they see an opening.”

The light was already starting to flicker. Alex nodded and looked at Daniel. “Let’s move.”

The Umbrans chased after them as they fled. Screeches filled the air.

The sprint was long. Alex’s chest was burning. Finally, he saw the elevator ahead and his heart leapt. “The elevator!”

They were almost there. It was less than 30 feet away.

Suddenly one of the crazed Pokémon, a Mightyena, lunged at Pichu, snarling. He screamed as it tackled him to the ground.

Alex zeroed in on the attacker. He felt an energy, an urge. He opened his mouth on instinct and spat. Small brown balls flew from his mouth. A stream of 6 of 7 hit the Pokémon, driving it away from Pichu.

The fight lasted a few seconds. It was over before Pikachu finished turning around. Alex scooped Pichu up in his arms and kept running. Pichu was sobbing, hugging him tightly.

“I got him!” Alex called out. “Keep going!”

Pikachu nodded and turned back to the elevator. “Keep him safe!”

As they kept going, Alex looked back at the Mightyena. It staggered to its feet and continued running after them. It looked different from the wolf outside the shed. That wolf looked like liquid darkness, solid black. This looked like a normal Pokémon with purple eyes. He turned back to the elevator and focused on running.

They finally reached the lift. Instead of calling up to the operators, Pikachu went for the counterweight rope. “Hold on!” he ordered. Alex just barely had time to grab one of the supports before Pikachu hit the rope with iron tail.

The counterweight dropped like a boulder and the elevator car was launched into the air. In a few seconds, they arrived at the top.

Other pokemon were there to help them. It was over. They’d done it. Dozens of Pokémon surrounded them, congratulating them. Alex’s heart warmed. It felt good, being a hero.

Alex knelt down and lowered Pichu to the floor. After a few seconds, Pichu let go and looked up at him. “You saved me.”

Alex nodded. “Of course I did.” He put a hand on the mouse’s shoulder. “And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

They were silent for a moment. Pikachu was talking to Miltank off to the side. Daniel walked up to them. “That was a helluva rush, wasn’t it?”

Alex nodded in response. “Pichu, why were you out there, anyway?”

Pichu hesitated at this. “I...uhm…” He looked around nervously, then dug through the bag he was carrying. It wasn’t as big as his brother’s, but it could carry a bunch of things. After a few seconds, he pulled out a strange crystal. “I found this earlier, under a tree. I went back for it and lost track of time.” He shuffled his feet and looked down sheepishly. “I’m really sorry.”

Alex took the crystal and examined it curiously. It was dark purple and oval-shaped. He’d never seen anything like it before.

Miltank approached them at that point. “Are you alright? Anyone hurt?”

“I’m fine, but you should look at Pichu,” Alex said, rising to his feet. “One of the Umbrans grabbed him.”

Miltank nodded and led Pichu away. Pikachu followed after them. He looked over his shoulder at Alex. Alex could’ve sworn he saw the Pikachu subtly nod at him before turning away.


———————

Alex lay in bed later, looking down at Pichu’s crystal. It was a beautiful purple jewel. It sparkled in the light, almost glowing. It was perfectly smooth and slightly warm to the touch.

“That looks like an Emera,” Daniel suddenly said.

Alex looked up curiously. “What’s an Emera?”

“It’s a type of crystal in the PMD games,” Daniel explained. He gestured at it. “They’re supposed to give you powers, make you stronger.”

Alex looked back down at the crystal. He rolled it around in his hands. It was hard to describe, but he could feel something from it - a presence, an energy. Maybe Daniel was right. “Any idea how to activate it?”

“I don’t know about here, but in the games they only worked if you put them in special bracelets.” He raised his arm and looked at the bracelet on his wrist. “I wonder…”

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. “Come in,” Alex called out.

Pikachu walked in and Alex sat up in bed. The Pokémon looked calm, lacking his usual haughtiness.

“How’s Pichu?” Alex asked immediately.

“He’s shaken, but he wasn’t hurt too badly,” Pikachu answered. “He’ll recover.”

Alex nodded and relaxed at the news. That was good to hear.

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Pikachu continued. “I spoke with the others and we’ve decided to let you stay in Arboreta, if you want to. You can keep the house, too.”

Alex was surprised by the announcement. He shared a look with Daniel. “I...thank you.”

With a nod, Pikachu turned to leave. Seeing his chance to maybe smooth things over, Alex called out to him: “We made a good-“

“Don’t,” Pikachu cut him off. He stopped in the doorway. “We’re not friends and I still don’t trust you. This doesn’t change that.”

They watched silently as the mouse left. He closed the door behind him.

“What an asshole,” Daniel said after a few minutes. “He didn’t even say thank you!”

Alex didn’t respond at first, looking at the door. He was being rude, definitely, but there was something different in Pikachu’s voice. It didn’t have its usual venom. Pikachu wasn’t the type of person to admit he was wrong. This was probably the closest he’d come to an actual apology.

“I don’t know,” Alex finally said. “But that solves our housing problem.”

“Yeah, I guess it does.”

They were silent for a while after that.

“Ya know something,” Daniel eventually said. “What you said to Pikachu about making a good team? You’re right.”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, all things considered.” He could see where Daniel was going with this, but he decided to hear him out.

“I’ve been thinking,” Daniel continued, “about the Umbrans and the darkness. It’s obvious this town needs help, needs people to protect it. Pikachu can’t do it on his own, even if he won’t admit it.”

Alex nodded slowly. “Are you saying you want to start a team?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Alex was silent. He gazed up at the ceiling, contemplating. Daniel was right. About the town, the darkness. These people were in danger. Plus, he had to admit, it was a helluva adrenaline rush. He could see the appeal of going on adventures, being a hero and saving people. Maybe they could get answers along the way, find a way back home.

He looked over at Daniel and saw the Lucario watching him expectantly, looking excited. He nodded. “Alright, let's do it.”

And so, Alex and Daniel formed Arborera’s first rescue team. This would be a major step on the long road ahead of them