Chapter two: First Night
The shadows of night came quick in the forest outside Oldale town. The only pokemon to worry about were Poochyana Zigzagoon and Wurmple, but they were solitary compared to others in the Hoen wilds. Persephone and Hermes were training nearby under the affects of [Gravity] as I stirred a pot of soup over a fire. The large kettle bubbled with pinap berries and energy root as the main ingredients. It only took two hours, but when the soup was done it allowed us to eat to our fill.
It was only another hour later that I was in my tent wrapped up tightly in a cocoon of blankets towards the back, leaving Persephone and Hermes between me and the door.
It was only after the fire died out when I began to hear noises... the crunch of grass under feet, the loud sniffing, and a deep rumble of a growl to eminate through the camp. I did my best to slow my breathing and shut my eyes tightly as I heard something nudge the tent.
The crinkle of the plastic walls surrounding us only made me worried more as more footsteps entered the area. Their shadows enveloped the tent, blocking the light reflected from the moon.
I heard as the campfire was stopped on, and the clang of my cauldron hitting the ground spilling leftover contents, followed by a loud lapping of animals eating and drinking.
I was clutching Persephone tightly as I opened one eye, a lone tear leaving it as I looked to Hermes sitting in the corner with his large reptilian eyes glaring towards the noise.
That was when a loud crashing could be heard through the canopy above. Slamming through our tent a large owl pokemon tore through the plastic cover and snapped the support rods as surrounding us revealed an uncountable amount of Ursaring in the encampment. The owl pokemon thrashed about before attacking the bear pokemon killing two instantly by slicing at their throats with its wings. Seeing their comrads fall, a cacophony of growls and roars burst from their maws as they threw themselves to the winged creature.
Amidst their combat I was already Crawling away from my tent's wreckage, with Persephone on my back. I managed to grab my cane when I heard a new growl emanate from the bushes. Tearing through, a Teddiursa with strange features threw itself at me, frothing at the mouth. Immediately Hermes used [Pound] and slammed his fist into the cub's face with an audible crunch. Persephone immediately helped me up as the Ursaring turned to look at us as we began to run, albeit poorly with my impaired legs.
It was then that I noticed the black fur, the bear pokemon had as well as the red eyes that glowed in the dark, with piercing gazes tried to find me, but was distracted with the feral bird pokemon in their midst. It was then that I heard feral growling surrounding us as more and more feral Tediursa threw themselves from the treeline as I made it to the road.
Hermes kept using [Pound] and [Spark] to fend off the left while Persephone used [Snarls] and [Psybeams] on the right. I reached for my Poketch on my wrist and hit the emergency option, as a signal to nearby rangers of my location. I also turned on the recording function as the swarm of Pokemon was both increasing in number and intensity. It was horrifying.
The horde was completely feral as we made our way to Oldale town, with the city gate barely in sight. With the constant growling and pools of blood surrounding us it was hard to not cry as I hobbled ever so closer to the safety of a city.
That was when a Metang soared overhead and a Jeep breaking the treeline. Psychic energy surged forth as the three of us were put into the back with a Reuniclus, and a Lucario. Aura spheres rained upon the Tediursa, laying waist to the horde and reducing their number significantly. "Hey kid... good work out there, you'll be alright. I got reinforcements on the way so sit tight," said a burly man in the driver's seat. Riu, hit em with [Barrier] and Luka, keep up the [Aura Barrage]" he continued as he drove towards the city at breakneck speed. Flipping a switch an orange light came on above the truck and a loud blaring echoed through the area as I hurriedly plugged my ears. The Metang above then used [Hyperbeam] exploiting it's out of reach altitude to obliterate a huge portion of the feral hoarde. It was then that floodlights came on from the gates as we were just meters away. Pokemon of multiple shapes and kinds began erupting with moves as they bombard the remaining Tediursa... leaving the Ursaring yo surge forth in their wake.
It was then that I noticed the tears falling from my eyes as Persephone held my head tightly and Hermes began handing Ethers to Luka and Riu. And when we made in inside the gate, a wave of relief coursed through me as I clutched my two pokemon in my arms, just happy to be alive from that encounter. I did not think of the causes or how's at that moment, I was just happy that we made it out okay.
When I heard the gat slam shut that I collapsed in the bed of the Jeep as I clutched the two pokemon as my hips gave out. Leaving me laying in the back as a Lucario and Reuniclus worried at what to do.
It took a half an hour for the hoard to die down, and it took twice as long for me to calm myself as I managed to get enough strength to leave the bed of the car and shambles my way to the Pokemon center with the help of the ranger that helped me escape. "Man, it's alright, I got you. My name is Nathan, I'll ask questions later," he said as we entered the sliding doors. I was greeted by bustling Nurse Joys of the Joy clan as I was swept from my legs and placed on top of a stretcher. Even my pokemon ushered into an emergency room with me as I noticed my wounds. Large bloody bite marks covered my right arm and left leg. It was the adrenaline that prevented me from feeling it until now as a heal pulse from a Chansey shot through me.
A Joy immediately entered the room and began dressing my wounds as I was stripped of my clothes. It was then that I fell unconscious for the rest of the process.
When I woke up my arm and leg were completely encased in gauze and I was given a back brace. "Mr. Jacobes, I hope that you are feeling much better?" Said a Nurse Joy that walked into the room. Rushing in from behind her were Persephone and Hermes, who jumped on the bed and grappled both sides of my head. "Not Really, can't feel my legs" I said muffled while comforting the two. She nodded before continuing "-the injury you had gotten previously has healed a little in the time of your... solitude?... but this incident with the Variant Outbreak, as well as the pathogen caused by the bites, has weakened your spine a bit more than it was before, you will still need your cane, but I am afraid that you will need to head to the city of Rota... and search for an aura surgeon," she says seriously before sitting in the chair next to me. "We managed to cure the pathogen before it spread up your spine and into your shoulders, but it has done some serious damage that can only be reversed with aura... with the warning of the Outbreak you gave us you saved many lives today Mr. Jacobes, and I managed to get the Joy clan to get you a one way ticket to Kanto," she said as tears welled up in my eyes.
"I... I just started my journey Nurse Joy. If anything I need to heal before I even set out of this building, mentally that is. Those... things, were like they came from Giratina's domain..." I slip my pokemon into my lap, "... they were mindless, not caring if they were missing arms or not," I muttered as another person entered the room. Nathan, walked in with Luka as he wore a large smile on his face, "Look whose awake! Man you are tough as nails!" He shouted before Luka took a swift jab to the top of his head. "Sorry, sorry, anyway... I'll be headin' with ya to Rota and I am also here to explain how the Outbreak came about," he said before taking a chair next to me. "With the help of a Subterranean Alakazam, with a special move called [Mind Spike] we managed to find a fissure into a large underground network filled with toxic plants found normally in Unova and Kalos all mixed together and hybridized. With the interesting flora came interesting fauna such as the Tediursa which the Variant we'll call is Grimclaw. It became a Poison/Normal type but when it evolves into Ursaring it becomes a Poison/Dark in typing... those things were slaughtered until we pushed them into the caves where it was sealed with the help of the Jenny Clan, the League, and two of the Elite 4, I managed to get a peak at the camera footage of the caves, and it's like a whole new region down there... that aside you are being rewarded a large sum of money for the Outbreak warning, but what we got from your Kirlia, we also discovered a regional for the Hoothoot line. It is called Noxtowl, a Poison/Flying type, which attacked your camp last night. Sheesh, and it was your first night too. Anyway in a few days or weeks we'll leave for Kanto to head to Rota so you can get yourself healed!" He said cheerfully as I process the information. I then stared directly into his eyes "I would like to help lead expeditions into the caves... but before that I would like to train Persephone and Hermes, I will Wright down a list of things I will need and give it to you. You can keep the rest of the money as compensation for running the errand," I say quickly noting down a few items.
-Power Anklet
-Power Lens
-2x Macho Brace
-4x Ultra Balls
Spending the money I got as a reward, Nathan was shocked at the list but understood the necessity of the items. "Alrighty, I'll see what I can do. You," he points at me "focus on getting better, and then we can head toward Rota," he said with a smile.