Owen's eyes fluttered open to the caress of the noon sun, its warmth absorbed by the blue blanket beneath him. The meadow spread out in a sea of green, with the gentle rustle of pine trees providing a soothing soundtrack to his surroundings.
He’d fallen asleep, after finishing the light snack he’d brought with him. Just some packaged crackers and a small can of ginger ale, the former’s crumbs still on the front of his shirt. He shook them off, only to realize the rest of his belongings weren’t there. He looked toward the trees to see his bike wasn’t there, either.
Damnit, damnit damnit!
His head furiously swiveled around to see if the culprit was still trying to get away with it, but there was no one. He reached for his pockets, only to feel his cell phone and wallet, were still there, maybe something else he’d forgotten too.
Another glance would reveal that the walkway into the park wasn’t there either. He looked towards the blanket again to notice even the soda can and cracker bag were gone, nowhere to be seen.
The hell they want those for? You’re gonna take my bike, but throw out my trash? Little shits. Screw you.
Attempting to regain his composure, Owen looked around the large meadow which unfolded like a living canvas, a riot of red, yellow, blue, and white flowers swaying in a delicate dance. The vibrant hues painted a kaleidoscope on the green canvas of the grass. Lacking were the sounds of urban life, or the chain link fence bordering the park’s tranquility.
Were all those flowers here when I got here?
Owen was fixated on them for a moment before getting up to stretch. He’d felt rested, better than he’d felt in a while. After shaking the blanket out, he folded it up to carry. It was going to take over an hour to walk home, that’s for sure.
He reached for his phone, used the unlock code, and to his shock there was no service.
Really? I hate you guys. Swear I’m switching one of these days. Everyone else gets service in the boonies and I can’t even get the internet in a park in the city!
He had entered with the trees on his left, so it made sense to trace them backward. As Owen walked, he began to doubt if the path he remembered had truly existed on his way in. He continued, his steps carrying him until a sense of unease settled in. Having now taken three, maybe four times as long as it had to enter the park, there was still no sight of a road. On one side, the meadow stretched endlessly, while on the other, tall pine trees stood sentinel.
The field of flowers seemed to extend indefinitely, and an eerie stillness enveloped the surroundings. Suddenly, shadows darted across the ground, too large to be birds, yet absent of the deafening screech of a plane. However, as Owen gazed upward, there was nothing in the sky, not so much as a solitary cloud.
A subtle, low humming began, resembling a song too indistinct to decipher. The humming intensified, and Owen could almost discern the repeated word, “baby,” punctuating every few syllables.
“Flabebe Flabebe”
Owen's eyes drifted toward the colorful flowers he’d mostly ignored up until this point. He pinched himself, half-expecting to wake up from what felt like a trippy dream. The tickle of the long grass against his ankles did little to ease his growing sense of bewilderment.
The humming got louder.
“Flabebe Flabebe”
He carefully inched towards the nearest circle of red flowers. They were moving. In an instant they all turned towards Owen, and said their names again, cheerfully waving.
THUD!
He fell backwards, that was going to smart. Better the ass, than the head, but still. The flowers all looked at him in shock, concern even. One of them laughed, only to be hit lightly by its neighbor. Confusion flooded his face.
This isn’t real. Pokémon? Okay, okay. It’s just a trippy dream, whatever.
A stinging sensation came from his hand, which had done little to catch his fall. He saw blood, dirt, and bits of bark from the tree root, on top of the scrape.
His attention turned back to the Pokémon, who were talking amongst themselves, too low to hear over the hum of the other groups. They turned back to him, and the closest one bounced on over. It looked up at him and smiled.
“Flabebe!” The apparent Pokémon exclaimed before shaking its little flower crown above the hand he’d been holding. The little golden dust flittered down, shining under the clear sky. The stinging stopped, and the blood was gone. The little one bounced back to its circle, before turning around, looking proud of itself.
“Uhh…thank you!” Owen still wasn’t sure what was happening, but might as well play along. The fairy Pokémon smiled back at him.
“Do you know where I…we are?” He asked, taking a moment to be mindful.
The group looked amongst themselves and then all shrugged in uncanny unison.
“How about… do you know where I can find houses? You know, the things people live in?”
This time, the one who had laughed earlier lit up with its mouth wide open, and started bouncing, before pointing straight behind Owen, and into the forest. The others seemed to frown at this suggestion, before turning back to face Owen.
A high-pitched hum with a tinge of concern came out of the one who had healed his hand, but ultimately it had pointed in the same direction as well.
“Alright, I’ll be careful then. It can’t be that bad, right?” Wanting to get somewhere with a roof before dark, he waved goodbye to the field of flowery fairies, who returned the gesture before resuming their singing or chanting, or whatever it had been.
So, that was weird, but any minute I’ll probably wake up anyways. Right back on the blanket in the park, no one really would steal a bike in broad daylight, surrounded by people? That’s more unrealistic than the Pokémon! Laughing at his inner monologue did little to subside the mental tug of war as to whether this was a dream or a new reality.
The crunching of pine needles mixed with leaves from the underbrush followed him as he slowly trekked through the tightly packed forest. Every step had been methodical as the gnarled roots penetrated what felt like every inch of dirt underfoot. The air carried the earthy aroma of damp moss, and the distant chatter of hidden creatures filled the surroundings.
His pace had gradually slowed as he searched for signs of civilization or anything for that matter. Owen paused, taking a moment to survey the area. However, there was no clearing or river in sight. The landscape resembled an endless wooden labyrinth in every direction, and his feet were beginning to ache.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, the forest transformed. Shadows grew longer, and the fading sunlight escaped all but the thinnest of trees. Owen continued his trek, the forest now cloaked in the eerie glow of approaching dusk.
The crinkling from either side had been getting to him too. Every time he looked, nothing was there, but it just kept happening. The cold bite of the wind against his cheek derailed this train of thought. That must be it, just the leaves rustling in the breeze. That, or some stupid squirrels.
The scent of smoke forced him to focus on sniffing the air, only to feel a bit nostalgic. He was sure it was a campfire, not even letting the thought of a forest fire cross his mind. After looking around for a few moments, there was a small trail of smoke to be found coming from deeper in the woods. He rushed toward the source, in the remnants of daylight that still could permeate its way in front of him.
Finally! They’ll be able to tell me where I am, and I can get home, or at least somewhere with light and a roof.
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This is what he’d been hoping for all afternoon, a way back to civilization, a way to…
A Log cabin.
“Hello?! Anybody there?” He shouted, almost immediately regretting it.
I don’t know anyone here. Why the hell would I do that?
The cabin stood in solitude, its weathered facade telling tales of years gone by. Vines embraced the wooden walls, and patches of moss clung to the roof. The broken windows revealed glimpses of the interior, scattered debris and the remnants of a once-cozy abode had been tossed, shoved without a care. Surrounded still by trees, their overgrown branches cast elongated shadows that stretched out from the cabin like ghostly fingers, dancing in the dim light from the embers that came from within.
Owen crept around to what might have been the front of the cabin, what should have been the front of the cabin, to find it was in shambles. It hadn’t fallen down.
It had been smashed to hell.
He froze to scan the immediate area, noticing a large gap in the trees. They were pushed aside, without a care. The broken and splintered trunks splayed out without rhyme or reason, leaving a trail behind, that thankfully showed no signs of whatever made it had stuck around.
His attention returned to the house; the smoke now diminished, but up close, it carried a genuinely sweet aroma. He cautiously approached the side of the wreckage, peering inside to identify the source. A pile of sticks lay on the concrete floor, some of their ends still releasing a faint haze.
Yet, there was no sign of anyone nearby. Torn carpet and odd items had been cast aside, forming a disarrayed heap against the remaining walls of the room. Owen’s eyes turned towards the doorframes, leading into rooms that otherwise still looked intact. As he approached the sticks, he picked one up and found himself engulfed in a pleasant, albeit subtle, aroma reminiscent of...cinnamon?
EEP!
A shrill gasp echoed from one of the adjacent rooms, accompanied by the unmistakable crash of boxes tumbling over.
Shit, am I doing this? I shouldn’t even be here, not with how this place looks. What if whatever did that is still inside? No. No, it can’t be. Those trees were shoved aside. No way it even fit through a door frame.
He approached the door in the faint final glow of dusk, peering at what seemed to be moving next to the mess of stuff that must have just fallen.
A small yellow and orange creature was on its side with its eyes closed and whimpering. Some dark lump had been covering the center of its body, and spilling onto the floor. Owen knelt down to realize it was a green scarf.
“I’m… I’m not going to hurt you.” He said in a near whisper. Almost as fearful as the creature himself, but he mustered up as much for the weeping animal.
The little creature momentarily calmed down, and slowly opened one eye, only to shut it immediately, returning to its earlier shivering.
He reached out to gently pat the orange part of the creature, knowing it probably wasn’t the best idea.
I’m so going to get bitten, aren’t I?
But no such strike came. Instead, he pat the small creature and started to feel very warm himself. Too warm in fact, as it took a moment to register just how warm his hand was becoming.
“AHHHH!”
Owen recoiled his hand as the little creature jumped away to the corner of the room. Groaning, and clutching his hand, he kept his eyes on the creature who now had begun to stand up, eyes glistening with its own tears, before taking a tiny, hesitant step forward.
CRASH
CRACKLE
BOOM
Man and creature jumped out of their skin before the little yellow thing darted right into Owen’s chest.
The burning hot creature was back in his hands! He dropped it into his lap, but the little one pushed its head into him. It really was more yellow than orange as he could barely see now. It was at this point it dawned on him that the creature in his lap was none other than a Fennekin, which would explain why the orange fur had burned him.
More Pokémon?
They barely had time to recover before a flash lit up the ruins of the cabin once again. The deafening roars that followed sent Owen into the room the fox had just lept from, as it held onto him for dear life. Another boom came, this one much quieter than before. And another. The sound was getting closer, not farther. And it wasn’t preceded by any flash. Owen started to shiver now too, knowing that unless the laws of physics were being violated, something worse was headed their way.
The little yellow furball suddenly perked up, and lept out of his arms, leaving Owen to fall backward from the surprise. It was running towards the pile of sticks, and returned with one in mouth, plopping it down next to Owen in the side room. It started going back for the next, at which point he clamored to his feet. Owen made his way over to the sticks, and gathered the remainder in his hands, causing the little one to jolt in surprise. The little yellow fox had felt brave enough to lunge at his leg, only to sink its teeth into the bottom of his pants leg, and be dragged along behind.
I’ll be damned if we’re caught by whatever that is over a few sticks of cinnamon.
Owen set the sticks down in a pile next to the rest, and his would-be yellow assailant fumbled onto its backside on the carpet, before scrambling back to its feet. The Pokémon noticed the full pile of sticks on the floor and looked up at Owen with a newfound wonder in its eyes. He closed the door, shutting the last remnants of light out of what was perhaps the only room in the house with a roof and all four walls still intact.
The rhythmic sound had subsided for now, but that did little to ease the anxious thought that it could return at any time.
“Feeennnn”
The room regained a dim orange glow from the little Pokémon’s ears. Owen could at least see his hands in from of his face, before returning his gaze to the yellow fox. It no longer seemed to be straining itself, but the glow remained as it dove into the pile of sticks, demolishing one in but a second. Another stick followed its way to the Pokémon’s belly before it turned towards Owen, the all but strange human to itself, and a tinge of guilt hit the previously lone Pokémon. It looked at the pile of sticks and picked up one before dropping it in Owen’s lap.
“Uhhh… thanks?” He replied, not knowing what he was going to do with it. He hadn’t eaten since noon time, but sticks? He was hungry sure, but not that desperate. Not yet anyway.
The little yellow fox did nothing but stare up at him expectantly, before finally nudging its nose forward. All the while, refusing to turn its attention elsewhere.
“What, you want me to right now?” Owen protested, to the little fur ball’s momentary confusion. The fire-type Pokémon then jumped up and took the stick back, holding it by one end as smoke started coming out the opposite end, before returning the stick right back to Owen’s lap. Fennekin had resumed its expectant pose, now sure the person it deemed strange could finally share its favorite snack.
Owen picked up the now warm and fragrant stick, pretending to analyze it as the sweet smell started to convince him that it might not be the worst thing he’d done all day. Wanting to lose the feeling of being stared at like a test subject, he decided to close his eyes and make a big crunch taking a good third of the stick off at once. It wasn’t bad. He expected something chewy and moist, but it had been dry and sweet even easy to chew!
The now excited little fox cheered as he scarfed the rest of it down easily. Maybe the human wasn’t such a weird thing to it after all. The yellow Pokémon returned to the pile and clumsily managed to grab two sticks this time. It gently, yet instantly roasted them both before depositing one into Owen’s lap again.
After finishing their next round of tasty treats, Owen looked down at the little glutton and laughed, seeing the bits of bark all over the side of its formerly white muzzle. The little fox looked up at him and laughed as it saw the same little crumbs on the side of his lips as well.
“Fenekin kin kin” One could hardly believe this was the same whimpering mess from several moments ago.
And that’s when it returned. The thumping was louder than ever. One pound, then another followed by a short break. One more pound, another crept closer and closer. The orange lights of the little fox’s ears dimmed as it began to whimper once again.
A great flash of light preceded the sundering of the wall behind them. Something had come crashing through with the force of a train, demolishing all remaining furniture in the tattered former home. All of which flew to the side like toys in the advance of the terrible creature. An awful pain struck Owen’s back as he was flung in the direction of the door, forcing it open as his body flew through the air, only stopping when he hit the remainder of the wall on the opposite side.
He struggled to keep his eyes open, fixated on where the direction of force came from, but it was too heavy a task. He reached to prop himself up off of the floor only to collapse. The last thing he felt was something small escaping his pocket from the side he’d landed on, before losing the struggle to stay awake.
The tall creature had finally stopped. Its awful gaze scanned the rubble for anything worthy of its ire, as it let out a roar that shattered any remaining glass.
“TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR”
The little fire fox had tumbled and rolled along with the chaos before coming to a stop next to the human it had only just been laughing with. Trembling, it turned towards him, pushing its little yellow nubs into his chest frantically. There was no response. Fennekin turned its little frame towards the giant invader, its green scales just barely visible thanks to the orange flickering of the fox Pokémon’s ears. The enraged titan’s shadow grew larger as something welled up inside of the little Fennekin.
The air around it was getting much, much warmer as the fox was ready to unleash its full might upon the invader. A pair of large fireballs launched directly at the towering rock type, leaving a large cloud of smoke following their explosion against the Tyranitar’s shoulders. Fennekin stood in awe at how much bigger that was than any other attack it had ever mustered.
The orange glow started to retreat from the room as the fire type was sure that must have been enough to drive off the invader. The smoke clouds cleared as the air crackled, a string of yellow lights focused on a single point, halfway up the towering figure. A fist cut right through the smoke, charged with electricity, poised to end the fox’s feeble resistance in an instant. Its little yellow leg retreated, bumping into a round object, causing the fox to recoil again. Truly with nowhere to go, all it could do now was duck.
A bright blue light erupted from the ball behind Fennekin, materializing a large shape directly between it and the attacking green monster. A shockwave of force threw the little fox straight into Owen’s unconscious body, the wave even managed to stagger their foe out of its own thunder punch, it fizzling away with a crackle of energy.
A mixture of golden and red light lasered in on the tyrant beast, directly centered upon its terrible frame. Unperturbed, the armored Pokémon’s fists began to glow again. This time, one had been blazing red, and the other an icy blue.