Kanto Wilderness III - The First Disaster
A Pokémon League Alakazam had appeared without warning in Bill’s kitchen once Slate returned to it. It seemed to convey something to Ranger Holly via thought for a moment, that she answered in return. It nodded and crossed its spoons, its eyes alight with Psychic-type Pokéenergy. And then Slate found himself Teleported.
Slate found the sensation unsettling, disturbing, and just plain odd. His body felt as though as it was condensed into a single point while simultaneously being stretched onward to infinity. He came undone in layers, moving without moving, until he could no longer feel his body, could no longer see Bill’s kitchen. The only thing he could see what a black light so bright it was white. And then reality snapped.
Slate found himself twisting and turning, folding in on himself over and over only to be stretched out again. It lasted seconds, minutes, eons, and colors began to appear and disappear in shapes he was certain weren’t possible. The song of the world echoed in non-existent ears, whispering of events both to come and long forgotten, promising…
Reality slammed into Slate with all of the subtlety of a mountain. He staggered, losing his balance at suddenly being pressed into a body once more, and fell to the stone and dirt beneath him on all fours. Slate's stomach heaved unpleasantly and his dinner quickly came up as he vomited. He groaned miserably.
“Bill, take Slate to triage. I need to report in,” Ranger Holly ordered. Her voice was only slightly off as she caught her breath. Slate realized he couldn’t hear her walk away on account of the wounded cries filling the air, of Pokémon and humans alike.
A firm hand gripped Slate’s shoulders. “First Teleport, huh? Yeah, it’ll take a while to get used to it, I still have trouble with it.”
Slate finally managed to tear his eyes away from the ground to look up at Bill’s pale face. Only Bill’s coloration had nothing to do with the Teleport.
Slate always knew this moment was inevitable. When he had plotted out his path, the goals he would need to pursue on his Journey, he knew that eventually he would be called to provide relief during or after a disaster. He thought his experiences at the Mt. Silver Pokémon Center would be enough to prepare him for the blood, the screaming, the danger.
He was not ashamed to admit he was wrong.
They stood on the edge of a large sinkhole, much larger than Slate thought possible. Ocean water frothed angrily over the edge as it rapidly filled in the hole, while dozens of Trainers and their Pokémon dove for the waters, pulling out anyone living they could find. Further inland, closer to the mountain, a large canyon had appeared, breaking a large portion of the mountain, causing it to collapse in on itself. Even in the dim night, Slate could see flashlights and fires moving as rescuers searched for survivors.
And everywhere lay the injured and dying. The Rock-types of the area, Geodudes and Gravelers were digging their way free of the avalanche of dirt and stone covering them, occasionally releasing a small Ratatta or Pidgey along the way. But Slate could see blood gushing from some of the rocks, indicators of those unfortunate souls who had been trapped underneath. Slate twitched at the sight of a Trainer’s hand, laying beside a long rock, with a single Poké Ball clutched in it. A wailing Cubone stood next to it.
Bill dragged Slate forward. They stumbled over the injured and dead, winding their way through the rocks and broken trees. Many of the Pokémon were Wild, glaring fearfully at them as they approached. Bill had to prevent Slate from stopping to help them.
“We need to get you to triage. Search and Rescue will go through the Wild Pokémon, convincing them to let us help. But if you approach them right now, they might try to kill you in their fear and pain,” Bill explained.
Slate understood a moment later. A Trainer, no older than himself, was crouched, whispering to a trapped Beedrill. It buzzed furiously when she tried lifting the log trapping it, stabbing with sharp thrusts. The Trainer fell screaming and dropped the log, crushing the Beedrill even as other rescuers swarmed their position. Slate grit his teeth and continued.
Eventually they made their way to a tent swarming with Healers and Pokémon. Bill dragged Slate to one of the harried Rangers trying to direct the flow, pushing Slate forward. “This is Field Healer Slate. Put him to work, I’m needed in S&R,” Bill said in a rush before vanishing into the crowd. The Ranger focused on Slate.
“Get in there, Healer, we’ve got criticals!” he shouted. Slate jumped and entered the tent.
It was chaos. Healers rushed between bloodied cots, tending to the wounded. At the far end of the tent a temporary clean room had been set up, the clear walls already glistening with blood as emergency cases were operated on. Slate froze as his eyes met those of an injured Trainer’s, their legs gone beneath the knees, and his ears began to ring.
Chansey appeared by Slate’s side in a blast of red light. She chirped to Slate and moved to the closest injured, assessing the wounded Machop that lay there. Slate shook himself and stepped toward the legless Trainer.
He could freeze later. There were wounded to help now.
----------------------------------------
Slate was stitching an injured Trainer’s leg when frantic shouts approached the triage area. The wounded Trainer jerked in fear, tearing the stitches and causing Slate to curse even as the woman tried to stand. It took Slate several moments to calm her, made longer due to the screaming that could now be heard in the distance.
The plastic walls of the tent began to rattle and bounce as if someone or something had decided to shake it violently. Slate felt goosebumps rise on his skin as a chilling wind swept through the gaps in the tent. He forced his attention to remain on the injured Trainer beneath him.
His fingers, slick with her blood, danced back and forth as he worked to stop her bleeding. More blood gushed past his fingers as her heart rate picked up, and she stared with wide, vacant eyes at something beyond him.
“No, no! You’re not dying,” Slate growled. “Chansey! I need Life Dew now!”
Chansey trilled before flinging her hands up. A gentle mist spread out from her hands, blanketing those nearby, healing them a small amount. The ground shook beneath them, causing Slate to stumble into his patient. She screamed.
The tent above them was torn away by a furious wind, the ropes torn free of their anchors and writhing in the air as they were carried away. Rain, cold and heavy, hit the triage area quickly soaking their clothes. But Slate followed his patient’s eyes to see what caused her scream.
Some Pokémon do not die from old age. They grow and grow, stronger and larger as the years pass them by. They have fought and struggled against one another for longer than most civilizations, appearing time and again in the myths and stories, the cautionary tales, told to children huddled around fires. That their numbers have dropped over the centuries is the only reason why humanity has survived as long as it has.
A Gyrados rose from the sea. The scales of its body gleamed in the flash of lightning from the storm above while they rippled as the muscles underneath flexed to keep it upright. Each eye gleamed with the hatred and rage of an ancient being, furious with the upstart interlopers in its domain. It opened its maw and Slate’s hair stood on end as lightning gathered in its mouth.
The world went white, blinding Slate and all others as an unholy beam left Gyrados’ mouth. The light screamed with unholy rage as it shrieked across the world, smashing into a section of the beach far from Slate. And then the Gyrados swept the beam up.
Sight returned to Slate slowly, even as the sound of trees, stone, Pokémon, and Trainers being blasted apart rang in his ears. The beam swept up and away, carving a trench through the land until it hit the mountain in the distance. The mountain broke.
Once a peak that was comparable to those of the Silver Mt. Range, it was now half the size as it collapsed in on itself. Even with the distance between them, Slate could feel the rumble of the earth as it collapsed upon itself, shaking the world with each impact.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Slate cursed as he checked on his patient. She breathed shallowly and her eyes were non-responsive as they stared directly into the rain. All around them, the frantic shouts of Healers, Trainers, and their Pokémon filled the area as they struggled to evacuate the damaged triage area.
Slate finished up his patient before flagging down one of the volunteers to move her. He joined a Nurse Joy next to a Trainer who was missing both of their legs even as light flashed through the air again, hitting nothing this time. A soggy Purrloin glared at them from the Trainer’s chest.
“Where do you need me?” Slate asked. Chansey attended a nearby Bidoff who was missing a chunk of its iconic tail.
“Left, one dose of BCE in each leg and a Sleeper spray. Initial treatment was 3 minutes ago,” Nurse Joy replied as she focused her attention entirely on the right leg. All around them patients and medical personnel were being evacuated while the gear was abandoned.
Slate focused on the left leg. Someone had tied a tourniquet around it to restrict the bleeding but that would not last forever. He prepped another unit of BCE while examining the stump.
“Femoral artery sutures holding. Ligating remaining veins,” Slate said as he focused on the other veins that the Nurse Joy had already clamped. Tense silence passed between them even as the Gyrados roared in the distance. The sound of fighting could be heard above the rainfall and blasts of light, fire, and ice colored the rain in their own ways.
Nurse Joy finished her leg before Slate did. “Prepping field cap. Apply BCE once you’re done,” she said, wiping a bloody hand across her face in a futile attempt to get the water out of her eyes.
“Done,” Slate said a moment later, pulling back. Nurse Joy immediately fitted a field cap to the stump, covering it from the elements and using it to apply pressure to the wound to help control residual bleeding. Slate injected his prepped dose of BCE into the patient’s arm as Nurse Joy worked. A moment later, the patient and Nurse Joy vanished as they were pulled along through a Teleport.
Slate stood, recalling Chansey as he did. The triage area was empty of patients, just a few volunteers and Healers like Slate remained. He quickly made his way to an abandoned medkit and went through it, replenishing his supplies.
BCE and Sleepers were some of the most useful items a Trainer could have in the wilderness. BCE, or Blended Chansey Eggs, could be injected and applied directly to wounds to help stem bleeding and improve healing in specific injuries. While vastly more effective on Pokémon, they still significantly cut down the recovery time in humans. Diluting BCE in a mix of specific Berries formed the core of all Potions. In their undiluted form, they had to be carefully administrated lest they kill the patient.
Sleepers, or Sleeper Sprays, was a carefully manufactured blend of Sleeping and Poison Powders that put the recipient asleep while also deadening their sense of feeling for a time. They were designed to wear off after ten minutes and repeated uses could be done under managed circumstances.
But even as Slate stuffed his first aid kit with his missing supplies, his eyes remained locked on the battle above him. Dozens of Flying-types circled the massive Gyrados who was visibly exhausted as an unending torrent of attacks poured down on it. Weak blasts of Thunder and Hydro Pump left its mouth, dashing through the air quickly but not quick enough for the nimble Flying-types.
At some unseen signal the attacks paused as the flyers spread out. The Gyrados roared in pain as first one, then two, then dozens of Hyper Beams lanced out to hit it. A hand landed on Slate’s shoulder and as he was Teleported away, Slate saw it scream in defiance one last time before it fell.
----------------------------------------
The aftermath of a disaster was always the worst part.
Families, torn apart. Friendships, broken by forces beyond their control. Pokémon and Trainer, teams and family and comrades, lost without the other. And the hundreds of injured Pokémon and Trainers.
The secondary triage location was located just south of Cerulean City, in a large and empty crop field that had been quickly cleared by the owner when they heard what had happened. Tents sprung up, sectioning off the area as the injured and dead flowed in to be treated and cared for. To be claimed by those missing their families.
More areas were roped off as injured Wild Pokémon were brought in to be treated. They were scared and wary of this new place, surrounded by humans while they were injured. But slowly their distrust was eased and their treatments began. They were guided back in groups to the area of their once home, to settle back in.
That was not Slate’s duty however. Day after day Slate and Chansey worked themselves into exhaustion, caring first for those who were immediately injured in the attack, then for those who were investigating the area after the event. Rangers and volunteers, exploring half-collapsed tunnels, exploring undersea caves, navigating the torn up land, all to investigate the stability of the local area. It was mixed.
Over several days information was pieced together. A group of foolish Trainers, presumed deceased, had voyaged out into the nearby sea. They attacked the Gyrados, believing themselves capable of defeating and capturing it, but found themselves quickly proven wrong. A fishing vessel witnessed the initial attack, where the Gyrados vaporized most of its attackers with a single Hyper Beam. It followed the survivors to the beach where it killed the final trespassers, before retreating from the area, its goal completed.
Unfortunately, its attack had damaged much of the coast, alarming the nearby Trainers and Rangers. While an emergency was declared, a wave of Trainers and their Pokémon pursued the retreating Gyrados and attacked it from above under the belief that it was hostile. While greater in number, many of these Trainers and their Pokémon perished while more retreated. Twice attacked, the Gyrados pursued once more.
Slate had arrived in the calm between the two battles. As more Trainers poured into the area to defeat the furious Gyrados, it only escalated its attacks, reshaping a large stretch of that part of Kanto’s coast. Before it fell, Gyrados left its mark on the world that would not soon be forgotten.
While Slate and the other volunteers worked day and night to save lives, others began to act. Within hours of their relocation Gym Leader Harry arrived with dozens of Healers and truck loads of supplies, immediately inserting themselves into the chaos to help organize it. Mere hours later, relief aid from Pewter, Viridian, and Saffron also arrived, bringing more volunteers and supplies.
Yet it took two days for the Indigo branch of the Pokémon League to send aid, bringing the least of any of the responders. That their first act was to guide camera crews through the area, left bitter feelings in their wake. That interviews occurred next to patients trying to recover, sometimes with them involved, only made it worse.
While the volunteers and wounded complained to one another about the Pokémon League showing up after the fact, Slate observed them during the rare breaks he had. Most of the men and women that arrived had few to none Poké Balls on their waists. Instead they hauled recording equipment around, assembling and disassembling it with almost machine-like efficiency.
But it was the remainder of the Pokémon League personnel that Slate tracked. Military fatigues peaked out from underneath armored plates, each carried at least a dozen Poké Balls, and they held guns in their hands, held in confident grips. Their eyes constantly scanned their surroundings, locking on to anyone who made eye contact and evaluating them as a threat instantly.
This had already occurred to Slate seven times. Three of those led to actual encounters where he was asked to identify himself, his Pokémon, and his purpose for being there. After checking his credentials via their radios, Slate was always left alone, but each encounter was nerve wracking, as the men and women always held their guns in such a way that they were almost but not quite aiming at his legs.
They were the Pokémon League Enforcers.
While nominally a humanitarian and disaster relief organization, the Pokémon League also dealt with threats to the peace and stability of the various Regions under its banner. While each Region had their own chapter of Rangers, who mainly dealt with environmental dangers, and Ace Corps, who focused on criminal or hostile Pokémon and Trainers, no Region was permitted a standing military. Only the Pokémon League held that privilege as a way to ensure peace reigned in their world.
Since there had not been another conflict since the conclusion of the Unification War two decades ago, with the Pokémon League as the ultimate victor, it was agreed as an unpleasant but necessary policy by the participating Regions.
But as Slate went back to the triage area to continue his work, he wondered if it was only delaying the inevitable. Humans, after all, were a rather violent bunch who very easily fell into us-versus-them mentalities. After all, it’s why the Unification War began and ended. Only time would tell if history repeated itself.
----------------------------------------
Time Tracker:
Days passed in Chapter: 5
Total Days: 66
Trainer Card:
Name: Slate
Occupation: Trainer, Healer, Trainee Joy, Field Healer
Ambitions:
* To find his long lost Starter
* To become a Generalist Master, a Master of all Types
Badges: Boulder(II), Cascade(II)
Trophies: Inter-Regional Rookie Tournament Qualifier (3rd)
Carry Limit: 4/10
Key items: Lucky Pebble, Aron’s Rock
Pokémon: 4
Name: Scyther (F)
Type: Bug/Flying
Potential Moves: Counter, Fury Cutter, Air Slash, Focus Energy, Silver Wind, Agility
Core Moves: Rest, Swift
Name: Alolan Vulpix (F)
Type: Ice
Potential Moves: Moonblast, Ice Shard, Confuse Ray, Draining Kiss, Icy Wind, Mist
Core Moves: Swift, Rest
Name: Aron (M)
Type: Steel/Rock
Potential Moves: Dragon Rush, Iron Defense, Rock Polish, Heavy Slam
Core Moves: Rest
Name: Chansey (F) (Non-Combatant)
Type: Normal
Potential Moves: Seismic Toss, Life Dew, Drain Punch, Calm Mind, Gravity, Heal Pulse, Soft-Boiled
Core Moves: Rest