Chapter Text
Clarion; a clear, stirring sound.
The back of her wet t-shirt brushes her skin as she presses closer to the rough tree bark positioned behind her.
There’s nowhere to go. Nowhere to run. And, quite literally, nowhere to hide.
Taru stands in an open field, under the rainy fall of night, with about a dozen Shinx and one pissed-off Luxray moving in on her. It’s moving fast.A small wince parts Taru’s lips as stray, crackling sparks graze her bare arms and legs. She recoils further back against the tree as static fills her bright red hair. “Somebody... please help,” she whispers to herself, rain soaking her to the bone, plastering Taru’s hair to her face. The Luxray raises its tail into the air, ready to pounce. Taru squeezes her eyes tightly shut, her entire body preparing for the impact.
“Hitmonlee, Double Kick!”
In an instant Luxray is blown away by a powerful kick from a Hitmonlee. No jolt of electricity fills the air, no harsh swipe of the Steel-type move Iron Tail nor the tight snap of the Luxray’s Crunch attack. To her own surprise, Taru’s left completely unharmed.
Relief flushes through Taru’s body and she collapses onto her knees, eyes wide as she watches the scene unfolding in front of her.
Two boys stand a few feet away – one with dark blue hair covered by a bright red hat and another with stark blond hair. The blond commands the Fighting-type Pokemon, again. “Brick Break!”
Hitmonlee cries out and swings its right arm forward, the side of its hand colliding steadily with Luxray’s flank. The move slams the wild Pokemon to the ground. It lands with a loud thud, collapsing into the dirt.
Suddenly a small, yellow Pokemon appears beside Taru, crawling onto her lap. Its red cheeks crackle as sparks of electricity prick Taru’s forearms. The Pikachu stands up on her lap, arms held away from its body, glaring at the pride of Shinx and the wounded leader. Pikachu says something to the other Pokemon, but she can’t understand it. Whatever it says frightens the Shinx and they tuck their tails between their legs. They help their leader up by supporting its sides, then rush off into the gloomy night.
Taru watches them fade into the darkness. She doesn’t understand what’s happening nor does she want to. It’s almost as if her brain can’t comprehend the situation. Her eyes shift as the dark-haired boy approaches her, calling out to Pikachu. It must belong to him. He scratches affectionately between Pikachu’s black-tipped ear and Pikachu chatters something back. It’s tone sounds sarcastic, in a strange way, but, again, Taru can’t understand it.
The boy ignores whatever his partner Pokemon said and looks over at Taru. “Are you okay?” he asks, dropping onto one knee. For a moment, Taru doesn’t speak. Her brain is slowly taking in the reality forming around her – her reality. She realizes she’s soaking wet, clothes clinging to her skin. It’s uncomfortable. She shivers. And, instead of answering the boy, her palms clap against each of her forearms, rubbing them in an attempt to keep herself warm. He speaks again. This time, his tone is gentle, friendlier. He closes the remaining gap between them, patting Taru’s shoulder. “Can you hear me?”
Taru’s blank stare bores into his dark blue eyes and she slowly nods in response.
“Where did you come from?” asks the blond. He returned his Pokemon a few minutes ago and came to crouch beside his friend. He holds Hitmonlee’s pokeball in his hand, arm bent at the elbow over his left knee. Swallowing about a mouthful of saliva, Taru’s eyes lift to look at the sky. She raises her index finger and points toward the black, swirling rift that appeared in the sky about an hour or two ago. “That... thing.”
The two boys crane their necks to get a better look at the sky rift. It’s as black as the night sky and nearly blends into it entirely. They almost don’t even see it, but, as they squint, their eyes catch a glimpse of the lightning flashing from the centre.
Taru eyes the rift like it’s the devil. She can’t really remember where she came from – her home region was named Sinnoh and she knows what Pokemon are... she recognized the Hitmonlee and Luxray-led pride right away. But she definitely isn’t in Sinnoh anymore.
“Where am I?” she croaks, her voice sounding hoarse, throat dry. She swallows again.
The blond boy turns back to her and she’s sick of not knowing their names, so she decides that will be her next question. “What?”
“Wh-” She doesn’t finish, because a new sound fills the air. One of thumping, like hooves, coming right toward them. Taru’s eyes fill with newfound fear and she stays where she is, head swivelling around, trying to see what the hell is about to appear.
A white Pokemon appears out of nowhere, leaping across the open fields of the region at a breakneck pace. It’s almost too fast to comprehend and Taru feels even more frightened than before. The two strangers definitely can’t defeat this wild Pokemon. It’s moving way too fast. The strange Pokemon speeds up to them, sliding to a halt as it’s hooves stamp into the ground, practically sticking it into place. As its rider slides off, Taru can see it’s a deer-like Pokemom. It looks a little familiar – like a Stantler, but much larger and very, very white, like snow.
The rider’s feet hit the ground and she stomps up to the boy’s jabbing a finger into the blond’s chest. “Junko! Rei! Where the hell have you two been?” she snaps, hands on her hips. Her eyebrows are furrowed and Taru thinks she sees steam pouring from the girl’s ears. “The professor is worried sick – you’ve been gone for hours!” Her face turns slightly and she notices Taru. Jabbing a thumb in her direction, she asks, “Who’s this?”
Taru freezes beneath her gaze. The girl isn’t exactly scary... in fact, she reminds Taru of a stereotypical older sister. Then again, she could be the same age. Taru’s too afraid to ask. She blinks as the girl directs a question at her. “My name? It’s... Taru.” She speaks slowly, keeping her tone level despite fear gripping her to the very core. Her gaze flickers between the trio, silently asking them to reciprocate and give their names.
“My name’s Miu,” says the girl, offering Taru her hand. She takes it. “And the two idiots behind me are Junko and Rei.” She points to each of them so Taru understands who is who.
Taru nods. “Thank you for helping me,” she says.
For a moment nobody moves. The group just stares at each other. They all want to ask questions, but there are too many and none of them have time to voice them aloud. “Okay, let’s get you back to base camp and into some dry clothes,” says Miu, shrugging off her coat and wrapping it around Taru’s shoulders. “You’re freezing.”
Taru doesn’t respond as they mount the large deer Pokemon. Apparently it’s name is Wyrdeer.
Miu sits on the front of Wyrdeer’s back while Taru climbs on behind her, wrapping her arms tightly around Miu’s waist.
“Oh, so we have to walk back?” mutters Junko, hoping Miu won’t hear his complaint.
Miu turns her head and scowls. “Does Wyrdeer look like a four-seater to you?”
Stunned, Jun shakes his head and replies, “No, ma’am.”
Miu’s eyes narrow and she turns away, saying, “That’s what I thought.”
The conversation dies as Wyrdeer readies itself for another dash; taking a few walking strides, trotting, then rising into something between a canter and a gallop. They are off across the field.
~
The girls reach the camp in a matter of minutes; they couldn’t have been too far in the first place and Taru likely could have found the camp herself if she had known where she was.
Wyrdeer slides to a halt at the edge of the camp and Miu slips off, helping Taru do the same. She pats the Pokemon on the nose before it nudges her back and turns away, disappearing behind the rocky hills surrounding the camp. Taru stares after it, wondering, again, where the hell she is and where that Pokemon came from. She’s never seen anything like it before.
Before she can ask about Wyrdeer or any of the other questions circling inside her head, Taru turns to see Miu is no longer beside her. Instead, she stands beside a short man who’s wearing a purple hat and a slightly dirty lab coat. That must be the professor Miu mentioned before. “Where are the others?” he asks Miu, eyeing Taru with concern for a few seconds before looking back at Miu again.
Miu folds her arms over her chest after beckoning Taru to stand beside her. “They are coming. Wyrdeer can’t fit four people on his back so I made them walk.” She chuckles slightly and lazily flicks her wrist in Taru’s direction. She comes to hesitantly stand at Miu’s side. “This is Taru. We found her in the middle of the Obsidian Fieldlands; she’s confused and has no place to go so I brought her back here.” She closes her mouth, eyeing the professor expectantly.
He looks over Taru as if she’s a new and rare Pokemon. Offering Taru his hand, he introduces himself in a kind tone. “I’m Professor Laventon. Miu, Rei, and Jun are my students... in a sense.” He notices Miu’s coat wrapped around her shoulders. “We can discuss the specifics later; first, we should get you into some dry clothes before you catch your death out here.”
Taru nods and lowers her gaze to the ground. She doesn’t take his hand.
Maybe she shouldn’t trust these people. But they’ve shown her nothing but kindness, and they saved her life – she doesn’t really have a choice, she decides and follows Miu into the nearest tent.
Taru pauses at the door while Miu casually walks further into the small enclosed room. She kicks off her shoes and tells Taru to make sure the flaps are shut behind her. They are. Then Miu moves over to a chest placed neatly beside her sleeping bag and rifles through it, throwing bundles of clothes onto the damp floor. “We’re about the same size, so I think anything’ll fit, right?”
Taru waits patiently by the door, her muddy shoes still on her feet when Miu glances at her over her shoulder. “You can take your shoes off,” she says, sounding a little annoyed. “Don’t track mud into my tent, or I’ll feed you back to the Fieldlands.”
Taru blinks, slightly stunned by her words. Assuming it’s a joke, she plops down onto the floor and removes her shoes, making sure not to spill any more mud than necessary onto the crisp white fabric. “Uh – Miu... is that your name?” Miu nods. “I’ve been meaning to ask this for a while but... where are we?”
Miu swings her head back around to look at Taru, her eyes wide in surprise. She looks like a Hoothoot. “What do you mean ‘where are we’?” she says. “This is the Obsidian Fieldlands. Haven’t you been here before?” Her eyes drop to Taru’s pajama shorts and sneakers. “Well... judging from the odd way you’re dressed I guess not.” She shoves a bundle of clothes into Taru’s arms. “Where are you from then?”
Taru shakes her head. “I don’t really remember,” she admits, starting to feel more comfortable now that it’s just the two of them in the secretive space of Miu’s tent. “All I remember is... I was... falling?” She pauses, her head suddenly swept with a wave of dizziness, but she shakes it off and thinks a little more. “I know I’m from a place called Sinnoh, but, judging from where we are, I’m definitely not there anymore.” She seems like she’s talking to herself, but Miu responds anyway.
“Sinnoh? You mean like the Almighty Sinnoh?” she questions, staring at Taru like she’s absolutely lost her mind.
In turn, Taru blinks back, more confused than ever. “Uh... Sinnoh’s the name of my home region, not a thing.”
“Sinnoh is what we call our 'god', I guess you could say,” explains Miu, relaxing a little. Taru definitely isn’t from here. “This region is called Hisui – ever heard of it?”
The name smacks Taru across the face. She nods. “Yeah, I have.... I read about it in a book once.” Then she goes quiet, memories pooling inside her mind.
Yup, she thinks. Definitely not in Sinnoh anymore.
But how did she end up travelling through time and space? Maybe the rift in the sky? And, she can’t tell them she was from the future. They'll think she’s absolutely bonkers. So, Taru decides not to say anything else on the topic.
She changes quickly and tosses Miu’s jacket back to her. Miu catches it and tugs it back over her shoulders.
Before either of the girls can say anything more, there’s a shuffling noise outside of their tent, followed by a pair of familiar voices.“Are you guys decent in there?” asks Junko. Taru hears his teeth chattering, so she rushes to open the tent flaps, flinging them open as the pair duck beneath the fabric and crawl inside. Jun swears under his breath. “It’s freezing.”
"Thank you." Rei nudges past Taru and sits down at the entrance, quietly slipping off his shoes. He watches Taru as she stares at the floor, unsure of where to look other than the damp carpet flopped in front of the entryway. He doesn’t say anything more to her and his gaze lifts to look at Miu who’s standing at the back of the tent beside her sleeping bag.
She stretches her arms above her head and kicks another pair of sleeping bags aside. “Oi, where’s Taru gonna sleep?” She looks around, annoyance filling her green eyes. She thoughtfully taps her chin. “Can’t have her sleeping outside with the wild Pokemon.... But there isn’t much room in here as it is.” She looks at Jun and Rei. “Do you think we could squish another person in here?”
Rei shakes his head. “There’s no need to,” he says. He shrugs his shoulder in the direction of the tent flaps. “Professor Laventon said we’re going back to the village tonight.”
“Village?” Taru echoes without thinking.
Junko fixes her with a bewildered look as he quirks an eyebrow. “Yeah, Jubilife village. Have you never heard of it before?”
Taru shakes her head.
Miu hesitates before answering and settles down in her sleeping bag, laying on her back. “Taru’s not really from around here....”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” says Junko, now looking at Miu.
“She can explain later. Let’s rest for a bit before we head back.” Miu props herself up onto her elbows just as the tent flaps open again, this time revealing the friendly face of Professor Laventon.
“No time,” he says to Miu. “We’re going back now.” He looks down at the group of teenagers. “Put your shoes back on and let’s get going.” He pops his head back outside, leaving the kids to claim their respective pairs of shoes.
“Ugh!” Miu growls. “I’m tired.”
Rei runs his fingers through his damp hair, sighing. “We all are.”
Jun groans, grabbing his soaking-wet shoes and tugging them back onto his feet. “And we’ll have to hear Ms. Cyllene drone on and on about the mission. Yay.” He rolls his eyes.
Taru lifts her hand from her lap as she shifts onto her butt to slip on her own pair of shoes. They’re soaking wet. Ignoring the feeling of wetness filling her socks, she turns to her acquaintances. “What do you guys do exactly?”
“We work with the Survey Corps,” says Rei, putting his hat back onto his head and standing up. He tucks an arm beneath the tent's flap but stays inside. “It’s in Jubilife Village, too.”
“You’ll meet Ms. Cyllene and everyone else when we get there,” says Miu, offering Taru a hand.
Taru stares at her outstretched hand like it’s a Seviper’s open mouth waiting to swallow her whole. She shakes her head and pushes herself off the ground, standing up at her full height beside Miu.
The only one left sitting, struggling to knot a sufficient ribbon onto his shoes, is Jun. “Hold your Ponyta, I’m coming.”
Taru blinks, confused by his response. “No one said anything,” she says bluntly.
Miu giggles, covering her mouth with her palm. “That’s just Jun being hasty.” She rolls her eyes, looking down at him. “Do you need any help?”
Jun shakes his head, finally tightening the knot of his shoe. “Nope. I got it.” He brushes off her condescending tone with ease and breezes past them, grinning at Rei as he slips his head beneath the tent and vanishes into the rain.
The three follow him out and grab a few bags before they make their way up the mountainous path toward Jublilife Village. It takes them about an hour before Professor Laventon stops at the very top of a tall hill, pausing for what seems to Taru like dramatic effect. He moves aside and gestures with a flourish toward a small village nestled at the foot of the hill.
“Welcome to Jubilife Village,” he says enthusiastically.
The trio – Miu, Jun, and Rei – groan. “Professor, it’s still pouring,” complains Miu, walking past him.
Rei nods, following close behind her. “Ms. Cyllene’s going to kill us for soaking the Galaxy Hall’s floors.”
“She doesn’t look impressed,” says Jun to Laventon, referring to Taru. He comes to stand beside her.
She looks stunned more than anything and Professor Laventon’s bright smile presses into a frown. “Sorry if our village doesn't meet your expectations,” he says, his gaze dropping to the grass.
Taru rushes to reassure him, basically scrambling over herself as she waves her hands in the air. “No, no, it’s not that – it’s a nice village! I’m just... I’m still really confused as to what’s happened and where I am....” She trails off.
Jun claps a hand onto her closest shoulder, another grin across his lips. “Don’t worry. The professor’s smarter than he looks, I’m sure he’ll figure out where that sky-rift-thingy came from and how to send you back before too long.”
Taru presses her lips together and stares back at him, her expression almost completely blank. She wants to say it doesn’t matter how smart he is, if she doesn’t have all of her memories, what good is going back to wherever she came from?
Clarity; the quality of being coherent and intelligible.
Taru knows if she keeps moving forward, she’ll eventually get some answers.