Chapter Text
Snowstorm Inbound! All Citizens Urged To Take Immediate Shelter!
For the first time in almost 50 years, Kanto is forecasting a blizzard totaling over 30 inches of snow. Experts have come to the conclusion that the region will receive near constant snowfall and icy rain from Friday night until sometime the following weekend, over a week of predicted precipitation. With the projected amount of snow, below freezing temperatures, and high winds, citizens are highly advised to stock up on non-perishable foods and water, and take shelter this upcoming week.
The newspaper in Blue's hand crinkles as her fingers dig into the flimsy paper. Over and over again, her eyes scan the text, the final sentence searing itself into her mind.
Stock up on food and water. Take shelter inside a warm, safe from the elements house.
If only it were that easy for them.
Starting fires with half-dead lighters and firewood that they have to hope stays dry, pulling the few ratty, thin blankets they've stolen from various stores together and huddling in the corner of whichever abandoned building they find to sleep in only goes so far for warmth. Their current stash of food won't last more than a few days, even if they started rationing now and continued eating as little as possible throughout the days of the storm. Unless they rob a grocery store that still has enough on the shelves to get them through the week, they're out of luck.
By day five, they would be struggling. Making it to the end might be impossible without more supplies than what they have. They won't have enough to survive the lack of food, or the cold. Not with the temperatures dropping as low as they're expecting to, for as long as they're expected to. Nothing short of staying in a proper house, with a proper food supply would help them, but that's not something they get to have.
"Blue?" Silver speaks up beside her, tugging on her hand to get her attention.
When she glances over, his eyes are focused on the paper. From the way his mouth moves without any sound coming out and his brow furrows in clear confusion, he's trying to read the newspaper, undoubtedly wondering why she stopped them on the middle of the street. There's probably too many long, scientific words on the page for him to understand what it says—The Mask never did care much about educating him on basic concepts like reading—but that doesn't stop him from trying to figure it out.
"Sorry." She forces a smile as she shoves the newspaper into the bag on her shoulder and starts walking again, pulling him down the street to keep her back to him. If he doesn't see her face, he won't be able to tell that she's faking the smile or cheery tone of voice. "The paper had some important information on this storm, and I wanted to make sure we'll be prepared for it. Nothing to worry about." She'll have to read the rest of it after he falls asleep tonight.
It's hard to tell if he believes her, but he doesn't say anything if he doesn't. He gives her hand a slight squeeze, but she contributes it to stepping back into the crowd of people trying to get home before the dark storm clouds covering the sky start pouring snow onto the city. The last thing they need is to get separated.
None of this would have happened if she had just waited another week to bring them over to Kanto. One more week, and the ports would have been shut down due to the storm, and they would have had to wait it out in Johto, where there's no projected storm. At least not over in Olivine, where they had been hiding out until they could sneak aboard a ship that would bring them across regions.
Crossing into Kanto through the routes east of New Bark would have brought them into Viridian, closer to Pallet Town, but they didn't have the resources to make that trip with both of them. It'll take longer to get to Pallet from Vermilion, but there are cities for them to stop in almost every other day of the journey. They'll have a way to procure food, and be able to find decent shelter to stop in if it snows too heavily.
Unless they get caught in the middle of a once in a lifetime snowstorm. Which they're going to. All because she wanted to rush them over here before any winter weather could shut down the ships for potentially the rest of the season. Because as long as they could find her parents and take shelter with them before the worst of the weather came in, they'd be fine.
This is as far from fine as it gets.
Now they're trapped, without any ships to get them out of the region. Without any shelter that would protect them from snow that would almost swallow them whole if they tried walking in it. Without enough food to survive through the week, even if the cold doesn't kill them first. Neither of them are ever going to be able to find their parents and go home because her stupidity and rushing is going to get them killed.
They cut through the crowds effortlessly, swiping wallets from those who look wealthy enough to carry spare cash. Most are duds, tossed aside with barely a glance inside as they're met with empty pockets and nothing worth taking.
There's nowhere for them to go. Nowhere worth going. Vermilion is a city filled with criminals; petty thieves that scan the docks, hoping to find unguarded shipments to steal and pawn off to the highest bidder; traffickers using the ships to smuggle rare, non-native pokemon into the region; runaways looking to hop the next ship to a better life. She supposes that they technically fall into that last category.
A city of criminals comes with some perks. Among the criminals and thieves, they fit in perfectly. No one questions two too young children wandering down the main street, no parents in sight, even as the first few snowflakes fall down to melt on the sidewalk. If anyone spots them snatching wallets from those too oblivious to keep their belongings safe, they turn a blind eye, knowing they've all done it before.
It also has downfalls. Blue glances at every person they pass, noting how few of them are old ladies or parents that would be likely to take pity on them. Asking anyone for help always comes with risks, but they've learned that it's safest to try the parents with young children of their own or old ladies that wouldn't be able to chase them once the questions start turning towards one they can't answer.
If they need help, they won't be finding it here.
"Wait here," she tells Silver as they duck into an alleyway by one of the convenience stores, pushing him to hide behind a dumpster, out of sight from the street. "I'll grab us some food. Don't move unless there's danger."
The warning isn't needed, one they've both agreed on countless times. He hides while she gets them something to eat for the night, the only thing they'll eat today. There's still a simmering worry in her gut that makes her confirm before even thinking about stepping away, glancing back once, twice, then a third time just to ensure that he's not visible to anyone passing by before she darts into the store.
It's too empty to swipe anything meaningful. The sole cashier behind the counter watches her the entire time she's inside, and all she's able to grab is a couple granola bars with the limited money they got from the wallets they snatched. One for tonight, one for tomorrow. Less than they need, but better than nothing.
Silver's still hidden in the alley, drawing lines in the slowly piling snow as he waits for her, and a single cue is all she needs to give for him to jump up, latching onto her hand to continue their walk through the city. The sun has begun to set, and they don't have much time before they lose daylight and the temperatures plummet. They have something to eat, now they need to find somewhere to sleep.
A deserted warehouse by the shipyard is the best they find. The ships have already been docked for the storm, leaving the area dark and quiet as the growing snow muffles every sound that dares leak into the night air. Slipping open a window isn't hard, and soon they're sitting tucked between shipping containers, a small flashlight their only light source as she opens one of the granola bars they got.
Only a quarter of it breaks off before she's handing the rest to Silver, hiding the small section from his sight so he won't see that she didn't take her full portion and refuse to eat until she's taken more. He's already too small for seven, and they never get enough to eat; the least she can do is make sure he has the majority of what they do get.
They're both too small for their ages, but he needs to grow more than she does. She never minds going hungry for the night, or the next few days, as long as he's fed.
"Is the storm going to be bad?" Silver asks, crinkling plastic accompanying his voice as he twists the empty wrapper in his hands. A nervous habit that was never quite taken from him by cruel icy hands, and only seemed to become stronger after their escape.
The smile she gives him feels fake. It is. It always is, because nothing is ever fine, and all she can do is lie to try and keep him from worrying, but usually she can still convince herself that the smiles she shows him are genuine. They're not fine, and she doesn't know how they're going to make it through the storm, how they'll survive, but she can't let him be the one to worry about that.
"It'll be a little worse than last time, but as long as we stock up some food, it'll be alright," she lies, just as she always does. "I'll make sure we have enough to make it through. Don't worry."
He nods, but doesn't look convinced. There's too much concern in his eyes, brow knit and a small frown stuck on his face.
Clouds of condensation from their breath hovers in the air between them as silence stretches too thick, too heavy and awkward, only the distant, quiet splashing of ocean waves able to be heard from within their home for the night. She could try to lie again, but she knows Silver won't fall for it. Worry tinges every action she makes, every step, every word, every smile she tries to hide behind, because she knows exactly how bad it's going to be, and she can't hide it correctly. He knows that she failed them. Failed him.
Snow continues to fall outside of the lone window they can see, any potential moonlight to illuminate the space covered by the clouds that will soon lead to their demise. The newspaper said that the snowfall wouldn't start until tomorrow, and she has to hope that it means it won't get bad tonight. If they get stuck in here, they'll truly have no chance.
"You should get some sleep." She breaks the silence that seems to say far too much with no words, moving to pull their few blankets out from the sole bag that carries everything they can call theirs. "We're gonna have a busy day tomorrow, gotta do some preparation before the storm hits."
There's nowhere near enough blankets or padding to let them forget that they're sleeping on a concrete floor in the corner of a shipyard warehouse, and it's never enough to keep out the cold, but neither of them complain. It could be much worse. She still wraps both of the blankets not laying on the floor around Silver, bundling him up in the hope that he won't feel the breezes that blow into the space, the cold that always manages to find its way back to them. Little of the blankets lay across her, just brushing her shoulders as she holds Silver close, humming a gentle tune to get him to sleep. Hopefully without any nightmares tonight.
As soon as his breath evens out, far faster than the complaint he made of not being tired would have pointed towards, and the grip he keeps on her dress loosens, Blue tucks the rest of the blankets tightly around him and slides out of his hold. Flashlight and newspaper in hand, she ducks behind another one of the shipping containers before turning the light back on. Still close enough to be by Silver's side in an instant if he needs her, but far enough away to keep the light from waking him.
The article she skimmed earlier doesn't give her any information that would help them, not even a mention of a free shelter that they could take advantage of. She didn't think it would, but the confirmation leaves a bitter taste in her mouth, eyes scanning the text over five times before allowing herself to move to the next one. Nothing but useless article after useless article that she combs through, until the floor in front of her is covered with a mess of soon to be shredded paper, gloved fingers digging dangerously into the unfolding newspaper.
It's not until she reaches the back pages that another article catches her eye. Rampant crimes aren't out of place in the news, but an article claiming that the gym leader of the city is involved is. Curiosity gets the better of her, and she holds the flashlight closer, carefully reading every word.
A group—gang, according to the article—she's heard of before makes several mentions, claiming that the city's gym leader is deeply intertwined with the crimes they've committed. But what draws her attention the most is a claim that children across the region have been running away to join the group. That those same children are welcomed in without question. Given a place to live. Food to eat. Shelter from storms.
All for the price of following orders.
She can do that. That's what she was being trained for. What they were being trained for, but she won't let that happen to Silver.
If she could find someone to get her into this group, they could get shelter from the storm, and enough food to survive through it. Once it's over, they can take whatever they've been given and run away from it all again. Getting involved with an uprising gang, one that may have at least one of the region's gym leaders overseeing it, isn't the best idea she's had, but she can't deny that they're desperate.
As long as they keep distance and don't get too involved, it shouldn't be any harder than running away from The Mask. No one will remember two random kids that joined their ranks for a week, then disappeared the next.
It's the best chance they'll have to survive the storm with this little time to prepare for it.
Silver doesn't stir as she creeps back over to him, hand sliding into his pocket to slip Sneasel's ball out, releasing her to have watch over Silver while she sneaks out. She won't be long, and he shouldn't notice that she ever left, but she wants someone to stay awake and alert, just in case anything happens to go wrong.
The Vermilion City Gym isn't far from where they took shelter near the dock, and the cold has only just begun to bite at her fingers by the time she's standing in front of the doors. Light from inside coats the snow in a bright amber glow, and shifting shadows tells her that someone is still inside. She's not sure whether she wants it to be the gym leader or not—Lt. Surge, as the plaque beside the door tells her before she shoves down the worry in her stomach and pushes through the door.
She got them into this mess, she needs to be the one to make sure they have a way to survive, that Silver has a way to survive. Even if that means joining a criminal gang. They were being made to do worse than anything a gang could have her do anyway.
"Gym's closed," a voice booms from the other room as the door slams shut behind Blue. "Go home before the roads ice over, come back next week."
There's no one in the lobby, giving her a chance to prepare what exactly she's going to say before she pulls open the doors to the main portion of the gym and comes face to face with whoever's inside. A hand drops to her dress pocket, clutching Jiggly's ball between almost frozen fingers. She plasters on a sweet, fake smile, forcing herself forward through each step that her legs almost refuse to take.
"Sorry for the interruption," she calls out, stepping past the last set of doors that allows her to back out of this. For Silver's sake, she can't. "I just needed to ask Lt. Surge a quick question, if that's not too much of a bother."
Start kind and curious, just a simple kid, a young trainer, looking to ask the local gym leader for advice. Move into what she knows once she's gotten a hook, or as a last resort if she needs to keep the attention on her.
"Kid, you should be home." A tall, blond man stares her down as soon as she's in his sight, her apologetic smile doing nothing to lessen how annoyed he looks. "Look outside. I'm not givin' out advice tonight. Do yourself a favor and head home before you're walkin' back in knee high snow."
"Just one question," she repeats now that she has the confirmation that he's Surge, barely taking a breath between words to cut off the response he tries to give. "I heard you might be familiar with some recent illicit activity going on around the city. Would you happen to know anything about that?"
"If you're here over a journalism question for your parents' career, save us both the time and leave. I guarantee you won't like what happens if you don't." The bottom of his camo shirt lifts, showing off a full belt of pokeballs as his annoyed look turns to a sneer.
A threat practically confirms what the article was implying, and her smile twitches at the corners as she prepares her next words. "I want to join."
Her voice wavers just enough to be noticeable, letting the confidence and assertion she attempts to put into the words seep out before she can use the tone to her advantage. The sneer turns to an unimpressed glance, barely giving her a second look before Surge turns away from her with a short laugh that makes it seem like she wasn't being serious.
"Even if I was involved, why would I let a kid like you join a criminal organization? What reason would you even have to want to sell your life away to crime?" He's playing with her, not taking her seriously, like she's just a kid. Trying to throw away their one flicker of hope.
"You've taken in run away kids before," she states, not allowing the space for it to be denied. "My brother and I need somewhere to go. I want to join your ranks in exchange for shelter."
The information that they only need shelter during the storm doesn't leave her lips. It's not important for him to know, would be nothing but a reason for him to turn her away, if he figures out that she won't stay for any longer than it takes for the snow to melt.
Surge looks her up and down, entirely uninterested in her or anything she's saying. It's a bad sign, and she already begins to let her eyes water, in case she has to break down into tears to get her way. The tears come easy. They always do.
"How old are you?" he asks, the sigh that follows telling Blue that she only has one chance to convince him before she's thrown out of the gym. Or before the police are called, a force that's likely as corrupt as the gym leader running the city, and won't hesitate to arrest a little kid just because their gym leader tells them to.
"Eleven."
A small lie, but they're only a few months away from her birthday, and there's no way for him to prove that she's lying. Eleven might not be that much different from ten, still makes her a little kid that can't do enough on her own to protect herself or Silver, but from what she knows, lots of parents let their kids go off with pokemon on their own at that age. If other children have joined this group, eleven should be plenty old enough to get her in.
This time, when Surge looks back towards her, Blue plastering on her sweetest smile like that will help plead her case at all, he actually looks at her. Something shifts in his gaze as it hovers on her for longer than she feels comfortable, more like some of the men she's encountered during their time on the streets, and she has to force herself not to take a step back to put distance between them. That would show weakness, show that she's not qualified for the jobs he'd have her do. She can't afford to lose this.
"Come back tomorrow, bring your brother. We'll talk more about this then. I have to make a call."
She's shooed away before the sentence has finished, but she doesn't argue. It's better than being outright rejected. The main doors close behind her, leaving her alone in the lobby, and swiping something from behind the desk is tempting, but she shoves her hands into her pockets, not wanting to ruin the slim chance she's been given.
Tomorrow could throw away the last chance they have to get shelter from the storm. They could be turned away without another word, forced to find another way to survive, or it could be a trap. She can't deny that there are too many risks associated with the plan. It's their only hope, and it could crumble before they even step through the doors of the gym.
But today, they at least have hope.