Chapter Text
The last thing you wanted was to get soaked out here. The trees deflected some of the rain, but only to pour it all into one spot, which you just so accidentally managed to run through in your quest for shelter. Even holding your leather bag above your head to block the worst of it doesn’t manage to stop you from getting soaked.
Then finally, imagine your surprise to find an old house way out here, off the routes and seemingly only here as a blessing for you. The windows are dark, and trying to peek through them offers nothing but vague shapes within.
That leads you to the porch, luckily, it’s covered by a wooden awning jutting out just enough to keep you as dry as you can be.
Knock knock.
It is already past sunset, maybe that’s why the lights are off? Whoever’s home could just sleep early, and you wouldn’t want to wake anyone. Then again, you could catch a cold out here. Maybe you should’ve headed back to the route earlier rather than staying out to look for shinies. Too little too late now, you suppose.
After some minutes, nobody answers, and after another set of knocks, nobody comes to the door. You really shouldn’t be intruding, but it’s so chilly, and maybe whoever’s around here wouldn’t mind if you just- popped in for the night? The thought is solely to justify your next action, attempting to wiggle the doorknob, praying to Arceus it isn’t locked.
Click
The hinges creak against each other, but the door slides open without any resistance. This is breaking and entering, isn’t it? Probably, but Jenny would understand if it’s just to stay out of the rain, right? Probably. You’ll just stay quiet and make sure nobody’s home before figuring out what to say when you get the cops called on you.
The air inside is comparatively warmer than the rainy haze outside, welcoming you more than the dusty mat at your feet ever could. Even so, you wipe your shoes before taking them off so as to not track any mud inside. If someone does live here, you wouldn’t want to damage their carpets, especially if they’re asleep and none the wiser to your presence here.
Though, if someone was asleep in here, living out in the woods, why would the door be unlocked? Maybe they didn’t expect anyone to come for a visit.
At least you’re out of the rain, and have the chance to find a spot to warm up.
Checking the main entrance is pretty normal to most other houses you’ve dropped in on around here. There’s a large carpet in the middle of the room, hosting the home’s large table, though notably, only one chair is arranged beside it. The other three chairs are stacked by the corner, one on top of the other. Strange, but far be it for you to be judging people’s homes you break into.
Across the far wall is the kitchen, lined counters with cabinets overhead, an oven, a fridge and an old microwave. You slink towards them, trying not to make much noise on the old tatami mat flooring.
The oven is in perfect condition, not a stain or burnt food in sight, as if it was just installed a week ago. The microwave though, it’s a bit older. There’s no stains of food, but it’s clearly been used. The wire connected to the outlet is partially frayed, held together by duct tape, and when you run a finger over the buttons curiously, it feels oily. There’s more residue on here than you noticed at first, gross.
Next, you check the fridge, just to see if it’s working, or if there’s any food in there. You pull it open, and to your relief, it’s empty. The light does turn on, so there is power, but whoever was there is either starving, burying their food in the backyard, or moved on. It offers some hope that this place really is empty.
You shut the door and-
“HOLY ARCEUS-”
A figure stands behind the fridge, as dark as an Umbreon’s pelt staring with.. where’d it go.
No, seriously it was just there, right? You swear you saw the outline of someone, standing just behind the door where you couldn’t see until you shut the door. It’s just the other side of the house, rain beating against the two windows, not a soul in sight.
Must be the paranoia getting to you.
All this worry about if someone’s living here when clearly this place isn’t lived in at all. No food, dust over everything and a general empty vibe. It’s silly to be so worried.
Catching your breath, you continue to explore. There’s two more rooms and a set of stairs to the second floor. Both of the first floor rooms have closed doors, so you pick the one just besides the kitchen, finding it mostly empty. The only items taking up the space are a mattress on the floor and a television without a stand in the corner across from you. Weird.
Pulling away, you check the other door. It’s another staircase, this one leading downstairs to a pitch-black basement.
It’s already dark enough, and despite making this the first time you flip on a light, it doesn’t fix the heebie-jeebies you get from staring down at the abyss down there. Maybe you can skip that one.
Man, when did it get so dark outside?
You find another lightswitch by the microwave to turn on, finally offering you enough light to see before you shut the basement door for good, sealing off the dark shape rising on the- wait a minute.
You swiftly open the door again, not really knowing why. If you did see what you thought you saw, another dark figure rising the steps, you would’ve wanted to be running, not confronting it. Either way, the stairs are empty.
Okay, now you’re sure something’s up. This place is probably haunted by a Gengar, or a Misdreavus or whatever other ghost Pokemon wander these woods. Alright, calm down.
You shut the door, eyeing it suspiciously and finishing it with a weak kick before pondering your moves. You could leave, but that means being lost in the woods in the middle of the night, while it’s raining heavily enough to drown a fish. Or, you could brave the ghost haunting this place and maybe even catch it! You still have some spare balls in your bag, hopefully, if you didn’t throw the last of them at that Caterpie you thought was a shiny, but just caught the sunlight in a weird way.
Fine, you know what? You’ll give this place one more shot.
If anything else happens that freaks you out, you’re sleeping on the porch, or just making a run for it.
Upstairs is the last place to check, besides the basement but no way are you going down there. It takes a little bit of motivating yourself, but you push on to the steps, taking it slow. Holding the handrail just to steady those shaky hands, you rise to the top floor, finding it just as dark and empty. You find the lightswitch by the light from downstairs, noting two doors and a single potted plant in the corner.
You approach the first door, bracing for another scary figure to appear when you open it, revealing-
The bathroom.
Your shoulders relax, just a bathroom. That still leaves the other door.
You stand in front of it, hand raised to the doorknob, but never advancing. Something’s wrong about this one, but you can’t place it. Maybe it’s because it’s the final door, maybe there’s something hidden here.
It’s just a stupid door, just open it.
Taking a deep breath first, your hand raises and
CRASH
A sudden force grips your arm, yanking you away from the door and pulling you back down the stairs with an unshakable grasp. You barely had time to realize what was going on, that there was someone else here at all, let alone that they’re dragging you to whatever they have planned.
When the events catch up to your brain, hell breaks loose.
You scream, thrash, twist and turn until you pull back enough to catch a glimpse of your assailant.
The figure stands before you shrouded in a darkness deeper than an Umbreon’s pelt, only allowing you to tell where his hair pokes out from his back, wild and tangled. The rest of him is practically invisible, besides one key feature that brings your fear up ten fold. A single glint catches the overhead light before it flickers and shatters above you, the downward crescent of a single crimson eye.
The protests catch in your throat, brought to a halt by the paralysing realization that whatever this thing is, it despises you. The gleam in his eye is not that of simple anger, but a deep violent urge to- to what? What could this thing possibly want with you? The thought makes you sick.
His intentions are suddenly made clear, as before you can plead for your life or offer all your cash, your backside is tossed in the muddy grass outside, rain pelting you from above. Your shoes go next, thrown into your chest right after you.
You barely have the time to flinch before he speaks from the doorway, somehow, his voice carries through the rain.
“Stay out.”
Then he’s gone.
The door is shut, the lights are off, nobody’s home once more.
You’re left there, soaked in the rain, unable to move for some minutes before you remember how dangerous the woods can be at night. You have to get up, grab your shoes and find another place to spend the night, preferably without some terrifying man haunting you.
You returned to town the next morning after spending the night in a cave near the waters. You had seen the mountains across the water before, and from that, deduced that if you headed directly the other way, you’d reach Pallet town. Luckily, your internal map didn’t fail you, and you found your way back in one piece, although now sniffling and sneezing from a likely illness.
You could head north to Veridian for treatment after going to visit an old friend of yours for some information, praying he’s home.
Approaching the lab with soggy clothes, enter the automatic opening doors, still sniffling, “Oak?”
At your voice, the head of the man pops around the corner, offering a warm smile before becoming concerned at the state of you.
“Oh my, are you alright? Were you caught in the storm last night?”
Professor Oak turns to his cabinets along the walls, finding a spare blanket to offer you when you approach. Setting it on your shoulders, you nod softly, sniffling once more, “Yeah, I did.”
Despite his worry, he tuts with a little chide, “You should always stay near a safe location when you know it may rain soon.”
“I didn’t know it was going to rain- but that’s not what I’m here for.”
“Oh? Well please, go ahead, I’ll see if I can help.”
Revisiting the strange encounter doesn’t really help you understand what you witnessed. It doesn’t make sense in your head, how could someone jump around like that, appearing and disappearing so quickly? Maybe he really was a ghost Pokemon just messing with you.
Though, there was something about his eye.
The way it shone through that deep darkness with an unnatural glint. It held life, but no sign of humanity. It pinned you to the spot like a cornered animal. Even now you shiver.
At your explanation, Oak’s face becomes mixed, then concerned. He just nods along with you until you finish, “I see. I believe I may know who you’re talking about.”
A mix of hope and dread enters your chest. If he knows, you’ll get a real answer to your worries, but knowing might make your fears worse.
Oak continues further, “It happened six years ago, Kanto’s first Champion.”
That immediately surprises you, “I thought Red became Champion-”
“Not Red,” he clarifies, “His name was Steven.”
The way he speaks is solemn, a distant look in his eyes for a moment before facing you with a serious look, “He was a kind young man with the dream to be the best trainer in the region. I, myself, sponsored his journey, much like I did Red’s. He and his Charizard became Champion in record time! But there was a terrible accident with his brother, and he committed a terrible sin.”
“What.. did he do?”
Oak seems uncomfortable at the topic, shifting his eyes to the side rather than answering immediately, “He lost his Charizard in a trade with his brother… He refused to accept his grief and- well, perhaps it’s best if I leave the more gruesome details out.”
Even as he offers a hesitant smile, you can tell there’s a lot more to the story than that.
“While I can not recommend it, if you want to know more, I’m sure you can find some news on the PCs in any Pokecenter! Just, please be careful.”
You nod, offering him thanks and taking the chance to leave before you get him sick too.
It’s time to head north, Veridian is the closest city with a Pokecenter to treat you, and offer any sort of real explanation as to this mysterious ‘first Champion’. Oak’s conversation only left you with more questions. Why did he look like he did? How was he able to manifest in weird places? And most importantly-
What happened to him?