As title states. Please only comment if you are one of us two c:
CW: Body horror, death, disease (will add more as they become relevant)
As title states. Please only comment if you are one of us two c:
CW: Body horror, death, disease (will add more as they become relevant)
[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/729432352090095767/729507939856941126/Regions.png[/img]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/729432352090095767/729512508070821988/specifics.png[/img][/center]
[b]Name:[/b] Carter/“C”
[b]Age:[/b] 25
[b]Gender:[/b] Female
[b]Sexuality:[/b] Bisexual
[b]Occupation:[/b] Sanctuary owner
[b]Height:[/b] 5’7
[b]Weight:[/b] Slim
[b]Complexion:[/b] Fair
[b]Hair color:[/b] Auburne
[b]Eye color:[/b] Green
[b]Personality:[/b] Kind, cheerful, optimistic, energetic
[b]Likes:[/b] Noodles, early mornings, flying with her Noivern
[b]Dislikes:[/b] Spicy food, pokemon battles, caves
[u][b]Current Team:[/b][/u]
[b]#1.[/b] Noivern - [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/static/layout/lair/icons/female.png[/img] - "Topaz" - Was found as a baby who was left behind from her pack due to her odd colouring. Suffers from separation anxiety and refuses to go into her Pokeball
[b]#2.[/b] Serperior - [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/static/layout/lair/icons/female.png[/img] - "Blossom" - Original starter Pokemon when Carter first started out
[b]#3.[/b] Staravia - [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/static/layout/lair/icons/male.png[/img] - "Riley" - Was caught in the wild as a Starly
[b]#4.[/b] Espeon - [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/static/layout/lair/icons/female.png[/img] - "Glimmer" - Was given as an Eevee as a gift.
[b]#5.[/b] Misdreavus - [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/static/layout/lair/icons/male.png[/img] - "Spirit" - Most recent addition to Carter's team. Was found "haunting" the sanctuary.
[b]#6.[/b] Lurantis - [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/static/layout/lair/icons/female.png[/img] - "Lilah" - Caught in the wild
Name: Carter/“C”
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Bisexual
Occupation: Sanctuary owner
Height: 5’7
Weight: Slim
Complexion: Fair
Hair color: Auburne
Eye color: Green
Personality: Kind, cheerful, optimistic, energetic
Likes: Noodles, early mornings, flying with her Noivern
Dislikes: Spicy food, pokemon battles, caves
Current Team:
#1. Noivern -
- "Topaz" - Was found as a baby who was left behind from her pack due to her odd colouring. Suffers from separation anxiety and refuses to go into her Pokeball
#2. Serperior -
- "Blossom" - Original starter Pokemon when Carter first started out
#3. Staravia -
- "Riley" - Was caught in the wild as a Starly
#4. Espeon -
- "Glimmer" - Was given as an Eevee as a gift.
#5. Misdreavus -
- "Spirit" - Most recent addition to Carter's team. Was found "haunting" the sanctuary.
#6. Lurantis -
- "Lilah" - Caught in the wild
Character sheet & Pokemon team
Name: Grace Sovereign
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Pansexual
Occupation: Trainer
Height: 5'4
Weight: Slim but well muscled/toned
Complexion: Caramel, but tanned darker with sun exposure
Hair color: White
Eye color: pale blue/grey
Personality: Kindhearted initially but being trapped in The Zone has hardened her heart and made her cautious and untrusting. Before the disaster event she was always seen with a smile and helping others, though she had pokemon she was rarely one to make them battle. Now she fends only for herself and her team of pocket monsters. Radiation exposure seems to have also left her a little on the eccentric side.
Likes: Her pokemon, being able to feed herself for the day, safe places to sleep
Dislikes: Afflicted beasts, other people, radiation storms
Current team
#1. Afflicted Arcanine (M) - "Ebon" - Fought and captured as a Growlith in the first year of the blast, has saved her life more times than she can count. Undoubtedly her most trusted companion. Different from a regular Arcanine by the black fur, blue stripes, and white mane/tail/leg tufts. Fur is quite patchy, showing raw and scabby grey skin where fur is missing. Besides color, his other mutation is long frontal fangs that extend down several inches past his chin.
#2. Houndoom (F) - "Husker" - Second ever obtained pokemon, caught and captured naturally and raised to Houndoom before the blast event. Radiation exposure seems to have gnarled and extended horn and external bone growth beyond what's standard for the species.
#3. Tyrantrum (F) - "Rampage" - Given to her as a fossil by her father before he died and she had taken it to be revitalized before traveling to Hoenn. It was raised and evolved in the five years on the island, heightened aggression from radiation exposure but no mutations.
#4. Popplio (M) - "Gabriel" - Starter pokemon, despite being around the same level as the other pokemon, refuses to evolve for some reason.
#5. Cubone (M) - "Milo" - Found near where she got the fossil revitalized, has been too scared to come out of ball since blast event.
#6. -empty-
Character sheet & Pokemon team
Name: Grace Sovereign
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Pansexual
Occupation: Trainer
Height: 5'4
Weight: Slim but well muscled/toned
Complexion: Caramel, but tanned darker with sun exposure
Hair color: White
Eye color: pale blue/grey
Personality: Kindhearted initially but being trapped in The Zone has hardened her heart and made her cautious and untrusting. Before the disaster event she was always seen with a smile and helping others, though she had pokemon she was rarely one to make them battle. Now she fends only for herself and her team of pocket monsters. Radiation exposure seems to have also left her a little on the eccentric side.
Likes: Her pokemon, being able to feed herself for the day, safe places to sleep
Dislikes: Afflicted beasts, other people, radiation storms
Current team
#1. Afflicted Arcanine (M) - "Ebon" - Fought and captured as a Growlith in the first year of the blast, has saved her life more times than she can count. Undoubtedly her most trusted companion. Different from a regular Arcanine by the black fur, blue stripes, and white mane/tail/leg tufts. Fur is quite patchy, showing raw and scabby grey skin where fur is missing. Besides color, his other mutation is long frontal fangs that extend down several inches past his chin.
#2. Houndoom (F) - "Husker" - Second ever obtained pokemon, caught and captured naturally and raised to Houndoom before the blast event. Radiation exposure seems to have gnarled and extended horn and external bone growth beyond what's standard for the species.
#3. Tyrantrum (F) - "Rampage" - Given to her as a fossil by her father before he died and she had taken it to be revitalized before traveling to Hoenn. It was raised and evolved in the five years on the island, heightened aggression from radiation exposure but no mutations.
#4. Popplio (M) - "Gabriel" - Starter pokemon, despite being around the same level as the other pokemon, refuses to evolve for some reason.
#5. Cubone (M) - "Milo" - Found near where she got the fossil revitalized, has been too scared to come out of ball since blast event.
#6. -empty-
[img]https://timelinecovers.pro/facebook-cover/download/pixel-art-cloudy-landscape-facebook-cover.jpg[/img]
It’s been 5 years since life as they knew it ended for thousands, 5 years since the residents of Hoenn were walled off from the rest of the world, 5 years since anyone felt safe in a place they once called home. All thanks to the selfish endeavors of the Aether Foundation who had taken up residence on an island nearby, a lab that no one even really knew was there. They sure knew now. Not that knowing did anyone any good, as far as everyone knew all the scientists at the lab were killed in the blast.
The inhabitants of Hoenn had no one to face and blame, no one to sue for damages or expect reparation from. They received no help from the other regions either, it was a global turning of the back on the continent. Governments across the board pitched in to wall off the area, no one goes in and no one goes out. No attempt was made to rescue those that lived in the area, neither people nor pokemon. It became potentially the world’s largest cover-up, the public were never informed and those that did know, who had family or friends in the blast, were paid off or threatened to be quiet about it.
People were told all sorts of different reasons for why travel to Hoenn had become prohibited, disease mostly. No one wanted to catch the devastating disease that plagued the people, so no one minded not getting to travel there. The public were assured that help was on the way to Hoenn, but it never was. Eventually, over time, it was as if the whole of the Hoenn region had been scrubbed from the minds of the masses. Fake news continued to come in, giving the appearance of a region that was doing just fine but not allowing travel. Conspiracies popped up, sure, but they never amounted to any more than hearsay. Life outside of what became known as The Zone remained normal.
Inside The Zone was a very different story, a story that might never be told in truth to the rest of the world. The first 2 years were the worst, clouds of radiation covered the region in darkness for so long that most of the useful vegetation died, the rest falling ill or mutating due to radiation in the water. At least half of the human population had been killed off by radiation exposure, radiated water, and lack of viable food resources. The wildlife didn’t fare much better, many young perished, and those that didn’t die were mutated or killed by their mutated cousins.
For those that did survive the first two years, raiding and fighting were the only ways to stay alive. Finding un-opened pokeballs that had belonged to the deceased became a new kind of currency, both as a food source and bartering. Pokemon in their balls and in storage platforms were the only things untouched by radiation, the only true things safe to consume or train with. The second they were released, they lost their value. Pokemon that didn’t end up mutating from the radiation exposure overtime became hard to control, unwilling to listen to move commands, and were overall more hostile even to their own trainers. Many of those who survived the initial two years of darkness and radiation ended up prey to their own once loved partners, or were a meal to the wilder brethren.
By the 5th year, the wildlife had mostly replenished but they were all afflicted pokemon, strong and deadly and often slightly different in appearance than their original forms, or very sickly and radiation looking versions. Very few people made it that far, those who did were either uncomfortably surviving in their self-made forts or desperately trying to find ways past the walls and the blockade out in the water. Still none had made it onto the island location of the lab, the water, land, and air around it were too lethal to go near without full hazmat suits, which no one had. Whatever was in there when the explosion happened was still there, untouched. Survivors told tall tales about a legendary pokemon that thrived in the radiation, and unmeasurable treasure that it protected.
It is halfway through the fifth year of a living nightmare that we focus on one survivor, a woman with a hell of a will to live. Her name was Grace, but by now she’s nearly forgotten it. She’s avoided all contact with others, knowing better than to let anyone get close enough to slide a knife between her ribs. Her only companions are her incomplete team of five pokemon, two of which she hadn’t let out since the blast event. Two that she [i]had[/i] been using had become radiated and unruly, too dangerous to use anymore without risking her life. It was down to just one to keep her company, an afflicted Arcanine that held her survival squarely on his shoulders. Without his intimidating presence she would have been food for a beast one way or another.
On this particular day Grace awoke from her usual string of nightmares with a violent jerk, waking the pokemon who’s paws she slept between. A big blue tongue lolled out and gave her a gross lick, soaking her brown skin and white hair. She feigned disgust but it was a morning routine, pretend to be disgusted and then rub the icky saliva off on the Arcanine’s patchy black and blue fur. Today was the day, they were getting off this gods’ forsaken continent.
She had been tracking a flock of mutated Altaria for a month now, waiting for their migration day to come and it had finally arrived. She needed only to sneak up on one and use some rope she had collected as reigns to get the blasted bird pokemon to fly where she wanted it to. That part would be the hardest, for not long ago the radiation inside her had claimed her sight, blue/grey eyes rendered useless. She was solely dependent on the Arcanine to get around, and she would have to put him in his pokeball to be able to travel on the back of a bird-type.
[img]https://www.gametruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/conclusionpokeballdivider-1-1024x251.png[/img]
It’s been 5 years since life as they knew it ended for thousands, 5 years since the residents of Hoenn were walled off from the rest of the world, 5 years since anyone felt safe in a place they once called home. All thanks to the selfish endeavors of the Aether Foundation who had taken up residence on an island nearby, a lab that no one even really knew was there. They sure knew now. Not that knowing did anyone any good, as far as everyone knew all the scientists at the lab were killed in the blast.
The inhabitants of Hoenn had no one to face and blame, no one to sue for damages or expect reparation from. They received no help from the other regions either, it was a global turning of the back on the continent. Governments across the board pitched in to wall off the area, no one goes in and no one goes out. No attempt was made to rescue those that lived in the area, neither people nor pokemon. It became potentially the world’s largest cover-up, the public were never informed and those that did know, who had family or friends in the blast, were paid off or threatened to be quiet about it.
People were told all sorts of different reasons for why travel to Hoenn had become prohibited, disease mostly. No one wanted to catch the devastating disease that plagued the people, so no one minded not getting to travel there. The public were assured that help was on the way to Hoenn, but it never was. Eventually, over time, it was as if the whole of the Hoenn region had been scrubbed from the minds of the masses. Fake news continued to come in, giving the appearance of a region that was doing just fine but not allowing travel. Conspiracies popped up, sure, but they never amounted to any more than hearsay. Life outside of what became known as The Zone remained normal.
Inside The Zone was a very different story, a story that might never be told in truth to the rest of the world. The first 2 years were the worst, clouds of radiation covered the region in darkness for so long that most of the useful vegetation died, the rest falling ill or mutating due to radiation in the water. At least half of the human population had been killed off by radiation exposure, radiated water, and lack of viable food resources. The wildlife didn’t fare much better, many young perished, and those that didn’t die were mutated or killed by their mutated cousins.
For those that did survive the first two years, raiding and fighting were the only ways to stay alive. Finding un-opened pokeballs that had belonged to the deceased became a new kind of currency, both as a food source and bartering. Pokemon in their balls and in storage platforms were the only things untouched by radiation, the only true things safe to consume or train with. The second they were released, they lost their value. Pokemon that didn’t end up mutating from the radiation exposure overtime became hard to control, unwilling to listen to move commands, and were overall more hostile even to their own trainers. Many of those who survived the initial two years of darkness and radiation ended up prey to their own once loved partners, or were a meal to the wilder brethren.
By the 5th year, the wildlife had mostly replenished but they were all afflicted pokemon, strong and deadly and often slightly different in appearance than their original forms, or very sickly and radiation looking versions. Very few people made it that far, those who did were either uncomfortably surviving in their self-made forts or desperately trying to find ways past the walls and the blockade out in the water. Still none had made it onto the island location of the lab, the water, land, and air around it were too lethal to go near without full hazmat suits, which no one had. Whatever was in there when the explosion happened was still there, untouched. Survivors told tall tales about a legendary pokemon that thrived in the radiation, and unmeasurable treasure that it protected.
It is halfway through the fifth year of a living nightmare that we focus on one survivor, a woman with a hell of a will to live. Her name was Grace, but by now she’s nearly forgotten it. She’s avoided all contact with others, knowing better than to let anyone get close enough to slide a knife between her ribs. Her only companions are her incomplete team of five pokemon, two of which she hadn’t let out since the blast event. Two that she
had been using had become radiated and unruly, too dangerous to use anymore without risking her life. It was down to just one to keep her company, an afflicted Arcanine that held her survival squarely on his shoulders. Without his intimidating presence she would have been food for a beast one way or another.
On this particular day Grace awoke from her usual string of nightmares with a violent jerk, waking the pokemon who’s paws she slept between. A big blue tongue lolled out and gave her a gross lick, soaking her brown skin and white hair. She feigned disgust but it was a morning routine, pretend to be disgusted and then rub the icky saliva off on the Arcanine’s patchy black and blue fur. Today was the day, they were getting off this gods’ forsaken continent.
She had been tracking a flock of mutated Altaria for a month now, waiting for their migration day to come and it had finally arrived. She needed only to sneak up on one and use some rope she had collected as reigns to get the blasted bird pokemon to fly where she wanted it to. That part would be the hardest, for not long ago the radiation inside her had claimed her sight, blue/grey eyes rendered useless. She was solely dependent on the Arcanine to get around, and she would have to put him in his pokeball to be able to travel on the back of a bird-type.
It was a beautiful morning in the Almia region. The sun was shining with not a cloud in sight in the sky. The smell of the previous night's rain still lingered in the air as the last of the dew drops evaporated off the grass. Carter took a deep breath as she reached her arms up above her head in a stretch, interlocking her fingers together.
She stood on the wooden deck of the Pokemon sanctuary she helped create, gaze sweeping across the fields they used to rehabilitate Pokemon. There were no fences to mark their property or keep Pokemon in. Carter always believed that Pokemon should have the choice whether they wanted to stay or not. She hated the idea of forcing Pokemon into situations they did not want to be in.
Most of the Pokemon they brought to the sanctuary were happy to lounge about. The sanctuary was located in an area with many different forms of scenery. There were plains which the main building had been built in. At the edge of the plains was a small lake for the smaller water type Pokemon and for the larger water types, the sanctuary had access to the ocean in the East in the form of a small Gulf. Beyond the lake one could find the woods. Not quite large enough to be called a forest, but enough to get lost in if not careful. To the North were the mountains. While the sanctuary didn't use the mountains specifically, many of their Pokemon had ventured out that way.
The sanctuary was caring for a handful of Pokemon that morning - an injured Swanna they had found the previous week, a couple of Teddiursa that were being tormented by a couple of kids, and an Azurill who was abandoned by its trainer for refusing to evolve. It always saddened Carter when trainers abandoned their pokemon, happening more often than she would like to see. There was one other Pokemon they brought into the sanctuary recently that was different from the others.
They had been walking along the coast when they found a Swellow crumpled on the ground. It had been clear the Swellow had been flying for days without rest, too exhausted to even open its eyes. What was most concerning though was the fact that the Swellow's legs had been fused together, preventing it from being able to stand properly. The sanctuary workers who had been with Carter had been disturbed by the sight, wondering what could have happened to cause such a defect. But Carter knew.
Five years ago, all that had been on the news were updates from Hoenn. Word that travel was prohibited because of some disease running rampant. For the first two years, there were weekly, sometimes even daily, updates of how a vaccine was being developed so that travel could resume. By the third year, those updates had gone from weekly to only monthly. The next year there were even fewer updates, maybe once every two months. Now, there were no more updates. There was no talk of Hoenn anymore, as if the rest of the world had just forgotten it had existed at all. But Carter knew the truth. Something terrible had happened in Hoenn and it was covered up.
The only reason Carter knew they were being lied to was because one of her friends had died as a result. Before the wall went up and the cover stories started, one of her sanctuary workers and best friends had been in Hoenn. She had made it out before people were prevented from leaving and came straight back to the sanctuary. She had told Carter about some lab mishap and an explosion. She said she was on one of the smaller islands surrounding the lab, saying she didn't even know there was a lab there until she saw the blast. She was worried she was going to be too close when it went off, but was lucky enough to get away. Clearly whatever the scientists had been doing in those labs was something dangerous because Carter's friend died two days later from radiation poisoning.
The incident left Carter fuming. Something went horribly wrong and all the government was doing was covering it up and leaving thousands of people and Pokemon to die. The Swellow they had found was proof of that.
Carter made the sanctuary workers promise never to speak a word of what they saw and knew. The last thing they needed was to get arrested for knowing too much.
Carter was brought back to the present by the feeling of her Noivern, Topaz, nudging her gently. Carter turned to her partner Pokemon with a smile, rubbing the top of Topaz's head.
"Ready to get to work then," Carter said and Topaz nudged her again. "I'll take that as a yes," Carter said with a soft laugh as she stepped down off the deck, ready to get started with the day's work.
It was a beautiful morning in the Almia region. The sun was shining with not a cloud in sight in the sky. The smell of the previous night's rain still lingered in the air as the last of the dew drops evaporated off the grass. Carter took a deep breath as she reached her arms up above her head in a stretch, interlocking her fingers together.
She stood on the wooden deck of the Pokemon sanctuary she helped create, gaze sweeping across the fields they used to rehabilitate Pokemon. There were no fences to mark their property or keep Pokemon in. Carter always believed that Pokemon should have the choice whether they wanted to stay or not. She hated the idea of forcing Pokemon into situations they did not want to be in.
Most of the Pokemon they brought to the sanctuary were happy to lounge about. The sanctuary was located in an area with many different forms of scenery. There were plains which the main building had been built in. At the edge of the plains was a small lake for the smaller water type Pokemon and for the larger water types, the sanctuary had access to the ocean in the East in the form of a small Gulf. Beyond the lake one could find the woods. Not quite large enough to be called a forest, but enough to get lost in if not careful. To the North were the mountains. While the sanctuary didn't use the mountains specifically, many of their Pokemon had ventured out that way.
The sanctuary was caring for a handful of Pokemon that morning - an injured Swanna they had found the previous week, a couple of Teddiursa that were being tormented by a couple of kids, and an Azurill who was abandoned by its trainer for refusing to evolve. It always saddened Carter when trainers abandoned their pokemon, happening more often than she would like to see. There was one other Pokemon they brought into the sanctuary recently that was different from the others.
They had been walking along the coast when they found a Swellow crumpled on the ground. It had been clear the Swellow had been flying for days without rest, too exhausted to even open its eyes. What was most concerning though was the fact that the Swellow's legs had been fused together, preventing it from being able to stand properly. The sanctuary workers who had been with Carter had been disturbed by the sight, wondering what could have happened to cause such a defect. But Carter knew.
Five years ago, all that had been on the news were updates from Hoenn. Word that travel was prohibited because of some disease running rampant. For the first two years, there were weekly, sometimes even daily, updates of how a vaccine was being developed so that travel could resume. By the third year, those updates had gone from weekly to only monthly. The next year there were even fewer updates, maybe once every two months. Now, there were no more updates. There was no talk of Hoenn anymore, as if the rest of the world had just forgotten it had existed at all. But Carter knew the truth. Something terrible had happened in Hoenn and it was covered up.
The only reason Carter knew they were being lied to was because one of her friends had died as a result. Before the wall went up and the cover stories started, one of her sanctuary workers and best friends had been in Hoenn. She had made it out before people were prevented from leaving and came straight back to the sanctuary. She had told Carter about some lab mishap and an explosion. She said she was on one of the smaller islands surrounding the lab, saying she didn't even know there was a lab there until she saw the blast. She was worried she was going to be too close when it went off, but was lucky enough to get away. Clearly whatever the scientists had been doing in those labs was something dangerous because Carter's friend died two days later from radiation poisoning.
The incident left Carter fuming. Something went horribly wrong and all the government was doing was covering it up and leaving thousands of people and Pokemon to die. The Swellow they had found was proof of that.
Carter made the sanctuary workers promise never to speak a word of what they saw and knew. The last thing they needed was to get arrested for knowing too much.
Carter was brought back to the present by the feeling of her Noivern, Topaz, nudging her gently. Carter turned to her partner Pokemon with a smile, rubbing the top of Topaz's head.
"Ready to get to work then," Carter said and Topaz nudged her again. "I'll take that as a yes," Carter said with a soft laugh as she stepped down off the deck, ready to get started with the day's work.
[img]https://timelinecovers.pro/facebook-cover/download/pixel-art-cloudy-landscape-facebook-cover.jpg[/img]
"Today's the day Ebon, we're getting out of here" Grace spoke softly to her companion, raising your voice above a whisper in Hoenn was ringing the dinner bell. A lot of mutated beasts ended up blind or unable to smell but almost none lost their hearing. Her own hearing was enhanced even, she'd lost her sight several months ago. It hardly helped her though, she was still in a very disoriented state without it and struggling to adapt. Finding food and resources was an intensely frustrating endeavor even with an afflicted pokemon by her side. She was terribly thin, no fat and all muscle from being perpetually on the move. When she wasn't having nightmares, she was dreaming about having real food again. That was most of her motivation to escape, fresh food and clean water.
"What if I can't do it..." The anxiety rushed her yet again, she'd been battling with it ever since she came up with the plan. There were so many ways it could go wrong, so many ways she could meet an unfortunate fate if she messed up. The endless amount of possibilities made her head hurt. Using the chest fur and mane of Ebon she pulled herself to her feet, deprived body screaming in protest. She put her hands on the Arcanine's nose when she was standing, his head nearly the size of her whole body. His mutations made him nearly twice the size of a normal Arcanine. Resting her forehead against the cold and dry nose of the pokemon made her feel at least physically better, temporarily relieving the never ending mild fever from the radiation.
Of course the animal couldn't reply to her, not in words any way. He produced a low rumble of a growl in response and closed his eyes while she leaned her head against his nose. Grace was sure she smelled awful so she appreciated his tolerance of the action. "I have to, I have to do it. There's no other way" she quietly assured herself and straight up, petting the bridge of Ebon's nose with a hand and then starting to work her way around to the side of him. When at his shoulder she used handfuls of fur to pulled herself up onto his back, feeling awful when tufts came out between her fingers. "Let's get into position" she patted his neck when she was securely between the massive shoulder blades.
Ebon made his way quickly, quietly, and very carefully through the dead and decaying woods. There was little to no real cover, but he at least wasn't very brightly colored or eye catching besides being large. They had traveled this path almost a hundred times this month, Grace made sure that the Arcanine knew exactly where to go, exactly where to step to disturb the least amount of earth under his paws. Altaria were very skittish, if they scared them before she was ready the plan was over before it even begun.
The craggy mountain range that the afflicted bird-types inhabited and nested at was about an hour's gallop away and they traveled in complete silence, Grace flattened down as much as possible against Ebon's back. Not many would try to mess with an afflicted Arcanine, but anything and everything would try and mess with her given the chance. She only started to sit up when she felt the air start to grow colder, chilly wind billowing down over the snow covered tops of the mountains.
Ebony carefully picked his way across the sharp rocks that littered the ground, and avoided deep scars through the dried land that seemed to be bottomless. Both he and Grace could hear the faint chatter of the Altaria flock high above. They hadn't left for their migration yet, she had a chance. The pressure was on for both of them now, though Ebon's part was done when he entered a small cave at the bottom of the cliff. He crouched down to let Grace slide off and she grunted when her feet hit the ground. One of these days she was going to break her ankles doing that.
"You've got to go in your ball now Ebon, I know you hate it. I'll let you back out when we land okay?" She quietly assured him and pulled the tiny pokeball from her bag and hit the button on the front so it expanded to a normal size. She was lying to him though, she knew she couldn't let him out until she found somewhere safe and hidden. The world had abandoned an entire continent, they probably would try and kill a mutated pokemon if they saw it walking around outside the walls. She didn't know what she was going to do without him, she was more scared than he was annoyed.
The arcanine started to bristle at the sight of the ultra ball that had taken his freedom so long ago but he understand why it was necessary. He hadn't had to go inside it in years, but he trusted her when she promised it wouldn't be a prison for long. He grudgingly bowed his head and Grace hit the button again and tossed the ball at him. It hit his paw and bounced off, snapping open and the Arcanine vanished inside it in a beam of light. Grace had to drop to her knees and feel around near where she heard it fall back to the ground, eventually finding it with a hand after a minute. The ball shrunk again and she put it in her bag once more, a couple tears rolling down her face. And that wasn't even the hardest part yet.
A month of practice climbing with and without aid lead to a relatively easy climb, at least she didn't have to worry about spooking herself by looking down at the ground. That sort of morbid humor really kept her going all these years. She had planned this down to the last detail, her clothes were even the same color as the crags. Ebon helped her pick them out. She also knew just how to move to attract the least attention from the roosting Altaria and Swablus.
As she pulled herself up onto a cliff edge, she was overwhelmed with the smell of the pokemon and the symphony of sounds they made. Listening to them chirp and sing for a month, she knew when they were frenzied by something and so far they hadn't seen her. It was no easy feat to stay unseen, some of the more severely mutated Altaria had two fully formed heads. Slowly and carefully she lowered herself to the ground and began the painstakingly slow army-crawl over to an occupied nest where a single-headed Altaria was nested. She had learned a lot about many different pokemon from her father way back before the blast event, she knew Altaria didn't have many nerves in their cloud-like external feathers.
It felt like an eternity but finally her fist touched the edge of the nest and she froze, heartbeat pounding in her ears as she listened carefully. She could hear the ragged breathing of the radiated pokemon above her, at one point she felt it moved and the soft feathers brushed over her body. She had to wait until it moved again and as it was moving she swiftly pulled herself into the nest and under the mass of soft feathers. Well they were supposed to be soft, this one must have been older because the feathers were withered and scratchy and felt like blades against her skin but she dealt with it.
As carefully as possible she looped a rope loosely around the leg of the bird pokemon and the other end around herself. When it took off she'd pull herself up onto back of the Altaria and attempt to wrangle it with another rope, but this ensured even if she fell, she wouldn't plummet and lose the bird and her life. Now all there was to do was wait.
[img]https://www.gametruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/conclusionpokeballdivider-1-1024x251.png[/img]
"Today's the day Ebon, we're getting out of here" Grace spoke softly to her companion, raising your voice above a whisper in Hoenn was ringing the dinner bell. A lot of mutated beasts ended up blind or unable to smell but almost none lost their hearing. Her own hearing was enhanced even, she'd lost her sight several months ago. It hardly helped her though, she was still in a very disoriented state without it and struggling to adapt. Finding food and resources was an intensely frustrating endeavor even with an afflicted pokemon by her side. She was terribly thin, no fat and all muscle from being perpetually on the move. When she wasn't having nightmares, she was dreaming about having real food again. That was most of her motivation to escape, fresh food and clean water.
"What if I can't do it..." The anxiety rushed her yet again, she'd been battling with it ever since she came up with the plan. There were so many ways it could go wrong, so many ways she could meet an unfortunate fate if she messed up. The endless amount of possibilities made her head hurt. Using the chest fur and mane of Ebon she pulled herself to her feet, deprived body screaming in protest. She put her hands on the Arcanine's nose when she was standing, his head nearly the size of her whole body. His mutations made him nearly twice the size of a normal Arcanine. Resting her forehead against the cold and dry nose of the pokemon made her feel at least physically better, temporarily relieving the never ending mild fever from the radiation.
Of course the animal couldn't reply to her, not in words any way. He produced a low rumble of a growl in response and closed his eyes while she leaned her head against his nose. Grace was sure she smelled awful so she appreciated his tolerance of the action. "I have to, I have to do it. There's no other way" she quietly assured herself and straight up, petting the bridge of Ebon's nose with a hand and then starting to work her way around to the side of him. When at his shoulder she used handfuls of fur to pulled herself up onto his back, feeling awful when tufts came out between her fingers. "Let's get into position" she patted his neck when she was securely between the massive shoulder blades.
Ebon made his way quickly, quietly, and very carefully through the dead and decaying woods. There was little to no real cover, but he at least wasn't very brightly colored or eye catching besides being large. They had traveled this path almost a hundred times this month, Grace made sure that the Arcanine knew exactly where to go, exactly where to step to disturb the least amount of earth under his paws. Altaria were very skittish, if they scared them before she was ready the plan was over before it even begun.
The craggy mountain range that the afflicted bird-types inhabited and nested at was about an hour's gallop away and they traveled in complete silence, Grace flattened down as much as possible against Ebon's back. Not many would try to mess with an afflicted Arcanine, but anything and everything would try and mess with her given the chance. She only started to sit up when she felt the air start to grow colder, chilly wind billowing down over the snow covered tops of the mountains.
Ebony carefully picked his way across the sharp rocks that littered the ground, and avoided deep scars through the dried land that seemed to be bottomless. Both he and Grace could hear the faint chatter of the Altaria flock high above. They hadn't left for their migration yet, she had a chance. The pressure was on for both of them now, though Ebon's part was done when he entered a small cave at the bottom of the cliff. He crouched down to let Grace slide off and she grunted when her feet hit the ground. One of these days she was going to break her ankles doing that.
"You've got to go in your ball now Ebon, I know you hate it. I'll let you back out when we land okay?" She quietly assured him and pulled the tiny pokeball from her bag and hit the button on the front so it expanded to a normal size. She was lying to him though, she knew she couldn't let him out until she found somewhere safe and hidden. The world had abandoned an entire continent, they probably would try and kill a mutated pokemon if they saw it walking around outside the walls. She didn't know what she was going to do without him, she was more scared than he was annoyed.
The arcanine started to bristle at the sight of the ultra ball that had taken his freedom so long ago but he understand why it was necessary. He hadn't had to go inside it in years, but he trusted her when she promised it wouldn't be a prison for long. He grudgingly bowed his head and Grace hit the button again and tossed the ball at him. It hit his paw and bounced off, snapping open and the Arcanine vanished inside it in a beam of light. Grace had to drop to her knees and feel around near where she heard it fall back to the ground, eventually finding it with a hand after a minute. The ball shrunk again and she put it in her bag once more, a couple tears rolling down her face. And that wasn't even the hardest part yet.
A month of practice climbing with and without aid lead to a relatively easy climb, at least she didn't have to worry about spooking herself by looking down at the ground. That sort of morbid humor really kept her going all these years. She had planned this down to the last detail, her clothes were even the same color as the crags. Ebon helped her pick them out. She also knew just how to move to attract the least attention from the roosting Altaria and Swablus.
As she pulled herself up onto a cliff edge, she was overwhelmed with the smell of the pokemon and the symphony of sounds they made. Listening to them chirp and sing for a month, she knew when they were frenzied by something and so far they hadn't seen her. It was no easy feat to stay unseen, some of the more severely mutated Altaria had two fully formed heads. Slowly and carefully she lowered herself to the ground and began the painstakingly slow army-crawl over to an occupied nest where a single-headed Altaria was nested. She had learned a lot about many different pokemon from her father way back before the blast event, she knew Altaria didn't have many nerves in their cloud-like external feathers.
It felt like an eternity but finally her fist touched the edge of the nest and she froze, heartbeat pounding in her ears as she listened carefully. She could hear the ragged breathing of the radiated pokemon above her, at one point she felt it moved and the soft feathers brushed over her body. She had to wait until it moved again and as it was moving she swiftly pulled herself into the nest and under the mass of soft feathers. Well they were supposed to be soft, this one must have been older because the feathers were withered and scratchy and felt like blades against her skin but she dealt with it.
As carefully as possible she looped a rope loosely around the leg of the bird pokemon and the other end around herself. When it took off she'd pull herself up onto back of the Altaria and attempt to wrangle it with another rope, but this ensured even if she fell, she wouldn't plummet and lose the bird and her life. Now all there was to do was wait.
There were a lot of chores to be done at the sanctuary. The first thing Carter always did was patrol the surrounding area. They may not have designated property lines, but Carter still liked making sure nothing suspicious went on surrounding the sanctuary. Her and Topaz would fly in a clockwise circle starting at the main building. They would fly towards the lake and loop around to make their way towards the mountains. Sometimes they would fly all the way to the base of the closest mountain and check if there were any Pokémon that needed help. Any wild Pokémon they encountered were left to themselves if they weren’t injured. Once at the mountains, they would fly in a sort of zigzag pattern over the woods, aiming to see as much as they could through the tree tops. There had been many times they would have missed seeing a Pokémon in need if not for the way they flew overhead.
After circling the woods, they fly back over the sanctuary building towards the ocean. Sometimes when they aren’t as busy, they’ll spend a few hours sitting on the beach. Today wasn’t that day. Normally after circling the area, Carter would go back to the sanctuary and check their supplies to see what they needed more of. That morning however, Carter had asked someone else to do that for her. She had a very important patient to check up on after all.
After finding nothing of interest on their patrol, Carter made her way back to the sanctuary. Topaz dropped her off at the main entrance and followed her inside where they were immediately greeted by a concerned nurse.
“How’s Swellow?” Carter asked.
“Not good,” the nurse replied. Almost as if on cue, an unholy screech could be heard from one of the back rooms. “We’ve tried feeding it, sedating, talking. It was a nightmare just trying to get the restraints on. The poor thing is just so... angry. We can’t get close enough to do anything,” the nurse explained. Carter frowned.
They had brought the Swellow into the sanctuary to see if they could do anything about its legs, but the Pokémon was proving difficult to work with.
“Has it eaten any of the food you’ve given it?” Carter asked. The nurse nodded.
“Only after we’ve left the room though.”
Carter nodded. “Put a sedative in the food and try that and come to me if it works,” she said. The nurse nodded and took off quickly to the back where the Swellow could still be heard screeching.
Carter sighed as she watched the nurse run off. What had those scientists been doing in that lab?
(Sorry for any weird typos, had to type the rest up on my phone fhfhjgg)
There were a lot of chores to be done at the sanctuary. The first thing Carter always did was patrol the surrounding area. They may not have designated property lines, but Carter still liked making sure nothing suspicious went on surrounding the sanctuary. Her and Topaz would fly in a clockwise circle starting at the main building. They would fly towards the lake and loop around to make their way towards the mountains. Sometimes they would fly all the way to the base of the closest mountain and check if there were any Pokémon that needed help. Any wild Pokémon they encountered were left to themselves if they weren’t injured. Once at the mountains, they would fly in a sort of zigzag pattern over the woods, aiming to see as much as they could through the tree tops. There had been many times they would have missed seeing a Pokémon in need if not for the way they flew overhead.
After circling the woods, they fly back over the sanctuary building towards the ocean. Sometimes when they aren’t as busy, they’ll spend a few hours sitting on the beach. Today wasn’t that day. Normally after circling the area, Carter would go back to the sanctuary and check their supplies to see what they needed more of. That morning however, Carter had asked someone else to do that for her. She had a very important patient to check up on after all.
After finding nothing of interest on their patrol, Carter made her way back to the sanctuary. Topaz dropped her off at the main entrance and followed her inside where they were immediately greeted by a concerned nurse.
“How’s Swellow?” Carter asked.
“Not good,” the nurse replied. Almost as if on cue, an unholy screech could be heard from one of the back rooms. “We’ve tried feeding it, sedating, talking. It was a nightmare just trying to get the restraints on. The poor thing is just so... angry. We can’t get close enough to do anything,” the nurse explained. Carter frowned.
They had brought the Swellow into the sanctuary to see if they could do anything about its legs, but the Pokémon was proving difficult to work with.
“Has it eaten any of the food you’ve given it?” Carter asked. The nurse nodded.
“Only after we’ve left the room though.”
Carter nodded. “Put a sedative in the food and try that and come to me if it works,” she said. The nurse nodded and took off quickly to the back where the Swellow could still be heard screeching.
Carter sighed as she watched the nurse run off. What had those scientists been doing in that lab?
(Sorry for any weird typos, had to type the rest up on my phone fhfhjgg)
[img]https://timelinecovers.pro/facebook-cover/download/pixel-art-cloudy-landscape-facebook-cover.jpg[/img]
Several hours passed before Grace finally heard the tune of the Altarias change. They started signaling each other, erupting into a cacophony of chirps and bellows. It was time for them to start taking off. Mild panic started to set in but she swallowed the fear, making sure her ropes were secure with as minute movements as she could. The Altaria she picked was old, it should be at the back of the line to leave. She was praying to anything that would listen in her head, just let her make it past the barricades. Even if it dropped her in the ocean, at least she would be out.
One by one, the bird pokemon started taking off. Grace could hear the flutter of feathers and the chirps to the young Swablus to follow. Every second felt like an hour to her right now, heart racing again as she waited for her bird to take off. Like she hoped, it was one of the last to take off. Almost immediately the bird felt the rope tighten around its ankle as it lifted into the air but Grace was fast, climbing swiftly up the rope and grabbing handfuls of feathers to pull up onto its back. She threw the second rope in her hands around its beak and neck, pulling tight to shut the bird up. It bucked and dipped in the air but stayed in flight.
The Altaria was wildly confused, being old and riddled with radiation though it didn't know what to do except follow its migration instincts. Though frantic and uneven,, the air-borne pokemon followed the others of its species. A few more minutes and it seemed like the bird forgot there was even something riding it. Grace was infinitely grateful for the short attention span of bird brained pokemon.
Most of the ride was surprisingly smooth, the older Altaria was well practiced in this migration. Grace wished more than anything she could see the land and sea passing underneath, but she could at least feel the air change as they passed over the ocean and away from Hoenn. For the first time in 5 years she was breathing fresh air, even if it was a little thin at the altitude... really thin... she started to feel a little light headed. Time started to pass weirdly, she could no longer tell how far they had traveled or how long she had been in the air. She tightened the ropes around her hands but that reminded the Altaria that she was there and once again rage and panic washed over the pokemon. It took all her strength to stay on its back while it pitched and dove, starting to disturb the other Altaria in the flock. One pecked at the bird and she felt it connect. Another peck, a couple more, the old bird was starting to lose altitude.
It all happened so quick, Grace had no control over it. The Altaria went into a dive to lose its annoyed brethren and she could feel the wind rushing past but couldn't really tell whether she was going up or down. It all felt the same when she couldn't see. What didn't feel the same was when she started to slip off the bird's back and couldn't correct herself, every handful of feathers she grabbed at were ripped off in her hands and she kept falling. The ropes she had wrapped around her wrists burned her skin, taking some off in their wake, as they untwisted violently and then suddenly she found herself suspended in the air, hanging from the leg of the pokemon. It was potentially more terrifying than being caught on an island full of radiation and mutated pokemon.
The Altaria carried her like that for a couple miles, much farther than Grace would have expected. The pokemon had evened out and seemed confused by the weight attached by its foot but kept flying for a ways before getting irritated again. She felt it start to shake its leg, weaving in the air to attempt to dislodge the rope. Then suddenly she felt something hit the rope hard, she couldn't see it but the Altaria had pecked the rope. A couple more sharp lurches to the only thing keeping her in the air and then all of a sudden she felt the worst thing she could have imagined, a snap.
Time seemed to slow, she didnt need to see to know she was falling. She had no idea how high up she was and it felt like she was soaring through the air for an eternity before she slammed into something hard. Except it wasn't. Grace landed in the water but from the height she fell, it felt like solid ground. She didn't realize she was in the water until she tried to take in a breath and all that greater her nose and throat was burning salt water. But it was clean, it didn't taste like a radiation burn. Just salty. Fear and instinct made her thrash and kick and get herself to the surface to cough up water and gasp in a breath before a wave sent her back under.
She was so drained by this point that fighting the water felt almost impossible, darkness was creeping into her mind and fatigue chewed at her limbs. [i]'This is it...[/i] she told herself, consciousness slipping. It was the last thought she had before falling unconscious.
Fate was on the girl's side however, as the Altaria had nearly made it to the next region, Kalos and Almia. Grace's seemingly lifeless body washed up on on shore not long after she had lost consciousness, her bag with her pokeballs still securely fastened across her chest. Slowly water that she breathed in started to leak out of her nose and mouth as her lungs fought desperately and weakly to keep her alive. She was quite possible the luckiest Hoenn survivor in the world.
[img]https://www.gametruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/conclusionpokeballdivider-1-1024x251.png[/img]
Several hours passed before Grace finally heard the tune of the Altarias change. They started signaling each other, erupting into a cacophony of chirps and bellows. It was time for them to start taking off. Mild panic started to set in but she swallowed the fear, making sure her ropes were secure with as minute movements as she could. The Altaria she picked was old, it should be at the back of the line to leave. She was praying to anything that would listen in her head, just let her make it past the barricades. Even if it dropped her in the ocean, at least she would be out.
One by one, the bird pokemon started taking off. Grace could hear the flutter of feathers and the chirps to the young Swablus to follow. Every second felt like an hour to her right now, heart racing again as she waited for her bird to take off. Like she hoped, it was one of the last to take off. Almost immediately the bird felt the rope tighten around its ankle as it lifted into the air but Grace was fast, climbing swiftly up the rope and grabbing handfuls of feathers to pull up onto its back. She threw the second rope in her hands around its beak and neck, pulling tight to shut the bird up. It bucked and dipped in the air but stayed in flight.
The Altaria was wildly confused, being old and riddled with radiation though it didn't know what to do except follow its migration instincts. Though frantic and uneven,, the air-borne pokemon followed the others of its species. A few more minutes and it seemed like the bird forgot there was even something riding it. Grace was infinitely grateful for the short attention span of bird brained pokemon.
Most of the ride was surprisingly smooth, the older Altaria was well practiced in this migration. Grace wished more than anything she could see the land and sea passing underneath, but she could at least feel the air change as they passed over the ocean and away from Hoenn. For the first time in 5 years she was breathing fresh air, even if it was a little thin at the altitude... really thin... she started to feel a little light headed. Time started to pass weirdly, she could no longer tell how far they had traveled or how long she had been in the air. She tightened the ropes around her hands but that reminded the Altaria that she was there and once again rage and panic washed over the pokemon. It took all her strength to stay on its back while it pitched and dove, starting to disturb the other Altaria in the flock. One pecked at the bird and she felt it connect. Another peck, a couple more, the old bird was starting to lose altitude.
It all happened so quick, Grace had no control over it. The Altaria went into a dive to lose its annoyed brethren and she could feel the wind rushing past but couldn't really tell whether she was going up or down. It all felt the same when she couldn't see. What didn't feel the same was when she started to slip off the bird's back and couldn't correct herself, every handful of feathers she grabbed at were ripped off in her hands and she kept falling. The ropes she had wrapped around her wrists burned her skin, taking some off in their wake, as they untwisted violently and then suddenly she found herself suspended in the air, hanging from the leg of the pokemon. It was potentially more terrifying than being caught on an island full of radiation and mutated pokemon.
The Altaria carried her like that for a couple miles, much farther than Grace would have expected. The pokemon had evened out and seemed confused by the weight attached by its foot but kept flying for a ways before getting irritated again. She felt it start to shake its leg, weaving in the air to attempt to dislodge the rope. Then suddenly she felt something hit the rope hard, she couldn't see it but the Altaria had pecked the rope. A couple more sharp lurches to the only thing keeping her in the air and then all of a sudden she felt the worst thing she could have imagined, a snap.
Time seemed to slow, she didnt need to see to know she was falling. She had no idea how high up she was and it felt like she was soaring through the air for an eternity before she slammed into something hard. Except it wasn't. Grace landed in the water but from the height she fell, it felt like solid ground. She didn't realize she was in the water until she tried to take in a breath and all that greater her nose and throat was burning salt water. But it was clean, it didn't taste like a radiation burn. Just salty. Fear and instinct made her thrash and kick and get herself to the surface to cough up water and gasp in a breath before a wave sent her back under.
She was so drained by this point that fighting the water felt almost impossible, darkness was creeping into her mind and fatigue chewed at her limbs.
'This is it... she told herself, consciousness slipping. It was the last thought she had before falling unconscious.
Fate was on the girl's side however, as the Altaria had nearly made it to the next region, Kalos and Almia. Grace's seemingly lifeless body washed up on on shore not long after she had lost consciousness, her bag with her pokeballs still securely fastened across her chest. Slowly water that she breathed in started to leak out of her nose and mouth as her lungs fought desperately and weakly to keep her alive. She was quite possible the luckiest Hoenn survivor in the world.
The sedative worked - for ten minutes. The nurse had done what Carter suggested and put the sedative into the food. Then she offered the food to the Swellow who was still just as angry before and screeched the entire time the nurse was in the room. But the nurse left as soon as she dropped the food off, which the Swellow eventually picked at. Either the Swellow had not eaten enough of it, or it had a heightened immune system because not ten minutes later it was awake again and thrashing around to try and attack everyone in proximity.
Carter had been there the entire time, now sitting outside on the grass. Topaz sat beside her, curled up as she napped. Carter absentmindedly ran her hand down Topaz's head, who didn't seem to mind at all. They had decided it was best to just let the Swellow rest, leaving food and water and locking the room so no one accidentally walked in. The Swellow was still so angry, but at least it wasn't screeching anymore. In the seven years working at the sanctuary, Carter had never seen a Pokemon that angry before. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the thing. Thoughts ran through her mind as she continued to pet Topaz. What was happening to the Pokemon that were land-locked on the island? Were they all so angry? What other effects did the radiation cause? What had happened to the people? She had to admit, as terrible as it was, the government cover up had worked pretty well because surely someone in Hoenn would have spread word to the rest of the world what had happened. But there had been nothing but conspiracy theories from people in the other regions. Five years and this was the first Pokemon she had seen escape from the island. At least, she assumed the Swellow had come from the island based off the deformity that it had.
Carter huffed and laid down on her back, staring up at the sky. She wanted more answers. If this Swellow had come from the island, surely more Pokemon would begin to migrate North. If those Pokemon had been just as exposed to whatever had gone off, surely they would have some form of mutations as well. Perhaps they would be more heavily mutated than the Swellow had been. Then Carter got an idea, sitting up suddenly which spooked Topaz awake. If more Pokemon did start to migrate North, what would happen to them? The government would undoubtedly try to apprehend them before word got out to the general public. And what would happen to them then? Stuck in a lab for testing, never to be released into the wild again? What if they were just thrown in some hidden away facility, never seen again? What if they were just flat out killed? Many questions and theories ran through Carter's mind as she tapped her chin in thought. She would hate to see them suffer, and it was clear from the Swellow that whatever had happened on that island was causing them to suffer.
So Carter decided she had to try and help.
Her plan was simple: take some supplies and travel to Hoenn. Obviously it wouldn't be much more than a flyover to scope things out, but Carter had to know how bad things had become. Of course for all Carter knew, the government could be patrolling the wall 24/7, and she knew they had put up a wall. No one in and no one out. But the Swellow had gotten out. How? Obviously it had flown and if it had been seen, Carter was convinced someone would have shown up by now demanding she hand it over to them. But no one had come, which led Carter to believe that either the wall wasn't heavily guarded and was just for show, or someone hadn't done their job properly.
She was running around the sanctuary, mumbling to herself as she grabbed things she thought she might need. The other workers and nurses all gave her concerned looks, but she ignored them all. She wouldn't let them get involved in this. If she was right and Pokemon did start migrating North beyond the wall, it would get too dangerous. She let one of the other workers know she would be gone for a few days and to keep things in order while she was away. Then, without telling anyone where she was going or what she was doing, she left the sanctuary and began making her way down to Hoenn.
The sedative worked - for ten minutes. The nurse had done what Carter suggested and put the sedative into the food. Then she offered the food to the Swellow who was still just as angry before and screeched the entire time the nurse was in the room. But the nurse left as soon as she dropped the food off, which the Swellow eventually picked at. Either the Swellow had not eaten enough of it, or it had a heightened immune system because not ten minutes later it was awake again and thrashing around to try and attack everyone in proximity.
Carter had been there the entire time, now sitting outside on the grass. Topaz sat beside her, curled up as she napped. Carter absentmindedly ran her hand down Topaz's head, who didn't seem to mind at all. They had decided it was best to just let the Swellow rest, leaving food and water and locking the room so no one accidentally walked in. The Swellow was still so angry, but at least it wasn't screeching anymore. In the seven years working at the sanctuary, Carter had never seen a Pokemon that angry before. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the thing. Thoughts ran through her mind as she continued to pet Topaz. What was happening to the Pokemon that were land-locked on the island? Were they all so angry? What other effects did the radiation cause? What had happened to the people? She had to admit, as terrible as it was, the government cover up had worked pretty well because surely someone in Hoenn would have spread word to the rest of the world what had happened. But there had been nothing but conspiracy theories from people in the other regions. Five years and this was the first Pokemon she had seen escape from the island. At least, she assumed the Swellow had come from the island based off the deformity that it had.
Carter huffed and laid down on her back, staring up at the sky. She wanted more answers. If this Swellow had come from the island, surely more Pokemon would begin to migrate North. If those Pokemon had been just as exposed to whatever had gone off, surely they would have some form of mutations as well. Perhaps they would be more heavily mutated than the Swellow had been. Then Carter got an idea, sitting up suddenly which spooked Topaz awake. If more Pokemon did start to migrate North, what would happen to them? The government would undoubtedly try to apprehend them before word got out to the general public. And what would happen to them then? Stuck in a lab for testing, never to be released into the wild again? What if they were just thrown in some hidden away facility, never seen again? What if they were just flat out killed? Many questions and theories ran through Carter's mind as she tapped her chin in thought. She would hate to see them suffer, and it was clear from the Swellow that whatever had happened on that island was causing them to suffer.
So Carter decided she had to try and help.
Her plan was simple: take some supplies and travel to Hoenn. Obviously it wouldn't be much more than a flyover to scope things out, but Carter had to know how bad things had become. Of course for all Carter knew, the government could be patrolling the wall 24/7, and she knew they had put up a wall. No one in and no one out. But the Swellow had gotten out. How? Obviously it had flown and if it had been seen, Carter was convinced someone would have shown up by now demanding she hand it over to them. But no one had come, which led Carter to believe that either the wall wasn't heavily guarded and was just for show, or someone hadn't done their job properly.
She was running around the sanctuary, mumbling to herself as she grabbed things she thought she might need. The other workers and nurses all gave her concerned looks, but she ignored them all. She wouldn't let them get involved in this. If she was right and Pokemon did start migrating North beyond the wall, it would get too dangerous. She let one of the other workers know she would be gone for a few days and to keep things in order while she was away. Then, without telling anyone where she was going or what she was doing, she left the sanctuary and began making her way down to Hoenn.
