[Pokémon] To Dust

k haven't written fanfics in a while. :> My style is very short and simple. My goal is to tell a story, that's it.


PG-13 for some strong language.

To Dust
ch 1.


This morning, it was a city. Now, I've been to all sorts of cities in my life, but I could tell this was a special city.

"Where have you taken me now?" I asked softly, clucking my tongue. Ren curled up in my arms, dozing off. I patted him fondly before sighing.

It was definitely on the brink of winter. The cold wind nipped at my bare skin and everyone walking by me wore heavy clothes, their thick scarves and coats brushing against me. Few people gave me cursory glances—first at my thin shawl and dress, then at Ren—and hurried on.

"It seems everyone is busy here. How oddly they dress. It certainly reminds me of Goldenrod," I remarked. Ren, fast asleep, did not answer. Following the tide of people, I started walking.

"Money for the poor, money for the poor," someone called out. I stopped at the sound of a few coins jangling in a tin can. A man sat cross-legged next to a building. Sheets of grimy newspapers were spread out under him. Noticing my gaze, he quickly held the can up to me, muddy brown eyes pleading.

"Oh dear," I said, sighing. "Oh dear." Carefully balancing Ren with one arm, I reached into the pocket of my dress, rummaging around for a few coins.

"Will this do?" I asked kindly, dropping the coins in his can.

The man peered into the can and pulled out the coins.

"Lady, are you shitting me?"

I blinked.

"Pardon?"

He held up the three coins on his palm and violently tossed them across the sidewalk. This drew some bystanders' attention.

"You think this is a joke, lady? You think it's fun messing with the homeless man? You think I'm that dumb? That I have no ****ing pride left?"

I could tell the man was getting angry. I clutched Ren tighter, confused. He stood up, wobbling on his steps. The air around him reeked of onions and alcohol. By now, more people were stopping around the little unfolding scene.

"You think I'm dumb, huh? Every last one of you think so, too!" he yelled, swinging his arm. We were fully surrounded by people. "Think it's funny, lady? Giving me toy money?" he spat, glaring at me.

"I don't understand, sir. Toy money?" I took a step back right as he took a step forward. I was holding Ren not only to support him, but because I was afraid I would collapse out of fear if I didn't. Some of the onlookers pulled out their phones.

'Please wake up,' I begged to myself.

The man slowly inched toward me, reaching into his pocket. Why wasn't anyone stopping him? Ren stirred in my arms.

"Yeah, you must be laughing. Real funny, huh? Don't worry, I'll show you real funny..."






"And that's what happened," I recalled, taking another sip of hot tea. "Luckily, Ren woke up just in time."

"Fascinating," Seth whispered, circling the now sleeping Ren. "Absolutely fascinating. It's a phenomenon, really." He straightened up, facing me. "You must have been terrified out of your mind."

I chuckled, responding, "Oh, maybe it was just a bit too exciting for an old woman like me." I set the cup down, turning to Ren. "So you don't know what's causing it?"

Seth shook his head. He took a seat across from me, helping himself to some tea.

"I'm afraid not. I've never heard of such an unusual case. Erratic, rogue teleportation. Not only that, but..." He raised an eye. "This city you've described to me."

I hesitated.

"Yes."

"I admit, of all the things that disturb me, it's where you ended up this time. Laila," he said, crossing his legs. "Are you sure you still want to keep Ren? You know your secret is safe with me, but given your last encounter, I can't help thinking if staying with Ren is the best thing to do."

Before I could speak, Seth held up a hand.

"Wait. Let me finish. Even here, should Ren's secret ever be found out, you can bet he'll be whisked off to some facility in the middle of nowhere. And the city. Laila, the city." Seth shook his head. "I've travelled a fair bit myself, and I can assure you there is no place on earth like the city you've described. The clothes, the stores, the signs, the 'toy money'—nothing adds up."

"What are you implying, Seth?" I asked nervously.

"I'm not implying anything, Laila. Quite frankly, I think Ren has taken you some place not on this earth, this time. In this world, even."

I sat for a moment, stunned. Seth finished his cup of tea and let out a long, weary sigh.

"Of course, I'm your friend. You know I'd never turn you or Ren in. But I'm just concerned for your safety. Think about it carefully, Laila. You might not get off so lucky next time. As for Ren, well..." He trailed off, gesturing to the table where Ren was beginning to wake up. "I won't say anything. But please," he said, grabbing my arms as I stood up, "just be careful."

Staring into the eyes of my only childhood friend of so many years, I couldn't help but cave in, nodding.

"I will."

I took the small Abra in my arms, wrapped both of us in my shawl, and left Seth's house just as the sun began to set.

"I promise," I said quietly.

Oh, I recognize you long ago from Serebii! It's actually nice you're writing again. :3

I admit, I laughed at the beginning because everything seemed all peaceful in the city, and then all of a sudden the man cussed at Laila. He overreacted a bit much, LOL.

The next part it's fascinating that it could be a chance Ren had send Laila to another world/dimension. I'm quite sure that will be very important as the story progresses.

I admit, I'm unsure what kind of direction plot wise this story will go, but the beginning has got me interested. Also, yes the writing style is simple but I like it a lot and it flows well nicely, in my opinion. Looking forward to the next chapter!

Yes . . . I agree with Bay on this one: it's simple, but it works. The character comes across as quite innocent, in a way, which is nice. The idea of randomly teleporting (what the hell do you mean that's not a word stupid spellcheck) around with an Abra is one that, I admit, I've toyed with once or twice, but it's nice to see it brought out as an actual fic. I can't really comment too much on specifics here as there's not much to comment on. The length doesn't detract from the chapter, however, as there's plenty of action happening. You clearly set up several questions that want answering, without making it look like you just forgot to provide answers, which is what so many writers do. Those are the sorts of things that make reviewers ask 'Hey, this doesn't make sense. Why is it like this?' (I get it a lot) What you've done is make it accessible and yet prevent me from wanting to bug you with questions. Somehow, I have faith that the questions will be answered.

Ohh, thank you so much for the comments. I was afraid the whole simplicity thing would actually drive people off.

And hullo Bay. I do believe I remember your name. =3



ch.2


The very first place Ren took me was a park. It was the park Seth and I used to frequently play as children, and the park where I now sat on the bench and watched children play, instead. Strangely enough, I found myself amidst tall grass, clutching Ren. My head felt light and woozy.

"I was baking an apple pie," I thought out loud. "And here I am, in a park. Am I going daft already?"

"Miss! Miss!" a young boy shouted out. Unsure if this was a dream, I turned around. He couldn't have been more than ten. He wore a wide brimmed straw hat, white sleeveless shirt and shorts. He carried a net and what looked like a toolbox.

"Miss!" he said, catching up to me. He panted, struggling to form words. "M-Miss, i-it's dangerous in t-tall grass, d-don'tcha know...?"

"Is it?"

The boy nodded furiously, explaining, "You can run into wild Pokémon in tall grass. You should at least have another one besides your starter." He pointed at Ren. I was utterly confused.

"Starter...?"

"Yeah. It's a—oh, gosh, miss! Behind you!"

"Behind me...?"

I turned around, only to see nothing but tall grass and a small yellow worm-like creature crawling through it. I sighed, relieved.

"Why, it's just a—"

"It's a Weedle! A wild Weedle!" the boy crowed, jamming his fist in the air. "Don't worry, miss, I got this. I'm a Pokémon trainer, you see," he said, grinning. For some reason, my heart ached.

I watched as he pulled out a Pokéball, sending out yet another worm-like creature, except this one was green and was more like a caterpillar.

"If this is a dream, it is the strangest one I've had yet," I said to no one in particular, watching as Caterpie tackled the Weedle into submission. The poor thing couldn't move anymore. It let out a pathetic mewling sound before collapsing on the ground.

"Alright! Good job, Caterpie!" the boy yelled excitedly. A brief beam of red light, then it disappeared back inside the Pokéball.

"What's going to happen to it?" I asked with a touch of sadness. The boy gave me a blank expression.

"What, the Weedle? Who cares about it? Probably get eaten or something." He shrugged, then gave me a big grin. "You should get out of the tall grass, now. More of them might come at you, miss."

"Eaten...?"

He cheerfully waved at me before running off. I felt dizzy. The sun was beating on my back and to my dismay, I realized I was in the middle of the park with no shoes.

"Were you the one who took me here, Ren?" I whispered into his head. He did not respond. I could vaguely hear children laughing, Pokémon screaming, and my own heart pounding. My eyes found their way back to the Weedle, still collapsed on the ground.

A bird, two birds, then three—three Pidgeys swooped down, pecking at the dying Weedle.

"They're eating it, Ren," I said raspily, throat dry from the heat. "They're eating it."

I watched helplessly at the bug, no longer resembling a bug, but bits and pieces of what might have been a bug. And the Pidgeys, with their tiny beady eyes, staring at me as they kept eating and eating and eating—




"Laila, are you listening to me?"

"Hm?"

I jerked my head up. Seth peered at me, his forehead creased with worry. I immediately plastered on a smile.

"Ah, I'm fine. I guess I didn't get enough sleep last night. You know, thinking about everything and all."

"You should take care of your body more. You aren't young anymore," he said, frowning. I waved it off.

"Don't worry about me. It's because I'm tired. I will rest when I get home. Continue with what you were saying," I said, trying my best to appear nonchalant. He paused, unsure of my response, and then took a deep breath.

"Like I was saying, what will happen if you get teleported to that strange city again? And from the looks of it, once Ren falls asleep, you're completely rendered helpless. Not like you had much control to begin with, but Ren's state of consciousness is important—"

"Aren't you thinking about this too much, Seth?" I interjected. "I'll be okay, really. I've actually come to expect these trips, as silly as that sounds."

"Laila, these aren't just simple 'trips.' You're being teleported Arceus knows where and you expect me to sit back and relax?" he asked, frustrated. He slumped back into his chair, rubbing his head. I felt guilty for causing so much burden.

"I'm sorry," I started to say, but he shook his head.

"It's fine. Listen, I'm just stressed. Come back tomorrow, okay? We can talk more then. I just...I just need to think for now," Seth muttered, avoiding my eyes. Again, my heart ached, but I conceded.

"Alright."

I gently lifted Ren from his sleeping position and once again, wrapped both of us in my shawl. Summer afternoons were quickly fading.

"Goodbye, Seth."

"Goodbye, Laila," came his faint voice as I closed the door. "Have a safe trip home."

"I will," I answered.

But I didn't.

Poor Weedle. ;_; I think it's been a while since I read a fic where what happens to the fainted Pokemon is mentioned. A very tragic but realistic approach over that scenario. I do like the bug catcher kid, though. Cute personality (despite what happened at the end, haha).

"Goodbye, Laila," came his faint voice as I closed the door. "Have a safe trip home."

"I will," I answered.

But I didn't.

Click to expand...

I really love the ending there. I'm going to assume this was Ren's doing, which is a clever way of wordplay there (with Ren and Laila teleporting to different places and such).

The plot is still slightly open over how everything will connect in the end, but this is still quite good. Looking forward to the next chapter!

Nngn I'm afraid I'm going to fail at finishing this.


Ch3

"Eight badges, eight gyms. How long d'you reckon 'til I reach the league?" he asked, drawing figures on the dirt ground with a stick.

"Oh, I dunno. Must be a long time, I guess." I continued to stare at the big, fluffy clouds.

"A super long time," he agreed, finishing his poor rendition of a Charizard. "It must be fun. A long journey."

"I guess."

"You don't seem very excited about this."

I shrugged, replying, "Why would I be? It sounds awfully tiring."

"Well," he said, blushing slightly, "I thought we agreed to go together! On a journey."

I laughed, facing him.

"I only said maybe."

"W-Well, you promised," he retorted, throwing the stick away. He crossed his arms. "You promised me. You promised to go on a journey with me when I turned ten. You promised you'd stay with me until I reached the league! You promised!"

He stood across me, smiling sadly.

"How many more promises are you going to break, Laila?"



"I don't know," I said quietly, holding Ren. "I don't know where I am but I must admit I don't like this place."

It was true. I was in a cemetery. It was cloudy and dismal, the familiar cold circling us. I shivered and held Ren closer. I could not feel my nose, ears or fingers.

"Of all places this time," I commented, struggling to smile. I could not. Cemeteries depressed me, and for a good reason. They only reminded me of my ethereal life. Yesterday, I was nine and suddenly, decades later, I had trouble finding my socks every single morning. Was that why I looked forward to Ren's antics? Remembering Seth's words, though, I winced.

"I must apologize to him again," I told Ren, who was sleeping, "I feel terrible now. He is only worried about me, after all..."

I sighed and forced myself to look at my surroundings.

I knew I wasn't in Lavendar Town. I could not spot the tower anywhere. All I could see were fields and fields with endless gray slabs of stones sticking out. The grass was a pale, sickly yellow. As cemeteries went, this one was quite gloomy.

"I don't recognize this place at all. I feel as if you're taking me farther and farther away, sometimes," I told Ren, despite the fact my words were heard by no one. Talking comforted me, so I continued as I walked past the gravestones.

"And I can't tell if there's a pattern, unfortunately. I was never good at noticing things. At times, I can't even tell if I'm dreaming. Why me, I wonder? Suppose someone else had found you instead; suppose a more adventurous person than myself had found you. I am sure their story would be far more exciting. I cannot weave a tale for my life."

The air grew chillier. I coughed lightly, holding the shawl closer.

"But I do not regret finding you. I am, I suppose, happy. You have made life a bit more interesting. Seth tells me it's a phenomenon. I simply see you as a friend."

Upon the last word, I stopped walking. No matter what direction I took, everything looked exactly the same—rows and rows of gravestones, dead grass, gray sky, and a large, crooked tree.

"Oh dear," I murmured. My chest felt heavy and for some reason, I felt uneasy. "I feel like I'm walking in circl—hmm? Tree?"

In the distance, I could see a silhouette of a person standing in front of one of the gravestones, next to the tree. My vision was poor, but it wasn't so poor as to miss another human being, let alone a tree, in this vast, empty cemetery.

"I know I was alone," I said, gripping Ren tighter. "I know I was alone," I repeated, if only to reassure myself. Nevertheless, curiousity got the best of me and I approached the figure. He was a man, I could see. He donned a long, black coat and a hat. He was facing down, making it difficult to see his face.

"Excuse me," I called out politely. He did not look up. Perhaps he couldn't hear me.

"Excuse me," I called out again. He still did not look up. Perplexed, I walked closer to him, but my presence still went unnoticed.

"...ou," he whispered. I could barely hear what he was saying. Feeling bold, I walked even closer, ending up right next to him.

"...you," he whispered again, and this time, he raised his head and faced me. I immediately recognized his gaunt face, blue eyes, and hair streaked with gray.

He grabbed my shoulders, taking a step closer. Startled, I attempted to take a step back but found my feet rooted to the ground.

"I missed you," he said hoarsely, "I did, I really missed you. Where are you now? Why did you leave?"

My whole body trembled.

"I don—"

"I missed you. I miss you. Where are you now?"

"I do—"

"I miss you!" he yelled, digging my nails into my shoulders. I cried out from the pain, tears threatening to emerge. He leaned in closer until his face was directly in front of me. Shaking, he began to weep.

"I miss you, I miss you, I miss you, I miss you, Laila, I miss you, I miss you, I miss you, I really do, so why did you—"