PMD: Chasing Storms has been updated!
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Chapter 1
Chapter 9:
Wattpad:
(A rewrite of The Unknown Hero) Collab with @Billycorn2002 Whisked away to a world where only Pokémon existed and humans are believed to be
Ao3:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/63554941/chapters/170234074
Pmdff:
As the morning sun’s rays painted the roof of Blake’s house in gold, he stirred from his sleep drunk stupor. With a yawn, he rolled from bed
As the morning sun's rays painted the roof of Blake's house in gold, he stirred from his sleep drunk stupor. With a yawn, he rolled from bed, stumbling to his feet: Scratching his belly as he made his way into the living room, eyes focusing on the couch- on Kate's bed, that is.
Kate's bed, the thought stirred a strange feeling in his gut. If she was going to be staying here, she should probably have her own room. … Wait, what? Well, it made sense that Kate would be staying here, right? After nearly a month, she wasn't exactly a stranger anymore; heck, she'd even saved his skin once or twice.
Thoughts rolling through his mind, Blake came to two conclusions: 1, he wouldn't be kicking Kate out. If she wanted to leave, that was fine. If she wanted to stay, that's just fine too. 2, he could think about this later. It was probably something they should discuss, and today was hardly the day for it, right?
Clearing his throat, Blake prepared a 'good morning' but the words died on his tongue when he peered over the armrest, finding the blankets messily folded, with Kate nowhere to be seen. He was about to call for her, when he remembered this was hardly the first time it had happened. Honestly, after the third time, he was pretty certain of where she would be.
Maybe if she had a room of her own, she'd stop this weird habit?
Blake snorted, tail swishing back and forth in sharp flicks as he made his way to the cupboard. It took nearly all his willpower to keep from running and even as his hand closed around the handle, he sucked in a sharp breath, preparing himself, just in case.
He opened the cupboard, and as expected, there was Kate. She lay on her back, squeezed between small sacks of berries stashed inside. She looked peaceful, despite the surely uncomfortable position. She snored and drooled and pawed idly at the air. Blake couldn't help but chuckle at the sight as he closed the cupboard, gentle, in hopes it wouldn't wake her. It was the third and final day of their prescribed three days rest, he could let her sleep in a little. They'd be back at it tomorrow, may as well sleep while they can.
It was perhaps thirty minutes later when Kate nudged open the cupboard door with her head. Her eyes squeezed shut as she yawned and gave a mighty stretch before shaking herself awake. Smacking her lips, she looked around, eyes landing on Blake. "Morming."
"Good morning," chuckled Blake. "I was starting to worry your tea would get cold."
Kate's ears perked up at that and she sniffed the air. "Ooh, oolong?"
Blake nodded. He'd been sitting at the table, cradling a steaming mug between his hands in a careful attempt to keep the tea at the right temperature, but now he pushed it towards another seat and Kate hurried over. Jumping onto the chair, she rested her forepaws on the table, blew twice, then lapped at the tea, head tilting as she swallowed.
"Did you add honey?"
"Is it alright?" he asked, nervously.
"A little too sweet, but it's definitely an improvement."
Blake clenched his fist in a silent victory under the table. "Not hard, the bar was pretty low."
"Fair point."
They lapsed into a comfortable silence, both grabbing a berry each from the bowl before them. Kate nibbled at her Cheri berry while Blake downed a persim in two bites.
Taking another sip of her tea, Kate glanced at Blake. "You going to the workshop today?"
His posture suddenly stiffening, Blake cleared his throat and loosened his scarf around his neck. "Actually, there's someone I have to visit."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I was planning to head out soon."
Kate waited a moment for him to elaborate, but when he didn't, she gave a shrug which almost sent her toppling from her chair. "I guess I'll keep practicing my reading then."
Over the last two days, Kate had been hard at work and it was all starting to come together now. She could recognise all the runes and sound out the words, she just needed more practice to be able to string it together quickly. In no time, she'd be able to fully read that joke book Blake had, then she'd annoy him with it to no end!
"Actually," Blake ground out, eyes staring into the depths of his mug and only occasionally flicking up at Kate. "I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."
"Sure, but do you really want me to? It sounds like," she trailed off, letting the thought hang.
Nodding, Blake said, "I do. Want you there. If you want to come. If not, you don't have to-"
"No, no!" Kate's brow furrowed, her fallen ears raising ever so slightly only to drop again. "I'll come."
"Cool."
The silence that had been comfortable turned awkward as Blake fidgeted in his seat. After a moment and some incoherent mutterings, he rose from his chair, collecting their now empty mugs and heading for the sink.
Shortly after, Kate finished breakfast, Blake tied her bandana for her, grabbed one more berry for the road and they set out. As they headed outside, Blake glanced at the sky, finding the sun standing proud amidst a scattering of clouds.
He was still staring upwards when a noise stole his attention and he caught a glimpse of a striped creature rummaging through the wood stashed under his porch.
"Hey!" Blake yelled, making the black and white Zigzagoon squeak as she attempted to hold the wood in her forepaws. "I need that wood for my carvings!"
Zigzagoon didn't even hesitate to say, "My friend and I are building a fort and this would be perfect for the moat!"
Her heart warm at the sight of the young Pokémon, Kate answered, "take it."
"Hey!" the Charmander protested.
"Thanks Miss, bye!" Zigzagoon replied as she grabbed the edge of one chunk with her maw, dragging it with her until she was out of sight.
Blake shot her an unimpressed look. "Really?"
"She's just a kid!
Rolling his eyes and huffing, he tried to push it from his mind, distracting himself by glancing at the flowers growing in patches as they strolled through the forest.
Spotting a bundle of yellow dandelions in full gorgeous bloom, Blake shifted his course, coming to a stop and picking them gently. He did so with an air of sadness and Kate felt that awkwardness looming over them once more. Shifting uncomfortably under its weight, she cleared her throat, and asked with shaky humour, "flowers? For a lady friend?"
Blake snorted. "If I had a girlfriend, I wouldn't have let you move in."
Kate's smile turned tight. "That's the right answer, but it irks me. I'm glad you don't have a girlfriend."
Scoffing, he rose to his feet, dusted the grass from his knees and kept walking, dandelions in hand. "Thank you. For that."
"But what happens if you get a girl?" mused Kate. "Do I have to move out?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Half-smiling at the non-committal answer, Kate bumped his side lightly with her hips, the levity in her tone sounding more natural now, despite its contrast with Blake's still somber expression. "So, who are the flowers for?"
"We're almost there."
Despite his words, they walked in silence another ten minutes before arriving at a small clearing, tucked away deep within the forest. Ringed by trees and neat hedges, dotted with small flowers and sitting under an open sky, the clearing was picturesque, peaceful: The perfect place for a grave or three.
Kate stood back, watching with a carefully neutral expression as Blake shuffled closer. There were two large mounds, a line of rocks at the head of each, standing diligently beside headstones; free of grass or blemish. Blake must come here regularly and keep things tidy. It was between these graves Blake placed the flowers.
Feeling like she was intruding on something private, Kate's gaze flicked away, landing on a third, smaller grave, which a little headstone. Many tiny flowers dotted the grass atop the grave and amidst them lay a misshapen toy, worn with age and covered with scratches. It was wooden and poorly carved, as if made by a child.
Glancing over his shoulder, Blake offered Kate a trembling smile, and gestured with his head. "Would you?"
Nodding slow, Kate padded over, sitting at the foot of the graves and giving Blake a little room. He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, his gaze was watery, and aimed straight ahead. The first tear fell when he tried to speak and no words came out.
"Your family?" whispered Kate.
Blake nodded and another tear fell. "My Dad was a Salamence. He was the coolest, but Mom? She was a Charizard, and she was the best. She would've really liked you."
Kate didn't say anything.
"My Dad-" Blake paused, cleared his throat and tried again "-my Dad's name was Sloan. My Mom… she was Katherine Ousmane."
Kate's jaw dropped, ever so slightly. Her ears pinned back. She met Blake's gaze with wide eyes when he turned his heavy-hearted smile upon her. "Blake, I'm sorry, I-"
"It's okay," he said quickly. Shaking his head, he wiped his tears away. "I just miss them. I, I try to visit at least once a month, but sometimes it's hard. Kate. Thanks for coming."
Oh.
She tried for a smile, but didn't even make it halfway: Hopefully her words at least carried a little of the sincerity and weight she felt behind them. "Of course."
Watching as Blake released a shuddering breath, Kate crept closer, until her soft fur was brushing his warm scales. She nodded at the third grave. "Is that…"
"My little brother, Philip." For a long moment, Blake was silent, then he laughed weakly and nudged her. "You know, he was an Eevee."
"DAMMIT!"
Blake's eyes went wide and he reeled back a little, staring down at her with furrowed brows.
"Sorry, sorry, just," she barked a laugh and took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Guess I'm just one big painful reminder."
The silence stretched. Kate fixed her eyes on the toy on Philip's grave, spotting the similarities between it and her own furry body.
"No." Blake's voice was soft, and the thick emotion which had clouded it had melted into something warmer, almost soothing. "Maybe at first, you were. Not anymore."
Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her into a tight side-hug which lasted not nearly long enough, for either of their liking.
Wordlessly, Blake began moving about the graves, cleaning them up. He scorched the headstones with fire from his fist, incinerating weeds creeping up the back and sent a few sparks drifting down onto the grass below.
Kate joined him, making sure the rocks were all aligned and that no weeds crept too close. Her thoughts were far away and she surprised herself when the words, "do you remember them?" slipped from her mouth.
"What?" asked Blake.
"I just, I was wondering if you remember them."
Blake shrugged awkwardly. "Not much, but I remember the important parts, I know they loved me: And they loved flying, but it scared the life out of me. Whenever we soared, Mom held me and I clung so tight to her neck, I worried I was hurting her."
Kate almost laughed.
"But, I wish," pausing, he swallowed the emotion suddenly rising in his throat again. "I wish I remembered their voices. Their smell. Their faces."
"Their faces?"
He nodded, smiling bitterly. "Whenever I see a Salamence or Charizard, I can see hints of them, but it's not the same. No matter how hard I search a stranger's face, it's not them. For a moment it feels like they're there. Then… I lose them all over again."
Silently, Kate picked a few flowers carefully between her teeth. She lay them on Philip's grave. Blake watched her with a strangely warm heart; warmer than he's ever felt here before.
Clearing his throat, he said, "but I remember the feel of their scales. Mom, she had scales like mine. Kinda warm, hers were smoother though, but dad? His scales were rough, like prickly fur. When he hugged me, it was scratchy and it tickled, but I, I didn't really mind."
For a brief moment, Kate thought she knew what he meant. It was like she could feel a beard tickling her chin, a nose being smooshed against her soft cheek as she erupted in giggles. A memory or a lovingly crafted dream? Maybe both?
Lost in a time long past, Kate found herself blinking back sudden tears when Blake's voice reached her ears again.
"Kate? Kate!"
"Yeah! Yeah, I'm… sorry."
"You okay?"
"I should be asking you that," she answered, sounding much more bitter than she meant to. Thankfully, Blake didn't hold it against her.
He chewed his lip a moment before nodding. "I'm ready to go home."
Not trusting herself to speak, Kate just nodded.
Smiling sadly, he moved close, resting his hand on her head for a moment, ruffling her fur, then he was kneeling before the graves, saying his goodbyes. "Well, mom, dad, I'll be back soon. I'm glad I got to show you, you don't have to worry about me."
Kate was still puzzling about that last line on the walk back home, but it eventually passed from her mind, drowned out by snippets of memories, brief flashes of happiness that were immediately smothered by, by everything that she needed, everything she couldn't give up.
Blake tapped Kate's side and she jumped slightly,as if forgetting he'd been walking alongside her.
He held out his hand and watched the sky, feeling the rain before he could see it. "It's about to pour. Let's run."
Settling into an easy lope, Kate matched his pace and they made it back onto the porch moments before it started raining in force. Still, Blake winced when Kate shook out her fur, throwing water droplets all over him. He made a revolted face, cloaking himself in flames until the water on his scales evaporated into steam.
He walked inside, returning with a towel moments later. Kate watched as he knelt down and draped the cloth over her head, running it through her fur to dry her off. His touch was firm, yet soft through the cloth. She waited patiently, only muttering a quiet thank you as he worked.
He continued until she wasn't dripping wet anymore, then led the way inside, hanging the towel on a peg in the bathroom. The silence wasn't as awkward as earlier thankfully; the sound of rain crashing upon the tin roof created a cascading symphony of rattles and clinks.
Kate found herself shuffling closer to Blake's side, shivering as a cold breeze whipped through the open door. The soft rumble of thunder joined the downpour, and the sky, once blue and pockmarked with fluffy clouds, was engulfed by the grey, angry storm.
It would've been a scenic view, but in Kate's mind surged sequences of past events that have burned into her memory. With her fur brushing against Blake's warm scales, she could still vaguely recall the kind warmth of a hand clasped around hers…
Blake's face crumpled under the weight of Kate's apparent distance on this particular afternoon, unable to help feeling like he'd caused her somber mood. It would've been harder, but maybe he should've visited his parents alone. He'd done it plenty of times before, what, what's once more?
Forcing a smile into his voice, Blake said, "you know, if you became a Flareon, you wouldn't have to worry about the cold. Maybe then you could give me some space."
Kate didn't answer.
Slowly, Blake lay a hand on her back, clearing his throat.
She glanced up, eyes wide, as if surprised to see him there. "Hm? Oh, right." She sighed, side-stepped away, and lowered her head. "Sorry."
"No, I didn't mean," cutting himself off with a groan, Blake rubbed at his temples. He took a moment to collect his thoughts and, fingers running across the door frame as they watched the rain, he asked, "Kate, I was wondering, do you have… anyone?"
"What?"
"Do you have anyone? Like, a family?"
Oh. That.
Kate couldn't help the frown etching on her face as the question rang in her ears. She shuffled her paws awkwardly. Blake noticed, scratching the back of his neck as he raised a reassuring hand."Hey, it's fine. You don't have to answer that," he told her, giving one last pat on her head before heading to the couch, grabbing the blanket off it. "I gotta clean something up real quick. I'll be right back."
With that, he headed towards a room next to his, stepped in, and disappeared from sight as the door clicked shut behind him. Kate's gaze drifted to the storm once more. Like the harsh gusts of wind, the memories that rushed back were devoid of warmth and comfort. Would it even change anything if she had anyone to go back to?
Unlike Blake, she couldn't even remember those who had supposedly loved her. What they looked like, their voices and their love; all were lost to the passage of time. Sure, she swore she'd been held lovingly once, but was it really true? Maybe it was just a sweet dream her mind had crafted, a desperate attempt to comfort her after all the tears that were met with a swift backhand.
Kate's throat became tight with emotion and she could feel tears, welling in her eyes and threatening to start flowing at a moment's notice, but no, she shouldn't. Blake already had problems of his own; she couldn't be a burden and add one more to the pile. It was only a matter of time before he walked away, just like everyone else, but for now, this was good: If she could keep it going just a little longer, then maybe… No. Love is for people worth staying for, and she's not one of them.
"I moved your bed."
She took deep breaths, fighting back the tears before she dared glance at the Charmander. Her head tilted curiously. "My bed?"
He shrugged, trying and failing to hide an excited grin. "Yeah, just thought it might be a bit warmer for you. Come see."
Padding after Blake, Kate entered the room beside his, a room he rarely set foot in and had previously declared off limits. It was a simple space, a bookcase and desk on one wall, a window on another. A bed -a proper bed- sat in the middle of the third wall and had a small table with cupboards on either side. The bed was made, boasting a single pillow and several layers of warm blankets. Kate's blanket had been spread out over the top. A plush purple rug sat in the middle of the room and she marveled at how it tickled her paw pads underfoot.
Turning in a slow circle, she glanced all about, until her gaze landed back on Blake. Burying his hands in pockets he didn't have, he gave an easy shrug. "This was Philip's room. It's yours, if you want it."
"If I want it?" echoed Kate, her voice sounding hollow in her own ears.
"Well, yeah, I just, I didn't know if you were planning on sticking around? It's been a month so you've got some experience exploring now and you know your way around town. I'm sure if you wanted to do something else, you could move, find friends and work elsewhere, but if, if you wanted to stay…" he trailed off. When Kate didn't say anything, he forced his gaze up from the floor, though he kept curling his toes against the floorboards. "Please stop me before I start rambling again. I don't really know what I'm saying and I'm trying to get there, but I-"
"Blake."
"Oh, thank you."
Taking a deep breath, Kate looked around the room once more, a smile coming to her muzzle, breaking through the storm cloud that seemed to have left the weeping sky to haunt her specifically. "I love it."
"Really?"
"Really." Trotting over, she pressed her forehead against his side, nuzzling his leg.
Laughing awkwardly, Blake hesitantly patted her head. "So, then, you want to keep exploring?"
Smirking, Kate began padding around her room, looking at everything there was to see, lingering on her reflection in the mirror. "Dude, you'd probably die without me, I can't leave you now."
Blake snorted, tail lashing. "When we met, I was saving you from a Zweilous that wanted to eat you."
"Yeah, after you abandoned me."
"Okay, that is not-" Blake's retort died on his tongue, seeing Kate's grin. Rolling his eyes, he turned on his heel and strolled out. She explored a moment longer before following him.
Thunder rolled outside and Kate's gaze swiveled to the still open front door. Moving to close it, she hesitated, lingering in the doorway and watching the driving rain. Blake strolled past a moment later, calling over his shoulder, "you coming?"
Closing the door behind her, Kate padded after Blake. With a carving knife and block of wood in hand, he sat on the edge of the porch. Thankfully, the wind was blowing sideways to the house and the awning stretched out over the edge of the deck, protecting him from the rain. Kate sat beside him, heavy tail thumping against the floor when he smiled side-long at her.
Blake turned the wood over in his hands, tapping the flat of the knife against it and humming thoughtfully. His expression, contemplative mere moments ago, cleared as an idea seemed to dawn on him. "So, if you really did used to be human, did you choose to become an Eevee?"
Kate shot him a skeptical grin and he raised his hands innocently. "I'm just humouring you."
She huffed a sigh and lay down, tucking her forelegs under her body and her tail tight behind her. "I didn't get to choose. I just went to bed and the next thing I knew, I woke up here, like this."
"Like this?" mused Blake. "And by that you mean… adorable?"
Kate's jaw dropped and she snapped her neck to look at him.
He only chuckled. "Like I said, humouring you."
Her gaze narrowing and a cheeky smile spreading across her face, Kate shuffled slightly and began leaning. Ever so slowly, she tipped over, until she was laying against Blake's side.
"What are you doing?" he asked, sounding more confused than anything.
"Humour me?"
For a moment, Blake said nothing. Then, he lay the wood in his lap and rested his hand on her head, claws crawling through her soft fur. "So, if you could've chosen what pokemon you became, what would you be?"
"A flying type, for sure. Maybe a Starly?"
"Starly? Really? I was expecting something big and strong, like a Tyranitar."
Kate rolled her eyes. "As long as I could fly. If I could fly, oh, the places I'd go. I'd go right out into this storm, climb above the clouds and fly far, far away from here."
Barking a weak laugh, Blake whispered, "you sound just like my mom."
At that, both of them fell silent once more. Only this time, the silence wasn't comfortable nor awkward, just sad, heavy, hanging like a wet blanket around their shoulders: It got a little warmer when Blake lay his tail across Kate's back, bringing his flame to rest near her hind-legs.
Kate pressed herself firmer to his side. He patted her head a moment longer, then grabbed the wood from his lap and began carving a little bird, black and white, and native to the Sinnoh region.
The words, "I'm not going anywhere," were almost lost to the storm, but they both heard them. As for who said them, does that really matter?
****
The rain still hammered the earth, but this deep it was hardly even heard. The conversation that had filled the room died slowly with his arrival: The space was dominated by the sound of his soft paw-steps and the clack of claws on cobblestone.
The small crowd parted, carving a path for him and offering respectful nods. The bright torches on the walls cast his shadow long and wide over the crowd as he ascended the stairs onto a raised dais at the head of the crowd. When he'd made it to the top, he turned and gazed out over his audience. With bated breath, they awaited his words.
Balam, head of the Stoutland guild, took a breath, and spoke softly, yet his voice filled the underground chamber. "Today marks the start of something momentous for our humble research team. Members of Yume-" Balam nodded at the edge of the dais, where a Weavile waited in the shadows "-the summoning was a success."
Weavile stepped forwards to stand beside Balam. Withdrawing her long claws from a dark cloak, she revealed a feather, tinged green and white and softly glowing.
Balam's smile was hidden behind his long fur, but it was there in his voice. "The lunar wing has reacted, Cresselia is near!"
A cheer went up from the crowd. Pokemon stamped their feet, applauded and beat their chests. Balam's pleased gaze passed over them all, eventually settling on a Pokemon who did not react. This pokemon watched impassively, his typical scowl having softened into something uncaring. Still, he paid attention, Balam could tell by the alertness in his eyes, the straightness of his posture.
Balam smiled at the Jolteon.
