Her breath came in short rasps, her paws flat on the ground and in the position to move if needed. Yet from the way she was crouched, it was clear that she had already been on the move for quite some time. She winced in pain at each breath, her eyes partially closing and her vision nothing short of a blur every so often. The initial thought of this place; a place lined with nothing but crystal flooring, pillars that seemed to stretch as far as one could see and shards of ice that created the walls and seemed to be a place of sanctuary; was shattered. Her body was ravaged with damage; her arms scratched and tuffs of fur missing from where it once was. Her body smelled strong of iron, metallic in many ways, as her head had received a gash, with the substance of blood trickling down and lining her cheeks. The bandana she wore was soaked, clinging to her fur and didn’t show the slightest chance of being pulled off. Droplets of blood dripped from the base of her neck onto the floor, seeming to spread across the crystal hallway like a small addition to its elegant design. The figure panted a bit more and then closed her eyes as her vision blurred for the umpteenth time. She only held them closed for a few seconds, but those seconds felt like hours to her. Upon opening them, her eyes trailed from the ground up to the darkness that lay before her; yet it wasn’t the shadows that made her cringe or had even hurt her. Piercing through the darkness lay a pair of crimson eyes in the midst of all that lay in this area that she thought to be her tomb. She felt her body begin to sway until she collapsed on the ground giving a grunt of exasperation. With her last bit of energy, she spoke out one word. One name.
“Alex…”
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The sun shined across the sky while the trees casted beams of light on the ground. Only the occasional cloud drifted across the sky. A brisk wind whisked through the air and caused for the trees to whisper has their leaves shook. The hint of dew coated the grass from the previous nights storm and even beads of water covered the leaves of the trees. Some of them were missing their bark from where lightning had struck against them, making them seem bare but giving them their own different look.
A figure walked along the path between the trees, almost like the trees formed arches overhead and just barely touched one another with their branches. This figure had light yellow fur and dark red pouches, the shape of its tail being a lightning bolt, yet it ended in a small heart indent. It also wore a strap around the body with a bag hanging off the side of what would be its hip. The figure was that of a Pikachu, and she walked with a smile on her face and the hum of a song to keep her company during her trek through the woods. It was a song she had made up while she was young and she liked to sing it to herself when she was alone. But she thought today was a special day for it to be sung, as this Pikachu was walking to achieve a goal that she had sought to do for the longest time.
“Today is the day! The day that I make my dream come true!” she thought to herself. “All I gotta do is cut through the thicket of the woods…”
So far, the trek had been a scenic route. But the further down the woods one would go, it seemed to become more menacing as some Pokémon called it their territory and would defend it if crossed through the wrong way. And the densest part of the woods was easy to get lost in. The Pikachu gave a shake of her head and closed her eyes, still walking along.
“No! I can do this! I have to do this!” she said softly.
Yet a few steps more, and the small mouse stumbled over something in the road. Her paws outstretched themselves to prevent her from falling completely on the ground, but this caused them to be stained a dark orange, as the road was still damp from the previous night. The Pikachu gave a grunt as she landed, but quickly got back up and dusted herself off; careful to not leave any more stains than she needed along her fur. Turning her head to look at what had tripped her up; she gave not a quick glance but instead a small gasp. Nothing of nature had caused her to fall, instead, it was another being; another Pikachu.
The new arrival looked exactly like any other, only several scratches lined its body as if it had been in a heated argument. The tail was shaped like a normal lightning bolt and the fur atop of its head was tuffed out in a small manner as to give a small spiked look. He didn’t appear to be breathing and this caused the girl to go over in a near instant, wondering what could possibly have happened. This forest wasn’t rough at all, the Pokémon who inhabited it often left others alone so much as they minded themselves.
“H-hey! Um…a-are you alright?” she asked; uncertainty in her voice. Never had she seen a Pokémon like this, and she never thought she’d need to take care of something like this either. “Hey! If you’re alive, you need to wake up!” she said, giving a small pat to the other Pikachu’s face.
The figure still didn’t respond. She gave a small hum and idled with her paws, looking around to see if there was someone around. There wasn’t’ a soul in sight, and she let her eyes start to wander over the figures body. After a few moments of looking, she made another sharp gasp; but one of excitement and assurance. She turned her head just enough to start rifling through her bag, trying to find something that would wake this Pikachu up. After only moments of searching, she produced a piece of an Oran Berry; said to replenish the body if one is to eat it. What wasn’t told though, was that it was really the juices inside of it that made one recover. She gently gripped the other by the back of his head and tilted it up as to where he would be able to drink the juice of the berry easier. Yet as she did so, she did not feel what was to come.
With the movement of his head, the figure opened its’ eyes and jolted up; colliding with the others skull. The two of them reared their heads back and pressed both paws to their foreheads, giving a cry of agony. The girl bounced around a bit as a way to try and make the pain go away, while the boy rolled himself back and forth on the ground. Both of them felt like they had been hit by a freight train; and neither had a clue of who was to blame. After a few moments, the both of them removed their paws from their heads and glared at one another; unsure of what to say or even to do. One knew that she had found him lying on the ground completely unconscious, while the other hadn’t a clue of whom this girl was or why she had been standing over him to begin with. They both had even been left with a small red mark as a reminded they collided with one another; as if the pain wasn’t enough to remind them.
“Wh-who are you?” she asked her voice quiet
“Who are you!?” he asked in return, giving a confused look
The girl stammered a bit but felt herself give in to his question rather than keep pressure to find out more about him. “M-my name’s Alexis…”
“Right…” he spoke, looking around the area. He idly scratched behind his head and stood up, stretching himself out with a resounding groan. “What were you doing over me like that?” he asked
“I was on my way to town, when I uh…tripped over you. I didn’t see you at first, but then you were just there…”
The boy stayed quiet, folding his arms as an ear went flat on one side. He seemed to be thinking, but the girl couldn’t be sure. This could be a wild Pokémon for all she knew; sizing her out and planning his next move. But he did show sign of confusion and that asking of where he was confirmed that he did not live in the woods. But that also meant that he wasn’t from the town; so that left the question of where he was from. Alexis tilted her head and he raised his gaze to meet hers again, still remaining quite. And for a few moments the two just stood where they were, unsure of what to do until the boy turned to the side of the woods that began the path down the darkest part.
“You said on the way to town, right?” he asked
“Yeah, that’s right. I was on my way to…Oh no!” she exclaimed, placing her paw on her head once more.
“Something wrong?”
“I’m supposed to meet someone shortly! But, you know, stopping to help you and all…I think I’m going to be late now!” she said, starting her way off, but stopped.
She remembered that she had only crossed through the forest once and didn’t exactly know the path around. And being an Electric type; she wouldn’t stand much a chance against Grass type or even the rare Rock type that lived within. She turned to him and he gave a small raise of his brow. “W-will you come with me?” she Alexis asked
“Huh?”
“The forest. It’s not too bad, but if I take the wrong turn I dunno how much time it’ll take me to go through it. I’d feel a lot better if I had someone with me, and uh… seeing as you don’t seem to be in a rush, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me.” She said, not meeting his gaze while explaining it.
The other Pikachu made a small hum and closed his eyes, then gave a nod to her. “Yeah, sure.”
“R-really?” she asked, as if he was joking with her
He gave a small smile and nodded his head again. “Yeah, why not? I mean. Hey, a town sure does sound nice.”
Alexis smiled and nodded her head to him in delight, turning and walking off again, this time with the other Pikachu following behind. They both walked in seldom silence, but after a bit Alexis started to hum that song she made up long ago to herself once again. The boy following her didn’t mind and even enjoyed it, so he didn’t speak up about it. While they walked, he began to think to himself, looking up to the trees as the wind rushed down several drops of water onto them both. He smiled and then looked to his paws. They were riddled with small scratches and looking to his legs they too were riddled with some scratches; just not as much as his paws. It was like nothing had happened though because they didn’t hurt at all, and Alexis didn’t seem to speak up about them. The boy didn’t mind and even if she had asked him about it, he wasn’t sure he could give her an answer. Everything before that landed him in that state was a blank. He didn’t seem to worry too much about it now, just now taking in the sight of the forest around him. It seemed like he would enjoy this walk; up until he heard one question be asked once again.
“Say, uh…um…gosh. You never did tell me your name, you know.” Alexis spoke, glancing back to him.
The Pikachu opened his mouth a bit to speak; yet no words came out. He had even raised his arm to sound confident for his answer, yet nothing was spoken. He instead closed his mouth and gave a small hum again, thinking once more as the two continued on. That was a problem; he didn’t expect to know how he had gotten in a certain area such as this forest and Alexis didn’t seem to mind it at all either, but it was the name that got him. The one thing he couldn’t recall. She gave him a small look and slowed down to walk by his side, waiting on an answer from him. Her thoughts too matched that of his, wondering why he couldn’t remember.. He turned his head and just gave a small smile instead of an answer to her at first., then glanced ahead of the two of them starting to see that the path was getting a bit darker. The trees above really intertwined with one another, some of them seeming to be alive themselves and casting a dark glance to the two Pikachu below them. Both of them stopped and looked around, and then the boy looked to the girl and smiled.
“I can see why you wanted someone with you. I mean, this place is kind of creepy.” He said, not giving her the chance to learn his name as he walked ahead of her and hopped over a rather large branch in the pathway.
Alexis blinked her eyes and frowned, going after to keep up with him. She sought to learn his name one way or another; but maybe she’d need to ask at the right time. Just that all the times she had tried to ask never seemed to be good enough. Hopping over the branch wasn’t exactly the easiest of tasks either for one would need to land on top and then watch their step as several roots sprouted out from the side and even the ground below. One wrong jump and they’d find themselves partially stuck. That is if they were small enough, and these roots were far bigger than the two Pikachu who had just jumped over them. As the two of them landed on the ground, specks of dust and small flakes of the pollen from the nearby flowers came up around them. There was the small rattling of the bushes in front of them, but it was just a Deerling who crossed their path to pick up a berry that had fallen from the tree. It stopped and tilted its head when seeing the two, not showing signs of aggression but rather curiosity.
“Hey, uh…do you know the way through here?” the Pikachu asked
Alexis turned her head and even jumped in front of the other as he took a step forward to the wild Pokémon. “No, what are you doing!? Don’t do that, this Deerling could have friends around…”
The Pikachu gave a small frown and merely pushed Alexis out of the way, taking another step. The Deerling stood its ground but only tilted its head to the other side. Then with a small step back, the Pokémon turned and nodded its head in a small fashion. “Just keep going that way. There’s gonna be a big waterfall, and there’s a bridge. Cross the bridge and it’ll put you straight into the town.” It spoke in a soft voice. It was clear that this Pokémon was still a child.
With a small bow of his own, the Pikachu thanked the Deerling and then turned to Alexis; smiling to her. “See? That wasn’t too bad.”
“I-uh-um…” she faltered, not knowing what to say.
The boy tilted his head in the direction that the Deerling spoke and started back once more, not looking to see if she was following behind. “Aren’t you in rush to meet someone, Alexis?” he asked, his voice trailing away from her hearing.
The girl watched he left and then looked down to her paws, giving a small sigh. She’d always thought that everything was bad within these woods and she might have to face just the worst. And here was someone who asked a question from one stranger to another. To think of it, Alexis didn’t fully understand herself why she still followed this Pikachu. He hadn’t shown the indication of answering her questions, but he stuck with her regardless. She shook her head and then darted off after him, a small trail of dust scuffling along the ground behind her.
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As the two travelers progressed through the forest, they both remained silent. Alexis felt the desire of her question to be needed at another time, and after all, if she pestered him enough and he ran off on his own, she thought she might run into trouble. The boy did not leave her side though, sticking to his word at making sure she got through the forest all right. Even if he did not share his name, he did show that he was honest and also kind to those he did not know. This was also seen during the conversation and approach to the Deerling and Alexis only wished that she could sometimes have the same approach as he did. They occasionally swapped glances here and there as both of them felt out of place enough to not engage in a conversation, and even if they did they did not know what it would be about. Both were complete strangers to one another.
The dirt pathway began to fade away and was soon replaced with cobblestone. It was smooth and even several spots were covered over with moss from the nearby woods. Before the two mice, a grand sight lay before them. Just as the Deerling had said earlier, there was a waterfall and a bridge that spanned across a wide ravine. Water bounced from rock to rock, even making its way to the stone bridge and causing it to turn dark with the substance. The sun shimmered through the sky and as the droplets of water scattered about, the image of a rainbow formed. It arched across one railing of the bridge to the other and seemed to fill this area with a serene grace. Mist even wafted through the air and as the two Pikachu approached the bridge, their fur became damp and beads of water lined the edge of their figures.
“Whoa…” Alexis spoke softly. “This…this is amazing…”
“Yeah…” the boy replied
Alexis turned her head; as did he; and the two of them looked to one another for a moment and then back to the path before them. “Got an idea of how much farther?”
The girl nodded her head. “Just across this bridge and then to the right in the clearing. Then we just-“ she stopped and glanced to him again, though did not make eye contact with him. “Well…part ways, I guess…”
The boy perked his ears at the suggestion and turned to look at her again, his face fixed with a baffled look. “Part ways? C’mon, I can’t keep tagging along?” he asked
“I-we-well…” she started, feeling her ears flatten down and her eyes trailing to the ground. Her feet scuffed the ground, and she felt nervous at bringing this up again; but it had been aching at her since they had met and this would be the point of when she’d give him the choice. Either he told her his name and more, or they went their separate ways. “I’d like someone to be there when I go, but…”
“But…?”
Alexis walked past the Pikachu and rested her arms on the railing of the bridge. She gave a sigh and looked down to the depths of the lake below, trailing a finger around a small rock in the stone. “I don’t know you. Every time I asked you, you blew it off…so I’m kind of unsure about if I can really trust you. You seem nice and honest so far, sticking to your word to get me this far, but…you need to tell me now. Who are you? Where are you from? And why were you just laying in the forest back there?” she asked, her voice trembling a little.
The boy blinked his eyes and gave a small hum of though and walked up to where she was, resting himself next to her. Alexis turned her head to him, but he looked down to the water below just as she had done. He did not want to meet her gaze, as he knew even if he wanted to, it would not happen. The girl continued to look at him for a few moments until she stepped back from the cobblestone railing and turned, starting to walk away from the boy. As she walked, the boy looked up and watched her leave; a look of regrets forming upon his face. As she walked, he reached out a paw and then took it back, giving a drawn-out sigh. Before she stepped off the bridge completely, the boy had made up his mind.
“Alexis.” He spoke
She did not return his call with an answer of her own; nor did she turn her head. She merely stood her ground at the calling of her name.
“I…I can’t remember…” he said.
Alexis blinked her eyes and then turned halfway to look at him, tilting her head and raising her brow.
“I mean. I know my name, but…that’s about it, really.” He said, turning to look back to the water. “I guess if I just told you back in the woods, you’d think I was crazy. Or I was lying, or…something. I don’t know, guess I’m just dumb.” He explained
There was a moment of silence between them and when he had thought that the girl had gone, he felt a paw be placed on his back. He turned his head and there stood Alexis, with a smile to her face. It was a smile of reassurance, and he gave a sigh but returned the smile in the same manner.
“I believe you.” She stated
“Just like that?” he asked
“Well. Your story does sound a little…eccentric, but, really. I believe you. I don’t know why; but it just feels like you aren’t lying. You haven’t lied to me yet, and you didn’t show any sign of anything bad when that Deerling showed up or when we first met. So…what’s your name…?” she asked
The Pikachu held his tongue for a few minutes more. His eyes trailed from the water and then up to the sky. Alexis hopped up and sat on the railing to wait for him, but looked up to the sky as well. A flock of Pidgey and even a Pidgeot flew by overhead, their calls echoing throughout the land. As they flew, a lone feather floated down and the boy reached out to catch it while it fell. It was from the Pideot’s body and he held it out to her, which she took and ran her fingers through it. As he did, a smile formed to his face and one to hers. The boy nodded his head, and Alexis perked her ears to the sentence he was to speak.
“My name’s Alex.”
Subject: Depths of Shadow 
