Until Dusk

~Chapter One~

"Not all those who wander are lost."

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

She thought about that day a lot. The day they left Lavender Town. It felt like such a strange memory now. Like it happened to someone else. The dream. The sorrow. The promise.

She just really hoped it was all true.

A sigh barely escaped Charlotte Tsuki's lips as she pressed her nose to the window. Outisde, palm trees swayed in a warm, summer breeze. Not pine trees, like the kind that used to grow abundant in Lavender Town. No tower. No whispers of another Pokémon's spirit slinking through the halls of the church or the schoolyard.

No promises of a Charmander.

All of it. Gone.

But outside, there were flowers. Beautiful red ones. They smelled not quite like roses. They smelled like summer and fun. She thought that she would've liked Alola more if it hadn't been for this situation. Visiting would have been grand. Seeing all of the new Pokémon would have been so exciting. As she stared out the window, she did notice one. It was a strange brown dog like Pokémon, almost like a Growlithe, but she had never seen one like this before. The rocks around its neck looked like they could be dangerous.

I guess I just don't understand why Dad did it, she thought. He's a Pokémon breeder. He should've started his own business a long time ago. He was almost there too. We had a huge piece of land in the forests near Lavender. Pokémon as far as they eye could be seen. I even remember spending summers in this one oak tree, watching as the Metapod evolved into the Butterfree…

"Charley," Mom's voice broke the girl from her memories. "Come on, dear. You should go out! Go enjoy the sun! Go for a walk!" She pushed the door opened and surveyed her daughter and the room as Maggie pounced onto the bed. It was a modest sized room. The usual teenager paraphernalia covered the walls – posters, pictures of her friends, a large Kabuto shell that Hanna and Charley had found near Cinnabar island one summer. A small white and brown rug covered the hard wood floors. And, of course, there were bookshelves. Everywhere. She sprawled out on a twin sized bed on a plush Bulbasaur comforter, looking up at Mom.

She meant well. She really did. Charley knew that. It was just hard…

"Mom, I…"

The phone on her bedside table started to shake. The image that reflected back at her was a selfie of Hanna, her blue eyes shining with excitement. Next to her crouched a Bulbasaur. This morning, she had sent Charley a text with the image. She had finally chosen her first Pokémon.

She flipped the phone over, feeling heat spread on across her cheeks. She couldn't talk to her, not when this knot inside continued to tighten…

Mom pursed her lips, staring at the phone.

"Honey, I…"

"Hello!"

A man's voice startled the two women. Charley looked out the window. Down on the roadside stood a man with spiky black hair and thick black glasses. He wore only shorts and a dingy white lab coat.

Kukui, Charley recognized him from the video chat. She noticed a ream of six Pokéballs hanging from his belt.

"Hello, Tsukis!" the professor called. "Mrs. Tsuki, may I borrow your daughter for a moment? There are some exciting happenings in Iki Town that I think she would enjoy!"

Suddenly, Mom stood up straighter, her eyes widening as though she was remembering something. She smiled slyly.

"Yes, yes, of course!" she shouted back down. She placed a hand on Charley's shoulder.

Charley looked at her Mom, leveling her. She wanted so badly for Charley to enjoy Alola, to find some happiness here. It almost made her feel guilty for being so upset about the move. She should be happy for her parents, right? But she just couldn't get out of her own head, out of her own misery.

Maybe she's right. I need to try. I have to give Alola a chance if I have any hope of ever getting back to Kanto.

Charley took a deep breath. "I'll go Mom, it's okay."

Her mother beamed and wrapped her daughter in a tight hug.

"Oh, I love you darling! Go, have fun! Please be careful."

For a moment, Charley felt her nerves settle as the warmth from her mother spread through her. She could get through this. She would just have to try.

Charley quickly gathered her things – a shimmering blue Lapras bow, which she used to pin her hair back into a Ponyta tail, a black and white checked bag, her phone, and wallet…

"Here," her mother stopped her and handed her a small stack of money.

Charley looked up at her in shock.

"Mom, I can't..."

"You can," she patted her daughter's hand. "I know how hard this has been for you. Just think of it as a gift from your father and I. We were your age once. We know how expensive a Pokémon journey can be." She kissed her daughter's forehead. "Just… stop by once more before you leave for good. I'd like to send you with some camping gear at least."

Charley nodded, patted Maggie on the head, and rushed out the door. At the bottom of the stairs stood the Pokémon professor.

Kukui flashed a toothy smile at her and held out a hand. "Alola, Miss Tsuki! I have been looking forward to finally meeting you! What do you think of Alola so far?"

Charley shrugged noncommittally. "It's pretty, I guess. Those flowers," she pointed to the red ones she had been moping around earlier. "I've never seen any like them before."

"Ah, the plumerias are always in beautiful bloom this time of year," he said. He turned his eyes onto Charley. She could see the hint of worry, the concern. It's been lingering in her parents' eyes all week.

She puffed her cheeks out in a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm gonna try and give it a chance, okay? It's… it's just hard. I had my heart on seeing the rest of Kanto… and I'm sure Alola is lovely, I'm sure it is… I just…"

"Didn't expect to journey alone?" Kukui offered.

Charley nodded her head slowly. Hanna, Miko, Nate… Trip… Gosh, they were supposed to be in this together.

"But I'm gonna try," Charley said. "So…" she shoved her thumps in her pockets and rocked on her feet. "How do I get started?"

Kukui beamed. "I'm glad you asked!" He pulled a small black phone out of his pocket. At the top of the phone was a Pokéball shaped disc with a small antenna. He twisted the top, opening the phone. He beckoned for Charley and he showed her the screen. On it, she saw one small image.

"Tauros!" Charley started. But… that's a Kanto native Pokémon.

He nodded. "Tap it."

She swallowed hard and tapped the screen, causing the Tauros to light up blue. Nothing happened.

"What are we...."

Kukui gleamed at her as the ground started to shake. Charley looked behind her and, just on the horizon, she could see a puff of dust. In almost no time at all, the dust became a rolling cloud and she could hear rapid hoof beats.

She saw his gleaming horns first, the sunlight glinting off their shine, almost blinding her. She laughed, almost whooping, as the Tauros skidded to a halt beside the Pokémon professor. A saddle was thrown over the Pokémon's back, covered in an assortment of straps and laces. His beady black eyes stared at Charley. He snorted, stomping the ground.

"Charley," Kukui said, waving his hand in grandeur. "This is Tauros. He's a local Ride Pokémon."

"Ride Pokémon?" Charley asked.

Kukui nodded. "In Alola, there are several Pokémon in each island that can be called for assistance with one of these," he held out the black phone. "It's called a Ride Pager. Think of this as the first of many gifts you will receive today." He placed the pager in Charley's open hands.

"Th-thank you." Heat flushed up Charley's face as guilt pulled on her heartstrings. "I'll take good care of it."

"Now!" Kukui reached into a saddle bag that Charley hadn't noticed before and pulled out two helmets. He plopped onto on her head before strapping on his own. "What I'd like you to do is gently reach your hand out and let Tauros take a sniff… yes, that's it…"

Charley swallowed hard and gently reached her fingers out. She could feel the Pokémon's hot breath on her fingertips, goosebumps running up her arms. Why was she suddenly so nervous? She had ridden Ponyta with her father before at his old job…

But never a Tauros.

Tauros snorted and stopped his foot again.

"It's okay," Kukui whispered.

Courage sprang from somewhere in her. She gently placed her fingertips on the Pokémon's muzzle. The brown fur was surprisingly soft. Tauros swished his tail appreciatively.

Kukui smiled. "Now that you're acquainted!"

Charley yelped as the professor grabbed her hand and the horn of the saddle and, in one smooth motion, pulled them on top of the Ride Pokémon. Charley put a hand to her helmet, breathless, but feeling a strange thrill. She was so high up on the Tauros, much higher than even a Rapidash stood. She could see farther down the dirt path that led to her parents' house, a variety of neighbors, kids playing in the yard, and, in the far off distance, the beginning of stars. The sun was starting to set.

"This is amazing," Charley's voice caught in her throat. For some reason, tears pricked in the corners of her eyes.

Kukui just chuckled and kicked Tauros' sides. "Let's go, friend! To Iki Town!"

Tauros gave a few quick stomps and charged forward. Wind whipped through Charley's hair and a laugh burst from her lips. The road flew past them, dust flying in the air in their wake. She reached a hand out and felt the plumeria's petals flow past her fingers in a rush.

Now this, this was an adventure.

Maybe Alola won't be so bad after all.

A bright yellow light burst through the sky. She saw it, just for a moment. She almost didn't believe she had seen it. But the echoes of the light streaked across her vision. Blinking, Charley rubbed her eyes.

What was that?

"What do you think, Charley?" Kukui shouted, trying to make his voice heard over the sound of Tauros' thundering hoof beats.

"This is great!" Charley shouted back, tightening her grip around the professor's waist. She tried to look around his shoulder to the main road. Tall grass waved, bowing as they charged past. She could see tiny yellow and black ears poking out from the grass. She'd recognize those anywhere.

I can't believe how many Kanto-native Pokémon are here, she shook her head in wonderment. It just didn't make sense.

"Did you see those Pichu and Pikachu in the grass?" Kukui asked.

"I did! I don't understand, Professor? Why are there so many Kanto-native Pokémon here?"

"It was said that thousands of years ago, a group of travelers in Kanto set out to find new land. After sailing for many months, they landed on Melemele Island. With them, they brought a number of Pokémon native to Kanto. Some of them adapted well and filled up the islands, cohabiting with the Alolan natives. Some, however, adapted more fully and took on new forms to better suit their surroundings."

"Incredible," Charley breathed. "Pokémon are amazing."

Kukui laughed. "That they are my young friend. And you come to learn this so well throughout your journey. It truly is an exciting time."

Indeed. Somewhere, deep within her, the old thrill for adventure came surging back. So maybe her childhood friends weren't here, maybe she'd have to journey alone…

But I won't be alone, she ran her hand across Tauros' side. My Pokémon will be with me.

My Pokémon…

"Iki Town, dead ahead!"

In the distance, Charley could see a soft yellow-red glow and the tips of brown rooftops. As the town came into view, should could see the large, intricate wooden archway, the entrance to the town. The arch was bordered by lit torches, the firelight flickering in the dimming sunlight. A young man stood in from of the archway, his brown hair sticking straight up as though he had just been hit with a Thunderbolt.

"Professor!" the young man called. "I can't find Grandpa anywhere!"

Tauros came to a screeching halt as Kukui pulled on the reigns. He leaped down, dusted off his lab coat, and held out as hand for Charley. She swallowed a hard knot in her throat, but tightly took the professor's hand. He let her down more gently than she expected, though the fall still brought as shot of fearful exhilaration through her. She shook her legs out, feeling a small soreness in her knees.

"Charley, this is Hau. He's starting a Pokémon journey as well," Kukui said, gesturing to the man. The young man smiled and waved both hands in that arch wave Charley had seen people around the island doing.

"Alola, Charley!" Hau said enthusiastically. "Say, once we have our starter Pokémon, we should have a battle! Oh, have you been to the Malasada shop in Hau'oli city yet? We should check it out sometime, I bet you'll love it!"

Charley had barely seen this fellow five minutes and she already felt terribly exhausted listening to him speak. As if Kukui noticed her weariness, the professor cleared is throat, causing Hau to slow up.

"All things in good time, Hau," the professor said, winking at Charley. She shuffled nervously. "Now, Hau, you said you can't find your grandfather? He does have the starters with him…" Kukui tapped his foot. "Alright, let's do this. Hau, I want you to scour town again, ask in the homes, or wait in the square." He tilted his head to the wooden platform that was arrange in the center of a ring of quaint homes. Like the archway, the platform was lit by the presence of torches.

"I'll take Tauros up Route 1," Kukui continued. "Who knows, maybe he found a Pokémon that may be better suited for one of you and wanted to see if he could catch it. Now Charley," the professor placed a heavy hand on her should and pointed to a second archway on the other side of the town. A yellow archway bordered this trail, yet it was not lit by torches. Heavy foliage blocked any light from exiting the path. "That's Mahalo trail. It's usually free of wild Pokémon so you should be quite safe. I was hoping you'd explore that path anyway. You see…" Charley looked at the professor. "Here in Alola, there are four guardians, one for each island. These guardians are the deities of the island, so to speak. Tapu Koko, the spirit of curiosity, is the deity of Melemele Island. His temple, where the people come to worship Tapu Koko, is at the end of Mahalo Trail. Why don't you take a look for Hala down that way? And, if you get the chance to visit the temple, it'll give you a good opportunity to learn a bit more about Alola."

Charley looked into that darkness, feeling a spur of excitement. "Sounds good! But… uh… I don't know who this Hala fellow is…"

"Oh, he's the Kahuna of the island!" Kukui exclaimed. "He looks… well, he looks like a Kahuna!" He slapped Charley on the back, laughed, and turned and mounted Tauros in a flash. Before she knew what was happening, he was gone.

Thanks a lot, Kukui, Charley rolled her eyes and looked into town. Iki Town really was a quaint little place. The arrangement of the homes, all furnished out of some type of wood, clustered together, as if they were trying to protect one another. And the people all milled together. Some older woman stood by stalls, shouting their wares and trying to haggle with younger folk. A man sat on a stump, trying to show a young boy how to carve a piece of wood. Another pair of boys ran across the square with another one of those brown dog-like Pokémon.

I have to learn what that is, Charley noted as she passed. The whole town just felt so… familiar. If the trees had been pine instead of palm, she would've almost sworn that she was back in Lavender town…

She shook her head, clenching her fists, as if she could push the memory of home out of her mind.

I am here now. It's time to make the best of it.

She stared up at the yellow archway, peering into the dark woods. Bird song chimed happily, sounds from Pokémon she had never heard before. The excitement flickered back into existence. She stepped past the arch and onto Mahalo Trail.

...

"Nebby! Stop! Come back here!"

Lillie gritted her teeth as the nebula Pokémon soared through the air, chiming happily. He was not supposed to be out of his bag. Didn't he realize that if he was spotted by anyone, especially anyone in connection with them he would be taken away from her… taken back to that horrible place…

"Pix?"

Snowy, her white Alolan Vulpix, looked up at her questioningly. Lillie calmly patted the vixen's head comfortingly and strode towards Nebby.

"Nebby, come on, this isn't funny!" Ugh, Lillie just wanted to scream. She was trying to help him, protect him. Why couldn't he just listen to her for five freaking minutes. "Nebby, I'll take you to the temple, I promise, just please, get back in the bag!"

Nebby's chiming voice tinkled like soft bells as he fluttered in the air and across a brown, wooden bridge. He swayed is galactic arms at her, as if beckoning for her to follow.

"Nebby…"

A screech pierced the air. Lillie started and whirled.

Pain flashed through her right arm. Blood sputtered across her shoulder. She gasped and collapsed to her knees. A red and brown bird Pokémon screamed in her ears, swiping a second pair of talons across her cheek as they tore after Nebby. The Pokémon's happy chimes turned in the bells of terror.

"Snowy," Lillie hissed through gritted teeth. She felt the command on her lips, the issue for Snowy to used Powdered Snow.

Talons tearing through flesh.

Frost bitten skin.

Tears…

No… she could not, she would not send Snowy into battle. The Vulpix could never know the dangers of a real Pokémon battle.

"Help…someone…"

...

Wind caressed her cheek as she made the slow climb up Mahalo trail. Beads of sweat trickled down her back and she could feel an exertion in her legs that had not used in a long time.

Boy, I am going to get in so much shape going on this journey. Charley puffed a bit but took her time walking the trail. She wanted to soak up the sights and the sounds around her. She had to admit, the smell of the Melemele island was intoxicating. Wild flowers grew all around her, all emitting different floral scents that almost made her dizzy. The weather was almost just perfect, a cool breeze to counterbalance the warm summer air. It wasn't hot and muggy like Lavender town typically was in the summer months. She could see black and red bird Pokémon flitting between the trees, tapping grey beaks against bark. A strange brown and yellow creature that reminded her of a Furrett crept along the ground, its sharp teeth tearing into what looked like a Pinap berry.

This island was so strange, so foreign, but somehow also inviting. There was so much to see, so much for her to learn.

These Pokémon deities, for instance. That's an interesting turn of events. She had only ever heard of the people in Johto worshiping Pokémon. In Kanto, they… didn't really worship anything. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? She had never really thought about it before. And what did it mean to worship a Pokémon? Did Pokémon create the entire planet? Or did it just come into being, as her father liked to say?

"I wonder what it's like to have grown up here," she mused out loud. That's something she did sometimes. Talked to herself. Maybe it really was a good thing she was journeying alone, then no one would hear…

A scream broke through Charley's thoughts. She lifted her head and listened, straining to hear the sound again. It sounded like…

The second scream was much louder and much more desperate.

It sounded close.

She took off at a full sprint, forcing her legs to work in a way they hadn't since she was a child. She felt the pull on her calves but pushed her way through it, skidding across dirt paths and between scrubs crowded by those black and red bird Pokémon until she passed into a clearing.

A young woman in a white dress was crouched on her knees. Red blood seeped between her fingers, which she was holding to her right arm. Charley noticed some blood dripping down her cheek as well. Tears welled in the woman's eyes as she stared at a wooden bridge. On it was a Pokémon Charley had never seen before. Its body reminded her of those pictures she used to see in science class of the galaxy, a swirling nebula of stars and light. The creatures large blue eyes welled in tears as the Spearow pecked at the poor creature. Bluish-silver drops of blood landed on the wooden bridge.

"Vul-pix."

Charley gasped. A bright white Vulpix sat directly in front of her. A white Vulpix! What on earth…

"Vulpix!" the Pokémon shouted again. It was gesturing its head towards the woman.

Feeling as if she should follow the creature, she took a step towards the strange Vulpix. The Pokémon turned on its heels and scampered over to the woman in white. Charley pursed her lips and pulled her bag around. Damn, it was a good thing she had thought about journeying for so long. She had a first aid kit on her at all times. She pulled a small roll of bandages out and handed them to the girl.

"Are you okay?" Charley asked.

The girl turned her eyes onto Charley. Her voice trembled with fear and pleading.

"Please, help Nebby."

Charley didn't need to be told that Nebby was the creature getting pecked to death by those Spearow.

What a fine trainer moment this was. Here she was, no Pokémon of her own, only her own wits to help her somehow protect a hapless Pokémon from becoming bird food.

Well, Charley gritted her teeth. I guess I was gonna have to get scratched up sooner or later.

"Hey, Spearow!" Charley shouted, waving her arms. When the Spearow didn't respond, she screamed, charging onto the bridge and flailing her arms like a deranged Tangela. The Spearow squawked in surprise and annoyance and gave her just enough room to dive towards Nebby and wrap her arms around her Pokémon protectively. She felt it trembling in her grip, its bluish-silver blood leaking onto her arm.

"It's okay," she whispered. "I've got you."

A sharp pain shot through her shoulders as the Spearow tore into her flesh. Charley shouted and crumpled to her knees, feeling hot blood leak down her skin.

"Get off!" Charley shouted. The bridge beneath her swayed. She felt dizzy. The waterfall beside them seemed louder, rushing in her ears. Or was that the blood leaking down her arm? "Get off, get off, get off!"

SNAP!

She was weightless, the boards beneath her disappeared.

And she fell.