fanfiction Left Behind Chapter 1: The Survivors

[ArdillaVerde93]

 

                                                                                 *Left Behind*
   
                                                                   *Chapter One: The Survivors*

 

  Lugia's revival was catastrophic for the Johto region. The beast rose from its home, deep within the Whirl Islands, and laid waste to everything around it. Olivine City's coastline was transformed from a pristine beach to a rubble-peppered disaster area. Further inland, Ecruteak City and the famed Moomoo Ranch were hit with heavy rainfall that forced evacuations. But Cianwood City was ravaged. Goldenrod City was to be the next target for Lugia, but the guardian of the seas was defeated by 2 brave trainers, its progress halted just outside of Olivine City. But their victory was short-lived and pyrrhic. Both were hybrids of human and Pokémon. One was half-Delphox, and the other was half-Cinccino. Together, they drove the terrifying monster to retreat. But, as a final, devastating act of defiance and spite, the guardian beast of the sea called upon the waters in which it resided, ordering their wrath to come forth. While Lugia returned to its dwelling beneath the Whirl Islands, the angry sea it commanded rose to swallow much of southern Olivine in a crashing wall of seawater. What was left was hardly recognisable as the city that once stood there. In fact, were it not for the Glitter Lighthouse still standing, anyone who hadn't seen Olivine City before this event would assume that nothing had ever been there. Amidst the destruction, many bodies lay strewn about, looking ironically not unlike fish in a market. And amongst the dead was the Cinccino hybrid, having drowned when the wave hit. The Delphox hybrid had seemingly vanished, evading death by Lugia's sickening brutality. He was presumed still alive, and some claim to have seen him since the event. But our story does not end here, with one trainer swallowed up by the sea in a fit of tyrannical rage and another supposedly vanished without a trace. Rather, this is the beginning.

  "...And listeners are reminded to exercise extreme caution if travelling on or near Route 34. The area is still experiencing heavy flooding, and many dangerous wild Pokémon have been seen in the vicinity. In addition, Ilex Forest remains inaccessible, due to downed trees blocking the path. Road crews have been dispatched-" A paw came down, and the eerie robotic voice from the radio was silenced. A Clefable was the cause, and she shook her head in disapproval at the Pachirisu-human hybrid who had been listening. Ironically in shock, she turned to face the feral Clefable. "Treble, what the fuck?! That was important!" She possessed almost platinum-blonde hair that reached just past her shoulders. In her anger at the intrusion, sparks shot from her plump cheeks. Noticeably plump for a human, but she was partially a rodent, and would, of course, naturally have such large cheeks. If one were to try guessing at her identity with a picture of her face as their only reference, the cheeks would give her the appearance that she was overweight, though she certainly wasn't. She wore what could not be mistaken as anything but a maid's outfit, modified to have an opening for her spectacular tail. It reached far past her head before curling around itself, as would a squirrel's tail. Mostly white in colour with a robin's-egg blue streak down the full length, and 3 spiky protrusions near the point at which it curled, this tail was easily her most obvious feature. She glared daggers at the female Clefable who had silenced the radio, but the feral Fairy type didn't falter. "No, Pachi; it wasn't. That was the same emergency broadcast they've had playing on repeat since you turned that thing on this morning; not a damned thing has changed!"
 

  Both girls belonged to the Delphox who had gone missing since the Olivine City event, though the anthro was formerly reared by a different trainer. The Cinccino who became a statistic, drowning in the aforementioned incident. However, the Delphox had taken her in long before that. Training, as well as his occupation, made him decently wealthy. Though outdoors, the sky was grey and dreary from the remnants of Lugia's attack, the girls enjoyed not just shelter, but comfort and luxury in the trainer's house. This confrontation, in fact, was taking place in a spacious living room. Though the previous storm had died out, the curtains were still shut, obscuring the outside world with a shroud of silk. A wall-mounted television droned on in the background, tuned into a local news station. Scattered around the walls were photographs of the trainer in question, as well as some framed certificates. Many other Pokémon called this place home, but they were in different rooms at the moment. In one of these bedrooms, in the company of a feral Shuckle, an anthropomorphic Vaporeon lay sick in bed.

  Similarly clothed to the Pachirisu, she was also raised by the Cinccino boy. She was a sight to behold, though certainly not in a good way, as her entire body exuded a sickly aura. Sweat glued her pitch black hair to her face. Her blue eyes were cloudy with fatigue. Though she had a gorgeous tail, it hung limply over the side of her bed, her tailfin brushing against the floor. "B-Beryl?" Her voice was as weak as her body as she called out to the Shuckle. "Is it ready?" The Shuckle presented her with a small ceramic cup, a little over 3 quarters full of a steaming, blue liquid. "It should be. Sorry; Lum Berries are hard to come by, but I think I made a nice substitute." The ill Vaporeon, clearly not in a position to refuse, gratefully accepted the cup. "I'm sure it's wonderful, sweetie. But I must admit, you have me curious. What's in it?" Even softened and crippled by illness, what still remained of her sweet, kind voice brought a smile to Beryl. "Oh; w-well, it's mostly Oran and Rawst, to help lower your fever and restore your energy." As Beryl explained the nature of the concoction, Vaporeon gently blew on it. "And I added honey, to offset the bitterness." Rawst Berries, especially ones of high quality, tend to have a rather unpleasant, bitter flavour. After thanking her makeshift pharmacist, Vaporeon tipped the cup back with a weak, joking "mazel tov.~" The hot liquid flowed down her throat, and seemed immediately to soothe her volatile insides. Not only that, but... "It's delicious, Beryl!"

  Lining the fence around an impressive garden were several lines of sand bags. Flooding from Lugia's storm had damaged the garden of this lovely house, and an equally lovely young lady was working to salvage what she could of the remains. Beryl the Shuckle complained about the scarcity of Lum Berries, and she certainly wasn't wrong. Most of the plants had died in the flood, leaving only the more water-resistant ones intact. The girl taking care of the ruined garden gave a solemn shake of her head. The articles of clothing she wore matched the Pachirisu and the Vaporeon, but the colours did not. Her uniform was accented with wine red frills, and her apron, as well as the bow tying it behind her back, were both a deep sort of pine green. Despite the dreary weather, she wore a sun hat with several crimson flowers woven in. That she was originally a Grass type Pokémon would surprise nobody. Specifically, she was a Bellossom.

  "A damn shame," she pouted. With delicate paws, she sifted through a muddy puddle and retrieved several large Passho Berries. "These, I can save with no problem. But the others,..." her gaze shifted from plant to plant. "I don't know what I can do." Again, she let her eyes scan the drowned garden. She could swear she saw something moving, but not amongst the plants. The garden boasted a manmade pond, which had overflowed from rainwater. Certainly, it contributed to the damage. Carefully, Bellossom advanced on the pond. "H-Hello?" Her voice and her footsteps, the latter of which produced squelching sounds on contact with the muddy ground, were both unsure. The closer she drew to the pond, the more dread she felt in anticipation of what she'd find. She asked again. "Hello? Who's there?" This time, she received an answer. From beneath the pond, a majestic Dragonair rose. A thing of slender beauty, the jewels on her body glittered even in the dim light of the cloudy sky.

  "I hope you aren't surprised to see me, dearie.~" The Dragonair spoke with an air of regality, but in a vocabulary more playful than condescending. "You, out of all the maids, should know I frequent the garden pond." With a paw over her chest from the initial shock, Bellossom replied. "I don't serve you, first of all. I serve your master. Secondly, you scared the Hell out of me!" Dragonair's response was a chuckle. "Calm down, why don't you? You're as high-strung as your sister!" She punctuated her statement with a playful flick of her bejeweled tail, which resulted in Bellossom being splashed. The maid's uniform took most of it, but it wasn't as though it was dry before that. Or clean, for that matter; she had been tending the garden, after all. Besides, at the moment, she was more concerned by the Dragonair's words than by the slightly dingy water she had just weaponised. "Sister? N-No; I'm not related to anybody here." That earned another laugh from the prideful Dragon type. "The rodent, sweetie.~"

  Bellossom gave that answer a moment to swirl about in her mind. "The rodent? Dragonair, that doesn't narrow it down a whole lot." There were 3 possible ladies Dragonair could've been referring to, as 3 rodents called the spacious dwelling home. The Pachirisu who had been using the radio obviously was one, but the teasing dragon's side of the family also included 2 beautiful ladies belonging to the chubby-cheeked masses. The Delphox's daughter, and his wife. The wife was a Cinccino, predictably meaning their union produced a Minccino. In this case, however, Dragonair referred to "Pachirisu, honey." "We aren't related," Bellossom repeated. "We were just raised by the same trainer." "And I assume you considered this trainer, Arceus rest his soul, to be a family member," Dragonair continued, unhindered as always by Bellossom's arguements. The maid couldn't argue with such a statement, and her bitter tone softened as she looked down at the ground. "O-Okay. You got me there." Satisfied with her victory, Dragonair laughed before sinking back down beneath the waters of the pond. Bellossom thrust a paw forward, but only grasped air and mist. "Dammit."

  A Magikarp fillet sizzled in a pan, under the watchful eyes of an anthropomorphic Goodra. "I hope Vappy likes this." She eyed the dish-to-be a bit closer. "Almost. A couple more minutes should do it." She seemed very much at home in the kitchen, in no small part due to the apron on her uniform. She, too, was a maid. The others would more specifically refer to her as the head maid, though she refuted that title. To say that she was a large woman would be a gross understatement. The uniform strained with her every step, only barely containing her colossal frame. But, just as large would be an understatement, to say she was unattractive would be a blatant lie. Poorly hidden by her ill-fitting uniform was a body perhaps more befitting a fertility goddess than a Goodra. Hips that swayed like a hypnotist's watch, and a bosom more than sufficient to instill envy in the majority of the female population. Truly, she was a sight to behold, even despite the slimy nature of her body. Of all of the maids, it's likely she was hurt the most by her master's passing. Even when she moved into the Delphox's house, she had made a habit of seeing her previous master at least once a day. Whether it was for a cup of tea and a nice chat, or a more intimate outing, they were together for at least a short time whenever possible. She was inconsolable for quite some time after her previous master's death, and she still wasn't comfortable speaking of it. Soon after the move, she was appointed to the position of head maid, due in equal parts to her maturity and experience. She was doubtful the meal she was making would reach the stomach of its intended recipient, but she cooked it anyway. If Vaporeon was too sick to eat it, surely Dragonair would partake. She shook her head as her thoughts drifted to the infirm Vaporeon. Her condition was doubtlessly worthy of pity, but the sad truth was that she had somewhat brought it upon herself. In an attempt to slim down so she could teach her master how to swim, she had quite overdone things, eventually developing a severe eating disorder which had horribly endangered her health. There was a reason Beryl had been keeping watch over her. While the Water type was recovering, it would certainly be a long process, and Beryl's presence could only help.

  Dinner would be ready soon; besides the fish, Goodra had prepared a variety of dishes for the girls. Some got more food than others, as she still followed the rules her previous master gave as best she could. Vaporeon, still recovering, was to receive the smallest portion, to ensure she could keep it down. Goodra herself would be having some roast Pidgeotto left over from a previous meal, along with a small serving of mixed vegetables and a cup of tea. Despite her weight suggesting otherwise, Goodra didn't eat very large portions. Especially in these times of scarcity, with supplies limited from Lugia's attack. Stores had sold out quickly, so much of what the girls had for food was already in the house beforehand. And, as Goodra looked through the pantry, she sighed. They had food enough to last perhaps a week, but they would need to leave home in search of more soon. She thought to herself about where best to search, but she didn't have much time alone with her thoughts before she felt a sudden chill. She had company, and she knew it in an instant. "Ruri?" She spoke in a very maternal, warm tone of voice. "No use hiding, sweetie.~"

  From around a corner, a ravishing Alolan Ninetales entered the kitchen. One of the charges of the homeowner, she stood in stark contrast to the Goodra's abundance of blubber. Ruri, an anthro like the Goodra, was slender and gorgeous. "Damn; was I really that obvious?" "Oh, please!" Goodra chided her. "I felt the chill you put into the air a couple of minutes ago, little kit.~" Vapour clouds formed in the air as Ruri laughed. "You flatter me, dear, but I'm far from a kit." "Then you should've taken the compliment." Goodra was clearly too caught up in food preparation to realise that she had just, in essence, called somebody of nearly equal age a child. Or, far more likely, she didn't care. It was common for her to refer to others as "dear," "sweetie," "darling," "honey," and other pet names typically reserved for speaking to a younger audience. Even her previous master received such nicknames. The Delphox didn't mind these nicknames, but it's unlikely he could've stopped her, anyway. As the old saying goes, old habits die hard.

  Deciding not to pry further and risk angering a literal fire breathing dragon, Ruri changed the subject. "So, how's dinner going?" The maternal smile now firmly back on Goodra's face, she gladly responded. "It's nearly ready, honey. I'll need about 10 more minutes." Ruri nodded. The smells of various food combined into an assault on her sensitive vulpine nose, and she had to leave the kitchen. Just as well, since, with dinner soon to hit the table, she thought she should announce this to the others. Most of them, at least; a portly Wigglytuff anthro was already seated at the dining room table.

  "Portly," as with calling the Goodra large, may be quite an understatement to describe the Wigglytuff. There were similarities between the two of them - both were maids, both were previouly in service to the Cinccino, and both possessed large frames - but, where Goodra's plumpness was centred on her hips, Wigglytuff's was almost purely in her belly. It can't be said that she was unhealthy; her health was near-impeccable. But her weight gain was certainly caused neither by a curse, nor was it the result of her puffing herself up, as Wigglytuff are quite skilled in doing as a defense mechanism. She was, indeed, legitimately overweight, and she made no effort to deny that. In many ways, she was the antithesis to the sickly Vaporeon. While she was significantly overweight, but healthy, the Vaporeon was malnourished and weak. Even as she sat, waiting for dinner, she was snacking on a Poffin. "You're the chef tonight, Goodra?" she asked, though, with a mouthful of Poffin and jam, it sounded quite unintelligible. "Don't talk with your mouth full, dearie," was Goodra's gentle, scolding response. "But yes. I hope you haven't spoiled your appetite with those treats. I expect you to clean your plate." Somebody only just then entering earshot could be forgiven for thinking that Goodra had told Wigglytuff a hysterical joke, judging by the corpulent lapine's uproarious laughter. "Goodra, did you forget who you're talking to? Has there EVER been a time when I haven't cleaned my plate, except when I was sick?~" To her surprise, her answer came not from the motherly dragon, but from an actual mother. "You didn't exactly starve yourself then, either, hun."

  Kianna Russet. And in tow was her daughter, Kylie. With the homeowner missing, these 2 were in charge for the time being. Cinccino and Minccino respectively, they were hand-in-hand as they approached the table. "Vaporeon, the poor dear, couldn't have kept down a quarter of what you ate that day," Kianna continued playfully. "Don't be so hard on Auntie," Kylie piped up, though she was clearly being just as playful. Not only that, but Wigglytuff clearly wasn't offended, since she was still laughing. Goodra, on the other hand, greeted them both with a bow. "I trust Ruri told you dinner will be ready soon. Will you be joining us?" Kianna nodded. "Absolutely, dear. Your cooking is divine.~" "You flatter me, mistress," Goodra beamed, clearly blushing as she performed a few last-minute checks of the dishes she made. Apparently, she was satisfied with what she found, as she excused herself, the reason being that she needed "to go get Artemis."

  Kianna typically sat at the head if the dinner table, and that night was no exception. As for Kylie, since Wigglytuff was the only other one seated, she sat beside the bulging bunny. The figures of the ladies of the house were rather hard to decipher, as the thick, luxurious fur that makes their species so coveted to this day added noticeable size. Thus, it was hard to tell if either mother or child were large or simply particularly thick-furred. But the fact that both were beautiful couldn't be hidden by anything. As they engaged in small talk, Pachirisu and Treble entered the room. The fight over the radio hadn't been forgotten; both shot angry glares at each other after taking their seats. Dragonair was next, but Bellossom didn't follow. She had to change her clothes after having worked in the muddy garden. On her way back inside, Dragonair had met up with her master's Chatot, the only male living in the house in the homeowner's absence, and he too was at the table. Prior to the Lugia incident, the Chatot, affectionately named Pesky, served as an alarm clock for the Delphox. Few could sleep through the shrill cry of a Chatot. Now, though, he helped out however he could. This usually consisted of scavenging for berries. Lately, he had been coming up empty, even from his usual haunts. He joined in the conversation almost immediately after landing on the table; it was a rare moment when Pesky was speechless.

  "L-Look; I appreciate your help, but I can do this on my own." The Vaporeon's insistance in no way deterred the helpful duo tailing her. A feral Lucario was one of them. Belonging to the Delphox, she possessed a strong sense of justice. Much of her day had been spent training; as would be expected, her fighting skills were admirable. "I'd like to believe that, but last time we left you to your own devices, you-" "I know," Vaporeon cut her off. "I fell down. I'm sick, you two; not a baby!" She felt a soft paw on her shoulder, and knew instantly to whom it belonged. "Sylvie, don't worry about me. I told you; I'm fine." Sure enough, the immaculate, manicured paw was that of one of her fellow maids. A Sylveon anthro, and that, in and of itself, may have been a contributer to why she didn't lash out at the lovely Fairy type.

  Of all of the maids, Sylveon was the most well-dressed. From head to toe, she was a picture of elegance and femininity. Of course, just being a Sylveon was helpful in that regard. Her pink hair, which reached about the point where her chest and stomach met, was done up with ribbons. Her eyes, lashes pronounced, were a bright, cheery sort of robin's egg blue. Her lips, soft and plump, were painted a rosy pink by lipstick. If anybody wanted to find her, it was a safe bet that she'd be in a bathroom, or otherwise looking into a mirror, with which she was adjusting her makeup. "Sorry," she said with a kind, if a bit airy voice. "We can't take any chances." Vaporeon groaned, but relented. "Fine; if it'll make you 2 feel better."

  By the time the Vaporeon and her helpers made it to the table, much of it was already set. Not only was Goodra hefting dish after dish in front of the waiting diners, but a feral Braixen was helping her. This was Artemis. Normally caught up with practicing spells, she was more than happy to help Goodra. She did so by levitating some of the dishes. Between the 2 of them, setting the table was an easy task. Artemis brushed sweat off of her fur with a paw. She was still getting the hang of levitation. Dinner was full of chatter and giggling; it was one of the few moments when everybody could pretend the ravaging of their lands had never happened. Perhaps 10 minutes into the meal, however, the sound of silverware against glass was heard. All eyes were on Kianna, who was standing. The clinking sound she had made brought silence over the room. And, when she finally spoke, after a few seconds of visibly trying to find the best words to explain herself, it was decidedly not to give good news. "Everybody, I'm afraid we have a problem."

 

*Author's note*

  And it begins! This story is being written with permission from the amazing @SMFoxy, using characters from our previous RPs. I apologise for the decline in quality and volume near the end of this chapter. I had been saying for long enough that this would be ready soon, and I finally sat down and immersed myself. There wasn't anything too bad in this chapter, but please be warned that I intend for this to be a very dark story. With that said, I hope you like this, and I hope you want more. The real point of this chapter was kinda to introduce the characters, since we'll be following them for quite some time. Don't worry if you're still in the dark, though. We'll get to know them better as the story goes on. Huge thanks to @SMFoxy, for their help in this.

[Commander Leafers]

This look amazing! Keep it up!

[SMFoxy]

First off: any time. I'm happy to help.

Secondly: Love the characterisations. Introducing the premise/backstory for a paragraph then focusing on the characters/current situation was a really good way to go about this introductory chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and I'm not just saying that because of all the cameos from my characters (though they can barely be considered cameos; it's more like an ensemble cast _{[I Googled it to make sure it was the correct term]} at this point. xD).

All I can really add is that I'm definitely looking forward to chapter two. Keep it up!

[ArdillaVerde93]

As it turns out, I made a couple of mistakes with the characters. @SMFoxy is too kind to tell me to fix it, but I did it anyway.~

Kaianna's name should be Kianna. Now, it is.

Pesky the Chatot was supposed to be the only male; not Lucario. Fixed.