Fanfiction Pokémon Sardonyx

Heya, thanks for clicking this thread! Right here, I'll be uploading the chapters for my newest fanfiction story: Pokémon Sardonyx. Here's a short bit of a information about what the story will be like:

Pokémon Sardonyx is, by definition, still a fanfiction story, but it contains a lot more original elements. A brand new region, locations, characters, and of course, a completely new story. There are a few characters who will be known from previous games, but by and large the majority of characters will be new. Also, this story was initially created many years ago, which is why it will be based on games up until generation V. That means, no Gen VI/VII Pokémon, no characters from those generations, and no mechanics such as mega evolution, Z-moves, or Fairy type exists.

I don't really have a set schedule for when new chapters will be uploaded, but I think around every 2 weeks is a reasonable goal (sorry, school demands a lot of attention too). Other than that, I hope you enjoy!


SUMMARY

Spoiler

A young teenager by the name of Sardon decides to embark on his own Pokémon journey through the peaceful Riasma region. Although competitive Pokémon battling isn't very popular anymore, some individuals still want to test their skill. However, Sardon's travels turns out to be much more than just an innocent adventure. He meets many mysterious characters along the way, and eventually, a great calamity hits Riasma, and leaves the region in shambles...

 

Prologue - The storm

“I can’t help but worry about him.”

The young female looked out over the Selvan Woods, a concerned expression clearly resting on her face. She let her hand run through her hair once again, and looked at one of her long, green locks. Her hair, which would usually glow brightly, now only emitted a faint light. She was a Nymphiad, a mysterious kind of spirit connected closely to nature. She was able to tell whenever a big change in the climate was approaching, by the glow of her hair. The brighter it was, the safer nature felt. But right now, it felt far from safe.

“I know you said he’s not alive anymore, but… how can we really be sure?”

The man she was talking to was standing behind her, his arms crossed, but his face pointing down. He wore a brown jacket that belonged to the Riasma Safety Unit, a small group of people who ensured that everyone in the region stayed safe. Their activities ranged from getting rid of criminals, to managing the region’s various Pokécenters, to occasionally checking up on the Gym leaders, or guardians, as they were more commonly known as in Riasma. For a very long time, competitive Pokémon battling hadn’t been an active occupation in the region. Every now and then, a child would leave home, desiring to train up Pokémon and test their strength, and for those few cases the guardians would act as original Gym leaders. And while they technically still had an Elite Four, they all left the region a long time ago to pursue their own ambitions.

“Vivian, we’ve done all we can. We hung up posters, we’ve asked family and friends, and have been doing field researches for the past two weeks. As much as I hate to admit it, there’s simply no way a young, inexperienced boy like him can still be alive under these circumstances…”

His words were harsh, but deep in his voice you could hear the doubt. He didn’t want to believe it yet either. A little under two weeks ago, a young boy by the name of Daryan Solstice went missing out of nowhere. Despite everyone’s best efforts, not a single trace of him has been found back. The whole region was in shock, especially since he was such a loved child. He was always very friendly, and volunteered at the nearby Pokécenter in his free time. Vivian turned around, facing the officer for the first time. She wanted to look him in the eyes, but the man refused to lift his head.

“Can’t we… ask Myra one more- “

He wouldn’t even let her finish. He lifted his head and looked her dead in the eyes. Vivian clearly saw how much this tragic situation had hit him too. His son used to be great friends with Daryan, and they would often come over to his house to play. After some time, Daryan would stay over for dinner so often that he almost considered him a second son. That made his disappearance all the heavier to take. But he also had an official duty to fulfill, and he wouldn’t let that go.

“Leave Myra out of this! We’ve already patrolled the entire region with her once, last week. I know you think highly of her mind-reading powers, and we all do, but she has her limits too. She’s only ten years old, do you have any idea how crushing it is to have to allow everyone’s voices into her head, looking for Daryan’s? She’s still in the hospital right now, making a full recovery. I won’t allow her to go through all that again, no matter how much you want it.”

Vivian turned back again, quickly breaking eye contact. She hated being yelled at, but she knew he was right. Looking out over the forest, she soon forgot about his outburst. The view of the forest alone calmed her down. Although she never left her residence, she would never grow tired of the amazing view. She lived inside a giant sequoia, which indicated the central point of both Selvan Village, and the surrounding Selvan Woods. Although the tree was entirely hollow, it was still very much alive, mostly thanks to Vivian’s affinity with nature. As a Nymphiad, she was appointed as the guardian of nature’s balance, which came with a lot of responsibilities. If harm would ever come to her, it would have devastating consequences for Riasma. She looked down at the lake below her. A beautiful full moon was reflected by the water, but not for long. Soon, clouds would cover up the sky, and cast a large shadow over the entire region of Riasma. A great storm was on its way, which was the main reason for Vivian’s concern. Heavy storms like these were very rare, but not unheard of. It only occurred around every few years, but when it hit, it hits hard. All the buildings in the region were able to endure the weather, but any unfortunate soul who happened to be outside during such an outbreak would most certainly not survive. Especially not if they were still a young child…

“I understand. Either way, I’m afraid it’s too late now. I just don’t know if I should keep praying he’s still alive… or hope he already met his fate, so he doesn’t have to suffer through this storm…”

The officer wanted to say something in response, but a lump had formed in his throat. Something about those words really came through to him. Whether he’s still alive or not, after this thunderstorm, he would most certainly no longer be among us. There was no reason to continue a search. Suddenly, he felt incredibly tired. He had put all of his energy in looking for Daryan for the past weeks, barely getting in any sleep at all. And now, he finally realized there was no point in pursuing that task. He sunk down on his knees, as tears started forming in his eyes. Vivian quickly ran over to him, and put her hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry Jadon, I… I shouldn’t have said that. I apologize.”

She helped him back on his feet. She smiled faintly at the officer, which helped him calm down. Nymphiads always had a unique calming aura around them. Just looking at one could make you immediately feel at peace again, no matter what may have been going on in your mind before. She supported Jadon as they walked towards the exit.

“Please, go home quickly. Your wife and son must be getting worried. You should be with them, not here. We’ll talk later, alright?”

He nodded, bid her good night, and left afterwards. On his way home, he kept thinking about the conversation they just had. He decided he would visit Myra tomorrow to check up on her condition, and then work on removing the “missing” posters. Vivian looked at the sky once more, and noticed the first clouds covering the moon. It wouldn’t be long before it started raining now. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get in any sleep tonight. Storms like these are rough on the region’s climate, and the effects would certainly keep her awake. Nevertheless, she would try to get in a little sleep anyway. Jadon was visibly exhausted after these weeks, but he wasn’t the only one who spent a lot of late hours trying their best to locate the missing child.

“I couldn’t bring myself to tell him, but… this storm feels much worse than the others. I’m sure the people and Pokémon will be safe, but I can’t ensure Riasma will escape this one unharmed. Dear Daryan… If, by some miracle, you have survived throughout these past weeks, and are still out there somewhere… I pray for your safety. We all do. Good luck…”

=======================================================================
=======================================================================

“Come on Daryan, faster. I can’t let them catch me, not after all this.”

It didn’t take long before he was completely doused by the rain. Daryan briefly considered taking off his soaked clothes in order to run faster, but it was too cold outside. He’d die of hypothermia before his pursuers could even get to him. He took a deep breath, and continued running through the thick forest. Avoiding trees left and right, the young boy ran for his dear life. He had long lost any sense of direction. There was only one way to go now, and that was forward.

“Why did this storm have to happen just now? I can’t survive on my own much longer… I have to- “

An enormous thunderclap struck only a few meters beside him, sending the young boy flying through the air. He landed painfully with his back against a tree, and heard what he could only hope was a branch snapping in two. He immediately tried getting back up, but the impact of the fall had been too much for him. Struggling, he crawled a few more meters, but eventually collapsed on the ground. As the rain continued to pour down on his head, Daryan burst out in tears.

“They’re going to get me… Please, someone, help me… Please!”

He heard footsteps in the distance. Someone was definitely approaching him. Daryan curled up into a ball, closed his eyes, and silently wished for this nightmare to be over. It wouldn’t be long before they would get to him. They’d catch him and take him away. Just the thought of what might happen after that sent a shiver down his spine. He waited for what felt like an eternity, but maybe it had only been a minute. He also noticed that it stopped raining, which was weird, since he could still hear thunder crash down in the distance every few seconds. He waited for another minute, then gathered the courage to open his eyes. About a meter away from him sat a beautiful creature, holding her hands in front of her. Daryan looked up, and noticed a blue shield protecting both of them from the downpour. It took him a moment to put the pieces together, but suddenly he realized who she was.

“Y-you’re… You’re the mythical Pokémon Meloetta! What is someone like you doing here, during such a storm?”

She didn’t reply, but there was a certain warmth coming from her body which put Daryan at ease. For the first time in weeks, he was able to rest. He let all his muscles relax, and lied down against a tree. Immediately, he felt how miserable he was. For the past week, he had to scavenge for his food, and drink water from a nearby river. He had countless bruises from falling while running away, and he had no idea where he was anymore. Meloetta was the only one he was able to trust now, and it made him feel safer than ever.

“You have no idea… how happy I am to see you here, Meloetta. They’ve been chasing me for so long, I can’t take it anymore. They pretend like they mean well, but I’ve seen who they really are… I’ve seen how far they are willing to go. They’re monsters, through and through! I didn’t want to be among them, so I just started running… I didn’t know where to go, so eventually I decided to hide in this forest, because it would be the hardest for them to find me here. But I didn’t know anything about this storm…”

Daryan started to tear up, out of sadness for his situation, but more so out of happiness for having found Meloetta. She really was a saving grace for him. Without anyone to protect him, the storm would’ve undoubtedly killed him. Meloetta closed her eyes, and started singing a sweet lullaby. Her melodic voice was by far the most welcoming thing Daryan had heard in what felt like years. It didn’t take him long to close his eyes, and fall asleep.

“Meloetta… Please promise me… you’ll still be here tomorrow, okay?”


Editor's notes (for whoever is interested):

Spoiler

God damn this chapter took me forever to get started on. The whole concept of my story (which once started as the idea for a Pokémon fan game) has been on my mind for many years now, and the whole story was basically solidified for a really long time. I just never got around to actually making something with it.

When I finally got to the decision to turn the idea into a written story, I got really excited again, so I immediately started working on it. The only thing that really set me back was the amount of names I still needed. I severely underestimated what huge collection of names you need, not only for your characters, but also for all locations in the game. Some need a first and a last name, it needs to sound well together, fit their personality, etc...

Eventually, I think I did a pretty good job at it though. And once I started writing, I got super into it. This chapter is actually exactly 2000 words long (I swear I didn't do that on purpose), which is probably a bit longer than my average chapter length? I really don't know yet. With each story I write I feel like I grow more skilled at it, so I'll be better at writing atmosphere, which just takes up a lot of words. So all in all, I see the growing word limit as a positive thing!

I hope I can get the second chapter out just as easily as this one