Chapter 1 – One Day Away

 

Chapter 1 – One Day Away (Leon)

“Hey, keep up!”

Leon sprinted over a dirt path through the Highland Forest, pumping his arms and moving fast despite his stubby Totodile legs. The forest blurred by him as a continuous green and brown tapestry. Early autumn leaves littered the trail, crunching beneath his feet before being kicked up into whirlwinds.

Up ahead he spotted a clearing; a patch of soil, with a circle of rocks containing charred wood. “Almost there!” he called back to Jacob.

As Leon zeroed in on the campsite he threw his legs forward to slide. He tossed his head back to look up at the evening sky. Or at least, that’s what he expected to see.

Instead he locked eyes with a Charmander, his own jaw hanging open as the orange lizard jumped over him.

Just as quickly, the Charmander fell and rolled across the path, and Leon– still sliding– crashed right into him. The tangled pair gasped and grunted as they clumsily rolled over each other, until they finally stopped before the fire pit.

They two laid where they landed, legs aching, huffing to catch their breaths. In the midst of their chaos, both of their backpacks had slipped off, slumping at their sides. Seconds passed, then the Charmander sat up and grinned. “I win!” he announced.

Leon lifted his head up and shook it. “Naw, that was a tie!” But he couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

Jacob giggled too. “I flew right over you!”

“That was a footrace, you don’t have any wings yet anyway!” He rubbed his chin and whispered to himself. “But maybe we can make some for you outta something… Kinda like that story about the Bagon who made wings outta sticks and cotton! Seras told us that one, remember?”

“Uh, Leon? The Bagon crashed in that story!”

“Yeah, exactly!” The Totodile erupted into laughter, though he promptly stopped. “I mean, I’d still catch you. At the finish line.”

“Pffft.” Jacob rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. “If you’re so confident, how about a rematch?” 

Leon leaned back and looked up toward the sky. It was a dusky purple, with reddish clouds that looked like giant razz berries. The first stars of the night began to appear, and the twilight sun shaded their surroundings in a tint of gold.

“Naw,” he answered, reaching for his backpack. “It’s getting late. Hey–” he snapped his fingers. “What time is it, anyway?”

Jacob leaned over to retrieve his own bag, then pulled out a fine copper chain. Dangling from the end of that chain was his pocket watch, which he popped open with a metallic click! followed by soft, rhythmic tics and tocs.

“Whoa, it’s almost eight o’clock!” Jacob remarked. “Time flies, yeah?”

“Oh, so it’s that watch that lets you fly,” Leon joked. “Wish I knew that earlier, we could’ve gotten to Wolfhaven a lot sooner.”

The Charmander snorted and rolled over. “All aboard! Jacob is ready for takeoff!”

Leon began to laugh, though his maw stretched open as it turned into a yawn. He laid out and stretched his whole body. “We’ve come pretty far, huh? Just one day away.”

Jacob rolled over again. “Yeah… the Wolfhaven Guild,” he replied. He took a moment to stow his watch, then laid back, staring up at the shimmering stars with his brother. “It’ll be different from Bethany. Right?”

Before he replied, Leon watched a shooting star flash across the sky in a blazing, cosmic-green trail. “I hope so.”

“Uh, maybe not too different?”

“Why?” Leon tilted his head to the side, looking at Jacob. “You homesick already?”

“No– well…” Jacob turned his head as well, staring back at him. “I kinda miss Mom and Dad.”

“Really? It’s only been a few days since we left on Wednesday.”

“I know, I know.” Jacob turned his gaze skyward. “Still, it’s hard to leave them behind when they’ve always treated us good. Even me, like I’m one of you guys.” His tail’s flame brightened. “Even if I can’t swim in the creek with all of you…”

“Hmm, yeah. They could come up and see us, though.”

A few seconds passed, then Jacob cracked a smile. “What if it’s not just them? Maybe we could have a big ol’ Bethany reunion after we form a team together?”

“I’m all for Mom and Dad coming to visit,” Leon said. “Everyone else? Not really.”

“Oh yeah?” Jacob sat up. “Not even the other guys from school?”

“Especially not them,” Leon affirmed as his expression soured.

“Er, I mean…” Jacob scratched his shoulder. “I get why you don’t like Tyler, he makes all Zangoose look bad. But what about the others?”

Leon sat up as well, wearing a scowl. “Every time I got shoved around by Tyler or one of his goons, none of ‘em ever stepped in to help. Not once.” His hands tightened into fists, and he glanced at Jacob. Seeing the Charmander’s worried expression made his own soften. “So… I’d rather start fresh. Not think about all that, you know?”

“Y-yeah,” Jacob looked away, sweeping his gaze around the forest. “That’s… fair.”

Even if there weren’t bullies, Leon never really wanted to stay in Bethany anyway. He wasn’t content to stay cooped up in a sleepy, small town. He wanted to see the world, embark on adventures and tell stories that everyone would be in awe to hear. Proving those who doubted him wrong would make it even more satisfying.

Pop. Click.

Leon glanced at Jacob. He had started fiddling with his pocket watch– pressing the top button to pop it open, then clicking it shut again.

Pop. Click.

Leon smiled warmly. “Hey, Jake?”

Pop.

Jacob looked up. “Huh?”

Click.

“Just wanna say… thanks. You know, for coming with me.”

“Oh, of course!” Jacob set his watch aside. “You think I’d let my big brother go join a fancy guild all alone?”

“Naw,” Leon chuckled, then pulled his own bag closer to him. “So, are you hungry?”

“A bit,” Jacob replied, clicking his tongue. “More thirsty, though.” He retrieved his canteen, but as he tilted his head back to drink, he looked confused.

Leon pulled out his canteen as well, but it felt very light. He flipped it upside down, and only a tiny drop dripped out. “Empty,” he noted. “I’ll go find fresh water. Can you get a fire going while I’m gone? We can set up the tent afterwards.”

“I’ll try,” Jacob answered as he tossed his canteen over. “Once we get to Wolfhaven though, we should find the best restaurant and treat ourselves!”

“Heh, that sounds nice,” Leon mused. “Wonder how busy the town will be on a Sunday morning. Though…  Mom and Dad gave us that money for emergencies, remember?”

“Is getting sick of camp food an emergency?”

“Depends on how badly you burn the popcorn,” Leon said with a smirk.

“Oh, pfft. One time!”

Leon chuckled as he took both canteens and wandered around the vicinity of the campsite, heading down a path that led further north. According to the map he brought with him, the Highland Forest had at least two sizable ponds near the campsite. But before he reached either of them, Leon encountered a fork in the road.

Rather than dig through his backpack, Leon just decided to go left.

The dirt paths sprawled before him, paved by years of other travelers’ footsteps. Off in the distance he could see something gliding along the horizon– probably some kind of bird. It wasn’t long before he found a modestly sized pond.

The water was smooth and mirror-like, with a few leaves resting on the surface. It reflected the foliage and the sky, which was dotted by even more stars now. Leon kneeled down and filled the canteens one at a time, making small ripples with each dip. He watched the pulses of water sail across the pond, guiding his attention to the other side.

Something over there caught his attention. It looked like another mon, splayed out on their side, not moving. Were they unconscious? Leon felt a surge of urgency shoot through his spine. 

“Jacob!” he cried out. “Get over here!” He tossed his backpack and canteens aside, spraying their water out onto the dirt, and dove headfirst into the pond.

Splash!

Water cascaded over Leon as the Totodile darted under the pond’s surface, moving much faster than he ever could on land. Seconds later he leaped out of the water, landing alongside several droplets that rained down on nearby grass.

Up close he had a better look at the unconscious mon. They were the same size as Leon, two-legged, and predominantly brown. But the most telling feature was the white skull worn over their head: a Cubone.

Leon rubbed dripping water off of his scales as he jogged over, mindful to not get the stranger wet.

“Hey, hey! Are you alright?” he called out. The Cubone didn’t react. After making sure he was dry enough, he knelt down beside them and placed a hand on their shoulder.

The Cubone twitched in response. They were still breathing, and a gentle shake from Leon made them stir. After a moment he groaned, then rolled onto his back, slowly opening his eyelids.

“Phew,” Leon sighed. “Hey, are you alright? Can you get up?”

The Cubone grunted, rubbing the ground with his hand until it caught hold of something– a bone club. He grabbed it by the handle, lifted it, and pressed the bulky part into the ground, using it to help push himself up.

Just then Jacob was right behind Leon, panting from the sudden sprint.

“W-what is it?” Jacob asked, bent over slightly. He carried his own bag on his back and Leon’s in his hands.

Leon turned his attention to his brother. “Are you alright Jacob?” he asked, taking his backpack from Jacob’s hands. “Hey, take it easy.”

Jacob caught his breath, and he nodded. “I’m okay.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, alright?”

“Really, I’m fine,” Jacob insisted. “So, what happened?” He pointed at the Cubone. “Who’s this?”

Leon looked back over his shoulder. “I found this guy passed out, but I think he’ll be fine.” He turned toward the stranger again, who was surveying his surroundings “So, are you hurt? How’d you end up here?”

The Cubone looked at Leon with an odd expression, as if puzzled or mildly startled. He didn’t say anything. 

“…Hello?” Leon said. Just then he glanced down and noticed something strange. The Cubone’s club didn’t look like an ordinary bone. The bulky end had a sharp, curved hook to it, like some kind of climbing pick.

“Can you hear us?” Jacob asked.

“Y…yes,” the Cubone finally spoke, straightening his helmet. “I can.”

“Well, my name’s Leon,” he said with a smile. “And this is my brother, Jacob. What’s your name?”

“My name?” the stranger uttered, as if the question never crossed his mind until now. “…William,” he said slowly. “My name is William.” He looked around the forest once more. The sky was growing darker, fading into a deep navy blue as the sun tucked itself beneath the horizon.

“Where you from, William?” Jacob asked, “Wolfhaven?”

William titled his head. “I… know not what that is…”

Leon felt a rush of suspicion. Memory loss? Out cold in the middle of nowhere? This Cubone didn’t look injured… Though if he had a head injury, it’s not like he could tell with that helmet on.

“It’s where we’re going,” Jacob said with a smile. “You should come with us!”

“Hold on Jacob,” Leon spoke up. “We need to think about this first.”

“Huh? Whaddaya mean?”

“He was laying out here in the woods, all alone, and doesn’t know how he got here. He doesn’t look hurt, and just so happened to be here when we were passing by.” He paused as he gave the Cubone a sideways glance. “Don’t you think that’s… a bit strange?”

“Strange?” Jacob wore a puzzled expression. “How’s it strange?”

“This could be some kind of setup,” Leon affirmed. “Yeah, we should help mons in need, but you can’t trust everyone you meet.”

William tilted his head, staring at Leon with an unreadable expression.

“Uh, well…”  Jacob retrieved the pocket watch out of his backpack.

Pop. 

“I don’t think he’s shady. And what if he actually needs help?”

“I think he looks fine. Besides, if he wanted to take something from us…” Leon pointed at the copper in Jacob’s hands. “It wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to snatch your watch.”

The Cubone’s eyes went wide. Meanwhile, Jacob promptly stowed his watch back in his pack.

“And I don’t want either of us to get hurt,” Leon continued. “Especially you.”

“Wait!” William spoke up. “I am telling you the truth, I really don’t remember anything. I cannot tell you where we are or how I got here. You two are the first I’ve seen; I swear to you that I’m alone.”

“See?” Jacob nudged Leon. “He’s still lost. We should–”

But he stopped as a shadow darted overhead, eclipsing the moonlight for a second.

“What was that?” Leon said, glancing up.

Above he spotted a nearly-full moon, and sailing beneath it was some kind of bird– a big one– with its wings outstretched.

Before anyone could react the avian beat its wings and a gale followed. A flurry of wind rattled their ears as a Tailwind surged through.

“Jacob, get down!” Leon shouted through the noise.

A shrill call echoed off the gust, and the monstrous bird dive-bombed them. Leon tried to move, but the forceful wind pushed him back. Within a second their attacker, a Staraptor, swept all three of them off their feet with its wide wings.

The world spun around Leon as the storm carried him away. A moment later he hit the ground and tumbled. A nearby splash from the pond sprayed him with cold water. He sat up and shook his head, rattling out his dizziness.

“J-Jacob!” he called out. At the edge of his vision he spotted an orange glow and traced it to his brother, who had landed yards away from him. Between them were their backpacks.

Without hesitation, the Staraptor seized the bags with its talons, rummaging through their contents with its beak.

“Get offa that!” Leon demanded. He rose to his feet, still wobbly from the Tailwind, but ran toward their attacker anyway.

Just as the howling gale began to fade, the avian plucked out a shining chain– Jacob’s pocket watch– and swiftly beat its wings, taking off toward the sky.

“What the–!” Jacob cried out. “Where’s he going with my watch?!”

Leon felt rage erupt inside of him like a geyser. “Damn thief! Come on, we can still catch ‘em if we hurry!” Leon ran toward their bags, meeting Jacob in the middle as they retrieved them.

“Wait a sec, where’s William?!” Jacob said, realizing the Cubone was nowhere to be found.

“We don’t have time!” Leon exclaimed, and he began running. “We need to catch that bird!”