FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Firefighter and policemen arrived at the scene soon after I escaped POFoT. I met them at the entrance. I explained everything to them. The firemen were able to put out the fire. Luckily, the damage was contained on only one floor, yet that was the only floor that mattered. I felt a pain in my chest as the thought of all those Pokémon being dead rushed to the surface.

Professor Willow was contacted by the authority. I didn't get see him. The police suggested I come with them ato the police station to feel out a statement. How would Willow react to this devastating news? If anyone loved Pokémon as much as me it was the Professor. I wish I could be there for him. He had always been at my side during hard times, the least I can do is return the favor, right?

I spent all of three hours at the police station waiting to be questioned. Once I was in I told them exactly what I told the police at the scene of the crime. For some reason I expected to be treated like a criminal. Police in Chicago did not care to much about civilians, but they shocked me by all being Pokémon fans. They were excited for the world premier of Pokémon competition. Since Pokémon battles were becoming popular, governments decided to grant every police officer with one Pokémon. Even though they would be given Pokémon, each officer was only allowed to choose from a small pool of pokemon: Eevee, growlithe, and in special cases, Lucario.

The world was full of Pokémon. Each continent held Pokémon specific to that region. North America seemed to be the Kanto of the world, but that was slowly changing with Pokémon importation into our wildlife system. The American scientist must first study a Pokémon before introducing it to our country. They do this to make sure the Pokémon is not a threat to our environment. For example, we have moved fire Pokémon out of forest in California and into the mountains to cut down on wild fires.

Universe 1 took every safety precaution. We made sure humans and Pokémon could successfully live together by running all types of simulations and online surveys. Society became fixated on Pokémon, and over time we found ways to use them for our everyday life.

After a statement was signed, I was free to go. I decided to go back to POFoT and check on the Professor. But most importantly, I needed to take those eggs to a safe place. If they stayed in the wrong temperature for to long… Well, they might as well just stayed in the fire.

I took two busses to get back to POFoT. Unfortunately I would have to take the train home. The one downfall of working at POFoT was the traveling. But it was worth it. Tonight of all nights, it would be worth it.

I arrived at my destination after thirty minutes of public transportation. The busses were disgusting. It always smelled like old, moldy urine, and vomit. How many drunken idiots take the bus home after a night of binge drinking? By the smell of it, that scenario must have played out a few times.

POFoT was surrounded by reporters when I arrived. Camera’s brightened up the streets like a bolt of lightning or fireworks on New Years. A crowd of people made a half circle around the entrance. Standing at the door, Professor Willow answered questions from the reporters. He had a different appearance from earlier. He was actually wearing his glasses, which was odd. I worked with him for months, and every encounter was with his glasses lazily tucked in his hair. I often wondered if that was for show, or if he only needed them for certain task.

A reporter spotted me, a short female with long a ponytail held up by a red scrunchy, and librarian style glasses. She rushed toward me with a microphone in her hand.

“OH MY GOD! THERE HE IS!” The scrunchy wearing chick shrilled. “Wor! I couldn’t get to you earlier since the police was holding you in their protection. Would you mind answering a few questions?”

“I’m sorry, no comment.” I grunted as I walked past her and made my way toward Williow. I did not have time to play twenty question with these reporters. I had a mission, and that was to get my eggs and get the hell out of Chicago and it’s large population of Saviors. Those thugs were going to run me out of my home town!

“Who was it that started the fire?!” Another reporter shouted.

I wanted to turn around and tell them exactly who caused this disaster. Maybe my actions would get all of those animals locked in prison. They did not belong in society anymore.

Professor Willow looked at me with concern and shook his head as if he knew what I was thinking. I knew the smart thing to do is keep my head down and not say a word, but no one understand what happened up there. They would never know how it felt to watch all of that life go up in flames. To wonder if any of them felt pain…

I made it to Willow and he placed a hand on my shoulder before turning around and leading me inside.

“WE STILL HAVE QUESTIONS!” The reporters demanded. All of their voices expressed how desperate they really are for a story.

Willow waved a hand and said, “Wait for the police reports to go public.”

The door shut behind us, immediately filling POFoT with silence. Willow took the lead. I followed him all the way to his office. Not a word was spoke the entire walk. The aura around him was odd. I couldn’t read him at all. When we walked into his office, Willow went to his desk, plopped down in a cushioned leather chair, and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

“What… happened…” His tone was coated with frustration.

“The Saviors broke in.”

“How?”

“They used a Pokemon!”

“The saviors?” Willow eyebrows rose. “With a Pokemon?”

“An Abra to be exact. They teleported right into the building. How is that even possible? If people can do that then we have a real problem on our hands in the future.” I was shocked by the potential of some Pokemon. In the wrong hands we could possibly see another pandemic in the near future.

“So they attacked the next generation of Pokemon in order to try to halt the advancement of their specie.” Willow shook his head. “People who claim to want peace and harmony… How could they do something so malice to innocent creatures. They weren’t even born yet. They couldn’t see or experience the joys of life, and it’s all thanks to those bigots!”

With a sweep of his arm, Willow pushed everything off his desk, casting it to the floor. There it was. His anger. I couldn’t see it at first, but now I do. It was the same anger that dwelled deep inside me. The only thing keeping it in was two orbs of hope sitting right outside.

Willow buried his face in his hands and loudly sighed. "Oh my... what should we do..." He then looked up at me. "I'm sorry, Wor. Today was your last day and you had to deal with this catastrophe. You should go home. It's late. Get some rest before you start your big journey. Again, I'm proud of you."

"You're right." I agreed. It was getting late, and I would not object his offer to leave seeing how the eggs needed my immediate attention. "I should get home. Today has been... well, a day. A very long day. I'm sorry about your lab Professor... I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to stop this from happening. Maybe if I had a po-"

"None of this was your fault. You did what you could." Willow interrupted. "Here."

Willow handed me a cell phone, and not just any cell phone. My cell phone. The one I dropped earlier that evening after calling the police. I forgot all about it to be honest. Thankfully, Willow found it for me. I don't know if I could have started my journey without it.

"Thanks." I said, taking the phone and slipping it in my pocket. "Take care of yourself, Professor."

Luck was on my side. Both eggs remained inside the dumpster and they seemed to hold a warm temperature. I tucked them under my arms and made my way home.

I don't remember much of what happened when I arrived at my little studio apartment. When I woke the next morning I found my clothes making a trail from the bed to the bathroom and the two eggs floating in a bath tub full of water. I guess even in my unconscious state I was able to take care of my new Pokémon.

The inside of my apartment was a mess. All of my possessions were in boxes being ready to be placed in storage. I promised my landlord that I would be out the day after I begun my Pokémon journey. Unfortunately I was a little off schedule. The plan was to pack after work the previous night, but life had different plans. I guess my first day of being a trainer would be spent moving all of my junk. I finished by noon, giving me enough time to grab lunch before dropping by my landlords office to give him my key.

The eggs were safe. I didn't have the equipment found in Oak's lab so I had to improvise. Instead of an incubator, both eggs were carefully placed in a duffle bag full of hot hands and warm towels. I planned to put all of my clothes and tools in that bag. Now I only had a backpack's worth of those items, but they were worth the sacrifice.

Bunker Hill was our destination. Bunker Hill is the closest forest in the area and was said to have many grass and water type Pokémon. I thought it would be good if I search for a Magikarp or maybe even a Starmie. Those two were great Pokémon to have if you were just starting your journey.

When I made it to Bunker, I was met with a large crowd of people. Apparently I wasn't the only person with this idea. Every inch of the place was covered in new trainers. I traced the perimeter in hope of finding an open area and failed to do so. I gave up eventually.

As I exited Bunker, my phone started to ring. I answered it and was greeted by a friendly voice, Professor Willow.

"How is your journey so far?"

"Hey Professor. It's off to a slow start," I started with a sigh. "When I arrived at the forest it was full of Pokémon trainers, so I couldn't catch a single Pokémon. Maybe if I try tomorrow I'll have some luck..."

"I hear over ten thousand trainers registered in Chicago alone. Of course the Pokémon will become slim in the area. Most trainers will be forced to leave Chicago in order to catch any Pokémon at all."

What he didn't know is I already had Pokémon. The longest an egg has taken to hatch is 5 weeks, and these two were sitting around 4. I could wait for them to hatch, but I really needed to start my journey. I couldn't waste that much time.

"I guess I'll try again tomorrow..." I said.

"What if you didn't have to?" Willow said, gaining my full attention.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Willow paused for a second and his voice lowered. "There has been reports of ghost Pokémon haunting cemeteries. Governments have kept this quiet in fear of people swarming graves and disrespecting the dead. I'm sure you can snag one or two, but you'll have to be extremely cautious. We don't want you getting caught."

"Awesome! Thanks Professor! I thought I'd have to wait an extra day before starting my journey, but now..."

Willow cut me off.

"Well, you may have to wait until tomorrow to start your journey. In order to catch one of those ghost Pokémon you will have to wait until midnight. That is the only time they appear."

Midnight. That was fine with me. I was so excited about creating a Pokémon family that any minor set back could be overcome. The decision was made instantly. I would go to the cemeteries tonight to catch my first Pokémon.

"A ghost Pokémon, hey? I always wanted to test their abilities! Thanks again, Professor!"

"Anytime, bud." There was another pause. "Be careful on your journey. You can be apart of something way bigger than you ever imagined."

The phone call ended.

Sweet! A ghost pokemon would be great to start off with. Their evasive skills are far superior than any start up Pokémon that will be seen the first few months. Just thinking about all of the strategies I could put together caused a smile to stain my muzzle. I made my way to the graveyard. If I walked, I would make it to one of the cemeteries by 9:00, seeing how it was almost 5:30.

I stopped for food on the way. A quick sand which and water bottle was enough to keep my stomach satiesfied. Honestly, I was to excited to eat. In just a few hours I would have my very first, battle ready Pokémon! A moment I dreamt of since I was six years old!

As I sat on a bench, only yards from the cemetery, I observed a calm scenery. What an odd place to feel calm. People spend their whole lives running away from this place, and here I was anxious to get inside.

Around 11:30 is when I decided to go into the cemetery. I waited long enough. My body wouldn't sit still. If it wasn't for the heavy duffle bag full of eggs, I probably would have walked around more, but seeing how this is Chicago, I had no choice but to sit still with them. People in this city will steal and pawn anything they could grab.

The cemetery gave me chills. Even in April, Chicago gave off cool breezes that put everyone in small jackets. Heat from the duffle bag aided in keeping me warm as I trekked through the graveyard. I pulled out my phone and turned on its flashlight. The moons light was not enough. A small area illuminated by the phone's light. I looked around, but found nothing. Worry and doubt started to fill my thoughts as it neared 12:00. Surely I would have noticed something strange if Pokémon where in this cemetery. Maybe I picked the wrong one? The next cemetery was 15 miles from this one. I dreaded the idea of walking with this duffle bag again.

12:00

Nothing.

This was a bust. I should have asked Professor which cemetery contained these ghost type Pokémon. Hell, maybe he was referring to cemeteries outside of Chicago. If you think about, ghost Pokémon at the cemetery would have made the news if it was such a nest for them. I can take it a step further and say it was a well developed hoax, probably created by the Saviors, and shut down by our media.

That was it. I was ready to leave. I knew I shouldn't have let myself become excited. Every time I do somehow I am disappointed. Never again. Maybe I will wait until the eggs hatch. I'll try not to look forward to their births, seeing what happens when I'm anxious for something. As I turned around to make my way back, a large shadow was cast over me.