The Rift 2: Blood, Drugs, and Tears by AnonEmis
The Rift
2: Blood, Drugs, and Tears
By AnonEmis
Ty. The name seared itself into Han's eyes, forcing itself into his head, drumming a relentless tattoo beat into his mind. Ty; where was he? Pain, razor-sharp and intense, pounded the back of his head as if someone was angrily hammering nails into the back of his skull. Han tried to move his arm to his head; it wouldn't budge. Something plastic and brittle was clipped onto his wrists and biceps, restricting movement. Han realized he was lying down.
With great difficulty, the trainer pried open his eyes. Light stabbed into his cornea, sending twin needles of agony into his head. Han winced and instantly shut his eyes. After a moment to allow for the pain to subside, he slowly opened his throbbing eyes.
He saw a world of chaos.
Screeching sirens blared in his ears and smoke permeated the air, staining the very atmosphere with its poisonous tendrils. Helicopters flew overhead like a flock of birds, their red and white colours stood out like a sore thumb among the overcast. He could hear their engines, a constant drone to add to the mosh pit of noise Han was currently experiencing. It was hell on earth it seemed.
"What's happening?" He groggily thought. Han's eyes went in and out of focus, blurring the world to only vague smudges of colour to suddenly sharpening into frightening clarity, so Han could see the gray world as it started to cry. Raindrops sparsely fell from the bleeding sky, the cool water splashing onto his face. The rain helped to wake him up, though only slightly. His thoughts and recollections were scattered like wisps of gas in the wind, they swirled teasingly, seeming to be within reach, only to suddenly vanish into Han's deep subconscious; never to be seen again.
Han shook his head, he needed to clear his mind; to find his bearings and stop thinking like a two-year old. He was suddenly aware of a dull ache in his chest.
He managed to look down on his own body. He was indeed lying down; Han could see his body was covered by blankets, with only his head and arms exposed. Plastic tubes leading from suspended sacs were feeding some sort of red fluid into his arms. Was he in the hospital?
No, he realized, he was outside, on Castelia City's dock. That meant he was on a stretcher. He risked a look around, nearly blacking out from the pain in his stiff neck. The normally pristine waters were filled with smoldering debris and black, congealing oil. The skyline of the city was gloomy, the building's lights feebly trying to stand out amongst the somber sky. The sunshine had been long gone it seemed.
"Han!"
The trainer heard someone shout his name. He craned his head to look. At the edge of the dock, a woman in black was trying to make her way to where he lay helpless, followed by a group of Pokémon. A flash of recognition streaked across his mind, they were his Pokémon. And that woman was Cynthia. They all looked so battered and tired, just like him. Han helplessly watched as Cynthia was stopped by a group of men in official looking uniforms. They stood impassively as she yelled at them, her screams resonating in Han's ears. Han's Pokémon also added their voices to Cynthia's. They must be trying to see him. It was futile, the men refused to give in and stood firm, backed by their own foreign Pokémon. They blocked any way to get close to Han, despite their begging. A sudden jolt, and they suddenly seemed to shrink, Cynthia, his friends, and the strangers as they began to dwindle into the distance.
He then realized he was moving. He heard the sound of plastic wheels on wood as he rolled. The sudden movement jarred his body a little, but that little bump brought excruciating slashes of pain throughout his body. He sharply gasped in agony, his back arched as his nerves threatened to buck his entire body off the stretcher. For the first time, Han realized how much pain he was in. His entire body felt beaten and smashed from the inside out, his bones sang with pain. It hurt just to twitch his muscles. His face felt raw and was not just his face, but his whole body stung like he had been flayed bare. He took a sniff and recoiled. His body smelt like burnt skin and medical gauze, as if some giant had gone and tried to barbeque him. He fought down his urge to gag, tasting the sickly tang of bile on his tongue.
All of a sudden, he felt hands on his shoulders, pinning him to the stretcher. He frantically tried to crane his head to see who it was, but another pair of cold, gloved hands gently, but firmly, held his head in place. With only his eyes free to move, he saw two shapes looking over him.
"Faces?" He thought. He searched them for any sign of Ty among them. There were none. They wore masks and hats over their heads, leaving only slits for the eyes. Beyond them stretched the sky, streaked with black. His heart began to tumble. The faces seemed to sprout equally covered hands, tools working over him. Han felt a cloth dab at his injured and exposed arm. The pain dissipated, having diminished to an all-consuming numbness. Han shuddered with revulsion. His arm no longer hurt, but no longer felt like his own. He felt afraid for the first time in years. He was like a child now, alone and with no one to help him. A single tear dripped down his cheek. He needed his lover. He needed Ty.
"Where's Ty?" He managed open his mouth to speak. The voice he heard coming from his own sounded foreign, slurred and distorted. None of the faces responded. Han became agitated. Why wouldn't they respond? Didn't they know that Ty was still on the ship?
Han's last breath caught in his throat and died there. The ship.
Han felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his torso, slamming and smashing all the joy and life out of him. His entire body stiffened. Memories began to resurface, not gently, but like wild spectres. They hurled themselves into Han's mind, forcing him to relive what had just happened, helpless to shut the terrifying images out. The lightning bolt that destroyed the ship. Cynthia unconscious on the floor. Ty pinned to the deck. Their last embrace. The images flashed in his mind's eye, clearer than ever. Han began to hyperventilate. Ty wasn't here. No one was here! He desperately began to search the faces looking over to him. He could see no traces of compassion nor pity. Just cold efficiency. But they were here to help. Right? Han's mind was in a state of feral panic, all higher thought processes were shut down. His thoughts were at war with each other, tearing themselves apart. Han couldn't think clearly. One more thing could push him over the edge, into the throes of insanity. That thing arrived.
The explosion. That was the last thing Han remembered before blacking out. One minute he was on the ship deck, frantically digging in his torn pockets for Ty's Pokeball. The minute later, he was flying through the air, watching stupidly as the ship disappeared in a miniature sun, swallowing up his lover in the inferno. He then felt the heat and the sheer force of the explosion, buffeting him and pushing him faster into the air. Thankfully, the concussive force of the blast had made sure he had passed out before hitting the water. But here he was, lying on a stretcher with half the life beaten out of him.
Also, Han realized, Ty wasn't with him, which meant...
Han's heart caught in his throat. His eyes began to convulse and twitch as his body started to shiver violently despite the blankets. Somewhere in his subconscious, he knew he was going into shock but that thought was mercilessly squashed by a terrifying revelation. It repeated itself like an unholy mantra, drowning out all thoughts. Was Ty dead?
"Can't be..." He muttered.
"Tyyyyyyy!"
A long, desperate scream pierced his ears, making the pain in his head multiply. He realised that he was the one screaming but didn't care. He loosed a second scream, so loud that the hands and faces around him recoiled. Han tasted blood in his aching throat, punished raw by the acrid smoke and the relentless yelling.
The hands returned, they grasped his shoulders, restricting movement. Han watched in fear as one of the hands wielded a wickedly sharp needle filled with a clear liquid. Fear changed to sheer determination. Han's lover was out there, injured and Han would not lose him again. Adrenaline surged through Han's body, clearing any thoughts of doubt. Han did work out and sparred regularly, but the adrenaline super-charged him to the point of being half crazed. The hand moved down to inject Han, but he was ready. Like a super hero, he tore his arm free from the restraint; shards of broken plastic flew everywhere, and savagely elbowed the owner of the hand. Han heard a satisfying cry of pain and took his chance. He began to rise from the stretcher, ignoring the pain resonating through his self as if they were mere paper cuts. He was an animal, the adrenaline coursing through him made him all-powerful, like no one could stop him from saving his lover.
He was wrong.
Paws, much stronger than the hands that previously bound him, gripped his arms and legs and forced him down to the stretcher. Han fought like a madman, but it was useless. The Pokémon belonging to the officials were far too strong. Han felt something prick his neck and inject its contents into his bloodstream. He felt the chemicals work itself into his adrenaline rush, corroding it. Han immediately felt all the fight leaving him, draining his will down to nothing. His body lay still, the young man's arms lying uselessly by his sides. His eyes began to droop, a single drop of his tears drying on his cheek. Han's brain was barely able to process anything, but a single desperate thought, louder than the rest, crossed his ravaged mind before he gave in to the seductive arms of sleep.
"Where are you, Ty?"
.................................
Cynthia and Han's Pokémon stood helplessly on the dock as an unconscious Han was loaded into the back of an ambulance. Cynthia clenched her fist while tears silently flowed unbidden down her face. How could this have happened? One moment she was in the air on Salamence's back, and waiting for Han to show up with Ty. The next, a huge heat wave had resonated from the ship, almost baking her skin. Seconds later, a massive explosion had engulfed the vessel which absolutely blasted the entire front end of the ship into oblivion, Han and Ty included. She looked contemptuously at the men who had stopped them. No matter how much they argued, yelled, and begged, the Unova policemen would not relent.
"How could you not let any of us ride with Han? He's injured! He needs someone with him!" She had shouted hoarsely at the men.
"That's precisely the reason we can't let anyone ride with him. He's in critical condition and only half alive. Not to mention that his struggle probably made his health even worse." The officer briskly said.
"Well at least let us follow him!" Cynthia exasperated.
"No can do." The officer shook his head. "You are to remain here until further notice; we have some questions for you."
That did it for Sal. The Salamence menacingly drew up to the officer, his multitude of lethal fangs bared. In a voice thick with barely suppressed rage and contempt, he snarled.
"Just who the fuck do you think you are? Han's our trainer, he's family and we are not just abandoning him. Not to mention Ty is still missing."
The officer flinched under the dragon's fierce glare; Sal's eyes were murderous and rimmed with a dangerous shade of red. But to the officer's credit, he remained firm. Doggedly, he spoke.
"I'm sorry, but we can't risk any chance of infection. You may visit Han when the surgeons give the go-ahead. Until then, all of you must remain here. As for the Typhlosion, we can't start a search and rescue until the ship stops burning."
"He had a name, you jackass." Leafeon muttered rebelliously under his breath.
The officer gestured to the cruise ship. The vessel looked like something out of a disaster movie. The thing had capsized, lying on its side. The entire bow of the ship was gone, twisted steel and burning wood stuck out of the blackened stump like a grotesque skeleton. The bridge was gone, a stump of useless, melted iron with a few antennae sticking out of it. A crackling blaze continued to burn wildly around the waters, fueled by the murky oil seeping out of the hull. The coast guard ships drifted uselessly around the ship, not doing their supposed job. Cynthia cheeks flushed angrily, there was a chance that Ty could still be alive and the officials weren't doing a damn thing. She had never felt so helpless.
Cynthia looked at the officer, trying one last time to convince him.
"Officer-"
"I don't want to hear it."
A definite shift in attitude occurred among the Pokémon. Salamence, Swampert, Alakazam, and Leafeon were staring daggers at the officer. Even Togekiss, who was very caring and motherly, fixed her black eyes, brimming with anger, at the unfortunate policeman who looked very afraid. Their bodies were tensed, preparing to strike.
"They really do care about Han and Ty." Cynthia thought to herself.
The officer turned to her, his expression showed a mixture of fear and exasperation.
"Ok, ok, you guys can go search for the Typhlosion, but only one of you can see Han at the hospital, and only when the surgeons give permission." He relented before stalking off, annoyed at letting some Pokémon to push an officer like him around.
Cynthia sighed in relief; they could finally make a difference. She turned to Han's Pokémon. All their anger had dissipated; they stared back at Cynthia, eyes filled with anxiety and sadness. Her heart cried out for them. Two of their closest friends had just been torn away from them. One was missing and possibly dead while the other was barely clinging to life. She felt tears threatening to come. She forced them back and turned to Togekiss.
"I think you should see to Han, make sure he's okay. You can fly and will attract less attention. I need to stay here and take care of the others." Cynthia quietly said to her.
Without a word, Togekiss nodded and soared into the air on silent wings, following the departing ambulance. Cynthia could have sworn the Jubilee Pokémon had tears in her eyes. She herself was about to cry, but she knew that she had to watch out for Han's Pokémon in his stead. He would have done the same for her. The Champion of Sinnoh brushed her singed hair out of her eyes as well as the tear droplets.
Cynthia turned to face the other Pokémon. They looked equally as tired as she was. They looked at her, silently waiting for her to speak.
"Please be careful, for Han's sake." She whispered, her voice threatening to break.
They nodded, a fierce determination shone in their weary expressions, replacing the sadness. Han and Ty had each risked their own lives and health for them and each other many times in the past. They were all extremely close, more like a family rather than a Pokémon Trainer and his team.
She watched as Swampert dived into the water, ignoring the sludge and swiftly swimming towards the burning ship, wasting no time. In the air, Salamence was flying in the same direction as his crimson wings gleamed in the stray rays of the sun, Leafeon and Alakazam were stoically riding on his back.
Cynthia watched as Han's Pokémon made their way to the burning ship. The coast guard boats parted to let them through. They began to go to work, Swampert and Salamence each using Hydro Pump to douse the flames. Leafeon summoned a Sunny Day to bring some light to work by while Alakazam moved debris aside with her psychic powers. Cynthia fervently hoped to God that Ty would be found alive. She knew that the others were equally as desperate to save Ty and bring him to safety. If not, then Han would be devastated. She had seen him cry out his name on the stretcher, actually feeling the desperation in his voice. It wormed its way into her ears and started to gnaw at her conscience.
She turned to Garchomp, who had been standing silently at Cynthia's side.
"Garchomp, why did this happen?" Tears flowed down Cynthia's cheeks as she began to cry. The docks echoed with her sobs.
The land dragon's only response was to wrap his arms around his trainer. He opened his maw to speak.
"Han will definitely make it; he's a fighter." He spoke in gravelly tones, like many others of his species.
"What about Ty?" Cynthia sobbed.
Garchomp remained silent.
................................
Han was back on the burning ship. The deck was empty and silent despite the blaze. The fires formed a path leading on to nowhere like a hallway in hell. Flames licked his skin with its searing tongues, but he walked on regardless with eyes glazed. He found his goal. In a daze, he picked up his pace as he rushed over to his lover. He recoiled in sheer terror, his voice deserting him. Ty lay on the deck facedown, a steel beam pinning his body while a pool of crimson liquid cascaded from multiple wounds on his emancipated body. Blood. Arms shaking and legs trembling, Han knelt down in the pool of his lover's blood and cradled Ty's muzzle in his arms. Ty's beautiful face looked forlornly at Han, his dying red eyes, matching his blood, drilling a hole in Han's heart. Ty spoke in a shuddering whisper, weaker than a newborn's.
"Han... You... Said you'd-" The Typhlosion violently coughed and his fresh blood splashed onto Han's chest, staining his shirt and filling his nostrils with its salty tang. But the trainer didn't care; he was transfixed, tears running down his eyes as he could not tear his sight away from the gut-wrenching scene. Ty managed to open his mouth and spoke with his one, last, shuddering breath.
"...Pro... tect... me..."
Ty's eyes slowly lost their lustre and closed. Han felt the life steadily seeping out of the love of his life's body as he held the limp fire Pokémon in his arms. Soon, Ty's ragged breathing faded and eventually stopped. His fur was ice-cold to the touch. Ty had died.
............................
"NOOOOOO!"
Togekiss was jolted from her sleep as whirled around in her easy chair, her feathers in a mess from the past day. That was the last concern on her mind as she watched in shock. Han had bolted straight up from the bed. Eyes bloodshot and boggling, he began to shiver violently. His entire body was drenched with a cold sweat, slicking his unkempt hair to his skull. All while this was happening, Han kept shaking his head from side to side, muttering some prayer that only God would hear.
"Han! Oh my..." Togekiss cried as she flocked over the bedside.
The trainer was still holding himself as his sweat and tears cascaded down his cheeks. Han's lungs took great faltering breaths as hacking sobs racked his chest, causing him to cry and cough at the same time. Togekiss tried to reach out a wing to comfort him, but Han deftly smacked it away as he whirled around, hysteria and confusion clearly visible in his red-rimmed eyes.
"Han!" Togekiss cried again, combining the shout with a small Gust attack from her powerful wings. Han was forced back into the pillows that propped him up and squeezed his eyes shut against the mini hurricane Togekiss had stirred up. When Han rose again and opened his eyes, the madness had disappeared from his look. What replaced it though, was far more disturbing. Grief and pain plagued Han's normally serene eyes; it looked as if he had been taken over by an all-consuming spirit of despair. He looked more hopeless than the refugees of wars that were fought long ago.
"Togii..." Han whispered, his voice hoarse.
Togekiss felt herself begin to tear up. Han had used the nickname she had been given when she had just hatched. Her motherly instincts kicked in as she hopped on the bed and embraced Han, trying to shield him from the cruelty from the world.
Han felt himself begin to cry, he had never done that in front of any of his Pokémon; he felt like he had to make them feel assured, that everything would be ok. But he had just been beaten to an inch of his life, lost the most important person in his life forever, and could do absolutely nothing about it. He began to sob, tears filled with angst, despair, and raw emotion staining Togi's feathers as he hugged his friend tightly, afraid to lose yet another one important to him.
..............................
That night
Han awoke, the stains of yesterday showing on his body and permanently scarring his heart, mind, and soul. The pain from losing Ty had temporarily regulated itself to inflicting dull pangs of grief on his over-worked emotions. He realised he was still holding on to Togekiss, her feathers sparkling in the half-light. He sat up and gently brushed the ash and tears from her sleeping eyes and got out of bed. In a daze he stood up and nearly collapsed on himself.
With his muscles throbbing with blunt pain, he steadied himself. His eyes locked onto the bathroom and stumbled his way to it, using the bedside to support himself. The memories began to return. The blood rushed to his head as memories and nightmares mingled together, threatening to bring him down. He staggered into the bathroom and immediately threw up in the sink. Blood was among the contents. The thoughts in his head refused to be forgotten as Han saw terrifying images in the mirror: the smoke, the explosion, and the nightmare of Ty dying in his arms shone vividly in his mind.
"Damn it!" Han screamed as he sank to the floor. He drew back a fist and punched the counter with all his might. A dent appeared in the woodwork and blood appeared on Han's knuckles. But the grieving trainer didn't notice. A small bottle containing pills had fallen into his lap from the counter; probably left by a nurse.
"Oxycontin" The bottle read. Han had read about the drug in the news. It was very popular in the streets for its reputation to ease pain.
Without a second thought, Han shakily picked up the bottle and tore the lid off. He chugged a quarter of the bottle in one go as he fell back against the wall, waiting for the drug to take effect. It was immediate. Han felt a wave of calm wash over his being as the agonizing pain in his heart diminished, it was still there like a pest but it was manageable. His breathing calmed as he took in deep, ragged breaths. He shakily stood and looked in the mirror, polished so clearly, that he could see every detail of his face. He looked gaunt, weak, and emancipated. His hair was a mess and he looked hardly recognizable. Han took a closer look. His face had a stony expression on it, but his eyes betrayed the turmoil in his self. They were bloodshot and no longer carried the sparkle that many people adored.
Including Ty, Han sadly thought. He continued to stare at the mirror, hoping irrationally that Ty would suddenly appear behind him, and this would all be a bad dream.
Han stepped back and stripped off the plain hospital bed-gown he was wearing. He stood naked in front of the mirror. Aside from a bandage wrapped around his left bicep, his body was relatively unscathed. His muscles rippled in the florescent light as he observed himself. He wasn't a bodybuilder, but countless training sessions with his Pokémon had conditioned his body so that his muscles accentuated themselves through his clothes. Magazines had always concentrated on his figure in photo shoots and many women, and even men, had an eye for him. Although it was in a certain Typhlosion's arms, that he had found happiness. Han remembered their first time together, where Ty had breathlessly commented on what a sexy body he had.
"And now he's gone." A nasty voice in Han's head said. The pangs of grief returned as he tried to shake the thoughts from his head. He popped another pill and went into the shower to try and wash the pain away. The hot shower soothed his aching body but did little to raise his spirits. Han desolately pondered how he was going to survive the next few months without Ty. He sighed.
Minutes later, Han walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and the bottle in his hand. The city's lighted billboards gleamed through the small window, illuminating the sober white walls of the room in twilight. Careful not to awake Togekiss, he noticed a new backpack on the table in the sparsely furnished room. If it weren't for the Red Cross emblazoned on the door, the room could have easily fit in an asylum. He made his way to the table and opened the bag. In it were new clothes, snacks, and a new smart phone. A blinking light on the cell signified a new message. It read:
Hi Han,
All the Pokémon and I are staying at the Pokémon Center in the city. I've loaded your cell with cash wired directly into the Johto champion's emergency fund along with a Pokedex app. The officials from Johto want to talk to you. Meet me soon.
-Cynthia
Han felt a feeble wisp of a smile tickle his lips. Cynthia had taken all this time to go shopping for him. He got dressed. Boxers, socks, a pair of designer jeans, a white button-up shirt, and a leather jacket were what Han had chosen. Cynthia had excellent taste, the garments were all brand names, stylish, yet easy to move around in. He put on a pair of jet-black sneakers and put the phone in his jacket pocket while stowing the stolen pills in his jeans. He looked in the vanity mirror.
"At least I look presentable..." Han mused.
Han took the phone out and texted Cynthia back saying he would meet them tomorrow. He then scribbled a note for Togekiss and walked out the room and down the elevator, leaving the bag safe in the room. The receptionist was occupied, so he slipped past into the lobby. He felt a yearning for the outside, away from that hospital room where the white-washed rooms were scrubbed clean of joy daily. He felt that claustrophobic walls bounced his troubled thoughts around and then back into his poor head, filling it with terror. He needed the crowd, where his own thoughts would be lost in the bustle of the city, where he had no time to brood. He opened the door and looked around.
"Wow..." He breathed in awe. Despite his current state, Han let himself be taken breathless.
The city was stunning in the night. The skyscrapers towered high above the ground, their neon billboards spilling light onto the streets and into the night sky. Shops and stores jammed the sidewalks, advertising many products like beer, Pokémon accessories, and even some suggestive ads for companionship. Never had Han seen such a constant flow of people and exotic Pokémon. An endless stream of pedestrians crowded the streets as the lights from above lit their busy faces with bright colours as if a neon sun was shining above. The city truly felt alive. The buildings were its organs, bustling with activity while the pedestrians were the cells, traveling down Castelia City's concrete bloodstreams.
He took a step into the crowd and allowed himself to be jostled by the people. He felt that with every bump, a small piece of sadness left him. Yet despite all the life the city was emanating, he still felt dead inside. There was no way he could face his Pokémon, his heart would break a second time once he saw their desolate faces. He needed an escape. He ignored the Pokémon Center's large sign, instead choosing to walk down the street to the right. He looked above at an electronic sign.
"Café Plaisir: Where you'll never feel lonely." The billboard proudly displayed with cursive font. It had a picture of a Charizard and a Lopunny on it; they had smiling faces and wore aprons. Directions to get there followed afterwards. Han found himself going along to the directions of the sign. Han inwardly hoped they served beer. At this point, Han would do absolutely anything to relieve the pain and guilt he was feeling; anything at all. Perhaps he would find some small solace from the pain at the bottom of a bottle.
Han shouldered his way into the crowd and allowed himself to be swallowed up by the faceless masses; just another pedestrian. The shadows hid his features from view, but the artificial light clearly shone on the fresh tears in his ravaged eyes.
............................
Well I hoped you enjoyed! I always loved stories that take a serious tone because it gets me so psyched to keep reading and I hope it's the same for you. As always, comments and ratings are very much appreciated because they help me improve as a writer and act as added incentive to keep writing. (Not that I don't enjoy writing.) It only takes a half-minute of your time. (: The Cafe Plaisir restaurant mentioned at the end is actually the setting for the gracious Palikabufun's own stories. The cafe and Palikabu's characters will play a part in the next chapter. ^-^ Check them out.
http://www.sofurry.com/browse/folder/stories?by=185365&folder=18122