Stones in the Pond - Chapter One
#1 of Stones in the Pond
Warning: This story may contain content that some may find offensive. If you are under
the age of 18, or the legal age in your area, you should not be reading this. If you do not
like Pokemon, you should not continue past this point. If the fact that this story is yiffless
is not to your liking, please stop now. If blatant brutality offends you, please stop now.
In most other cases, please continue. This is my first story posted to YiffStar, and I
would very much like some feedback.
Prior to reading the story, there is a bit of information that needs to be known. I don't
like the world the Pokemon show is based in. It is too happy-go-lucky, the-good-guy-
always-wins, all-we-need-is-love, kumbaya sickly sweet. That's not how things work.
Sometimes the bad guy wins, sometimes the good guy doesn't get the girl, and sometimes
things are just plain screwed up. That's the kind of world that I live in, and that's the kind
of world my stories will take place in. This is intended to be a series, so hopefully I'll get
some good feedback and will post more :). Also, I've never liked the fact that every
single Pokemon comes from an egg, so the ones that deserve live births, aka the
mammalian ones, are born live. Also, I figure that the fact that so many kids are out there
with no supervision and all, there must be a law or something that makes it so they can
basically liberate themselves for the duration of their Pokemon journey, so that's how
things work in my world. Other than that, I've tried to match the Pokemon world rather
closely, but do bear in mind this is a fan fic, and I've taken a bit of poetic license. Enjoy,
and tell me what you think!
Edited 9 Mar 2008: Minor corrections to typos
Chapter One - Strong is What You Make It
My name is Kyle Nurture. I'm a Pokemon breeder. Specifically, I specialize in breeding
Eevees and their evolutions. Kind of fits with my name, huh? I come from a family of
breeders, though, so it isn't that surprising. My mother and I, unfortunately, are the only
Nurtures left, and I don't think I'll be producing any offspring any time soon. I enjoy
being a bachelor too much, and I have my hands full enough taking care of my Pokemon
without worrying about human progeny as well.
My ranch sits almost perfectly centered between Route 101, Route 103, and Slateport
City in the Hoenn Region. One end of my land fronts the coast, and the other three sides
are closed in by the surrounding forest. I have a few thousand acres all to myself and my
Pokemon. I have it set up rather nicely to mimic as many types of environment as
possible so that they can all be comfortable, but a good portion is just open field. It takes
a lot of work to maintain that much area, but I have a lot of help, so things tend to run
pretty smoothly over all.
I have always loved Pokemon of all kinds and Eevees in particular. I think that is mostly
because my first Pokemon was an Eevee. I remember the day my mom gave her to me.
It was my eighth birthday, and the littler darling was the last present brought out. She
bounded right up to me and knocked me flat, then proceeded to stuff her head in my pants
pocket. I tried to push her away, but she was persistent. Eventually she emerged,
however, with the jaw breaker that had been in my pocket firmly lodged in her mouth.
The jaw breaker was about half the size of her head, and she just couldn't open her mouth
wide enough to get it all the way in, but she also wouldn't let it go when I tried to get it
away from her. She licked it down to a manageable size after a few hours, but it was so
funny watching her walking around with the huge thing that I couldn't keep from
laughing the whole time. I named her Candi, both for her sweet tooth and because she
was the sweetest thing I'd ever gotten.
About a year later is when I learned several hard lessons about life and got my second
and third Pokemon. It was a lazy kind of day. One of those nice, pleasantly warm days
towards the end of spring that lest you know the blazing heat of summer is right around
the corner, but not quite here yet. Candi and I were lounging on the porch waiting for
supper time to come around so that we would have something to do other than watch the
grass grow. All of our chores were done, and my mom was still out in the field tending
to our Pokemon. There was nothing to do, and nothing we wanted to do, so we were
simply relaxing and biding our time.
Suddenly, Candi leapt up, her little ears twitching, focused down the road towards town.
Then she did something she had never done before; she growled. I tried to see or hear
what was upsetting her, and very faintly I could discern what sounded like cries of pain.
I don't remember leaving the porch. I don't remember making a conscious decision to go
and help. All I remember is that I was suddenly running down the road as fast as I could,
hard on Candi's heels.
The dirt track was ill maintained; high grass and bushes hid what was around each turn,
and the uneven ground made running difficult. We could tell we were getting closer
though. The cries were becoming easier to hear, and I began to make out a second voice.
It sounded human. I redoubled my speed as the words became clear. Whoever he was,
he was furious, slinging insult after insult at the poor Pokemon that punctuated his words
with its pained screams. We finally burst around a bend into sight of the atrocity and
skidded to a halt, stunned by the scene that lay before us.
A tall man stood venting his rage on not one but -two- Pokemon, an Umbreon and an
Espeon. He had short black hair, spiked up into sharp points. His face was burning red, a
mask of hate and fury. He wore a long red coat over a black shirt and pants with spiked
combat boots on his feet. He clutched a long, black rod in one hand, his knuckles white.
I watched in open-mouthed shock as the Espeon struggled to its feet only to be laid low
by a sweep of the cane. It made no sound as it fetched up against the side of the road,
blood seeping from its nose and the corner of its mouth.
"How DARE you humiliate me like that?!?" the man raged. "Get up! How DARE you
lose to one stupid little Pikachu?!?" He slammed his booted foot into the Espeon's rib
cage hard enough to lift it into the air and send it fly8ing towards Candi and me. The
man turned on the immobile Umbreon before the Espeon even hit the ground. "Get up,
you fat little bitch!" He laid a swipe across the Umbreon's flank as it lay in the dust,
eliciting a cry of pain. "Get up!"
The horror of this... this monster was almost overwhelming. I could do nothing but
watch as the scene unfolded. I glanced at the Espeon. One of its eyes was swollen shut,
the other met my gaze. Its listless, hopeless expression as it looked at me, trying to rise
once more, cut like a physical wound into my heart. It saw only another source of pain
and misery, another tormentor to tease and beat it. My attention was drawn back to the
Umbreon as the man knocked it sprawling yet again. It was then that I noticed the
Umbreon was both female and pregnant. As the man raised his foot to stomp on her
stomach, I felt a burning heat in the pit of my stomach. I had seen enough. A battle cry
tore at my throat as I launched myself at him. I was barely taller than his hip, but the
speed and fury of my attack caught him by surprise. I knocked him off balance, the force
of my rush toppling him. I beat at him with my fists. Candi danced around, biting and
scratching at his exposed flesh. The world suddenly went black for a moment. When my
vision cleared, I saw the man standing over me, holding Candi by the scruff, slapping her
repeatedly. My mouth was numb, and my hand came away with blood when I touched it.
I scrambled up, despite my whirling head, and ran at him again.
This time I came around to a sharp, repetitive sting in my cheeks. The man was kneeling
on top of me, pinning me to the ground. My entire face felt like glass, and it was hard to
breathe with his weight pressing down on my much smaller body. I heard a soft
whimpering and turned my head. Candi lay beside me, all four of her legs bent at odd
angles. Her lower half looked a kind of squished, and blood was trickling out from
beneath her tail. I had only a moment to take it all in before the man grabbed my chin
and forced me to look up at him.
"Little punks like you disgust me," he sneered. "You're weak. Pathetic. And you all
think that life is nothing but marshmallows and light." His voice turned mocking. "If
people and Pokemon work together, the world can be a happy place!" He gave a snort
and slapped me. "Only the strong deserve anything, happiness included. You weren't
even strong enough to save yourself. What made you think you could save those two
pathetic piles of shit, huh? Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill them both and your
little ankle biter as well. Maybe I'll even put you out of my misery afterwards."
I coughed and managed to say, "Your Umbreon is pregnant."
From the evil grin that crossed his features, I knew that had been the wrong thing to say.
He rose and stalked over to the whimpering female. Grabbing her by the scruff, he
dragged her closer to me, making sure I was watching what he did. He flipped her over
onto her back, facing away from me. I could see blood already flowing from her genitals.
He leaned in, placing one foot on her stomach to hold her still and placed the thick ball at
the tip of his cane against her opening. Her feeble struggles and piteous mewls only
made him laugh, savoring her pain and fear.
He thrust the rod into her with a grunt of effort, ripping her entrance wide, heedless of her
cries. Blood spattered my face as he pulled it back slightly then rammed it deeper, again
and again, forcing nearly a foot of the wooden shaft into her. A gush of fluid signaled his
entrance into her womb, but he did not stop there. He pressed inwards until she gave an
agonized screech then gave the rod a vicious jerk, twisting it within her as though he
were stirring a pot. At the same time, he pressed downwards with his foot, forcing more
amniotic fluids and blood out, turning the dirt to discolored mud. I couldn't even think
any more, I was so overcome with the sheer brutality I was witnessing. I could smell the
blood and taste it where a few drops had fallen in my open mouth. It was insane.
When he felt satisfied with the destruction of her unborn kits, he lifted her on the shaft
and threw her over by the Espeon, who was still trying to stand. The man dropped his
knee onto my chest, his full weight behind it. I heard several sickening pops and fire
raced through my lungs. I fought back the urge to vomit, black spots and twinkles of
light swirling across my vision. I felt him roll me over onto my stomach and pull both
arms behind my back, but only vaguely. Each breath was an agony beyond any I had
ever experienced. I felt sharp pain in my wrists as thin cord bit into my flesh tight
enough to cut off the circulation.
He reentered my hazy vision, and I saw that he held a spool of fishing line in one hand.
He used it to bind Candi's legs together, then rolled her into a ball and tied her neck to
her trussed and broken limbs. Whistling a merry tune, he meandered over to the Espeon
and Umbreon. He grabbed them by their tails and pulled them over near me once more,
the Umbreon making pained squeaks when the end of the rod caught against the ground,
her voice cracked and broken from her cries.
He grabbed the rod protruding from the Umbreon and bore down on it with his foot,
pressing a few inches out from where it entered her, while his hand pulled the end
upwards. She squirmed and mewled, but it only made him laugh again. The wooden
shaft broke at a sharp angle, as he had no doubt intended. I had little time to wonder at
his purpose before he rammed it through the Espeon's side, impaling it crosswise. The
Espeon then gave its first and only cry that day; a soft, sharp squeak of surprise before it
fainted.
He pulled me roughly into a kneeling position. I nearly fainted from the pain this caused
and barely noticed as a loop of fishing line fell around my neck. I breathed as shallowly
as possible, watching him drag the Pokemon behind me one by one. When he was
apparently satisfied, he came and knelt before me, taking my chin in his hand once more.
"Now listen closely, boy," he warned. "I'm only going to explain this once. You've got
spirit and nerve, attacking me like that all by yourself with only that pathetic excuse for a
Pokemon for backup. I like that. So, I'm giving you a chance to do what you wanted.
You can save those two wastes of space, and maybe even your own Pokemon, if you're
fast enough."
He gave the loose loop around my neck a slight tug. "This line is wrapped around your
Eevee's neck too. A line leads from her to my Umbreon and from there to my Espeon.
You'll have to drag all three of them all the way back to wherever you came from. Each
time you pull on the line, however, the noose will tighten. It will slowly strangle you to
death." He reached behind me, and I felt a bit of line tickle my fingers. "However, if
you give that little bit a good tug before the knot gets too tight, it'll fall right off, and you
can run on home to mommy. I made sure all three of them were effectively muzzled, so
you're not going to get out of it by having them chew through the line. The only way
you're getting out of this without strangling yourself is by leaving them here to die. I
don't expect either of mine will last long, and your Eevee will probably get picked off by
a Murcrow or something, but you'll live to see another day.
"Those are your choices. Die trying to save them, or leave them and save yourself." He
stood, smirking down at me. "It would be amusing to stay and watch, but I need to find
two replacements for my team." He pulled a Pokeball from his belt and released an
Alakhazam. "You know what to do," he told it. Its eyes glowed red momentarily and I
felt a wrongness in my mind. I have no other way to describe it. Then it was gone, and
so was the man. I was alone on the dusty road, three other lives depending on me for
survival. I glanced back to see how we were connected. The line tailed back from my
neck to Candi's, and another was loped about her paws, leading back to the Umbreon. It
had been attached to the rod that still protruded from her womb. A third length was
looped about her neck and tied to either end of the shaft impaling the Espeon.
I just wanted to sit there and cry. I was in so much pain I could barely think. These three
Pokemon were dying or soon would be, and it was up to me to save them. I was only
nine years old! Adults weren't supposed to act like that man had! I had never felt so
small and weak and helpless. It was nearly too much to bear. I shook my head and
rubbed my eyes against my shoulder as my resolve firmed. I would save them or die
trying.
I moved over to Candi, who was whimpering softly, tears running down her cheeks. I
used my teeth to loosen the loop around her neck, whispering soft assurances to her and
explaining my plan as I worked. The pain from each movement was nearly blinding, and
I had to pause several times before I was through, but I knew I didn't have much time. I
managed to get enough slack in the loop to pull it over her head and put it around her
paws with the other one before pulling it tight again. The Umbreon was a bit trickier. I
was afraid the line would come off the rod, so I pulled it free and turned her around,
attaching it to her forepaws. The line around her neck went around her hind paws. That
done, I tugged on the line trailing against my fingers. The loop around my neck fell free.
My hands were beginning to go numb, and I was afraid of losing my grip on the lead, so I
twined it around my fingers several times and clasped my hands together.
"Get ready," I wheezed, returning to my place at the head of the line and preparing
myself. This was going to hurt worse than anything, for all of us. I wanted to pass out
just thinking about it. I began to tremble slightly as I sat kneeling there in front of the
three. Doubt crept into my mind, and fear. I could see myself lying beside the road,
barely a skeleton, picked clean by Spearow and Murcrow, three smaller skeletons behind
me. Even shallow breaths felt like shards of glass in my lungs. I was not sure if I could
make it all the way home, and I was afraid it might be pointless to try, but I shook my
head and thrust myself to my feet. I nearly fainted from the waves of nausea and sheer
agony that washed through me, but I managed to steady myself, telling the others, "Here
we go."
I took off as fast as I could. I heard the cries of pain as the slack was pulled tight, and
aggravated injuries were further worsened. They were drowned out by the sudden roar in
my ears as my lungs instinctively pulled in a gasp of air. My vision blanked out. I
couldn't feel anything. Then my lungs emptied in a rush. I heard a scream and only
realized it was coming from my own throat a few seconds later. I tasted dirt in my
mouth, gritty against my tongue and teeth. I didn't wait for the pain to subside, pushing
myself back up, running again before I was even fully upright. I nearly fell again,
stumbling down the road, but I managed somehow to keep my balance.
I don't remember much else besides a red haze of complete physical misery. I have no
idea how long it took me. I only remember stumbling into my home and falling heavily
against the wall intercom. It was still several hours until dinner, and my mother was still
out tending to our Pokemon. I heard her voice through the speaker, but I couldn't make
out the words. A dull, blank, noiseless rush blanketed my ears as I lay gasping. I
couldn't draw in breaths deep enough to sate my body's demands. Darkness slowly
spread from the edge of my vision to cover the world. I had made it, but still I had failed.
I came to slowly. I felt groggy and weak. A soft beeping caught my attention and I
looked around. There was a machine with a squiggly green line trailing across its screen
in time with the beeps. I realized that I must be in a hospital. I felt a soft stirring against
my side and looked down. Candi lay nestled on my stomach, all four of her legs in casts.
The Umbreon was snuggled up to me on my left and the Espeon on my right. Both
looked almost like mummies, they had so many bandages, and all three wore protective
cones to keep them from picking at their wounds.
Relief washed over me. I felt a sting in my eyes, and my vision clouded. I wept silently
so as not to wake them. They had survived. Each sob stung my chest, but that didn't
matter. I had won out. I had beaten him and proven him wrong. He was wrong! I vowed
that I would prove it to him personally one day. I would find him and teach him a lesson
that he would never forget. I wanted to hurt him, maybe kill him. I had never felt such
hatred. I wanted him to suffer for every person and Pokemon he had ever harmed.
My train of thought was derailed by a soft sound near my navel. Candi was awake. She
crawled up my body to nuzzle my face, and I pulled the cone off of her the hugged her
tight as I dared, mindful of both our injuries. I could no longer keep silent and soon felt
two more muzzles seeking to comfort me, followed by a pair of arms as my mother sat on
the edge of the bed and pulled me into her lap, holding all four of us as she cried with me.
When we had all calmed down, and I had removed to cones from the other two, she
explained what had happened after I passed out at the house. She had felt something was
wrong, she said, when she got no response on the intercom from me and had rushed
home. She had gotten us all to help as fast as possible. Candi and the other two had been
treated at the Pokemon Center, but as soon as they were able to move on their own they
had made it obvious that they would stay no longer. She had brought them to see me, and
no one had been able to make them leave afterwards. They had nearly attacked one of
the nurses when she tried to shoo them out. My mother had stayed as much as she could,
but she was glad to have those three watching over me the few times she had been forced
to leave. I had been in the hospital for two weeks, half the time in a near comatose state,
the other half sedated to let my ribs heal.
She called the police not too long after I woke up, and Officer Jenny came down to take
my statement. I told her everything that had happened, but when it came time to describe
the man, my mind went blank, nor could I remember his Alakhazam. It was only when I
thought about it to myself afterwards that I could remember, and I realized what the
wrongness must have been. They had done something to my memory to keep from
getting caught. It made me all the more determined to find him myself and make him
pay.
I was released from the hospital a few days later. I named the Espeon Psylash and the
Umbreon Darkling. The two never let me out of their sight for the whole time we were
recovering. We went back for check-ups every week, and the doctors finally gave me a
clean bill of health after about a month. Candi, Darkling, and Psylash had to go for half a
year more due to their internal injuries, but they too were eventually deemed fit and
healthy.
It was then that I told my mom that I had decided to go on a Pokemon journey. I had
never spoken of becoming a trainer before, and she was surprised to say the least. She
had assumed that I would simply continue on with her breeding and raising Pokemon on
the ranch. As much as she tried to dissuade me, however, I was determined to go. I had
reasons I couldn't explain to her, but the ones I gave her were enough that she finally
agreed and even offered to help. I spent the next three years learning everything there
was to know about Pokemon, training Candi, Darkling, Psylash, and myself as well. By
the time I turned twelve, I felt we were ready to take on the world. It wasn't long before I
learned just how wrong I was.
Well, I hope you liked it. The next installment -will- have some yiff in it, for those of
you who only look for that kind of thing, but rest assured, it will not be a yiffy story. It
will be a story that happens to contain yiff. It will also likely contain a good bit of
violence, though hopefully not quite so brutal as this one. I can't say for certain,
unfortunately. I go where the story takes me, and try not to argue too much. Inspiration
is a fickle mistress, jealous of others toying with her creations. When I mess with what
comes to me too much, the well dries up and I have to find something else to write.
Please send me feedback at [email protected] , and please put the title of the story
in the subject line so I don't delete it off hand. Thanks for reading!