Pokémon Storms' Wake (one-shot)

[Phoenixsong]

This is the way the circle turns: lightning strikes, fire devours, the rain weeps it all away. The old burns to make way for the new. Raikou does what must be done.​

Spoiler: Author's Notes, Feedback Preferences, Content Warnings

Hello! This started out as a submission to the Gen 2 round of the PokéPod Project. It's been revised a little bit from the original entry, just some post-deadline spitshining, but it's largely the same if you've already read it on AO3. I will say that if you do happen to enjoy this, I also heartily suggest listening to the podfic (read aloud) version by quandrix_quizard and silksnep! They did a fantastic job with it. The reading is based on the original submission and does not reflect the edits in this version, but again, it's plenty close enough to enjoy!

Feedback Preferences: I'm not really looking to go any harder on the polish with this. It was really mostly just vibes! Feel free to say whatever comes to mind, of course. I always love to hear what goes through people's minds as they read my fics, whatever that may be! Just be aware that any suggestions for extensive revisions are very unlikely to be implemented, 'cause I'm content enough with this one as-is. Already feels weird enough just to have made changes after the podfic was published, heh.

Content Warnings: Wildfires and mentions of pokémon death.

Storms' Wake​

Raikou races through the old wood, and death comes roaring in behind her. She tears between the trees, bounding from trunk to stump to log to trunk, and no sooner do her claws leave the bark than lightning slams down, cutting through the timber like fangs through flesh.

The wild pokémon flee, of course. Pidgey and spearow burst from their nests, their panicked shrieks drowned out by the thunder that scatters them. An aipom leaps just before a strike splits its tree, hoping only that the branches it scrambles toward will hold long enough for it to leap away again. Bellsprout flail onto the paths in droves, beating the sparks away with their leaves. The dying forest is alive with countless little scurrying things, desperate to escape before their scurryings are forever cut short. (And countless others that will not scurry away in time.)

A rattata pauses mid-flight to stare at the smoking charcoal hulk that was once the stump it had made its burrow under. Raikou sprints by, far too quick to read the meaning on its face, but she doesn't need to. Nothing she hasn't seen before. Fear. Anger. Uncomprehending confusion. Loss piled on top of loss until the mass of it all is too great and tangled to mean anything anymore. Why.

The rattata doesn't understand. But it doesn't need to. The circle turns with its permission or without; what must be done must be done. And so she does, racing through the old wood with lightning scything along in her wake.

Thunder tolls the forest's death knell. Smoke rolls toward the sky, coalescing into its own grim storm-cloud. Graying wood chars to black. Sparks leap through the clotted underbrush and weave a winding trail of flames; her sister will soon be along to walk it.

This is the way the circle turns: Raikou's lightning tears through the forests, cutting the path for her siblings. Entei's fire burns it all down, until only ash remains. Suicune's rain drowns the flames, and her wind blows the ash away. Three storms scour the land, destroying that which is crumbling and choking, and in the storms' wake the way is cleared for life to grow and change. New trees rise up, free of the cold shadows of the old. Young survivors return and build stronger, healthier nests. One turning ends, and a new beginning turns into its place.

In its daze, the rattata does not notice until it is too late. Lightning bites, ancient wood groans, and a tree's blazing crown collapses on top of it. Raikou stops her second pass to watch as the tiny creature tries and fails to scramble through the burning branches that pin it to the ash-strewn earth.

It would not be the first. It will not be the last. How many other little things die along with the forest, swept up in the turning of the circle, the firelight shining in their frightened eyes until it all goes out? Some things must burn so the ash can fertilize the new. If a greener forest is to rise, then what must be done must be done...

(The memories flash by her, quick as thunderbolts: she is running, running, running, until she can't run any more. There is nothing she can do but hope the humans do not see her as she crawls pitifully into their brazen shrine, a shelter from the storm that will soon be no shelter at all. An unearthly song of sorrow and fury that she does not understand howls above and below and all around. Fangs of lightning bite into the tower. There is light and there is heat and there is terror and there is ice-cold nothing—

—and then there is something again. Something to run to. Something to run for. Warm wings spread wide and reach toward her, inviting her to take her place in the great turning: start and end and start again, all terrible and all beautiful to behold. To think that one as low as she was given the second chance to see the circle's full span...)

She cannot restore life that has been taken. Her charge is only to cut down the old; she is not the one who opens the way for the new. But perhaps, just this once, she can cut a path for something else.

Raikou descends on the trapped rat in a flash, striking before it can so much as scream. Her glowing fangs scythe down, cutting through wood like flesh. Splinters and embers fly as the branches scatter, tearing a gap through the burning cage.

She lets the rattata scurry away, fleeing the forest just before her sister arrives, so this one, at least, will have a chance to understand: this is how the circle turns. The lightning strikes, bites, kills. Then the fire devours, and the rain weeps it all away. But the dark gray of smoke and night turns to day even so, and when the sun looks down it takes pity on the ashes left behind. Life will reach up toward it again, in time. It always does.

(She did.)

 

[canisaries]

fantastic oneshot! really atmospheric, drew me in in such a short time. thanks for sharing!

 

[Phoenixsong]

fantastic oneshot! really atmospheric, drew me in in such a short time. thanks for sharing!

Glad to hear the atmosphere was so engaging! It was fun to just kinda follow the vibe and see where it went while I was writing it, and always good to know that it lands for others, too. Thank you for reading!

 

[Negrek]

I've been meaning to get into the swing of reading some poképod fics, and I'm happy to start off with this one! I really enjoy the "circle of life" angle you've taken with the beasts here; it's one I haven't seen attributed to them before, even though it makes thematic sense with their backstory. The tie-in with the life cycle of a forest in the presence of wildfires was excellent.

I do enjoy the idea of the god recruited to be the "destruction" part of the cycle of destruction and renewal still having sympathy for the mortal pokémon caught up in the death of the forest. The same emotion that moved Ho-Oh to give the beasts a second chance in the first place, though I guess Raikou isn't bestowing a special destiny along with a second chance at life, here. :P

One minor thing--for the paragraph that begins "It doesn't understand," I would have appreciated if it had been "The rattata doesn't understand," since I had a little trouble figuring out what "It" was supposed to be there.

All in all, this is a great little story that both has heart and does something interesting with Raikou lore; not bad for less than 900 words!

 

[Spiteful Murkrow]

Heya, was feeling a bit worn out and tired today, so was looking for some shorter comfort food oneshots to dive into. I leafed around for a few options and stumbled across this one-shot, which from the summary sounds like it involves the Burned Tower backstory or something like it.

Whelp, only one way to see where this goes, so let’s just dive in and find out:

Spoiler: Line-by-Line

Raikou races through the old wood, and death comes roaring in behind her. She tears between the trees, bounding from trunk to stump to log to trunk, and no sooner do her claws leave the bark than lightning slams down, cutting through the timber like fangs through flesh.

The wild pokémon flee, of course. Pidgey and spearow burst from their nests, their panicked shrieks drowned out by the thunder that scatters them. An aipom leaps just before a strike splits its tree, hoping only that the branches it scrambles toward will hold long enough for it to leap away again. Bellsprout flail onto the paths in droves, beating the sparks away with their leaves. The dying forest is alive with countless little scurrying things, desperate to escape before their scurryings are forever cut short. (And countless others that will not scurry away in time.)

Oh, well that’s a happy and positive™ way to kick the story here. Though that sure sounds like a forest fire there.

A rattata pauses mid-flight to stare at the smoking charcoal hulk that was once the stump it had made its burrow under. Raikou sprints by, far too quick to read the meaning on its face, but she doesn't need to. Nothing she hasn't seen before. Fear. Anger. Uncomprehending confusion. Loss piled on top of loss until the mass of it all is too great and tangled to mean anything anymore. Why.

So… uh… why are you leveling this forest with lightning again, Raikou? You are going to elaborate on this, right? ^^;

The rattata doesn't understand. But it doesn't need to. The circle turns with its permission or without; what must be done must be done. And so she does, racing through the old wood with lightning scything along in her wake.

Thunder tolls the forest's death knell. Smoke rolls toward the sky, coalescing into its own grim storm-cloud. Graying wood chars to black. Sparks leap through the clotted underbrush and weave a winding trail of flames; her sister will soon be along to walk it.

Ahh… basically the equivalent of a controlled burn, I see. Which while that is necessary for the health of a forest, sure must suck for everyone that lives in the overgrown deadwood beforehand. I presume that Raikou’s job is to go and bust things up before Entei goes and sets it on fire and then Suicune douses everything at the end.

This is the way the circle turns: Raikou's lightning tears through the forests, cutting the path for her siblings. Entei's fire burns it all down, until only ash remains. Suicune's rain drowns the flames, and her wind blows the ash away. Three storms scour the land, destroying that which is crumbling and choking, and in the storms' wake the way is cleared for life to grow and change. New trees rise up, free of the cold shadows of the old. Young survivors return and build stronger, healthier nests. One turning ends, and a new beginning turns into its place.

Yeah, I figured. I was going to ask why the Gerbils wouldn’t give more warning, but I suppose that’s just nature for you. Necessary, but harsh and unyielding, so of course embodiments of aspects of it would be much alike.

In its daze, the rattata does not notice until it is too late. Lightning bites, ancient wood groans, and a tree's blazing crown collapses on top of it. Raikou stops her second pass to watch as the tiny creature tries and fails to scramble through the burning branches that pin it to the ash-strewn earth.

It would not be the first. It will not be the last. How many other little things die along with the forest, swept up in the turning of the circle, the firelight shining in their frightened eyes until it all goes out? Some things must burn so the ash can fertilize the new. If a greener forest is to rise, then what must be done must be done…

So are these forest razings just giant buffets for the local Fire-types as long as they avoid the thunderbolts? Or is that the point of Suicune coming around to hose everything down? /s

(The memories flash by her, quick as thunderbolts: she is running, running, running, until she can't run any more. There is nothing she can do but hope the humans do not see her as she crawls pitifully into their brazen shrine, a shelter from the storm that will soon be no shelter at all. An unearthly song of sorrow and fury that she does not understand howls above and below and all around. Fangs of lightning bite into the tower. There is light and there is heat and there is terror and there is ice-cold nothing—

Ah yes, there’s our Brass Tower tie-in there. Kinda ironic that the Gerbils are doing the same to their surrounding world as what they themselves went through before being reborn.

—and then there is something again. Something to run to. Something to run for. Warm wings spread wide and reach toward her, inviting her to take her place in the great turning: start and end and start again, all terrible and all beautiful to behold. To think that one as low as she was given the second chance to see the circle's full span...)

I kinda wonder if there’s any part of Raikou that regrets accepting that offer, since there’s something about the phrasing here and in the earlier parts of this one-shot that suggest some level of world-weariness.

She cannot restore life that has been taken. Her charge is only to cut down the old; she is not the one who opens the way for the new. But perhaps, just this once, she can cut a path for something else.

Raikou descends on the trapped rat in a flash, striking before it can so much as scream. Her glowing fangs scythe down, cutting through wood like flesh. Splinters and embers fly as the branches scatter, tearing a gap through the burning cage.

Wow. Raikou does have a heart after all. See, I knew that that ‘world-weary’ vibe wasn’t coming from nowhere.

She lets the rattata scurry away, fleeing the forest just before her sister arrives, so this one, at least, will have a chance to understand: this is how the circle turns. The lightning strikes, bites, kills. Then the fire devours, and the rain weeps it all away. But the dark gray of smoke and night turns to day even so, and when the sun looks down it takes pity on the ashes left behind. Life will reach up toward it again, in time. It always does.

(She did.)

It took me a little bit to realize what was going on with the parenthetical there, but that’s a neat way of tying things full circle there for this one-shot.

Alright, wrapping things up here. Though I take it that this one-shot was basically an exploration of life from the perspective of living forces of nature. Where every so often, it’s just written in the stars that a place needs to be shaken out and burned to the ground to clear out the deadwood, and sucks for the life caught in the path of the process. It’s definitely an interesting exploration for how much the Gerbils have come to embody that, and how even in the midst of having to set about an ugly business, they still find moments to put their paws on the scale to cut the occasional soul a break. Can’t tell if that’s meant more as a spark of their old selves hanging on or a commentary about the fickle and capricious nature of nature, but it worked either way.

I don’t have a lot to throw in the way of criticism for this one-shot. If there was one thing that I thought might’ve been worth changing, it’d have been the parenthetical text, since I’m admittedly not really sure if they were needed stylistically and they seem to be used for different purposes and different points of the one-shot (the first seemed to be an aside commentary, the second and third seemed to be parts of a flashback). It might have been worth trying to go all in on one or the other for the format.

But altogether, I thought that this was a nice, if not exactly comfy and cheerful read. I’m definitely glad that I spent the time stopping by to give things a shot, though, @Phoenixsong . And I’ll be looking forward to crossing paths with your stories again in the future.

 

[CuteBunnyGirl]

Another Blitz review!

Raikou races through the old wood, and death comes roaring in behind her. She tears between the trees, bounding from trunk to stump to log to trunk, and no sooner do her claws leave the bark than lightning slams down, cutting through the timber like fangs through flesh.

Definitely an interesting opening paragraph, the prose is quite interesting and shows the scene quite well. Some of the wording does feel a bit weird, such as the wording "the old wood". Is it intended to describe a forest?

The wild pokémon flee, of course.

The phrasing "of course" feels somewhat weird to me, as we haven't yet seen what the danger is or why they are fleeing.

Pidgey and spearow burst from their nests, their panicked shrieks drowned out by the thunder that scatters them. An aipom leaps just before a strike splits its tree, hoping only that the branches it scrambles toward will hold long enough for it to leap away again. Bellsprout flail onto the paths in droves, beating the sparks away with their leaves.

While I could critique the lowercase pokemon names, I will not do that as I understand that it is less of a grammar fix and more like a difference in the way we write. Overall, it's a nice description of the fear felt by the wild pokemon.

The dying forest is alive with countless little scurrying things, desperate to escape before their scurryings are forever cut short. (And countless others that will not scurry away in time.)

I feel the description of them escaping would work better for me if the reason for their escape was already shown. Just what are they running away from?

A rattata pauses mid-flight to stare at the smoking charcoal hulk that was once the stump it had made its burrow under. Raikou sprints by, far too quick to read the meaning on its face, but she doesn't need to. Nothing she hasn't seen before. Fear. Anger. Uncomprehending confusion. Loss piled on top of loss until the mass of it all is too great and tangled to mean anything anymore. Why.

The decision to make Raikou have she/her pronouns is a neat decision. I personally haven't thought of Raikou as female until now, but I still like it.

The rattata doesn't understand. But it doesn't need to. The circle turns with its permission or without; what must be done must be done. And so she does, racing through the old wood with lightning scything along in her wake.

The description nicely shows the Rattata's insignificance in the grand scheme of nature, I like it!

Thunder tolls the forest's death knell. Smoke rolls toward the sky, coalescing into its own grim storm-cloud. Graying wood chars to black. Sparks leap through the clotted underbrush and weave a winding trail of flames; her sister will soon be along to walk it.

Seems like a storm, accompanied by some forest fire. While I do think it could have been mentioned earlier, it is better to mention it late rather than not mentioning it at all.

This is the way the circle turns: Raikou's lightning tears through the forests, cutting the path for her siblings. Entei's fire burns it all down, until only ash remains. Suicune's rain drowns the flames, and her wind blows the ash away. Three storms scour the land, destroying that which is crumbling and choking, and in the storms' wake the way is cleared for life to grow and change. New trees rise up, free of the cold shadows of the old. Young survivors return and build stronger, healthier nests. One turning ends, and a new beginning turns into its place.

Interesting, so it seems Raikou's lightning is destroying the forest. At the start, I thought that Raikou was the one escaping from the destruction, but apparently she is the one causing it. Also, I like how they are framed less like bringers of destruction and more like just a force of nature.

In its daze, the rattata does not notice until it is too late. Lightning bites, ancient wood groans, and a tree's blazing crown collapses on top of it. Raikou stops her second pass to watch as the tiny creature tries and fails to scramble through the burning branches that pin it to the ash-strewn earth.

Despite only having a short amount of time to get attached to the small Rattata, the death scene still had some emotion and didn't feel like pure shock value. The way its insignificance is shown in the writing and the prose is honestly amazing.

It would not be the first. It will not be the last. How many other little things die along with the forest, swept up in the turning of the circle, the firelight shining in their frightened eyes until it all goes out? Some things must burn so the ash can fertilize the new. If a greener forest is to rise, then what must be done must be done...

Nature's cycle can't go on without sacrifices. It may be sad, but it is simply the way nature works.

(The memories flash by her, quick as thunderbolts: she is running, running, running, until she can't run any more. There is nothing she can do but hope the humans do not see her as she crawls pitifully into their brazen shrine, a shelter from the storm that will soon be no shelter at all. An unearthly song of sorrow and fury that she does not understand howls above and below and all around. Fangs of lightning bite into the tower. There is light and there is heat and there is terror and there is ice-cold nothing—

Is this intended to be a flashback to the burning of the tower in Johto?

—and then there is something again. Something to run to. Something to run for. Warm wings spread wide and reach toward her, inviting her to take her place in the great turning: start and end and start again, all terrible and all beautiful to behold. To think that one as low as she was given the second chance to see the circle's full span...)

This description reminds me of Ho-Oh reviving the three legendary beasts, is this intentional?

She cannot restore life that has been taken. Her charge is only to cut down the old; she is not the one who opens the way for the new. But perhaps, just this once, she can cut a path for something else.

Raikou descends on the trapped rat in a flash, striking before it can so much as scream. Her glowing fangs scythe down, cutting through wood like flesh. Splinters and embers fly as the branches scatter, tearing a gap through the burning cage.

I like the scene where Raikou saves the Rattata, though based on the previous description, I thought it was already dead.

She lets the rattata scurry away, fleeing the forest just before her sister arrives, so this one, at least, will have a chance to understand: this is how the circle turns. The lightning strikes, bites, kills. Then the fire devours, and the rain weeps it all away. But the dark gray of smoke and night turns to day even so, and when the sun looks down it takes pity on the ashes left behind. Life will reach up toward it again, in time. It always does.

Again, awesome prose.

(She did.)

I admittedly am a little confused by this last line, what is it supposed to mean? What did she do?

 

[Flyg0n]

Raikou races through the old wood, and death comes roaring in behind her. She tears between the trees, bounding from trunk to stump to log to trunk, and no sooner do her claws leave the bark than lightning slams down, cutting through the timber like fangs through flesh.

Ohhh this opening bit of prose is so good. very evocative and sensory, paints a striking picture.

Thunder tolls the forest's death knell. Smoke rolls toward the sky, coalescing into its own grim storm-cloud. Graying wood chars to black. Sparks leap through the clotted underbrush and weave a winding trail of flames; her sister will soon be along to walk it.

his is so CRUNCHY. It really rolls through the tongue in a waythats fun to read. It's almost poetic, without the rhyme aspect. There's a fantastic sense of motion and momentum to the prose, like I'm being carried forward reading it.

(The memories flash by her, quick as thunderbolts: she is running, running, running, until she can't run any more. There is nothing she can do but hope the humans do not see her as she crawls pitifully into their brazen shrine, a shelter from the storm that will soon be no shelter at all. An unearthly song of sorrow and fury that she does not understand howls above and below and all around. Fangs of lightning bite into the tower. There is light and there is heat and there is terror and there is ice-cold nothing—

—and then there is something again. Something to run to. Something to run for. Warm wings spread wide and reach toward her, inviting her to take her place in the great turning: start and end and start again, all terrible and all beautiful to behold. To think that one as low as she was given the second chance to see the circle's full span...)

Ohhh this description of Raikou's death and rebirth... very good. Very tragic but hopeful, and it makes me think of how beautiful and special a moment it must have been for Raikou and her siblings.

Raikou descends on the trapped rat in a flash, striking before it can so much as scream. Her glowing fangs scythe down, cutting through wood like flesh. Splinters and embers fly as the branches scatter, tearing a gap through the burning cage.

Man for a second when I read this bit I thought Raikou was mercy killing the trapped Rattata because it was too badly injured. Which would have been grim but bittersweet I think, that she'd end suffering that is needless. That said her saving it before Entei comes is very sweet and tender.

I know you're not changing anything but I also am not saying you need to either, I reads a lot like the intention is a fakeout where it looks like Raikou is going for the mercy kill. I like it a lot.

(She did.)

Ouuu yeah a great ending line.

This is 10/10 peak, no notes from me. Honestly, it was punchy evocative, and very meaningful. You packed so much into these 890 words that I am stunned. I enjoyed the read so much, and you picked an excellent snapshot of a moment to focus on and showcase the themes. I liked Raikou's dedication to her role, the committment to her place in the world. There's a sesnse of sadness, yet, but also a love underpining it for me.

Love for Ho-Oh, for the role she does, for how it feeds into the natural world. And also a care, shown obviously through the time taken to notice the forest around her and then to save the trapped Rattata. Her futility and inability to escape her role but fufilling it all the same in this way is really poignant.

Also I like the elaboration of what the three tower beasts represent (and also fem!Entei? Thats cool). Having them be responsible for physically clearing old growth to make room for new is a perfect fit for them. Obviously this is like. sort of already in the games here, but the way you chose to descibe it feels more indepth/elaborated on than what we get from the games.

Also this is kind of inspiring me bc im writing about the beasts in LA and I really oughta devlop them more. Great stuff

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

This was a neat, vibes-heavy look into a Raikou's psyche, and the impression it gave me was one of a force of nature that happens to be a mammalian beast, which is pretty sick. Nice.

 

[Namohysip]

Small correction on the way "the circle" is described, but I think for a circle to be truly helpful to the forest, the wind has to NOT blow away the ash yes? That's where a lot of the necessary nutrients for regrowth is going.

Anyway, hi! reading this for oneshots week, and I liked this one a lot.

This was overall a very atmospheric one-shot. No dialogue, but the nature of the prose helps bridge that gap to understand what is happening. And if I'm interpreting this correctly, this Raikou is one who had formerly been a mortal who ran from the same sort of forest fire once before Ho-Oh got to them?

I think the most standout part of the story is how there is a balance between the macro effects of duty of burning down the forest, combined with the micro care of helping the forest Pokemon that Raikou happens upon, 'just this once.' It has some real world applications as well, where someone who may be doing that is harming a great many people for what they see as a greater good would do something contrary to that approach when confronted with a specific example right in front of them.

As short as this story was, I think in some ways it could have shown the full circle as well, perhaps in a more abridged fashion for the latter two, maybe of Raikou watching the true inferno take the rest of the forest, or the following rain to bring everything to the silence of that recovery. But as it stands, it makes for a good snapshot, and was also effective. I guess in some ways I'm hungry for a bit more!

 

[Chibi Pika]

I'm a royal sucker for legendaries portrayed very literally as incarnations of nature with wildly different values than mortals, so this was a fun read, very striking and atmospheric.