Never before had it rained so torrentiously.

As the 12 year old girl ran home, oversized raincoat billowing in the violent winds, all she could think of was the taste of warm hot chocolate on her tongue, and the comforting presence of hot food in her belly. Mom would have the fire going by now; her chilled fingers ached at the thought.

"…Meteorologists say that this is one of the worst storms our country has seen in years. Stay inside at all costs; do not under any circumstance leave your house unless absolutely necessary. Experts say we're looking at a possible typhoon, and the estimated time for this weather to last will be between two to four days. Stay safe. This is Katie Gibs, reporting from…"

As she ran past an electronics shop, the twelve TVs aligned in the store windows crackled. For a split second the reporter's face sizzled and glitched, an array of rainbow lines flashing where her desk was supposed to be.

Then everything went black.

The girl skidded to a halt. Her heart hammering against her chest, she glanced about; something was wrong.

All her instincts urged her to run home. The wind was battering her further by the second, and the keen whistling of the storm was beginning to hurt her ears.

But one of them was near.

Swallowing, she looked up at the store's roof, expecting to see one of those creatures' she'd seen ever since youth. She was being stupid – she knew that. They were dangerous. She should just get the heck out there and run.

Her eyes grazed the gutters.

Her heart calmed.

Nothing.

Turning back in the direction of her house, the girl was about to run again when something different caught her eye. A black cat sat in the middle of the street, calm and collected, as if the day was simply another mundane, lazy one. The girl tried to fight back her panic. "Here kitty," she called, crouching down. She saw the cat's ear flick.

"C-C'mon…it's not safe out here."

The cat turned its head. For a moment she forgot to breath.

Its eyes were a deep red, as bottomless and empty as the earth's core.

She stumbled back.

The cat jumped up and ran away.

One of them…

Thunder cracked through the sky, and a bolt of lightning lit the heavens white; the girl stifled a scream. Before she even knew what she was doing she was running again, blindly, tears rimming the edges of her eyes and breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

Somehow, she made it back home. Her fingers slipped on the slick doorknob, before she finally managed to shove it open; tripping inside, a blast of icy wind slammed the door shut, and all the girl could do was lie pathetically on the carpet, sogging wet and choking on wet gasps.

"M-Mom…?"

She became painfully aware, after a few moments, that apart from the banging of the rain on her roof, and the yapping of Lua in the next room, there was naught to be heard from her family; not even the welcoming flicker of fire.

Lua-!

At that second Lua squealed. The girl scrambled to her feet. "Lua? Come here girl!" A bundle of brown fur rocketed towards her, and slammed into her chest; rocking back, she grasped the small dog with her numbed hands, hugging her as close to her heart as she possibly could.

"Dad?"

Silence.

Lua growled.

A smash resounded from the next room. The girl flinched and Lua whimpered in reply. "There, there," she soothed, her voice trembling.

Hugging Lua even tighter, the girl tip-toed past the corridor and into the lounge. "W-Who's there?" No answer. "Daddy, please, t-this isn't funny anymore!"

Another crash.
"Mom?!"

And then she saw it.

One of them.

It emerged from her parent's bedroom in a clunky fashion; elongated face thick with black fur, yellowed teeth poking through its doglike muzzle. Its eyes were a wide, unblinking red; it walked on its hindlegs, its forelegs merely being massive wings awkwardly held out in front of itself.

Crimson splattered its dark chest, and stained its cheeks.

She stifled a cry.

The creature snarled and turned to face her. It lowered its head. Lua began to squeal; the girl staggered back, shaking her head, a dull scream ebbing at the back of her throat.

It growled again.

And lunged.

"…Ugh…"

The high-pitched beeping of the alarm cut through her dreams; groggy, May reached up and slammed a button on the digital clock. Immediately the sound was silenced.

Head falling back into the pillow, May savoured the warm softness of her cocoon of blankets; she squeezed her eyes shut, blobs of light dancing before her eyelids, desperately trying to unsee the harsh sunlight filtering through her curtains.

Just five more minutes…maybe 10…if I'm lucky…an hour.

And then the door burst open and Lua came barking in, her shrill yapping even worse than the alarm that had woken her up. The furry body leaped onto her bed and collided with May's chest. Despite her annoyance, the seventeen year old couldn't help laughing.

"Alright, alright, I'M UP!"

"Jeez, Lua…do you have to be such a crybaby?"

The furry dog lay whimpering behind her legs, a grey cat washing its paws before it.

They were out on the streets; the bustling cacophony of morning traffic was inescapable, and the acrid scent of fumes and dust permeated the air. May sighed, taking in a deep breath and enjoying what little clean air she could taste; she was used to the pollution by now.

"Come on, scardy cat, let's go." She had to drag Lua past the kitten, which gave a friendly meow to the dog; Lua yelped and scuttled forward.

"Hey there, missy."

The familiar voice made May jump.

"Hollis!"

May ran forward, an eager smile planted on her face. "Long time no see, huh?" she said.

"Yeah, it's been a while. I was over in England for a business trip." Breathing in the vapour of his smoke, Hollis flashed a charming smile, almost hidden behind the thick fog stirred up by his cigar. "How about you? Out on a job?"

"Nah." May shrugged. "It's been pretty quiet these past few days. I guess that's good, but…"

"Ah. Money tight, eh?"

She nodded. "You could say that."

"Well…" A sly look brightened in his dark green eyes. "You know, the offer's still on the table. Ever want to stop being such a lone hero then you're free to come to us."

"Thanks – but I'm good on my own." Her reply was so curt that Hollis couldn't help laughing.

"Honestly I didn't expect any other answer."

"Well, you shouldn't." She couldn't help laughing along with him.

At that moment Lua tugged forward on her lead. May nodded at Hollis, who waved back. "Good seeing you," he called. "Stay safe."

Stay safe…

"Yeah. Don't worry, I will."

"Aw man. Life's tough huh, Lua?"

Lua looked down at May, who lay sprawled on the grass.

"What would you know," she sighed, scratching the dog between the ears. "All you do is eat and sleep." Her eyes grazed the expansive sky, following a giant bony bird as its wings cut through cloud. Another demon. She hadn't seen one in a while.

She wondered just where it was headed.

"Hey!"

A young voice startled her from her daze, and May lurched upright.

There before her stood a young boy. He was panting heavily, a toy sword strung around his side. "You're one of them, aren't you?" he quizzed. "A Hunter."

May could hardly keep the joy from her face. Leaping to her feet, she grabbed the boy by his shoulders and nodded vigorously. "That I am! Name's May. You got a problem, little guy?"

The boy stumbled back, surprised at her excited outburst. He glanced around, as if paranoid on people overhearing him, before nodding towards May. "I've seen your ad. You can see demons, huh? My dad thinks we're crazy, but granny and I know they exist! I think there's one haunting our local shrine. Strange things have been happening and there's a really evil presence there." He paused for breath. "Can you help us?"

"A shrine huh…" Demons seemed to like polluting such Holy places. "Sure I can help! What kind of strange things have you seen?"

"Levitating objects and – and illusions! Weird stuff, like people that aren't really there and places that could never exist on earth. It's starting to creep me out. Granny and I go there heaps for worship, but it's no longer a nice place to stay."

Sounds like a mischievous one. "Sure." But just before the kid tugged to lead her in the right direction, May jerked back. "But you can pay me right? I mean I don't offer my services for free." She winked to Lua – this was their first job in ages. Maybe it would be their big break!

The kid groaned at that – cheeky little sneak, May thought, although she managed to bite back the remark. "Fine. I will. But you gotta come now!"

The moment May stepped foot on the Shrine grounds, she could feel it. The uneasy, swampy presence of a Demon.

It made her feel sluggish – as if she had one foot in another a realm, a realm no humans were supposed to know of. The boy hung back, eyes wide. Lua growled.

"Stay back," she grimaced, trying to comfortingly smile at her dog. Lua whined but reluctantly complied. The boy also hung back, shivering. "It feels worse than yesterday."

As she walked further the sluggish feeling began to ebb away; in its place throbbed a familiar disgust, weighing down her chest and boiling in her stomach.

She'd kill this damn thing like she'd done to so many others.

She clenched her hands into fists.

And as the shrine came to loom above her, she saw it.

Her breath hitched.

It was almost as if…as if it were human.

Had it not been for the thin, forked tail, curling horns and dark red eyes, May would've almost been certain it was one of her own.

It fixed her with a lazy look. She stood back, trying to hide her look of surprise.

"Well, well." The demon sighed, balancing just on the very edge of the roof. "Looks like my time is up, huh?"

May didn't reply. Closing her eyes, she steadied her breathing and instead focused on the world around her. Pressing her hand to a tree, she felt along the chipped, rough bark and scratchy branches. At once she whipped her hand away, and before her, in a blinding flash of white, emerged a sturdy, wooden sword, its blade curved and its hilt sleek and smooth to touch.

"Very scary," the demon mocked, and at once he jumped off the roof. He did not fall however; he simply hung in mid-air, his legs crossed and his tail lashing. As he was a bit closer, May found herself taking in more of his unusual appearance.

He wore baggy clothes, and had tussled green hair upon his head. If he were human, he would've been around 17. Shaking her head, May fixed him with a poisonous glare.

"Word on the street is you've been causing a bit of trouble. I'm here to remedy that."

"Really?" The demon jumped to the ground, landing as weightlessly as air. "To be honest I thought they would've sent a stronger Hunter. You look so…" He looked her up and down critically. "Weak."

If there was one thing May was not, it was weak.

Keep calm, Hollis had always told her, whenever she felt herself getting angry. May felt her shoulders bunch and her hands curl into fists. "What did you say to me?"

The demon rolled his eyes. "C'mon. Everybody knows the real Hunter to watch out for. That guy with silver hair, always smoking a cigar." He sighed. "Why couldn't they have sent for him?"

She bit her lip, and before she had time to snap back a remark, the demon attacked.

She jumped back, just as his blood red katana sliced through air. He swung again, and May ducked; she kicked up at the demon, and he stumbled, just as she regained her footing and skidded a few feet back from the creature.

"Huh. You're fast."

The demon flashed forward; his katana nicked her ear, and May lashed with her own sword. Quicker than lightning the demon leapt up, and a clawed foot smashed into her face.

May was knocked to the ground. A groan escaped her throat, and she could taste the slick, metallic tang of blood. The demon stabbed his sword at the ground; she rolled away just in time, scrambled to her feet and lashed back. Although he avoided the blow, her axe whipped through his shirt and she saw him flinch at the impact.

She really was off her game today. Breathing hard, May took in the sight of the boy before her; maybe it was because she hadn't seen a demon like him before. Or maybe –

"What's the matter?" He wiggled his eyebrows, a sly grin parting his lips. "You speechless by my good looks?"

"Yeah, you wish." She stepped back, cautious, heart beating fast. "Give that body back."

"What?"

"I know you possessed it! Demons don't naturally look like people." She raised her axe, pointing it right at his throat. "You stole some poor kid's body. You took what was rightfully theirs!"

Mom…Dad…

She felt tears rim her eyes.

"So give it back!"

She could see he was about to snap a reply when suddenly the demon went rigid. His eyes shot to the sky; May felt a kick of triumph jumpstart her heart. This was it. Her chance-

And then she saw it too. Rather, the shadow of it.

The demonic bird.

The demon bit back a gasp. And suddenly he shoved past her, scrambling in the direction of the city. He leapt onto the roof of a house. The creature above screeched and – as abruptly as it had appeared – disappeared without a trace.

It had all happened so fast.

And –

"He's gone."

Her words came as a small, helpless whisper, before surging up into a furious snarl.
"God damn it!"

"So. Did you get rid of it?"

"Yeah." Sometimes, one just had to lie. If May was lucky the demon would not return to the shrine.

The boy cheered. "Aw yeah! I bet it was really tough, huh? I wish I could see them!" He pretended to stab an imaginary being with his toy sword.

No…it was easy. I just…I should've been more alert around him.

"Well they are demons," she ended up laughing in reply. "You gotta be super tough yourself to deal with them."

"Cool," the boy said, voice laced with awe. "Oh! Here's the money." He passed fifty dollars to her. May almost felt guilty taking it. "Thank you! Now me and granny will be able to worship in peace!"

As the sun just reached the top of the sky, and May waved goodbye to the boy, she couldn't help wondering if she'd see that particular demon again.

Oh boy and when she did-

Lua barked. Her tail wagging, the little brown dog jumped ahead. "Hey! Wait for me!"

Somehow May knew that the shrine would not be their last encounter.

"Daddy? What are demons?"

Dad shot her a curious look. "Now that's a strange question to ask. Let's see…what do you think they are?"

May shuddered. "Evil baddies! I bet they're like the villains in those comic book movies."

"Some are – but some aren't. Each breed is different you see. Just as Gods are all that is Holy and well in this world, the Demons are their opposite; both sides keep a fatal balance on earth."

"Sometimes I see them," May whispered. "They look scary."

Dad laughed at that. "I think someone's reading way too many books." May glared at him.

"But it's true! I saw one the other day! It was stinky and muddy and covered in blood! I never wanna see it again."

Dad looked thoughtful at that. "Perhaps you have a gift then. Although I don't envy you; demons are said to be the representations of all that is bad. To see one in the flesh…"

"Gross." May wrinkled her nose, and her puppy Lua barked in agreement.

"Well one thing's for sure," said mom, peeping over from her book, "There are things in this world that the mortal eye can't see. Perhaps it's better left that way."

Extra –

May – Aw yeah! I'm a super badass demon hunter! That's a pretty big step away from coordinator!

Mysterious Demon – Yeah, and you still suck.

May – Say that again to my face, grasshead!

Demon – You suck. You couldn't even beat me on a one-on-one match. C'mon, that was lame.

May – Well I bet the author will make you eat those words of yours. You're so going to regret that next chapter!

Demon – Bring it on.

May – Oh, it's on alright. It's so on.

This was a fun AU to start writing! This first chapter is mostly an introduction to the world that May now lives in. There are still a few mysteries to be revealed about the demons and the different types – but that will come in time~! ;D

Also, characters from the pokemon anime will make an appearance! Hollis is one of the very few original characters; apart from him, you'll see a lot of familiar faces in upcoming chapters!

I hope you enjoyed! And if you did, please review! It means a lot and it really encourages me to keep writing.

Until next time!