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A shaggy-haired man wearing a dirty white sleeveless shirt and a pair of green trousers strode into the dark, not bothering to switch on the lights as he took a sip of his coffee on his right hand.
I think "on his right hand" could be deleted here. It sounds odd to speak of holding a cup of coffee on your hand instead of in your hand, and the detail of how exactly the man is holding his coffee seems unnecessary anyways.
Occasionally, he took sips from his mug of coffee and although he knew caffeine wouldn't do much to help him. Twas, the benefit of having a body literally built to suit his needs, he'd mostly drank it for the taste anyway.
The first sentence is a fragment and needs to be rewritten or combined with the next sentence, while "[he] mostly drank it for the taste anyway" should be its own sentence. "Twas" is usually written as "'twas", with an apostrophe. I'm unclear what you mean by "the benefit of having a body literally built to suit his needs" - if Briggs' artificial body makes him unable to get an alertness boost from caffeine, how is that a 'benefit'? Were you trying to say that his customized body means that he's already optimally alert, and so caffeine would have no further effect? Maybe rewrite to something like:
"Occasionally, he took sips from his mug of coffee, although he knew caffeine wouldn't do much to help him - 'twas one of the benefits of having a body literally built to suit his needs, that he didn't need stimulants to stay alert. He mostly drank it for the taste anyway."
The sounds of footsteps made him turn away from the monitor, he glanced behind him, seeing a lean blonde girl wearing a blue sports bra and a pair of brown shorts walking towards him.
The route filled with basic and common Pokémon, many trainers had starters that came from this route but our characters were a bit… different from the rest.
He rubbed his temples, getting the pain to recede slightly. He shivered at the weird feeling of his fingers and opened his eyes, hissing a bit at the pain from the sudden assault of light.
Recovering from the pain, he narrowed his eyes and was met with an unbelievable sight.
He blinked once then twice and then a third one for good measure.
He looked down at his fingers, or more accurately, his claws. He flexed his claws, extending and retracting them with a curious gaze.
"What am I?" he paused, looking down at his yellow underbelly, orange limbs and turning around, spotting a familiar flaming tail. He paled. "I'm orange… oh God, I'm a Charmander, aren't I?"
He gulped, and if he was still human he'd be sweating bullets. "Oh God, okay, okay. Th-this has to be a dream, right? I'm not actually a-"
"If you're in the anime world, then that'll be fine, just gotta watch out for Ash and you won't die from any legendary shenanigans. Haha, that sounds easy enough, right?" he shook his head, slapping his reptilian cheek and flinching at the unfamiliarity of his body.
When I first read this, I thought that the hooded figure was saying that the Champion was his creator, since the ethereal voice hadn't been introduced yet.
"I guess you're right, Briggs never did look like anything but a regular person." He shook his head. "I still don't get why I'm wearing this though, isn't the point of my being here is to test them?"
Samuel Oak, also known as Professor Oak, was a man in his mid-fifties. He was known for being the first to create the pokédex, a revolutionary device that contained information of every known Pokémon in existence.
Oak was curious about what lied behind his door, the three voices weren't familiar in any way, though that could be easily explained through foreigners as they'd mentioned they were trying to find his lab.
I was surprised that this has occurred before! I don't know if there's some point in the anime where Oak met a human-turned-Pokemon prior to Ash's journey, or if this is an indication that this world has some major differences from that of the anime.
Having three brothers sent to the Pokemon world instead of a singular protagonist is a bit of a twist on the usual isekai formula, and their bickering is a good way to quickly set up their character dynamics. I'm not sure at this point whether just one of them is the "Champion Sol", or if all three of them together are. (Also, is that supposed to be "Champion's soul?) If it's only one, I could see some jealousy or bad feelings arising from it later.
It's also interesting that apparently there's another layer of hierarchy above universes and multiverses in this setting. Are multiverses groupings of universes sharing some common trait? Don't know if the exact details will be relevant, but it could be neat to explore.
The chapter does a good job of establishing the scenario and getting things moving quickly, although I wonder if it might be keeping things a bit too mysterious about what exactly the significance of the Champion's Sol is and what exactly the "test" Brigg's organization is planning will entail. There isn't much tension right now, as there's no indication that the 'test' will pose a serious challenge or threat to the brothers, or that the appearance of the Sol portends any sort of oncoming danger. I think I would've been more engaged had there been more of a hint at what sort of conflict is on the horizon.
Also, you start with three scenes in a row each introducing new original characters - first Briggs and Sarah, then June, Ane and Quil, then Mysterious Floating Guy and the 'Celestial Being', with mentions of an eighth character, Cosmo - and I have no idea which ones besides the brothers are going to be important in later chapters. It feels like a lot to keep track of, and I'd suggest trying to space the introductions out a bit more. The part with Floating Guy feels like it could've been moved to the end of the chapter, given that it doesn't have any immediate effect on the brothers' narrative.
That's all I have for now. Feel free to send me a forum PM or reply here if you have any questions about the review or want to discuss the chapter further, and I hope the rest of your writing goes well.
The sunlight had shone onto the dense grove of trees, having cast short shadows below them.
A small Pidgey had perched on a tree branch, his head tilting to the left and gazing at the human under him.
The human was about eight times his height and wore a white coat that reached its knees. The human's glasses glinted in the afternoon sun, a clipboard and a strange rectangular object in its hands. "Unique Specimen has been adequately trained. Proceed to send in the newborns for the next batch of trainers as per protocols."
The Pidgey blinked and descended from the tree, landing in front of the human and staring at it.
The human ignored him and put its rectangle into its pockets. Then pulling out something round, red, and shiny gleaming in the afternoon sun, he jumped back at the sight of the ball, glaring at it like it could kill him.
The ball opened with a red burst of energy, and a strange yellow bipedal fox Pokémon took shape. The human commanded the Pokémon before vanishing in a blip of light.
Having no idea what had happened, he stood there, blinking owlishly and looking at his surroundings for a little while.
Days and weeks passed by, and he was flying over the tall grass of the field and into a geometrically perfect line of trees.
He had seen others of his kind around, but he didn't care much for them. There had also been some young humans that had gone by the route and fought some of the Pidgeys, and because of how the humans interacted with them, he figured it was better to hide than to confront the bloodthirsty trainers.
He perched on a tree, one that he frequented, and took some time to clean his feathers and maintain his perfect physique. The coat-wearing human had always said his body was well beyond the others, even going as far as to say he was perfect at times.
Sounds of rustling leaves alerted him and he caught a blur of brown at the corner of his eyes. He quickly took his beak off his wing and scanned his surroundings, a wary look in his eyes.
A long silent minute of worry crept onto his spine, his talons carrying him backwards and into something warm and feathery.
He jumped. A startled yelp escaping his beak as he quickly turned around.
A Pidgey stood there, snickering to herself. "Got 'cha, didn't I?"
He clutched his chest, taking in deep breaths to calm his racing heart. He recovered and faced the other Pidgey, snarling at her. "What was that for?"
The Pidgey spoke between snickers. "Just something to lighten up that pompous ass of yours."
"Pompous what?"
The Pidgey stopped laughing and gained a look of realization. "Oh, I getcha'. You're from that section. No wonder you're so unlike the others. You got a name here, or should I start calling you Short Stuff, Short Stuff?"
He bristled at the insult to his height, his feathers ruffling up. "I prefer if you don't call me by anything."
The Pidgey chuckled. "Of course. Of course. That human must've told you not to name yourself until you get captured."
His brow rose and he asked, "That human? You mean that white one with the yellow Pokémon?"
"Mine didn't exactly have a yellow Pokémon, but yeah. They didn't seem to care whenever I tried asking them questions. Don't know if they could understand me but, heheh you wouldn't believe how pissed off he was when I stuffed some dirt down his pants." She giggled. "It was hilarious."
He tilted his head, appalled at her actions as a concerned look crept onto his face. "Weren't you afraid they would shock you?"
"I try not to worry about it." She shrugged. "You can call me Prance by the way. Came up with it myself." She held her head high, her eyes narrowing with a smirk. She chuckled, shrugging as she sighed. "Though I'll probably have to change it when I get captured by a human."
Captured? Why on earth would she… "What does that mean exactly?"
"Hm? Oh yeah, it's those red balls, pokéballs or something, they turn us into energy or something… Didn't the human tell you about 'em?"
The colors drained off his face as he recalled the device. "Oh… so that's what they're called."
Prance nodded. "I've been looking for someone to catch me with one of 'em but–" She shrugged. "–they were a bit too weak for my taste."
"Wait, why would anyone want to live in someplace so small? Don't you want to have the skies all to yourself instead of staying in a small cramped space?"
"Eh." Prance shrugged. "I think that's a good price to pay for guaranteed strength."
Strength… She wanted to be someone's pet for more power?
He shook his head. "I don't think I want to have anything to do with humans."
"Well, tough luck, Short Stuff. You'll barely survive till next year if you don't have a trainer. Many Pidgeys and Rattatas around here will be killed or sent to a breeding centre if you don't get captured by a human."
"What?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Being killed and used as a breeding machine just because he didn't want to be a human's pet. How does Prance know this?
"Yup." She nodded. "I barely survived last year when I saw them coming. Being a human's pet is so much easier than trying to survive in the wild, there's no food around here and we can't last more than a year without proper nutrition. Plus, I could get so much stronger if I had a human. Would be nice to be on top of something for once." Prance then pointed a wing behind him. "Oh look, there's one right now! See ya!"
Prance took off, leaving him alone to ponder over her words.
If I don't find a human, I'll die… But he didn't want to be bound to someone, he wanted to be free, to soar above the clouds and see the world.
But was it worth dying for?
Days passed and he spent the majority of the daylight dodging any fights and capture from the small humans. It was when the sun was setting, did he see her again.
The Pidgey, Prance fluttered down, a smirk on her face. “Yo! How's it hanging, Short Stuff. I love what you've done with the place!” His face was blank, not a hint of the annoyance he was feeling showing when he saw her ‘admiring’ his perch. “Wide, open and an amazing view of the sky. Of course, it's nowhere near as awesome and roomy as my branch but it comes as a very close second place.”
He spun around, trying to ignore her.
She flew closer to him, blocking his view of the field. “So!” She spread her wings wide open. “Got your eye on someone yet? ‘cause I certainly got mine on one.” The grin on her face twitched until she broke down into laughter. “Oh who am I kidding. Everyone here’s too weak for someone like moi.”
He stared at the Pidgey in front of him, his eyes twitching in annoyance at the proudness radiating from her. “What do you want?” he said.
“Nothin’ much.” She admitted with a wink. “Just wanted to talk, y’know. Your face was all gloomy and doomy and you're out here all alone! Life’s too short to not enjoy it with other people!” she exclaimed before her expression took on a more mischievous note. “And speaking of short…”
Gloomy and doomy? She really thought he could act like nothing had happened after the revelation she dropped on him. How was he supposed to react? Happily waiting to be trapped in those pokéballs? He’d rather take to the skies and bask in freedom regardless of the pain.
A mass of feathers covered his vision and he flinched, the teasing look in Prance’s eyes filling his sight. “Tag! You're it!” She poked him with a wing and fled, leaving him in a state of confusion.
She returned moments later when he didn't make any movement.
“You're supposed to chase me, y’know,” she said, flying back down and returning to her perch.
“...why would I do that?”
“It’s a game I saw from my travels… probably one of the few good things I learned…” she muttered under her breath before shaking her head. “You're supposed to chase me, then I chase you, then you chase me again… Come on, try it! I can guarantee it'll be loads of fun!”
“That sounds like a waste of energy,” he said as blunt as the branch they were on.
“Nothing’s a waste if you enjoy yourself!” A sincere smile was on her face, she sounded like she truly believed that. “Come on, give it a go!”
It only took a few moments for his composure to falter and he relented. “Alright. Fine, let's play. But, don't come whining about it if I get you more than you do.”
“Hah! That's the spirit!”
Weeks passed by, he and Prance met a few more times during this period. They sometimes played games she found from her travels, other times they chatted; Prance mostly talked and laughed about how weak everyone who came to this place was.
And while he wouldn't admit it verbally, lest he gave her another topic to tease him about, he had been enjoying their little interactions, it was fun having another Pokémon around.
On one starry night as he sat perched on a branch, scratching his talons against the bark of the tree and carving a small portrait of a pokéball. He focused on the bark, his eyes screwing up and his mind wandering. Freedom… is it really worth it? He grimaced, a wing hovering over his stomach. Maybe Prance has the right idea.
His mind wandered over to the female Pidgey, memories of her talons fidgeting and wings fluttering along with her laughing wholeheartedly at her own stupid jokes came to his mind.
He wondered why it was easier to remember her when he had met dozens of other Pidgeys in the past month.
Maybe it was the way she laughed, or how her feathers ruffled in delight when he pronounced his annoyance to her. Maybe…
A name… she has a name… he reasoned, shaking his head as his stare intensified. But do… Do I want one? Would it… would it serve any purpose? What… what could I use? Do names have to mean something?
A tap on his shoulder brought him back to reality. He turned around and saw Prance with two small round objects in her beak.
"Yo, ya' done with your brooding yet? I found these when a trainer got beaten by a Rattata," she said, snorting a bit. "I know, losing to a Rattata, how weak can you be?"
She placed one of the orbs in front of him and he stared at it blankly, not sure what it even was.
Prance noticed his expression and said, "Never seen an Oran Berry before? They're some pretty good stuff."
She chewed and swallowed the fruit, expelling a breath of satisfaction. "Nothing like a good berry to keep me going. Just imagine all the berries I could eat if I got a human."
She frowned, noticing the Pidgey still staring at his food with a blank look. "Hey, you alright? If-if you don't like it, I could go find something else for you–"
"Why?"
Prance raised a brow. "Why what?"
"Why do you deal with me? Why do you talk to me? I can't even remember any of the Pidgeys around here but you, you still remember me… I… don't even know my parents. I-I don't know if I have any siblings… or whether anyone here's one of them or if they're dead or–"
Prance placed a wing on him, cutting him off with a gentle pat. "Hey, it's alright. You're alright. I don't know my parents either so I know how you feel. It's okay to feel like this like you're all alone in a large world controlled by monsters. It's okay to feel these emotions, you're still young. We all are."
She walked away with a sigh, her eyes staring into the sky with a look of longing. "... I've spent a long time… a long long time trying… I've spent so much of my life searching for my purpose, chasing my dreams, my ideals… and yet…” Her head lowered, her voice trembling. “It hurt so much. The loneliness, the hunger, the pain. I thought I was above it all, above the suffering my freedom caused me…”
She whimpered, a tear trailing down her cheek. “... no one should ever experience that. No one should ever see what I saw… It's why I try. I tried so damn hard to help them, help them find their trainers, find their purpose in life.” She took in a breath, a bitter chuckle escaping her. “Most never make it past their first month and… others had merely forgotten about me." She chuckled bitterly. "It's kinda why I gave myself a name. I wanted to make other Pokémon remember me, to make them know me, to let them know what they shouldn't be like. I wanted them to know that they're not alone, that their world can be so much more than just death and battles even… even if you have to give up your freedom for comfort, for love. For a chance to be the best."
She paused, looking back at him with a timid frown. Her legs took her back to his side, she grabbed him by the shoulders and stared straight into his eyes, a tired sigh escaping her beak. "Look, Short Stuff… I actually had many chances to leave and never look back but you… you reminded me of myself… when I was confused, young, stupid and so full of myself. I thought I could take on the world without a trainer, to continue a life with my freedom but…"
He felt something wet dripping onto him and her body shaking against his. Prance took in a breath, her voice shaky. "But it… it only gave me pain… there's nowhere that the humans haven't taken control of. You need to remove that selfish idea that you could make a difference, that you could live on without help… please, for your sake and… for my sake, please don't leave… don't waste your life chasing freedom when it'll only bring you pain… Don't make the same mistake I made."
Her sniffles grazed his hearing. She wept on his shoulder, causing him to flinch and making his heart weep in return.
He took in a breath, now understanding why she did this. He understood now that he had to do this, he had to tell her. "Perry… Prance, call me Perry."
She glanced at him, her bleary eyes making him pause but he proceeded regardless.
"And… and I can't do something like that, Prance. I… I don't want to live a life where I'm a pet… a slave to their whims… I want to fly around the world… see everything… experience the dangers myself… I will not be bound… I won't be bound by fear."
Prance sighed, wiping her tears away with a wing. "I see… if that's what you really want… then I'm sorry… I'm sorry I couldn't make you understand…”
Perry flinched, feeling the words stabbing through him as he watched her leave.
He took in a breath as he leaned against the tree. He plucked some nearby leaves and created a makeshift blanket, emptying his mind and trying to lull himself to sleep.
The silence of the night did nothing to quell her words and tears. They echoed endlessly in his mind, making him squirm uncomfortably as his mind drifted into a dreamless rest.
The moon gave way to the sun as it shone down on the sleeping Pidgey.
He woke up to a loud voice screaming, "Pidgey, use Gust!"
The sounds of winds whipping alerted him, his body taking off before his mind could comprehend those words.
The tree branch he was previously on was shredded to pieces, and he whipped his head around, staring at something that hit him like a punch to the gut.
The Pidgey that flew opposite of him was familiar and he couldn't believe his eyes. He didn't want to believe them.
Prance hovered opposite of him, her hazel eyes narrowed and glaring at him.
But… but there was something wrong with her. There was no humour in her eyes, no sadness, no anger, nothing.
Not even an acknowledged look.
Her eyes were glazed over like she wasn't even focusing on him.
"Quick Attack!"
He glanced down, seeing a male human child pointing a finger at him. That action distracted him and he took the attack head-on.
He staggered as Prance flew back, her eyes still unfocused and her breath steady.
Perry recovered mid-air, regaining his altitude as he shouted at her, "Prance, it's me, Perry! Why-why are you attacking me?"
She didn't respond, it was like she didn't even hear him.
"Prance, I'm sorry! I'm sorry for leaving you! Please stop, I don't want to hurt you!"
"Quick Attack again!" the child shouted.
She blurred forward, crashing into him with her beak.
A shot of pain went through him as he came to a cold realization. Something happened to her… was it the human? Did they do something to her?
Perry tumbled to the ground, his breaths slow and heavy. He took off much slower than before and hollered, "Prance, snap out of it! Please! I don't want to hurt you!"
But she didn't stop, she charged at him, breath steady and eyes emotionless as the human called out more commands.
Perry grimaced, dodging the oncoming attacks with surprising ease. Why is she so slow? She was nowhere near this slow when we played...
He flew higher into the sky, watching in surprise when she stopped her attacks and gazed everywhere but up.
Why is she doing this? Did our time together mean nothing? Perry shook his head. No, she was too genuine to be faking that. Something must've–
A flash of his crudely made Poké ball came to his mind.
"There was nothing around that the humans haven't taken control of."
The pokéball, it did something to her but what? How did it make her like this? She's… she's like a mindless animal.
Perry glanced down, noticing that she was still looking around aimlessly.
He dropped his head, a tear dropping from his eye as he flew further into the sky. I'm sorry, Prance. I'm sorry I made you think I didn't care… I'll… I'll find a way to help you, to save you, no matter what. Just wait for me, Prance.
"Wait for me…" He had stared back at the shrinking land, his shoulders having felt much heavier as he flew.
The basalt floor cracked and broke beneath his talons. Perry shook his head, growling at the man in front of them.
"Wise choice," Crude said, curling his hand up as the biggest Pokémon in the portal became enshrouded in a purple glow.
The Pokémon around the blue bird cried out in shock as she disappeared in a flash of light.
The Swellow squawked in surprise, suddenly appearing in front of them. Stirring and groaning, her eyes groggily looked around her before she spotted the two birds. "Perry? Rower? Wh-what's going on? Where's– the human! Perry, we must–"
"No, Sil. We can't." Perry grimaced, loathed as he may, he couldn't let her attempt a fight she couldn't win. "This… this thing isn't a normal human. He–you've seen what he did to the village. We can't–"
Sil shook her head, wings spread in shock. "Excuse me? Are you just gonna give up? He has our friends in there!" Perry took care to avoid her glare, causing the Swellow to moan out in frustration. She turned around and if looks could kill, Crude would be dead well over three times. "You! Release our citizens!"
Crude lazily gazed at the Swellow, a hand rubbing his chin. "Nah, I don't think I will. Need something to satiate my boredom after all." He tilted his head, dodging a blue bird-shaped flame. Then he leaned forward, evading a wing that gleamed like metal. Snapping his fingers, he froze her in place, regarding her shocked gasp with an annoyed glance. "Look, if you really want the others to be free. You just have to do a little thingy for me, 'mkay? That sounds fair, doesn't it?"
"You reckless imbecile!" Rower hissed before Perry slipped through his grasp and started charging towards the man with murder in his eyes. "Not you too," he groaned.
"Sil!" Perry rushed forward without a second thought, his talons out and wings spread, Perry charged the man at speeds faster than the human eye could perceive. Winds kicked, sharp and quick rushing at the man.
The man, however, didn't move, not looking phased by his attack as the same smirk continued to stretch across his face. It irked Perry when the man allowed the winds to hit with naught but a passing glance. Dust clouded his vision before suddenly, a hand reached out, grabbing Perry by the neck and slamming him into the ground with more force than necessary to subdue the Pidgeot.
His back roared in pain, rocks scraped against his back, tearing off some feathers. But Perry didn't let the pain slow his wrath as he pushed through, slashing and tearing at the man's arms and for a moment, he was sure he was cutting off bits of flesh.
But like before, all he did was delay the inevitable.
An amused chuckle was the last thing he heard before he felt himself flying into the wall at sound-breaking speeds with the surface, somehow, still in perfect condition. Stirring in agony, Perry fell onto the ground with a heavy thud, breathing heavily with an eye shut tight and blood dripping down his head.
The pain didn't last long however as he heard the man snap his fingers once more and the injuries on Perry's body healed themselves, flesh stitching and sewing back together, bones mending, and feathers regrowing.
"Heh heh, an impressive display of bravado, my little birdies," Crude said, checking his nails and absolutely relishing in their pain before shrugging and returning turning his head to them. "But that's the thing, isn't it? Simple bravado… well, it can only take you so far." The smirk on his face grew an unsettling amount, his fangs bared and threatened to split his face entirely, and his eyes glowed brighter, the ominous gold ensnaring a tinge of crimson that seemed to dance like the flame of a torch, shimmering like the starry night. The red on his head started dripping onto the floor like water pouring, smearing the basalt before stretching outwards, seemingly coming to life. Like a web being spun, it spread, capturing him in a world of red.
As Perry emerged in the new world of crimson and familiarity, a voice cried out to him, screaming at him for his past transgressions.
And he turned, standing face-to-face with the one he had abandoned.
“Liar!” she screeched.
Her eyes lingered on the torches lining the walls, the familiar grey and white giving her a strange sense of foreboding. The torches were still lit, which was strange. No mon should've been out this late, not even the usually nocturnal mons. The Tyrant had made it clear that using the darkness was more of a liability than a benefit.
Evie narrowed her eyes, brows furrowing as she scanned the area, taking note of the droplets of blood and torn feathers on the ground. There was no doubt in her mind now, Perry definitely had something to do with this.
She turned her head slightly, catching the Charmander in her peripheral vision.
June, the apparent 'human', was glancing at their surroundings, his brown eyes wide and curious (didn't all Charmanders have blue eyes?). After a moment, he noticed her stare and flinched, backing away slightly and looking more interested in his claws than her.
That action made her stomach churn and she looked away, shaking her head in an effort to distract herself from the guilt. She swiveled her ears in his general direction, and his strange Aura was brought to her attention once more. Again, it was still the same disgusting mix of lukewarm and half-full, a horrid unnatural viscous and slimy mixture that shouldn't be possible, and yet, there was something about it, something that she couldn't quite put a claw on. It felt kinda familiar? Similar? Like it was something she'd felt before?... No, no that wasn't it.
Ugh, nothing about this made sense.
A Fire-type claiming to be a human with an Aura that could simply be described as abnormal... None of this made any sense.
How she wished he was a simple deranged, insane Pokémon, that would've been so much easier to handle. However, life, it seemed, was still unpredictable even in these peaceful times.
"So, um thanks for the help back there. I-I appreciate it." His voice cut through the quiet atmosphere and her shoulders tensed up.
Blinking, she found herself turning towards him, a barely noticeable flinch in his steps being the first thing she saw. The second being the fear in his eyes.
Arceus damn it, why were they so afraid of her? She hadn't meant to hurt him like that, if she knew he was gonna act like this she wouldn't hav– She shook her head. Why was she trying to justify herself? It wasn't like she was trying to kill him. It wasn't her fault that he couldn't handle a fraction of her powers.
Of course, that didn't help in lessening the guilt festering in her.
"Don't mention it," she said, her eyes boring into his with cold indifference. She turned around, her ears twitching at the sounds of his nervous chuckling. She tried not to let the tinge of fear in his voice affect her.
"Ri-right… So about this 'her', I'm guessing you were talking about your sister, right?" he said, stumbling over his words.
Evie simply nodded an answer.
"She must be really… important to you, huh? Um, like… well, I guess it makes sense since I almost–err… well…" He made an exaggerated coughing sound, “What am I saying, of course she's important…” he murmured before turning his head back and continuing, “Anyways, I–"
She didn't know what it was, but something told her he wouldn't stop trying to make short talk until she had answered and that was… totally fine, it wasn't like she'd told him to pipe down mere minutes ago! Why wouldn't he just fucking listen to her and shut up?
She turned around with a snarl, putting a paw forward and crushing the pebble beneath her into dust. "You want me to talk? Fine! My sister, Zeal. She's a cute little Zorua that I would give my life for! I'd raised her since she was hatched twelve years ago! She is my only reason for living, my one true support in life. Without her, I wouldn't be where I am. Without her, my life would have no meaning. Without her, I–" She shook her head, biting her tongue. "I have no reason to live. I'd never forgive myself if I let anything happen to her."
The last part she'd muttered to herself, uncaring of whether he'd heard her or not.
Then she glanced at the Charmander, his arms were held up in front of him in a pitiful attempt to defend himself. She could see the subtle shaking in his legs, his tail flame glowing a little brighter, and the hesitant fear in his eyes. Taking in a breath to calm herself, she gave him a dull stare. "Well? Did that satisfy you?" When she got no verbal response in turn, she sighed and shook her head. "Whatever. Let's just get going, I got a certain bird I have to interrogate."
No longer caring for an answer, she turned around, her ears subconsciously swivelling in his direction as she trotted away.
"D-do you really mean that?" The fear in his stutter froze her for a moment, the question registering in her a second later.
Without missing a beat, she turned her head and answered, "Yes and nothing will stop me from keeping her safe and happy."
"I… wow um, I don't really know how to put this to words but… erm, I–uh… that's… that's really… admirable. I-I mean devoting yourself to making someone else happy? That's just… and I'm sorry if this sounds a little personal," he said, fiddling with his claws and taking quick and short glances at her. "But um, ar-are you sure you're fine? Li-like this, I mean. Disregarding your own worth, basing yourself on someone else's happiness. That just… that just doesn't sound healthy… I mean, don't you want to find your own happiness? Have fun with your life, live it, make friends, explore, and learn things to your heart's content–"
"Stop." The sudden sharpness in her voice quickly shut him up. She glared at him, daring him to defy her. With a growl in her voice, she spoke, having tried her hardest to not jump straight to shouting. "Stop trying to sound like you know what I've been through. You have NO idea what my or anyone else's life is like. So please… shut your mouth before I change my mind about your 'help'.”
"I-I–" He flinched, stepping back and relenting with a stutter. "O-okay."
The two traversed through the caverns in silence.
Evie didn't bother giving him a second glance as she guided him through the tunnels, her eyes meeting the ground, knowing that she'd given more than what she'd like to that boy.
A Shinx in his bed of straw stirred in his sleep, shivering, his paws stretched and moved in search of any nearby warmth. Whimpering as the cold assaulted the cub, he curled into a ball, ears lowered. "Mama…"
Shez, in his sleep, moved his paws, swinging at the air as he searched in vain for his mother. He awoke moments later, eyes opening slowly, glancing around as confusion set upon him.
"Mama?" He rubbed his eyes, getting to his feet. "Where are you?" Where was his mama? Did she leave for the harvest already? He thought he'd told her he wanted to join her this time. Did she think he couldn't handle it?
Pouting, he made his way outdoors, and just as he looked around the strangely quiet village, he felt a chill running down his spine. Something wasn't right. Things felt cold and his stomach churned, his fur sparking with electricity as he trotted around the village, around a nearby corner, and made his way towards the central roundabout.
To him, the village had always felt scary at night. It was too quiet, with nothing but the sounds of snoring accompanying the dark, it was creepy as it always felt like the moon was peering down at him, taunting him for his lack of night vision as it painted the village in a chilly pale glow. But tonight, it had felt extraordinarily eerie like something was looking at him, stalking him in the dark.
Every step he took, every house he glanced at, there was nothing and yet, he could feel as if there was something, always just out of his sight but always staring.
Left. Right.
He looked at his surroundings, the outer torches were unlit, the wooden houses playing a hollow roar as the night breeze brushed by. The pale moon above shone down on him, tainting the empty village in its eerie color.
Empty.
Empty.
Empty.
Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but empty, abandoned houses, almost like the Pokémon around had been snatched in their sleep. He couldn't hear them. He couldn't smell them. He couldn't see them.
Where was everyone? Did something come up? Shez moved around quietly, peeking his head into a house every now and then, his stomach sinking lower and lower as he gazed upon another empty building.
"Mama? Aunty Carly? Guardian Sil?" His voice trembled as he ran off and away towards the center of the small village, his voice echoed. "Wh-where are you?"
No one was around.
No one was around.
He was alone. Alone.
Alone.
Shez finally made it. He found that the fountain in the centre was still working, with water spewing out the statue's beak. Yet, the sight of the statue did little to comfort him.
No one was around, he was alone. All alone and with–
Rustle.
Something moved. He jumped, head turning side-to-side, eyes scanning every little nook and cranny around him.
Something was in the dark with him and whatever it was, it was fast. Every time he even caught a glimpse of his stalker, it vanished into a blur.
He could hear his heart pumping in his ears, his eyes struggling to keep his speedy stalker in sight as he subconsciously took a few steps behind.
His hindquarters touched something, something warm and fluffy. Yelping, he jumped, legs spread as he fell onto his belly. Scrambling to his feet, he squeaked out. "Ah! Who's there? I-I-I know how to use Spark! So do-don't mess with me–"
"Hmph, you really gonna do that to me, Shez?" a familiar voice said. Blinking, he turned, the frightened look on his face fading as a smile dawned on him.
"Gild?"
The Purrloin grinned, arms stretched out as Shez tackled her to the ground, forelegs wrapping around her waist and nuzzling into her chest. "Gild! You–I thought… I… my mama… I… alone… no one–there was no one around and I-I was… I was so scared and… and…"
He let loose all the stress onto his long-time friend and in return, she began stroking his back in an attempt to soothe his shivering, chuckling as she said, "You big baby." She shook her head, her warmth doing wonders to his nerves. "Thank Arceus, you're okay…" She sounded so relieved as she tightened the hold around him.
The embrace lasted a couple moments before she pushed him away slightly and gripped his shoulders, her eyes staring straight into his eyes with a serious look. "Shez, we need to find Perry."
"Hu-huh?"
"I–I don't have time to explain this, Shez but the village… isn't safe. There's a human out here." She glanced around, eyes narrowing and taking in their surroundings.
"A-a human?" He paled. There had been stories of humans, the ones his mama always told especially freaked him and his friends out. They told of their technologies, able to take control of any Pokémon, regardless of their strength or experience. They told of their determination, always facing danger despite the risk of death. They told of their nature, cruel and viewing Pokémon as nothing but tools. It was the type of story that scared him and his friends no matter how many times they'd heard it.
And if Gild was correct…
He glanced back, noting the look in her eyes, and gulped.
The empty village… a human had taken them.
A human had taken his mama.
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Chapter 5 : A Troubling Betrayal and A Vengeful Wrath
It had been a long time since Rower had seen Perry tremble in such fear. The way his pupils had shrunken to mere pinpricks, how his body quivered and curled into itself like a young chick huddling underneath a mother’s plumage, how his talons and muscles were tensed up as if he was debating on whether to run or fight.
And it was as painful a sight as the few times he'd seen Perry this way.
It only took Rower a few seconds to discern the cause. His friend was one to linger in the past, the pain, the trauma, all of which Rower had long since accepted and moved on from. Therapy wasn't a skill he was proficient in, but even still, he despised how utterly worthless he was when it came to helping others heal from their scars.
Letting out a sigh, he turned to his friends. The plan brewing in his mind wasn't as thorough as he'd like and frankly, he wasn't even sure if it could carry them through the night but it was all he could come up with in such a short amount of time. Their objective was simple: capture Evie and present her to the human.
And ignoring the way his mind screamed at him for his traitorous ways, he couldn't afford distractions at the moment, not when his citizens and friends were in danger. He grimaced, hoping that Evie would find it in her to forgive them one day.
He relayed his plan of actions, biting down the urge to flinch at the two’s gazes. Sil was obviously the most reluctant, Evie was practically her role model with how she admired the vixen’s strength. Perry was silent but agreeing.
Rower took much care to not show the concern on his face.
They had to capture her. That was a simple objective.
But beating her was another story and one he wasn't sure they could find the ending to.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Flex your Aura and remove any unnecessary distractions.
She needed to be calm. Calm. Calm. Calm…
The emotions in her convulsed, escaping her feeble attempts at silencing them and striking back with a vicious whip. Evie flinched and let out a quiet groan. Why wasn't it working? Why wouldn't her mind listen to her? She never had any problems reining them in before. Why was it only recently did she have trouble keeping them down?
There in her moment of weakness, like the wicked burst of flames, it struck.
… ar-are you sure you're fine? Li-like this, I mean. Disregarding your own worth, basing yourself on someone else's happiness. That just… that just doesn't sound healthy…
She held back a gasp, eyes shut tightly as she shook her head. Those words continued to echo in her mind, fading into a quiet obscurity but never quite leaving her head. The torches nearby mocked her as the unfamiliar familiarity of his distorted Auta trickled into her senses.
He has no right! She growled, tearing herself away from her thoughts. How dare he talk about her as if he knew her… he knew nothing… nothing…
So then, why did her chest feel lighter hearing them?
The air grew raspy, a pressure not unlike Evie’s first real confrontation with them bore down on her shoulders. But gone was the weak little girl that could barely stand up to her superiors, Evie glared harder as a loud silence wrapped around them. Everything came to a standstill, a stalemate.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Her ears twitched. Like a clock ticking down. Water from a stalactite elsewhere dripped down, splashing onto a puddle she couldn't quite see from her position.
And it continued to…
Drip.
Drip.
Drip…
Winds kicked up. Her senses pinged something long before her body did and her reflexes went to work, leaping over the attack before she even noticed it. The floor where she stood exploded into dust and debris, the force of the attack lodging pebbles into her fur.
She blinked furiously, the prickling in her eyes made her fail to notice it before it was too late.
Pain. The burning, searing sensation of a familiar coursed through her body. Blood smeared across her fur and she bit back a cry, eyes trailing the rock that grazed her. Her ears perked up. But her mind was elsewhere.
They were attacking her. Why? Why would they–
Her vision swarmed with blue and agony sent her chest ablaze. With little resistance, her body was flung through the air, the harsh winds accelerating, throwing her even further until she crashed head-first into the rocky walls.
The rocks broke and fragmented, cutting into her flesh as she fell onto the ground like a lifeless puppet, blood leaking from her ears. She laid there for a second, for two and they did not hold back, firing a series of razor-sharp winds and rocks at her fallen form.
When the dust settled, all she saw was red.
The adrenaline spiked her anger and all signs of pain and exhaustion disappeared in the time it took for her heart to beat. The muscles in her legs tensed and she vanished, reappearing on the other side of the cave in an instant, an imperceptible streak of white trailing behind her. Evie propped herself against a nearby rocky spire and jumped.
The single action allowed her to traverse the sky with ease and Perry let out a startled squawk at her sudden appearance. Her fangs were exposed, violence and anger quivered in her eyes and static danced around her figure. A loud sound akin to metal swords clanging and clashing against each other escaped her mouth as the static all converged into a single location.
Then like a switch being flipped, she gasped and the attack flickered out of existence. What was she doing? That was too much power. She bit her tongue, twisting her body in the air and smacking him with her tail.
Unfortunately, Sil flew in between them and was ready to parry the blow away. Perry flew away to safety, the winds starting back up and harsher than ever. Evie clicked her tongue. "Why are you–" She never finished her question as she was forced into blocking the follow-up attack from Rower.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance and with a graceful display of agility, caught herself before she could fall splat onto the ground. Not letting up her offence, a ring of stars surrounded her, moving so fast they looked more like yellow blurs instead. They fired off and honed in on her assailants as she ran, avoiding dozens of attacks by the skin of her teeth.
Dust and stone followed her trail, with each subsequent attack getting closer and closer. Evie took in a breath and exhaled slowly but that did little to quell her slowly growing anger.
Winds kicked up, and Evie's ears twitched, perking up at the sudden change in the atmosphere. She jumped, leaping over a rush of sharpened winds that tore into the ground.
Fragments of rock flew into the air, lodging themselves into her fur as another ping of Aura entered her range. Without blinking, she ducked under a Steel Wing and snarled, clawing at the Swellow who barely dodged the swing.
Evie inhaled sharply, her foreleg trembling when she realised what she'd almost done. Pain soon followed that moment of mercy as something tore through her side, splattering blood all over the ground.
She bit back a cry just in time to notice a white streak escaping her sight. Her fluttering mane was making it all the harder to see as dust clouded the rocky field. Panting as blood oozed from the wound in her thigh and the various injuries around her body, her muzzle narrowed into a snarl. Alright. She had enough. She didn't understand why they were attacking her but if they weren't going to listen to her then so be it.
Her ear twitched and once again, a ping of Aura followed and she leapt backward, priming a green ball of energy and firing it off before Sil could react. The attack detonated in mid-air as she was forced to concentrate on another arriving foe, leaping to the side, she dodged a beak aimed at her before twisting on her heel and stomping the ground, dislodging a small ball of mud at the Fearow. That distracted him long enough for her to follow up. Her teeth shone with dark energy and she rushed him, intending to take the bigger threat out first.
However, a change in the wind made her abandon her attack. She halted all of her momentum, a sharp stone barely nicking her cheek when she stumbled back.
A growl escaped through gritted teeth as her eyes locked in on the Pidgeot flying far and high above. She ducked beneath a sharp gust of wind and crushed the ground below before retaliating with her hind legs, sending the broken basalt into the sky and covering her escape.
Her wounds were slowing her down but without the moon and with how aggressive they were, she couldn't spare the energy to heal what were ultimately superficial. They had been smart to cage her in here where the limited space made it all the harder to move around. Sure they would theoretically have the same problem as her but flight allowed them to manoeuvre in ways she could never hope to achieve.
A shower of rocks snapped her back to reality and she countered with a heavy sweep of her tail. Unfortunately, it seemed like she miscalculated just how fast they were as her attack left her open to the Drill Peck that tore through her chest. “Fuck!” she cried out but forced herself to fight through the pain as she opened her jaw, dark energy resurfacing to her teeth as she bit down on the Fearow’s wing.
Rower grunted in pain but didn't let up, his attack pushing deeper and deeper into her flesh.
Evie sank her teeth deeper and doubled down, swinging her head back and forth furiously and trying to tear the limb off its socket. A blow from the back knocked her away but not before a satisfying crunch met her ears and she saw the Fearow nearly crash straight onto the ground. Sure, she’d sustained some damage but she dealt a serious blow to their–
Rower’s body became enshrouded in a cloak of feathers and light.
Fuck! When did he learn that? She leapt into action but was met with an oncoming flaming projectile that delayed her approach. Growling at the distraction, she evaded Sil with a display of agility, only getting her paws nicked as she launched a green ball of energy at Rower, disrupting him from fully healing. But she was too late and Rower took to the air once more, albeit a lot slower than before. This was getting irritat– No! She was infuriated! How dare they attack her! After taki–kidnapping her sister! She glanced back at Sil before flicking a nearby rock into the air with her tail and destroying the approaching stony projectile into a mist of dust, her eyes still locked on the Swellow that now had her beak opened.
Dread crept into her senses as she knew what was to come, Evie had to do something and quick before–
A screech pierced through her thoughts, the sheer force of the booming sound threatening to throw her off her feet. Her ears planted firmly against her skull but that did little to mitigate the agony her head was going through. She struggled to stay tall on her paws but she could bear through it, she had experienced far worse than this.
The explosive sound suddenly cut off and Evie leapt out of the three-metre crater that now stood in the middle of the field, her blurry vision catching sight of the Swellow who seemed distracted. She caught Sil saying something but she couldn't quite hear what was said with the ringing in her ears. At the very least, it seemed like they were letting up on their attacks and thus, allowing her to breathe a little before the fight began once more. The tension in the air was still there, though strangely feeling even more oppressive and suffocating than before. She didn't dwell on that any longer, she had to use the time provided to recover and–
Evie flinched as a raging inferno washed over her senses. The amount of anger and hatred that reached into her uncontested, shook her, merging in with her exhaustion. She let out a hiss, glaring hateful daggers at the Swellow before her. And yet, as sudden as it may be, she knew these emotions didn't fully belong to her.
No, the vengeful wrath belonged to Sil.
Sil turned and Evie followed suit, just in time to see two feline children running away from a screaming… Charmander.
Time crawled to a stop. Every fibre of her being ached with a fire that she’d always welcome and her mind was elsewhere. A flaming bird-shaped projectile soared through the sky, the blue flames tinted with streaks of white as it barrelled down and straight toward–
Without a second thought, her body moved.
And her world became cloaked with flames that were once an ally.
If he had only one word to describe the battle before him, it would be intense. The difference between watching something like this on video or TV was immense. Even this far, he could physically feel the strength and speed behind each attack. The level of savagery as their attacks ravaged the land, cutting large gashes into the field, slicing any obstacles in their way like they were paper mache. It was insane.
And that wasn't mentioning how Evie was capable of handling herself in a one-on-three. The way she moved, untethered by the various wounds on her body, the strength behind her attacks, where the world seemed to shake and cave under their power, and the sheer baffling speed his reptilian eyes couldn't even perceive. It was incredible! God, he wished his brothers were here to see… this…
Oh… right…
… he’d done it again…
What was he doing wasting his time around here? Standing around and gushing about someone he'd insulted and hurt? Why wasn't he living up to his word and helping her or looking for his brothers? Was he really that simple-minded that he'd immediately latch onto the closest distraction and ignore everything around him?
His eyes lingered on the battle playing out before he tore them away, gritting his teeth and glaring at his clenched fists. What was the point of being a damn Pokémon if he couldn't do anything and stand around like a worthless chump? Maybe he should just leave and look for his brothers. It wasn't like Evie needed him. He would just be in the way.
June sighed. Why was he thinking like this? Was he really thinking of running away instead of keeping his damn promise? Was he that much of a coward? His arms shook as he took a step back, his tail flame flaring and–
His body froze and the last of his breaths faded into a colourless mist. His arms and legs felt stiff, staying locked against his sides and feeling like he was in a wad of putty. White seeped into the corners of his vision, the cavernous walls breaking down as black spots swam in the air.
He shut his eyes, biting down on his lip. He didn't want to be here. Not again. Not again! What did he do wrong? Why was he here again? Why couldn't he leave? Why couldn't he move? He was scared. He didn't want to see that orb again. He didn't want to feel like that again. Never again.
But the void didn't listen as it forcibly opened his eyes, keeping them locked tight on the darkness that surrounded him. There it was. He could see it again.
Its writhing, twisted form of distorted reality, begging, screaming at him to grasp it, to utilise it to its fullest potential. Its soothing, ethereal, calming voice allured his being, his essence, his very soul, tempting him, whispering soft, delectable words into his mind. About how he was specially chosen to fulfil its wishes, about how he was the only one capable of doing this, about what he could do with its power.
Yes, he has to grasp it, grab it in his hands and–
"No!" June screamed, tearing his arm away from the orb and out of the endless realm. "I'm done with this! No one's going to force me into doing anything! Not a magical force, not a magical clone, not anyone! I'll finish what I've started and I'm through with hiding and running! I'm going to–to…"
In his heightened state of determination, he had initially failed to notice two newcomers, two Pokémon who were currently staring at him with wide, terrified eyes.
He stared at them for an awkward second that felt like a millennium and he raised an arm, waving at them with a nervous grin in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "Uh, hi there?"
They, in response to his friendly gesture, cried out bloody murder and ran.
And he, without even a second of consideration, made his decision in the form of chasing them down and shouting at them, attempting to dissuade whatever false image they had of his breakthrough.
They did not listen.
And as he made his way onto the battlefield, ignoring the alarms ringing in his head, he missed the raging inferno of vengeance and hatred barreling towards him.
"Fire-type!"
The blood curdling shriek and the whistling in the air were the last thing he heard before the world became dark.
As the evening sun began to set, the sky above became a beautiful mesh of red and orange. Winds blew against the soft grass, the gentle breeze5 caressing the Pokémon ranger as Neo took in the fresh air. The Minun’s eyes were firm and attentive as he scanned the land below him. A beautiful sea of grass stretched as far as the eye could see. A few Pokémon were still scurrying about the land, likely wishing to use the last few minutes of the sun.
He took in a breath, closed his eyes, and flexed his ears. Nothing existed but the sounds of nature. He could make out the sounds of battling a couple of ways to the north. To the south, he could hear a Pidgey nesting nearby, sounding exhausted from a day full of hunting. And around him, he could feel the warmth radiating from his Flygon, Peach.
Despite what some Pokéhumans may say, being a Pokémon did have its advantages. Sure, there had been times when he wondered what life would be like if he was still human, but nothing could replace the memories he made along the way. A small smile made its way onto the Minun’s face before it fell slightly as Peach, suddenly flew to a stop, eyes locking onto something he couldn’t quite see.
Odd, now what could be getting her attention? “Peach? What’s wrong?” he asked, ears twitching as he looked around. They were just on their last flight around the route. What was so important for her to stop?
“I think I see someone, Neo,” she said, quirking a curious brow from the ranger.
“Someone? What do you mean?–”
“Hang on tight, Neo! I’m gonna go check it out!”
Neo baulked at what she meant, and was clutching tightly onto the harness in preparation. The world around him blurred as the winds kicked harder and harder, the fur on his body billowed and he shut his eyes. No matter how many times he’d done this, he still couldn’t get over the insane speeds Peach could go. Doubly so when he was on her back. In a matter of seconds, she had traversed over what might be miles before slowing to a halt and landing between a grove of trees.
She glanced around, eyes narrowing and scanning the trees as he wondered just what had gotten her attention. “It should be around here…” she muttered and Neo flexed his ears, offering some form of help in whatever had gathered his Flygon’s attention.
They flew around, rounding trees and bushes, until Neo finally spoke up. “Peach? What exactly are we looking for?”
It took a moment for her to respond. “... I don’t know… I just feel like there’s something–” Peach froze, neck rising to its full length as her eyes fluttered. Then, like something flipped inside her, her head jerked to the side and he could see her eyes narrow. “It’s there.”
He turned to the right, glancing in the direction she was flying towards before he spotted it. There was a note on a tree–no wait, it was an Exeggutor! What was an Exeggutor doing here?
He leapt off of Peach’s back, inspecting the unconscious Exeggutor before them. It didn’t look like it was harmed in any way, but its shallow breaths were concerning.
“Neo. Here, look at this.” Peach took the note taped on the Exeggutor’s body and handed it to him.
Warily, he grabbed it and as he read the piece of paper, his face turned paler and paler. “Peach… do you think you can carry this Exeggutor?” He gulped, looking at the note like it was gonna jump him.
Peach gave an affirmative nod. “Of course I can!”
“Good… let’s send this to the guys at the outpost. I think a certain professor in the local town will want to know what happened to their Pokémon.”
The Pikachu got onto his feet, eyes firmly shut as he groaned, paws clutching his head, trying to soothe the raging pain. “Argh, my head hurts,” he hissed and took in a few breaths until eventually, the pain lessened and Ane could finally open his eyes, seeing…
Nothing but darkness.
Okay, he closed his eyes again and reopened them. “Why is everything so dark?” he muttered, brows furrowed.
His surroundings were dark, darker than the blackest night, and he could barely make out his own hand–paws (he had to remember that he wasn’t human anymore) in front of him. Memories of the last hour burrowed into his mind, clouding his head with images of a certain annoying redhead.
Right... That Crude guy did this.
When I get my hands on you… He growled, promising to punch the guy when he saw him again. With the resolve set in his mind, he looked around, trying to find something in the unnatural darkness. If his brother was here, he could… no. Ane shook his head. June was an idiot. He wouldn’t be able to find his own two feet here, even if he tried. Though that was if Ane could get him to stop messing around and treat things seriously.
He walked around, stumbling around aimlessly, when the feeling of something soft and fluffy beneath snapped him back to reality, a feminine moan of pain coming from below. Startled, Ane jumped back and raised his arms in front of him, fists clenched.
“Ow, five more minutes, Evie. I don’t think that pecha berry sat right with me,” a voice said, letting out a pitiful whine.
Evie? Ane raised a brow, lowering his arms. Who the hell is Evie? He squinted his eyes in an attempt to see whoever the speaker was, but no dice. He leaned down and poked whatever just spoke, stirring the creature up.
“Okay, okay. I’m-ow up,” she said, batting his arm away with a wince. He backed up, feeling a very distinct wind around them.
The awkward silence broke when the little girl spoke in a confused tone. “Who are you? You’re not Evie… and… and where am I?” He could practically feel the eyes scrutinising him when she asked that.
“Course I’m not ‘Evie’. Do I look like a girl to you?” He scoffed.
“Maybe?” the girl said with a wince.
Ane sighed, shaking his head and pointing in front of him. “Look, kid. I don’t know where we are or what you are, but my brothers got separated from me by some weird man that looks like my brother and I need to go find them.”
“Oh, I can help you! Zeal is a great hide-and-seeker!” Zeal, he was gonna assume that was her name, exclaimed with a burst of enthusiasm that was quickly deflated by the subsequent winces and ‘Ows.’ “... Wait, man? What do you mean by man? Are you talking about humans? But there shouldn’t be any humans in Troublewood. Evie said so!”
“Troublewood? The hell is that?” Ane quirked a brow.
“Rower said that’s what our home is called! Oh oh, but I remember that Carly said it used to be called Distorted Woods!” She suddenly gasped. “Are you from the past or something? Is that why you don’t know what Troublewood is?”
Ane grew annoyed at the energetic girl. She was reminding him too much of his brother. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he answered, “No, I’m from a different world. You can’t possibly expect me to know the names of everything.” He already had trouble keeping track of the names she just said.
“A different world? You’re from another world?” If their surroundings weren’t so bloody dark, he was sure he could see stars twinkling in her eyes. “That must mean you’re an alien! That’s so cool!”
Ane grunted. “It’s only cool if you’re not the one that got sent against your will. This stupid body can’t even grip stuff properly.” Stupid June and his stupid luck at retaining actual fingers.
Zeal let out a confused noise. “Your body? What’s wrong with it? You look like a normal Pikachu to me.”
“And that’s the problem.” He scowled. “I’m supposed to be a person, not some magical animal from a kid’s game.”
“Oh.” She paused. “Wait, if you’re not a Pikachu, then what are you?”
“A human,” he said simply, not seeing any reason to withhold that information.
“A-a human?” she exclaimed, and he heard her fall back in shock. But it didn’t take long for her to recover as Ane jumped back when he felt the little girl poking him. “You don’t look like a human… and you’re not as mean or as evil as how Perry said you’d be…”
“Hey, hey, hands off the merchandise, kid.” Ane pushed away the curious paws, touching him. “I already said that some weird doppelgänger kidnapped my brothers and me. If that Crude guy was anything like my brother, he’s probably the reason we got turned,” he murmured the last part to himself before turning to face where he thought Zeal was. “So how about you, kid? How did you get here?”
“Oh, I, uh… I don’t remember…” she said after a moment of hesitation. “Anyway, my name’s Zeal! Evie says introducing yourself is the first step to making friends!”
“I’m Ane–”
“Ane? Wait, I thought you were a boy?”
“What are you talking about? Of course, I’m a guy.”
“But Ane is a girl’s name!”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Yes, it–”
“Shut up!” Ane shouted, glaring at the direction of the voice. “I don’t know what this world’s deal is, but Ane is not a fucking girl’s name! It’s Chinese, okay? So, it’s not a fucking girl’s name!”
An awkward silence took over them after his outburst. Ane sighed. “Look, I’m sorry about that, Zeal. I didn’t mean to scream at you. I just… I just have a lot of shit on my plate right now and my fucking brother’s treating everything like it’s a game and I just–Grah! I hate this so much! I hate how my brother’s such an idiot! I hate how Quil is just playing along with him! And I fucking hate how that Crude guy is just playing with us like we’re nothing but toys–”
He felt small, fluffy arms wrapping around him. The sudden soft sensation cut his rant short, leaving him catching his breath in the tiny girl’s embrace. He didn’t have the strength in him to push her away.
Once he felt a little better, Zeal squirmed a bit before letting go. “... sorry about making fun of your name. I didn’t think you’d get mad at me.”
“It’s… fine… I guess I just hated being ignored for so long. God, I just want to go home.” Ane groaned. “I hate this stupid dark void that Crude guy put us in and–” He felt the fluffy arms wrap around him again.
But this time, the embrace didn’t feel as warm, no it was the opposite. Zeal was quivering violently, the grip around him was so tight he had problems believing it came from a small Pokémon. His mind then went on high alert when he heard sniffling and felt wetness on his fur.
Resisting the urge to shiver at the weird sensation, he asked, “Zeal? What’s wrong?”
“We-we’re in a… a d-dark void?” she stammered, a pitiful whine coming from her. “I-I can’t… I… don’t leave me alone, please. Ane, I-I don’t want to be alone…”
Unsure of what to do, he patted her head and scratched her mane like how he did so to his dogs, feeling the soft fur under his paws. “... there there…” he muttered. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing, but he wasn’t going to just ignore a crying kid. “I… uh, I won’t leave you, Zeal. You’re… you’re too cute for me to wanna leave you.”
What was he saying? Too cute? He didn’t even know what she looked like. It didn’t seem like his words were doing anything… It was probably best if he stayed quiet and let her calm down. Even if he did feel bad for not trying his best.
Ane adjusted his position, wrapping his arms around her and staying silent, providing what little comfort he could. She’d be fine, right? Pokémon were powerful critters from what he remembered. She’d get over whatever this was.
Her sniffles lessened and slowed as she gathered her bearings. “I’m… I’m sorry for being such a crybaby, Ane,” she said, voice a little muffled under his fur. “I… I just…”
“Hey, it’s okay…” He paused to figure out what to say. “It’s okay if you don’t wanna talk about it.”
“I… Thanks, Ane,” she murmured. “You really are different from the stories.”
She said no more on that subject, so Ane took that as a cue to stay silent, allowing themselves a moment to relax in each other’s embrace.
Then, a powerful gust of wind blew through the void, pushing against them as a bright flash of light appeared, illuminating the void. He could feel the girl in his embrace loosen up, but he chose to ignore it when he spotted a familiar red-haired menace coming into view.
Crude phased into existence and faced them with a sharp grin on his face, which quickly faltered when he noticed the two. “Er, am I interrupting something?”
“You!” Ane shouted, stepping in front of Zeal with a paw pointed at his brother’s fake.
“Me,” Crude said, nonchalantly pointing at himself as he dodged a fist aimed at him. Snickering, he halted in the air and waited until the last second before going through the Pikachu.
Ane shivered at the chilling sensation before stumbling forward and falling onto his face, his ire spiking at Crude chuckling at his failure. Getting up, he pointed a paw at the man, who was now hovering mere inches from Zeal. “Get away from her!”
The little fox gave the man a bewildered and frightened gaze. “H-how did you… but you’re a human… only Ghost-types could… how…”
Stopping in front of her, Crude poked her in the nose and laughed at the reaction on her little vixen face. “Now, aren’t you just the most adorable little Zorua I’ve ever met,” he said, snapping his fingers and locking the approaching Ane in place. “The name’s Crude, little lady. Don’t wear out the name.”
“Huh?” was the only response he got from the confused fox.
“Let go of me!” Ane shouted, mustering all of his hatred into a single glare, which only caused the fake to wag a finger at him.
“Not until you stop trying to attack me~” Crude snickered in his hand. “Oh, I kid. You can’t hurt me even if you tried–” An explosion racked his back, and he turned with a raised brow.
“Le-let him go!” Zeal raised her voice in an act of defiance and bravery. However, that display didn’t have quite the effect she wanted, as she couldn’t quite keep her body from trembling in fear.
“I was just about to get to that, sweetie,” the fake said in a disgustingly sweet tone, looking completely unaffected by whatever caused the explosion.
Feeling returned to Ane’s body, and he flopped onto the ground with a painful ‘thud’. Growling, he got up and attempted to attack the false June.
Crude held up a finger, teleporting away just before Ane could hit him. He then reappeared several metres above them and waited for Ane to settle down before saying, “Anyway, welcome to Zgwipivxd! Or, in translatable terms, the gaps between multiverses! Well, technically you’re in my barrier inside the gaps so you’re not actually in the gaps between multiverses but…” he trailed off, chuckling nervously, “let’s just say it’s better you’re not exposed to the full breadth of the gaps. It’s kinda like beyond the concept of dimensions and infinity, and it is not a fun experience to be in, I can tell you that.”
Ane growled. This was definitely June’s creation. Only he could rambled about everything and nothing at the same time all the while keeping that stupid grin.
“Hey, I resent that thought!” Crude shouted, lowering himself down to the ground and pulling out a sheet of paper. “Unlike him, I’d already gotten my degree in multiversal travelling – which, by the way, is completely different from universal travelling, so don’t you dare get them messed up – several centuries ago!” His eyes glowed brighter, a tint of purple now creeping into his pupils, mixing in with the golden shine and making them look even more extravagant.
He blinked, burning away the purple tint that was creeping into his pupils before shaking his head. “Oops, got a bit carried away there. Now, where was I? Oh right.” He snapped his fingers before a flash of white enveloped them.
Hissing in pain at the sudden assault of light, Ane covered his eyes with an arm, bracing for what was to come. When his eyes adjusted to the sudden glare, he lowered his arms and looked around in surprise.
Surrounding them were buildings tall enough to pierce the heavens, their cubical shape reminding him of the time he’d travelled across the country to see his aunt in one of those big cities. He never could quite get rid of the awe that came when seeing such wonderful displays of human ingenuity.
His feet were on something that felt like concrete and smoothened rocks as opposed to the oddly smooth and soft surface earlier, and he could see lamp posts and traffic lights further down the road. He looked to his side, catching Zeal in a similar state of awe.
“Welcome to my pocket universe!” Crude exclaimed, snapping Ane out of his trance as he snarled and glared at the man. “As you can see, this place is a one-to-one scale of one of your” – He pointed at Zeal – “human cities. Now hidden around the city are three keys, and each of them will require you to complete an objective before you can safely secure them. Once you’ve gathered all three of them, bring them to the centre of the city and I’ll let you kids go home to your brothers and sister. Does that sound good to you?”
What’d sound good would be his fist breaking that arrogant jerk’s face! Ane scowled.
“Wh-why are you doing this to us?” Zeal stuttered, her bushy tail low and her ears drooping.
“Because it’s fun, duh!” His golden eyes glowed brighter as he spread his arms. “Being someone as old and powerful as I am can get pretty boring, so I–excuse me, what?” He stopped short as reality around them shook and distorted. Crude blinked and glared at seemingly nothing. “What do you mean I have to tell them why?”
The air around him shook harder and Crude looked affronted. “Hell no! I’m not gonna change the test to add more ‘drama’! I’ve spent decades planning this out and I’m not about to ruin it just because you think it’s boring!”
After a moment of silence, Crude let out a long, drawn-out sigh, his golden eyes losing their shine. “Fine… but you better keep me out of your inane ‘experiments’ or so help me. I will scream.”
Muttering curses under his breath, he descended from the sky and snapped his fingers, a puff of smoke appearing in his hands. When the smoke cleared, he carried a machine that barely fit in his hands. It held many similarities to the drones from Ane’s world, but it was sleeker, smoother, and as shiny as marble. A soft blue glow hummed from where its propellers would be.
Crude cleared his throat. “Alright, you little crapheads. As I was saying before, I got so rudely interrupted.” He glared at the sky. “This is one of Briggs’ oldest models. It’ll help you locate the keys and direct you towards where you’ll find them and once you do that… well, I was going to make this a surprise, but–” He cut himself off with a grumble and snapped his fingers.
A warped ball of reality burst into existence, its form disfigured and twisted as it expanded and swelled, bigger and bigger it grew before tearing a fissure in reality, revealing a dark void filled with various Pokémon, all of them looking at each other in unease before noticing their onlookers.
“Tada…” Crude raised his hands and shook them unenthusiastically, dropping the drone in the process. “Now take a good and loooong look because those are the ones who are on the line. See that puppy over there? Lost her parents against whom they call The Tyrant, was nursed and taken care of by their local nurse AKA the Chansey, who’s trying their hardest to calm everyone. See their faces? See how afraid they are? See how hopeless they looked? Their lives are in your hands. Isn’t it great? Isn’t it wonderful? You get to prove yourself, prove that you’re just as good as your brother. Isn’t it fun? Isn’t it amazing? It’s delightful–”
The feeling of Ane’s fist sinking into the man’s face was euphoric, but he didn’t dwell on that feeling for too long when Crude stumbled back with a chuckle. You’re a scum,” he said. “An absolutely disgusting monster... Taking people away from their homes, scaring them, hurting them… you’re a disgrace, a freak. Not even my brother would condone such behaviour for even more than a few seconds. I hate you!”
For a second, he thought he saw something resembling hurt flashing in those golden eyes, but he dismissed it when the freak merely grinned and cackled like a maniac. “Hahaha! You’re a riot! Absolutely amazing! If I’d known you would react like this, I would’ve shown this to ya sooner. Hahaha! This is great! Now, this will be a lot more entertaining!” He snapped his fingers, spawning a tablet in his hand before tossing it towards Ane. “Here’s a map of the entire city! Free of charge! Now I’m gonna get going, ‘kay? Have fun messing with the trials. I know I did when I was making them!”
He blinked out of existence just in time for the tablet to sail through the air. It crashed onto the ground, its form still pristine and clean despite the impact.
Ane growled. “Fucking piece of crap,” he said, picking up the tablet and taking a calming breath. He never thought he could hate someone so much. His breaths came through gritted teeth as he turned around, expression softening as he made his way over to the fox.
She held a fearful look on her face as she stared at where the rift had stood. It had vanished the moment Crude disappeared. Zeal jumped before relaxing when she realised it was just Ane.
“Ane,” she said, turning to face him. Her eyes were wide and pleading, and a little frown on her snout. “We-we have to save them! My friends… that human… they… we have to help them!”
Ane held back a sigh as he stared into those bright blue eyes. Curse his weakness for cute animals. “Alright, let’s go and save your friends, Zeal.” The brightened expression on her face was almost worth the pain he knew he would feel.
Don’t get him wrong though, he would’ve made the same decision regardless. He couldn’t very well turn down a request to help anyone. It was mostly the fact that he basically had no choice in this that frustrated him.
But whatever. His shoulders sagged as he glanced around. He would and could power through it like he always had. Ane took a step forward, his expression building into a hard determined glare.
He entered the city with Zeal following behind.
The air of the city weighed with an eerie stillness. What should be a place full of bustling people and noises was now a desolate land with buildings staring down from above. The grey sky above scrutinised him and the motionless false clouds billowed with no winds.
Ane glanced around, his paws gripping the tablet still after so much difficulty doing so. A repetitive hum from the drone echoed through the city, their only reprieve from absolute silence.
From the corner of his eye, Zeal wandered about, barely staying in the drone’s general vicinity. A childlike wonder plagued her very being as she glanced at every little thing, her mouth agape as she took it all in.
They’d been following the drone for several minutes now. If it weren’t for the flashing key icon in the tablet’s map, he would’ve thought it was leading them nowhere. The drome moved slowly, only barely faster than they could walk. He was grateful though as he still hadn’t quite gotten used to his body yet.
The drone, with its non-stop humming, led them down the corner and through a gate where they found themselves in a small section of the city where trees and plants ruled freely. Walking through the fenced gate and down the smooth path, the two found the drone hovering above a statue. Like the world around them, it was grey and built to resemble some sort of bipedal fox. Its whiskers were structured in a way where they looked to be flowing, and in its claws were two spoons. There was also a sign on the podium it stood on, but Ane didn’t pay it much attention.
When he caught its gaze, Ane bit back a shudder. It was like it was staring right into his soul. The creature’s body looked frail but as he stared at it longer, something about it felt off and there. His ears twitched and he stumbled back, something was growling.
It was Zeal.
The animalistic snarl didn’t seem to fit right on her face as she glared at the statue, her fur standing on end as she leaned down, looking ready to pounce. The contrast between her previous self was honestly disturbing and, if not for her facing the glowing–
The statue was… was glowing green!
“Get down!” Zeal yelled and before he could even react, he was tackled down as something flew by him, narrowly missing him as it hit a tree, blowing it into smithereens.
Ane stared at the destruction, mouth agape, his mind barely registering Zeal getting off of him. Th-that almost killed him… He gulped, shakily getting onto his feet and biting back a scream when he saw something coming out of the statue.
Hollow, unnatural green wisps of smoke leaked out of the statue’s eyes and mouth. Its stony features contorted and twisted into a face of agony as more and more green smoke leaked out, coalescing into a suffocating mass of green. A chill ran down his spine when he noticed that it looked like it was screaming. Its body trembled, quivering as something took shape, the mass of green grew and grew, hovering, wavering, shivering as it moved around unbound by the laws of nature. His mind felt heavy, tethered by an unforeseen weight that threatened to crush him.
Yellow, pupil-less eyes glowed through the foggy body, green embers continued to leak and surround its body before finally solidifying.
Ane couldn’t believe his eyes. What was happening? What was this thing and–
“... Quil?” The word came from his lips in a disbelieving murmur.
There the creature stood, its form an eerie replica of his brother. From the shape of his bulb down to the weird mark on his forehead, the wispy green copy of his brother stared into him, his yellow pupil-less glowing with hatred that threatened to burn the world alive.
And when his mouth opened, two voices spoke as one, an echo of unison as they turned to him and Zeal.
