Water Veil Cove

[HelloYellow17]

Gladion felt his right side flare up in pain. He lost his balance and fell left, and Espeon with a knife on top of him. "Fuck!"

He intuited this 'Espeon' wasn't really who they appeared. Seriously, what kind of psychic attacks by using a knife in their mouth? There had to be at least ten better ways of going about that. If they didn't know how to fight psychically, though, then he had a chance.

Both of his hands shot out to grab the Espeon's throat. That would stop the fucker from freely swinging their head.

"What'd I do to piss you off?"

Definitely not Neo, in mind or body. Wes swore vehemently and seized the Espeon by the scruff while the kid grabbed the mon’s head. “What the hell is your problem, you little—!”

It suddenly clicked. This was that guy’s Espeon. His doppelgänger, or whatever. That explained why it gunned straight for him—well, technically him, anyway— and why it was snarling and thrashing so ferociously now. That didn’t explain the knife, though, or where he got it, or why he’d attack with a knife instead of an actual move.

“You okay, kid?” he asked. Gods, this was bizarre, talking to himself but not to himself. He got his answer though, when he saw the wound in his side.

Great. Awesome. Fantastic. Even when he wasn’t in his own body, he couldn’t catch a damn break.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Wes swore vehemently and seized the Espeon by the scruff while the kid grabbed the mon’s head.

Gladion's eyes lit up. "Yes! Make sure you pinch hard enough to disable 'em."

Trusting Wes to hold the Espeon up, he slid out from under them and grabbed his side. "I'm just fucking swell, thank you! Never been better!"

He sighed, and circled around Wes. "I'll take consolation in the fact it'll be your problem before too long. Let me at my bag, I've got stuff in there."

He withdrew a first-aid kit from the bag, and opened it to reveal a mixture of both conventional and unusual first aid supplies. A few hypodermic needles and vials were out of place, as well as what appeared to be a set of... tiny optical disks?

He pulled out some bandages, shrugged off Wes' trenchcoat, lifted his shirt, and... "Uhh, I guess your hands are full." After some wincing, he managed to start wrapping the wound. Better to get it done before the adrenaline wore off. It'd probably hurt less that way.

 

[HelloYellow17]

Gladion's eyes lit up. "Yes! Make sure you pinch hard enough to disable 'em."

Wes snorted, half amused and half exasperated. “Yeah, don’t worry, this isn’t my first time handling an Espeon that’s a little shit.” He used his other hand to pry the…odd-looking knife from the Pokemon’s jaws, ignoring the ensuing snarls and feeble attempts to nip at his fingers. Better to get bitten than stabbed by whatever this thing was. Besides, it wouldn’t be anything Wes hadn’t experienced before; both Neo and Novo certainly had their ways to make their strong opinions known.

Trusting Wes to hold the Espeon up, he slid out from under them and grabbed his side. "I'm just fucking swell, thank you! Never been better!"

He sighed, and circled around Wes. "I'll take consolation in the fact it'll be your problem before too long. Let me at my bag, I've got stuff in there."

…right, yeah, dumb question. Wes snorted again at his other statement. “Yeah, everything eventually becomes my problem,” he said dryly. Then, in a weak attempt at humor, he added with a small grin, “Looks like we both got the short end of the stick with this swap.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he blanched in horror. “Shit. That was—gods—I didn’t mean it like that—”

Maybe it was time to consider going mute for the rest of his life.

He withdrew a first-aid kit from the bag, and opened it to reveal a mixture of both conventional and unusual first aid supplies. A few hypodermic needles and vials were out of place, as well as what appeared to be a set of... tiny optical disks?

He pulled out some bandages, shrugged off Wes' trenchcoat, lifted his shirt, and... "Uhh, I guess your hands are full." After some wincing, he managed to start wrapping the wound. Better to get it done before the adrenaline wore off. It'd probably hurt less that way.

“L-look, I’ve got a free hand, I can help with something, or hand you stuff, or…something.” Anything to distract from his idiotic choice of words. Even in his flustered state, Wes had to admire the kid’s preparation and foresight to carry a first-aid kit on him. Some of the contents looked a bit odd, but Wes would rather remove the metaphorical foot from his mouth than ask any questions.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

“Yeah, everything eventually becomes my problem,” he said dryly. Then, in a weak attempt at humor, he added with a small grin, “Looks like we both got the short end of the stick with this swap.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he blanched in horror. “Shit. That was—gods—I didn’t mean it like that—”

A thought crossed Gladion's mind. The kind he would usually never voice, but... the guy was in his body, he quite literally had nothing left to hide from him. In the most deadpan, unamused voice he could muster, he quietly uttered a response: "You got a stick in the swap?"

It felt a lot funnier in his head. He tried to find a subject to move onto before the guy had a chance to pick up on it and react. "Can you cut this bandage? Not going to need the entire roll. There should a pair of scissors in there, and some metal things, kinda bowtie shaped with a few metal bits to hold it in place."

 

[HelloYellow17]

A thought crossed Gladion's mind. The kind he would usually never voice, but... the guy was in his body, he quite literally had nothing left to hide from him. In the most deadpan, unamused voice he could muster, he quietly uttered a response: "You got a stick in the swap?"

He almost didn’t hear the reply, as quiet as it was. And the kid moved on so quickly from it that Wes could only stare and frown as he tried to absorb what was just said.

It felt a lot funnier in his head. He tried to find a subject to move onto before the guy had a chance to pick up on it and react. "Can you cut this bandage? Not going to need the entire roll. There should a pair of scissors in there, and some metal things, kinda bowtie shaped with a few metal bits to hold it in place."

“Yeah, I can—”

The boy’s first reply finally registered in Wes’ brain, mid-sentence. “Oh, my gods—”

Before he knew it, he was laughing—really laughing, so much so that he nearly lost his grip on the damned feral Espeon. He clutched at his side and struggled for breath. How long had it been since he’d laughed like this? Definitely not since…

He shook his head and managed to choke back more laughter so he could catch his breath. After he took a moment to compose himself, he fumbled around for the scissors, grinning a little sheepishly. “S-sorry, I just—damn, I wasn’t expecting that kind of response.” He cut the bandage and handed him the metal clips.

 

[Sinderella]

She took the steps she'd just made in reverse, moving more hastily this time, then tried to redo them without rushing through all the parts where both feet weren't on the ground. She was nervous being on one foot, but it was manageable- certainly no thanks to her own learned skills.

"This is fun."

Now Hazette simply looked...proud. She'd never considered taking up dance instruction; she had far too little patience for it. She could barely handle herself when she kept fucking up her own moves, but imagine if it were somebody else? No thanks. Anger issues and teaching did not mix well.

However, standing there, watching Hazel--somebody who could probably never attempt this in the state she was normally in--learning how to do these basic moves in her own body? Well, something warm was building up in her chest, and it was nothing close to anger. As weird as this fucking was, it was very wholesome. And she was in short supply of wholesome moments as of late.

Also, there was a part of her feeling slightly smug knowing that even a foreign soul could pick up moves so easily with her body. It was nice to know, in this very bizarre way, that the years of lessons and competing paid off.

"You've got that pretty well," she complimented. "Could I challenge you a little bit?" She wouldn't attempt to teach her a turn; it was a little too soon, and it was clear Hazel was still working around those three positions. A tilt might also be difficult, as she was still looking a little wobbly when she stood on one leg. Hazette wouldn't push that.

"How about a split?" she suggested. "I'm adequately stretched for it. You can start with a straddle." She motioned toward the sand. "Just sit down and make a wide 'V' with your legs. Then, keep pushing your hips forward until your legs are straight out to your sides. That's a middle split. They're quite fun, but might be hard for somebody not used to the whole bipedal thing. It shouldn't hurt, but it might feel...weird to you."

Jack watched Odette’s body move gracefully. “Even with swapped bodies, I gotta be honest, you’re amazing.”

She pursed whatever lips she had. Truthfully, she'd forgotten the two birds were still there since her last message to them. But, now she'd suddenly grown all too aware of their presence again, as one of them was getting progressively more friendly with their remarks.

Her eyes narrowed. "I think I'm starting to notice a pattern here," she muttered to herself.

("Enora... how do you calm down Odile?")

Enora was quite busy patting Wallace's occupied body as it laid face first in the sand, groaning. Once more, her ear holes perked at the sound of her name, and her eyes caught on her own body looking quite concerned. And of course, Odile's body was freaking out too. Honestly, there couldn't have been a worse swap.

"Sharpedo plushies will do it. Or a recliner couch," she said. Odette in minute distress would also do it, but she didn't need to say that. "She also really likes pancakes."

"Pancakes will not change the fact that I am aging with every passing second!" Odile groaned in anguish.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

The boy’s first reply finally registered in Wes’ brain, mid-sentence. “Oh, my gods—”

Gladion tried to maintain the deadpan tone, but did smirk a little. It felt good just to acknowledge the thing that'd been looming over him ever since he found that someone else was in his body. "Ah, you did notice. I'd started to wonder if you'd somehow managed not to. Which, uhh... thanks."

“S-sorry, I just—damn, I wasn’t expecting that kind of response.” He cut the bandage and handed him the metal clips.

Gladion accepted the clips and pinned back the bandage, wincing as he pulled it tight. "Wasn't expecting to say it, either, honestly. I blame your adrenaline, 'm probably high on it or something. Haven't said anything like that in... ever? It was kinda fun, actually."

He laughed. "And I don't even know your name... Mine's Gladion, by the way. Yeah. Go figure."

---

"How about a split?" she suggested. "I'm adequately stretched for it. You can start with a straddle." She motioned toward the sand. "Just sit down and make a wide 'V' with your legs. Then, keep pushing your hips forward until your legs are straight out to your sides. That's a middle split. They're quite fun, but might be hard for somebody not used to the whole bipedal thing. It shouldn't hurt, but it might feel...weird to you."

Hazel took a moment to parse those instructions. Then, she sat down, and tried to push her way up into a split. She managed it for a moment before falling back into a sitting position, giggling. It tickled. "Are you sure that is dancing? Or are you just making me do this because it is funny?"

 

[Sinderella]

"Are you sure that is dancing?"

Hazel's giggle made her giggle. "I promise, it's part of it. The move you would do with that is to start standing up, then slide your legs out until you fell into that split. Like I said, very fun." She thought for a bit. "Or, you could do a grand jete. Not the same movement, but it's a kind of leap you can do where you basically split in the air. Also very fun, but maybe too hard."

 

[AbraPunk]

He used his other hand to pry the…odd-looking knife from the Pokemon’s jaws, ignoring the ensuing snarls and feeble attempts to nip at his fingers. Better to get bitten than stabbed by whatever this thing was

He'd spaced out again-- weird Espeon instincts or something...?

The other human, not the blue-coat, then took his knife away.

Wes snapped.

He thrashed and let out some truly ear-piercing shrieks and yowls of rage... and went on an insane mental tirade.

MOTHERFUCKER! THAT'S MY FUCKING BACKUP KNIFE, YOU SON OF A BITCH! I SWEAR TO THE FUCKING GODS I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU TOO! FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU--

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"I promise, it's part of it. The move you would do with that is to start standing up, then slide your legs out until you fell into that split. Like I said, very fun." She thought for a bit. "Or, you could do a grand jete. Not the same movement, but it's a kind of leap you can do where you basically split in the air. Also very fun, but maybe too hard."

Hazel nodded. "I am understanding. I do not think I will be jumping ver- Or, maybe I can be borrowing that knowledge from you."

She took a few steps back, got a running start (it sure was a lot easier to get up to speed as a human) and jumped. What followed could be generously described as vaguely resembling a grand jete. She almost landed on her feet, but inertia pushed her further forwards and she had to use her hands to catch herself. She started laughing again.

"Okay" Hazel paused to laugh a little more. "Maybe that was not very good. But I was enjoying it, and that means we are achieving our goal."

 

[Sinderella]

She took a few steps back, got a running start (it sure was a lot easier to get up to speed as a human) and jumped. What followed could be generously described as vaguely resembling a grand jete. She almost landed on her feet, but inertia pushed her further forwards and she had to use her hands to catch herself. She started laughing again.

"Okay" Hazel paused to laugh a little more. "Maybe that was not very good. But I was enjoying it, and that means we are achieving our goal."

Hazette began to clap her hands...or she supposed talons together. "That was actually very good for your first try and no instruction," she praised. "I'm very proud of you. You're quite good at this. Was there any particular move that you've seen before that you would like to try?"

 

[Hanafuda]

“Gotta say, I’m lovin’ the vibes here,” Zack said with a smile on his beak. He crossed his wings. “This whole body-swappin’ stuff is still insane, but it’s cool that there’s some peeps here who found a way around it. Wouldn’t wanna imagine how that’d go for me.”

Jack glanced briefly at the fight going on in the background. “I’d worry more about the guys in the back. Poor Wallace…”

 

[MintyMimix]

Hazel had blinked a few times as she watched her counterpart practice her dances with grace. She wondered if she could do something like that herself, but refrained from actively following along. For one, she couldn't understand Odette's instructions while the woman was in the Null body, not to mention that Hazel didn't want to potentially do anything to Violet's body should she mess up or misinterpret a step.

Also, Violet in her Weavile body was very fluffy and cuddly. No way she was going to give that up and let her go. Instead, she elected to cheer on the other Hazel. "You're doing great sweetie!" She said pumping a fist in the air with her free hand, "Keep it up, Hazel; you're really showing off that new finesse!" Oh, the amount of data she had been able to gather from this demonstration alone. Human-Pokémon connectivity had just made leaps and bounds in the scientific community from this observation alone!

That is, assuming that the genetic factor wasn't the contending factor. Her smile waned for a moment as she thought the hypothesis through. If it were the case where it was due to her mental modification, then that would be problematic in practical application to other Pokémon. Still... She smiled once more as she finished her thought, Even if it isn't applicable to everyone, it... helps me learn a bit more about myself.

Hazel had been so distracted by dance routine that the commotion failed to reach her ears, but they certainly had reached Violet's. She stared in shock as she saw an Espeon pull out a knife and stab a man in broad daylight. She tugged on her human self's shirt pointing her claw and trying to get her former Pokémon's attention, and even letting out the occasional meow, but to no avail.

She glanced back and forth between Hazel and the group before she paused in her vigorous calls as her eyes settled upon one of the two humans — the blonde in particular. The headache returned as she the word 'twin' kept ringing her in mind from that same feminine voice in the last flash before the memory subsided. Was Gladion that girl's twin? Lillie's sibling? She opened mouth as she analyzed the boy's features, and realized just how similar they looked — almost uncannily so.

Deciding she had enough sitting around, Violet wiggled her way out of Hazel's grip as she began sprinting over to the trainers, hoping that they were okay. By some faint instinct of another life, her arms had splayed out backwards as she leaned her head down — a stance that a Weavile typically took to increase their speed. The lab coat bellowed in the wind as she zipped towards Wes and Gladion.

Feeling the weight suddenly drop, Hazel let out a yelp as she was jostled off-balance and nearly tripped on herself. With a few swings of her arms, she managed to stand upright again as she watched Violet zoom off towards another pair in the distance. She squinted, unable to discern why the girl had been so adamant about leaving, but turned back to Odette and Hazel and said, "'Scuse me for a sec', I need to make sure my trainer's okay!"

Hazel sprinted off to give Violet chase, but did not catch up as quickly as she thought she would. She felt so sluggish in the human body, yet at the same time the locomotion was very, very natural. She chalked it up to her own alleged modifications, yet something in the back of her head instinctively told her that it was something else. She refused to listen to that; it was unscientific and unfounded in evidence. Yet a part of her feelings believed it to be true.

Having caught up to very much meowing and concerned Weaviolet, Hazel let out an embarrassed chuckle as she said, "Sorry, sorry; this Heart Swap's made it hard for me to understand Violet. I'm Hazel, by the way — the Weavile one — but yeah, just wanted to—" Hazel blanched as she realized the red-tinted bandages being wrapped around the older man's body.

"W-what happened...?" Hazel stammered, concerned.

Violet, meanwhile, was was looking back and forth between "Wes" with concern and giving "Gladion" with a strange look.

 

[HelloYellow17]

Gladion tried to maintain the deadpan tone, but did smirk a little. It felt good just to acknowledge the thing that'd been looming over him ever since he found that someone else was in his body. "Ah, you did notice. I'd started to wonder if you'd somehow managed not to. Which, uhh... thanks."

Wes merely shrugged. “Nothing to thank me for. It makes no difference to me.”

Gladion accepted the clips and pinned back the bandage, wincing as he pulled it tight. "Wasn't expecting to say it, either, honestly. I blame your adrenaline, 'm probably high on it or something. Haven't said anything like that in... ever? It was kinda fun, actually."

He laughed. "And I don't even know your name... Mine's Gladion, by the way. Yeah. Go figure."

The mention of adrenaline made Wes wince. Gods above, he was not looking forward to feeling the aftermath of that injury.

“Name’s Wes.” He gave a small grin when the boy introduced himself. “Gladion, huh? Trust me, that’s not a bad name at all. I’ve heard some pretty horrible ones. Orre’s got a special knack for that.”

He shifted and readjusted his grip on the Espeon when he felt it squirm. “You sure seem to know your way around first aid,” he said. He treaded carefully, not wanting to pry but also too curious not to prod a little. “Can’t say too many people actually know enough about it to be useful.”

Something was nagging at the back of his mind as he watched Gladion finish bandaging the wound. He turned around and found the knife where he’d left it in the sand and held it up, frowning at it. It was a makeshift knife, that was for sure. Not unlike his Skarmory one…but whatever was fashioned to the handle could hardly be called a “knife.” It had to be a fang from some kind of Pokémon, though from what, he couldn’t be sure.

He turned and showed it to Gladion. “Got any idea what Pokémon this could—?”

He never got to finish his sentence, because he was suddenly very rudely alerted to the fact that he’d eased his grip on the Espeon.

He'd spaced out again-- weird Espeon instincts or something...?

The other human, not the blue-coat, then took his knife away.

Wes snapped.

He thrashed and let out some truly ear-piercing shrieks and yowls of rage... and went on an insane mental tirade.

MOTHERFUCKER! THAT'S MY FUCKING BACKUP KNIFE, YOU SON OF A BITCH! I SWEAR TO THE FUCKING GODS I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU TOO! FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU--

“Holy—enough!” Wes barked. He seized the Pokemon’s forelegs in one hand and tightened his grip on its scruff. “Look, you hate me, I got that message loud and clear. But I have no intention of hurting your trainer. I want nothing to do with that bastard. So leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone, got it?”

He didn’t get a chance to say much more, because suddenly someone else was rushing up to him—a Pokémon. He had to dig around in his memory for a moment to remember this one was called Weaville. He tensed as it came closer. Gods above, one hostile Pokémon was more than enough for one day—

But the Pokémon merely came to a halt, looking between the two of them with wide eyes. A girl—the trainer, most likely—came running up behind them and blurted out something about a “Hazel” and a “Violet” and asked what had happened.

Wes sighed. He really did not want to deal with more people right now, especially since he still had to find his Pokémon. He held up the screeching Espeon. “This creature ran up and stabbed him—me—I dunno—with a weird knife. Don’t ask, I have no idea,” he added wearily. “Look, I really gotta find my Pokémon. Any chance you could keep this thing under control while I try to find them? That Weaville should have no problem, being a dark-type.”

 

[Shiny Phantump]

“You sure seem to know your way around first aid,” he said. He treaded carefully, not wanting to pry but also too curious not to prod a little. “Can’t say too many people actually know enough about it to be useful.”

"Yeah. Most of what I know's not for humans, but I can stop mys- stop you from bleeding out. Learned some of it growing up, some of it because I worry about my partner. Can't take her to a center if she gets hurt, so I've got to be ready... It'll make more sense once you meet her, trust me."

"That was actually very good for your first try and no instruction," she praised. "I'm very proud of you. You're quite good at this. Was there any particular move that you've seen before that you would like to try?"

Hazel suspected that Odette was saying that to make her feel good. If she was, it worked, because Hazel felt warm fuzziness.

"I am filled with thankfulness... But I am not knowing other human dancing moves. It is not one of the things Gladion is finding interesting. It is too bad. But I am understanding why, I do not think it is something he would be enjoying."

"You're doing great sweetie!" She said pumping a fist in the air with her free hand, "Keep it up, Hazel; you're really showing off that new finesse!"

Hazel flushed. "You are making my face warm..."

She was then distracted by Violet's escape, running towards... oh right, in her excitement, she'd neglected to worry about Gladion. She stopped to give Odette a quick hug, resting her head in the Null's coat.

"Thank you. I will never be forgetting this. But I think we are needing to check on our friends."

She turned to follow Violet and Hazel over to Gladion and the injured- Hazel gulped as she realized the injured one probably was Gladion.

"Sorry, sorry; this Heart Swap's made it hard for me to understand Violet. I'm Hazel, by the way — the Weavile one — but yeah, just wanted to—" Hazel blanched as she realized the red-tinted bandages being wrapped around the older man's body.

"W-what happened...?" Hazel stammered, concerned.

Gladion laughed, but in an entirely humourless manner. "Got stabbed, that's what. So if it's any consolation you're having a better day than me."

“Holy—enough!” Wes barked. He seized the Pokemon’s forelegs in one hand and tightened his grip on its scruff. “Look, you hate me, I got that message loud and clear. But I have no intention of hurting your trainer. I want nothing to do with that bastard. So leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone, got it?”

"You know who that is?" Gladion asked. "Because I don't think they're the Espeon. Probably could've killed me if they were a half-decent psychic... I don't even want to imagine what happens to us then."

Hazel turned around and called to Odette. "Odette! Are you wanting to be learning something today, too? I can be teaching you how to be crushing a bitch! I promise it can also be fun!"

 

[MintyMimix]

Wes sighed. He really did not want to deal with more people right now, especially since he still had to find his Pokémon. He held up the screeching Espeon. “This creature ran up and stabbed him—me—I dunno—with a weird knife. Don’t ask, I have no idea,” he added wearily. “Look, I really gotta find my Pokémon. Any chance you could keep this thing under control while I try to find them? That Weaville should have no problem, being a dark-type.”

"S-stabbed?! But humans can't survive—why would someone on this island—" Hazel stammered as her anxiety and confusion spiked. "I-I-I-I'll try to hold onto them, but I'm not so sure if Violet will being of any help in her current body..."

Violet's feathers perked as she scoffed, but didn't say anything. Instead, the telltale sign of a Night Slash forming in her claw was all the indicator needed. She had no idea why she knew how to do that... Mayhaps it's related to those memories that aren't mine but are mine that keep coming in...

Hazel's eyes widened as she realized Violet called upon that instinct almost effortlessly. Questions raced through her mind like speeding Ninjask, but but a short, "H-how...?" was eeked out before she turned her attention to the other man.

Gladion laughed, but in an entirely humourless manner. "Got stabbed, that's what. So if it's any consolation you're having a better day than me."

"You know who that is?" Gladion asked. "Because I don't think they're the Espeon. Probably could've killed me if they were a half-decent psychic... I don't even want to imagine what happens to us then."

She let out a nervous chuckle as she looked down, frowning. This Heart Swap was supposed to be a fun experiment. They were all having a good time and gathering unique data. Not... this.

Hazel turned around and called to Odette. "Odette! Are you wanting to be learning something today, too? I can be teaching you how to be crushing a bitch! I promise it can also be fun!"

Violet and Hazel both turned their heads to the other Hazel, bug-eyed. "What she did just say?" They spoke in sync and in their respective languages.

Violet gave a smirk and snickered, nodding her head. "Mayhaps you ought to take her up on that offer, Odette~?" She shouted to the Null, hoping she could be understood. She didn't count on it, but the intent of the question would at least be clear in her singsong voice.

The now-Weavile then pirouetted towards "Gladion", or at least, the one occupying Gladion's body as she looked him over once more. Definitely the twin to that Lillie girl that kept appearing in her visions. She wanted to say something — anything — but lacked the knowledge to navigate a smartphone like Hazel had and anything she would write in the sand would surely be illegible. Deciding to try to communicate this, she made a 'writing on a paper' motion with her two claws as she looked between the two boys hoping they could help.

Hazel, meanwhile was still a mess. "H-Hazel, when did you—why did you—huh?!" She stuttered, rubbing her forehead as the bags under her eyes settled back in. The excitement of the experience had kept her going, but Violet's body still hadn't been all that caught up on sleep, and she was beginning to feel the sluggishness that came from it.

Shaking her head to keep herself up, Hazel then cleared her throat as she asked, "Hazel, dear... where did you learn such language?"

 

[HelloYellow17]

"You know who that is?" Gladion asked. "Because I don't think they're the Espeon. Probably could've killed me if they were a half-decent psychic... I don't even want to imagine what happens to us then."

…oh. Oh. Ohhhh, this little—

“Dammit all,” Wes spat. He got in the Espeon’s face, as close as he was able to without risking a bite. “It’s you, isn’t it? Look, I don’t give a damn about you or who you are. I don’t care if you’re me in some different universe or some shit. Leave me and my family alone, or I’ll erase your pathetic existence. That’s a promise.”

"S-stabbed?! But humans can't survive—why would someone on this island—" Hazel stammered as her anxiety and confusion spiked. "I-I-I-I'll try to hold onto them, but I'm not so sure if Violet will being of any help in her current body..."

Violet's feathers perked as she scoffed, but didn't say anything. Instead, the telltale sign of a Night Slash forming in her claw was all the indicator needed. She had no idea why she knew how to do that... Mayhaps it's related to those memories that aren't mine but are mine that keep coming in...

Good. The girl’s stammering wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence, but the Weaville looked quite sure of herself. Wes tossed the Espeon unceremoniously at her feet. “Thanks. Keep an eye on him. And if he tries to start shit again, you have my permission to eat him.”

Hazel turned around and called to Odette. "Odette! Are you wanting to be learning something today, too? I can be teaching you how to be crushing a bitch! I promise it can also be fun!"

Wes hadn’t even noticed Odette come over until he heard her yell, and—well, he didn’t know the Kalosian trainer very well, but one conversation was enough to know she did not talk quite like that. Someone else was in her body, then? So maybe that meant the Weaville and her trainer were also…?

Oh, to hell with it. He had bigger things to worry about, like finding his Pokémon. He stood up fully and scanned the beach, wondering how on earth he would find them if they’d also been switched…

---

Novo staggered about, lost in the chaos and confusion. He saw an Espeon fly past—Neo?? Yes, it was! That was definitely his scent. But why was he tackling the other Umbreon all of a sudden?

Moving as fast as his longer, bigger limbs would allow, he half-stumbled, half-ran to his brother and called out to him with a bark. @AbraPunk

 

[Hanafuda]

“You know what?” Seb turned around and held his head, shaking it in disbelief. “I think I’ve seen enough of these shenanigans for today. I don’t think I’ll be able to stay sane if I stay here. Come here, birbs.” He started to walk away, but not before giving a glance back at the group. “See you soon, guys. Let me know once you’re all back to normal.”

Zack flew onto his Trainer’s shoulder before waving goodbye at everyone else. Jack soon followed with a quick salute.

 

[AbraPunk]

“Dammit all,” Wes spat. He got in the Espeon’s face, as close as he was able to without risking a bite. “It’s you, isn’t it? Look, I don’t give a damn about you or who you are. I don’t care if you’re me in some different universe or some shit. Leave me and my family alone, or I’ll erase your pathetic existence. That’s a promise.”

Wes snarled, baring his fangs-- oh, it felt good to be able to do that-- at the filthy human.

You know nothing about me. I can erase you, and I will. I'll rid the world of all the human worms feasting on its carcass.

Wes tossed the Espeon unceremoniously at her feet. “Thanks. Keep an eye on him. And if he tries to start shit again, you have my permission to eat him.”

Then he was tossed, thrown like he was nothing more than an object.

He was nothing more than an object, to all the humans here. To them, he was just a pokémon.

He felt a dark, bitter rage churning within him. Anger at the world, anger at the constant abuse of pokémon, anger that humans thought they were so fucking high and mighty.

He got to his feet and took deep, shuddering breaths. The sheer force of his rage made his blood boil, his legs tremble... made him alive. Deep within his soul, something broke.

I'LL FUCKING KILL ALL OF YOU! NONE OF YOU ARE WORTH SAVING! I'LL SAVE THE WORLD, AND I'LL KILL EVERYONE WHO GETS IN MY WAY!

He screamed his fury to the heavens, and at that exact moment, a gargantuan mass of black and violet energy exploded out from him, enveloping everyone nearby, and throwing them back several feet. To anyone caught in it, it felt like the coldest flame possible, so freezing that it paradoxically burnt.

Wes knew now that this was how he was meant to be. He was never meant to be a human, no, deep down he'd always known that he was a pokémon, and there was nothing else that excelled at harnessing rage so efficiently, weaponizing it.

He leapt from person to person, biting and slashing whoever he could get to, dark energy streaming from his jaws and claws.

Anyone who had aura sensing abilities would notice something that should have been impossible.

His aura was exactly like that of a Shadow pokémon's.

 

[Seren]

Fools, every last one of them.

Lucy Gray had been bored up to this point. Especially today, when her new human trainer decided to sit around reading instead of trying to solve the disappearances. What did it matter what had happened in the past? This was happening now.

So when the blue human and his pokemon left the lounge, the froslass decided to follow suit; neither of his pokemon had seemed to detect her presence so far, and her new human certainly couldn't get up to much trouble with her books, now, could she? She'd get by without Lucy's watchful eye for a while. They'd reunite later, and if Kimiko was gone by the time she returned, well, the froslass knew where their room was, either way.

The blue human ended up joining a group of other humans going hunting for one of the mythical pokemon on the island, despite the fact that nearly all of them were severely sleep deprived. Now that sounded intriguing. Surely, if they were so great, they could be of use here. And so Lucy followed, remaining invisible, behind the group. If nothing else, perhaps it would offer some form of amusement.

Finding Manaphy turned out to be absurdly easy. Lucy watched as one of the humans volunteered to swap places with one of the missing humans. She was a clever one - Lucy noted it was the same woman who harbored the Chaos Tumbleweed. Well, if she wasn't interested before (she was), she certainly was now. This girl knew how to solve puzzles.

Manaphy's ability was a parlor trick to any competent ghost type. Possession was simply much more efficient a tool. It didn't require cooperation with anyone else, and came with the benefit of not risking your own form while you did your job. Still... if this worked when your target was unknown... that was definitely an ability her masters could make use of.

No, wait... former masters. Not for the first time, she had to remind herself that that wasn't how she lived anymore.

And then chaos erupted among the trainers, and as it turned out, not from said tumbleweed. In fact, it seemed as though Odile herself had been affected as well, as people and pokemon alike began to stagger around like a bunch of spinda. Idiots, the entire lot. They had literally asked for this, what did they expect to happen??

And so Lucy watched silently with bored amusement. A fight broke out among a few of them. A pokemon was teaching one of the humans - the clever woman, or whoever was now occupying her physical form - to dance. The Chaos Tumbleweed and another of the humans appeared to both be having some sort of episode.

Meanwhile, lost in all of that pointless babble... Manaphy simply sat there, ignored by the party now that it had performed the role they required of it. Typical, miserable humans. Even a legend was not exempt from being discarded like a banette the moment it was no longer useful. However, perhaps the fact that it had not yet left could be put to their collective advantage.

Yveltal above, it feels bizarre to even think this way.

So, while the rest of the party continued to flail about, Lucy Gray floated near Manaphy. Far enough to hopefully not startle the mythic (it could probably still sense her even though she was invisible, anyway, what with it's soul-swapping ability and all) but close enough to be heard.

[[ @Flyg0n Mind Reader ]]

Manaphy had appeared to speak telepathically, or something akin to that. So Lucy attempted to do the same, keeping her broadcast range away from anyone but the mythical.

I would have words with you, Lucy thought in Manaphy's direction. You are Manaphy, are you not? Better to start with an obvious question; easy to tell what it might look like when it lied.

Tell me. How does your ability work? Does it require you to know your target's location? You say you were unable to locate the missing humans or their pokemon in order to perform a swap with them. How, then, can you be certain none of them have left the island, if your range can't even reach the entire island?