Storm Clouds II Ch. 04

The forests of north Hoenn were not a safe place to be a lone human.  The infamously temperamental weather was capable of swapping between thunderstorms and scorching heat at a breath's notice; Kecleon disguised themselves and harassed travelers, sometimes forming packs to swarm unfortunates; the vast expanse took days to traverse on foot, and the only major human settlement was Fortree City at the very southern edge.  Hiking to the few isolated villages in the far reaches of the woodlands required taking winding, dirty trails--but who would willingly travel to such places, when so many tales of mystery and horror surrounded those pinpoints of civilization?

Alvovz was a lone human in the forests of north Hoenn.  Over fifty years of age and he had never had a single pokemon companion.  And he felt perfectly and contentedly safe.

He wore a heavy handwoven coat of dark green, lined with threads of gold and silver in the ornate style of his homeland.  Many stains peppered the fabric, and some noticeable patches had found their way onto the coat.  It had been whole, clean, and flashy when he'd first left his isolated home twenty-five years ago.  Half a lifetime ago.  

The people of his small island home dressed far differently than any other culture, but that was not their only separation from the rest of the world.  Alvovz's people had never believed in catching pokemon or living alongside them.  The rest of the world relied on pokemon thralls to protect them from rogue or wild monsters, but Alvovz and his people had to resort to different measures.

As the wounded Tropius lying before the man now knew.

The immense pokemon struggled in front of him, blood slowly leaking from shallow gashes.  As it slowly stood, its hate-filled eyes met the human's.  The fifty-year-old man refused to back down from the creature's gaze; there was not a single wound on his body.

"Human," spat the Tropius.  "How dare you--your kind cannot touch mine!"

"You'll find that I'm the exception," Alvovz returned dryly.  The titanic Grass-type's eyes widened in shock at the first human to ever understand it.  "Those wounds aren't fatal.  Now return to your nest, and never again think to harass a human traveler for their food."  Seconds passed, but the Tropius didn't retreat.  Alvovz leveled his saber, the edge still wet with the pokemon's blood, and that proved enough for the Tropius.  It lumbered away, limping into the growth.

After he was certain that he'd seen the last of his foe, Alvovz cleaned his blade.  The saber was decently long with a utilitarian handguard.  The finest smiths of Alvovz's home island had crafted it with folded steel.  As long as he had it in hand, Alvovz would always be willing to bet on himself on a one-on-one fight against any pokemon.

After his sword was clean and sheathed, Alvovz returned to the campsite; thankfully most of his few possessions had remained untouched by the Tropius' ambush.  He quickly finished his breakfast and scrubbed the food from his salt-and-pepper beard.  Alvovz packed up as the sun beat down on his balding head.

As Alvovz started down the path ahead of him, his thoughts drifted back to his first visit to the area, early on in his search--only three or so years after he'd left his islands.  He'd been a handsome man in his twenties then, his traditional garb vibrant and impressive.

They gifted me with a book of tales, he remembered.  He, like most of his people, had memorized the Ipde tales as a child, but he'd appreciated the gift nonetheless.  And like a fool, I got it stolen during the Assailment.

It could have been worse.  People had lost much more in that troubled time.  Alvovz shook his head, trying to banish the thoughts of carnage and infighting from his mind.  I have never been uncomfortable with violence, he thought wearily.  It comes with being a swordsman of my clan… but even I could not stomach the brutality of the Assailment.

Alvovz heard light whispers in the trees above him.  Wild pokemon were conversing; wondering whether the human was truly alone as he seemed, debating on whether to attack him or let him pass.  Alvovz thought them foolish for discussing their plans so openly, but then he chastised himself--how could they expect that their target understood every word they said?

Will I have to bathe my blade in blood yet again today? The swordsman wondered.  Violence always treads behind me no matter where I go, no matter how many years pass by.  I should just return home…

But that would mean going back without completing his search.  Could Alvovz live with the disgrace?  Those of his clan who remembered him were likely long dead--perhaps even his own parents.  The few remnants of Alvovz's generation would likely welcome him back, and forgive his lack of results.  They'd forget in a short while that he'd failed his oath.

But I won't forget.  I, more than anyone from my clan, adhere to our old ways--it's why I was, and probably still am, the only true swordmaster left among our people.  It's why I will never catch a pokemon.  And it's why I will never be an oathbreaker.

Ultimately the wild pokemon left Alvovz alone.  The gods had another trick to play on him.

At midday, Alvovz allowed himself to rest near a ravine.  As he had done every day for the past twenty-five years, Alvovz gave himself fifteen minutes of meditation and reflection before he took his meal.  His eyes, long trained in reading the land for signs about him, noticed the telltale signs of a pokemon battle about him.

I'm supping in a battlefield, he thought.  And not likely between two wilds, either.  A large pokemon was standing near the ravine, and was struck by fire and-- he sniffed the air.  The faintest smell of an Electric-type attack, like wild lightning streamed through warm life, lingered in the air.  --and electricity.  He was forced backwards, Alvovz formulated, noting the heavy clawed footprints, facing away from the ravine, yet showing the signs of being pushed towards cliff face.  And off the edge.

The signs were only a day or two old.  Alvovz, his lunch finished, stood and walked over to the cliff's edge, pushing past a thin layer of growth.  The aging man peered over the edge; down below was a spot where something heavy had clearly landed.  There were several gashes carved into the cliff face, but no pokemon there.

I doubt the corpse was picked clean after the fall, bones and all, he thought.  Which means either the body was moved…or the pokemon shoved from here survived the fall and moved away under its own power.  Either scenario was intriguing.

Ah, now I'm interested, the balding man thought.  Well, I've been out for twenty-five years.  What's a detour of a day or two?  He picked up his belongings and saber, and began searching for a path to the ravine's bottom.

***

"You again--how tiresome."

The Feraligatr loomed in front of Ivan.  The young boy, currently in the form of a Vulpix, fought the urge to shake and race for safety.  Beside him stood Ripple, Artemis, Nemo, and Dulcet; Emily was safely waiting some distance away.  She'd wanted to join in as well, but Ripple--using Ivan as a mouthpiece--had convinced the girl to put reason first.

"We beat you once," Ripple boasted.  "I'll bet you're worn out from your little tumble down the cliff--you were easy enough to track, too.  You don't want us to put you through the wringer again, do you?"

"This time--there's no cliff to shove me off of," murmured the colossal Water-type.  "And the strongest attacks you had--didn't do much…"

He's not lying, Ivan thought.  They'd doubled back from the lodge to the cliffside, and traced the Feraligatr from there.  But his trail took them to a rocky area of the wilderness, ringed by the forest but with few trees growing; old equipment and a few tunnel entrances marked it as the entrance to an abandoned mine.

"We know you raided the lodge for papers left behind by Gentle Darkness," Ripple said.  "If you return them to us, then you won't have to face defeat at our hands again.  You should--"

The Furret was cut short as the Feraligatr launched an immense blast of water from his maw.  The gush plowed into the stone where Ivan and his allies stood; Artemis, Ripple, and Ivan himself were able to dodge in time, but the slower Nemo and Dulcet were less fortunate, bearing the brunt of his assault and being pushed backwards by the blast.

I can't let any of that water touch me! Ivan thought, utilizing his speed to dodge the attack.  When I change into this body…if water touches me, I get very weak.  I don't know why that is, but I can't let it happen!

As Nemo and Dulcet were knocked backwards, the Feraligatr turned his attention to the Artemis and Ripple, who'd grouped together.  Several short bursts of water shot towards them, peppering the ground; sprays and water vapor rose into the air above the stony earth, obscuring their vision.

As the two female pokemon tried to reorient themselves amidst the onslaught and the blinding water vapor, the Feraligatr was upon them instantly, charging them on all fours in blinding speed.  Ripple had only enough time to let out a brief squeak of fear as he materialized out of the vapor before her body was engulfed by his massive claw.  Before she could wriggle free, the Furret was slammed into the stone beneath her.

A fierce kick sent Artemis flying, and a blast of water launched her even further.  As she rolled painfully along the rocky ground, propelled by her foe's attack, the Feraligatr let up on his assault for a brief moment.

"Who first?'  His impossibly low voice rumbled.  "Who first--to kill?  The Electric-type--the only real threat?"  His eyes lingered on Artemis before turning to Dulcet.  "Or the healer--stop them from getting back up.  No, instead…"  he turned to face Ivan, who was cowering with his back against a rusted piece of equipment.  "Pick off the weakest first," he mused.  "A Fire-type--simplicity."  His eyes, staring unblinkingly at the Vulpix before him, narrowed in hatred.  "My eyes--he scorched them last fight.  He hurt me."

Ivan turned to run but a wave of water swept over the ground about him, submerging his paws before solidifying into ice.  A flood of weakness shot through his body.  He desperately struggled to free himself from his cold prison as the heavy tread of the Water-type slowly grew nearer and nearer behind him.

No!  No!  Ivan's mind cried out in panic and desperation as he vainly tugged against the ice about his paws.  He'll…he'll kill me!  The looming steps announced the Feraligatr's slow approach.  All around him the other pokemon were shouting words of advice or encouragement, but Ivan's fearful mind blotted out their speech.  I can't die this way, the boy in the body of a Vulpix thought.  I can't--I can't leave in this weird place, with these creatures.  I just want to go home…  His mind shot back to that time a few days earlier, when his powers frightened off the bullies.  I was proud of myself for standing up to Jordan, Ivan thought.  This guy is a million times worse…

The memory of Ivan burning Jordan with his powers grew in his mind, and the panic in his mind coalesced into clarity.  It's trapped me in ice…and I'm an animal of flame. Ivan spat fire down towards his paws, melting the ice in moments.  A few seconds and he stepped into freedom, but the threat of his prey escaping prompted the Feraligatr to unleash his fearsome speed once more.  Ivan ran, but the sheer size of the Water-type's stride allowed him to quickly close the distance between the two pokemon.

As the Feraligatr approached Ivan, the ice carpeting the area suddenly regressed into water once more.  The Feraligatr's surprise halted him, and a sudden lance of water shot from the newly-melted liquid, solidifying again into ice which speared him in the shoulder.  The force of the attack knocked the brute backwards, but the ice failed to pierce his thick scales.

"Already forgotten that there's a fellow Water-type on the field?"  Nemo said, launching more ice-spikes out of the makeshift pool at his foe.

The Feraligatr turned to face him.  "You," he said.  "Proud--why?"  He plucked an ice skewer before it struck him, snapping it free of its base and flinging it at Nemo like a javelin.  The projectile missed Nemo by inches.  "I proved myself stronger than you--nearly devoured you.  Do you offer your flesh to me?"

With a casual gesture of his arm, the Feraligatr sent a massive wave of water from the pool barreling towards Nemo.  Before it made contact, however, the water's momentum faded as the Feraligatr fell to his knees, his concentration lost; sparks danced off of his scales as electricity fed into his body through the pool.

The titan fought the paralytic energy of the electricity, turning to the yellow form at the pool's edge, with one hand in the water.  Artmis flashed the reptilian pokemon a roguish grin.  "He's not offering you his flesh today--but he was more than happy to offer a distraction.  You might be able to dodge my blasts, but as long as you're splashing about in that water--which you called to the field--you can't escape my powers.  Water conducts electricity!"

The Feraligatr knelt as electricity continuously shot through every muscle and nerve of his body; he grunted, trying to muster the will to move his muscles against the stunning effect of Artemis' powers.  Ripple trotted up next to the Electric-type; the Furret's face was starting to swell from being smashed into the stone by the massive Water-type, but that only barely dimmed the look of utter triumph on her face.

"I'm glad to see you implement Lake of Sparks, Artemis," Ripple beamed.  "You actually were paying attention in that impromptu strategy meeting during the walk over here.  Now, then Dulcet?"

"Uh, yes?"  The Audino piped back.  "You'll be wanting a look at your face then, Ripple?"

"Tend to Ivan first, if he needs it," Ripple said.  "I regret including him.  I forget he's a human child no matter what he can make himself look like--no true pokemon would have panicked and shut down as he did back there."

As Dulcet waddled over to Ivan, carefully avoiding stepping in any water, the Feraligatr began muttering softly, nearly incomprehensibly.  "You've--won?"  Ripple frowned, looking at the beast.

"What's that?"  She said.  "I haven't made my demands yet.  You've decided to spill the beans of your own accord?"

"Deluding--yourself," the Feraligatr said, before letting out a mighty roar.

The entirety of the pool froze once more.

Artemis blinked in surprise and tried to dash backwards, but her hand was caught in the ice.  The Feraligatr was no longer standing in water infused with Artemis' sparks, which meant that his muscles quickly shrugged off their paralysis.  He ripped free of the ice encasing his feet and lower body and sped towards Artemis and Ripple, moving his fastest.

He caught Artemis with a powerful punch which would have sent her flying backwards, were her arm not locked in ice.  As it was, she began her launch only for the ice to bring her momentum to a sudden stop; the whiplash snapped through her body, dislocating Artemis' shoulder.  The Electabuzz collapsed against the frost, writhing in sudden pain, her foot claws digging scratches into the ice's surface as her arm hung limply.

The Feraligatr only spared that one punch for Artemis, spending the rest of his efforts in racing after Ripple.  Nemo shot jets of water at his enemy, but most flew past the Feraligatr, and he ignored the few that struck true.  Ripple approached a pile of rusted mining scrap, and she ducked low, trying to wriggle underneath the materials.  She had nearly succeeded in hiding herself, but the Feraligatr's claw caught her tail's tip.

He began pulling her free of the pile.  Ripple desperately pawed at the ground, trying to save herself, but the Feraligatr was too strong; her claws wore scratches into the stone in her desperate attempts to avoid being caught.

Ripple was dragged completely into the open.  The Feraligatr slammed her into the stone beneath them once more, this time holding her tight with two claws each as massive as her body.  The Feraligatr lowered his head until his face was inches from hers.  Ripple could not help but stare back, quivering in dread.

The Feraligatr's massive maw opened as he spoke to his prey.  "This time--I eat."  He licked his teeth slowly, saliva dribbling onto Ripple's face.  "But first--I ask you questions.  Gentle Darkness--what interest have they in Ipde's legends?  And the Vulpix.  You called him a human child.  Explain."

"N-No," Ripple gasped.  "Run…if you can hear me, Ivan…Artemis…run…"

The Feraligatr slowly squeezed harder, until Ripple could get no single sound out.  The Furret made small, weak noises as she tried to obtain air.  "If you won't answer--then I eat."  He lowered his mouth, fangs open wide.

Moments before he ripped into Ripple's body, a fireball burst against the side of his head.  The Feraligatr raised his head in annoyance; Ivan was racing towards the two pokemon.  "Leave Ripple alone!"  He said, blasting another stream of fire at his enemy.  It struck the Feraligatr in his chest and fizzled uselessly against his blue scales.

"You again?"  The Water-type grunted.  "You think--to help?"  He prepared to loose a blast of water, aimed straight at the small Fire-type.

Suddenly a green figure darted from behind a large stone, moving at a blur towards the Feraligatr.  The gargantuan pokemon turned to the newcomer in shock; there was a flash of steel and the Feraligatr reared back, roaring, as shining blue scales flew free from his newly wounded arm.  As the Water-type's wounded arm loosened its grip on Ripple, the green figure darted under his limbs and snatched the Furret away, flinging her to safety.  As Ripple landed some distance away from her former captor, she took in large breaths of air amidst intermittent coughs.

The Feraligatr launched a blast of water at the newcomer, but the green figure had long since moved from his former spot.  A blur of movement outside the corner of the Feraligatr's eye announced his presence; another flash of steel and the Feraligatr flinched in pain.  Scales severed from the titan's newest wound, right beneath his neck.  The Feraligatr bellowed, making a wide swipe with a large claw.  The figure ducked low, easily dodging the attack, and a third wound grew on the Feraligatr's belly as more scales dropped earthward.

The Water-type staggered back in shock, one arm clutching the wounded other, as the green figure retreated to a safe distance, placing the Feraligatr between itself and Ivan.  It was a human--a human man, who looked to be at least fifty, with a strange, ornate green coat and a saber in hand.  His face, lined with a trimmed beard, looked almost bored--as though he did this manner of thing all the time.

The Feraligatr turned to face the green-clad man, turning his back to Ivan and the other pokemon.  "Human?"  He said, shocked.  "A human--did this to me? Not possible!"

"I've heard that from a number of pokemon, actually," the human said.  His voice rang with a strange, melodic accent.  "You'll notice that they're not around to banter with you, while I am.  The name's Alvovz.  Remember it or not, that's your choice."

The Feraligatr sat in stunned silence for a few seconds before speaking once more.  "I'm sent to steal papers about the Deplorable One.  A group of harassers--will not let me be.  And now I am wounded--by a human?  One who understands pokemon?  I do not like Hoenn."

"Papers about the Deplorable One?"  Alvovz responded.  "Could you mean these?"  He reached into his coat and plucked a few sheets of paper out, waving them for all to see.  On the top left of every paper was a stylized black emblem resembling Pokemon Tower--the symbol of the guild Gentle Darkness.

The Feraligatr's eyes widened in shock and rage.  "How--HOW?!"  He made to charge Alvovz, but words from the sword-wielding human halted him.

"Careful now," Alvovz said.  "If you rough me up and the papers get destroyed, what'll happen then?  And as for how I found them…I tracked you from your fall down the cliff a small ways back.  I happened upon this quarry…and sounds of violence reached my ears.  My eyes noticed a pair of branches, obviously snapped free from nearby trees, lying suspiciously overlapping one another nearby.  I moved them and found, to my amusement, a hastily hid pouch containing these papers.  You really ought to learn how to hide things better."

"You wish to taunt me?"  The Feraligatr said.  "Or perhaps--you too seek the secrets.  The mysteries of the Deplorable One."

"Actually, I couldn't care less about the Trumpeter or your interest in him," Alvovz replied.  "I've just been drawing you out until that young Vulpix is finished using his flames to free the Electabuzz from the ice.  And it looks like she just got out."

The Feraligatr gave a start and turned around, just in time to see the newly freed Artemis fire a huge line of electricity at him from the nodes between her head.  It struck him full on, the electricity rippling through his body, giving the pain that pokemon experienced at a type disadvantage.

Footsteps rang behind the Feraligatr; a sword swipe met his back, slicing more protective scales away as Alvovz's saber left another gash in his flesh.  The Feraligatr turned to attack the human, but a combined burst of fire and lightning smashed into the new wound on his back as he turned away from Ivan and Artemis.  The Water-type collapsed and Alvovz was upon him once more.

A saber swipe left another wound on the Feraligatr's upper leg.  The human tried for a go at the beast's torso, but the Feraligatr finally caught Alvovz with a punch, knocking the human away.

Another electric blast struck him.  He turned to see Artemis approaching him at top speed.  Her dislocated arm hung limply, but she bent and scooped a long, rusted sliver of metal--a remnant of long-disused mining material--from the ground.  Artemis lunged at her foe, driving the metal spike into the scale-less, exposed wound Alvovz had left near the creature's neck.  The Feraligatr let out a sharp, pained gasp, but before he could do anymore Artemis poured electric current from her body into the metal still clutched in her hand, all down into his body.

The Feraligatr spasmed as pure electricity fed into his flesh, sparks starting to rise from his wounds.  His thrashing finally threw off Artemis and the moment he was free, he turned and ran as quickly as his wounds would permit, racing away from the battlefield without a single glance backwards.

Artemis collapsed in relief.  Ivan trotted up to her, nosing at her arm.  "Are you okay, Artemis?"  Ivan asked.

"I've been better," Artemis said, "but then again I've been worse, too."  She looked down at Ivan, who was shaking.  "The better question is--how are you doing, kiddo?"

"I thought…I was gonna die…"  Ivan said.  "I thought he was gonna eat Ripple."  He buried his muzzle in Artemis' fur.  "I don't like it here!  When can we go home?!"

Artemis hugged him tight with her free arm.  "Soon, Ivan.  Not much longer.  Just hold out, okay?"

Dulcet, who had been tending to Ripple, now pottered over to them.  As she approached the duo, she closed her eyes; a wave of calm ran through Ivan and Artemis, and their weariness began to lift.

"Artemis," the Audino said as she continued healing them, "my powers boost the body's natural healing properties and prowess; I have my limits.  I won't be able to put your arm back into its proper place."

"I might be able to help."  Alvovz said, approaching them.  "My people eschew more modern medicine, and have a method to return a dislocated joint back to its proper place.  I can gradually slide it back in with enough force in the right areas.  Of course it's meant for humans, but you're humanshape enough that I suspect it'll work."

"Alright," Artemis said.  "Go ahead."

"I have to warn you; it'll be quite painful."

"Do it."

He was right.  It was very, very painful.

After the process was finished, Artemis sat wincing.  "Keep it bound for a while," Alvovz said.  "You're a pokemon, so you heal faster than people.  Couple with treatment from the Audino and you should be right as rain in a few days."

"Thank you for all your help," Ripple said, approaching him.  "I never expected to see a human match a pokemon in battle--nor one who can understand our language.  Not to come across as rude, but the papers you recovered rightfully belong to Gentle Darkness, of which I am a member.  I must ask you to return them to me."

"Of course," Alvovz said.  "I spoke the truth to the Feraligatr; the Trumpeter is no concern of mine."

"What made you decide to help us?"  Artemis said.

"I happened upon several pokemon looking beaten and hurt, with a massive Feraligatr crushing and preparing to eat one.  I knew which side I was taking."

"Thank you again," Ripple said.

"If you're researching the Trumpeter, I suspect you're on your way to Ipde.  Please, allow me to accompany you."

Ripple looked around at the others.  "I have no problem with it," Artemis said.  Ivan nodded his agreement.

"We could use the help," said Nemo.

"We should return to Emily," Dulcet noted.  "Get her opinion.  If she's fine with it, I have nothing to say."

"Very well," Ripple responded.  "Let us be off."

As they headed towards Emily's hiding spot, Artemis took Ivan aside.

"This man seems nice enough," she said.  "He did save us.  But for now, we should have you stay as a Vulpix--just to be safe.  We should keep the secret among as few people as possible."

***

Armor sat, musing, in the basement room where the machine was built.  Nightshade sat quietly beside him.  The construction process had taken only a few days, with the monetary support and manpower provided by the Council.

Missy and Dan were talking with Luke near the machine.  Ruby hovered near the edge of their group.

"Eh, Nightshade," Armor said.  "Can you believe it--that we're heading back to our own world after all?"

"It's a big change," Nightshade said.  "I spent a significant portion of my early life living in one area--then when my first trainer left on his journey, things quickly took a number of unanticipated turns.  Within a year I found a new trainer, new companions, and we'd fought off Masque and settled into a whole separate world.  That year was easily the most tumultuous of my life…I can't shake the feeling that we're about to embark on another life-changing journey.

"Hm," Armor replied.  "I didn't really do anything other than live in that abandoned manor until Blaine caught me and gave me to Dan…but I like the friendships I've made, eh?.  I like the life I live, even if it's in a separate world.  I want my friends and family to be safe.  Do you think Ivan, Artemis, and Nemo are all right?"

"If that device that Ruby and Missy found is to blame for their disappearance, then they definitely were sent away by someone, purposefully.  I don't know why that would be…but I doubt the reason could be benevolent."

Ruby walked over to her two companions.  "Hey, you two, get over here!  They're going to fire it up--get ready to embark."

Luke had changed a great deal in the last nineteen years.  He had grown from thin and weedy to quite stout, and the fringes of his red hair had started to fade into a low autumn grey.  "All right, sis," Luke said, "I've duplicated the machine very near to how it was way back when.  Some changes have been made--it should read the data and project a gateway on its own volition this time."

He took a deep breath.  "Missy…last time you touched this machine, you didn't come back for months, and you returned in a whole separate body.  If you think you might regret this decision later…"

"My son is more important," Missy said.  "Artemis and Nemo, my friends, are in there too.  I told you about the dream I had."

Armor shifted uncomfortably, as did everyone else.  It's not that they doubted Missy's visions of the being called 'Mr. Shadow'--or, at least, Armor didn't doubt them--but it was disquieting to hear about nonetheless.

"If they're in danger, I can't let it slide by," Missy continued.  "Turn it on, Luke."

Luke nodded in acknowledgement and switched the power on.  A low hum emanated from the machine as the lights flickered on and off--it was sucking the power.   After a few seconds, the machine projected what appeared to be a hologram of a white sphere.

Missy noticeably tensed.  "Scared that you'll turn into an Eevee again?"  Dan asked concernedly.

"A bit," she admitted.  "But I won't let it stop me.  If we're to completely repeat what happened back then, somebody has to touch the sphere."  She gave a sideways glance to her brother.  "Luke, you should get out of the room.  I don't think you want to be caught up in this.  Thank you for doing this."  Luke nodded, and left.

"The problem is," Missy continued once he left, "in the visions that the Hypno forced into me," she said, shuddering despite herself at the awful memory, "I don't recall all the visions entirely…but in one, I think you, Dan, touched the sphere and became a pokemon instead of me…"

Silence fell in the room, before Armor spoke up.  "Simple enough solution, eh.  I'll touch the thing."

Everyone looked at him.  "You mean it?"  Ruby said incredulously.  "You have no idea what it'll do to you!"

"Oh no," Armor said sarcastically.  "I'll be turned into a pokemon, eh!  What I've been my entire life!  Listen, somebody has to do it, eh?  And we're wasting time debating over it."

He approached the sphere.  "So if there's no objections…"  Nobody made a sound.

"Here goes."

Armor touched the white sphere.  There was a flash, and a sound like a vacuum from a great distance away, as they were flung into the gateway between universes.

***

The Feraligatr crawled, blood dripping every now and then from the wounds that the green-clad man had given him.  His body cried out in agony from the punishment he'd endured: the beating a few days prior, his tumble down the cliff, and now the fight he'd been through, not to mention crawling desperately away from the battlesite.  He'd managed to bring several miles between himself and the mine entrance, but he refused to give up.

Finally he could move no more. He collapsed, heaving, and became aware of a burning sensation in his collarbone.  The metal spike that the Electric-type had driven in--in his single-minded obsession in escaping the arena, he'd forgotten to address that problem.

He grasped at the metal rod and, with a grunt, tore it free.  He cast it aside as new pain shot from the area.  The Feraligatr was afraid…whenever he fought he always felt a pleasurable, soothing sensation that overrode whatever injuries he sustained.  Occasionally spikes of pain shot through, but the good feeling always quickly overrode it.  His fight at the mine had hurt him to such a degree that the pleasurable sensation had been chased away; it had been many years since he'd entered battle without it.

The Feraligatr lay delirious on the forest floor, head spinning with pain.  Despite his mental efforts he felt himself slipping away into unconsciousness, and memories of the past bled into his confused mind…

It was years past, the time that the humans called the Assailment.  A war unlike the world had seen, individual regions broken down into vicious squabbles.  Whole cities were abandoned.  If there was one thing that was wanted desperately by every side, it was powerful and dangerous pokemon.

The Totodile was young and friendly, spending his days splashing and playing with other Water-types in the swamps.  He knew that people and pokemon were fighting far, far away, but what did it matter?  It couldn't affect him.  Didn't affect him.  Then one day strange people came to the swamp.  They plucked the pokemon out, including the Totodile.  He was sent to a strange place, a clean building smelling of chemicals where humans paraded about, talking of grand plans.  The Totodile never saw the swamp again, though he often dreamed of it.

They were fond of needles in that strange, sterile place.  They stuck them in him almost every day.  They made the Totodile and many other pokemon fight; without fail, before and after the fights, they put a needle into the Totodile and squeezed something into him.  Whatever it was, it made him happy, very happy.

Over the many weeks of needles and fighting, the Totodile found something strange happening to his body.  The pleasurable feeling the needles gave to him before and after fights started happening during fights as well, of its own volition.  It started off light at first, but soon the feelings of happiness and content his body gave him during battles overwhelmed any pain he would receive.  Sometimes…sometimes, as he lay awake at night trying desperately to keep his mind on the swamp, thoughts of violence would slip in even though he did not want them to, and his body tingled with pleasure.

Other things started to happen to his body.  The Totodile was a young pokemon like many of the others in the clean place, and like all young pokemon, he had yet to grow.  But as he grew they stuck more needles into him, and he got large…very, very large.  Much bigger than any normal Totodile.  That was not the only change.  His scales thickened and hardened until they became less like scales and more like armor.  His fangs and teeth grew hard indeed, and their natural sharpness increased.  He found that he could run faster without losing breath, or swim for hours.

The Totodile knew there was something wrong with his body, and hated it.  But his massive size, the pleasure feeling during combat, and the other traits that the humans had given him through their needles combined to make him the best pokemon in their practice battles between the captive pokemon.

But as his size swelled to levels far beyond what they should have been, the humans did not increase the serving size of his food.  As he grew he found that it filled his belly less and less…soon his stomach pained him between meals, and then he found himself feeling starved mere hours after his meal.  As his size increased he reached the point where he was constantly hungry; the food they gave him only briefly reprieved him of his starvation.  He had long passed the point where he licked the bowl clean after every meal and sniffed the floor for wayward crumbs.

The omnipresent hunger was beyond agonizing.

He gouged his claws into the wall in a desperate attempt to keep his mind away from it.  He could never stop thinking of it…he ate his own cast-off scales in an attempt to sate it.  The hunger kept him up long hours of the night.

At one point, deep into the hunger, the humans switched out the kind of food they fed him.  Deep inside the Totodile thought that the new food they provided was not artificial, but real pokemon meat.  He kept his mind off of it.  He couldn't afford to care.

Other pokemon started to smell tasty a few days after they switched his food.

One day, in battle, the omnipresent hunger overcame the Totodile as he easily swept his opponent.  He knocked his adversary unconscious and stared at her hungrily, the small Clefairy who had proven so easy to beat.  The hunger was unbearable…

Half of her was already in his belly before he realized was he was doing.   The young Totodile sat there, blood on his mouth and teeth, the Clefairy's corpse lying before him with swathes of flesh bitten out.  He started to cry.  "I'm sorry…" He said.  "I'm sorry…"

But he did not stop feasting.

As he finished a group of humans came into the battlefield.  The Totodile was scared, scared that they would kill him or punish him or take away the needles with the happy feeling.  But the humans knelt down beside him and the remains of the Clefairy with proud smiles on their faces.  They petted him and praised him and told him what a good pokemon he was.  They stuck needles in him, more needles than had ever been there before, and the greatest feeling of pleasure he had yet experienced seized the Totodile.  He left the battlefield in a state of barely-conscious bliss that lasted for hours.

That night, when the intense happiness finally wore off, the Totodile once again fell into tears, and cried himself to sleep.  He did not dream of the swamp that night.

Over the next several weeks the Totodile swore not to allow it to happen again.  He banished any thought of the tasty smell that wafted from other pokemon.  He even threw fights rather than succumb to it again.

But they never did increase the amount of food they gave him.  And they kept sticking needles into him--and he kept growing.  And his hunger grew with him.

And so it occurred once more.  The Totodile ate another opponent after one of the practice fights, and again the humans entered, with their praise and congratulations and needles that gave happiness.

It took some time, but it happened again.

A little less time, and again.

And again.

And again.

Until it happened every time he fought.

He became ever more proficient in combat.  He evolved into a Croconaw, and a little time later again into a Feraligatr.

And what a Feraligatr he proved to be.  He stood over eleven feet, towering over other Feraligatr, indeed towering over nearly every opponent provided to him.  He'd scales like an armored shell, teeth like razors, and a near-endless supply of quickly-regenerating stamina.  He shrugged off attacks of types he was weak against as though they were nothing, and ignored all pain in the wave of pleasure that came when he experienced a fight.  His breath stank of blood and fresh flesh.

The humans who ran the sterile building were excited.  They whispered amongst themselves.

'He's the best, by far.'

'Wonder who'll take him.'

'He'll sell high…'

But then Azure, the shipping Guild, absorbed Team Aqua.  The balance of power was shaken up; the Assailment ended soon after.

The people who'd transformed the Feraligatr into what he was didn't like that.  They still wanted to sell their top test subject.  How they screamed when their projects were exposed.  Every one of them wept and pleaded as they were led away.

The Feraligatr and the few other pokemon that survived the experimentation were hauled off to a secure area.  They fed him there; more than the people in the sterile building had.  It mattered not.  The hunger had been a part of the Feraligatr's life for far too long.  It would never go away, now…

The fact that there were no more needles to give him happiness also came too late.  Whenever he thought of violence, or of eating another pokemon--his body shivered with pleasure.

He spent many long years in that secure, inescapable place.  And he thought the misery that was his life would end there.

"Wake."

But one day, the human warden of the area came and had him bound tightly.  Feet, arms, and--especially--mouth.  As he was marched free, the warden spoke to him.  "You've been purchased."

"Wake now, you brute."

"I don't know who bought you, or why, given your reputation.  I told him what you are."  The warden looked distastefully at the Feraligatr's restrained mouth.  "All of what you are.  He said it didn't matter.  Strange man.  I hear he's collecting powerful pokemon.  Wonder what for…

"Wake up!  Do as I say!"

The Feraligatr's eyes snapped open.  The sky above him was starry and dark blue.  He sat up slowly, his body aching.  The wounds were starting to heal, though it would be a while before the scales grew back.

The hunger cried out at him.  The Feraligatr shuddered at it.

"Voice--familiar," he mused.

A cavalcade of energy surrounded him, rendering him immobile.  "I should hope it's familiar."  There was a flash of light and Bellum materialized before him.  She looked distraught.

Bellum's psychic power raised the Feraligatr from the earth and sent him slamming into a tree.  "You were to retrieve the papers left by Gentle Darkness pertaining to the Trumpeter."  Her powers sent him flying several feet into a large stone.  "You were to rendezvous with me at the mine site and pass off the papers."  The power let go--he collapsed to the ground.  "And here I find you, sprawled beneath the stars some miles from the mine, with a half-dozen messy wounds and no papers.  What?!  Happened?!"

"Attacked," he replied.  "Strange group--human helped them.  Powerful human."

"A human," Bellum said flatly.  "I exhausted myself with a cross-continent teleport to hear how you were disgraced by a human.  And you're a filthy cannibal to boot.  Sometimes I look at you and wonder if the Master's plan to destroy all pokemon is really so mad after all."

"He's crazy?"  The Feraligatr said.  "Then why help his plan?"

"His professed grand goal is insanity, not accomplishable.  But that doesn't detract from his other, very legitimate skills.  Under his tutelage I will grow to be the greatest combatant ever known.  And if by some miracle he does near his goal…"  Her eyes glowed with power.  "I'll kill him."

"He will fail--I think."  The Feraligatr said.  "But he lets me fight, and eat.  So I help."

"Well, enough of him," Bellum said.  "Anything else to say before I head off and report your shame?"

"They took the papers," the Feraligatr said.  "But the Furret--said something.  That a Vulpix was really a human child."

Bellum let out a low gasp.  "You truly mean it?"  She said.  "This is the sort of thing the Master has been hunting for years and you stumble across it by pure chance?"  She paused in thought.  "This may make up for your failure to retrieve the documents.  I'll let him know.  In the meantime, you continue with the task you've been assigned to complete after the rendezvous.   You let the papers slip free, but there's nothing we can do about that now.  Just go meet the Guild on Master's behalf."

A flash of light, and she was gone.

The Feraligatr got up.  He had a long journey ahead of him.  But first…he needed to find some dinner.

He was starving.