Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Altered Bonds
Chapter 2 — A Changeling
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The rain had stopped, leftover water dripping from leaves onto the forest floor. Lucario ducked as a drop fell on his head, his glowing eyes scanning the trees. Not an aura in sight.
Eira’s nervousness flowed into his mind, and he pushed the feedback away. The brown-skinned kid being so close to him, his aurasense kept running into her thoughts and emotions, and it took all his willpower not to eavesdrop.
Communicating with his emotions, he had managed to explain to Eira what happened with Ariados and Kecleon. Learning there was a Pokemon civilization that was superstitious about humans and that they’d be stuck here for a long while made her jittery, but she kept herself together and looked to him for support. It was touching, really. The timid girl put so much faith in him.
Lucario couldn’t let her down.
A few cases came where they had to change direction to avoid groups of sleeping Pokemon. The first time, it was a Combee nest. The second time, it was a trio of Hoppip. The third time, Lucario didn’t even look at the shape, turning away with a stifled sigh.
As Kecleon had mentioned, there was a path that cut straight through the forest, north to south. Lucario took a good look at it, keeping Eira within the shadows as a precaution. It was more convenient than walking through the thick of the forest, and there didn’t seem to be Pokemon using the road at this time, but he chose not to risk it and went back into the greenery.
When we find a good spot, he told himself, ducking under a branch, I should build a makeshift hut. Not sure how they’re made, but I will. Then maybe I can go to the nearest town, find out how things work around here, and try to get myself supplies. If Pokemon live in towns around here, they must have some form of currency, right?
The idea of working for money made him squirm. The way things were done here put him way out of his comfort zone.
Like a Magikarp out of water. A world where Pokemon have formed their own advanced societies has got to be the most alien thing I have ever come across. For a moment his eyes flickered to Eira, who wordlessly followed. Then there’s her, a human in a world without humans. A world where she’s the alien.
Eira was the sort to keep to herself, Lucario realized. She barely uttered a word, only speaking when she felt like she had to. Not once did she complain about how damp her clothing and shoulder-length hair was. She probably wasn’t one to complain or argue anyway, the girl was passive.
Yet something told him she was stronger than she looked. She had been in the same wicked shipwreck that they survived against all odds, understood her loved ones on that ship were likely dead, and nearly died herself to an Ariados continuously stabbing her with Poison Sting.
And yet she didn’t cry. Bleak as the situation was, she kept going.
That iron determination seeped into Lucario. He still couldn’t find any place suitable for a hideout, and finding a way back home was another affair, but no matter. He would find a way to protect the girl, he was sure of it. They beat the odds so far. What more would it take for another miracle, another saving grace, to take care of their survival problem?
Lucario abruptly stopped, Eira doing the same with muted worry. His aurasense felt off, as if it could sense someone else around, but there was no aura to see in the forest. Not a Pokemon to be found. How unusual.
He spun in a circle. Nothing. There were little insects, but no sign of intelligent life anywhere. Was something wrong with him?
Rubbing his eyes, he looked once more but still failed to find where the pesky aura was. Still, he could feel something prick the four black appendages falling from his head, as if something sinister was closing in on him. That wasn’t a good sign.
Was there a Pokemon that could suppress its aura?
Eira had said nothing, but her tight face gave away the question in her head. Lucario put his hands to his lips, drawing her over to the shaded side of a tree trunk. His blazing blue eyes shone, arm extending to put his palm in front of him.
Bluish wisps covered the palm, Lucario channeling his control over aura into it. Fine, he couldn’t see this unwelcome presence, but he could feel it. He’d use that feeling to find where it came from.
Waves of aura flowed around him, overlapping and fluctuating in an ethereal sea. His palm adjusted as he felt the waves, separating those flowing from his body, Eira’s, and that of the world around him. He did so until his attention was drawn to a particular wave of aura that felt similar to the one making his aura-feeling appendages uneasy.
Lucario’s head tilted upward, and his eyes followed. Well, that explains why I didn’t find the aura, he muttered, resisting the urge to facepalm.
He hadn’t expected the Pokemon to be directly above him.
Thick foliage was in the way, blocking all vision, but his aura-eyes could see the newcomer’s red aura without a problem. In other words, the Pokemon hadn’t seen him and Eira yet. That was the good news.
Bad news? Something was off about that aura. Very, very off.
It had the misshapen form of an Aerodactyl, but that wasn’t all. A closer inspection at the aura revealed that the Aerodactyl body was… lifeless? It was like the aura merely extended its reach over the body, puppeteering it, while the actual host resided further within the Aerodactyl. The host had an even stranger composition, reminding Lucario of a spectral parasite.
And then there were the uncomfortable feelings radiating from this creature, whatever it was. He could sense its groans and aches, along with a dark and insidious hunger — a will to feed upon another, no matter what it was, so long as it could take away the suffering. It was almost animalistic.
An Abhorrent?
Lucario found himself choking on the monstrous Pokemon’s emotions. Cutting off the connection, he brought himself to the ground to take a breather from its plagued aura.
“Rrgh?”
An animalistic growl whistled through the night air, chilling Lucario to the bone. The Aerodactyl’s aura stirred in the air, its deformed head turning from side to side with clear urgency. The red hue of said aura intensified.
“My imagination?” it said with a chilling male voice that sounded like bones clicking together. “I did take a serious beating, it could be just my sore head. But no, there was this teeny sound just now, I am sure of it. Is someone there?”
Oh shoot, he knew. The Abhorrent knew. This was an Abhorrent, wasn’t it?
Thank goodness Eira did not make a peep, opting to let her eyes widen instead. Lucario edged closer to her with all due silence, watching the aura of the figure above them. His paw clasped around her arm, and the tip of his tail felt the thick tree trunk at their backs.
The creature kept speaking. “Might’ve scared them away. But yet, it’s not like they got far, and I am suffering a lot right now. Perhaps I could get away with stealing just a piece of their lifeforce — no, no, restraint, must have some restraint. Still, I could — gah! Hurts too much, too much—”
A snarl came out of the Aerodactyl monster, and Lucario held his breath as his head tilted down, as if intending to check the forest floor. Aurasense alerted him to the panic within Eira’s mind, a pure emotion that spilled over into her shakiness. They needed to get away right now. They needed to hide.
Giving Eira a look, he skirted around the base of the tree trunk beside them, putting it between them and the Aerodactyl. The glow of his eyes would still give them away, but unwilling to drop his aura sight, he chose to position himself so that the tree trunk would effectively block out the light.
“You’re here, and I know it.” Leaves scattered as the Aerodactyl broke through the foliage. Lucario couldn’t see him from behind the trunk, only his hostile aura, and that was a good thing. Curious as he was to see what this monster really looked like, doing so was beyond foolish.
Aerodactyl spun in a circle, searching for them. “I know you’re listening, whatever you are. I understand if you’re afraid of me, it’s only natural. It’s hard not to show some fear in the face of what looks and sounds like a monster. But really, I don’t want any trouble, and I’m sure you don’t either.”
Lucario didn’t budge, ignoring the sweet-talk. “You’re making this difficult,” the figure went on, his cordial tone strained. “I don’t appreciate that one bit — it rattles my bones to know you’re being this way. I’m a nice guy if you get to know me, and why, if I wasn’t empty-handed at the moment, I’d be willing to give you a gift for your troubles. All I need is, er, a quick favor. It’ll be painless.”
All the while the Aerodactyl was flying in a slow, collected manner, craning his head around trees and peering into the leaves and branches. He was looking for them, and at this rate, they were going to be found.
Dang it, Eira could not be found under any circumstance, or this would be way worse than what happened with Ariados. This Pokemon clearly was one of those Abhorrents Kecleon warned him of, and Lucario didn’t want to think of what he would do to the girl.
He considered leaving her for a moment to deal with the Aerodactyl when leaves rustled to the side. Lucario’s eyes darted to a tree close to where the Aerodactyl was currently checking, a blue aura within. An ally?
Lucario blinked at the sudden aura. Wait, where did this guy come from? And if he was friendly, why did his aura seem messed up like the Aerodactyl’s? There were a bunch of fainter auras inside this aura!
Aerodactyl was upon the newcomer in a second. “There you are,” he hummed. “Ah, but not what I was expecting. You already have the gift.”
“Your idea of a gift is pretty messed up, sicko,” the figure retorted. Lucario looked to a relieved Eira, who understood that they had been saved. The surprise in her face was evident, though.
Hearing the mature voice and the unique Pokemon-speak behind it, Lucario found himself surprised too, but for a different reason. That’s the language of an Eevee, he thought.
An Eevee Abhorrent who must’ve also been aware of their presence, and yet chose to save them. Huh?
“Well, you found me, what now?” the Eevee said. As he did so Lucario paid attention to his strange aura. It had the shape of an Eevee all right, with an appearance that looked like a dog, cat, and fox blended together, but there were several spike-shapes jutting out of its head. And then there were the extra auras that were hidden inside the Eevee’s aura, like he was hosting other Pokemon within his body. All those auras held the same friendly blue color as the Eevee himself, voices babbling from each of them.
Aerodactyl’s aura shrugged with its wings. “Come now, no need to be so blunt. I only wanted to say hello, maybe ask for a little help—”
“You don’t say? You’re looking like someone skinned you alive. Did the storm leave you chilled to the bone, pun intended?”
“Way to be crass, little Eevee. You poking fun at my appearance? You’re no different from me, Abhorrent. You maintaining the edges on those rainbow spikes?”
Yep, there was the confirmation. They were both Abhorrents, but for some reason, one of them was subtly protecting him and Eira. Lucario felt tempted to see into Eevee’s thoughts to figure out why he was doing this, but held back.
“Very funny, Aerodactyl. Look, I can see you took a beating, but you have some serious nerve if you think I’m willing to let you use some health-draining move on me—”
“Why would I ever do that?” the Aerodactyl purred. “Besides, it’s not like I have any nerves to begin with.”
Eevee snickered. “Now you’re just making fun of your own state. Why are you still here when you’ve got all those injuries to attend to? I say you do yourself a favor, grab yourself an Oran Berry from the nearest tree, and scram.”
Aerodactyl sighed, grumbling something that Lucario couldn't overhear. His red aura seemed to veer toward the sky when he hesitated.
“But wait.” A sour note rang in Aerodactyl’s voice, making Lucario’s heart skip a beat. “I don’t recall hearing any noise from this particular tree. There should be another person here, no?”
“There was a storm, doofus, could be just dewdrops or wind you heard,” scoffed the Eevee. “Or it’s one of the wild Pokemon of the forest, losing its mind at what a freakshow you are.”
But Aerodactyl wasn’t convinced. Lucario stiffened as the red of his aura flashed, the Aerodactyl searching the place again and mumbling unintelligible words. Eira couldn't see of course, but the rustling noises made by his search unnerved her.
“Say, didn’t you mention something about a gift?” Eevee’s voice now had an edge to it. “Maybe I shouldn’t let you go, it sounds like you’re one of those Abhorrents—”
“I know you’re protecting someone.” Aerodactyl dropped his facade, his bloodthirsty voice making a Hoothoot well in the distance cry out in panic. “You think you can hide them from me, traitor?”
He was right beside their tree now. Lucario gave up on them being completely undetected — he really wanted to avoid a battle, but no choice now. He put a finger to Eira’s lips as he prepared himself, ready to keep this monster from finding out about the human.
“Aerodactyl, you make a move—” Eevee warned.
“Someone important to you, is it? Someone special?” Aerodactyl began to search their tree. “I’m afraid—”
Lucario’s palm pressed against a skull wreathed in dark flames. Aura seeped out of the palm, exploding outward.
Aerodactyl screamed as he crashed into a trunk a good distance away, Lucario hissing at his horrid appearance. He looked even worse than he thought! There was no skin nor muscles covering his skeletal body, only a miasma of darkness that flared up around his bony head. Lacking eyeballs, his empty eye sockets had red pinpricks of light instead, focused entirely on him.
His skeleton seemed splintered, especially his wing-bones. Hanging from said bones were wings made of pure burning darkness that were still as could be, yet somehow kept him floating in the air. “YOU DARE?” snarled the undead pterodactyl, moving toward him.
Ghostly spheres impacted him from the side, however, fired one after the other. They didn’t look like they should’ve hurt much, yet Aerodactyl screeched all the same, his bones creaking and his dark aura fizzling. Soon he was rising into the air, breaking through the treeline and scattering leaves in his wake.
Aerodactyl had chosen to retreat, thank goodness. Lucario watched his red aura dim as he left the forest, then eyed the blue aura that surrounded the Eevee as the latter canceled his next Shadow Ball attack.
The friendly Abhorrent sat upon a branch, his brown furry face and long ears sticking out of the tree. He looked like a normal Eevee, except there was a crown of crystalline growths upon his head. There appeared to be eight in total: pink, red, yellow, green, light-blue, blue, purple, and black. The night shaded their dazzling colors.
“Should’ve just knocked him out while we had the chance,” muttered the Eevee, his paw fingering a pouch that dangled from his neck. “It was obvious from the start that he was no good, but whatever, he’s long gone now.”
Aurasense alerted Lucario to various emotions coming from the additional auras that lived inside Eevee. “Yes, yes, moment of truth,” the Eevee said as if he was communicating with those other auras, before whipping his head over with a smirk. “You know, Lucario, most people bolt at the sight of me. Are you not going to panic and skedaddle like them, or did someone throw a Mean Look your way so you wouldn’t escape?”
Lucario bit his lip as he turned off his aurasense, not sure how to proceed with his strange benefactor. “Just who are you?” he questioned. “Or what are you, exactly? Your aura tells me you’re on my side, but I don’t know what to make of you, never mind what a creature like you wants from me.”
“Hm, I guess I did have more than one reason to save you from that Aerodactyl.” Eevee gestured with a lazy swipe of his paw, pointing at the tree Eira was behind. “You know you can’t hide the human from me, right? Do bring her out, I don’t need her being scared of me.”
Any tiny hope Lucario had in him being unaware of the girl was crushed. At least he didn’t seem to have any evil plans for her, and his aurasense didn’t lie.
Eira relaxed upon seeing him return, before noticing the urgency in his expression. She turned her head past the tree, understanding she was being called upon, and a concerned frown covered her face. Ariados had left a lasting impression on her, and it was clear she didn’t feel comfortable coming out. Frankly, Lucario didn’t feel comfortable with this either. Did he really want to show his human to a freak of nature?
Not that Eevee gave them a choice, as he leapt into a tree branch in plain view of the duo. Eira reeled back, spotting the crystal spikes growing out of the Eevee. “Wha- th-that Eevee, he’s—” she stammered, not understanding what she was seeing. “L-Lucario?”
“Oh hey, she said your name!” said Eevee, waving to her in a friendly manner. “She said your name, right? I always figured Unown-script and human speech would be similar. Guess I’m right — a shame it doesn’t help me understand her. How did a human reach Haven Archipelago anyway, and what is it doing with the Lucario we have here?”
Lucario put himself in between the two. “‘I don’t need her being scared of me,’ you say?” he barked.
“Come now, you surely understand I’m not like most other Abhorrents,” said an amused Eevee. “I’m certainly nothing like that messed up Aerodactyl. Human or no human, he would’ve done something terrible to you if he got the chance, and you two are very, very fortunate that I was around to put some pressure on him.”
Lucario frowned, noting the way in which Eevee’s lips curled up.
“But don’t thank me yet. Seems to me you have a predicament on your paws, huh?” Eevee directed his attention to Eira, the girl shying away from his eager gaze. For some reason, he was getting excited, as if meeting the human was the greatest thing ever. What was getting into him?
“Well yes, she is in danger here,” Lucario told the Eevee, barely restraining himself from tearing into Eevee’s thoughts. “And there’s no easy way to get us back home. But why do you care?”
“Fabulous question. I’m just going to dodge that question for now and ask you the same thing — why do you, Lucario, care?”
Lucario clutched his forehead — just how annoying could this Eevee be? “Of course I care, why wouldn’t I? She’s the only other survivor of the shipwreck we survived to get here, and I can sympathize. I’m not letting anyone take her second chance at a life away.”
He couldn’t help but glance at Eira as he said this, and she gave a tiny smile back. The human wore a brave face right now, waiting patiently to see how his talk with the friendly Abhorrent Eevee went. Underneath it, though, Lucario could sense the worry gnawing at her heart, telling her she would not make it for much longer.
Conjuring a feeling of confidence and hope, he sent it to Eira. Her eyes widened for a moment before nodding, her smile turning a more natural shade. It put a smile on his face too.
Eevee looked between the two with a longing gaze. “Strong sentiment, I admire that. I know plenty of Pokemon would freak out at the sight of a human, but I’m not one of them — I mean, I’m just as much of a freak as she is, am I right?” A strained laugh left his throat as he tucked his head back into the tree he was sitting within, rummaging through his pouch for something. Lucario and Eira shared a confused look.
Then Eevee popped right back out. “Well, I didn’t do all this just to chat. I think I might just have something to even the odds.” His front paw extended, and Lucario raised his brow.
An ordinary white wristband hung from the paw.
Eevee dropped it, letting it flutter to Lucario’s feet. The jackal warily picked it up, holding it at arm’s length. “I’ve had that thing for a long while, but it doesn’t work for me,” the Abhorrent Pokemon explained. “Hasn’t worked for any Pokemon I’ve known. But I have this sinking feeling that it’ll be a different story for her.”
He pointed to the band, then to Eira. “W-wait, it’s for me?” she said, understanding plenty from the gesture alone.
Lucario stared at the band with a dumbfounded expression. It didn’t even look like the band would fit on her wrist, it was too small. Perfect for an Eevee, but tiny for a human. What was it even supposed to do? Was it safe?
“Trust me on this, Lucario,” said Eevee. “It’s not going to hurt her, you’ll see. Seeing as I’ve already helped with Aerodactyl, you have to wonder: If you can’t trust me, who on these islands can you trust?”
A mumble left Lucario’s lips. With both reluctance and wonder, he brought the wristband to Eira. She was just as hesitant to take the band, but after a long pause she worked up the courage to take it.
Her gaze wandered to Eevee, who watched as if witnessing a life-changing moment right before his eyes. Biting her lip, she slipped the wristband onto her right hand, and for a moment it struggled to go past her fingers. In the end, however, both she and Lucario were amazed when it somehow came on without any trouble. A perfect fit.
A gasp escaped her lips. Lucario wiped the sweat in his forehead, while the Eevee made an anticipatory humming noise, sounding much like a kettle that was about to erupt steam. “Do I—?” Eira murmured, her gaze distant.
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Lucario nearly shrugged to respond when he froze, the girl becoming enveloped in a white light that reminded him of evolution.
Her form shrunk, becoming quadrupedal in shape. Her human ears and hair disappeared, and out sprouted a curly tuft of hair on her head along with fox-like ears and a snout. As if that wasn’t startling enough, six tails popped into existence at her back, just as curly as her newfound hair.
The halo gently faded. Lucario’s reaction was nowhere as gentle — he jumped back, jaw hung and eyes as wide as can be. His heart might have done acrobatics on the spot.
Staring back at him, at half his height, was an equally shell-shocked Eira in the body of a Vulpix.
And not the fiery red sort he was accustomed to. Her fur was snow-white, with blue paws and her ears just as blue, if not darker in shade. Her eyes were also blue, with white pupils flying about in a panic. She twisted around, gaping at her six tails and feeling them with her paws, then spied the white band that snugly fit on her right paw. All her human clothes had disappeared, but the band stayed, blending with her fur.
“I- this—” she stammered, her voice squeaking at the impossibility she’d become. “H-how? How?”
She looked up at Lucario for an explanation — something he could use himself. Lucario went through a lot today, but this topped everything. Eira was a Pokemon! And not just a Pokemon, she was an Alolan Vulpix!
“Eevee?” he said in a raised voice, checking on Eira’s aura. Although her unique signature was still the same, it took a slightly altered shape, confirming that she had the form of a Pokemon. “What did you do to her?”
Joyous laughter erupted from the Pokemon in question, and Lucario found himself bombarded by a flurry of thoughts from within Eevee’s other auras, forcing him to turn off his aurasense. “It works!” he yelled, spinning around from atop his perch. “Eat your spirits out, guys, I told you holding on to that silly thing would pay off one day!”
His raucous behavior died down as Lucario gave him a baffled look. “Er, don’t mind me,” he said, “just speaking with the voices in my head. Not the best time to explain.”
Eevee took on a more regal posture. “Anyway, your human is now an Alolan Vulpix. Or at least, I think that’s what they’re called. I’m told they’re a regional variant from a human place called Alola.” A pause. “What, you’ve got nothing to say? I just gave you a really special item—”
“An item that turns her into a Pokemon, yes, I know!” Lucario circled around, a hand on his forehead. Eira was still inspecting her form, her face stuck between disbelief and marvel. “How is that possible? Where did you get something like that? Scratch that, why on earth do you have a freaky magic item for a human to use when humans don’t exist here?”
“Great questions. You ever wondered where the guys who made the human-repelling towers got their resources from? Haven Archipelago is quite a magical place.”
That was not an answer. Lucario was sorely tempted to grab the Eevee by the chest-fur and shake him all about for a proper response, but the weight of what just happened caught up first. It sounded like a fever dream, but Eira was an Ice-type Vulpix — she blended in with other Pokemon.
Oh.
Lucario pinched himself, staring at Eira with a dropped jaw. The girl-turned-Pokemon was twisting her ears and playing with her tails, figuring out how they worked with a glassy expression. Eventually she leaned over and gave out a deep exhale, then jumped her entire height into the air as her frigid breath froze the grass solid.
OH.
It really wasn’t just some illusion or trick. Eira was truly a Pokemon, complete with all the powers that came with it. She didn’t need to worry about being a human anymore, this was the perfect disguise.
OH MY—
Falling to his knees, Lucario placed a paw on his beating chest. “Eevee,” he breathed, eyeing the culprit responsible for the transformation. “I-I’m speechless. This is too much to handle.”
With that, he brought himself to look Eira in the eye, a thought crossing his mind. No, that would be too good to be true, but could it be?
“Do you understand me?” Lucario whispered.
Eira tilted her vixen head in confusion. Lucario repeated himself, but she didn’t respond, a sigh on her lips. “I, uh, still don’t know what you’re saying,” came her words.
Eevee leaned over from his perch. “That’s not right,” he said. “I can see the wristband is doing its job since she can transform into a Pokemon at will — in her case, an Alolan Vulpix — and she has the affinity to ice too. But she’s also supposed to have the appropriate language too, so where’s her Vulpix-speak? She should be able to respond.”
Was that so? Her Pokemon form didn’t seem to come with the ability to understand or speak the language, otherwise she would’ve reacted much sooner. A glaring flaw in her disguise, but this was still better than Lucario could hope for.
“Hold on, I have an idea.” Eevee leapt out of his spot, falling to the forest floor with grace. Lucario couldn’t help but notice an anklet attached to one of his hindlegs, a brownish crystal affixed to it.
Eira crouched as Eevee strode up to her, notably smaller than her even while transformed. “Hello,” the Abhorrent said, mouthing the word.
She didn’t get it, at least at first. But as Eevee said the word over and over again, something seemed to click in her mind, enlightenment creeping its way throughout her face. “Yes, go on,” urged Eevee. “Follow my lips and repeat after me. Hello.”
He said it one more time, and much to Lucario’s awe, Eira responded. “H-hello?”
The word itself sounded surprised to have come out of her mouth. Eevee had said ‘hello’ in his own Pokemon tongue, and Eira responded likewise. In fluent Vulpix-speak.
“No,” breathed Lucario, shaking his head on instinct. “No, no, no.”
Eira slowly turned to him, and he felt his face go flush. “No?” he whimpered.
“No.” Eira’s tails rose ever so slightly, having as much difficulty understanding how she was doing this. “No.”
“Ha, yes!” Eevee butted in, pleased with his work. “I knew it! Yes, yes, yes!”
Now Eira was staring at him. Eevee grinned, nodding as if to tell her to do the thing, and she didn’t disappoint. “Y-yes?” she said. “I- my head, it’s—”
She shook herself, pawing her forehead for a moment. “It’s like there’s this alien language floating inside my mind,” she stated in a wispy voice. “I don’t understand at first, b-but when you speak enough to me, things just fall into place, and I can say it too.”
Lucario relayed this to Eevee. “Just as I thought, she’s having trouble adjusting and needs a jumpstart,” he said. “Must be because of how different human and Pokemon languages are. Just keep speaking with her, repeat a bunch of words over and over, and she’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”
The weight of what just happened left Lucario nauseous. He propped himself against a tree trunk, rubbing his eyes to make sure Eira the Vulpix was still there, and as expected, she was. This was happening. This was real.
His eyes wandered to the Eevee with the strange crystal spikes, worry seeding in him. “There has to be a catch.”
“A catch?” Eevee rolled his eyes. “I see a poor human clinging to you, in a world where she doesn’t belong, and I can’t help but give her the mercy that others won’t give at first glance. If there’s a catch, it’s that you make sure she doesn’t lose her gift— er, the wristband.”
He coughed into his arm, muttering something about the word ‘gift’ being ruined for him. “Just remember, she’s still human on the inside. She can change back and forth, but should the band ever come off, she automatically reverts, so don’t let anyone take it off or steal it. Got it?”
Lucario nodded. No way he would let her lose something this precious.
“I’m sure there are other questions you have in mind, but it’s getting late,” said Eevee, covering a yawn. “I’ll come find you two when I get the chance tomorrow, and we can chat then. Ah, but a few things first — you said you two came here by shipwreck, right? It’s one thing to cross the distortion field hiding the archipelago from humans, but how did she get past the towers?”
“Her name is Eira.” Lucario glanced at the vixen, blinking his eyes. “And we don’t know, really.”
Eevee nodded. “Then you’re stuck here. And seeing how you’ve been wary of anyone finding your dear Eira, I have a feeling you’ve been spotted already.”
A gust of fear whipped up, chilling Lucario to the bone. Right, that could still be a problem. Maybe Eevee could help him with this too?
He briefly explained what happened, and Eevee took a moment to ponder on it — or perhaps, to discuss it with the so-called voices in his head. “The Ariados matriarch of the Stringed Forest dungeon, right?” he said at last with a huge grin. “Not a problem. She’s known to be a little unhinged, and besides, there’s plenty of tall tales about humans. I should know, I’ve been chasing them for some time now.”
A long exhale left Lucario’s lungs. Then they were safe. So long as Ariados didn’t find them again and see through Eira’s disguise, there wouldn’t be anyone chasing them down.
“And you got a Kecleon merchant on your side too, that’s an instant plus.” Giddy emotions were practically flowing out of Eevee. “Oh, what a lovely day it’s been. Who would have thought my search for a human on these lands would end like this?”
With that he straightened himself, nodding his head. “But really, I must be going. Just one suggestion — perhaps you should try starting life anew here? I know it’ll be rough for your Eira to adjust, but it might be your best option. The band can’t deceive those human-warding towers.”
Eira ran up to Lucario, managing to get some basic control over her four legs and six tails. “Thank you?” she said, pointing her snout at Eevee.
Lucario guessed what she wanted immediately. “Thank you,” he said, before turning over to the kind Abhorrent. “Thank you!”
“T-thank yo-you,” Eira repeated, fumbling with the words. In a way, though, it seemed to make it all the more sincere.
“Oh, we’re touched to hear that from her. You’re welcome.” Eevee gave a wink, his crystal-spikes flashing at the same time. “Me and my siblings will be back soon, so stay out of trouble, okay?”
He whipped around, his bushy cream-tipped tail swinging over, and then he retreated into the leaves. A loud rustle ripped through the trees, and he was gone. One last check with aurasense showed his receding figure leaping from branch to branch.
Lucario could still hear the chaotic thoughts of the other voices that haunted Eevee’s mind as he muted his aurasense. Did he just refer to those voices as siblings? That Eevee sure raised a lot of questions.
He scanned Eira’s Pokemon form, still processing that this was her now. There wasn’t much of a need to hide anymore — her being a Pokemon simplified things. No one would react with hostility the moment they saw her. They could skip right to figuring out a means of transportation that would take them back to the human lands.
How wonderful. Now there was a fighting chance that they could leave this place and go home.
…And go home?
Gloom gnawed at Lucario’s heart. What about home? His trainer and his fellow Pokemon were gone. His birthplace, Sinnoh, was no home for him.
Adam drowned.
Sitting down cross-legged, he took a deep breath as the day’s events came back to him. It had been just another uneventful moment in their travels. His trainer Adam had taken a ship to Alola, taking an interest in the region’s Z-Crystals, which could be used in battle to empower moves.
Then the shipwreck happened.
Lucario had little reason to believe he made it. Typically people on a ship that ripped apart the way it did were as good as dead. How he himself had escaped relatively unscathed, he had no clue. Those two Pokemon who were fighting at sea had some serious firepower if one of their attacks could so easily break the ship apart. Could they be Legendaries?
It was only himself who was out of his Pokeball. The rest of the team — Torterra, Lanturn, Banette, Duosion, and Dragonair — were stuck within their balls. Maybe Adam had managed to bring Lanturn out in time, or even Dragonair, but there wasn’t any reason to be so hopeful. Even if Adam somehow came here, after all, the inhabitants wouldn’t give him a warm greeting.
He’d rather assume he didn’t make it, and that the others were left drifting on the open seas in their Pokeballs. Lanturn can swim underwater, though, so if she broke out of her Pokeball, maybe she could get the others to safety, Lucario reasoned. Or maybe their balls did end up washing up somewhere in the archipelago. Still, the chances of me finding them are just too narrow. I certainly won’t see Adam again.
Tears dripped off his face. What is there for me to go back to? he lamented. This shouldn’t have happened! Adam shouldn’t have—
“Lucario? Are you okay?”
Lucario raised a brow at the Vulpix that had come beside him, concern in her expression. It wasn’t hard to match that face to the shy human girl he saved from the shipwreck. If anything, he had her, a fellow survivor who was as lost as him in this strange place they ended up in.
The girl quickly noticed his tears, and grief trickled into her own face. “No?” she said. “You’re not fine, are you? Y-you must’ve lost someone too.”
If not for his current mood, hearing Eira practice her Vulpix-speak would’ve gotten him to chuckle. “No,” he admitted, before bringing himself to calm down. “I am not fine. But I will manage.”
He accentuated his speech with a little use of aura to communicate his emotions, and Eira trembled when she felt the message. Yet if Lucario looked closely enough, he could see a determination burning in her soft blue eyes. She had hope for the future.
It was amazing that the girl could keep herself this composed. Then again, humans were often raised to handle themselves like adults by the age of ten, so he shouldn’t be too surprised.
Lucario breathed, considering his current situation. Since keeping Eira hidden was no longer an issue, he instead had to concern himself with making sure she acted like an authentic Pokemon. That meant teaching her what she was capable of, how to use her powers, and giving her a basic understanding of the language. The latter was critical — it would not do for her to be clueless when someone was speaking to her.
Perhaps he should start by having her embrace her new identity. “Vulpix.”
He pointed to the transformed human. “You’re saying my name? Eira?” she asked.
Never did he think he’d be using his natural understanding of human speech in this way. “Eira,” Lucario repeated, shaking his head. “Vulpix.” He nodded this time.
It took a moment for her to understand, but she got the message. “Eira, Vulpix,” she murmured. “Oh, of course — I have to call myself Vulpix now, right? Yes?”
“Yes.”
Eira — no, Vulpix nodded. “Y-Yes. Got it.”
A yawn came from the fake vixen, creating a slight chill in the air, and Lucario too felt the onset of sleepiness. It was late in the night, and he had stayed up long enough. There was that dirt path in the forest that could take him to the town south of here, where Kecleon lived, but it was probably all muddy from the storm and he didn’t feel like going the rest of the way.
Lucario looked to Vulpix, who seemed to have her own thoughts on the matter. “I-I don’t mind sleeping outside,” she said. “Done it before.”
“As you wish,” he responded, aware she was paying attention to every word he said and trying to understand their meanings. Speaking more often should help her learn faster.
But that was for tomorrow. Laying down on the hard ground, flashbacks came and went in Lucario’s mind of his days as a wild Pokemon, then of times where he and his trainer were camping out for the night. Sleeping in a Pokeball was much more comfortable. Would he get used to this?
As if he would get used to the absence of his old companions, or to being in this Pokemon-only world. These were things he had no control over, however — all he could do now was move on and forge a new path.
Lucario eyed Vulpix, who was figuring out the best way to sleep in her Pokemon form before settling on curling up and laying down on her belly. If anything, he had a duty to care for the kid. Keeping her safe felt like the most important thing to do.
His noble heart wouldn’t have it any other way.
----------------------------------------
Eira the Vulpix sneezed, blinking her eyes, then panicked at the sight of white curly tails tickling her nose. What in—?
I’m a Pokemon.
And thus she remembered. With a start she rose to her four feet, astonished at how natural the action was. Her six curly tails — she had tails! — swished to and fro, pulling muscles she shouldn’t possibly have.
Around her grew a thicket of trees, their foliage almost holding back the light that streamed through its gaps. Here and there Vulpix could make out pieces of a blue sky, an indication that she had slept through the whole night, and quite soundly too.
Her head dipped toward the white wristband on her paw, the item responsible for her transformation. Not only did it conveniently blend in with her snow-like fur, but her form was the Pokemon she adored above all others — an Alolan Vulpix.
Thinking of that made her think of Alola, her home, which in turn made her think about the shipwreck. From there, pretty much everything that happened since came rushing back, and it gave her a splitting headache. Being saved by a Lucario from sinking into the ocean, getting attacked by an Ariados and Kecleon, learning from her savior that this place feared humans for some reason, hiding from a monstrous Aerodactyl, obtaining this magical wristband from an unusual-looking Eevee—
Vulpix pressed herself flat against the ground, a paw on her forehead as something threatened to burst out of it. One thing at a time, Eira, she told herself, going through it all at a slower pace. Too much had happened, and it hurt.
It was a lot to take in. Just yesterday she and Mother had finished their latest bout of traveling and were heading back to their home in Alola, and now here she was, in a world where Pokemon freaked out at the sight of a human and attacked them. Ariados almost poisoned her to death under the assumption that she was a monster, and although Lucario did his best to defend her, the fact remained that Kecleon’s change of heart was the reason she survived.
Still, she wouldn’t be here in the first place without Lucario. Where other people might’ve drowned, he didn’t let the same happen to her. And who knew what Kecleon would’ve done if Lucario wasn’t there to speak on her behalf, or how far she would get without bumping into a dangerous Pokemon that Lucario could detect with his powers?
The kind Pokemon was her only companion now, her guardian, and she owed him her life. Of course, he was no substitute for Mother — who was, after all? Mother was everything, and the forced separation couldn’t be more painful.
Vulpix's eyes went adrift, resting upon an asleep Lucario, the Pokemon who was aiding her. His blue and black-furred canine form was sprawled on the grass in a way that looked painful, with the spike protruding out of his creamy-colored chest sticking into his right arm. The spike on the palm of his left hand, meanwhile, was poking one of the four black appendages that hung at the back of his head — aura feelers, they were called. It was what most Lucario used to detect auras, though in her guardian’s case, he seemed to do so through other methods.
Well, he wasn’t awake right now, so he couldn’t sense her aura, and by extension, her emotions and thoughts. In other words, he wouldn’t have to deal with the stress of her own burdens. Now was as good as any other time to do this.
She lied down, buried her face in her arms, and let herself weep. Mother.
Icy water dripped down to the tips of her paws before blanketing the dew-filled grass. Not a noise came from her, however, save for the ebb and flow of her chilled, shaky breath and the occasional sniffle. It wasn’t that she was trying to avoid waking up Lucario, it was that she simply saw no point in doing so. Why scream like a whiny child over her loss? These tears had been stuck with her for the better part of last night, and she just wanted to let them go.
They felt nice, but they didn’t bring back Mother. Nothing would.
I wasn’t ready to lose you too.
It took a few minutes, but soon she composed herself. Losing Mother, it was no different than losing all her limbs, but she couldn’t let it drag her down. What else could she do? She was still alive, and life wouldn’t wait for her to adjust.
For now, she had a rather unusual predicament to address. Vulpix raised her tails to her face — again, tails! — feeling all the ways they could twist, bend, and wrap around each other. This is real, she thought.
It was the strangest thing. Instinctively she understood how to control her tails, just as she understood how to walk in her new canine form. Yet being a Pokemon was so alien to her, like an out-of-body experience. She felt like she was supposed to be standing up on two legs, not four, and that she was much smaller than she should really be. And that, goodness, she should be bothered by how cold she felt. Her insides were like a refrigerator!
Breathing out again, Vulpix stared in awe at the tiny ice particles that came out, melting before her eyes as they drifted off. It was like she was born to be a force of winter. If not for what got her to this point, maybe she would be ecstatic about being a Pokemon — better yet, an Alolan Vulpix. A silly childhood dream come true.
As it was, she was simply grateful that the strange Eevee with the colorful crystals on his head gave her this form, as a protection from the inhabitants here. Where was here anyway? To think an advanced Pokemon civilization was hidden in a land inaccessible to humans, it was crazy. Just as crazy as the fact that she got in anyway, and was probably stuck here for who knew how long. Maybe forever?
So many thoughts to get lost in, and she didn’t even know half of what Lucario must’ve learned — she’d be here all day at this rate with her questions and worries. Shaking herself, Vulpix got to focusing on what seemed most important: what her wristband did to her inside.
First and foremost? Deep within her body and its inner cold, she felt something profound and ethereal — she could only describe it as a pond trickling with energy and lifeforce, suffusing her entire self. Her soul. Or her spirit.
She could feel her literal spirit as a Vulpix. It seemed faint and weak, but with her current form, somehow she felt it. And it felt like… her, in a way of speaking.
A soul was what made a person themselves after all, she supposed.
Eira the Vulpix fingered a lever anchored to both her mind and spirit, the toggle she had flicked that turned her into a Pokemon. Flick it again and she’d turn back into the human she really was. The lever felt glued to her by some strange magic, but she guessed that if she took off the band, she’d transform back the hard, painful way.
With that lever came a set of instincts and an understanding of how to act like an Alolan Vulpix. Besides that, however, when Vulpix tried to delve into her actual spirit, knowledge flared within her mind. Bizarre knowledge that felt like pieces of supernatural essence and magic, yet somehow it deciphered into terms and ideas she could understand.
All she needed to do was focus, and she knew she had moves. And a Snow Cloak Ability. And an Ice typing. And—
Level 1?
That last part Vulpix couldn’t quite comprehend. She tapped her soul, and it responded with a feeble, newborn touch that whispered into her head. Level 1. Did all Pokemon feel these things within her spirit?
She knew what moves, Abilities, and types were, but she couldn’t fathom what a Level meant, or why she understood it as a Level. A gauge of her strength? Her experience with her Pokemon powers? She wanted to ask her guardian, but unwilling to wake him up, she backed away.
It wouldn’t hurt to practice her new skills though. Her Ability was supposed to help her hide in a snow or hailstorm, so that wasn’t important now. Not much could be done for learning the language of a Vulpix either — that was the one thing the band had instilled into her that hadn't clicked right away — but she could definitely give her moves a test run. How did they work?
She only knew two moves at the moment, probably as a result of her low Level. Vulpix could sense all the basic information for both of them, including the actions needed and what would happen. How convenient.
She willed herself to use one, raising her six tails straight in the air. The energy within her very soul stirred and surfaced, powering her move.
The tails just wiggled and whipped about in place, forming circles.
Vulpix pouted at her Tail Whip. In all fairness, there wasn’t much to expect from this move. It was a little distracting, but she couldn’t see how she could make use of this. Maybe if she was running away from someone? Why did such a move need the energy that came out of her, anyway?
Her other move was more promising in the event that — and she hoped it wouldn’t come to this — she needed to defend herself. It was more difficult to perform though. Tapping on her inner energies again, Vulpix reached out to the icy cold within her chest, but she couldn’t get it to cooperate with her at first. Something came out, but it was only a puff of chilled air, and not what she wanted.
Maybe because I’m overthinking it, she considered. She had the necessary reflexes, after all, she just had to rely on them.
Her second attempt was somewhat better. Commanding her inner cold, little pellets of snow came into her mouth, and without thinking she shot them out. They didn’t go far before dropping to the ground and melting, but progress was progress.
Vulpix worked on it for a good while. The warm weather seemed to combat her attempts to use her icy move, but soon she got the snow to stop melting so easily. Adjustments to her breath allowed her to breathe out a gust of wind that accompanied the snow, launching them farther, faster, and with more strength. Her Powder Snow move was working!
Anything the snow hit, a touch of frost covered it. Leaves and grass turned whitish, and dewdrops from last night’s storm froze into tiny pellets. Vulpix found herself enchanted that, though the move didn’t look powerful, it could do all this.
One more time. Vulpix steadied herself before holding in her breath. Snow pellets coalesced in her mouth, a cold wind in her throat ready to launch at will. Turning to a tree trunk she wanted to target, she blew her attack out.
And gasped when someone blurred right into the attack, taking the pellets to his face and blindly crashing into her.
The figure tumbled over her, face-planting. Vulpix drew in a handful of air, her breath all but knocked out of her. Shaking her head, she almost did a double-take as a large, mystical flower drifted off her curly hair. What was this?
Her paw reached for it.
Terrible mistake. A claw slashed her into the nearest tree, and everything spun. “Vi weav va, weavile!” came a furious voice.
Vulpix’s eyes dilated at the sight of a dark-gray weasel Pokemon. A red, feathery crown and collar grew on his body, along with a pair of ear-feathers and two tail-feathers. A yellow oval marked his forehead, and gripped in one of his razor-like claws was the flower. The other claw caressed a nasty wound on his side, one she hadn’t caused, and a small pouch hung from his neck, much like the one Eevee had.
His red eyes burned into her, and she cowered, tails in front of her face. Never mind she couldn’t talk to this Pokemon, she most certainly could not fight him. And of all the Pokemon it had to be, it was a Weavile. Didn’t they treat Alolan Vulpix as natural enemies?
The Pokemon was ranting at her, shaking his flower-holding-fist and baring his teeth. Vulpix couldn’t dare move, paralyzed by fear. This would be like Ariados all over again, painful and agonizing.
Weavile took a step forward, then suddenly crashed to the floor. Huh?
Vulpix’s heart resumed beating when she saw the figure behind him, a Lucario with an outstretched claw covered in metal. His eyes kept focused on the would-be-attacker, but she felt an emotion of amusement drifting from him. One of his aura powers.
“Ca ria, lucario?” Her guardian questioned the Weavile.
Weavile hissed, then straight up vanished. Lucario wasted no time, turning around to intercept a strike from the weasel Pokemon. Vulpix watched with concern as Weavile jumped back, swinging his arm and throwing shards of spear-like ice.
Lucario shook his head as he dodged, then ran to meet the foe. Their attacks clashed.