Pokémon: Distortion Games

[Esko]

((Time for the wolf to begin))

 

The colors....

Is this another art dream? Or something else?

Wait, what is that?

In this seemingly wacked dream, a stone sat in the middle of the room, pulsing with an indescribable heat. Was it on the colder side or the hotter side? It was impossible to describe, yet it could be. This was impossible, probably why it was a dream. Or maybe because of the weird tempatures in the area. Not hot nor cold.

'Hmm...'

The sudden hum surprised the boy, hearing it from the stone. By now, he was not surprised, since a lot of weird things have happened in this dream.

'I can sense the truth...have I found the hero of truth at last? Even so far away?'

'Are...you actually talking to me?' He finally asked, hearing a sudden grunt.

'Yes, I am.' It responded. Now, I know whether you lie or not, being the pokemon of truth. Do you wish to become my champion, as I have chosen you?'

'C-Champion? Might as well, since you chose me...'

Suddenly, the stone turned into a white, furry pokemon with startling blue eyes. It walked foward and grabbed him, causing a searing pain to grow. It fealt like fire rushing through his veins, and his brain becoming a heap of smoldering coals. He yelped as the pain became worse, until it was so bad that he lost all conciousness and blacked out. At his last moments of conciousness, he heard these words;

'Remember, young one. There is no going back.

Ever'

***

His eyes groggily opened, and he felt sore as hell. Something unusual was going on, judging by his high body tempature. He yawned, and stood up. Something was wrong...and he just then looked in the mirror. He yelped, and saw his hair. What the hell was going on with his HAIR?! Nobody had crazy hair like that! He ran into Luke's room and screamed 'LUUUUUUKE!!" At the top of his lungs.

 

~~~~~

((Lillia shall come soon))

Edited May 22, 2015 by Esko_the_Wolf

[67596]

A thick impenetrable curtain of black, rippling as if it were mere liquid and a stone had been cast into its surface. Dark, warped, space in which freezing cobblestone streets appeared, only to be snapped and stretched painfully towards the moon, and where the sky drove harshly into the ground. A place in which houses were bent at crooked, unnatural angles and fire suddenly flared up and engulfed them. The rooftops rushed towards the sky and the bases crowded together, threatening to crush anyone standing in the molten alleyways.

 

The flash of a cloak, black as void and tattered from battle.

 

Nikola broke into a sprint towards it, his calves heavy and fatigued, ultimately breaking little ground on the quicksand-like terrain. Just as the buildings nearly toppled on him, there was a sudden oppressive weight against his shoulders and he was all but dragged in the direction of the fleeing figure. Solid brick structures melted like candy floss just as he cleared them, but the landscape passed so quickly that the change could only be sensed. The world rushed by in a sickening whirl, pulled so thin that it seemed about to break.

 

Vertigo washed against him like the waves of an angry sea, pummeling him below to be swept about by the turbulent current.

 

Everything stopped. There was open field. The ground twisted like taffy around the wide open space, making what lie beyond the flowery meadow warped and imperceptible, like a richly descriptive essay written in fresh ink suddenly plunged into murky water. However, the field was calm. A gentle breeze rolled through it, though his fingers dug at the ground as he tried desperately to suck air into his lungs which wouldn't come. He was being smothered by some invisible force and nothing he could claw at would free him. Blackness tugged at the corners of his vision, though he was sure at this point that he was already in a nightmare.

 

A figure appeared over him, but he could not make it out. All that reached him was the gaze of a piercing. blue. eye.

 

Urgency overcame him, a desperate trapped feeling like crazed static roaring through his head. He had to go. He had to be somewhere. It was here, in this place. He needed to go here. It was of the utmost importance. The figure blinked at him before disappearing in wispy tendrils of smoke. The stars were snuffed out one by one and the moon turned a blood red and dripped like sealing wax from the sky. The trees surrounding the field twisted into the sky, forming a thorny dome over his head through which only blackness shone. The earth beneath him sagged like a web overburdened by its prey, even though he felt as if he were light enough to drift away.

 

Nikola came to, gasping for air, buried beneath several hundred pounds of snowy white fur and thick muscle.

 

"CASIMIR!" he hollered in panic, attempting to push the over sized absol off of himself. Thankfully, the beast moved off of its own accord, but still it left him starved for breath with each of his limbs shaking from either exertion or lingering terror. Nick rolled onto his side, forcing himself to breath slowly in through his nose and out through his mouth. The unreadable fuzzy feeling which had overcome him in his dream began to fade, slowly, but it overall left him confused and somewhat terrified. He'd never had a nightmare like this. Not one where he could so vividly see everything around him corrupted.

 

This one had not been about Ben, or anything related to him at all.

 

/Master Nick...\ called a voice, deep gravelly and echoing. He looked up from the blades of sharp grass centimeters from his face. It was Raoul, looking calmly down at him with impassive red eyes. The blood drained from his face, bringing black and yellow dots to his vision, but Nikola forced himself to sit anyway "Raoul... I'm fine" he asserted, running a bare hand through his sweaty blue hair /Another Nightmare. Catherine said her treatment should have cured you\ Nikola shook his head, stripping off his sweat-soaked clothing. "No, that was the Sleep Terrors. Nightmares- I'll have to get over those on my own"

Edited May 22, 2015 by ArchiosLukos

[Skypool]

It wasn't an unpleasant feeling. It wasn't a wanted one either though. It was invisible rain trickling down her body, immersing it in the most electric of blue radiation. It was a prickly sensation on her forehead that was almost oval-shaped. It was her hair turning a deep azure in the places it fell messily over her shoulders.

 

And then it was over. The light faded from her body, and Roxanne fell to her knees, clutching at the column of her throat. She couldn't breathe for the panic, felt her insides turning and turning and turning; her lungs were constricted; a headache jabbed at her temples.

 

She was powerless against it all, and Arceus, that scared her.

 

Exhale.

 

Exhale.

 

Inhale.

 

Exhale.

 

"We share a similar strength, you and I." Even in the mire of her muddled thoughts, Azelf's voice was still clear and assured. It was something to focus on as she recollected composure. Roxanne dragged herself into a sitting position, using the bed behind her as a support. Her fingers trembled where they sat on her knees.

 

"And what would that be?" she gritted out.

 

"Willpower."

 

Funny. "If I had any of that, I would have willed you away already."

 

Azelf ignored her. "I am the Guardian of Willpower. I have the power to give and take that away should I so desire. This ability is now at your fingertips as well. Use it wisely."

 

"For what though?" The legend had pleaded for a champion. Roxanne was pleading for a rationalization. Perhaps they weren't so dissimilar after all.

 

"The answer to that can be found in the fields beyond Fortree City. I suggest you start there." A pause. She felt something unmistakably somber drip into the link between them. It had an air of regret, and it tasted like pain. "Are you okay?"

 

Roxanne volleyed the emotion back and then some. She was scared. She felt alone. "Are you?"

 

"No."

[HomeForFlowers]

With a shriek of anguished horror, Cathy threw her hands towards Branwen as her eyes began to glow a lucid violet. Branwen didn't get the time to process their daughter's irregular appearance before power surged through their daughter's fingertips, sending everything in the bathroom flying towards the door. Bottles of shampoo exploded as they rammed into the wall, a bar of soap was squish into a pulp on impact, and various appliances, such as the hairdrier broke into various pieces. Branwen felt a massive push of energy against them as though a giant invisible hand had just slapped them away from the bathroom door which had been slammed shut right in their face. They were flung backward as though they were a ragdoll. Their back slammed against the hallway's wall and they let out a cry of pain as their body slumped down onto the floor. Luxray had the unfortunate of having her side thrown against the wall, causing her to screech loudly before flopping on the floor. Branwen grunted as they attempted to straighten themself up. Their entire body ached and there was a gnawing pain gripping their tailbone. What in Arceus' name just happened. Was there someone else in there with Cathy? A Psychic type perhaps? Were they hurting Cathy? The thought of their daughter in danger brought of cloud of terror upon Branwen's mind.

 

Adrenaline surged through their body as they picked themself up, worry for their daughter flooded their mind. Luxray, angered by the sight of her trainer being attacked, let out a low growl as she turned to face the slammed door. Her reflexes were much greater than that of Branwen by far. Before Branwen could even speak, Luxray was on her feet, letting out a ferocious roar as her body became consumed by bright yellow electricity. She charged forward and leaped at the door, ripping it off of its hinges as she tackled it to the floor. Luxray swung her massive head around with a snarl on her lips, teeth bared. Her head faced towards the tub but after a few seconds, she lost her snarl and looked back over at Branwen meowing softly. Blinking, Branwen stood up and trekked over towards the bathroom.

"Cathy darling?" Branwen called as they glanced around nervously. "Are you alri-" They cut themself off as soon as their eyes landed on their daughter or at least what they presumed to be their daughter. Her skin had a purplish hue to it and two nubs were sprouting out of her now violet hair. Her fingers had been horribly transmuted to three strange digits with nubs at the ends of them. From her back, a long purple tail extended outward. For a second, Branwen didn't know what to say but then it hit them. Had their daughter been contacted by someone just as they had? Was that why the both of them had been transformed to drastically? Branwen dolefully remembered the pain they experienced when their horns grew. Did Cathy have to go through that pain? "Oh Cathy, what happened to you?" Branwen asked as they bent down and extended a hand towards their daughter. "You're not hurt are you?" Beside them, Luxray made a series of pitiful sounds, their ears flattened against their skull.

[SULDhasno]

((Ok, using a iPad mini for a OP, let's do this))

 

"Takaki, you idiot, that was my money. Just so you know." Miteki and his friend stepped out of the Gym.

 

"With what-"

 

"The potion, duh, dummy. You didn't even need it. Also, it was a rather expensive potion." He continued to walk, followed by a rather annoyed looking Typhlosion, and stopped by a centre. "Hurry up, Taki."

 

"Just wondering, why are we up so early in the morning? You didn't really explain that when you punched me in the stomach."

 

"Oh yeah. Just an experiment. Just was wondering whether the Gym leaders would be- I dunno, sleepy?"

 

"But so will we."

 

"Oh yeah, true. But- Ow!" He put his hands to his head as he felt a rather painful blow at the back of it. turned around to see Takaki right behind him. "That hurt!"

 

"Not so much as being punched hard in the stomach in the morning."

 

"Fair enough. Sorry, Takaki." To accompany with the apology, Miteki had his I'm-sorry-Takaki-that-was-stupid-of-me face on.

 

"Yeah whatever."

 

"Yeah go get your dudes healed up- hey, do you hear something?" Miteki was looking around strangely.

 

"Um..." Takaki tried to listen for something. Nothing.

 

"Weird. I just head someone say 'Sup. I didn't sound like you and your the only person that I know and am on a friendly basis. And only when you are on a friendly basis do you say, 'Sup.

 

So, then, are you suggesting that we are 'friends' now? If so, then 'Sup.

 

"What the h-" Miteki gave up looking around. "So either two things, I'm going insane, though that may include several other options, or someone is actually speaking in my head. I finding it hard to believe the latter."

 

Well, let's just go with the benefit of the doubt and say that the latter is happening to you.

 

'Ok, fine, oh right, 'Sup now who are you-'

 

Oh yeah, was getting to that. Name's Entei. And I am a Pokemon.

 

'Yeah I figured. So-"

 

The reason why I'm speaking in your head is because I chose you.

 

'Ok great so-'

 

So, me being a legendary, I come upon a certain human being who I feel has potential to be my champion.

 

'Still extremely confused, but ok.'

 

Yeah so basically, up to you, do you want to be a champion and most likely get a hair do? Now what that is- because I'm rather lazy I'll drop by to explain that later.

 

'Wow, cool. As long as the hair do's cool that's cool to. Say, just wondering will being a champion of yours enable me to throw fireballs and stuff?'

 

Yes. Among other things.

 

"Ok then I'm in. I swear if the hair do makes me go purple-" Miteki said that bit aloud. Takaki was thinking he was either going insane or he hadn't gotten used to telepathic speech. He was thinking the former.

 

Nice.

 

'Thank you. Now why does my head feel weird?'

 

Side effects.

 

'What side effects?'

 

That's it really.

 

"Um, I'm not sure about this Miteki, so, are you ok with a red hairdo?" Takaki was pointing at his head.

 

"Depends. On the red. Isn't today a very weird day?"

 

"Yeah starting from the punching in the stomach."

 

"Get used to that I'm going to do it a lot."

 

"Wait what?"

 

"Wait a second he's talking to me again. I'm assuming it's a he."

 

If you want answers, and that is quite likely considering your new hairdo, got past Fortree Ciry apinto a fields. Maybe someone can explain it to you. Also, just to note from what I've heard, your friend has been chosen too.

 

"I swear if you guys give him a bad hairdo-"

 

"What are you talking about Miteki?"

((Yep 5:36 in the morning, and IPad and that is what you get.

 

Crap. Just clarifying.))

Edited May 23, 2015 by SULDhasno

[MrSpyro]

The sky was so dark with clouds, it could've just as easily been night as day. A pitch-black Pokemon, so large it could probably dwarf an Onix, yet almost invisible against the dark clouds, flew directly past Luke, towards what looked to be the epicenter of the storm. However, the creature didn't make it. A barrier appeared, throwing the mysterious creature backwards and making it cry out in distress. Lightning flashed, and Luke could see a clear outline of its body. It was draconic, with large wings and an even larger tail that appeared to suck up the electricity from the lightning, and emit an electric-blue glow. However, the dim light revealed Luke's location, and it locked on to him with its glowing red eyes...

 

"LUUUUUUKE!!"

 

Luke bolted awake. The dream he had... It was so realistic, he could've swore that it was some kind of weird prophecy-dream thingy like in movies. Luke turned towards his brother, to see that his hair turned completely white. Luke's mouth started to let out a scream, when...

 

I see your brother has also accepted the offer.

 

Luke's eyes grew wide.

 

Do not be alarmed. You are perfectly sane.

 

"Dude, I think I need medical help. There's a voice in my head, and it's saying I'm perfectly sane. In books, that's always a for-sure sign that somebody's crazy."

 

((Sorry, I'm not one for word-wall intros))

Edited May 22, 2015 by MrSpyro

[ValidEmotions]

[[Whoa, Spyro! Mind darkening the text color a little? That's a bit of an eye-burner |D]]

 

Luxray burst through the door, electricity arching across her body. Cathy startled at the sudden entrance, scrambling to her deformed feet and trying to push herself further into the wall. "Luxray, no!" she shouted, almost panicked. As the Pokémon seemed to register no threat, she started mewing at Branwen, their tall figure stepping into the bathroom in search of their daughter.

 

"Cathy darling? Are you alri-" Her mother's words came to a halt and Cathy cringed, violet eyes shifting upward, waiting for some sort of shout or foul label. Cathy's mouth opened, eyes widening in shock at her mother's changed appearance. "Oh Cathy, what happened to you?" As she had stared, Branwen had moved closer, now bent forward and holding their hand out to her.

 

At the question, her eyes filled with tears again and she started to whimper. "Mommy!" she sobbed, lurching forward and wrapping her frail arms around their waist. "Mommy, I'm terrified! I don't know what's happened to me! I'm hearing a voice inside my head and... and...." She shook her head quickly, tail lashing against the side of the tub.

 

She jerked away from Branwen at the sound, clutching the purple attachment and staring at it like it was some alien thing. In all fairness, it was. "I thought I was hallucinating! I thought I was going crazy! But then, I attacked you! Mewtwo said I have Psychic abilities now!" Cathy exclaimed, frightened. Hurriedly, she backed away from her mother again and tried to vanish into the corner. "Why did this happen? I don't want to be a Champion!"

Edited May 22, 2015 by Narvix

[Esko]

---(Steven)---

 

Steven kept panting like mad. "I think I need medical help as well. I...am having crazy dreams, and I must have done something CRAZY to myself in my sleep!" He rubbed his hair like mad.

'Looks like your brother accepted the offer of....Zekrom? My brother found his hero as well?'

"EEEEEEEE! VOICE IN MY HEAD!!" He screeched, rubbing his head like mad. Then he looked at Luke with frantic eyes. "Brother, I think we both need help."

'You do not think me to be real? How pathetic'

 

---(Lillia)---

 

Thanks, TJ, for making an addicting game. I feel like I am on a withdrawal.

Lillia sat in her room, watching her fishtank. With the electricity cut, not only were computer games out of access, but she had to light the room with a candle. A few, actually. She grunted as she watched the fish scuttle around.

Out of the blue, the biggest fish in the tank, a catfish, faced her. "Whaddya want, bub?" She said. "You just ate, you pig"

'Do not call me a pig, champion.' Was what she heard in her mind. She gawked. The fish stared at her, and the mouth moved, but the voice was in her mind.

'What the hell? Get out of my mind, please.'

'No'

Then the water rose and rushed towards her, before she fell into darkness.

 

((Can Steven and Luke be friends with Lillia just for the hell of it?

Also, Spyro, before things get too far, we NEED to discuss the relationship of Steven and Luke))

[67596]

He and the rest of his pack sat in silence for a while, most of them laying their heads down and going back to sleep after a minute or so. He threw a cloak over his shoulders to keep out the cool from his wet skin and it struck him that he must have been making quite a commotion if he'd woken his team up. He and his pokemon were desperately short on sleep, and the last thing he wanted to do was rouse them in the middle of the night; not because he was having a bad dream. A strange dream anyway. After the lingering panic of it faded, the imagery was spooky at best, but Nikola couldn't shake the feeling that he was supposed to go to wherever that field had been.

 

He thought hard, trying to picture of where it could be.

 

Hoenn was so overburdened with forest and ocean that it was rare to see wide open field. However, there had been trees bordering at least two sides of the meadow before everything melded together. The foothills near Mt.Chimney were open, but covered in ashy tall grass. It was dangerous there at best, and ever since the 'end of the world', the mountain had a tendency to spew lava at random intervals... /Master Nick\ he realized that he was glowering at his pile of discarded clothing and corrected himself. "You should sleep, Raoul. I need some time to plan"

 

The Lucario stared at him a moment before lowering itself to the ground, facing away from him.

 

Nick shifted on to the grass, rolling up his sleeping mat and relocating next to Reina, his Mightyena. She opened her bright blue eyes briefly and huffed at him as he lay down. Once he was comfortable, as if on cue, she swung a paw over him and laid her head on his stomach. Nick rubbed idly behind her silky ears, watching the stars and pointing out the constellations to himself. "Say, Reina. You like plains don't you?" this provoked no response, but he continued anyway. "That's your natural habitat, so where would you be?"

[MrSpyro]

((FYI, Esko, Luke just had the dream. He hasn't made an offer just yet...))

 

Luke actually calmed down when he heard that. "Really? If that's the case, then that probably means that someone, or something, is actually trying to contact us. So, as ridiculous as this sounds, we should probably just listen and see what the voices say."

 

I have to say, it appears my ((sister?)) has picked a rather amusing champion as well.

 

Champion? What do you mean champion? Luke thought to the voice, if directing one's thoughts were a thing.

 

You see, I am one of what humans call Legendary Pokemon, the one you call Zekrom to be specific. I, as well as the other Legendaries, have been trapped somewhere by a corrupted member of our kind. We have each chosen a human Champion to represent us, and help free us from this prison. I consider you to be one who resembles me closely enough to handle the power and responsibility of the task, and have as such chosen you to be my Champion. Do you accept?

 

I guess. Apparently, my brother did, and he seems okay, Luke thought towards this "Zekrom" guy.

 

Instantly, Luke's body crackled with electricity, and glowed so bright he shut his eyes for frar of blindness. When he opened them, he didn't feel any different. Just to be sure, Luke turned towards his brother and asked the classic, "What just happened?"

[Kiran]

Katrina sighed as she looked out the window of the Pokemon Centre, then dropped her gaze back down to her candle-lit book. Through her headphones (the power of her music player had died awhile ago, but she still wore them out of habit) she could hear the sound of raindrops pounding against the glass. The weather had been so strange lately- clouds gathered much faster than they should have, and dissipated just as quickly after a heavy rainfall. It was frustrating; she would go outside to train or play with her pokemon, only to get soaked. Ninetales could only affect the weather so much- the poor pokemon couldn't keep the sun out for very long, especially when the weather was like it was. Besides, the fire-type was injured, and was being cared for.

 

Really, I should have picked a more interesting book to read, Katrina thought as she stroked Houndoom's head. This one had a dull writing style, and she knew most of what it was saying already. She was hoping for more info on dealing with her team's weakness to rock-type attacks, but the book couldn't seem to do much more than state the obvious. Why did Stone Edge have to be such a common move... Oh, look, a rainbow. Maybe if she should have found something else to do, if the sky was more interesting on her book.

 

Hm...

Katrina looked up and glanced around wildly. Was someone talking to her? No, she decided. She hadn't heard a sound; it felt more like the soft presence of something in her mind. Feathers brushing against her consciousness, the warmth of flames flickering against her soul. Something like that, if she wanted to be poetic.

 

The presence faded as the clouds moved to cover the sun in the distance, causing the rainbow to fade.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

For about an hour, things were normal. Ninetales was successfully healed, but Katrina didn't plan on leaving. She was currently in her rented room, and was staying the night. Hopefully the sky would clear up the next day. The Pokemon Center was barely able to run, what with the lack of power and all, but it was still open.

 

The clouds broke open once again, and the presence returned.

 

I have found you to be worthy.

 

Worthy? What...?

 

I can tell that you are confused. My name is Ho-oh.

 

Ho-oh? She hadn't even been sure that the legendary existed. Why would they be talking to her now?

 

Will you be my champion?

 

"I don't know what that means," she whispered, hoping that no-one else would notice her and think that she was talking to herself. She wasn't sure if Ho-oh would be able to hear her or not, but she didn't know what else to try. How did telepathy work, exactly?

 

You will gain my power- the power over fire and life. In turn, you will promise to fight for me. Once you have received it, you will head to the fields outside of Fortree City. Do you accept?

 

This is crazy. It was Ho-oh talking to her, though. Surely they wouldn't lie or harm her. They were a pokemon known for bringing happiness and rainbows, after all. "I accept."

 

Instantly, she was bathed in a bright light. It swirled around like fire, if fire was colored in blues and greens and reds. At first she was shocked, but it wasn't hot at all. It was just pleasantly warm, and brought a feeling of joy with it. Houndoom barked, waking Ninetales from where she was sleeping.

 

Her eyes tingled slightly, and the light faded. Katrina gasped; she felt exhausted, yet energized at the same time. She watched in awe as color seeped into the hair that had fallen in front of her face, like ink spreading through water.

[HomeForFlowers]

The few brief moments where Cathy just stared at Branwen with tears brimming in her eyes were agonizing. They could feel themselves stiffen as they held their breath, preparing for Cathy to lash out or flat out ignore her mother. Instead, the little girl wailed out, "Mommy!" before lurching out off the bathtub, wrapping her arms around her mother's waist.

"Oh darling," Branwen cooed, wrapping their hand around their daughter's hand as they caressed their her hair. Luxray glanced between the mother and daughter with a worried expression on her face; the tip of the feline's tail began to flicker to and fro nervously. Branwen stared down lovingly at their daughter, rubbing her hair in an attempt to soothe her as she began to babble on about how scared she was. Cathy always called them "mother", never "mommy". Branwen had allowed Cathy to refer to them as mommy when she was a toddler, but as soon as she became four, they made it their mission to restrict her to only call them mother. It took some time, but Cathy eventually learned what name to call her mother by. Such a formality was consistent expect for the times when Cathy became frightened of one thing or another. In those moments, she would revert right back to calling Branwen mommy just like she did when she was a child. If she was calling them mommy now then she must be completely terrified but who could blame her? Who wouldn't be horrified to discover they had been transformed into some alien figure?

 

When Cathy's tail slapped across the bathtub, both she and her mother jumped although Branwen did not jolt up like their daughter did. Branwen was about to offer some words of comfort, but Cathy cut them off. She blurted out everything that had happened, pushing herself further towards a corner of the room.

"Champion?" Branwen echoed, the word sounding hollow in their voice. If Cathy had been transformed so drastically, than did more happen to Branwen beyond them sprouting horns. Taking a step back, they turned to face the mirror and sucked in a breath as they stared at their reflection. The horns they had felt earlier were much larger than they had anticipated. They were broad, light blue extensions a little longer than a foot with sharp pointed ends. Running a hand down them confirmed that they were still cold to touch, but by no means brittle. They had the same hairstyle, but the black hair had turned a sharp silver with the exception for an overly bright yellow strip near the middle-front of their hair. The hair wasn't the troublesome part though, that honor went to their eyes. They lacked any pupils but yet they could clearly see their stunning golden eyes stare back at them from the mirror.

"Oh my," Branwen whispered to themself as they slide their hand down their cheek. Their transformation was astonishing for sure, but they didn't actively dislike it. In fact, they could see themselves enjoying the intimidation factor of the horns and yellow eyes. They same probably couldn't be said for Cathy. They could spend the time to learn how to change her back but as for themself, well, it wouldn't hurt to have horns for a while.

 

"Cathy darling," Branwen began as they turned around to look at their cowering daughter. They plastered a small smile on their face as they gracefully walked over the Cathy. They bent down, taking care not make and sudden movements, and scooped their daughter into their arms. They cradled Cathy up to their chest and made a small motion with their hand to beckon Luxray forward. If Cathy had been contacted by a legendary, which she had stated that she had, then she must have received the same instructions about where to go next. Branwen knew what fields Kyurem had spoke of, they were only a few miles away. Living in Fortree City would make the trip sweet and short. Just a quick ride of Staraptor and they'd be there in no time. "Honey, would you be okay if we left the house for a while?" Branwen asked as they glanced down at their daughter. "There's someplace we can go to get answers about this. Maybe we can even revert you back to how you normally look. Would you like that, sweetie?"

Edited May 23, 2015 by Doctortear

[SULDhasno]

"Woah, that was weird. Now, say, Entei, you still there?"

 

Yep.

 

"Do I ever get any privacy from you? I'm starting to regret this."

 

Oh yeah don't worry about that I'm gonna leave soon. Now actually. Bye.

 

"Hey wait a second you didn't- fine then. Be that way."

 

"Miteki, you sure you ok? The red hair actually fits you nicely, after the whole what-the-hell-is-going-on thing."

 

"Oh yeah I'm fine." He regarded the slightly confused Typhlosion with a nod.

 

"Wow now I'm the one hearing voices again."

 

Hello.

 

'Uh... Hi.'

 

Dont worry, you are not insane.

 

'That's what a lot of insane people say.'

 

Lets just say you're not. I'm Zapados.

 

'So, uh, hi, Zapados.'

 

Sure. So, I don't want to go to into depth because time constraints but, basically I have chosen you to be my champion.

 

'Is that a good thing?'

 

Possibly. If you enjoy having electrical powers then yeah.

 

'Ok. My friend said something about a hair do.'

 

Those are side effects. So, are you in?

 

'Sure. Since Miteki seems to have been as well.'

 

Nice. If you want answers go with your friend to the fields beyond Fortree City.

 

'Ok.'

 

"So, voice in your head Takaki?"

 

"Yep."

[ValidEmotions]

As her mother stepped away to examine themself in the mirror, Cathy rubbed her puffy eyes dry, watching them murmur and touch their face in surprise. The silence in the bathroom dragged on as she waited for her mother to realize what they saw in the mirror. Her gaze lowered to her deformed hands and Cathy had difficulty swallowing around the lump that formed in her throat.

 

"Cathy darling."

 

She looked up quickly, meeting her mother's strange gaze. Branwen moved closer, reaching down and scooping the frail girl into her arms. Tucking against her mother's chest for comfort, Cathy frowned faintly. "Mother? You feel a little cold," she murmured, uncertain of how to perceive the drop in their external body temperature.

 

Luxray moved closer at Branwen's gesture, coming to stand by Cathy's mother and gently nudging her elbow with her nose. Despite herself, the ghost of a smile flickered across the girl's face. "Honey, would you be okay if we left the house for a while?" Her mother was speaking again, voice gentle and soothing. "There's someplace we can go to get answers about this. Maybe we can even revert you back to how you normally look. Would you like that, sweet?"

 

Answers? Examining Branwen's face for awhile, Cathy was silent as she thought about her response, about what they might find if they left. Finally, "Yes, please. We'd be going to those fields Mewtwo told me. Won't we?" she replied, tail swaying faintly with rising anxiousness. "Who Championed you, Mother?" she asked then, tilting her head as she reached up with an odd finger to see if she could touch the horn sprouting from Branwen's skull. "Did they make you be their Champion? Or did you get to decide for yourself?"

[67596]

Nikola sighed, running his fingers through her thick chine of course black hair. The Mightyena's fur was greasy and in need of a bath with proper soap, but with five large furry pokemon and his aversion to going into towns save for badly needed supplies, such a thing was unlikely to happen for a long while "Just outside Littleroot, probably" he mused in response to his own question, a brief smile gracing his features. Littleroot had very little in the way of plains, but Poochyena liked to gather there anyway, likely because they'd be out-competed by stronger packs of Mightyena if they moved anywhere else. "You know, sometimes Mightyena are seen outside of Fortree... The Safari Zone is also popular" he offered to anyone still listening, though all of his pack were probably too exhausted to waste time with what served well as just a monologue.

 

Nikola lay back, placing his hands behind his head and exhaling.

 

The air was damp and misty grey clouds hovered off in the distance, promising rain to wherever they passed which was likely to be his campsite sooner or later. He could make out the jagged outline of mountains in the distance, and the wrathful black smoke hanging over Mt.Chimney. The sea breeze kept most of the storms trapped up in the mountains during the day, but night was fair game and it was often the time that the most violent storms spread Southeast through the region. If the oncoming storm drench them, then so be it. That would mean a morning spent with heavy clothes and the musk of wet dog pokemon, but it scarcely bothered him. He'd endured worse, so a little thunderstorm wasn't about to stop him from his travels.

 

The next thing was to move west and investigate the old Safari zone and its surrounding land.

[HomeForFlowers]

It took effort to not cringe as Cathy casually mentioned that Branwen felt colder. There seemed to be a plethora of side effects for becoming Kyurem's champion. They were beginning to feel rather preposterous for agreeing to such a radical contract, but then again, they weren't thinking straight at the moment. They had just woken up from a dream that left them sweating and have to face the shock of talking with a mystical being. That was a lot of pressure to have on their back when making a big decision. Had they more time to think about it and had they not been in such constricted circumstances, perhaps they would have answered differently; however, there was no use thinking about what they could have done. The deal was done and Branwen highly doubted Kyurem would want to break it anytime soon. They would just have to stop and deal with the consequences.

 

"Yes, please. We'd be going to those fields Mewtwo told me. Won't we?"

"Yes dear, we'll be heading there," Branwen replied as they widened their grin. Pulling Cathy closer to their chest, Branwen pushed their way out of the destroyed bathroom and headed outside. They made mental note to fix the room up later when they had time. As they made their way through the door that separated the house from the breeding facility, Cathy began to ask some disturbing questions."Who Championed you, Mother? Did they make you be their Champion? Or did you get to decide for yourself?" Branwen felt the tip of their lips twitch at the stream of questions. They should have expected Cathy to ask those questions sooner or later, but Mew above, they didn't expect her to start asking them now! They were momentarily caught of guard, something they loathed immensely.

 

"Well, you see," Branwen began as they entered one of the side rooms in the building. "I was Championed by Kyurem. You've heard the legends about the dragons in Unova, right sweetie? I read them to you when you were younger." Branwen eased Cathy on the ground and turned towards a section of cabinets before them. They walked up to one of them and placed the lock holding it in their hand. Mumbling under their breath, they began to more the knob left and right as they entered the combination. "As for it being my choice, it was on some level but at the same time it wasn't," Branwen explained as the lock clicked open, allowing them to open the locker door. "It was more of an illusion of choice. If I said yes, then I get roped into this, if I said no, then I either still get roped into the transformation or I make an enemy I have no hopes of defeating." Branwen examined the contents of the locker. There were several pairs of clothing, all of which could easily be carried. Picking up one of the smaller outfits, obviously made for a child, they casually tossed them over in Cathy's direction. "Get dressed," Branwen ordered as they turned around to grab their own outfit. "We'll be getting your Pokemon as soon as we clothing on our back." Branwen moved away from their daughter and hid behind a curtain that was an offshoot of the room. They wanted to give their daughter privacy when she put her clothes on.

[ValidEmotions]

Cathy was carried from the bathroom, down the hallway, and into the facility where her mother made her breeding business thrive. As Branwen began to answer her questions, they continued into a side room before setting Cathy down on her feet, her legs trembling. "I remember the stories. Kyurem is the empty shell waiting for the day it is filled with Truth and Ideals," Cathy replied, wanting to show her mother how good her memory was. Her mother turned to face one of the lockers and Cathy started to move forward.

 

However, she stumbled, unaccustomed to the reformation of her calves and ankles. With a soft grunt, she fell forward and caught herself. Instead of trying to stand again, she chose to sit where she fell with a frustrated huff. "I think I understand your thoughts, Mother," she murmured, catching the clothes that were lightly tossed in her direction.

 

Looking behind her, she scooted backwards until she could pull herself up using a bench for support. Her legs quivered and filled with pain as she tried standing like she used to. Hissing from the discomfort, she sat back down and rubbed until the pain was gone. Well, now that she paid more attention, she saw why standing like she had before didn't work.

 

Digigrade legs were designed to stand on an animals toes. In the simplest of terms at least. Her eyes began to sting with the realization but she fought them back this time, a scowl crossing her face. With the bench as support again, she tried standing once more, this time placing her weight as she should. Her tail hovered behind her, curved like an 'S' on it's side. Gradually, she lifted her hand away from the bench and was pleased to find she didn't fall and her legs no longer trembled. At least, on the plus side, she was a couple inches taller.

 

Plucking her pajamas off, she struggled with figuring out how to remove her bottoms. Finally, however, she managed to do so and placed both articles on the bench, neatly folded. Easy enough was putting on her shirt, glancing back at her tail and watching as she tucked it inside the piece of fabric. There was an odd shape to her back now but, she could live with it; it wasn't too uncomfortable.

 

Again, she struggled with the pants but, this time, only because her fingers were no longer conducive for buttoning and zipping it up. Cathy fumed, unable to clench her hands into real fists to express her frustration. So, she growled instead. She rubbed her face quickly, pulling slightly at her lower eyelids. Staring down at the zipper and button, she worried her lower lip and focused. In moments, the metal tab shifted upward, closing the zipper, and the button slipped into place. A flicker of triumph gathered in Cathy's chest and she allowed herself a temporary smile.

 

Though, it kind of hurt, having the waistband of her pants stretched against the base of her new-found tail. "Alright, I'm dressed," Cathy said, wondering if her mother would make her put on shoes that would no longer fit.

[SULDhasno]

"Ok, now I don't know what the hell is going on, and Mr. Entei is too lazy to tell me right now, but apparently I can throw fireballs now and I have to go to Fortree City for something. I feel like I'm missing something here." Miteki looked up to the sky where it was starting to rain. "Yup, I'm missing something."

 

"Before we go anywhere, can I go into the Pokemon Centre? My Dragonite doesn't seem good..." He motioned over to his Pokemon who waved his arms in defense, saying it was perfectly fine.

 

"Yeah, sure." They both went in. Takaki stepped up to the counter and got his Pokemon rested.

 

"So, Takaki, who was talking to you? Man, it is dark in here. The only light in here are those candles upstairs- woah, thanks, Typhlosion." He nodded to the Pokemon behind him as he ignited his back.

 

"Um... This guy called Zapados."

 

"Oh. I think I've heard of that. Some kind of zappy-bird."

 

"It did mention something about electrical powers."

 

"Yeah. Did he mention something about Fortree City?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Ok. Let's go there. It's a fifteen-minute walk I think. I am in need of an explanation. A good and detailed one. Say, is anyone upstairs? Heh. We were talking kinda loudly." They both stepped out. "Want to buy any Pokemart stuff?"

 

"No, I'm good."

 

"Ok, let's go." They began walking in the direction of their destination, Pokemon trailing close behind them.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Oh, woops. So it was a 40 minute walk."

 

"That is a rather large gap from 15 minutes."

 

"I generally fly everywhere. Ok, now what. I don't see anyone. And I'm hungry. What are we meant to do exactly?"

 

Just hang around. Bunch of guys coming your way.

 

'Oh wow, you're back Entei. Now could you please explain what the whole fireball and stuff thing is about?'

 

Hmm... Yeah, might as well, with Miteki mummuring a 'thank you' under his breath. Basically, I chose you because you have the potential to be my champion. In exchange for the powers and the hairdo, which, I must say, does look quite good on you, you have to fight for me. The exact details of that will come clear.

 

'Ok, still confused. Thanks.'

 

No problem.

 

'I meant that sarcastically.'

 

I was playing along with it.

[Skypool]

Mauville was only a hop, skip, and a jump over that one mini-fissure away from Fortree City. Gardevoir, Roxanne's ever faithful partner, strove alongside her with graceful steps and intuitive eyes, always on the alert for some threat or another, always glancing sideways at her trainer for affirmation that she was unharmed. As of recently, bandits had taken to positioning themselves along the routes so as to catch the hapless traveler off guard. Times were getting tough, and Pokédollars were hard to come by. Hoenn's economy had not been built to weather, well, the inexplicable absence of all legendary Pokémon.

 

No economy had in fact.

 

Regardless, the probability of her getting robbed today was growing increasingly slim; people were too preoccupied with her appearance, with her blue hair and imprinted forehead and golden eyes, to think to jump her. Many a child turned its head to stare at her shamelessly.

 

It wasn't as though traits such as these were oddities in the world though. People were born with blue hair all the time, the opal mark set in the middle of her forehead closely resembled an intricate tattoo, and even though her eye color was uncommon, it could be explained by the inherent magic of the land if people really needed a justification for it.

 

Roxanne just looked so dang uncomfortable in her own skin that it was harder to not notice any deviations she had as opposed to cheerfully ignoring them. She glanced at the tail of her braid every few seconds just to confirm that it was still Azelf blue. Her fingers, when they weren't rubbing at the back of her neck, were examining the gem-like symbol that had engraved itself into her skin.

 

It was a process for the champion—accepting the reality of her situation, this was, and to make matters worse, she could feel Azelf trying to stifle laughter on the telepathic bond between them. (As a side note, Roxanne found it interesting that she could immediately discern it as a bond. She supposed this new intuitiveness was included in the legendary's influence.)

 

"If you're going to laugh at me," she snapped, "the least you can do is laugh to my face."

 

"Ah, but that wouldn't be any fun."

 

Smart aleck.

 

Fortree City was straight ahead; she could see the outline of its rather desolate-looking Pokémon Center from where she stood on the end stretch of Route 119. It was one of the few buildings that had not been built high in the treetops around these parts; part of its roof looked caved in where something had fallen on it.

 

A light drizzle sprang down from the canopies above, moisture from a heavier rain rolling off leaves and branches and onto her arms. She shivered and trekked forward, Gardevoir still ghosting her every step.

[Purplepotatoes2]

The lines seemed to grow fainter as time passed. As Brandon began to calm down, he realized that he was also not in his own home. He got up and looked around. All of his Pokemon were in their Pokeballs next to the bed, other than Blade, who was watching closely while leaning on the opposite wall. He pulled off the blanket and got up. He knew 2 things. He had to find out about his powers, and he had to get to Fortree, other than that, nothing. Brandon didn't like doing anything without an organized plan, but he also knew that there was little time to formulate one.

 

As he was thinking this, someone else came into the room. It was an elderly woman, carrying some herbal medicines. Knowing that these were hard to come by these days, and thus, extremely expensive, Brandon had to ask, "How did you get those?"

 

"A shopkeeper's secret, darling. I see you are awake, how are you feeling?" She replied.

 

"I guess I'm feeling all right... Where am I exactly?"

 

She stated exactly what Brandon needed to hear to confirm what had happened. "My humble abode, darling, just near Lilycove. I've seen many things in my day, but a young man like you washing up with that stuff on your skin is definitely one of the strangest."

 

"Yeah, not exactly the best night last night, I must say", he said with his dryly sarcastic tone.

 

Chuckling, she said "I'll leave you to your personal business... This world has lost much of its privacy, so take it when it comes. Also, you should let me borrow your Sceptile for a while, they are amazing for the merchandise. If you do, I'll let you take some with you on your way to Fortree."

 

"! How did you know I was going to Fortree?"

 

"You talk in your sleep sweety. that's about all I know though." she replied to Brandon's relief

 

"Okay, I guess... Blade, do you mind helping her out for a few hours?" "Scep- Sceptile" Blade nodded from the corner and set out of the room with her.

 

That gave Brandon time to figure out about the power that had supposedly been imbued within him. He figured that since it was Palkia that had given it to him, it was most likely spacial in nature. His first thought was to make a motion with his arm similar to how some have described the way Palkia rends space. This did nothing, however, so he thought maybe he could make something. A sword would be nice... Braving the countryside with no weapon could be dangerous, even with his pokemon. He created a picture of a sword he wanted, just the right size and shape, and put out his hand. He concentrated as hard as he could, and suddenly his lines began to glow brightly again, like when he had first woken up. Then, a rift opened in the air, just like the one that Palkia created when first contacting him! It seemed as if there was nothing to be seen in the rift at first, but then, he did catch a glimpse of something. Stars. Cautiously, he reached into the rift, and felt something metallic. He pulled it out, and it was the sword, only it was completely black, with what looked like stars speckled all over it. It would probably be invisible if you held it to the night sky.

 

"Whoah..." The rift suddenly closed, with a force that knocked Brandon against the wooden wall of the room. He still had the sword, and was quite content with his progress, despite the newfound pain in his back and several splinters. He wanted to continue practicing, but also didn't want to destroy the nice lady's home. He cleaned himself up and headed outside.

 

Now, he wanted to try to destroy something. He saw a small stick that would be perfect for the test. He concentrated on the stick, and thought about the stick disappearing, when another rift opened, also seemingly empty. He reached in again, but nothing was within his reach, so he thought to throw the stick in. He backed up, fearing the force of the rift closing, and tossed the stick into the rift. The rift exploded with a tremendous force that sent Brandon flying. Luckily, Blade heard the explosion and was able to dash and catch Brandon before he landed, the force of which, probably would have at least debilitated him for a while.

 

"Thanks, Blade..." The lady was now intrigued. "What in Arceus' name was that?!"

 

"Sorry, the rough days seem to be continuing. I just hope that I haven't messed up your home."

 

They checked everything out, but everything seemed fine, so the lady was content with sharing her medicine, and sending Brandon on his way, before he did cause any damage. Brandon left with a new cosmic sword, 3 energy powder, and a revival herb.

 

For now, what Brandon knew about his powers was this. It is much less dangerous to create, than to destroy. He also knew that he felt a little weaker each time he used them. After about two hours of walking, he felt quite a bit of his power restored, despite his body becoming somewhat weary, as sunset approached. Now he knew that his power could also be rejuvenated over time. Stopping at a small rain pond, he said,

 

"A productive day, wouldn't you say, Blade?"

 

"Scep-." Blade replied almost in an affirmative laughing manner.

 

"One last thing to try..." With this, he thought of Fortree City. He concentrated on himself in the middle of Fortree . In the water, he could see the lines reappearing and glowing intensely. He could also see that his hair, which he hadn't noticed before, was now black, and his eyes were also glowing purple. He tried not to let this break his concentration, and doubled down his thought on this one thing. Travelling to Fortree City. A large, almost door-like rift opened after what felt like 20 minutes of concentration. He could definitely see Fortree through the rift, however, and, not knowing how long the rift would be open, or the destruction it would cause when it closed, Brandon returned Blade, took a deep breath and jumped in.

 

Brandon was once again unconscious. (Who wants to wake him up?!)

[SULDhasno]

((I shall do the honours))

 

The rain continued to pour down as even Miteki decided to shelter under a tree. His Typhlosion was getting rather annoyed at the rain. He grunted as a large drop of water collected by a leaf dropped onto his back and made a sizzling sound.

 

"How long are they taking? Say, Takaki, do you have something to eat- hey, Takaki, you look a little taller." Miteki raised an eyebrow at Takaki's new appearance.

 

"What?"

 

"And your hair looks less neat too."

 

"Weird." All of their Pokemon were outside of their Pokeballs, stretching out their legs. If they had them. Miteki's Sudowoodo was playing around with the Typhlosion, throwing a bunch of pebbles at him until he (literally) blew up, setting of the fire on his back to get rather large and hot.

 

"Yo, Typhlosion calm down dude."

 

"Maybe you should separate them."

 

"Nah it's their friend thing." Miteki's Pidgeot was playing around with his Pikachu, sweeping down low as if taunting the Pokemon, then flying back up at the top of the tree when the Electric type lunged at it.

 

"They're so hyper." Takaki's own Pokemon were just lying down on the grass, with the exception of his Luxray who was pacing around the shelter looking around.

 

"Hmm... How do I throw fireballs now?"

 

I'll leave that to you to figure out.

 

"Hey wait a second is that someone?((Assuming Roxanne is there at the field)) Finally! I'm starving." To which Takaki handed him a biscuit. "Thanks." Miteki said with his mouth full. He looked back at the person and waved.

 

Then some guy popped right behind him. "Woah!" Miteki jumped back at for a second he saw a little flame spark from his hand. Or that was his imagination. He looked unconcious. "Yo, dude..." Miteki started shaking him gently, slightly worried that the fire thing would happen again and injure this unconscious dude.

Edited May 23, 2015 by SULDhasno

[Switch]

He was blind and the wind was screaming. Hundreds of needles on his skin, stabbing him- No, no, it's just the rain. He could feel rough, cold rock under his feet and against his palms. Everything was dusty and crumbly. Lighting flashed once, then twice, and he could see briefly. A cracked tower, its top obscured by storm clouds. His legs were heavy, sick with vertigo. The air was humid and filled with static that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The floor scratched his skin as he took one step back, then it was gone. He felt the stone collapse beneath his weight, then felt nothing.

 

Ow.

 

"Sir?"

 

Frey clenched his teeth and hissed in irritation. Night terrors or not, that was the first time he had gotten a decent nap in days. He threw his arm over his face and rubbed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt himself being pushed by the head. Frey's eyes shot open in alarm as he looked over his shoulder. But he moved too fast, and his vision began spinning. A few seconds passed before his sight cleared.

Dolly was kneeled beside him, cradling his head with her huge paws. Behind her was someone, a person he didn't know, staring down at him in concern. They didn't really have any noticeable features besides the massive pack on their shoulders. A hiker, evidently.

"What." Frey muttered after a beat.

 

"Uh- Are you okay, sir? You were sleeping on that couch, but I think you fell over?" The stranger hesitated when Frey declined to respond. He could barely communicate when he was lucid, how was he expected to have a conversation like this? "... Well, that Pangoro caught you, so I guess you're fine."

The hiker then walked away without another word. Frey sighed in embarrassment and slowly began to climb back onto the couch, his limbs shaking. Immediately, Dolly picked Frey off the ground and gently lowered him onto the cushions.

 

"Thanks." Frey said. He had always been scrawny, but as of recent weeks he felt almost atrophied half the time. He spent more of his food money on Dolly and the others than himself nowadays. Berries wouldn't cut it much longer.

 

He slept for another hour. Pangoro was wide awake when Frey next rose, presumably having not slept at all in order to keep watch on him. The rest of his Pokemon were still asleep, Purrloin and Cinccino nestled against each other on a cushion. Meanwhile, Emmy was slumped over in a nearby chair. What a waste of time. When Frey's hometown was destroyed, he had no real choice but to leave. He couldn't exactly get therapy in a wasteland. Not that he could afford it any longer. He only came to Lavaridge on a whim. "Their hot springs can cure any ailment," he was told. That certainly sounded cheaper than a psychiatrist. More importantly, maybe the person he was looking for would be here. But, of course, the small city had no real way to communicate to the outside that they were currently drowning in volcanic ash.

 

All he had accomplished by coming to this place was embarrassing himself. At least he managed to get some supplies, and a nap, fitful as it was. Frey slowly rose to his feet and wordlessly returned his Pokémon as he walked to the Center's exit. He pulled the surgical mask that had been tied around his neck up and over his mouth, then pushed the door open. The sky was a gray void, blocked out by the same ash that was coating the ground and buildings. The city looked almost monochrome as he hiked along the exit path. Not a familiar face in sight either. Frey didn't even want to think about how bad Fallarbor town must have it. He prayed they weren't stuck there.

Well, he had gained one other useful thing from this trip. He overheard people in the Center mentioning that Mauville still had power. If his friend knew about it, they must have gone that way, and Frey had to follow.

 

Follow what, though? He had received directions, but he was already getting confused. Everything looked the same, coated in ash. Frey didn't know how long he had been walking for. 30-45 minutes? He noticed no familiar landmarks along the way, which may have been a good thing or a bad thing. He had came to Lavaridge from the north, and Mauville was... south? Lost in thought, Frey simply continued walking in what he thought was a straight line. A second later, he felt himself fall forward. A rock caved underneath his shoe and fell down the slope he had failed to notice in front of him. He had no time to react besides letting out a scream.

Dolly wasn't there this time to stop his head from slamming into the ground. Frey clutched his skull and curled up in pain. Why didn't he get a map, why couldn't he remember the directions, why was he such an idiot? Shock alone caused him to fade in and out of consciousness. His only coherent thoughts were of self-deprecation.

 

"Idiot, idiot, idiot. Why did I think I could do this on my own? I've never been able to do anything on my own in my life!"

 

Frey felt static on his skin.

 

"You, listen to me."

 

Frey froze and his eyes shot open. There was nobody nearby, nobody that he could see.

 

"You know me, you've seen me. I am Rayquaza."

 

What.

 

"And I know you. We are much the same. But, you are afraid."

 

The voice in Frey's mind almost sounded like that of a woman's, but he couldn't truly tell. That was simply how he interpreted it. It was deep and authoritative, which intimidated him even further. Slowly and carefully, Frey pushed himself off the ground with weak arms and a spinning head. He couldn't get a word out. His jaw was frozen open in shock, and every breath hitched in his throat.

 

"I will help you. No more of being afraid. Start being furious. Gain your strength from it. Be my champion."

 

"... I d-don't know what y-you mean." Frey whispered, his entire body trembling. He knew his brain wasn't of the statistically average kind, but this?

 

"I will give you what you need to reach your destination. But I need your help as well."

 

"... Okay?" He gasped out without a second thought.

 

Rayquaza paused, then its voice softened in tone. "... Good. We need each other. You are already going in the right direction. When you reach that place called Mauville, go then to the fields out of Fortree City. I will do what I can to help you. Best of luck."

 

Frey had too many questions swirling in his mind to even process them. But he had no time to speak. With no warning, his vision turned white.

 

[Purplepotatoes2]

"Ungh..." Brandon slowly opened his eyes while rubbing his head. The first thing he saw were two people standing above him, but he couldn't see straight, so he couldn't tell if they were men, women, children, or even two of them at all.

 

"Ugh... Did I..? Am I at Fortree?"

[Skypool]

"Can you sense them?"

 

"Sense what?"

 

"The auras of the other champions. A few have already reached the fields."

 

The thick pools of mud aside, Roxanne and Gardevoir found Fortree City to be easily navigable. It had a simple anatomy to it; a straight path was cut in front of the long row of treehouses for the benefit of travelers. She was approaching the edge of the city quickly, could see the wide expanse of a field beginning to shape before her.

 

Under a gnarled tree dead ahead, two boys were relaxing, basking in the shelter the leaves provided them from the rain. One of them caught her eye and waved. She went to lift a cordial hand in return, but was stopped short. Her breath hitched.

 

A person materialized out of thin air and then slumped to the ground unconscious.

 

Well then.

 

Roxanne broke into a run, her long strides punctuated by Gardevoir's thin legs scissoring the ground as she kept up with her. They reached the three boys just as the new arrival was waking up. He groggily asked a question she wasn't able to catch.

 

She knelt beside him anyways, her fingers resting on his arm. It was veined with pale lines; they were seemingly engraved into his skin just as the opal on her forehead was. A charge rippled through her body at the contact.

 

"I see what you mean," she told Azelf.

 

This guy, whoever he was, had power.

 

"You okay?"

[Purplepotatoes2]

"Ugh... I think so..." His vision began to clear and he could see that there were 3 people now, 2 males, one female. Brandon tried to stand, but realized that his power was very low. He would need some time to recover before doing anything too strenuous.

 

"Since that's not working, how about some introductions?" He said weakly "I'm Brandon, and you all?"