The Power of Blood

Welcome all to the third installment of the Shaiya Chronicles! I hope you all are hungry to a good story.

Disclaimer: Pokemon and related themes are property of Nintendo and not used for profit. Any elements related to the Shaiya Chronicles are my own property.

Chapter 1

Birth of Power

WARNING!: This chapter (not the whole story) contains sexual content. Not enough to warrant an M rating, but perhaps enough to make some squeamish. You have been warned.

"Ella, you are such an idiot."

The woman grabbed another branch and swung to another, her Infernape hands clutching the wood easily. She tore her way through the woods as fast as she could.

She shouldn't even be out in the woods. She had known this time was coming and had always managed to avoid it like the plague. As long as she remained human during these critical days, she would be safe. But something in her mind had slipped and led her to this position: rushing back towards the clinic.

As she swung, she caught her own scent. No doubt it was drawing every male Infernape towards her. Some…strong males…

"No!" She forced her mind back to her swinging. She was not just a Pokemon driven by instinct. She could control herself. She hoped.

If she could, she would simply change back into a human and avoid this whole ordeal. But her current instinct-driven mind wouldn't allow her to focus long enough. The first time this had occurred, her mother had locked her in her room as a Houndour for three days. That whole period had been torture. It seemed the only thing that was on her mind was…

"Focus, Ella!" her human half shouted to herself. "Just get back to the clinic fast and everything will be fine."

A powerful grunting came from her right. She turned her head as a large Infernape grabbed onto a tree branch in front of her. It hung from its tail, clapped its lower feet together, and pounded its chest.

"Oh, no." She was so close; the clinic couldn't have been more than four minutes more.

Her nostrils flared as she caught another scent. Her limbs instantly went weak.

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"Ella, you are such an idiot."

Almost four months later, that day was still in her mind. She couldn't remember how she had made such a critical mistake, but now she was paying for it.

She lay with her legs spread, searing pain pulsating through her body. Doctors and nurses were standing around her, offering help and monitoring her vital signs, but she couldn't think about them. The intense pain emanating from her lower stomach pushed just about everything else from her mind.

"Oh, if I find him, I'm going to pound him into the dust!" she seethed through clenched teeth.

Another moment, the pain diminished to a dull ache. Her breathing started again, deep and heavy. After two hours, she didn't know if she could handle much more.

"One more should do it, Ms. Adams," the doctor said from the end of the bed.

"It better!" She tightened up as another wave of pain made itself known.

"Good. Push. I think I see it. It's…" He paused for a moment. "Oh my god."

Ella swore she heard a soft pop as the pain suddenly vanished. The doctor moved to the side and handed an unseen bundle to a nurse. "What?" she asked through labored breathing and the afterglow of pain. "What's wrong?"

"Vitals seem ok," a nurse said from the edge of the room.

"Ella," the doctor said moving to her side, "I have some interesting news."

Ella suddenly started to panic. "What's wrong? Is my child ok?!"

"Well, in a sense, yes."

The nurse came back, holding something wrapped in a blue cloth. She gently handed it down to Ella, who quickly took it and moved the cloth. But it wasn't a baby she held in her arms.

It was a red egg.

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"Ella, you are such an idiot."

It wasn't an hour since her time of labor and she was already standing outside, gazing back at the hospital, which glowed under the moonlight. Through the walls and across the hundred-yard stretch, she could hear the nurses in an uproar over their lost patient.

Down on the street, there was an even bigger uproar. Dozens of trucks and vans had arrived at the hospital as soon as the strange news had leaked. That was what she was actually avoiding.

This must have been how her own mother had felt all those years ago: her own child, unique throughout the entire world, suddenly thrust into an existence that no one else could possibly understand. She couldn't let her child, especially in these unique circumstances, go through that. She didn't really know if she could handle it.

If her child was to be born a Pokemon, then it would be better to raise him as a Pokemon.

She released her tail's grip and gently slid down the antenna, holding the precious package closer to her chest. With a turn and a gentle leap, she moved to the next building. To all outsiders, the lone and inconspicuous, though out-of-place Infernape was making a slow and careful path towards the distant trees around Viridian City.

By early morning, she was growing weary. She could not judge how far she had traveled, but her body, already weakened from her hours of labor, was now on the verge of total collapse.

She'd stopped at a river to quench her incredible thirst, but as she turned, her legs crumbled. She twisted her body, falling under the egg still held lightly in her arms. Even if she was on the verge of death, which it almost felt like she was right now, she would do everything to protect her child. For a moment, she found it odd how protective she had suddenly become.

Her legs wouldn't move, so with nothing else to do, she clutched her arms around the egg and let her body finally fall into peaceful sleep.

A Furret watched the Infernape with wonder. Here was a female carrying but a single egg. And now she was simply out cold on the ground. He reached down and plucked a blade of grass from the forest floor. He stretched it tight between his paws and with a blow, it whistled.

The call echoed through the trees, carrying its familiar message: "Help needed."

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Ella's sleep was deep. She didn't come out for several long minutes before actually realizing she was not awake. Her body still refused to move until she worked up the meager strength to feel her chest.

Her chest?

THE EGG!

She suddenly bolted to full alertness, nearly jumping off the pile of hay. Her eyes shot around and settled on the egg sitting in a cradle on the far side of the room.

Seeing it was safe, she suddenly realized her new environment. Above her was covered by wooden. The space was circular. Below was wood too. But the entire space seemed to be made of one giant piece of wood. On one wall, cloth hung down over a large hole, letting in just enough light to see around the space with ease.

Ella swung her legs over the edge of the pile of hay and let her feet touch the ground. The wood was surprisingly warm. The air was also a bit hot, she noticed.

The curtain parted slightly and a Chansey walked in. "Why hello. Good to see you're finally up. We were beginning to wonder if you'd been through too much for your body to handle." The Chansey started towards the egg.

Ella quickly jumped up to full height. "What are you doing?"

The Chansey quickly backed away. "Oh, forgive me. I probably should have asked. I'm Tsu, the healer here. I was merely checking on your egg to see how it was doing."

Ella eyed the other Pokemon suspiciously for a moment, but then nodded her head. Chansey were very peaceful and good medically. She would probably know more about handling the egg that Ella.

"So what had you walking around so shortly after laying?" Tsu asked, wanting to strike up a conversation.

"I'd rather not talk about it," she replied as she sat back down. Her legs still seemed incredibly weak and in need of rest. "Where am I exactly?"

Tsu gently raised the egg, feeling its entire surface. "This is the village in the Forest of the Moon, but many would not call it a village. It's mostly a collection of families that could not find a home elsewhere." She placed the egg back into the cradle. "I shall go let Ba know you have woken. He is anxious to speak with you."

Ella started. "Ba? Who is that?"

The Chansey paused at the entrance. "Ba is a Xatu, the village elder."

Ella laughed lightly. She'd met Ba a year earlier. He had been the elder at a secret Pokemorph colony. What a coincidence she'd end up here.

"You should probably rest. Your body still hasn't completely recovered from laying your egg." Tsu bowed her head and stepped outside.

Ella sat on the bed of hay for several minutes, examining the egg, as thoughts raced through her mind. She was still an Infernape in body. As long as she kept up appearances, no one would be any wiser. And living in a village would be much better for her child than alone in the forest or mountains.

She stood and walked over to her egg. The cradle was even warmer than the air. The space below it was filled with warm embers, keeping the egg hot.

She gently picked up her precious child and held it in her arms.

Considering what she did at Asceir, she was certain Ba could arrange a new life for her here.

A/N: And so it begins. Now it is time to hit that blue button and write a review. And I'd like to add that if you think a flame is necessary, then please let me know what I did wrong. No arsonists please.