A/N: Look! I've joined a fad!
This story written with the permission of srgeman.
This is a rebirth story, and is mainly being written so I can seriously try writing as a human for once. That is to say, almost all of my other stories have narrators that are not human (with the exception of one, for one chapter so far). If you're reading this, odds are you've already read srgeman's A Little Night Music. If you haven't, and are just some poor lost soul looking for a good read, read that before you read this. There's more to it, and, what the heck, it's just a great story. Read it. Read it.
That said, for those of you who know what I'm talking about, the rules of rebirth work in this story as well. If you're not sure what I mean... well, you'll see a little ways in.
Normally I'm not one for the all-Pokémon-lay-eggs thing, but I use it here simply to maintain consistancy with the rest of these stories that I know of.
Now. I already know what the main character is going to become; but I don't know what other Pokémon I want to join "his" party. Suggestions? I'll leave a character submission form at the bottom if you'd like to be detailed about it.
As a disclaimer, I do not own Pokémon or any official related trademarks. The idea and concept of the rebirth story are credited to srgeman. I do own any original characters of my own--Joshua Card, Karen Ashlocke, Myst the Ninetales, to name a few. This story does tie in vaguely with another, unfinished one of mine, but you may or may not be able to spot it.
Also: The beliefs of the characters do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the author.
Giratina and Arceus are referred to as "it" within the story as they are technically above gender.
I use the following formatting system (and it's slightly different from my normal one, so pay attention):
Plain text, like this, denotes narrative text, part of the story.
Text in double quotes, "like this," denotes a human speaking.
Text in italicized and in double quotes, "like this," denotes untranslated Pokémon speech--that is to say, what humans hear.
Text italicized and in single quotes, 'like this,' denotes a Pokémon speaking.
Text italicized, like this, denotes thought; if it's in bold, like this, it's emphasized, like putting italics in narrative text.
Text italicized and set off by forwardslashes, /like this/ denotes telepathy, and if it's in bold, /like this/ then it's one of the powerful Legendaries speaking (generally Arceus, Giratina, Dialga, or Palkia)
A line break denotes a time lapse; a line break preceeded [following] by A/N denotes a beginning author's note (like all of this), while one succeeded [followed] by A/N denotes an ending author's note.
I've rambled enough. Onto the story!
A Fear of Change
Chapter I: Paradox
"It's gonna hatch soon!" she insisted, pouting and looking a lot younger than her fifteen years. I sighed, tilting my head toward the videophone monitor.
"Karen," I groaned. "It's an egg. You see 'em hatch all the time, my uncle--your dad--owns that Breeding Center."
"Josh!"
"Joshua," I corrected automatically. I was one of those people that can't stand being nicknamed.
"Joshua," she tried again. "It's special. This time it's my egg. I got it from its mother, I've raised it this far... You're my cousin, for God's sake. You're in town. Please?"
I loved her. I really did. I always had. She was my favorite little cousin. But she wanted me to come over to watch an egg hatch?
There followed a brief internal struggle that went something like this.
It's an egg. Baby Pokémon. Woo, so what?
She's my cousin.
I don't care. I don't care about baby Pokémon--only their evolutions.
But she's my cousin.
It's eleven o'clock at night!
"Joshua?" asked Karen, her blue eyes wide.
She really cares. She wants me to see this.
"Fine... I'll come," I said grudgingly, putting a smile on my face, and on hers. "I... guess you only get your first Pokémon once, huh?" It was also a great leap forward for her, since she'd been a Poképhobic until she was ten, and still hadn't gotten over it entirely.
"Thank you, Josh!" she cried giddily, cutting the connection off before I could remind her, again, that my name was Joshua.
I shrugged and stood up, yawning. I glanced at the clock. Yep, about 11:04 at night. Why did births always happen at the inconvenient times? Not to mention that the Ashlockes--Karen's family--lived on the western edge of Azalea Town, and I was closer to the eastern edge.
I stepped out of the hotel and into the night. It was humid--really humid. It must have just rained. I paused for a moment and got my directions straight, then I started walking.
I was--and am--one of those people who like to think while they walk. Sometimes, especially if I've taken a particular path to a place before, I can essentially tune myself out and think while I walk. This has its advantages in open spaces, like Routes, but in the city, it's dangerous. I was continuing to argue with myself over the point of watching a Pokémon hatch--what about it could possible fascinate people so? It sounded disgusting.
I remembered myself in time to step around another pedestrian.
I didn't have any Pokémon myself. I'd only come to Azalea Town to visit with Kurt, the Ballmaker, for a special order from the new Mahogany Gym Leader--my elder brother--and I'd done it in the company of some elderly Trainer from Fiore who enjoyed tea and kept a bunch of Growlithe.
I paused at a street corner and leaned on the pole, waiting for the traffic to pass by.
It was somewhat shameful, I realized, that I hadn't thought at all to see the Ashlockes while I was in town. My task list had been, essentially, get in, give Kurt the appricorn, get the Ball, and get back to Mahogany. Well, that didn't matter now, I decided bluntly. I was going to see them now.
The pedestrian light flickered to Walk. I began to walk.
And then something happened. I was midway through the crosswalk when I quite suddenly saw something else.
A great lavender-and-black-and-gold dragon, soaring through a space that could only be described as backwards. It glanced at me, red eyes boring into my own. I froze.
There was a sound like screaming, and tires screeching. Something very large and heavy hit my side, and the image was broken, and so was I.
After a moment, though, I pushed myself up onto my knees, cursing.
"What the hell, man?" I grunted, turning around. Then I froze again.
There was the car--a nondescript, red thing, one of the most common machines out there. Inside it were three people, each slowly looking dumbstruck, and all of them obviously drunk. In front of the car, however, was me.
Or, at least, it was a damn good copy. Spread-eagled, green eyes lifeless, spiky black hair looking largely unnaffected. Did that shirt really look that wierd on me, or was it just the fact that I was...
Uh...
"Life sucks sometimes, doesn't it?"
"Ah... Yeah," I responded absently. Then I spun around, and came face to face with a pink cat. At least, I thought it was. There was something a little off about it--not bad-off, but different.
"Mew, at your service," said the cat, raising his tail to his eye in a kind of mock salute.
"Ah... I-if you say so," I stammered. "L-listen... Is that--?"
"Yep!" said Mew bluntly. "That's you."
"S-so... I'm...?"
"Yep!"
"What the hell, man!" I screamed. Mew recoiled, shaking his head violently. "How can you be so cheerful!?"
Mew tilted his head thoughtfully, then zoomed around toward my body. I kept my eyes firmly on the cat.
"Well. Because you're dead, but you're not really dead."
I didn't bother to respond to this.
"If I told you you could come back, that I could give you a second chance," contined Mew after a moment, obviously annoyed that he had to explain further, "would you take it?"
"Ye--!" I caught myself and held up a hand. "Wait, wait, wait..." I thought for a moment. "Aren't Mew supposed to be tricksters?"
Mew's ears drooped; he looked hurt. "Well... Way to generalize the species, man. Can't a Mew have a heart?"
I considered this. "I...I guess."
"Besides," he continued. "Giratina was acting out of line. Technically you weren't supposed to die tonight."
"I wasn't?"
"Nope." No further explanation was offered.
"But can't you just...turn back time? You're like a god, right?"
"Me? Personally? No. Well, yes, I'm a god, but no, I can't turn back time. The only two who can don't have any jurisdiction over death unless Arceus says so. And It doesn't."
At some point the scene surrouding us had faded out. I wasn't even standing any more--I was floating.
"So? Take it or leave it."
"What the catch!?" I said quickly.
Mew smiled. "I knew you'd ask. See, death isn't really my jurisdiction either, but I sort of make it mine when Giratina decides to act like It owns the whole business. I can't bring you back as a human."
"What!?"
"Well, that leaves you only one alternative, doesn't it?"
I was hyperventilating. Why? I didn't need to breath any more. A reflex? "A.... A P-Pokémon?"
"Bingo!" Mew zoomed around me again. "So. Take it, or leave it? Make it quick, I gotta split soon."
My head was spinning. Rebirth? As a Pokémon?
From an egg?
"No," was on the tip of my tongue when it reversed course and became "Yes." I was surprised, but only for a moment. Who wouldn't, in the end, choose life over death?
"Alrighty!" said Mew. "Have fun, buddy!"
He vanished. And suddenly I was cold...
Cold... Why was I cold? Like I was in a freezer, or in a blizzard...
So cold... So...
...
...
So... warm...
So comfortable. Ahh...
I was suspended in some sort of soft, warm goo. I wasn't breathing, but I didn't really need to yet. I was so comfortable here...
There was a muffled noise from outside where I was. There was an outside? What was it like? Was it comfy, too?
It sounded like someone crying.
Blunt and harsh I may be somtimes, but I have a soft spot. I don't like it when people cry. I always try to comfort them. This was an observation in retrospect.
At the time, all I thought was, It's not right... Shouldn't be sad... Be happy...
I reached out and tapped the edge of my little universe. It was hard, but it felt brittle. I pushed on it.
"Karen, it's hatching!"
I stopped to catch my metaphorical breath, then tried again.
Don't!
I pushed.
Be!
I pushed harder.
...Sad!
My egg cracked, and I tumbled out into the world.
It was cold. I began to shiver instantly, and let out a feeble cry. If it was this cold all the time, not like the warm inside my egg, then I could understand someone being sad.
Something warm--two somethings--reached down and picked me up. I couldn't see yet, I couldn't smell, but I could hear and feel just fine. My head was placed gently onto someone's shoulder. I continued to cry weakly, and so did the person on whose shoulder I was resting.
"Karen, here." A man's voice, gentle. "Give him to me. You'll only upset him as you are right now."
A sniff. "Right..." I knew that voice...
I was taken off of the first person's shoulder by two more, much larger, warm things. I still couldn't open my eyes.
"There, little guy, it's okay," said the man's voice gently. I didn't like his voice as much as the others. Blindly I tried to turn around, to find the other person. "You want Karen back?"
I reached out, trying to find the other warm spot. I was given back to the first person.
She sniffed again. "You're sad too, aren't you, little guy?"
I nuzzled the warm spot. Her shoulder? Don't...be sad...
"Born... five minutes after we hear about Joshua's d-death," she stammered, and began to cry in earnest, a tear dripping down onto my leaf.
Joshua!? ...And a leaf!?
My eyes opened at that precise moment, and I forced myself away from her shoulder, tumbling down into her lap.
"H-hey," said she, picking me up and holding me in front of her face. "C-careful, huh? You aren't strong enough to move around by yourself yet..."
Nor were my eyes exceptionally strong yet, but I focused on the face of the first human I'd met and realized who I was staring at, and a moment later what I was.
I'd made it to the hatching anyway. The person holding my was my cousin, Karen Ashlocke. And I was her Chikorita.
A/N EDIT 09/24/09: Character submissions have been reopened. Yes, SkyeGavin, I'm calling your bluff.
Information that I will require for characters:
Status: Trainer / Reborn / Regular Pokémon
Age: For Pokémon, their level of maturity (Behave like an 11-year old? Behave like a 30-year old?). For reborns, I will need the age they died at as well as the age of the Pokémon body they inhabit.
Gender:
Species: Human / Pokémon -- What kind of Pokémon?
Personality/Backstory/Additional Features: As much or as little as you feel like submitting.
