I ran through the darkness, trudging deeper and deeper into this seemingly endless forest. By tomorrow morning they'll know that I ran away. In case you were wondering, my name's Ben, just Ben, no last name. I've lived in an orphanage since I was three. Apparently my parents died in a car accident, though I don't remember it. The government decided to put me in the orphanage, though living alone on the streets would have probably been better than that hellhole.
See, the orphanage wasn't very… friendly, the woman who ran the place was an abusive lunatic, always yelling at us for something we didn't do and then beating us for it. After years of torture I finally snapped and began plotting my escape. I managed to sneak out the window about an hour ago in the middle of the night and I immediately took off into the woods. I haven't stopped running since. That's pretty much how I got here, sprinting through the trees.
I stopped to catch my breath when I noticed a faint glow deeper in the trees. I slowly walked over to it, cautiously approaching the mysterious light. Then, I saw it, an odd glowing crystal levitating above a strange rock. The crimson glow of the gem shined on my face as I stared, motionless, at the odd rock. What would the average person have done? Walked away. Then again, I wasn't average. I reached out my hand and touched the floating gem. It began to emanate a blinding light and I feel backwards, passing out before I hit the ground.
"Ugh, what happened?" I asked aloud as I blinked my eyes open. "Why do I feel so… funny?" I stood up and yawned, "How did I get here?" I questioned in bewilderment as I realized that I was in a grassy plain at the edge of the forest, not deep into it like I was last night. Then I looked at my hand. "Holy shit!" I exclaimed as I noticed that I had stubby little red arms in place of my own. I felt my head; it was bumpy and oddly shaped. My legs were short and red, my tail was now long and... IHAVE A TAIL!? I began running back and forth, flailing my arms wildly.
"Are you ok?" a voice asked "I HAVE A TAIL!" I yelled back "Of course you have a tail, you're a Magby." "I-I'm a what?" I exclaimed in shock. Then I realized what was talking to. A Chimchar stood next to me with a puzzled look on his face. "H-How are you talking?!" I yelled. "Quiet down, you're gonna wake every Pokémon within a mile of here." The Chimchar said calmly "I'm a h-human! You can't talk to me!" he shot me a confused look "Um, you're a Magby, go look." He gestured to the small pond beside us. I looked at my reflection and almost threw up. I really was a Magby!
"B-But, I was a human just last night, wha-what happened?" He sighed "Are you insane or something?" I looked at him and shivered "Maybe, how else could this be happening?" I began to breathe heavily and I felt lightheaded. I sat down and began muttering to myself "This can't be happening, this can't be happening"
'It is indeed happening, calm yourself and listen closely' I gasped."D-Did you just hear that?" I asked the Chimchar "Hear what?" "The voice!" 'He can't hear me, just listen closely, if you travel north from here you will reach a river. I need you to follow that river until you come across a large stone structure sticking out from the woods .It is there that you will find the answers that you seek'. "I'm just gonna go now I guess." I awkwardly stated "Okay… Have fun with, whatever it is you're doing." The Chimchar rolled his eyes and walked away.
"Which way is north?" I asked aloud. 'Go forward, and make haste!' I'm really starting to dislike this head voice thing. 'Do you want to know why you are a Pokémon or not?' "Yes, I do, sorry." I walked toward the river, or at least I tried, it's really hard to walk in a body that isn't yours.
After a short walk and falling on my face several times, I reached the flowing water. "Now which way do I go?" 'Left! Quickly, before nightfall!' "Um, thanks, creepy voice in my head." I think I finally managed to get the hang of this walking thing. I scampered along the river's edge, trying not to fall down. "So, uh, voice" I awkwardly questioned "How far until I get there, I'm getting tired of walking." 'Soon, very soon, and then all will be clear.' "Do you have to talk like that?" I asked. 'No, I just enjoy it.' "Great." I muttered.
I sat down from exhaustion and gazed up at the sky. How could this be happening to me? I'm a human, not a Magby. And the annoying voice in my head isn't helping. "Wait, is that the…" I looked at a large stone structure partially obscured by the forest. "That's it!" I jumped up excitedly and ran over to the strange door on the front of the building. I held my hand up to the door. Right before I touched it, the door began to slide open. I stared in shock at the seemingly magic door.
I looked inside and saw a staircase leading down into the darkness. "Um, hello, is anyone in there?" I called into the dark passageway. 'Just go in already!' The voice sounded annoyed"Okay, you don't have to yell." The torches on the wall began to spontaneously light themselves. I shivered, this place doesn't seem right. I slowly descended the stairs, careful not to trip.
"I'm a Magby, so doesn't that mean I can breathe fire?" I took a deep breath and started exhaling. "Why isn't it working?" Then I felt my throat getting very hot. "I'm doing it, I'm doing i…" I began to cough as the heat moved further up my throat. I felt like I was gonna throw up. I felt the heat enter my mouth, and I started to cough up smoke. The smoke soon became a purple gas. "I'm not sure *cough, cough* but I think *cough* this is Smog *cough*" I waved away the gas with my hand. Maybe I'll try again later… And hopefully not die.
At the end of the stairs, there was a large door. It magically opened just like the last one. I walked into a large, open chamber. Placed in the center was a strange altar. I watched in awe as the altar began to glow, shooting out rays of light and fire. A large fiery burst shot out from the altar and I shielded my eyes. When I uncovered them I noticed the Pokémon hovering above it.
"A-Ar-Arceus?!" I immediately bowed before the God Pokémon. He was in his fire form and emanating heat waves. "There is no need for bowing, Ben, standing is fine." Arceus calmly stated "Y-you know my name?!" Then I realized "Wait, you're the same voice that was in my head!" Arceus simply stared at me "Suppose you are wondering why I turned you into a Pokémon and sent you here." "Yeah I am. Wait, You did this to me?!" Arceus nodded "It was all for a good reason, a great evil is coming, an evil that even I cannot stop. But you and the others I have chosen can." "But… but… why me, why not someone else?" I furiously questioned. "As you may know, I can see people's fate and destiny. Yours, I'm afraid, was horrible. When you escaped from that orphanage you would live on the streets until one day you get caught in the middle of a violent crime and die. However, when I changed you into a Pokémon, your destiny changed." I gulped "So, changing me into a Pokémon saved my life?" "In a way, yes." I stood there, stunned "Why do you need humans though?" "As of right now, it would be better if you didn't know. But despite that, I need to know, will you be my Champion?"
I considered his proposal. If I accept I'll be a Pokémon forever, if I refuse I'll die in a 'violent street crime'. I guess living as a Pokémon is better than not living at all. "I'll do it." I proudly stated "Are you sure?" it questioned "There is no going back after this." "I'm sure." Arceus looked at me, deep in thought. "Now, I'll explain to you the duties of a champion. First, you will carry out any task I assign. Second, you will obey my every command. Lastly, you and the other champions must train for at least fifteen hours a week to keep your combat skills sharpened. As a reward for that, you can use these ruins as your home and my minions will supply you with food and anything else you need. Any questions?" "Yeah, there are others?"
"Yes, there are six champions here in the ruins, not counting you. There are fourteen champions in total." "Also, what did you mean by 'minions'?" A group of Unown flew out of the wall and circled around us. "Oh, interesting." I stared at the strange letters flying around. "Impressive, yes?" Arceus asked. "Yeah..." I was still staring. "Come, you must meet the others." He began to slowly levitate toward another door and I scampered over to his side. When we reached the door, he made a motion with his head and it slid open just like the last two.
"Go on, meet the other Champions, I have business to attend to." Arceus turned around and floated back into the room. The door shut behind him. I walked forward along the hallway before me. I emerged into a large cavern, complete with a lake in the middle. I gazed around the cavern when a voice startled me. "Hey, are you the new guy?" "Huh? Uh... yeah" I noticed the origin of the voice. He was a Treecko, but for some odd reason he had a pair of glasses on. "I'm Alex" The Treecko said with a happy expression on his face. "Uh... Hi, I'm Ben." I replied in a friendly tone. "So, a Magby, huh" Alex said "Is it weird having that entirely new body?" My eyes widened "Yes! It is so weird!" He laughed "Yeah, Treeckos are a lot like humans, so the transformation wasn't too hard for me to get used to." "Yeah, try walking with little red stubs for legs..." I briefly paused, and then I asked "Where exactly did you find glasses that fit a Pokémon?" He pushed his glasses up on his face "When I woke up I just found them on the ground next to me, I guess Arceus made them." I shrugged.
Alex moved the black frames around on his nose again and explained "My vision isn't really that bad, I only wear glasses when I need to see something really far away." I looked at his joy filled green face. This guy seems really nice; maybe being a Pokémon isn't too bad after all. "So, Alex.. Where should we go now?" He smiled "C'mon, I'll introduce you to the others." He motioned for me to follow as he walked toward the other end of the cavern.
Alex led me over to a group of Pokémon practicing moves on stalactites near the lake. A female Nidoran gave a friendly nod to Alex and me. "Hi Alex, who's this guy?" She asked in a curious voice "Oh, this is my new friend Ben." The gecko smiled. I was surprised that he called me his friend. We had only met a couple minutes ago. Plus, I honestly thought he was a little weird. Friendly, but weird.
"Heya Ben. I'm Sabrina." The Nidoran said "Hi, Sabrina." I smiled at her. A few of the other Pokémon walked over to meet me. A Poliwag was the first to speak "Hey, my name's Mark. Nice to meet you." "You too, Mark. My name's Ben." An Abra introduced himself next "I'm Matt" He calmly stated. The last to speak was a Pichu. "Hi Ben, I'm Jack" He took a humble little bow and I bowed back. I noticed a Machop in the corner, punching at a rock. "Who's he?" I asked "Oh... that's Drew. He's a little… standoffish." Matt answered with an annoyed tone. "He's also a huge asshole." Jack added "C'mon, he can't be that bad" I said "Oh, trust me, he is. Go on, try to talk to him." Jack said in a sarcastic tone. I shrugged and began to trudge over to the blue skinned Pokémon.
I looked back at the others. Alex had a worried look on his face. The rest looked nervous and wouldn't take their eyes off me. Well, other than Jack, who seemed to be eagerly awaiting my impending run-in with Drew. I sighed. What did I get myself into? I approached Drew and he didn't stop punching the rock. "Uh... hey, Drew." I said. He stopped beating the stone and looked at me "Go away." He angrily ordered "Hey, I'm just trying to be frien-" "Shut up and leave before I rip your little red tail off." Wow, he is a dick.
"Look, I just tri-" He punched the rock next to him. "Look, go play with nerd boy and the yellow rat." The average person would have walked away. But, again, I wasn't average. Nor was I gonna let him insult my new friends. "Make me." He looked surprised "Excuse me? Do you want me to beat your ass?" "Go ahead, try" I'm so, so stupid for doing this.
He leapt at me, fist aimed at my face. I jumped out of the way with surprising speed. I guess being a Pokémon heightened my reflexes. "Ha, best you got?" I taunted "Grr... you stupid..." He ran at me again. I dodged and landed a punch to his side. It managed to knock him back into a rock. Pretty nice strength considering I was the size of a kindergartener.
"I'll kill you!" Drew looked pissed. He leapt again, this time hitting me in the stomach. I hurtled backwards and landed on the cold, hard floor. "Well, looks like I win. Go back to those idiots over there, I don't want you here." I got mad, really mad. I could actually feel the anger building up inside of me. It was hot, perhaps even burning. It was too hot and moving up my throat. I began to cough smoke again for a few moments, and then the heat reached my mouth. I saw small orange pellets shoot from my gaping jaws at Drew.
The singeing pellets struck him before he could dodge, burning his chest and arms. He recoiled backwards, leaning against a rock. I began to charge another Ember attack when a thick green vine began to wrap around my mouth.
Several other vines sprouted from the ground beneath me and began to restrain my limbs. I noticed the same was happening to Drew. We looked over and saw Alex kneeling down, sending energy into the ground to control the vines. "Stop fighting!" He shouted. I let my mouth cool off before speaking "I'm just pissed that he insulted you guys!" "Yeah, well, if you had just left when I told you to, this wouldn't be happening." Drew retaliated "You tried to punch me!" Drew ignored my comment and turned to Alex "Hey, lizard, get these damn vines off me." I saw a flash of anger in the Treecko's bright yellow eyes. "Don't call me 'lizard', I have a name." Drew formed a sly smirk "Oh, I'm sorry; I care so very much for your feelings." Alex began to look angrier. I decided to try and resolve this "Drew, sarcasm isn't helping, can't you stop being a dick for five minutes?" "I can be mean to nerd boy if I want, why do you care?" Alex glared at the Machop with a fiery anger in his eyes.
"Just let them go, Drew will scurry away to his little lonely corner, and we can all just relax." Matt walked over. "Fine... but if Drew says anything to me, these vines are gonna be wrapped around his throat." Alex put us down and, like Matt said, Drew walked over to the other side of the room. I walked over to Alex, who was fuming with anger. "Hey, listen; don't let him get to you." The nearsighted gecko looked at me. "It's just... he... never mind.." He looked down. I nodded to signal I understood.
About a half hour after the Drew incident, new Champions began to show up. The introductions were similar to the ones I received, quick hellos and name exchanges. So far, I've met a Poochyena named Scott, a shy Snorunt named Lindsey, a headstrong Pawniard named Connor, a Togepi named Erica, a Rhyhorn named Luke, an excitable Swablu named Julia, and a Duskull named Tom.
So far, everyone was getting along, except Drew, of course. After the fourteenth Champion, Tom, walked... err... hovered in, Arceus arrived with an announcement. "Champions, as much as you must love this cave, you won't be living here." We all agreed that a cave isn't exactly the best place for a house. "So, if you will all follow me, I will bring you to your living quarters." We were all excited to see our new home and quietly mingled amongst ourselves as Arceus led us to another door. When it opened we gazed inside, expecting to see more stone tunnels or caverns. Instead it looked like the inside of a house.
"What is this?" Luke inquired "We built it especially for you, using human technology." Arceus explained. I asked "So, other than electronic lights, what else is here?" "Well, we have human furniture and your 'televisions' placed in every room. There's only ten rooms, so some of you will have to sleep in the same one, but, that shouldn't be too hard. Now, to meet your supervisor."
Jack shouted "What? We have a babysitter! Lame!" I added on "We can take care of ourselves, I'm pretty sure everyone here is at least thirteen." I rested my hand on the wall. Suddenly I felt a surge of electricity jolt through me. I fell backwards, landing on my back.
I sat up and heard a sadistic giggle. An orange face popped out of the wall. "A Rotom?" Matt asked "Hehehe! You just got zapped!" The Rotom began to float around me, giggling. "What was that for?!" I yelled "Oh... uh… sorry about that, got carried away." I doubted this Rotom was ever human, but if he was, he was probably wearing a purple tuxedo and trying to kill Batman. "I'm your housekeeper" The Rotom told us "I'll cook for you, provide electricity to keep the appliances working, and play some funny ass pranks!" He started laughing again. "Goodie… more of this shit…" I muttered.
I noticed that Arceus had teleported away during the commotion. "Well, you heard Arceus, go find a room, and if there aren't any left, double up. Okay, have fun kiddos!" He flew back into the wall, giggling again. You'd think he'd at least have enough for everyone. I sighed and walked over to a room.
The layout was rather basic. The door was in the middle of the rectangular room. On my left, there were two beds, about three feet apart with a small table in-between. On the right, there was a small couch placed in front of a TV.
"Hey, Alex." I called the Treecko over. "Yeah, what's up?" He asked "Wanna stay in here with me?" He looked overjoyed "Ben, you really don't have to-" I interrupted him "C'mon, you're my friend." "Well... uh, thanks." He walked inside and sat on a bed. I sat down on the opposite one. "Nice place" I stated "Yeah... these beds are soft" He reached up and took off his glasses. "Ugh.. I'm tired" Alex yawned. He rubbed his viridian eyelids and lay back on the bed. He began awkwardly turning, trying to get comfortable with his huge new tail. I frowned. "Uh... how are we gonna sleep with tails?" Alex looked up at me "I have no idea..."
I sighed and walked over to turn the lights off. The switch was low enough for me to reach up and hit it. I heard Alex turn some more before finding a position that he found tolerable. I flopped down onto the other bed, fiddling with my tail until I found a somewhat comfy position, lying on my stomach. I closed my eyes and tried to drift off to sleep.
"Hey, Alex, you awake?" I whispered. It was around midnight and I still couldn't sleep. A hushed reply came "Yep..." "Can't sleep?" I asked. He turned over to face me "What do you think?" "It's these tails... they're so... unnatural." He nodded in agreement "Wanna just watch some TV?" I replied "Good idea, maybe take our minds off this whole tail thing." It's funny, I haven't even been a Pokémon for a day yet and, other than sleeping, everything I do feels so natural, like I was meant to be a Magby.
We walked over to the couch and sat down. I grabbed the remote and turned on a sitcom that I heard was pretty good. We sat in silence for a while. I wanted to talk to him, but... I wanted some way to start the conversation rather than awkward questions. Looking over, I noticed him squinting at the screen. I decided it was as good a conversation starter as anything else I could think of. "I'm pretty sure that's bad for your eyes." I said, He looked at me and laughed a little "Yeah, I guess it is. I just... I'm trying to get used to not wearing glasses." "Why? You can't help that you can't see." He began to twiddle his thumbs… or things that looked like thumbs... for a second before answering "Well, I know that, but if I try to fight in glasses, chances are that they're going to break. Plus, I'm pretty sure 'Championing' or whatever requires fighting…" I nodded "I guess you're right..." "It doesn't help that my vision is absolute shit, either." "Hey, you'll something out." I encouraged.
His eyes suddenly lit up. "Do you wanna do some battle practice? Tomorrow?" "Sure, I'd be happy to. I need to figure out how to use my moves too." He smiled and walked over to the table to grab his glasses. Wow, I've already made a great friend and it's only been a day. Drew might be a problem later, but, who cares! I'm making friends! This Pokémon thing is great! Alex sat back down next to me. I watched the show for about ten more minutes before drifting off into a deep sleep.
A/N: I hope you liked it, please rate and review!